Around the Year in 52 Books discussion
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[2021] The Wild Discussion
Serendipity wrote: "I’m still trying to decide if I should resubmit my lesser known literary prize prompt. I think I submitted and resubmitted too soon in the process, and don’t want to do the same with its last chanc..."I voted for it last time and would vote again, but it seems like list prompts aren't as popular this year for some reason.
I just checked out the timeline of the 21st century and wow a lot has happened.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timelin...
I would be inclined to do a BIO to make sure the book was about one of those events, otherwise it is an incredibly open prompt. So many topics.
I personally also prefer the 21st century major event wording. The 9/11 one would probably be a down-vote from me unless I was more interested in up-voting that week. Admittedly after 2020 I would prefer to focus on real life events that are less tragedy and more uplifting if possible.Additionally, I'm struggling to put into words how I feel about the idea of having it as a specific topic but then allowing for a wide expanse of options "related to it". Something feels off/disrespectful about not focusing on the tragedy itself to me. This is NOT a judgement on people who are interested in doing that, please don't feel I am calling anyone out or attacking them. This is just my personal feelings and I wonder if other people feel the same way. Like I said I'm struggling to articulate so I might even be saying it badly.
If it gets in I would probably end up reading a freebie, which is totally fine. This is part of why the freebies exist I'm sure!
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I have an idea that I’d like to kick around before submitting. I think it would be fun and unique to have one prompt that was a community challenge. Let’s say we worked on a list of 500ish books and everyone chose a title to contribute to the group finishing the list. I think it’s a way to emphasize the community part of this group.
Mary Beth wrote: "I have an idea that I’d like to kick around before submitting. I think it would be fun and unique to have one prompt that was a community challenge. Let’s say we worked on a list of 500ish books an..."I think the biggest problem that we have had with this type of prompt in the past is that group members want to see the list before they vote for it, not vote for it and hope it actually includes books that everyone hasn't already read before.
The other issue is, what if we vote for it and then the list doesn't get done, or only has 25 books on it? How would we fix that?
A third issue is people not liking prompts that require them to come back to the group to fulfill it. Some people just want to take the challenge list and run off with it, they don't like checking into the group during the year.
But then again, every time I think I have the group figured out, they prove me wrong, so what do I know? lol
I am feeling frustrated with how quickly the suggestion polls are filling up. I find that it's really difficult for me, and I don't know about other people, to get online during the 3-4 hour window before the 15 suggestions get seconded & suggested. I didn't have this problem in other years, maybe it's a case of the 2020 & how working from home has changed things up for me. I thought I had finally made it this time, but alas, I was one minute too late.I guess the solution would be to post my ideas here & see if anyone else is interested enough to suggest it. I would just like a chance to be involved in the suggestion process myself if I can.
Mary Beth wrote: "I have an idea that I’d like to kick around before submitting. I think it would be fun and unique to have one prompt that was a community challenge. Let’s say we worked on a list of 500ish books an..."A year or two ago the group created a list of their favorite lesser known books. It never got voted in as a prompt.
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
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Katie wrote: "I am feeling frustrated with how quickly the suggestion polls are filling up. I find that it's really difficult for me, and I don't know about other people, to get online during the 3-4 hour window..."Do we need to bring back the rule where you can't suggest/second if you did in the previous round? I thought this one was a lot slower but then I was online for the whole time.
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Sorry, Katie! I feel bad that the confusion with the second chance suggestion knocked yours out, especially because your power struggle prompt sounded so interesting!The only reason I even noticed the mix-up is because I'd gone back to the thread to see if my suggestion was seconded, and noticed it on the list in a different wording that what I'd posted. To be honest, I prefer the more concise "deals with second chances" wording since I think that encompasses the postponement/redo idea already, but technically the other one got in first so I guess I can't really complain.
Katie- I like your idea and will suggest it, giving you credit, if I get on the poll in time. The last 3 polls I got on within minutes of the poll opening, just by chance.
