[2023] Wild Discussion Showing 651-700 of 4,060

[Chrissy]

I just came here to mention the GR blog post on “30 classic tales reimagined for 2022” but I see Mandy beat me to it. The intro mentions that “retelling” doesn’t quite encompass this trend, so maybe a different term is better? I love the list they made, though!

[Thomas]

I actually don’t think the retellings issue is purely dislike of fairy tales. For me it’s that I’d rather read the work of authors with the imagination to invent there own characters

[NancyJ]

Tracy wrote: "Mandy wrote: "some time earlier the thread was talking about retellings

goodreads just popped this up on my home page

https://www.goodreads.com/blog/show/2......"

There seem to be a lot based on Shakespeare. I like retellings of classic books, and my book club is looking for a pair we can read together (the original and the retelling).

I would upvote retellings or books inspired by other books (or whatever wording you all come up with).

[Alicia]

Thomas, I’m always interested in this argument. I feel like the majority of books/tvs/movies are the same general tropes with slightly different characters. It’s especially prevalent in fantasy, romance, and mystery. There may be a twist here and there, but we generally see the same characters time and again.

My least favorite is the brooding man with a secret sensitive side lol 🤦🏽‍♀️

[Tracy]

There’s also some Jane Austen inspired spin-offs/retelling/inspired by’s, which might be good if you do OR don’t like Jane Austen and/but you do like horror: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, and Emma and Vampires, e.g.

[dalex]

Maybe instead of “a retelling” it could be something like “a book that is inspired by another work” or “a book that is an homage to another story”?

That way the prompt would for anything that has the same characters or plot or theme or whatever.

For example, The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides is inspired by “Alcestis” by Euripides but really it only shares a common theme and if you aren’t super familiar with the play you’d probably miss it. As opposed to something like Ash by Melinda Lo, which is pretty much exactly the Cinderella story except Cinderella is a
lesbian.

[Tracy]

@dalex — I think “homage” might be the word we are looking for to cover “retelling” and “inspired by”.

[Chrissy]

I find the choices made when retelling or reimagining a story interesting and worth discussing, regardless of whether the characters are based off classic characters. Like, what changes any why when this is gender flipped? How does queering a story emphasize a certain theme? When moving a story from the past into present or future, does the new context change character motivations or not? Some authors are more successful than others at this kind of thing, obviously.

[Pamela, Arciform Mod]

Juliet Brown wrote: "I would upvote apartment building OR house because I enjoy haunted house stories, just apartment building would be a no from ma as too narrow"

the listopia for apartments is pretty long

[Pamela, Arciform Mod]

Multiweek prompt idea I'm noodling on--

a fiction and a non-fiction book about the same subject

But then I'm thinking some people detest non-fiction (I always want to read the real story or more about the era after reading a good book)--- should I change it to Books in two different genres on the same subject?

[Thomas]

Two genres sounds good. I would vote fiction and non fiction as well but I see what you mean about it being less popular

[Tracy]

I like non-fiction, but not all NON-fiction is highly readable. Your other option of 2 different genres on the same topic could include non-fiction, but leaves it open to other genres if there aren’t great non-fiction options available on the chosen topic. Good idea either way!

Edit: added all caps word segment in first line. Totally changes the meaning — sorry.

[Bec]

Pamela wrote: "Multiweek prompt idea I'm noodling on--

a fiction and a non-fiction book about the same subject

But then I'm thinking some people detest non-fiction (I always want to read the real story or more ..."
Yep this would be a downvote for me as I do not enjoy non-fiction.

[Juliet]

I like the idea of pairing fiction and non-fiction

[Shannon SA]

Chrissy wrote: "I just came here to mention the GR blog post on “30 classic tales reimagined for 2022” but I see Mandy beat me to it. The intro mentions that “retelling” doesn’t quite encompass this trend, so mayb..."

That was a good list, I would vote for a prompt like this.

[Harini]

I would vote for pairing of Fiction and Non-Fiction for multi-week prompt. But as you said, Non-Fiction doesn't seem like a genre that some prefer to read (I myself was someone who didn't enjoy non-fiction at one point), so the idea of books from different genres on the same subject would work better I guess.

[Kahlia]

I would prefer the fiction/non-fiction version of the prompt because it's a good excuse for me to read more non-fiction, but I would vote for either.

[Jill]

If the non fiction nature book gets in this time, I doubt people would vote for another one.

[Ellie]

Alicia wrote: "Thomas, I’m always interested in this argument. I feel like the majority of books/tvs/movies are the same general tropes with slightly different characters. It’s especially prevalent in fantasy, ro..."

Yeah, unless you're into highly experimental fiction, you're going to come across the same things again and again in stories, it's how it's written, and what an author adds to the mix, that matters. Not that they've managed to come up with a plot that no one has ever thought of using before. I can stumble upon quite unique concepts since I read a lot of genre fiction, but essentially they are wrapped up in a familiar plot type that has been proven to work again and again.

