Around the Year in 52 Books discussion
2019 Plans
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Group Project: Making the 2019 Challenge More/Less Restrictive
BIO/KIS List Continued (2 of 3)16. A book told from multiple perspectives
KIS options:
1. May be two different characters perspectives (same or different timelines)
2. May be same character, but two or more different timelines
3. A book with multiple narrators
BIO options:
1. Both perspectives have to be in first-person perspectives
17. A speculative fiction (ie fantasy, scifi, horror, dystopia)
KIS options:
1. Use the looser definition of Speculative Fiction 'any work where the writer makes conjectures about a fictional scenario', this can include most any fictional works as the events never happened so the author speculates about the "what if" the events DID in fact happen
2. A book by an author more well known for mainstream fiction (maybe KIS? since they will be more approachable speculative fiction?)
3. A book that was made into a movie
BIO options:
1. Use the most restrictive definition 'narrative fiction with supernatural or futuristic elements' which includes but is not limited to, science fiction, fantasy, superhero fiction, science fantasy, horror, utopian and dystopian fiction, supernatural fiction as well as combinations thereof
2. A book that was nominated for a mainstream literary award
3. A book that was nominated for both a mainstream literary award (Booker, Women's Prize, Pulitzer, etc) and a genre fiction award (Hugo, World Fantasy, Clark, etc)
4. A book that was a nominee or winner of a genre fiction award
5. A book by a female author that won a genre fiction award
18. A book related to one of the elements on the periodic table of elements
KIS options:
1. Book title that includes one of the elements (water, gold, iron etc)
2. Book has gold (AU) or neon (Ne) on the cover
3. Book has water (H2O) on the cover or within the story
4. A book set in a location similar to an element (ie. Americium = America, Indium = India, Californium = California, etc)
5. A book by an author whose initials are the same as an element (ie. Pb = Pearl Buck, At = Anne Tyler, As = Anita Shreve, etc)
6. A book title that contains a word similar to an element (ie. calcium = milk, sodium = salt, etc)
7. A book with a color in the title or on the cover related to an element (ie. colbalt blue, cadmium yellow, etc)
8. A book with a word in the title that connects to an element (ie. When Breath Becomes Air = oxygen, Slaughterhouse Five = nickel (5 cents), etc)
9. A comic or novelization related to Krypton (Superman/Supergirl)
BIO options:
1. Non-fiction book about one of the elements (ie. Salt: A World History)
2. A biography of a famous chemist (Obsessive Genius: The Inner World of Marie Curie)
3. Book must be connected to a non-metallic element
4. A "period piece" related to an element from the periodic table
5. A boo that is related to an element AND the symbol for that element (ie. Ag) appears in the title or author's name
19. A book by an author who has more than one book on your TBR
KIS options:
1. Author is an author you have read previously (appears on your TBR once and your READ list once)
2. A book that is a continuation of a series
BIO options:
1. Books must be from 2 different genres
2. Must be a new to you author (never read before)
20. A book featuring indigenous people of a country
KIS options:
1. Written by a person of indigenous descent but not necessarily about indigenous topics/characters
2. A book about an ancient civilization
BIO options:
1. Written by a person of indigenous descent about indigenous characters
2. Do not include historical fiction
21. A book from one of the polarizing or close call vote
KIS Options:
BIO Options:
1. Must be a polarizing or close-call prompt that you personally nominated OR voted for
2. Choose one prompt before the year starts and stick with that one only (rather than randomly filling one in or having a variety to choose from)
3. Choose a polarizing or close call prompt you voted against including on the list
4. Choose a polarizing or close call prompt that you feel is particularly difficult
5. Use a multi-week prompt (requiring you to read multiple books to fill one ATY prompt)
22. A book with a number in the title or on the cover
KIS options:
1. A book with a numbered list or numbered chapters
BIO options:
1. A book with a number spelled out in the title (no numerals)
2. Number needs to be part of a longer word (ie. Atonement (one), The Red Tent (ten), etc)
3. Number needs to be greater than 10 or 100
4. Title must be ONLY numbers
5. A book with a number that is meaningful to you in the title (ie. 6 if your birthday is in June or 13 because it's your lucky number)
6. A book in which numbers and/or mathematics is central to the plot (ie. The Housekeeper and the Professor or A Calculated Life)
23. 4 books inspired by the wedding rhyme: Book #1 Something Old
KIS options:
1. A classic or a fairytale
2. A book from the New York Times Bestseller list, at least 25 years ago
3. A book that has been on your TBR List 5+ years
4. a book that has been on your bookshelf 5+ years
BIO options:
1. Book must be wedding related
2. All Books must be related somehow (author, topic, etc) OR second book related to first in some way, third book related to second in some way and fourth is related to third in some way (As loose or as strict as your choose)
3. A book featuring an old character (grandmother, etc)
4. An obscure classic
5. An obscure or somewhat unknown book from the New York Times Bestseller list (OR from the BS list >50 years ago)
24. 4 books inspired by the wedding rhyme: Book #2 Something New
KIS options:
1. A new to you book (just bought, just heard about, just picked up at the library, etc)
BIO options:
1. Book must be wedding related
2. A recent book featuring a baby
