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[2017] Voting for 2nd Mini-Poll [Closed]
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I had a very easy time choosing my top 4 this round, but I actually had some trouble deciding on a bottom 4. It's kind of funny, because looking at the list now, it's split pretty 50-50 between prompts that I would want, and those that I wouldn't. I chose my top 4 based on the 4 that caught my attention the most when the suggestions were being made.I just want to be clear that I'm not trying to put down anyone's ideas. The "rejects" challenge for next year will be very interesting, and very, very tempting to do.
Personally, I'm trying to stay away from prompts that have been part of the challenge in the past, just because for me, part of the "challenge" and the fun of it is searching for a book that fits. With categories that have been done before, I probably have a preset list of ideas and in some cases, I've already read the one or two books that I wanted to.
I'm kind of biased against having other people choose a book for me. Not too many of my friends are big readers, and those who are tend to have read the same books as me. I guess I'm also a bit of a control freak that way, since I prefer to choose my own books. I don't mind taking recommendations, but I don't like being forced to read something.
I also tend steer clear of any prompts relating to hometown/my own country/etc. I'm Canadian, and I find there really aren't that many Canadian books that interest me.
I found that with this list, there were quite a few prompts that I was biased against, so I had to think really carefully about which I could manage and which ones I really didn't want.
In terms of what I did choose -- I tend to go for prompts that allow for quite a bit of variety but also have something specific to them. For example, finding a book that has certain words in the title usually gives enough variety that I can find a book that actually interests me, but with enough of a limit that it's not just a "free choice" category.
I'm actually kind of curious -- those of us who are suggesting prompts that have been a part of previous challenges, is there a reason you want those prompts in again? In the challenges I've done, there have been a few that I've really struggled to find even one book that I want, and others where I really struggle to narrow it down!
Wow. I had a hard time choosing the bottom 4. Great challenges, guys!
Rachel wrote: "I had a very easy time choosing my top 4 this round, but I actually had some trouble deciding on a bottom 4. It's kind of funny, because looking at the list now, it's split pretty 50-50 between pro..."I too tend to steer clear from prompts having to do with my hometown. I think, depending on where you're from, that prompt can be very easy to find books you want to read or very tricky.
^Yeah, the hometown prompt was in the 2015 challenge and I could not find a book for it for anything. This one is a bit broader, being from the same region, and I definitely have a book that could fit it. But it still didn't get my vote because I'm sympathetic to people who would have a harder time.
It depends where you live. If you live in say, NYC or LA, easy pickings. I live in Kennewick, WA, and I was lucky that that Mercedes Thompson series is set here.
I struggled with the hometown prompt last year too, as there's not much set where I'm from. Even if I was to choose either of my adopted hometowns ... still not much.
It was hard picking my top 4 because there were more than 4 that I really liked and it was tough picking a bottom 4 because there actually weren't any that I really didn't like. I'd be happy with any 4 of these really. I ended up going with some slightly more specific prompts for the top 4, because we don't really have any yet, and I feel like it makes it more of a challenge.
This was a great bunch of prompts - there's only one that I really don't want to get through. I struggled to pick both my top & bottom four, as there were so many great selections. I have already forgotten what I chose ... luckily I put it in a spreadsheet (I'm getting prepared to add the rejects to my ongoing reject challenge).
Same for me, "local" prompts are very complicated and with the Popsugar category last year, I ended with "in your country" (and it was like 25 pages in the book :p). I totally cheated because I like to have choice. With last year, it was complicated but possible as it was the book, I'd have a bigger problem with a local author.I tend to do like you Rachel and avoid some "already done" prompts because I'm not really interested in doing again the 2015 Popsugar RC. In another hand, there are categories that I want again, like a graphic novel, a new author, a children book, a classic, series, a reader's choice or a past suggestion that didn't win.
I don't think many of my top 4 this week will make the final list and I hope my bottom 4 won't be there. I'm pretty fine with most of the rest, but some will be very easy to fill with whatever book so I'm not interested in them (because of this, I prefer an author from Asia and a translated book compared to an author from another country).
