Around the Year in 52 Books discussion

I'm interested in what twists other people are doing and if you need any help. Whether it's just suggestions for a prompt that's harder for your twist, needing books added to a listopia or types of books added to the best of lists.

I'm doing the challenge with a twist, at least I'm trying to do the challenge 3 times, once with fiction, once with nonfiction and once with picture books.

I had to ask for help to find a non fiction cozy mystery. There weren't many choices for picture books in the best of lists when I started this.

I saw a suggestion to add to the 2023 best of lists to give other people more choices, so I thought I would start this topic to see what people really need.

I love that take on the challenge Deborah. I'm reading in order, and that's enough of a challenge for me, but your take on it sounds fun (though I can see how nonfiction would present a real struggle - 52 nonfiction books in a year is a lot!)

I've considered doing the challenge with Manga/Graphic Novels, but some of the prompts seem really hard. (I'd need to find someone who writes Manga in Africa?)

It's also more of a challenge, because I tend to read series of Manga, they don't stand alone well. But if I'm reading one book from this series and one from another, you aren't really getting an idea of what they are about. It would be more like reading a few chapters form a lot of different books. Story lines in Manga take sometimes 10 to 20 volumes.

Instead, I'm hoping to finish the challenge within 6 months and then do a different year's challenge in the latter 6 months. One of the years I didn't participate in.

@J I know you didn't ask for suggestions, but in case it's useful for the future - Aya: Life in Yop City is a good graphic novel from Cote d'Ivoire

Any suggestions for picture books by an author from an African country?

Deborah wrote: "Any suggestions for picture books by an author from an African country?"

If you want to count Lupita Nyong'o as an author from an African country (she was raised in Kenya), then her book Sulwe is a picture book.

Milena wrote: "Deborah wrote: "Any suggestions for picture books by an author from an African country?"

If you want to count Lupita Nyong'o as an author from an African country (she was raised i..."

Thank you, but I've already read that one. That's also my problem with most of the listopias, they have lots of great books I read in previous years

Rosalind wrote: "@J I know you didn't ask for suggestions, but in case it's useful for the future - Aya: Life in Yop City is a good graphic novel from Cote d'Ivoire"

Thanks!

Deborah wrote: "Any suggestions for picture books by an author from an African country?"

My granddaughter likes Nigerian-born author Atinuke. She has twenty something books to her name.

And they're at my library. That's perfect. Thanks so much!

Not my twist, but a little help for you Deborah on the non-fiction

# 9- The Hello Girls: America's First Women Soldiers

# 26 The Ghost Ships of Archangel: The Arctic Voyage That Defied the Nazis

# 30 The Big Burn: Teddy Roosevelt and the Fire that Saved America

I read a lot of non-fiction, probably more than 52 a year. Been a slow start for me this year, but just ask if you need help finding something

Joanne wrote: "Not my twist, but a little help for you Deborah on the non-fiction

# 9- The Hello Girls: America's First Women Soldiers

# 26 [book:The Ghost Ships of Archangel: The Arctic Voyage ..."

Thanks!

Deborah wrote: "Joanne wrote: "Not my twist, but a little help for you Deborah on the non-fiction

# 9- The Hello Girls: America's First Women Soldiers

# 26 [book:The Ghost Ships of Archangel: The..."

You are welcome Deborah-I have reviews up for all them if you want to check them out before diving in to any. Just look for me on the review page, or friend me and you can roam by non-fiction and non-history shelfs. I have them both separated by "read" and "to read"

@Deborah I don't read picture books myself but this bookshop has several from African authors: https://afroribooks.co.uk/collections...

Rosalind wrote: "@Deborah I don't read picture books myself but this bookshop has several from African authors: https://afroribooks.co.uk/collections..."

Thank you!

Not exactly a twist but I do several challenges through different GR groups and I can almost always find something that works for at least one of those while also fitting an ATY prompt. (This is only since I've been retired and have a lot more reading time)

Same as Robin, I am in more than one challenge and have fun trying to find ways to use the books in as many categories as possible....but I'm not retired but I'm a teacher so I get holidays and summers to catch up on reading

Even if it's for a challenge other than ATY, feel free to let us know what type or category book you need help with whether it's a suggestion, an entry in the best books lists or something else.

