Around the Year in 52 Books discussion

Welcome to your team for this week's read-a-thon Group Bingo Challenge. This thread is totally yours, so feel free to take time to learn more about the members of your team, discuss books and activities for the read-a-thon, and to plan your strategy for tackling the challenge.

Your goal is to complete most of the categories on the Bingo card (we'll be super impressed if you get them all!) by working with the members of your team. Some squares are a team effort (with a maximum per member contribution indicated between the brackets), others can be done individually to help push your team closer to their goal. Pay attention to the Bingo card. Matching colors can't be overlapped with one another. Black and yellow squares can overlap with any of the other squares.

We recommend you come together, as a team, and pick some team captains to help do re-caps and keep track of what your team is working on and what progress you've made. Mods will be exempt from this role.

As a team member, it will be your job to check in with your team as you start and complete tasks to make sure everyone is on the same page.

Team Ghost Roster:
Zaz
Rachel
Katie
Silvia
Perri
Samantha
Anastasia
Michelle
Kathryn
Aline

Bingo Card

Hi Team, I have three books picked out so far for the challenge: The Expatriates, Sourdough, and The Thing Around Your Neck. I am going to try to find something to fit week 52 for the ATY Challenge and I would also like to read The Address. If there is a spot on the Bingo board that needs to be met I am open to finding something to read that will fit the missing square.

B1 - Read a new book (not on TBR) –
B2- Read 3 Short Stories or Novellas –The Thing Around Your Neck book of short stories
B3 - Read a book published 10+ years ago –
B4 - Read a Book with an Article in the Title –The Expatriates
B5 - Read 5 books for the ATY Challenge – 3 of my books are for the challenge

I1 - Read Outside for 6 Hours – Looks like we are going to have rain for most of the week but I could go outside and read on my porch until I get cold – so willing to commit to an hour.
I2 - Read 3 YA, middle grade, or children's books -
I3 - Read the Rainbow – Blue (Sourdough) and Yellowish (The Thing Around Your Neck)
I4 - A character eats – I imagine that this will happen in all my books butSourdough is bread so a good guess that there will be some eating
I5 - 5 members read for one straight hour – Will do this for sure!

N1 - Read a nonfiction book –
N2 - Finish 10 Books – I will complete 2 books
N3 - Add 5 books to a map or timeline – I am not really familiar with this but it sounds easy enough
N4 - Finish a book or story in one sitting – Could happen
N5 - A character travels (leaves original location) – I think this will happen in The Expatriates

G1 - Read 4,000 pages – I should be able to complete 600 pages
G2 - 2+ characters fight –
G3 - Read a poem – I could read a poem
G4 - Complete Every Read-a-Thon Game – I will being doing as many as I can. Last time I couldn’t do them all because my books didn’t fit a prompt but I would have if I could have.
G5 - Read a Book in a Series -

O1 - Every team member recommends a book to the team – I am going to recommend The Flood Girls. I really enjoyed it and it is lesser known so want to give it a shout out.
O2 - Strategize with Your Group –
O3 - Read 2 Graphic Novels or Manga – I don’t currently have anything picked for this but thinking about looking for one to read.
O4 - Listen to 30 hours of audiobook – I should be able to do 6 hours
O5 - Read 2 Books by a Person of Color – Two of my books fit this

Looking forward to getting started!

Hello Bootiful team!

Hi there, I'm looking forward to do the bingo with all of you :)

Last year I was in a team where someone created a spreadsheet for the bingo. I think it was a good idea and it was very convenient to see what was completed and what still needed to be done. Here the link: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...
If someone wants to create a new one for this year, it would be nice (but we can work on the card in other ways of course).

I'll have a busy week, but I'll participate as much as I can. I'll work on at least:
- B5 AtY RC
- I2 children book
- I5 1 hour
- N2 complete 1 book (or more)
- G1 total pages
- O3 graphic novel/manga
- O4 audiobook

For the moment, I am planning to read
B2: A novella Memories of My Melancholy Whores
I2 A children book or YA . I have not decided which one, I am deciding between The Last Unicorn (Children) and The Whispering Skull (Middlegrade)
O3 - PLEASE, PLEASE let me read one of the graphic novel, I have been saving this huge manga for the read-a-thon All You Need Is Kill
I5 - Definitely I will read for at least one straight hour
N3 - I will be definitely adding 1 book to the map and timeline

I will be checking was else I can add.

I am not sure if the the manga I will be reading has a purple or blue cover....

Let me know which one, because it can work for the rainbow too (Rainbow can overlap with the other squares).

Oh, and we need to post more comments, there is square that we can win just reaching 175 comments ... or 178, I am not sure, I need new glasses :(

Who is the captain?
Who is going to keep track of the points?

I can help with the audio book hrs and reading outside. I may also be able to read a book not on TBR. Daughter just picked up a book blind date at the library she wants me to read.

For me, it's blue :)

I can help with reading outside but I don't listen to audiobooks. For sure I'll be reading a NF and an ATY.

I can definitely help with YA, since I have several of those sitting in my pile from the library.

Do we need to complete the entire book for it to count?

