Around the Year in 52 Books discussion

ANA'S 2021 LIST LIST*

*In my language, saying something twice indicates that it's not serious. So this "list list" is just planning for fun since it's still so early that I'm sure I won't be following it come 2021.

Bold and with rating means done reading.

Status: 31/52
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✓ 1. A book related to “In the Beginning...”
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari - 5 stars!

✓ 2. A book by an author whose name doesn't contain the letters A, T or Y
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee - 3.75 stars

✓ 3. A book related to the lyrics for the song "My Favorite Things" from The Sound of Music
Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, Her Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed by Lori Gottlieb - 4 stars

✓ 4. A book with a monochromatic cover
In the Woods by Tana French - 3.5 stars

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✓ 5. A book by an author on USA Today's list of 100 Black Novelists You Should Read
We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - 3.5 stars
The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin

✓ 6. A love story
An Offer From a Gentleman by Julia Quinn - 3.5 stars
The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion

✓ 7. A book that fits a prompt suggestion that didn't make the final list
"A book related to money" - Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki - 4 stars
"A book from a must-read list with a cover you're not attracted to" - Botchan by Natsume Sōseki - DNF

✓ 8. A book set in a state, province, or country you have never visited
It's in His Kiss by Julia Quinn - 3 stars
The Switch by Beth O'Leary

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✓ 9. A book you associate with a specific season or time of year
Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn - 3 stars
Beach Read by Emily Henry

✓ 10. A book with a female villain or criminal
Romancing Mister Bridgerton by Julia Quinn - 3.5 stars
The Reader by Bernhard Schlink

✓ 11. A book to celebrate The Grand Egyptian Museum
The Empire of Gold by SA Chakraborty - 5 stars
A Cafe on the Nile by Bartle Bull

✓ 12. A book eligible for the Warwick Prize for Women in Translation
A Girl Returned by Donatella Di Pietrantonio - 4 stars

✓ 13. A book written by an author of one of your best reads of 2020
Akata Warrior by Nnedi Okorafor - 4 stars

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✓ 14. A book set in a made-up place
The Midnight Libraryby Matt Haig - 4 stars
The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

15. A book that features siblings as the main characters - (Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo - DNF)

16. A book with a building in the title - Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

✓ 17. A book with a Muslim character or author
The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty - 4.25 stars

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✓ 18. 3 books related to "Past, Present, Future" - Book 1 -
Meeting Sarah by Andy Weir - 3.5 stars
Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders

19. 3 books related to "Past, Present, Future" - Book 2 - On the Come Up by Angie Thomas

20. 3 books related to "Past, Present, Future" - Book 3 - Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler

21. A book whose title and author both contain the letter "u"
The Personal MBA: Master the Art of Business by Josh Kaufman
Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

22. A book posted in one of the ATY Best Book of the Month threads - Anxious People by Fredrik Backman

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23. A cross genre novel - Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
24. A book about racism or race relations - Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid
25. A book set on an island - The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren
26. A short book (<210 pages) by a new-to-you author - Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto

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✓ 27. A book with a character who can be found in a deck of cards
The Kingdom of Copper by S.A. Chakraborty - 5 stars

✓ 28. A book connected to ice
The Mirror Season by Anna-Marie McLemore - 4 stars

29. A book that you consider comfort reading
On the Edge by Ilona Andrews
A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers

30. A long book - The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

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31. A book by an author whose career spanned more than 21 years - American Gods by Neil Gaiman

32. A book whose cover shows more than 2 people

✓ 33. A collection of short stories, essays, or poetry
The Bridgertons: Happily Ever After by Julia Quinn - 3 stars
Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri

✓ 34. A book with a travel theme
People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry - 4 stars
A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

35. A book set in a country on or below the Tropic of Cancer - Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah

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36. A book with six or more words in the title - My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry by Fredrik Backman
37. A book from the Are You Well Read in World Literature list - Sophie's World by Jostein Gaarder

✓ 38. A book related to a word given by a random word generator - "dive"
The Kingdom of Copper by S.A. Chakraborty - 5 stars

✓ 39. A book involving an immigrant
The Hidden Palace by Helene Wecker - 4 stars
Miracle Creek by Angie Kim

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✓ 40. A book with flowers or greenery on the cover
On the Way to the Wedding by Julia Quinn - 3 stars

41. A book by a new-to-you BIPOC author

✓ 42. A mystery or thriller
The One by John Marrs - 2.5 stars

✓ 43. A book with elements of magic
The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune - 4 stars

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44. A book whose title contains a negative
Men Without Women by Haruki Murakami

✓ 45. A book related to a codeword from the NATO Phonetic Alphabet - Papa
To Sir Phillip, With Love by Julia Quinn - 3.5 stars

46. A winner or nominee from the 2020 Goodreads Choice Awards

✓ 47. A non-fiction book other than biography, autobiography or memoir
Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert B. Cialdini - 5 stars

✓ 48. A book that might cause someone to react “You read what?!?”
When He Was Wicked by Julia Quinn - 3.5 stars

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49. A book with an ensemble cast