3. A book with “new” marriage traditions (same-sex weddings, open marriage, common law, etc)
25. 4 books inspired by the wedding rhyme: Book #3 Something Borrowed
KIS options:
1. Borrow a book from a physical or online library, from a friend/family member
2. An historical fiction (something 'borrowed' from history)
3. A book that borrows from an actual historical event
4. A book with traditions borrowed from another culture
BIO options:
1. Book must be wedding related
2. A retelling or a book frequently 'borrowed' for retelling (ie. Romeo and Juliet, Peter Pan, Cinderella, The Odyssey, etc)
3. A book with "borrowed" characters (kidnapping, switched kids, adoption, etc)
4. A book with a title borrowed from another work A book with a character borrowed from another work
5. A book that features a real historical figure
6. A book that borrows from mythology
7. A book borrowed from the library or a friend
26. 4 books inspired by the wedding rhyme: Book #4 Something Blue
KIS options:
1. A book with blue on the cover
2. A book with something blue (like the sky or the ocean) in the title
3. A book with something blue in the cover art
4. A book with a shade of blue in the title
5. A book with a color in the title or cover art that is a combination of blue (ie. green, purple, etc)
6. 9ie green (blue + yellow), purple (blue + red)
BIO options:
1. Book must be wedding related
2. Have the word BLUE in the title (or author name)
3. A book, fiction or non-fiction, about blues music
4. A book about a sad topic, one that will make you "feel blue"
27. A book off of the 1001 books to Read before you die list
KIS options:
1. A book off ANY of the 4 editions of the 1001 books list
2. A short book off the 1001 books list
BIO options:
1. A book off the FIRST edition of the list ONLY
2. A Classic (pre-1800) book from the list
28. A book related to something cold (could be theme, title, author, cover)
KIS Options:
BIO Options:
1. Story is related to surviving the cold
2. Story is about living in the Arctic Circle/Antarctica
29. A book published before 1950
KIS options:
1. A children's book published prior to 1950
2. Book is "vintage lit" (early 20th century) OR "Victorian lit" (19th century)
BIO options:
1. Book is "classic" (18th century), "renaissance" (16th and 17th century), "medieval" (5th-15th century) OR "ancient" lit (pre-5th century
2. Book must NOT be by a well-known author
3. Book was written in a decade that holds meaning for you personally
4. Book must be the first published book by an author who had achieved considerable fame by 1950
30. A book featuring an elderly character
KIS options:
1. A book in which a side-character is elderly
BIO options:
1. A book that must have an elderly protagonist
2. Nonfiction about the aging process
3. Elderly character AND an elderly author
31. A children’s classic you’ve never read
KIS options:
1. Allow for contemporary children's classics (ie. Harry Potter)
2. A classic children's picture book (ie. The Very Hungry Caterpillar)
BIO options:
1. Award winning children's book
2. A children's classic from another culture
BIO/KIS List Continued (3 of 3)32. A book with more than 500 pages
KIS Options:
1. Read a series or multiple volumes of a book that total 500+ (for example, multiple books in the Hercule Periot series by Agatha Christie)
BIO Options:
1. Up the requirements to 700+ pages
2. Read a book older than 1950 that is 500+ pages
33. A book you have owned for at least a year, but have not read yet
KIS options:
1. A book that you have wanted to read for over a year but did not necessarily own a copy of
2. A book that you have had on hold from the library for over a year
BIO options:
1. Book must have been a gift or won in a contest/drawing
34. A book with a person's name in the title
KIS options:
1. Include titles such as DAUGHTER, WIFE, FATHER, etc.
2. A book title that contains a word that is or could be a name but is not used that way in the title, such as rose, autumn, glory, or jade
A book with the word "name" in the title (but not an actual name)
3. A book with a title that describes a character without actually naming them (ie. The Book of the Unnamed Midwife)
BIO options:
1. A book with your own name, or name of a loved one in the title
2. Title must be ONLY a name (ie. Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, David Copperfield, etc)
3. A book with a famous person's name in the title
4. A book title that contains two or more names
5. A book with an unusual or not-so-common name in the title (ie. Banishing Verona or Hild )
35. A psychological thriller
KIS options:
1. Read a thriller/horror graphic novel or short story
BIO options:
1. Must be an award winning thriller
2. Must be on an "all time best" list (ie. goodreads, amazon, etc)
36. A book featured on an NPR Best Books of the Year
KIS Options:
BIO Options:
1. Choose a book from a list that also has the letters N, P, and R in the title or author’s name
2. Choose from 2018's list only
3. Choose from a category/genre that is out of your comfort zone
37. A book set in a school or university
KIS options:
1. Portions of book is set in school or university (without it being the majority setting)
BIO options:
1. Only setting is at school or university (no traveling, flashbacks outside of school, or home life)
2. Cover must also include a campus or school related scene
38. A book not written in traditional novel format (poetry, essay, epistolary, graphic novel, etc)
KIS options:
1. Read one poem/essay/short story out of a larger collection
BIO options:
1. Book must be an award winner or best seller in their genre
2. Book can not be in any novel format (not graphic novel or epistolary)
39. A book with a strong sense of place or where the author brings the location/setting to life
KIS options:
1. A book with a fictional setting
2. A city or country you want to travel to
BIO options:
