2022: looking forward, brainstorming, planning

[Anita]

I've done similar yearlong challenges like this in another group years ago, we would set up a list of 12 prompts or themes and the members would pick whatever book they felt fit and read it for that month and share their thoughts. This one offers more flexibility since they wouldn't be set monthly, although I also kind of think that having a monthly prompt may bring members back to the threads more often as well. If we're trying to foster more activity, it may be a good idea to incorporate something like that that will bring the members in for discussion, even if they choose to forgo both monthly book-club reads there is always the fallback option of that month's challenge read. We could also pre-publish the list so members can catch up or read ahead, but still only publish their thoughts in the proper thread - as a way to offer that flexibility for members who have to have it.

I noticed the subject of reading books one doesn't have any desire to read, and just wanted to chime in that while we never enjoy reading books we hate, I have read books that I never would have naturally chosen because of these book clubs. I've found a few of my favorite books from this book club, and they were definitely books I would not have chosen from the shelf myself. So, I do think that part of being in the group is reading books we didn't choose. Obviously sometimes that just isn't going to happen, and some people will not read something they don't want to - that's fine. I have had months where I just couldn't bring myself to read one of the group reads - though I always try to read at least one as a moderator. Definitely fostering healthy conversation will also help members feel comfortable coming in and saying, "I hated it because..." and that can be a great conversation.

[Ozsaur]

I love the idea of an annual challenge, and the list is great. I would like to include women horror writers. They rarely get the attention they deserve.

ETA: I'm happy you included Monsters and Speculative prompts!

[Hannah]

Great list Carol! It's got some of my favourites but also some thst will push me to expand my comfort zones. I like Anita's idea of having monthly prompts for discussion. Even if we don't read in that order it will give us a chance to discuss or plan based on recommendations and remind us to keep coming back to it. A reminder as to which prompts are coming in the next 1-2 months would be useful too

[Liesl]

Carol I love the suggested challenge. I love the variety

[Story]

Me too!

[Crazytourists_books]

Nice list Carol
Anita you are absolutely right; prompts can be a great way to "make" us read outside our comfort zone

[Carol]

Anita wrote: "I've done similar yearlong challenges like this in another group years ago, we would set up a list of 12 prompts or themes and the members would pick whatever book they felt fit and read it for tha..."

Both of your points are awesome, Anita. Along with the comments of others in this thread, I like the idea of picking 12 prompts, allocating one per month and sharing related recs and plans.

To your point about challenging ourselves to pick up group selections that aren't squarely in our personal reading zones, I've had that experience, too. How To Be Both last year was one that was a stretch read for me, and I'd wanted to try Smith but not enough to make it happen until we picked it. I got so much more out of it because of the group discussion, and I doubt I'd have finished it even, had I eventually picked it up and started it on my own.

[Carol]

Crazytourists_books wrote: "Nice list Carol
Anita you are absolutely right; prompts can be a great way to "make" us read outside our comfort zone"

Thank you! IKR?

[Michaela]

Great list, though I´m too squeamish to read horror or the like. ;)

[Stef]

I'm Latvian so what at the moment I am appreciating is that your message told me that Soviet Milk (the book) exists and now I want to read it. I would like to group-read but I find it had to synch that with the group. Sometimes I have things set i already have to read or want to read or I can't order the book in time or just when I am all organised you all read a book I already read. Sometimes also it's not a book I am interested in.

I read mainly female authors so this group is good for me. It's also made me more mindful of seeking out authors from various cultures and challenging myself a bit. I've learned a lot by doing this.

I find queer authors/themes are good, I'd like to see more of that here. It doesn't have to be lesbian romance, there is so much more to queer - bisexual, trans, asexual (especially asexual if we can find it), possibly poly queer, intersex, non-binary, etc, etc, etc including the way women write love between 2 men (which ranges from very tender to violent and exploitative). Maybe it happened and I missed it as I only pop in here when I am free.

Anyway maybe I didn;t need to suggest that. Books by women is a good general umbrella and the cultural diversity is definitely good for me :)

[Carol]

Michaela wrote: "Great list, though I´m too squeamish to read horror or the like. ;)"

substitutions are our friend, Michaela : )

[Carol]

Stef wrote: "I'm Latvian so what at the moment I am appreciating is that your message told me that Soviet Milk (the book) exists and now I want to read it. I would like to group-read but I find it had to synch ..."

