Around the Year in 52 Books discussion
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2022 Summer Reading Challenge: Start Here
Mod
Hot Yoga - 100 points
1a. A book with a twist
1b. A romance
1c. An author you've been meaning to try
1d. A book with a lot of hype
1e. A person is on the cover
Jazzercise - 200 points
Author's initials are in:
2a. PUMP UP THE JAM
2b. LET'S GET PHYSICAL
2c. HUNGRY LIKE THE WOLF
2d. CANT TOUCH THIS
2e. THE FINAL COUNTDOWN
Cross Fit - 300 points
3a. A book published in 2022
3b. Part of a series of at least three books
3c. A book that combines more than one genre
3d. Title includes the name of a place (real or fictional)
3e. Set in more than one country
Aquarobics - 400 points
4a. By an author over the age of 50
4b. Published before 1922
4c. The cover has water on it
4d. A book that takes place in more than one era of time
4e. A biography or memoir
Ninja Warrior - 500 points
5a. A book with more than 500 pages
5b. A book set primarily in Japan
5c. A collection of essays, poems, or short stories
5d. A weapon is on the cover
5e. A book with fewer than 5000 goodreads ratings
Mod
and a reminder of the rules
Q: How many times can we be entered into the drawing?
A: You can be entered ONE TIME. You are welcome to complete every single task if you so choose but you will only get 1 raffle entry.
Q: Can books overlap between the main Around the Year challenge and the summer challenge?
A: Yes, absolutely! Some of the tasks are designed to be easy for you to fit in books you’re planning to read for AtY.
Q: Can a book be used for more than one summer challenge prompt?
A: Each book can only be used for one prompt in the summer challenge. No double-dipping.
Q: Can I use a prompt more than once?
A: Each prompt can only be used once towards a raffle entry. No repeats.
Q: Do the prompts need to be completed in any kind of order?
A: No, you can complete them in any order you like.
Q: Can books started before June 1 or in progress on 31 August be counted?
A: You may count a book started before the challenge begins as long as you read at least 100 pages of the book on or after 1 June. You must have completed a book by 31 August to count it.
Q: For a task requiring a title beginning with a particular letter, do A, An and The count?
A: You can choose whether or not to count them - eg if the title has to begin with a letter in OCEAN, you can use The Old Man and the Sea (which, ignoring the word The, starts with an O).
Q: If an author has middle names, do those initials need to be included in the phrase?
A: Nah just first and last is fine. BUT it must be the name of the author as it appears on the book. No getting tricksy with pen names.
Q: For prompts concerning publication date, page numbers, or covers, how do you handle reprints/multiple editions?
A: We will use the edition you tag in your completion post. This mainly affects page numbers and cover designs for this challenge, so tag whichever edition you read that fits the prompt. For publication year, we will use the original publication date. If you are getting a book from the library and aren't sure which edition you will get, you can just use the default edition (meaning the first one that comes up when you search for the book). We are using an honor system here, so please make sure you are tagging properly!
Q: Can we move a book to a different prompt once claimed on our progress for another prompt?
A: If you submit your completed challenge to the completion thread, you cannot change it after the fact. If you are unsure about where you want to place books, we recommend waiting until you complete the challenge before submitting your books to the completion thread!
Q: What defines if a book has a lot of hype?
A: I'll generally take your word for it, but if you tell me that an obscure medieval text has suddenly gotten big on Instagram, I will narrow my eyes at you suspiciously.
Q: Does the author need to be over 50 now or when they wrote it?
A: The author needs to have been at least 50 years of age when the book was first published. Posthumous works will be counted if there is reasonable evidence that the author wrote the work after turning 50.
Q: What counts as combining more than one genre?
A: Examples include historical mysteries, science fiction romances, etc. Two or more distinct genres that are applicable descriptors of the book. Be reasonable and we won't have to drag any librarians into a WWE-style brawl on the exact definitions of 'mystery' and 'thriller'.
Q: What counts as a weapon?
A: Listen, as any reader of mysteries (or true crime) knows, anything can be a weapon with enough imagination, but let's keep it simple. It needs to obviously be a weapon.
Q: I read a new book in June and it only had 2000 ratings then but now I'm submitting my challenge in August and the book has 5001 ratings.
A: Wow, let's hope that doesn't happen.