1. The setting literally comes to life (ie. the trees talk)
40. A book you stumbled upon (i.e. serendipitous, found in library/bookstore, unplanned, etc.)
KIS Options:
1. A book that was recommended to you by friends or Goodreads that you may not have picked up otherwise
BIO Options:
1. A book you had never heard of until you picked it up from the library (or purchased it randomly)
41. A book from the 2018 GR Choice Awards
KIS options:
1. A book from the Best of the Best category of the GR Choice Award
2. A book from the picture book category of the choice awards
BIO options:
1. A WINNING book from the 2018 GR Choice Awards
2. A book from the history or sciences section of the GR Awards
3. A book from a category you never/rarely read
4. A book you never would have read if not for this challenge suggestion
5. A book you never heard of before the awards
6. A book with a very high (>4.5) or very low (<3.5) rating
7. Do NOT include the Best of the Best category
42. A book with a monster or "monstrous" character
KIS options:
1. A book with a classic monster character or element (ie. vampire, werewolf, ghost, demon, etc)
2. A book with a human “monster” (ie. Serial killer, mad scientist, gangster, dictator, etc)
3. A book with a monster on the cover
BIO options:
1. A book with a mythological monster (ie. Centaur, Cetus, Chimera, Cyclops, etc)
2. A book with a man-made monster (ie. Golem, robots/AI, scientifically altered beings)
3. A classic monster novel (ie Dracula, Frankenstein, Jekyll and Hyde, etc)
4. A book related to a classic movie/literary monster
43. A book related to STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) [fiction or nonfiction]
KIS options:
1. A book about mental or physical health (medical = science)
2. A character has a job or is studying a field related to a STEM career
3. A book with equations on the cover
4. A book with the stem of a plant on the cover (but is not directly related to a STEM field)
BIO options:
1. Book covers multiple aspects of STEM (ie. includes aspects of biology and technology, etc)
2. Includes aspects from all 4 components of STEM (science, tech, engineering AND math)
3. A book with the stem of a plant on the cover (and the book topic is STEM related)
44. A book related in some way to a tv show/series or movie you enjoyed (same topic, same era, book appeared in the show/movie, etc.)
KIS options:
1. Watch a new TV show or movie and choose a book from your tbr or library that is related to it (even in a very remote way)
2. Book cover reminds you of a movie poster
BIO options:
1. the book author has written for a show/movie
2. A book that has a movie or tv adaptation
3. TV show/movie must be currently airing/in theaters
4. Book must be related to a show or movie that you have never seen.
45. A multi-generational saga
KIS options:
1. A book with characters from 2 or more generations of one family (all in the same time frame)
BIO options:
1. Must be 500+ pages to qualify as a saga
46. A book with a (mostly) black cover
KIS options:
1. A book with a black title
2. A book with black anywhere on the cover (does not need to be the main color)
BIO options:
1. A book cover that is at least 90% black
2. A book cover that is ONLY shades of gray/black
47. A book related to food (i.e. title, cover, plot, etc.)
KIS options:
1. A book that has a food item in the title but the book isn't about food at all
2. A book with a food item on the cover but the book isn't about food at all
3. Include food related author names (ie. Baker, Hunter, Campbell, McDonald, etc)
4. A book with a title that is related to acquiring food, like a title with "garden/gardening" or "hunt/hunting"
5. A dystopian book with zombies hunting human “food” (so wrong, but so good!)
6. A book about obsession with/avoidance of food (ie. Bulimia, anorexia, etc)
BIO options:
1. A non-fiction about food or a chef
2. A microhistory about food
48. A book that was a finalist or winner for the National Book Award for any year
KIS options:
BIO options:
1. Must be a winner of the NBA
2. Choose a book from a category that is a "stretch" for you personally
3. Must be an early winner or nominee (pre-1970) of the NBA
4. Book must be from the most recent NBA list (2018)
49. A book written by a Far East Asian author or set in a Far East Asian country
KIS options: :
1. An author of far-east Asian descent (not necessarily born or raised in that country)
BIO options:
1. Author must have been lived their entire lives in that region
50. A book that includes a journey (physical, health, or spiritual)
KIS options:
1. Include any personal "journey" through a difficult time or period of enlightenment
BIO options:
1. Must be a physical journey
51. A book published in 2019
KIS options:
1. A paperback edition released in 2019
2. A continuation of a series
3. Newest book by your favorite author
BIO options:
1. A debut novel published in 2019
2. A book published in the month you do this prompt
3. A book that is self-published or published by a small press
4. Must be on a "best of" list (ie. NYT best seller, Goodreads award winner, etc)
52. A book with a weird or intriguing title
KIS options:
BIO options:
1. A book with a made up word in the title
Ideas:A book off of the 1001 books to read before you die list
KIS - a short book from the 1001 book list
BIO - a book published before 1800 from the 1001 book list
A book from the 2018 Goodreads Choice Awards
KIS - a book from the Picture Book category of the Choice Awards
BIO - a book from the History or Science categories of the Choice Awards
For whole list, you could make the whole list have to be debut novels.
