01. A book with a main character whose name starts with A, T, or Y

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

Welcome to the ATY Challenge 2022! To kick off our year, we are featuring a challenge-themed prompt. Comb through the descriptions of the books on your TBR -- this prompt requires a main character whose name starts with A, T, or Y.

SUGGESTIONS:
Brittanica's List of Fictional Characters by Name: https://www.britannica.com/topic/list...
Unique Literary Baby Names: https://bookriot.com/unique-literary-...
Goodreads Thread of A-Z Romance Characters: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
90 Girl Names Inspired by Literature: https://closeronline.co.uk/family/new...

ATY Listopia: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...

What are you reading for this prompt, and do you have any recommendations?

[dalex]

I really wanted to find a book with a Y character (because it's more challenging than A or T) and was delighted to discover that a book on my Owned & Unread pile that I've really been meaning to read has a character named Yael - The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman. It's currently slotted as my first read for 2022.

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

I'm always so particular about the first book I read in the year (so superstitious!), plus I'm reading in order, so I'm going to be very selective about what I read for this prompt... keeping an eye open for a book I think will be worthy of being the first book of 2022 that also fits this criteria!

[Nancy]

For those looking for Y, Clap When You Land has a character named Yahaira. It's YA and written in verse, and excellent. I also recommend the audio, read by the author.

Right now I have Such a Fun Age or The Hazel Wood pencilled in for this one.

[Shannon SA]

The main character in The Garden of Evening Mists is Yun Ling Teoh.

[Serendipity]

The first six books that I checked on my TBR all had characters with A names - many Anne or Annie. Ideally I’ll find a Y name or one where all three initials are used for characters’s names. But if not the KIS approach will make this an easy prompt for me.

[Dubhease]

I actually making no plans for this prompt. I admire those of you who plan out your 52 books and stick to it. I admire even more, those who are reading all 52 prompts in numeric order.

I am planning on doing the full 52 books next year, but I'm too much of a whim reader. I've planned about 80% of my reading, but I'm saving this prompt and prompts like "A book set in North America" or "A book published at least 10 years ago" for my spur of the moment decisions. I'll be interested to see what I do end up using this prompt for. :)

[Sydney]

For this one, I'll be reading The Night Country. I loved the Hazel Wood when I read it back in 2018, and I still can't believe I haven't gotten around to the sequel.

I added a few of my favorites to the listopia, but to highlight some: Midnight at the Electric (Adri) and The Knife of Never Letting Go (Todd) were two that I enjoyed.

I also have yet to read Shadow of the Fox, but it's on my list for the 2021 challenge, and the main character's name is Yumeko, if anyone is looking for a "Y" character for this one. I can also come back and edit once I've finished to let you all know if I enjoyed it!

[Gem ~ZeroShelfControl~]

I’m planning on reading a lot of series books, so I have the second in the Bridgerton series planned for this, The Viscount Who Loved Me, as it focuses on the oldest brother Anthony.

[Chrissy]

I'm thinking about The Heart Principle (Anna), The Yield (Albert and August), or One Last Stop (also August). I agree with Emily, I want my first book of the year to be a great one! All 3 of these have average ratings over 4, so I'm optimistic.

[Sam]

I'm also definitely going to be reading a Y character led book to make this prompt a bit more challenging, and I am most likely going to FINALLY read the sequel to The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, This Is How You Lose Her. Yunior is a main character and narrator in both books.

OR I will read The Vegetarian featuring main character Yeong-hye; I absolutely loved Human Acts and would like to read more by Han Kang.

[Judy]

An Absolutely Remarkable Thing - recommended by a friend.

[JessicaMHR]

Unlike this year (2021) I have actually fit in books off my bookshelf or Kindle into all but two prompts.

For this one I will finally be getting around to reading Every Breath by Nicolas Sparks. One of the main characters is Tru Walls.

Not sure if this will in fact be my first book or not. I did not read in order this year but, with my books all being one's I already have, it may be easier to actually read the prompts in order. To me that is an added challenge.

[Pam]

I'm planning to use the letter A and read The Guns of Navarone, which has 2 characters whose names start with A. I also have Anna Karenina to finish, The Adventures of Augie March, and Albert of Adelaide, The Knight of Maison-Rouge (Marie Antionette), and The Winter Station (Andreev). My #1 goal in 2022 is to read books I own since I can't quit buying them! I will see which book is most compelling on January 1 and start with this prompt.