Stef - thanks very much for sharing your thoughts. We have intentionally made a point of highlighting and nominating books by queer authors and/or with queer themes, but we can always do more to seek out a broader range of experiences and literature in that very large bucket, too. Thanks for challenging us to do that. There's a thread open seeking recommendations for books focused on asexuals and relevant experiences/themes. I don't think we came up with many books on point, but it's worth re-upping because we have had many members join since then and they might bring new suggestions.

I hope it works out for you to participate in our discussion of Soviet Milk -- starting 15 November. Your insight would be invaluable.

[Carol]

Anita and I pulled together the plan for 2022 based on this thread discussion and can't thank you all enough for your feedback.

Here's a link to the theme and challenge plan for 2022.

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

My tech skills stop several steps short of being able to paste a photo of a table into a GR update. Please be tolerant of the result, and assume good intentions.

[Anetq]

- What do you like most about our group?
Two of my overall reading goals is 1) to read more women and 2) to read around the world - so I love the idea of this group - and want to join the reads, particularly on newer fiction (there are so more other classics groups, I'm a member af a few), but not that many read the newer titles by women - so please keep it going :)

- Is there a thread/topic or approach that works well in another group that you recommend we adopt here?, What would you like to see more/less of?
I am a sucker for annual bingo, decade, alphabet (etc.) challenges, as I find it pushes me to read more diversely and outside my comfort zone. However too restricted assignments a la genre + geography/theme turns me off. I like to play around with what fits into categories, but have no desire to 'have to' read say sci-fi from a nordic country with a theme of womens lib (I can do either category, even though I'm not a sci-fi fan, but the combo make me think there is only one choice...)

- What would you like to see stay the same?
Read around the world! Women! The nice people and good atmosphere (thank you mods!)

- If you don't participate in group reads, is there a change that would inspire you to participate? If you participate in group reads from time to time, is there a change that might inspire you to participate more often?
I've not had the time to participate as I wanted this year (I moved, fixed up a new home and most my books were in storage), but hope to return in the coming months :) If it's a book I'd like to read, and can find the book and the time, I'm in!

- Other ideas/suggestions?
Thank you mods for keeping the group going & interesting <3

[Anetq]

Carol wrote: "Annual Challenges

Based on participation, I'd propose that for 2022, we offer 4 annual challenges: Women Authors, Black Women Authors and Women in Translation, along with this multi-prompt challen..."

Oooh I skipped ahead and only realised this was above - that's exactly my kind of challenge :)

That said, a few comments as to preferences as you asked. And let me say I'm totally aware, that there are a lot of diverse opinions and preferences, so feel free to disregard or use at will :)

1. Published between 1750 - 1900 (that's a very, very wide gap, why not a century or decade, or a couple of them?!)
4. Speculative Fiction (I personally hate the category. It seems to be in every challenge. Can I have spy novel or mystery if it needs to be a genre?)
5. In translation (This category I always find silly as I read in two languages all the time and from around the world, so pretty much anything can be in translation. I guess it's to push the mono-English readers out of their home turf, but it just so wide?)
10. Author is of indigenous descent (as a non US person I wonder: does this really mean an American indigenous author? Would someone from Greenland count? or a Dane in Denmark? Either it seems too wide or too narrow for me, but then I'm just not that interested in reading Americans no matter who, so probably just me.)
11. Neurodivergence - author, main character or subject matter (narrow, but I could find something)
17. Author is a contributor to Margaret Busby Daughters of Africa collection (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daughte...) Yay!
18. Memoir or biography (not my genre either, but I can find something)
19. Monsters of any kind - Stalin, those living under the bed, fantastic, historical … (love it!)
20. Ancient World – the subject can be a (real) heroine of the ancient world, or the novel takes place in ancient times, or the author is a woman writing about ancient history, culture etc. (ideas: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/4...) (as a non-sci-fi and non-fantasy reader and the ancients are mostly labeled 'men' (even though who knows?) I feel left with Mary Beard - who I love, but they're loooong unless it's 'Women and Power'? Or some graphic novel leaning towards sci-fi/fantasy)

Other suggestions:
A South American author
Or go narrower: Nigerian (there are plenty to choose from), not just African.

Hope any of this is helpful - and as I said, it's just input, feel free to disregard!