Around the Year in 52 Books discussion
Archives
>
[2022] Poll 6 Voting
Mod
A book that features an act of kindness
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/th...
A book by an author you might like to meet
This would be like having a fantasy dinner party guest - it could be any author living or dead. Maybe your favourite celebrity has a biography out (never mind the ghostwriters) Maybe you'd like to quiz Stephen King on where he gets his ideas or ask him to give you a tune. Maybe you'd like to experience the wit of Oscar Wilde and suggest that going to court may not be a great idea. Maybe you'd like to say thank you and goodnight to Terry Pratchett.
A book set in a small town or rural area
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/7...
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/3...
Examples
Examples:
Haven Point by Virginia Hume
Open Season by C.J. Box (Joe Pickett #1)
Gilead, Home, Lila, or Jack by Marilynne Robinson
Iron Lake (Cork O'Connor, #1) by William Kent Krueger
The Ocean At The End Of Lane by Neil Gaiman
Beartown by Fredrik Backman
The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane by Lisa See
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger
Killers Of The Flower:The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann
The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
The Dry by Jane Harper
MIddlemarch by George Elliot
New Of The World by Jeanette Jiles
Watership Down by Richard Adams
The Road by Cormac Mccarthy
Nearly any book by Dorothea Benton Frank
Any book in the Kinsey Milhone series by Sue Grafton
A parallel novel or spin-off of a well-known story
Parallel novels are retellings from the perspective of, or a more complete story of the life of a side character of the original story by either the original author or a new author, and spin-offs are prequels or sequels by a new author.
There are several parallel novels and spin-offs for Pride & Prejudice and Sherlock Holmes stories that I know of - a couple examples:
Longbourn
The Heiress: The Revelations of Anne de Bourgh
Mycroft Holmes
The Beekeeper's Apprentice
Another well-known parallel novel is March (based on Little Women)
Any extension of a series by a new author (like for The Girl with... series) would also be included.
the spinoffs on The Wizard of Oz. Dorothy Must Die and several additional titles by Danielle Paige
Jack Dawkins by Charlton Daines is a parallel to Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1C...
A fiction or nonfiction book that is set (at least partly) during 1900 -1950
It might have been written during that time, or last year. You might want to read about Suffragettes, the jazz era, silent movies, female spies, adventurers, the lost generation in Paris, the Russian revolution, Gandhi, Korea and Japan, a World War, Rosie the Riveter, or pulling together during the Blitz. Non-fiction might also work as well.
A book related to the lyrics of Bohemian Rhapsody
https://genius.com/Queen-bohemian-rha...
Some ideas: fantasy, about poverty, murder mystery where victim is shot, silhouette of a man on the cover, about the devil. Some people also interpret this as Freddie Mercury's coming out song (I'm not so sure), so could be a LGBT+ read
A book about independence
- about a country or area gaining independence
- about a person dealing with divorce or death of a partner
- about a young adult leaving home for the first time, starting university etc.
- about starting a new business
A nonfiction book by a BIPOC author
https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...
https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/9...
https://bookriot.com/must-read-memoir...
A book written by or featuring a character who is a healthcare professional
https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...
https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/7...
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
A book featuring an important extended family relationship
cousins, in-laws, aunt/uncle/nibbling…
A book related to Rock, Paper, Scissors, Lizard, Spock
Rock Paper Scissors Lizard Spock was first mentioned in the Season 2 episode of Big Bang Theory, The Lizard-Spock Expansion, the title of which references the game.
As Sheldon explains, "Scissors cuts paper, paper covers rock, rock crushes lizard, lizard poisons Spock, Spock smashes scissors, scissors decapitates lizard, lizard eats paper, paper disproves Spock, Spock vaporizes rock, and as it always has, rock crushes scissors."
https://bigbangtheory.fandom.com/wiki...
