Rin's 2021 Better Be Better ATY Plan

[Erin]

ATY 2021
(Progress Only Post)

Progress: 26/52

1. A book related to “In the Beginning...” - The Big Picture: On the Origins of Life, Meaning, and the Universe Itself (Completed 5/17/21, 3.5 stars)
2. A book by an author whose name doesn't contain the letters A, T or Y
3. A book related to the lyrics for the song "My Favorite Things" from The Sound of Music - Winter's Orbit (Completed 2/20/21, 3.5 stars)
4. A book with a monochromatic cover - Dear All, (Completed 8/3/21, 4 stars)

5. A book by an author on USA Today's list of 100 Black Novelists You Should Read
6. A love story - Spoiler Alert (Completed 2/2/21, 4 stars)
7. A book that fits a prompt suggestion that didn't make the final list
8. A book set in a state, province, or country you have never visited - Jane Doe (Completed 1/19/21, 4.5 stars)

9. A book you associate with a specific season or time of year
10. A book with a female villain or criminal - The Wife Upstairs (Completed 4/18/21, 3 stars)
11. A book to celebrate The Grand Egyptian Museum
12. A book eligible for the Warwick Prize for Women in Translation - Convenience Store Woman (Completed 4/25/21, 3 stars)
13. A book written by an author of one of your best reads of 2020 - Stories of Your Life and Others (Completed 3/29/21, 5 stars)

14. A book set in a made-up place - Walking to Aldebaran (Completed 4/29/21, 3 stars)
15. A book that features siblings as the main characters
16. A book with a building in the title - In the Dream House (Completed 1/16/21, 4 stars)
17. A book with a Muslim character or author - The Test (Completed 1/17/21, 3 stars)

18. 3 books related to "Past, Present, Future" - Book 1 - The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue (Completed 1/12/21, 2 stars)
19. 3 books related to "Past, Present, Future" - Book 2 - The Glass Hotel (Completed 2/13/21, 3.5 stars)
20. 3 books related to "Past, Present, Future" - Book 3
21. A book whose title and author both contain the letter "u"
22. A book posted in one of the ATY Best Book of the Month threads

23. A cross genre novel - After Atlas (Completed 4/5/21, 4.5 stars)
24. A book about racism or race relations
25. A book set on an island - Circe (Completed 1/6/21, 5 stars)
26. A short book (<210 pages) by a new-to-you author - McGlue (Completed 1/28/21, 2.5 stars)
27. A book with a character who can be found in a deck of cards
28. A book connected to ice
29. A book that you consider comfort reading - Boyfriend Material (Completed 3/17/21, 4.5 stars)
30. A long book

31. A book by an author whose career spanned more than 21 years - Dearly: New Poems (Completed 2/11/21, 4 stars)
32. A book whose cover shows more than 2 people - Knowing Why: Adult-Diagnosed Autistic People on Life and Autism (Completed 6/21, 4 stars)
33. A collection of short stories, essays, or poetry - War of the Foxes (Completed 1/28/21, 3.5 stars)
34. A book with a travel theme
35. A book set in a country on or below the Tropic of Cancer

36. A book with six or more words in the title
37. A book from the Are You Well Read in World Literature list
38. A book related to a word given by a random word generator (visible) - The Final Girl Support Group (Completed 8/8/21, 4 stars)
39. A book involving an immigrant
40. A book with flowers or greenery on the cover
41. A book by a new-to-you BIPOC author
42. A mystery or thriller
43. A book with elements of magic

44. A book whose title contains a negative
45. A book related to a codeword from the NATO Phonetic Alphabet - Problem Child (Completed 1/30/21, 4 stars)
46. A winner or nominee from the 2020 Goodreads Choice Awards - The Hollow Places (Completed 1/24/21, 4 stars)
47. A non-fiction book other than biography, autobiography or memoir
48. A book that might cause someone to react “You read what?!?”

