2017 Book Challenge Wrap-Up

The 2017 Reading Challenge did not go as planned. Working full time greatly effected my reading style and I didn't even come close to reading all the books on my original list. Since I had less time to sit and read, I relied much more on audiobooks last year than in previous years. I still managed to finish 68 books in 2017, 26 regular books and 42 audiobooks.

1. A book from the Goodreads Choice Awards 2016 (link) - Truly Madly Guilty by Liane Moriarty ✓
2. A book with at least 2 perspectives (multiple points of view) - The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan (instead I listened to the non-fiction account of River Phoenix's life and death in Last Night at the Viper Room by Gavin Edwards) ✓
3. A book you meant to read in 2016 - Slouching Towards Bethlehem by Joan Didion ✓
4. A title that doesn't contain the letter "E" - NW by Zadie Smith (I'm currently reading It by Stephen King)
5. A historical fiction - Atonement by Ian McEwan (I read The Aviator's Wife by Melanie Benjamin) ✓
6. A book being released as a movie in 2017 - IT by Stephen King (I finished The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon by David Grann) ✓
7. A book with an animal on the cover or in the title - A Dog's Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron
8. A book written by a person of color - Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay ✓
9. A book in the middle of your To Be Read list - Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie
10. A dual-timeline novel - The Secret History by Donna Tartt (I regretfully read Since We Fell by Dennis Lehane instead) ✓
11. A category from another challenge : A book you loved as a child (from the Popsugar reading challenge) - The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
12. A book based on a myth - Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood
13. A book recommended by one of your favorite authors - A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara (recommended by John Green)
14. A book with a strong female character - The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers (I read about real life female activist Malala in I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai and Christina Lamb) ✓
15. A book written or set in Scandinavia (Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Iceland) - Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist
16. A mystery - The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco (I read the YA thriller Final Girls by RIley Sager) ✓
17. A book with illustrations - Adulthood is a Myth by Sarah Andersen ✓
18. A really long book (600+ pages) - Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke
19. A New York Times best-seller - The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt ✓
20. A book that you've owned for a while but haven't gotten around to reading - Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert (I have not owned Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut quite as long as I've owned Eat Pray Love, but it's still been a shamefully long time) ✓
21. A book that is a continuation of a book you've already read - City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare (Instead I continued the arthurian saga The Last Enchantment by Mary Stewart) ✓
22. A book by an author you haven't read before - Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami (I read Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Mbue for book club)
23. A book from the BBC's "The Big Read" list (link) - Tess of the d'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy (Also listed was The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho which I read in 2017) ✓
24. A book written by at least 2 authors - Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman (Instead I read The Magnolia Story by Chip and Joanna Gaines) ✓
25. A book about a famous historical figure - Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow ✓
26. An adventure book - The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas (instead I listened to The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee) ✓
27. A book by one of your favorite authors - M Train by Patti Smith (I devoured Turtles All the Way Down by John Green) ✓
28. A non-fiction book - Chronicles: Vol 1 by Bob Dylan ✓
29. A book published outside the 4 major publishing houses (Simon & Schuster, HarperCollins, Penguin Random House, Hachette Livre) - The Story of My Teeth by Valeria Luiselli, translated by Christina MacSweeney
30. A book from Goodreads Top 100 YA books (link) - I'll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson ✓
31. A book from a sub-genre of your favorite genre - Lit by Mary Karr a memoir about substance abuse (instead I listened to the author-read celebrity memoir Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen) ✓
32. A book with a long title (5+ words, excluding subtitle) - A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan (I read No One Belongs Here More than You by Miranda July) ✓
33. A magical realism novel - One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez
34. A book set in or by an author from the Southern Hemisphere - The Motorcycle Diaries by Che Guevara (instead I listened to Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah) ✓
35. A book where one of the main characters is royalty - The Princess Bride by William Goldman ✓
36. A Hugo Award winner or nominee (link) - Saga, Vol 1 by Brian K. Vaughan ✓
37. A book you choose randomly - I left this one open, so I chose to read On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century by Timothy Snyder ✓
38. A novel inspired by a work of classic literature - On Beauty by Zadie Smith
39. An epistolary fiction - The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte
40. A book published in 2017 - Things We Lost In the Fire by Mariana Enriquez (instead I read What Happened by Hillary Rodham Clinton) ✓
41. A book with an unreliable narrator - Rebecca by Daphane du Maurier
42. A best book of the 21st Century (so far) - The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen (Another book club pick was The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri) ✓
43. A book with a chilling atmosphere (scary, unsettling, cold) - We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson (Why settle for fiction when you have a real life chilling atmosphere and truly terrifying read in Dark Money: The Hidden History of the Billionaires Behind the Rise of the Radical Right by Jane Mayer) ✓
44. A recommendation from "What Should I Read Next" (link) - I had planned on choosing this book later in the year but I never actually used the link to pick my next read, whoops!
45. A book with a one-word title - Beloved by Toni Morrison
46. A time travel novel - Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon
47. A past suggestion that didn't win (link) : A book about traveling, can be fiction or non-fiction - Neither Here Nor There: Travels in Europe by Bill Bryson
48. A banned book - 1984 by George Orwell ✓
49. A book from someone else's bookshelf - A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn ✓
50. A Penguin Modern Classic - To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf
51. A collection (e.g. essays, short stories, poetry, plays) - The Tenth of December by George Saunders ✓
52. A book set in a fictional location - Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire (The Republic of Gilead from The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood may be inching closer to reality, but it's still technically a fictional place)