A book related to the year you or someone in your family turned 22
Could be the author’s birth year
Book takes place in that year
Book was published in that year
Book related to major event that occurred during that year
In theory, I love the idea of the books involving an act of kindness but I'm worried it will be tough to research. I looked at the list provided, and I've already read everything on there that interested me.At first glance, I like act of kindness, independence, and healthcare professional. I'm kind of interested in extended family or bilingual protagonist, but I'm not sure yet if I'd want to vote for those.
I'm not interested at all in "year you or someone in your family turned 22." That's a likely downvote for me. I'm not super into either of the non-fiction options either, but I'd have to do a bit of research. I tend to listen to non-fiction as audiobooks while doing work, so I might not downvote them, but I'm not sure if either of these interest me enough either.
A fiction or nonfiction book that is set (at least partly) during 1900 -1950.Dual-time lines or time travel are fine. It might have been written 100 years ago, or last year. You might want to read about the jazz era, silent movies, classic detectives, female spies, adventurers, the lost generation in Paris, the Russian revolution, Gandhi, Korea and Japan, World War I or WWII, Rosie the Riveter, or Londoners working together during the Blitz. The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz
Turn of the Century NY
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/6...#
Best 1920's Historical Fiction
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
Popsugar set in 1920's
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
Best 1930's Historical Fiction
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
Best Fiction Set in 1940s
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/3...
New WWII fiction and nonfiction
https://www.goodreads.com/genres/worl...
I will vote for both non-fiction prompts. I need to keep up with my anti-racism reading, and I always like a good True Crime book. In Cold Blood has been on my TBR forever. At first glance I have 6 up and no down. The year you turn 22 might be a down for me, there aren't many books left from the mid-90's that I want to read. My 22nd wedding anniversary was last year so I could just read a book published in 2020. But I don't think I'll vote for it.
I really love "A book related to Rock, Paper, Scissors, Lizard, Spock" but I have no idea how I'd fill it, even though I think I'm voting for it.
I for sure will be upvoting: A book by an author you might like to meet and A book related to Rock, Paper, Scissors, Lizard, Spock. I think these are fun prompt ideas. I am undecided on how I will use my remaining 6 votes.
For a spin off, one of the 15 Dune prequels and sequels written by Frank Herbert’s son would work.
Before you all automatically downvote a book that is related to the year you or Someone in your family turned 22. Here are some ideas using using the year 2016:
1. Read a book published in 2016
2. Read a book related to a major event in 2016.
The Summer Olympics in Rio De Janeiro were in 2016. Which just this you could read books based on sports or characters that, a book that takes place in Brazil, the History of the Olympics, a book with a competition. A book that reflects many nationalities, etc.
3.For those that like lists there are lists out there with notable books and awards of the year. An example for 2016:
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/23/bo...
4.Author that turned 22 in 2016
Christopher Paolini- Read a book by or similar in style to books written by Christopher Paolini.
Example: Christopher's most famous series is the Inheritance cycle; which is about dragons. You could read a dragon fantasy.
5. Author that passed away in 2016
Harper Lee - Read a book by, about or similar in style to books written by Harper Lee. Example: "To Kill a Mockingbird" is a book about racism. Read a different book that also deals with racism.
6. Author's birth...2016 may be hard one for that because there it is unlikely there is any five year old out there writing books. That being said, use an older family member's 22nd year and read a book by an author born in that year.
For those of you that don't like the year you turned 22 (I've seen a few comments about being tired of Mid-90's books). You could use the year related to a younger or older family members. I did this so that participants younger than 22 could participate in the prompt and give all of us some flexibility in the year we use.
I feel like I have quite a polarizing reaction to almost all of these prompts so it's going to be difficult to narrow it down to 8 votes! For upvotes I'm leaning towards non-fic by a BIPOC author, true crime, healthcare professional and small town/rural setting. I have some books that would fit perfectly as a rural setting but we had a very similar prompt just last year so I'm not sure if it will be too popular.As for downvotes I have literally no options for author you would like to meet (I don't have any desire to meet anyone if I'm honest.. lol) and parallel novel. There are a few others I'm considering but will have to think more about them.
