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[2020] Voting for 3rd Mini-Poll
So, I was thinking about the experiment prompt and contemplating ways to go about it other than the obvious science experiment. One definition of experiment is try out a new procedure, idea, or activity. By using that definition, I think you could do things like introducing something new to a culture (missionaries, anthropologists, doctors). Or a book in which a character tries some method of self-improvement or implements some technique to save their marriage. Or a book in which a character takes up a new hobby or goes on a vacation. Pretty much any situation where the character asks, "If I do X....what will happen?"
I voted 7 up, one down (book you pick because of the cover). I never pick up a book only because of the cover. I always at least read the blurb, and since being on goodreads, most books I read I have heard of somehow (or I know the author or I've read reviews in a magazine or newspaper).I like the geographically based prompts. So I voted for both the global city and the rural area prompt. Since I love literature from Iceland (and really like Iceland anyway), I would have no problem filling the prompt by an author from/set in a country with less than 1 mio. population. Latin Americ, out of my comfort zone etc. Lots of good prompts to choose from like in the past two polls as well. It is going to become a great list next year.
Probably would be my choice as well, Pam.
Pam wrote: "I didn’t vote for it but, if the rabbit prompt wins, I would read one of the books in John Updike’s Rabbit Angstrom series."Ooh good idea I have one on my shelf.
Nicole wrote: "Upvoted:1. A book in which one of the main characters is involved in an experiment. (Yay to Sci-Fi)
2. A book set in a global city. (Yay to learning about new countries!)
3. A book written by an ..."
Just as an FYI incase the less than 1 million people gets up:
If you like quick adventure
The Solomon Curse Solomon Islands only has half a million people also for those who like WWII history there is loads about the Battle of Guadalcanal around (major American involvement for one of the last pacific strongholds) and lots about diving over there.
Kiribati is just over 100000 and the battle of Tarawa was held there and has been written about a lot (American involvement again).
On a lighter note and quite funny at times Getting Stoned with Savages: A Trip Through the Islands of Fiji and VanuatuVanuatu is 300000 and Fiji 900000
The Sex Lives of Cannibals: Adrift in the Equatorial Pacific also set in Kiribati.
Just in case it comes up...… I would still have to do some research as anything about where I have lived I tend to read.
I'm thinking about my vote.I'm intrigued by the category "set in a country with a pop less than 1 mill" - some of these countries popped up for me this year when I was searching for books set in Mediterranean countries (obviously, I'm prone to liking mysteries):
Malta: Death in Malta(Dingli),The Kappillan of Malta (Monsarrat), The Information Officer (Mills), The Sword and the Scimitar (Ball), Like Bees to Honey(Smailes)
Montenegro: The Black Mountain (Nero Wolfe / Stout)
Monaco: The Last Letter from Your Lover (Moyes), The Mystery of the Blue Train (Christie),
Gibraltar: Shadow of the Rock (Mogford)
And the Faroe Islands: https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...
Bahamas: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Turks and Caicos: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Then of course there are Greenland, Iceland, and some other Caribbean islands, all very popular settings for books.
I'm struggling to find a "rabbit" book that I really want to read.Watership Down - which is a book I think I "should" read, but I don't really WANT to read it.
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane - maybe?
Bunny Dreams & Chloe - picture books, which feels like cheating
The Black Rabbit & The Rabbit Listened & The Way Home in the Night - all picture books, not really what I read for a reading challenge
Alice - I don't know, the cover looks cool so I keep checking it out, but I'm just not that interested and never add it to my tbr list
and that's it. That's all I can find. Basically, I'd read a picture book if this one wins.
Nadine wrote: "I'm struggling to find a "rabbit" book that I really want to read.Watership Down - which is a book I think I "should" read, but I don't really WANT to read it.
The Miraculous..."</i>
[author:John MarsdenThe Rabbits Is for kids but it is basically looking at European invasion of Australia as if Europeans were rabbits. Very cleverly done. Thought provoking, short and worth the read.
For the Chinese Zodiac prompt this year I read The Last Pearl Fisher of Scotland by Julia Stuart, which features a rabbit named Harvey. It was quirky and a little sad and I quite enjoyed it.Another good one is When God Was a Rabbit by Sarah Winman. And The Rabbit Back Literature Society is very weird, but interesting.
