Around the Year in 52 Books discussion
2022 Plans
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2022 ATY Completion Thread
Finished 8/1/22- 5 Star books that I read for the ATY Challenge
- My most creative twist on a prompt -- Book with one of the Monopoly token on the cover -- Astronaut - Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void dug deep for a special edition token
- The prompt I cheated on - Inclement Weather - I don't remember there being a whole lot of actual inclement weather in Weather Girl
- My favorite prompt - book set in a small town
- My least favorite prompt - book that fits your fav prompt that didn't make the list
- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (but I’m so glad I did!) - Year of the Reaper - read for: a book by an Asian or Pacific Islander author
- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (and I wish I hadn’t!) - The Overstory - read for: book related to flora and fauna
📚 2022 Reading Challenge and Seasonal Challenges 📚Finished: Nov 24, 2022
5 Star books that I read for the ATY Challenge and Seasonal Challenges
My most creative twist on a prompt
"A book related to a game". I used a book that features a competition in teams for the crown.
Héroes de cobre by Marta Álvarez and Iguazel Serón.
The prompt I cheated on
None
My favorite prompt
"A book related to glass". When I read this prompt I instantly thought of the perfect book to this challenge, which ended up being 5 stars for me.
La Corte de los Espejos by Concepción Perea.
My least favorite prompt
"A book from the TIME list of 100 Best YA Books of All Time". Because it was very difficult to fulfill. A lot of the options I had already read, and the others didn't really interest me.
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.
A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (but I’m so glad I did!)
The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow.
I used this book to complete the prompt "A book from NPR's Book Concierge", and I'm so happy I did because otherwise I wouldn't have read it.
A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (and I wish I hadn’t!)
Llévame a Casa by Jesús Carrasco.
Not really in the ATY Yearly Challenge, but on the Fall Reading Challenge, but I dislike it so much that I need to put it here.
The prompt for this book was "Reminds you of homecoming"
Congratulations to everyone who has completed this challenged. I finished it on November 25th! - 5 Star books that I read for the ATY Challenge
All Systems Red
Firekeeper's Daughter
The Fellowship of the Ring
The Little Prince
Cleopatra's Daughter
- My most creative twist on a prompt
I was pretty straightforward. I read The Simple Wild for the monopoly token (there’s a plane on the cover) but I had never actually seen a monopoly set with that token.
- The prompt I cheated on
I read The Little Prince for the book under 220 pages but it was even less than 100 pages
- My favorite prompt
I thought the tarot card prompt had a lot of interesting options!
- My least favorite prompt
I was not a fan of the glass prompt—it was tough to find a book for that one. I also didn’t really like the handwriting prompt, but I ended up reading a good one—The Switch.
- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (but I’m so glad I did!)
You Should See Me in a Crown was a little out of my comfort zone but it was so good!
Also, the YA prompt got me to finally read Firekeeper's Daughter which I loved!
- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (and I wish I hadn’t!)
The Sound of Glass I thought I was really going to like it and couldn’t dnf because I had no other options for the glass prompt.
Just finished! - 5 Star books that I read for the ATY Challenge - (Please understand that I know my 5 star books would probably not be yours! They mostly have a very personal meaning to me).
Sunday the Rabbi Stayed Home
The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle
Pussyfoot
A Thousand Steps
Farm Fresh Murder
Outfoxed
The Mamacita Murders
The Way to Dusty Death
Murder at the Filmore
Smaller and Smaller Circles
The Twice-Hanged Man
State of the Onion
Waterless Mountain
The Catcher in the Rye
The Pageant of Chinese History
- My most creative twist on a prompt - #16 Related to Earth Day - Jane's Island by Marjorie Hill Allee - Earth Day is all about the environment and I found this 1932 Newbery Honor Book about the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution that was published 2 years after its founding.
- The prompt I cheated on - None
- My favorite prompt - #49 Here There be Dragons - So many options here... China, Wales, maps, sci-fi, Harry Potter, etc. I went with a book set in Wales and loved it.
- My least favorite prompt - #17 NPR's Book Concierge - I never like being limited to someone else's idea of what is a good book.
- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (but I’m so glad I did!) - #51 Published in 2022 - A Thousand Steps by T. Jefferson Parker - a really good mystery.
- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (and I wish I hadn’t!) - #9 Three different continents book 2 - City Sister Silver by Jáchym Topol - A book set during the fall and aftermath of Eastern European countries and societies after the collapse of the Soviet Union. In one word - depressing!
- 5 Star books that I read for the ATY ChallengeEmma: A Modern Retelling by Alexander McCall Smith
Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult
The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
A Dream Called Home by Reyna Grande
- My most creative twist on a prompt
#5 Book connected to a book you read in 2021: Paradise by Abdulrazak Gurnah. I had trouble finding any connections with 2021. The best I could do was that this was written by a Nobel Prize winning author as was Ernest Hemingway whom I read in 2021. Gurnah won the Nobel Literature prize in 2021.
- The prompt I cheated on
#33 The next book in a series: I read ”Last Bus to Wisdom by Ivan Doig. I confess, this book is #12 in the Two Medicine Country series and I’ve previously only read #7. But it is next, after #11, even though I haven’t read that one.
- My favorite prompt
#26 & 27 Two books with a common word in the title:
Anastasia: Last Grand Duchess by Carolyn Meyer
Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand by Helen Simonson
- My least favorite prompt
#48 Posted in the ATY Best Book of the Month threads.
(I had trouble locating those threads.)
- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (but I’m so glad I did!)
#7 Related to psychology or neuroscience:
I Have Been Buried under Years of Dust by Valerie Gilpeer & Emily Grodin
- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (and I wish I hadn’t!
I don’t regret any of the books I read. Actually, my book choices are mostly not directed by this challenge. I’m in four book clubs and I mostly fit those assignments into the challenge as I go. There were only a few choices to fill in the gaps at the end. The ones that I had to find a book specifically to satisfy were:
#7 Related to psychology or neuroscience
#12 Related to glass
#21 Monopoly token on the cover
#32 Main character is a female detective
#41 A book with a food theme
#44 A book with gothic elements
COMPLETE!!! And I got it posted before January! Now back to the holiday prep.
Link: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
- 5 Star books that I read for the ATY Challenge: I am oh-so-stingy with my 5s but it looks like I had two in '22, namely The City We Became and The Queen's Gambit (#17, 45)
- My most creative twist on a prompt I think I had some creative takes, but as the year went on, I replaced them; at this point nothing stands out--in this challenge
- The prompt I cheated on Not sure if I "cheated" but when I looked back, most of my female MC detectives were technically DIYers (#32)
- My favorite prompt Telling me to read an NPR book is like telling me to have some chocolate (#17)
- My least favorite prompt Always Mythology (#30)
- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (but I’m so glad I did!) Bob It wasn't on my radar, but it was delightful (#8-10 for me, North America couldn't count)
- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (and I wish I hadn’t!) The Revolution According to Raymundo Mata, not that it was bad--and far from the worst thing I read--but it was a lot of work for me, both in writing style and in my lack of the history/background; I was always feeling like I wasn't in on the joke with sooo many pages to go (#18)
Another great ATY year!5 Star books that I read for the ATY Challenge:
My hardest prompt was a book by a Latin American author (which I interpreted to mean from a Latin American country rather than a book by a US-based Latinx author, of which I read several). I read A Long Petal of the Sea by Isabel Allende, which was a fabulous book and was on my TBR list, but somehow other books kept pushing ahead of it. But I got it done!
I finished the challenge September 27. My five star reads were:
Greenwood by Michael Christie (#35)
The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd (#19)
Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots (#17)
Saga volume 2 by Brian K. Vaughan (#46)
The Fire by Night by Teresa Messineo (#11)
Brain on Fire by Susannah Cahalan (#7)
Power and Pentad:Part 2 by Amanda Cashure (#51)
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus (#13)
Most Creative Twist:
Confessions on the 7:45 by Lisa Unger (#12)
My copy had a window on the cover, so it was sort of related. It felt like I was stretching it, but this prompt was hard.
