Emily’s Comments (group member since Jan 04, 2017)

Emily’s comments from the Around the Year in 52 Books group.

This is the first poll that I didn't upvote any of the winners, and one of the two was in my bottom (only the second time that's happened all year).

But I'm glad it's done and done lol

OUTSIDE CHALLENGES


BOOK OF THE MONTH
JANUARY: Interesting Facts about Space by Emily R. Austin; The Fury by Alex Michaelides
FEBRUARY: The Fox Wife by Yangsze Choo; Family Family by Laurie Frankel; The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard by Natasha Lester
MARCH: Anita de Monte Laughs Last by Xóchitl González; Murder Road by Simone St. James; None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell
APRIL: The Husbands by Holly Gramazio; Ruthless Vows by Rebecca Ross
MAY: The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley
JUNE: Margo's Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thrope; Jackpot Summer by Elyssa Friedland
JULY: The God of the Woods by Liz Moore; Bear by Julia Phillips
AUGUST:
SEPTEMBER:
OCTOBER:
NOVEMBER:
DECEMBER:

A NOVEL BUNCH BOOK CLUB
✔️ JANUARY: Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes
✔️ FEBRUARY: The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride
✔️ MARCH: The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon
✔️ APRIL: Men We Reaped by Jesmyn Ward
✔️ MAY: Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll
✔️ JUNE: Skye Falling by Mia McKenzie
✔️ JULY: Funny Story by Emily Henry
✔️ AUGUST: The Echo of Old Books by Barbara Davis
✔️ SEPTEMBER: The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty
✔️ OCTOBER: Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage
✔️ NOVEMBER: Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
✔️ DECEMBER: Holiday Rom-Com

12 BOOKS FROM 12 FRIENDS
✔️ Big Swiss by Jen Beagin
Cleopatra and Frankenstein by Coco Mellors
✔️ Counting the Cost by Jill Duggar
✔️ Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross
✔️ Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
✔️ None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell
✔️ Starling House by Alix E. Harrow
✔️ A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid
✔️ Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
The Vibrant Years by Sonali Dev
✔️ The Woman in Me by Britney Spears
✔️ The Women by Kristin Hannah

TBR CHALLENGE
The Atomic City Girls by Janet Beard
✔️ Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
✔️ Carrie Soto Is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Everyone Brave Is Forgiven by Chris Cleave
The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers
✔️ I'm Not Dying with You Tonight by Kimberly Jones
✔️ Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy
On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
✔️ The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict
✔️ Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward
We Were the Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter
What the Fireflies Knew by Kai Harris

TOURNAMENT OF BOOKS
✔️ American Mermaid by Julia Langbein
✔️ Big Swiss by Jen Beagin
✔️ Blackouts by Justin Torres
✔️ Boys Weekend by Mattie Lubchansky
Brainwyrms by Alison Rumfitt
✔️ Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
Cold People by Tom Rob Smith
✔️ Dayswork by Chris Bachelder
✔️ The Guest by Emma Cline
✔️ The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride
The Lost Journals of Sacajewea by Debra Magpie Earling
✔️ Monstrilio by Gerardo Sámano Córdova
✔️ Open Throat by Henry Hoke
✔️ The Shamshine Blind by Paz Pardo
✔️ What You Are Looking For Is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama
✔️ The Auburn Conference by Tom Piazza
The Bee Sting by Paul Murray
✔️ The Librarianist by Patrick deWitt

2024 PROGRESS POST


1. A book with a title that ends in A, T or Y
✔️ The Hanging City by Charlie N. Holmberg

2. A book connected to something you read in 2023
✔️ Big Swiss by Jen Beagin
Tournament of Books Shortlist

3. A book that fits a suggestion that didn’t make the final list
✔️ Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
A winner or nominee from the 2023 Goodreads Choice Awards

4. A book related to something mentioned in the lyrics of What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong
✔️ What You Are Looking For Is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama

5. A book set in one of the 25 most beautiful cities in the world
✔️ The Shamshine Blind by Paz Pardo
San Francisco

6. A book with wings on the cover
✔️ How You Grow Wings by Rimma Onoseta


7. A book with a pronoun in the title
✔️ I'm Not Dying with You Tonight by Kimberly Jones and Gilly Segal

8. A book by an author from Canada, Australia or New Zealand
✔️ The Librarianist by Patrick deWitt
Canada

9. A book with fewer than 2024 ratings on Goodreads
✔️ The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard by Natasha Lester
1210 Ratings

10. A history or historical fiction book
✔️ The Phoenix Crown by Kate Quinn and Jamie Chang

11. A book with an X connection
✔️ Murder Road by Simone St. James

12. A book that has been on your TBR for over a year
✔️ Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse
40 Before 40 List

13. A book that is on a Five Books List; reader’s choice of which list
✔️ All Systems Red by Martha Wells
Humorous Fantasy Novels

