BW2: 52 Books Bingo - Fire

Mageman Courtesy of Gerhard Santos

Temper us in fire, and we grow stronger. 

When we suffer, we survive.

~Cassandra Clare

Happy Sunday!  We are going to have so much fun with our 52 Books Bingo this year as we begin with our first category which is one of the elements of nature - FIRE.   Fire, literal and symbolic, represents different things to different cultures- mythology, religion, ritual, destruction and purification, enlightenment, sexuality, birth and resurrection, heat, energy, metabolism, creativity, cooking, and more. 

There are so many ways we can go with the aspect of fire.  What comes to my mind is sweat lodges, phoenix, fire fighters, smoke jumpers, arson, sparks, flame, heat, the divine, passion. 

Stories involving a Phoenix 

The history of Fire 

Stories about Arson Investigation

Stories with Female Smoke Jumpers

Books with four elements in the title

Big b, little b, what begins with B - blaze, bonfires, and boldness, as well as bards, ballads, and Bildungsroman all begin with b. 

Have fun finding stories that play with fire! 

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Please share your book reviews and link to your website, blog, Goodreads, Google+, Tumblers, or Instagram page. If you do not have a social media account, please leave a comment to let us know what you are reading. The link widget closes at the end of each book week. 

In the Your Name field, type in your name and the name of the book in parenthesis. In the Your URL field paste a link to your post, then check the privacy box and click enter.

BW1: Welcome to our Wild and Whimsical Reading Quest

 

"If you only read the books that everyone else is reading, 

you can only think what everyone else is thinking."

— Haruki Murakami (Norwegian Wood)

Happy New Year! Welcome to another year of Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks.  Welcome back to all our regulars and our newbies. If you haven't participated in years past, the goal is to read 52 Books. How you get there is up to you. And if you prefer to set your own goal, you are welcome to do so. We don't have a set reading list so you can choose to play along or chart your own path in your quest to read.  All that matters is the reading. 

To aid in the journey, there are a number of weekly, monthly, annual, and perpetual quests along with an updated quirky 52 Books Bingo and our author of the month Bookish Bookology to explore.  

We traditionally start out the year in the weird and wonderful world of Haruki Murakami, our January author of the month. While we wait for his newest book, The City and It's Uncertain Walls to be released in the United States some time this year, I'll be exploring his non fiction conversations with Seiji Ozawa in Absolutely on Music, and dive into the fiction world of Sputnik Sweetheart.

Although Penguin suggests starting with some of Murakami's slimmer novels, my first introduction to Murakami was his chunky fantasy novel 1Q84, filled with magical realism, music, cats, weird characters, choices, and the meaning of life.  Which lead to reading most of his bibliography. 

Discover more about Murakami in his non fiction memoir, Novelist as a Vocation in which the man seriously doesn’t think he is a good writer, but shares his stories, his process, and so much more.

Plus, we are traveling through the alphabet again with A to Z and Back Again. There are a variety of ways to complete the project and you don't have to stick with authors or titles only. The choices are unlimited, including:

• Choose an author whose first or last name begin with the letter. 
• Pick a book starting with the letter in the title of the book. Except for those pesky articles or prepositions. 
• Read a book with a character whose name starts with the letter. 
• Choose a book in which the setting of the story starts with the letter. 
• Choose a genre that starts with the letter.
• Read a book with a literary term or plot device starting with the letter. 

Big A, little A, what begins with A -  Allusion, Angels, Agatha, Adams, Adventure, and Action all begin with A. 

Are you ready to go? Great! Put on your hat and walking shoes, strap on your backpack, grab your walking stick as we follow rabbit trails of thought throughout the world on a wild and whimsical reading quest.

Happy Reading! 

Please share your book reviews and link to your website, blog, Goodreads, Google+, Tumblers, or Instagram page. If you do not have a social media account, please leave a comment to let us know what you are reading. The link widget closes at the end of each book week. In the Your Name field, type in your name and the name of the book in parenthesis. In the Your URL field paste a link to your post, then check the privacy box and click enter.

