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[2022] Poll 10 Voting
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Nancy wrote: "I seem to be the only one that is so over P&P retellings. Every time I turn around there's a new one and it's getting to be a little much."No, I feel the same way. In addition to the ones that are called retellings, there are countless romances that try to copy the Lizzy-Darcy dynamic. If this prompt gets in, I would go with a mythology story or one of the other Austen books. There must be a Madeline Miller book I haven't read yet.
Wait, did mythology get in? I'm losing track.
Here are just a few of the ones I saw with handwriting on the cover. You have to enlarge the covers of a couple of these to see the handwriting.
NancyJ wrote: "Nancy wrote: "I seem to be the only one that is so over P&P retellings. Every time I turn around there's a new one and it's getting to be a little much."No, I feel the same way. In addition to th..."
Mythology did get in! Though I'm thinking there are lots of ways to interpret the mythology prompt besides choosing a retelling. Like Possession is about scholars/poets who are fascinated by mythology or in Watership Down, the rabbits have an elaborate mythology of their own.
Hannah wrote: "NancyJ wrote: "Nancy wrote: "I seem to be the only one that is so over P&P retellings. Every time I turn around there's a new one and it's getting to be a little much."No, I feel the same way. In..."
Thanks Hannah, I'm losing track of which ones actually got in. It suddenly clicked why I was initially not planning to vote for a retelling. I'm not sure I like mythology enough to read a retelling of it too. I was thinking I might focus on Native American lore.
You picked two books that are definitely on my radar, but I didn't think of them as mythology, so thank you! I learned a lot about culture, but there is a big hole in my education about mythology. I read my first Byatt book this summer and I really liked it. I cannot get away from reminders of rabbits or Watership Down, even in non-GR related contexts. (If I believed in meddling Gods, I'd think they were playing with me.)
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For something that would fit either mythology or BIPOC retelling I really enjoyed Summer of the Mariposas
Robin P wrote: "I loved Virgil Wander, which is about community. But only after I read it did I find out it's supposed to have connections to Virgil from Roman history/mythology. [book:This Tender ..."Oh good, I'm looking forward to Virgil Wander for community or a retelling (though I know nothing about Virgil). I think This Tender Land is perfect for Community too. He contrasts several different communities in the book. I really liked the poor community in Saint Paul and the homeless settlement toward the end. I didn't think of it as a retelling though. Maybe if I reread it I could make the connections. I really loved the friendship, family and identity themes, particularly with the Native American boy. I can definitely see myself rereading that book.
I really hope the community prompt makes it in because it has so much potential. I know we'll think of more examples later on.
Kalynn Bayron's point in the below article is really why I want to support BIPOC retellings:https://www.tor.com/2020/06/08/not-un...
Pearl wrote: "Hey everyone! Nadine pointed out, rightly, that the NPR Science Fiction Fantasy list is NOT from the other NPR list. Sorry to yell, but it's frustrating to me when people don't listen to one anothe..."Pearl, you're right that the NPR SFF list is not the same as the other NPR list, and I don't think anyone thinks it's the same prompt being suggested again. But while you said there's hardly any overlap, there's actually quite a bit because every single book I'm interested in on the SFF list is also on the NPR Concierge list. So for me personally, as a fantasy lover, it'd be a redundant prompt.
(Also, some people just don't like list prompts and we just had one voted in in the last poll. If we have to have more list prompts, then I'd rather wait for one that speaks to me more.)
I waffled for a while, but I finally committed to voting. My upvotes went to:* Historical fiction (I like it and should read more of it.)
* Non-human character (I dig it.)
* Handwriting on the cover (fun scavenger hunt)
* SFF Fantasy Books of the Last Decade (like me some sci-fi/fantasy)
* Auto/Bio/Memoir (I have a couple that I need a push to read.)
* Next in a series (I wasn't planning to vote for this, but I have a metric ton of unfinished series. Time to get on with them.)
I downvoted the title prompt because we have quite a few, and I was having trouble coming up with something. If it does go through, I'll do something with vampire in the title since I'm typing this at 5-something in the morning, and I have yet to go to bed. Clearly, I keep vampire hours.
