2020 Completed Around the Year in 52 Books Reading Challenge
1. A book with a title that doesn't contain the letters A, T or Y SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome by Mary Beard
2. A book by an author whose last name is one syllable Broad Strokes: 15 Women Who Made Art and Made History (in That Order) by Bridget Quinn
3. A book that you are prompted to read because of something you read in 2019 The Hollow of Fear (Lady Sherlock #3) by Sherry Thomas
4. A book set in a place or time that you wouldn't want to live City of Thorns: Nine Lives in the World’s Largest Refugee Camp by Ben Rawlence
5. The first book in a series that you have not started The Emerald Atlas (The Books of Beginning #1) by John Stephens
6. A book with a mode of transportation on the cover The Mystery of the Blue Train by Agatha Christie – train
7. A book set in the southern hemisphere The Looting Machine: Warlords, Oligarchs, Corporations, Smugglers, and the Theft of Africa’s Wealth by Tom Burgis
8. A book with a two-word title where the first word is "The" The Colony: The Harrowing True Story of Exiles of Molokai by John Tayman
9. A book that can be read in a day Liar’s Poker: Rising Through the Wreckage on Wall Street by Michael Lewis
10. A book that is between 400-600 pages Mind of the Raven: Investigations and Adventures with Wolf-Birds by Bernd Heinrich – 432 pages
11. A book originally published in a year that is a prime number Lord Edgware Dies by Agatha Christie – 1933
12. A book that is a collaboration between 2 or more people March: Book One by John Lewis & Andrew Aydin (co-writer) & Nate Powell (Artist)
13. A prompt from a previous Around the Year in 52 Books challenge (Link) Earning It: Hard-Won Lessons from Trailblazing Women at the Top of the Business World by Joann S. Lublin – a non-fiction book from the 2016 challenge
14. A book by an author on the Abe List of 100 Essential Female Writers (link) The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot
15. A book set in a global city (London, New York City, Tokyo, Paris, Singapore, Amsterdam, Seoul, Berlin, Hong Kong, Sydney, Beijing, Shanghai, or Dubai) Underground in Berlin: A Young Woman’s Extraordinary Tale of Survival In the Heart of Nazi Germany by Marie Jalowicz Simon
16. A book set in a rural or sparsely populated area Far Appalachia: Following the New River North by Noah Adams
17. A book with a neurodiverse character Lab Girl by Hope Jahren – bi-polar disorder
18. A book by an author you've only read once before Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake
19. A fantasy book The Fire Chronicle (The Books of Beginnings #2) by John Stephens
20. The 20th book [on your TBR, in a series, by an author, on a list, etc.] Hercule Poirot’s Christmas (Hercule Poirot #20) by Agatha Christie
21. A book related to Maximilian Hell, the noted astronomer and Jesuit Priest who was born in 1720 The Glass Universe: How the Ladies of the Harvard Observatory Took the Measure of the Stars by Dava Sobel – Astronomy
22. A book with the major theme of survival Dead Mountain: The Untold True Story of the Dyatlov Pass Incident by Donnie Eichar
23. A book featuring an LGBTQIA+ character or by an LGBTQIA+ author Texts from Jane Eyre: And Other Conversations with Your Favorite Literary Characters by Mallory Ortberg/Daniel Ortberg
24. A book with an emotion in the title That’s Disgusting: Unraveling the Mysteries of Repulsion by Rachel Herz
25. A book related to the arts The Vanishing Velazquez: A 19th Century Bookseller’s Obsession with a Lost Masterpiece by Laura Cumming
26. A book from the 2019 Goodreads Choice Awards A Woman of No Importance: The Untold Story of the American Spy Who Helped Win World War II by Sonia Purnell
27. A history or historical fiction Queens of the Conquest: England’s Medieval Queens by Allison Weir
28. A book by an Australian, Canadian or New Zealand author This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. The Climate by Naomi Klein - Canadian
29. An underrated book, a hidden gem or a lesser known book Empress: The Astonishing Reign of Nur Jahan by Ruby Lal – 398 Goodreads ratings
30. A book from the New York Times '100 Notable Books' list for any year Behind the Beautiful Forevers Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity by Katherine Boo – New York Times 100 Notable Books for 2012
31. A book inspired by a leading news story How Democracies Die: What History Reveals About Our Future by Steven Levitsky & Daniel Ziblatt
32. A book related to the 2020 Olympic Summer Games in Japan Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand
33. A book about a non-traditional family Crazy Rich: Power, Scandal, and Tragedy Inside the Johnson & Johnson Dynasty by Jerry Oppenheimer
34. A book from a genre or sub-genre that starts with a letter in your name Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup by John Carreyrou – True Crime or Narrative Nonfiction