My Cheat:
Saga, volume 2 by Brian K. Vaughan (#46)
I wasn't sure if graphic novels counted. It felt like cheating.
Favourite Prompt:
Two books with the same word in the title (#26, 27)
Probably because I felt like this was really close to a set of prompts I had suggested (two books with the exact same title). The books I read were A Star Pilot's Heart by Eva Delaney and Beyond the Next Star by Melody Johnson
Least Favourite Prompt:
A book with gothic elements (#44)
Not really my genre, also hated the book I read which was The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters
A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (but I'm so glad I did):
For Kicks by Dick Francis (#31)
A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge( and I wish I hadn't):
My Name Is Charles Saatchi and I Am an Artoholic by Charles Saatchi (#25)
The Stone Cold Truth by Steve Austin (#8)
- 5 Star books that I read for the ATY Challenge: Sooo many. The Slow Horses series by Mick Herron, anything by Lisa Jewell and Karin Slaughter, Magpie Murders....- My most creative twist on a prompt: I used a psychological thrill for the prompt - A book related to psychology, neuroscience or the mind. Probably not that creative.
- The prompt I cheated on: Not sure I cheated on any this year.
- My favorite prompt - Probably A book that won an award from Powell's list of book awards and A book where the main character is a female detective/private eye/police officer because there are so many books to choose from that aren't the same top 10 you see everywhere else.
- My least favorite prompt: Probably the Earth Day one, but that could just be the book I chose for it.
- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (but I’m so glad I did!) "American Dirt" by Jeanine Cummins. So good!
- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (and I wish I hadn’t!) "Authority" by Jeff VanderMeer. Compared to the first book in this series it was just bad. Awful. I read half then took a break to read something else and came back to it,
I feel this is a very late finish for me, but I'm done!5 Star books that I read for the ATY Challenge:
How High We Go in the Dark
The Stardust Thief
The Ends
Sea of Tranquility
The Book of Gothel
Gallant
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow
When Women Were Dragons
My most creative twist on a prompt:
I'm not sure that I was very creative with any prompts, the most is probably using the anniversary of the Fresnel lens for related to glass and reading about a lighthouse (The Lighthouse Witches).
The prompt I cheated on:
My third continent prompt was more that I wanted to squish Stone Blind: Medusa's Story in rather than it being a great fit. It's a Greek myth but was mostly set in what would be modern day Libya and Sudan, so I used it for Africa.
My favorite prompt:
A book about a woman in STEM even though I didn't love the book I read for it (Lessons in Chemistry).
My least favorite prompt:
A book from the TIME list of 100 Best YA Books of All Time. I like YA, but I didn't think this was a good list.
A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (but I’m so glad I did!):
vN had been on my TBR for years but I picked it up for non-human main character mostly because we needed a Madeline for an ATY group readathon. I thought it was a super interesting take on AI.
A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (and I wish I hadn’t!):
The Book of Cold Cases which I read for inclement weather.
I am finished!! So glad I found this challenge this year!5 Star books that I read for the ATY Challenge
My most creative twist on a prompt
I don't feel that any of my choices were particularly creative.
The prompt I cheated on
None!
My favorite prompt
A book with one of the Monopoly tokens on the cover
My least favorite prompt
A book related to one of the 22 Tarot Major Arcana cards
A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (but I’m so glad I did!)
A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (and I wish I hadn’t!)
I finished today, 12/9! This is the first year I've completed the challenge.- 5 Star books that I read for the ATY Challenge
Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City
The Reading List
The House in the Cerulean Sea
You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty
Undrowned: Black Feminist Lessons from Marine Mammals
Pandora's Jar: Women in the Greek Myths
Juliet Takes a Breath
Olga Dies Dreaming
Breaking Things at Work: The Luddites Are Right About Why You Hate Your Job
Things We Lost in the Fire
- My most creative twist on a prompt
Fresh Banana Leaves: Healing Indigenous Landscapes Through Indigenous Science I used this for #16 A book related to Earth day. This book is not related to the holiday but ecology
- The prompt I cheated on
North: How to Live Scandinavian #42 A book with a language or nationality on the title, Scandinavian isn't a language or nationality but I wasn't interested in what I was finding to fit this prompt.
- My favorite prompt
The Bees #46 A book with a non-human as one of the main characters
- My least favorite prompt
On Cats #21 A book with one of the Monopoly tokens on the cover
- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (but I’m so glad I did!)
Pandora's Jar: Women in the Greek Myths #30 A book related to mythology
- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (and I wish I hadn’t!)
The End of Men #19 A book that involves alternate reality, alternate worlds, or alternate history
I finished the challenge this morning. Here is the link to my plan:https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
- 5 Star books that I read for the ATY Challenge
Prodigal Son by Hurwitz, Gregg
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World by C.A. Fletcher
Plum Island by Nelson DeMille
The Incredible Journey of Plants by Stefano Mancuso
The Ravenmaster: My Life with the Ravens at the Tower of London by Christopher Skaife
The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot by Marianne Cronin
- The prompt I cheated on
Week 30. A book related to mythology
The Queen: The Forgotten Life Behind an American Mythby Josh Levin (It has the word "myth" in the title)
- My least favorite prompt
A book related to one of the 22 Tarot Major Arcana cards
I've finished the challenge today. Here is my plan: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...5 Star books that I read for the ATY Challenge
My most creative twist on a prompt
A book connected to the phrase "Here (There) Be Dragons". Heroine of the Burn for Me calles her love interest "Dragon", but despite this book being urban fantasy he is not an actual dragon.
The prompt I cheated on
I originally planned to use one of "Thursday Murder Club" books for "A book that involves aging, or a character in their golden years", but instead used yet another Ilona Andrews book. Main heroine's grandmother plays significant role, so it fits, but I feel like I cheated a bit.
My favorite prompt
A book where the main character is a female detective/private eye/police officer. This prompt helped me to pick back Kate Daniels series which I started for another prompt couple of months earlier, and I was finally a converted fan of Ilona Andrews after Magic Slays
My least favorite prompt
A book from NPR's Book Concierge. Not a fan of lists prompts.
A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (but I’m so glad I did!)
What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher (a book with gothic elements) - 4*. Horror in really not my thing, but the book was great.
A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (and I wish I hadn’t!)
Mangos and Mistletoe by Adriana Herrera (a book by a Latin American author) - 2*. Contemporary romance can be hit or miss for me, this one was definitely miss.
Marking this one complete with little time to spare:5 Star books that I read for the ATY Challenge
My most creative twist on a prompt
Uncanny Stories - I went with ghosts and goblins instead of robots
The prompt I cheated on
#23 - I used my wildcard
My favorite prompt
#49 “Here There Be Dragons” - I love a prompt that isn’t obvious that you have to think about.
My least favorite prompt
#38 A Book by a Latin American Author - I just didn’t find anything I was excited to read and then I hated the book I chose.
A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (but I’m so glad I did!)
The Alice Network - Quite a bit of fun and I loved the historical aspect. An author I will revist.
A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (and I wish I hadn’t!)
The Sound of Building Coffins Not a fan of fantasy/magical realism and this one was particular awful.
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...I finished round 1 in June, and finished round 2 (minus 1) in November. I continued to work on rejected prompts, tarot, and side challenges. I think I'm most proud of my 50+ rejected prompt challenge (with overlaps).
