2023 Challenge Completion

[Bec]

Chrissie wrote: "My favorite prompt. That's hard to say. Some were so easy that they really couldn't be 'favourite'. Maybe a book where books are important. Really enjoyed my choice for that one.The Reading List."

I read The Reading List this year too (not for the challenge though) and really enjoyed it!

[Misty]

Charlsa wrote: "Is the #20BooksByIndigenousWomen a specific list of books or authors?."

Just something I decided to do. I did the #20BooksByBlackWomen challenge last year, and it made me realize that I needed to challenge myself to branch out. Next year I plan on #20BooksByLatinaAuthors

I hope you like Cash Blackbear!

[Ulrike]

5 Star books that I read for the ATY Challenge
Twelve of my books for the challenge got 5 stars from me, so I just want to highlight the ones I particularly enjoyed:
The Road by Cormac McCarthy, The German Lesson by Siegfried Lenz, Marzahn, mon amour by Katja Oskamp

Any twists on the challenge? (ie in order, all nonfiction, all picture books, etc)
No, if I get too strict in my reading schedule, it always results in a reading slump.

My most creative twist on a prompt
For the 46 I used a book that has the word "over" (in translation) in the title. I find that recipes often describe putting something "over" of something else.

The prompt I "cheated" on
Maybe Piranesi for 40 (A book with a full name in the title). For me, for a large part in the book, it was his name.

My favorite prompt
I used 51 (A book published in 2023), but I had no real favourite prompt.

My least favorite prompt
For me it was difficult to find a book for prompt 13 (A book that has an object that is repeated on the cover).

A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (but I’m so glad I did!)
The German Lesson by Siegfried Lenz

A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (and I wish I hadn’t!)
No, not really. Some books I didn't like that much, but I read them because of other challenges and then they just fit in here too.

[Cait]

I decided in January that 2023 wouldn't be a reading challenge year (except my constant, the Seattle Public Library summer book bingo), but then I got curious a couple weeks ago about how many prompts I'd incidentally finished. It was a high enough number that I decided to round out the last few and here we are!

5 Star books that I read for the ATY Challenge
I no longer star rate my books, but I liked Legends & Lattes enough to read it twice in the year, so I'd say it's pretty high. I also learned a bunch in The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder and was extremely delighted by Sooner or Later Everything Falls Into the Sea.

Any twists on the challenge? (ie in order, all nonfiction, all picture books, etc)
None. I think about doing a twist every year, but given that this year's challenge completion was mostly accidental, there were definitely no twists.

My most creative twist on a prompt
I found a surprising number of places to fit my early in the year read of Sarah J. Maas' Throne of Glass series (#2, #24, #30, #45), but my most creative was probably Terra Nullius for #48 (unusually large version of an animal). The aliens that have colonized Australia are described as humanoid toads.

The prompt I "cheated" on
Vampires of El Norte for #10. I found the prologue chilling, but the rest wasn't particularly scary.

My favorite prompt
#52, a book with an unusual or surprising title. I had several this year! If God Is a Virus, I Want to Die But I Want to Eat Tteokpokki, I'm Glad My Mom Died

My least favorite prompt
#3 (fits a suggestion that didn't make the list) and #49 (best book of the month threads). I just never like meta prompts as well.

A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (but I’m so glad I did!)
Remarkably Bright Creatures - I thought this one would be over-hyped, but ended up really enjoying it. Doesn't hurt that it's set in the county I grew up in, which I hadn't realized.

A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (and I wish I hadn’t!)
The Frangipani Tree Mystery - I read this one for a couple of different challenges, and because it had been sitting in my Kindle queue for a few years. I picked it up because I wanted to try reading more books written by non US, UK, and Canada authors, but fatphobia toward one of the characters was really tough to get through.

[Charlsa]

Misty wrote: "Charlsa wrote: "Is the #20BooksByIndigenousWomen a specific list of books or authors?."

Just something I decided to do. I did the #20BooksByBlackWomen challenge last year, and it made me realize t..."


Thanks!

[Phil]

Finished the Challenge as per my post in 2023 Plans ( Phil's ATY 2023) I read the 52 weekly prompts in order.
5 stars to Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry for read a Western.
Most creative prompt was Mammoth by Chris Flynn for unusually
large animal as it's narrated by a mammoth in a Museum as he talks to the other animal exhibits.
I didn't have any favourite or least favourite prompt

[Tracy]

Congratulations Phil! Mammoth sounds interesting :)

[Phil]

I've now completed my Rejects Challenge & posted in Phil's ATY 2023 plan. I did 52 books as per main challenge.

[Pam]

Wow Phil! Congrats! Mammoth sounds really good and I love Lonesome Dove. I feel like one day I will reread it. I’ll have to check out your challenge posts and see what other good books you read!

[Phil]

Thanks Tracy & Pam. Being in Australia, I've read more than 50%
Australian authors for the challenge(s) so there are probably many authors not so well known in your country

[GailW]

Year-End Review:

5 Star books that I read for the ATY Challenge:
A Ballad for Georg Henig by Viktor Paskov
Night Birds and Other Stories by Khet Mar
One Hundred Twenty-One Days by Michèle Audin
Sabrina & Corina by Kali Fajardo-Anstine
Ten Steps to Nanette by Hannah Gadsby
The Living Mountain by Nan Shepherd
The Testament of Mary by Colm Tóibín
'Trifles' and 'a Jury of Her Peers' by Susan Glaspell
True Biz by Sara Nović
What Strange Paradise by Omar El Akkad

Any twists on the challenge?
I try to hit as many challenges with a book as I can (I do 6 of them plus my personal ones). I also try to read only what I have in my library. (I failed miserably on the second part).

My most creative twist on a prompt:
#48: A book with an unusually large version of an animal in the story: Although the dragon only appears in the form of a human for the whole story, it's superhuman strength and endurance appears often.
Tea with the Black Dragon

The prompt I "cheated" on:
I think this goes hand in hand with most creative twist

My favorite prompt:
#3. A book that fits a suggestion that didn’t make the 2023 list: A book that won a Bookbrowse award (and then picked one that was also banned)
Eleanor & Park

My least favorite prompt:
#46. A title that contains a word often found in a recipe. (Out of all the books I own in one form or another I only had 1 that fit this prompt and I wasn't getting into it.) So, I ended up reading Two Parts Sugar, One Part Murder, which was actually a cute book but not one I would normally look for.