I also downvoted morally grey character. It'll be easy to come up with something if it goes through, but morally grey characters are in nearly everything I read. I'm not sure how I'd narrow it down.
Jillian wrote: "Many of the books are challenged but not banned. It is a much smaller group of books that have been banned. I find just banned to restrictive so I’m neutral on it. As a personal challenge, I try an..."Yes banned and challenged are foten used interchangebaly. Hence I reread Alice in Wonderland everytime
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https://www.tor.com/2020/06/08/not-un..."
Great article, thanks! It made me change my mind about this category!
And it is kind of ridiculous to think white readers only want to read about white characters, just like the idea that boys won't read a book with a girl on the cover. It also can give us a new view.
Pamela wrote: "Mexican Gothic is Wuthering Heights??? I missed that by a mile! ..."She was trying (and I'd say succeeded) for the same gothic atmosphere that the Brontes use in Wuthering Heights & Jane Eyre, but I wouldn't say it's a retelling of either story.
I'm glad others were confused about the Mexican Gothic/Wuthering Heights retelling, I was like, it is??? I read Wuthering Heights a long time ago (and plan to never read it again) so thought maybe I just totally missed the connection.I have nothing against BIPOC retellings at all, I just don't really like retellings in general. I'm perfectly happy to read about BIPOC characters and have read several this year.
Nancy wrote: "I'm glad others were confused about the Mexican Gothic/Wuthering Heights retelling, I was like, it is??? I read Wuthering Heights a long time ago (and plan to never read it again) so thought maybe ..."yes i think retelling is debatable but I loved the discussion of it so i looked ti up and added it as my latin author book
Anna K: A Love Story would work for the retelling prompt, it's not P&P, and it was SO good! (Caveat: Rich teen fiction is one of my favorite niche genres, so ymmv.)
Finally I have the chance to take a look at these prompts after a hectic week. I think my votes will be something like this:Upvotes:
- community (really like this idea, will need to check my TBR to make sure I have a few books that fit)
- word that describes you in the title (I wasn't keen on voting in any more title prompts but this one is different and fun!)
- auto/bio/memoir (I enjoy these a lot)
- next in a series (I was going to downvote this as I don't read many series but then realized I've been meaning to continue with Crazy Rich Asians so this would be a good push)
Downvotes:
- BIPOC retelling (I like the concept but I really dislike retellings in general)
- NPR list (I don't enjoy sci-fi and fantasy at all. I prefer list prompts that are open to more than just one genre)
- non-human character (similar to above, the genres that feature this kind of character are typically ones I do not enjoy)
That leaves me with one more vote... I think it will be an upvote and likely between handwriting on the cover or woman in STEM.
If the non-human character gets in, I'd like to recommend Murderbot. All Systems Red is short, and the main character is an android who wants to be left alone to watch TV but has a pesky job to do protecting humans. It's the first in a series but you could easily stop after the first if you don't want to continue (though I recommend continuing). There's also something like The Art of Racing in the Rain which is narrated by the dog. Or any book that features animals as characters, even as a pet.
The Book Thief is narrated by death, so that might work for a non-human character. And it's a wonderful book if you haven't read it!
Nancy wrote: "If the non-human character gets in, I'd like to recommend Murderbot. All Systems Red is short, and the main character is an android who wants to be left alone to watch TV but has a ..."MurderBot has become absolutely one of my all-time favorite characters and favorite book series!! I happen to be an SFF fan, but I've noticed that readers who don't normally enjoy SFF are also enjoying this series.
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Robin P wrote: "It could be a good TV series, since most of the episodes are short but there is an overall story arc that continues. The only thing is that Murderbot rarely says out loud what he is thinking, and t..."I will definitely be reading this in 2022 (or maybe sooner).
For some reason I thought Murderbot was a "she." Not that I would really expect a robot to have a gender identity (or the relevant parts), but in sci-fi anything is possible.
Beth wrote: "I finally have a chance.."I found 47 book covers with handwriting or fonts that look like handwriting. I'm sure there a ton more. I used a temporary shelf name, but I can rename it to match anyone else's if needed.
https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...
