Around the Year in 52 Books discussion
2023 Plans
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+++ Manda Gets Back At It + Brief Reviews +++
2023: Topic Discard Challenge (Premium Picks):1 A winner or nominee from the 2022 Choice Awards:The Maid
2a
2b A book you wanted to read in 2022: Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-Earth
3 A book connected to something you read in 2022: You See the Monster - A Modern Horror Novel
4 A book of poetry: Mythology
5a An author who is not cis, white, or male: Aftershocks
5b An author who is not cis, white, or male: Assata: An Autobiography
6 A book found on Project Gutenberg: The Murder of Roger Ackroyd
7 A book connected to the characters in The Wizard of Oz: The Wild Robot
8
9 An author who won a Nobel Prize for Literature: Lovecraft's Monsters
10a Three books in three genres, by one author (1 - Graphic Novel): Batman: Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?
10b Three books in three genres, by one author (1 - Graphic Novel): Marvel 1602
11 Three books in three genres, by one author (2 - Retelling): The Sleeper and the Spindle
12a Three books in three genres, by one author (3 - Short Stories):Smoke and Mirrors: Short Fiction and Illusions
12b Three books in three genres, by one author (3 - Short Stories): Trigger Warning: Short Fictions and Disturbances
13a A book that is eye-opening or provoking: Born Survivors
13b A book that is eye-opening or provoking: Lady in Waiting: My Extraordinary Life in the Shadow of the Crown
14 A book that includes a ritual or ceremony: Underlord
15a An orphaned character: House of Blades
15b An orphaned character: The Throwaway Children
16 A book about a farm, farmer, or farming family: The Outcast Girls
17 A book about crossing over to another world: Ghostwater
18 A book from the Totally Biased List of Tookie's Favorite books: Crazy Brave
19 A book that has won a Bookbrowse Award: The Toll
20
21 A book featuring a character with paranormal or supernatural abilities: Unsouled
22 A children's classic: The Night Gardener
23 A book cover I consider beautiful: The Color of Dragons
24 A book with someone who is captured, taken hostage, trapped, or imprisoned: Things Past Telling
25a A character who time travels: Bay of Sighs
25b A character who time travels: Plan for the Worst
26a A family saga: The Bookshop of Yesterdays
26b A family saga: The Seven or Eight Deaths of Stella Fortuna
26c A family saga: Pachinko
27a A book set during the Roaring Twenties: A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons
27b A book set during the Roaring Twenties: The Girls in the Stilt House
28
29 A book featuring a wallflower: The Stone Man
30 A book featuring a woman scorned: Bluff
31 A book published at least 23 years before you were born: H.P. Lovecraft, the Complete Omnibus Collection, Volume I: 1917-1926
32 A book published no more than 23 years after you were born: When the Air Hits Your Brain: Tales of Neurosurgery
33 A book set mainly underground or underwater: To Kill a Kingdom
34a A book with 500+ pages: The White Tower
34b A book with 500+ pages: The Traveler Series: A Post Apocalyptic/Dystopian Adventure: Books 4-6
35
36 A book related to The Five Love Languages (Quality Time): The Lost and Found Bookshop
37 A book related to The Five Love Languages (Physical Touch): Birthday Girl
38 A book related to The Five Love Languages (Acts of Service): Chosen Ones
39 A book related to The Five Love Languages (Receiving Gifts): Blackflame
40 A book featuring a female athlete: Climbing with Mollie
41 A book that could be used in at least five 2023 Challenge prompts: Wintersteel
42 A book about a nomadic lifestyle: Mission One
43 A book about someone who is "banished": Soulsmith
44 A book with a secret passage: The Silmarillion
45 A dystopian book: The Darkest Minds
46 A book not set on earth: Bloodline
47 A book told from the villain's perspective: Please Don't Tell My Parents I'm a Supervillain
48 A book from my top 23 TBR list: Dreadgod
49 A book set during a revolution or uprising: Reaper
50 Related to the 12 Western Astrology Signs (Capricorn): Calypso
51 Related to the 12 Western Astrology Signs (Aquarius): Remarkably Bright Creatures
52 Related to the 12 Western Astrology Signs (Pisces): Part of Your World
53 Related to the 12 Western Astrology Signs (Aries): The Force
54 Related to the 12 Western Astrology Signs (Taurus): Harriet Tubman: The Road to Freedom
55 Related to the 12 Western Astrology Signs (Gemini): Under the Magnolias
