Around the Year in 52 Books discussion

It's no secret that we love books around here, so this week, you are finding a character or setting or theme that revolves around books! Maybe the protagonist is a librarian, or maybe the whole book is set in a bookstore, or maybe the main character just really loves to read. Dive right into the story and let us know what you're reading for this prompt about reading!

The Ultimate List of Books About Books: https://www.beyondthebookends.com/boo...
100 Must Read Books About Books: https://bookriot.com/100-must-read-bo...
25 Nonfiction Books About Books: https://brokebybooks.com/25-nonfictio...
50+ Stellar Books About Bookstores, Libraries, and Books: https://www.booklistqueen.com/books-a...
20 Beautiful Novels Set in Bookshops: https://elifthereader.com/prettything...
YA Novels Set in Bookstores: https://bookriot.com/ya-books-set-in-...
The Greatest Books About Libraries and Librarians: https://www.beyondthebookends.com/boo...

ATY Listopia: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...

What are you reading for this one? What would you recommend to others?

Woohoo! *High fives Alicia*

What shall I read for this? Should I jump on the The Sentence bandwagon? The Last Chance Library? The Reading List? The Library Book?

Goodreads tells me "You've read 32 of the top 100 books and 10 are on your to-read shelf." I'm not at all surprised.

The annual Everybody Reads for Multnomah County Library is The Book of Form and Emptiness and this is a likely contender. I also have The Plot, Possession and Hell of a Book on my TBR shelves.

Nancy, I am considering the The Sentence for this one as well, it works for a few prompts so hard to decided where to put it. The Reading List is also on my radar for this.

I few others I am considering:
Talk Bookish to Me
Book Lovers

I'm planning to read The Bridge. Looking through the list at all the excellent choices, my recommendation is for anyone who hasn't read Fahrenheit 451 to put that on your list. It's so good.

I'm reading the Thursday Next books. She's a literary detective. So, I'm slotting the next book in the series (no pun intended) here.

There is a new line of cozies that sounds so good about a breast cancer survivor who solves mysteries with her reading group. I think I'll go with that: The Tuesday Night Survivors' Club

I have no idea what I'm going to read for this one yet. I'll probably be pouring over the lists and recommendations from readers here!

There is one book that I can recommend: The Bookseller by Cynthia Swanson.

The Sentence was my top read of 2022. I highly recommend it to anyone who hasn't read it yet!

Pretty sure I'm going with The Midnight Library by Matt Haig for this one. I've been trying to read it for the longest time, but my challenge prompts haven't fallen right for it this year.

Lailah wrote: "The Sentence was my top read of 2022. I highly recommend it to anyone who hasn't read it yet!"

I read it, but struggled through it. Just really had a tough time making it make any kind of sense to me at all. I'm sure it's me and not Louise Erdrich, so I'm going to try another book by her this coming year.

I have quite a few for this prompt; not sure which I will pick.
Matilda, Anne of Green Gables, The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend, The Map of Time, The Paris Library, The Borrow a Bookshop Holiday, Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows. I have read Matilda and Anne of Green Gables many times, but I love them so much. <3

My short list includes: The Book Eaters, The Library of the Unwritten, The Reading List, Read Dangerously, How to Read Now

My wifi is poor so I couldn’t add links, I’ll try to come back and edit later.

I would definitely recommend The Invisible Library. Great series!

I think I'm going to read Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books by Azar Nafisi for this prompt.

Misty wrote: "I think I'm going to read Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books by Azar Nafisi for this prompt."

I thought that was a really interesting book.

Leaning towards Beach Read by Emily Henry because I really liked Book Lovers (which would also work for this prompt).

I have the following listed to read for this prompt:
End of Story
For You and You Only- im hoping this will be released in 2023

I think I could do an entire year of books that just fit this prompt! I've chosen Howards End Is on the Landing: A Year of Reading from Home by Susan Hill, because it's one of the longest residents on my TBR.

I'd recommend The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, The Polysyllabic Spree and Succubus Blues (which is at least as much about working in a book store as it is being a succubus!).

Nancy wrote: "Woohoo! *High fives Alicia*

What shall I read for this? Should I jump on the The Sentence bandwagon? The Last Chance Library? The Reading List? [boo..."

