Around the Year in 52 Books discussion

Our summer challenge has twelve prompts in total, divided into four for each month of summer. For each prompt there is a choice of three tasks. Some are easy, some are more difficult - it’s your choice which you want to complete. You only need to complete one task per prompt to finish the challenge. You can choose to complete all twelve prompts, or if you prefer a shorter challenge you can just complete one month’s prompts.

The Prize!
For each month you complete you will earn one entry into a draw to be held at the end of the challenge. The winner of the draw will be invited to create one prompt to be included in the 2022 ATY Reading List.*

How to Join the Challenge
1. First check out the prompts and choice of tasks in post two of this thread.

2. Next, start a post in this folder where you will post your plan and track your progress through the challenge. You can also look at other people’s plans to get ideas for any tasks you’re finding tricky and ask for recommendations from other readers. This is not required, but it's a great way to plan out your books.

3. When you’ve completed all four prompts for one month, post the details in the completion thread. Once we’ve checked that the tasks are all completed in line with the rules we’ll confirm your entry to the draw.
*NOTE: You may earn a maximum of THREE entries - one for each month completed.

4. After the challenge ends on 31 August we will have a draw to choose a winner. The mods will announce the winner soon after and they’ll be invited to create a prompt for the 2022 ATY Reading List.

What Books Can Be Counted?

Because there is a prize associated with our summer reading challenge (unlike with our other seasonal challenges), we have a few requirements for books to count:

1. Books must be at least 100 pages long, except for graphic novels or poetry, which must be at least 200 pages long. For audiobooks, the printed version of the book should be at least 100 pages long.
2. Picture books or any other books where illustrations make up most of the book can’t be used.
3. You must read the whole of a book between 1 June and 31 August to count it for this challenge. Books started before June 1st must have at least 100 pages left before beginning on June 1st.

THE TASKS

JUNE

1. Start of Summer
Summer means the best reading months for so many of us. New releases have bright and shiny colors, and the warm weather makes for great picnics and reading in the sun.

a. Read a happy book.
b. Read a book published in June, July, or August.
c. Read a book from one of the following lists:
- Beach Read Royalty Recommends Summer Books
- Readers' Hottest Books of Summer
- Armchair Traveling: Books Set in Every U.S. State

2. June Birthday: Octavia E. Butler
Octavia Estelle Butler was an American science fiction author. A multiple recipient of both the Hugo and Nebula awards, she became in 1995 the first science-fiction writer to receive a MacArthur Fellowship. Born in Pasadena, California, Butler was raised by her widowed mother. Octavia Butler was born June 22, 1947.

a. Read book whose main character is a Black woman.
b. Read a science fiction book.
c. Read a winner of the Hugo Award.

3. Pride Month
The majority of Pride events are held in June to commemorate the anniversary of the Stonewall Rebellion in New York City on June 28, 1969, which most historians consider to be the birth of the modern LGBT movement. At the time, police raids on bars catering to LGBT patrons were common, but that night, the patrons of the Stonewall Inn fought back. While historical accounts of the night vary, the violent response ignited a national firestorm of activism that brought new visibility to the struggle for LGBT equality.

a. Read a book with at least 5 different colors of the rainbow on the cover.
b. Read a book featuring an LGBTQIA+ protagonist (not side character).
c. Read a book written by an author who was nominated for the Lambda Award.

4. Set Sail
One summer activity is to hop on a boat and go for a ride on the water. Whether you're fishing off of a kayak, sailing the open seas, or sunbathing on a yacht, floating on the water is guaranteed to bring peace and relaxation.

a. Read a book that starts with a letter in SAILING.
b. Read a book with a boat on the cover.
c. Read a book that takes place completely on an island.

JULY

1. Halfway there!
July 1st marks the halfway point of the year, and that means 2021 is drawing to a close!

a. Read a book with a number in the title.
b. Read a book that is divided into multiple parts (rather than, or in addition to, chapters).
c. Read a book featuring twin characters.

2. July Birthday: Madeline Miller
Madeline Miller is an American novelist, author of The Song of Achilles and Circe. Miller spent ten years writing The Song of Achilles while she worked as a Latin and Greek teacher. Madeline Miller was born on July 24, 1978.

a. Read a book whose author's initials are found in MADELINE MILLER.
b. Read a retelling of a myth, fable, or fairytale.
c. Read a book nominated for the Women's Prize for Fiction.

