Around the Year in 52 Books discussion
Archives
>
[2020] Voting for the 8th Mini-Poll - Multi-Week Prompts
The goal of this poll is to have one winner. In the hopes of coming out of this poll with one winner, we are limiting the number of votes per person to 6, which can be used in any combination of top and bottom votes.You will see some changes to the mini poll this time.
This poll will include a question up front about whether or not you want a multi-week prompt. If the majority of voters do not want a multi-week prompt, there will be no prompts added to the final list for this mini poll.
In addition, starting with this poll, we are asking people to include their Goodreads profile address when they vote. To find this, just go to your own profile and then copy the URL/web address. We’ve introduced this for two reasons:
1. On a few occasions in each poll, people have used more than the allotted number of votes, either because they aren’t familiar with the rules or just by mistake. When this happens our only option is to disregard the vote as we can’t identify the voter to ask them to resubmit. By asking for your profile address we’ll be able to message you and ask you to vote again if you’ve accidentally used more than the allotted number of votes.
2. Unfortunately a very small number of people have voted more than once per poll and so we are asking for this information to prevent duplicate votes.
I do plan on voting for multi-week prompts but I was not sure how the voting will work for those who do not want any multi-week prompts.edit:
It looks like I just happened to get on before you finished your second post. Thanks!
Thanks Jillian. I noticed that as well after I posted. It should be all fixed now.There will be an additional question in this poll asking if you want a multi-week prompt or not. If you do not want a multi-week prompt on the list, feel free to use your 6 votes to down vote prompts you especially don't want.
But just to be clear, even if you vote "no I don't want a multi-prompt" you can still up-vote prompts you like just in case the majority DO want a multi-prompt. Is this correct?
I would like some clarification on this one - "Three books in the same genre from different countries."I don't understand the "FROM" part? Does it mean the authors are FROM different countries? Do the books have to be set in the countries the authors are from? Like, if the authors are from Canada, US, and Africa but all the books are set in England....would that count? Or does it have nothing to do with authors but the setting of the books?
Avery wrote: "But just to be clear, even if you vote "no I don't want a multi-prompt" you can still up-vote prompts you like just in case the majority DO want a multi-prompt. Is this correct?"Yes, that’s right. So if someone prefers not to have a multiweek prompt but the majority do want one then at least they’ll have had an equal say in which prompt is chosen.
Does anyone have suggestions of some duologies that they have enjoyed? I generally read long series so I'm not to familiar with duologies. I'd like to give them a fair shot before down voting it.
dalex wrote: "I would like some clarification on this one - "Three books in the same genre from different countries."I don't understand the "FROM" part? Does it mean the authors are FROM different countries? D..."
I think this is one of those that’s really for each person to decide for themselves. Personally I tend to interpret this type of prompt as being by an author from (usually meaning born there) a particular country, but others probably feel differently. I think for a multiweek prompt it would make sense for someone to use the same definition of “from” for all three weeks, but again I think it’s up to the individual to decide what they think is a fair interpretation of the prompt. Sorry that’s probably not a particularly helpful reply! :-)
Jillian wrote: "Does anyone have suggestions of some duologies that they have enjoyed? I generally read long series so I'm not to familiar with duologies. I'd like to give them a fair shot before down voting it."I found this list of books shelved as duology: https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...
As always with GR, it may not be entirely accurate!
Jillian wrote: "Does anyone have suggestions of some duologies that they have enjoyed? I generally read long series so I'm not to familiar with duologies. I'd like to give them a fair shot before down voting it."More lists with duologies:
https://bookriot.com/2018/04/26/must-...
https://www.buzzfeed.com/kayepublicit...
http://www.bookaddictsguide.com/2015/...
Thanks, for the links. My initial search on GR did not pull up anything I was interested in. I have at least one duology (Seraphina and Shadow Scale ) on my TBR list that I want to read next year. So that helps with my voting since I had 4 up and 3 down. Now, I have 4 up and 2 down.