BW52: 2023 Year End Extravaganza!

 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!  Are you having a merry Jolabokaflod! It's time to retire this year's walking shoes, curl up by the fire or under a cozy comforter and figure out where you've been and where you would like to go next year.   Buy a new pair of shoes or wings if you dare, and maybe buy a bigger backpack to stow all those new and old books you want to read in 2024.  

Although I love exploring and reading new authors, genres, spaces and places, I like to revisit old friends along the way.  While I may map out a plan for the new year, I always build in plenty of time for side trips along the way.  I like spontaneity, delving here, there, and every where, following rabbit trails full of whimsy.  In fact, I'm looking forward to a whimsical new year full of reading adventures. 

So tell me...how was your reading year?  

Did you follow a plan or go with the flow?  

Did you stick to tried and true authors or genres or explore outside your comfort zone?

Where did your adventures take you?  Outside of time or into space? A different country, state, or city? 

Which stories made your heart sing or cry or laugh or fly? Made you want to hug the author or characters?   

Which story  made you want to throw it across the room in disgust? 

Which authors did you add to your  "I want to read more or again pile."

Share quotes, covers, stats, and ideas for next year such as new or different authors or genres or stories to explore. 

Our post is sponsored by the letter A for autodidactic, autotelic, anti hero, archetypes, and annotation. 

Thank you for sharing your reading year with me! 

Hugs, loves, and kisses!

BW51: Winter Solstice

 

Happy Sunday!  Christmas is a week away and if you haven't started your Christmas shopping, like me, you'd better hop to it.  Our Christmas tree is decorated and waiting for gifts to fill the tree skirt beneath it. How about you. Winter is also upon us as of December 22nd and heralded by the brisk cold, hot toddies, warm fires, and curling up with a wintery read.  

The Best Winter Books to Snuggle up with in 2023

Winter 2023 Books Preview: 16 titles not to miss

A Wintry Reading List: 15 Books With Immaculate Winter Vibes

25 Classic Winter Books to Read by the Fire

Our post is sponsored by the letter B for ballad, bards, and beats, musical beats, that is. 

Please Join us for another round of Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks in 2024

 

Join us for our 16th annual Read 52 books in 52 weeks reading adventure. 

The goal is easy - Read 52 Books.  We don't have any set reading lists so how you get there is up to you. However, we do have a variety of challenges including weekly, monthly mini challenges, annual and perpetual challenges to entice your reading taste buds   If you aren't up to 52 but want to join in, you can set your own goal.  

2024 52 Books Bingo - 25 new categories which will take us on a exploration around the world. 

2024 Bookish Bookology - Our author of the month in which you can read one or more books by the author, or spell out their first or last name. 

2024 A to Z and Back Again - All the way from A to Z and back again as we play with words.  

Participate in one or more of our perpetual challenges:  

Agatha Christie  -- Read her books in chronological order as listed, group by detective or collection, or randomly if you choose. Read at least three per year.

Mind Voyages - A science fiction / fantasy challenge through the decades, exploring the Hugo and Nebula winners and nominees, Philip K. Dick, and Robert Heinlein. 

Well Educated Mind --  Continue to explore the classics in 6 categories: Fiction, Autobiography, History/Politics, Drama, Poetry and Science. 

or dip into past challenges such as  Brit Tripping, Dusty and Chunky, Feed Your Muse, Inspiration, Nobel Prize Winners and Sounds of Silence.

There is a little bit of something for everyone. Follow your muse and read widely or wildly, follow rabbit trails, read outside your comfort zone or stick with the tried and true. Choose whatever path is right for you. 

The mini and perpetual challenges are all optional, Mix them up anyway you like and follow your own path in the quest to read.  

The challenge runs January 1, 2024 through December 31, 2024

Our book weeks begin on Sunday,.

Participants may join at any time. 