[Pam]

For those of you looking for character's names starting with "Y" - Here's another - I'll Be Right There by Korean author Shin Kyung-sook. Character's name is Jung Yoon.

[Jackie, Solstitial Mod]

Like others, I have a lot of A and T options, but I'm going to dig and see if I can find a Y. I might have to hope for serendipity though since not all of my books have character names in the description.

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

Jackie wrote: "Like others, I have a lot of A and T options, but I'm going to dig and see if I can find a Y. I might have to hope for serendipity though since not all of my books have character names in the descr..."

I went through all of the books I owned and looked for if they had the names in their descriptions. I ended up finding four that had the name listed and the name fit the ATY criteria.

The Wangs vs. the World by Jade Chang
This Close to Okay by Leesa Cross-Smith
How to Make Friends with the Dark by Kathleen Glasgow
A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza

If I were not doing this challenge in order, I would definitely read one of these books for this prompt, but none of these strike me as the "first book of the new year" so I think I'm going to keep digging for someone else that will satisfy this prompt.

[Kathy]

My top three choices are:
The Dovekeepers - Alice Hoffman (Yael)
Persuasion - Jane Austen (Anne)
Midnight at the Blackbird Café - Heather Webber (Anna Kate)

Or I might use whatever I run into as I read.

[RachelG.]

My gut is telling me to start the year with Better Read Than Dead. The main character in the series is Abby. I had planned on using this book for the tarot prompt but because I hope to do this challenge in order I don't want to wait. It seems like 2022 might be a year of cozy mysteries for me which I am okay with after really pushing myself this year,

[Udari]

The Temperance Brennan series.
As the name suggests the series is about Dr. Temperance "Tempe" Brennan a forensic anthropologist. This series was the inspiration for the tv show Bones.

[Katie]

It turns out The Great Believers has a main character named Yale, if anyone else has been trying to make time read it for at least a year and hasn't been successful yet (*raises hand*)

[Kathy]

Glad to hear that, Katie! I’ve been wanting to read that too.

[Irene]

I just went through my TBR list of things I own... I have loads to pick from for this prompt. No idea which to pick. Any winners?

Alice in Deadland - Alice
All Grown Up - Andrea Bern
All Our Wrong Todays - Tom Barren
Anywhere But Here - Adele & Ann August
Black Leopard, Red Wolf - Tracker
A Cab Called Reliable - Ahn Joo
Certain Dark Things - Atl
The Changeling - Apollo Kagwa
Dangerous Temptation - Tiernan Morelli
Drowning Ruth - Amanda
Follow Me to Ground - Ada
Friendship - Amy Schein
From Ghetto to Death Camp: A Memoir of Privilege and Luck - Anatol Chari
Her Mother's Daughter - Anastasia & Arden
The King Must Die - Theseus
The Paragon Hotel - Alice James
The Rules Do Not Apply - Ariel Levy
Running with Scissors - Augusten Burroughs
Security - Tessa
The Selection - America Singer
Stardust - Tristran Thorn
Summer Sons - Andrew
Swing Time - Tracey
This Side of Paradise - Amory Blaine
To the Bridge - Amanda Stott-Smith
The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle - Toru Okada
Whores on the Hill - Astrid & Thisbe

Stuff I have read, but posting for others who many be looking for suggestions:
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland / Through the Looking-Glass - Alice
The Grace Year - Tierney James
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue - Addie LaRue
Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke - Agnes Petrella

[Beth]

It was interesting that almost every book I found to fit this category featured an 'A' name. I will likely choose one of my high priority books for this one - A Gentleman in Moscow (Alexander) or The Tidal Zone (Adam).

[Dana]

Books I can read for this prompt (I will get back next year and say if I read one of these or something else):

The Selection by Kiera Cass
Moby-Dick or, the Whale by Herman Melville
The Dry by Jane Harper
A History of Wild Places by Shea Ernshaw
The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares
Half a King by Joe Abercrombie

[Tanu]

Ended up reading Snowblind for this. It wasn't quite my thing, but others may enjoy it.

[Joyce]

For another Y character there is Yvette Saywell in D H Lawrence’s novella The Virgin and the Gipsy

[CrystalIsReading on StoryGraph]

One of the protagonists in The Care and Feeding of Waspish Widows is named Agatha. There's also a character named Arvind in Dava Shastri's Last Day. and Abby Maslin's memoir is Love You Hard: A Memoir of Marriage, Brain Injury, and Reinventing Love.

