[2019] Voting for 6th Mini-Poll

[Jillian]

I might pass on the voting this round. There is nothing I really like or dislike.

[Rachel]

I think this was the easiest time I ever had voting. I had 6 prompts that I really liked, that I pretty easily narrowed down to a top 4 by eliminating the two that I liked but that I'd done before. I also had 4 or 5 very clear bottom choices.

Natural resources, for example, for me was an immediate no. If it does make it through, I will definitely be going the fantasy or sci-fi route. It's just not a topic that interests me at all. Everything else I would technically be fine with. Even my other bottom picks are ones that I could manage if necessary, but I'd really prefer not to.

I doubt the school or university prompt will be very popular, but it was one of the ones that immediately interested me. I have seen so few books that take place in a university or college setting, but I have quite a few on my TBR. I also think it's open enough to not just be a typical YA contemporary set in high school, since it's also open to the perspectives of teachers, college students, even students/teachers from magical schools.

I also really liked the character in disguise prompt because there are so many options -- a mystery or thriller where someone is hiding their identity, a social media-focused story where someone has an online identity, fantasy, etc. I also saw that some of the Throne of Glass books are tagged as having a character in disguise, and I'm planning on reading that series next year, so if it fits that prompt, that might be a great opportunity.

Religion is a prompt that in the past would have been an instant no from me, but it ended up being neutral this time around because I had a couple of interesting books in mind that I wouldn't mind picking up (Heretics Anonymous or The Book of Essie).

[Sophie]

My first instinct was to put the religious prompt in my bottom, but thanks to the discussion I didn’t. If it passes, I’ll probably read Parable of the Talents by Octavia Butler (it’s set in a not so distant dystopian future).

I voted for our great list of lesser known books. I haven’t checked it out yet but I’m sure that my TBR will massively grown when I do.

My other votes where a book about reading, LGBT+ and elderly character.

After seeing the discussion about lengthy prompts, I’m just wondering if it is necessary to add the dual possibilities “false/fake identities” and “author/writer”? Since English isn’t my first language maybe I don’t see the nuance well, can someone clarify them for me please? :)

[Liz]

I already put in my votes after waiting a few hours to read the discussion. I should have waited longer, but I was too anxious! haha! I love all the discussion about the religious prompt. I left it neutral, but the more I think about it, the more I wish I would have voted it as a yes. Even reading books that are based off of stories in the Bible - I've always wanted to read East of Eden.

[Kathy]

Ooh, that looks like a great campus novel list, Tammy. Even if the prompt doesn't win...

[Nicole]

My top 4 were:

1. A book where faith/religion plays an integral role in the plot or life of a main character. (This could be a good opportunity to learn about other beliefs or to read about someone who shares my beliefs).

2. A book featuring an elderly character (HELLO. I LOVED A Man Called Ove and I want more of it!)

3. A book you don’t usually read (I want to try a manga book!)

4. A book about reading books, an author, etc. (I actually liked The Secret, Book, and Scone society. Books about books are kind of cozy!)

My bottom 4 were harder to choose. The only one I really didn’t want was the play. Even as a theatre nerd, I don’t enjoy reading plays for fun. If I was in the show, that would be another story.)

[Bec]

I found this one tough. My top 4 and reasons were:
* A book from the ATY list of lesser known books - looks like it will be an exciting list
*A book published in a year important to you - I voted for this one last year. There is a book I want to read published in 2009 - the year my daughter was born
*A book about reading, books - I have Midnight at the Bright Ideas book store on my TBR pile - I was going to read it this year for the debut book by an author but choose another one so this would be a good opportunity to read it
*A book set in school university - again I have a book on my TBR - Teacher, in her shoes, to read. It's a satire where a journalist spends a day with a teacher.

Bottom 4 were:
*Book related to an Arthurian legend - not sure what this is, not interested in researching it
*Book about natural resource - again no interest in it
*A book from you don't usually read - I read ebooks (first preference), audio (walking to and from train to work and office each morning) and real paper books (when I need to borrow from the library). So I would be left with graphic, poetry, magna - tried them for previous prompts -hate them
*A play that won... - I enjoy watching plays, not so much reading them. And the fact they must have won an award limits it again.