[Louise]

Ellie wrote: "Alicia wrote: "Thomas, I’m always interested in this argument. I feel like the majority of books/tvs/movies are the same general tropes with slightly different characters. It’s especially prevalent..."
You do find quite original stuff once in a while - like
, Craphound and Doctor Olaf van Schuler's Brain

[Nadine in NY]

Pamela wrote: "Multiweek prompt idea I'm noodling on--

a fiction and a non-fiction book about the same subject

But then I'm thinking some people detest non-fiction (I always want to read the real story or more ..."


I like to read some non-fiction each year, but my problem is that I would have a hard time finding a FICTION story that is the same subject as the non-fiction I enjoy. I guess I read quite different fiction and non-fiction. I tend to read a lot of science / climate / microhistory books. Climate obviously lends itself well to cli-fi, but if I read Cod: A Biography of the Fish that Changed the World or Banana: The Fate of the Fruit That Changed the World or I Contain Multitudes: The Microbes Within Us and a Grander View of Life, I'd be hard-pressed to find a fiction book that I would want to read about that same subject. (yes, I'm sure the fiction exists, but the trick is finding one I want to read.)

[Shannon SA]

I agree that's going to be tricky, Nadine, what about a fiction book that has a word in the title that matches a word in the title of the non-fiction book? e.g. to match a word in your last example, A Room with a View would work. Or is that getting too aarrgghh now? LOL

[dalex]

Perhaps if the fiction and nonfiction books were related by theme rather than subject? Subject has to do with plot, characters, and setting whereas theme is the main idea or message.

[Aimee]

Nadine in NY wrote: "Pamela wrote: "Multiweek prompt idea I'm noodling on--

a fiction and a non-fiction book about the same subject

But then I'm thinking some people detest non-fiction (I always want to read the real..."

I think if you took a broader interpretation it could work pretty well. For example, for the banana book, you could read a book set in a country that is famous for growing bananas, such as the Dominican Republic. For the cod example, a book where a character is a fisherperson would probably work.

[Jillian]

Aimee wrote: "Nadine in NY wrote: "Pamela wrote: "Multiweek prompt idea I'm noodling on--

a fiction and a non-fiction book about the same subject

But then I'm thinking some people detest non-fiction (I always ..."


Cod: A Biography of the Fish that Changed the World is a book I have on my TBR list and Clammed Up series is one that I’ reading. I would not have thought of the pairing. Thank you!

I do think, for a fiction and non-fiction pairing to make it it would need to be fairly broad.

[Sherri]

I like the fiction and non-fiction prompt about the same subject. I just finished a non-fiction Finding the Mother Tree: Discovering the Wisdom of the Forest. The fiction read could be The Overstory. This prompt could be a biography/memoir paired with a biography fiction on the same person.

[Robin P, Orbicular Mod]

Tracy wrote: "@dalex — I think “homage” might be the word we are looking for to cover “retelling” and “inspired by”."

I'm afraid most people don't really know what "homage" means in the context of books so when they see that prompt (and don't read this thread) they will ignore or downvote it. I think we tried something like that with "pastiche" before, similar idea and reaction. Some good ideas get rejected when voters don't bother checking into what they really are.

[Pamela, Arciform Mod]

Aimee wrote: "I think if you took a broader interpretation it could work pretty well. For example, for the banana book, you could read a book set in a country that is famous for growing bananas, such as the Dominican Republic. For the cod example, a book where a character is a fisherperson would probably work."

Exactly! Doesn't have to be a bio of Jefferson and then historical fiction on Jefferson but more of a connection in some way. Last year I read Mudlark and this year I read The Lost Apothecary which is built around a character who find something mudlarking- that's an insanely close one! But then there's looser where you read a book that has a road trip and then you read a book about the inventor of the car. I'm reading a chic lit book right now with a photographer and my dad just sent me a digital photography book, which I won't actually read, but if I wanted to, I could pair it with that book.

[NancyJ]

Sherri wrote: "I like the fiction and non-fiction prompt about the same subject. I just finished a non-fiction Finding the Mother Tree: Discovering the Wisdom of the Forest. The fiction read could..."

Great example. There are a lot of good fiction books that involve Nature - Greenwood, Overstory, Where the Crawdads Sing. For non-fiction nature books, Lab Girl (a memoir that reads like fiction). Sy Montgomery books (memoirs involving animals), and Braiding Sweetgrass are all easier to read than most non-fiction.

I think there are even two books involving an octopus - one fiction, one non-fiction.

But to make it more feasible for most people, I agree that it might be better to just require that the two books be linked in some small way - a word in the title, a similar topic or sub-topic, a similar type of setting. similar covers, author name or initials. Where the Crawdads Sing involves nature and illustrations of nature subjects, and might be matched with a NF book with nature illustrations on the cover.

[Pamela, Arciform Mod]

Jillian wrote: "Cod: A Biography of the Fish that Changed the World is a book I have on my TBR list and Clammed Up series is one that I’ reading. I would not have thought of the pairing. Thank you!.."

