Steph's 2021 ATY Challenge

[Stephanie]

THE 2021 LIST

Progress: 49/52

Currently reading
✔ Completed

✔ 1. A book related to “In the Beginning...” Lumberjanes, Vol. 1: Beware the Kitten Holy
✔ 2. A book by an author whose name doesn't contain the letters A, T or Y Breaking Damian
✔ 3. A book related to the lyrics for the song "My Favorite Things" from The Sound of Music Batman: Year One (rain)
✔ 4. A book with a monochromatic cover King of Scars

✔ 5. A book by an author on USA Today's list of 100 Black Novelists You Should Read The Fifth Season
✔ 6. A love story To Sir, with Love
✔ 7. A book that fits a prompt suggestion that didn't make the final list (A book with reference to handcrafting - origami) Paper Butterflies
✔ 8. A book set in a state, province, or country you have never visited The Baker Street Translation

9. A book you associate with a specific season or time of year Winter Street
✔ 10. A book with a female villain or criminal A Darker Shade of Magic
✔ 11. A book to celebrate The Grand Egyptian Museum The Merchant and the Rogue
✔ 12. A book eligible for the Warwick Prize for Women in Translation Thirteen Months of Sunrise
✔ 13. A book written by an author of one of your best reads of 2020 Once There Were Wolves

✔ 14. A book set in a made-up place Little Thieves
✔ 15. A book that features siblings as the main characters Nerdy Ever After: A Nerdy Novel
✔ 16. A book with a building in the title Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe
✔ 17. A book with a Muslim character or author Artemis

✔ 18. 3 books related to "Past, Present, Future" - Book 1 Rubies from Burma: A WWII Coming of Age Novel
✔ 19. 3 books related to "Past, Present, Future" - Book 2 Angels Fall
✔ 20. 3 books related to "Past, Present, Future" - Book 3 Minerva
✔ 21. A book whose title and author both contain the letter "u" Illuminae
✔ 22. A book posted in one of the ATY Best Book of the Month threads All Systems Red

✔ 23. A cross genre novel Hummingbird Salamander
✔ 24. A book about racism or race relations The Underground Railroad
✔ 25. A book set on an island Locke & Key, Vol. 1: Welcome to Lovecraft
✔ 26. A short book (<210 pages) by a new-to-you author The Princess Game

✔ 27. A book with a character who can be found in a deck of cards Hall of Mirrors
✔ 28. A book connected to ice Icebound
✔ 29. A book that you consider comfort reading The Phantom of Linkshire Manor
✔ 30. A long book Rule of Wolves

✔ 31. A book by an author whose career spanned more than 21 years Neverwhere
✔ 32. A book whose cover shows more than 2 people Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: Geirmund’s Saga
✔ 33. A collection of short stories, essays, or poetry Little Book of Tiny Tales
✔ 34. A book with a travel theme The Slow March of Light
✔ 35. A book set in a country on or below the Tropic of Cancer The Rosie Result (Australia)

✔ 36. A book with six or more words in the title The Man Who Played with Fire: Stieg Larsson's Lost Files and the Hunt for an Assassin
37. A book from the Are You Well Read in World Literature list The Question of Red
✔ 38. A book related to a word given by a random word generator The Chronicles of Royal High: The Lost Noble (noble)
✔ 39. A book involving an immigrant Warsaw Fury

✔ 40. A book with flowers or greenery on the cover An American Princess: The Many Lives of Allene Tew
✔ 41. A book by a new-to-you BIPOC author Ace of Spades
✔ 42. A mystery or thriller Dark Roads
✔ 43. A book with elements of magic Another Beast's Skin

✔ 44. A book whose title contains a negative NERDY GIRLS DON'T: A Nerdy Novel, Book 2
✔ 45. A book related to a codeword from the NATO Phonetic Alphabet The Seven or Eight Deaths of Stella Fortuna (author's name is Juliet)
46. A winner or nominee from the 2020 Goodreads Choice Awards
✔ 47. A non-fiction book other than biography, autobiography or memoir The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper
✔ 48. A book that might cause someone to react “You read what?!?” The Houseplant: A Short Story

