Around the Year in 52 Books discussion

I was doing great, but have fallen a week behind while on vacation and unable to access the internet to download my library loans. I should be able to catch up next week. The book I’m just starting for the 1000 books list, Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China, is a long one though!

Chrissy, I noticed you were a bit behind... for a while, you were finishing books just before I was on the spreadsheet!

I read The Bluest Eye for the 1001 list... it was amazing and also only 200 pages lol

I have fallen behind too. Couldn't find a book for "something borrowed". Have an idea what I want to read for "something blue" but haven't started it yet, not totally in the mood.

I'm feeling kind of smug at the moment - I'm on week 30, so a bit ahead, and I've read in almost perfect order, with just a little overlap reading weeks 27 & 28 at the same time (still started and finished in order).

But looming on the horizon, like a brick wall I'm about to hit, I've got almost 800 pages of epic fantasy in the form of Shadowmarch in a couple of weeks, so that'll wipe the smile off my face and use that buffer I've built up.

Marie wrote: "I'm feeling kind of smug at the moment - I'm on week 30, so a bit ahead, and I've read in almost perfect order, with just a little overlap reading weeks 27 & 28 at the same time (still started and ..."

I feel the EXACT SAME WAY Marie... I'm on #28, so not quite as far ahead, but that 500+ page book will definitely hit me hard.

I'm doing well and will be starting week #28 book tomorrow.

I'm more or less on track and was doing well with the order, but my library has tripped me up - I am way down on the hold list for both the something new prompt (hoping to read either Queenie or The River by Peter Heller for this one) which is what I get for interpreting "new" as just released I guess. And also for something blue (The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek - again just out and way down on the list).

So I had to skip ahead and read The Cold Cold Ground for related to cold (jumped ahead for that since it had to go back to the library), and reading Veronika Decides to Die for the 1001 list, since it was sitting on my shelf. Hopefully it will all sort itself out in the next few weeks (I am stalking my library site to see if I can get some of the books on express read but so far no luck).

I am still reading in order. I was feeling so good before June, I was ahead. Didn't get to do a lot of reading so now I am just on track. I would of liked to stay ahead.

I confess!
I read a book out of order... my only defense is that the book fit another prompt that I was struggling to come up with a book for.

I read Big Little Lies for week 38 - Not written in a traditional format. The book is a mix of regular chapters and sections that are written in interview format.

Okay. Getting back into it. Still behind. Just completed #28. There is stuff I am obligated to read before the end of the month because of Hugo voting so looks like #29 and #30 are going to roll over into August. 🙃

Lauren, I really thought about putting Frankenstein in for the monstrous character prompt, even though I read it with my students back in April. You aren't alone!

Cendaquenta, I'll probably end up pushing #30 to August as well.

I am FOR REAL struggling with this earlier than 1950 prompt. I picked A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, which is good, but so. very. long. I'll read for an hour and feel like I made zero progress. At least I know I'll catch up with the children's book and The Little Prince.

Emily wrote: "I am FOR REAL struggling with this earlier than 1950 prompt"

Thanks, Emily!

I always fall back on my favorite Agatha Christie books for these really early publication prompts. I love a good classic, but so many of them are so out-dated and long ....

I caught up! I've had a few off-list books recently that are slowing down my AtY progress though, including an 880 page one that in retrospect I should have held off on for a few weeks to use it for the over 500 page prompt. Oh well!

Emily - A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is such a wonderful book! I've read it multiple times, most recently in audiobook. The narrator was good, so maybe mixing in audio would help you speed things up as you commute, do chores, etc.

Lauren wrote: "Emily wrote: "I am FOR REAL struggling with this earlier than 1950 prompt"

Thanks, Emily!

I always fall back on my favorite Agatha Christie books for these really early publication prompts. I lov..."

That's what I did for the before 1950 prompt too - I tried reading Brideshead Revisited first, since I had in on my bookshelf, but I just could NOT get into it. So I read Crooked House by Agatha Christie, which is not one I had read before (back in my uni days when I seemed to read a lot of older books), and to my surprise, I really quite enjoyed it. Not to mention it was quick.

I am almost caught up - just finishing up Something Blue from a ways back (reading Becoming) because I was waiting for it from the library. Only 75 pages left and then I am good for #30 - think I am reading Celine by by Peter Heller for that one.

I have my 40 Before 40 list I'm trying to work through, so I know if I go off-list with this prompt, I'll never pick up another one to replace it. Plus I've read all the Agatha Christie on my list already haha!

Errlee, isn't Becoming so good?! I had to read it as a side read because of library holds, but I just loved it.

Emily wrote: "I have my 40 Before 40 list I'm trying to work through, so I know if I go off-list with this prompt, I'll never pick up another one to replace it. Plus I've read all the Agatha Christie on my list ..."