Mod
Pick a monthly theme - like Women’s History month, Pride for June, etc for the entire year. Each book read in those months for the challenge must fill the prompt PLUS that month’s theme. Each book must be set in a different country, so that you cover 52 parts of the world by the end of the year.
Love all these ideas! Why must I be celebrating the 4th with family and not home on my computer??? Lol
I’m considering for next year - 20 Translated books, 20 from different countries, and 10 classics, with overlap. Another level of difficulty is to read 2 authors with an initial from each letter of the alphabet, either first, middle, or last OR just first or last OR 26 first and 26 last. Lots of variation.
If you really want to make the "published in 2019" prompt a challenge, you could limit yourself to a book that was published in the same month that you are reading it. I know this isn't necessarily accessible to everyone though, since new releases can be hard to get!
UPDATED 7/5/18 @ 10:33amWill correct the typos later, I promise!
Mod
Jackie wrote: "Oh man I have been thinking about something along these lines for ages. It's like you took the nebulous thoughts out of my head and organized them for me."Oh man..... Now everyone will know about my secret mind reading powers lol
These are such interesting ideas, especially having an overall goal for the challenge. I loved Katie's idea of reading all non-fiction in 2018, and I can't remember who but someone was reading all women authors I think? I toyed with the idea of reading only classics this year, except for obvious exceptions like a book published in 2018. I didn't go ahead with it in the end, but I might try it in 2019, depending on whether it looks achievable once we have the final list.
The week #3 winners are a bit tough to add KIS/BIO options to. Any ideas? - A book set by an author from a Mediterranean country or set in a Mediterranean country
- A book with a number in the title or on the cover
- A book with a person's name in the title
Bryony wrote: "These are such interesting ideas, especially having an overall goal for the challenge. I loved Katie's idea of reading all non-fiction in 2018, and I can't remember who but someone was reading all ..."I will add the non-fiction idea to the list. For the classic book published in 2019, you could do a new edition to a classic. Penguin puts out new editions of classics every year I believe and other publishers like to put out classics with pretty bindings, special features, etc quite often. That might not be easy to find but if you could I think it would work for that prompt.
A book with a number in the title or on the cover A book with a person's name in the title
BIO - Read two books with both a number in the title or on the cover AND a person's name in the title
Two from my TBR
The Brontes: Wild Genius on the Moors: The Story of Three Sisters - Juliet Barker 1158p (Yikes!)
Provence 1970: M.F.K. Fisher, Julia Child, James Beard and the Reinvention of American Taste - Luke Barr
A BIO option for the Mediterranean countries prompt could be to exclude the big three - France, Italy & Spain.
A BIO option for a number in the title, you could do it so that it has to be a part of another word, rather than the word on its own - eg. Atonement (One), The Red Tent (Ten). But that could be really tricky. 😂
Mod
For the name, you can make it so that it has to be the name of someone you know (or, even more restrictive, someone in your family or your own name).
I'm terrible at the KIS... I tend to make mine harder haha!
It's way fun coming up with these variation ideas.BIO Mediterranean:
1. Use only an African Mediterranean country
2. A book by a Mediterranean author AND set in a Mediterranean country
BIO Number:
1. A book with a title that is only numbers (eg 4 3 2 1)
BIO Name:
1. A book with a title that is only a name (eg Ethan Frome)
A whole list option would be to read only authors you've never read before.
Katie wrote: "2. A book by a Mediterranean author AND set in a Mediterranean country"
Ooh, and you could make it that they have to be different countries!
Mediterranean Countries:Southern European coast, from west to east
Gibraltar[2] (a British Overseas Territory)
Spain[2]
France[2]
Monaco[2]
Italy[2]
Malta[2] (island nation)
Slovenia[2]
Croatia[2]
Bosnia and Herzegovina[2]
Montenegro[2]
Albania[2]
Greece[2]
Turkey[2]
Levantine coast, from north to south
Syria[2]
Cyprus[2] (island nation; includes the British Overseas Territory of Akrotiri and Dhekelia, and Northern Cyprus)
Lebanon[2]
Israel[2]
Palestine (Gaza Strip)
Northern African coast, from east to west
Egypt[2]
Libya[2]
Tunisia[2]
Algeria[2]
Morocco [2]
I like Katie’s idea about all new to you authors. A slightly easier option is to have 52 different authors.