✔ 49. A book with an ensemble cast Followers
✔ 50. A book published in 2021 The Unfinished Land
✔ 51. A book whose title refers to person(s) without giving their name The Prince and the Troll
✔ 52. A book related to "the end" The Guardian of the Palace

[Stephanie]

Possibilities for prompts 1-26

1. A book related to “In the Beginning...” The Bone Collector, The Hunt for Red October, Killing Floor
2. A book by an author whose name doesn't contain the letters A, T or Y Before the Broken Star, The Killing Fog, Cemetery Road, Killer Within
3. A book related to the lyrics for the song "My Favorite Things" from The Sound of Music The Murmur of Bees, By the Light of the Moon
4. A book with a monochromatic cover King of Scars

5. A book by an author on USA Today's list of 100 Black Novelists You Should Read The Fifth Season
6. A love story Maybe Someday
7. A book that fits a prompt suggestion that didn't make the final list The Ten Thousand Doors of January
8. A book set in a state, province, or country you have never visited The Question of Red, The Baker Street Translation, 12 Strong: The Declassified True Story of the Horse Soldiers, The Irish Cottage: Finding Elizabeth

9. A book you associate with a specific season or time of year The Night Circus, Pride and Prejudice
10. A book with a female villain or criminal Artemis, A Darker Shade of Magic
11. A book to celebrate The Grand Egyptian Museum The Diviners, The Goldfinch, Ink and Bone, Cleopatra: A Life, Relic
12. A book eligible for the Warwick Prize for Women in Translation Thirteen Months of Sunrise, The Eighth Life
13. A book written by an author of one of your best reads of 2020

14. A book set in a made-up place Thrawn
15. A book that features siblings as the main characters Caraval
16. A book with a building in the title Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, The House by the River, A Painted House
17. A book with a Muslim character or author Artemis

18. 3 books related to "Past, Present, Future" - Book 1 PAST Fast Girls: A Novel of the 1936 Women's Olympic Team
19. 3 books related to "Past, Present, Future" - Book 2 PRESENT Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine, Big Little Lies, Americanah, Where'd You Go, Bernadette
20. 3 books related to "Past, Present, Future" - Book 3 FUTURE Artemis, Illuminae
21. A book whose title and author both contain the letter "u" Ninth House
22. A book posted in one of the ATY Best Book of the Month threads The Forgotten Garden

23. A cross genre novel Parable of the Sower
24. A book about racism or race relations The Underground Railroad
25. A book set on an island The Priory of the Orange Tree
26. A short book (<210 pages) by a new-to-you author Go

[Stephanie]

Possibilities for prompts 27-52

27. A book with a character who can be found in a deck of cards Queen of Hearts, The Shadow Queen
28. A book connected to ice Icebound
29. A book that you consider comfort reading Firefly Lane, The Things We Do for Love, Shadow and Bone, Grimm's Fairy Tales
30. A long book Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, Illuminae, Fall; or, Dodge in Hell, The Gray House, Here Be Dragons

31. A book by an author whose career spanned more than 21 years Cannery Row, A Painted House, Kiss the Girls, Neverwhere, anything by Mary Higgins Clark, East of Eden
32. A book whose cover shows more than 2 people Super Sushi Ramen Express: One Family's Journey Through the Belly of Japan, Silent Hearts, Fairy Tales From Around the World, Medieval Folklore: A Guide to Myths, Legends, Tales, Beliefs, and Customs, The Monsters of Templeton
33. A collection of short stories, essays, or poetry The Complete Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe
34. A book with a travel theme A Darker Shade of Magic, Illuminae, The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
35. A book set in a country on or below the Tropic of Cancer Nine Perfect Strangers, Gods of Jade and Shadow, Big Little Lies, The Rosie Result, Bel Canto