I'm reading Cod for Here Be Dragons this year- it' been on my TBR forever too! And now that I don't live on Cape Cod anymore, it feels like time!

[Thomas]

I do want to be rude I just got my days in a muddle. When are the next results?

[Thomas]

Sorry don’t want to be rude

[Nadine in NY]

Pamela wrote: "Aimee wrote: "I think if you took a broader interpretation it could work pretty well. For example, for the banana book, you could read a book set in a country that is famous for growing bananas, su..."



You'll need to reword it then. Because "a fiction and a non-fiction book about the same subject" means two books about the same subject, so a banana book would need to be paired with another about bananas.


Perhaps you meant it to say "a fiction and a non-fiction book that are connected in some way."

[Tracy]

@Thomas — I believe tomorrow is Results Day.

[Thomas]

Thank you Tracey

[Pamela, Arciform Mod]

Tracy wrote: "@Thomas — I believe tomorrow is Results Day."

I love Results Day

[Pamela, Arciform Mod]

Nadine in NY wrote: "Perhaps you meant it to say "a fiction and a non-fiction book that are connected in some way."."

That works, keep it flexible for those who are adverse to non-fiction and those who want to challenge themselves still can.

[T.]

Don't forget that "nonfiction" includes more than just science, history and how-tos. It's also biographies, memoirs and poetry.

[Nancy]

Thomas, the poll voting thread also says when results day is, for future reference.

[chysodema]

Pamela wrote: "Multiweek prompt idea I'm noodling on--

a fiction and a non-fiction book about the same subject

But then I'm thinking some people detest non-fiction (I always want to read the real story or more ..."

I LOVE the idea of a pair of books from two different genres on the same subject. I would have so much fun with that!

I probably wouldn't vote for the fiction/nonfiction version, because I get antsy about being tasked to read nonfiction, but I would almost certainly still enjoy it if it did get voted in. I read widely enough in fiction that if I chose one of the handful of nonfiction books on next year's TBR I'm sure I would be able to find something interesting to pair with it in fiction.

[Steve]

Looking for prompt feedback:
‘23 calls to mind 23 skidoo. In honor of that…
“A book that coined or popularized a commonly used word or phrase”

Ex. A lot of Shakespeare inventions, “old sport” from Gatsby, “catch-22”, “it was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”

[Sherri]

Steve wrote “ A book that coined or popularized a commonly used word or phrase”. “ I’m gonna make him an offer he can’t refuse”.

[Robin P, Orbicular Mod]

Neat idea, but we would need a listopia, we don't always know which book was the origin of a popular saying. We generally don't know until we read a book that it contains a quote like that. I'm not opposed to it, but I'm afraid it would be in the category of people who don't read the wild discussion or nomination threads look at it for 2 seconds, say "huh?" and move on.

[Nadine in NY]

Steve wrote: "Looking for prompt feedback:
‘23 calls to mind 23 skidoo. In honor of that…
“A book that coined or popularized a commonly used word or phrase”

Ex. A lot of Shakespeare inventions, “old sport” fro..."


on the one hand, that sounds really difficult to find a book for. On the other hand, I've been meaning to read The Stepford Wives for forever now.

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

I do think this would fall both in the category of "you're forcing me to read a classic" and "this is a very narrow topic", which are two reasons why people downvote a prompt. I like the premise, but I would definitely need to see a list of options before voting.

[NancyJ]

It's easy to find blogs or lists of movie quotes (Casablanca and Godfather have many popular quotes), but I don't recall seeing anything similar for books. The closest might be lists of "best first lines" in books.

[Jill]

I have never heard of 23 Skidoo before and looked it up on google. Seems it is an American phrase. In Britain it is a punk music group.

[Pamela, Arciform Mod]

Steve wrote: "Looking for prompt feedback:
‘23 calls to mind 23 skidoo. In honor of that…
“A book that coined or popularized a commonly used word or phrase”

Ex. A lot of Shakespeare inventions, “old sport” fro..."

It's s neat idea- would need to see examples- it's a neat idea but if there's only a few dozen choices, I won't vote for it as not much choice (and I would negate the Shakespeare as for me, I don't consider reading Shakespeare reading a book)

According to google, 23 skidoo means "leaving quickly, being forced to leave quickly by someone else, or taking advantage of a propitious opportunity to leave"-- maybe something connected to that?

[NancyJ]

Thomas wrote: "I do want to be rude I just got my days in a muddle. When are the next results?"

That's not rude at all! It's tomorrow.

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
The schedule chart is post #5.

[Alicia]

I’m American and never heard of 23 skidoo and had to look it up. Is that where skidaddle came from?

Either way, I’m not sure I’d love it if it was the book it originated from. But what about a book connected to a popularized/commonly used phrase. Then I could read a book about jousting for “old sport” (and yes, that’s the oldest sport I could think of on the fly).