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I have been doing this challenge since 2015, but my frequency of reading had fallen. I need to get back with the program and read more books. Hope this challenge can help me!

Here are some of my books so far! I won't be reading in any particular order, since work takes quite a bit of my time.

�1. A book with the letters A, T & Y in the title
by Kate Moretti
★★★★
Completed February 1, 2018

�2. A book from the first 10 books added to your To Be Read list

by Albert Camus
★★�
Completed February 5, 2018

3. A book from the 2017 Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ Choice Awards (link)
by Celeste Ng

4. 4 books linked by the 4 elements: Book #1 Earth (in title, cover, content, setting, author...)

by Ursula K. Le Guin

�5. A book about or inspired by real events
by Lisa See
★★
Completed January 27, 2018

6. A book originally written in a language other than English

�7. A gothic novel
by Neil Gaiman
Completed February 10, 2018
★★�

8. An "own voices" book*

by Yaa Gyasi

9. A book with a body part in the title (heart, bones, teeth, skin, blood, etc)
10. An author's debut book (their first book to be published)
11. A literary fiction
�12. A book set in Africa or South America
by J.M. Coetzee
★★★★
Completed August 12, 2018
�13. A book with a plot centered around a secret (forbidden love, spies, secret societies, etc)
by Megan Miranda
★★★★
Completed January 21, 2018
14. 4 books linked by the 4 elements: Book #2 Fire
15. A book with an unique format/writing structure
16. A narrative nonfiction
17. A book you expect to make you laugh
18. A book with a location in the title
19. A book nominated for the Edgar Award or by a Grand master author (books & authors)
20. A book rated 5 stars by at least one of your friends
21. A book written in first person perspective
�22. A book you have high expectations or hope for
by Karin Slaughter
Completed August 8, 2018
★★

23. A medical or legal thriller
24. A book with a map
25. A book with an antagonist/villain point of view
26. A book with a text only cover
27. A book about surviving a hardship (war, famine, major disasters, serious illness, etc)
28. 4 books linked by the 4 elements: Book #3 Water
29. A book with a "Clue" weapon on the cover or title (lead pipe, revolver, rope, candlestick, dagger, wrench)
30. A short book
31. A book set in a country you'd like to visit but have never been to
32. An alternate history book
33. A book connected (title, cover, content) to a word "born" in the same year as you (link)
34. A suggestion from the AtY 2018 polls, that didn't win but was polarizing or a close-call (link)
35. A book featuring a murder
36. A book published in the last 3 years (2016, 2017, 2018) by an author you haven't read before
37. A Women's Prize for Fiction winner or nominee (link1, link2)

�38. A science book or a science fiction book
by Blake Crouch
★★★★�
Completed August 16, 2018

39. A book with a form of punctuation in the title
40. A book from Amazon's 100 Books to Read in a Lifetime list (link)
41. A book by an author with the same first and last initials
42. A book that takes place on, in, or underwater
43. A book with a title that is a whole sentence
44. A ghost story
45. A book that intimidates/ scares you
46. 4 books linked by the 4 elements: Book #4 Air

�47. A book where the main character (or author) is of a different ethnic origin, religion, or sexual identity than your own
by Charles Bukowski
★★
Completed February 18, 2018

48. A book related to one of the 7 deadly sins (pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, sloth)
49. A book from one of the Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ Best Books of the Month lists (link)
50. A book with a warm atmosphere (centered on family, friendship, love or summer)
51. An award-winning short story or short story collection
52. A book published in 2018

Week 13- A book with a plot centered around a secret (forbidden love, spies, secret societies, etc)

The Perfect Stranger
by Megan Miranda
★★★★

Not reading these in any order. Just had to move around my Week 1 book to Week 13. I didn't read the topic carefully. I assumed the title had to have one of the mentioned letters, not all!

The Perfect Stranger was suspenseful enough. I've read some of the reviews prior to reading the book and it seemed like many who'd read All the Missing Girls by Megan Miranda were disappointed by The Perfect Stranger. I had not read any of Mirada's other work, so I did not have expectations for this book. I thought it was suspenseful enough. I couldn't always relate to the protagonist and her decisions, but oh well.

Week 5- A book about or inspired by real events

Shanghai Girls
by Lisa See
★★

I was very disappointed by this book. Too melodramatic, wasn't able to relate to or empathize with any of the characters at all, despite the ridiculous hardships they endured. The prose was daunting. Couldn't wait to finish this book to knock it off the list. Apparently there is a sequel, not sure if I want to endure another week being uninterested.

Week 1- A book with the letters A, T & Y in the title

The Vanishing Year
by Kate Moretti
★★★★

This book was pretty suspenseful. I would rank this one above Megan Miranda's The Perfect Stranger when it comes to suspense. The prose and the depth of the characters was also quite good. Unfortunately this has a lower goodreads rating than The Perfect Stranger.

Week 2- A book from the first 10 books added to your To Be Read list

The Stranger by Albert Camus
★★�

Was a bit disappointed with this read. It didn't live up to all the hype surrounding it. The prose was bland. It lacked the depth I was expecting. The existential elements were less thought provoking that some of the other similar works I've read.

Week 7- A gothic novel

Coraline
by Neil Gaiman
★★�

Again slightly confused and disappointed. I've read Gaiman's The Ocean at the End of the Lane and was so impressed. I love the story and the magical realism aspects of it that sort of symbolized real issues. I thought this would be similar, but it was not. This was more of a children's book, I think? I'm not sure.

Week 47- A book where the main character (or author) is of a different ethnic origin, religion, or sexual identity than your own

Factotum
by Charles Bukowski
★★

Absolutely ridiculous book. Not sure why this book is so glorified amongst westerners. Is it the vulgarity and the overt decadence and sexuality exhibited by the American male? Not sure. The prose is bland- vulgar and bland. The character, well I don't see much depth. The only thing I found amusing about this book was the below quote:
"Japanese women instinctively understood yesterday and today and tomorrow. Call it wisdom. American women only knew today and tended to come to pieces when just one day went wrong."

Otherwise, horrid and boring book I couldn't relate to or empathize with.

Week 22- A book you have high expectations or hope for

by Karin Slaughter
★★

I completely lost touch with reading once March hit. I'm not back on it again!!!

Anyways, I began with The Good Daughter. This was beyond disappointing. It is fascinating why The Good Daughter is nominated as a mystery for the Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ 2017 awards. This was a long winded drama with little to no suspense. I feel like I wasted my time reading 511 pages of this book. I just hate putting a book down once I begin so I continued on hoping the book would pick up. Nope, it did not!

Week 12- A book set in Africa or South America

Disgrace by J.M. Coetzee
★★★★

A book taking place is post-apartheid South Africa and the experience of a Boer university academic and his hippie daughter living in rural South Africa as a farmer. It was a depressing read. The characters were frustrating to read about. Nevertheless, it was eye-opening and presents a survival of the fittest type of scenario.

Week 38- A science book or a science fiction book
Dark Matter by Blake Crouch
★★★★�
Completed August 16, 2018

One of the most unique plot-lines I've read and the only 5 star book I've read this year. It was also fast paced and I was glued. I would say it was suspenseful, but not in the scary/grotesque sort of way. I think the book is a cross between the movies Interstellar, Inception, and Ghost. It adopted meta-physical concepts and took me to another reality (or rather multiple realities). I wouldn't say the movie was an emotional roller coaster, but it was engaging! I hope they make this book into a movie!

Eek. Only read 11 books in 2018. It's an improvement from the previous three years I guess. Hoping to beat that 11, and make it 12 this year.