14. A book with a main character who is Black, Indigenous, or a Person of Color
✔️ Binti by Nnedi Okorafor

15. A book whose author’s name includes one of the 4 least used letters in the alphabet (JQZX)
✔️ Anita de Monte Laughs Last by Xóchitl González

16. A book related to the phrase "It's Raining Cats and Dogs"
✔️ Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward
Dog character, hurricane

17. A book involving intelligence
✔️ Annie Bot by Sierra Greer
Artificial Intelligence

18. A book with a botanical cover
✔️ The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer


19. A book connected in some way to any of the flavors of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream
✔️ Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll
Americone Dream

20. A book with a single word title
✔️ Vicious by V.E. Schwab

21. A book with a title containing 6+ words
✔️ Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto

22. A book by an author from an African country
✔️ Love in Colour: Mythical Tales from Around the World, Retold by Bolu Babalola

23. A book related to Boats, Beaches, Bars, Ballads, or Jimmy Buffett
✔️ Husbands & Lovers by by Beatriz Williams

24. A book with a secondary color on the cover (orange, green or purple)
✔️ The Suite Spot by Trish Doller


25. A book involving a crime other than a murder
✔️They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera
Assualt

26. A book by an author known by their initials
✔️ Vengeful by V.E. Schwab

27. A book related to land
✔️The God of the Woods by Liz Moore

28. A book related to sea
✔️ There Are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak

29. A book related to air
✔️ Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy

30. A book set in a country bordering the Mediterranean Sea
✔️ Our Last Days in Barcelona by Chanel Cleeton

31. A book related to “Going for the Gold”
✔️ The Briar Club by Kate Quinn


32. A book with a number in the title
✔️ 56 Days by Catherine Ryan Howard

33. A book involving travel
✔️ Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros

34. A book related to the name of one of Snow White's seven dwarfs
✔️ The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty
Doc = Protagonist is a Healer

35. A science or science fiction book
✔️ What Happened To You?: Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing by Bruce D. Perry & Oprah Winfrey

36. A book featuring a character in education
✔️ The Wedding People by Alison Espach
Protagonist was Professor

37. A book that is part of a series
✔️ The Kingdom of Copper by S.A. Chakraborty

38. Two books with similar covers: Book 1
✔️ One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig

39. Two books with similar covers: Book 2
✔️ Two Twisted Crowns by Rachel Gillig

40. A book involving a wild animal or endangered species, in the content, title, or on the cover
The Fox Wife by Yangsze Choo

41. A book with a chilling atmosphere
✔️ Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage

42. A book with a sound-related word in the title
✔️ I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

43. A book by an Edgar Award-winning Author
✔️ Happiness Falls by Angie Kim

44. A book with a touch of magic
✔️ Starling House by Alix E. Harrow

45. A book that is not a novel
✔️ The Honeymoon Crashers by Christina Lauren
Novella

46. A book related to night
✔️ A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid

47. A book with a two-word title beginning with THE
✔️ The Sirens by Emilia Hart

48. A second book that fits your favorite prompt
✔️Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
Prompt that didn't make it in - GR Choice Awards

49. A book with a senior citizen character
✔️ The Vibrant Years by Sonali Dev

50. A book posted in one of the ATY Best Book of the Month threads in 2023 or 2024
✔️ Good Material by Dolly Alderton

51. A book published in 2024
✔️ The History of Sound by Ben Shattuck

52. A cozy mystery

2024 BOOKS BY RATING


FIVE STARS
Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
Counting the Cost by Jill Duggar
Two Twisted Crowns by Rachel Gillig
The Many Lives of Mama Love: A Memoir of Lying, Stealing, Writing, and Healing by Lara Love Hardin
Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez
The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune
Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
Boys Weekend by Mattie Lubchansky
The God of the Woods by Liz Moore
When the World Tips Over by Jandy Nelson
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
The Briar Club by Kate Quinn
This Could Be Us by Kennedy Ryan
The History of Sound by Ben Shattuck
Margo's Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe
Thicker than Water: A Memoir by Kerry Washington


4.5 STARS
What You Are Looking For Is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama
Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree
The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty
The Empire of Gold by S.A. Chakraborty
The Fox Wife by Yangsze Choo
The Echo of Old Books by Barbara Davis
The Vibrant Years by Sonali Dev
You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi
Anita de Monte Laughs Last by Xóchitl González
The Sirens by Emilia Hart
Open Throat by Henry Hoke
I'm Not Dying with You Tonight by Kimberly Jones and Gilly Segal
Happiness Falls by Angie Kim
The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard by Natasha Lester
Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy
Hey, Hun: Sales, Sisterhood, Supremacy, and the Other Lies Behind Multilevel Marketing by Emily Lynn Paulson
The Phoenix Crown by Kate Quinn and Jamie Chang
A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid
Ruthless Vows by Rebecca Ross
There Are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak
They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera
All Systems Red by Martha Wells
Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros


FOUR STARS
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
Our Last Days in Barcelona by Chanel Cleeton
James by Percival Everett
The Husbands by Holly Gramazio
Annie Bot by Sierra Greer
Starling House by Alix E. Harrow
Funny Story by Emily Henry
The Hanging City by Charlie N. Holmberg
56 Days by Catherine Ryan Howard
None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell
The Honeymoon Crashers by Christina Lauren
The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon
Spitting Gold by Carmella Lowkis
Skye Falling by Mia McKenzie
The Small and the Mighty by Sharon McMahon
Buried Deep and Other Stories by Naomi Novik
The Shamshine Blind by Paz Pardo
The Auburn Conference by Tom Piazza
The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose
Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross
Vicious by V.E. Schwab
Calypso by David Sedaris
The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer
The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion
Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto
Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera
Blackouts by Justin Torres
Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward
Husbands & Lovers by by Beatriz Williams
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros


3.5 STARS
Good Material by Dolly Alderton
Love in Colour: Mythical Tales from Around the World, Retold by Bolu Babalola
Big Swiss by Jen Beagin
The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict
Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice by Elle Cosimano
The Librarianist by Patrick deWitt
The Wedding People by Alison Espach
One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig
One-Star Romance by Laura Hankin
Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll
A Separate Peace by John Knowles
Dinner for Vampires: Life on a Cult TV Show by Bethany Joy Lenz
How You Grow Wings by Rimma Onoseta
Carrie Soto Is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Men We Reaped by Jesmyn Ward
Nothing Is Missing: A Memoir of Living Boldly by Nicole Walters
Husbands & Lovers by by Beatriz Williams


THREE STARS
Interesting Facts about Space by Emily R. Austin
The Kingdom of Copper by S.A. Chakraborty
A Spindle Splintered by Alix E. Harrow
Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
The Booklover's Library by Madeline Martin
Binti by Nnedi Okorafor
What Happened To You?: Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing by Bruce D. Perry & Oprah Winfrey
Murder Road by Simone St. James
Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage
Vengeful by V.E. Schwab


2.5 STARS
The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley
Run by Blake Crouch
The Suite Spot by Trish Doller
The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride
The First to Die at the End by Adam Silvera


2 STARS
How to End a Love Story by Yulin Kuang
The Woman in Me by Britney Spears


DNF
The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty
Thin Girls by Diana Clarke
The Women by Kristin Hannah
Prickly Company by Kitty Johnson
Come and Get It by Kiley Reid
The Rosie Effect by Graeme Simsion

COVER COLLAGE

I'm aiming to read in list order and ignore all of my plans again this year!

2023: Read however I want (and had a baby!)
2022: Read in list order
2021: Read however I want, completed the challenge twice
2020: Pulled prompts from a jar randomly and read in that order
2019: Read in list order
2018: Read however I want
2017: First attempt, just get it done!

Also:
My 40 Before 40 List: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Tracking Spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...

CURRENT COUNT
Total Books Read: 104
ATY: 49/52

40 Before 40: 4/4

BIPOC: 12/12
LGBTQIA+: 12/12
Nonfiction: 12/12

Final list is posted! Let the planning begin!

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

October 9: The final list of prompts for our 2024 Reading Challenge has been posted!

Go check out the final list and begin creating your plans here:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Results are posted for Poll 17! And that's the end of our journey!

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

AND THAT'S A WRAP! We have our 2024 list, folks!

Top:
A book involving a wild animal or endangered species, in the content, title, or on the cover
A book involving travel

Bottom:
A book known to have a great last line
A book that helps you reflect or recharge
A book suggested by the phrase “Summertime Blues”
A cultural book

Close Call:
A book that is an Audie award winner or nominee (read in any format)

Polarizing:
A book connected to one of the 24 letters of the Greek alphabet

Listopias:
A book involving a wild animal or endangered species, in the content, title, or on the cover
A book involving travel

Mod Note: We will begin working on our Weekly Threads and 2024 organizational things tomorrow! I will likely have the final list order posted tonight, with planning folders opening as soon as the final list order is posted. Weekly threads will go up over the next few weeks, likely out of order, so just bear with us as we work through those... we want to make sure we provide lots of resources for y'all to work with.

Thank you all so much for participating in this process every year! I can't wait to see what 2024 brings us!

Welcome!

It's best if you create your own plan (using "create a new topic" and choosing "2024 Plans" for the folder) so you can keep track of your progress and share your choices with the other members. If you need help finding ideas, you can have a look at the weekly topics, which will be posted shortly.

You can read in order or jump around, but keep this order in your plan, since this makes it easier for others to find a prompt and gain inspiration.