49. A book with an ensemble cast - Black Sun (Completed 2/6/21, 4 stars)
50. A book published in 2021 - The Echo Wife (Completed 2/23/21, 4 stars)
51. A book whose title refers to person(s) without giving their name - The Boy from the Woods (Completed 1/1/21, 2 stars)
52. A book related to "the end"

[Erin]

Book Ideas and Planning: 1-26

1. A book related to “In the Beginning...”
Black Sun, The Fifth Season, A Deadly Education, Elatsoe, The Big Picture: On the Origins of Life, Meaning, and the Universe Itself, A Memory Called Empire, Sia Martinez and the Moonlit Beginning of Everything, The Library of the Unwritten
2. A book by an author whose name doesn't contain the letters A, T or Y
N.K. Jemisin, Nghi Vo, Black Water Sister
3. A book related to the lyrics for the song "My Favorite Things" from The Sound of Music -
Moon of the Crusted Snow, The Girl Who Drank the Moon, Their Eyes Were Watching God, Winter's Orbit, The Winter People
4. A book with a monochromatic cover
Dark Matter, The Marsh King's Daughter, A Memory Called Empire, The Devil and the Dark Water, Ninth House, Every Last Fear, His & Hers, Dear All,

5. A book by an author on USA Today's list of 100 Black Novelists You Should Read
Octavia E. Butler, NK Jemisin, White is for Witching, Roxane Gay, Their Eyes Were Watching God, James Baldwin
6. A love story - Spoiler Alert, Beach Read
7. A book that fits a prompt suggestion that didn't make the final list
8. A book set in a state, province, or country you have never visited - The Wife Upstairs, His & Hers, Jane Doe

9. A book you associate with a specific season or time of year - Pet Sematary, The Secret History
10. A book with a female villain or criminal - Beyond the Ruby Veil, Fingersmith, Beach Read
11. A book to celebrate The Grand Egyptian Museum
12. A book eligible for the Warwick Prize for Women in Translation - Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead, Convenience Store Woman, The Memory Police, Flights
13. A book written by an author of one of your best reads of 2020 - Stories of Your Life and Others, Survive the Night, Oaths of Legacy,

14. A book set in a made-up place - A Memory Called Empire, Oaths of Legacy, Clean Sweep, The Midnight Library, Winter's Orbit, Walking to Aldebaran
15. A book that features siblings as the main characters - Middlegame
16. A book with a building in the title - The Sun Down Motel, Ninth House, In the Dream House, The Library of the Unwritten
17. A book with a Muslim character or author - The Test, The Weight of Our Sky

18. 3 books related to "Past, Present, Future" - Book 1 - The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
19. 3 books related to "Past, Present, Future" - Book 2 - The Glass Hotel
20. 3 books related to "Past, Present, Future" - Book 3
21. A book whose title and author both contain the letter "u" - Ninth House, The Burning Girls, The Pull of the Stars, Dusk or Dark or Dawn or Day, The Guest List, Burn the Dark
22. A book posted in one of the ATY Best Book of the Month threads - Circe, Verity, Strange the Dreamer, The Starless Sea, The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet, Ninth House, The Fifth Season, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, Network Effect, Exit Strategy

23. A cross genre novel - You Let Me in, After Atlas
24. A book about racism or race relations - The Fire Next Time, White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism
25. A book set on an island - The Guest List, The Island, Circe, The Bone Shard Daughter, Jade City, Blackfish City, White is for Witching
26. A short book (<210 pages) by a new-to-you author - Hearts in the Hard Ground, The Murders of Molly Southbourne, McGlue, The Ballad of Black Tom

[Erin]

Book Ideas and Planning: 27-52

27. A book with a character who can be found in a deck of cards - The Wicked King
28. A book connected to ice - Dead Mountain: The Untold True Story of the Dyatlov Pass Incident, The Left Hand of Darkness, Moon of the Crusted Snow, Red Sister, The Wolf in the Whale
29. A book that you consider comfort reading - Oaths of Legacy, Spoiler Alert, Boyfriend Material
30. A long book - The Secret History, A Memory Called Empire

31. A book by an author whose career spanned more than 21 years - Dearly: New Poems, Pet Sematary, The Lathe of Heaven
32. A book whose cover shows more than 2 people - Knowing Why: Adult-Diagnosed Autistic People on Life and Autism
33. A collection of short stories, essays, or poetry - War of the Foxes, Florida, What is Not Yours is Not Yours
34. A book with a travel theme
35. A book set in a country on or below the Tropic of Cancer - What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky, Mexican Gothic, Gods of Jade and Shadow, The Night Tiger

36. A book with six or more words in the title
37. A book from the Are You Well Read in World Literature list - Akata Witch, The Hole, The Blind Assassin, Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress
38. A book related to a word given by a random word generator (visible) - The Final Girl Support Group
39. A book involving an immigrant - The Test, Miracle Creek, Interpreter of Maladies, Night Sky with Exit Wounds