[Lauren]

I've gone through my TBR, looking for what fits with all the prompts, and this one was way more difficult than I was expecting it would be! I only found 3 options:

The Irregular at Magic High School by Tsutomu Sato (series)
The Iron Druid Chronicles by Kevin Hearne (series)
1Q84 by Haruki Murakami

I'm tempted to pick 1Q84 (assuming I don't use it for a different prompt) because it's been sitting unread on my shelves the longest, but the size of it is incredibly intimidating!

[Jackie]

dalex wrote: "I really wanted to find a book with a Y character (because it's more challenging than A or T) and was delighted to discover that a book on my Owned & Unread pile that I've really been meaning to re..."

Mine too.

[Pearl]

I read✔️Invisible Life of Addie Larue

✔️The Kite Runner
Uprooted
A Fatal Grace (Armond)
What Alice Forgot
Clap when you land

[Kelly Sj]

Magpie Murders - featuring a character named Alan, who is an author of a book featuring a character named Atticus (and as a bonus, the author's name is Anthony)

For Terry Pratchett fans, the Tiffany Aching books, starting with The Wee Free Men

[Sherri]

I think I’m using People We Meet On Vacation by Emily Henry. There is a character named Alex.

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

Sherri, that's a fun one to start with.

I've decided to start with The People We Keep by Allison Larkin!

[Ira]

For those looking for names starting with Y the only titles I can think of is in the fantasy genre.
Half a King by Joe Abercrombie has a main character named Yarvi
Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder has a main character named Yelena

I don't know what I'm reading for this but maybe Daughter of the Deep by Rick Riordan

[Tamula]

I am reading The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julia Quinn -- second book in the Bridgerton series. I heard it is better than the first one and is about Anthony Bridgerton.

[NancyJ]

The Sentence by Louise Erdrich. The Main Character is named "Tookie"

The History of Love by Nicole Krauss - one of the main characters is named "Alma"

[Laurel]

Trying to read in order this year, so this my first book of 2022!

Best Laid Plaids by Ella Stainton

How if fits the prompt: one of the two heroes is named Ainsley Graham

This book would be good for readers who enjoy historical gay romances with lots of sex and humor and great characters. The Scottish ghosts are a bonus.

[Jamie]

Narnia - The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis (Asclan fits the prompt)
I have had some debate with myself over which book to start. Since C. S. Lewis decided the first book read should be "The Magician's Nephew", I have chosen to start with this book, I thought. There seems to be some debate among readers in reviews if this or "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" should be the first read. So, after much debate and waffling I am starting with the first written. We'll see...

[Sofia]

Tamula wrote: "I am reading The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julia Quinn -- second book in the Bridgerton series. I heard it is better than the first one and is about Anthony Bridgerton.
[bookcover:The Viscount Who L..."

That's the book I'm reading for this prompt too :)

[Nancy]

I'm reading in order this year too, and reading Such a Fun Age. One of the main characters is Alix.

[redatt]

For this I will be counting, The Beekeeper of Aleppo, Christy Lefteri. One of the main characters is called Afra.

[Tracy]

I wanted to start off the year with a fun read, so I chose Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots. There weren’t any obvious prompts for this, but the main characters is named Anna, so I guess it’s going here. Not as challenging as a Y name, but I can always move this if I find a different prompt it fits as I read the book.

[Misty]

I'm reading Lion in the Valley by Elizabeth Peters for this prompt. The protagonist is Amelia Peabody.

[Kati]

I didn't even realize that I managed to meet this prompt when I read Blood Mate by Mina Carter. The heroine's name is Antonia Fielding.

[Kathy]

I read The Small House at Allington by Anthony Trollope. One of the main characters is Adolphus Crosbie.

[Lizzy]

I'm reading The Witch Elm by Tana French. Main character is Toby Hennessy.

[Rijuta]

I chose to read A Woman Is No Man after I found it on the ATY Listopia, however, I am not sure this will fit the prompt as while it does have a character whose name starts with A (Adam) the character as of now (25% done) is not playing a CENTRAL role. May change the book to some other one...

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

Rijuta, if I'm remembering properly, I think Adam plays a very, very small role, but is certainly not the central focus... I wouldn't call him a "main character".

[L Y N N]

Easy! Violets Are Blue (Alex Cross #7) read on January 1st!