All forms of books are acceptable including e-books, audio books, etc. 

Re-reads are acceptable as long as they are read after January 1, 2024

Books may overlap other challenges. 

Create an entry post linking to Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks and sign up in the link below.  

If you don't have a blog or social media account, post about your reads in the comments section of each weekly post. 

The link widget is  added to the bottom of each weekly post to link to your book reviews, and closes at the end of each book week. 

BW50: 52 Books Bingo - Book to Movie

Happy Sunday!  Our next 52 Books Bingo category is Book to Movie.  I totally enjoy watching movies that are based on books to see what the writer or director will do with the subject matter. Will they stay true to the book or will they veer far to left or right field.   I've always wanted to read the book before seeing a movie based on the book whereas my son likes to see the movie first before he reads the book. 

I can see his point as there was one movie that veered so far to the left from the book that preconceived notions about the movie were shot to heck and I was disappointed.    John Grisham's The Runaway Jury was about cancer, how someone could get to the jurors and influence the trail, and making the tobacco industry pay.  The story was excellent. The movie was about a mass shooting, guns, jury tampering, and the gun industry.  Totally different subject matter, except for the jury tampering.  I had wanted to see the book as as written because the story was so intriguing, and was disappointed with the rewritten movie.   

But none the less, I enjoy watching books turned into movies from Philip Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep which the movie Blade Runner was based off of to the Harry Potter films to Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code to Schindler's List.  Join me in reading and watching Books to Movies or Television shows

43 of Our All-Time Favorite Book-to-Movie Adaptations

60 New Page-to-Screen Adaptations to Add to Your 2022 Reading List

All the Books With 2023 Screen Adaptations to Add to Your Reading List

The 20 Best TV Shows Based on Books From the Past Decade

15 Amazing TV Series Inspired by Books

This post sponsored by the letter C for colorful, characters, and contradiction.

BW49: Welcome December

 

Happy Sunday!  December is upon us which means this month will be full of celebrations beginning with Hanukkah, Advent, St. Nicholas Day, St. Lucia Day, Christmas and Boxing Day, the arrival of Winter as well as Festivus for the rest of us.  And we can't forget the wonderful reading tradition in Iceland - Jólabókaflóð.  

This year is, as they say,

winding down.

It’s not a race to the finish,

it’s not a victory lap,

it’s not anything but a slow

staggering stumble

across a line

that we simply hope

means

we can try again next time.

~Jenny Justice 

December is the time to evaluate, and think about all the stories, people, adventures, tests and trials we've read this year.  The authors and stories we'd liked to leave behind and the ones we'd like to read more of.  As I add more books to my tbr list, both physical and electronic, taking into account that by the time I get around to reading them, I may not be in the mood for that particular book, I remind myself, there's plenty of time  as reading is an never ending journey.  I'll be in the mood eventually.   So enjoy the process and fill up your shelves, because whether we race or stumble across the finish line, remember there's always next year. 

Announcing the Translation Prizes 2023 shortlists

World Fantasy 2023 Winners announced

End of the Year Sleuthing: 10 New Mystery Thriller Books for December 2023

40 New Christmas Romance Books Releasing in 2023 Bringing Holiday Cheer

Our post is sponsored by the letter d which stands for delightful, delicious, and demanding. 

BW48: Best Books of 2023

 

Happy Sunday!  It's that time of the year again when all the Best Books of 2023 lists come out. I'm amazed at some of the lists, especially the ones where I have never heard of or seen any of the books listed. What planet have I been living on?  Hee Hee! I'm having fun perusing the best of lists and adding to my ever growing Wishlist of books to buy before the end of the year and my annual buying ban.  Hubby said since we're redone all our bookshelves that I can't double park anymore, so will be sorting through for another round of what will I never read again books to donate in order to make room. 

According to the Chinese Zodiac, 2024 will be the Year of the Dragon which is perfect for me because I love books with all sorts of dragons.  