I don't plan on participating in one particular reading challenge for 2018. Having challenges listed on a blog or known to others may help hold some people accountable, but for me sharing tends to add unneeded stress. Even though I managed to read over 52 diverse books last year I'm still disappointed that I couldn't stick to the specific books on the list. So this year there won't be a challenge and all my reading related goals are staying off this blog. Maybe 2018 will be my best reading year yet? Or maybe it won't but there's bigger things in life to stress over.

Happy reading everyone!

- Sarah

December Favorites

The holiday season is typically jolly but winter tends have a negative effect on my mood. So far, this winter has been especially cold, dark, and snowy, and it has me wishing I never have to leave the comfort of my bed again. In December I wanted to fill my time with entertainment that captivated me and made me forget all about the weather. Luckily that was pretty easy to find.

Podcasts, podcasts and more podcasts. I've been on a huge podcast kick since last month. Mostly Gilmore Guys, Ladies Who Lunch, WTF with Marc Maron, Anna Faris is Unqualified, and The Nerdist. I can't get enough.

Jane the Virgin. I started watching this show at the beginning of December and sped right through the first two seasons. Jane the Virgin is an hour long dramedy that mimics a telenovela. Although things can get a little crazy and over the top, it does not shy away from real life issues. I had heard nothing but good things since the show originally aired and it did not disappoint. If you haven't seen Jane yet, go watch it. Right Now. And no, I'm not caught up with any of season 3 so no spoilers.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. In the past I've mentioned my mom's long term obsession with Star Wars and the family memories I have growing up with the films. When Rogue One came out this year my mom and I were both busy and we weren't able to see the film opening night. Honestly I wasn't even sure I wanted to see the film in theaters, but when my brother mentioned going to see it as a family my mom guilt tripped me into going along. Thankfully Rogue One was spectacular. Now I can't believe I almost missed it.

Bluetooth Speaker. I got a Bose portable mini speaker for Christmas and have been loving it. I now have mini surround sound while watching Netflix on my laptop.

Troye Sivan's Blue Neighborhood album. This album came out in 2015 but I only listened to the entire album for the first time last month. All the music on Blue Neighborhood feels dreamy and youthful in a way that reminds me of summer time or warm vacations. There is something comforting and nostalgic about Troye's music that took me from dancing to total relaxation and back again.

Kindred by Octavia Butler - Best book of December if not the whole year. Kindred is a modern classic that was originally published in 1979. The novel follows Dana, an African American woman living in the 1970's, who travels back in time to meet her ancestors. This story took off right from page one and had me hooked the entire time. It's a sit on the edge of your seat, stay up until 3 AM, give you all the feels kind of book. I read Kindred for January's book club meeting and I can't wait to discuss these characters with the group.

My last favorite of December,
Holiday spirit and Christmas traditions. The holiday season is usually filled with warmth and cheeriness, but this year seemed more merry than usual. I was amazed with the number of people who made a point of telling me "Happy Holidays," "Merry Christmas," or "Happy New Year" while I was at work. Each time someone said something nice it brought a smile to my face. It's the little things that make that time of year special. One of my favorite holiday traditions over the last four or five years has been watching the movie White Christmas at the State Theater with my friend Sandy. Now I get to experience one of my favorite classics with one of my favorite friends. Christmas traditions and all the lovely holiday decorations also made this year special. My family made new traditions by spending Christmas day at my parent's house instead of my Grandparent's like we've done ever since I can remember. The change was different but the day was just as fun! My dad and I even made a new egg casserole dish in addition to our traditional Christmas breakfast.