A book I might not have read if not...(but I’m so glad I did!):: these are the books that I rated 5 star, but I didn't already own at the beginning of the challenge:
The Living Mountain
'Trifles' and 'a Jury of Her Peers'

A book I might not have read if not ... (and I wish I hadn’t!) :
Ghostwriter Anonymous

Other "personal challenge" stats within the 52 books:
Gender: Women: 39, Men: 13
New-to-me authors: 26 women, 6 men
Banned: 2
Debuts: 8
Translated: 5
Diversity: 15 (LGBTQIA+, Ethnicity, Race, Religion, Disability)
World: 31 books representing 13 countries and 5 continents (does not include US)
Avg Rating: 4.1
Genre: 50% mysteries/thriller/suspense; 29% fiction; 6% historical fiction; 4% memoir.

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

[GailW]

Ulrike wrote: "5 Star books that I read for the ATY Challenge
..."
I love your "creative twist! I got so tied up in measurements and ingredients that I never thought to do what you did. Nice job.

[Sherri]

i completed my callenge. Listed here:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

[LeahS]

Thanks for your post, @Sherri. I've added several of your challenge books to my TBR.

[Nina]

Finished on the 30th of September

My list and comment thread is here: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

5 Star books that I read for the ATY Challenge:


Any twists on the challenge? (ie in order, all nonfiction, all picture books, etc): I only use books I’ve never read before in these challenges and I generally make a couple of them a little more difficult for myself, e.g., the author of more than 7 books had to be someone whose books I’d never read before.

My most creative twist on a prompt: For the 3-book prompt, I chose to read 3 books that were each set in at least 3 different centuries. The concept was a good one even though none of the books I picked were as good as I was hoping they would be and I ended up disliking one of them intensely.

The prompt I "cheated" on: “A second book that fits your favorite prompt”. I couldn’t decide which one was my favorite so I just slotted something in there that would otherwise have been redundant.

My favorite prompt: I thought it would be “A book with an unusual or surprising title”, but the one that I had the best luck with was “A book that has been translated from another language”. Half of my 5-star reads this year would work for that prompt.

My least favorite prompt: ”A book with 4 or more colors on the cover”. I dislike cover prompts in general and this one was so ridiculously easy that the vast majority of the books that I read for the challenge would have worked for it.

A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (but I’m so glad I did!): English Passengers by Matthew Kneale

A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (and I wish I hadn’t!): Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr

[Erica]

Finished Sept. 28

- 5 Star books that I read for the ATY Challenge 14/52
Cry Wolf Hunting Ground Fair Game Dead Heat Burn Bright Notes on Grief The Mortal Instruments: The Graphic Novel, Vol. 6 Swing Booked Rebound Pride of Baghdad The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands Carrie Soto Is Back
- Any twists on the challenge?: No twists, 52 prompts was challenging enough for me.
- My most creative twist on a prompt: I didn't really get creative although I did manage to read a series I've been meaning to and slot a bunch of the books into prompts. (4 of the six books)
- The prompt I "cheated" on: Tropical setting, Tropic of the Sea I read because of the title.
- My favorite prompt: Well I used published in 2023 as the prompt you get to repeat.
- My least favorite prompt: Western
- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (but I’m so glad I did!) A Promise of Fire
- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (and I wish I hadn’t!) The Love Theorem

[Lindsay]

Finished 5 October

- 5 Star books that I read for the ATY Challenge
1. There Is No Planet B: A Handbook for the Make or Break Years by Mike Berners Lee - read for ATY 47
2. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern - read for ATY 8
3. I'm Not Dying with You Tonight by Kimberley Jones and Giley Segel - read for ATY 4
4. The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan - read for ATY 21
5. Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus - read for ATY 35
6. Mad Honey by Jodi Piccolt - read for ATY 26
7. Everything You Need to Know About the Menopause by Kate Muir - read for ATY 18
8. When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi - read for ATY 41.

- Any twists on the challenge? (ie in order, all nonfiction, all picture books, etc)
I tried to read in order & tried to use books already on my TBR

- My most creative twist on a prompt
For ATY 10 I read a book for each of the Spice Girl Personalities

- The prompt I "cheated" on
I don't think I cheated on any prompts

- My favorite prompt
ATY 14 A book with a con, deception, or fake - this was the prompt I used again for ATY 50.

- My least favorite prompt
ATY 39 A western - I hated this prompt from the start. I picked a book about Calamity Jane as I love that musical but the book was really dry and I gave it 2/5 stars so it's one of my least favourite books of the year.

- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (but I’m so glad I did!)
I read The Trial by Frank Kafka for ATY 36 A book that has been translated from another language. I found this a very strange book but I'm really glad I read it as now I understand what people actually mean when they say 'kafkaesque'.

- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (and I wish I hadn’t!)
As I mentioned above, the book I picked for ATY39, a Western, was Searching for Calamity: The Life and Times of Calamity Janeby Linda Jucovy. It was quite slow and dry. I felt it would've been more interesting if more of the 'tales' of Calamity had been told instead of it being a factual book about what could be proven to have happened.

Overall I've really enjoyed the books I read for this challenge, I definitely read more 5 star books that 2 star books. I've started planning my 2024 reading even though I probably won't stick to it!!!

[Gem ~ZeroShelfControl~]

I had expected to finish last month but the Western challenge held me up a bit. So for the 3rd year running I finished on the 10th October!! (https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...)

Busy planning 2024s thread as I will be attempting 10 challenges again (still have a lot more in 2023 still to finish)

Well done to everyone who has managed to complete it already.

[Trish, Annular Mod]

Success - with more time to spare than I have in the past. All the details can be found here: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

- 5 Star books that I read for the ATY Challenge

Five, but To Kill a Mockingbird was a reread
The four new ones this year were:
Before the Coffee Gets Cold, Toshikazu Kawaguchi - 25/01/23
Every Day Nature: How noticing nature can quietly change your life, Andy Beer - 26/06/23
The City & The City, China Miéville - 03/08/23
Lessons in Chemistry, Bonnie Garmus - 11/10/23 - the last book for the challenge

Twists on the challenge and twists on prompts

Not really. I fill in prompts as I find a book to fit them, without having to stretch TOO far. Next year I might try to go for at least half being books that have been on my TBR for over a year.

- The prompt I "cheated" on

Maybe "31. A book found by inputting a favorite author on https://www.literature-map.com" in that I read a book by Dana Stabenow, then inputted her as the central author and then looked for another author I knew I liked (rather than launching into someone new)

- My favorite prompt

6. A book where books are important - I love books about books in various forms.

- My least favorite prompt

52. A book with an unusual or surprising title - as it was hard to figure out what it meant.
4. A book with an interracial relationship - I struggled a bit to find one that I was interested in.

