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We love kicking off the year with a prompt that celebrates our group - ATY! This year, you are looking for a book with a title that ends in either A, T, or Y.

If you're looking for a way to make this prompt a bit more challenging, try reading a book with a title where every word ends in A, T, or Y, or a book with a title that also starts with A, T, or Y.

ATY Listopia: /list/show/1...

What are you reading for this prompt?

I'm not an in order challenge doer, but I do like to start with prompt number one, if I can. Some of my options are The Reformatory, Bewilderment, Raiders of the Lost Heart, Hex and the City, Over My Dead Body and A Market of Dreams and Destiny.

Maybe Emma or Sense and Sensibility? I do a classics challenge every year, so this will fit right in with both.

I just planned this prompt! I selected one book for each of the letters, giving me 3 to choose from when 2024 starts.

Fortune and Glory
Cherokee America
Home Front

EDIT: I have decided on Fortune and Glory

After a change of heart I will be reading The Line of Beauty

I think I'll be reading one of these which starts and ends with AT or Y:
Atalanta
This Wretched Valley
The Dilemma
You Look Beautiful Tonight
The Windsor Knot

I'm planning to read The Funeral Party by Lyudmila Ulitskaya. This book has ATY in both the title and author's name!

I plan to read both Away by Canadian author Jane Urquhart and Trust by Hernan Diaz and fit one of them into this prompt. They both fit multiple prompts so lots of flexibility if I find something else.

I'll be reading The Godwulf Manuscript

At the moment, I'm planning on starting the challenge with Stowed Away by Barbara Ross.

I plan to read Lampedusa and The Price of Salt

I'm planning to read one for each letter: The Mountain in the Sea for A, Life as We Made It: How 50,000 Years of Human Innovation Refined―and Redefined―Nature for T, and Whirlybird Day for Y.

My options are:

Rules of Civility
The Housemaid's Secret
The Breakaway

Gem ~ZeroShelfControl~ wrote: "I think I'll be reading one of these which starts and ends with AT or Y:
Atalanta
This Wretched Valley
The Dilemma
[book:You Look Beautiful Tonight|..."

This is a super creative way to make this prompt more challenging!

I'm reading Last One at the Party by Bethany Clift, starting the new year with the end of civilisation!

This year I planned reading in order but it took only a month before I failed.

So in 2024 I'm trying again, but this time I added every little possible choice and I will mood-read them in order. So I'm not choosing one now, I'll wait for 1st of January and pick then what I feel like on the moment.

Although, some that I own and would like reading for this prompt are:
The Guest List by Lucy Foley
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
Verity by Colleen Hoover
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill

And many others.

UPDATE:
I started Gourmet Rhapsody by Muriel Barbery for this one. The romanian title also ends in a, so it's a win-win.

EDIT 2: I DNFed Gourmet Rhapsody so I picked Gallant instead.

Update: Finished Gallant on the 31st. It was a bit disappointing from the middle point on. Gave it a 3/3.5.

I'm trying not to overplan for next year's challenge, as I'm reading in order and I know that what I plan for the November prompts now won't be what I will end up with when the prompts come around.

But this is the first prompt! And here are the books I own that fit:

I'm Not Dying with You Tonight by Kimberly Jones
A Ladder to the Sky by John Boyne
The Librarian Spy by Madeline Martin
The Second Life of Mirielle West by Amanda Skenandore
The Sweet Spot by Amy Poeppel
The Hanging City by Charlie N. Holmberg
Broadway Butterfly by Sara DiVello

Unfortunately, I want to read exactly zero of these as my first book of the year lol so we will see what I end up with.

Although I have several options for each prompt, I'm only going to be listing the book I have "planned" to read at this point. Otherwise I could be here forever!

For this prompt I'm planning on reading Happy City: Transforming Our Lives Through Urban Design by Charles Montgomery. I'm not counting the subtitle for this prompt, so my ending letter is Y.

I originally picked up this book randomly at my library from an entry display. I enjoy the idea of urban design/city planning, so it caught my eye. I wasn't able to finish it before it was due, so I just put it on my list "to get back to". Then the author came to town to give a lecture at our local university's "Arts and Lectures" series, so I went. Really glad I did. He was a great speaker, and what he talked about motivated me to get back to the book. I was able to buy the book (from our local independent bookstore who is always at these lectures when a book is involved) and then speak to the author while he signed my book!