YAYYYYYYY

I'm finishing up [bookcover:Book Lovers|58690308] today and I highly recommend to anyone looking for a fun and easy read. I also feel like I'm actually learning a bit about being a book editor lol

@Nancy, I think you'll really enjoy

I agree, Marie, about doing an entire year of books from this prompt. I love books about books. Here are some I really want to read:
The Dictionary of Lost Words - Pip Williams
The Paris Bookseller - Kerri Maher ebook
Writers & Lovers - Lily King
The Shadow of the Wind (The Cemetery of Forgotten Books #1) - Carlos Ruiz Zafron
Cloud Cuckoo Land - Anthony Doer
The Paris Library - Janet Skeslien Charles
The Word Is Murder - Anthony Horowitz
Finlay Donovan Is Killing It - Elle Cosimano
Escaping Dreamland - Charlie Lovett

Edit: I read The Bodies in the Library and For the Love of Books: Stories of Literary Lives, Banned Books, Author Feuds, Extraordinary Characters, and More

I recommend:
The Midnight Library - Matt Haig
The Weight of Ink - Rachel Kadish
The Giver of Stars - JoJo Moyes
The Bookish Life of Nina Hill - Abbi Waxman
The Bookshop on the Corner - Jenny Colgan

Yes, anyone who loves books who hasn't already should try the Thursday Next books by Jasper Fforde!! So much fun

Oh Kathy, my favorites from your list were The Dictionary of Lost Words (had me sobbing on an airplane -- twice!) and Finlay Donovan Is Killing It (laugh out loud funny!). I'm thinking I'll use the next Finlay Donovan that comes out in 2023 for this prompt.

Emily wrote: "Oh Kathy, my favorites from your list were The Dictionary of Lost Words (had me sobbing on an airplane -- twice!) and Finlay Donovan Is Killing It (laugh out loud fu..."

Good to hear, Emily. I hope to read both of them. Crying, then laughing — sounds like a perfect pair!

I have too many choices for this one. There are several cozy mystery series in progress, some YA, romance, mainstream fiction and even book five in the Thursday Next series (I read book 4 for multiple challenges this year). Definitely won’t have trouble with this one!

For anyone looking for a nonfiction suggestion, I read When Books Went to War: The Stories that Helped Us Win World War II a few years ago and would recommend it. The Armed Services Editions were important to troop morale during WWII, and this book explores how the books came about and the affect they had. I think it’s especially relevant right now, considering the increase in book challenges and bans across the US.

The Sentence
The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry
The Reading List

I love love love this category! I may read some of these before 2023 even begins.

The Uncommon Reader - in honor of the queen
Cloud Cuckoo Land
🎈The Reading List - local book club
Ten Years in the Tub: A Decade Soaking in Great Books - includes book recommendations
The Dictionary of Lost Words
The Book of Lost Names
The Book Eaters
Books and Islands in Ojibwe Country
The Name of the Rose

I highly recommend:
The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek
The Giver of Stars
The Sentence - includes book recommendations
The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry - includes book recommendations
and
If you like ___, try ____
All things Jane Austen, The Jane Austen Project
Romance involving writers, Beach Read
Fantasy, The Midnight Library (it's not really about books one could read)
Cons/deception/fakes, A Ladder to the Sky or Who Is Maud Dixon?
Books about writers/writing, Writers & Lovers
Memoirs, This is the Story of a Happy Marriage or These Precious Days: Essays by Ann Patchett
Unusual narrators, The Book of Form and Emptiness (One of the narrators is a book)
Non-fiction, The Library Book

I totally recommend Book Love by Debbie Tung, you will laugh! It's so accurate :D.

What I would love reading:
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair by Joël Dicker
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
Finlay Donovan Is Killing It by Elle Cosimano
Writers & Lovers by Lily King
The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill
The Man Who Loved Books Too Much: The True Story of a Thief, a Detective, and a World of Literary Obsession by Allison Hoover Bartlett
The Stranger Diaries by Elly Griffiths

Has anyone read this book? It sounds interesting, if it’s not too political.

Americanon: An Unexpected U.S. History in Thirteen Bestselling Books

♞ Pat wrote: "Lailah wrote: "The Sentence was my top read of 2022. I highly recommend it to anyone who hasn't read it yet!"

I read it, but struggled through it. Just really had a tough time maki..."

Go all the way back to Love Medicine if you haven't already read it. It's still my favorite of hers.

I just finished listening to the audiobook of The Paris Library and highly recommend if you like dual timeline historical fiction based somewhat on a true story.

I just finished The Silver Arrow for this topic. It was a great and fun book with vibes that reminded me of the first book in the Narnia series (children stumble upon talking animals and help them out).

5/5, highly recommended!

I have another one to recommend. When the Ground Is Hard by Malla Nunn. The book is set in Swaziland (now Eswatini), and the protagonist is a teenage girl at a boarding school. There are a lot of issues pertaining to race, economics, and familial connections. The girl and her roommate read Jane Eyre together. It is a fabulous book.

I've just read The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams. This is her debut novel so it would work for week 8 and also my copy had several windows on the cover so it would also work for week 13 (an object that is repeated on the cover). While it had many elements I enjoyed I did find this a little contrived and felt it moved a bit slowly. My recommendations for this prompt would be any of the The Shadow of the Wind series, The Dictionary of Lost Words or The Old Man Who Read Love Stories

Misty wrote: "I have another one to recommend. When the Ground Is Hard by Malla Nunn. The book is set in Swaziland (now Eswatini), and the protagonist is a teenage girl at a boarding school. Ther..."

