Around the Year in 52 Books discussion

Now that 2020 is (finally) over, it's time for a fresh start and a new challenge! This year, we are bookending our challenge, starting with a book related to "In the beginning...". This can be the first in a series, a nonfiction about the start of something new, or an author's debut novel. Let the prompt take you where it will!

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Suggestions:

The beginning of a career:
The beginning of a series:
The beginning of life:
The beginning of something new:
The beginning of people:
The beginning of the world: Novels Set in the Ancient World
The beginning of a love of reading:

ATY Group Listopia

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Optional Questions:
1. What are you reading for this category?
2. How does it fit the category?
3. What are some of your goals for 2021?
4. What book would you recommend to others to read for this category?

Not necessarily what I will be reading but I just got an email today about a GR giveaway for We Begin at the End (not to be confused with A Beginning at the End: A Novel of Hope and Recovery After Pandemic).

I've decided I'm going to limit my 2021 plan to just have 5 options (mostly because my plan gets so long and unweildy when I put every single option I have). I'll definitely add more to the listopia, but here are my top five picks:

Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor (first in a series)
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey (debut)
A Deadly Education by Naomi Novak (first in a series)
Woven in Moonlight by Isabel Ibañez (first in a series)
Wilder Girls by Rory Power (debut)

I'm planning to use a book with "first" in the title for this prompt. (And a book with "last" in the title for the "A book related to the end" prompt.)

As I need to start with the books I already own i will not be reading in order.
But I when I cover this one it will be The Animals of Farthing Wood both the first in a series and the debut of the author. My only 20201 goal is to complete this challenge with minimal rereads ( I may make an exception ofr the comfort read)

I'm planning on reading a first in series book called Genesis Code, since it also has the word "genesis" in the title so it works on multiple levels. I'm not strictly reading in order, but I do plan to read it first in January for the challenge.

My ultimate goal is just to finish the challenge. I almost finished in 2019 and might finish this year. My plan right now is to loosely ready by month, though I'm purposely reading some books out of order. For instance, the "associated with a time of year" prompt is in March, but I'm reading an "October book" for it. I'll also read a book published in 2021 pretty early in the year since I do the Book of the Month club.

I’m thinking about Black Sun, but I also want to look for a book that includes a birth.

Thomas wrote: "As I need to start with the books I already own i will not be reading in order.
But I when I cover this one it will be The Animals of Farthing Wood both the first in a series and the..."

I don't know that book but it sounds charming and perfect for the NATO challenge word Foxtrot!

Chrissy wrote: "I’m thinking about Black Sun, but I also want to look for a book that includes a birth."

I really liked Black Sun!!! And there's plenty of metaphorical birth/rebirth in the book, so there's that. But it also fits for many of the prompts.

Kristina, it seems like even the people who aren't reading in order seem to read the first few prompts first. We always have more people complete the first two or three prompts on the Community Spreadsheet before the rest of the prompts start getting filled in!

Black Sun is also on my list to read but I feel a bit guilty because I intended to read Storm of Locusts this year after reading Trail of Lightning last year, but I haven't gotten to it... I feel guilty starting a new series by her when I haven't finished the other one!

I’m not really planning for 2021. Instead I’m going to retrofit what I read. Later in the year I’ll see what’s left and decide what to do. But this category is one of the exceptions. One of my goals next year is to start reading all the Women’s Prize winners that I haven’t already read. The inaugural winner was Helen Dunmore’s A Spell of Winter so I’ll probably slot it in here - the beginning of the Women’s Prize.

I'll probably read either The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August
or a first book in a series, like
The Shadow of the Wind
Six of Crows
or All Systems Red

My goal is to read from my physical TBR when possible.
I probably won't be able to read all the books I had planned for 2020, so I'll try to slot them for some of the prompts for 2021 and read them first.

I think I'll be starting a series, with The Eye of the World.

Seems fitting Caitlin: The beginning of a looong series :)

How about The Ten Thousand Doors of January, since it is the first month?

And then for "the end", I could read One Day in December.

Robin P wrote: "How about The Ten Thousand Doors of January, since it is the first month?"

Thats a fun take on the prompt.

I think I'm going to read America's First Daughter.

emily, i'm doing the same this year and limiting myself to choose only five 'ideas' books from my pre-2021 physical tbr. hopefully, it will keep me more on track! since i won't have too many options to choose from, i'm hoping i won't get so bogged down in the decision making

my main pick is A Curious Beginning by Deanna Raybourn because the title has 'beginning' and it's the first book in a series

otherwise, i have

The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski (first in series + prequel)
Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor (first in series)
The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson (first in series)
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari (nonfic about the 'beginning' of humanity, i believe but i might save this one for the nonfic prompt)

Viktoria, the All Systems Red audiobook is fantastic, fyi! the same narrator does the entire series and he's wonderful

I only have two options I'm considering:
Year One by Nora Roberts or 1776 by David McCullough.