- 5 Star books that I read for the ATY Challenge
The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood, 5⭐
Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason 5⭐
The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K leGuin 5⭐
The World That We Knew by Alice Hoffman 5⭐
Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel 5⭐
The Round House by Louise Erdrich 5⭐
The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Daniel James Brown 5⭐
Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah - 5⭐
Cantoras by Carolina de Robertis 5⭐
Greenwood by Michael Christie 5⭐
Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China by Jung Chang 5⭐
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles 5⭐
Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan 5⭐
Bear Town by Fredrik Backman (hockey) 5⭐
The Overstory by Richard Powers Pulitzer 5⭐
If I Stay by Gayle Forman 5⭐
True Biz by Sarah Novic 5⭐
The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History by Elizabeth Kolbert
Plus more - see page 18 of my plan
- My most creative twist on a prompt
For Academic setting: It might not be creative, but I had a fun
"Aha!" moment when I realized that Project Hail Mary was about a teacher in space.
- The prompt I cheated on
None in Round 1.
In round 2 I used The Hobbit for the 2022 YA list, since I already read it, and it was on the 2015 YA list.
- My favorite prompts
Aging (for all the fun, humorous books), Psychology and Neuroscience, Earth Day, Flora/Fauna (trees!), Same word in title, and Prompts that didn't make it (including - "It's the end of the world as we know it.")
- My least favorite prompt
Maybe mythology.
- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (but I’m so glad I did!)
Cantoras by Carolina de Robertis - South America, under 5000 ratings, loving gay relationship, historical fiction.
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir - teacher, non-human character, BOM.
- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (and I wish I hadn’t!) - Felix Ever After. Angry teen boy angst is just not for me. The Master and Margarita. I planned to read it eventually, but the monopoly prompt pushed me to read it this year.
Yay, I finished! In order!- 5 Star books that I read for the ATY Challenge:
(Trying to limit this to just a few......)
- My most creative twist on a prompt:
I always enjoy the multi-book prompts, and making them connected beyond what the prompt calls for. I used three books in a trilogy for the 3 different continents, thrilled to realize they fit it. Also Wake the Bones and Nettle & Bone for the flora and fauna prompts - both horror about plants and undead animals.
- The prompt I cheated on:
I didn't, actually.
- My favorite prompt:
The multiweek prompts, like I said above, and my own "related to a game" of course! I also really liked Here Be Dragons, because it's slightly out of the norm for this kind of reading challenge, and while nice & broad for various interpretations, also lends itself to a more narrow personal limitation (I decided I'd only use a book about dragons or about maps/with a map).
- My least favorite prompt:
I don't like list prompts - I just find them too limiting, even when it's a huge number of options, it's a finite list, a book is either on the list or not. It just doesn't get my imagination going, I guess. Among the list prompts we had this time, my least favorite was honestly the ATY Best Book of the Month one, because a) there isn't a theme to the list (other than "people in this group liked it"), so the books feel a bit random as a selection; b) it's a long list, so it was hard to constantly go back over it and remind myself if this or that counted; c) as an ongoing list, I had to keep going back to check and see if a new book I'd read or planned to read might have been added since the last time I'd checked it. Just felt a bit more like homework than other prompts, with no wiggle room for what I actually *wanted* to be reading right then. As it happens, a book I've been meaning to read for ages was on the list, so it worked out, but I got lucky.
- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (but I’m so glad I did!):
Your Guide to Not Getting Murdered in a Quaint English Village. The shortest book I allowed myself for this challenge, and I probably would have read it anyway, but it sure was well-timed for this prompt. A very fun, tongue-in-cheek read.
- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (and I wish I hadn’t!):
The Sun Is Also a Star. "Wish I hadn't" is too strong, it's a perfectly good book, I just really wasn't in the mood for it. My sister gave me a copy ages ago, and I'd already read everything else on the 100 Best YA Books list I had any interest in, so it worked out, but it did make me feel awfully old, lol.
Woohoo — finished (12/13/2022)!My Cover Collage (in order read) — just because I've never done one:
- 5 Star books that I read for the ATY Challenge:
Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah
Under the Whispering Door by T.J. Klune
Reincarnation Blues by Michael Poore
We Are the Weather: Saving the Planet Begins at Breakfast by Jonathan Safran Foer
The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki
How to Be a Conscious Eater: Making Food Choices That Are Good for You, Others, and the Planet by Sophie Egan
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson
The Overstory by Richard Powers
Remember: The Science of Memory and the Art of Forgetting by Lisa Genova
Girly Drinks: A World History of Women and Alcohol by Mallory O'Meara
- My most creative twist on a prompt:
Probably the multi-week prompt 26/27: 2 books with the same word in the title. My word was "Alice", and my books were: What Alice Forgot and Still Alice. What makes it my most creative twist is that both books also dealt with memory issues.
- The prompt I cheated on: I don't think I cheated on any
- My favorite prompt: (for the prompt, not necessarily the book read, although the book for this prompt ended up being a 5 star read for me) 46. A book with a non-human as one of the main characters
- My least favorite prompt: 30. A book related to mythology, followed closely by 40. A book related to one of the 22 Tarot Major Arcana cards
- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (but I’m so glad I did!): Hench and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow
- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (and I wish I hadn’t!): A Wrinkle in Time and The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared
Mod
Total: 52/52
January
1. A book with a main character whose name starts with A, T, or Y - The Crime At Black Dudley, Margery Allingham - 24/02/22
2. A book connected to a book you read in 2021 - Next to Last Stand, Craig Johnson - 13/06/22
3. A book with 22 or more letters in the title - Lies, Damned Lies, and History, Jodi Taylor - 13/01/22
4. A book that fits your favorite prompt that did not make the list - Les Misérables, Victor Hugo - 10/01/22
5. A book by an author with two sets of double letters in their name - The Department of Sensitive Crimes, Alexander McCall Smith - 14/03/2022
February
6. A book with an image of a source of light on the cover - The Saga of the Volsungs with The Saga of Ragnar Lothbrok, Unknown - 09/03/22
7. A book related to psychology, neuroscience or the mind - Depressive Illness: The Curse Of The Strong, Tim Cantopher - 10/08/22
8. 3 books set on three different continents - Book 1 - Chaos on CatNet, Naomi Kritzer - 27/02/22
9. 3 books set on three different continents - Book 2 - Notes from Underground, Fyodor Dostoevsky - 28/2/22
March
10. 3 books set on three different continents - Book 3 - Death Before Wicket, Kerry Greenwood - 01/04/22
11. A book from historical fiction genre - And the Rest is History, Jodi Taylor - 18/02/22
12. A book related to glass - The Glass Universe: The Hidden History of the Women Who Took the Measure of the Stars, Dava Sobel - 12/12/22
13. A book about a woman in STEM - Red Planet Run, Dana Stabenow - 16/05/2022
April
14. A book with fewer than 5000 ratings on Goodreads - Hrafnkel's Saga and Other Icelandic Stories, Unknown - 18/02/22
15. A book without a person on the cover - Foxglove Summer, Ben Aaronovitch - 11/01/21
16. A book related to Earth Day - Wilding: The Return of Nature to a British Farm, Isabella Tree - 28/10/22
17. A book from NPR's Book Concierge - A Spindle Splintered, Alix E Harrow - 03/06/22
May
18. A book by an Asian or Pacific Islander author - The Cat Who Saved Books, Sosuke Natsukawa -
19. A book that involves alternate reality, alternate worlds, or alternate history - A Master of Djinn, P Djeli Clark - 29/05/22
20. A fiction or nonfiction book that is set during 1900 -1951 - Trent's Last Case, E.C. Bentley - 16/08/22
21. A book with one of the Monopoly tokens on the cover - Clobbered by Camembert, Avery Aames - 27/10/22
22. A book with a Jewish character or author - Practical Magic, Alice Hoffman - 14/12/22
