Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ

52/52

1. A book with the letters A, T & Y in the title
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry - ★★★★ 1/2*

2. A book from the first 10 books added to your To Be Read list
Cutting for Stone - ★★�

3. A book from the 2017 Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ Choice Awards
Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore ★★★★

4. 4 books linked by the 4 elements: Book #1 Earth (in title, cover, content, setting, author...)
The Great Alone ★★★★ 1/2

5. A book about or inspired by real events
The Girl with Seven Names: A North Korean Defector’s Story - ★★★★

6. A book originally written in a language other than English
Beartown - ★★★★ 1/2

7. A gothic novel
Frankenstein - ★★★★

8. An "own voices" book*
The Hate U Give - ★★★★ 1/2

9. A book with a body part in the title
Children of Blood and Bone - ★★★★�

10. An author's debut book
The Bear and the Nightingale - ★★★★ 1/2*

11. A literary fiction
Fahrenheit 451 ★★★★�

12. A book set in Africa or South America
The House of the Spirits ★★�

13. A book with a plot centered around a secret
Cottonwood Whispers - ★★� 1/2

14. 4 books linked by the 4 elements: Book #2 Fire
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire ★★★★�

15. A book with an unique format/writing structure
Mary's Monster: Love, Madness, and How Mary Shelley Created Frankenstein ★★★★�

16. A narrative nonfiction
The Book of Mormon: A Reader's Edition ★★★★�

17. A book you expect to make you laugh
Matilda ★★★★

18. A book with a location in the title
King's Cage - ★★� 1/2

19. A book nominated for the Edgar Award or by a Grand master author (books & authors)
Murder on the Orient Express ★★★★�

20. A book rated 5 stars by at least one of your friends
Mr. Dickens and His Carol - ★★★★ 1/2*

21. A book written in first person perspective
Courage to Grow: How Acton Academy Turns Learning Upside Down ★★★★�

22. A book you have high expectations or hope for
The Storyteller ★★★★�

23. A medical or legal thriller
A Time to Kill ★★★★

24. A book with a map
The Standard of Truth: 1815�1846 King's Cage - ★★★★

25. A book with an antagonist/villain point of view
War Storm - ★★★★ 1/2

26. A book with a text only cover
Raising Grateful Kids in an Entitled World: How One Family Learned That Saying No Can Lead to Life's Biggest Yes ★★★★�


27. A book about surviving a hardship (war, famine, major disasters, serious illness, etc.)
Chris Beat Cancer: A Comprehensive Plan for Healing Naturally - ★★★★

28. 4 books linked by the 4 elements: Book #3 Water
Walden ★★� 1/2

29. A book with a "Clue" weapon on the cover or title (lead pipe, revolver, rope, candlestick, dagger, wrench)
Magpie Murders ★★★★

30. A short book
Parenting with Love: Making a Difference in a Day ★★★★

31. A book set in a country you'd like to visit but have never been to
Australia � What Alice Forgot ★★★★

32. An alternate history book
11/22/63 - ★★★★ 1/2

33. A book connected (title, cover, content) to a word "born" in the same year as you
BMI � In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto ★★★★

34. A suggestion from the AtY 2018 polls, that didn't win but was polarizing or a close-call
"celestial term in title" - The Girl Who Drank the Moon - ★★★★ 1/2

35. A book featuring a murder
The Life We Bury ★★★★

36. A book published in the last 3 years (2016, 2017, 2018) by an author you haven't read before
Dot Journaling: A Practical Guide: How to Start and Keep the Planner, To-Do List, and Diary That’ll Actually Help You Get Your Life Together - An American Marriage ★★� 1/2

37. A Women's Prize for Fiction winner or nominee
Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine ★★★★�

38. A science book or a science fiction book
The Sparrow ★★� 1/2

39. A book with a form of punctuation in the title
How to Read Literature Like a Professor: A Lively and Entertaining Guide to Reading Between the Lines ★★� 1/2

40. A book from Amazon's 100 Books to Read in a Lifetime list
Charlotte's Web ★★�

41. A book by an author with the same first and last initials
Brene Brown � The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You're Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are ★★★★