3. It's Winter Down South
While those of us in the northern hemisphere are enjoying the warm temperatures and the sunshine, our neighbors in the southern hemisphere are cozying up around the fire and drinking hot cocoa.

a. Read a romance book.
b. Read a book with snow on the cover.
c. Read a book whose title starts with a letter in FROSTY THE SNOWMAN.

4. Take a Dip
Summer is hot, hot, hot, so jump in a pool, lake, or ocean to cool off and get some exercise swimming.

a. Read a book whose title starts with a letter in OCEAN.
b. Read a book whose author initials can be found in TAKE A DIP.
c. Read a book featured on one of these lists:
- 34 of the Best Beach Reads to Help You Escape
- 2021 Summer Reading List: 48 of the Best Books for Adults, Teens, and Kids
- The Best Beach Reads of Summer 2021

AUGUST

1. Back to School
Many students and teachers are heading back to the classrooms this month. Celebrate that back-to-school feeling with a bit of smart summer reading.

a. Read a book by an author that is new-to-you.
b. Read a YA book.
c. Read a book often tested on the AP Literature exam, as found on this list.

2. August Birthday: John Green
John Michael Green is an American author and YouTube content creator. He won the 2006 Printz Award for his debut novel, Looking for Alaska, and his fourth solo novel, The Fault in Our Stars, debuted at number one on The New York Times Best Seller list in January 2012. He was born on August 24, 1977.

a. Read a contemporary book.
b. Read a stand-alone novel (not part of a series).
c. Read a book nominated for the Printz Award.

3. Summer Reading
Summer is a great time to catch up on your backlist TBR or read the newest releases that you haven't got around to reading yet.

a. Read the newest book by a favorite author.
b. Read the next book in a series you've already started.
c. Read a book published in 2021 that you've been looking forward to.

4. Jump on a Plane
With the world reopening, now is a great time to jump on a plane to new countries (literally or, in the case of reading, metaphorically).

a. Read an adventure book.
b. Read a book set in a country you've never visited.
c. Read a book featuring a character that travels to multiple countries.

JUNE

1. Start of Summer
Summer means the best reading months for so many of us. New releases have bright and shiny colors, and the warm weather makes for great picnics and reading in the sun.

✔a. Read a happy book.
Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes 8/29/21
✔b. Read a book published in June, July, or August.
Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson 6/6/21 - published August 2020
✔c. Read a book from one of the following lists:
- Beach Read Royalty Recommends Summer Books
- Readers' Hottest Books of Summer
- Armchair Traveling: Books Set in Every U.S. State
Of Women and Salt by Gabriela Garcia 7/30/21

2. June Birthday: Octavia E. Butler
Octavia Estelle Butler was an American science fiction author. A multiple recipient of both the Hugo and Nebula awards, she became in 1995 the first science-fiction writer to receive a MacArthur Fellowship. Born in Pasadena, California, Butler was raised by her widowed mother. Octavia Butler was born June 22, 1947.

✔a. Read book whose main character is a Black woman.
When No One is Watching by Alyssa Cole 6/25/21
✔b. Read a science fiction book.
The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K. Le Guin 8/20/21
✔c. Read a winner of the Hugo Award.
No Time to Spare: Thinking About What Matters by Ursula K. Le Guin 8/24/21

3. Pride Month
The majority of Pride events are held in June to commemorate the anniversary of the Stonewall Rebellion in New York City on June 28, 1969, which most historians consider to be the birth of the modern LGBT movement. At the time, police raids on bars catering to LGBT patrons were common, but that night, the patrons of the Stonewall Inn fought back. While historical accounts of the night vary, the violent response ignited a national firestorm of activism that brought new visibility to the struggle for LGBT equality.

✔a. Read a book with at least 5 different colors of the rainbow on the cover.
A Map Is Only One Story: Twenty Writers on Immigration, Family, and the Meaning of Home edited by Nicole Chung and Mensah Demary 6/18/21

✔b. Read a book featuring an LGBTQIA+ protagonist (not side character).
Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas 6/9/21 - Yadriel and Julian
✔c. Read a book written by an author who was nominated for the Lambda Award.
Wilder Girls by Rory Power 7/22/21

4. Set Sail
One summer activity is to hop on a boat and go for a ride on the water. Whether you're fishing off of a kayak, sailing the open seas, or sunbathing on a yacht, floating on the water is guaranteed to bring peace and relaxation.

