Around the Year in 52 Books discussion

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Weekly Topics 2026 > 52. A book related to the name of one of Santa's reindeer

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message 1: by Emily, Conterminous Mod (last edited Oct 19, 2025 11:09AM) (new)

Emily Bourque (emilyardoin) | 11303 comments Mod
You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen,
Comet and Cupid and Donder and Blitzen,
But do you recall,
The most famous reindeer of all?

This week, you are finding a book related to one of Santa's reindeer! You can make the connection however you'd like - as creative or straightforward as you want to make the connection!

ATY Listopia: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/2...

Which reindeer did you pick, and how does it connect to the book you read?


message 3: by Angie (new)

Angie | 139 comments Cupid --> Love --> Romance

So I'll probably do some kind of Romance. It's not a genre a read a lot, so I thought maybe I'd try to stretch my boundaries a bit. Maybe something by Jane Austen.


message 5: by Pam (new)

Pam (bluegrasspam) | 3903 comments I plan to read either The Comet Seekers or Thunderstruck.


message 6: by Jenny (new)

Jenny Williams (jenniferw88) | 11 comments The Water Dancer!


message 8: by Marie (new)

Marie | 1119 comments I really struggled with this one, I considered Thunder in the title, Lightning on the cover, tried to find authors and characters called Rudoph, Rudolf and Rudy, researched books about dancers, and got nowhere until I was looking at a different prompt.

I've had Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells gathering dust on my bookshelf for over 10 years, so it almost found a home as a book I've wanted to read for a long time, but then I read the blurb - When Siddalee Walker, oldest daughter of Vivi Abbott Walker, Ya-Ya extraordinaire, is interviewed in the New York Times about a hit play she's directed, her mother gets described as a "tap-dancing child abuser." and that's enough of a Dancer for me to happily fill this prompt :)


message 9: by Karen (last edited Oct 23, 2025 09:14AM) (new)

Karen Witzler (kewitzler) | 11 comments Vixen = a fox The Fox by D.H. Lawrence also a Boxall 1001 title. Reynard the Fox by Anne Louise Avery

Dancer - Dances by Nicole Cuffy Carol Shields Prize longlist or Renoir's Dancer: The Secret Life of Suzanne Valadon by Catherine Hewitt


message 10: by Pamela, Arciform Mod (new)

Pamela | 2663 comments Mod
The Dancer might finally be my prompt to read They're Going to Love You. Or a book about the Blitz.


Can I make a request-- when you add a book to the listopia, please put a note if it's not terribly apparent?


message 11: by Dixie (last edited Oct 23, 2025 07:39AM) (new)

Dixie (dixietenny) | 1497 comments Pamela wrote: "Can I make a request-- when you add a book to the listopia, please put a note i..."

AGREED, and this applies to every prompt where there are multiple parts or options (blood sweat tears, takes place in a public building, Clue character occupation, etc. - we have a lot of multi option prompts this time around!), unless it is screamingly obvious (red green blue cover). It's frustrating to see that a book you want to read is on a Listopia but, since you haven't read it yet, you have no idea why.


message 12: by Sarah (new)

Sarah (sarahtrehern) | 5 comments The Cupid Chronicles

I'm going to go with this one!


message 13: by Denise (new)

Denise | 578 comments Not my favorite prompt, but these two books overlap my TBR and the Listopia:

Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard
What I Talk About When I Talk About Running

If I read a romance though I'll slot it here


message 14: by Dixie (new)

Dixie (dixietenny) | 1497 comments Denise wrote: "Not my favorite prompt, but these two books overlap my TBR and the Listopia:

Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard
What I Talk About When I Talk About Running

If I read a r..."


AHHHHHHH Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard is a book I absolutely love! I picked it up after reading a NYT review correction (yes, not the review, I never saw that, but just the correction) that was so weird and intriguing that I wanted to see what book they were talking about (it included the line, "We erroneously identified a character as Sampath. He is actually named Sampath".) Since then I've given it to multiple people and reread it several times. I'm curious which reindeer you would be using it for? I'm sure there are some that fit, they just aren't coming to mind at the moment.


message 15: by Denise (last edited Oct 24, 2025 11:01PM) (new)

Denise | 578 comments Dixie wrote: "Denise wrote: "Not my favorite prompt, but these two books overlap my TBR and the Listopia:

Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard
What I Talk About When I Talk About Running..."


Someone left a note on the Listopia connecting it to Rudolph as "an outsider" and based on the description of the book it seems Sampath was a bit of an underachiever who eventually comes to be respected which also fits the Rudolph narrative

You have me excited to read it even if it doesn't end up here. I just fond it in a used bookstore 2-3 weeks ago and was attracted by the odd title, then the cover, then I saw it was by an author I like. Sounds like it will be worth the $1 I spent on it


message 16: by Dixie (new)

Dixie (dixietenny) | 1497 comments Denise wrote: "Dixie wrote: "Denise wrote: "Not my favorite prompt, but these two books overlap my TBR and the Listopia:

Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard
[book:What I Talk About When I Talk About Ru..."


Yes, that makes perfect sense, Sampath is definitely an outsider who ends up doing ... surprising things. I hope you read it and enjoy it as much as I did. If you do, contact me and I'll reveal the entire NYT review correction that drove me to find and read the book in the first place. It's hilarious, but includes a major spoiler (thankfully I didn't realize that until after I finished the book).


message 17: by Donna (new)

Donna (drspoon) | 89 comments I’m planning to read:

The Indifferent Stars Above: The Harrowing Saga of a Donner Party Bride

I’m sure it will be a harrowing read, based on what I know of the Donned party, but It’s on my shelf and I like to pop in nonfiction for the challenge when I can.


message 19: by Charlsa (new)

Charlsa (cjbookjunkie) | 728 comments I was so excited about this prompt, and yet I spent more time looking for a book that would fit than I did on any other prompt.

I was going to read The Frozen People by Elly Griffiths, but I want to read it this year. Instead, I am going with Fox & I by Catherine Raven.


message 20: by Misty (new)


message 21: by Martha☀ (new)

Martha☀ | 71 comments Misty wrote: "I'm going with dancer: The Sleepwalker's Guide to Dancing by Mira Jacob"

Me too, Misty. Although Dancing in the Mosque: An Afghan Mother's Letter to Her Son is calling to me from my TBR


message 22: by Dixie (new)

Dixie (dixietenny) | 1497 comments Martha☀ wrote: "Misty wrote: "I'm going with dancer: The Sleepwalker's Guide to Dancing by Mira Jacob"

Me too, Misty. Although [book:Dancing in the Mosque: An Afghan Mother's Lett..."


I read Sleepwalker's Guide a couple of years ago and really enjoyed it.


message 23: by Ron (new)

Ron | 24 comments Found my pick in the science section at a bookstore, which is perfect since I wanted to read more science next year anyway:

Comet Madness

Comet Madness by Richard J. Goodrich


message 24: by Misty (new)

Misty | 1632 comments Martha☀ wrote: "Me too, Misty. Although Dancing in the Mosque: An Afghan Mother's Letter to Her Son is calling to me from my TBR"

OMG - I was practically bawling just reading the description! I want to read it, but I might have to wait for a while. I'm not sure I can handle it any time soon. Wow. Heavy - heartbreaking.

Dixie - I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it! It sounds really good.


message 25: by Barbara (last edited Nov 23, 2025 07:19PM) (new)

Barbara (soulflame1) | 170 comments Vixen (a female fox): The Fox Wife by Yangsze Choo


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