December wasn't too bad in the end. Thankfully I had plenty of help getting me through. I'll probably be enjoying some of these favorites throughout January as well!

- S

52 Book Challenge Wrap Up

When I started the Around the World in 52 books challenge at the beginning of the year, I never thought I'd actually read all 52 books. Surprisingly, I came much closer to completing this challenge than I ever expected. Out of the 92 books I've read in 2016, I found books to fit 47 individual challenges. None of the books are used more than once, and I'm currently reading books for three of the uncompleted challenges. 

This final list looks different than the one in my original, or even my mid-year, post. I decided it was more important to see how many challenges I could accomplish than it was to be true to the original list. For me, reading has never been about forcing myself to read specific books within a certain time frame, unless it was school related. Since this entire endeavor was only for personal gain, I tried hard to keep this challenge fun while also using it to expand on the variety of books I read throughout 2016. If my counting is correct, 33 of the books listed below were named in the original post. Some books have been moved around, while others were simply replaced.

1. A book you meant to read in 2015, but didn't -- The Gracekeepers by Kirsty Logan *
2. A book set in a different continent -- I Am The Messenger by Markus Zusak*
3. A book from the Goodreads Choice Awards 2015 (winner or nominated) -- The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins *
4. A book by an author you discovered in 2015 -- The Dumb House by John Burnside*
5. A book with a title beginning with the 1st letter of your name --  Shrill by Lindy West*
6. The highest rated on your TBR -- Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone Illustrated Edition by J.K. Rowling and Jim Kay*
7. A book about books -- The Well of Lost Plots by Jasper Forde*
8. A classic book with less than 200 pages -- Candide by Voltaire*
9. A book that was mentioned in another book -- To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee*
10. A book by an author you feel you should have read by now -- Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll*
11. A book from the Rory Gilmore challenge -- The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath*
12. A childhood classic -- The BFG by Roald Dahl*
13. Reader’s Choice -- Just Kids by Patty Smith*
14. A book with one of the five W’s -or H in the title (Who/What/Where/When/Why/How) -- Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling*
15. A book set in the past (more than 100 years ago) -- Persuasion by Jane Austen*
16. A book from the top 100 mystery novels -- And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie*
17. A book with a beautiful cover -- Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte (Vintage Classics Bronte Series edition)*
18. A book on a summer/beach reading list -- Bridget Jone's Diary by Helen Fielding*
19. A non-fiction book -- Sex Object by Jessica Valenti*
20. A book with a first name in the title -- Anne of Avonlea by L. M. Montgomery*
21. A book from the Goodreads Recommendations page -- Fifth Avenue, 5 AM; Audrey Hepburn, Breakfast at Tiffany's, and the Dawn of the Modern Woman by Sam Wasson (currently reading)
22. The first book in a new to you series -- City of Bones by Cassandra Clare (The Mortal Instruments series)*
23. The next book in a series you are reading -- Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon*
24. A "between the numbers" book of a series (0.5, 1,5, 2.5, etc.) -- Four by Veronica Roth *
25. A book whose main character is in a profession that interests you -- The Art Forger by Barbara A. Shapiro*
26. A book everyone is talking about -- The Girls by Emma Cline*
27. A book with a beautiful title (in your own opinion) -- When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi*
28. A biography, autobiography, or memoir -- Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl by Carrie Brownstein*
29. A book by an author who writes under more than one name -- Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith/J.K. Rowling*
30. A fairytale from a culture other than your own -- Angela Carter's Book of Fairytales
31. A work of young adult fiction -- Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins*
32. A historical fiction book -- Voyager by Diana Gabaldon*
33. The 16th book on your TBR -- The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon*
34. A book about mental illness -- Brain on Fire by Susannah Calahan*
35. An award winning book -- Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates*
36. An identity book - a book about a different culture, religion or sexual orientation -- Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz*
37. A book that you've seen the movie of but haven't read -- Silver Linings Playlist by Matthew Quick*
38. A book about an anti hero -- A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess*
39. A previous suggestion that did not make it into the list -- The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead* (Read an Oprah Book Club book)
40. A novella from your favorite genre -- Animal Farm by George Orwell*
41. A book about a major world event (fiction or non-fiction) -- Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow (currently reading)
42. A top 100 fantasy novel -- The Princess Bride by William Goldman
43. A book about a thing that goes bump in the night -- A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness*
44. A book you're embarrassed to read in public -- City of Glass by Cassandra Clare* (I wouldn't really say I'm ashamed of reading much in public but trying to describe this series to my family made me question myself)
45. A book related to a hobby or passion you have -- Hamilton: The Revolution by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jeremy McCarter*
46. A crime story -- In Cold Blood by Truman Capote*
47. A book with a type of food/drink in the title -- Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur*
48. A dystopia -- Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro*
49. A book with a great opening line -- 1984 by George Orwell (currently reading)
50. A book originally written in a language other than English -- Blindness by José Saramago*
51. A short story from a well-known author -- The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury*
52. A book published in 2016 -- The Yoga of Max's Discontent by Karan Bajaj*

