Around the Year in 52 Books discussion

Halfway through the year!! Let us know what your favorite book of June was!

Answer the following questions:

- Title
- Author
- Rating
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio)
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable)
- Brief reason why it was the best

I don’t see me topping this one:

- Title - Home Fire
- Author - Kamila Shamsie
- Rating - 5 star
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio) - print
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable) - none though it suits Muslim character or author as well as the Summer Challenge: Women’s Prize for Fiction.
- Brief reason why it was the best - great story telling from an underrepresented perspective. A clever retelling of Antigone.

- Title: The Housekeeper and the Professor
- Author: Yōko Ogawa
- Rating: 5 stars
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio): Print
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): #26: A short book (<210 p) by a new-to-you author
- Brief reason why it was the best: I wish I had had a mathematics teacher or professor explain and love math like this.

The Dire Days of Willowweep Manor
by Shaenon K. Garrity
4 stars

Fun little fantasy/scifi adventure in which a girl who loves gothic romance accidentally falls into a world that is gothic romance themed. Lots of meta-references that fans of gothic lit will enjoy, just the thing I needed to shake me out of a slump.

Title: The Premonition: A Pandemic Story
- Author: Michael Lewis
- Rating: 4.5 stars
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio): eBook
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): #50- Book published in 2021
- Brief reason why it was the best: Fascinating story of the people who worked behind the scenes to prepare for a pandemic. Terrific character studies of all the players. It was so interesting but makes me worry about our government decision making.

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Title: The Midnight Library
Author: Matt Haig
Rating: 5 stars
Format: ebook
ATY Prompt you used it for: n/a
Brief reason why it was the best: I really identified with the MC and really connected with the story and the message.

Honourable mention: Doctor Who: The Ruby's Curse by Alex Kingston - I just love River Song

My Best Books for June are:

Non Fiction:
Title: The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race
Author: Walter Isaacson
Rating: 5 Stars
Format: Audio Book
ATY Prompt used for: N/A
Brief reason why it was the best: This is a fascinating look at gene editing, science, and the race for a COVID vaccine. I learned much about the acronyms you hear tossed about, such as "Crispr".

Fiction:
Title: The Last Child
Author: John Hart
Rating: 5 Stars
Format: Audio Book
ATY Prompt used for: N/A
Brief reason why it was the best: Excellent writing skills and an engrossing story. This was a re-read for me, and was just as good the second time around.

- Title - Firekeeper's Daughter
- Author - Angeline Boulley
- Rating - 5 stars
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio) - Ebook and Audio
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable) N/A
- Brief reason why it was the best - Being offered a look into the Ojibwe culture and history was a large piece of what worked for me but along with that the story well done, the combination made it may favorite book of the month.

Title: Kindred

Author: Octavia E. Butler

Rating: 5

Format (Print, eBook, Audio): Audio

ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): 24. A book about racism or race relations

Brief reason why it was the best: It was the way Butler portrayed the antebellum South. I felt like I was there.

I read four 5 star reads for June.

Title Hamnet
- Author Maggie O'Farrell
- Rating 5 stars
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio) eBook
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable) N/A
- Brief reason why it was the best. It's a fictional story of Shakespeare's wife Anne Hathaway & their son Hamnet. The story was simple & the writing beautiful.

- Title: Rainbow Warrior: My Life in Color
- Author: Gilbert Baker
- Rating: 5 stars
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio): eBook
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): I used it for the Summer Challenge - Read a book with at least 5 different colors of the rainbow on the cover
- Brief reason why it was the best: I had no idea of the history behind the rainbow flag and how it came to be. This is a memoir of Gilbert Baker and his interesting life.

Title I've Got a Home in Glory Land: A Lost Tale of the Underground Railroad

Author Karolyn Smardz Frost
Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Format (Print, eBook, Audio) Audio
ATY Prompt you used it for NATO prompts Y - yankee

Brief reason why it was the best

A comprehensive history of the Underground Railroad from a Canadian point of view, linked together by a black family who settled in Canada.

- Title: House of Earth and Blood

- Author: Sarah J. Maas

- Rating: 5 stars

- Format (Print, eBook, Audio): Audio

- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): 22. A book posted in one of the ATY Best Book of the Month threads. I mean, technically, I was already going to read it, but someone else did post it in a Best Book of the Month thread! :)

- Brief reason why it was the best: The story was fantastic. The characters were multi-layered and intriguing. The mystery was well written. Overall it was just a great book. I love Sarah J. Maas' writing, and this one was my favorite of hers that I've read.