42. A book that takes place on, in, or underwater
The Woman in Cabin 10 - ★★★★

43. A book with a title that is a whole sentence
Their Eyes Were Watching God ★★★★�

44. A ghost story
The Great Divorce ★★� 1/2

45. A book that intimidates / scares you
The Infinite Atonement ★★★★

46. 4 books linked by the 4 elements: Book #4 Air
A Court of Wings and Ruin - ★★★★ 1/2

47. A book where the main character (or author) is of a different ethnic origin, religion, or sexual identity than your own
The Orphan Master's Son ★★★★

48. A book related to one of the 7 deadly sins (pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, sloth)
City of the Lost ★★�

49. A book from one of the Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ Best Books of the Month lists
An Untamed State ★★★★

50. A book with a warm atmosphere (centered on family, friendship, love or summer)
Catching Moondrops ★★� 1/2

51. An award-winning short story or short story collection
WILDCARD - The Word Is Murder - ★★★★ 1/2

52. A book published in 2018
An American Marriage ★★★★ 1/4

I discovered this group late, but I'm excited to make my way through as much of the remainder of this list as possible. I LOVE a good reading challenge! And I was able to fit all of the books that I've already read this year into a category.

REMAINING PROMPT IDEAS:

16. narrative nonfiction � Saints: The Standard of Truth: 1815�1846
18. A book with a location in the title - Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow OR A Quiet Life In The Country

BOOKS I AM CURRENTLY READING:

12. in Africa or South America � Cutting for Stone
24. book with a map � King's Cage
26. text only cover � Raising Grateful Kids in an Entitled World: How One Family Learned That Saying No Can Lead to Life's Biggest Yes

37. Women’s Prize for Fiction � Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine

So far I am enjoying all of them immensely, especially Eleanor Oliphant.

Eleanor Oliphant was the first book I read this year and remains one of my favorites of the year.

Looks like you've had a great reading year so far with some excellent books to come. I loved The Great Alone and A American Marriage (among others) from your list and a few of your others are on my TBR. Happy reading!

Rachelnyc wrote: "Eleanor Oliphant was the first book I read this year and remains one of my favorites of the year.

Looks like you've had a great reading year so far with some excellent books to come. I loved The G..."

I'm a little over halfway through Eleanor Oliphant, & it just keeps getting better & better. I'm so glad I picked it up!

prompt #24 - book with map
King's Cage - 3.5*

I wanted to love this so much more than I did. It was entertaining, & I enjoyed getting to know the characters more, especially Maven, but the beginning dragged & I felt frustrated by the end. I'm hoping the next book resolves some things. I kind of want to rip my hair out. I don't see how this can end well.

So glad you are enjoying Eleanor Oliphant! She is such a memorable character.

prompt #37 - Women's Prize for Fiction

Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine ★★★★�

What a wonderful book! I really enjoyed it from the beginning, but I also wasn't quite sure where it was going or what I thought about Eleanor. As the story continued, I fell in love with this quirky, scarred woman & the other characters who came into her life. This was such a heartbreaking, yet heartwarming story of a lonely woman learning how to live in this sometimes cruel world.

prompt #26 - text only cover


Raising Grateful Kids in an Entitled World: How One Family Learned That Saying No Can Lead to Life's Biggest Yes ★★★★�

This book was more of a narrative of the author's experiences than an actual "to do," but I ended up loving it & found it inspiring. It has wonderful ways to personally apply the principles she talks about at the end of each chapter. Her honesty in parenting - the failures & the successes - was validating & refreshing. This is a book that I will reference back to plenty.

prompt #32 - alternative history

26. Fahrenheit 451 ★★★★�

This book surprised me. I don't know why I have always been wary of it, but since my local book club selected it, I finally had to set aside my excuses. It amazes me how applicable Bradbury's 1953 novel is in our world today - probably even more so now than it was then, especially with addiction to screens & social media. I highlighted & made notes throughout this book & finished feeling awed by some of the beautiful prose & insights into media, knowledge, social interactions, war, superiority & mediocrity. This one is going to stick with me for a while.

