Around the Year in 52 Books discussion

THE 52 TOPICS OF THE 2025 ATY READING CHALLENGE


1. A book with a cover that has an image of something that starts with A, T, or Y
Devil's Cub by Georgette Heyer (February, 3 stars)
Trees on cover:

2. A prompt suggestion for this year that did not make the list
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy (re-read January, 5 stars)
Prompt: A book considered a classic

3. A book connected to something mentioned in the Do Re Mi song
The Blessing Way by Tony Hillerman (January, 3 stars)
Far, a long long "way" to run

4. A book set underground, under sea or in an underworld
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (re-read January, 5 stars)
Fantasy underworld

5. A book with a weird or intriguing title
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey (January, 3 stars)

6. A book with a serpentine element on the cover

7. A book by an author that uses 3 names
Iron Lake by William Kent Krueger (January, 3 stars)

8. A collection of short stories or novellas, essays, poetry, or a mix of various brief writings
Poirot Investigates by Agatha Christie (January, 4 stars)
Short stories

9. A book that has been long-listed for the Tournament of Books in any year
No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy for 2006 (January, 3 stars)

10. A book about witches, goddesses or nuns
Slewfoot: A Tale of Bewitchery by Brom (February, 4 stars)
Witch category

11. A book set in a fictional location
Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift (January, 3 stars)

12. A book by an Irish author

13. A book involving a "group" with at least 4 members that's not a family
Year of the Griffin by Diana Wynne Jones (February, 3 stars)
Group of school friends

14. A science fiction or fantasy novel written by a woman
Dark Lord of Derkholm by Diana Wynne Jones (February, 4 stars)

15. A book of secrets, lies, or deception
The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax by Dorothy Gilman (February, 4 stars)

16. A book that fits a prompt from the 2016 ATY list
Memoirs of a Dutiful Daughter by Simone de Beauvoir (January, 3 stars)
Prompt 28. A biography, autobiography, or memoir

17. A history or historical fiction book set prior to 1925
Murder in an English Village by Jessica Ellicott (January, 4 stars)
Set in 1920

18. A book set primarily in nature
Mrs. Pollifax on Safari by Dorothy Gilman (February, 4 stars)

19. A book with a cover that has a building or cityscape
A Curious Beginning by Deanna Raybourne (February, 4 stars)


20. A book with an animal, vegetable (plant), or mineral in the title
A Palm for Mrs. Pollifax by Dorothy Gilman (February, 4 stars)

21. A book connected in some way to any collective noun for animals
The Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie (January, 4 stars)
Murder of crows

22. A translated novel from Asia

23. A book that involves art, music, dancing or acting
A Perilous Undertaking by Deanna Raybourne (February, 4 stars)
Art and artists

24. A book with a main character who is a brain, an athlete, a basket case, a princess, or a criminal
Castle in the Air by Diana Wynne Jones (March, 3 stars)
Princess Flower in the Night

25. A book with waves on the cover
The Fisherman by John Langan (March, 4 stars)


26. A book by an author with a common noun in their name
The Glimpses of the Moon by Edith Wharton (January, 3 stars)
"Ton"

27. A book set in the winter

28 &29. Two books with a pair of opposites in their titles
Black Beauty by Anna Sewell (February, 3 stars)
The Crimson Petal and the White by Michel Faber (March, 4 stars)
Black and White

30. A monster book
House of Many Ways by Diana Wynne Jones (re-read March, 4 stars)
Monster: lubbock

31. A book with a coastal setting
A Dangerous Collaboration by Deanna Raybourne (March, 4 stars)
Set on island

32. A mystery or true crime book
Murder Flies the Coop by Jessica Ellicott (January, 4 stars)

33. A book by an author you enjoyed but haven't gotten around to reading again for some time

34. A book title that could be a country song

35. A book from the NPR “Books We Love” lists

36. A book with a common household object on the cover
Five Children and It by E. Nesbit (re-read March, 4 stars)
Cups and plate on cover


37. A book featuring adult friendships
Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day by Winifred Watson (March, 4 stars)

38 & 39. Two books with a connection from different genres
A Treacherous Curse by Deanna Raybourne (February, 4 stars) Mystery with a curse
Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones (re-read February, 4 stars) Fantasy with a curse

40. A book you'd consider a comfort read

41. A book that involves digging up the past
City of Jasmine by Deanna Raybourne (March, 2 stars)
Archeological dig

42. A book set in a manor, mansion, or estate
The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro (January, 5 stars)

43. A book whose title has ten or fewer letters
Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi (March, 3 stars)

44. A haunting book
The Woman in Black by Susan Hill (February, 4 stars)

45. A book by an author whose publishing career spans at least ten years
The Railway Children by E. Nesbit (February, 3 stars)

46. A book related to one of the traditional full moon names
Harvest Home by Thomas Tryon (March, 4 stars)
Harvest moon

47. A book relating to fire

48. A book with a character dealing with death
The Elementals by Michael McDowell (March, 4 stars)

49. A book that deals with time travel, alternate universes, or alternate timelines
Charmed Life by Diana Wynne Jones (re-read March, 4 stars)
Alternate universes

50. A book posted in one of the ATY Best Book of the Month threads in 2024 or 2025

51. A book published in 2025

52. A book with a sunset vibes on the cover
The Enchanted Castle by E. Nesbit (February, 3 stars)