June
23. A book that features loving LGBTQIA+ relationship - Winter's Orbit, Everina Maxwell - 28/06/22
24. A book related to inclement weather - Stormsong, C.L. Polk - 02/08/22
25. A book less than 220 pages OR more than 440 pages - Fireheart Tiger, Aliette de Bodard - 29/05/22
26. 2 books with the same word in the title - Book 1 - The Land Beyond, Dana Stabenow - 11/05/2022
July
27. 2 books with the same word in the title - Book 2 - To the Land of Long Lost Friends, Alexander McCall Smith - 12/08/22
28. A book that won an award from Powell's list of book awards - A Desolation Called Peace, Arkady Martine - 16/07/22
29. A book set on or near a body of water - A Cruise to Die for, Charlotte and Aaron Elkins - 15/08/55
30. A book related to mythology - A Snake Falls to Earth, Darcie Little Badger - 21/07/22
August
31. A book published at least 10 years ago - The Family Trade, Charles Stross - 03/08/22
32. A book where the main character is a female detective/private eye/police officer - Crime Wave, Rose Pressy Betancourt - 21/07/22
33. The next book in a series - By the Shores of the Middle Sea, Dana Stabenow - 27/04/22
34. A book with an academic setting or with a teacher that plays an important role - The Last Graduate, Naomi Novik - 27/05/22
35. 2 books related to flora and fauna - Book 1 - The Hidden Life of Trees, Peter Wohlleben - 15/11/22
September
36. 2 books related to flora and fauna - Book 2 - All Creatures Great and Small, James Herriot - 16/10/22
37. A book that uses all five vowels in the title and/or author's name - Everything Under the Heavens, Dana Stabenow - 27/04/22
38. A book by a Latin American author - Gods of Jade and Shadow, Silvia Moreno-Garcia - 07/10/22
39. A book from the TIME list of 100 Best YA Books of All Time - Akata Witch, Nnedi Okorafor - 17/09/22
October
40. A book related to one of the 22 Tarot Major Arcana cards - Redemptor, Jordan Ifueko - 22/07/22
41. A book with a theme of food or drink - Light from Uncommon Stars, Ryka Aoki - 30/06/22
42. A book with a language or nationality in the title - Mexican Gothic, Silvia Moreno-Garcia - 04/12/22
43. A book set in a small town or rural area - Halloween Moon, Kathi Daley - 05/04/22
44. A book with gothic elements - The Devil and the Dark Water, Stuart Turton - 12/09/22
November
45. A book related to a game - Catch Me if You Can, Frank W. Abagnale, Stan Redding - 15/08/22
46. A book with a non-human as one of the main characters - A Psalm for the Wild-Built, Becky Chambers - 02/06/22
47. A book with handwriting on the cover - The Ocean at the End of the Lane, Neil Gaiman - 17/08/22
48. A book posted in one of the ATY Best Book of the Month threads in 2021 or 2022 - Jade City, Fonda Lee - 09/08/22
December
49. A book connected to the phrase "Here (There) Be Dragons" - Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern, Anne McCaffrey - 28/07/22
50. A book that involves aging, or a character in their golden years - The Case of the Love Commandos, Tarquin Hall - 23/02/22
51. A book published in 2022 - Amongst Our Weapons, Ben Aaronovitch - 26/04/22
52. A book with a time-related word in the title - The Mystery Before Christmas, Kathi Daley - 25/07/22
If you're interested, feel free to answer these questions and let us know what you loved and didn't love about the challenge!
- 5 Star books that I read for the ATY Challenge
I don't give a lot of fives, but these are they.
The Ocean at the End of the Lane, Neil Gaiman
Akata Witch, Nnedi Okorafor
A Snake Falls to Earth, Darcie Little Badger
The Cat Who Saved Books, Sosuke Natsukawa
Light from Uncommon Stars, Ryka Aoki
- My most creative twist on a prompt
Maybe using the Northern Lights for 6. A book with an image of a source of light on the cover.
I was quite proud of solving 12. A book related to glass four ways with one book (The Glass Universe: The Hidden History of the Women Who Took the Measure of the Stars - cover, title, content and glass ceiling.
- The prompt I cheated on
Catch Me If You Can: The True Story of a Real Fake might have been a stretch for 45. Related to a game, but it was on the listopia.
- My favorite prompt
Related to Glass, Woman in STEM, Cover Without a Person on It.
- My least favorite prompts
Neuroscience; and the ones based someone else's choices, like the Book Conciege and TIME ones. I have to say, I'm also not a fan of having to work through ATY Best Book of the Month threads for anything that might catch my fancy.
- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (but I’m so glad I did!)
The Cat Who Saved Books, Sosuke Natsukawa
The Glass Universe, Dava Sobel
- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (and I wish I hadn’t!)
Notes from Underground, Fyodor Dostoevsky - my only one star read for the challenge
Practical Magic, Alice Hoffman - almost a one star read, but pulled itself up to two.
I finally finished. I think this is the latest I've ever finished but struggled with motivation a bit. - 5 Star books that I read for the ATY Challenge
- My most creative twist on a prompt
I seem to have been incredibly uncreative this year. I only used books that I own but still managed to find something for every prompt.
- The prompt I cheated on
A book from TIME's YA list. I read The Titan's Curse as the first in the series was on the list. Even though it's not YA.
- My favorite prompt
A book with 22 letters or more in the prompt
A book about a woman in STEM
A book connected to the phrase Here be Dragons
- My least favorite prompt
A book from NPR's Book Concierge (I don't like the website)
A book from TIME's list of best YA reads (It's a short list and I had read most of them)
A book connected to one read in 2021 (any book can count and I find it far too broad)
- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (but I’m so glad I did!)
All the books I read were ones I already owned so would have read them eventually.
- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (and I wish I hadn’t!)
Hamnet was bought for me as a gift and I really didn't enjoy it. If I didn't need it for a prompt I probably would have given up. I also didn't like The Spanish Love Deception but didn't own anything else with a nationality in the title.
Finished on 12/15/225 Star books that I read for the ATY Challenge:
My most creative twist on a prompt:
Perhaps This Vicious Grace for prompt #12: a book related to glass. The main character is called the "Finestra" in this world, which means "window" in Italian.
The prompt I cheated on:
I used my wildcard for prompt #39 (A book from the Time's list of 100 best YA books of all time). YA just hasn't been vibing with me lately, and I hated being boxed in to only 100 book choices.
My favorite prompt:
Prompt #17 (NPR's book concierge) or prompt #2 (Book connected to a book you read in 2021). Prompt #17 because I love browsing that kind of stuff, and always like what NPR picks out, I think they always have a good variety from different genres, and sometimes I find stuff I haven't heard of before. And prompt #2 because I could use it in so many ways. I've been reading a lot about Autism in the last few years, so I was able to use this prompt to continue learning about this topic, which I appreciated.
My least favorite prompt:
Prompt #39 (Time's YA list) because I hated having to choose between only 100 books, and prompt #42 (A book with a language or nationality in the title) because I had a really hard time figuring out what I wanted to read for it. Although I did end up enjoying what I eventually settled on: The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2022
A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (but I’m so glad I did!):
The scholomance series by Naomi Novik, which had been on my tbr for a while, and Verity by Colleen Hoover, so now I know what all the talk is about.
A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (and I wish I hadn’t!):
Daisy Darker which I read for prompt #24 (inclement weather) and gave my first ever 1 star rating.
link to my completed list: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Finished on Dec 10, 2022-5 Star books that I read for the ATY Challenge
The Immortal Irishman: The Irish Revolutionary Who Became an American Hero
A Tale for the Time Being
Don't Look Now
The Magician
Nives
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow
My Brilliant Life
My Brilliant Friend
Gabriel Garcia Marquez
The Story of a Seagull and the Cat Who Taught Her to Fly
The Winners
- My most creative twist on a prompt
I found 2 books with 2 of the same words (in the same order) in the title: My Brilliant Life and My Brilliant Friend
- The prompt I cheated on
I wildcarded the Loving LGBTQ relationship prompt, after DNFing 2 books. Also, I counted the book In the Shadow of Sunrise by my friend Jennifer Bohnhoff. I was a beta reader for her and the book hasn't been published yet but I read it and provided her with feedback. I thought it would be published by now.