36. A book with six or more words in the title Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, The Man Who Played with Fire: Stieg Larsson's Lost Files and the Hunt for an Assassin
37. A book from the Are You Well Read in World Literature list The Question of Red
38. A book related to a word given by a random word generator
39. A book involving an immigrant The Things We Cannot Say, The Price of Paradise, The House by the River

40. A book with flowers or greenery on the cover The Forgotten Garden, An American Princess: The Many Lives of Allene Tew, The Chronicles of Royal High: The Lost Noble, The Irish Cottage: Finding Elizabeth
41. A book by a new-to-you BIPOC author Native American Myths and Legends, The Fifth Season, Pachinko, The Map of Salt and Stars, The Wedding Date
42. A mystery or thriller Too many options to list...
43. A book with elements of magic A Darker Shade of Magic, Ninth House, Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell

44. A book whose title contains a negative The Things We Cannot Say, Pretend You Don't See Her
45. A book related to a codeword from the NATO Phonetic Alphabet The Glass Hotel, A Gentleman in Moscow, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, The Seven or Eight Deaths of Stella Fortuna
46. A winner or nominee from the 2020 Goodreads Choice Awards Black Sun, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, Long Bright River, Dear Edward
47. A non-fiction book other than biography, autobiography or memoir The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper
48. A book that might cause someone to react “You read what?!?” Year One, All Systems Red, The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America, The World of Lore: Wicked Mortals

49. A book with an ensemble cast Clockwork Angel
50. A book published in 2021
51. A book whose title refers to person(s) without giving their name The Hangman's Daughter, The Lost Girls of Paris
52. A book related to "the end"

[Stephanie]

#28: A book connected to ice

Book: Icebound by Dean Koontz
# of Pages: 408
Date Finished: January 4th
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 1/2

My Review:
A team of scientists start a project to break an iceberg off the polar ice cap. It will naturally float south with the currents then be towed ashore and melted to irrigate drought-stricken crops. As they’re finishing the preparations, a powerful tsunami hits and breaks the polar cap. The scientists find that they are stranded on the iceberg, surrounded by explosives, and one of them is a killer that already attacked someone in the group. And there’s a horrible storm that’s preventing ships from coming to their rescue.

I was hooked on Icebound from the beginning. It only took me 2 days to finish the book and I haven’t read something that fast in a long time. There were a lot of characters introduced quickly which was a little overwhelming and confusing, but it was easier to follow after that. It was action packed and suspenseful until the very end. This is an early book of Koontz’s so it doesn’t have the horror he is now known for, but it was still really good.

[Stephanie]

#35: A book set in a country on or below the Tropic of Cancer

Book: The Rosie Result by Graeme Simsion (set in Australia)
# of Pages: 385
Date Finished: January 8th
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

My Review:
Rosie is offered her dream job but it means that she and Don need to relocate from NY to Australia. Their son, Hudson, has lived in NY his entire life and he doesn’t handle change very well. After Hudson has a few meltdowns and incidents and his new school, Don decides to quit his job to help Hudson adjust to their new life so that Rosie can keep her dream job. However, it’s not always easy no matter how much Don plans for.

I loved the first two books in the series (The Rosie Project and The Rosie Effect), but this one didn’t quite meet my expectations. I can’t figure out why though. It was still a decent book and a good, light-hearted series overall.

[Stephanie]

#17: A book with a Muslim character or author

Book: Artemis by Andy Weir
# of Pages: 305
Date Finished: January 17th
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

My Review:
Jazz Bashara is a porter on Artemis, the first and only city on the moon, but it doesn’t pay much so she is also a smuggler. She is given an opportunity to perform the perfect crime in exchange for one million slugs (Artemis’ currency). But the perfect crime turns out to be more difficult than Jazz expects and she finds that the mafia wants revenge. The city just became a lot smaller when she needs to hide from a hitman.