I'm inclined to down vote duology anyway, just because it's so much less interesting than all the other suggestions. (If there were more than one winner like normal, I'd just leave it, but the way it's set up I'll be more aggressively downvoting than normal.)The problem is to narrow down my up votes when I love almost all the suggestions!
I have The Bones of Avalon and The Heresy of Dr Dee by Phil Rickman on my list so will vote for that
dalex wrote: "I would like some clarification on this one - "Three books in the same genre from different countries."I don't understand the "FROM" part? Does it mean the authors are FROM different countries? D..."
I would say "from" is the author is living in the country but the book doesn't need to be set there. But as Bryony said, it can be interpreted however anyone wants.
I want about half of these, I'm going to have to do some serious thinking. Though I'll probably be adding a lot of the losers to my rejects list for next year anyway.I'm not so much of a fan of duology, just because if I don't like the first book I have to read the second, or find another duology, and that could go on some time till I find one I like.
For #7 (memoir, biography, or novelization of the life of an author and a book by that author) I'm not sure there are any pairings that would work for me. I feel it would mean me having to read two books I'm not that interested in.
I'm a bit wary of the prompts related to different countries. It's hard because some of the books I thought were "from" another country actually say the author is from the U.S. or lives there. The 3 touching countries is hard because the U.S. only touches two countries, and the U.K. touches only one. And then there's Australia. Ugh.
Mod
If I decide to upvote, my favorites are:
- "Beauty, Brains, Brawn” - so many ways to play around with the concepts!
- Three “own voices” books - I could give or take the rainbow part, but I love being pushed to read own voices even more than I already do
- Two binary books - I like this concept a lot, especially for a 2-week prompt
- Three books in the same genre from different countries - I read A LOT of American and UK books, so this would be an interesting push for some diversity... thinking I would go historical fiction for this one
- Identities you're not familiar with - I hate the wording of it, but I love the concept... similar reasons as "own voices"
- Fiction/nonfiction pairing - I did this with the two week multi-week prompt this year, and I really, really enjoyed it (I went with Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness and Still Alice)
I guess I could just use my votes to upvote these six? But there are a few I really don't like, so I'd want to downvote some... hm. This is a hard week!
Emily wrote: "I think, like Raquel mentioned, I may end up downvoting a lot, just because I am SO IN LOVE with so many prompts that I will focus on what I don't want to get in and be happy with whatever else doe...""Identities you're not familiar with..." would changing it to something along the lines of "different than you" be better?
I'm biased because I submitted it, but Beauty/Brains/Brawn is definitely my top up-vote, and then I agree I'm thinking of down-voting some of the more dull prompts in my opinion.
But I also like the binary opposite prompt. Right now, I'm thinking The Light Between Oceans and In a Dark, Dark Wood just because it has two binary opposites in it (light/dark, oceans/wood). Or I'd do The A.B.C. Murders and World War Z (A/Z).
Mod
That just sounds so much cleaner.
My first thoughts have me upvoting prompt 2 (own voices) and prompt 10 (different identities). Either would be a great way of getting some diversity into the list. Will probably downvote duologies simply because I didn’t see any that appealed and having to read 2 books that didn’t appeal might be too much. I’ll probably also downvote 3 countries whose borders touch. Even though I’m reading my way around the world this feels pretty restrictive and hard to find lots of options for. I could be wrong though.
Mod
The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue and The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy
Bryony wrote: "Personally I tend to interpret this type of prompt as being by an author from..."Ellie wrote: "I would say "from" is the author is living in the country but the book doesn't need to be set there..."
Thanks for the replies. I wish the prompt was worded so it seems more like it's open to interpretation rather than just missing something.
Like, instead of "Three books in the same genre from different countries" maybe "Three books in the same genre that are geographically different (setting, author nationality, etc.)."
Mod
Ellie wrote: "I would say "from" is the author is living in the country but the book doesn't need t..."
