[2021] Poll 8 Suggestions

[Jackie, Solstitial Mod]

Welcome to the suggestions thread for the 8th poll for the 2021 ATY Reading Challenge prompt list!

Just a reminder that you can find a full list of prompts already on the 2021 list in the third post on this thread.

A little reminder of how things are done around here:

How it works:
- The topics for the 2020 reading challenge list will be determined by a series of mini-polls, the number of which depends on the number of prompts winning in each mini-polls
- Suggestions for each poll will be opened until 15 suggestions are received and “seconded”.
- The voting thread will open the day after suggestions go live. You can find the schedule here.
- The poll will be posted after the voting thread is opened for 24 hours, and will remain open for three full days.
- Each user has 8 votes to spread between their favorite (top) and least favorite (bottom) prompts
- The prompts with the more favorable votes (comparing top votes to bottom votes, and looking at the overall number of votes it received) will be added to the final list (between 2 and 5 depending on how the votes are spread)

Rules:
- Each member can only suggest OR second one prompt
- Suggestions close after 15 total seconded prompts

When suggesting and seconding, feel free to provide examples and descriptions that may help other members understand the prompt better. These descriptions and examples will be copied over to the voting thread for further discussion.

As always, please express any and all feedback (respectfully, of course), either here or in The Wild Discussion.

[Jackie, Solstitial Mod]

Moving on to voting
1. A book about outer space
2. A book with a character who can be found in a deck of cards
3. A book from the New York Public Library's 125 Books We Love List, created to commemorate their 125th Anniversary
4. A book with a non-binary/trans character or author
5. A book featuring a character closely associated with domesticated or farm animals in honor of 2021, the Chinese Year of the Ox
6. A medical memoir
7. A book involving an immigrant
8. Read an “Epic” book
9. A book recommended by someone you trust
10. A book from the "500 Great Books by Women" list
11. A book from one of The Million's most anticipated lists
12. A book from the Los Angeles Public Library Book List (excluding Best of Year lists)
13. A book by an author who publishes under a pen name or variant of their real name (including initials)
14. A book with elements of magic
15. A book about a hero

Available to be seconded


a book where the MC is a villain or antihero
a feminist book

[Ellie]

A book with a character who can be found in a deck of cards

This isn't limited to the 52 card deck (kings, queens, Jack, joker, ace (asexual character?) but also a tarot deck, eg. Magician, hermit, priestess, Death, etc.

[Jackie, Solstitial Mod]

Ellie wrote: "A book with a character who can be found in a deck of cards

This isn't limited to the 52 card deck (kings, queens, Jack, joker, ace (asexual character?) but also a tarot deck, eg. Magician, hermit..."

Ooh interesting. Anybody remember that kids card game Old Maid? There could be some fun options with that.

[Jen K]

I would like to propose:

A book involving an immigrant.

This could include a fiction or non-fiction book including an immigration story, adaptation to a new country, child of an immigrant, the same involving a refugee or policy on immigration.

The story could be historical or contemporary as well.

[Alicia]

A book with a non-binary/trans character or author

I know there was an LGBT prompt this year, but similar to BIPOC prompts, I believe this is important to reading diversity. Additionally, this does narrow down the category while still providing a lot of options.

[Nancy]

A book about outer space.

This is in honor of the Mars rover due to land on Mars in February, plus the launch of an unmanned mission to the moon in November.

[Juliet Brown]

I’ll second ‘book about space’

[Irene]

A book featuring a character closely associated with domesticated or farm animals in honor of 2021, the Chinese Year of the Ox.
(Open to rewording it to “protagonist” as well. Currently it’s any important character)

Examples: Books from the point of view of farm animals (War Horse, Black Beauty, Charlotte’s Web, Animal Farm) or featuring farmers, pet owners, vets, horse jockeys, possibly people in the circus if they work with domesticated animals, etc.

Note: The word “ox” is a misleading translation because it actually refers to any type of domesticated bovine, especially cows/cattle. 2022 will be the year of the tiger, I think followed by dragon and snake so we won’t get another farm or working animal for quite a while!

[dalex]

A book from the New York Public Library's 125 Books We Love List, created to commemorate their 125th Anniversary.

The list covers pretty much everything - classic literature, contemporary literature, world literature, historical fiction, non-fiction, short stories, poetry, graphic novels, fantasy, sci-fi, mystery, horror.

[Beth]

A medical memoir

[Ruth]

I will second the deck of cards suggestion.

