Around the Year in 52 Books discussion

I've seen the challenge around but I've been waffling about joining for so long that I'm once again late to the party 😅

Since I'm a mood reader, planning ahead can be difficult (I usually end up changing those plans a million times), so I'll mostly be checking if the book I feel like reading in the moment fits a specific challenge entry, or picking a prompt and hunting down a book that fits my mood at that point. As such, I'm for sure not reading in order.

For now, I'll kick it off with seeing how many of the books I already read this year meet the challenge topics.

2025 ATY Reading Challenge: 52/52



✅ 1. A book with a cover that has an image of something that starts with A, T, or Y:
(Telephone)



✅ 2. A prompt suggestion for this year that did not make the list:
↳ 📚 A Botanical Daughter
(A book related to fungi)

✅ 3. A book connected to something mentioned in the Do Re Mi song:
↳ 📚 A Psalm for the Wild-Built
(MC is a tea (ti) monk)

✅ 4. A book set underground, under sea or in an underworld:
↳ 📚 Dungeon Crawler Carl

✅ 5. A book with a weird or intriguing title:
↳ 📚 The Utterly Uninteresting and Unadventurous Tales of Fred, the Vampire Accountant

✅ 6. A book with a serpentine element on the cover: - (Snake)



✅ 7. A book by an author that uses 3 names:
↳ 📚 Murder by Cheesecake
(Rachel Ekstrom Courage)

✅ 8. A collection of short stories or novellas, essays, poetry, or a mix of various brief writings:
↳ 📚 Before the Coffee Gets Cold

✅ 9. A book that has been long-listed for the Tournament of Books in any year:
↳ 📚 Network Effect

✅ 10. A book about witches, goddesses or nuns:
↳ 📚 Equal Rites
(Witches - including THE Witch, Granny Weatherwax herself)

✅ 11. A book set in a fictional location:
↳ 📚 The Dead Cat Tail Assassins
(The fantasy port city of Tal Abisi)

✅ 12. A book by an Irish author
↳ 📚 The Alchemyst
(Michael Scott)

✅ 13. A book involving a "group" with at least 4 members that's not a family:
↳ 📚 When the Tides Held the Moon

✅ 14. A science fiction or fantasy novel written by a woman
↳ 📚 Dead Silence
(S.A. Barnes)

✅ 15. A book of secrets, lies, or deception:
↳ 📚 Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers
(Murder mystery - plenty of lies and secrets)

✅ 16. A book that fits a prompt from the 2016 ATY list:
↳ 📚 Emma
(5. A book with a title beginning with the 1st letter of your name - "E")

✅ 17. A history or historical fiction book set prior to 1925:
↳ 📚 Miss Percy's Pocket Guide to the Care and Feeding of British Dragons
(Historical Fantasy set in 1816)

✅ 18. A book set primarily in nature
↳ 📚 The Bog Wife

✅ 19. A book with a cover that has a building or cityscape:



✅ 20. A book with an animal, vegetable (plant), or mineral in the title
↳ 📚 Cat Among the Pigeons

✅ 21. A book connected in some way to any collective noun for animals:
↳ 📚 The Murder at the Vicarage
(Murder of crows)

✅ 22. A translated novel from Asia:
↳ 📚 The Rainfall Market

✅ 23. A book that involves art, music, dancing or acting:
↳ 📚 A River Enchanted
(MC is a Bard and music plays an integral role in the story)

✅ 24. A book with a main character who is a brain, an athlete, a basket case, a princess, or a criminal:
↳ 📚 Six of Crows
(Kaz is a criminal mastermind, so both Brain and Criminal)

✅ 25. A book with waves on the cover:



✅ 26. A book by an author with a common noun in their name:
↳ 📚 New Witch on the Block
(West)

✅ 27. A book set in the winter:
↳ 📚 Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales

✅ 28. Two books with a pair of opposites in their titles: Book 1:
↳ 📚 Yumi and the Nightmare Painter
(Nightmare)

✅ 29. Two books with a pair of opposites in their titles: Book 2:
↳ 📚 The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters
(Dream)

✅ 30. A monster book
↳ 📚 City of Stairs
(Has actual monsters, and monstrous actions)

✅ 31. A book with a coastal setting:
↳ 📚 The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches

✅ 32. A mystery or true crime book:
↳ 📚 The Mysterious Affair at Styles
(Murder Mystery)

✅ 33. A book by an author you enjoyed but haven't gotten around to reading again for some time:
↳ 📚 Somewhere Beyond the Sea
(T.J. Klune)

✅ 34. A book title that could be a country song:
↳ 📚 Five Little Pigs

✅ 35. A book from the NPR “Books We Love” lists
↳ 📚 The Fifth Season

✅ 36. A book with a common household object on the cover:
(Broom, teapot, cups, pan, ladle…)



✅ 37. A book featuring adult friendships
↳ 📚 All Systems Red

✅ 38. Two books with a connection from different genres: Book 1:
↳ 📚 Pride and Prejudice

✅ 39. Two books with a connection from different genres: Book 2:
↳ 📚 Pemberley: Mr. Darcy's Dragon
(Pride and Prejudice - but with DRAGONS)

✅ 40. A book you'd consider a comfort read:
↳ 📚 A Prayer for the Crown-Shy

✅ 41. A book that involves digging up the past:
↳ 📚 Keeper of Enchanted Rooms
((view spoiler)[MC needs to dig into the past to find out who owned the house to determine who is haunting it (hide spoiler)])

✅ 42. A book set in a manor, mansion, or estate:
↳ 📚 Craven Manor
(Takes place in and around a haunted manor)

✅ 43. A book whose title has ten or fewer letters:
↳ 📚 Spellbound

✅ 44. A haunting book:
↳ 📚 The Haunting of Leigh Harker

✅ 45. A book by an author whose publishing career spans at least ten years:
↳ 📚 Homeland
(R.A. Salvatore - First novel published 1988)