✔a. Read a book that starts with a letter in SAILING.
Assault and Beret by Jenn McKinlay 6/11/21
✔b. Read a book with a boat on the cover.
The Farthest Shore by Ursula K. Le Guin 8/28/21

✔c. Read a book that takes place completely on an island.
Shogun: A Novel of Japan by James Clavell 6/20/21 - Japan

JULY

1. Halfway there!
July 1st marks the halfway point of the year, and that means 2021 is drawing to a close!

✔a. Read a book with a number in the title.
Eight Perfect Murders by Peter Swanson
✔b. Read a book that is divided into multiple parts (rather than, or in addition to, chapters).
A Promised Land by Barack Obama
✔c. Read a book featuring twin characters.
American Royals by Katharine McGee 7/13/21 - Samantha and Jefferson

2. July Birthday: Madeline Miller
Madeline Miller is an American novelist, author of The Song of Achilles and Circe. Miller spent ten years writing The Song of Achilles while she worked as a Latin and Greek teacher. Madeline Miller was born on July 24, 1978.

✔a. Read a book whose author's initials are found in MADELINE MILLER.
Murder at the Mena House by Erica Ruth Neubauer 6/6/21
✔b. Read a retelling of a myth, fable, or fairytale.
Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao 8/4/21
✔c. Read a book nominated for the Women's Prize for Fiction.
Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell 8/9/21

3. It's Winter Down South
While those of us in the northern hemisphere are enjoying the warm temperatures and the sunshine, our neighbors in the southern hemisphere are cozying up around the fire and drinking hot cocoa.

✔a. Read a romance book.
Home Front by Kristin Hannah 7/30/21
✔b. Read a book with snow on the cover.
Smilla's Sense of Snow by Peter Høeg 6/15/21

✔c. Read a book whose title starts with a letter in FROSTY THE SNOWMAN.
Witches and Wedding Cake by Bailey Cates

4. Take a Dip
Summer is hot, hot, hot, so jump in a pool, lake, or ocean to cool off and get some exercise swimming.

✔a. Read a book whose title starts with a letter in OCEAN.
The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo 8/12/21
✔b. Read a book whose author initials can be found in TAKE A DIP.
Bel Canto by Ann Patchett 8/16/21
✔c. Read a book featured on one of these lists:
- 34 of the Best Beach Reads to Help You Escape
- 2021 Summer Reading List: 48 of the Best Books for Adults, Teens, and Kids
- The Best Beach Reads of Summer 2021
The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta 8/13/21

AUGUST

✔1. Back to School
Many students and teachers are heading back to the classrooms this month. Celebrate that back-to-school feeling with a bit of smart summer reading.

✔a. Read a book by an author that is new-to-you.
Hope Never Dies by Andrew Shaffer 6/23/21
✔b. Read a YA book.
The Surprising Power of a Good Dumpling by Wai Chim 6/26/21
✔c. Read a book often tested on the AP Literature exam, as found on this list.
Emma by Jane Austen 7/19/21

✔2. August Birthday: John Green
John Michael Green is an American author and YouTube content creator. He won the 2006 Printz Award for his debut novel, Looking for Alaska, and his fourth solo novel, The Fault in Our Stars, debuted at number one on The New York Times Best Seller list in January 2012. He was born on August 24, 1977.

✔a. Read a contemporary book.
Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner 6/30/21
✔b. Read a stand-alone novel (not part of a series).
The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yōko Ogawa 6/29/21
✔c. Read a book nominated for the Printz Award.
We Are Not Free by Traci Chee 8/19/21

✔3. Summer Reading
Summer is a great time to catch up on your backlist TBR or read the newest releases that you haven't got around to reading yet.

✔a. Read the newest book by a favorite author.
Chain of Iron by Cassandra Clare 7/47/21
✔b. Read the next book in a series you've already started.
Tales From the Hood by Michael Buckley 6/8/21 - The Sisters Grimm series
✔c. Read a book published in 2021 that you've been looking forward to.
Deadly Ever After: A Lighthouse Library Mystery by Eva Gates 6/16/21 - published May 2021

✔4. Jump on a Plane
With the world reopening, now is a great time to jump on a plane to new countries (literally or, in the case of reading, metaphorically).

✔a. Read an adventure book.
The House of Hades by Rick Riordan 7/17/21
✔b. Read a book set in a country you've never visited.
Anxious People by Fredrik Backman 6/23/21 - Sweden
✔c. Read a book featuring a character that travels to multiple countries.
The Pursuit by Janet Evanovich 8/21/21 - Belgium, Canada, US, France, Germany