Maybe if "A book chosen for you by another member of the group" wins, it could be a good idea to modify it to "A book chosen for you by another Goodreads member" (as people do the challenge but don't participate to the group). With the possibility to select in the TBR rather than a random book if you don't have a GR friend with good tastes :)
Wow. Ok i thought the region selection (different than simply hometown) would encourage people to explore their state or region ( such as New England) for unknown authors. Every area has authors it just might take a trip to the ibrary to discover who they are.Myself, I really can't stand prompts requiring family ot friends to make suggestions. My family is no longer around and my friends aren't readers. I am not comfortable just asking anyone for a recommendation. That feels strange to me so any prompts like those i will have to skip. Not saying they are bad prompts as people seem to think of the regional idea, it just doesnt work for me.
Mod
Is it possible to know people's bottom choices for the week as well as the top four choices? If people found out what choices others really didn't like, they wouldn't waste their time resubmitting them. At the same time, knowing which topics didn't end up in the bottom might help encourage people to resubmit potentially good topics that just happen to not make it in the top four that week.
Mod
I quite like recommendations too - as long as they're vague and not restricted to a family member/friend/person you've just met. It could help me discover a gem that I'd never even considered, and even if I don't like the book, I can't really see it as any different to a book that I chose myself and didn't like. And there are plenty of those! :S
Francesca wrote: "It was hard picking my top 4 because there were more than 4 that I really liked and it was tough picking a bottom 4 because there actually weren't any that I really didn't like. I'd be happy with a..."That was my problem too!
I second the bottom 4, I want to know them :)
Me too. If you still have the bottom 4 from the first poll, could you post those also?
Mod
- An illuminated novel or a book with an illuminated cover design
- A book set in your hometown
- A book made into a movie that the author hated
Those 3 had votes somewhere in the 60's for question 2. After that set, there was a handful of topics with votes somewhere in the 30's so they fell more in between. To give that context, the top 4 had less than 10 people place them in the bottom. So the top and bottom 4 were pretty clear in the first poll.
Don't feel bad if you entered these topics though! They did have some members place them in the top :)
I also find it interesting to see the bottom choices, thanks Laura!
Thanks, Laura, it's helpful to see both extremes!
I also think it's really interesting to see the bottom choices, and I agree with what someone mentioned above. I have to say, I'm a little surprised that a "book made into a movie that the author hated" was in the bottom. It's an interesting one, but I guess it can be hard to find.
Mod
Laura wrote: "Rachel, I was surprised by that one too. The movie ones tend to be popular. I guess people didn't want to read the book if they didn't like the movie?"I think that's true. But I've heard people say that once they've seen a movie they won't read the book because they know what's going to happen. I'm the opposite. I wait to read until I've seen the movie. That way my memories of the book won't make me scream at the screen.
I usually read the book first, and then see the movie but sometimes it works well the other way. I saw The Hunger Games long before I read the book, and the movie motivated me to finally give the books a try. I'd been avoiding them because they'd seemed so overhyped.Sometimes the movie versions are really frustrating. I remember coming out of one of the Harry Potter movies with one of my best friends, and as much as we liked the movie, most of what we talked about was what had been "wrong" about it.
I think the issue with the movie one is finding a book that the author publicly stated they disliked the movie version of. It is a very difficult category to fill because even if the author didn't like the movie, that's rarely public knowledge.
Geesh, I liked almost all the ideas, but 4 really stuck out for me. As far as the bottom 4, I only chose 2 because like I said I liked most of the ideas except the 2 I did choose.
I totally agree on how good the choices were this time. There were only 3 I'd really prefer not to do. I'm so excited for the results. I get impatient with waiting. I think I'm going to start recording the ones I vote for and make that into a personal challenge I will do along with the group challenge for next year.
Katie wrote: "I think I'm going to start recording the ones I vote for and make that into a personal challenge I will do along with the group challenge for next year. "I was thinking exactly the same thing! ;)
Sophie wrote: "Katie wrote: "I think I'm going to start recording the ones I vote for and make that into a personal challenge I will do along with the group challenge for next year. "I was thinking exactly the ..."