A: It'll be ok; I believe you.
Q: What counts as an 'era' of time?
A: An era is not necessarily a defined length of years so much as it is a culturally distinct time period. This prompt may be accomplished through either time travel or dual timelines or large consequential leaps in time. If you come to me with a book that starts in 1928 in the Jazz Age and then through the linear passage of time ends in 1929 in the Great Depression I am going to send you to book jail. I am looking for two or more culturally distinct eras of time that are separated in the story.
Just to be sure :-)So EACH completed book in Hot Yoga for instance, is worth 100 points, right?
Mod
This is so fun. I always look forward to the summer reading challenge and its added... challenges....Great idea in using points.
A question about Author’s initials: if an author has a middle name, do all 3 initials have to be in the phrase? Or just first and last?I would like to count JH Jørn Lier Horst for 2a. PUMP UP THE JAM, f.ex. 😉
Mod
I would like to count JH Jørn Lier Horst for..."
I'll take just first and last initial.
1. How long is an era? I might have guessed a century, but some answers online are much shorter, or much longer. (I'm guessing the person who said 7 years is under 24, and the one who said thousands of years is probably a geologist.)2. For publication date, could we all go by the same original publication date? Both of the examples for Pride and Prejudice show the same original publication date, 1813. I think this would be fair for the 2022 prompt as well.
Mod
2. I will re-do that example because you're right it doesn't make sense for the prompts we have in this challenge. Original publication date is what you're looking for.
Thanks Jackie! That helps a lot. I like your "culturally distinct" definition. That's more interesting than x years. I think this is my favorite seasonal challenge so far. I love the choices of prompts, the theme, the points, and the chance to win a great prize. I've been humming one of the workout songs all night.
What is meant by a book with a twist?
Mod
Carolyn Rutigliano wrote: "For the category “a book with fewer goodreads ratings”, is there a set amount, like fewer than 1000 ratings?"The prompt says fewer than 5000 ratings.
Could I use non-fiction for the era prompt? I'm due to read At Home: A Short History of Private Life, it's history and I'd expect it to cover different eras, but it's not about people or events so it probably doesn't "take place".
For prompt 5b A book set in Japan, I’ve got 2 potential options 1) The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying by Marie Kondo or 2) The reason I jump: The inner voice of a thirteen year old boy with autism. Both books were written in Japanese and translated into English. Book 1 is a self-help book to help tidy/organise belongings by seeing what sparks joy. I think the Netflix series is based in USA but the method of tidying comes from Japan.
Book 2 is a biography of Japanese boy with autism. So I assume it’s set in Japan, as none of the reviews say where he lives.
Would either of these books fit this prompt? Or should I pick a fiction book set in Japan instead?
Thanks in advance for your help. This is my first year doing this challenge and I’m finding it a great way to expand what I read.
Ok probably silly but, I assume "You must have completed a book by 31 August" means completed by 11:59 PM in your time zone on August 31? Because I'm gonna need all of those hours. :)
For the Jazzercise prompts, do the author's initials need to be consecutive letters in the phrase? Or do they each just need to be somewhere in the phrase?
Mod
I was wondering if The Great Believers would work for the era prompt? It began in 1985 with the AIDS crisis following a group of men until 2015. It covers the AIDS crisis in the early years into 2015. Past & present AIDS. I read the comment above about the era prompt but wanted to ask about this book. Time jumps in the book.
"Next, start a post in this folder where you will post your plan and track your progress through the challenge."What folder?
JL wrote: ""Next, start a post in this folder where you will post your plan and track your progress through the challenge."What folder?"
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/group...
then click on "New Topic" in the upper right
Kelly Sj wrote: "JL wrote: ""Next, start a post in this folder where you will post your plan and track your progress through the challenge."What folder?"
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/group...
the..."
Thank you!
Mod
Lindsey, I read The Reason I Jump ages ago, and I think it's set in Japan. I'd say the Life Changing Magic isn't really "set" anywhere, if it's more of an instructional book (though I haven't read it, so if there's anecdotes set in Japan, I suppose it would work). Also, yes, by midnight your time zone.
Carolyn, they do not have to be in any specific order, just both letters located in the phrase.
Trish, I would say that works.
