Trish H's Can I Reduce my TBR 2024 Challenge

[Trish, Annular Mod]

THE 52 TOPICS OF THE 2024 ATY READING CHALLENGE

By title
52/52

In addition, I was hoping to do at least half the prompts with books that will have been added to my TBR before 1 January 2023 (marked **), but it's more likely it'll be about a third. Currently 19/46.

January
1. A book with a title that ends in A, T or Y - Forget Me Knot, Mary Marks - 16/01/24
2. A book connected to something you read in 2023 - Bookshops & Bonedust, Travis Baldree - 28/04/24
** 3. A book that fits a suggestion that didn’t make the final list - Grace Cries Uncle, Julie Hyzy - 26/01/24
4. A book related to something mentioned in the lyrics of What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong - La Vie: A Year In Rural France, John Lewis-Stempel - 24/03/24
** 5. A book set in one of the 25 most beautiful cities in the world - The Shape of Dread, Marcia Muller - 24/01/24

February
6. A book with wings on the cover - Some Desperate Glory, Emily Tesh - 02/07/24
7. A book with a pronoun in the title - Between the World and Me, Ta-Nahisi Coates - 28/02/24
**8. A book by an author from Canada, Australia or New Zealand - Earthly Delights, Kerry Greenwood - 07/03/24
9. A book with fewer than 2024 ratings on Goodreads - A Pairing to Die For, Kate Lansing - 05/01/24

March
** 10. A history or historical fiction book - Loch Down Abbey, Beth Cowan-Erskine - 14/02/24
11. A book with an X connection - The Xibalba Murders, Lyn Hamilton - 05/09/24
** 12. A book that has been on your TBR for over a year - The Cosmic Clues, Manjiri Prabhu - 19/01/24
13. A book that is on a Five Books List; reader’s choice of which list - The Red Scholar's Wake, Aliette de Bodard - 17/05/24

April
** 14. A book with a main character who is Black, Indigenous, or a Person of Color - Coyote Waits, Tony Hillerman - 14/03/24
** 15. A book whose author’s name includes one of the 4 least used letters in the alphabet (JQZX) - Long Story Short, Jodi Taylor - 29/01/24
**16. A book related to the phrase "It's Raining Cats and Dogs" - Big Little Spies, Krista Davis - 25/03/24
17. A book involving intelligence - Slow Horses, Mick Herron - 29/05/24

May
18. A book with a botanical cover - Hearing God in Poetry: Fifty Poems for Lent and Easter, Richard Harries - 05/04/24
19. A book connected in some way to any of the flavors of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream - Cherry Pies & Deadly Lies, Darci Hannah - 11/11/24
20. A book with a single word title - Linghun, Ai Jiang - 26/06/24
21. A book with a title containing 6+ words - The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, Sherman Alexie - 20/04/24
**22. A book by an author from an African country - The Library of the Dead, T.L. Huchu - 09/12/24

June
**23. A book related to Boats, Beaches, Bars, Ballads, or Jimmy Buffett - Topped Chef, Lucy Burdette - 22/09/24
24. A book with a secondary color on the cover (orange, green or purple) - A Treacherous Tale, Elizabeth Penney - 29/0/24
**25. A book involving a crime other than a murder - The Black Tulip, Alexandre Dumas - 01/05/24
**26. A book by an author known by their initials - Spouse on Haunted Hill, E.J. Copperman - 16/02/24

July
**27. A book related to land - The Joy and Light Bus Company, Alexander McCall Smith - 28/02/24
28. A book related to sea - Liberty's Daughter, Naomi Kritzer - 12/07/24
29. A book related to air - Death in the Clouds, Agatha Christie - 16/10/24
** 30. A book set in a country bordering the Mediterranean Sea - A Man's Head, Georges Simenon - 20/11/24
**31. A book related to “Going for the Gold” - Aunt Dimity and the Heart of Gold, Nancy Atherton - 21/03/24

August
**32. A book with a number in the title - The Twelve Topsy-Turvy, Very Messy Days of Christmas, James Patterson and Tad Safran - 05/12/24
33. A book involving travel - The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi, Shannon Chakraborty - 31/08/24
34. A book related to the name of one of Snow White's seven dwarfs - Happy Place, Emily Henry - 30/08/24
**35. A science or science fiction book - Sweep of the Blade, Ilona Andrews - 05/02/23