- My favorite prompt
2 books with the same word in the title
- My least favorite prompt
Book from the TIME list of 100 Best YA books - I read The Westing Game and thought it was silly.
- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (but I’m so glad I did!)
My Brilliant Life by Kim Ae-ran - I picked it because of the title (paired it w My Brilliant Friend). It is a fabulous story about friendship, family, life and death.
Nives by Sacha Naspini was a surprise standout for me! It's his only book translated to English, so far! I think I picked it because it was under 220 pages but may have used it somewhere else.
- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (and I wish I hadn’t!)
VALIS by Philip K. Dick. I actually read it for a real life book club but used it for the psychology, neuroscience, mind prompt. It was terrible - way too weird for me even though I have liked other books by PKD.
I finished on November 28.5 Star books - Silence of the Girls, Book of Joy, Invisible Women, Fresh Water for Flowers, Anxious People, A Place for Us, Thorn Birds, The Warmth of Other Suns, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, The Brain's Way of Healing, The Poisonwood Bible, The Forest of Vanishing Stars, Concrete Rose, The Gown, Shoemaker's Wife, Empire of Pain,
My most creative twist on a prompt - The Forest of Vanishing Stars (I guess... used for Flora/Fauna prompt)
The prompt I cheated on - Concrete Rose - used it for 'the next book in a series' prompt. It was published after The Hate You Give, but was a prequel.
My favorite prompt - 3 Books taking place in different continents
My least favorite prompt - A book with a non-human as one of the main characters
A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (but I’m so glad I did!) - The Silence of the Girls
A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (and I wish I hadn’t!) - A Year of Magical Thinking
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5 Star books - Silence of the Girls, Book of Joy, Invisible Women, Fresh Water for Flowers, Anxious People, A Place for Us, Thorn Birds, The Warmth of Other Suns, A Tree..."
You had some chunksters in your list - Warmth of Other Suns, Poisonwood Bible, and Thorn Birds!
- 5 Star books that I read for the ATY Challenge : 
The Magician
Manabé Shima (Manabeshima Island Japan: One Island, Two Months, One Minicar, Sixty Crabs, Eighty Bites and Fifty Shots of Shochu)
Firekeeper's Daughter
Dear Senthuran: A Black Spirit Memoir
Jaune : histoire d'une couleur (Yellow: The History of a Color)
Prairie Fires: The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder
Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow
- My most creative twist on a prompt : It wasn't particularly creative, but I was happy to find two books with a rare word in the title that I actually wanted to read : Pachinko and Les billes du Pachinko (The Pachinko Parlour).
- The prompt I cheated on : I counted a book about the Tudors for the "Here Be Dragons" prompt, because the founder of the dinasty had a dragon on his coat-of-arms.
- My favorite prompt : "inclement weather". I like atmospheric prompts.
- My least favorite prompt : A book with one of the Monopoly tokens on the cover. The Monopoly version I'm used to playing with has no tokens and I kept forgetting which item could count.
- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (but I’m so glad I did!) : Iron Lake by William Kent Krueger (inclement weather)
- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (and I wish I hadn’t!) : The book that disappointed me the most this year was Arsenic and Adobo. I originally intended to count it for the food prompt, but I finally chose All Over Creation instead. It was much better!
First time attempting. First time finished. I finished on December 17.- 5 Star books that I read for the ATY Challenge
I'm really picky about handing out 5 stars:
The Night Circus, The Lorax, Witch Princess, The Gulag Archipelago 1918–1956, Letter from the Birmingham Jail
- My most creative twist on a prompt
A book with a time-related word in the title - Home Before Dark - Is dark a time?
- The prompt I cheated on
Not intentionally. A book from historical fiction genre - Toil & Trouble: 15 Tales of Women & Witchcraft - I thought from the title that many of the stories would be historical fiction. Only 3.5 were.
- My favorite prompt
A book with one of the Monopoly tokens on the cove
- My least favorite prompt
NPR - I hate that their stupid website has no search feature.
- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (but I’m so glad I did!) I forced me to re-read 2 books from my childhood that I could barely remember:
A book related to mythology - Witch Princess
A book with an academic setting or with a teacher that plays an important role - Victoria
- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (and I wish I hadn’t! Toil & Trouble: 15 Tales of Women & Witchcraft - The 15 stories were really uneven. Some were 1 star reads and others were 4 star reads. Some weren't even about "women", but immature teen girls.
I completed the challenge on Dec 20.- 5 Star books that I read for the ATY Challenge
Midnight's Children
The Year of the Hare
The Wonderful O
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
The Cherry Orchard
The Beast in the Jungle
On the Duty of Civil Disobedience
The Blessing Way
The Wailing Wind
Listening Woman
Ethan Frome
God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater
Sleeping Murder
Multiplication & Fractions: Math Games for Tough Topics
Legends & Lattes
A Snake Falls to Earth
Rusty Puppy
The Year We Learned to Fly
- My most creative twist on a prompt
I don't think I was particularly creative on any of these. It did take me a while to figure out what to do with #49 (book connected to the phrase "Here (There) Be Dragons"). I finally decided that Alias Emma fit. I started from a National Geographic article that said (view spoiler)
From there, I decided that Alias Emma fit because of a long journey across London, avoiding cameras while our hero tries to get herself and her charge out alive. The literal descent into the London underworld, with no map, seemed like a good fit. This was a super fun book, by the way. I recommend it to anyone who likes thrillers.
- The prompt I cheated on
I don't think I cheated on any.
- My favorite prompt
# 28. A book that won an award from Powell's list of book awards
I loved the breadth available. I had fun choosing, and ended up reading a book I adored, Midnight's Children.
- My least favorite prompt
The NPR Book Concierge was my least favorite prompt. The concierge is made for browsing, and was a bit challenging to interact with.
- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (but I’m so glad I did!)
The Year of the Hare by Arto Paasilinna! This was for prompt 5, a book by an author with two sets of double letters in their name. It took some searching to find such a name, which was fun. It's a great book! Think Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance meets Don Quixote. It's silly and fun.
- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (and I wish I hadn’t!)
Cat Shout for Joy. Not my thing at all. I only finished it because I didn't want to look for another book to fit the prompt. (I used it for #21. A book with one of the Monopoly tokens on the cover.)
Finished 2nd Time Full Take on the Prompts
- 5 Star books that I read for the ATY Challenge
- My most creative twist on a prompt
A book by an Asian or Pacific Islander author - India isn't always remembered when discussing Asian art
Book: The Henna Artist
- The prompt I cheated on
1 of 3 books set on three different continents - Is it explicitly said to be in Europe? No. Did I just say "It's in Europe because it's based on Greek myth"? Yes
Book: Circe
- My favorite prompt
Duology of books with same word in title - It's great for all the Fantasy on my TBR
- My least favorite prompt
A book with fewer than 5000 ratings on Goodreads - you either have to grab a brand new book before everyone else, or read something obscure / bad
- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (but I’m so glad I did!)
- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (and I wish I hadn’t!)
I finished yesterday (12/20/22)- 5 Star books that I read for the ATY Challenge
I give a 5 star pretty easily and I think I read a lot of great books this year... I counted 28 5 stars for me so I don't want to list them all out
- My most creative twist on a prompt
Probably Nightbitch for 7. A book related to psychology, neuroscience or the mind. I thought it was a really good look at a stream of conciousness and the look into the mind of a mother who thinks (or is?) turning into a werewolf
- The prompt I cheated on
Verity by Colleen Hoover for 5. A book by an author with two sets of double letters in their name because she has 3 sets of double letters
- My favorite prompt 23. A book that features loving LGBTQIA+ relationship because I think it was just an excuse to read a wheelhouse item of mine
- My least favorite prompt 39. A book from the TIME list of 100 Best YA Books of All Time because I don't think I like list prompts, they feel so limiting for me, although I had at least 2 books on this list I wanted to read
- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (but I’m so glad I did!) I don't know if I would have read The Ones We're Meant to Find without the challenge and it was a really enrapturing future book.
- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (and I wish I hadn’t!) Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company that Addicted America I don't think this was what I thought it was going to be. I had read other investigative journalism pieces that I loved but I wish we had talked to individuals that were users or are in recovery instead of focusing on the parents/family of users
Around The Year in 52 Books- ReadPrompt Progress: 52/52 Finished 12/23/22
Books Read: 61
1. A book with a main character whose name starts with A, T, or Y
2. A book connected to a book you read in 2021
3. A book with 22 or more letters in the title
4. A book that fits your favorite prompt that did not make the list: A book by an author with 3 names 
5. A book by an author with two sets of double letters in their name
6. A book with an image of a source of light on the cover
7. A book related to psychology, neuroscience or the mind
8. 3 books set on three different continents - Book 1- Europe
9. 3 books set on three different continents - Book 2 - North America
10. 3 books set on three different continents - Book 3 - Africa
11. A book from historical fiction genre
12. A book related to glass
13. A book about a woman in STEM
14. A book with fewer than 5000 ratings on Goodreads
15. A book without a person on the cover
16. A book related to Earth Day
17. A book from NPR's Book Concierge
18. A book by an Asian or Pacific Islander author
19. A book that involves alternate reality, alternate worlds, or alternate history
20. A fiction or nonfiction book that is set during 1900 -1951
21. A book with one of the Monopoly tokens on the cover
22. A book with a Jewish character or author
23. A book that features loving LGBTQIA+ relationship
24. A book related to inclement weather
25. A book less than 220 pages OR more than 440 pages
26. 2 books with the same word in the title - Book 1
27. 2 books with the same word in the title - Book 2
28. A book that won an award from Powell's list of book awards
29. A book set on or near a body of water
30. A book related to mythology
31. A book published at least 10 years ago
32. A book where the main character is a female detective/private eye/police officer
33. The next book in a series
34. A book with an academic setting or with a teacher that plays an important role
35. 2 books related to flora and fauna - Book 1
36. 2 books related to flora and fauna - Book 2
37. A book that uses all five vowels in the title and/or author's name
38. A book by a Latin American author
39. A book from the TIME list of 100 Best YA Books of All Time
40. A book related to one of the 22 Tarot Major Arcana cards
41. A book with a theme of food or drink
42. A book with a language or nationality in the title
43. A book set in a small town or rural area
44. A book with gothic elements
45. A book related to a game
46. A book with a non-human as one of the main characters
47. A book with handwriting on the cover
48. A book posted in one of the ATY Best Book of the Month threads in 2021 or 2022
49. A book connected to the phrase "Here (There) Be Dragons"
50. A book that involves aging, or a character in their golden years
51. A book published in 2022
52. A book with a time-related word in the titleExtras:
Recap
5 Star books that I read for the ATY Challenge
My most creative twist on a prompt
Not necessarily creative, but I love my books used for the same word
A Train to Moscow
A Gentleman in MoscowThe prompt I cheated on
I am morally opposed to cheating
My favorite prompt
A book less than 220 pages OR more than 440 pages. I love long long booksMy least favorite prompt
A book with a language or nationality in the title. It was really hard to find a book that interested me.A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (but I’m so glad I did!)
A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (and I wish I hadn’t!)
I didn't read any books that I didn't want to. I essentially read and if it fit a prompt, great!
Completed a 4th year in a row. Just in time on Dec 23.5 Star books that I read for the ATY Challenge
My most creative twist on a prompt
41. A book with a theme of food or drink
I read Garlic and the Vampire for this one. The book wasn't food themed per se, but most of the characters were veggies.
The prompt I cheated on
None
My favorite prompt
- 21. A book with one of the Monopoly tokens on the cover
- 23. A book that features loving LGBTQIA+ relationship
My least favorite prompt
- 1. A book with a main character whose name starts with A, T, or Y
- 42. A book with a language or nationality in the title
A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (but I’m so glad I did!)
A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (and I wish I hadn’t!)
Most of what I read this year was off my tbr
Finished the challenge back on October 28 but only finished updating it now!- 5 Star books that I read for the ATY Challenge
Losing Hope
The Opposite of Butterfly Hunting: The Tragedy and The Glory of Growing Up
Inquieta
The Four Winds
Malibu Rising
Down Among the Sticks and Bones
The Lorax
Every Heart a Doorway
Girls of Fate and Fury
Ace of Spades
Clap When You Land
The Lightning Thief
Here the Whole Time
A Court of Silver Flames
- My most creative twist on a prompt
I don't feel like I was creative with any prompts
- The prompt I cheated on
I feel like I chatead on prompt 50 because the character on The Curious Case of Benjamin Button ages backwards
- My favorite prompt
39. A book from the TIME list of 100 Best YA Books of All Time
Just because it was suggested by me as the winner of the Summer challenge last year haha
- My least favorite prompt
Prompt 50, as I struggled to find something I wanted to read for this prompt.
- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (but I’m so glad I did!)
I didn't read many books on purpose for ATY this year. The one I'm most glad I did read was The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (and I wish I hadn’t!)
None, I enjoyed the books I read on purpose for the challenge
Connie wrote: "Finished 2nd Time Full Take on the Prompts
- 5 Star books that I read for the ATY Challenge
[bookcover:Mr. Penu..."After I read Circe, I looked up the island of Aeaea, and found that there was a lot of speculation about where exactly it was by Roman scholars. There's a cool Wikipedia article about it: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aeaea
When I added it to my reading map, I put it on the west coast of Italy.
When I started the challenge, I made my personal challenge only 36 books instead of 52. Based on that, then I did finish my tweaked challenge. - 5 Star books that I read for the ATY Challenge
- My most creative twist on a prompt
Skyward by Brandon Sanderson because I put it in Prompt 7: A book related to psychology, neuroscience or the mind. It's kind of a stretch but the main character has something that makes her unique that is kiiind of related to her mind, maybe.
- The prompt I cheated on
Aside from the prompts that I didn't actually do, I used short stories or picture books for these prompts:
✓ 2. A book connected to a book you read in 2021
✓ 18. A book by an Asian or Pacific Islander author
✓ 21. A book with one of the Monopoly tokens on the cover dog thimble car horse ship top hat wheelbarrow shoe
✓31. A book published at least 10 years ago
✓ 44. A book with gothic elements
✓45. A book related to a game
✓46. A book with a non-human as one of the main characters
✓ 52. A book with a time-related word in the title
- My favorite prompt
✓33. The next book in a series - because it helped me finally continue a series I've been procrastinating.
The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson - 4.45 stars
- My least favorite prompt
None
- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (but I’m so glad I did!)
✓ 5. A book by an author with two sets of double letters in their name
It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover - 5 stars
- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (and I wish I hadn’t!)
✓ 17. A book from NPR's Book Concierge
Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto - 3 stars - I wanted to like this more than I actually did.
I finally finished! It took me more than two months to finish my last two books!- 5 Star books that I read for the ATY Challenge
Britt-Marie Was Here
The Things They Carried
Anxious People
The Firekeeper’s Daughter
Shutter Island
If We Were Villains
Project Hail Mary
- My most creative twist on a prompt - Probably a book related to inclement weather. I read Shutter Island. A storm was pivotal to the plot.
- The prompt I cheated on - no cheating!
- My favorite prompt - Probably the books set in three different continents. I enjoyed finding the books to fit.
