Irene's first-ever ATY challenge!!

[Irene]

My first-ever ATY challenge! Hopefully I can complete it by overlapping this with the other challenges I'm doing this year.

June: 4/4
July: 4/4
August: 4/4

JUNE

1. Pride Month
☑ b. Read a book featuring an LGBTQIA+ protagonist (not side character).
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz | ★★★ on 6/30/20
Both eponymous characters, Aristotle and Dante, are LGBTQIA+

2. June Birthdays: Anne Frank
☑ b. Read a book that was published in sometime between 1900 and 1950
The Stranger by Albert Camus | ★★★ on 6/5/20
First published in 1942; first English translation published in 1946.

3. Father's Day
☑ b. Read a book that features someone's relationship with their father
Entwined by Heather Dixon | ★★★ on 6/1/20
(The major development in this book comes from the relationship between the daughters and their father, the king. He starts out as an antagonist of sorts, but ends up being their biggest champion - the key to the climax of the book, in fact, is them finally calling him "Papa")
*Note: I started the first couple of chapters on May 28th, but read the last 400 pages on June 1st.

4. Hit the Beach
☑ a. Read a book with a yellow or blue cover.
Mudbound by Hillary Jordan | ★★★★ on 6/23/20

Read:


JULY

1. Halfway There!
☑ a. Read a book with a page number that ends in 2.
The Girl With Glass Feet by Ali Shaw | ★★★ on 6/15/20
Has 292 pages

2. July Birthdays: Pablo Neruda
☑ b. Read a book published between 1904 and 1973.
The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle | ★★★★ on 6/16/20
Originally published in 1968.

3. It's Winter Down South
☑ b. Read a book where the first letter of each title word can be found in the phrase LET IT SNOW. (Title must be at least two words long.)
The Lost by Natasha Preston | ★★ on 7/17/20

4. Summer Reading
☑ a. Read a happy book.
P.S. I Love You by Cecelia Ahern | ★ on 6/30/20
Deals with the aftermath of a loved one's passing, but is in general lighthearted and does not delve deep into heavy emotions.

Read:


AUGUST

1. Read Good Books
☑ a. Read a book by a favorite author
The Venetian Bargain by Marina Fiorato | ★★★★ on 6/3/20

2. Back to School
☑ a. Read a book by an author that is new-to-you.
Girls with Sharp Sticks by Suzanne Young | ★★★★ on 7/1/20

3. August Birthdays: Ray Bradbury
☑ b. Read a sci-fi or horror book.
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle | ★★★★ on 7/15/20

4. Go for a Drive
☑ b. Read a book that starts with a letter in the phrase WINDOWS DOWN, BREEZE BLOWING.
Life in Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina by Misty Copeland | ★★★★ on 7/13/20

Read:

☐☑ ✓★|

[Irene]

So excited and shocked that I was able to complete the first 3 months of this challenge!! Not expecting to be able to finish it all the second-time through, but I'll definitely do my best :)

June: 4/4
July: 4/4
August: 4/4

JUNE

1. Pride Month
☑ a. Read a book with at least 5 different colors of the rainbow on the cover.
Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon | ★★ on 8/28/20
Has red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple on the cover

2. June Birthdays: Anne Frank
☑ a. Read a book set during WWII.
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows | ★★★ on 8/20/20
About the residents of Guernsey under German occupation during WW2

3. Father's Day
☑ a. Read a book that starts with a letter in FATHERS DAY.
Elevation by Stephen King | ★★★★★ on 8/1/20

4. Hit the Beach
☑ c. Read a book found on this list of best beach reads.
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides | ★★★★ on 8/31/20

Read:


JULY

1. Halfway There!
☑ b. Read a book that is divided into multiple parts (rather than, or in addition to, chapters).
Graceling by Kristen Cashore | ★★★★★ on 8/25/20
This book is divided into Part 1: The Lady Killer, Part 2: The Twisted King, and Part 3: The Shifting World, in addition to regular chapters.

2. July Birthdays: Pablo Neruda
☑ a. Read a book set in South America.
A Company of Swans by Eva Ibbotson | ★★★★★ on 8/29/20
Most of this book is set in Brazil.

3. It's Winter Down South
☑ c. Read a book found on TED's Winter Reading List (here).
Becoming by Michelle Obama | ★★★★ on 8/10/20

4. Summer Reading
☑ b. Read a book published in June, July, or August.
Through the Woods by Emily Carroll | ★★★★ on 8/2/20
Originally published on July 1, 2014; this edition published July 15th of the same year.
(Note: This is a graphic novel so per challenge requirements, it's at least 200 pages (208 for the edition I read))

Read:


AUGUST

1. Read Good Books
☑ b. Read the next book in a series you've already started.
Say Yes to the Duke by Eloisa James | ★★★★ on 7/31/20
Book #5 in The Wildes of Lindow Castle series

2. Back to School
☑ b. Read a YA book.
Never Ever by Sara Saedi | ★ on 8/31/20

3. August Birthdays: Ray Bradbury
☑ c. Read a collection of short stories (must still meet the 100 page requirement).
Spooky Campfire Stories by Amy Kelley Hoitsma | ★★★★ on 7/22/20
134 pages

4. Go for a Drive
☑ a. Read a book with a car on the cover.
Dangerous Lies by Becca Fitzpatrick | ★ on 7/28/20
A car is shining its headlights at the girl on the cover.
In case this doesn't count,
☑ c. Read a book where a character visits multiple countries.
Her Dark Curiosity by Megan Shepherd | ★★★★ on 7/21/20
Several characters go from an island in the South Pacific to England, to Scotland by the end.


Read:

☐☑ ✓★|

[Irene]

Completed in the nick of time! (11:30 p.m., 8/31/20)
This was so much fun, and I loved so many of these prompts, especially the next in a series you've started and a book by a favorite author since it's basically guaranteeing you'll read books you like :)