Around the Year in 52 Books discussion
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[2023] Wild Discussion
I suspect most people wouldn’t vote for a second NPR prompt in the same year
Thomas wrote: "I suspect most people wouldn’t vote for a second NPR prompt in the same year"yeah, and the more I think about it, I'm not even interested in them, either!!
Nadine in NY wrote: "Tracy wrote: ") A setting that is not geographically based, e.g., workplace, circus, train or ship, restaurant...."I would vote for "a book set in a restaurant" - because I have been enjoying [a..."
Oh, sorry if I wasn't clear that that was just a list of possibilities for a non-geography setting. I did NOT intend for all of them to be a single prompt. Just putting out options to see which one had more interest, or to see if anyone had other non-geographic settings to suggest.
I always like to read books where people are either staying or living in a hotel, resort, campground, etc.
I had an idea for a prompt and I wonder what folks here think of it, and if there's any interest, maybe some better ways to word it: "A book with the theme of returning home"
I was thinking of people who return to their hometown, prodigal sons/daughters, immigrants or refugees who return to their home country, people who return to the country of their ancestors, soldiers returning after war, etc. I think there should be a lot of options for fiction - literary, crime, mystery, other genres - as well as nonfiction, memoirs, etc.
Any thoughts/feelings about this one?
Mod
"A book with the theme of returning home"
I was thinking of p..."
There are quite a few romances and mysteries where the main character returns home and something from the past comes up, an old crime, an old lover, etc.
Katie wrote: "I would like a book like (the movie) Forrest Gump that shows historical (and pop culture) events that defined an era or a lifetime in a certain place. I'm starting Violeta by Isabel Allende, "A w..."
The Island of the Sea Women is set in Korea and chronicles the life of a woman diver from when she is in her teens into her 80s. I am not finished with it yet, so not sure how much of her late middle age is covered.
Karen wrote: "I had an idea for a prompt and I wonder what folks here think of it, and if there's any interest, maybe some better ways to word it: "A book with the theme of returning home"
I was thinking of p..."
I like the idea.
Adult children might go home to care for a parent, kids, the family farm, the family business, or after a divorce or job loss. High school sweethearts often show up in romance books. Funerals and reunions are common reasons for short-terms visits.
I would like to read about people returning to their home country, or traveling to the country of their ancestors. I want to read some of these books. Do you have any examples or lists?
MJ wrote: "Thomas wrote: "Apart from diversity and genres is there’s any kind of prompt people feel there’s isn’t enough?"I would like another prompt in lists and recommendations area, but people seem again..."
I'm all for that. What do you have in mind?
Katie wrote: "how aboutA second book that fits your favorite prompt.
For when it's hard to read just one."
Katie, I absolutely love this one! Please suggest it :D
@Nadine, I also liked the list of books in that world lit prompt, as well as the books on the advertising firm's website! Just thought the sources felt a little random but the recommended books were great.
@Tracy, I don't think we have any setting prompts that aren't geographic (aside from the 3 different centuries prompt) so I love that idea! My favorite is definitely workplace but I'd probably vote for any of the options you mentioned aside from restaurant since I struggled with that one in last year's Popsugar challenge.
Thomas wrote: "Apart from diversity and genres is there’s any kind of prompt people feel there’s isn’t enough?"Themes
Topics that are important to people's lives
Lists
Genres
Environment
Nature
War and Peace
Migration, immigration, movement
Nadine in NY wrote: "If you're looking for lists, every year NPR crowd-sources a genre best-of; this would combine genre and lists if you picked just one. I know the other NPR list is on our 2023 list, though, so this ..."What did they do this summer?
Love this one - A second book that fits your favorite prompt.For when it's hard to read just one.
I would vote for a book from (one of) your favourite list/s ("a list of your choice"?)
I really like the non-geographical setting but I'd only vote for it if there were options or if it was broad, for example I wouldn't vote for it if it was too narrow like only Carnival/Circus.
For our favorite list, could we pick an Awards list, a top 100 list, Obama' list?
Mod
LOL, whereas I would only vote for it if it was only one of the choices, otherwise it's too broad. So many of us cancel each other out!
