Around the Year in 52 Books discussion
note: This topic has been closed to new comments.
Archives
>
[2023] Wild Discussion
NEW IDEAI have an idea about the List Prompt situation. Many are disappointed that the NPR List didn't make it this round (OR happy since it would be a repeat) and many people don't like many of the lists out there because they are so limited. So what about this?...
A book ABOUT a list.
It wouldn't have to be a title prompt, but that is a very easy way to find one, since they tend to have "List" in the title. https://www.goodreads.com/search?page...
How would this satisfy the people who like NPR? It's a title prompt.
Ann wrote: "how about a book from one of the new genres; like steam punk, bromance, or mystery blends?"I've heard of steam punk but I don't know if I would like it. Bromance doesn't sound like something I would like. Do you have examples of books? Maybe I already read one of these and don't know it.
I didn't know about Nollywood at all. I'd be interested in a Nollywood only prompt. Adding all the "woods" together is a bit to much for me personally even though I love them all individually. I'd also be a little nit picky about how Dollywood fits in with the others. Hollywood, Bollywood and Nollywood all have to do with films and Dollywood is a theme park related to the music industry.
I think Nollywood was a typo.But yea a prompt that covered more industries would be broader. But the topic itself isn’t much different so I don’t know if people would vote for it.
KP wrote: "How would this satisfy the people who like NPR? It's a title prompt."It doesn't HAVE to be a title prompt. That's just an easy way to find them. If a book is about a list but doesn't have that in the title, then that would absolutely count.
Books like Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen by Julie Powell is about the author cooking every item in one of Julia Child's cookbooks (the recipes could be considered a list, and also the project is a sort of 'bucket list'). There are many other books about people working through their 'bucket list' that don't mention List in their title: Between Two Kingdoms: A Memoir of a Life Interrupted by Suleika Jaouad - a road trip to see a list of people she'd met while in the hospital, Accidentally Wes Anderson) by Wally Koval - a personal travel bucket list, etc. It could also be about an author trying to get on the NYT Best Sellers List, or a patient on an organ donation list, etc. If you google 'bucket list', those two will have a lot of titles that include 'bucket list', but not all of them.
True, most books that fit the prompt WILL have List in the title, but that would not be a requirement.
@Amy - Good point re: whether Dollywood really fits. I was thinking about this prompt because we've had Hollywood/the entertainment industry (which is a little broader to me) prompt a couple times and the Indian subcontinent setting prompt a couple times, then someone else mentioned Nollywood. I was trying to think of a more creative way to maybe get those in because I like them both. But Dollywood could easily be taken out!@Mahi - Not a typo! Nollywood is a term for the Nigerian film industry, as I recently learned from this thread.
Mahi wrote: "I think Nollywood was a typo.But yea a prompt that covered more industries would be broader. But the topic itself isn’t much different so I don’t know if people would vote for it."
Here's more information about Nollywood: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinema_...
"In 2009, Unesco rated Nollywood as the second-biggest film industry in the world after Indian cinema in terms of output."
Tracy wrote: "KP wrote: "How would this satisfy the people who like NPR? It's a title prompt."It doesn't HAVE to be a title prompt. That's just an easy way to find them. If a book is about a list but doesn't h..."
My first thought was that I might finally get around to reading I Am Number Four
They caught Number One in Malaysia.
Number Two in England.
And Number Three in Kenya.
They killed them all.
I am Number Four.
I really need to work it into either this year's challenge or the next.
If I'm able to get to the thread in time I'm thinking about resuggesting the disabled character prompt. This time maybe going for the wording of A Book With a Disabled Main Character.Thoughts? I'm thinking maybe making it a bit more streamlined would help, and also that the "from the POV of" prefix may have put a few people off.
Siobhan wrote: "If I'm able to get to the thread in time I'm thinking about resuggesting the disabled character prompt. This time maybe going for the wording of A Book With a Disabled Main Character.Thoughts? I'..."
The POV thing did make me hesitate. Book with a disabled main character is better, but makes me feel homework-y. (I do love the prompt and I want it; just noting my own internal reactions to different phrasings here.) Not immediately coming up with a better wording, though.
I much prefer with a disabled main character than POV. I voted for it with POV, for what it's worth, but maybe others didn't.
Siobhan wrote: "If I'm able to get to the thread in time I'm thinking about resuggesting the disabled character prompt. This time maybe going for the wording of A Book With a Disabled Main Character.Thoughts? I'..."