I'm thinking Magic for Beginners. It's been in my tbr for years.

I also want to try and fill as many prompts as possible with international authors, so I may go with The Boy in the Suitcase (first in series).

I just bought a copy of Killing Jesus: A History by Bill O'Reilly. I think it works since Christianity began with Jesus. It also works for Alpha on the NATO challenge. "I am the Alpha and the Omega." I will have to look for opportunities to double up between the ATY and NATO challenges, if I want to finish both of them!

I'm going with one of these. Or more likely, I'll find something different that works. Lol!

The Garden of Small Beginnings - Abbi Waxman
A Start in Life - Anita Brookner
A Start in Life- Honore de Balzac
Such a Fun Age - Kiley Reid (debut)
Tell the Wolves I'm Home - Carol Rifka Brunt (debut)
The Dry (Aaron Falk #1) - Jane Harper (debut and 1st of series)
The Poet X - Elizabeth Acevedo (debut)
The House of the Spirits - Isabel Allende (debut)
When All Is Said - Anne Griffin (debut)
Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit - Jeanette Winterson (debut)
The Book of Longings- Sue Monk Kidd (biblical)
The Secret Chord- Geraldine Brooks (biblical)

I am definitely reading a debut, and a newly published 2021 debut: for me, there's no better way to start off the year, it's the beginning of my reading and the author's career!

I have my eye on Black Buck to kick things off. A little "dark, comic energy" as Colson Whitehead has blurbed it sounds like a snarky, satirical and incisive way to begin. I like a little fevered nodding and pain with my laughter.

It's not really a goal of mine to read Black authors - I do so anyway and always have (I am black/biracial) - but I REALLY love supporting debut authors and especially Black, indigenous, and other POC first time authors! If people are looking for debuts in 2021 by these authors, let me know and I'll send some recs.

Kathy wrote: "I'm going with one of these. The Poet X - Elizabeth Acevedo (debut)."

i adored this one! acevedo's writing style is absolutely gorgeous

Agree with annie, especially if you're an audiobook reader. The Poet X is BEAUTIFUL on audio. If you're not feeling poetry, The Book of Longings was one of my favorite books I've read this year, so that would be another great option.

i'm pretty sure elizabeth acevedo does spoken word poetry and that's why she's such an incredible narrator. she narrates a few audiobooks too so if you haven't read Pride, i recommend giving the audiobook a shot too because her voice work is incredible

Ooooh thanks for the recommendation!

Emily wrote: "Ooooh thanks for the recommendation!"

hope you like it! it's very similar in style to elizabeth acevedo's actual books and it's a great one for the rejects challenge prompt 'retelling of a classic by a bipoc author' 😊

I wanted to use Black Sun for this one because it works on several levels but the UK edition isn't out until the end of January so it would scupper my reading in order at the first hurdle.

I'm going to read The Magicians Nephew by CS Lewis. I've been meaning to finish this series since I was in the 5th grade. lol My goals for 2021 are this challenge and PopSugar. I'm trying to only use books that are already on my tbr.

@annie I'll definitely pick up the audiobook in this case, thanks :)
I was a bit reluctant to start yet another series (while I have at least 10 I haven't finished), but I've heard so many good things about this one.

I won't be reading in order but would still like to start the challenge with 'the beginning' and finish with 'the end'.

I wanted to read The Power of Babel: A Natural History of Language for this one but it doesn't look like my library has it :( if I can't get hold of it then The Book of Longings looks intriguing so I may go with that.

I’m going to read The Evening and The Morning by Ken Follett, the prequel to The Pillars of the Earth.

Viktoria wrote: "@annie I'll definitely pick up the audiobook in this case, thanks :)
I was a bit reluctant to start yet another series (while I have at least 10 I haven't finished), but I've heard so many good th..."

they're so quick, you'll fly through them! i think the first four books are under 200 pages?? so the audiobooks are under 3 hours (from memory)

My plan is to read The Beach Club. I have a bag of summery paperbacks I got from a friend and was happy to learn this was Hilderbrand's debut.

I am also trying (again) to read my physical/Kindle to-read books whenever possible.

Two other options that I have on my Kindle are Matchmaking for Beginners and A Beginner's Guide to Free Fall.