I'm trying to do the challenge twice, once with just romance books. I made fun of the romance genre for years, and now I feel bad, and want to embrace the genre. I'm finding out that there's also a lot of great romance books out there.

Wendi wrote: "I'm trying to do the challenge twice, once with just romance books. I made fun of the romance genre for years, and now I feel bad, and want to embrace the genre. I'm finding out that there's also a..."

I was scornful of romance books when I was young, thinking they were all about weak women being carried off by hunks. Then I read one and I was surprised that they are generally about very strong women. Instead of being rescued, they are often rescuing and improving the men.

I decided I was going to do the challenge with only books on my TBR. That was dumb. I've already blown that. LOL. Oh well. :) I might do the challenge twice this year. I am already 31 books in, and I am currently reading two more. I have no idea what twist I might do though. Last year I did the challenge with all women authors. That was fun.

I'm also doing the challenge twice, once by trying to find books that will fulfill all the 'multi-choice' prompts and then trying to clear the TBR list (ha!)

I don’t have a twist but had hoped to read mostly books I own, which is not going so well at this point, plus the 2023 Booker Prize long list. I’ve already given up on the Booker list! Since the 2024 International Booker Long List just came out, I am going to see if I can fit some of those books into my challenge. Being all translated works, they look much more interesting to me than the Booker Prize books. First, I’ll have to see what I can find!

This year, I’m reading in order. I’ve also added the stipulation of not finishing a book before it’s given week (though it is okay if I’m behind). I’m also trying to read as many books as possible that I own for the challenge.

Are there any twists you've considered doing or decided not to because they seem too hard?

Deborah wrote: "Are there any twists you've considered doing or decided not to because they seem too hard?"

reading in order lol

i just have too many book clubs and I don't know what they will be reading. Is I try to read in order but book clubs will choose books that for like prompt 20-something but not the week I'm in. So I gave up and just completed the challenge by years end.

That does sound too hard to me. I don't really understand why so many people read in order.

I enjoy reading in order, if only because it forces me to stretch out the challenge. I'm currently on book 30 for the year but only 12 for ATY... if I was going out of order, I'd be over halfway done with the challenge already.

I decided to read in order this year for a few reasons. The first being several series fit nicely with the order of the prompts which can be tricky. I also wanted to read more of the books I already own so I’m not reliant on the library (though my next three books for the challenge will be library books). I have completed 12 books for the challenge, and I feel no stress. I have a bad habit of feeling like I should be done with the challenge by April and end up reading lots of books I don’t like or having several prompts that I don’t care for to read to read during the summer which makes me feel negative during the voting for next years prompts. I also do challenge because sometimes it is hard to pick which books to read so I know one prompt to work on and then can have side reads for anything else that sparks my interest.

I am in so many different challenges that I chose reading in order as a way to get ATY done without forgetting about it. I do try to cross plan books, so even though I am only reading one book for ATY, hopefully, it is also helping me work on another challenge.

I plan only 6 months at a time...and usually 3 books per prompt. That way I have freedom to make new plans later in the year, and I always have an alternative book if it turns out I have read one of the planned ones.

I'm still new to ATY, this is only my second year, so it's interesting to see how other people do it.

Emily wrote: "I enjoy reading in order, if only because it forces me to stretch out the challenge. I'm currently on book 30 for the year but only 12 for ATY... if I was going out of order, I'd be over halfway do..."

I really like this idea.

Last year, I joined the group in June and I just watched for a while thinking I'll do the challenge next year, but then I realized many of the books I had already read could count. So, I had to fill in some holes, but a lot of it was just deciding what could fit where. I spent a lot of time moving books around since so many could work for more than one prompt.

This is my first year doing ATY and it's interesting to see how other people do it. I am not reading in order but I am trying, for the most part, to fit books that I already own or that have been on my TBR for a while.

I have two twists-sort of. I am trying to complete 4 challenges-Robot, this one, 52, and PopSugar-in that order. I'm letting books count for multiple challenges but also making myself read books i own first before hitting the library shelves. So right now i am working on books i own that i know fit the 52 prompts-and trying to squeeze them into the other 3.also i read stuff already on my tbr (it's like hundreds of books) before adding new

Not really a twist, but I just decided for two of the prompts (secondary color on cover and author from Canada / New Zealand / Australia) I'm going to do 3 books each, one for each option.