Poll

Hello! For our usual unusual January poll, this year we're playing at matchmaking!

You can read more about it here!

However, unlike the rules there, feel free to guess, unless you're Anna, who can't guess any of them and Sarah, who can't guess Buchelor Number 2 ;-)

Here's the info given, if you don't want to read the whole link!

Buchelor Number 1 comes to us from sunny California. It's a high gothic fantasy of manners full of derring-do and magic as two young men sneak, lie and steal people's identites (some say too effectively) to save their country.

Availability: (view spoiler)[ Amazon, Amazon UK, Amazon DE, Audible, Hoopla (hide spoiler)]

Buchelor Number 2 is an epic fantasy that like to turn tropes on their heads. When it's not begrudgingly saving worlds, it likes to take walks in the woods and chat with old pals.

Availability: (view spoiler)[Audible, Amazon US, Amazon UK, Amazon.de, Scribd (hide spoiler)]

Buchelor Number 3 is a literary horror celebrity from the northiest northern reaches. Whenever it's not dodging bullies or drinking with friends, it's fond of doing puzzles and scrapbooking.

Availability: (view spoiler)[Amazon, Audible, Amazon.de, Amazon UK (no ebook?) Scribd (hide spoiler)]

Buchelor Number 4 is a lovable ex-convict going out for one more job to earn its freedom. It believes in loyalty, dedication, stories from its mama and daily stretching.

Availability: (view spoiler)[mazon, Audible, Amazon.de, Amazon UK, Hoopla, Google Books (hide spoiler)]

Buchelor Number 5 packs in humor and family drama alongside magic and airships. When not involved in history-making experiments, it likes high end parties, low end gut rot and gambling on... everything.

Availability: (view spoiler)[ Hoopla, Scribd, Amazon US, Amazon UK, Amazon DE, available as audiobook but not through Audible. (hide spoiler)]

Aside from Buchelor number 2 I have two guesses:

Buchelor number 3:
(view spoiler)[
Jhereg (hide spoiler)]

Buchelor number 4:
(view spoiler)[
The Ruin of Kings (hide spoiler)]

ETA: I’ve read neither of these so apologies if I’m way off! It’s not any reflection on Allie!

Ooh, those are both totally books I would and maybe did suggest! I'll reveal them when they're all guessed correctly, or when the poll closes, whichever is first ;)

I’m also going to add a guess for Buchelor Number 5 after thinking on it some more. Again haven’t read this one: (view spoiler)[ Senlin Ascends (hide spoiler)]

Very logical! And you can confirm that I've read it, so I'd know how to respond! Hmmmm....

Allison wrote: "Very logical! And you can confirm that I've read it, so I'd know how to respond! Hmmmm...."

Haha! I’m now reasonably convinced that Number Five must be wrong. Waiting to see what everyone else’s guess are...?

They're probably not getting notifications yet. I expect more folks to join in on the first :)

Ok, I have three guesses. I'm pretty certain about #3 but not very confident about #1 and #5. No idea whatsoever about the other two.

#1 (view spoiler)[ Luck in the Shadows (hide spoiler)]

#3 (view spoiler)[ Let the Right One In (hide spoiler)]

#5 (view spoiler)[ Djinn City (hide spoiler)]

Ah, sorry, Caillen, the holiday happened and then I forgot I hadn't responded!

All of those books would be great in a poll!

No worries, Allison. Lots of time before the correct identities will be revealed anyway.

I'll admit I wouldn't even know where to begin to search for what these books might be. I'm just waiting until time runs out or someone smarter than me guesses right.

No idea what any of these are, but there is absolutely no question which of them gets the rightward swipe. Voted!

Fun fact: This morning when I added this month's BOTMs to StoryGraph, I also looked at their recommendations for the group, based on what we've previously read. They present them in order of what is most likely to appeal, and the current leader of this poll was at the very top, in first place! So it seems like the group is able to vote for "an SFFBC book" even in a secret poll :D

You can't escape us, for we are YOU!!!!

...but seriously folks, please share why you want to "date" these Buchelors!

Allison wrote: "You can't escape us, for we are YOU!!!!

...but seriously folks, please share why you want to "date" these Buchelors!"

*insert self deprecating joke about always picking the wrong men here*

Which I am too lazy and too distracted to come up with right now ;)

hahahahaha

I had a really hard time between 2 and 5, but I went with 2. I get the vibe that 2 is either not human or at the very least not a normal human, and I'm interested to see what they are. I also like the begrudgingly saving the world part. I just always like an unusual or unexpected hero, so that's what I'm hoping for with this one.

Buchelor (book-elor or something else?) #1 had me at "high gothic fantasy of manners." I associate that with (whether it's actually in said book or not) high emotion and/or melodrama, "two heroes" with latent or overt queerness.