UPDATE: Finish the book last night! Really very interesting look at how we live (by choice, but often by the city systems/codes, and the consequences of them, that we are forced to live by!) and how that affects our happiness. Some ways that I'm looking forward to changing from my current living situation fit right into the way this books says would be better for people, and the planet. I just came to these ideas through observation of how my younger son lives that is different than how he grew up. For me, that makes all these ideas make even more sense since I came to those conclusions naturally. Hightly recommended for an eye-opening non-fiction read.

I'm pulling my possibles from my physical, owned TBR. I had way too many options to list, but the first bunch I found included:

- Island Beneath the Sea by Isabel Allende
- The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks
- Shirley by Charlotte Brontë
- His Bloody Project by Graeme Macrae Burnet
- The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton
- Patsy by Nicole Dennis-Benn

I'm planning on reading The Phantom of the Opera for this prompt. I chose this book because it is one of my favourite Booktubers' favourite book from her childhood and I have never read it. In high school, I remember the girls raving about the musical but I don't know much about the story.

** Change of Plans: My birthday is on December 29 and I decided to start my challenge a few days early because it is when I start over for the new year. But I finished my book before the new year started, so I will be choosing another book for this prompt.

I'm planning to read The Picture of Dorian Gray for this prompt. This book has been on my TBR for years now and I've heard good things about it. I'm hoping that I'll enjoy it more than I did The Phantom of the Opera.

I will be reading Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens

I will be reading Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus. Although it would be first on the ATY list, I probably want be reading it first. This is a selection for Feb in my brick and mortar book discussion group. I will probably be reading it in the first month.

My 2024 plan is to "not plan." I work at a big library and I'm just going to go with the first book that appeals to me that crosses my returns desk. That will appeal to my naturally impulsive and curious nature. This week it's going to be

Anatomy: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz


And I would like to challenge myself this year to work on clearing out my old TBR shelf so I'm going to try to get the oldest "fits the prompt" books on my TBR shelf as well. So #1 would be

Did You Ever Have a Family by Bill Clegg

I've been through my TBR list and here are the books that fit:

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
Black Beauty by Anna Sewell
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
Sula by Toni Morrison
Football Against the Enemy by Simon Kuper
The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune
A Song for a New Day by Sarah Pinsker
Dracula by Bram Stoker
Jade City by Fonda Lee
The Will of the Many by James Islington
The Ivory Key by Akshaya Raman
A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske
The Red Knight by Miles Cameron
The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman
The Guest List by Lucy Foley
The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
The Shadow Casket by Chris Wooding
The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh

I'll be reading Shark Heart by Emily Habeck. Really excited to read this one!

I will be continuing

I started this in 2023, but haven't finished, so will be finishing it up for the 2024 challenge :)

Update: I finished it up, and it lived up to my expectations! Such a playful and fun book.

I'm reading A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas for this prompt.

I will be reading Pineapple Street, since my book club chose it. I don't necessarily read in order because I don't know what my many book clubs will choose later in the year, but I can definitely start with this one. Since I plan to read more than 52 books i am going to TRY to read at least in the same month (so finish prompts 1-5 in January and so on....)

1. A book with a title that ends in A, T or Y
The Phantom of the Opera �� Gaston Leroux �� ⭐⭐ - 12/31/2023
The film was popular when I was in high school and sparked my original interest in reading this book. I never saw it, so I have nothing to compare my reading experience to. I went into reading this book with the expectation of a love story. It read more like a mystery/horror book. I thought the Phantom would be compelling. He was not. He was creepy and obsessive, but maybe that was the point. I would have enjoyed it more if it had been more character-driven and focused on the love triangle between Raoul, Christine, and the Phantom. But judging by other reviews on this site, that was the film. So, I'm challenging myself to read an adaptation about the Phantom's life (maybe that will make him more likeable) and to borrow the film from the library before I put this in the "not for me" category.
Read my full review here


1. A book with a title that ends in A, T or Y
The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde - ⭐⭐�� - 01/03/2024
I had heard many references to this book since first hearing about it during my first year in university. I had always wanted to read it and was glad that it fit this prompt from the challenge. Overall, it was a very immersive read in parts of the book, but it did drag in the second quarter. I wasn't expecting the main character to be corrupted by beauty and pleasure. Those weren't quite ideas that I would have thought had the ability to do that. But it was interested in seeing how the best things in life could have the ability to ruin someone. Not sure if I'd recommend this one.
Read my full review here

I’ve started The Lost Journals of Sacajawea by Debra Magpie Earling.