September
36. A book featuring a character in education - Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, Jonathan Safran Foer - 25/02/24
**37. A book that is part of a series - Morgue Drawer Next Door, Jutta Profijt - 07/05/24
38. Two books with similar covers: Book 1 - Over Sea, Under Stone, Susan Cooper - 22/01/24
39. Two books with similar covers: Book 2 - Greenwitch, Susan Cooper - 11/03/24

October
40. A book involving a wild animal or endangered species, in the content, title, or on the cover - Loot, Tania James - 28/05/24
41. A book with a chilling atmosphere - The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories, Angela Carter - 19/01/24
** 42. A book with a sound-related word in the title - Death Knells and Wedding Bells, Eva Gates - 05/04/24
** 43. A book by an Edgar Award-winning Author - All the Little Liars, Charlaine Harris - 12/02/24
** 44. A book with a touch of magic - The Night Circus, Erin Morgenstern - 30/01/24

November
45. A book that is not a novel - The Owl, Stephen Moss, 10/01/24
46. A book related to night - The Night Raven, Johan Rundberg - 12/03/24
47. A book with a two-word title beginning with THE - The Dispatcher, John Scalzi - 26/03/24
48. A second book that fits your favorite prompt: 52. A cozy mystery - Damsel in a Dress, Kirsten Weiss - 16/05/24

December
** 49. A book with a senior citizen character - Better Off Read, Nora Page - 11/01/24
50. A book posted in one of the ATY Best Book of the Month threads in 2023 or 2024 - The Bullet That Missed, RIchard Osman - 01/11/24
51. A book published in 2024 - All Out of Leeds, Kim M. Watt - 24/05/24
52. A cozy mystery - A Fatal Footnote, Margaret Loudon - 31/01/24

[Trish, Annular Mod]

By cover

THE 52 TOPICS OF THE 2024 ATY READING CHALLENGE

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[Trish, Annular Mod]

9. A book with fewer than 2024 ratings on Goodreads - A Pairing to Die For - ***

This had 514 ratings on GR the day I finished it (5 January). I'm almost surprise it doesn't have more as it's a cozy published by a major house, rather than self-published.

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45. A book that is not a novel - The Owl: A Biography - ****

This is a natural history book about the Owls of the United Kingdom (and Ireland, although there are fewer there). It's a fascinating study of these lovely birds.

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49. A book with a senior citizen character - Better Off Read - ***

The main character, Nora, is described as a "septuagenarian" in the GR write-up of the book, and the first line of the book specifies: "In all her seventy-five years..."

A decent cozy first in series.

Added to the TBR on 01/12/21.

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1. A book with a title that ends in A, T or Y - Forget Me Knot - **

I normally like cozy mysteries, but I didn't get on with this one at all.

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12. A book that has been on your TBR for over a year - The Cosmic Clues - ****

This has been on my TBR since 2014! A fun take on the female private investigator genre: the MC uses Vedic Astrology to assist in her cases.

Added to the TBR on 12/11/14.

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5. A book set in one of the 25 most beautiful cities in the world - The Shape of Dread - ****

Somehow I missed this out as I've slowly worked my way through the Sharon McCone series. Set in San Francisco, CA.

Added to the TBR on 27/10/16

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38. Two books with similar covers: Book 1 - Over Sea, Under Stone - ****

39. Two books with similar covers: Book 2 - Greenwitch - ****

,

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41. A book with a chilling atmosphere - The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories - ***

A particularly creepy and chilling collection of fairy tale retellings - or, at least, near tellings.

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3. A book that fits a suggestion that didn’t make the final list -
Grace Cries Uncle - ****

Fits poll two, bottom suggestion "book with more than 247 pages": the paperback has 293pg. The next one reading through a fun series.

Added to the TBR on 23/06/17

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15. A book whose author’s name includes one of the 4 least used letters in the alphabet (JQZX) - Long Story Short - ****

The author is Jodi Taylor. The second collection of St Mary's short stories.

Added to the TBR on 08/01/21

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** 44. A book with a touch of magic - The Night Circus - *****

A rare five-star book for me. It reminded me a lot of Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell.

Added to the TBR on 02/10/2015

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52. A cozy mystery - A Fatal Footnote - **

I enjoyed the first one in this series, which I read last year. Unfortunately, this one was completely spoiled by a rushed ending.

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35. A science or science fiction book - Sweep of the Blade - ***

Book #4 of the Innkeeper Chronicles (https://www.goodreads.com/series/1177...), this takes the story out into the wider universe, complete with space stations and assorted aliens.

