Around the Year in 52 Books discussion

The Summer Challenge, 2024
June

1. National Ballpoint Pen Day
June 10th, the anniversary of the patent filing. Fun fact: the world's most popular ball point is the Bic Crystal, which sells on average 57 pens per second.
a. A book with a writing utensil on the cover
b. A book written under a pen name
c. A book about a writer, bookseller, or librarian

Seven-Year Witch , Angela. M. Sanders – 08/07/24
The MC is a librarian and one of the people she works with at the library is a romance writer

2. National Prune Day
June 15th. Fun fact: prunes, the dried version of plums, were originally from China.
a. A book written by someone over the age of 60
b. A book with more than 400 pages
c. A book with purple on the cover

Translation State, Ann Leckie – 24/06/24
Page length: 422pg

3. Let's Catch a Movie
The term 'blockbuster' was originally used to describe especially destructive bombs, and then came to mean shocking news stories. It's current use as a movie with huge box office returns is often attributed to producer Max Youngstein
a. Author's initials can be found in BLOCKBUSTER FILM
b. A book that has been adapted into a movie or series
c. A book published in the last two years

The Mimicking of Known Successes, Malka (Ann) Older – 06/06/24
Last two years: it was first published on 7 March 2023

4. Happy Birthday Paul Gauguin
Born on June 7th 1848 Gauguin was a French artist most known for his contributions to the Post-Impressionist and Symbolist movements. He lived in France, Peru, Martinique, Tahiti, and the Marquesas Islands.
a. A book with at least 4 colors on the cover
b. A translated book
c. A book with a seven in the page count

A Summer Thing, Kathi Daley – 01/08/24
According to TinEye, the cover includes Brown, Grey, Blue, Pink, Green, Yellow and Violet

July

1. Happy Birthday Satchel Paige
Baseball pitcher Leroy R. (Satchel) Paige (1906-1982) was the first African American pitcher in the American League. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1971.
a. A book whose author's initials appear in CURVEBALL
b. A book featuring a sport
c. A book with a black main character

Abeni’s Song, P. Djèlí Clark
The MC is a young African girl, trying to save her village – her picture is on the cover

2. The Apollo Moon Landing
Apollo 11, the first manned landing on Earth's moon, touched down on the surface on July 20, 1969.
a. A book set in space
b. A book with the moon on the cover
c. A book published in the 1960s

Shards of Earth, Adrian Tchaikovsky – 19/06/24
Good old-fashioned space opera

3. Let's Go on a Hike
Fun fact: Yellowstone National Park averages 1 bear attack per year, and there have only been 8 bear-caused fatalities in park history. For perspective that is 1 bear attack per 26.2 million park visits.
a. A book with a cover of a nature scene without people
b. A book set in a rural area
c. A book with an element of survival

Finding Destiny, Kathi Daley – 16/06/24
Okayed by Emily here: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

4. Dog Days of Summer
Fun fact: this phrase refers to the time when Sirius the dog star is visible in the sky.
a. A book with a dog on the cover
b. A book with a hot setting
c. An author's first book

Rose/House, Arkady Martine – 08/06/24
Set in a house in the Mojave Desert

Or if that doesn’t work for some reason, then
Kiss 'N Tell, Kathi Daley – 22/07/24
Dog on the cover

August

1. The Destruction of Pompeii
Pompeii was a Roman city that was buried under volcanic ash and pumice during the eruption of Mt Vesuvius on August 24, 79 CE. Because of the particular method of its destruction it is extremely well preserved and offers a unique look at life in the ancient Roman Empire.
a. A book featuring an ancient civilization
b. A book with red on the cover
c. A book set in a city

By The Book, Liz Hedgecock – 18/06/24
The cover is mostly red and the book is set in London

2. Vacation Time
Fun fact: 60% of the Earth's lakes are located in Canada. Something to think about next time you're by a lake.
a. A book you've been meaning to read
b. A book by a favourite author
c. A book set somewhere you would like to visit

Liberty's Daughter, Naomi Kritzer – 12/07/24
A favourite author – I’ve really liked everything I’ve read by her, including all three of her Hugo/Lodestar nominees this year.