I think this is the first time since we started the "8 votes divided how you want" system that I've actually had an even 4-4 split. To be honest, my gut reaction when I saw this list was that there were very few that I very strongly wanted, and a lot that I strongly did not want. It changed a bit when I started researching options though.I find it a bit funny how many geography-related prompts we had in this batch. Seems like there was an unintentional theme.
I'm clearly in the minority here too - I down voted 6 and upvoted 2. For me reading is about enjoyment so I don't want to be taken outside my comfort zone and I dislike non-fiction. I also dislike humorous books as I find if I'm supposed to find them funny I don't.
Mod
But it's similar to week 47 this year.
Mod
I must admit, its been a long weekend so I'm laughing that I would read Sex & the City for the prompt :)
Mod
I live on Cape Cod and the US government considers us a rural area., The majority of the US is actually considered rural- here's the USDA map https://www.usdaloans.com/program/pro...
(sorry to be US focused but it is what I know)
Watership Down is a fabulous book! I envy anybody who has a chance to enjoy it for the first time, having read it a dozen or more times myself.
Jen wrote: "Nadine wrote: "I'm struggling to find a "rabbit" book that I really want to read.Watership Down - which is a book I think I "should" read, but I don't really WANT to read it.
[book..."
Last year I read (and loved) The Rabbit Back Literature Society. It is a mystery with elements of magical realism and fantasy to it. It is about writing and people dynamics. If the rabbit prompt wins, I highly recommend this as an option.
If the rabbit prompt doesn't make it, it is translated from Finnish and might fit other prompts (this year or next).
I’m struggling with this list, there are very few that I feel strongly about either good or bad. I think this will be the first time I don’t use all my eight votes!
I’m reading Chocolat at the moment and the main character’s daughter has an imaginary rabbit. Depending how strictly you interpret prompts that might work if the rabbit prompt is voted in. 😅
I'm not sure if it's because I have less time than I did during the voting process last year but I'm finding myself researching less and voting more with my gut this year. I figure I'll have plenty of time to research as we get further into the list.I love geographic prompts so I went with Global city, Latin American country author and rural area. I also really liked and upvoted non-fiction book about a place (I may save my recent BOTM choice The Buried: An Archaeology of the Egyptian Revolution for this if it wins) and a book that seems like a bad idea.
I'm sorry but I have seen the picking a book by its cover too many times plus I read mainly ebooks so I never pick up a book by its cover so I downvoted that along with rabbit (I researched that for Chinese zodiac and wasn't interested) and author's name larger than title.
Most of the others I'd be happy with or at least I know I'll be able to find something that works. I don't usually root for prompts that are too close to recent ones from this challenge or Popsugar but I'd be fine with the food prompt since I have a long list of those.
Agreed about the food prompt. Normally I would be annoyed about a repeating prompt, but there are just so many choices for a food prompt. And I love books about food.
I love books about food too, Milena. I will vote for that topic every single time, haha.
I realized that thanks to the free kindle books on Amazon for World Books Day I DO own at least one book that works for Latin American author, so I had 7 upvotes this round.
I have no particular opinion about the rabbit prompt, but if it wins I'll probably go back and read some of the Bunnicula sequels I didn't get to during childhood.
Glad to see some groundswell for the rabbits. I'm planning on reading a Finnish book called Year of the Hare, but as a category I like the idea of working in a children's classic. If you're reading 52 books in a year and some of them are weighty challenges, it's OK to take a little break with a children's classic or a manga.
As a proud owner of two extremely cute rabbits, I am all over the rabbit idea. Bunnies are the best!
Milena wrote: "Agreed about the food prompt. Normally I would be annoyed about a repeating prompt, but there are just so many choices for a food prompt. And I love books about food."Well this year’s prompt was a book about food. Since I don’t read cookbooks, or foodie topics, I settled on the Omnivore’s Dilemma, which was excellent, but that’s probably the only food book I ever read.
However, food in the title is a different ball game - I love the “search the title” prompts.
Miriam wrote: "I voted 7 up, one down (book you pick because of the cover). I never pick up a book only because of the cover. I always at least read the blurb, and since being on goodreads, most books I read I ha..."I did the same! 7 up, and 1 down - the cover prompt. I totally don’t care for covers - blurbs and reviews is what I look at - and what friends with similar tastes think.
Mod
I did 5 upvotes and 3 downvotes. I can probably find something for most of the prompts, but there were a couple that didn't care for. I don't pick books just for a cover, and I don't want to be a buzzkill, but I had a hard time coming up with a Chinese zodiac animal book this year, so I voted down rabbits.