35. A book with a geometric pattern or element on the cover Evil Has A Name: The Untold Story of the Golden State Killer by Paul Holes, Jim Clemente & Peter McDonnell - triangles
36. A book from your TBR/wishlist that you don't recognize, recall putting there, or put there on a whim Crown of Blood: The Deadly Inheritance of the Lady Jane Grey by Nicola Tallis
37. Two books that are related to each other as a pair of binary opposites: Book #1 The Time Travelers Guide to Medieval England: A Handbook for Visitors to the Fourteenth Century by Ian Mortimer – History
38. Two books that are related to each other as a pair of binary opposites: Book #2 On the Future: Prospects for Humanity by Martin J. Rees – Future
39. A book by an author whose real name(s) you're not quite sure how to pronounce And There Was Light: The Extraordinary Memoir of a Blind Hero of the French Resistance in World War II by Jacques Lusseyran
40. A book with a place name in the title The Serengeti Rules: The Quest to Discover How Life Works and Why It Matters by Sean B. Carroll
41. A mystery The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (Hercule Poirot #4) by Agatha Christie
42. A book that was nominated for one of the ‘10 Most Coveted Literary Prizes in the World’ (link) Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai – National Book Award Winner for Young People’s Literature 2011
43. A book related to one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse – Death, War, Famine or Plague The Next Pandemic: On the Front Lines Against Humankind’s Greatest Dangers by Ali S. Khan – Plague
44. A book related to witches The Witches: Salem 1692 by Stacy Shiff
45. A book by the same author who wrote one of your best reads in 2019 or 2018 Camp Jupiter Classified: A Probatio’s Journal by Rick Riordan
46. A book about an event or era in history taken from the Billy Joel song "We Didn't Start the Fire" True Believer – Stalin’s Last American Spy by Kati Marton
47. A classic book you've always meant to read Howard’s End by EM Forester
48. A book published in 2020 The Tower of Nero (Trials of Apollo #5) by Rick Riordan
49. A book that fits a prompt from the list of suggestions that didn't win (link) A book set on an island – first mini-poll – general Ghosts of the Tsunami: Death and Life in Japan’s Disaster Zone by Richard Lloyd Parry - Japan
50. A book with a silhouette on the cover Nightboooks by JA White
51. A book with an "-ing" word in the title Earning the Rockies: How Geography Shapes America’s Role in the World by Robert D. Kaplan
52. A book related to time Timefullness: How Thinking Like a Geologist Can Help Save the World by Marcia Bjornerud
1. A book with a title that doesn't contain the letters A, T or Y
SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome by Mary Beard
2. A book by an author whose last name is one syllable
Broad Strokes: 15 Women Who Made Art and Made History (in That Order) by Bridget Quinn
3. A book that you are prompted to read because of something you read in 2019
The Hollow of Fear (Lady Sherlock #3) by Sherry Thomas
4. A book set in a place or time that you wouldn't want to live
City of Thorns: Nine Lives in the World’s Largest Refugee Camp by Ben Rawlence
5. The first book in a series that you have not started
The Emerald Atlas (The Books of Beginning #1) by John Stephens
6. A book with a mode of transportation on the cover
The Mystery of the Blue Train by Agatha Christie – train
7. A book set in the southern hemisphere
The Looting Machine: Warlords, Oligarchs, Corporations, Smugglers, and the Theft of Africa’s Wealth by Tom Burgis
8. A book with a two-word title where the first word is "The"
The Colony: The Harrowing True Story of Exiles of Molokai by John Tayman
9. A book that can be read in a day
Liar’s Poker: Rising Through the Wreckage on Wall Street by Michael Lewis
10. A book that is between 400-600 pages
Mind of the Raven: Investigations and Adventures with Wolf-Birds by Bernd Heinrich – 432 pages
11. A book originally published in a year that is a prime number
Lord Edgware Dies by Agatha Christie – 1933
12. A book that is a collaboration between 2 or more people
March: Book One by John Lewis & Andrew Aydin (co-writer) & Nate Powell (Artist)
13. A prompt from a previous Around the Year in 52 Books challenge (Link)
Earning It: Hard-Won Lessons from Trailblazing Women at the Top of the Business World by Joann S. Lublin – a non-fiction book from the 2016 challenge
14. A book by an author on the Abe List of 100 Essential Female Writers (link)
The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot
15. A book set in a global city (London, New York City, Tokyo, Paris, Singapore, Amsterdam, Seoul, Berlin, Hong Kong, Sydney, Beijing, Shanghai, or Dubai)
Underground in Berlin: A Young Woman’s Extraordinary Tale of Survival In the Heart of Nazi Germany by Marie Jalowicz Simon