Rising Shadow's Best Dragon Books of 2023  

Perhaps, Perhaps Not 24 Best Dragon Books to Light Up Your Life. 

And we can't forget all the books which aren't about dragons 

NPR has published their Books We Love for 2023. 

Time released their 100 must read books of 2023. 

Bill Gates talks about Great Books, Courses, and Music from 2023.

Powell's Best Fiction of 2023

BookPage Best Fiction of 2023 .

Have fun exploring! 

Our post is sponsored by the letter E for eager, earnest, eloquent, endeavors. 

BW47: Happy Thanksgiving

 

Happy Sunday! Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours. We have much to be grateful for and remember this week as our family gathers together this week to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries and those who have gone on to eternal rest. I am also thankful for each and every one of you in our 52 Books family of readers.

Thanksgiving Delights

By

Joanna Fuchs

On Thanksgiving Day we're thankful for

Our blessings all year through,

For family we dearly love,

For good friends, old and new.

For sun to light and warm our days,

For stars that glow at night,

For trees of green and skies of blue,

And puffy clouds of white.

We're grateful for our eyes that see

The beauty all around,

For arms to hug, and legs to walk,

And ears to hear each sound.

The list of all we're grateful for

Would fill a great big book;

Our thankful hearts find new delights

Everywhere we look!

Our post brought to us by the letter F for facts and fabulous fables.

BW46: Share your non fiction shelves

 

Happy Sunday! Since this is nonfiction month, it's time for something totally different with a peek into our nonfiction bookshelves. Share pictures of your shelves or your favorite non fiction reads so far this year. 

Fascination with History 

Road to writing fiction and non fiction

Discovering ourselves 

Smorgasbord of Non fiction 

1958 World Book Encyclopedia

2002 World Book Encyclopedia 

Our post was brought to you by the letter G which stands for goodness gracious, great balls of fire. 

BW45: 52 Books Bingo - Hygge

 

Happy Sunday! Our next 52 Books Bingo category is Hygge. What exactly is Hygge?  Hygge originated from 16th century Norwegian, first appeared in Danish writing in the 1800's and was added to the Oxford Dictionary in 2017.   As defined by the Oxford Dictionary, Hygge is 

"a quality of coziness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being (regarded as a defining characteristic of Danish culture)."

The ten principles of Hygge according to Meik Wiking who wrote The Little Book of Hygge are: 

"Atmosphere, Presence, Pleasure, Equality, Gratitude, Harmony, Comfort, Truce, Togetherness and, finally, Shelter."

In the mid 20th Century, Hygge in English writing as "cozy and comfortable surroundings that invoke an inner sense of contentment or well-being."

There are quite a few ways to interpret this category including reading a book with Hygge in the title as well as reading a cozy mystery set anywhere. 

Danish literature has international reach so read a book written by a Danish author. 

10 Best Books for a Hygge Life. 

Favorite Books set in Denmark.

Have fun! 

BW44: Non Fiction November

 

Happy Sunday! November is the month we celebrate the wonderful wide world of  Non Fiction which encompasses a broad range of categories - from biographies and memoirs,  creative nonfiction to fine arts, philosophy or psychology, history to science,  spirituality to religion, self help to health and fitness, cook books to crafts to name a few. 

Plus our author of the month is Margot Lee Shetterly who wrote Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race.  My family read the book and watched the movie based on the book and both were educational and enlightening and prompted much conversation in our home. 

November 1st is also National Author's Day so show some appreciation for the authors who provided us with all our great reads. 

And the beginning of National Novel Writing Month in which writers attempt to write a 50,000 manuscript in the month of November. I've participated over the years and found it to be a fun, creative, and challenging way to write a rough draft. 

The Greatest Nonfiction Books

New Nonfiction To Read This Fall

23 in 2023: New Books on Art, Crafts, & Creativity

12 essential books on writing for National Novel Writing Month

This post brought to us by the letter I and industrious, imagination, improve, and illuminate.