Around the Year in 52 Books discussion

12/1/22 - 2/28/23
completed: 12/12 - done!

DECEMBER

1. Winter- Brrrr. Time to break out the hats, scarves and gloves as the coldest time of the year approaches (in the northern hemisphere at least). On the other hand, cold weather is the perfect excuse to curl up under a blanket with your latest book. And, however cold you are, at least you can be glad your home town is warmer then Antarctica, where the lowest temperature on Earth was recorded: an icy −89.2°C (−128.6 °F).

√ b. Read a book with snow, snowflakes or a snowman on the cover OR a book with a person wearing winter clothing (scarf, hat, warm coat etc) on the cover. The Christmas Wish - 12/6/22√

2. December birthdays: Jane Austen was born on December 16th.
√a. Read a book written by a female author Janesplains: A Compendium of Jane Austen’s Wit Wisdom by Jane Austen - 1/2/23√

3. The Holidays - It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Whether you celebrate Christmas or would prefer to indulge in National Cookie Day, December is packed full of end-of-the-year holidays.
√ a. Read a book related to a holiday that happens in December - A Redbird Christmas - 12/14/22 √

4. Winter sports: yukigassen
Imagine if someone turned snowball fighting into an official sport with rules, a referee, a court and a snowball making machine. That’s yukigassen! Created in Japan in 1988, there are now competitions all over the world. Teams of seven players battle to capture each other’s flag, while trying to avoid being hit by a snowball and eliminated from the game. Preparation for a match involves making 270 snowballs, no wonder they invented a snowball making machine!
√a. Read a book by an author whose first and last initials appear in YUKIGASSEN
++++PLUS+++
√c. Read a book set in a country where yukigassen is played (Japan) - The Woman in the Purple Skirt by Natsuko Imamura - 2/10/23√

JANUARY

1. Happy New Year!
Happy 2023?! Here’s to a great year of reading. Around the world people will be welcoming the new year while watching fireworks displays, drinking champagne and singing Auld Lang Syne.
√a. Read a book by an author who is new to you We Spread by Iain Reid - 1/20/23√

2. January birthdays: Haruki Murakami-
Haruki Murakami was born on January 12th.
√b. Read a book that features a cat in some way - Dead and Gondola - 1/11/23√

3. New Year Resolutions
Millions of people see January 1st as an opportunity to set goals for the year ahead and the practice of making new year resolutions has a long history... Given that history, whether you keep or break your own resolutions this year, you’re probably in good company!
√ c. Read a book that will help you keep one of your New Year resolutions OR if you don’t make resolutions then read a book related to one of the top ten New Years resolutions. Tell us what your resolution is when recording this task as completed (more joy) - Things to Look Forward To: 52 Large and Small Joys for Today and Every Day √

4. Winter sports: bobsleigh
Bobsleighing originated in the Swiss town of St Moritz in the 19th century. Holidaymakers looking for entertainment in the cold winters hit on a plan to adapt delivery sleds into racing sleds and compete in races down the steep roads of the town. While undoubtedly entertaining for holidaymakers, the high speed sled races became immensely unpopular with residents of the town who, not unreasonably, objected to being mown down on their own streets by out of control sleds. In order to restore calm, a local hotel owner constructed an ice half-pipe track outside the town where the sled races could continue, and the sport of bobsleighing was born.
√a. Read a book set mostly in a location that begins with a letter in SWITZERLAND. (Italy) The Villa - 1/17/23√

FEBRUARY

1. Valentine’s Day - February 14th is celebrated around the world as Valentine’s Day. It was originally a feast day honouring an early Christian saint and only became associated with love and romance in the 14th century.
√ a. Read a book with Romance listed as one of the top five genres on its Goodreads page - The Valentine's Hate - 2/15/23√

2. February birthdays: Laura Ingalls Wilder was born on February 7th.
√ c. Read a coming of age story - El Deafo - 1/7/23 √

3. Winter sports: Ski jumping
Ski jumping has featured in every Winter Olympics since 1924. Athletes ski down a specially designed ramp and compete against each other to see who can make the longest jump. The current world record is over 253 metres. It was set by Austrian ski jumper, Stefan Kraft, whois known by the nickname Air Kraft.
√ a. Read a book that is at least 253 pages long (500+) - Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story - 1/7/23 √

4. The Shortest Month of the Year
Take some time to explore a variety of genres and topics during the shortest month of the year!
√b. Read a book that features a ghost - Ghost 19 - 1/18/23√