I'm also often not a fan of other people's lists, and award prompts, so I wasn't fond of:

9. A book nominated for an award beginning with W
41. A book from the NPR “Books We Love” lists
49. A book posted in one of the ATY Best Book of the Month threads in 2022 or 2023 (although now I know there are listopias for these)

- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (but I’m so glad I did!)

Like quite a lot of other finishers so far, Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus. It just clicked for me.

- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (and I wish I hadn’t!)

There were two of these.
Bossypants, Tina Fey - I came to the conclusion while I like her a a comdienne, I don't like her as a person.
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, Gabrielle Zevin - I just found the two surviving characters to be a pair of intolerable brats.

[Dee]

I finished back in early Sept.

- 5 Star books that I read for the ATY Challenge - Romantic Comedy and The Celebrants
- Any twists on the challenge? (ie in order, all nonfiction, all picture books, etc) - I try to use new releases as much as possible. I also do a lot of challenges & try to make every book I read work for at least 2 challenges minimum.
- My most creative twist on a prompt - #10, Spice Girls - I used a book with an infant in it for "Baby Spice" (Exiles)
- The prompt I "cheated" on -#29, light book - only the title reference light, the book was not very (A Little Ray of Sunshine)
- My favorite prompt - #51 - Book published in 2023, LOL
- My least favorite prompt - I don't like the lists & award ones (#9 & #41) & find them often limiting.
- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (but I’m so glad I did!) Ring Shout for #9
- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (and I wish I hadn’t! We Spread for #41

[Pam]

I finished super early this year! I'm still in shock!

- 5 Star books that I read for the ATY Challenge
Chivalry
A Prayer for the Crown-Shy
The Covenant of Water
The Shootist
The Outsiders
Demon Copperhead
The Story of a New Name
In the Distance
Masters of the Dew
The Reluctant Dragon
The History of Science Fiction: A Graphic Novel Adventure

- Any twists on the challenge? No

- My most creative twist on a prompt
Psycho for Con, deception, or fake
It wasn't an intentional deception but, nevertheless, the other characters were deceived by Norman Bates. I read the book for a group read in a different group and then realized it fit this prompt.

- The prompt I "cheated" on - None

- My favorite prompts
Author's debut, route of travel, novella

- My least favorite prompts
Spice Girls, Disability, Unusually large animal, word in a recipe

- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (but I’m so glad I did!)
1- The Land of Laughs by Jonathan Carroll
I don't know why I had added this book to my TBR several years ago but I recently found it at a book sale on the Cult Favorites display. I intended to read it for a debut novel but instead slotted it in for a Book where books are important. It was the perfect fit for that prompt!

2- This Other Eden - book published in 2023. I don't read a lot of new releases. I picked this one because it was longlisted for the Booker prize, sounded interesting, and it was short!

- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (and I wish I hadn’t!)
Moonraker - Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
I've always been curious how the books compare to the movies. Well, now I know and I don't plan to read any more! This one certainly had a different ending and no Jaws character.

[Robin H-R]

- 5 Star books that I read for the ATY Challenge
~~I have to be really impressed with a book to give it 5-stars.
~~~~The Sweetness of Water
~~~~The Pale Blue Eye
~~~~A Game of Thrones

- Any twists on the challenge? (ie in order, all nonfiction, all picture books, etc)
~~I started the challenge mid-year, so I added books I had read up to that point for other challenges

- My most creative twist on a prompt
~~46. A title that contains a word often found in a recipe--I don't cook much, but I know bread has to rise
~~~~David: Rise

- The prompt I "cheated" on
~~42. A book related to a ghost, spirit, phantom, or specter -- Can't say I "cheated", but did push it a bit. There is a spirit character in the book
~~~~Fast Track

- My favorite prompt
~~43. A book that involves a murder -- I read a lot of historical murder mysteries
~~~~Murder at Queen's Landing

