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

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

And I, personally, want to thank the person who suggested the manga prompt. While I couldn't vote for manga as a standalone prompt, I do love the creativity of the inspiration, and I hope it sets the tone for a great list-making process this year!

And here's our first round of results from polling!

Top:
A book with a cover that has an image of something that starts with A, T, or Y
A book with a serpentine element on the cover
A book published in 2025

Bottom:
A book set in a country without a monarch
A manga or a book about manga

The next round of suggestions will open around 6 am CDT on Sunday, July 7.

I’m anticipating it opening around 6 am CDT.. likely opening it as soon as I wake up, and the toddler is a pretty predictable alarm clock.

I was about to post the results this morning before realizing we had one more day of voting lol. My days are all thrown off with this holiday!

I've been pretty diligent this year, but I'll be reading land, sea, and air out of order (I'm justifying this by saying that this is technically all one prompt split across three weeks lol).

I really wanted to read The God of the Woods for land, but my copy won't come in until next week, so I'm getting ahead with There Are Rivers in the Sky for sea.

confirmed through here!

Our KIS/BIO list has returned (with a HUGE thanks to Amy). Check it out and give suggestions!

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

I'm so excited that this list has returned, and I'm hoping to make more of a contribution to it this year (even if I'm not great at being creative haha)

BIO for SFF by a woman can be limiting it to "high fantasy" or "hardcore science fiction" (idk what the equivalent of high fantasy is to sci-fi, but I'm sure there is one lol). Alternatively, KIS could be allowing magical realism, books where women are scientists (a la Lessons in Chemistry), easier genres to fill.

The poll is open!

https://forms.gle/ftH2aeoDCgnCZeBQ7

Voting thread is open, and I've updated the post for your stuff, Lynn.

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

THOUGHTS AND IDEAS FROM THE SUGGESTIONS THREAD

1. A book with a cover that has an image of something that starts with A, T, or Y
In the past, we've done titles, author names, characters, and places for our ATY prompt

2. A book with a serpentine element on the cover
"A book with a serpentine element on the cover

To celebrate the Chinese Year of the Snake. Could be a snake, winding path or river, folded ribbon design, or an abstract design element that curves back on itself.



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

Some other interpretations:

The Serpentine is a modern art gallery in London. Could have a piece of modern art on the cover or something that looks like it would belong in the gallery.

Serpentine is a “dark green or brown mineral with a greasy or silky lustre”. So a dark green or brown cover.

3. A book set in a country without a monarch
This could be a real country or a fantasy one

4. A book that comforts you
This could be a book that leaves you feeling good, a re-read of a favourite book, one of your go-to authors, in your comfort zone, or a cozy book.

5. A manga or a book about manga
The 25th element is manganese

7. A book involving money – or a lack of money
Our reading year will be 2025. As 25 can be 25% or a quarter of something

10. A book about a historical figure
this could be a biography or other non-fiction or fiction (a few examples):

Booth
White Houses
Hamnet
Empty Theatre: or, The Lives of King Ludwig II of Bavaria and Empress Sisi of Austria (Queen of Hungary), Cousins, in Their Pursuit of Connection and Beauty...

13. A book related to fungi
"Names of mushrooms:
Poison Pie
Terracotta Hedgehog
Weeping Widow
Stinking Parachute
Devil’s Stinkhorn
Liberty Cap
The Sickener
The Flirt
Old Man of the Woods
Fairy Inkcap
Destroying Angel
Caesar's Mushroom (books set in Ancient Rome)
Charcoal Burner (the Swallows and Amazons series)
Ink Cap (about writers)
Field Mushroom
Puffball
Lion's Mane
Giraffe Spots
Hawk Wings
Slippery Jack
Wine Cup
here's also lobster, oyster, and abalone mushrooms.
button mushrooms
hedgehog mushrooms
jack o' lantern mushrooms
there are knights too

Listopia here: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
Books shelved mushroom: https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...
Listopias with mushrooms: https://www.goodreads.com/list/tag/mu...
Books with mushroom murder in the title: https://www.goodreads.com/search?utf8...

mushrooms options:

Mushroom cloud - nuclear bombs
Books about fungi: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/se...
books with mushroom hunting/growing/cooking
“treated like a mushroom — kept in the dark and being fed bullshit” book about someone being lied to or having a secret kept from them?
books similar to The Last of Us video game interpretation of cordyceps. You know zombie apocalypse caused by mutant mushrooms. Zombie mushrooms are real.
The metaphorical mushroom of romances
the good ol' magic mushrooms of yesteryear
Star trek Discovery use of spore drive on a Mycel Network (the 'roots' of a mushroom)
Fairy Rings: A fairy ring, also known as fairy circle, elf circle, elf ring or pixie ring, is a naturally occurring ring or arc of mushrooms. Fairy rings are the subject of much folklore and myth worldwide—particularly in Western Europe. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairy_ring

14. A book involving mountains
Could be set in the mountains, or taken figuratively referencing a personal goal to be conquered

15. A book related to “civil rights” or “human rights”
According to the US Institute of diplomacy and Human Rights:
(https://usidhr.org/human-rights-vs-ci)
Human rights and Civil Rights. Two key terms within the sphere of diplomacy and development which you have probably heard of, but what do they actually stand for and what are the differences between them?

A simple definition is that “human rights” are the rights you have simply for being a human being. Comparatively, “civil rights” are contextual, meaning you are entitled to specific civil rights through being a citizen of a particular country, nation, or state. Civil rights are proclaimed by the government for the citizens of that country, while human rights are derived from natural law and are universally protected and applied.

This could apply to so many books! From my own recent reads:
Wool Omnibus--dystopia
All American Boys--prejudice/discrimination, social justice
The House of Unexpected Sisters--unjustified dismissal from a job
Real Life--prejudice/discrimination
Educated--domestic abuse
The Bandit Queens--domestic abuse
1984—dystopia/constant surveillance
All Boys Aren’t Blue—LGBTQ+
The Thief Lord—juvenile homelessness
The Pull of the Stars—LGBTQ+, criminal revolutionaries

More information...
Goodreads Listopias:
CIVIL RIGHTS: https://www.goodreads.com/genres/civi...
HUMAN RIGHTS: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/3...
ESSENTIAL NON-FICTION READING RE: HUMAN RIGHTS:
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/6...
MY COUNTRY, THE ENEMY: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/3...
WAR HAS NO WINNERS: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
BEST BOOKS FOR FREEDOM LOVERS: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/3...

Additional Listopias that may not be quite as centered on just “civil rights” and “human rights”?
SOCIAL JUSTICE: BOOKS ON RACISM, SEXISM, AND CLASS: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/8...
JUNE BOOK DISPLAY – JUNETEENTH / FREEDOM DAY:
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...

It's now time to get ready to vote for our first 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 Tuesday, July 2 and results will be posted in the morning of Saturday, July 6 (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.

Possible Prompts:
1. A book with a cover that has an image of something that starts with A, T, or Y
2. A book with a serpentine element on the cover
3. A book set in a country without a monarch
4. A book that comforts you
5. A manga or a book about manga
6. A book involving love
7. A book involving money – or a lack of money
8. A book with a fruit or vegetable in the title
9. A book involving a train, plane or automobile
10. A book about a historical figure
11. A winner or nominee from GR choice awards 2024
12. A book published in 2025
13. A book related to fungi
14. A book involving mountains
15. A book related to “civil rights” or “human rights”

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

VOTE HERE: https://forms.gle/ftH2aeoDCgnCZeBQ7

Mary, I'll remove the links. Please let me know when you have corrected them and I'll put them in.

CLOSED will be posting the voting thread in a bit

Painful is in the eye of the beholder lol. I personally like a slower process... gives people more time to consider what they are suggesting and seconding, rather than having to make decisions quickly.

Amy, that one has already been seconded. Feel free to suggest or second something else.

Fee, it looks like Deborah got her second in before you. Feel free to suggest or second something else.

1 spot remaining

Mary, you are more than welcome to post and all information pertaining to any prompt that is posted in this thread.

updated to here 2 spots remaining

hey Jess, you can only suggest or second one prompt, and both of those have already made it to our polling list! Feel free to suggest or second something else.

Tracy, I'll only post on the voting thread what is put here, but feel free to copy and paste some stuff over. It doesn't have to be the suggester/seconder to post it.