Around the Year in 52 Books discussion

June
✅1. Father's Day:
111 countries around the world celebrate Father's Day, with the most common date being the third Sunday in June, which was started by Sonora Smart Dodd in Spokane, Washington in 1910.
✅a. Book whose main character is a father
Seize the Day by Saul Bellow - 6/2/23 - 3* - My Review
✅b. Biography or history nonfiction book
The January 6 Report: Findings from the Select Committee to Investigate the Attack on the U.S. Capitol with Reporting, Analysis and Visuals by The New York Times by The January 6 Select Committee - 6/6/23 - 4* - My Review
✅c. Author's initials can be found in PATERNITY
Run Me to Earth by Paul Yoon - 7/20/23 - 4* - My Review

✅2. Estival Solstice:
For the Northern Hemisphere the summer solstice on June 21st is the day with the longest period of daylight and shortest night of the year
✅a. Book with a title that is 5 or more words
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson - 6/3/23 - 3* - My Review
✅b. Cover has plants on the cover

A Parchment of Leaves by Silas House - 6/9/23 - 3* - My Review
✅c. Book is set in the Northern Hemisphere
Love and Summer by William Trevor - 6/5/23 - 3* - My Review

✅3. Hibernal Solstice:
For the Southern Hemisphere the winter solstice on June 22nd is the day with the shortest period of daylight and longest night of the year.
✅a. Book that is at least 400 pages long
SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome by Mary Beard - 6/7/23 - 4* - My Review (606 pages)
✅b. Book with fire on the cover

The Dragons, the Giant, the Women: A Memoir by Wayétu Moore - 6/30/23 - 4* - My Review
✅c. Book is set in the Southern Hemisphere
Deep Down Dark: The Untold Stories of 33 Men Buried in a Chilean Mine, and the Miracle That Set Them Free by Héctor Tobar - 6/17/23 - 4* - My Review

✅4. Pride Month:
A month celebrating LGBT+ communities and their history which was started following the 1969 Stonewall Riots
✅a. Written by an author who identifies as LGBTQIA+
River of Teeth by Sarah Gailey - 6/17/23 - 2* - My Review
✅b. A banned or challenged book
Wise Blood by Flannery O'Connor - 6/19/23 - 2* - My Review
✅c. A coming of age novel
The New Wilderness by Diane Cook - 6/15/23 - 4* - My Review

July
✅1.Let's Play:
Whether it's your summer or winter, it's always a good time to have some fun
✅a. First letter of the book's title is in HORSE AROUND
All You Can Ever Know by Nicole Chung - 6/10/23 - 4* - My Review
✅b. Includes a character who plays a sport
The Carriage House by Louisa Hall - 6/30/23 - 3* - My Review (tennis)
✅c. Published in a year ending with 3
Yellowface by R.F. Kuang - 6/5/23 - 4* - My Review (pub 2023)

✅2. Travel Season:
Armchair travelling is definitely the cheapest, but exploring in real life is nice too!
✅a. Set in multiple countries
When the Moon Is Low by Nadia Hashimi - 6/4/23 - 4* - My Review
✅b. A book with a map
The Path Between the Seas: The Creation of the Panama Canal, 1870-1914 by David McCullough - 7/2/23 - 4.5* - My Review
✅c. Cover has vehicle (car, plane, boat, train, hang glider, etc)

The Winter of Frankie Machine by Don Winslow - 6/20/23 - 2* - My Review

✅3. Halfway there!
✅a. Book with an even number of pages
The Golden Bowl by Henry James - 6/9/23 - 4* - My Review (612 pages)
✅b. The next book in a series
Smiley's People by John le Carré - 6/12/23 - 4* - My Review
✅c. An author's second book
Carry Me Down by M.J. Hyland - 6/8/23 - 1* - My Review

✅4. Turn Up the Radio:
Invented in the 1890s and probably much more fun now
✅a. Book featuring or about musicians
August Blue by Deborah Levy - 7/21/23 - 4* - My Review
✅b. Set in the 19th century
The Awakening: A Solitary Story by Kate Chopin - 6/22/23 - 3* - My Review
✅c. Author's initials can be found in GUGLIELMO MARCONI
The Great Derangement: Climate Change and the Unthinkable by Amitav Ghosh - 6/14/23 - 4* - My Review

August
✅1. Book Lovers Day:
It's on August 9th, celebrate accordingly.
✅a. Book written by your favorite author
The Parade by Dave Eggers - 7/14/23 - 4* - My Review
Note: I don't have a single favorite author, but Dave Eggers is one of my favorites.
✅b. Main character works in a book shop or library
The Bookman's Tale by Charlie Lovett - 8/13/23 - 4* - My Review
✅c. First letter of the book's title appears in BIBLIOMANIA
In Our Mad and Furious City by Guy Gunaratne - 6/15/23 - 3* - My Review

✅2. Perseid Meteor Shower:
An annual meteor shower peaking around Aug 11-12. According to the American Meteor Society this year will be a particularly good year for viewing.
✅a. Science fiction book
Under the Skin by Michel Faber - 6/3/23 - 4* - My Review
✅b. Sun, moon, or stars on the cover

Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls - 7/3/23 - 3* - My Review
✅c. Inspired by or retelling myths
The Women of Troy by Pat Barker - 6/11/23 - 4* - My Review

✅3. Make Waves:
Fun fact: about 2.5 million Americans are employed in ocean-based tourism and recreation (as of 2018).
✅a. Author's initials can be found in SURFBOARD
The Enchanted by Rene Denfeld - 6/10/23 - 4* - My Review
✅b. Set in a coastal town or city
A History of the Island by Eugene Vodolazkin - 7/10/23 - 4* - My Review
✅c. A sea creature is on the cover

Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn - 7/11/23 - 3* - My Review

✅4. Go Camping:
Fun fact: The American National Park Service employs approximately 20,000 people (full time, part time and seasonal).
✅a. A book connected to birds, bees, or bunnies
What an Owl Knows: The New Science of the World's Most Enigmatic Birds by Jennifer Ackerman - 7/19/23 - 4* - My Review
✅b. A ghost story
Ghostwritten by David Mitchell - 6/24/23 - 5* - My Review
✅c. A book primarily set outdoors
Above the Waterfall by Ron Rash - 6/11/23 - 3* - My Review