56 Related to the 12 Western Astrology Signs (Cancer): Sister Stardust
57 Related to the 12 Western Astrology Signs (Leo): The Accident
58 Related to the 12 Western Astrology Signs (Virgo): Antoinette's Sister
59 Related to the 12 Western Astrology Signs (Libra): Anticipation
60
61 Related to the 12 Western Astrology Signs (Sagittarius): The Book of Koli
62 A book based related to the personality of Baby Spice: God of Neverland
63 A book based related to the personality of Ginger Spice: The Boy
64 A book based related to the personality of Scary Spice: Ring Shout
65 A book based related to the personality of Sporty Spice: The Suspect: An Olympic Bombing, the FBI, the Media, and Richard Jewell, the Man Caught in the Middle
66 A book based related to the personality of Posh Spice: Ruth Bader Ginsburg: A Life
67 A book based on the 7 deadly sins (envy): The Daughter In Law
68 A book based on the 7 deadly sins (gluttony): Lawyer X: A True Story
69a A book based on the 7 deadly sins (greed): Lost Planet Homicide
69b A book based on the 7 deadly sins (greed): A Killer Among Us: A True Story of Murder and Justice
70a A book based on the 7 deadly sins (lust): Island of Glass
70b A book based on the 7 deadly sins (lust): Monster
71 A book based on the 7 deadly sins (pride): I Know I Am, But What Are You?
72 A book based on the 7 deadly sins (sloth): The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue
73a A book based on the 7 deadly sins (wrath): Twelve Slays of Christmas
73b A book based on the 7 deadly sins (wrath): We Are the Water People
73c A book based on the 7 deadly sins (wrath): The Rage of Dragons
Rainbow of covers, TBR Edition:
The rainbow of covers, Order of Completion Edition:
January 2023 ReviewBooks Read: 24
Breakdown
Fiction: 22
Nonfiction: 2
Male Author: 10
Female Author: 14
Author of Color: 4
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 = 9
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 = 6
⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3 = 6
⭐️⭐️ 2 = 2
⭐️ 1 = 1
Challenges Read From:
2023 Around the Year
2021 Topic Discard
2020 Topic Discard
2023 Topic Discard
Favorites of the Month:
The Silver Arrow
A More Perfect Union
Sunburn
Least Favorites of the Month:
The Mercies
Wrong Alibi
The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea
All Books of the Month:
February 2023 ReviewBooks Read:
Breakdown
Fiction:
Nonfiction:
Male Author:
Female Author:
Author of Color:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 =
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 =
⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3 =
⭐️⭐️ 2 =
⭐️ 1 =
Challenges Read From:
Favorites of the Month:
Least Favorites of the Month:
All Books of the Month:
March 2023 ReviewBooks Read:
Breakdown
Fiction:
Nonfiction:
Male Author:
Female Author:
Author of Color:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 =
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 =
⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3 =
⭐️⭐️ 2 =
⭐️ 1 =
Challenges Read From:
Favorites of the Month:
Least Favorites of the Month:
All Books of the Month:
April 2023 ReviewBooks Read:
Breakdown
Fiction:
Nonfiction:
Male Author:
Female Author:
Author of Color:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 =
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 =
⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3 =
⭐️⭐️ 2 =
⭐️ 1 =
Challenges Read From:
Favorites of the Month:
Least Favorites of the Month:
All Books of the Month:
May 2023 ReviewBooks Read:
Breakdown
Fiction:
Nonfiction:
Male Author:
Female Author:
Author of Color:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 =
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 =
⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3 =
⭐️⭐️ 2 =
⭐️ 1 =
Challenges Read From:
Favorites of the Month:
Least Favorites of the Month:
All Books of the Month:
June 2023 ReviewBooks Read:
Breakdown
Fiction:
Nonfiction:
Male Author:
Female Author:
Author of Color:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 =
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 =
⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3 =
⭐️⭐️ 2 =
⭐️ 1 =
Challenges Read From:
Favorites of the Month:
Least Favorites of the Month:
All Books of the Month:
July 2023 ReviewBooks Read:
Breakdown
Fiction:
Nonfiction:
Male Author:
Female Author:
Author of Color:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 =
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 =
⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3 =
⭐️⭐️ 2 =
⭐️ 1 =
Challenges Read From:
Favorites of the Month:
Least Favorites of the Month:
All Books of the Month:
August 2023 ReviewBooks Read:
Breakdown
Fiction:
Nonfiction:
Male Author:
Female Author:
Author of Color:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 =
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 =
⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3 =
⭐️⭐️ 2 =
⭐️ 1 =
Challenges Read From:
Favorites of the Month:
Least Favorites of the Month:
All Books of the Month:
September 2023 ReviewBooks Read:
Breakdown
Fiction:
Nonfiction:
Male Author:
Female Author:
Author of Color:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 =
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 =
⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3 =
⭐️⭐️ 2 =
⭐️ 1 =
Challenges Read From:
Favorites of the Month:
Least Favorites of the Month:
All Books of the Month:
October 2023 ReviewBooks Read:
Breakdown
Fiction:
Nonfiction:
Male Author:
Female Author:
Author of Color:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 =
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 =
⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3 =
⭐️⭐️ 2 =
⭐️ 1 =
Challenges Read From:
Favorites of the Month:
Least Favorites of the Month:
All Books of the Month:
November 2023 ReviewBooks Read:
Breakdown
Fiction:
Nonfiction:
Male Author:
Female Author:
Author of Color:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 =
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 =
⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3 =
⭐️⭐️ 2 =
⭐️ 1 =
Challenges Read From:
Favorites of the Month:
Least Favorites of the Month:
All Books of the Month:
December 2023 ReviewBooks Read:
Breakdown
Fiction:
Nonfiction:
Male Author:
Female Author:
Author of Color:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 =
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 =
⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3 =
⭐️⭐️ 2 =
⭐️ 1 =
Challenges Read From:
Favorites of the Month:
Least Favorites of the Month:
All Books of the Month:
2023 ReviewBooks Read:
Breakdown
Fiction:
Nonfiction:
Male Author:
Female Author:
Author of Color:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 =
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 =
⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3 =
⭐️⭐️ 2 =
⭐️ 1 =
Challenges Read From:
Favorites of the Year:
Least Favorites of the Year:
Other Challenge Reads - Probably Some Catching Up___________________________
Side Pieces - Never Finished
339. Mirror, Mirror
50.
#352: Fly Girl: A Memoir
375.
___________________________
2017 PopSugar Challenge - Unfinished
19.
___________________________
2017 Topic Discards - Unfinished
214. A book title or setting about a museum: Life Before Man
___________________________
Choices Challenge - Never Finished
2017
You Don't Have to Say You Love Me
2018
319.
___________________________
2020 Topic Discards - Unfinished
3. Set in a location with less than 2 members on the 2019 reading map: The Cruelest Miles: The Heroic Story of Dogs and Men in a Race Against an Epidemic
102.
125. Three books w/ authors or characters in three different generations (1): Gettysburg
126.
128. Two books from different genres that are connected in some way (book 1): My Sister's Grave
129. Two books from different genres that are connected in some way (book 2): The Shark
152. Two books of the same genre written more than 50 years apart (book 2): The Fellowship of the Ring
192.
223.
235.
253.
305. A book related to a Google Doodle from 2018, 2019, or 2020: Best Seller
312.
___________________________
2022 ATY Challenge - Unfinished
3b. Has 22 or more letters in the title: The Breadwinners: A Family Saga
14. Has fewer than 5,000 ratings on GR: The Chaos Gambit
23. Features a loving LGBTQ relationship: The Glass-House Murder
27. 2 books with the same word in the title (book 2): Please Don't Tell
29. Set near or on a body of water: Packrafting! An Introduction and How-To Guide
42. Has a language or nationality in the title: Fables, Vol. 7: Arabian Nights (and Days)
51. Published in 2022: How to Sell a Haunted House
___________________________
2021 Topic Discards - Unfinished
36:
___________________________
The rainbow of covers, Order of Completion Edition:
The rainbow of covers, Order of Completion: All Books Read in 2023 Edition:
The first book of 2023 is completed! Challenge: 2023 ATY, Topic 6: A Book where books are important.