Oh, I do like that wording better, dalex. It clarifies it without changing the context of the prompt.
dalex wrote: "Bryony wrote: "Personally I tend to interpret this type of prompt as being by an author from..."Ellie wrote: "I would say "from" is the author is living in the country but the book doesn't need t..."
I like that wording better also.
I have two definite upvotes and two definite downvotes. I'm still figuring out where to allocate the other two votes.
My problem with the suggested new wording for the same genre different countries prompt is that it makes it hard to pick Science fiction or fantasy or something set somewhere not real.
Whether it gets picked or not - well done Avery for the Beauty/Brains/Brawn suggestion. That's exactly the kind of prompt I enjoy - where it encourages reading a wide range of books, maybe something you don't usually pick up, but it has masses of flexibility so that you could probably fill it with something you'd normally read if you weren't feeling adventurous that week.
Can I up-vote it 6 times please?
As a second preference, I like the 3 centuries/3 generations/Past Present & Future ones - again plenty of scope (and encouragement) to try new things, but the comfort blanket of knowing you can cover off at least one of them with your usual genre pick it you're not feeling like pushing yourself when it comes round.
Avery wrote: "Identities you're not familiar with..." would changing it to something along the lines of "different than you" be better?"The reason I worded it this way was because it wasn’t my intent for example, for an average woman to pick a book about a man, since (most of us) are pretty familiar with men and how they think. I agree that it is a little awkward, but that ever bothers me because it has no impact on the books I read.
Emily wrote: "Maybe "Three books with protagonists or themes that represent identities different from your own"?That just sounds so much cleaner."
I like that wording much better too. The original version is a great idea, but I got a bit bogged down in the way it was structured so it took me some time to figure out what it even was asking for.
I'm still on the fence about how to vote. Even for the first yes/no question, I'm torn. I'm partly inclined to say no because I don't think the list necessarily "needs" a multi-week prompt, and just conceptually I find it hard to answer whether I want one or not even after seeing the options. There are some that I want, and some that I wouldn't want.
I missed the majority of the suggestion process after making my own suggestion, but my initial impression of the list is that a couple of the prompts felt a bit too similar to me. I definitely don't want to stir up any trouble, because I think it was mostly my own interpretation. For example, the two diversity suggestions seemed a bit similar to me at first, and the past/present/future seemed a bit similar to the three different centuries. I can see where they are different for sure, but it made it tougher at first to get a sense of where to cast my votes.
Also I wanted to clarify -- for the three countries whose borders are touching, do all three need to be touching each other? Or is it enough that each of the three shares a border with at least one of the others? Hopefully that makes sense...
Hi Rachel My thought was that each country would share one border... so, for example, if you wanted to read about North Africa, you could read a book from Egypt, from Libya, and from Tunisia.
Mod
That's how I interpreted it as well.
Bryony wrote: "dalex wrote: "I would like some clarification on this one - "Three books in the same genre from different countries."I don't understand the "FROM" part? Does it mean the authors are FROM differen..."
I'm not a moderator but I understand this to be something like: detective story written by a Scandinavian author,(sweden) a detective story written by an American author(USA), and a detective story written by a Canadian author.
Mod
I agree with viemag. And now that you listed examples, I really like the prompt!
We have some really great ones this round.
Mod
Lizzy wrote: "Hi Rachel My thought was that each country would share one border... so, for example, if you wanted to read about North Africa, you could read a book from Egypt, from Libya, and from Tunisia."Ok great, that's what I initially thought but I started to overthink it somehow. That makes it much easier.
Not into the 4 seasons since we don't have them here but I'm sure I'll cope if it is chosen.
Only 6 votes?! I like most of these prompts! Hard decision!
I don't really want the 3 genres/countries prompt turned into a settings prompt. We already have a lot of settings prompts and my intention was to explore a genre from the perspective of people from different countries.If people don't want to vote for it with that wording then fine. If it really needs more clarity, please put the stress on the authors being from different countries.
