Around the Year in 52 Books discussion

And here we are, at the end of our list. I hope that, if you've read in order or saved this one for last, you've had a great reading challenge year and are excited for the year ahead.

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Suggestions:

End in the title: Listopia of Books with 'End', 'Last', 'Lost', or 'Final' in the Title
The end of civilization: Top 10 Books About the End of the World
The end of a series: 35 Completed Book Series to Binge
Check the last sentence: Listopia of Books with the Title in the Last Sentence of the Book
The end of life: 50 Books About Death

ATY Group Listopia

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Optional Questions:
1. What are you reading for this category?
2. How does this relate to "the end"?
3. What is a book you'd recommend for this prompt?

For 2021, I'm making a point to read the duologies, trilogies, and tetralogies I own to clear off some space on my shelves. For this prompt, I'm going to read the last book of the Crusades trilogy, which also has "the End" in the title: The Kingdom at the End of the Road by Jan Guillou.

If I finish the challenge early, I might also read John Dies at the End or The Last Four Days of Paddy Buckley at the end of the year.

I like to read books about death, and if you're taking the prompt in that direction I can recommend Knocking on Heaven's Door: The Path to a Better Way of Death and From Here to Eternity: Traveling the World to Find the Good Death.

I want to finish the Inheritance Trilogy and Kristin Lavransdatter trilogy next year, but I also have The Last Days of Night in my TBR.

I have Last Woman Standing planned for this, but I've been wanting to re-read The Ocean at the End of the Lane. I may also use it for the last book in a series, I'm currently on book 4 of the Lying Game series so could use it for that.

I joined Alicia's very creative and excellent beginning/end prompt plan, so I'll be reading The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee: Native America from 1890 to the Present for this prompt, showing the "end" of the story "begun" in Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West.

I've a couple ideas:

The Last Garden in England by Julia Kelly (to go with The Garden of Small Beginnings by Abbi Waxman for "In the Beginning...")

One Day in December by Josie Silver (to go with The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow for #1)

I might have to read these one after the other otherwise I won't stick with them.

Sam wrote: "I joined Alicia's very creative and excellent beginning/end prompt plan, so I'll be reading The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee: Native America from 1890 to the Present for this prompt, s..."

Yes, everyone join us! We can have some great discussions at the end of next year.

I initially picked The Sentence is Death for this one. Then I realised I also had a copy of The End of Everything sitting on my shelf as well. That seemed more final and fitting for the prompt so I went with that one. Plus I LOVE Megan Abbott's books, so it seemed wise.

1. What are you reading for this category?
When Breath Becomes Air
2. How does this relate to "the end"?
It's a memoir about dying
3. What is a book you'd recommend for this prompt?
Books that deal with loss to some extent - Sea Wife, Saint X, The Great Believers

I'm doing a big Tolkien read/reread, so I'm planning The Return of the King. It relates to "the end" because it's the third and final part of The Lord of the Rings.

I found End of the Spear by Steve Saint on my tbr list, and it fits perfectly with this prompt, so I'm tentatively slotting it in.

The Last by James Patterson

According to the Community Spreadsheet, I'm the only person (so far) who has finished this prompt for the first of the year ha!

1. What are you reading for this category?
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

2. How does this relate to "the end"?
Focuses on what happens at the end of someone's life, especially when that person may want to keep living.

3. What is a book you'd recommend for this prompt?
Finish a series you started, you slacker! (Me. I'm the slacker who starts new series instead of finishing the ones I've already begun.)

Emily wrote: "According to the Community Spreadsheet, I'm the only person (so far) who has finished this prompt for the first of the year ha!

1. What are you reading for this category?
[book:The Midnight Librar..."

I did this too (my first book of the year for the last week? Sigh!) . It's such an obsessive read- you fly right through it.

And I agree- finish a series. Or read a book about someone who dies. Isn't that the topic of like every John Green book?

1. What are you reading for this category? The Great Divorce
2. How does this relate to "the end"? At first glance, the title suggests the end of a marriage. However, the book itself is set in the 'afterlife' and suggests the end of selfishness during one's life. (At least, that's what I took from it.)
3. What is a book you'd recommend for this prompt?

Would it be too much of a stretch to read a horror novel where lots of people die?

I chose to read The Last Battle for this prompt for several reasons. First, the book contains "Last" in the title. Second, The book is the last book in a series. And Third: The book is literally about the end of a world. An additional book I would recommend for this prompt is Sacrifice of the Heart by Gary Darby. (end of a series, final battle, etc).

Thomas wrote: "Would it be too much of a stretch to read a horror novel where lots of people die?"

I am not a moderator, but is seems like a lot of people dying would definitely be considered an end. In my opinion, it would count.