40. A book with flowers or greenery on the cover - Watch Over Me, Dearly: New Poems, Follow Me to Ground
41. A book by a new-to-you BIPOC author - There There
42. A mystery or thriller - In a Dark, Dark Wood, The Devil and the Dark Water, The Burning Girls, The Broken Girls, You Let Me in,
43. A book with elements of magic

44. A book whose title contains a negative - Lost in the Never Woods, You Never Forget Your First: A Biography of George Washington, And I Do Not Forgive You: Stories & Other Revenges
45. A book related to a codeword from the NATO Phonetic Alphabet - Problem Child, The Glass Hotel, The Ballad of Black Tom
46. A winner or nominee from the 2020 Goodreads Choice Awards - The Hollow Places, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, Black Sun, The Boy from the Woods, A Deadly Education
47. A non-fiction book other than biography, autobiography or memoir - Dead Mountain: The Untold True Story of the Dyatlov Pass Incident, The Order of Time
48. A book that might cause someone to react “You read what?!?”

49. A book with an ensemble cast - The Raven Boys, Meddling Kids, We Are All Completely Fine, Black Sun, Six of Crows, The Immortalists,There There, Dig.
50. A book published in 2021 - The Dead and the Dark, Lore, The Echo Wife, Survive the Night
51. A book whose title refers to person(s) without giving their name - The Marsh King's Daughter, The Girl Who Drank the Moon, The Broken Girls, The Wife Upstairs, The Boy from the Woods
52. A book related to "the end" - Until the End of Time: Mind, Matter, and Our Search for Meaning in an Evolving Universe

[Erin]

Popsugar 2021
Progress: 22/50

REGULAR
1. A book that published in 2021 - The Wife Upstairs (Completed 4/18/21, 3 stars)
2. An Afrofuturist book
3. A book that has a heart, diamond, club, or spade on the cover - The Echo Wife (Completed 2/23/21, 4 stars)
4. A book by an author who shares your zodiac sign - The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue (Completed 1/12/21, 2 stars)
5. A dark academia book
6. A book with a gem, mineral, or rock in the title
7. A book where the main character works at your current or dream job
8. A book that has won the Women’s Prize for Fiction
9. A book with a family tree
10. A bestseller from the 1990s
11. A book about forgetting
12. A book you have seen on someone’s bookshelf (in real life, on a Zoom call, in a TV show, etc.)
13. A locked-room mystery
14. A book set in a restaurant - The Hollow Places (Completed 1/24/21, 4 stars)
15. A book with a black-and-white cover - Dear All, (Completed 8/3/21, 4 stars)
16. A book by an indigenous author - Black Sun (Completed 2/6/21, 4 stars)
17. A book that has the same title as a song - Problem Child (Completed 1/30/21, 4 stars)
18. A book about a subject you are passionate about - Knowing Why: Adult-Diagnosed Autistic People on Life and Autism (Completed 6/21, 4 stars)
19. A book that discusses body positivity - Spoiler Alert (Completed 2/2/21, 4 stars)
20. A book on a Black Lives Matter reading list
21. A genre hybrid
22. A book set mostly or entirely outdoors
23. A book with something broken on the cover - The Test (Completed 1/17/21, 3 stars)
24. A book by a Muslim American author
25. A book that was published anonymously
26. A book with an oxymoron in the title
27. A book about do-overs or fresh starts - Winter's Orbit (Completed 2/20/21, 3.5 stars)
28. A magical realism book
29. A book set in multiple countries - The Glass Hotel (Completed 2/13/21, 3.5 stars)
30. A book set somewhere you’d like to visit in 2021 - The Boy from the Woods (Completed 1/1/21, 2 stars)
31. A book by a blogger, vlogger, YouTube video creator, or other online personality - What We Buried (Completed 3/25/21, 3 stars)
32. A book whose title starts with “Q,” “X,” or “Z”
33. A book featuring three generations (grandparent, parent, child)
34. A book about a social justice issue
35. A book in a different format than what you normally read (audiobooks, ebooks, graphic novels) - Jane Doe (Completed 1/19/21, 4.5 stars)
36. A book that has fewer than 1,000 reviews on Amazon or Goodreads - McGlue (Completed 1/28/21, 2.5 stars)
37. A book you think your best friend would like
38. A book about art or an artist - War of the Foxes (Completed 1/28/21, 3.5 stars)
39. A book everyone seems to have read but you - Circe (Completed 1/6/21, 5 stars)
40. Your favorite prompt from a past POPSUGAR Reading Challenge