By looking through my TBR I have the following options:

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe (first in triology)
Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (debut)
Naked in Death by J.D. Robb (first in series)
Blandat blod by Katarina Mazetti (first in series)

I'm similar to Beth. I'm not going to read in order, but this prompt will be my first ATY challenge read and the end will be my last ATY challenge read.

I wanted them to be related to each other, and I hate separating series unless I have to, so I'm going to read Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West for the beginning (history) and The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee: Native America from 1890 to the Present for "the end" (now and the future)

Also Emily, I LOVED Woven in Moonlight

Alicia wrote: "I'm similar to Beth. I'm not going to read in order, but this prompt will be my first ATY challenge read and the end will be my last ATY challenge read.

I wanted them to be related to each other,..."


I really want to read both of these books and the way you're setting them up in your plan is genius!!! Might need to move some stuff of mine around...

Woven in Moonlight is definitely on my "must read in 2021" list so I'm glad you liked it!!

Sam wrote: "Alicia wrote: "I'm similar to Beth. I'm not going to read in order, but this prompt will be my first ATY challenge read and the end will be my last ATY challenge read.

I wanted them to be related..."

Let me know if you go this direction. Bury my Heart has been on my TBR for too long, but I know for sure I'll want to discuss it with someone!

Alicia wrote: "Sam wrote: "Alicia wrote: "I'm similar to Beth. I'm not going to read in order, but this prompt will be my first ATY challenge read and the end will be my last ATY challenge read.

I wanted them t..."

Yep, let's do this! I changed my plan and will also do your great idea, and I am very excited to have a reading/discussion partner for these books!! (The ARC of the debut I wanted to read actually expires in December 2020, so I'll have to read it ahead of the challenge anyway).

Because "in the beginning" makes me think of the Bible, and because I started Lynn Austin's Restoration Chronicles a couple of years ago which is a fictionalised retelling of Ezra, I'm going to go with the second in the series, Keepers of the Covenant.

Kathryn wrote: "Because "in the beginning" makes me think of the Bible, and because I started Lynn Austin's Restoration Chronicles a couple of years ago which is a fictionalised retelling of Ezra, I..."

Kathryn, you may also like The Canaan Trilogy. Each book focuses on a woman from the Bible.

Alicia wrote: "I'm similar to Beth. I'm not going to read in order, but this prompt will be my first ATY challenge read and the end will be my last ATY challenge read.

I wanted them to be related to each other,..."

I love the idea of having the first and last prompt connect in some way so I think I will read Women & Children First (about the Titanic) and The Last Cruise (about a fictional ocean liner) for the prompts. Thanks for the great idea!

Alicia wrote: "Kathryn wrote: "Because "in the beginning" makes me think of the Bible, and because I started Lynn Austin's Restoration Chronicles a couple of years ago which is a fictionalised rete..."

They do sound interesting, Alicia!! Thanks!

Alicia wrote: "I'm similar to Beth. I'm not going to read in order, but this prompt will be my first ATY challenge read and the end will be my last ATY challenge read.

I wanted them to be related to each other,..."

Same here - I don't read challenges in order, but I love the idea of starting with the Beginning one and ending with The End, and having them connected in some way. To that end (heh), I've been thinking of starting with The Mysterious Affair at Styles and finishing up with Curtain, the first and last Poirot books, as both are rereads so I don't mind having such a long gap between the two ends of the series.

I might read two books for this prompt.

1. The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin (first book in series, also Jemisin's first published novel - trying to fit in one duology, trilogy, or tetralogy per month during 2021 to clear off some space on my shelves for new books)

2. In the Beginning: Creation Stories from Around the World by Virginia Hamilton (it's been on my shelf for years and this is the perfect opportunity - I can also read bits and pieces of this over a longer time period, and I like to have a few books like that during the year)

I have changed my mind cos I was struggling for a travel theme which Farthing Wood can fill so for this one I will now read Changing Diapers: The Hip Mom's Guide to Modern Cloth Diapering the authors debut also babies so beginning of life maybe.

Right now, I have at least five options for every category. Since I have a lot of crossover from category to category, I'm currently trying to rearrange things and whittle every category down to two choices--a first choice and a backup. This all sounds needlessly complicated, but it's how my minds works.

Right now, I'm looking at either starting a new series or using the category to reread a The Fellowship of the Ring or Storm Front (first in the Dresden Files series).

So my shortlist right now looks like this:

And Then There Were Crumbs
The Fellowship of the Ring
The Name of the Wind
One for the Money
Storm Front

I'm a little wary about starting The Name of the Wind since it doesn't seem like Rothfuss will ever finish the trilogy.