- My least favorite prompt - Historical Fiction - not my favorite genre
- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (but I’m so glad I did!) - Firekeeper's Daughter. This book wasn't anywhere on my radar, but it was so good.
- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (and I wish I hadn’t!) - Mexican Gothic Really disliked this book.
I finished on 12/17/2022. My last book was a chunker The Glass Lake which I started reading in October. It took two library renewals and concerted effort to finish this. I did want to find out how things were resolved, but it could have been done much more concisely, but I guess that is Maeve Binchy.- 5 Star books that I read for the ATY Challenge
- My most creative twist on a prompt - The Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo. When I think of mythology I think Greek and Roman myths, not Asian.
- The prompt I cheated on - I may have stretched a bit, but no real cheating.
- My favorite prompt - there were lots of good prompts this year.
Generally I don't like prompts that that require multiple books, but the books set in three different continents encouraged diverse reading without being reptitive.
- My least favorite prompt - A book related to one of the 22 Tarot Major Arcana cards
- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (but I’m so glad I did!) - People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks. One of my favorite books this year.
- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (and I wish I hadn’t!) - Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney.
All finished! :) I'm very proud of myself for accomplishing some stretch goals this year (and just in the nick of time.. ;) ) Let's jump into 2023! My goal for the next challenge is to participate in order by week!Completed on 12.25 (Christmas Day!)
5 Star Books I Read
The Twisted Ones by T Kingfisher
Where They Wait by Scott Carson
Wonder by RJ Palacio
Don't Call It a Cult: The Shocking Story of Keith Raniere and the Women of NXIVM by Sarah Berman
Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley
This Golden State by Marit Weisenberg
Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi
If You Ask Me by Betty White
Tokyo Ever After by Emiko Jean
Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton
Book Lovers by Emily Henry
I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
Holes by Louis Sachar
The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald
Kiss Her Once for Me by Alison Cochrun
The Hating Game by Sally Thorne
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
My Most Creative Twist on a Prompt
Lucky You by Erika Carter
I picked this one for related to "Earth Day" because it features a group of 20-somethings who move to the middle of the woods and live off the land, trying to minimize their eco-footprint, etc.
The Prompt I Cheated On
I used re-reads for three prompts this year, but I tend to re-read a lot in general. I want to try for all new-to-me books in 2023
My Favorite Prompt
14. A Book with fewer than 5000 ratings on Goodreads
It was fun to try and find a book that hadn't garnered much attention and do something off the beaten path. I read Grave Reservations which was recommended by Liberty Hardy in the All the Books podcast, and I thoroughly enjoyed myself!
My Least Favorite Prompt
11. A book from the historical fiction genre
I'm not a HF reader, and I find that I tend to put these off and avoid reading HF books as much as possible unless they come highly recommended. I read The Four Winds by one of my favorite authors, Kristin Hannah, but it was a very sad read that took much too long for me to get through.
A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (but I'm so glad I did!)
I read This Golden State by Marit Weisenberg as both a recommendation from the All the Books podcast and as the prompt for a book published in 2022, and it was one of my favorite books of the year! I am so glad I picked this book and highly recommend it!
A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (and I wish I hadn't!)
Hot take... BUT I did not enjoy The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by VE Schwab, and I think I might have avoided a significant reading slump had it not been for this book. :| I know it's beloved by many so don't want to upset anyone! But it just wasn't my thing. xD
Here's to a happy and fruitful reading year for 2023! I'm thankful to be a part of this community! <3 Sydney
finished my 2022 Reading Challenge!-5 Star books that I read for the ATY Challenge (my rating)
A Brilliant Death, Cloud Cuckoo Land, The Lincoln Highway
Wintering, Taste: My Life Through Food, Damnation Spring,
The Night Watchman, Ghost Forest,
- My most creative twist on a prompt
Two books with the same word: Carrie by S. King and Sister
Carrie by Drieser, both debuts
- The prompt I cheated on - I don't think I did, unless reading "out of order" is cheating!
- My favorite prompt
I particularly like the ones that make me work a little....
like all 5 vowels in the title or an author from a specific category
- My least favorite prompt
A book related to one of the 22 Tarot Major Arcana cards - but I loved the book that completed it! The Nine Lives of Rose Napolitano
- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (but I’m so glad I did!)
Rage of the Dragons by Evan Winter
- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (and I wish I hadn’t!)
The Master & Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov - cat
Looking forward to 2023!
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- 5 Star books that I read for the ATY Challenge
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Kudos to you for adapting the challenge to the number and type of books that worked for you! We want everyone to feel successful regardless of their exact number or genre.
- 5 Star books that I read for the ATY ChallengeThursbitch
Refuge: An Unnatural History of Family and Place
419
The House in the Cerulean Sea
The Oracle Glass
The Book of Magic
Super Sushi Ramen Express: One Family's Journey Through the Belly of Japan
My Beloved World
The Fifth Season
Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage
Every Heart a Doorway
this feels like a lot of five stars, but I've been struck several times by how many really good books I've read this year!
- My most creative twist on a prompt
I don't put creative twists on prompts, my take on a prompt is a literal one, at least according to my first interpretation or how its explained in the corresponding prompt thread.
The prompt I cheated on:
No cheating!! No wildcards!
- My favorite prompt
49. A book connected to the phrase "Here (There) Be Dragons"
- My least favorite prompt
21. A book with one of the Monopoly tokens on the cover
- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (but I’m so glad I did!)
When Dimple Met Rishi Maybe no *so* glad, but this was a pick for the NPR book concierge (haha I don't even remember what that is anymore) and the book was probably on my tbr, but it wasn't on my radar for this year.
- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (and I wish I hadn’t!)
Gone Girl Ugh. This was for the two sets of double letters in an author's name, and this was not my first or second pick but I was trying to make up time with an easy read that was immediately available. No more Gillian Flynn!
Alright so I finished with a couple days to spare. I'll take it since I came into this late. I want to start doing a better job keeping track of favorite quotes, characters I liked, don't like, things I learn or find myself wanting Google as I read. - 5 Star books that I read for the ATY Challenge
The Queen of Palmyra
More of This World or Maybe Another
Basic Black: The Essential Guide for Getting Ahead at Work
Circe
The Refugees
Kingfishers Catch Fire
The Girl with the Louding Voice
The Final Revival of Opal & Nev
Deacon King Kong
Black Like Me
Klara and the Sun
One More Thing: Stories and Other Stories
- My most creative twist on a prompt
I didn't really get creative. But I also didn't think I needed to...
- The prompt I cheated on
46. A book with a non-human as one of the main characters - Main characters are werewolves so feels like cheating. But they definitely say they are not human anymore... I did read a few others that would also feel a little like cheating.
- My favorite prompt
A book published at least 10 years ago - I like being able to indulge in older books
- My least favorite prompt
2 books related to flora and fauna - would have been fine with one instead of 2.
- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (but I’m so glad I did!)
The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History- It would have sat on my bookshelf for a long time with my good intentions. Glad I read it. Lots of good food for thought. It was my last book completed so still pondering all it said.
- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (and I wish I hadn’t!
An American Princess: The Many Lives of Allene Tew -I didn't totally hate it. I just thought it was so boring. She actually sounds like she lead an interesting life but the way the biography was done was just so dull. I would not have finished if not for the challenge.
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- 5 Star books that I read for the ATY Challenge
Thankfully too many to list!