- My least favorite prompt
~~10. A book related to one of the Spice Girls' "personalities" (Scary) -- Not a fan of the Spice Girls, but the book I read was good
~~~~Something Wicked This Way Comes

- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (but I’m so glad I did!)
~~Pianist in a Bordello

- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (and I wish I hadn’t!)
~~The Red Palace

[Robin P, Orbicular Mod]

Finally finished, was hung up a long time on a couple of prompts

5-star books I read for the ATY Challenge
Demon Copperhead
The Trouble with Goats and Sheep
Kon-Tiki

High 4-star books, since I am stingy with 5's
The Sentence
Spinning Silver

Any twists on the challenge? Every book had to work for at least on other challenge or game I am doing this year

My most creative twist on a prompt - nothing in particular

The prompt I "cheated" on
#47 A book related to a geometric shape - couldn't come up with anything so I used , which has circles on the cover

My favorite prompt - historical fiction

My least favorite prompt - I guess the geometric shape, since I found it hard

- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (but I’m so glad I did!) - Kon-Tiki

A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (and I wish I hadn’t!) - The Constant Rabbit

[Bec]

Robin P wrote: ".A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (and I wish I hadn’t!) - The Constant Rabbit"
I'm with you on this one. I DNF'd it so couldn't count it for the challenge.

[dalex]

My favorite interpretation of a prompt
For the three books in different centuries I did books that each occurred in three different time periods.

Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr (15th, 20th/21st, future)
Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel (20th, 21st, future)
The Actual Star by Monica Byrne (11th, 21st, future)

For the Spice Girls prompt I used The Future of Another Timeline by Annalee Newitz. It’s a feminist time travel novel about reproductive justice so … Baby Spice!

For the geometric shape prompt I used Against the Loveless World by Susan Abulhawa. The protagonist is in a prison called The Cube plus the cover art has geometric shapes.


I loved the covers I used for a few prompts -

A book with a faceless person on the cover
The Bass Rock by Evie Wyld


A book connected to birds, bees, or bunnies
After the Flood by Kassandra Montag

My favorite prompt
A book from the NPR "Books We Love" lists. So far this year, I’ve read 20 books from the NPR lists and I’m pretty sure all of them counted for the challenge.

A western. I’ve always enjoyed western movies but it’s only because of reading challenges that I’ve discovered that I really like western books, too. My read for this prompt was How Much of These Hills is Gold by C Pam Zhang and it was fantastic!

A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (but I’m so glad I did!)
The Beast Player by Nahoko Uehashi
I don’t read very much translated literature so that prompt was a challenge for me! I’m so glad it led me to discover this book, which is one of my favorite books for the year.


The Stranding by Kate Sawyer
This was one of the few books on my TBR List that fit the non-horizontal cover text prompt. Fortunately this prompt made me read it sooner rather than later because it was a very good read.

My least favorite prompt and A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (and I wish I hadn’t!)
Snow Angels by James Thompson for an author from continental Europe.

BEST BOOKS OF THE ATY CHALLENGE

5 STARS



Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr

15. Three books, each of which is set in a different century

Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse

11. A book about a character with a disability

Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel

16. Three books, each of which is set in a different century

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

29. A book that is light

Homecoming by Kate Morton

43. A book that involves a murder

How Much of These Hills is Gold by C Pam Zhang

39. A western

Fevered Star by Rebecca Roanhorse

48. A book with an unusually large version of an animal in the story

4 1/2 STARS



Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

2. A book by an author you read in 2022

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

5. A book with 4 or more colors on the cover

Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng

6. A book where books are important

The Beast Player by Nahoko Uehashi

36. A book that has been translated from another language

Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka

31. A book found by inputting a favorite author on literaturemapdotcom

The Future of Another Timeline by Annalee Newitz

10. A book related to one of the Spice Girls' personalities

Beyond the Bright Sea by Lauren Wolk

23. A book with a body of water in the title

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao

8. An author's debut book

Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby

4. A book with an interracial relationship

[Erin]

Completed on 10/27/23
My completed list

5 Star books that I read for the ATY Challenge:
Silver Under Nightfall
The Ninth Rain
The Bitter Twins
The Poison Song
Delusions of Gender: How Our Minds, Society, and Neurosexism Create Difference
Year of the Reaper
Bonds of Brass
The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi
Starling House
Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries

Any twists on the challenge? (ie in order, all nonfiction, all picture books, etc):
Nope

My most creative twist on a prompt:
Didn't really have one this year.

The prompt I "cheated" on:
Well it's not technically a cheat I guess but I used my wildcard on the UNESCO city of literature prompt because I just couldn't find anything for it. I don't always use my wildcard so I guess it felt a little bit like a cheat.

My favorite prompt:
Probably #48 (unusually large animal) since I was able to read a fantasy novel that ended up being a five star. Either that or #42 (ghost, specter, or phantom).

My least favorite prompt:
Definitely #32, a book set in a UNESCO city of literature. I always dislike geographical setting prompts but this one was particularly difficult and I ended up using my wildcard to fill it. No regrets.

A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (but I’m so glad I did!):
The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi
Not sure when I would have gotten around to reading this if not for the challenge and it was one of my most loved reads of the year =)

A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (and I wish I hadn’t!):
Two Wrongs Make a Right
Unfortunately this just didn't work for me.

Looking forward to next year!

[Book Concierge]

2023 Challenge completed - ✔ 23Oct23
My tracking post

5 Star books that I read for the ATY Challenge
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane
The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race
Hamnet
Horse
Cloud Cuckoo Land
The Devil's Highway: A True Story
Project Hail Mary


My most creative twist on a prompt
# 4 Interracial relationship - I chose an inter-species / inter-galactic relationship


My favorite prompt
I really liked the trio of # 15, # 16, # 17 - Books set in different centuries.


My least favorite prompt
# 48. Book with an unusually large animal in the story.


A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (but I’m so glad I did!)
None ... I already read widely and across a wide variety of genres, styles, eras. I basically just read and slotted books wherever they fit. I did some research trying to find a book for # 48, but happened to come across the perfect reference in a book I was already reading, and that was my last prompt.


A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (and I wish I hadn’t!)
Again, None. Though there were books I read this year that I wish I hadn't wasted time on. And one that I simply DNF'd - A Woman in Jerusalem had been on my TBR for 10 years. After three weeks of trying to get into it, I still had only gotten to page 31 and I just gave up.

[ladymurmur]

Finished my last prompt last night! :-)

Many good books this year. I think the standouts for me were A Psalm for the Wild-Built, A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking, and Starter Villain.