✅ 46. A book related to one of the traditional full moon names:
↳ 📚 Fool Moon - (Wolf Moon: werewolves)

✅ 47. A book relating to fire
↳ 📚 The Sunlit Man

✅ 48. A book with a character dealing with death:
↳ 📚 The Book of Doors
((view spoiler)[MC deals with the death of a friend and her father (hide spoiler)])

✅ 49. A book that deals with time travel, alternate universes, or alternate timelines
↳ 📚 Doctor Who: The Legends of River Song

✅ 50. A book posted in one of the ATY Best Book of the Month threads in 2024 or 2025
↳ 📚 The River Has Roots

✅ 51. A book published in 2025:
↳ 📚 The Staircase in the Woods
(April 29, 2025)

✅ 52. A book with a sunset vibes on the cover:

The Anniversary List 10/10



✅ 2016: A book originally written in a language other than English:
↳ 📚 Haai, Katriena - Wat Vertel Jy My Nou!
(Afrikaans)

✅ 2017: A book whose title doesn't contain the letter "E":
↳ 📚 A Palm for Mrs. Pollifax

✅ 2018: An author's debut book:
↳ 📚 Murder at the Bookstore

✅ 2019: A book related to one of the elements on the periodic table of elements:
↳ 📚 Silverthorn
(Atomic number 27: (AG) Silver)

✅ 2020: A book with an emotion in the title
↳ 📚 Tusk Love

✅ 2021: A book related to a codeword from the NATO Phonetic Alphabet
↳ 📚 At Bertram's Hotel

✅ 2022: A book that uses all five vowels in the title and/or author's name:
↳ 📚 The Frugal Wizard's Handbook for Surviving Medieval England

✅ 2023: A book whose author has published more than 7 books:
↳ 📚 Death on the Nile
(Agatha Christie published some 75 novels, including 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections)

✅ 2024: A book that has been on your TBR for over a year:
↳ 📚 Storm Front

✅ 2025: A book involving a "group" with at least 4 members that's not a family:
↳ 📚 Wind and Truth
(The Heralds/The Knights Radiant/(view spoiler)[The Unoathed (hide spoiler)]… technically The Fused too I suppose)

January 2025 ATY Reads:

[✅] 2025: A book involving a group with at least 4 members that's not a family:

Wind and Truth – 16 Jan

(The Heralds/The Knights Radiant/(view spoiler)[The Unoathed (hide spoiler)]… technically The Fused too I suppose)

Rating:
Main character(s): 10/10
Side Characters: 10/10
Atmosphere & Intrigue: 8/10
Worldbuilding: 10/10
Logic & Believability (Consistency): 10/10
Romance and/or relationships: 8/10
Plot & Pacing: 8/10
Writing Style: 10/10
Enjoyment: 16/20
Overall Rating: 90/100
Overall Star Rating: 86-90% ⭐⭐⭐️⭐️⭐️

Boy, is this book (and series) still living rent free in my head...

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✅ 48. A book with a character dealing with death:

The Book of Doors - 18 Jan

((view spoiler)[MC deals with the death of a friend and her father (hide spoiler)])

Rating:
Main character(s): 6/10
Side Characters: 7/10
Atmosphere & Intrigue: 7/10
Worldbuilding: 7/10
Logic & Believability (Consistency): 7/10
Romance and/or relationships: 6/10
Plot & Pacing: 6/10
Writing Style: 5/10
Enjoyment: 11/20
Overall Rating: 62/100
Overall Star Rating: 61-65% ⭐⭐⭐️

The January fantasy book of the month for the GR Dragons & Jetpacks group. This one was surprisingly more emotional than I expected.

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✅ 17. A history or historical fiction book set prior to 1925:

Miss Percy's Pocket Guide to the Care and Feeding of British Dragons - 19 Jan

(Historical Fantasy set in England 1816)

Rating:
Main character(s): 8/10
Side Characters: 7/10
Atmosphere & Intrigue: 7/10
Worldbuilding: 7/10
Logic & Believability (Consistency): 7/10
Romance and/or relationships: 7/10
Plot & Pacing: 7/10
Writing Style: 7/10
Enjoyment: 13/20
Overall Rating: 70/100
Overall Star Rating: 66-70% ⭐⭐⭐️

I’ve been over the 19-something year-old female protagonist trope for a while now, and it was a nice change to get to read about a 40-something year-old spinster in 1816 England who got to be the one to go on an adventure along with other older characters instead. Plus the dragon was ridiculously cute.

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✅ 2024: A book that has been on your TBR for over a year:

Storm Front - 20 Jan

Rating:
Main character(s): 7/10
Side Characters: 6/10
Atmosphere & Intrigue: 7/10
Worldbuilding: 6/10
Logic & Believability (Consistency): 6/10
Romance and/or relationships: 6/10
Plot & Pacing: 6/10
Writing Style: 5/10
Enjoyment: 11/20
Overall Rating: 60/100
Overall Star Rating: 56-60% ⭐⭐⭐️

I’m not the biggest fan of books written in 1st person PoV (my inner voice is too clearly defined and it makes immersion difficult). I usually combat this by listening to the audio book instead, however the narrator’s mouth noises put me off. The story itself was still a pretty fun one though, and I’ll probably read more of the books in the series as fillers in between other book series.

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✅ 36. A book with a common household object on the cover:
- 21 Jan



(Broom, teapot, cups, pan, ladle…)

Rating:
Main character(s): 6/10
Side Characters: 6/10
Atmosphere & Intrigue: 6/10
Worldbuilding: 6/10
Logic & Believability (Consistency): 6/10
Romance and/or relationships: 6/10
Plot & Pacing: 6/10
Writing Style: 6/10
Enjoyment: 10/20
Overall Rating: 58/100
Overall Star Rating: 56-60% ⭐⭐⭐️

A nice, cozy fantasy. Nothing groundbreaking, but still a good time.