The Silver Arrow
5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I highly recommended! It has a Narnia vibe to it. I loved the children's adventures as they constructed and run a train for the animals (who talk!).
Book finished. Challenge: 2023 ATY, Topic 1: A book set in a location that begins with A, T, or Y (Alaska).
Wrong Alibi
2/5 ⭐️⭐️
Meh. It was okay. I am always excited to read things set in Alaska, but this just was boring for me.
Finished #3Challenge: 2023 ATY, Topic 24: A character that might be called a Tinker, Tailor, Solider, or Spy.
Bad Monkeys
4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I really enjoyed this. I was very uncertain about it before I started, but I have liked the story and the narrative told by our morally questionable protagonist.
Finished Grown, by Tiffany D. Jackson. Based on the appalling behavior of R. Kelly and the author's own unhealthy relationship with a much older man when she was a teen.Challenge: ATY 2023, Topic 19: A book related to the arts.
Grown
5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book was really good and also very difficult to read for personal reasons. People should be prepared that this book has themes of relationship violence, sexual assault, physical violence, isolation, manipulative and controlling behavior, PTSD, and gaslighting.
Given all the struggles I faced reading this book, I still give it a high rating, because it was a very well-written story and dives deep into the effects a person can experience when they find themselves in such a toxic relationship.
I'm starting to catch up to my old strides again, but I'm still not reading as fast as I used to. But marginal improvements are still improvements. I finished Hangman, by Jack Heath.
Challenge: ATY 2023, Topic 22: A book with a faceless person on the cover.
Hangman
5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I was pleasantly shocked by how much I enjoyed this. I expected it to be a very formulated crime/detective novel. This book was full of really deep character development and backstory, and a unique protagonist/antagonist.
Book finished!Challenge: ATY 2023, Topic 45: An author who has published more than 7 books.
The Tombs of Atuan, by Ursula K. Le Guin.
The Tombs of Atuan
4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
There have been very few books by Le Guin that I have not enjoyed. This book, like many others, I found to be excellent. Some parts were dull and seemed to drag on, but the exciting and engaging sections outweighed the doldrums. I am just starting the Earthsea Cycle, but I am loving what I have read so far and cannot wait to dive deeper into the series.
Another one complete.Challenge: ATY 2023, Topic 16: Three books set in different centuries (book 1 of 3).
Century: 20th
Girl in the Blue Coat
5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I loved this book. I wasn't expecting to, and that was a lovely surprise. I have read so many books about WWII and the Holocaust, and it has become tiring for me. I've also heard a lot of family history about the Holocaust, which only adds to the emotional tax of the subject. This book is like many others, but it didn't wear me down like many tend to do. I felt hope and life in all the despair and tragedy for a change. It looked at all the events with honest eyes, not to inflate the events or to turn a blind eye, but just to articulate the events and to show a side of Dutch citizens that were not Anne Frank.
Newly finished.Challenge: ATY 2023, Topic 15: Three books set in different centuries (book 1 of 3).
Century: 21st
No Bad Deed
5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was a great psychological thriller. I can usually figure out what is going on with these, but this one really threw me for a loop, and I was on the edge of my seat flipping through the last several chapters needing to know how it ended.
Another one bites the dust! This song keeps playing in my head each time I finish a book, and I have a feeling I'm going to be repeating it a few times XDChallenge: ATY 2023, Topic 17: Three books set in different centuries (book 3 of 3).
Century: 17th.
The Mercies
1/5 ⭐️
I found this book to be plodding and a boring. I struggled to stay engaged and keep interested. It was difficult to finish, but I did complete it, so I consider that a success in its own right.
Check another off the list.Challenge: ATY 2023, Topic 43: A book that involves a murder (it has many murders).
Sunburn
5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I loved this book. It started pretty confusing and directionless but soon picked up and got going. I liked that it was told from several perspectives, and it was very well. While our main protagonist is not the most endearing person, I could not help but hope things turned out for her.
Next to finish - My first from a previous year's challenge I'm still trying to finish.Challenge: 2021 Topic Discard, Topic 36: Published in the 20th Century.