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

Cutting for Stone ★★�

I really wanted to like this book, but it just didn't wow me like I know it did for many others. The writing was great, the characters intriguing, but it dragged way too much for me.

prompt #3 - 2017 goodreads awards

Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore ★★★★

This was a fun, fast-paced read. I suspected part of the outcome pretty early on, but much of it surprised me. I'm finding that I love mystery books more & more, & this one just added to my excitement over the genre.

prompt #23 - a medical or legal thriller

A Time to Kill ★★★★

I've never had much interest in legal thrillers, so this prompt really pushed me outside my usual genres. It was a fast paced read that left me guessing throughout how things were going to be pulled off & what damage was going to be done in the process.

prompt #8 - "own voices"

The Hate U Give - 4.5*

A LOT of swearing, much more than I care to skim over, but this was good & very thought provoking.

I absolutely loved The Hate U Give and think it should be required reading in high school, particularly high schools that are mostly homogenous like Starr's school. I hope they do a good job with the movie.

The swearing didn't bother me because it felt genuine and not gratuitous but I understand why it would bother others.

I absolutely agree it felt genuine. It wasn’t out of place by any means. And it was an eye-opening read in so many ways - a very important work of fiction for sure.

CHILDREN'S AROUND THE YEAR - 2018:

20/52

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

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

3. A book from the 2017 Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ Choice Awards
We're All Wonders ★★★★�

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

5. A book about or inspired by real events

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

7. A gothic novel

8. An "own voices" book*

9. A book with a body part in the title
The Street Beneath My Feet ★★★★

10. An author's debut book

11. A literary fiction

12. A book set in Africa or South America
Giraffes Can't Dance ★★★★�

13. A book with a plot centered around a secret

14. 4 books linked by the 4 elements: Book #2 Fire
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire ★★★★�

15. A book with an unique format/writing structure
You Belong Here ★★★★�

16. A narrative nonfiction

17. A book you expect to make you laugh
Matilda ★★★★

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
If I Had a Little Dream ★★★★�

23. A medical or legal thriller
After the Fall: How Humpty Dumpty Got Back up Again ★★★★

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.)
Yellow Kayak ★★� 1/2

28. 4 books linked by the 4 elements: Book #3 Water
A River ★★★★�

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
Australia � Diary of a Wombat ★★★★�

32. An alternate history book

33. A book connected (title, cover, content) to a word "born" in the same year as you

34. A suggestion from the AtY 2018 polls, that didn't win but was polarizing or a close-call

35. A book featuring a murder
I Want My Hat Back ★★★★�

36. A book published in the last 3 years (2016, 2017, 2018) by an author you haven't read before
Jabari Jumps ★★★★�

37. A Women's Prize for Fiction winner or nominee

38. A science book or a science fiction book

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
Charlotte's Web ★★�

41. A book by an author with the same first and last initials
Leo Lionni - Swimmy ★★★★�

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

48. A book related to one of the 7 deadly sins (pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, sloth)
Yeh-Shen: A Cinderella Story from China ★★� 1/2

49. A book from one of the Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ Best Books of the Month lists

50. A book with a warm atmosphere (centered on family, friendship, love or summer)
How to Code a Sandcastle ★★

51. An award-winning short story or short story collection
Once Upon an Alphabet: Short Stories for all the Letters ★★★★

52. A book published in 2018
I Am Enough ★★

I have decided to add a challenge that I can do with my kiddos for the remainder of the year. I'm hoping to get them more excited about reading! I'm going to focus on picture books, but I'm wanting to throw some chapter books into the mix as well.

REMAINING CHILDREN'S PROMPTS:

1. A book with the letters A, T & Y in the title - A Bean, a Stalk and a Boy Named Jack &/or The One and Only Ivan
4. 4 books linked by the 4 elements: Book #1 Earth (in title, cover, content, setting, author...) - The Street Beneath My Feet &/or Holes
5. A book about or inspired by real events - Wangari Maathai: The Woman Who Planted Millions of Trees
6. A book originally written in a language other than English - Rumpelstiltskin &/or Pippi Longstocking
7. A gothic novel - She Made a Monster: How Mary Shelley Created Frankenstein
8. An "own voices" book* - Maybe Something Beautiful: How Art Transformed a Neighborhood
10. An author's debut book - Not Quite Narwhal &/or The Turnaway Girls
11. A literary fiction - Alice in Wonderland
13. A book with a plot centered around a secret - The Goldfish Boy
16. A narrative nonfiction - Malala's Magic Pencil &/or Malala: Activist for Girls' Education
18. A book with a location in the title - Last Stop on Market Street &/or The Cricket in Times Square
19. A book nominated for the Edgar Award or by a Grand master author (books & authors) - MYSTERY - The Orchard Underground
20. A book rated 5 stars by at least one of your friends - Fletcher and the Falling Leaves &/or Nooks & Crannies
21. A book written in first person perspective - Me...Jane
24. A book with a map - The Once Upon a Time Map Book
25. A book with an antagonist/villain point of view - Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs
26. A book with a text only cover - The Book with No Pictures


29. A book with a "Clue" weapon on the cover or title (lead pipe, revolver, rope, candlestick, dagger, wrench) - The Making of a Knight &/or Wildwood
&/or
30. A short book - The Wonky Donkey
32. An alternate history book - The Egyptian Cinderella &/or The Lightning Thief
33. A book published in the year you were born - 2008: Splat the Cat AND 2011: All the Water in the World AND 2014: The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend
34. A suggestion from the AtY 2018 polls, that didn't win but was polarizing or a close-call - "celestial element" - How to Catch a Star &/or The Dinosaur That Pooped A Planet! &/or The Girl Who Drank the Moon
37. Caldecott &/or Newbery Awards - Rapunzel &/or Hello, Universe
38. A science book or a science fiction book - Ada Twist, Scientist &/or The Wild Robot
39. A book with a form of punctuation in the title - Iggy Peck, Architect &/or Captain Underpants and the Invasion of the Incredibly Naughty Cafeteria Ladies from Outer Space (and the Subsequent Assault of the Equally Evil Lunchroom Zombie Nerds)
42. A book that takes place on, in, or underwater - Over and Under the Pond
43. A book with a title that is a whole sentence - There Is a Bird on Your Head! &/or Tap the Magic Tree
44. A ghost story - Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
45. A book that intimidates / scares you - The Giving Tree
46. 4 books linked by the 4 elements: Book #4 Air - Sector 7
47. A book where the main character (or author) is of a different ethnic origin, religion, or sexual identity than your own - Brother Eagle, Sister Sky &/or Where the Mountain Meets the Moon
49. A book from one of the Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ Best Books of the Month lists -

Liz wrote: "I have decided to add a challenge that I can do with my kiddos for the remainder of the year. I'm hoping to get them more excited about reading! I'm going to focus on picture books, but I'm wanting..."

Yay!!! So excited you joined the club :-)
This has been one of my favorite parts of the challenge this year. Enjoy 😊

Hmmmmm...for the GR choice awards picture books,a few of us were left completely unimpressed by We're All Wonders, it just was disappointing. I feel like it could have addressed the point so much better. Kind of underwhelming. Since you already have Malala's Magic Pencil, Not Quite Narwhal, and After the Fall: How Humpty Dumpty Got Back up Again on your list I'm going to throw out a recommendation : The Legend of Rock Paper Scissors, it was hilarious, I laughed so hard and so did my girls!! Wishtree is a great choice also for an easy chapter book :-)

And yes yes a million times yes to The Book with No Pictures, I Want My Hat Back, Swimmy (Gorgeous artwork), and Ada Twist, Scientist.

We haven't done many chapter books at all, I only have the girls half the time so its been easier to just have them complete the picture book challenge, but we do have an entire mid-grade challenge made up, and The Goldfish Boy is next up.

If you really want to follow the prompt to the letter we all found and read Ghost Ship by Mary Higgins Clark for a Grand Master Author. It wasn't one of our favorites, but the artwork was very pretty.

I’ve joined the I Want My Hat Back fanclub. There was so much fun chatter about it on ATY that I read it when I went to pick up some other books. I wish I had some little ones around the house to share it with!

Lizzy, isn’t it hilarious?? 🤣

Tracy, I think I remember some comments about We’re All Wonders not being that great. I definitely don’t have my hopes up.

I LOVE all the ones you mentioned too. They are so much fun. But I haven’t heard of the rock, paper, scissors one. I’ll have to check it out.

