Emily’s Comments (group member since Jan 04, 2017)

Emily’s comments from the Around the Year in 52 Books group.

Lindsay, would you be open to condensing it to just "A book that is the last in a series"?

I'd like to second the prompt either way, just editing for clarification.

Yea, I think "location" is different from "name place", and thus, not specific would still fit the bill. At least with this sort of thing, it can be up to the reader's discretion of what fits and what doesn't.

Tracy, I almost added Nettle & Bone to the listopia because nettle is something that *is* edible, even if it's not conventional. I do like the flexibility with that prompt.

Results are posted for Poll 7!

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

The next round of suggestions will open around 2 pm GMT+1 (British Summer Time). That's around 9 am EST.

Happy results day! Very clear results this round, with one of our top prompts only getting 6 (!!) downvotes (out of nearly 200), and the other only getting 15.

Top
A book with a location in the title
A book with something edible in the title

Bottom
A book written in the present tense
A book that features a horse in the title or on the cover

The next round of suggestions will open around 2 pm GMT+1 (British Summer Time). That's around 9 am EST.

For the first question, if it's hyphenated (like Silvia Moreno-Garcia), you would use the first and first last initial (in this case, SM). If it's not hyphenated, I would treat the Garcia as a middle name and use GM. You do NOT have to have all three in there.

With two authors, only one of the author's initials need to be in the phrase. When submitting your completion, please indicate which author you used.

Whew... we have had A LOT of people using more than 8 votes this round - 5 people in the first 53 votes. I've been messaging the ones that did this, so don't panic if you've already voted, but as a reminder...

8 votes. Split however you'd like. But no more than 8.

Voting is open for Poll 7! Catch up on the discussion and vote here:

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

I've made the change!

I've added them to the thoughts and ideas!

I don't mind removing the "the" from the middle of the prompt to reflect that! That's also why I removed "the" from the beginning of the prompt.

I've just added those links here, Dixie. Thanks for that.

I will let Pamela chime in when she gets back, as I believe this was her prompt suggestion.

THOUGHTS AND IDEAS FROM THE SUGGESTIONS THREAD

1. A book where being on a boat is important to the story
This includes anything from a raft to an aircraft carrier. Partial list of vessels: raft, canoe, kayak, dinghy, catamaran, riverboat, steam ship, sail boat, schooner, pirate ship, fishing boat, motor boat, tugboat, ferry, yacht, cruise ship, aircraft carrier (any naval ship)…

I think this could cover anything from James/The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, to a "lost at sea" memoir/story, military non-fiction, pirate stories, murder mystery on a yacht, romance on a cruise ship, adventure on a commercial fishing boat, etc.

Listopias:
Boat Books: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/7...
Best Titanic Books: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/5...
Maritime Classics: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
Best Seafaring History Books: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/3...
Lusitania: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/8...
What to Read on a Boat: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/4...
Up on the Deck: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
Cruise Ship YA: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/8...
Nautical Historical Fiction: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
Great Stories: Sailors, Ships, Sea Adventures Fiction: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/3...
Pirate Books: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/9...
Nonfiction Whitewater Adventure: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
Ships Ahoy!: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
Paddle Steamers, Large River Boats: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
YA Shipwreck/Lost at Sea Books: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/7...
Sailing Memoirs: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...

2. A book set primarily somewhere creepy or scary
There is some openness as to how this is interpreted. It could be a a creepy house, a cemetery, a dark forest, the compound of cult, a serial killer’s lair, a battlefield, etc. It could work for fiction or nonfiction.

3. A book with a location in the title
Examples:
Anne of Green Gables (a house/farm)
The Boston Girl (a city)
From Russia With Love (a country)
Murder on the Nile (a river)
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (a fictitious place)

4. A book written in the present tense.
Anna Dorn wrote a piece about this concept for LitHub https://lithub.com/no-tense-like-the-...

5. A book whose title follows the "______ of ______" pattern
Ever notice there's a lot of books like Lord of the Flies, The Picture of Dorian Grey, The Guns of August, etc?

Listopia: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/9...
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...

7. A book that could fit the quote: “May you live in interesting times.”
Whether you interpret the phrase as a blessing or a curse, pick a place and time that you would find most interesting.

You might pick the Renaissance, the French or American Revolution, the height of the tech boom in Silicon Valley, Game of Thrones, or something more recent

8. A book related to a planet other than earth
This could be a book set on an unknown planet in a sci-fi, connected to the horoscope sign related to a planet, the god related to the planet, the name of the planet or any other fun thing you can think of.

9. A book that features a horse in the title or on the cover
In the previous round of voting, "a book with a horse as a character" was quite unpopular, so proposing a broader prompt! As 2026 is the year of the horse.

"Horse in the title" could also include mare, stallion, filly etc.

Listopia for horse on the cover: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...