[Jenni]

Nicole wrote: "My top 4 were:

2. A book featuring an elderly character (HELLO. I LOVED A Man Called Ove and I want more of it!)"

Over 18 months, by book club read Ove, plus Jonas Jonasson's The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared and The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper. I enjoyed all three, with Ove being my favorite.

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

Ove is one of my favorite books (I'm actually rereading it right now!). I didn't vote for the elderly prompt, however, because I was thinking of going that way with the Something Old prompt from the multi-week poll. If you really want to read a book with an elderly character, and it doesn't make it on the list, you could always use it for that prompt!

[Sarah]

This one was a hard one for me I had an easy Top 6 and found it hard to narrow it down to just 4. In the end I picked ones I knew had a few books in it I could pick from:

1. A book with elements from at least two genres: I love Paranormal romance so this was an easy pick for me!
2. A book with a monster or a "monstrous" character: This seems like it would be a good time to read some Doctor Who books! lol
3. A book featuring an elderly character: There are few on my TBR list that fit nicely into this one.
4. A book from the ATY list of "Lesser known" books: this one looked interesting and at least one book was already on TBR list

The Bottom 4 ended up being harder to pick:
1. A book related to Arthurian legend: I didn't see any books on the list I would normally read.
2. A book set in a school or university: Not one that want to read
3. A book form you don't usually read: this one is here because I already read a few different book forms.
4. A play that won either a Pulitzer or the Tony for best(non-musical) Play: I am not a fan of reading plays. I find that they just aren't my cup of tea.

[dalex]

I am thinking that if the "A book form you don't usually read" prompt goes through I could read a graphic novel. I read my first one this year and (surprisingly) really enjoyed it. And today in another book group, in a post about books about immigrants, someone recommended The Best We Could Do, which would allow me to cover two bases - graphic novel and memoir. It looks like a really intriguing book!

[Lizzy]

Also, a graphic novel just got long-listed for the Booker Prize. I thought I'd check it out. Nick Drnaso’s “Sabrina,”. How could this not be in the html list of book/author that we can add to our posts?

[°~Amy~°]

Lizzy wrote: "Also, a graphic novel just got long-listed for the Booker Prize. I thought I'd check it out. Nick Drnaso’s “Sabrina,”. How could this not be in the html list of book/author that we can add to our p..."

So you mean this?
Sabrina

[Lizzy]

That’s it. Thanks Amy. When I searched by both name and title, my computer just asked me to spell check!? Glad you found it.

[Zaz]

Lizzy > when you have problem to find a title on Goodreads, you can use the book isbn number, it's very efficient with GR search engine (and you can find it on online bookshops usually if needed).

[Lizzy]

Thank you both, Zaz and Amy! always happy to learn something new.

[Sara]

Yes, useful information for me as well.

[Maple]

I finally voted, and boy did I struggle. I bottoms were easy, but I debated for a solid 10 minutes about submitting without voting for a single top. I eventually found a few I would be okay with. I prefer having the other problem, where I struggle to narrow down my tops.

[dalex]

I was not quite sure what to think about the "a book about natural resources" prompt. I realized cli-fi (climate change fiction) sorta fits this prompt because climate change affects natural resources, right?

If anyone is interested in considering this angle for the prompt, there is this gr list of cli-fi books, which covers a lot of genres and has some popular books like The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin, Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood, Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver, American War by Omar El Akkad. You can also find quite a few lists of cli-fi books by doing a google search.

Just thought someone else might find this helpful and/or interesting.

[Chinook]

I love cli-fi and am interested in reading some solarpunk for sure.

[Martha]

I was thinking along the cli-fi lines or even fiction lines (like Richard Powers' The Overstory) for the natural resources prompt.

[Peter]

Sophie wrote: "My first instinct was to put the religious prompt in my bottom, but thanks to the discussion I didn’t. If it passes, I’ll probably read Parable of the Talents by Octavia Butler (it’s s..."

I'm not sure if anyone answered you or not, I've been away for a few days. I included fake/false to cover different situations.

Fake meaning not a real person, something completely madeup; an identity that the character assumes and uses but was created by them.

False meaning more of an impersonation or identity theft where a character pretends to be or uses the identity of a real (or in-book real) person that isn't created by them.

Hope that helps.

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

Can't wait to see these results tomorrow!

[dalex]

This has seemed like an extra long seven days! I sure hope we get more than 2 or 3 results this time.

[Rachelnyc]

I know! I have a feeling there will be at least a few polarizing topics again.