Original Publication Year: 1973
Burr
3/3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book is very reminiscent of the time. It is interesting in terms of historical facts but is dry and dull. If you need a book that will put you to sleep, this book will do it.
#12 of the year completed.Challenge: ATY 2023, Topic 4: A book about an interracial relationship.
A More Perfect Union
5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I loved this book so much! I expected to have some negative feelings around this because I anticipated it to be about the white savior we typically see in novels like this, but it wasn't the typical novel. It was about Sarah and HER story. Yes, Henry is a part of her story, but it does not follow the script we typically see. This book is beautiful, ugly, and complicated, just like humans and history. I cannot recommend this book enough.
As an aside, as I was reading this and building the story in my head, I could see this as a film. I initially could only see Patrick Wilson as Master, and he was who I pictured every time the character was mentioned. After finishing the book, I have been able to fill in the other main characters. My initial casting (not perfect):
Sarah: Letitia Wright
Henry: Josh Hutcherson
Mable: Octavia Spencer
Red: Taye Diggs
Master: Patrick Wilson
Misses: Sarah Paulson
The next one is complete.Challenge: ATY 2023, Topic 33:A book by an author with a first name popular in 1923.
Name: Elizabeth
Valentine
5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book was surprisingly amazing. I don't have the words to fully process this right now, but I recommend this book.
Check another off the list.Challenge: ATY 2023, Topic 50a: A second book that fits your favorite prompt.
Prompt: A book that involves a murder.
Murder in the Family
5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book was crazy to me. Partly because of the nature of it and somewhat because I lived in Anchorage for almost ten years, visited many of these places, knew of some of these people, and never had any idea this ever occurred. My mind is still reeling trying to comprehend the magnitude of this tragedy and the impact it had on the smaller communities inside the large city. It is very well written and looks at things from many different aspects. I appreciate that it takes more of a clinical review of the incident to separate the emotion from the facts, especially when the two things are often mangled.
Challenge: ATY 2023, Topic 48: A book with an unusually large version of an animal in the story.As Old as Time
3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book was okay. It primarily follows a blend of the two Disney movies (the animated and live-action), with a few expanded details added. Usually, I love these retellings because they make the stories more robust and give more depth to all our characters, but this one was just flat. It was well written but did not enhance or elevate the story past what we already knew.
Challenge: ATY 2023, Topic 34c: A NovellaFive planned; first read.
When Did You Last See Your Father?
3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
I have been excited to read some of the novellas of this series finally. It was a decent short story and added more context to the saga that is the Chronicles of St. Mary's.
Challenge: ATY 2023, Topic 34d: A NovellaFive planned, second read.
Why Is Nothing Ever Simple?
4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I really enjoyed this. It was nice to read more about the shenanigans of Max and her unlikely charges.
Challenge: ATY 2023, Topic 34e: A NovellaFive planned, third read.
The Ordeal of the Haunted Room
5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This may be my favorite novella of the series. It is traditional in the Chronicles of St. Mary's, but has hints of Sherlock Holmes, and gave me great The Hound of The Baskervilles vibes. So much love for this one!
Challenge: ATY 2023, Topic 34b: A NovellaFive planned, fourth read.
You Can Thank Me Later
4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book was lovely. It produced a lot of raw emotions for me but in mostly good ways. It is heartfelt and tender, but also gruff and challenging.
Challenge: ATY 2023, Topic 34a, A NovellaFive planned, fifth read.
The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea
2/5 ⭐️⭐️
I struggled to get through this one. The story had beautiful potential with hints that reminded me of Lord of the Flies mixed with Battle Royal and a little Studio Ghibli, but somehow, more traumatic.
Challenge: 2020 Topic Discard, Topic 192: A WesternDeath Without Company
4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Let me start by saying that westerns are not my typical read. The only book I avoid more is ChickLit. That being said, I am enjoying this series. It is severe and gruff yet sprinkled with humor and insight. Our main protagonist is full of heart but buried deep under a tough facade that he doesn't want us to see. I am ready to read further into the series and maybe peep the show.
Challenge: 2020 Topic Discard, Topic 126: Three books w/ authors or characters in three different generations.Kindness Goes Unpunished
3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Good story. A bit dryer than the previous two books, but still a good story with good character and plot development.