I know often people have concerns about true crime being 'all serial killers' A couple years ago Read Harder had 'nonviolent true crime' as a prompt and that list is here https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
I don't think Dear Fahrenheit 451 belongs on that true crime list, unless they're considering weeding library books a crime! lolI don't have younger family members I can use for the 22 prompt. My kids are teenagers, which means the book would have to be set in the future in that year, which is specific. And I really don't have interest in researching events from 1995 and then trying to find books that match. If it gets in, I'd find something, but it's just not one that interests me.
It took me a sad amount of time to remember what year I turned 22. That said 2008 would have been perfect to read A Promised Land, yet I'm probably going to start that next week. Only two prompts really stand out to me in a positive way:
- Rock, Paper, Scissor, Lizard, Spock: I actually like this better than just RPS because now I can incorporate a book about science
- Bohemian Rhapsody: my Christmas card last year was a spoof on the Bohemian Rhapsody album cover, so if that got in I may randomly read a Christmas book.
Otherwise, I feel like I'm either ambivalent or strongly dislike the prompts.
Mod
Thanks for this, as I can't fathom why anyone would want to read about serial killers, kidnappers, torturers, etc. (though obviously many perfect normal people do). I don't even like when fictional mysteries have chapters from the point of view of the killer. So it's helpful to have these other options. I'm sure I'm still downvoting but if it gets in I'll have more choices.
I don't think there is any one this week that I absolutely want. We had rural or sparsely populated area last year. Unlike Beth, I would pretty much like to meet any author. I already read a ton of books set in 1900-1950. An act of kindness or a theme of independence is probably something you won't know about till you get well into the book. It might be the same for bilingual, unless you know the story is about an immigrant learning a new language for example. For retellings & spinoffs, I already read a lot of Sherlock Holmes add-ons.
A year you or someone in your family turned 22 is almost unlimited (depending on how big your family is!), and it seems like anything remotely relating to anyone's personal life doesn't succeed with this group.
Nonfiction by a BIPOC author could be interesting. It doesn't have to be only books about racial issues. It could be a scientist, like Neil deGrasse Tyson. Or it could be a memoir or humor, like Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood or You'll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey: Crazy Stories about Racism. Although, come to think of it, those last two are absolutely about racial issues, but they are also funny.
1. For the first prompt, I would read Humankind: A Hopeful History by Rutger Bregman, though I will likely read it long before January. I saw him on 60 minutes with the men who were marooned on an island for 15 months when they were kids. The prologue is excellent. One of his examples renewed my interest in reading about Churchill, and about the resilience of the people who kept helping others while the bombs were falling. Except for that book, this isn't a prompt I would plan for far in advance. I would keep looking for examples of kindness, and notice it when it happened. The process of paying attention to small acts of kindness (in real life as well as in books) is good for your brain. It helps fight off cynicism.
2. For the second prompt, the same author comes to mind. I love his approach to his work and to life.
3. For the third, I've read (and loved) most of those books, and many would also fit prompt 5. I could read Lila, or the rabbit book that keeps jumping out at me! Watership Down.
I like this list of books. They don't have the heavy handed stereotypical characters that you find in many books about small towns - the nosey judgmental people who make life miserable for others. It makes me appreciate the skills of these authors. So I'll add them to my lists.
4. For the fourth, Lila would also work, because so far all the Gilead books have run parallel to one another, enriching the stories of each character. Marilynne Robinson is old school and gives you only one character's perspective in each book. I like finding connections between books so I'm sure other ideas will come.
5, For the early 1900's historical fiction book, I've been craving a jazz era book (I really liked Rules of Civility) or a spy novel, or Splendid and the Vile (if I haven't read it by then). Or I might read another book by Virginia Woolf, since I loved Mrs Dalloway.
6. I was happy to see this suggestion. I love Bohemian Rhapsody and I have fabulous memories of driving my first car into the city with friends, singing at the top of our lungs. I saw "Scaramouche" on one of the lists for suggestion 5, so I'll look for something there.