Lisa wrote: "My problem with the suggested new wording for the same genre different countries prompt is that it makes it hard to pick Science fiction or fantasy or something set somewhere not real."Agreed. Space is just one location and do you count every high fantasy world as a different location or the same made up location? I'm surprised there is so much push-back at reading books from other countries. If I was being lazy I'd choose UK, US and Ireland, it doesn't require reading obscure translations at all!
For me, that interpretation would be all about where the author is from. For dual citizenship I would take into consideration setting, so basically I would avoid reading two books set in Canada even if the authors were dual citizens from two different countries.
Ellie wrote: "Lisa wrote: "My problem with the suggested new wording for the same genre different countries prompt is that it makes it hard to pick Science fiction or fantasy or something set somewhere not real...."If you wanted to be really lazy I think you could easily use Scotland and England/Wales as two of the three even, in so much as I think that there are distinct differences in those literary cultures and they offer different perspectives similar to the differences between UK and US, for example.
For the Pride rainbow, there is a more recent design of the flag that includes black and brown stripes as well, in case that opens up additional exciting options for anyone.
Here's my links from the suggestions thread for #9, I'm not sure if it'll help or hinder, haha (plus not all are authors from that country, but it gives an idea):https://crimereads.com/the-best-inter...
https://www.hodderscape.co.uk/around-...
https://bookriot.com/2019/01/22/slavi...
https://thebookerprizes.com/internati...
https://bookriot.com/2017/05/16/100-m...
https://ayearofreadingtheworld.com/
Chinook wrote: "For the Pride rainbow, there is a more recent design of the flag that includes black and brown stripes as well, in case that opens up additional exciting options for anyone."I love the pride flag prompt, I'm definitely voting for it, and if it doesn't get in it's going on my rejects list for each colour, not just three.
I am with Ellie and co. on the genre/country prompt. My plan was also to explore a genre from different regions/cultures. Thinking along the lines of how folktales/ fables are same genre but still different, or how different myths and folklore influence fantasy. And those examples mostly don't have settings that can be find on a map of our world.
Ellie wrote: "I don't really want the 3 genres/countries prompt turned into a settings prompt. We already have a lot of settings prompts and my intention was to explore a genre from the perspective of people fro..."So does that mean it should be worded as "Three books in the same genre BY AUTHORS from different countries"?
The mods don't seem to be offering to make edits to the list of prompts, though, so I guess ultimately it doesn't matter?
I think we're trying to see if you guys reach a consensus before offering an edit, which isn't the case yet hahaI'd say that dalex's suggestion looks good, "by authors from different countries" gives people the liberty of choosing if the person has to be born in the country, living there, has origins there...
dalex wrote: "So does that mean it should be worded as "Three books in the same genre BY AUTHORS from different countries"? "I'd be happy with this wording.
For ”same genre / different country” I’m thinking “author from different country” and I will definitely read SFF for that one, I’ve been enjoying reading sci fi by authors from different countries and I want to explore more of that.For “bio + book” I’m excited to read a bio of Truman Capote or Zora Neale Hurston or Edna St Vincent Millay, and then read (or re-read) one of their books. There have also been several popular novelizations of author’s lives: Beryl Markham, Ernest Hemingway, F ScottFitzgerald, Virginia Wolfe, the Bronte, etc.
Around the Year in 52 Books
Books mentioned in this topic
The Night Tiger (other topics)The Dragon Republic (other topics)
Bearskin (other topics)
The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue (other topics)
The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy (other topics)
More...
Voting will open on 8/2 and results will be posted on 8/7.
See additional information in Post 2.
How it works:
- When the voting opens, follow the link to the mini-poll that will be added at the end of this post
- You have a total of 6 votes this poll to spread across your favourite and least favourite prompts (you can also use less than 6 votes)
- The poll will be open for five days, so you don't have to rush and vote straightaway
- The prompts with the more "positive" votes (top minus bottom) will be announced shortly after the end of the poll and added to the final list (expect between 2 and 5 depending on how the votes are spread)
As a reminder: You have a total of 6 votes to use among your top and bottom votes. The mods have access to each individual vote, so we can see if you use more than 6 votes. If you use more than 6 votes in the poll, your vote will have to be deleted, so please make sure to follow the directions so your voice can be heard.