ADVANCED
41. The longest book (by pages) on your TBR list
42. The shortest book (by pages) on your TBR list
43. The book on your TBR list with the prettiest cover
44. The book on your TBR list with the ugliest cover - After Atlas (Completed 4/5/21, 4.5 stars)
45. The book that’s been on your TBR list for the longest amount of time
46. A book from your TBR list you meant to read last year but didn’t - In the Dream House (Completed 1/16/21, 4 stars)
47. A book from your TBR list you associate with a favorite person, place, or thing - The Big Picture: On the Origins of Life, Meaning, and the Universe Itself Completed 5/17/21, 3.5 stars)
48. A book from your TBR list chosen at random
49. A DNF book from your TBR list
50. A free book from your TBR list (gifted, borrowed, library) - Stories of Your Life and Others (Completed 3/29/21, 5 stars)

[Erin]

Buzzwordathon:

January: Word = Dreams
In the Dream House (Completed!)

February: Theme = Color
Black Sun (Completed!)

March: Word = Time
Plans: Until the End of Time: Mind, Matter, and Our Search for Meaning in an Evolving Universe, The Order of Time

April: Theme = Space/Galaxy terms
After Atlas (Completed!)

May: Word = House/Home
Plans: Homesick for Another World, Ninth House, Home

June: Theme = Name/Title
Plan: The Wicked King, The Marsh King's Daughter, The Echo Wife, McGlue, St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves, Hannah Green and Her Unfeasibly Mundane Existence

July: Word = Last
Plans: Girl Last Seen, The Last Sun

August: Theme = Time of day
Plans: Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore

September: Word = Dark
Plans: In a Dark, Dark Wood, The Left Hand of Darkness, The Devil and the Dark Water, The Dead and the Dark

October: Theme = Elements
Plans: The Burning Girls, The Fire Next Time

November: Word = Lost
Plans: The Lost Sisters

December: Theme = Day/Month/Season
Plans: The Fifth Season, How Long 'til Black Future Month?

[Erin]

21 Books I want to read in 2021:
(In no particular order)

1. In the Dream House Read! 4 stars
2. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue Read! 2 stars
3. Black Sun Read! 4 stars
4. Storm of Locusts
5. The Hollow Places Read! 4 stars
6. Pet Sematary
7. The Secret History
8. Rebecca
9. Until the End of Time: Mind, Matter, and Our Search for Meaning in an Evolving Universe
10. The Big Picture: On the Origins of Life, Meaning, and the Universe Itself Read! 3.5 stars
11. The Fifth Season
12. Autonomous
13. Stories of Your Life and Others Read! 5 stars
14. Dearly: New Poems Read! 4 stars
15. Ninth House
16. Thinking, Fast and Slow
17. The Lathe of Heaven
18. War of the Foxes Read! 3.5 stars
19. The Library of the Unwritten
20. Network Effect
21. The Broken Girls

[Erin]

Book Cover Collage:

[Erin]

2021 Book Ratings:

5 stars
Circe
Stories of Your Life and Others

4.5 stars
Jane Doe
Boyfriend Material
After Atlas

4 stars
In the Dream House
The Hollow Places
Problem Child
Spoiler Alert
Black Sun
Dearly: New Poems
The Echo Wife
Knowing Why: Adult-Diagnosed Autistic People on Life and Autism
Dear All,
The Final Girl Support Group

3.5 stars
War of the Foxes
The Glass Hotel
Winter's Orbit
Night of the Mannequins
The Big Picture: On the Origins of Life, Meaning, and the Universe Itself

3 stars
The Test
What We Buried
The Wife Upstairs
Convenience Store Woman
Walking to Aldebaran

2.5 stars
McGlue

2 stars
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
The Boy from the Woods

1 star

DNF
Later

[Erin]

What I read in January:

51. A book whose title refers to person(s) without giving their name:
The Boy from the Woods 2 stars
This wasn't bad, and I finished it, but it was pretty lackluster. Just ok.

25. A book set on an island:
Circe 5 stars
I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator was excellent. This was a very well written and enjoyable retelling. Definitely recommend.