Sherri, having read that book, I would say it doesn't work, mostly because, while the 1980s AIDs epidemic is definitely an era, the present day is more reflective than a distinct era in its own right.
Mod
I'm due to read At Home: A Short History of Private Life, it's history and I'd expect it to cover different eras, but it's not about pe..."
Yes nonfiction will work provided it's discussing distinct eras, rather than a continuous block of time.
Mod
Is there a place where we can share ideas (e.g. favorite books that fit 4d) or links to relevant lists for some of the tougher prompts? For instance:
"An author over 50" seems easy, but "an author over 50 when they wrote the book" will take some work. Maybe there is a list somewhere.
I could also use help with weapon on the cover.
Would you mind creating a new post in this folder just for this purpose?
For the name of a place - I'm guessing that these would work: 84, Charing Cross Road, Washington Square, Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China. There are a lot of titles with the words "America" or "American" in the title, but they don't necessarily refer to a place. I'm going to guess that this would work: Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century, but this would not: American Psycho. Is that correct?
I absolutely love this challenge, can't wait to start! :DIn the planning stages right now, but here are some questions I have:
1. For the set in Japan prompt, would a fantasy book set in a place that's very obviously a fantasy version of Japan count? All of the character's names are Japanese, Japanese words are sprinkled throughout the book, the name of the land (Honoku) is a Japanese word, and the plot revolves around Japanese folklore and mythology. (The book is Empress of All Seasons) and I picked it up because it's described as an "own-voices Japanese fantasy".
2. I saw in the FAQs that the weapon on the cover has to obviously be a weapon, and we can't just choose any random object just because it hypothetically could be used as a weapon, and that makes sense. But does that include objects that aren't conventional weapons that are actually used as weapons in the context of the book? Like scissors, a sledgehammer, a golf club, or rope on the cover of a book where it's the murder weapon?
2b. Does a bottle of poison count as a weapon?
3. And lastly, I think this is similar to what Nancy is asking, but for the title having to include the name of a place, what if the title does include the name of a place but isn't referring to it in the context of the title? The examples I can think of are:
- The word "china" in a title referring to porcelain rather than the country
- "America" or "India" (or any other country) being used as someone's name
- large cities whose names are also regular nouns like "phoenix"
- Nancy's example of American Psycho, which does contain the word "America" but is used as a demonym
Thank you!
Here are some weapon on the cover lists:https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/3...
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/4...
Mod
For instance:
"An author over 50" seems easy, but "an auth..."
Done! Here you go: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Mod
There are a ..."
Correct
Mod
In the planning stages right now, but here are some questions I have:
."
1. Yes, I'll accept fantastical or magical versions of Japan, provided it's obviously Japan like the example you shared and not just 'Asian-inspired'.
2. In the context of a murder mystery, scissors, golf club, etc could be counted (though again it needs to be clear to a person who hasn't read the book that that object is a weapon).
3. I'm going to go with no on the bottle of poison. It's an arbitrary distinction but I'm drawing a line.
4. No. Must be a place name and must be referring to the place. No variants like 'american' as those words are not place names.
Jackie wrote: "Irene wrote: "I absolutely love this challenge, can't wait to start! :DIn the planning stages right now, but here are some questions I have:
."
1. Yes, I'll accept fantastical or magical version..."
Thank you Jackie!! :)
Mod
Jackie wrote: "Can confirm partial weapons work, as long as it is clear that it's a weapon and a sword handle definitely counts."
Thanks, both.
Would Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach count as more than one era? He travels through thousands of years.
Hi, I have just one more specific question! Obit by Victoria Chang is 113 pages long and is shelved as poetry. There are some conventional poems here and there, but the book is basically composed of full paragraphs of obituaries. Not sure if I can link Amazon here to show a preview the book, but essentially there is full text on almost every page. Could I use it for the summer challenge?
Thank you!!
Mod
Obit by Victoria Chang is 113 pages long and is shelved as poetry. There are some conventional poems here and there, but the book is bas..."
Prose-poems and art project books like this are always tough to categorize, but for the sake of this challenge, I'm going to say no. I feel you, but I'm going to hold to the poetry >=200 pages.
Mod
Sure!
Emily wrote: "Laurie wrote: "Would Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach count as more than one era? He travels through thousands of years."Sure!"
Thank you!