[Sophie]

I don’t know if this true everywhere, but the word “Epic” seems to come out of my kids’ mouth every second sentence these days (as in, “That was so epic!”) and it also appears in urban dictionaries. Given that we need a genre prompt and the word epic relates to current events, what about:

Read an “Epic” book.

It could be:
1. an epic fantasy or adventure story like one of the Lord of the Rings books
2. an epic family saga
3. an epic poem like The Iliad
4. a western epic
5. a book related to an epic battle (https://www.livescience.com/42716-epi...)

[Mary Beth]

A book recommended by someone you trust

Examples: your mom, a coworker, a member of ATY, a book critic, President Obama, etc.

[Lizzy]

dalex wrote: "A book from the New York Public Library's 125 Books We Love List, created to commemorate their 125th Anniversary.

The list covers pretty much everything - classic literature, contemporary literatu..."

I will second this one - NYPL's 125 Books We Love List

[Kat]

I'll second a book with a non-binary/trans character or author.

I had been thinking of something similar as a lot of the focus is often on the LGB half of LGBTQIA and I think its important to read more widely and further our knowledge and understanding.

[Nancy]

I appreciate that it can be non-binary/trans character or author. Pop Sugar did author this year and it made it a little harder.

[Rosemary]

I'll second the Year of the Ox suggestion.

[Laurel]

I'll second the medical memoir suggestion

[Jill]

Jen K wrote: "I would like to propose:

A book involving an immigrant.

This could include a fiction or non-fiction book including an immigration story, adaptation to a new country, child of an immigrant, the sa..."

I second this suggestion.

[Milena]

I really enjoy reading medical memoirs, so I will second.

[Molly]

Sophie wrote: "I don’t know if this true everywhere, but the word “Epic” seems to come out of my kids’ mouth every second sentence these days (as in, “That was so epic!”) and it also appears in urban dictionaries..."

I second this suggestion

[Jackie, Solstitial Mod]

Milena wrote: "I really enjoy reading medical memoirs, so I will second."

Laurel beat you ti it so you are free to second or suggest something else.

[Ron]

I second a book suggested by someone you trust

[Wendy]

I'd like to suggest a book from the "500 Great Books by Women" list

https://www.librarything.com/bookawar...

[Jackie, Solstitial Mod]

Emily would you be open to re-wording that to "A book from The Million's...lists"? Just so it's clear that any of their lists are fair game.

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

I'd like to suggest:

A book from one of The Million's most anticipated lists

These lists are published monthly (as well as a longer list twice a year) listing the most anticipated new releases. It does go back to 2005, so you don't necessarily have to read a new release for this prompt.

https://themillions.com/?s=most+antic...

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

Reworded and changed the link because the first one I posted wasn't what I intended.

[Kim]

A book by an author who publishes under a pen name or variant of their real name (including initials).

This covers a wide range of genres and authors - Toni Morrison, the Brontes, Stephen King, Nora Roberts - to name a few.

[Traci]

Emily wrote: "I'd like to suggest:

A book from one of The Million's most anticipated lists

These lists are published monthly (as well as a longer list twice a year) listing the most anticipated new releases. I..."

I'll second 'A book from one of The Million's most anticipated lists'

[Johanna]

I second the 500 great books by women.

[Pam]

A book from the Los Angeles Public Library Book List (excluding Best of Year lists) https://www.lapl.org/collections-reso....

[Martha]

I second "A book from the LA Public Library Book List.

[Khara]

I'll second the pen name suggestion.

[Jackie, Solstitial Mod]

2 spots left!

[Avery]

A book with elements of magic.

Could be fantasy, magical realism, a non-ficiton or fiction book about a magician/witch, optical illusions, time travel books, a book with a glow in the dark cover, etc.

Sorry I'm editing this post a lot... I was going to just say a magical realism book to add to the genre prompt pot, but then I figured that some may think it's too limiting, so I changed it to "elements of magic" to be more broad.

[Suzanne]

I suggest a book about a hero.

[Kelly]

I second the book with magical elements :)

[Kendra]

I suggest a book where the MC is a villain or antihero.

[Kayleigh]

how about 'a feminist book'

[Avery]

Kendra wrote: "I suggest a book where the MC is a villain or antihero."

ohhh we missed a good multi-week there - a book about a hero and a book about a villian!

[Jill]

I second a book about a hero

[Jackie, Solstitial Mod]

AND stop! That's it! 15 suggestions reached. See you in the voting thread!