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✅ 42. A book set in a manor, mansion, or estate:

Craven Manor – 24 Jan

(Takes place in and around a haunted manor)

Rating:
Main character(s): 7/10
Side Characters: 7/10
Atmosphere & Intrigue: 7/10
Worldbuilding: 7/10
Logic & Believability (Consistency): 7/10
Romance and/or relationships: 7/10
Plot & Pacing: 7/10
Writing Style: 7/10
Enjoyment: 13/20
Overall Rating: 70/100
Overall Star Rating: 66-70% ⭐⭐⭐️

Surprisingly sweet for a horror novel. I would enjoy a series of two of the characters just being friends and enjoying each others’ company. Not at all what I expected from a paranormal horror novel - I will for sure be reading more of this author’s books.

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✅ 19. A book with a cover that has a building or cityscape:
– 25 Jan



Rating:
Main character(s): 6/10
Side Characters: 5/10
Atmosphere & Intrigue: 6/10
Worldbuilding: 5/10
Logic & Believability (Consistency): 6/10
Romance and/or relationships: 6/10
Plot & Pacing: 6/10
Writing Style: 6/10
Enjoyment: 11/20
Overall Rating: 56/100
Overall Star Rating: 56-60% ⭐⭐⭐️

I loved the concept of someone just going ahead with the strangeness of a haunting happening around them, by just following the rules of said haunting – much like in Craven Manor by Darcy Coates (view spoiler)[for example just leaving the bleeding walls because it will stop after September, and just don’t get too close to Elias because he likes his personal space, and bites (hide spoiler)]. I would have enjoyed it more if there was more focus on the “Little Pranksters” (and Fredericka – seriously, does she have a sister that can come haunt my house?), and my fondness of those side characters could not fully compensate for my dislike of the MC’s daughter. I did also appreciate the author sticking to the paranormal aspect of the horror (view spoiler)[and not fully making the haunting be caused by mental illness (hide spoiler)]

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✅ 46. A book related to one of the traditional full moon names:

Fool Moon – 25 Jan

(Wolf Moon: werewolves)

Rating:
Main character(s): 7/10
Side Characters: 6/10
Atmosphere & Intrigue: 7/10
Worldbuilding: 6/10
Logic & Believability (Consistency): 6/10
Romance and/or relationships: 6/10
Plot & Pacing: 6/10
Writing Style: 5/10
Enjoyment: 11/20
Overall Rating: 60/100
Overall Star Rating: 56-60% ⭐⭐⭐️

As with Storm Front which was the first book in The Dresden Files, it was a pretty good time.

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✅ 25. A book with waves on the cover:
- 26 Jan



Rating:
Main character(s): 2/10
Side Characters: 2/10
Atmosphere & Intrigue: 4/10
Worldbuilding: 4/10
Logic & Believability (Consistency): 4/10
Romance and/or relationships: 4/10
Plot & Pacing: 4/10
Writing Style: 4/10
Enjoyment: 8/20
Overall Rating: 36/100
Overall Star Rating: 36-40% ⭐⭐

The January sci-fi book of the month for the GR SciFi and Fantasy Book Club group.
Man, I wanted to enjoy this book so much, but good grief. I just could not care less about any of the characters, and honestly I would have preferred more Eldritch Horror and less random recounting of previous amorous encounters/reminiscing about when the characters did the deed – I enjoy a good spicy novel as much as the next 30-something year-old woman, but this just didn’t work for me.

February 2025 ATY Reads:


[✅] 2017: A book whose title doesn't contain the letter E:

A Palm for Mrs. Pollifax - 02 Feb

Rating:
Main character(s): 8/10
Side Characters: 7/10
Atmosphere & Intrigue: 7/10
Worldbuilding: 8/10
Logic & Believability (Consistency):8 /10
Romance and/or relationships: 8/10
Plot & Pacing: 7/10
Writing Style: 8/10
Enjoyment: 13/20
Overall Rating: 74/100
Overall Star Rating: 71-75% ⭐⭐⭐⭐️

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[✅] 43. A book whose title has ten or fewer letters:

Spellbound - 06 Feb

Rating:
Main character(s): 7/10
Side Characters: 6/10
Atmosphere & Intrigue: 7/10
Worldbuilding: 7/10
Logic & Believability (Consistency): 7/10
Romance and/or relationships: 8/10
Plot & Pacing: 7/10
Writing Style: 7/10
Enjoyment: 12/20
Overall Rating: 68/100
Overall Star Rating: 66-70% ⭐⭐⭐️

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[✅] 2. A prompt suggestion for this year that did not make the list:

A Botanical Daughter - 07 Feb

(A book related to fungi)

Rating:
Main character(s): 7/10
Side Characters: 6/10
Atmosphere & Intrigue: 7/10
Worldbuilding: 7/10
Logic & Believability (Consistency): 7/10
Romance and/or relationships: 6/10
Plot & Pacing:7 /10
Writing Style: 7/10
Enjoyment: 12/20
Overall Rating: 66/100
Overall Star Rating: 66-70% ⭐⭐⭐️

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[✅] 23. A book that involves art, music, dancing or acting:

A River Enchanted – 09 Feb

(MC is a Bard and music plays an integral role in the story)

Rating:
Main character(s): 6/10
Side Characters: 7/10
Atmosphere & Intrigue: 7/10
Worldbuilding: 8/10
Logic & Believability (Consistency): 7/10
Romance and/or relationships: 7/10
Plot & Pacing: 7/10
Writing Style: 8/10
Enjoyment: 14/20
Overall Rating: 71/100
Overall Star Rating: 71-75% ⭐⭐⭐️⭐️