7, I like this concept and I like that it could work for an individual or a country. I highly recommend A Woman of No Importance: The Untold Story of the American Spy Who Helped Win World War II for anyone who likes stories of resistance (and isn't totally sick of WWII).
8. I read a lot of social justice books in the last two years, (and before that for my work) so I would look for a different topic, or a fresh pov. (I thought someone was going to suggest an Asian prompt today, so my mind was working in that direction.) I really enjoyed Just Mercy, and I highly recommend it.
I'm thinking I'd count ASL (American Sign Language) for a bilingual character, and read the next book by Nell Pattison. Her main character is a sign language interpreter, who speaks both ASL and spoken English. I'm not a huge fan of the author I'd like to meet prompt. I couldn't care less about meeting authors in general, so I'd just pick an author that I like, and that makes it feel like too much of a freebie to me. It basically becomes "A book by a favourite author," which is fine since there are many of my favourite authors with new books next year, but not necessarily something I'd want to vote for. But I probably won't downvote it either, since it's very doable.
First impressions:A book that features an act of kindness
- I Love this and will definitely be upvoting!
A book by an author you might like to meet
- Meh.
A book set in a small town or rural area
- Meh.
A parallel novel or spin-off of a well-known story
- I had been thinking of suggesting a similar prompt so I'll be voting for this one too.
A book that is set (at least partly) during 1900 -1950
- Easy enough.
A book related to the lyrics of Bohemian Rhapsody
- I like lyric prompts. I like this song, But do I like it enough to vote for it...🤷♀️
A book about independence
- Meh.
A nonfiction book by a BIPOC author
- YES. I love nonfiction and will vote for any nonfic prompt.
A true crime book
- See above.
A book written by or featuring a character who is a healthcare professional
- YES. Lately I've been reading a lot of medical nonfic so this will definitely be a big upvote.
A book featuring an important extended family relationship
- Meh.
A book whose title includes the name of a US State
- NOO. There are already so many title prompts, plus this is just too restrictive for me.
A book that features a bilingual protagonist
- Maybe....
A book related to Rock, Paper, Scissors, Lizard, Spock
- Man I miss Big Bang Theory... No clue how I'd work this though.
A book related to the year you or someone in your family turned 22
- I appreciate the idea of this prompt, but it just doesn't excite me.
So 4 upvotes and 1 down vote for sure.
And for those who don't want serial killer true crime, there are some really great books (American Sherlock: Murder, Forensics, and the Birth of American CSI,The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York just to name 2) that are about the scientists that developed new ways to try and detect/prosecute crimes.
I will definitely vote for Bohemian Rhapsody because of the line “look up to the skies and see”. That way I can read a book with clouds on the cover!My recommendations for True Crime- American Kingpin by Nick Bilton and American Heiress: The Wild Saga of the Kidnapping, Crimes and Trial of Patty Hearst.
A bilingual protagonist could include lots of immigrant stories. That was my first thought with this prompt.
The voting thread is a bit quiet this time around. I'm all over the place with this list. Prompts I'm currently liking:
A parallel novel or spin-off of a well-known story
A book that is set (at least partly) during 1900 -1950
A nonfiction book by a BIPOC author
A true crime book
A book related to Rock, Paper, Scissors, Lizard, Spock
Prompts I'm not opposed to but not necessarily drawn to:
A book that features an act of kindness
A book by an author you might like to meet
A book set in a small town or rural area
A book that features a bilingual protagonist
A book featuring an important extended family relationship
Prompts I'm ambivalent about:
A book related to the lyrics of Bohemian Rhapsody
A book about independence
A book written by or featuring a character who is a healthcare professional
A book whose title includes the name of a US State
A book related to the year you or someone in your family turned 22
I have no idea how I'll use all my votes. I'm hoping to see more discussion/suggestions for some of these (especially bilingual and healthcare provider). I'd like to see something for bilingual other than immigrant stories, as that is a prompt this year. And I'm not usually drawn to medical-themed books, but that's what's coming to mind for healthcare provider.