It depends the square, for example read 1h/ listen 6h can be parts of books, while "read a non fiction" is for a finished book.

Thanks Zazz

I'm so lucky the readathon falls this week, when I have 2 and a half days off work! I always tend to overestimate how much I'll be able to read when I have the whole day ahead of me though, so the read-a-thon might be a good motivator to stay on track.

Hi everyone!
For this week, I'm going to be listening to Bitter Harvest on audiobook, in addition to reading Masque of the Red Death and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Parts One and Two. Also, I've been reading The Refugees for my book published in 2017, which is an anthology of short stories, and 101 Great American Poems as by book by more than one author.
I will try to do the following:

B1 - Read a new book (not on TBR) – Bitter Harvest
B2- Read 3 Short Stories or Novellas - I'll read a story from The Refugees
B5 - Read 5 books for the ATY Challenge Masque of the Red Death is for the challenge

I1 - Read Outside for 6 Hours-I live somewhere with beautiful weather so I'm happy to do an hour of reading outside

I2 - Read 3 YA, middle grade, or children's books - Masque of the Red Death is a YA book

I3 - Read the Rainbow - Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Parts One and Two has a yellow cover

I5 - 5 members read for one straight hour--I'll make sure to do this

N2 - Finish 10 Books -- My goal is to complete at least 3 this week, so hopefully I'll do at least 2. ;P

N3 - Add 5 books to a map or timeline--I can do this


N4 - Finish a book or story in one sitting--I definitely can finish my short story in one sitting.

G3 - Read a poem – I'll definitely read at least one poem (if not more) this week.

O4 - Listen to 30 hours of audiobook – I'll try to do 6 hours. I listen to books in the car on the way to and from work (30 mins each way) so I will likely get at least 5 hours. Then I can try to fill in an additional hour.

What's our plan for keeping track of what still needs to be done? I remember last year it got a little confusing.

We need someone to volunteer to be a team captain and take on the challenge of keeping track of everything. Who is up for it? I say the first person to volunteer to do the tracking gets the job.

Hello team! I've yet to pick out my books so I'm open to adjust based on which categories we need to do. I have quite a lot of books on my bookshelf that I haven't read yet. I can help out in these areas and more as needed.

B3 - Read a book published 10+ years ago - I usually read Classics so I can pick one.
I5 - 5 members read for one straight hour - I can do this.
N1 - Read a nonfiction book - Most people seem to stray away from nonfiction so I can volunteer to do this.
N3 - Add 5 books to a map or timeline - I can do this
N4 - Finish a book or story in one sitting - I can find a short book and do this too.

O3 - Read 2 Graphic Novels or Manga – I can read Saga.
O4 - Listen to 30 hours of audiobook – I also listen to an audiobook on my commute to work so I can do this.

I will also take the template from the old spreadsheet that Zaz shared and modify it for us.

Here is the spreadsheet! We can track our progress here!

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...

Michelle! thanks :)

Woohoo, we have a leader. Thanks Michelle!

Silvia wrote: "I am not sure if the the manga I will be reading has a purple or blue cover....

Let me know which one, because it can work for the rainbow too (Rainbow can..."

It looks like it could work for both Blue and Indigo. Right now I'll put it under Indigo because we already have a blue book planned.

Michelle wrote: "Here is the spreadsheet! We can track our progress here!

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/..."

So just to clarify -- we enter things ourselves wherever we think it fits?

Rachel wrote: "Michelle wrote: "Here is the spreadsheet! We can track our progress here!

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/..."

So just to clarify ..."

Yes that seems to be so. You can add books to the squares that fit and also track your progress (pages, audible minutes etc)

Thanks for the spreadsheet Michelle :)

My AtY book works for the old publication, so I can do this one (it also has a yellow cover, so we have a back up for the rainbow if needed).

Rachel > yes, everyone can update her stuff but we can also update for someone else if needed (like if you post on your phone, I suppose it's more complicated).

Hello!
I don't know how much time I'll have to read this week, but I'll do my best :)

The only book I plan to read next week is On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, but otherwise I can adjust to what categories are needed.
I can contribute to these:

B2: could read a short story
B5: A book for the ATY challenge: I don't know which one yet
I1: It's already pretty cold here, but maybe I can do 1 hour of reading outside
I3: YA, middle grade, children's book: Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters
I5: Definitely going to read for one hour straight sometime
N2: finish 10 books (2 per member)
G1: 4000 pages (600 per member)
G3: One Poem: I have a poetry book of Keats I started
C5: book by a person of color: Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body

If someone else has a ya, children or middle grade book, Percy Jackson could also be put in the 'a book in a series' (G5) categorie.

I don't listen to audiobooks, so I can't help torwards this goal

I know!!! About the I1! It's so cold here too that reading outside doesn't sound so enticing, but I guess I can take a couple of warm blankets and try to read outside for a while... I'll see

Same for me, but not just cold, it's also raining. It should improve later this week, so maybe I'll have the possibility to read a little outside.