Mod
That's probably what I'm going to do for this prompt: find something set on the Mediterranean coast, not just in a country that has a Mediterranean coast.
I’m definitely going to try and read from a country I haven’t read from before - it will tie in nicely with my challenge to read around the world!
I've not posted in this thread because I'm not sure how to break things down to KIS/BIO but Emily encouraged me to share my ideas so I'll just throw them out there and let someone else sort them out. :)Goodreads Choice Awards
a book from a category you rarely/never read
a book you would never have read if not for this category
a book you never heard of before the Awards
a book with at least a 4.5 rating
a book with less than a 3.5 rating
A book published in 2019
a book that is a continuation of a series
a book that is by a favorite author
a book that is self published or published by a small press
Something old
an obscure classic (Everyone knows about Hemingway, Fitzgerald, and Steinbeck but what about some of the authors published by Virago Modern Classics, like Rachel Ferguson, Rosamond Lehmann, and Mary Webb?)
a book from the New York Times Bestseller list, at least 50 years ago (1969)
an obscure or somewhat unknown book from the New York Times Bestseller list (like, not Steinbeck)
a book that has been on your TBR List 5+ years
a book that has been on your bookshelf 5+ years
Something borrowed
a book with a title borrowed from another work, like The Fault in Our Stars is from Shakespeare's Julius Caesar
a book with a character borrowed from another work like The Beekeeper's Apprentice, which features Sherlock Holmes
a book that borrows from an actual historical event as a lot of historical fiction does
a book that features a real historical figure like Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker (Mary Todd Lincoln) or The Invention of Everything Else (Nikola Tesla)
a book that borrows from mythology, like The Song of Achilles
a book borrowed from the library or a friend
Something old + something borrowed
Read the original fairytale and a retelling of that fairytale, like the Snow Queen by Hans Christian Anderson + The Snow Queen by Joan D. Vinge or Cinderella by Charles Perrault + Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Something blue
a book with something blue (like the sky or the ocean) in the title
a book with something blue in the cover art
a book with a shade of blue in the title, like the ones on this list, which includes words like Alice, baby, deep, true
a book with a color in the title or cover art that is a combination of blue, ie green (blue + yellow), purple (blue + red)
a book, fiction or non-fiction, about blues music
a book about a sad topic, one that will make you "feel blue"
Mod
Goodreads Choice Awards
BIO - a book from a category you rarely/never read
BIO - a book you would never have read if not for this category
BIO - a book you never heard of before the Awards
BIO - a book with at least a 4.5 rating
BIO - a book with less than a 3.5 rating
A book published in 2019
KIS - a book that is a continuation of a series
KIS - a book that is by a favorite author
BIO - a book that is self published or published by a small press
Something old
BIO - an obscure classic (Everyone knows about Hemingway, Fitzgerald, and Steinbeck but what about some of the authors published by Virago Modern Classics, like Rachel Ferguson, Rosamond Lehmann, and Mary Webb?)
KIS - a book from the New York Times Bestseller list, at least 50 years ago (1969)
BIO - an obscure or somewhat unknown book from the New York Times Bestseller list (like, not Steinbeck)
KIS - a book that has been on your TBR List 5+ years
KIS - a book that has been your bookshelf 5+ years
Something borrowed
BIO - a book with a title borrowed from another work, like The Fault in Our Stars is from Shakespeare's Julius Caesar
BIO - a book with a character borrowed from another work like The Beekeeper's Apprentice, which features Sherlock Holmes
KIS - a book that borrows from an actual historical event as a lot of historical fiction does
BIO - a book that features a real historical figure like Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker (Mary Todd Lincoln) or The Invention of Everything Else (Nikola Tesla)
BIO - a book that borrows from mythology, like The Song of Achilles
KIS - a book borrowed from the library or a friend
BIO - Something old + something borrowed
Read the original fairytale and a retelling of that fairytale, like the Snow Queen by Hans Christian Anderson + The Snow Queen by Joan D. Vinge or Cinderella by Charles Perrault + Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Something blue
KIS - a book with something blue (like the sky or the ocean) in the title
KIS - a book with something blue in the cover art
KIS - a book with a shade of blue in the title, like the ones on this list, which includes words like Alice, baby, deep, true
KIS - a book with a color in the title or cover art that is a combination of blue, ie green (blue + yellow), purple (blue + red)
BIO - a book, fiction or non-fiction, about blues music
BIO - a book about a sad topic, one that will make you "feel blue"
Thank you so much Emily! (BTW I edited my post with another one - old + borrowed.)