Some of books on the list show the wrong cover art. Here is my cover of When All is Said. If you like audio books with an Irish accent, I highly recommend this one:
When All is Said
NancyJ wrote: "... For some reason I thought Murderbot was a "she." Not that I would really expect a robot to have a gender identity (or the relevant parts), but in sci-fi anything is possible ..."One of the fun things for me about MurderBot is seeing how people had different interpretations. I read MurderBot as a "he" but then when it became popular I saw a lot of people using "she" to describe it. (The SecUnit that Murderbot meets in Network Effect was a "she" in my mind, though!) Calling Murderbot "it" just feels wrong to me, there is so much sentience & personality in that character! But I think that's the pronoun Murderbot uses to refer to other units.
Murderbot is gender non-specific, IIRC. It does at times take the form of a male, when trying to pass for human, but I think in the 4th book it said it could do either.
Nancy wrote: "Murderbot is gender non-specific, IIRC. It does at times take the form of a male, when trying to pass for human, but I think in the 4th book it said it could do either."Yes, that's right. But in my head, I guess I can't help assigning a gender.
I always thought of Murderbot as a she also. Not really sure why, I just did. But then I wanted to listen to the audiobooks after reading the books, and the narrator is male (Kevin R. Free, who does a great job).
I've always thought of Murderbot as a he, but that's probably because I listened to the first one on audio. And I agree Kevin R. Free does a great job.
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Network Effect, by the way, is definitely on my list for next year. Right now I have it planned for the Powell Awards as it won the Nebula Award. If non-human gets in I'm going to read the next Fred the Vampire Accountant book. Another series I recommend that's supernatural without being gory. Fred is amazing.
Did you all see that GR posted a blogpost about newish retellings today? And I think they are all adult - got a few new ideas if that prompt wins.
Here’s the link to the recent goodreads list of retellings: https://www.goodreads.com/blog/show/2...
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If non-human gets in I'm going to read the next F..."
Most of the series are super-short books, and quite fast to read/listen to.
Ooh, nice list, thank you for sharing :)
Another good resource for historical fiction. Goodreads is very on-topic this week:https://www.goodreads.com/blog/show/2...
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I love historical fiction too. I just finished The Satapur Moonstone by Sujata Massey, and I strongly recommend this series. I don't think I've ever read anything about this setting before - early 1900's India, in the remote mountains. The first book in the series was even better. She does a great job with the cultural and cross-cultural issues.
Angie wrote: "Another good resource for historical fiction. Goodreads is very on-topic this week:https://www.goodreads.com/blog/show/2......"
I love this list too. I like the breakdown by decades. It gave me a little jolt to see the 1990's as a setting for historical fiction. We're coming up on the 20th anniversary for 911 too.
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Good to know, I had the first one on my Want to Read already.
Murderbot is one of my all-time favourite series! and sadly, I'm all caught up and recently did a reread, so I won't be able to use it for the prompt. I might do another reread when the seventh book comes out.
And Murderbot is agender and uses it/its pronouns! It definitely doesn't subscribe to any kind of human gender!
And Murderbot is agender and uses it/its pronouns! It definitely doesn't subscribe to any kind of human gender!
Around the Year in 52 Books
Books mentioned in this topic
The Satapur Moonstone (other topics)The Satapur Moonstone (other topics)
Network Effect (other topics)
When All is Said (other topics)
All Systems Red (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Silvia Moreno-Garcia (other topics)Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (other topics)
Terry Pratchett (other topics)
Gail Carriger (other topics)
Carl Hiaasen (other topics)
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I voted for community, morally gray, and retelling since those were the immediate frontrunners to me. I also voted for next book in a series since I tend to have a lot of series on the go, and I thought it would be a good semi-freebie category for me to fit one in, and also voted for historical fiction since it's a genre that I enjoy but don't pick up often enough.
I downvoted NPR because I'm not a fan of list prompts in general, and there weren't enough books on there that strongly interested me (and that I didn't already have in mind for other prompts). I also downvoted autobiography/biography/memoir and banned book because they are both prompts that I've done too many times before.