Also, I finally read the first Witcher book, The Last Wish, after not quite getting to it for a number of years now.

[Alicia]

- 5 Star books that I read for the ATY Challenge I had a lot this year. Heartsong, Here Comes My ManNova Praetorian, Brothers of the Wild North Sea, The Scottish Boy, The Art of Husbandry, Funny Feelings, Wishing Hearts, Reluctant Renegade, Mortal Skin, The Price of Paradise, Bitter Springs by Laura Stone, Inevitable Disclosure, An Exaltation of Larks, How to Say I Do, Love Me Whole, Madison Square Murders, and Devil of Dublin

- Any twists on the challenge? (ie in order, all nonfiction, all picture books, etc) I never read the challenge in order, just what floats my boat to read. I had my heart set on reading the 3 different centuries by the same author, but it didn't work out for me. I was able to keep them all before the 1900s tho.

- My most creative twist on a prompt Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy...I went with Tinker with This Will Hurt II. Both MCs were documentary makers that traveled around the world and then had a podcast when at home.

- The prompt I "cheated" on none

- My favorite prompt A book found by inputting a favorite author on https://www.literature-map.com

- My least favorite prompt I struggled with what to read for the translated from another language prompt until I realized I had a book in my Kindle that would work (my last prompt completed).

- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (but I’m so glad I did!) Same as the question above: The Price of Paradise

- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (and I wish I hadn’t!) Teacher

[Katherine]

Finished the challenge on 11/9/23. :-)

- 5 Star books that I read for the ATY Challenge

- Any twists on the challenge? No twists
- My most creative twist on a prompt I went towards "horror western" and read for the western prompt, because westerns are not my thing.
- The prompt I "cheated" on I don't think I cheated on any prompt
- My favorite prompts I loved the 3 books in a different century prompts, a book from the NPR list, and the con/deception/fake prompt
- My least favorite prompt Object repeated on the cover and western prompt
- 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!)

[Bana AZ]

Finished today, November 12, 2023.



- 5 Star books that I read for the ATY Challenge

I have a few more 5 stars but they were side reads.

- Any twists on the challenge? (ie in order, all nonfiction, all picture books, etc)
None

- My most creative twist on a prompt
None

- The prompt I "cheated" on
For TJR's After I Do, I checked out other covers till I saw something that could fit into a prompt. I found the Polish version which has a sun on the cover so I put this down for prompt 38: A book with the sun, moon, or stars on the cover


- My favorite prompt
"A book published in 2023" because I'm trying to read more new releases.

- My least favorite prompt
Western and Unseco City of Literature. I had such a hard time looking for books that fit those.

- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (but I’m so glad I did!)
Weather Girl by Rachel Lynn Solomon for the Unesco City of Literature prompt. This book would have been pushed aside in my TBR if it weren't for this prompt. I really enjoyed this rom-com.

- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (and I wish I hadn’t!)
Verity by Colleen Hoover for the prompt " A book found by inputting a favorite author on https://www.literature-map.com" where I put in Taylor Jenkins Reid. This book was just a big mess. Gave it 2 stars.

My ATY 2023 list

[Pepita]

Completed 2/11/2023

- 5 Star books that I read for the ATY Challenge I don't give 5 stars often but I did for Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
- Any twists on the challenge? (i.e. in order, all nonfiction, all picture books, etc) not really
- My most creative twist on a prompt none this year
- The prompt I "cheated" on played it pretty straight this year.
- My favorite prompt I enjoyed playing around with the literature-map.com to see where it might take me or otherwise a book that involves a murder ...spoilt for choice on that one!
- My least favorite prompt #48 - unusually large version of an animal - meh! also didn't care for the need to read a western - could have done without that.
- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (but I’m so glad I did!) The Circle by Dave Eggers
- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (and I wish I hadn’t!) probably the western - didn't get a lot out of that:)

[Jacqie]

Done!

5 Star books that I read for the ATY Challenge: Year of the Reaper by Makiia Lucier, Untethered Sky by Fonda Lee, Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin, Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett, Civalry by Neil Gaiman.
- Any twists on the challenge? (ie in order, all nonfiction, all picture books, etc): none
- My most creative twist on a prompt: Maybe a book about pride: I picked Siren Queen. The main character is queer and also very proud.
- The prompt I "cheated" on: I went backwards on the literature map prompt and found the author I wanted to read first and then saw if they were related to any other authors I like. I read a book by Victoria Goddard who turns out to relate to Marie Brennan, another favorite of mine.
- My favorite prompt: I liked Birds, Bees and Bunnies because I had a lot of choices for that prompt and used it as my "second book" prompt.
- My least favorite prompt: probably the literature map one. I felt like I had to work hard to find an author that I hadn't already read but that I wanted to read.
- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (but I’m so glad I did!): Year of the Reaper by Makiia Lucier. I'd been sort of wanting to read this but using it for the ghost prompt moved it to the top of the pile.
- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (and I wish I hadn’t!): Fellowship Point by Alice Elliott Dark. Loong winded and tedious.

[Lindsay]

It feels so good to be done!!
My post with my final list: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

5 Star books that I read for the ATY Challenge
•Kindred
•The Butterfly Lampshade
•East of Eden
•The Starless SeaThe Song of Achilles
•Life After Life
•Hamnet
•A Thousand Ships
•The Martian
•Daisy Jones & The Six (Audiobook is a must, would not be 5 stars without it)
•A Man Called Ove
•The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
•Slaughterhouse-Five
•Remarkably Bright Creatures
•All My Rage
•Speak
•Lessons in Chemistry
•Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock
•Go
•In the Dream House
•Navigating Early
•The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

The prompt I "cheated" on
•32. A book set in a UNESCO City of Literature - (Lahore, Pakistan)
This felt like a cheat because All My Rage is barely set in Lahore Pakistan but, there were a couple chapters so it more feels like a cheat than truly is I think

My favorite prompt
•7. A book with ONE of the five "W" question words in the title
-I have so many of these books on my TBR

My least favorite prompt
•47. A book related to a geometric shape (When I saw related to it made me want to find a book that more directly is about a shape but ended up going with a book with a geometric shape on the cover which also kinda felt like a cheat)

A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (but I’m so glad I did!)
•Streets of Laredo - Happy to have done it, it was more than I expected it to be, very well written, super depressing but I thought it had a good point and it got it across

A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (and I wish I hadn’t!)
•The Age of Miracles - So depressing!!! I mean I probably would have ended up reading it one day but this challenge is why I finished it rather than abandoning it part way through. Not worth the finish.

[Jacque T]

Finished on 14Nov2023

- 5 Star books that I read for the ATY Challenge
The WinnersThe Brothers KRemarkably Bright Creatures
- Any twists on the challenge? (ie in order, all nonfiction, all picture books, etc)
I mostly read in order. I also did 4 of the 5 Spice Girls and all three Birds, Bees, Bunnies as well as all 4 Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
- My most creative twist on a prompt
