[2022] Poll 10 Results

[Bec]

I voted for mental health too so no suggestions for improving.

I voted for next in the seires...the other 2 winners I changed my mind on many times. didn't end up voting for them but happy with them.

[Pearl]

Alicia wrote: "Hey Pearl, I don’t think anything you did or didn’t do affected the results. I feel like most of the prompts that have made it this year weren’t ones that were heavily discussed.

I also voted for..."

I don't think any of the books on the list would relate to the covid experiences people had, unless they were very new books. In my case, working from home reduced some stress and gave me more time to read. I know that is not the norm and I count myself lucky that my family is healthy.

The books on the list are about different types of mental health problems or conditions (some with specific medical causes). Reading about other people's problems helps put my own problems in perspective. I get it that it might be the opposite for some people.

[Alicia]

To clarify, I didn’t mean that the books were about covid. But that covid as a situation has put mental health and illness to the front of most peoples minds. And because they may have battled their own mental health issues (or those of others they are close to), they may not want to revisit those type of topics.

But that’s just speculation based on the comments from last year when it was suggested. I still think it’s worth it to submit it again. I just didn’t want you to feel like you didn’t do enough. A lot of people that vote don’t even look at the discussion thread.

[Pearl]

Thanks. I think I will resubmit it.

[Serendipity]

Next book in a series will be tough for me since I don’t read a lot of series. Historical fiction on the other had will be very easy since it is one of my main genres. Non-human narrator falls somewhere in the middle.

I don’t think it’s possible to say why a prompt does or doesn’t get in. Many more people vote than comment (I was a much more active commentator last year) so it’s hard to know what they think. It may do better on another week, or it may be a case of democracy at work and the majority just not liking the topic. I voted for it - but I don’t have the greatest track record when it comes to voting for winning prompts.

[Ellie]

Whether a prompt gets in has a lot to do with what else is in the poll. Unless your prompt comes up as bottom or polarising, assume people like it and voted for it, it just didn't quite get enough votes this time round.

[dalex]

About the mental health prompt. Those who have been doing challenges (here and elsewhere) for awhile have seen this prompt more than a few times. And even when it doesn’t make the prompt list, it comes up as a suggestion in the group every single year. From this viewpoint I think suggestions that are new and original are going to be more popular.

[°~Amy~°]

dalex wrote: "About the mental health prompt. Those who have been doing challenges (here and elsewhere) for awhile have seen this prompt more than a few times. And even when it doesn’t make the prompt list, it c..."

I would agree. I think it is a combination of seeing it every year on multiple challenges, hearing about that topic fairly constantly on social media and the news, and everyone dealing with their own mental health over the last two years. But as someone else said, it wasn't in the bottom so people don't hate the topic, they just aren't excited about it at the moment. Maybe rewording it somehow to make it feel more fresh and new would help?

[Ellie]

We all put loads of effort into coming up with original ideas though and they just haven't been getting voted in. So I don't really feel the majority want them.

[Nancy]

I agree that original ideas aren't getting in, so I don't think that's the reason. Some prompts are suggested every year and have difficulty getting in, and mental health is one of them for some reason.

[Joan]

I really liked the retelling with BIPOC main character.

These results are ok but kind of boring for me. I do like the non-human character one but I feel like that is easy for me as well.

I found Boy, Snow, Bird at a used book store and bought it in anticipation of the retelling with BIPOC main character. I might just switch it to the ice prompt for this year.

[Samantha]

I probably will always vote against a mental health (really any health related) prompt. I don't comment on it mostly because I don't like to be negative about suggestions but I grew up with a parent who had significant issues and generally it isn't something I want to be a major theme in the books I read.

Personal experiences around health, mental or otherwise, aren't always something people want to talk or even think about but can be traumatic and might be why we don't see a lot of negative comments but why those prompts may not make it in.

That said, I can generally make anything work and Jenny Lawson has a new book out so will hold off on reading it if this does make it through.

[Nadine in NY]

dalex wrote: "About the mental health prompt. Those who have been doing challenges (here and elsewhere) for awhile have seen this prompt more than a few times. And even when it doesn’t make the prompt list, it c..."


Yes, this is the case for me. It's been a challenge category several times now, and it gets suggested every year. I'm not going to complain about it if it wins, but I'm just not interested. I tend not to gravitate to health topics in general, either fiction or non-fiction, about mental health or physical health or medical professionals, etc.