Allison, I'm still waiting for you to tell us about the date #1 and #4 went on!

If 1 or 4 wins, I'll do a brief ship fic

I'm fascinated by the "high gothic fantasy" idea, but I went with #3 as I love a good, bloody, northy horror. (I think there will be blood).

*starts creating sock puppet accounts*

Allison wrote: "If 1 or 4 wins, I'll do a brief ship fic"

Bribery by the mods themselves! Corruption!!

I was torn between #2 and #5. I like upending tropes and saving the world (naturally), but #2 seemed a bit reclusive. I voted for #5 because it seemed like it would be more exciting and get me out of my comfort zone. Plus I like airships.

Literary and Northern sound good to me.
Drinking's good too, so are puzzles and scrapbooks.
Being a celebrity might get us into some classy places, so lets take number 3 for a spin.

I don’t have a Scooby Doo as to who any of these Buchelors are, so should be fun to see if I recognise any of them in the big reveal.

Three was really, really, good. I'd be excited to read that with the club. But then I'd be sad because I really, really want to read ALL of them with the club.

Twist! We're reading 10 books in January :D

And thanks all for sharing your decision-making process! It's fun seeing how you interpret what we came up with ^^

Oh, my, I haven’t been back for a while and we are finding true love now?! *blushing blushing*

Beats the heck out of me! I feel pretty dense right now.

Maybe one of these books will change your life forever, Wen!

Michelle, don't! I'm quite sneaky and circumspect! Your lack of guesses proves my craftiness and I take it as a compliment! ;-)

Did I already say that I only guessed one of them, and that was after Allison accidentally gave me some information she hasn't given you guys? And I knew one of them going in, so technically I guessed 1/4 with help.

Not gonna lie, I thought a few times...maybe I could throw the vote for three, because I doubt most folks here would read it by themselves, but I think it would be an EXCELLENT discussion book.

But then I also wanted to do that with 5. And 2 really, really deserves more love. And I'm mad 1 isn't on our shelf, and extremely surprised that 4 isn't.

I win any way this works out and would absof***inglutely do a buddy read or a virtual book club for any of them at the drop of a hat. Sooner than that, even--I'd have to go find a hat to drop.

C'mon goths, I believe in you! (does a lil cheer for match #1)

I’d love a buddy read for number two.... I really don’t think it’s gotten the amount of love it deserves.

OoOoh, sneaks, lies, AND steals?! Totally my type *hammers #1 button on poll*

I've got the "He's a tramp but we love him" song from Disney's Lady and the Tramp stuck in my head now, and I blame you, Emmett :D

Michelle wrote: "Beats the heck out of me! I feel pretty dense right now."

I have no idea for any of them either. There's some I'd *like* to be in the poll, but I cannot make them fit any of the Buchelors.

I had a guess for one of these, but on a second look, one of its adjectives didn't match up well. So I have no idea! (I haven't looked at any of the guesses because I want to be surprised come reveal time.)

I was saying to Anna, one of the fun things about this challenge is knowing deep down to my roots that all of these deserve book club attention and that no matter what wins, at least someone will find something great. I don't usually get that certainty, since it's so rare we've read all of the poll options beforehand.

Also? I'm not sure if I should say this, but we're seeing a really exciting shift in how the votes skew when you can't read the blurb or see a title. When you just have to take our word /music videos for a decision, it seems to really change the spread!

Allison wrote: "I was saying to Anna, one of the fun things about this challenge is knowing deep down to my roots that all of these deserve book club attention and that no matter what wins, at least someone will f..."

What do you mean about The skew/spread? The votes are more evenly dispersed? Or that the votes aren’t piling onto the most well known title?

Yeah, all of that I think! There seems to be a lot of factors, but normally we see a pretty strong distribution curve, and this is quite noticeably different from that.

Are you getting about the same number of votes?

Also the fact that people can't see which books are in the lead, so there is less premature ship-jumping, which I like :)

Meredith wrote: "Are you getting about the same number of votes?"

It's hard to say because I don't usually pay attention to what the numbers are on each day, but it's more that I feared!

It's pretty damn close to our usual number. It's not our median high, but we were expecting to see closer to a 40% decrease in votes and we're seeing like a 15% decrease. But there's still time, so I can't even say that for sure!

I guess I can say that both polls got about a 100 votes on the first day, and my gut says that's about the same as normal?

I'm glad people are engaging with the fun. I am a frequent vote-changer and it's making me a bit nuts I can't see the numbers so I can strategize. I might have to change my vote just on principle.

Haha Meredith :D Since even I can't see where your vote is (I don't like it!) I'm not sure if I should encourage you or not!

I can’t believe we have to wait 10 more days.

This is where we are right now:

I’m with you, Meredith!