I’m excited to sit down with my kids & go through these prompts! My oldest has dyslexia & struggles with reading, so I hope this will help him more.

prompt #29 - A book with a "Clue" weapon on the cover or title (lead pipe, revolver, rope, candlestick, dagger, wrench)
Magpie Murders ★★★★

A quite remarkable whodunnit with multiple mysteries & stories within this one work. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

I have updated & added to my book ideas for my children's challenge. I'm liking the way it's looking!

Liz wrote: "I have updated & added to my book ideas for my children's challenge. I'm liking the way it's looking!"

It looks great! I love how you added the Wonky Donkey lol.

Tip for #49- a book from one of the GR best book of the month lists...Since these don't include picture or middle grade, I used a book off of one of the Good Reads Coice awards years :-)

That’s a great idea!

prompt #9 - a book with a body part in the title
Children of Blood and Bone - ★★★★�

What a fun book! It didn't take me very long to get into the story, but once I did, I didn't want to put this down. There were a couple things that annoyed me at first, but as I progressed, they became inconsequential. I am really excited for the next one to come out next year!

prompt #15 - a book with an unique format/writing structure
Mary's Monster: Love, Madness, and How Mary Shelley Created Frankenstein ★★★★�

Beautiful, fascinating, heartbreaking. Reading about Mary Shelley’s life in this format made it come to life. This book is exquisite! And as my first graphic novel, I'm sold.

prompt #36 - a book published in the last 3 years by an author you haven't read before
An American Marriage ★★★★ 1/4

I didn't know what to expect from this book after reading raving reviews from some & loathing reviews from others. For me, the worries were unfounded. I really liked this book a lot. It's not a happy story, but it was raw, thought-provoking, & human. I loved the honesty of all the characters, imperfections & all. They were each true to themselves & tried to be the best people they could be in a horribly difficult & unfair situation. I almost passed this book up, & I'm so glad I didn't. A well told story.

Well I love your description of the book so I will have to check it out!

Excellent review of An American Marriage! I can't say I loved all of the characters but I loved that they came across as real people making difficult but believable and relatable decisions. So glad you gave it a chance. It's one of my favorites of the year so far.

Thanks Tammy. It surprised me how much I liked it.

Rachel, I agree. I didn't love the characters - I loved their honesty in the situation they found themselves in. I updated my review to reflect that. I'm glad I gave it a chance too. :)

prompt #4 - Earth
The Great Alone ★★★★ 1/2

I don't know if I should rate this at a 4 or 5. This book was a solid 5 star read for me until about the last 100 pages (then it moved to possibly a 4?) - it was unputdownable, & the descriptions of Alaska & the other characters, because Alaska truly was a character in its own right, pulled at me & made me feel so many emotions - fear, heartache, love, awe, anxiety, giddiness . . . . This is my second book by this author, & I love the way she pulls me into her stories. Beautiful.

I loved this book and Kristin Hannah. She writes beautifully and has such a keen insight into relationships, in this case that of mother and daughter. She'd be a good author to check out for next year's "sense of place" prompt.

Rachel, I kept thinking this book would be great for that prompt next year. I really did love the book. Do you have a favorite by her? I read The Nightingale & loved it as well. I’d like to read another by her next year.

I've only read 3 by her and I think The Great Alone is my favorite. I thought she wrote about the difficult subject of domestic abuse really well and the relationship between Cora and Leni was so well done as was the depiction of Alaska. I was constantly veering back and forth between wanting to book a trip there and thinking that I would never survive it!

The Nightingale was excellent and the other I read by her is Winter Garden which I enjoyed but I didn't love the ending which brought it down a couple notches from her other two for me.

I definitely want to read more of her work and the one I hear the best reviews is Firefly Lane so I plan to fit that into the challenge next year.

Rachelnyc wrote: "I've only read 3 by her and I think The Great Alone is my favorite. I thought she wrote about the difficult subject of domestic abuse really well and the relationship between Cora and Leni was so w..."

The only Kristin Hannah book I've ever read is The Nightingale. I have the Great Alone on my TBR, I was planning on reading it this year but I think it fell off the list somehow, so after reading everyones updates Im thinking I'll use it next year for sense of place.