Artemis was a little slow until almost half way through. Jazz wasn’t a likeable character for me, but I grew to respect her a little and understand her more in the end. I loved the descriptions of Artemis and found it was easy to imagine being there.

[Stephanie]

#24: A book about racism or race relations

Book: The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
# of Pages: 270
Date Finished: January 27th
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

My Review:
Cora's grandmother was kidnapped from Africa and brought to the United States where she was sold as a slave to Mr. Randall and worked on his cotton farm until the day she died. Mabel, Cora's mother, leaves Cora when she was little and escapes the cotton farm. When Cora is a late-teen, she is approached by another slave on the farm, Caesar, and he has a plan to escape but he needs and wants her to go with him. One night they go on the run to the underground railroad where they must stay one step ahead of the slave catchers in order to be free and stay alive.

The idea of the underground railroad literally being a functional underground railroad slaves used to escape and cross state lines was intriguing to me. However the writing style was not for me. I never felt connected to the characters. Whenever something happened to them, I felt too distanced from them to feel any emotion about it which didn't feel good. Parts almost felt rushed or glossed over. I understand that slavery is a very heavy subject and was horrific at times, but as a reader I didn't expect to not feel any emotion or attachment to the characters. I have since seen reviews that this is Colson Whitehead's usual writing style which obviously works for a lot of people, just not for me.

[Stephanie]

#8: A book set in a state, province, or country you have never visited

Book: The Baker Street Translation by Michael Robertson (set in England)
# of Pages: 278
Date Finished: January 29th
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

My Review:
Barrister Reggie Heath's law office is located where 221B Baker Street would be if it existed. As part of his lease agreement, he has to respond to the letters that people send to Sherlock Holmes with a scripted answer that Sherlock has retired. Unfortunately the Barrister doesn't like receiving the letters so he sends them to his brother Nigel in the US to handle, but Nigel strays from the script at times. Because of this Reggie is thrown into a dispute between a translator and the woman that hired him while trying to help locate his rival, Lord Robert Buxton, who has suddenly gone missing. He finds that he must solve all of this before everything literally blows up during an upcoming royal event.

This is the third book in the series but it's only the first one that I've read. A previous case was mentioned a few times, but I didn't feel lost or confused by not reading the previous books. The Baker Street Translation was a quick read for me and it had a really good pace throughout. I look forward to reading the other books in the series.

[Stephanie]

#10: A book with a female villain or criminal

Book: A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab
# of Pages: 400
Date Finished: February 3rd
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

My Review:
Kell is one of the last Antari, a only type of magician with the ability to travel between the Londons. He is also a smuggler, bringing various trinkets from the different London’s to collectors and some for himself. After an exchange goes very badly, he finds out how dangerous smuggling can be. Delilah Bard is a pick pocket and unfortunately robs Kell. Soon they both find that they must save the London’s, but first they have to stay alive.

I could not put this book down!! This is the first book by V.E. Schwab that I have read and it definitely will not be my last! I loved the world building and the characters. Each London is unique and beautiful in their own way and it was so easy to imagine being there. I can’t wait to read the rest of the series and more!

[Stephanie]

#40: A book with flowers or greenery on the cover

Book: An American Princess: The Many Lives of Allene Tew by Annejet van der Zijl
# of Pages: 225
Date Finished: February 26th
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

My Review:
I'm not usually a fan of non-fiction, but I still try to read a couple each year and go into them with an open mind. An American Princess is a shorter book and has a lot of interesting historical facts throughout. This was an enjoyable read for me (which says a lot) and it flows well without a lot of jumping back and forth. It was hard to appreciate the amount of money though. For example, I know $20,000 is still a significant amount today but it was more so in the late 1800s and early 1900s. I think it would've helped put some things in perspective if there was an "equilavent to X today".