All finished books are marked with *

The books on this list range from classics, new releases, translated fiction, non-fiction, children's books, YA novels, and historical romances. They're written by a mixture of authors spanning cultures, continents, times, genders, and races. 2016 has brought me some of my new favorite books written by truly brilliant authors and I can't wait to see what 2017 brings!

-S

The Bell Jar

"I saw myself sitting in the crotch of this fig tree, starving to death, just because I couldn't make up my mind which of the figs I would choose. I wanted each and every one of them, unable to decide, the figs began to wrinkle and go black, and, one by one, they plopped to the ground at my feet." - Sylvia Plath (The Bell Jar)

I tried reading Sylvia Plath's iconic novel back in high school, but gave up after fifty or sixty pages. The Bell Jar is often praised for Plath's progressive representation of feminism, and I always hoped to give the book another try. I've had this copy of The Bell Jar sitting on my shelf for a few years now, so I was excited to finally pick it up this month.

If you had asked me before why I'd given up on the novel back in high school, I would have told you the book was too sad for my taste. The truth is, the story just hit too close to home. In fact, I'm glad I waited until I was older to try again.

Now Plath's words don't trigger sadness as much as they trigger a sense of kinship, normalcy, and hope. I know it's a cliché to love Sylvia Plath, maybe that's another reason why I stopped reading her book in high school, but there's a reason so many women (and men) love her work. She spoke a language people can understand and connect to. Her writing would have seemed revolutionary when the book was first published, as it shed light on the feelings of discontent and uncertainty that often accompany the standards society sets for women.

Although women's rights have greatly increased in America over the last 60 years, we are still fighting against gender stereotypes today. Women are often held to a double standard when it comes to sex, and many women are forced to give up jobs due to lack of affordable child care and unpaid maternity leave. For these reasons, The Bell Jar is considered a modern classic and remians relevant today.

-S

Catch-22

"'You have a morbid aversion to dying. You probably resent the fact that you're at war and might get your head blown off any second.'
'I more than resent it, sir. I'm absolutely incensed.'
'You have deep-seated survival anxieties. And you don't like bigots, bullies, snobs or hypocrites. Subconsciously there are many people you hate.'
'Consciously, sir, consciously.' Yossarian corrected in an effort to help. 'I hate them consciously.' 'You're antagonistic to the idea of being robbed, exploited, degraded, humiliated or deceived. Misery depresses you. Ignorance depresses you. Persecution depresses you. Violence depresses you. Slums depresses you. Greed depresses you. Crime depresses you. Corruption depresses you. You know, it wouldn't surprise me if you're a manic-depressive!'
'Yes, sir. Perhaps I am.'
'Don't try to deny it.'
'I'm not denying it, sir,' said Yossarian, pleased with the miraculous rapport that finally existed between them. 'I agree with all you've said.'"


The above is just one example of the brilliant writing in Catch-22. I knew going into this book that Heller's writing style was a dividing factor for fans and critics of his famous first novel. Thankfully I never read this book in high school since I would have hated Heller's non-lineal narrative back then. The novel's satirical elements would have probably gone over my head when I was sixteen but it's what solidifies this book as a new favorite now. War can be a tricky subject to approach, but Heller maneuvers it with such non-glorified honesty that he makes you understand just how frustratingly powerless and horrifying it is to be caught in the middle.

-S

Recent Book Hauls

Book hauls have always been my favorite videos to make and are usually my favorite videos to watch. Due to good sales and cheap secondhand shops I've acquired a crap ton (official recorded weight) of books over the last few months. Below are two videos documenting those acquisitions in an attempt to show you how hard I've failed at saving money, and how my rabid consumerism has caused me to run out of shelf space.








I haven't been posting videos as often, but I'm still posting. Unfortunately my computer is getting old and iMovie doesn't work as well as it should. For my computer's health, and my own, I've had to limit the amount of time I spend editing. Hopefully this will change sometime soon, but for now I'll try to maintain a once a week schedule. Thanks for sticking with me! For more videos and updates subscribe to GetAKloo.