18. 3 books related to "Past, Present, Future" - Book 1:
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue 2 stars
This was one of my most anticipated reads, and unfortunately I found myself disappointed. I thought the writing was quite poor, almost amateurish, and it kept distracting me from the story. The historical settings were not atmospheric, and I was never able to immerse myself in them. Almost every single chapter started with a single sentence, even when it had no impactful reason to. I've read other books by V.E. Schwab where I did not find the writing poor, so I'm not sure what happened to this one. It almost feels like she was trying too hard.

16. A book with a building in the title:
In the Dream House 4 stars
Beautifully written, incredibly necessary, but nonetheless difficult to read at times due to the subject matter. I don't usually enjoy memoirs, but Machado's writing, and her way of telling her story through the format of the "Dream House" worked for me.

17. A book with a Muslim character or author:
The Test 3 stars
I'd heard a lot of great things about this novella. It was fine. Very much like an episode of Black Mirror, and I don't like Black Mirror very much, so I probably should have known this wouldn't be my favorite.

46. A winner or nominee from the 2020 Goodreads Choice Awards:
The Hollow Places 4 stars
This was a nominee in the horror section of the 2020 Goodreads Choice Awards. T. Kingfisher's books are incredibly readable. I really appreciate that she writes Horror that can at times be quite funny and lighthearted. This was frightening AND fun.

8. A book set in a state, province, or country you have never visited:
Jane Doe 4.5 stars
Listened to on audio. I think the narrator really works well for this story about a sociopath looking for revenge. I read this book based on a recommendation from the booktuber Mara from BooksLikeWhoa and I am so glad I did.

26. A short book (<210 pages) by a new-to-you author:
McGlue 2.5 stars
I'd heard a lot about Ottessa Moshfegh's writing, so I was really looking forward to this. Well, I can't say I enjoyed it, but it was well-written. Unlike my earlier complaint regard Addie Larue, this book had loads of atmosphere, and immersed me in its historical setting. I'm definitely impressed with Moshfegh's skill, and will be reading more by her, I just didn't much like this character and his story (not that the reader is supposed to but still).

33. A collection of short stories, essays, or poetry:
War of the Foxes 3.5 stars
Last year I fell in love with Richard Siken's poetry collection Crush, which I highly recommend. This collection was good, but it just didn't have the resonance that Crush had, at least for me. This one uses the lens of art and painting to explore its ideas, and sometimes that worked for me, and other times it didn't. I also don't tend to like collections that have overarching themes that much, so it might just be me.

45. A book related to a codeword from the NATO Phonetic Alphabet:
Problem Child 4 stars
Well I stretched this prompt a bit and used the author's name (Victoria) since it contains Victor, because I really wanted to read this second book in the Jane Doe series. I'm still really enjoying these, and I can't wait to find out what happens in the next one when it comes out, hopefully soon!

[Erin]

What I read in February:

6. A love story:
Spoiler Alert 4 stars
Don't be like me and start this book at one in the morning...unless you have nothing to do the next day, in which case, this is a perfect feel-good romance to stay up all night reading.

49. A book with an ensemble cast :
Black Sun 4 stars
Really wanted this to be a five star read. On paper, it has everything I like in a fantasy; a diverse cast, an original world not based in medieval Europe, engaging characters, and cool magic. But there was just something that kept this from being an all time fave. The pacing, maybe, or some of the way the author handled descriptions, it's hard to put my finger on. It was still a great read, and I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.

31. A book by an author whose career spanned more than 21 years:
Dearly 4 stars
Margaret Atwood is my all time favorite poet, and this was another great collection by her. Not as good as Morning In The Burned House, imho, but still wonderful.

19. 3 books related to "Past, Present, Future" - Book 2:
The Glass Hotel 3.5 stars
All of Emily St. John Mandel's work has a surrealist, dreamy quality. The writing in this was beautiful, and there were so many poignant moments, but what kept me from truly loving it was an inability to connect deeply with the characters. I felt for them, but never more than surface level.

3. A book related to the lyrics for the song "My Favorite Things" from The Sound of Music:
Winter's Orbit 3.5 stars
This was another book that seemed perfect on paper. I found myself very hot and cold while reading this, either loving it and engaged, or feeling apathetic and bored. Personally, I think the book was too long, and I might have enjoyed it more if it had been trimmed down.

50. A book published in 2021:
The Echo Wife 4 stars
This was very engaging. A good scifi/thriller.

Side Reads:
Night of the Mannequins 4 stars
Very interesting horror novel. I really enjoy Stephen Graham Jones writing.