The only reason that I didn't give it a 5 star rating is because I feel that the title is a little deceiving. For a majority of the book, it seemed like it wasn't about Allene as much as I thought it would or should be, but about her husbands' lives, world events, life in general during that time, and famous or royal families...Allene was just occasionally sprinkled in until the last couple of chapters.

Overall, I enjoyed reading An American Princess and recommend it to anyone that wants a glimpse into American history and how one small town farm girl became a princess.

[Stephanie]

#20: 3 books related to "Past, Present, Future" - Book 3 (future)

Book: Illuminae by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff
# of Pages: 624
Date Finished: March 4th
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

My Review:
Shortly after Kady and Ezra breakup, their colony on Kerenza IV is attacked by a huge corporation and they flee to a rescue ship. Unfortunately for them, they are not safe off the planet since the corporation's warship is now pursuing their fleet. The crew and refugees in one of the ships is infected with a highly contagious plague that has terrifying symptoms. The people in charge seem to be hiding something. Oh and the AI that should be protecting them goes rogue.

The entire book is written like an enormous file (599 pages to be exact) that contains transcripts of IMs, audio files, logs, and reports. It sounds very unique (which it is) and a little odd, but it works. Even though it's not written in a traditional way, the characters still become people, the events still make sense, and it's easy to follow. Kady did seem a little off-putting at times, but I honestly think that it was a coping mechanism for her. I don't think I could've gone through what she did without losing my mind.

Overall, Illuminae was intriguing and I couldn't put it down. I will definitely read the rest of the series!

[Stephanie]

#16: A book with a building in the title

Book: Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg
# of Pages: 405
Date Finished: March 12th
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

My Review:
I saw the movie a long time ago, but I have never read the book until now. I loved this book!! The way that it was told took a little time to get used to for me. I've read several books with dual timelines, but both timelines usually go in order, not this one. Once I got used to the style though I thoroughly enjoyed it! It is a beautiful, heartwarming book filled with amazing, lovable, somewhat quirky characters. I could vividly imagine Whistle Stop and it's inhabitants throughout the book and I wish I could go there! It is about the power of love, friendship, family, and community but also the struggles that people face internally and/or from others. This is a book that will stay with me for a very long time!

[Stephanie]

#45: A book related to a codeword from the NATO Phonetic Alphabet

Book: The Seven or Eight Deaths of Stella Fortuna by Juliet Grames (author's name)
# of Pages: 445
Date Finished: March 30th
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

My Review:
I was hooked in the beginning, but it tapered off for me around halfway and unfortunately never picked back up. I think we were meant to feel compassion for Stella, but I didn't. In a way I felt like she deserved some of what happened because she was a cold, manipulative person since childhood. I felt more connected to and invested in her husband and her sister.

However, I feel like this was a decent debut novel and I will still read Ms. Grames' future novels. The writing was beautiful and the descriptions of the scenery were fantastic. I wish that I could go visit the Italian hillsides and mountains now!

Trigger warnings: domestic abuse, child molestation

[Stephanie]

#4: A book with a monochromatic cover

Book: King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo
# of Pages: 514
Date Finished: April 3rd
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

My Review:
Coming soon...

[Stephanie]

#36: A book with six or more words in the title

Book: The Man Who Played with Fire: Stieg Larsson's Lost Files and the Hunt for an Assassin by Jan Stocklassa
# of Pages: 491
Date Finished: April 19th
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

My Review:
I'm not a nonfiction fan at all, but this sounded intriguing and it was free during Amazon's World Book Day one year. I finally decided to try reading it this year and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Being from the US and 3 years old when it happened, I have never heard about the assassination of Olof Palme, Sweden's Prime Minister. So much information was provided in this book, but it wasn't overwhelming or written strictly as a fact dump. It is written more like a thriller which made me enjoy it. It was interesting to go down a rabbit hole and follow the clues that Stieg Larsson and Jan Stocklassa uncovered while doing their separate investigations that spanned 30 years.

If you're not a fan of nonfiction but enjoy thrillers, I highly recommend this!