1. What are you reading for this category? The End of Oz
2. How does this relate to "the end"? It is in the title and also the last book in the series.
3. What is a book you'd recommend for this prompt? The only thing I could come up with were books at the end of a series. Also books that have the end in the title or written on the last page of the book.

Robin Williams: When the Laughter Stops 1951 - 2014
I completed this biography of the exceptional actor and comedian, Robin Williams. It's called "When the Laughter Stops". It fits with this prompt as it tells of his life right up to the tragic "end" when he committed suicide. It made me feel really sad, that we lost such a genius way too soon.

1. What are you reading for this category?
It All Falls Down by Denise Grover Swank

2. How does this relate to "the end"?
This book the end of a fairly long series

3. What is a book you'd recommend for this prompt?
I'd recommend this entire series because I loved it from the beginning until the end.

1. What are you reading for this category?
Any Way the Wind Blows
2. How does this relate to "the end"?
From the summary:
In the original Tor.com story Any Way the Wind Blows, New York Times bestselling author Seanan McGuire presents a sweet tribute to Manhattan's iconic Flatiron building--celebrating the longtime home of Tor Books as the publisher bids farewell for new office space.
3. What is a book you'd recommend for this prompt?
Was fun, and a quick read.

1. I am reading 'a banquet of consequences' by Elizabeth George.
2. this relates to the end as consequences are an end result.
3. I can recommend 'Me before You' by Jojo Moyes.

1. What are you reading for this category?
Fire in His Blood Ruby Dixon
2. How does this relate to "the end"?
Is related to the end when dragons come to Earth and is the end of normal life.
3. What is a book you'd recommend for this prompt?
They Both Die at the End

1. What are you reading for this category?
I read They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera

2. How does this relate to "the end"?
The two main characters, Mateo and Rufus, both die at the end of the book

3. What is a book you'd recommend for this prompt?
Honestly, I'd finish any series that you've started but not finished yet! (Looking at myself...)

1. What are you reading for this category?: Tokyo Ueno Station
2. How does this relate to "the end"?: Narrated by a man that recently died and still hangs around the park where he lived homeless.
3. What is a book you'd recommend for this prompt?: The Book Thief It's narrated by death.

1. What are you reading for this category?
I read Gerald Elias's Spring Break.

2. How does this relate to "the end"?
It is hopefully the last book in the series. (It is a far cry from the well-written first few.)

What are you reading for this category?
I read Tether's End by Margery Allingham

How does this relate to "the end"?
The 'end' is in the title

I wasn't sure how I wanted to approach this prompt, but I just read Tommysaurus Rex, and it feels right to use here. Though the death it deals with is animal rather than human, death and grief is still a huge part of the story.

Recommendations:
Spindle's End
Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend
Joy at the End of The Tether: The Inscrutable Wisdom of Ecclesiastes

1. What are you reading for this category? We Begin at the End
2. How does this relate to "the end"? Has the phrase "the end" in the title
3. What is a book you'd recommend for this prompt?
The Last Place You Look
The Ocean at the End of the Lane
The Last One
The Last Anniversary

1. What are you reading for this category? The Final Revival of Opal & Nev by Dawnie Walton
2. How does this relate to "the end"? The word final in the title. It's about a rock'n'Roll duo that was infamous in the 1970's but broke up. In 2016 there's talk of a reunion.
3. What is a book you'd recommend for this prompt?

1. What are you reading for this category?
I read Ghosts, Ghouls, and Other Things to Run From: An Anthology of Terrifying Tales and Scary Stories

2. How does this relate to "the end"?
It's about ghosts, so every story is about the end of a life

3. What is a book you'd recommend for this prompt?
I am a huge fan of post-apocalyptic stories, so I'd suggest anything that involves the end of the world

The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History

All about the current mass extinction that we're experiencing, but also looking at how we learned that animals go extinct and that there have been mass extinctions. So generally about 'the end' of species.

What are you reading for this category?
Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe.

How does it relate to 'the end'?

The title is taken from Yeat's poem 'The Second Coming', inspired by the apocalypse. It is about the coming of European missionaries to C19th Nigeria and the ending of a way of life. It also ends with a death.. It also relates (setting, theme, end/beginning) to my 'beginning' book, Out of Darkness, Shining Light .

What would you recommend for this category?

Tess of the D'Urbervilles; Where the World Ends; To Calais, in Ordinary Time.

I ended up reading The Last House Guest by Megan Miranda. It became available so I read it and then fit it in to this prompt because Last in the title relates to the end.

I ended up choosing The Secret History for this prompt. There is a recurrent theme of death, and the storytelling begins after the events of the novel have already passed.