Poll Entries:
1. Three books linked by the saying "Beauty, Brains, Brawn”
Beauty: a book by an artist or celebrity, a book related to art, a book about inner beauty, a book with illustrations, a book with a beautiful cover, a book related to Sleeping Beauty or Beauty and the Beast, a book with a character you find attractive
Brains: a book by a scientist or doctor, a book related to education, a book related to zombies, a required reading for school or class, a book that will teach you something, a puzzle book
Brawn: a book by an athlete, a book related to sports, a book about inner strength, a physically large book, a book with a hefty page count
2. To celebrate PRIDE, three “own voices” books, from any marginalized group, inspired by the colors of the rainbow (e.g. cover, title, author name, country flag, etc.)
Red:
Children of Blood and Bone (blood)
The Wrath and the Dawn (cover)
Yellow:
Half of a Yellow Sun (cover & title)
The Sun Is Also a Star (sun)
American Born Chinese (cover)
Orange:
Homegoing (cover)
The Inscrutable Americans (flag of India)
There There (author)
Green:
Turtles All the Way Down (author)
Green Card Youth Voices: Immigration Stories from a Minneapolis High School (title and content)
Blue:
They Both Die at the End (cover)
On the Edge of Gone (cover)
Violet:
Labyrinth Lost (cover)
The Color Purple (title)
3. Three books with authors or characters in three different generations
Author ideas:
You could use 3 different authors but you could use a single author at different ages, for instance Stephen King released Carrie when he was 27, The Stand when he was 43 and The Outsider at 71.
Examples of debut books written by authors in their 20s
Authors who gained fame after 40
8 Writers Over 80
Books written by someone when they were over the age of 65
Character Ideas:
Adult Fiction With Child Protagonist
Best Characters Who Are In Their 20s
Midlife Crisis Novels
Protagonists Over 60
4. Two books that are related to each other as a pair of binary opposites
(e.g. hot/cold, top/bottom, high/low, heads/tails, first/last, yes/no, true/false, tall short, big small, same different, on off,
up down, left right, male female, young old, poor rich, light dark, light heavy, north south, east west, strong weak, front back, brother sister, mother father, good evil, black white, red green, blue yellow, action inaction, hero villain, global local, rational emotional, mind body, nature nurture, public private, natural artificial, real fake, war peace, urban rural, reality virtuality, earth-bound vs extra-terrestrial, day night, morning evening, law abiding/criminal, fiction/nonfiction, love/hate)
5. Two books from different genres that are connected in some way
(e.g. author, subject matter/topic, topic, publish year, own voices, award, etc.)
6. Three books related to any three of the five senses (sight, sound, taste, touch, smell)
7. Two books: A memoir, biography, or novelization of the life of an author and a book by that author
8. Four books related to each of the four seasons
(e.g. title, cover art, story, etc.)
9. Three books in the same genre from different countries
10. Three books with main characters with, or themes about, three identities you aren’t intimately familiar with: a different race, gender orientation or sexuality, beliefs/religion, socioeconomic status, or physical (dis)ability
11. Four books related to the four elements of astrology: Fire, Earth, Air, and Water
12. A duology
Popular Duology Books
50 Must Read YA Duologies
Buzzfeed Favorite Duologies
Book Addict's Guide to Duologies
13. Three books published in three consecutive years
14. Two books of the same genre written more than 50 years apart
15. Three books published in or set in three different centuries
16. Three books from three countries whose borders touch
17. Four books related to a deck of cards
[the suits, numbers, face cards, etc.]
18. Three books related to the primary colors [red, yellow and blue]
(e.g title, cover color, associated mood/behavior - anger, sadness, cowardice, etc.)
19. A fiction and non-fiction book about the same topic
20. 3 books linked by Past, Present, Future
Vote Here:
https://forms.gle/NxNhGXnx7L1xZ3Cx6