The Secret History for Bunnies (main character is called Bunny)
- The prompt I "cheated" on
none
- My favorite prompt
A book where books are important (I read The Reading List and Days at the Morisaki Bookshop)
- My least favorite prompt
Unusually large version of an animal (read The Crane Husband
- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (but I’m so glad I did!)
Lessons in Chemistry
- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (and I wish I hadn’t!)
The Shadow of the Wind

[Tracy]

Jacque T wrote: "Finished on 14Nov2023...

- My least favorite prompt
Unusually large version of an animal (read The Crane Husband
- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (but I’m so glad I did!)
Lessons in Chemistry..."

I haven't finished the challenge yet, but I have to agree about these two (the books anyway, not necessarily the prompts). For "Unusually large version of an animal" I read 2 books. I really disliked The Crane Husband, but the other one (The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi) I really liked! I'm just glad I've read another Kelly Barnhill book that I DID like, otherwise that would have been it for me!

[Jacque T]

Tracy wrote: "Jacque T wrote: "Finished on 14Nov2023...

- My least favorite prompt
Unusually large version of an animal (read The Crane Husband
- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (but I..."
I typically love Kelly Barnhill, so was quite disappointed.

[Joanna G]

Finished on November 16, 2023

5 Star books that I read for the ATY Challenge - I guess I'm picky, so only 2 - Nettle & Bone and Pride and Prejudice (which I knew as it was a reread).
Any twists on the challenge? No.
My most creative twist on a prompt Can't really think of anything. Maybe The Book Eaters, because books are important in it in a different way than I think is implicit in the prompt.
The prompt I "cheated" on Unusually large animal. I don't remember the details anymore, because I read it in January, but H is for Hawk. it does have a very big bird in it, but I'm not sure it's really unusually large. That was the only prompt I could fit it into, so I put it there, thinking I would replace if something better came along. Nothing did and now that I'm done I don't want to find something else.
My favorite prompt Book with a full name in the title. I don't know why but now any time I see a book that qualifies, I want to read it!
My least favorite prompt The ones my brain has an issue with are the "related to" ones. I'm just never sure if there's enough of a connection. This year in particular, related to a geometric shape was hard. When I saw Project Hail Mary in the thread, I decided to go for it without thinking too hard!
A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (but I’m so glad I did!) Hmm. Most of my favorites were books I wanted to read anyways. I bought Tom Lake rather than waiting for it from the library to finish the challenge, and I'm happy about that.
A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (and I wish I hadn’t!) I'll pretty much give anything a try so I don't know that anything qualifies, but I might have DNF'd Why Read: Selected Writings 2001–2021 or The Mysterious Flame Of Queen Loana if I hadn't also known I was going to count them for the challenge.

[chysodema]

I'm finished!!! I thought I would be done way earlier than this, since I came out swinging with 14 books read for ATY in January. But a vicious reading slump slowed down my ATY challenge reading to a trickle, since I had to lean heavily into mood reading in order to read at all.

5 Star books that I read for the ATY Challenge:
Lonely Castle in the Mirror (36. A book that has been translated from another language)
O Human Star, Volume One (47. A book related to a geometric shape)
This Land is My Land: A Graphic History of Big Dreams, Micronations, and Other Self-Made States (44. A book where the cover design includes text that is not completely horizontal)
People Love Dead Jews: Reports from a Haunted Present (52. A book with an unusual or surprising title)

Any twists on the challenge? No twists on the challenge

My most creative twist on a prompt: Nothing creative, played it pretty straight

The prompt I "cheated" on: I guess using the author name "Will" to fulfill the 1923 names prompts, for which my list includes William

My favorite prompt: 14. A book with a con, deception, or fake

My least favorite prompt: 10. A book related to one of the Spice Girls' "personalities"

A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (but I’m so glad I did!):
Lonely Castle in the Mirror (36. A book that has been translated from another language) I always worry that books in translation will be too literary and deep (i.e. boring) for me. But now I can stop being silly and realize that people in other countries also write delicious genre books. Lonely Castle in the Mirror is so completely delightful, I recommend it to everyone.

A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (and I wish I hadn’t!): The Watchmaker of Filigree Street (31. A book found by inputting a favorite author on https://www.literature-map.com (input author: Naomi Novik)) I was pleased when this author came up on my literature map because I already had this book on my TBR. My goodness it was a hot mess. It's one of those books where people give each other speaking glances and "suddenly, he understood." And the book doesn't spell it out and I don't understand yet. So then I have to go back and read three times and sometimes I still don't get it and now I'm tired and feel dumb. And this happened multiple times in every chapter. So maybe if you are looking for a very clever book this would be a good fit? Or maybe it's not actually well written because things should be coherent even for readers who are tired? I can't tell.

[Kendra]

5 Star books that I read for the ATY Challenge
The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi
Lore Olympus: Volume Five
The Innocent Sleep
Other Words for Home
To Swoon and to Spar
Capture the Sun
This Is What It Sounds Like: What the Music You Love Says About You
The Black Flamingo
Check & Mate
Sleep No More
To Be Taught, If Fortunate
For the Throne
Magic Claims
Swing

So 14 out of of 75. Not bad.

Any twists on the challenge? (ie in order, all nonfiction, all picture books, etc)
I expanded it (one for each spice girl, one for each chess piece, 4 repeat prompts etc.) so it was 75 total prompts. And then I did a rejects challenge of 25 prompts (I'm still 24/25 for that)

My most creative twist on a prompt
I don't think I was that creative. My least creative was probably The Sporty One: My Life as a Spice Girl for the Spice girls prompt.

The prompt I "cheated" on
I used And When She Opened the Closet, All The Clothes Were Polyester: A FoxTrot Collection for the W word in the title. I had other regular books that would have worked, but I used them for other prompts. There's still a month and a half left so I might read another book and switch this one out still.

My favorite prompt
40. A book with a full name in the title.
I had to laugh with just how many books I read that would have worked for this.

My least favorite prompt
32. A book set in a UNESCO City of Literature.
I could never remember which places counted and besides, I'm not a fan of setting prompts.

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!)
The only books that qualify as I probably wouldn't have read and my thoughts on them:
The Sentence (Because of all the talk about Tookie's list last year)
- 3 stars - It was okay, but it was like 2 books smushed together: A magical realism book I hated, and a family drama set during Covid lockdown that I loved.

Angel & Hannah: A Novel in Verse (Random pick to prepare for a ATY read-a-thon)
-4 stars - I'm a sucker for a novel in verse. This was surprisingly bittersweet

Even Though I Knew the End (Random pick for a ATY read-a-thon + literature map)
- 3 stars - I almost decided against this because I saw it described as noir, but it was short and I really like deal-with-the- devil stories. And in the end, I actually mostly enjoyed it.

One Night In Edinburgh (Desperate pick for UNESCO city)
- 3 stars - This was barely a 3 and I probably would have DNFd it if I didn't need it for the prompt. There was nothing wrong with it, and it could be quite funny in places, but it was just sort of meh.