I am enjoying it so much more than I thought I would! For some reason I was resisting reading it (I get like that when books get so hyped up sometimes) but I am glad I finally picked it up - I know she intentionally wrote it that way, but I can't get over how relatable she is and how surreal the whole experience must have been.

How is everybody going with only a few weeks to go? I have fallen behind and probably won't complete as I have so many very long books to go. I have almost completed The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende - my copy has 491 pages. This is for #45 - a multigenerational saga. My next is Margaret Atwood's The Testaments which also has more than 400 pages. I still also have one book club and 11 Popsugar books to go... no way!

I’ve got 5 books to finish, including 3 I currently have on the go, so I’m going to be able to finish this challenge. I haven’t read as much this year as the previous year and I hope next year will be better!

I'm three books ahead on my goal of reading 100 books this year, but I'm one book behind on ATY. I'm hoping that my next two reads (Brooklyn for multi-generational and The Couple Next Door for black cover) will be quick reads and I can get back on track!

I've read up to week 46 not including. Will probably read 46 and 47 this week.

I will probably not finish. The last two months have been virtually no reading--a big move and a major surgery for the hubby. I am now far enough behind to doubt catching up. I think this is a drawback from reading in order because I could have finished months ago if I had been reading randomly. Impossible to know what life will throw at you!

I was lucky enough to finish a couple of week ago, and read them all in order.

I only have 2 to go! I did have at least one that didn't fit the prompt that well, but I used it anyway because of reading in order and I didn't want to figure out another one and had already started listening to my next one while reading the one that didn't really fit.

I took the "reading in order" too seriously and wouldn't start the book until the correct week began. Next year I might read in order, but I will pace it differently. Congrats to all of you who have finished or are about to.

Sara, I was definitely saved by my over-reading early in the year to get ahead on ATY. I would be WAY FAR BEHIND if I hadn't done that.

I actually really enjoyed (am enjoying) reading in order. I thought it was a good way to stretch the challenge out across the year and keep myself from saving the prompts I dreaded until the end.

I don't think I'm going to do it again next year, just because I want to switch it up, but I'm going to be pulling my prompts from a jar. I don't know if I could go back to just reading and assigning books to random prompts again.

I've been reading month to month. I fell way behind in September but spent October and November catching up so now I'm working on finishing up the last few books.

I just finished 49, currently working on 48 and 50 and I have 51 picked out for later this week. So I just have to find something for 52. My goal is to finish before December.

I'm still going in order and I just finished week 47 last night, so I'm running slightly ahead on the timing, which I prefer - I like to have a little buffer so I don't risk getting behind if I have something long or that drags on a bit, but I don't want to get so far ahead that I finish early and have to resist starting on next year's books, which are currently sitting on their own shelf, looking very tempting.

I have the same problem, Marie. I've had to go and take books out of my plan for 2020 because I ended up reading them in the last month lol. They are just calling my name!

Emily wrote: "Sara, I was definitely saved by my over-reading early in the year to get ahead on ATY. I would be WAY FAR BEHIND if I hadn't done that.

I actually really enjoyed (am enjoying) reading in order. I ..."

I also liked reading in order and not just cherry picking the ones that were the easiest first and leaving all the harder ones to the end. I will probably read in order next year but just allow myself to read at whatever pace fits instead of trying to make it one a week. I am still trying to finish this year's list--haven't entirely given up. Even if I am still reading into January, I will go until I have completed.

2020 will be my first year doing the challenge and this thread has been helpful in giving me an idea of what to expect!

I'm going to approach the challenge with a goal of reading in order, but will be doing it month to month, instead of week to week. Because I'll be getting all the books from the library I'll be dealing with availability/Holds, and that will be a factor in what books I read, when. I have a plan to either drive to a couple different branches that are close enough, or putting the needed holds, 1 week prior to the start of the new month (I already have this written on my calendar, for all of next year LOL).

This should mean I have most of the books on hand at the start of each month. My library system recently removed their strict 3 week check out policy/fines system, so as long as it's not a new, express book I can keep books a bit longer if need be and not be penalized.

My library did the same thing, ZeeJane, and I love it! Our check outs are for 2 weeks, but we have a three week grace period before fines kick in. It's really helped me wrap up those books that seem to take a bit longer. Of course, my library is also really good about holds, and I rarely have to wait (Becoming and Crazy Rich Asians were my two longest waiting periods, at a few weeks each), so I found that relying on the library for reading in order wasn't too bad.

Emily wrote: "My library did the same thing, ZeeJane, and I love it! Our check outs are for 2 weeks, but we have a three week grace period before fines kick in. It's really helped me wrap up those books that see..."