Added to the TBR on 22/09/22

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10. A history or historical fiction book - Loch Down Abbey - ***

Set in 1933, although with elements drawn from the pandemic, as well as an unexplained death and a great deal of family infighting and pettiness.

Added to the TBR on 01/12/21

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43. A book by an Edgar Award-winning Author - All the Little Liars - ***

Somewhere on the border of cozy and procedural. Charlaine Harris won the Edgar Grand Master in 2021.

Added to the TBR on 03/04/17

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26. A book by an author known by their initials - Spouse on Haunted Hill - ***

Okay, so E.J. Copperman is a pseudonym, but that's still how this particular author is known for this series.

Added to the TBR on 03/10/17

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36. A book featuring a character in education - Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close - ***

Oskar, the main character, is only nine years old, and while most of the book is set outside school, there are a few references to events that happened in the classroom.

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7. A book with a pronoun in the title - Between the World and Me - ****

Disturbing and illuminating.

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24. A book with a secondary color on the cover (orange, green or purple) - A Treacherous Tale - ***

I see at least purple and green, and the book is arguably orange.

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46. A book related to night - The Night Raven - ****

A rather good YA targetted historical mystery. The Night connection is the title, plus the cover looks like it's at night.

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14. A book with a main character who is Black, Indigenous, or a Person of Color - Coyote Waits - ****

Both the MCs - Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee - are Navajo and members of the Tribal Police.

Added to the TBR on 11/02/18

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31. A book related to “Going for the Gold” - Aunt Dimity and the Heart of Gold - ****

Lots of gold in this one. Gold in the title. A gold heart on the cover - and the gold heart in question is important to the story, specifically who gave it to whom.



Added to the TBR on 10/06/20

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27. A book related to land - The Joy and Light Bus Company - ***

Mma Ramotswe's love of Botswana, both as a country, and as the physical land that makes it up, with it's deep red soil, has always been key in this series.

Added to the TBR on 24/04/22

28. A book related to sea

Liberty's Daughter - ****

Set on a "seastead" off the coast of California, and there's sea on the cover.


29. A book related to air - Death in the Clouds - ****

I do enjoy a good Agatha Christie, and it's a long time since I read this one. Related to air - the murder takes place in an aeroplane over the channel. Plus, clouds are in the air, and the wasp on the cover flies.

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8. A book by an author from Canada, Australia or New Zealand - Earthly Delights - ***

Kerry Greenwood (better known for the Phryne Fisher series) was born in Melbourne, Australia, which is also where the book is set.

Added to the TBR on 04/02/21

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4. A book related to something mentioned in the lyrics of What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong - La Vie: A Year In Rural France - *****

A rare five-star book for me. It fits this task really well, with Trees of Green and Skies of Blue (and maybe Clouds of White) on the cover, plus given it's location in rural south-west France, "The bright blessed day, The dark sacred night" pretty much comes as standard.


The whole book is about nature, farming and the wonderful world around the author's small farm. Utterly delightful.

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16. A book related to the phrase "It's Raining Cats and Dogs" - Big Little Spies - ***

Many cozy series have a cat or dog, or sometimes multiple of the, but the Paws and Claws books take that several steps further - a pet-friendly hotel (with dog and cat wings), in a pet-friendly town, where pretty much everyone has either a dog or cat, and they're mentioned at least every other page.

Plus, at least one cat, and many dogs on the cover.



Added to the TBR on 22/12/20.

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47. A book with a two-word title beginning with THE - The Dispatcher - ****

A cool little novella with an interesting premise.

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18. A book with a botanical cover - Hearing God in Poetry - ****

I don't read poetry often, but this combined poems, mini-biographies of the poets and meditative/spiritual elements as it was a book for Lent. Very readable, and it was interesting to learn about the various poets. Plus, it has a lovely botanical cover.

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42. A book with a sound-related word in the title - Death Knells and Wedding Bells - ***

A Knell is an onomatopoeia for the sound a Bell makes. Therefore, with both Knells and Bells in the title of this one, I figured it counted.

Added to the TBR on 16/11/22

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21. A book with a title containing 6+ words - The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian - *****

This was an unexpected surprise. I sat down to start it, and read it in one sitting. It paints a grim picture of reservation life, and yet it manages to be hopeful and funny at the same time. The MC goes through so much, but he makes it through, and I found I could respect him for that and for his strength of will to escape. Plus, the cartoons were really cool.