Challenge: ATY 2023, Topic 3b: A book that fits a suggestion that didn't make the list.Suggestion: A book not set on Earth.
Dead Moon
3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book was overall good. it had its highs and lows. I struggled through the middle of the book and nearly considered giving up, but the ending made it worth pushing through. It wasn't mindblowing, but it sure was fun.
Challenge: 2023 Topic Discards, Topic 60: Related to the Astrology Sign of Scorpio.Terminus
3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book had an exciting and amazing ending, but the start and middle were a long, slow run. I enjoyed how it wrapped up, but I did not think I would ever get there.
Updated with my end of January book review.
My first book of February.Challenge: Side Piece (a professional development read)
You're More Powerful than You Think: A Citizen’s Guide to Making Change Happen
4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This exciting book shows how one person can make a difference. I am fighting a battle between my inner optimist, who wants to rise up and start a revolution in large numbers, and my inner cynic, who wants to argue that one person without money and resources cannot make a difference.
Challenge: 2023 Topic Discards, Topic 8: A Sci-Fi or Fantasy written by a woman.The Farthest Shore
3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The book was okay. I hope the series starts to pick up. There was a lot of work building in this book, but it was slow.
Challenge: Choices, Topic 319: From the GR 2018 Choice Award fro YA Fiction.Leah on the Offbeat
4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I loved, Love Simon: Simon Vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda, and I was slightly worried that this book would not live up to the beauty of Simon. Leah does not disappoint and brings us back to the friendly places we know and the wonderful yet complicated people we've already met to continue their stories from a different perspective. This book builds something great on an already great story, and I am so happy to have finally read it.
Challenge: 2023 ATY, Topic 29: A book that is light.Day Shift
3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
This is a cute and cozy little story. I really enjoyed Charlaine's Sookie Stackhouse series, and I am starting to get into this series as well. Her writing style is so welcoming and engaging.
Challenge: 2023 ATY, Topic 28: A book that is dark.Night Shift
5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This series has officially hooked me. I love our leading protagonists; they are diverse and have complicated and well-developed story lines. The cat may be my favorite. The way this story is coming along, I wonder if there will ever be a Sookie-world crossover/appearance, and I cannot decide if I will love that or hate it.
Challenge: 2023 Topic Discards, Topic 35: A book related to the Five Love Languages (Words of Affirmation).White Lies
3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Pretty decent. It did not wow me until the last few pages, but I did not dislike it. It was pretty standard of other books I have read by Dawson. An excellent cozy psychological thriller... Is that a thing?
Challenge: 2023 Topic Discards, Topic 2a: A book you wanted to read in 2022.The Letter from Briarton Park
2/5 ⭐️⭐️
This was so painful. For full disclosure, this is not my typical type of reading. I try at least one book like this each year in an attempt to expand myself and to break away from my comfort zone. This book felt like the author took Jane Eyre (one of my favorite books) and gave it the treatment of Jane Austen (one of my least favorite authors) but somehow made it worse.
Around the Year in 52 Books
Books mentioned in this topic
Mirror, Mirror (other topics)The Cruelest Miles: The Heroic Story of Dogs and Men in a Race Against an Epidemic (other topics)
Lethal Bayou Beauty (other topics)
Six Days in Rome (other topics)
Fly Girl: A Memoir (other topics)
More...
Things have been a whirlwind since January 2020, and many things (primarily post-Covid related health issues) have taken me away from or severly reduced my participation in my favorite activity. But .......
I'm back! I've missed this community, sharing reviews and recommendations, seeing what everyone is reading, and devouring books as if my life depended on them.
Though I haven't been as active as I was previously, I have been watching from the rafters, trying to keep up and starting yearly challenges. For 2023, I am pushing myself to read more and get back into the community.
I have lofty goals for myself this year compared to the last three years, and I will try my best to keep up.
Rating System:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5 - I LOVED it!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 - I liked it
⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5 - It was okay
⭐️⭐️ 2/5 - Did not enjoy
⭐️ 1/5 - I HATED it!
1.
A book set in a location that begins with A, T, or Y: Wrong Alibi- 2/5 ⭐️⭐️2.