- Title: Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches

- Author: Audre Lorde

- Rating: Five stars

- Format (Print, eBook, Audio): Audio

- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): 33. A collection of short stories, essays, or poetry

- Brief reason why it was the best: Lorde's writing is raw and powerful. She gives her perspective on many different issues relating to feminism: racism, women's issues, LGBTQ+, and how each of these issues relates to different fields such as writing, education, and politics.

No 5-star books this month, sadly, but I did have one 4-star.

- Title: Muse of Nightmares (Strange the Dreamer #2)

- Author: Laini Taylor

- Rating: ★★★★

- Format (Print, eBook, Audio): Print

- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): Prompt #49: A book with an ensemble cast

- Brief reason why it was the best: It was very fast-paced, as wildly imaginative as the first book, and was a very satisfying read just because it showed all these different characters coming together to resolve issues, instead of them being fragmented enemies causing internal turmoil. I liked it a lot more than Strange the Dreamer.

I had 3 5-star reads this month - Let Us Dream and The Dictionary of Lost Words for the Summer Challenge and You'll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey: Crazy Stories about Racism for the main ATY Challenge. Highly recommend them all, but The Dictionary of Lost Words hit more of my wheelhouse. If you liked The Great Passage or The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary or The Word Detective: Searching for the Meaning of It All at the Oxford English Dictionary, you should check this out

- Title The Dictionary of Lost Words
- Author Pip Williams
- Rating 5 stars
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio) print
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable) used for Summer Challenge
- Brief reason why it was the best - a book about words, a book about invisible and silenced women who should have been part of history, and an enchanting story

I had 2 picks and I just couldn't decide between them.


- Title: A Man Called Ove
- Author: Fredrik Backman
- Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio): Trade Paperback
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): I used it for Popsugar instead: A book everyone seems to have read but you.
- Brief reason why it was the best:
The characters come alive and even though the MC is a curmudgeon, you can't help loving him.


- Title: House of Earth and Blood
- Author: Sarah J. Maas
- Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio): Hardcover
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): I used this one for Popsugar too: A long book (by pages) from your TBR list.
- Brief reason why it was the best:
Sarah J. Maas manages to put about 2 books worth of action in one book (A 800 page book, but still) and she does it so well. She has quiet stretches that let the characters shine and heavy action scenes.

My month of May was disappointing, but June has been better - one clear winner, and a few honorable mentions:

- To The Bright Edge of the World
- Eowyn Ivey
- 5 stars
- Print
- 28. connected to ice
- This book is written as a series of journal entries and letters, about an exploration into Alaska. I'm not sure how to describe how I felt when I finished, but it was the same feeling as when I read The Shadow of the Wind last year - happy that I read an amazing story and sad it was over!

Honorable Mentions:

Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon - inventive mix of ideas and genres, will definitely read the rest of their books on my TBR (this would have been my winner if I hadn't read so many other books this month!)

Solutions and Other Problems by Allie Brosh - I was so excited to finally get to read this, and it did not disappoint!

And a couple to celebrate Pride month: Last Night in Nuuk and The Black Flamingo - both quick reads celebrating LGBTQIA+ life

I have one fiction and one nonfiction.

Title: Transcendent Kingdom
Author: Yaa Gyasi
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Format: Audio
ATY Prompt you used it for: "a book whose main character is a Black woman" for Summer Reading Challenge

Brief reason why it was the best: Made me think about the relationship between faith and science.

Title: The Happiness Project
Author: Gretchen Rubin
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Format: eBook
ATY Prompt you used it for: "a happy book" for Summer Reading Challenge

Brief reason why it was the best: This was a reread for me and I enjoyed it as much or more this second time through. As I have recently turned 50, I am thinking a lot about where my life is going and find her process very helpful.

- Title: The Housekeeper and the Professor
- Author: Yōko Ogawa
- Rating: 5
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio): Kindle
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): N/A
- Brief reason why it was the best: Just perfection in a small package. Lovely writing, and touching and sweet.