In Black Water Sister the protagonist becomes fluent in other languages after her dead grandmother possesses her. I seem to recall Tempe Brennan speaking English and French in those books? So maybe something set somewhere like Quebec or Wales where bilingualism is common.
Fantasy novels also often feature several languages and characters that speak more than one as well
Other ideas for bilingual characters: the Erast Fandorin mystery series by Boris Akunin, European classics like Buddenbrooks (the older generation frequently spoke in French, which is used in this book), books with international spies, Last Night at Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo (pub in 2021)- set in 1950s San Francisco, the 2 teenage girls speak Chinese and English.
Most of these I'm fine with. I don't love the year someone turned 22 but my parents turned 22 in the 60s so I could work with it. The US state in title just feels too hard, the only thing I can think of is Looking for Alaska and I am not that fussed about reading it.Upvoting medical professional, BIPOC non fiction and Bohemian Rhapsody. I like the idea of parallel fiction so maybe, I guess a lot of the Greek myths from female perspectives would count?
For bilingual I am thinking of reading something based in Quebec. Louise Penny's books feature a police officer who ulis bilingual. Many people in European countries speak more than one language. Spy novels usually have bilingual character's as well.
1. A book that features an act of kindness - I was really touched by the character Raymond in Eleanor Oliphant is Complete Fine. I would love to read books with other characters like that. Does anyone have other lists? 9.A true crime book - Here is an alternative take = Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty. This organization is responsible for the opiod epidemic. In terms of the number of deaths, they beat out all the serial killers, and many war criminals too.
10.A book written by or featuring a character who is a healthcare professional - I love this prompt. There are many books on the list I would like to read. If she's not on the list, I would add Lisa Genova, the neurologist (or neuroscientist) who wrote Still Alice and Every Note played
11.A book featuring an important extended family relationship - I like this one. I don't have any specific books in mind, but I think this prompt could lead to something interesting that I don't normally read.
12,A book whose title includes the name of a US State - I'm not sure about this one yet.
13. A book that features a bilingual protagonist - This is very appealing. I plan to read a lot of books on different cultures so it will be easy to find bilingual characters.
14. A book related to Rock, Paper, Scissors, Lizard, Spock - I think you could come up with a creative way to link almost any book to these words. Lizard Spock adds Big Bang Theory to the mix, so we can add Star Wars, physics and neuroscience, which are related to everything in the universe and the human body, so yeah. I could still use this for a book on books, a cutting edge new topic, a quantum fiction book, a sword/laser fantasy, or a book involving the brain, which brings me back to Humankind: A Hopeful History. Which I could also use for suggestions 1 or 2.
15. A book related to the year you or someone in your family turned 22. I got married at 22, and was in my first professional job, but that was 40 years ago. I would probably choose a book that is relevant to a long marriage or my first job. Or something related to John Irving or The World According to Garp which was significant to us at the time. (It was filmed near my husband's home and I have a wedding card from the stars).
Juliet Brown wrote: "I know often people have concerns about true crime being 'all serial killers' A couple years ago Read Harder had 'nonviolent true crime' as a prompt and that list is here https://www.goodreads.com/..."That's a great list! There are many entertaining and enlightening books on it. I would add Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty
Anastasia wrote: "For bilingual I am thinking of reading something based in Quebec. Louise Penny's books feature a police officer who ulis bilingual. Many people in European countries speak more than one language...."
I love that series. Gamache is an unusual character, and Louise Penny puts a new interesting topic into each book, as well as interesting literary references. I highly recommend it.
Ellie wrote: " I guess a lot of the Greek myths from female perspectives would count?"
Yes I would think so. I really enjoyed reading Circe followed by The Penelopiad. The Penelopiad has a strong feminist pov, and it's cutting and funny (it's about the end of the Odyssey).