- My most creative twist on a prompt
I think Hickory Dickory Dock as a 'time related word' is maybe a stretch
- The prompt I cheated on No actual cheats, as far as I remember
- My favorite prompt A book with gothic elements
- My least favorite prompt the Time 100 Best YA books list...just not a list that I liked
- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (but I’m so glad I did!) Possibly Passing, which I read for the ATY best botm prompt
- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (and I wish I hadn’t!) If not for the challenge I probably would have dnf'd Honey and Venom: Confessions of an Urban Beekeeper; just didn't really like the author's style
Finished for the first time! :-) 12/30/22- 5 Star books that I read for this ATY Challenge:
(Plus 6 more in my Round 2 ATY Challenge, which I won't be able to finish in time)- Most creative twist on a prompt: probably Connected to a Book Read in 2021. I read Under the Whispering Door which I connected to The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane since both have tea as a focus.
- The prompt I cheated on: none on this round
- My favorite prompts: Set on 3 Different Continents, NPR's Book Concierge, Same Word in the Title
- My least favorite prompt: Mythology
- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (but I'm so glad I did!): The Book of Hope: A Survival Guide for Trying Times (read for Earth Day prompt)
- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (and I wish I hadn't): Beautiful World, Where Are You (read for Same Word in Title prompt - and I still don't understand the love people have for this book!!!)
I finished on Dec 27th!Some 5star reads include:
My most creative twist on a prompt was probably week 49 -"here there be dragons". I used Into the Wild. He threw away the map and had no idea where to go to avoid dragons!
I didn't actually cheat on any prompt this year, yay me! I DID choose to read three books each set on three different continents.
My favorite prompt was probably "the next book in a series", continue reading in this same world? Don't mind if I do!
My least favorite prompt was "a book with a language or nationality in the title". I couldn't find anything that really jumped out at me. I ended up using Indian Horse, even though that is the main character's name. Which is due to his nationality.
A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (but I’m so glad I did!) would have to be Migrations.
A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (and I wish I hadn’t!) is In the Weeds: Around the World and Behind the Scenes with Anthony Bourdain. I have watched Anthony Bourdain's show when I came across it but wasn't a die hard fan. After reading the book, I have lost all respect for him.
5 Star books that I read for the ATY ChallengeWintersmith by Terry Pratchett
Hellspark by Janet Kagan
The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert
I Shall Wear Midnight by Terry Pratchett
If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio
After four years of participating, I finished the Challenge for the first time. :-) Real life has been pretty overwhelming this year. There were beautiful and sad moments. Reading has always brought me back into balance. The average page count of my books is significantly shorter than usual but I still had a lot of fun.5 Star books that I read for the ATY Challenge
The Fifth Season: I read all three books of the series this year and loved them. The first one was the best because the reader slowly had to figure out what was going on.
To Say Nothing of the Dog: I think this was the book I loved the most this year. The humor was great and the story complex and in the end everything fell into place
Crosstalk: I needed to read another book by Connie Willis. This was light and fun.
Quick Service: Another humorous book I loved.
The Crime of Sylvestre Bonnard: The French was so beautiful in this novella. You see how much magic you can do with language. The story itself was secondary.
Nettle & Bone: Just a fun read. Loved the characters.
Last Chance to See: After finishing university over a decade ago, this year was the first time, I tried to read some non-fiction again and I really enjoyed it. this one reads almost like a novel and is hilarious.
A Gentleman in Moscow: It's funny, while I was reading the book, I didn't even realize I liked it that much. But after finishing it, I find myself thinking back to the story and characters more and more often with joy.
My most creative twist on a prompt
I haven't been creative but very proud that for prompt 1 I found a character who had all three letters A T and Y in his name: Anthony in If I Were You.
The prompt I cheated on
I used a Wild Card for 39.
My favorite prompt
Two books related to flora and fauna.
My least favorite prompt
A book about a woman in STEM. Would have been the same with man in STEM. I just don't read a lot of books with scientific characters.
A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (but I’m so glad I did!)
The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water I was looking for a few shorter novellas to being able to finish the challenge. This one I liked a lot.
A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (and I wish I hadn’t!)
French Exit for language in the title. Hated the book. I think it should have been a humorous book. Couldn't see anything funny in it. The characters were so unlikeable that I had no desire to read about them, and the story rather sad.
- 5 Star books that I read for the ATY ChallengeCirce
Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning
The Book Thief
Migrations
The Bell Jar
Firekeeper's Daughter
The Fault in Our Stars
A Very Large Expanse of Sea
- My most creative twist on a prompt
I liked the common themes I found for the 2 week prompts.
- The prompt I cheated on - none
- My favorite prompts - Asian author and 3 continents.
- My least favorite prompt -
- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (but I’m so glad I did!) Circe, Minor Feelings, The Fault in our Stars
- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (and I wish I hadn’t. Before the Coffee Gets Cold didn't live up to the hype for me, but no regrets.
I finished the challenge this morning! Just in time- 5 Star books that I read for the ATY Challenge
- a book about a woman in STEM
- a book from NPR's Book Concierge
- a book where the main character is a female detective/private eye/police officer
- a book with an academic setting or with a teacher that plays an important role
- a book set in a small town or rural area
- a book connected to the phrase "Here (There) Be Dragons"
Finished! Cutting it a bit close, with only 6 1/2 hours to go!!!5 Star books that I read for the ATY Challenge
Six of Crows, The Goblin Emperor, This Savage Song, Rogue Protocol and Exit Strategy
- My most creative twist on a prompt
Flora and Fauna - only because I connected the titles: Carrots and Rabbit
- The prompt I cheated on
The Powells one, I think the book I chose (Scat) got an award with the same name, but wasn't the actual one of the Powells list
- My favorite prompt
Two books with the same word in the title
- My least favorite prompt
A book published in 2022 (hated it so much I wildcarded it!)
- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (but I’m so glad I did!)
Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster
- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (and I wish I hadn’t!)
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
Around the Year in 52 Books
Books mentioned in this topic
Interior Chinatown (other topics)Portrait of a Thief (other topics)
A Marvellous Light (other topics)
The Black Flamingo (other topics)
She Who Became the Sun (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Arto Paasilinna (other topics)William Kent Krueger (other topics)
Kim Ae-ran (other topics)
Sacha Naspini (other topics)
Philip K. Dick (other topics)
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- 5 Star books that I read for the ATY Challenge: Since most of the books are from the Time List of books for Young Adults, this is a longer list than it usually would be.
The Girl Who Drank the Moon
Watership Down
The Lincoln Highway
The Midnight Library
Anxious People
The House in the Cerulean Sea
The Astonishing Color of After
American Street
Brown Girl Dreaming
Salt to the Sea
Code Name Verity
Legend
Stargirl
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
Redwall
-My most creative twist on a prompt
Elsewhere has a crystal ball on the cover. So I used it to meet the prompt of a book related to glass.
-The prompt I cheated on
An Ember in the Ashes I swore I saw a light source in the form of an ember on the cover, but the only ember was the word. The word implies a source of light, so...
- My favorite prompt
20. A fiction or nonfiction book that is set between 1900 to 1951.
I genuinely enjoy reading about the "olden" days. I learned so much about the life and times of the people during the years that came before my birth and those I cannot remember much about. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn gave me an insight into many things that I had heard about in history but did not know anything about. For instance, the political parties wooed the immigrants by finding them jobs, taking them on picnics, etc. This book brought history to life.
-My least favorite prompt
I have never liked the prompt about a book published in the current year. Since I have no crystal ball, I must leave that blank when I begin plotting my list in November and December. Then, I do not choose well because I choose something just to fill in the blank. Next year I will wait until I find something that I think I will enjoy.
-A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (but I’m so glad I did!)
Stargirl is a book I had never heard of and totally would have missed if I had not done this reading challenge. Stargirl was such an amazing human being! I was so enthralled with her way of perceiving the world and interacting with it. Her parents were amazing people to be able to bring her up the way that they did. Where is the balance that would allow her to be herself AND to fit into the high school scene?
-A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (and I wish I hadn’t!)
Scythe Why would anyone want to read about killing people? What redeemed it to make it a book among the 100 best books for Young Adult readers? It turned my stomach!