Silvia wrote: "I know!!! About the I1! It's so cold here too that reading outside doesn't sound so enticing, but I guess I can take a couple of warm blankets and try to read outside for a while... I'll see"

I'll take blankets too and something warm to drink like tea or coffee. Making it cozy so it'll be manageable :D
Actually I think it'll be nice, because I never read outside except when it's warm in the summertime.

I can definitely cover reading outside. It is warm here and I am trying my dog to stay in a canoe for a few hours, usually with book in hand.

Still sunny and nice here-my preference is to read outside on my glider!
Going to start Better: A Surgeon's Notes on Performance which could be NF or a book by a person of color. Do we fill in now or when we're done?

Perri I started adding mine in already.

I have been on a total nonfiction kick, so I will definitely read a nonfiction book this week if you want to count yours as a book by a person of color, Perri.

I'm currently in the middle of The Sun Is Also a Star and my characters have already eaten and had a fight, so I guess we can count this for whichever is more difficult to find.

Rachel you could add it under each one. Then remove it later if something else comes up.
It would be a place holder of sorts.

Perri, have you read Atwul's book Being Mortal. It is really good.

Anastasia I read it and thought it was fabulous! My real life Book Club is reading it, and I rarely reread so thought I'd give this a try, and into the first chapt it's quite good. He's a natural storyteller. Also a week from Monday he'll be live-streaming from Boston and we'll have a hook-up here to listen!

Okay, shall we tackle O1 and give each other recommendations?

I have a fiction and a nonfiction recommendation.

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
This is a YA book about a girl who watches her friend get killed by a cop and how that changes her life. This book is very relevant to current events. I loved it for its relevance, but also because the characterization is amazing, and the characters are so funny.

Grocery: The Buying and Selling of Food in America by Michael Ruhlman
I love nonfiction, and I love when I can read books about things I don't even realize I'm curious about. From this book I learned that there is so much more to grocery stores than I ever would have imagined.

I was going to ask just now which method should we use to give the recommendation ! :D

Here are my recommendations:

The Scorpio Races
This is especially for those who love fantasy with a touch of romance. I fell in love with the characters, a strong girl capable of everything for her family and a brave and quiet boy who loves his horse, and I fell in love with the mystery of the wild and dangerous water horses.

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
I am not a fan of non-fiction, but I enjoyed this one very much. A book full of techniques of writing in the middle of the story of King's own experiences. Wonderful!

Thanks for your recommendations! My TBR just got longer...

I read a lot of nonfiction and there were two that I've read this year that I thought were outstanding. I guess these both would fall into the category of narrative nonfiction but they cover very different topics.

Just Kids by Patti Smith
This is an autobiographical book by musician Patti Smith (who is also an amazing writer). I got sucked into the music scene in 1960s and 1970s New York City. This would definitely qualify as a coming of age story (I think we have one on our challenge for next year).

Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson
Stevenson is a lawyer who fights for the poor in the South. He focuses mainly about one case that he first took when he was newly out of law school defending a man who was sentenced to death for a murder he didn't commit.

I just finished this yesterday a NF about a harsh chapter in U.S. history

and quirky and original

I finished with my graphic novel : All You Need Is Kill

There were 428 pages (although in GoodReads says 550, but not in my edition), should I count them even is is just a graphic novel? ... I mean it's much easier to read so many pages from a graphic novel than from a regular book.

As I understand, there are some squares that can overlap, but I don't know if there is a maximum numbers of overlapping.

If not: although this graphic novel is already taking for the rainbow, there is a full scene were the main characters are eating and another where they are fighting. Can I just write the name of the book on the squares or are there others conditions that I am not taking in account?

Please, just let me know, so I can update my progress. Thanks :)

Silvia > yes you can overall the eat/fight and graphic novel but maybe you want to let some stuff for other members :p
I don't know how I'll count the mangas/GN, probably not in the page count.

Finished a manga and Terabitha (10+ old, AtY).

Great recommendations - I have added a few to my TBR.

Perri thank you are recommending Lincoln in the Bardo it certainly sounds quirky! I am not much for ghost stories so thinking this might be my pick for the ghost book in next years challenge.

I am about half way through The Expatriates, this is written by a person of color, it has had travel, and I read for an hour straight.

I recommend The Forgetting Time. I picked it up this year for the prompt requiring a book that was recommended by one of my favourite authors, and it was definitely worth it! The book is about a child who seems to have memories from a past life. It was very interesting.

Rachel. love that rec and adding it.

The Killers of the Flower Moon has a map and so does the new ATW book I just started The Chilbury Ladies' Choir. I love when I see them inside the cover but it's often not the big thing like Tolkien.

I added to the orange with the Chilbury book but messed it up. It's mostly orange, but not sure it's enuf anway

I'm about halfway through David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants which will work for nonfiction.

A book I would recommend is The Housekeeper and the Professor. Even though it is a very short book, I found it profound and I connected very well with the characters. It's translated form Japanese and the writing is simple, yet beautiful.

What a great idea to add separate sheets to the spreadsheet for each person. I just copied Katie's to post my numbers.

It looks like we need a book in a series we need to fill?

If there are enough Graphic novels, I can move mine to a book in a series because its Saga Vol 4.

Also, we need to start keeping track of our participation in other readathon games.