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2. A book connected to something you read in 2023 - Bookshops & Bonedust - ****

This is the prequel to Legends & Lattes, which I read last summer for the Hugo nominations. Whereas that one was about coffee, this one is about - unsurprisingly - books, and discovering the joy of reading.

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25. A book involving a crime other than a murder - The Black Tulip - ****

One of Dumas's less well-known (I believe) books, but as well as the 1672 version of lynching ("people's justice against traitors"), which probably counts as murder, it also has betrayal through jealously, accusations of treason and industrial espionage (after a fashion).

Most importanty, theft, however, is theft: to whit the theft of the eponymous Black Tulip from its creator and his true love, by a jealous tulip fancier who wants to pass it off as his own creation to win the 100,000 florin prize for creating such a flower.

Added to the TBR on 06/02/20

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37. A book that is part of a series - Morgue Drawer Next Door - ***

Part of the "Pascha" series. https://www.goodreads.com/series/8754....
I read book one way back in 2016, since when I'd apparently forgotten it.

Added to the TBR on 07/03/16

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48. A second book that fits your favorite prompt: 52. A cozy mystery - Damsel in a Dress - ****

#5 in the lighthearted Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum series, complete with ghost detecting cat and a double murder.

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51. A book published in 2024 - All Out of Leeds - *****

First published 3 May 2024. This is a companion, more formal Urban Fantasy, series to the same author's Beaufort Scales cozy mysteries (with dragons). I really liked DI Adams in those books, so I'm glad the author has given her a spin-off series of her own.

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40. A book involving a wild animal or endangered species, in the content, title, or on the cover - Loot - ****


Tiger on the cover. Also, this book starts off in the Seringapatam of Tipu Sultan, who called himself the Tiger of Mysore, and is about the making of the automaton known as Tippoo's Tiger, which is currently in the V&A Museum in London (https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/tipus-...). A couple of actual tigers in cages are mentioned as well.

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17. A book involving intelligence - Slow Horses - ****

The first in the series that inspired the Apple TV show of the same name, about a group of MI5 agents who've sunk their careers for various reasons. Very enjoyable.

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20. A book with a single word title - Linghun - ****

A thought provoking novella about death, loss and letting go.

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13. A book that is on a Five Books List; reader’s choice of which list - The Red Scholar's Wake - ***

Found on the 2023 Arthur C. Clarke list on the fivebooks site:
https://fivebooks.com/best-books/best...

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6. A book with wings on the cover - Some Desperate Glory - ***

The cover has the stylised wings of the Winged Victory on it.


A study of fascism, radicalisation and misogyny, couched in a Space Opera cover. I found the first half hard going, but the second half was a definite improvement.

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34. A book related to the name of one of Snow White's seven dwarfs - Happy Place - **

A bit of a disappointment, but at least it works for Happy.

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33. A book involving travel - The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi - ****

The title character is a sea captain and former pirate, and the book is set sailing and travelling around a fantasy version of the Middle East.

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11. A book with an X connection - The Xibalba Murders - ****

An entertaining archaeological romp. The X is not only for the word in the title, but because Xibalba is important throughout the book as the Mayan Underworld.

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23. A book related to Boats, Beaches, Bars, Ballads, or Jimmy Buffett - Topped Chef - ***



Well, three out of five ain't bad:
Boats - check. One on the cover and the MC lives on a houseboat
Beaches - check. One on the cover.
Bars - check. Booze on the cover, at least, plus the MC visits various bars as she's a food and drink critic.

Added to the TBR on 20/08/20

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50. A book posted in one of the ATY Best Book of the Month threads in 2023 or 2024 - The Bullet That Missed - ****

Listed on page 1 of the 2024 list at #88.

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19. A book connected in some way to any of the flavors of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream - Cherry Pies & Deadly Lies - **

The book is centred around cherries and cherry orchards, and the MC's family dry cherries, among other things. B&J's Cherry Garcia uses dried cherries, and shares the word Cherry with the book title.

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30. A book set in a country bordering the Mediterranean Sea - A Man's Head - ****

Unlike some of the Maigret books, this one is set entirely in Paris, France and its environs. France borders the Med.

Added to the TBR on 13/01/17

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32. A book with a number in the title - The Twelve Topsy-Turvy, Very Messy Days of Christmas - ****

Fun, silly and just the book for the Christmas season, although I suspect it was Tad Safran that wrote it, and James Patterson just put his name on it to give it a boost.

Added to the TBR on 17/12/22