2019 Goodreads Challenge: Around the Year in 52 Books (+Wild Card)

1. A book that was nominated for or won an award in a genre you enjoy - The Woman in the Window, A. J. Finn (An Amazon Best Book of 2018)

2. A book with one of the 5 W's in the title (Who, What, Where, When, Why)- I Know Who You Are, Alice Feeney

 3. A book where the author’s name contains A, T, and Y (representing Around The Year) - Fight or Flight, Samantha Young

 4. A book with a criminal character (i.e. assassin, pirate, thief, robber, scoundrel etc.) - Mr. Mercedes, Stephen King (plus I read the following two books in the trilogy, Finders Keepers and End of Watch, about the same "assassin/scoundrel.")

 5. A book by Shakespeare or inspired by Shakespeare - A Thousand Acres, Jane Smiley (Described as King Lear on an Iowa farm. Pulitzer Prize winner!)

 6. A book with a dual timeline - Fragile, Lisa Unger

 7. 2 books related to the same topic, genre, or theme: Book #1 - Someday Someday Maybe, Lauren Graham

 8. 2 books related to the same topic, genre, or theme: Book #2 -Talking As Fast As I Can, Lauren Graham 
9. A book from one of the top 5 money making genres (romance/erotica, crime/mystery, religious/inspirational, science fiction/fantasy or horror -  #1 best-selling book The Silent Patient, Alex Michaelides  (crime/mystery)

 10. A book featuring an historical figure - 9/22/63, Stephen King (Featuring fictionalized versions based on fact of President John F. Kennedy, Jackie Kennedy, Lee Harvey Oswald, and Marina Oswald)

 11. A book related to one of the 12 Zodiac Chinese Animals (title, cover, subject)  List - The Lost Man, Jane Harper (A girl was thrown from her horse -- or was she?)

 12. A book about reading, books or an author/writer - Such a Perfect Wife, Kate White (Series from the point POV of fictional character Bailey Weggins, a true crime writer)

 13. A book that is included on a New York Public Library Staff Picks List - I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer, Michelle Monaghan
14. A book with a title, subtitle or cover relating to an astronomical term - Blue Moon (Jack Reacher), Lee Child

 15. A book by an author from a Mediterranean country or set in a Mediterranean country - The Perfect Nanny, Leila Slimani (Morrocan-French author)

 16. A book told from multiple perspectives - For Better and Worse, Margot Hunt (Parts 1 and 3 are told from Natalie's POV; Parts 2 and 4 are from her husband Will's POV)

 17. A speculative fiction (i.e. fantasy, scifi, horror, dystopia) Come With Me, Helen Schulman (Amy's boss creates a multi-universe program, and she becomes his Guinea pig to see the multi-verses of her life.)

 18. A book related to one of the elements on the periodic table of elements - Ink and Bone, Lisa Unger (The element calcium [Ca] is found in bones.)

 19. A book by an author who has more than one book on your To Be Read List - Run Away, Harlan Coben

 20. A book featuring indigenous people of a country The Round House, Louise Erdrich (Set on Native American reservation in South Dakota)

 21. A book from one of the polarizing or close call topics (almost chosen) https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/19645215-2019-the-close-call-and-polarizing.  
A. One polarizing category (according to the Goodreads list): Books with similar titles. So I read two books that were both called Little Girl Lost (by Brian McGillaway and by Stephen Edger) and a third one called Little Girl Gone (by Carol Wyer).  
B. Another interpretation is literally to read about a polarizing topic: Little Girl Gone works for that too. It takes place during "the Troubles" in Northern Ireland in the '90s, a very polarizing issue.
                        
22. A book with a number in the title or on the cover - The 18th Abduction, James Patterson

23. 4 books inspired by the wedding rhyme: Book #1 Something Old - As Long As We Both Shall Live, Joann Chaney. (Old case - his 1st wife was murdered 22 years ago.) [Side note: The title of this book guaranteed it would end up in one of these wedding categories!] 