I'm reading The Alienist by Caleb Carr.

BIOS: Title starts and ends with A, T or Y

I ended up reading Layla by Colleen Hoover - it was one of my favorite books I've read this year!

Sherri wrote: "I’ve started The Lost Journals of Sacajawea by Debra Magpie Earling."

I'm also looking forward to reading this in 2024. I hope you like it!

I'm currently reading Layla by Colleen Hoover

I started The Hanging City by Charlie N. Holmberg this morning, and I'm really enjoying it!

I’m going with Lincoln Highway for this prompt. I’ve been looking forward to this one for awhile.

Lizzy wrote: "I’m going with Lincoln Highway for this prompt. I’ve been looking forward to this one for awhile."

This is a great book. Maybe not as great IMHO as The Gentleman in Moscow, but I'm splitting hairs.

I'll be reading Gallant by VE Schwab. I meant to read it in December for another reading group, but couldn't finish on time. Good thing it fits with ATY's first prompt!

I am reading The Guest List by Lucy Foley....so far liking it but has many POVs to follow

Week 1: title ends with A T or Y:
I’m reading Lucy Score’s Riley Thorn and the Blast from the Past. It’s been a great series. She’s a very colorful writer.

I am listening to Crime and Punishment 😊

Rosina wrote: "I am reading The Guest List by Lucy Foley....so far liking it but has many POVs to follow"

The Hunting Party, Guest List, and Paris Apartment all have 5 POV. We will see whether her 2024 books also follows this trend.

I started a bit early and have read Broken Bay by Margaret Hickey for this prompt.

I’m reading both “I am a Cat�� by Natsume Sōseki and the Manga edition of the book. I will use one of them for this prompt.

I'm reading The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry.

I haven't committed 100% yet, but I plan to be reading A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon.


It's a whopper with 866 pages, so I expect I will listen to some other books for other prompt while reading this as well, but I've wanted to read it for almost an entire year, so no time like now :)

I just finished reading Trust by Hernan Diaz for this prompt

Read Main Character Energy for this one! Unfortunately, it was just so-so. I got it from Once Upon a Book Club, it's the New Year's Eve box for this year, so the reading experience of it was fun even if the writing itself was disappointing.

TASK #1. A book with a title that ends in A, T or Y


My 2024 plan is to "not plan."

BOOK 1 ~ I work at a big library and I'm just going to go with the first book that appeals to me that crosses my returns desk.

BOOK 2 ~ And I would like to challenge myself this year to work on clearing out my old TBR shelf so I'm going to try to get the oldest "fits the prompt" books on my TBR shelf as well.



~ �� ~

BOOK 1
Anatomy: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz
Read ~ 1.1.24
Pages ~ 338
Rationale ~ Ends in Y
★★★☆

Review ~ So the premise of this book is actually pretty great - 1800's woman who is interested in becoming a surgeon and how her society twarts her at every turn, with the exception of a grave robber (resurrectunist) who happens to be a handsome young man (enter romance). It was all going smashingly well until the end, when the author took the story in a completely unBELIEVABLE direction (alchemy and immortality), thus rendering the second part of this duology of no interest to me whatsoever. Shame, because it was a solid 4.5 �� until the last couple of chapters.

~ �� ~

BOOK 2
Did You Ever Have a Family by Bill Clegg
Read ~ 1.3.24
Pages ~ 293
Rationale ~ Ends in Y
★★��

Review ~ I can't say that I enjoyed this book, but I think that was simply because of the sheer number of character perspective shifts in the narrative. I normally like it when a book tells a story from two perspectives, but I lost count with this one at five. It makes it really hard to get into any kind of a rhythm and as a result the whole story feels broken, maybe the same way that June and Lydia are broken from the loss of everyone they love. But ultimately, I really couldn't dredge up enough feeling to care about any of them. Well, WRITTEN, I think. Nothing really stands out as annoying or irritating - just a lack of focus and empathy, which is really necessary to tell a story like this one.

My first book this year fits to the challenge only with the German title Rot- by Uwe Timm a very famous German author. The English translation would be red. I liked the book, but at some points it was to political / philosophical for me.