I am planning on reading Firefly Lane this year for the last prompt I forget how its worded ...A warm book, the friendship/happy one. The reviews I've seen have made it sound amazing.

I had Firefly Lane on my TBR just last month (it had been on there for years!), but I deleted it while cleaning up my list. I figured I didn't need more than one book by an author on there at a time (so much for that with next year's prompt! haha). I also have Night Road on my list. I'm going to have to peruse her titles. I'm becoming a big fan.

Rachel, I worry about books where the ending is sad &/or a letdown, which makes me wary to read Winter Garden. Hmmmm.

Oh no, I feel bad for saying anything because I really did like the story and most of the book. This isn't an actual spoiler for events in the story just a little more clarity on why I didn't love the ending. (view spoiler)[I liked the way it looked like it would wrap up but then something happened that was way too much a coincidence and it took me right out of it. I am not a fan of stories that are tied in too neat of a bow since it rarely reflects real life. (hide spoiler)]

Tracy, I think you'll like The Great Alone. I'll look for your comments on Firefly Lane since I doubt I'll get to it until next year.

Rachelnyc wrote: "Oh no, I feel bad for saying anything because I really did like the story and most of the book. This isn't an actual spoiler for events in the story just a little more clarity on why I didn't love ..."

I have to figure out where it is lol, I know I own it but its not on my kindle so that means its either here on my computer ( I made my ex sign me into his amazon account on the kindle app so I still had access to all of my books from when we were married without knowing his password ) OR, its on my iBooks app on my ancient iPad. I know I own it ... too many books in too many places ;-)

Then again maybe its Winter Garden I own, because that cover looks so familiar also ( but so do True Colors and Home Front). I think I probably own a few of her books, I don't know why I've never gotten around to reading her. She'll probably end up being a favorite author.

Now I'm on a mission to investigate.

Yeah, I get that, Rachel. I like my happy endings &/or feeling satisfied with the ending, but I also find some coincidences a little too much. I reread the book description, & it still sounds interesting to me, so I'll probably end up reading it. :)

Liz wrote: "Yeah, I get that, Rachel. I like my happy endings &/or feeling satisfied with the ending, but I also find some coincidences a little too much. I reread the book description, & it still sounds inter..."

Good! I hope you love it and look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Good luck hunting Tracy!

Hunting mission completed and this is interesting, I don't even have Firefly Lane. I do have Angel Falls on my kindle ( don't remember buying this?). I also do have Night Road on my "ex' kindle account, so I was right about that one. The other one I found in there was Home Front, again, don't remember buying it. On my iBooks, I found a short story, The Glass Case. Well at least I knew I owned a few of her books, even if I had no idea which ones they were.

Wait... I should check my kindle again, because The Great Alone didn't show up in my search and I know for a fact its on there because I have it uploaded onto my carousel...Also The Nightingale didn't show up and thats on there too, I've read it twice because I forgot I read it the first time and on the second try it was still so good I decided to just keep on re-reading it. The search continues....

prompt #12 - a book set in South America (or Africa)
The House of the Spirits - ★★�

This has been on my TBR for eight years now, so I'm glad I finally had the chance to read it. Honestly, I expected to like this book better than I did - in part, because I love magical realism. While I enjoyed the story to start, I got to the point where I didn't want to pick the book up anymore. I got tired of feeling like the author was telling me what was happening instead of showing me. I wanted more depth to the story! I almost gave up when I had about 100 pages left, but I decided to stick it out. The last part of the story is where I felt most connected to the characters. If I were to reread this book again, I believe I would like it better the second time . . . I might even love it, but as a first time reading, I'm going to say I liked it & am glad I finished to the end.

prompt #7 - A gothic novel
Frankenstein - ★★★★

prompt #34 - A suggestion from the AtY 2018 polls, that didn't win but was polarizing or a close-call
"celestial term in title" - The Girl Who Drank the Moon - ★★★★ 1/2

I'm really excited about reading Frankenstein for the "monster" prompt next year.

I have six books to read before the end of the year. A book every three days. Considering I've been averaging 4 books/month, I'd say I have a LOT to work on. Wish me luck!!