I like that better. I did not vote for it before because of the POV part since I I don't pay much attention to POV when I read a book.
Siobhan wrote: "If I'm able to get to the thread in time I'm thinking about resuggesting the disabled character prompt. This time maybe going for the wording of A Book With a Disabled Main Character."I'm hesitant to vote for any prompt related to a disabled character just because I'm not one hundred percent what qualifies and I don't want to be inadvertently offensive.
i might propose a book related to Hollywood or Bollywood tomorrow. I'm afraid Nollywood might make the thing vaguer and even harder to get in.
Dubhease wrote: "i might propose a book related to Hollywood or Bollywood tomorrow. I'm afraid Nollywood might make the thing vaguer and even harder to get in."Would a book that was made into a movie be "related"? If so, I would be more willing to vote for it. Though I did see a fiction book today about pre-code Hollywood that sounded good. (It's about the wild early stage of Hollywood - 1920's-early 1930's - before the censors took control). Siren queen -maybe?
NancyJ wrote: "Dubhease wrote: "i might propose a book related to Hollywood or Bollywood tomorrow. I'm afraid Nollywood might make the thing vaguer and even harder to get in."Would a book that was made into a m..."
Would "A book related to Hollywood or a Hollywood studio" be a better prompt? (I think that should cover books made into movies)
Would trying to combine it with those studio prompts from the multi-week be better than trying to tie it to Bollywood and the whole India prompt that's been tried twice?
dalex wrote: "Siobhan wrote: "If I'm able to get to the thread in time I'm thinking about resuggesting the disabled character prompt. This time maybe going for the wording of A Book With a Disabled Main Characte..."In the UK at least a disability is defined as a physical or mental impairment. that has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on the ability to carry out day-to-day activities.
This can include physical disabilities such as being in a wheelchair, needing a cane to walk, being blind or being deaf. It can also include mental disabilities such as autism, dyslexia or Down's Syndrome. It can also include mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety or Borderline personality disorder.
A lot of things can class as a disability, in short. But while I do understand not wanting to vote for it I don't think you should fear being inadvertently offensive. As a disabled person myself, I love talking to people about my disability and expanding understanding. It can be uncomfortable learning about these things and dealing with the fear of getting things wrong, but that's how people grow! None of us are born perfect, as long as we're working to challenge any internal biases that's what truly counts in the end.
Siobhan wrote: "dalex wrote: "Siobhan wrote: "If I'm able to get to the thread in time I'm thinking about resuggesting the disabled character prompt. This time maybe going for the wording of A Book With a Disabled..."Siobhan, thank you for asking us to not be uncomfortable talking about disability, in a respectful way of course. I appreciate your openness. :)
I have a couple of new ideas for ways to use "23". Because I know that we may grow tired of this direction, which would you prefer?1) "A book by an author with a 2 syllable first/given name and a 3 syllable last/sir name.”
or
2) “A book that could fit in 2 or 3 of the prompts for this year.”
I thought of this one because I often have either multiple books that I want to read for a single prompt, or a single book that could fit more than one prompt and I'm not sure which one to choose.
I like the syllable one but if you go for either I will read the syllable one. I know some people think 23 on it's own, is too open.
Tracy wrote: "Siobhan wrote: "dalex wrote: "Siobhan wrote: "If I'm able to get to the thread in time I'm thinking about resuggesting the disabled character prompt. This time maybe going for the wording of A Book..."Thank you! And no worries. :) I totally understand not wanting to get things wrong, but from experience there's no 100% perfect way to go about things. As long as everybody respects each other, that's the important thing!
I like the syllable idea as well. It is kind of fun to use syllables.
NEW IDEAI have an idea about the List Prompt situation. Many are disappointed that the NPR List didn't make it this round (OR happy since it would be a repeat) and many people don't like many of the lists out there because they are so limited. So what about this?...
A book ABOUT a list.
I think this is a really fun prompt but I wonder if a slight wording change to "a book that includes/features a list" makes sense. A lot of books aren't really *about* lists but do have lists that are important to the plot (e.g. crime novels where there is a list of victims or a list clue)
Dubhease wrote: "i might propose a book related to Hollywood or Bollywood tomorrow. I'm afraid Nollywood might make the thing vaguer and even harder to get in."I'm not sure how Nollywood would make it vaguer? Isn't that just sticking to the Hollywood and Bollywood theme, just including the Africa market?