All the lists I found for acts of kindness were children's books, almost like people don't think adults need to learn to be kind!Becky Chambers comes to mind, there are lovely acts of kindness in The Galaxy, and the Ground Within and A Psalm for the Wild-Built. I like the idea of the kindness prompt, I have given up trying to read in order though, so it might be harder for those who need to know in advance if the book has something along those lines.
Mod
Ellie, you might want to search "up lit", which is a new term for books with a positive spin. On the other hand, there could be individual acts of kindness in very sad, violent books as well.
Here are some of my favorites with an ultimately positive view of human nature:
Trustee from the Toolroom (and other books by Nevil Shute)
Station Eleven
Driftless
The Housekeeper and the Professor
There's also the "curmudgeon grows a heart" variety, such as A Man Called Ove, Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine (mentioned above), How the Penguins Saved Veronica, Miss Benson's Beetle, The Elegance of the HedgehogThe Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry. These characters are usually surprised by being treated with kindness and eventually respond in kind (pun intended.)
All that said, I'm probably not voting for or against that prompt.
Alicia wrote: ".Rock, Paper, Scissor, Lizard, Spock: I actually like this better than just RPS because now I can incorporate a book about science ..."
That is exactly why I made the change from simple RPS, I wanted to squeeze some Sci fi into the prompt! It also just sounded more fun to me. I think I will read one of my dinosaur Sci fi books to combine LIZARD and SPOCK (sci-fi) :)
I'm kind of obsessed with the history of medicine, so here's a few historical options for the healthcare professional idea:The Citadel (early 1900s, young Scottish doctor during interesting time in medical history)
The Physician (11th century London man goes to Arab universities to learn medicine)
The Winter Soldier (Vienna medical student as the only doctor in a field hospital during WWI, and the nurse who teaches him everything)
Mistress of the Art of Death (woman trained as doctor when women weren't allowed to practice medicine, turned forensic pathologist; first in a series)
Ingenious Pain (1700s surgeon)
The Royal Physician's Visit (1700s Denmark)
The Anatomy of Deception (late 19th century Philadelphia, forensic thriller)
The Midwife's Apprentice (quick middle-grades read)
The Horse Healer (early medicine in Spain)
For nonfiction, I highly recommend The Butchering Art: Joseph Lister's Quest to Transform the Grisly World of Victorian Medicine, and a couple from my TBR that look good: The Doctors Blackwell: How Two Pioneering Sisters Brought Medicine to Women and Women to Medicine and The Strange Case of the Broad Street Pump: John Snow and the Mystery of Cholera
Mod
"A book that is set (at least partly) during 1900 -1950"
has been changed to:
"A fiction or nonfiction book that is set (at least partly) during 1900 -1950"
at the request of the person who suggested it. As voting has not started and this wording does not change the meaning of the prompt, this change was accepted.
Does anyone have any suggestions for parallel novels/spin-offs based on some more modern books?I love a retelling, but getting stuck on examples that aren’t based on the “classics”.
Alicia wrote: "Does anyone have any suggestions for parallel novels/spin-offs based on some more modern books?I love a retelling, but getting stuck on examples that aren’t based on the “classics”."
That may be hard to find, since there are copyright issues involved in borrowing characters - that's why most retellings and parallel novels are based on books that are older and in the public domain. I'll do some looking around and edit this post if I find anything! The only thing I can think of off the top of my head are series that have been continued by a new author after the original author's death.
Update: mash-ups are a type of spin-off that are likely to have a more contemporary feel than parallel novels set in the same time and place as the original stories, here's the Wiki with examples https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mashup_...
Update 2: Lock & Mori is the first of a YA mystery series "prequel" to Sherlock Holmes set in modern times
Rachel wrote: "I'm thinking I'd count ASL (American Sign Language) for a bilingual character, and read the next book by Nell Pattison. Her main character is a sign language interpreter, who spea..."That's a great option.