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[✅] 24. A book with a main character who is a brain, an athlete, a basket case, a princess, or a criminal:

Six of Crows - 21 Feb

(Kaz is a criminal mastermind, so both a brain and a criminal)

Rating:
Main character(s): 8/10
Side Characters: 6/10
Atmosphere & Intrigue: 8/10
Worldbuilding: 7/10
Logic & Believability (Consistency): 7/10
Romance and/or relationships: 6/10
Plot & Pacing: 6/10
Writing Style: 6/10
Enjoyment: 15/20
Overall Rating: 69/100
Overall Star Rating: 66-70% ⭐⭐⭐️

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[✅] 11. A book set in a fictional location:

The Dead Cat Tail Assassins – 23 Feb

(The fantasy port city of Tal Abisi)

Rating:
Main character(s): 6/10
Side Characters: 8/10
Atmosphere & Intrigue: 6/10
Worldbuilding: 8/10
Logic & Believability (Consistency): 6/10
Romance and/or relationships: 5/10
Plot & Pacing: 5/10
Writing Style: 5/10
Enjoyment: 10/20
Overall Rating: 59/100
Overall Star Rating: 56-60% ⭐⭐⭐️

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[✅] 41. A book that involves digging up the past:

Keeper of Enchanted Rooms – 27 Feb

((view spoiler)[MC needs to dig into the past to find out who owned the house to determine who is haunting it (hide spoiler)])

Rating:
Main character(s): 7/10
Side Characters: 7/10
Atmosphere & Intrigue: 7/10
Worldbuilding: 7/10
Logic & Believability (Consistency): 7/10
Romance and/or relationships: 8/10
Plot & Pacing: 7/10
Writing Style: 7/10
Enjoyment: 14/20
Overall Rating: 71/100
Overall Star Rating: 71-75% ⭐⭐⭐️⭐️

March 2025 ATY Reads:

[✅] 5. A book with a weird or intriguing title:

The Utterly Uninteresting and Unadventurous Tales of Fred, the Vampire Accountant - 02 Mar

Rating:
Main character(s): 5/10
Side Characters: 5/10
Atmosphere & Intrigue: 5/10
Worldbuilding: 6/10
Logic & Believability (Consistency): 5/10
Romance and/or relationships: 4/10
Plot & Pacing: 5/10
Writing Style: 4/10
Enjoyment: 8/20
Overall Rating: 47/100
Overall Star Rating: 46-50% ⭐⭐

The March fantasy book of the month for the GR SciFi and Fantasy Book Club group.

Honestly, I don’t really have much to say about this one – for me it sadly fell short despite its intriguing title – though I can definitely see how it might scratch an itch for others.
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[✅] 4. A book set underground, under sea or in an underworld:

Dungeon Crawler Carl - 03 Mar

Rating:
Main character(s): 7/10
Side Characters: 6/10
Atmosphere & Intrigue: 6/10
Worldbuilding: 7/10
Logic & Believability (Consistency): 6/10
Romance and/or relationships: 6/10
Plot & Pacing: 7/10
Writing Style: 7/10
Enjoyment: 13/20
Overall Rating: 65/100
Overall Star Rating: 61-65% ⭐⭐⭐️

The January Sci-fi Book of the Month for the GR Dragons & Jetpacks group – I’m more of a fantasy fan than a sci-fi one, so I skipped it originally, but then the sequel was voted in as the March fantasy BotM for the group, and I caved and read it in preparation for reading book 2; and immediately regretted skipping it in January. It was fun, funny, light-hearted and just an all-round good time.
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[✅] 27. A book set in the winter:
Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales - 06 Mar

Rating:
Main character(s): 8/10
Side Characters: 8/10
Atmosphere & Intrigue: 7/10
Worldbuilding: 7/10
Logic & Believability (Consistency): 7/10
Romance and/or relationships: 7/10
Plot & Pacing: 7/10
Writing Style: 7/10
Enjoyment: 14/20
Overall Rating: 72/100
Overall Star Rating: 71-75% ⭐⭐⭐️⭐️
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[✅] 44. A haunting book:

The Haunting of Leigh Harker - 08 Mar

Rating:
Main character(s): 8/10
Side Characters: 8/10
Atmosphere & Intrigue: 7/10
Worldbuilding: 6/10
Logic & Believability (Consistency): 6/10
Romance and/or relationships: 8/10
Plot & Pacing: 7/10
Writing Style: 7/10
Enjoyment: 13/20
Overall Rating: 70/100
Overall Star Rating: 66-70% ⭐⭐⭐️

Another surprisingly sweet paranormal horror from Darcy Coates, with a great relationship between the characters – and an interesting twist early on.
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[✅] 10. A book about witches, goddesses or nuns:

Equal Rites – 13 Mar

(Witches - including THE Witch, Granny Weatherwax herself)

Rating:
Main character(s): 6/10
Side Characters: 9/10 – Granny!
Atmosphere & Intrigue: 8/10
Worldbuilding: 8/10
Logic & Believability (Consistency): 8/10
Romance and/or relationships: 6/10
Plot & Pacing: 7/10
Writing Style: 9/10
Enjoyment: 15/20
Overall Rating: 76/100
Overall Star Rating: 76-80% ⭐⭐⭐️⭐️

This wasn’t my first time reading Equal Rites, but it was just as good this time around. I really love the Discworld Witches (not as much as the Watch, but close).
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[✅] 3. A book connected to something mentioned in the Do Re Mi song:

A Psalm for the Wild-Built – 13 Mar

(MC is a tea (♬ ti – a drink with jam and bread ♬) monk)

Rating:
Main character(s): 8/10
Side Characters: 10/10
Atmosphere & Intrigue: 9/10
Worldbuilding: 9/10
Logic & Believability (Consistency): 9/10
Romance and/or relationships: 9/10
Plot & Pacing: 10/10
Writing Style: 10/10
Enjoyment: 18/20
Overall Rating: 92/100
Overall Star Rating: 91-95% ⭐⭐⭐️⭐️⭐️

What an absolute delight this cozy read was – I severely regret leaving it on my TBR for as long as I did.
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[✅] 2023: A book whose author has published more than 7 books:

Death on the Nile - 16 Mar

(Agatha Christie published some 75 novels, including 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections)

Rating:
Main character(s): 9/10
Side Characters: 7/10
Atmosphere & Intrigue: 8/10
Worldbuilding: 8/10
Logic & Believability (Consistency): 8/10
Romance and/or relationships: 7/10
Plot & Pacing: 7/10
Writing Style: 9/10
Enjoyment: 14/20
Overall Rating: 77/100
Overall Star Rating: 76-80% ⭐⭐⭐️⭐️

A popular murder mystery for a good reason.
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[✅] 2022: A book that uses all five vowels in the title and/or author's name:

The Frugal Wizard's Handbook for Surviving Medieval England - 19 Mar

Rating:
Main character(s): 8/10
Side Characters: 8/10
Atmosphere & Intrigue: 8/10
Worldbuilding: 9/10
Logic & Believability (Consistency): 8/10
Romance and/or relationships: 8/10
Plot & Pacing: 8/10
Writing Style: 8/10
Enjoyment: 15/20
Overall Rating: 80/100
Overall Star Rating: 76-80% ⭐⭐⭐️⭐️

Not quite what I expected. I really enjoyed the roller coaster the book took me on in discovering who the MC actually is as a person.
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[✅] 28. Two books with a pair of opposites in their titles: Book 1:

Yumi and the Nightmare Painter - 25 Mar

(Nightmare)

Rating:
Main character(s): 8/10
Side Characters: 7/10
Atmosphere & Intrigue: 8/10
Worldbuilding: 8/10
Logic & Believability (Consistency): 8/10
Romance and/or relationships: 9/10
Plot & Pacing: 8/10
Writing Style: 9/10
Enjoyment: 15/20
Overall Rating: 80/100
Overall Star Rating: 76-80% ⭐⭐⭐️⭐️

Another Brandon Sanderson Secret Project with a roller coaster in discovering what sort person the MC is, and I’m here for it. Back in the Cosmere again after the side jaunt in the Frugal Wizard’s guide, and I thoroughly enjoyed all the little easter eggs I finally managed to catch. Beautiful imagery as well, and the dynamic between the two MCs was also delightful.
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[✅] 31. A book with a coastal setting:

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches - 26 Mar

Rating:
Main character(s): 7/10
Side Characters: 9/10
Atmosphere & Intrigue: 7/10
Worldbuilding: 7/10
Logic & Believability (Consistency): 6/10
Romance and/or relationships: 8/10
Plot & Pacing: 7/10
Writing Style: 7/10
Enjoyment: 14/20
Overall Rating: 72/100
Overall Star Rating: 71-75% ⭐⭐⭐️⭐️

Very similar to House in the Cerulean Sea, which admittedly did put me off a bit in the beginning. It did, however, distinguish itself later on and was still a great cozy read. To be honest though, the side characters stole the show for me – I didn’t dislike the MC by any means, but she wasn’t nearly as endearing as the rest of the ensemble cast.
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[✅] 21. A book connected in some way to any collective noun for animals:

The Murder at the Vicarage - 28 Mar

(Murder of crows)

Rating:
Main character(s): 8/10
Side Characters: 8/10
Atmosphere & Intrigue: 8/10
Worldbuilding: 7/10
Logic & Believability (Consistency): 8/10
Romance and/or relationships: 7/10
Plot & Pacing: 7/10
Writing Style: 8/10
Enjoyment: 14/20
Overall Rating: 75/100
Overall Star Rating: 71-75% ⭐⭐⭐️⭐️

This was a very nice little murder mystery palate cleanser - I adored the nosy old ladies in the village, and the vicar was also very endearing himself. Looking forward to reading more of Miss Marple.

April 2025 ATY Reads:


[✅] 45. A book by an author whose publishing career spans at least ten years:

Homeland

(R.A. Salvatore - First novel published 1988) - 11 Apr

Rating:
Main character(s): 9/10
Side Characters: 9/10
Atmosphere & Intrigue: 8/10
Worldbuilding: 9/10
Logic & Believability (Consistency): 8/10
Romance and/or relationships: 8/10
Plot & Pacing: 9/10
Writing Style: 9/10
Enjoyment: 15/20
Overall Rating: 84/100
Overall Star Rating: 81-55% ⭐⭐⭐️⭐️

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[✅] 29. Two books with a pair of opposites in their titles: Book 2

The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters

(Dream) - 12 Apr

Rating:
Main character(s): 7/10
Side Characters: 6/10
Atmosphere & Intrigue: 7/10
Worldbuilding: 7/10
Logic & Believability (Consistency): 7/10
Romance and/or relationships: 7/10
Plot & Pacing: 7/10
Writing Style: 7/10
Enjoyment: 12/20
Overall Rating: 67/100
Overall Star Rating: 66-70% ⭐⭐️⭐️

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[✅] 15. A book of secrets, lies, or deception:

Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers

(Murder mystery - plenty of lies and secrets) - 29 Apr

Rating:
Main character(s): 7/10
Side Characters: 7/10
Atmosphere & Intrigue: 7/10
Worldbuilding: 6/10
Logic & Believability (Consistency): 6/10
Romance and/or relationships: 7/10
Plot & Pacing: 6/10
Writing Style: 7/10
Enjoyment: 13/20
Overall Rating: 66/100
Overall Star Rating: 66-70% ⭐⭐️⭐️