I'm usually around when the suggestion thread still has plenty of room for suggestions. More than happy to try to help anyone out if they are having trouble getting their suggestions in.
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https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Ellie wrote: "Katie wrote: "I am feeling frustrated with how quickly the suggestion polls are filling up. I find that it's really difficult for me, and I don't know about other people, to get online during the 3..."I don't know. I remember that being a lot of work for the mods to track who had suggested the previous week and who hadn't, posting fairly regular reminders "oh, that one doesn't count because you suggested/seconded last week" It kind of demands that a mod HAS to be right there monitoring the thread the entire time to keep things from getting confusing. I think the mods have been amazing at trying to accommodate for everyone. They schedule the suggestion threads at various times of the day, they post the approximate time the thread will open, they send out an announcement.....they make it more than fair for everyone. I don't think there is any way to make the suggestions poll work for absolutely everyone in every circumstance.
Amy. — I thought I’d suggest a list with the poll. I’ve been looking around but I’m open for suggestions. It seems there’s about 650? Members. I thought a list of 500 would allow for people who disappear but the moderators might have a better idea of active participants. My other thought was that readers who read more than 52 books a year might double up if we have some leftover.
It is certainly more labor intensive than some of the other prompts so I’ll continue to monitor for interest.
°~Amy~° wrote: "Ellie wrote: "Katie wrote: "I am feeling frustrated with how quickly the suggestion polls are filling up. I find that it's really difficult for me, and I don't know about other people, to get onlin..."I was thinking the same thing, just having trouble putting it into words. If anything, I found there was a lot more confusion last year when there were so many in-thread corrections about "Sorry, you need to wait" kinds of messages. It made it really hard to follow how many suggestions we were up to, and I think it would definitely require someone actively monitoring the thread the entire time to make it work.
Mary Beth wrote: "It is certainly more labor intensive than some of the other prompts so I’ll continue to monitor for interest..."Absolutely, mine is just one opinion out of the lot. I hope others have good ideas how to make your idea work :-)
No, don't feel bad, Rachel! It was kind of amazing that 2 people suggested the second chance type prompt at the exact same time. What are the chances of that happening? And I really liked the domestic fiction prompt as well. I thought about saving my prompt & seconding that one.I agree with Amy that it would be a big ask to try to have the mods monitor who submits what. It's already a lot of work to manage the list making process. I definitely know that. I wasn't helping the situation.
It took me until Poll 8 to even come up with an idea that I wanted to suggest and now that I finally came up with something, I was feeling sorry for myself that I haven't been able to submit it. So I apologize for coming on here & complaining & stirring things up. It wasn't needed.
I should've just said, I don't know if I'll make it in time to future polls, would someone be willing to post my suggestion next time? So I appreciate those of you who said they would help me out next time!
Katie wrote: "No, don't feel bad, Rachel! It was kind of amazing that 2 people suggested the second chance type prompt at the exact same time. What are the chances of that happening? And I really liked the domes..."I think you have been around as long as, if not longer than me Katie so I totally understand struggling to come up with ideas at this point. Anytime you want an idea suggested, please let me know!
Absolutely! I thought it was pretty funny that had happened. I guess it's a fairly popular prompt.I would very happily submit the power struggle prompt next time if you can't make it, although I can't guarantee I'll be online in time either.
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Katie wrote: "I am feeling frustrated with how quickly the suggestion polls are filling up. I find that it's really difficult for me, and I don't know about other people, to get online during the 3-4 hour window..."It seems to be middle of the night for me here in australia...I've woken up to started and finished suggestions everytime. I'm not actually fussed as I never have any good ideas...but it would be nice to be able to second something once in a while.
Katie, if someone else doesn't grab it before I do and I make it in time I will suggest yours. : )
Bec wrote: "Katie wrote: "I am feeling frustrated with how quickly the suggestion polls are filling up. I find that it's really difficult for me, and I don't know about other people, to get online during the 3..."Shouldn't the ones in the evening in the US, be during the day in Australia?