Robin P wrote: "Some of my favorite books include acts of kindness. I think of these as "humanist" books, in the sense that humans are here to help each other, rather than any religious or magical force fixing thi..."Great list. I'm not sure everyone would agree about Station Eleven, but I sure do. I love the terms up lit and curmudgeons grow a heart.
I think you would like Humankind: A Hopeful History
Thanks Kelly!Your list was great, but I just started to realize that I’ve read a good portion of those. And at least retelling scan feel a bit more modern (i.e Bridget Jones's Diary). And was trying to think of ways to bring that in.
I did read a great parallel to Pride and Prejudice about Mary, The Other Bennet Sister. And I’m now obsessed with Mary.
Another couple of "kindness" books that I enjoyed areThe Honey Bus: A Memoir of Loss, Courage and a Girl Saved by Bees and The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot
Alicia wrote: "Thanks Kelly!Your list was great, but I just started to realize that I’ve read a good portion of those. And at least retelling scan feel a bit more modern (i.e Bridget Jones's Diary..."
I really enjoyed Bridget Jones' Diary. It's not a true retelling (there are no sisters) but it captures the spirit in a modern setting. The Other Bennet Sister sounded intriguing to me too.
The definition also allows for books by the same author, including sequels or prequels. Some authors write standalone books in the same "universe" or about connected characters. Have you read anything by Becky Chambers? She writes sci-fi with a focus on multi-culturalism, community, and found families. The books are loosely connected (with some common characters) and the word parallel really makes sense here.
I love Marilynne Robinson's Gilead books (a small town in Iowa), and I have one left that I could use for this prompt. I think you'd have to read Gilead first, and then any of the others. These books aren't for everyone. I would have found them boring when I was younger.
This would fit both Gothic from last poll, or spin-off from this pollhttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
Elizabeth Acevedo's books all have bilingual characters. If you haven't read any of hers I highly recommend them. They are YA, and some are written in verse and better listened to. But they are all excellent.For the parallel or spin-off, I've long had Wide Sargasso Sea on my TBR, and Dorothy Must Die looks so good too. I read Circe this year and want to read The Song of Achilles so have several options for this one, it's a definite upvote for me.
Robin P wrote: "Juliet Brown wrote: "I know often people have concerns about true crime being 'all serial killers' A couple years ago Read Harder had 'nonviolent true crime' as a prompt and that list is here https..."Robin, your up-lit suggestion is perfect for the act of kindness prompt. I'm sure there are other lists that would useful too. I wasn't sure, but now I'm going to upvote the prompt. A few years ago you could find a lot of lists with a title or tagline "books like Eleanor Oliphant."
I might upvote true crime too, because I think the list needs that kind of variety, and the nonviolent crime list is great.
Shannon wrote: "Another couple of "kindness" books that I enjoyed areThe Honey Bus: A Memoir of Loss, Courage and a Girl Saved by Bees and The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot"
Thanks Shannon. I'll add these to my new "up-lit" shelf.
Jill wrote: "This would fit both Gothic from last poll, or spin-off from this pollhttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2..."
I think this is where I'm getting confused. Would Jane Steele be a spin-off or a retelling (which is not part of the prompt).
I guess maybe I'm not sure what fits besides books during the same period that are told from a different perspective.
But if it's similar characters moved to something new, it sounds like I could read Six of Crows because it's in the Grishaverse and I've read Shadow and Bone?
Juliet Brown wrote: "I know often people have concerns about true crime being 'all serial killers' A couple years ago Read Harder had 'nonviolent true crime' as a prompt and that list is here https://www.goodreads.com/..."Another non-serial killer option: Nut Jobs: Cracking the Case
Alicia wrote: "Jill wrote: "This would fit both Gothic from last poll, or spin-off from this pollhttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2..."
I think this is where I'm getting confused. Would [boo..."