Between me and the 3 kids we had constant overdue fines, we were always hitting the $10 limit and then they'd lock out my card, so frustrating! I guess they changed it because people would get over their heads in overdue fines and then stop coming to the library, keeping the books in the process.

Sounds like many more books are being returned now, since they've removed the fine system :) They do send out reminder emails at 3 weeks and then again at 5 weeks, and then after that they do add some sort of charge, but you also can renew in that time as well, as long as it's not a new, express book or one that has a hold on it.

AND, the super nice thing is they removed everyone's fines when they made the switch, unless it was from a lost or damaged book (yup, have one of those on my card too sigh.... lol). Love our library system so much, the employers are like family :)

My library has a new system that sends emails when a book is coming due our when a hold is ready. It has saved my wallet a few times now.

ZeeJane wrote: "2020 will be my first year doing the challenge and this thread has been helpful in giving me an idea of what to expect!

I'm going to approach the challenge with a goal of reading in order, but wi..."

Wow you sound so organized. I will do a better job of managing this next year. Live and learn. I like your idea of taking it in a one month block vs. weekly.

Every year I learn something that helps me make my plan that bit better, run smoother, be more enjoyable.

Just today I've realised I maybe should put off finalising my plan until Amazon have done their Black Friday sale - I've managed to get two books I've been waiting on for ages for 99p each, but I won't be able to read them until 2021 unless I change my plan :(

My library just got rid of fines for paper books! They also auto renew if nobody is waiting for them. Supercool. I will be a week behind soon, because I am on a work trip and couldn’t fit my hardcover book for this week in the luggage. Shouldn’t be too hard to get caught up over Thanksgiving week though. I’ve really enjoyed reading in order by week, and will probably do it again next year. I do my other challenges in random order which gives me space for some mood reading.

I am back on track now and will complete this challenge, but won't finish my Popsugar one. I have mostly been reading week by week all year and fitting the Popsugar and book club reads in between, but have read several extra long books this year which put me behind. I plan to read in order again next year (it will be my 3rd year) - most of my books are ones I already own as I have a charity shop habit, and although I read more than 100 books each year, I still have an ever-increasing physical TBR - currently at 226 books!

I finished two books today (one physical, one audio), and so now I'm only one book behind. I have a few easy books on the lineup so hopefully I can get ahead before the Christmas holidays hit!

Checking in on my Reading in Order friends... With one week left of the year, how are y'all fairing?

I am currently 1 book behind. I still have three to go to complete the challenge, and I cheated a bit (for the first time!) and read my journey book before the Far East prompt.

I'm fairly certain I'll complete the challenge, but it will definitely be down to the wire!

Same with me, Monkiecat. I have finished the challenge, but the last two months of books were read in willy-nilly order. My husband had an operation and we made a major move...I feel lucky just to have finished. Hope your daughter is doing well now.

I have fallen entirely off the wagon and am not going to complete the challenge 🙃

I managed to mostly read in order throughout the challenge. There were a couple of prompts read out of order due to library books coming in.

I still have the Far East Asia book to read and I'm halfway through the final prompt - A weird or intriguing title. I should definitely be done before the end of the year :)

I will definitely finish, but still have the last one to complete. I did read mostly in order each week, except for one major exception - the book #16 (told from multiple perspectives) which I started on 8 April (on time) but didn't finish until 22 December! It was a mammoth 618 pages, and really needed to be consumed in small bites. Also #23 (something old) was a 526 page version of The Odyssey, which took me 3 weeks, and I read several other books during that time. I do find that this challenge encourages me to read books that I would otherwise put off, and that's why I like it. Congratulations to all, however you have managed!

I am on track for AtY in order! But I won’t finish popsugar and might not make it to my revised total number goal of 140. I really liked doing it in order, one book a week, because it meant less decision fatigue for me. And since I was reading other things at the same time, I could still do some mood reading too. Best of both worlds, and I’ll do something similar in 2020.

I finished a few days ago - the first time I've managed to read perfectly in order. It's very satisfying :) I already know I won't read 100% in order next year, as I've got a couple of books in a series that are in the wrong order on my plan, so it was nice to do it this year.

Aaaaand I just finished the ATY challenge! 🎉 I could have finished it faaar earlier, but I've been in the biggest reading rut for months, I'm very glad I finished with only 4 days to spare haha

And I just found a 150 pages book to get me through to the 1st of January. Can't wait to crack open my jar! 😁

I have one book left for the AtY challenge. However I fell off the reading in order bandwagon during the summer. It was just too hard with library books on hold so I left it completely.

I finished today!

Ah, Chrissy, congrats! We’ve been so close the whole challenge (I’ve been snooping on your spreadsheet column) but you pulled ahead in the end!

It was fun having a neighbor also reading in order, Emily!