10. A book set in a country bordering the Indian Ocean
List from Wikipedia:
Africa
Comoros Djibouti Egypt Eritrea France Mayotte Réunion Kenya Madagascar Mauritius Mozambique Seychelles Somalia Somaliland South Africa Sudan Tanzania

Asia
Bahrain Bangladesh Christmas Island (Australia) Cocos (Keeling) Islands (Australia) India Indonesia Iran Iraq Israel Jordan Kuwait Malaysia Maldives Myanmar Oman Pakistan Qatar Saudi Arabia Singapore Sri Lanka Thailand Timor-Leste United Arab Emirates Yemen

Antarctica
Australia

11. A book set in one of the world’s great cities
Past, present or future. Fiction or nonfiction.
Sample list:
https://www.worldsbestcities.com/rank...

This is one list of great cities, but you are free to choose another list. To make it more challenging you might limit yourself to the top 5, or choose a non western continent

12. A book with something edible in the title
Ideas: As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow
The House on Mango Street
Dinner for Vampires: Life on a Cult TV Show
The Grapes of Wrath
The Price of Salt
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More
A Clockwork Orange
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Breakfast at Tiffany's and Three Stories

13. A book related to the song “Singin’ in the Rain”
Singin’ in the Rain (Song by Gene Kelly)

I'm singin' in the rain,
Just singin' in the rain,
What a glorious feeling,
I'm happy again!
I'm laughing at clouds
So dark up above,
The sun's in my heart and I'm ready for love!
Let the stormy clouds chase
Everyone from the place,
Come on with your rain,
I've got a smile on my face!
I'll walk down the lane
With a happy refrain,
Just singin', singin' in the rain!
Why am I smiling and why do I sing?
Why does December seem sunny as Spring?
Why do I get up each morning to start
Happy and head-up with joy in my heart?
Why is each new task a trifle to do?
Because I am living a life full of you!
Hey, I'm singin' in the rain,
Just singin' in the rain,
What a glorious feeling,
I'm happy again!
I'm laughing at clouds
So dark up above,
The sun's in my heart and I'm ready for love!
Let the stormy clouds chase
Everyone from the place,
Come on with your rain,
I've got a smile on my face!
I'll walk down the lane
With a happy refrain,
Just singin', singin' in the rain!

15. A book with an economically disadvantaged protagonist
Basically anyone who is broke, struggling, or just trying to make ends meet. Financial trouble can drive a plot in all kinds of ways like pushing characters to take risks, commit crimes, enter a marriage of convenience, chase dreams, or simply survive. This can be fiction or nonfiction, serious or funny, inspiring or heartbreaking. Some examples and lists:
The Girl with the Louding Voice
Margo's Got Money Troubles
Writers & Lovers
Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother's Will to Survive
Nightcrawling
Pretty Things
When We Ride
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1....
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/3...
https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/8...

It's now time to get ready to vote for our next set of prompts! The thread will be open for at least 24 hours before the poll gets posted. This is a good opportunity to ask any question you may have regarding the prompts, do some research, or ask for recommendations.

Voting will open in the morning of Thursday, August 7 and results will be posted in the morning of Monday, August 11 (CST time).

How it works:
- When the voting opens, follow the link to the mini-poll that will be added at the end of this post
- You have a total of 8 votes this poll to spread across your favorite and least favorite prompts (you can also use less than 8 votes)
- You can find examples of acceptable voting practices on the Introduction thread.
- The prompts with the more favorable votes (comparing top votes to bottom votes, and looking at the overall number of votes it received) will be added to the final list

We are asking people to include their Goodreads profile address when they vote. To find this, just go to your own profile and then copy the URL/web address. If for some reason you can't link to your Goodreads profile, please post your full Goodreads name with enough identifiable information that we'll be able to access your profile.

Poll Prompts:
1. A book where being on a boat is important to the story
2. A book set primarily somewhere creepy or scary
3. A book with a location in the title
4. A book written in the present tense
5. A book whose title follows the "______ of ______" pattern
6. A sapphic story
7. A book that could fit the quote: “May you live in interesting times.”
8. A book related to a planet other than earth.
9. A book that features a horse in the title or on the cover
10. A book set in a country bordering the Indian Ocean
11. A book set in one of the world’s great cities.
12. A book with something edible in the title
13. A book related to the song “Singin’ in the Rain”
14. A book with a six word title
15. A book with an economically disadvantaged protagonist

Feel free to discuss the prompts below, but please remember to be respectful to the other group members.

Vote here: https://forms.gle/tPyhkmSwkWNZcqR48

For boat, the quotation marks and what comes after the -- will be removed for the voting and (if it makes it in) final list. The extra information at the end is typically what we would put on the weekly thread and listopia.

And yes, I'd recommend rephrasing the title prompt to:

A book whose title follows a "___ of the ___" pattern

I'll second economically disadvantaged protag!

Suggestions for Poll 7 will go live tomorrow around 11 am EST.

Suggestions will go live tomorrow around 11 am EST