A few more...Mediterranean country
a fantasy novel with a setting that is an analogue of a Mediterranean country such as:
The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty (Egypt)
The Killing Moon by N.K. Jemisin (Egypt)
A Song for Arbonne by Guy Gavriel Kay (France)
Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay (Italy)
Furies of Calderon by Jim Butcher (Italy)
a fantasy novel that is set in a fictional version of a Mediterranean country such as:
The Masked City by Genevieve Cogman (Italy)
The House of Shattered Wings by Aliette de Bodard (France)
a book based on the mythology of a Mediterranean country such as:
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller (Greece)
The Tiger's Wife by Téa Obreht (Croatia)
A speculative fiction
A book by an author more well known for mainstream fiction like Arcadia by Iain Pears or The Book of Strange New Things by Michel Faber
A book that was nominated for a mainstream literary award like:
Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell (Booker Prize)
Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood (Women's Prize for Fiction)
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke (Booker and Costa)
Life After Life by Kate Atkinson (Women's Prize for Fiction, Costa, Walter Scott)
Beloved by Toni Morrison (Pulitzer)
The Road by Cormac McCarthy (Pulitzer)
A book that was nominated for both a mainstream literary award (Booker, Women's Prize, Pulitzer, etc) and a genre fiction award (Hugo, World Fantasy, Clark, etc)
A book that was a nominee or winner of a genre fiction award
A book by a female author that won a genre fiction award
A book that was made into a movie
Mod
KIS - a fantasy novel with a setting that is an analogue of a Mediterranean country
KIS - a fantasy novel that is set in a fictional version of a Mediterranean country
KIS - a book based on the mythology of a Mediterranean country
A speculative fiction
KIS - A book by an author more well known for mainstream fiction (maybe KIS? since they will be more approachable speculative fiction?)
BIO - A book that was nominated for a mainstream literary award
BIO - A book that was nominated for both a mainstream literary award (Booker, Women's Prize, Pulitzer, etc) and a genre fiction award (Hugo, World Fantasy, Clark, etc)
BIO - A book that was a nominee or winner of a genre fiction award
BIO - A book by a female author that won a genre fiction award
KIS - A book that was made into a movie
These were much more difficult to sort out! Feel free to disagree with me!
Thanks again Emily! Now you see why I didn't try to sort them myself. :) (Oh, by the way, you missed one: a book based on the mythology of a Mediterranean country)Just a few more and I promise I'm done (for today):
A book with a person's name in the title
~a book title that contains a word that is or could be a name but is not used that way in the title, such as rose, autumn, glory, or jade
~a book with the word "name" in the title (but not an actual name)
~a book with a famous person's name in the title
~a book title that contains two or more names
~a book with an unusual or not-so-common name in the title, like Banishing Verona or Hild or The Traitor Baru Cormorant
~a book with a title that describes a character without actually naming them, like The Book of the Unnamed Midwife
A book with a number in the title or on the cover
~a book with a number that is meaningful to you in the title, like 6 if your birthday is in June or 13 because it's your lucky number
~a book in which numbers and/or mathematics is central to the plot, like The Housekeeper and the Professor or A Calculated Life
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Amy is going to come back to this and be shocked haha. Your suggestions are wonderful dalex!
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KIS - a book title that contains a word that is or could be a name but is not used that way in the title, such as rose, autumn, glory, or jade
KIS - a book with the word "name" in the title (but not an actual name)
BIO - a book with a famous person's name in the title
BIO - a book title that contains two or more names
BIO - a book with an unusual or not-so-common name in the title, like Banishing Verona or Hild or The Traitor Baru Cormorant
KIS - a book with a title that describes a character without actually naming them, like The Book of the Unnamed Midwife
A book with a number in the title or on the cover
BIO - a book with a number that is meaningful to you in the title, like 6 if your birthday is in June or 13 because it's your lucky number
BIO - a book in which numbers and/or mathematics is central to the plot, like The Housekeeper and the Professor or A Calculated Life
Emily wrote: "Amy is going to come back to this and be shocked haha. Your suggestions are wonderful dalex!"We basically blew up her thread...lol! I appreciate your help Emily.
BIO for the wedding linked prompts. Actually linking them to the wedding theme.
If you have been married using the people in your wedding party borrowing a book from one of them.
If you remember the blue, old, new or borrowed item you used, reading a story that has that item in it.
Borrowed could also be borrowed traditions from other cultures.
New traditions in society regarding marriage today. E.g. about a same sex marriage, open marriage, common-law, etc
I have added the two newest poll winnersBtw, Dalex I still need to update the list with some of your contributions. There are so many that I may add a bolded note for people to scan the thread for further ideas. :)
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BIO for the W prompt could be that the W cannot be the first word in the title.
KIS for dual timeline could be any book that presents multiple points of view (each character has their own "timeline" so to speak)
BIO of dual timeline can be timelines from two different centuries
Emily wrote: "Amy, I deleted my first comment on the thread, so you can use that second comment you wrote as overflow for the list, which we will MOST DEFINITELY need with so many good ideas floating around!BI..."