If you can't complete the challenge, it's not a problem. If one topic is too far out of your comfort zone or too difficult to fulfill, you can use a "Wild Card" and read something else for this week (reader's choice or past suggestions).

This listed is loosely sorted by months.

THE 52 TOPICS OF THE 2024 ATY READING CHALLENGE

1. A book with a title that ends in A, T or Y
2. A book connected to something you read in 2023
3. A book that fits a suggestion that didn’t make the final list
4. A book related to something mentioned in the lyrics of What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong
5. A book set in one of the 25 most beautiful cities in the world

6. A book with wings on the cover
7. A book with a pronoun in the title
8. A book by an author from Canada, Australia or New Zealand
9. A book with fewer than 2024 ratings on Goodreads

10. A history or historical fiction book
11. A book with an X connection
12. A book that has been on your TBR for over a year
13. A book that is on a Five Books List; reader’s choice of which list

14. A book with a main character who is Black, Indigenous, or a Person of Color
15. A book whose author’s name includes one of the 4 least used letters in the alphabet (JQZX)
16. A book related to the phrase "It's Raining Cats and Dogs"
17. A book involving intelligence

18. A book with a botanical cover
19. A book connected in some way to any of the flavors of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream
20. A book with a single word title
21. A book with a title containing 6+ words
22. A book by an author from an African country

23. A book related to Boats, Beaches, Bars, Ballads, or Jimmy Buffett
24. A book with a secondary color on the cover (orange, green or purple)
25. A book involving a crime other than a murder
26. A book by an author known by their initials

27. A book related to land
28. A book related to sea
29. A book related to air
30. A book set in a country bordering the Mediterranean Sea
31. A book related to “Going for the Gold”

32. A book with a number in the title
33. A book involving travel
34. A book related to the name of one of Snow White's seven dwarfs
35. A science or science fiction book

36. A book featuring a character in education
37. A book that is part of a series
38. Two books with similar covers: Book 1
39. Two books with similar covers: Book 2

40. A book involving a wild animal or endangered species, in the content, title, or on the cover
41. A book with a chilling atmosphere
42. A book with a sound-related word in the title
43. A book by an Edgar Award-winning Author
44. A book with a touch of magic

45. A book that is not a novel
46. A book related to night
47. A book with a two-word title beginning with THE
48. A second book that fits your favorite prompt

49. A book with a senior citizen character
50. A book posted in one of the ATY Best Book of the Month threads in 2023 or 2024
51. A book published in 2024
52. A cozy mystery

This list was suggested, voted on, and chosen by ATY group members.

NancyJ wrote: "Emily, did you get any votes this time without a name? I had a strange feeling that I submitted my ballot too soon as I was getting ready to go out of town.

So I just voted to be on the safe side..."

None without a name (it's a required response so you couldn't submit without putting a name), but the only vote I have from you is the one you just submitted.

I was looking at the rejects tab on the community spreadsheet, and I realized that I upvoted exactly 52 prompts that did not make the final list.

I was thinking about reading in order next year, because otherwise I finish the challenge in June and then am bored the rest of the year, but now I'm considering just reading in whatever order and using a rejects challenge to fill the remaining spots. Hm.

I know we had information about the wild card somewhere at some point... it must have gotten thrown out when we restructured the threads. I'll have to make a point to add it back in when we update the group in January!

Bea wrote: "I realized last night that I have not read in order as much as I thought I did. When a book was not available, I had to go on until it was. And, my poor owned book got left behind while I worked on..."

Next year's list will likely be posted on Tuesday after these final prompts are revealed. I have the list mostly put together... just need to see the final results before I can place the last few.

I have trouble timing books... some books I expect to read quickly end up lasting forever, and some I expect to take a few days get read in a weekend. When I read in order the first time, I just... read in order. I ended up finishing in the summer, because I'd just pick up the next book for the next prompt.

Last time I read in order, I stuck to the month each prompt was in, so I'd plan 4-5 ATY books for the month then read side reads for the rest of the month. Which was great until I got pregnant... then I started speeding up so I could finish before I had the baby in November.

I'm thinking next year I'm going to stick mostly to the month, only allowing myself to get ahead one or two books. I finished this year in June and I hate feeling aimless with my reading... like I don't know what to pick up next. So I'm going to stretch ATY for the full year to help with that.

I'm much more likely to stretttttchhhhhh a prompt rather than use a wild card. If I'm having trouble, I'll slot in a book that may only barely qualify, but is close enough rather than pulling the wild card.

Sameeeee. I kept checking threads over and over expecting to see new posts.

Psst: We will not have a poll 18.

I read Gold when we had an athlete (or maybe Olympics?) prompt a few years ago and it was excellent. I didn't expect to like it as much as I did.

Also adding Carrie Soto Is Back to the list of books about athletes that's not about sports.