Seluxes wrote: "For rabbits, there's always: The Relaxed Rabbit: Massage for Your Pet Bunny. 🐇"Oh my god, I must have this. My kids will be all over it.
I downvoted friendship because it's so broad, and the otherworldly prompt because I've lost my spiritual gene.
dalex wrote: "Some thoughts for "A book related to time".....The word “time” in the title
A word like “midnight” or “dawn” in the title
A word like “hours” or “year” in the title
A word like "past," "present..."
I read The Gilda Stories. Each chapter focuses on a different year in time going from 1850 to 2050.
Seluxes wrote: "Marta wrote: "Seluxes wrote: "For rabbits, there's always: The Relaxed Rabbit: Massage for Your Pet Bunny. 🐇"Oh my god, I must have this. My kids will be all over it."
It was a UBS ..."
I have ordered it. Awaiting excitedly. :)
Mod
Emily wrote: "How is it only the 27th?! Two more days before results are posted?!"how are you in my head thinking my thoughts
It seems to have taken forever this time.
Does seem longer than usual, perhaps because we are more anxious to see the outcome this time?
I think it's the 24 hour discussion period this year that makes it go by slower!
Yes, and I think discussing it as we have makes you have more invested in what gets selected. Exciting way to make a list!
I wonder if people get more invested later in the polls when there are only so many spots left, or when you wish there were more of a certain type of prompt! Just realized we haven't had any list/awards prompts yet, maybe I'll research some in order to make the time go by faster!
Mod
It's a week starting when the poll opens, but we've been talking about shortening the voting period to 5 days, what do you guys think?
Mod
I think a compromise could also be to just do a week from when the suggestions thread closes, instead of at the end of the discussion period.
We were told that a lot of people vote during the last few days, also that vacations are during the period, so cutting it shorter wasn't advisable. The poll does go up almost as soon as the suggestions have finished. I think we have to remember that the members number over 6,000, so really it is only a handful of members who take part in the discussions. A week to vote does seem reasonable.
Mod
I don't know... I think whatever the mods decide is good, since you have more information than we do. For those of us who are active in the discussions and typically vote in the first day or two of the poll being opened... I imagine most of us would want a shorter voting time. But if it looks like there are a significant amount of people voting at the very end... I'd hate for people to be excluded.
Didn’t we shorten it to 5 days at one point last year? If that seems too short, I think the compromise to start the clock once the prompts have been set is a good one. That way people still have a full week to make their decision but we’re not adding a whole day to the wait while we discuss.
I'm fine with shortening it to 5 days too, as long as it is not preventing a significant number of people from voting somehow. Even last year, I'd always commented that I think voters also need to accept that sometimes life gets in the way and they may not be able to vote every single time, unfortunately, but there are so many polls that I think everyone can participate most (if not all) of the time. I also wonder if the longer voting time makes people put off voting until closer to the end. If they can't vote because they can't get online for whatever reason until the end of the voting period, then that's one thing, but if people are putting off making a decision until the discussion is mostly done, I think the same could be accomplished in 5 days.
Yes, shorten. The wait is excruciating.
I think if the statistics show that a significant number of people vote at the end we should leave it alone. None of us is likely to die from waiting. lol.
Around the Year in 52 Books
Books mentioned in this topic
The Relaxed Rabbit: Massage for Your Pet Bunny (other topics)The Gilda Stories (other topics)
The Relaxed Rabbit: Massage for Your Pet Bunny (other topics)
Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery (other topics)
The Buried: An Archaeology of the Egyptian Revolution (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Sarah Winman (other topics)Julia Stuart (other topics)
David Joy (other topics)
Wendell Berry (other topics)
My final top 6 were:
1. Nostalgic - I like prompts where they’re based on how the book makes you feel!
2. Author’s name larger than title - I love this prompt and think it’s fun to research by just looking though my TBR on Goodreads!
3. Out of your comfort zone - I think this could be a good prompt to insert some diverse reading, as I typically revert to reading about people like me.
4. Humorous fiction - I loved Where’d You Go, Bernadette, and I’m reading The Rosie Project now and also loving it!
5. NASA mission name - This is fun and I think it’s unique.
6. Seems like a bad idea - I like domestic thrillers and psychological thrillers and they are always coming up with terrible ideas.