I've been recording them too, but I'm not sure yet what I want to do with them.
Currently debating whether to do something from this year's reject challenge, or if I should add BookRiot's challenge from last year and/or this year onto my plan for this year. I've committed to ATY and PopSugar, but for some reason I still want to do more. Who would have thought a reading challenge would be addictive?
Laura wrote: "I actually tend to like the prompts with me reading a recommendation. Another group that I'm in does a recommendation swap to where each participating member gets paired up with another member and ..."I'm not saying that I don't like recommendations when they are given, I just don't like asking people for them. Like one prompt I saw mentioned reading something recommended by someone you just met. I don't think I have ever had someone I just met come out and recommend a book to me, so I'd have to ask and that feels weird to me. Obviously I could ask someone on this board, but that doesn't feel any different than just browsing Goodreads recommendations. The last time I had that issue come up I chose to read a book from a pile of books that were given to me. I guess if someone gave it to me, even without any analysis of the quality of the book, it was sort of recommended.
Another prompt that is interesting, but would be difficult is reading something you saw a stranger reading. I think in the city or somewhere you take public transportation, that would be pretty easy but here in the boonies I see very few people reading in public. Maybe I'd have to use hotdudesreading for ideas for a prompt like that, only for the books of course, not for the hot dudes. Now that I think about it, we REALLY should consider a stranger prompt. I'm suddenly motivated. :-)
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Rachel wrote: "Sophie wrote: "Katie wrote: "I think I'm going to start recording the ones I vote for and make that into a personal challenge I will do along with the group challenge for next year. "I was thinki..."
I know what you mean, Rachel. Reading challenges really have me excited. I have a spreadsheet with a ton of tabs & each is a different reading challenge. I find it so satisfying to find a book to fit each challenge topic.
Katie wrote: "Rachel wrote: "Sophie wrote: "Katie wrote: "I think I'm going to start recording the ones I vote for and make that into a personal challenge I will do along with the group challenge for next year. ..."I do that too! I'm glad I'm not the only one.
Hooray! Two of my choices showed up on the first poll! I too, love picking out a new book that completes part of the 2016 challenge.
I've been able to find so many good authors. Wish I could read every one of them.
I've been able to find so many good authors. Wish I could read every one of them.
My main issue with getting recommendations is finding someone who will actually do it. For me, this year's prompt (I can't remember if it was this challenge or PopSugar) requiring a recommendation from someone you just met was difficult, since I don't meet a ton of new people. I work full-time in a day program for young adults with special needs, and I meet people in contexts where I don't have much opportunity to talk nor would I feel it's appropriate to ask for recommendations. For example, our participants go to vocational placements or activities in the community, but I wouldn't necessarily want to ask their employer to choose a book for me.I also don't tend to meet a ton of new people outside of work. I could ask someone on here for a recommendation, but like someone else said, that's not really any different from just browsing the recommendations page. And like Amy said, I'm not super comfortable asking people for recommendations either. I have found some great books that way (Defending Jacob, for example) though.
I don't remember what I voted for, but I can't wait to see the results! I'm getting so antsy hahaa!
I'm the same, if I was near Laura, I would be stalking her to see how the suggestions are doing :p
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The 2017 Reading Challenge will continue the concept of this year's challenge, with 52 weekly topics. Users then choose a book fitting each topic in order to complete the challenge.
The Process:
The topics for the 2017 RC list will be determined through around 13 mini-polls. Suggestions for each poll will be open until 20 suggestions are received and then opened up for voting for one week. Each user will vote for their top 4 and bottom 4 topics in each mini-poll, resulting in 4 challenge entries from each (13 polls x 4 topics/poll=52 weekly topics). This timeframe allows for a completed list in October-November.
The Rules:
- Voting ends June 19
- One vote per poll per user
Reminder of Current Challenge Themes:
- A book by an author you haven't read before
- A book in the middle of your TBR list
- A book from someone else's bookshelf
- A book with a strong female character
Survey Link