I think it's tough because our mods are all based in the US. But them switching when they post (morning, afternoon or evening in the US) should allow for all regions to be awake for at least some of the rounds, right?
Okay I was looking for listopias that may work for the Non-Fiction (exclude biography/memoir) prompt and I came across this one, which I thought was funny.You read a book about what?!
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/8...
It got me thinking about a prompt centered around it. Something like...
Read a book in which someone might respond with “you read a book about WHAT?!”
It could encompass weird unconventional non-fiction topics like the ones on that list, and other micro-histories, but also fiction books where the plot is just so out-there for you personally. Maybe it’s a novel about a steamy romance that your mom would see and say “you read WHAT?!” Maybe it’s a banned book, that a teacher would be surprised you read and say “you read WHAT?!” Maybe it’s a fantasy book where an ogre and a talking donkey rescue a princess in a tower only to find out she’s an ogre too, and when you tell the plot to someone, they’d say “uhh.. you read that?”
I’m in New Zealand and I would have been able to participate in about half the rounds which I think is pretty good going. Sometimes I do have to prioritise it but when I had a long suggestion I had it all typed up elsewhere so I just had to cut and paste it in. It took roughly one minute so easy to squeeze into even a very busy day.
I meant to say I think the mods do a great job and appreciate them inconveniencing themselves to make the voting process as accessible as possible to as many of us as possible regardless of where we live.
Ellie wrote: "Do we need to bring back the rule where you can't suggest/second if you did in the previous round? I thought this one was a lot slower but then I was online for the whole time."For some reason I thought this was already a rule! But I think it's a great idea. I didn't want to workshop my prompt idea yet because I thought it'd be annoying for people to vote on the same re-submitted prompts in consecutive polls. It'd be good for letting more people suggest stuff!
Avery wrote: "Okay I was looking for listopias that may work for the Non-Fiction (exclude biography/memoir) prompt and I came across this one, which I thought was funny.You read a book about what?!
https://www..."
I love this idea for a prompt, Avery! I think it would be so fun to have a weekly discussion thread full of people explaining what unusual thing their choice was about, and I like that it would work equally well for fiction and nonfiction.
I love weirdly specific microhistories so I would vote for a "you read about what?!" prompt. Why yes, I have read about the cultural history of rabies, severed heads and the neuroscience of zombies.
Avery wrote: "It got me thinking about a prompt centered around it. Something like... Read a book in which someone might respond with “you read a book about WHAT?!”
I love this idea! When my wife asks what I’m reading and it’s sci-fi and I try to explain the story to her she gives me the “You’re reading what?!?” look. Haha.
dalex wrote: "I love this idea! When my wife asks what I’m reading and it’s sci-fi and I try to explain the story to her she gives me the “You’re reading what?!?” look. Haha..."I get that look a lot when I try to explain sci-fi plots to my friends. I must be a master at explaining books badly. lol
I also love microhistories Currently on my tbr, I've got Milk!: A 10,000-Year Food Fracas, Paper: Paging Through History and Cod: A Biography of the Fish that Changed the World. I am desperately trying to find a discounted copy of Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers. I am so excited about that one. Basically, I am VERY used to people being very confused about what I am reading lol
You read what?? could also work for reading a book for an opposite political party or different religions. Like I'm a Christian, but I read the Koran. Sure that would get some what?? reactions. Or I have read memoir from the other political party. People that know my views would wonder. Anyway- I like it, it's different.
Also like the you read what?! prompt! Just the prompt itself makes me smile. Also give me the little push I might need to dig into the mircrohistory genre.
I love the You Read What? idea too. I would definitely vote for it. This year I read:
The Vagina Bible: The Vulva and the Vagina—Separating the Myth from the Medicine
Headscarves and Hymens: Why the Middle East Needs a Sexual Revolution
Ask Me About My Uterus: A Quest to Make Doctors Believe in Women's Pain.