I had a varied reading month in June! Here are the books I gave five stars or otherwise recommend:


- Title: The Deep
- Author: Rivers Solomon et al
- Rating: I found rating this one complicated, but not because it isn't good.
- Format: Print
- ATY Prompt you used it for: Haven't used it yet, fits no aty in author's name, list of black authors, made up place, and others.
- Brief reason why it was the best:
This book is an amazing take on the impact of the trans-Atlantic slave trade from a completely new and unique perspective. It is a fantasy deeply rooted in intergenerational trauma, but also is about collective memory, the group vs the individual, gender, identity and so much more packed into a tiny little book.


- Title: Disappearing Earth
- Author: Julia Phillips
- Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Format: Audio
- ATY Prompt you used it for: Ice or winter
- Brief reason why it was the best
Story wise, I think I might have given this book 4 stars, but I really enjoyed the setting in a Siberian town, narratives from women's perspective, and learning about the history and status of indigenous peoples of the region.


- Title: Barracoon
- Author: Zora Neale Hurston
- Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Format: Audio
- ATY Prompt you used it for: Non-fiction
- Brief reason why it was the best
The story, from his own lips, of the last man brought to America as part of the trans-Atlantic slave trade.


- Title: The Bear and the Nightingale
- Author: Elizabeth Arden
- Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Format: Audio
- ATY Prompt you used it for: Ice or winter
- Brief reason why it was the best
Very well-told fantasy based on Russian folklore

As it turns out my best reads include two books related to Russia and two related to the slave trade, but all are entirely different genres and styles! And diff from the other books I read in June, which included light-hearted urban fantasy, memoir, the inheritance trilogy by N K Jemisin , stories about African sisters, and more. How do you choose?

No five star reads for me this month.

Title: The Wolf and the Woodsman
Author: Ava Reid
Rating: 4 stars
Format: ebook

I loved the Hungarian-inspired world-building and mythology, and that it was a standalone fantasy.

- Title: How to Be Free from Bitterness: And Other Essays on Christian Relationships
- Author: Jim Wilson
- Rating: 5 stars
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio): audio
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): six or more words in title
- Brief reason why it was the best: It feels over the top to call this book 'life changing', but it might be true anyway. Simple, straightforward, almost 'obvious', but packed full of wisdom from an old pastor.

I definitely went quality over quantity for June, so I had a few good books to choose from.

Title: The Chosen and the Beautiful
Author: Nghi Vo
Rating: 5 Stars
Format: Print
ATY Prompt you used it for: Cross-genre novel (magical realism, retelling, historical fiction)
Brief reason why it was the best:
I love Gatsby, so I knew I wanted to read this queer retelling. It was so, so beautifully written... it kept the feel of Gatsby while enhancing the story and adding a touch of magical realism to it without it being overdone. I feel like this book made me like Gatsby more, but I don't think you need to have liked Gatsby (or even read it) to enjoy this story.

All books up to this point have been added to the Best Book of the Month listopia.

- Title: Six of Crows
- Author: Leigh Bardugo
- Rating: 5 stars
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio): Print
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): I'm using it for a book connected to ice, but it could also be used for monochrome cover, female villain/criminal, made up place, set on an island, and an ensemble cast
- Brief reason why it was the best: Bardugo created a lovable, well-written cast of characters that you can't help but root for. The story is quick-paced and full of dramatic twists and turns. I couldn't put it down and was sad when it was over. The sequel is just as good, but I finished it in July.

- Title: The Travelling Cat Chronicles
- Author: Hiro Arikawa
- Rating: 4 stars
- Format: Print
- ATY Prompt: #2 Song "My Favorite Things" (word- kitten) (also a good choice for 37- Well-Read World Lit list)
- Brief reason why it was the best: I found it to be funny, heart-warming, and an enjoyable journey.

- Title: The Ministry for the Future
- Author: Kim Stanley Robinson
- Rating: 4 stars, I think
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio): eBook
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): #20 Book related to past/present/future (multi-week prompt)
- Brief reason why it was the best: It made me feel terrified and hopeful about the future at the same time, and I just can't stop thinking about it. Some of the narrative devices in the interstitial chapters didn't work for me, which is why I didn't end up with a 5 star rating.

Title: We Need to Talk About Kevin
Author: Lionel Shriver
Rating: 5 stars
Format (Print, eBook, Audio): eBook
ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): n/a
Brief reason why it was the best: These are not pleasant people, any of them. But this book will keep you thinking about it long after you've finished it

I had two favorites this month!

Title: The Song of Achilles
Author: Madeline Miller
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Format: eBook
ATY Prompt you used it for: n/a (but could be used for a love story, a book related to the past)
Brief reason why it was the best: I love Greek mythology and she tells the story in a way that hasn't been told before.