A book by an author you read in 2022: Adulthood Rites- 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️3a. A book that fits a suggestion that didn’t make the 2023 list: Ancillary Justice
3b.
A book that fits a suggestion that didn’t make the 2023 list: Dead Moon- 3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️4.
A book with an interracial relationship: A More Perfect Union- 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️5.
A book with 4 or more colors on the cover: The Siberian Incident- 3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️6.
A book where books are important: The Silver Arrow- 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️7a.
A book with ONE of the five "W" question words in the title: Those Who Wish Me Dead- 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️7b. A book with ONE of the five "W" question words in the title: When We Were Vikings
8. An author's debut book: Metro 2033
9. A book nominated for an award beginning with W: New York 2140
10. A book related to one of the Spice Girls' "personalities.": Six Women of Salem: The Untold Story of the Accused and Their Accusers in the Salem Witch Trials
11. A book about a person/character with a disability: Inspection
12.
A book connected to birds, bees, or bunnies: The Beekeeper's Ball- 3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️13. A book that has an object that is repeated on the cover: Homecoming King
14. A book with a con, deception, or fake: Reflection
15.
Three books, each of which is set in a different century: Book 1: No Bad Deed- 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️16.
Three books, each of which is set in a different century: Book 2: Girl in the Blue Coat- 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️17.
Three books, each of which is set in a different century: Book 3: The Mercies- 1/5 ⭐️18. A book related to science: A.I. Destroyer
19.
A book related to the arts: Grown- 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️20. A book with a cover or title that includes a route of travel: Fairy Tale
21. A book by an Asian diaspora author: The Great Passage
22.
A book with a faceless person on the cover: Hangman- 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️23. A book with a body of water in the title: The Search for the Green River Killer
24.
A character that might be called a Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, or Spy: Bad Monkey- 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️25. A book with a tropical setting: Daughter of Moloka'i
26. A book related to pride: Coming Out Party
27. A book by an author from continental Europe: Hope and Glory
28.
A book that is dark: Night Shift- 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️29.
A book that is light: Day Shift- 3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️30. A book related to a chess piece: Long Live the Pumpkin Queen: Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas
31. A book found by inputting a favorite author on https://www.literature-map.com: Uncrowned
32. A book set in a UNESCO City of Literature: A Nearly Normal Family
33.
A book by an author with a first name popular in 1923: Valentine- 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️34a.
A novella: The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea- 2/5 ⭐️⭐️34b.
A novella: You Can Thank Me Later- 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️34c.
A novella: When Did You Last See Your Father?- 3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️34d.
A novella: Why Is Nothing Ever Simple?- 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️34e.
A novella: The Ordeal of the Haunted Room- 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️35. A book with a school subject in the title: Atomic Accidents: A History of Nuclear Meltdowns and Disasters: From the Ozark Mountains to Fukushima
36. A book that has been translated from another language: The Chestnut Man
37. A book with the theme of returning home: Decimate
38. A book with the sun, moon, or stars on the cover: Skysworn
39. A western: The Indifferent Stars Above: The Harrowing Saga of a Donner Party Bride
40. A book with a full name in the title: Lord Foul's Bane
41. A book from the NPR “Books We Love” lists: The Cuckoo's Cry
42. A book related to a ghost, spirit, phantom, or specter: Midnight Riot
43.
A book that involves a murder: Sunburn- 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️44. A book where the cover design includes text that is not entirely horizontal: The Coldest Girl in Coldtown
45.
A book whose author has published more than 7 books: The Tombs of Atuan- 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️46. A title that contains a word often found in a recipe: The Water Keeper - CURRENTLY READING
47. A book related to a geometric shape: The Lost Girls of Paris
48.
A book with an unusually large version of an animal in the story: As Old as Time- 3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️49. A book posted in one of the ATY Best Book of the Month threads in 2022 or 2023: Never Let You Go
50a. A second book that fits your favorite prompt: Murder in the Family- 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️50b. A second book that fits your favorite prompt: Violet
51. A book published in 2023: Spare
52. A book with an unusual or surprising title: The Ones Who Never Came Back: Horror Stories and Novellas
The rainbow of covers, TBR Edition:
The rainbow of covers, Order of Completion Edition: