Around the Year in 52 Books discussion

Although they aren't fun, rules are sometimes necessary. If any rules are added, removed, or amended, it will be posted here as well as the announcements.


RESPECT. This group is intended for all ages. Please keep that in mind when discussing books.

SPOILERS. Please use spoiler tags when necessary.

Type the following without the asterisks (*) and no spaces.
<*spoiler*>This is the text that will be hidden.<*/spoiler*>

WEEKLY. This challenge is intended to be weekly (one book a week for the year 2016). You are welcome to jump ahead or lag behind, but please participate in discussion!

BOOKSHELF. If adding books to our shelf, please say why (what week # it is for). I encourage you to add what you are reading!

PROGRESS POSTS. The progress post section is a time to let the group know what you're starting that week.

A-Z DISCUSSION. Come discuss the book when you're finished!

- Post your books according to title. Books beginning with "A" and "The" should be placed according to the second word in the title.
Example: "A Time to Kill" would be placed in the "T" section.

- Use the "Title, by Author" format when creating new threads.

- Please Don't post too far ahead. Change of plans happen. So please don't create threads more than 2-3 books ahead of schedule.

- Make sure that there isn't already a discussion going for your book before creating a new thread!

It's always nice to know a little bit about the other group members. So take a moment and introduce yourself! Even if you're coming over from the 2015 group :)

Welcome everybody :)

The important threads are here if:
- you need help
- you want to know what the categories are for each week and create your own plan
- you want to know what's new (check the "header" too)

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Introduction time!

I was one of the mods from our past group and was pleased to join the new one. The 2015 challenge was interesting and I appreciate a lot to meet new people and to add billions of books to my To Read List.
What else? I'm reading a lot since 2015, but not in my mother tongue (french) as I read mostly in english. I'm doing some changes in my life, so some weeks are pretty busy and I've plenty of free time in others.
My favorite genres are dystopia, fantasy and children books. Plenty of them in my challenge this year :)

Hi, I'm Erica and I found the 2015 group in April and managed to catch up and then some! Last year I only read about 17 books, compared to 71 so far this year (and only 5 of those before April!)! The 2015 challenge helped me curb my Netflix binge watching habit a bit :) It also helps that I'm on maternity leave so we'll see what happens when I go back to work in February, but either way I'm looking forward to starting this challenge!

My favourite genres are literature and non-fiction, but I've enjoyed reading from all genres this year.

Hi, I'm Sophie and I've been participating in the 2015 Challenge since January. When I started it I never dreamed I could read 52 books in a year, and was already planning to skip some of the weeks. Now with two months to go, I've read 65 books and discovered an absolute love for audiobooks!
I love how this challenge made me read books I would never have and discover new authors. I really like to be able to discuss books with people and to collect recommendations from you guys! Here's a like to my 2016 plan (still in progress).

My favorite genres are fantasy, thrillers, sci-fi and historical fiction.

Hi everybody, I'm Camilla from Finland and I participated in the 2015 challenge (as well as numerous other challenges during the year). I usually read around 200 books per year, this year it looks like I will surpass that. My favorite genres are fantasy, scifi, horror, YA, apocalyptic and non-fiction, but I read a variety of genres. The only genres I'm not too thrilled about reading are westerns, erotica, and poetry. Looking forward to next year's challenge!

Hello!

I'm Jody, an Australian living in Switzerland. I've always loved reading, but have only been able to read properly again the past two years now that my daughter is a little older (she's just turned 6). I'm a mix of a SAHM and self-employed - I'm a photographer.

I did the 2015 challenge as well, and have really loved it - I've never read to a challenge before, and I love that it made me finally read some books that I have been meaning to read, and also to read some books that I probably never would have gotten around to. I read some absolute duds, but also found some true gems. I finished the 2015 challenge a little while ago, and am now working on both the Book Riot "Read Harder" challenge and Popsugar's Fall reading challenge. I've also now put together a little list of annual challenges that I want to complete every year - more broad challenges such as reading a Pulitzer prize-winning novel, read a book by an author I've never read before etc. (challenges that can & hopefully will overlap with more specific ones.

My all-time favourite books are the Harry Potter books. I adore Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. So I suppose I enjoy fantasy! I really enjoy reading a wide range of genres (I really dig the classics), but I'm not really into chick-lit or romance, westerns or short stories.

I am Joy from Pennsylvania, USA. I am a transplant from the 2015 Reading Challenge and am really excited to be doing it for another year. I have been teaching composition and literature at our local community college for 25 years.

Hi, I'm Deb. Living in Texas. I didn't discover the 2015 group until very recently. But I had started the PopSugar challenge on my own and currently have 10 books left to read.

For 2015 I set up my plan at the beginning of the year and haven't deviatated from my original choices, although I found flexibility by not following the order of the challenge. For 2016, my plan is to read the categories in order but to not have every book planned out for the entire year.

I have a few personal reading goals that I hope to fit within this challenge. One, I would like to finish the Game of Thrones series in 2016 (currently reading Clash of Kings). I'm also on a mission to re-read all of Steohen King's books. I got a couple in on my 2015 challenge and hope to do the same in 2016. Other than that, we will see where the year takes me.

Looking forward to it!

I'm Joann from Regina, SK Canada.
I've almost finished off the 2015 challenge and looking forward to this new one.

I am Dawn Michelle from Northwestern PA. I was bulli ahem, I mean, told about this group from one of my best friends who is also here. I hope that I can navigate around here - ot does seem confusing at first glance. But I am a up for a challenge and heaven knows I have a million books to read to make room for even MORE books. :-)

I read all genres except extreme horror.

Hi everyone, I'm Ashley. I started with the old group in January. While I did not do a good job with keeping with the schedule, I very much enjoyed picking my books according to the challenge. (To be honest, having a schedule overwhelms me.) This past year, I read A LOT of books that were outside my "comfort genre" because of the group and I was surprised at how many I enjoyed.

For my 2016 challenge, I am planning on keeping to the schedule a little bit better. I look forward to seeing everyone on the discussion boards and wish everyone the best at success with their reading goals!

Nicole wrote: "Hi, I'm Nicole! I'm from Massachusetts, USA.

I found the 2015 group in October so I wasn't able to complete the challenge, but I'm really excited to try it this year!

With that being said, I'm a ..."

I'm not a slow reader, but when it comes to reading one book a week - life just gets in the way! The best part about the group is that we are all here to enjoy the journey. The main goal of this challenge (in my opinion) isn't to read all 52 books, but to branch outside of our comfort zones and discover books that we wouldn't have otherwise read.

I look forward to seeing you on the discussion boards!

Welcome everyone!

Dawn, can I ask what you're finding confusing? It would be great to hear about the layout from a newcomer! :)

Dawn Michelle wrote: "I am Dawn Michelle from Northwestern PA. I was bulli ahem, I mean, told about this group from one of my best friends who is also here. I hope that I can navigate around here - ot does seem confusin..."

Me! Me! I'm the bulli!

You're welcome :-)

Hey, my name is Erica and I'm from Australia. I am really looking forward to the 2016 challenge!

Hi, I'm Marina from Denmark. I'm participating in the 2015 challenge, so I thought why not join this group and give the next challenge a try also!
My goal is to just read as much as life allows me to, but since there's a few things going on in my life, I don't expect to finish the challenge but just do my best and have fun.
I'm going to use the challenge to clear out some of the books in my TBR-list.

My favorite genres are historical fiction, thrilles and crimes, chick lit and I have found out I like dystopian and fantasy as well. So I read a lot of different genres :)

I hope I can find more time next year to participate in the book discussions.

Hi, I'm Silvia from El Salvador but living in Norway, I have not finished the 2015 Reading Challenge yet (8 books left), but I am planning to take part in the 2016 challenge, maybe not the whole challenge, because 2015 has been a crazy year. I am slow reader and to keep on track I had to read in every free moment I had: in the bus, before to sleep, waiting, walking, cooking, etc and I am still not sure if I will manage to complete the 2015 challenge, so I will take a partial 2016 challenge, I have not decided how many yet :P

Hello. I'm Michelle. I joined the 2015 reading challenge in September so I most likely won't be able to finish the challenge. I'm looking forward to being able to start the challenge from the beginning in 2016. I have so many books I want to read, and not enough time. I plan on using the challenge to make a dent in my TBR-list. My favorite genres are fantasy and classics, but I read many other genres too. I enjoy books that make me feel and think.

Hello all!

I also came over from the 2015 challenge. I fell way behind with this years challenge due to work so I don't i'll finish, but I will finish next years challenge no matter what! I live in Wisconsin, USA and am a mom of 2 little girls, not sure whether I should call them little angels or little devils, lol.

Looking forward to reading with all of you and discussing books we have in common!

Hi. I'm Pam from New Mexico, USA. I found this group through another GR friend. Since joining GR, I have been reading more and actually finishing books. The challenges really help me to stay focused and find new books & authors that, otherwise, I probably would have missed. I get a lot of ideas from seeing what others are reading!

My favorite genres are non-fiction, historical fiction, light sci-fi, fantasy, some YA, & contemporary fiction. I'm also trying to read more authors from outside the U.S.

Hi! I'm Leizel. I'm a librarian in California. I found the group through a friend, and thought it looked like fun!

I read a little of everything, but my favorite genres are fantasy, urban fantasy, sci-fi, YA, thrillers, horror and cozy mysteries. I also like non-fiction, especially books about food and nutrition.

Laura wrote: "Welcome everyone!

Dawn, can I ask what you're finding confusing? It would be great to hear about the layout from a newcomer! :)"

I'm not Dawn, but I joined the 2015 group in July, and I think I may have finally figured out the Progress Posts vs. Weekly Book Posts (which will now be A-Z?). The amazing thing about this group is that everyone is so positive and helpful, and it is truly a place to participate as much or as little as a person is able.

Hi everyone!

I'm Luisa from Brazil and I came from the 2015 reading challenge group. I enjoyed the 2015 challenge (still do, the year is not over) and decided to continue with challenges. It helps me to read more than usual even if i can't accomplish the whole challenge.

My favorite genres are speculative fiction such as dystopia, post-apocalyptic and so on, fantasy, sci fi, and psychological thriller.
:)

Welcome Luisa! :)

Joy wrote: "Laura wrote: "Welcome everyone!

Dawn, can I ask what you're finding confusing? It would be great to hear about the layout from a newcomer! :)"

I'm not Dawn, but I joined the 2015 group in July, ..."

Yes, the A-Z posts have replaced the weekly discussion sections from the 2015 group. Some believed that it would allow for more effective discussion if we had only one thread on each book.

So progress posts can be filled out before reading and then the specific book can be discussed in the A-Z section :)

Hi Everyone, I'm Manda. I currently live in Alaska, but have also lived in Iowa, South Dakota, and Alabama. I work at a university overseeing the residence halls on campus and working closely with students. I spend a majority of my free time feeding my inner introvert and devouring any book that is put in front of me.

I took part in the 2015 reading challenge group, and really enjoyed it. I wasn't as active in the discussions as I wanted to be, but am hoping to change that in 2016. I think it will help having the A-Z listings this year. I'm looking forward to great discussions about books with people, even if we're not reading them for the same week.

My name is Merry. I love to read but haven't read as much as I'd like; therefore I am joining this group and accepting this challenge! I can't wait!

Hi Merry, the challenge will (normally) help you to improve a lot how much you read. I think it was the case in 2015 for all the members who usually read less than 40 books per year.

Hi all! I'm King from Kansas. I am looking forward to having a challenge in front of me to diversify my reading material as well as prevent me from 'wasting' my year on the couch in front of the TV.

I read everything, but I tend to avoid horror and some of the duller non-fiction selections. However, I am going to attempt Cujo this year (my choice for the Rory Challenge week), so we'll see how that goes.

Excited to take this journey with you!

Hi everybody! My name is Sarah and I live in Minnesota. I love reading, but work, life, kids, always seem to get in the way. I am excited to have a goal of reading 52 books next year. I always tend to follow through on things when I measure my progress. Super excited just to put my list together!! Great idea for my christmas lists :)

Hi everyone. I'm Peter from Ontario, and from the looks of it one of the only men taking part in this challenge. I'm also from the 2015 challenge. I read a little bit of everything, but my favourite genres are Fantasy and Sci-fi.

I'm a slower reader, on top of having a very irregular and hectic work schedule so I wasn't able to keep up with one book a week, but I have read more books this year than last year. I'm hoping I can read even more in 2016.

I'm liking the new format and I think I like the fact that we can post an update for each weekly topic, but that book discussions will be be gathered into one thread for each book. However, I can't seem to find the A-Z posts... I realize we aren't supposed to post in them yet, but I'm trying to find my way around and can't seem to locate them. Are they still under construction?

They don't show up on the group homepage just because they're currently empty. Once you actually go to post a topic then they show up in the drop down menu when you choose the folder for the post. So they'll start to show up once people start posting in them :)

ok...I think I'm missing something. I don't even see a section with an option to start them...

The section headings I see are "mod corner", "2016 plans", "progress posts", "book of the month", "off topic", "fun and games" and "self promotion". What heading are the A-Z categories supposed to be in?

If you're on the browser then you can click "new" towards the top, in the same bar where it says "Discussion Board". Then from that screen, you should be able to choose the folder from the drop down menu, where it says "Select..." So the A-Z posts are in that drop down menu. They'll start to appear like normal once people post the first book in that letter.

If you're on the app (at least the iOS version) then the A-Z folders should already be showing up.

Ahh! Ok, I see now. Thanks!

Hello everyone! My name is Elín and I’m from Iceland, although I live in Sweden. I read most genres, but mostly contemporary and historical fiction, fantasy, sci-fi, classics, YA and non-fiction. Usually I read in English, but also in Icelandic and Swedish. I’m trying to read more in Icelandic so that my Icelandic doesn’t deteriorate too much. I’m a sucker for time travels and what-if novels and dream about one day writing a book of my own.

I’ve been doing the 2015 reading challenge, but although I have read over 50 books so far this year I still have quite a few books left of the reading challenge list (around 20). I tend to pick books spontaneously and based on my mood at the time, instead of the books I planned out in advance (as much as I enjoy planning them!) so I might have to finish the 2015 reading challenge in 2016. Excited about the new format by the way! Would be cool if we get into using the bookshelves to add all our books, and that way also have a suggestion shelf based on each specific week.

My shelves are overflowing with books I have yet to read, but still I cannot seem to stop myself from buying more! But I also love seeing what others are reading and I’m already looking forward to finding even more books to read in 2016 and discussing them!

Hi everyone! Just found this Group and I have to admit to feeling every so slightly daunted at the thought of keeping up with the pace to fit in all 52 books over 2016! However I do love a challenge and this is just the sort of incentive I need to keep my reading on track and make sure my to-read list has a nice mix of genres. Please forgive me if my technological capabilities lag behind what is required for posting in the right place at the right time but I will do my best. Lisa (UK) x

Hello, I'm Ella from California, and I came over from the 2015 group. I found the 2015 group in January last year, after finding the Popsugar list. I have 3 more books left for 2015. I can't wait to get into the 2016 list.

My favorite genres are romance, paranormal, sci-fi, and dystopian, but I'll pretty much read anything.

Hi guys! I'm Raeann, and I came over from the 2015 group, which I was not very active in. Around the middle of the year I realized my work schedule was going to prevent me from doing a lot of reading, and that led me to discover graphic novels! Just because I don't have time for a 500+ page book doesn't mean I can't curl up with a good graphic novel after work. So I'm super excited to start over in 2016 with a lot of graphic novels and throwback kid fic and YA lit. And hopefully participate in more discussions, too! I can't wait to see what books everyone is planning on reading. That's one of my favorite ways to discover new books. :)

Hi all! I'm Ellen, from Colorado. My favorite genres are historical fiction and mysteries, and I am developing an interest in fantasy. I also read a lot of non-fiction, mostly history or biographies. I found the 2015 group right before the challenge started and while I've read over 100 books this year, I've had some trouble keeping up with my original plan and haven't posted a lot because I tend to read a little out of order. (I get a lot of books from the library and sometimes have to wait til they come in) I am really looking forward to participating in the challenge again in 2016. I love hearing about what other people are reading, and sharing what we think about various books.

Hi I'm Marie from Canada, I think this is an awesome idea and really want to be a part of the challenge, however I am also a student. My curriculum already has me reading at least one book a week so I don't know if I'll be able to follow the themes all that well. I will try my hardest! Besides that, I am interested in History, Classics, Sci-fi, Mystery, Fantasy...and I guess Historical Theory.

Hello everone! I'm Klajdi from Albania, and I'm new here. 카지노싸이트 is perfect for me because I really love reading. And I think this is also the group I may fit in as a new member in the site. I'm 14 years old, and I'm looking forward to meet new people, so don't mind sending me a friend invitation..
Uhm, my favorite book genres are: Horror, Crime, Humor & Comedy, Music, Mystery, Paranormal, Philosophy, Psychology, Sports and Young Adult. I'm addicted to mafia-related books, too! And that's all from me for now:)

Hi! I'm Pia, from Mexico.
Just found this group and it sounds like a lot of fun. This year I've reached my goal of reading 100 books.
I love online challenges and book groups, so looking forward to fitting my TBR book pile between them

hi guys I'm Elizabeth and I'm from Charleston WV. love to read( you could say I'm a bookworm at heart},and even though I'm 38 years old I love to watch old classic black and white syfy movies from the 20s, 30's,40's, 50's and 60's(which I got into by watching with my dad while I was going up},playing with my dogs{ Mia a black lab and boxer mixed(had her now for 4 years),Freddy (a black lab and retriever mix{had him only for 2 years now) and our newest member of our family Spooky{ she's terrier and border collie mixed just turned 1 year old) .She was born on Halloween 2014 and we got her on Dec.11,2014) and talking to my lovebird Alchemy,

Hey guys, I'm Aradhita.. I'm from India and I'm 18.. I love reading books and finding new ones to read, so I think this group is going to be perfect for me.

My interests include Historical Fiction, Psychology, Young Adult, Romance, Mystery, Mythology, but I'm up for trying anything :)

Hi, I'm Manju. I'm from India> I love reading and interested in painting, crochets....

My favorite genres include mystery/thriller. I enjoy reading any fiction books. But if the book has too much violence, i get disturbed. Not at all comfortable with the description of violence.

From next year I plan to come out from my comfort zone and try reading other genres.

Hi, I'm Veronica. I live in Australia. I stumbled across the 2015 group last week and have decided to join in for 2016. I have hundreds of books on my TBR and I'm hoping this challenge will push me to read some. I have a large family so my reading time is limited but I'm sure I can manage a book a week.

Hi, I'm Kirsten. I live in the US and just stumbled upon this group and decided to give it a go. I have way too much on my TBR plate and am hoping this group will give me the motivation I need to get through a nice chunk of it.

My favourite genres are fantasy, historical fiction, Young Adult, and Mythology, but I'll read pretty much anything if it has a good premise.

Hellos and welcomes all around! I'm Emm and I mod things here and there. I was part of the 2015 PopSugar group where I also modded things here and there.

I like to read, of course, but I also enjoy cooking, writing, photography, and gaming. I'm also thinking of adding sewing to my arsenal 'cause, uh, reasons. I have weird ambitions like writing a cookbook featuring food from video games (combo points!).

This year, I'm really hoping to amp up my reading and push my boundaries. I'm hoping to double my challenge and read 104 books in 2016. My favorite genres are young adult, historical fiction, fantasy, and science fiction. I have a soft spot for villains and I love a good fairy tale re-telling.

Hi all, I'm Danielle/Dani. Since I graduated college in May, I have been trying my best to not let reading fall by the wayside. In doing this challenge, I hope to read more of the classics that I've never gotten around to.

My favorite genres are literary fiction, poetry, YA, fantasy and sci-fi. I also have a soft spot in my heart for old Germanic texts - I studied Linguistics in college with a focus on the history of the English language.

Hello, I'm Amii and live in North Carolina. I joined this challenge to redeem myself from completely sucking at the challenge I joined this year (popsugar challenge). I currently work as a middle school librarian and should probably list YA as my favorite thing to read, but I really love historical fiction. Of course, if it has an interesting premise, I'll read anything!

I can't wait to begin this challenge with yall!