Title: The Guncle
Author: Steven Rowley
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Format: Audio
ATY Prompt you used it for: A book whose cover shows more than two people
Brief reason why it was the best: I literally put my hand over my heart and sighed when I was done with this book! Everyone needs a GUP in their lives!

Updated the listopia through here. Feel free to go upvote your favorites!

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

I had one 5 star rating this month!

Title: The Hate U Give
Author: Angie Thomas
Rating: 5 stars
Format: Audio
ATY Prompt: "A book whose title contains a negative"
Reason why it was the best: This is what I put on my review.
"Wow, just wow. Great book, important story...a MUST read."

Runner up would be:

Title: Arsenic and Adobo
Author: Mia P. Manansala
Rating: 4 stars
Format: audio
ATY Prompt: "3 books related to past, present, future" (used it for present, b/c it is from 2021).
Reason why it was the best:
It is great! It's the author's debut novel and It makes me look forward to her next book.

Lots of yummy food talks and descriptions all while trying to solve a murder mystery. Also give you a bit of a look into the Filipino culture.

Don't read while hungry


Other books I read in June (all with 3 stars):

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
ATY prompt: "A long book"

The Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo
ATY prompt: "A book with elements of magic"

Still Lives by Maria Hummel
ATY prompt: "A book to celebrate the Grand Egyptian Museum"

Next to Last Stand by Craig Johnson
Didn't use for ATY

- Title: Finding Dorothy
- Author Elizabeth Letts
- Rating 4 stars
- Format eBook
- ATY Prompt: 7. fits a prompt suggestion that didn't make the final list (A book related to a book (The Wizard of Oz))
- I had four 4-star reads in June and I chose this as the best because it has a Goodreads rating over 4.

Updated listopia through here!

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

- Title The Recollection
- Author Gareth L. Powell
- Rating 4.5 stars
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio) ebook
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable) NA
- Brief reason why it was the best - Gareth Powell is one of my most favorite sci-fi authors ever :)

Title
Timeline
Author
Michael Crichton
Rating
4★
Format (Print, eBook, Audio)
eBook
ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable)
N/A
Brief reason why it was the best
I've not read any Michael Crichton before, and I just found it was a wonderful, fast-paced read. It wasn't without its flaws - some things weren't thought through well or were glossed over, but, all in all, I really enjoyed it!

Title
A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World
Author
C.A. Fletcher
Rating
5
Format
Print
ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable)
20. 3 books related to "Past, Present, Future" - FUTURE
Brief reason why it was the best
It is a post-apocalyptic quite different from the others that I have read and for me, the most haunting. It is 100 years after the apocalypse, you have no idea how/what/why happened, just that it happened and it didn't happen all at once. Twists and turns that would be spoilers. I noted this one because it is still on my mind.

Title: Recursion
Author: Blake Crouch
Rating: ★★★★★
Format: ebook
ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): #21 A book whose title and author both contain the letter "u"
Brief reason why it was the best: This is a really compelling and thought provoking sci-fi thriller about memory and identity

- Title How Lucky
- Author Will Leitch
- Rating 4 Stars
- Format Physical book
- ATY Prompt you used it for N/A
- Brief reason why it was the best It was a nice book, but to be honest I only finished reading one other book this month.

I have updated the listopia through here!

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

- TitleI Wish You All the Best
- Author Mason Deaver
- Rating 5 Stars
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio) audio
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable) None!
- Brief reason why it was the best Emotional and sweet, really glade I gave it a chance.

Updated through here!

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

Title: Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress
Author: Dai Sijie
Rating: 5 Stars
Format: Audio and print
ATY Prompt you used it for: 37. A book from the Are You Well Read in World Literature list
Brief reason why it was the best: I originally gave it 4 stars, but I continued to think about it all year. It's a lovely and lyrical book about how important books are to our lives, particularly when they are not allowed. It also provides an easy introduction to an unusual time in history -the Chinese Cultural Revolution.

My other 5 star book in June:

Title: The Songbook of Benny Lament
Author: Amy Harmon
Rating: 5 Stars
Format: Audio
ATY Prompt you used it for: 13. A book written by an author of one of your best reads of 2020
Brief reason why it was the best: It provided a fun and thought-provoking look at the 1960's as seen through the eyes of a song-writer/musician in a mixed race band (and couple), whose hit song raised awareness.