We have 3 100 year anniversaries that are related - Hollywood, Disney and Wizard of Oz. Together they provided timeless characters and 100 years of entertainment for all ages. All three have indelibly marked our culture, and have had some impact all around the world. They have involved all fields of art and performance in some way, and have contributed to advances in technology and new industries. "Hollywood" is often used to describe the entire industry, and there are movie companies all over the world. (Filming can now occur anywhere.) Read a book connected to (100 years of) Hollywood, Disney or Oz.
FICTION:
*There are thousands of novels that have been adapted to the screen, and conversely,
*novels based on original screenplays or films.
*Retellings and completely reimagined stories in print related to Disney or Wizard of Oz characters
*Sci-fi series and retellings based on characters or stories originated on screen.
*Thousands of novels set in Hollywood and/or about people in some part of the movie industry. In nearly every genre. At least a few novels were set in Disneyworld too.
NON-FICTION:
*100 years of memoirs and biographies of fascinating people - actors, directors, costume directors, animators, ride operators, etc.
*Books about specific movies, directors or franchises, locations
*The Making of ___"
*Coffee table books, art books
*Movie making - story, art, music, crafts, technology, filming, editing, construction, etc.
*How movies, Disney, and Oz impact or reflect our culture.
*Hollywood's portrayal of various demographic groups over the years. How Hollywood contributed to reducing stereotypes and improving gay rights.
*Books about the history of Hollywood, pre-code, golden age etc. *Books about the history of Walt Disney's dreams, movies, Disney parks, organization culture, stage productions, and (later) mergers and acquisitions.
*Leadership and business books based on these companies, and even Oz characters.
*New technologies, industries, advances, trends, future developments.
*Documentaries
Question 1) Does this concept - or these books - interest you enough to vote for the prompt?
Question 2) Which wording is better?
For their 100th anniversaries, read a book connected to Hollywood, Disney or Oz.
Read a book related to Hollywood, Disney or Oz, for their 100 year anniversaries.
Read a book in honor of 100 years of Hollywood, Disney or Oz.
Read a book connected to Hollywood, Disney or Oz.
NOTE - "Hollywood" is often used to describe the movie industry in general, and movies are now made all over the world. The line between Hollywood and Indie is very fuzzy, but we can each interpret it the way we see fit. If someone wanted to read about Bollywood, I would consider that a KISS option. (But who knows, maybe a Hollywood Studio is funding some Bollywood films?)
I’d be fine with just Hollywood and agree it encompasses them all. But I think if we start adding Bollywood we should also add Nollywood
I agree that if we are going the *ollywood route that Nollywood should be included.
Kahlia wrote: "NEW IDEAI have an idea about the List Prompt situation. Many are disappointed that the NPR List didn't make it this round (OR happy since it would be a repeat) and many people don't like many of t..."
Thanks Kahlia, I think you made a good suggestion to go with "features a list" or "a list is important". That might open up ideas for finding something if a list is still important but not necessarily the main focus.
Alicia wrote: "Dubhease wrote: "i might propose a book related to Hollywood or Bollywood tomorrow. I'm afraid Nollywood might make the thing vaguer and even harder to get in."I'm not sure how Nollywood would ma..."
I agree. Having an additional option does not mean you have to USE the option, since this isn't a multi-week prompt. Please keep Nollywood!
Alicia and Tracy, do you have an opinion on the Hollywood, Disney, Oz prompt? Hollywood didn't get in before. Bollywood and nollywood don't have the 100 year connection.
I think Bollywood has a better shot with The Indian Subcontinent prompt - it was a close call.
NancyJ wrote: "We have 3 100 year anniversaries that are related - Hollywood, Disney and Wizard of Oz. Together they provided timeless characters and 100 years of entertainment for all ages. All three have indeli..."I like this Nancy.
Read a book connected to (100 years of) Hollywood, Disney or Oz.
For those who might want a book involving lists, I read this one at some point for a challenge which is written entirely in the form of lists: Twenty-one Truths About Love
Thanks Rachel - that’s an interesting format :)
Mod
Read a book related to Hollywood, Disney or Oz, for their 100 year anniversaries.
Read a book in honor of 100 years of Hollywood, Disney or Oz.
though I know some people had trouble with "in honor of", thinking that meant it had to only say great things about the subject.
I likeRead a book related to Hollywood, Disney or Oz, for their 100 year anniversaries.