May 2025 ATY Reads:


[✅] 8. A collection of short stories or novellas, essays, poetry, or a mix of various brief writings:
Before the Coffee Gets Cold – 09 May

Rating:
Main character(s): 7/10
Side Characters: 7/10
Atmosphere & Intrigue: 7/10
Worldbuilding: 7/10
Logic & Believability (Consistency): 7/10
Romance and/or relationships: 5/10
Plot & Pacing: 5/10
Writing Style: 6/10
Enjoyment: 12/20
Overall Rating: 63/100
Overall Star Rating: 61-65% ⭐⭐⭐️

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[✅] 7. A book by an author that uses 3 names:
Murder by Cheesecake
(Rachel Ekstrom Courage) - 15 May

Rating:
Main character(s): 7/10
Side Characters: 7/10
Atmosphere & Intrigue: 7/10
Worldbuilding: 7/10
Logic & Believability (Consistency): 7/10
Romance and/or relationships: 6/10
Plot & Pacing: 6/10
Writing Style: 6/10
Enjoyment: 12/20
Overall Rating: 65/100
Overall Star Rating: 61-65% ⭐⭐⭐️

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[✅] 51. A book published in 2025:
The Staircase in the Woods
(April 29, 2025) - 16 May

Rating:
Main character(s): 4/10
Side Characters: 4/10
Atmosphere & Intrigue: 6/10
Worldbuilding: 7/10
Logic & Believability (Consistency): 5/10
Romance and/or relationships: 4/10
Plot & Pacing: 5/10
Writing Style: 6/10
Enjoyment: 6/20
Overall Rating: 46/100
Overall Star Rating: 46-50%⭐⭐

The premise immediately grabbed my attention, but good grief did I dislike the majority of the characters – not to mention the political rants the one character in particular likes to go off on.

What had the potential of being a great paranormal horror story about mysterious staircases appearing in the woods just turned into a psychological thriller about TraumaTM and an Introduction to Emotional Intelligence lecture. Thoroughly disappointing overall.

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[✅] 1. A book with a cover that has an image of something that starts with A, T, or Y:

(Telephone) - 16 May

Rating:
Main character(s): 9/10
Side Characters: 9/10
Atmosphere & Intrigue: 9/10
Worldbuilding: 8/10
Logic & Believability (Consistency): 8/10
Romance and/or relationships: 9/10
Plot & Pacing: 10/10
Writing Style: 9/10
Enjoyment: 20/20
Overall Rating: 91/100
Overall Star Rating: 91-95%⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

HOLY PLOTTWIST BATMAN! That ending is going to live rent free in my head for a long time – I immediately want to go back and read the book again.

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[✅] 33. A book by an author you enjoyed but haven't gotten around to reading again for some time:
Somewhere Beyond the Sea
(T.J. Klune) - 24 May


Rating:
Main character(s): 5/10
Side Characters: 5/10
Atmosphere & Intrigue: 6/10
Worldbuilding: 6/10
Logic & Believability (Consistency): 6/10
Romance and/or relationships: 6/10
Plot & Pacing: 6/10
Writing Style: 6/10
Enjoyment: 6/20
Overall Rating: 50/100
Overall Star Rating: 46-50%⭐⭐

What a preachy, disappointing follow-up to what was an incredible story in The House in the Cerulean Sea.

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[✅] 2018: An author's debut book:
Murder at the Bookstore - 27 May


Rating:
Main character(s): 5/10
Side Characters: 6/10
Atmosphere & Intrigue: 6/10
Worldbuilding: 5/10
Logic & Believability (Consistency): 4/10
Romance and/or relationships: 4/10
Plot & Pacing: 4/10
Writing Style: 4/10
Enjoyment: 8/20
Overall Rating: 46/100
Overall Star Rating: 46-50%⭐⭐

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[✅] 16. A book that fits a prompt from the 2016 ATY list:
Emma
(5. A book with a title beginning with the 1st letter of your name - "E") - 29 May

Rating:
Main character(s): 6/10
Side Characters: 7/10
Atmosphere & Intrigue: 7/10
Worldbuilding: 7/10
Logic & Believability (Consistency): 8/10
Romance and/or relationships: 8/10
Plot & Pacing: 7/10
Writing Style: 9/10
Enjoyment: 11/20
Overall Rating: 70/100
Overall Star Rating: 66-70%⭐⭐⭐

June 2025 ATY Reads:

✅ 13. A book involving a "group" with at least 4 members that's not a family:
When the Tides Held the Moon - 01 Jun

Rating:
Main character(s): 8/10
Side Characters: 8/10
Atmosphere & Intrigue: 7/10
Worldbuilding: 7/10
Logic & Believability (Consistency): 7/10
Romance and/or relationships: 8/10
Plot & Pacing: 7/10
Writing Style: 7/10
Enjoyment: 13/20
Overall Rating: 72/100
Overall Star Rating: 71-55%⭐⭐⭐⭐

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✅ 22. A translated novel from Asia:
The Rainfall Market - 06 Jun

Rating:
Main character(s): 6/10
Side Characters: 6/10
Atmosphere & Intrigue: 6/10
Worldbuilding: 7/10
Logic & Believability (Consistency): 6/10
Romance and/or relationships: 6/10
Plot & Pacing: 6/10
Writing Style: 6/10
Enjoyment: 10/20
Overall Rating: 59/100
Overall Star Rating: 56-60%⭐⭐⭐

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✅ 6. A book with a serpentine element on the cover:
(Snake) - 10 Jun



Rating:
Main character(s): 8/10
Side Characters: 8/10
Atmosphere & Intrigue: 7/10
Worldbuilding: 7/10
Logic & Believability (Consistency): 7/10
Romance and/or relationships: 8/10
Plot & Pacing: 8/10
Writing Style: 8/10
Enjoyment: 13/20
Overall Rating: 74/100
Overall Star Rating: 71-75%⭐⭐⭐⭐

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✅ 2016: A book originally written in a language other than English
Haai, Katriena - Wat Vertel Jy My Nou!
(Afrikaans) - 11 Jun


Rating:
Main character(s): 9/10
Side Characters: 9/10
Atmosphere & Intrigue: 8/10
Worldbuilding: 8/10
Logic & Believability (Consistency): 8/10
Romance and/or relationships: 8/10
Plot & Pacing: 9/10
Writing Style: 10/10
Enjoyment: 20/20
Overall Rating: 89/100
Overall Star Rating: 86-90%⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Skreeusnaaks en boonop lekker nostalgies – altyd pret om weer saam Katriena en Mevrou om die kombuistafel te sit en tee drink.

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✅ 38. Two books with a connection from different genres: Book 1:
Pride and Prejudice – 16 Jun

Rating:
Main character(s): 9/10
Side Characters: 8/10
Atmosphere & Intrigue: 8/10
Worldbuilding: 8/10
Logic & Believability (Consistency): 8/10
Romance and/or relationships: 9/10
Plot & Pacing: 9/10
Writing Style: 10/10
Enjoyment: 18/20
Overall Rating: 87/100
Overall Star Rating: 86-90%⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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✅ 39. Two books with a connection from different genres: Book 2 :
Pemberley: Mr. Darcy's Dragon
(Pride and Prejudice - but with DRAGONS) – 16 Jun

Rating:
Main character(s): 7/10
Side Characters: 6/10
Atmosphere & Intrigue: 7/10
Worldbuilding: 8/10
Logic & Believability (Consistency): 6/10
Romance and/or relationships: 7/10
Plot & Pacing: 6/10
Writing Style: 7/10
Enjoyment: 15/20
Overall Rating: 69/100
Overall Star Rating: 66-70%⭐⭐⭐

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✅ 40. A book you'd consider a comfort read:
A Prayer for the Crown-Shy - 22 Jun

Rating:
Main character(s): 9/10
Side Characters: 9/10
Atmosphere & Intrigue: 9/10
Worldbuilding: 9/10
Logic & Believability (Consistency): 9/10
Romance and/or relationships: 10/10
Plot & Pacing: 9/10
Writing Style: 10/10
Enjoyment: 16/20
Overall Rating: 90/100
Overall Star Rating: 86-90%⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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✅ 34. A book title that could be a country song:
Five Little Pigs - 27 Jun

Rating:
Main character(s): 8/10
Side Characters: 5/10
Atmosphere & Intrigue: 7/10
Worldbuilding: 7/10
Logic & Believability (Consistency): 7/10
Romance and/or relationships: 5/10
Plot & Pacing: 5/10
Writing Style: 8/10
Enjoyment: 10/20
Overall Rating: 62/100
Overall Star Rating: 61-65%⭐⭐⭐

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✅ 30. A monster book
City of Stairs
(Has actual monsters, and monstrous actions) – 29 Jun


Rating:
Main character(s): 8/10
Side Characters: 9/10
Atmosphere & Intrigue: 8/10
Worldbuilding: 10/10
Logic & Believability (Consistency): 8/10
Romance and/or relationships: 8/10
Plot & Pacing: 8/10
Writing Style: 8/10
Enjoyment: 18/20
Overall Rating: 85/100
Overall Star Rating: 81-85%⭐⭐⭐⭐
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✅ 49. A book that deals with time travel, alternate universes, or alternate timelines
Doctor Who: The Legends of River Song - 30 Jun


Rating:
Main character(s): 6/10
Side Characters: 5/10
Atmosphere & Intrigue: 5/10
Worldbuilding: 6/10
Logic & Believability (Consistency): 6/10
Romance and/or relationships: 6/10
Plot & Pacing: 4/10
Writing Style: 4/10
Enjoyment: 8/20
Overall Rating: 50/100
Overall Star Rating: 46-50%⭐⭐

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July 2025 ATY Reads:


✅ 20. A book with an animal, vegetable (plant), or mineral in the title
↳📚 Cat Among the Pigeons - 03 July


Rating:
Main character(s): 9/10
Side Characters: 8/10
Atmosphere & Intrigue: 9/10
Worldbuilding: 9/10
Logic & Believability (Consistency): 8/10
Romance and/or relationships: 8/10
Plot & Pacing: 9/10
Writing Style: 9/10
Enjoyment: 16/20
Overall Rating: 85/100
Overall Star Rating: 81-85%⭐⭐⭐⭐

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✅ 14. A science fiction or fantasy novel written by a woman
↳ 📚 Dead Silence
(S.A. Barnes) – 05 July


Rating:
Main character(s): 7/10
Side Characters: 6/10
Atmosphere & Intrigue: 7/10
Worldbuilding: 7/10
Logic & Believability (Consistency): 6/10
Romance and/or relationships: 6/10
Plot & Pacing: 7/10
Writing Style: 7/10
Enjoyment: 13/20
Overall Rating: 66/100
Overall Star Rating: 66-70%⭐⭐⭐

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✅ 52. A book with a sunset vibes on the cover: – 16 July



Rating:
Main character(s): 8/10
Side Characters: 8/10
Atmosphere & Intrigue: 9/10
Worldbuilding: 9/10
Logic & Believability (Consistency): 8/10
Romance and/or relationships: 8/10
Plot & Pacing: 8/10
Writing Style: 8/10
Enjoyment: 16/20
Overall Rating: 82/100
Overall Star Rating: 81-85%⭐⭐⭐⭐

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✅ 12. A book by an Irish author
↳ 📚 The Alchemyst
(Michael Scott))