You read what? Why yes, I read books about female genitalia.
I had a book by a long-time favorite author in my hand this morning and it got me thinking about writing structures. One of her typical elements is that she usually includes a prologue in her books which seems completely unrelated at first to the rest of the story and only at the very end do we realize how it ties into the overall plot.Now I realize that this may be too specific, particularly if we want to fill the prompts before we actually read the books (I do too), but what about a more general prompt about that? Examples:
A book with a prologue and/or epilogue
A book with a prologue
A book with a prologue or preliminary remark by a character preceding the beginning of the actual story (this is to exclude author's notes or forewords which do not formpart of the actual story)
Any of these worth thinking about some more?
Katie wrote: "I love the You Read What? idea too. I would definitely vote for it. This year I read:
The Vagina Bible: The Vulva and the Vagina—Separating the Myth from the Medicine
[book:Heads..."
That is a VERY specific interest! I love it! lol
Conny, I was thinking something about structure also. Maybe like:A book with an epigraph
An epigraph at the beginning of every chapter can be a BIO option.
I was also thinking about a book with something unusual about the chapter structure or naming, not sure how best to phrase it. I read a book recently where all the chapters were song names. Or maybe all the chapter names start with the same letter or word.
I would like structure based prompts! I would be happy with a prologue or epigraph prompt. I also think a chapter name prompt would be fun. Maybe something like “A book that uses something other than numbers to designate chapters or sections.” As in, chapters with actual titles, chapters that use time/date as names, chapters that use a persons name as the title for books with multiple points of view. this could also work for non-fiction books that have sections rather than chapters.
Conny wrote: "I had a book by a long-time favorite author in my hand this morning and it got me thinking about writing structures. One of her typical elements is that she usually includes a prologue in her books..."One thing I like about this suggestion is that it's relatively easy to flip a book open to the beginning and check to see if there's a prologue/preliminary remark/epigraph/etc. Other formatting/structure prompts can be a lot harder to tell without reading the book!
Also, Conny, you've caught my interest - who's this author? I love books with elements that seem unrelated until you reach the end.
I LOVE the "you read what?!" prompt and I think it's a great way to have a non-fiction genre prompt that's still fun and accessible. I'd also vote for the prologue/epilogue prompt, it should be fairly easy to find books that fit and it's quite different from the prompts we have so far.
Hannah wrote: "One thing I like about this suggestion is that it's relatively easy to flip a book open to the beginning and check to see if there's a prologue/preliminary remark/epigraph/etc. Other formatting/structure prompts can be a lot harder to tell without reading the book!Also, Conny, you've caught my interest - who's this author? I love books with elements that seem unrelated until you reach the end. "
1) That is why I worded the prompt the way I worded it ;)
2) I had German author Charlotte Link in mind. I'm afraid her books haven't been translated to English, though, so unless you are/know German, that recommendation won't be of much use to you. But if you've read The Girl on the Train, you can get a pretty good idea of what her books are like: seemingly unrelated prologue, several point-of-view characters who at first seem to tell unrelated stories, the whole atmosphere and the heavy emphasis on the psychology of crime.
Avery wrote: "I also think a chapter name prompt would be fun. Maybe something like “A book that uses something other than numbers to designate chapters or sections.” As in, chapters with actual titles, chapters that use time/date as names, chapters that use a persons name as the title for books with multiple points of view. this could also work for non-fiction books that have sections rather than chapters."I would also love a chapter [name] prompt! Maybe one that would include chapters numbered backwards or all over the place, too, because that is surely uncommon but still numbers^^ Maybe like this:
A book that uses something other than consecutive numbers to designate chapters or sections
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Around the Year in 52 Books
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I am still thin..."
"a book related to a major event of the 21st century"
Personally I'd prefer this to the 9/11 prompt. I don't mind reading about heavy topics but have to be in the right mood for it. I like that this prompt would give me a wider selection.