Thanks Emily. I have been trying to figure out how to get our entire 52 topics with bio and kis info on one post. I would think that goodreads would have a limit on just how long one post can be.
°~Amy~° wrote: "Btw, Dalex I still need to update the list with some of your contributions. There are so many that I may add a bolded note for people to scan the thread for further ideas."I'm sorry? :) Maybe a google doc...I think that would be easier than trying to scan through the thread and find the info.
dalex wrote: "°~Amy~° wrote: "Btw, Dalex I still need to update the list with some of your contributions. There are so many that I may add a bolded note for people to scan the thread for further ideas."I'm sor..."
Nothing to be sorry about :)
I really didn't want to take the list off-site, part of the reason that I don't use the group spreadsheet is because it is a hassle to load on my phone. Hm, I will have to think about it. In the meantime I am going to do some editing on the current list and go from there. :)
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KIS: A book of sonnets/poetry
BIO: A book that is a direct retelling of one of the plays
A book with a weird or intriguing title
BIO: A book with a made up word in the title
Thank you Emily. The third topic with a black coverKIS: book with black font on the title or with black anywhere on the cover
BIO: book is at least 90% black
BIO #2: book cover is ONLY shades of black/gray
Here is the list of ideas I have suggested in several other places for the prompt "A book by Shakespeare or inspired by Shakespeare."a title inspired by Shakespeare like The Fault in Our Stars
a book with Shakespeare as a character like Ink and Steel or Fools and Mortals
a book that features a performance of a Shakespeare play like Station Eleven or If We Were Villains
a book that has at least some sort of Shakespearean connection, like in Cascade a Shakespearean theater is part of the plot
You could read a nonfiction book about Shakespeare.
You could read a historical fiction novel set during the Shakespearean time period (Elizabethan era 1558-1603).
You could even look at the Complete List of Shakespeare's Characters (which is like multiple hundreds) and use a book with an author or character with that name.
And, of course, there are many many options for books inspired by Shakespeare like Fool or A Thousand Acres or the books in the Hogarth Shakespeare series. There are several gr lists of books inspired by Shakespeare.
Dalex - which ones of those do you feel make the challenge more difficult and which ones do you feel loosen the restrictions to make it easier for a participant to fulfill?
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BIO: a book with Shakespeare as a character like Ink and Steel or Fools and Mortals
BIO: a book that features a performance of a Shakespeare play like Station Eleven or If We Were Villains
KIS: a book that has at least some sort of Shakespearean connection, like in Cascade a Shakespearean theater is part of the plot
KIS: You could read a historical fiction novel set during the Shakespearean time period (Elizabethan era 1558-1603).
KIS: A book with a character with the same name as a Shakespearean character
I love the Emily/Dalex tag team! These are all such great ideas. Looking forward to using this master list when choosing books for next year.
Around the Year in 52 Books
Books mentioned in this topic
Mademoiselle Chanel (other topics)Crippen (other topics)
Madame Tussaud (other topics)
Nefertiti (other topics)
I Was Amelia Earhart (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Dennis Lehane (other topics)Kazuo Ishiguro (other topics)
Guy Gavriel Kay (other topics)
Jim Butcher (other topics)
N.K. Jemisin (other topics)
More...
For topics you might want to make a tad bit easier on yourself, we have the KIS option . KIS is the Keep It Simple option for times when we feel a topic is just too difficult to find a good book for.
If you are feeling like a topic is "too easy" to fill the BIO options are the "Bring It On" option, for when you really really want to challenge yourself.
As always, there is no right or wrong way to do YOUR challenge, just have fun and READ!
Whole list options:
KIS options:
1. Read only children's books or middle grade books or graphic novels or short stories to fulfill all the prompts
BIO options:
1. Read only female or male or LGBTQ, debut or only new-to-you authors (no repeats) for all the topics
2. Read only books on your tbr or from the library or used book store
3. Read only books in translation or books from other countries
4. Read the alphabet; the first prompt has an A in the title or author name, second prompt has B, third a C and so on
5. Pick a monthly theme (ie. Gay pride month, women's history month, etc), each prompt must fit that month's theme and the weekly prompt
6. Read only non-fiction or classic books for the entire challenge
7. Link all the books in a chain (ie book 2 is related to book one in some way, book 3 is related to book 2, etc)
8. Tour the world, each country in each book shares a land or water border with the country/setting in the previous book
By individual topic:
1. A book that was nominated for or won an award in a genre you enjoy
KIS options:
1. Book may have won any award
2. Book was long or short-listed for a genre award
BIO options:
1. Book must be the winner OR the first winner of the genre award
2. Book must be over 25/50 years old
3. Genre award must be from a country other than your own
4. Book must be from a genre you read infrequently
2. A book with one of the 5 W's in the title (Who, what, where, when, why)
KIS options:
1. Include subtitles
BIO options:
1. A book where the title is a complete question
2. A book with TWO of the w's in the title
3. WH word cannot be the first word in the title
3. A book where the author’s name contains A, T, and Y
KIS options:
2. Book may have a second author or illustrator, letters A, T and Y may be in in any of those names
BIO options:
1. The letters A, T and Y must be in the LAST name only
4. A book with a criminal character (i.e. assassin, pirate, thief, robber, scoundrel etc)
KIS options:
1. The character commits a crime within the book
2. Can be a minor book character
BIO options:
1. Must be the main character in the book
5. A book by Shakespeare or inspired by Shakespeare
KIS options:
1. A book of sonnets/poetry
2. A title inspired by Shakespeare (ie. The Fault in Our Stars)
3. A book that has at least some sort of Shakespearean connection (ie. in Cascade a Shakespearean theater is part of the plot)