How have I never heard of Eswatini?!… Good to know.

Lizzy wrote: "Misty wrote: "How have I never heard of Eswatini?!… Good to know."

It was just renamed in 2018 - so fairly recently.

Just finished The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin for this one and adored it. It was heartwarming and made me laugh even during sad parts. I'm a sucker for a grouchy MC.

I have to recommend The Book Thief.

I too read The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry. Like many others Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow was my favorite book last year so wanted to try another one by Gabrielle Zevin. This was very enjoyable but just didn't hit me the same way.

I read Bookends: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Literature

I read Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan (plus the prequel, Ajax Penumbra 1969 which was unexpectedly included in my library Kindle copy). I had high expectations (well, reasonable expectations) for this book — books, a bookstore, a mystery involving a secret society of some sort — but I was disappointed. It was perfectly pleasant to read, but it felt a little bit more like the framework for a good book, and not the actual good book. The source of the mystery I don't feel was ever explained well, and many of the characters were not fleshed out. Also, a few of the characters (especially the "female lead", just jumped into the situation TOO easily). It was all very "convenient". I actually enjoyed the unexpectedly included prequel a bit more.

I read Robin Sloan's Sourdough last year, and enjoyed it quite a bit more. It was written 5 years later (well, published 5 years later), and I feel like he learned some more about character development in that time. I guess I'm glad I read Sourdough first, because if I'd read Mr. Penumbra first I probably would never have read Sourdough. I still really love the premise of Mr. Penumbra, so I'd like the author to have a do-over and rewrite the book, but with more detail and character development. He's got room for that - the book is only 288 pages (and somehow only 257 on Kindle, not sure why such a large discrepancy).

I gave Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore ★★★, and if I had a way to rate Alex Penumbra 1969 separately I would have given it ★★★.5 - although if it were longer than a short novella it may have developed enough of a story to get a higher rating.

I just finished The Left-Handed Booksellers of London by Garth Nix for this prompt. While books were not central to the plot, they were still important.

For this prompt I read:
The Librarianist by Patrick deWitt - 4* - My Review

I also just finished another book that would also fit this prompt:
Flaubert's Parrot by Julian Barnes - 5* - My Review

Lailah wrote: "The Sentence was my top read of 2022. I highly recommend it to anyone who hasn't read it yet!"

I'm actually reading this book for Week 9! I look forward to it :)

Velvet wrote: "I have to recommend The Book Thief."

This is the one I'm actually reading for this week.
I've seen this book so many times, but never really knew what it was about. I'm hoping that it turns out good.

So many great options for this prompt!

I just started The Book of Lost Things and am absolutely enchanted so far. I can't wait to be done work for the day and get back into this story! Seems it will be part fantasy/part dark fairy tale. Maybe a bit gothic?

At only 10%, books are very important already and 'talk'! This passage about the 'proper' books trashing 'newspaper articles' delighted me! I'm always so happy when a book ends up filling a prompt perfectly.

“The stories in books hate the stories in newspapers, David's mother would say. Newspaper stories were like newly caught fish, worthy of attention only for as long as they remained fresh, which was not very long at all. They were like the street urchins hawking the evening editions, all shouty and insistent, while stories- real stories, proper made-up stories-were like stern but helpful librarians in a well-stocked library. Newspaper stories were as insubstantial as smoke, as long-lived as mayflies. They did not take root but were instead like weeds that crawled along the ground, stealing the sunlight from more deserving tales.” >

I’ve only got a few days left to complete this week’s challenge so I ordered Cloud Cuckoo Land – Anthony Doerr for it & I already had Cloud Atlas on my list for March so it seemed fitting to order both. Hopefully, I can make it fit one of the other prompts.

Sheena wrote: "So many great options for this prompt!

I just started The Book of Lost Things and am absolutely enchanted so far. I can't wait to be done work for the day and get back into this stor..."

I read this book many many years ago, when it first came out. It has still stuck with me to this day. LOVED IT!

Jaime wrote: "Leaning towards Beach Read by Emily Henry because I really liked Book Lovers (which would also work for this prompt)."

I loved Book Lovers and used it for this prompt. However, after Beach Read, I thought twice about reading Emily Henry again. I had saved Beach Read for over six months to read at the beach thinking it would be lighter in tone than it actually was. It would have been more of a winter read for me. I'm glad I took a chance on Book Lovers but will be careful with choosing other Emily Henry books in the future to make sure the tone and theme is what I expect.

I read The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams. It was pleasant enough, I really enjoyed Mr. P's character. But I wondered why she included one of my favorite novels if she was going to treat it superficially.