There's kind of a fuzzy line between spin-off and retelling. In my mind, a retelling follows the original plot line fairly closely, with characters that clearly represent the original characters. A spin-off takes the idea of the original story and does something rather different with it (prequel, sequel, mash-up, etc.). People who interpret prompts more loosely could include those not-quite-retellings (where you wouldn't necessarily know what the original story was, or with a unique twist that doesn't follow the original), while those who interpret them narrowly might not want to do that. I also like NancyJ's and Alicia's ideas of when an author creates a world and then revisits it with a new story - a same-author spin-off, if you will.
Thanks Robin for suggesting "up lit" - it definitely makes the act of kindness prompt more searchable.Here's a listopia for up lit: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
Prompts I like:1. A book that features an act of kindness
The first book I thought of for this prompt was Les Misérables. An act of kindness is what sets the whole thing rolling. I can’t recommend it highly enough. It’s long, but it’s worth it.
2. A book by an author you might like to meet
If you don’t limit yourself to authors who are still alive, the possibilities are endless. ;-)
4. A parallel novel or spin-off of a well-known story
Books I’d recommend for this one: Circe by Madeline Miller and Grendel by John Gardner.
I’d probably go with The Song of Achilles, which has been on my TBR for quite some time now.
6. A book related to the lyrics of Bohemian Rhapsody
Scaramouche sounds fun
10. A book written by or featuring a character who is a healthcare professional
The first one that came to mind here was The Physicists, which is a play by Friedrich Dürrenmatt about three nuclear physicists in a mental institution. If you like absurd dark comedy, it’s fabulous.
I’d probably go with One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
14. A book related to Rock, Paper, Scissors, Lizard, Spock
If photography books count, I’d be tempted to go with The Full Body Project. Leonard Nimoy was an interesting fellow.
15. A book related to the year you or someone in your family turned 22
Even I’d you’ve already read most of the ones that interested me for the year you turned 22, there are lots of options here if you’ve got a big enough family. I’d be tempted to go with something published in 1929 (my grandmother’s year) or 1970 (my mother’s year).
Lukewarm on these ones (but will figure out something if they end up on the final list):
3. A book set in a small town or rural area
5. A fiction or nonfiction book that is set (at least partly) during 1900 -1950
7. A book about independence
8. A nonfiction book by a BIPOC author
9. A true crime book
13. A book that features a bilingual protagonist
11. A book featuring an important extended family relationship
12. A book whose title includes the name of a US State
Around the Year in 52 Books
Books mentioned in this topic
The Lincoln Highway (other topics)The Chosen and the Beautiful (other topics)
The Guest List (other topics)
The Scarlet Pimpernel (other topics)
The Lincoln Highway (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Anton Chekhov (other topics)Khaled Hosseini (other topics)
Arthur Conan Doyle (other topics)
Agatha Christie (other topics)
Christina Lauren (other topics)
More...
Voting will open in the afternoon of August 1st and results will be posted on Thursday August 5th.
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 8 votes this poll to spread across your favorite and least favorite prompts (you can also use less than 8 votes) - You can find examples of acceptable voting practices on the Introduction thread.
- 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 (usually between 2 and 5 depending on how the votes are spread)
As a reminder: You have a total of 8 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 8 votes. If you use more than 8 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.
Possible Prompts:
1. A book that features an act of kindness
2. A book by an author you might like to meet
3. A book set in a small town or rural area
4. A parallel novel or spin-off of a well-known story
5. A fiction or nonfiction book that is set (at least partly) during 1900 -1950
6. A book related to the lyrics of Bohemian Rhapsody
7. A book about independence
8. A nonfiction book by a BIPOC author
9. A true crime book
10. A book written by or featuring a character who is a healthcare professional
11. A book featuring an important extended family relationship
12. A book whose title includes the name of a US State
13. A book that features a bilingual protagonist
14. A book related to Rock, Paper, Scissors, Lizard, Spock
15. A book related to the year you or someone in your family turned 22
Feel free to discuss the prompts below, but please remember to be respectful to the other group members.
VOTE HERE: https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/EGSR8M/