Rating:
Main character(s): 6/10
Side Characters: 7/10
Atmosphere & Intrigue: 7/10
Worldbuilding: 8/10
Logic & Believability (Consistency): 7/10
Romance and/or relationships: 6/10
Plot & Pacing: 6/10
Writing Style: 6/10
Enjoyment: 12/20
Overall Rating: 65/100
Overall Star Rating: 61-65%⭐⭐⭐

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✅ 35. A book from the NPR “Books We Love” lists
↳ 📚 The Fifth Season - 22 July

Rating:
Main character(s): 8/10
Side Characters: 9/10
Atmosphere & Intrigue: 9/10
Worldbuilding: 10/10
Logic & Believability (Consistency): 9/10
Romance and/or relationships: 8/10
Plot & Pacing: 9/10
Writing Style: 10/10
Enjoyment: 18/20
Overall Rating: 90/100
Overall Star Rating: 86-90%⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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✅ 50. A book posted in one of the ATY Best Book of the Month threads in 2024 or 2025
↳ 📚 The River Has Roots - 23 July

Rating:
Main character(s): 9/10
Side Characters: 9/10
Atmosphere & Intrigue: 8/10
Worldbuilding: 8/10
Logic & Believability (Consistency): 8/10
Romance and/or relationships: 8/10
Plot & Pacing: 7/10
Writing Style: 9/10
Enjoyment: 14/20
Overall Rating: 80/100
Overall Star Rating: 76-80%⭐⭐⭐⭐

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✅ 2021: A book related to a codeword from the NATO Phonetic Alphabet
↳ 📚 At Bertram's Hotel - 24 July

Rating:
Main character(s): 8/10
Side Characters: 8/10
Atmosphere & Intrigue: 8/10
Worldbuilding: 7/10
Logic & Believability (Consistency): 8/10
Romance and/or relationships: 7/10
Plot & Pacing: 8/10
Writing Style: 9/10
Enjoyment: 15/20
Overall Rating: 78/100
Overall Star Rating: 76-80%⭐⭐⭐⭐
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✅ 37. A book featuring adult friendships
↳ 📚 All Systems Red - 25 July

Rating:
Main character(s): 10/10
Side Characters: 10/10
Atmosphere & Intrigue: 9/10
Worldbuilding: 8/10
Logic & Believability (Consistency): 8/10
Romance and/or relationships: 8/10
Plot & Pacing: 7/10
Writing Style: 7/10
Enjoyment: 19/20
Overall Rating: 86/100
Overall Star Rating: 86-90%⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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✅ 18. A book set primarily in nature
↳ 📚 The Bog Wife - 31 July

Rating:
Main character(s): 5/10
Side Characters: 5/10
Atmosphere & Intrigue: 5/10
Worldbuilding: 6/10
Logic & Believability (Consistency): 6/10
Romance and/or relationships: 4/10
Plot & Pacing: 5/10
Writing Style: 9/10
Enjoyment: 8/20
Overall Rating: 53/100
Overall Star Rating: 51-55%⭐⭐⭐

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August 2025 ATY Reads:

✅ 47. A book relating to fire
↳ 📚 The Sunlit Man - 02 Aug

Rating:
Main character(s): 8/10
Side Characters: 9/10
Atmosphere & Intrigue: 8/10
Worldbuilding: 9/10
Logic & Believability (Consistency): 8/10
Romance and/or relationships: 8/10
Plot & Pacing: 8/10
Writing Style: 9/10
Enjoyment: 18/20
Overall Rating: 85/100
Overall Star Rating: 81-85%⭐⭐⭐⭐

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✅ 9. A book that has been long-listed for the Tournament of Books in any year:
↳ 📚 Network Effect - 05 Aug

Rating:
Main character(s): 10/10
Side Characters: 10/10
Atmosphere & Intrigue: 8/10
Worldbuilding: 8/10
Logic & Believability (Consistency): 8/10
Romance and/or relationships: 9/10
Plot & Pacing: 9/10
Writing Style: 7/10
Enjoyment: 19/20
Overall Rating: 88/100
Overall Star Rating: 86-90%⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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And with that the 52 prompts on the main challenge are complete 😁

✅ 2020: A book with an emotion in the title
↳ 📚 Tusk Love

Rating:
Main character(s): 8/10
Side Characters: 7/10
Atmosphere & Intrigue: 7/10
Worldbuilding: 8/10
Logic & Believability (Consistency): 7/10
Romance and/or relationships: 9/10
Plot & Pacing: 8/10
Writing Style: 8/10
Enjoyment: 15/20
Overall Rating: 77/100
Overall Star Rating: 76-80%⭐⭐⭐⭐

Elma wrote: "✅ 2020: A book with an emotion in the title
↳ 📚 Tusk Love


Rating:

Main character(s): 8/10
Side Characters: 7/10
Atmosphere & Intrigue: 7/10
Worldbuilding: 8/10
Logic & Believ..."

Ha! I'm a Critical Role fan so this title caught my eye. I hadn't realized they made a real book out of it, that's fantastic.

Joanna G wrote: "Ha! I'm a Critical Role fan so this title caught my eye. I hadn't realized they made a real book out of it, that's fantastic."

I'm also a Critter and got quite a giggle at it being turned into a real book - I've got Der Katzenprinz & Other Zemnian Tales waiting on my shelf too...

✅ 2019: A book related to one of the elements on the periodic table of elements:
↳ 📚 Silverthorn - 27 Aug
(Atomic number 27: (AG) Silver)

Rating:
Main character(s): 9/10
Side Characters: 9/10
Atmosphere & Intrigue: 9/10
Worldbuilding: 9/10
Logic & Believability (Consistency): 8/10
Romance and/or relationships: 9/10
Plot & Pacing: 9/10
Writing Style: 9/10
Enjoyment: 17/20
Overall Rating: 88/100
Overall Star Rating: 86-90%⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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With that, the anniversary list is complete too 🎉