3. Let's Play a Game
Fun fact: In Chile the Clue character Mr. Green is named Chef Lettuce.
a. A book with multiple points of view
b. A book by an author whose initials appear in SCRABBLE
c. A book in a series

Game of Scones, Kim M. Watt – 07/06/24
The chapters switch between four POVs (Alice, Miriam, Mortimer and DI Adams), plus it is #4 in the Beaufort Scales series: https://www.goodreads.com/series/2501...


4. Back to School Sales
Fun fact: in 2023 the average American household spent $890 on back to school shopping, according to an online survey. Ok, that one's not actually that fun.
a. A book borrowed from the library
b. A nonfiction book
c. A book with a character in an educational setting

To Shape a Dragon's Breath, Moniquill Blackgoose – 11/07/24
The setting is an academy for young dragon riders to learn how to be riders and the subjects that goes with it.

Autumn Challenge, 2024

How It Works
For this challenge, you will be trying to fulfill the letters in ONE of three phrases:
- PUMPKIN SPICE LATTE (17)
- FAMILY GATHERING (15)
- HOT APPLE CIDER (13)

You can fulfill these letters by using the first letter of the title, the first letter of the author's first or last name, or the first letter of the main genre of the book.

Generally books should be 100 pages or more, but if you’ve found the perfect book and it’s 90 pages then it’s your choice whether to count it. Or, if you’re really stuck on one task and you want to read a picture book or short story just to mark it as complete then go right ahead. The aim is to have fun and enjoy what you read, so nobody is going to judge anyone else for their book choices.

Winter Seasonal Challenge

This challenge runs from December 1, 2024 through February 28, 2025.

The Prompts: Find a book that...

1. Fits one of the last 4 prompts on the 2024 list
Cookies in the Cottage, Kathi Daley - 02/12/24
Fits 52. A Cozy Mystery

2. Fits one of the first 4 prompts on the 2025 list
London Underground's Strangest Tales, Iain Spragge - 29/01/25
Fits 4. A book set underground, under sea or in an underworld

3. Has a mostly white cover
The Twelve Topsy-Turvy, Very Messy Days of Christmas, James Patterson and Tad Safran - 04/12/24
75.6% white according to TinEye


4. Is on a Best of 2024 list
The Book of Doors, Gareth Brown - 11/02/25
On both the Goodreads Best of the Year 2024 list (https://www.goodreads.com/list/best_o..., #20), and the ATY Best Books of the Month 2024 (https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1..., #85) lists.

5. Is set in the snow
Death Through a Dark Green Glass, Julia Buckley - 18/12/24
Murder mystery in a country house in the snow

6. Is by an author you've read before
Dying in a Winter Wonderland, Vicki Delany - 31/12/24
I've read more than ten of her books before, under both this name and the pseudonym Eva Gates

7. Features a winter holiday
A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens - 13/12/24
You've guessed it, Christmas.

8. Is nonfiction
Man's Search for Meaning, Viktor E Frankl - 07/12/24
Autobiography, Self-Help, History, Psychology

9. Is written by an author whose first or last initial can be found in WINTER
The Tempest, William Shakespeare - 27/12/24

10. Has a mostly blue cover
The Christmas Book Hunt, Jenny Colgan – 04/11/24
71.1% blue according to TinEye


11. Is a speculative fiction novel
The White Dragon, Anne McCaffrey - 03/12/24
Speculative Fiction is the shown as an MPG when you click ...more on the book page - it's also the Pern book where it moves from Fantasy to SF

12. Features family drama
Crying in H Mart, Michelle Zauner - 17/12/24
About the author's relationship with her parents and aunts and uncles, and her reactions to her mother's death.

13. Has fire on the cover
Silent Night, Deadly Night, Vicki Delany - 22/12/24
Candle flames okayed by Emily: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...