I personally would not vote for Hollywood Disney or Oz. It just seems so arbitrary and really really broad.
NancyJ wrote: "Alicia and Tracy, do you have an opinion on the Hollywood, Disney, Oz prompt? Hollywood didn't get in before. Bollywood and nollywood don't have the 100 year connection.
I think Bollywood has a ..."
NancyJ — I think that one of the first two wordings that mention the 100th Anniversaries would be the best bet. TBH, it's not a prompt I'm drawn to (not really interested in the entertainment industry), but I could make it work if I needed to. I do like the Wizard of Oz movie, but the books are quite different. Maybe I'd read Finding Dorothy by Elizabeth Letts, historical fiction of the story of how the Wizard of Oz came to be, told from the perspective of Frank L. Baum's wife, Maud.
Robin P wrote: "I think it's good to include the clue that this is the 100th anniversary of those iconic entertainments, rather than to just list them. I like eitherRead a book related to Hollywood, Disney or Oz..."
Don’t we always remove the extra information so 100 year part would get removed from the prompt.
I like Read a book related to Hollywood, Disney or Oz.For the person who asked I said "Nollywood" might be vague because while it is supposed to be Nigerian, I foresaw someone asking if they could just read a book for anywhere it Africa, and it would bring up the idea that Africa gets treated as a continent and not 54 different countries in a way that no other continent seems to be treated.
Tracy wrote: "2) “A book that could fit in 2 or 3 of the prompts for this year.”I LOVE this! I have been having so much fun this year fitting books into multiple different reading challenges, and it would be so fun to have a prompt to find a book that could fulfill multiple prompts here. I would absolutely vote for this one.
dalex wrote: "Siobhan wrote: "If I'm able to get to the thread in time I'm thinking about resuggesting the disabled character prompt. This time maybe going for the wording of A Book With a Disabled Main Characte..."I'm happy if I book I choose to read has a disabled character, but I won't go specially looking for such a book.
NancyJ wrote: "Alicia and Tracy, do you have an opinion on the Hollywood, Disney, Oz prompt? Hollywood didn't get in before. Bollywood and nollywood don't have the 100 year connection.
I think Bollywood has a ..."
I agree. I think Hollywood, Disney or Oz makes more sense due to the 100 year connection. And India has a better chance with Indian subcontinent.
Personally though, I loved the prompt 'A book with a character related to Wizard of Oz' or something similar we had in poll 1.
For me, smushing the prompts together doesn't solve the things that made me not vote for them before.If someone says Oz to me out of context I will always think Australia before The Wizard of Oz. I don't think I saw the film until I was an older child, and I always thought it was referencing Australia when I saw the title! I think if the prompt said Oz or the Land of Oz, I'd be more inclined to vote for it and use it as an Australian prompt.
Perhaps a bit of randomness...Roll a die - find a book title with that many words (1-6)?
Mod
Robin P wrote: "though I know some people had trouble with "in honor of", thinking that meant it had to only say great things about the subject."I was puzzled about "in celebration of the entertainment industry." To me, celebration means something joyous so for a book to technically qualify it would have to be a happy uplifting book. The person who suggested the prompt (if I recall correctly) thought "in celebration of" and "in honor of" were synonymous. I think there are subtle differences between celebration and honor.
You might be referring to something else all together, however.
Also, thanks to those who replied to my comment about feeling intimidated by a disability prompt for fear of choosing a wrong book and offending someone.
Maybe "Read a book related to Hollywood, Disney or the land of Oz" would work better.
Dubhease wrote: "Maybe "Read a book related to Hollywood, Disney or the land of Oz" would work better."Sorry I wasn't clear, I meant Oz by itself, I think them all together is too broad and I personally wouldn't vote for it.
This topic has been frozen by the moderator. No new comments can be posted.
Around the Year in 52 Books
Books mentioned in this topic
Harriet the Spy (other topics)The Kaiju Preservation Society (other topics)
The It Girl (other topics)
The Lost Metal (other topics)
The Kaiju Preservation Society (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Louise Fitzhugh (other topics)Susanna Kearsley (other topics)
Jhumpa Lahiri (other topics)
Salman Rushdie (other topics)
Celeste Ng (other topics)
More...
You only need to read one book so if you don't have something you want to read related to Nollywood, pick another (I might finally read that big and heavy copy of Dolly's song book I got for Christmas)