Siren Queen (Pick from NPR list)
- 2 stars - For a book I pretty much hate read, I haven't been able to stop thinking about it. That's the only reason it didn't get a 1 star rating.

The Aunt Who Wouldn't Die (Random pick for a ATY read-a-thon that I knew I was using for the surprising/unusual title the second I saw it.
- 4 stars - This was a wonderful surprise but I was left wanting more.

[Ellie]

Finished 18th November

5 Star books that I read for the ATY Challenge
Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo
Lost in the Moment and Found by Seanan McGuire
The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean
The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston
A House with Good Bones by T. Kingfisher
Cursed Crowns by Catherine Doyle + Katherine Webber
The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty
Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher
Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Torzs
Starling House by Alix E. Harrow

Any twists on the challenge?
Nope

My most creative twist on a prompt:
For geometric shape I read More Perfect because it's about a panopticon and originally a pantopicon was a prison design around a circle or pentagon...but it also has a circle on the cover for a more straightforward fit.

The prompt I "cheated" on:
Starter Villain for a word found in a recipe, well you would need a starter if it was for sourdough!

My favorite prompt:
A book where books are important, I read The Book Eaters and Ink Blood Sister Scribe.

My least favorite prompt:
A book set in a UNESCO City of Literature. I just don't like these kinds of specific places setting prompts and I struggled to find books I was interested in set in those cities. I ended up using a book that was only partially set in one (some of The Shadow Cabinet takes place in Manchester).

A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (but I’m so glad I did!):
Alias Emma was loads of fun, I wouldn't usually pick up an espionage thriller but I read it for Tinker, Tailor, Soldier or Spy.

A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (and I wish I hadn’t!):
My only real dud was A Demon's Guide to Wooing a Witch and I read that because I liked the previous book.

[Barbara]

Finished on 11/20/23.

5 Star books that I read for the ATY Challenge:
The Rose Code by Kate Quinn
The Songbook of Benny Lament by Amy Harmon
What the Fireflies Knew byKai Harris
The Extraordinary Life of Sam Helll by Robert Dugoni
Apeirogon by Colum McCann
Homecoming by Kate Morton
The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
Lady Tan's Circle of Women by Lisa See

Any twists on the challenge? I read in order of prompts

My favorite prompt: 12. A book connected to birds, bees, or bunnies -- I read The Murmur of Bees by Sofía Segovia (I used this also as prompt 50, a second book that fits your favorite prompt: Watership Down by Richard Adams)

[Wendy]

I finished! And with a month to spare! This year I really tried to "relax" the reading quantity and give myself some room to knock off a few Doorstop (TM) books, and I did! They were:
- The Terror (771 pages, "Scary Spice")
- The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling (877 pages, 1700s)
- East of Eden (602 pages, popular name in 1923)

- 5 Star books that I read for the ATY Challenge

Lady Chatterley's Lover
The Hour of the Star
The Ice Palace
Arctic Dreams
A Passage to India
The Virgin Suicides

- Any twists on the challenge? (ie in order, all nonfiction, all picture books, etc)
No twists

- My most creative twist on a prompt

I didn't do anything particularly creative, but I did run the other direction with "a book related to pride" by reading So You've Been Publicly Shamed by Jon Ronson. It just felt like the perfect fit.

My least creative was Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy for, you know, the Tinker Tailor Soldier or Spy prompt.

- The prompt I "cheated" on

I did allow myself to count a longer book (The Terror) which I had started in December of 2022 And finished in January. I did this because one of my resolutions this year was to read longer books, and this one is almost 800 pages! I generally try to finish the year off with a clean slate, reading wise, but I just couldn't do it for The Terror, and it seemed a shame to forgo a great Spice Girls (Scary) title.

- My favorite prompt

I love me some international/translated books and look for excuses to read them. As easyish "in my wheelhouse" prompts, I liked the "book in translation" and "Continental author.

For a prompt that pushed me out of my comfort zone, I liked the "3 books in different centuries" and so I pushed myself to read 1700s and earlier as a challenge.

- My least favorite prompt

I saved the Western prompt to my second to last read! I had hoped that at some point during the year, as often happens, a fitting book would pop out of the woodwork to pique my interest, but alas. This one I had to force myself to find something, then to sit down and read it. I opted for a classic of the genre The Ox-Bow Incident and ultimately I'm glad I read it, but it did feel like a school assignment and brought back memories of reading Shane in 7th Grade...

- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (but I’m so glad I did!)

This absolutely has to be A Passage to India by E.M. Forster, which I read for the "interracial relationship" prompt. When I'm feeling stuck on ideas I browse the threads in search of classics I haven't read yet, and this one jumped out at me. I had certain expectations about it...that it would feel out of date, or stuffy...after all, it's set in Colonial India. It wasn't at all. I took a while to ease in, and I did have to work at it a bit until it "clicked"...but when it did, I was all in. Loved it. Plan to read more E.M Forster next year (maybe for the initials prompt).

- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (and I wish I hadn’t!)

I don't have any one star books because I dropped anything I really didn't like before finishing, but I could have lived without reading How to Keep House While Drowning: A Gentle Approach to Cleaning and Organizing, which I picked off the NPR list. It is...such a TikTok book, and it was not for me. I finished it mainly because it took only about an hour to breeze through. I may have gleaned a few gems here an there, but overall it was a miss for me.

[Ashley Marie]

I did some shuffling around and managed to fill all the prompts with a month left to go!

- 5 Star books that I read for the ATY Challenge

- Any twists on the challenge? (ie in order, all nonfiction, all picture books, etc)
N/A. This was my first year doing the ATY challenge so I'm sure I'll start playing with this in the coming years

- My most creative twist on a prompt
I was proud of Cover or Title that Includes a Route of Travel - Detonation Boulevard
and Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun for Full Name in the Title.

- The prompt I "cheated" on
Book with a faceless person on the cover - I reread Lioness Rampant and counted it. Gonna shoot for no rereads next year!

- My favorite prompt
I loved the three books set in different centuries! I'm a history and historical fiction nut so those were great fun. I also loved the literature-map prompt, I definitely hope we see that one again!

- My least favorite prompt
Western - not my preferred genre, but I had owned All the Pretty Horses for several years so I was glad to knock it off the TBR.

- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (but I’m so glad I did!)
Victims of a Map: A Bilingual Anthology of Arabic Poetry for Translated book - this was excellent!

- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (and I wish I hadn’t!)
I should've DNF'd The Cruel Prince but I was BRing it with a friend and didn't want to be mean lol

[Misty]

- 5 Star books that I read for the ATY Challenge
I think I am pretty generous with my 5 stars!
Conflict Resolution for Holy Beings: Poems by Joy Harjo
Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley
Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
A River Enchanted by Rebecca Ross
Frontier Grit: The Unlikely True Stories of Daring Pioneer Women by Marianne Monson
The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
Murder on the Red River by Marcie R. Rendon
Fruit of the Drunken Tree by Ingrid Rojas Contreras
Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books by Azar Nafisi
Rule of Wolves by Leigh Bardugo
Liar by K.L. Slater
Safe With Me by K.L. Slater
Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo
The Silent Ones by K.L. Slater
The Ice Princess by Camilla Läckberg
Possessing the Secret of Joy by Alice Walker
Growing Up Aboriginal in Australia by Anita Heiss
Becoming by Michelle Obama
White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo
Broad Strokes: 15 Women Who Made Art and Made History by Bridget Quinn
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
The Sentence by Louise Erdrich

- Any twists on the challenge? (ie in order, all nonfiction, all picture books, etc)
All 52 books were by women authors

- My most creative twist on a prompt
I didn't have much creativity on the prompts. I wasn't excited at the western prompt, so I read a non-fiction book about pioneering women. It was a fabulous book and one of my five stars reads.

- The prompt I "cheated" on
I think the western prompt was as close as I came to cheating. Also the prompt about a setting in a UNESCO city of literature. I read Salt Houses by Hala Alyan, and it was only partially set in Beirut.

- My favorite prompt
A book where books are important - because books. :)

- My least favorite prompt
I didn't care much for the prompt about a book related to a geometric shape or the western one.

- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (but I’m so glad I did!)
5. A book with 4 or more colors on the cover - Broad Strokes: 15 Women Who Made Art and Made History by Bridget Quinn
I highly recommend this book if you are into art or women's history at all. It was fascinating.

- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (and I wish I hadn’t!)
There aren't any I wish I hadn't read, but I read You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi and Heart Berries by Terese Marie Mailhot, and I was very underwhelmed by both of them, and I will likely not read anything else by either of them.

[Elizabeth]

- 5 Star books that I read for the ATY Challenge
Batter Royale Eleanor & ParkOf Mice and MenFunny Farm: My Unexpected Life with 600 Rescue AnimalsLost in the Moment and Found
- Any twists on the challenge? (ie in order, all nonfiction, all picture books, etc) - not really! In fact i typically read whatever i want and just fill books in as i go. I've tried planning but rarely stick with it except for tougher prompts.
- My most creative twist on a prompt - i would have to say that using Funny Farm for large animal was a bit of a stretch but she was a bigger than usual pig! Though not lifesize or giant which i think was the real intention.
- The prompt I "cheated" on - probably my 2023 prompt just because i speed listened to something i wasn't super interested in to fill it, which looking back was silly because Lost in the Moment and Found was a 2023 release i could have easily moved into that slot since i ended up reading at least a half dozen novellas this year..
- My favorite prompt - probably the recipe prompt! I love reading cozy food mysteries so this was an easy and fun fill.
- My least favorite prompt - either the century prompt or the 2023 prompt (i dont read a lot of really old or really new books so a bit of a tough fill)
- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (but I’m so glad I did!) - Of Mice and Men! I've had it on my list for ages and if not for the century prompt wouldn't have picked it up and i really enjoyed it!
- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (and I wish I hadn’t! - Apples Never Fall - it was ridiculously long and boring for no reason!

[Deborah]

This is my first time doing this challenge, I only joined the group this summer. I'm actually doing it twice. I just finished all prompts with picture books.

- 5 Star books that I read for the ATY Challenge
Show Way
Nina: A Story of Nina Simone
Stacey Abrams and the Fight to Vote
All the Way to the Top: How One Girl's Fight for Americans with Disabilities Changed Everything
Usha and the Big Digger
The Escape of Robert Smalls: A Daring Voyage Out of Slavery
When Aidan Became A Brother
Bad News for Outlaws: The Remarkable Life of Bass Reeves, Deputy U. S. Marshal

- Any twists on the challenge? (ie in order, all nonfiction, all picture books, etc)
All picture books

- My most creative twist on a prompt
All Rise: The Story of Ketanji Brown Jackson
for the recipe word.

- The prompt I "cheated" on
Used a humor graphic novel for novella.

- My favorite prompt
A book with an unusual or surprising title

- My least favorite prompt
A book nominated for an award that starts with a W.

- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (but I’m so glad I did!)
A few 4 star books.
The Buffalo Are Back
Going Down Home with Daddy
Leo: A Ghost Story

- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (and I wish I hadn’t!)
The Rabbit Who Wants To Fall Asleep: A New Way of Getting Children to Sleep

[Jackie, Solstitial Mod]

Deborah wrote: "This is my first time doing this challenge, I only joined the group this summer. I'm actually doing it twice. I just finished all prompts with picture books.

- 5 Star books that I read for the ATY..."

That's so cool!

[Leah]

I did it!

- 5 Star books:
The ABC Murders
The Shining
Wayward
Murder Your Employer: The McMasters Guide to Homicide
The Wehrwolf
Code of Conduct
The Kind Worth Killing
Casino Royale
Surviving to Drive
A Head Full of Ghosts
An Unthinkable Thing
Rosemary's Baby
As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride

- Any twists on the challenge? Not really a twist, but instead of picking books for prompts, I read freely (and listed every possible prompt after each read) and then in mid-November I officially assigned/checked off prompts. Spent the last few weeks wrapping up my missing prompts!

- My most creative twist: Murder Your Employer is about a school "dedicated to the fine art of murder" so I used it for the arts :)

- The prompt I "cheated" on: Using my middle name for the author (barely a cheat, but I didn't really have to get creative on any)

- My favorite prompt: The Spice Girls!

- My least favorite prompt: Involves a murder because 95% of my reads always do.

- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (but I’m so glad I did!): The Wehrwolf for an Asian diaspora author

- A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (and I wish I hadn’t!): Flowers for the Sea

[Faith]

This was my first year joining the challenge. I loved it! 😁 I didn't join until September, but had no problem finishing (12/7/23). Except for about thirteen prompts, the rest were filled with books I had read earlier in the year. I have 2024 planned out, and can't wait to start!

》》Completed 12/7/23
》》Visit my completed 2023 list. 🙃

5-star books that I read for the ATY Challenge
I had 27 five-star books! My favorite 5-stars were: Book Lovers, Silver in the Wood, The Little Paris Bookshop and Anatomy: A Love Story. I refined the way I rate books sometime in the middle of the year, so I have less 5s these days.

Any twists on the challenge?
All my book choices were romances.

My most creative twist on a prompt
For "birds, bees, and bunnies", I used When She's Pregnant since she knows about "the birds and the bees" since she's pregnant 😉

The prompt I "cheated" on
None really. The closest one that was a bit of a stretch was #18. A book related to science. I used a book where the FMC was a biologist.

My favorite prompt
#6. A book where books are important. I have found a new genre I am in love with - "books about books" 🥰

My least favorite prompt
#27. A book by an author from continental Europe. I don't know how to figure out where an author is from! (Only if it is mentioned in the author's bio.) Thank goodness for the help from the Listopia list for this prompt.

A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (but I’m so glad I did!)
There are several for me: Silver in the Wood, Anatomy: A Love Story, and a few more.

A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (and I wish I hadn’t!)
I couldn't stand Bridget Jones's Diary, and DNF it. I hated the format and the way the MMC treated her. (Instead I read The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry, and loved it.)

Thank you to everyone who worked on setting up the challenge. You rock! 💗