14. Is written by a BIPOC author
The Library of the Dead, T.L. Huchu - 09/12/24
The author is Zimbabwean.

15. Is a love story
Stranded in Iceland, Victoria Walker - 13/01/25
Icelandic Romance series, #3

How to Complete It
Tackle this challenge any way you'd like! Maybe your goal is to read 8 of the 15 prompts, or maybe you want to finish the whole list twice... it's up to you!

1. , 2. , 3. , 4. , 5.
6. , 7. , 8. , 9. , 10.
11. , 12. , 13. , 14. , 15.

Spring Challenge, 2025
When: 1 March 2025 through 31 May 2025
What: You are given a set of words and phrases, and you must match books to these phrases in one of three ways.

Round one complete.

1. Springtime - The House at Sea's End, Elly Griffiths – 11/03/25
Author initials: sprinGtimE.

2. Bloom - Love Lies Bleeding, Susan Wittig Albert - 14/03/25
Title: bLoom. (Plus at least a plant on the cover, which may be blooming.)

3. Sun shining - Angel with Two Faces, Nicola Upson – 26/03/25
Author initials: sUN.

4. Baby animals - The Baby Dragon Café, Aamna Quereshi – 12/03/25
B in the title (ingoring The), and a "baby" dragon on the cover.

5. Eggs - Eye of the Wolf, Margaret Coel – 24/03/25
Title: Eggs.

6. Tulips: In Ascension, Martin MacInnes – 02/03/25.
Title: tulIps.

7. Jellybeans - Arctic Chill, Arnaldur Indriðason – 17/03/25
Title: jellybeAns.

8. Rainstorm- Much Ado About Nothing, William Shakespeare - 13/03/25
Title: rainstorM.

9. Sprout - Fur Love or Money, Sofie Ryan – 05/03/25
Author initials: SpRout.

10. Warming - The Marsh Madness, Victoria Abbott – 18/03/25
Title: warMing (ignoring The).

11. Spring break - Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries, Heather Fawcett – 07/03/25
Title: brEak.

12. Raincoat - Clue in the Clam, Kathi Daley – 06/03/25
Title: rainCoat.

13. Green - May Day Murder, Julie Wassmer – 10/03/25
The cover is just over 60% green.


14. Earth day - The Delightful Life of a Suicide Pilot, Colin Cotterill – 03/03/25
Title: Day (ignoring The)

15. Pastels - System Collapse, Martha Wells - 19/03/25
Title: paStels.

1. , 2. , 3. , 4. , 5.
6. , 7. , 8. , 9. , 10.
11. , 12. , 13. , 14. , 15.

Going for round two. This time, I tried to go with new criteria, but I didn't quite achieve it.

1. Springtime (not initials): Thereby Hangs a Tail, Spencer Quinn - 05/04/25
Title: springTime.

2. Bloom (not title): Aunt Dimity and the Enchanted Cottage, Nancy Atherton - 03/04/25
Flowers blooming on the cover.


3. Sun shining (not initials): The U.S. Constitution: A Very Short Introduction, David J. Bodenhamer – 10/04/25
Title: sUn (ignoring The).