Strange Weather is 4 short novels/novellas. Ok for 5c or no?Also, I plan to read
. I suppose it would be too much of a stretch to consider Murderbot itself to be a weapon....
Mod
Also, I plan to read
. I suppose it would be too much of a stretch to consider Murde..."Yes to novella collection. No to Murderbot as weapon just cuz I don't want to have to include people's fists as weapons too.
Jackie wrote: Prose-poems and art project books like this are always tough to categorize, but for the sake of this challenge..."That makes sense, thanks Jackie!
Hello Jackie, a couple of queries:1. Would The House with the Golden Door count as a book with a place in the title?
2. I've been lent Still Life which starts in 1944 and ends in the 1960s. Would this fit the two eras prompt?
Thanks!
Jackie wrote: "Nancy wrote: "Strange Weather is 4 short novels/novellas. Ok for 5c or no?Also, I plan to read
. I suppose it would be too much of a stretch to ..."Murderbot is more machine than person but I take your point. I found another place for it anyway. Thanks!
Mod
1. Would The House with the Golden Door count as a book with a place in the title?
2. I've been lent Still Life which starts in ..."
From the synopsis it looks like The House with the Golden Door is the name of the brothel, so I'd count it.
For Still Life, I haven't read it so you may be better placed to tell me, but based on the synopsis it sounds like it fits.
Thanks, Jackie. It's the name of a particular house rather than the brothel, but I assume the same applies. I'll see how it goes with Still Life - fingers crossed!
Do re-reads count. The kids and I are doing a group read of the Deathly Hallows this summer. I read it when it was first published. Could I use it for my over 500 page prompt?
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Around the Year in 52 Books
Books mentioned in this topic
The Sandman Omnibus Vol. 1 (other topics)Bone: The Complete Cartoon Epic in One Volume (other topics)
Still Life (other topics)
The House with the Golden Door (other topics)
Network Effect (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Richard Bach (other topics)Richard Bach (other topics)
Richard Bach (other topics)
Jørn Lier Horst (other topics)
Jørn Lier Horst (other topics)
This summer's challenge feature 25 prompts to pick from, some easier and some harder. You can choose which ones and how many to complete. Anyone who completes at least 5000 points worth of prompts will be entered into a raffle. The point value of each prompt is determined by its category, so for example each prompt in the Ninja Warrior category is worth 500 points.
The Prize!
The winner of the draw will be invited to create one prompt to be included in the 2023 ATY Reading List.*
How to Join the Challenge
1. First check out the prompts in post two of this thread.
2. Next, start a post in this folder where you will post your plan and track your progress through the challenge. You can also look at other people’s plans to get ideas for any tasks you’re finding tricky and ask for recommendations from other readers. This is not required, but it's a great way to plan out your books.
3. When you've completed at least 5000 points of prompts, post the details in the completion thread. Once we’ve checked that the tasks are all completed in line with the rules we’ll confirm your entry to the draw.
*NOTE: You may earn a maximum of ONE entry. Additional points will not increase your chances.
4. After the challenge ends on 31 August we will have a draw to choose a winner. The mods will announce the winner soon after and they’ll be invited to create a prompt for the 2022 ATY Reading List.
What Books Can Be Counted?
Because there is a prize associated with our summer reading challenge (unlike with our other seasonal challenges), we have a few requirements for books to count:
1. Books must be at least 100 pages long, except for graphic novels or poetry, which must be at least 200 pages long. For audiobooks, the printed version of the book should be at least 100 pages long.
2. Picture books or any other books where illustrations make up most of the book can’t be used.
3. You must read the whole of a book between 1 June and 31 August to count it for this challenge. Books started before June 1st must have at least 100 pages left before beginning on June 1st.
If you have any questions about the challenge then you can post them in this thread. The FAQs in post three below will also be updated as people ask questions so you might find your question has been answered there. If you’d like to check that a book will work for one of the tasks before you read it then you can ask here and we’ll confirm if it does.
Happy reading, and we hope you enjoy the challenge!
*Subject to the mods approval. For example the prompt can’t be the same or extremely similar to one already voted in and it must not be something that’s impossible for some readers to complete. Winner will be notified by September 5th, and they will have until September 12th to choose their prompt. If the winner is unresponsive to the message sent from the mods, there will be a redraw.