4. A historical fiction novel set during the Shakespearean time period (Elizabethan era 1558-1603).
5. A book with a character with the same name as a Shakespearean character
6. Characters in the book talk about/read/mention Shakespeare in some way
BIO options:
1. A book that is a direct retelling of a Shakespeare play
2. A book with Shakespeare as a character (ie. Ink and Steel or Fools and Mortals)
3. A book that features a performance of a Shakespeare play (ie. Station Eleven or If We Were Villains)
6. A book with a dual timeline
KIS options:
1. Book with multiple points of view (each character is recounting their own timeline)
BIO options:
1. Book where the two timelines must be in two different centuries
2. Both timelines told from the same character's point of view
7. & 8. 2 books related to the same topic, genre, or theme
KIS options:
1. Two books by the same author
2. Any two books in the same genre
BIO options:
1. Genre: Must be a genre that you have never read before (or only read infrequently
2. Topic: Books must be one fiction and one non-fiction on the same topic (or two books from any two different genres)
3. Theme: Books must be a very precise theme (ie. historical fiction and a memoir featuring exploration of the rain forest, science fiction and non fiction regarding populating the moon, etc)
4. Books are related by year (one year that one author was born and the second author died or one year where one author published their first novel and the second author published their last novel)
9. A book from one of the top 5 money making genres (romance/erotica, crime/mystery, religious/inspirational, science fiction/fantasy or horror)
KIS options:
BIO options:
1. Only new releases and/or a best seller
2. Must be a book considered a first or very early depiction of the chosen genre (ie. The Castle of Otranto- "first" gothis novel, Pamela; or, Virtue Rewarded - "first" modern romance, etc)
3. Book must be from one of the top 5 money making genres AND relate to money in some way (title, subject, etc)
10. A book featuring an historical figure
KIS options:
1. Use any historical figure regardless of their impact on history
2. Historical figure may be a side character or only generally mentioned in the story.
3. Story is based on the life of a certain historical figure but may change the exact names/details of the "true" story
4. Book featuring a historical event, item, or place (ie. Korean War, Berlin Wall, etc) rather than an actual person from history
BIO options:
1. A well-known historical figure must be the protagonist
2. Book must be a biography/memoir
3. The historical figure MUST be someone that had a large impact on history
4. The historical person must be very obscure (not many people know of this person, local hero, unsung hero, etc.)
5. The book must be about a historical figures(s) and have the person(s) name in the title
11. A book related to one of the 12 Zodiac Chinese Animals (title, cover, subject)
KIS options:
1. A children's story that contains one or more of the zodiac animals (ie. Winnie the Pooh)
BIO options:
1. A book that is related to the animal of YOUR own birth year
2. A book with a zodiac animal in the story, AND on the cover
3. A book that won the the Rooster Prize (see link below)
12. A book about reading, books or an author/writer
KIS options:
1. Reading, Books, or Author/Writer in the title (without being central to the story)
2. Includes journalists and news stories (not just book writing)
3. A book with a book on the cover (without actually being about reading)
BIO options:
1. Nonfiction about reading, books, or an author/writer
13. A book that is included on a New York Public Library Staff Picks list
KIS options:
BIO options:
1. Choose your book by closing your eyes and pointing at the list
2. Book is from a genre you don't read (or don't read often)
14. A book with a title, subtitle or cover relating to an astronomical term
KIS options:
1. Book has stars, moon, planet or the sun on the cover
BIO options:
1. Title/subtitle has an astronomical term AND the cover is astronomical
2. Title contains the name of a constellation
3. A non-fiction book about astronomy
4. The story is connected to one of the constellations
15. A book by an author from a Mediterranean country or set in a Mediterranean country
KIS options:
1. Book by an author who spent a few years living in a Mediterranean country (ie. studying in France)
2. A fantasy novel with a setting that is an analogue of a Mediterranean country
3. A fantasy novel that is set in a fictional version of a Mediterranean country
4. A book based on the mythology of a Mediterranean country
BIO options:
1. Excluding the big 3 (France, Italy, Spain)
2. Only include African or coastal Mediterranean countries
3. Book by a Mediterranean author, set in a Mediterranean country (same country as author, or different for added difficulty)