16. A book set in a rural or sparsely populated area
Far Appalachia: Following the New River North by Noah Adams
17. A book with a neurodiverse character
Lab Girl by Hope Jahren – bi-polar disorder
18. A book by an author you've only read once before
Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake
19. A fantasy book
The Fire Chronicle (The Books of Beginnings #2) by John Stephens
20. The 20th book [on your TBR, in a series, by an author, on a list, etc.]
Hercule Poirot’s Christmas (Hercule Poirot #20) by Agatha Christie
21. A book related to Maximilian Hell, the noted astronomer and Jesuit Priest who was born in 1720
The Glass Universe: How the Ladies of the Harvard Observatory Took the Measure of the Stars by Dava Sobel – Astronomy
22. A book with the major theme of survival
Dead Mountain: The Untold True Story of the Dyatlov Pass Incident by Donnie Eichar
23. A book featuring an LGBTQIA+ character or by an LGBTQIA+ author
Texts from Jane Eyre: And Other Conversations with Your Favorite Literary Characters by Mallory Ortberg/Daniel Ortberg
24. A book with an emotion in the title
That’s Disgusting: Unraveling the Mysteries of Repulsion by Rachel Herz
25. A book related to the arts
The Vanishing Velazquez: A 19th Century Bookseller’s Obsession with a Lost Masterpiece by Laura Cumming
26. A book from the 2019 Goodreads Choice Awards
A Woman of No Importance: The Untold Story of the American Spy Who Helped Win World War II by Sonia Purnell
27. A history or historical fiction
Queens of the Conquest: England’s Medieval Queens by Allison Weir
28. A book by an Australian, Canadian or New Zealand author
This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. The Climate by Naomi Klein - Canadian
29. An underrated book, a hidden gem or a lesser known book
Empress: The Astonishing Reign of Nur Jahan by Ruby Lal – 398 Goodreads ratings
30. A book from the New York Times '100 Notable Books' list for any year
Behind the Beautiful Forevers Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity by Katherine Boo – New York Times 100 Notable Books for 2012
31. A book inspired by a leading news story
How Democracies Die: What History Reveals About Our Future by Steven Levitsky & Daniel Ziblatt
32. A book related to the 2020 Olympic Summer Games in Japan
Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand
33. A book about a non-traditional family
Crazy Rich: Power, Scandal, and Tragedy Inside the Johnson & Johnson Dynasty by Jerry Oppenheimer
34. A book from a genre or sub-genre that starts with a letter in your name
Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup by John Carreyrou – True Crime or Narrative Nonfiction
35. A book with a geometric pattern or element on the cover
Evil Has A Name: The Untold Story of the Golden State Killer by Paul Holes, Jim Clemente & Peter McDonnell - triangles
36. A book from your TBR/wishlist that you don't recognize, recall putting there, or put there on a whim
Crown of Blood: The Deadly Inheritance of the Lady Jane Grey by Nicola Tallis
37. Two books that are related to each other as a pair of binary opposites: Book #1
The Time Travelers Guide to Medieval England: A Handbook for Visitors to the Fourteenth Century by Ian Mortimer – History
38. Two books that are related to each other as a pair of binary opposites: Book #2
On the Future: Prospects for Humanity by Martin J. Rees – Future
39. A book by an author whose real name(s) you're not quite sure how to pronounce
And There Was Light: The Extraordinary Memoir of a Blind Hero of the French Resistance in World War II by Jacques Lusseyran
40. A book with a place name in the title
The Serengeti Rules: The Quest to Discover How Life Works and Why It Matters by Sean B. Carroll
41. A mystery
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (Hercule Poirot #4) by Agatha Christie
42. A book that was nominated for one of the ‘10 Most Coveted Literary Prizes in the World’ (link)
Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai – National Book Award Winner for Young People’s Literature 2011
43. A book related to one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse – Death, War, Famine or Plague
The Next Pandemic: On the Front Lines Against Humankind’s Greatest Dangers by Ali S. Khan – Plague
44. A book related to witches
The Witches: Salem 1692 by Stacy Shiff
45. A book by the same author who wrote one of your best reads in 2019 or 2018
Camp Jupiter Classified: A Probatio’s Journal by Rick Riordan
46. A book about an event or era in history taken from the Billy Joel song "We Didn't Start the Fire"
True Believer – Stalin’s Last American Spy by Kati Marton
47. A classic book you've always meant to read
Howard’s End by EM Forester
48. A book published in 2020
The Tower of Nero (Trials of Apollo #5) by Rick Riordan
49. A book that fits a prompt from the list of suggestions that didn't win (link)
A book set on an island – first mini-poll – general
Ghosts of the Tsunami: Death and Life in Japan’s Disaster Zone by Richard Lloyd Parry - Japan
50. A book with a silhouette on the cover
Nightboooks by JA White
51. A book with an "-ing" word in the title
Earning the Rockies: How Geography Shapes America’s Role in the World by Robert D. Kaplan
52. A book related to time
Timefullness: How Thinking Like a Geologist Can Help Save the World by Marcia Bjornerud