24. 4 books inspired by the wedding rhyme: Book #2 - Something New- Before She Knew Him, Peter Swanson (New house, new neighbors)

 25. 4 books inspired by the wedding rhyme: Book #3 Something Borrowed - Last Woman Standing, Amy Gentry (She borrowed a blonde wig for her comedy act, and then used it as a disguise.)

26. 4 books inspired by the wedding rhyme: Book #4 Something Blue -The Perfect Mother, Aimee Malloy (The blue blanket of a kidnapped baby was important evidence.)

 27. A book off the 1001 Books to Read Before You Die List - The Plot Against America, Philip Roth

28. A book related to something cold (i.e. theme, title, author, cover, etc.) - Ice Princess, Camilla Lackberg (set in Sweden during winter)

29. A book published before 1950 - Ellery Queen's The Halfway House, copyright 1933

30. A book featuring an elderly character  - The Other Woman, Sandie Jones (Pammie, the "other woman," is in her mid-60s.)  

31. A children’s classic you’ve never read - Anne of Avonlea, Lucy Maud Montgomery

32. A book with more than 500 pages -Lethal White, Robert Galbraith (648 pages)

33. A book you have owned for at least a year, but have not read yet - Into the Water, Paula Hawkins (Bought it in Jan 2018 with gift card from Cortney C.)

34. A book with a person's name in the title - The Best of Adam Sharp, Graeme Simsion

35. A psychological thriller - Lock Every Door, Riley Sager

36. A book featured on an NPR Best Books of the Year List - Emergency Contact, Mary H. K. Choi

37. A book set in a school or university - It's Always the Husband, Michelle Campbell (Three women meet at college. Dual timeline from college to present day.)

38. A book not written in traditional novel format (poetry, essay, epistolary, graphic novel, etc) Our House, (Written as a podcast from Fiona's point of view and a suicide note from Bram's)

39. A book with a strong sense of place or where the author brings the location/setting to life - A Gathering of Secrets, Linda Castillo (Ohio Amish country, including Amish farms and tourist attractions/shops)

40. A book you stumbled upon - After the Flood, Kassandra Montag (I happened to see it on KC Library main page, available NOW as a Libraries Transform pick that readers were all reading/duscussing at that same time.)

41. A book from the 2018 GR Choice Awards List List - Bring Me Back, B. A. Paris (2018 Goodreads nominee for Mysteries and thrillers)

42. A book with a monster or "monstrous" character -Her Last Breath, Linda Castillo (Best monstrous character in her Anish series)

43. A book related to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) - The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl, Stacy McAnulty. (Lucy is a 12 year-old math genius who thinks of everything in terms of mathematics.)

44. A book related in some way to a TV show/series or movie you enjoyed (same topic, same era, book appeared in the show/movie, etc.) - I'll Be There for You: The One About Friends, Kelsey Miller. (The definitive Friends retrospective)

45. A multi-generational saga - Dreams of Falling, Karen White

46. A book with a (mostly) black cover -The Silent Wife, A. S. A. Harrison

47. A book related to food (i.e. title, cover, plot, etc.) Good Luck With That, Kristan Higgins (The three narrators met at weight loss camp and are basically obsessed with food. Plus, Georgia's ex is a chef and Marley is a personal chef.)

48. A book that was a finalist or winner for the National Book Award for any year List List - Long Way Down, Jason Reynolds (2017 National Book Award finalist)

49. A book written by a Far East Asian author or set in a Far East Asian country -The Suspect, Fiona Barton (set in Bangkok and London)

50. A book that includes a journey (physical, health, or spiritual) - No Exit, Taylor Adams (Caught in a snowstorm at a rest stop while traveling through the Rockies)

51. A book published in 2019 - Staying Up With Hugo Best, Erin Somers (published April 2019)

52. A book with a weird or intriguing title - I Don't Know What You Know Me From, Judy Greer

Wild Card: A biography - Fosse, Sam Wasson

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