✓ 50. A book published in 2021
Killing Dragons by Kristie Clark - 3 stars

✓ 51. A book whose title refers to person(s) without giving their name
The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julia Quinn - 3.5 stars

✓ 52. A book related to "the end"
Girls, At Play by Celeste Ng - 3.5 stars
Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World by Haruki Murakami

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SIDE READS
Annie's Day by Andy Weir - 3.5 stars
The Real Deal by Andy Weir - 4 stars

Other goals and stats and things

NONFICTION:
1. Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion
2. Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind
3. We Should All Be Feminists
4. Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, Her Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed
5. Rich Dad, Poor Dad
6. The world after coronavirus
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
TOTAL: 6 out of 12

PHYSICAL BOOKS:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
TOTAL: 0 out of 5

PUBLISHED IN 2020-2021:
1. The House in the Cerulean Sea
2. The Mirror Season
3. Killing Dragons
4. The Empire of Gold
5. The Hidden Palace
6. People We Meet on Vacation
7. The Midnight Library
8. Eyes that Kiss in the Corners
9. The world after coronavirus
10.
11.
12.
TOTAL: 9 out of 12
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TBR start of the year: 657
TBR end of the year: 664 it grew again!

These are the books I finished per month:

JANUARY



Bridgerton fever because of the Netflix series! I love Eloise, but I think I'm more like Francesca. I couldn't stand reading the first book, but all the rest were alright.

FEBRUARY



So I finally completed the Bridgerton series and can now more on to other books!
I read Akata Witch last year and read the second book in the series this month, but I thought the first book was better. I still enjoyed the second book and will still read more books from this author.

MARCH



- I finished my first non-fiction for the year. I should step it up since I plan to read at least 12 non-fictions this year!
- I read another book right after watching a Netflix series of the same name. Dash & Lily is a cute read, just like the show.
- 2 DNFs this month: The Kindest Lie by Nancy Johnson and Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead by Brené Brown

APRIL



- I've heard a lot of good things about The House in the Cerulean Sea and I'm glad I read it! It's adorable.
- The One - another reading choice because of watching the Netflix series and wanting more. Lol. Ugh, the Netflix version is so much better.
- The Mirror Season was...wow, made me think. It was a little intense. It reminded me of Thirteen Reasons Why.

MAY



- I am loving The Daevabad Trilogy! Djinn, daevas, and healers oh my. I'm still currently reading the third one in the series though. So far the second book is the best. The third is a little slow for me, or I feel less invested in the characters compared to when they were in the second book.
- Killing Dragons is an ARC (my very first one) so it's not published yet, but I enjoyed it. It was fun, like Jaws and Jurassic Park.

JUNE



- Sapiens is amazing. AMAZING!
- We Should All Be Feminists, a nice short book to let me catch up on my reading challenge
- Finally finished the Daevabad Trilogy that I started reading last month. What a wonderful, magical, trilogy that was. 10 out of 10 would recommend.
- Annie's Day, a 3-page short story because I'm still behind in my 2021 challenge! Plus Andy Weir is such a good author.

JULY



- Maybe You Should Talk to Someone is funny and interesting. But then I'm always interested in psychology books.
- The Real Deal, another Weir short story that's really good!
- Girls, At Play is another short story, this time by Celeste Ng. It's so good but sad... I think I'll end up reading lots of short stories this year to achieve my reading challenge.
- Pachinko, a pretty good family saga.
- Ilona Andrews is my comfort read.

AUGUST



- This month was for authors I've read before and loved, but I chose their works that are not as great as the works that I loved them for... Andy Weir and Helene Wecker

SEPTEMBER



- In the Woods - I've heard a lot of great things. It started out amazing but the end was a little...idk.

OCTOBER

- This was all I managed to read this month, a 195-page book. And it's a reread at that. Lol. I guess I'm having one of those months... Anyway, this was a good reread. I first read this when I think I was in high school, so I didn't really feel the urgency of needing money back then. But now that I'm a working adult, this book is a lot more relatable.

NOVEMBER

- Only one book again this month. People We Meet on Vacation is a cute rom-com book. I really liked it! For people looking for something light and cute, this is a great book. And it won the Goodreads Choice Awards too.
- Had a DNF this month: Botchan by Natsume Sōseki.

DECEMBER

- A Girl Returned is a book in translation from Italian. It's short book quite good. It's a little sad, but has a hopeful ending.
- Have 2 DNFs so far: Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo and Broken by Jenny Lawson
- The Midnight Library is nice, but I not as good as I expected.
- Utopia, Lol was terrible for me...
- "Meeting Sarah" is short and cute.
- The last 2 stories that I kind of just forced myself to finish because I needed to reach my reading challenge goal were not that great...

Links and stuff....


Read-a-thon Winter 2021 Tracking
My 2022 ATY Challenge

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2021 Review
I have not read as many books as I wanted this year. I blame Netflix and Youtube Premium! Lol... Maybe it's also growing older... Like I feel like I should be reading more nonfiction or serious books, but of course those take more time to finish compared to light reads. My Reading Challenge says I read 40 books but 12 of those were short stories. This year, 2022, I want to actually read full-length books and that's why I scaled my challenge down to 36 books instead. (But I might increase it if I get my reading groove back.)