For those still looking for a book for this prompt, I would recommend The Knife of Never Letting Go (beginning of manhood/end of childhood is a strong theme) or Vicious (this one also had a theme of death and starts off toward the end)

1. What are you reading for this category?
The Last Thing He Told Me

2. How does this relate to "the end"?
A husband disappears in the story which in the end of a relationship.

3. What is a book you'd recommend for this prompt?
I recommend reading the last book in a series.

I've just read The Lost Lights of St Kilda by Elisabeth Gifford, this is a novel with two time frames, one in 1927 on the island of Hirta in the group of islands called St Kilda on the fringes of the Outer Hebrides off the coast of western Scotland just three years before the last remaining St Kildans left the islands for good to resettle on the mainland. The island is lashed by Atlantic waves and strong winds, a very wild and lonely place. The writing is beautiful and has really made me want to go and visit. You can go on day trips from Skye or some of the other Western Islands providing you don't suffer from seasickness! The book also has a love story running through it. I read in a day, just stopping for a bite to eat and drink. This would also make a great read for prompt 25, a book set on an island. In fact I enjoyed this far more than the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (my read for prompt 25) as it gives you much more of a sense of place while still having a plot and interesting characters.

I am considering Midnight Library, We Begin at the End, A Boy and his Dog at the end of the world, and the Last thing he told me, or The Last Hermit

1. What are you reading for this category? Chimera
2. How does this relate to "the end"? last in series
3. What is a book you'd recommend for this prompt? The Restaurant at the End of the Universe

I read Barracoon: The Story of the Last "Black Cargo" by Zora Neale Hurston. It's the actual recounting of the last enslaved survivor of the last slave ship to the US. I would highly recommend Parable of the Sower.

1. What are you reading for this category? Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke

2. How does this relate to "the end"?
Title plus I expect the story somehow. Even if I knew, I wouldn't post it since it would be a spoiler!

1. What are you reading for this category?
Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas

2. How does this relate to "the end"?
This is the last book of the Throne of Glass series. It was fabulous, and I would definitely recommend the series.

3. What is a book you'd recommend for this prompt?
The Best Cat Ever by Cleveland Amory is great, but you'll need tissues. It is the last book about Cleveland Amory and his cat. They're great books.

1. What are you reading for this category?
The End by Lemony Snicket

2. How does this relate to "the end"?
It both has the title "The End" and it's the end of the 13-book series.

3. What is a book you'd recommend for this prompt?
Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead
Sons of Destiny by Darren Shan
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

1. What are you reading for this category? The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix
2. How does this relate to "the end"? Final girl is a movie trope about the sole survivor alive at the end of a horror movie
3. What is a book you'd recommend for this prompt? This was a pretty good thriller. Other good books include And Then There Were None (mystery), Last Chance to See (travelogue), Final Curtain (mystery), Death from the Skies!: These Are the Ways the World Will End... (science), and Dandelions Blooming in the Cracks of Sidewalks: Stories from the Bedside of the Dying (memoir).

I read The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang which is the last book in the Kiss Quotient series, all of which I loved. I will be looking to see what this author does next.

And since I read in order, I've now completed this year's challenge!

1. What are you reading for this category? I read The Big Goodbye: Chinatown and the Last Years of Hollywood by Sam Wasson.
2. How does this relate to "the end"? The title implies that like many other great eras, Hollywood's halcyon days are about to become the stuff of legend. In fact, author Wasson includes a prescient quote from Jack Nicholson dating back to 1987, "The world," Nicholson predicted, "is going to miss the moviegoing experience."
3. What is a book you'd recommend for this prompt? If you're a big fan of Hollywood and loved the iconic film Chinatown, read this. I'd also recommend: The Last Good Kiss, Dhalgren, My Last Continent.

I read MaddAddam by Margaret Atwood. It's a double "The End", as it's the final book of a trilogy about the end of human civilisation.

It's difficult to recommend something that isn't the end of a series, so I think I'll go for Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch and The Passage, the best books I've read about the end of the world and, since it's nearly Christmas, Hogfather, because Hogswatch is at the end of the year in the Discworld. One more, A Monster Calls, which is based on an idea by Siobhan Dowd who died before she was able to write it (and fits for another reason, which might be a spoiler).

I just finished Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo. It is the second, thus "the end," of the Six of Crows duology.
I read the first book, Six of Crows, for Week #1.

1. What are you reading for this category? I read The Flame

2. How does this relate to "the end"? Leonard Cohen died in 2016 and this book was published in 2018. This posthumous book is the last of his poems.

3. What is a book you'd recommend for this prompt? I loved this one so much. Final Girls was good too.