I swear I'll read them all eventually...

-S

52 Book Challenge Update

Hey guys! Now that we're a little over half way through the year I figured it was time to check in on my 52 Book Challenge. I never set out to finish one book a week since that's just not my reading style/pace, but I did expect to be more on track by this point in the year. So far I've finished 19 books on my list and am currently reading 3 more.

1. A book you meant to read in 2015, but didn't -- The Gracekeepers by Kirsty Logan *
2. A book set in a different continent -- Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon*
3. A book from the Goodreads Choice Awards 2015 (winner or nominated) -- The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins *
4. A book by an author you discovered in 2015 -- The Dumb House by John Burnside*
5. A book with a title beginning with the 1st letter of your name -- Silver Linings Playbook by Mathew Quick
6. The highest rated on your TBR -- Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
7. A book about books -- The Year of Reading Dangerously by Andy Miller
8. A classic book with less than 200 pages -- Candide by Voltaire
9. A book that was mentioned in another book -- To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee*
10. A book by an author you feel you should have read by now -- The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
11. A book from the Rory Gilmore challenge -- Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll
12. A childhood classic -- The BFG by Roald Dahl*
13. Reader’s Choice -- Just Kids by Patty Smith (currently reading)
14. A book with one of the five W’s -or H in the title (Who/What/Where/When/Why/How) -- Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling*
15. A book set in the past (more than 100 years ago) -- Persuasion by Jane Austen
16. A book from the top 100 mystery novels -- Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
17. A book with a beautiful cover -- Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte (Vintage Classics Bronte Series edition)
18. A book on a summer/beach reading list -- Bridget Jone's Diary by Helen Fielding*
19. A non-fiction book -- Slouching Towards Bethlehem by Joan Didion 
20. A book with a first name in the title -- Anne of Avonlea by L. M. Montgomery*
21. A book from the Goodreads Recommendations page -- Fifth Avenue, 5 AM; Audrey Hepburn, Breakfast at Tiffany's, and the Dawn of the Modern Woman by Sam Wasson
22. The first book in a new to you series -- Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare (changed to City of Bones)*
23. The next book in a series you are reading -- Voyager by Diana Gabaldon (currently reading)
24. A "between the numbers" book of a series (0.5, 1,5, 2.5, etc.) -- Four by Veronica Roth *
25. A book whose main character is in a profession that interests you -- The Art Forger by Barbara A. Shapiro*
26. A book everyone is talking about -- Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell (a bunch of Youtubers are currently buddy reading this)
27. A book with a beautiful title (in your own opinion) -- The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera
28. A biography, autobiography, or memoir -- Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl by Carrie Brownstein*
29. A book by an author who writes under more than one name -- Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith/J.K. Rowling*
30. A fairytale from a culture other than your own -- Angela Carter's Book of Fairytales
31. A work of young adult fiction -- Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins*
32. A historical fiction book -- East of Eden by John Steinbeck
33. The 16th book on your TBR -- The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon*
34. A book about mental illness -- Brain on Fire by Susannah Calahan
35. An award winning book -- The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen
36. An identity book - a book about a different culture, religion or sexual orientation -- A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hossieni
37. A book that you've seen the movie of but haven't read -- The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
38. A book about an anti hero -- A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess*
39. A previous suggestion that did not make it into the list -- The Road by Cormac McCarthy (Read an Oprah Book Club book)
40. A novella from your favorite genre -- Animal Farm by George Orwell
41. A book about a major world event (fiction or non-fiction) -- Alan Turing: The Enigma by Andrew Hodges (changed to Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow which I'm currently reading)
42. A top 100 fantasy novel -- The Princess Bride by William Goldman
43. A book about a thing that goes bump in the night -- The Woman in Black by Susan Hill
44. A book you're embarrassed to read in public -- Summer Sisters by Judy Blume (I wouldn't say I'm easily ashamed of reading books in public but this was on one of the lists they suggested)
45. A book related to a hobby or passion you have -- A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
46. A crime story -- In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
47. A book with a type of food/drink in the title -- The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender
48. A dystopia -- Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro*
49. A book with a great opening line -- 1984 by George Orwell
50. A book originally written in a language other than English -- One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
51. A short story from a well-known author -- The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury
52. A book published in 2016 -- When We Were Alive by Chelsea Fisher (changed to The Yoga of Max's Discontent by Karan Bajaj)*

As you can see I've changed a few of the books from the original list out of convenience and mood, but I'd like to stick to the original list more closely for the second half of the year.

Are you participating in the 52 Book Challenge? How are you doing? Any books you'd recommend I read next?

-S