4. Baby animals (title again): Murder in Montparnasse, Kerry Greenwood – 08/04/25
Title (again): aniMals.

5. Eggs (not title): The Stranger in the Library, Eva Gates – 13/04/25
Author initials: EGgs.

6. Tulips (not title): A Rule Against Murder, Louise Penny - 01/04/25
Author initials: tuLiPs

7. Jellybeans (not title): Mousse and Murder, Elizabeth Logan – 23/04/25
Author initials: jELlybeans.

8. Rainstorm (not title): Death of the Author, Nnedi Okorafor – 14/05/25
Author initials: raiNstOrm.

9. Sprout (not initials): A Shilling for Candles, Josephine Tey – 23/05/25
Title: Sprout (ingnoring A).

10. Warming (not title): Young Men and Fire, Norman Maclean – 29/04/25
Author Initials: warMiNg.

11. Spring break (not title): The Ministry of Time, Kaliane Bradley – 27/04/25
Author initials: BreaK.

12. Raincoat (not title): The Moving Finger, Agatha Christie – 15/05/25
Author initials: rAinCoat.

13. Green (not cover): Going, Going, Dead, Kirsten Weiss - 21/05/25
Title: Green.

14. Earth day (not title): Alien Clay, Adrian Tchaikovsky – 26/05/25
Author initials: eArTh.

15. Pastels (not title): If Fried Chicken Could Fly, Paige Shelton – 02/05/25
Author initials: PastelS.


1. , 2. , 3. , 4. , 5.
6. , 7. , 8. , 9. , 10.
11. , 12. , 13. , 14. , 15.

Trish H's Summer 2025 challenge

2025 Summer Reading Challenge Prompts

Current total: 5,800pt

Chips and Dip - 100 points
Current: 400pt

1a. A book in a series - The Brides of High Hill, Nghi Vo - 11/06/25 (Singing Hills Cycle #5)
1b. A book with water on the cover - Sister Spy. Kathi Daley - 13/06/25

1c. A book released in 2024 or 2025 - The Tainted Cup, Robert Jackson Bennett - 06/06/25 (published 2024)
1d. A book by a new to you author - Tea with the Black Dragon, R.A. MacAvoy - 03/06/25
1e. A humorous book

Drinks Station - 200 points
Current: 800pt

Author's initials are in:
2a. fresh-squeezed LemonADe - Telling Lies
2b. unsweetened iCed teA - Angelica's Smile, Andrea Camilleri - 30/07/25
2c. root Beer soDA - Navigational Entanglements, Aliette de Bodard - 12/06/25
2d. FRUIT PUNCH
2e. SparKling water - Hooked on a Feline, Sofie Kelly - 24/06/25

Burger and Hotdog Toppings - 300 points
Current: 1,500pt

3a. Ketchup: A book with red on the cover - The Maid and the Crocodile, Jordan Ifueko - 08/07/25

3b. Relish: A book by a favorite author - Tooth and Claw: A Longmire Story, Craig Johnson - 26/07/25
3c. Mustard: A book with a military character (serving, retired, or adjacent) - Moonstorm, Yoon Ha Lee - 07/07/25 (The MC was brought up at a military academy, and trained to fight for the "kind and benevolent" Empress.)
3d. Pickles: A book title that includes a word starting with the letter P - The West Passage, Jared Pechacek - 06/08/25
3e. Cheese: A sentimental book - Ignited in Iceland, Victoria Walker - 16/06/25 (A feelgood, love at first sight book.)

Desserts - 400 points
Current: 1,600pt

4a. A book with a child main character
4b. A book with a wedding - Till Death Do Us Port, Kate Lansing - 05/08/25 (The murder is at the wedding of the MC's cousin, and while the wedding gets postponed, they've had it by the end of the book.)
4c. A book that has been nominated for an award - Someone You Can Build a Nest In, John Wiswell - 11/06/25 (2025 Hugo Best Novel nominee)
4d. A book with a cafe, bakery, or restaurant as an important setting - Fishing for Trouble, Elizabeth Logan (The MC runs a diner in Alaska.)
4e. A book originally written in a language other than English - Night Shadows, Eva Björg Ægisdóttir – 18/06/25 (Translated from Icelandic.)

The Sides - 500 points
Current: 1,500pt

5a. Potato salad - A book with more than one point of view Reykjavík, Ragnar Jonasson, Katrin Jakobsdottir - 11/06/25 (Part one is from the POV of the journalist, part two from his sister who wants to find out who murdered her brother.)
5b. Mac n' cheese - A book by an author with 10 or more books - Service Model, Adrian Tchaikovsky - 22/06/25(The author page attributes him with 195 distinct works.)
5c. Corn bread - A book originally published before 1900
5d. Deviled eggs - A book with challenging subject matter
5e. Watermelon - A book over 500 pages - Heavenly Tyrant, Xiran Jay Zhao - 10/08/25