A possible compromise would be a choice of two or three like Popsugar this year, train, boat or plane
Round two of the KIS/BIO discussions have been posted! Up for discussion:
A book set in a location that begins with A, T, or Y
A book connected to birds, bees, or bunnies
A Book Related to Pride
A Book With A Full Name in the Title
A Book with Sun, Moon or Stars on the cover
Any ideas for the 5 previously posted prompts will also be welcome!
I am particularly excited to hear your ideas for PRIDE, I believe it was dalex who mentioned that there are many, many ways to interpret pride, not just LGBTQIA+. I think KIS/BIO would be a great place to list those ideas out. Let's discuss!
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
°~Amy~° wrote: "I am particularly excited to hear your ideas for PRIDE, I believe it was dalex who mentioned that there are many, many ways to interpret pride, not just LGBTQIA+."Already done, haha.
KP wrote: "Nadine in NY wrote: "If you're looking for lists, every year NPR crowd-sources a genre best-of; this would combine genre and lists if you picked just one. I know the other NPR list is on our 2023 l...What did they do this summer?
"
They didn't do it this summer, I don't know why not.
Pamela wrote: "Shannon SA wrote: "I really like the non-geographical setting but I'd only vote for it if there were options or if it was broad, for example I wouldn't vote for it if it was too narrow like only Ca..."Ok, I'm going to have to go back and edit my initial message about the non-geographical setting prompt. The list of settings I put there was just a possible list of options that could be used for the prompt — not that all of them would be in the prompt (as I'm writing this I'm realizing how difficult this could be to describe in the realm of prompts).
So, the idea would be EITHER "a book set in a workplace" OR "a book set in a train or ship" OR "a book set in a circus", etc., not all of them in one prompt and you pick which on you want to use.
Looking at my list of suggestions, and some of the responses to it, I'm thinking that "in a workplace" might be flexible enough, but not TOO flexible. Places like a circus could work (if the book was from the view of a circus employee), and same for the restaurant option, but not if they were from the view point of a customer of either.
Thomas wrote: "A possible compromise would be a choice of two or three like Popsugar this year, train, boat or plane"Three related choices is always always appealing to me. There is something about a group of 3 that sounds complete to me. Though some people might see the ideas as random even if I see them as deeply connected.
But Thomas, I don't think I could stand to see another travel related idea shot down. Different people keep submitting travel/road related ideas, so clearly there is an interest. I was proud of my initial On The Road idea, and I listed lots of options before I had a version I was happy with. Other people suggested pieces of it before, and after, and I don't know how many more road related suggestions we've had this year. Ultimately my suggestion became too broad, and adding a song (on the road again) just killed it.
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- Sorry I just realized that you're probably talking about the set of three idea, NOT roads, etc. Never mind. I like sets of three, but some other people don't see the appeal.
Tracy wrote: "Pamela wrote: "Shannon SA wrote: "I really like the non-geographical setting but I'd only vote for it if there were options or if it was broad, for example I wouldn't vote for it if it was too narr..."Of those three, I would definitely prefer workplace! Circus is interesting but I've found it is a pretty limited pool of options. Plane/train is interesting too, but I've personally done that one before so workplace is the most unique to me.
And for what it's worth, I always understood your suggestion (even the way it was originally worded) to be these three options as completely separate potential suggestions. Not entirely sure where all the confusion came from.
Sorry, slight change of topic but I know Fredrik Backman is hit in this group. Has anyone watched the Beartown tv series on HBO (at least HBO in the US)
I like the "idea" of a workplace setting a lot. However, the last time I searched for books with this as a setting, I mostly found romance genre books with people with interesting jobs, or a couple that met through work. Does anyone have book suggestions or lists other than strictly romance genre? (I like a love story+another genre, or a love story within a character driven book.
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On the other hand, my first impression of "circus" was negative, yet there are some good books. I can think of a few I would recommend, and there are a few I would like to read.
"Circus" has negative connotations now, partly because of good books that revealed what life was like for the employees and animals.
One of my favorite books last month was partly set in a circus (100+ years ago) - The Many Daughters of Afong Moy Her descendants had many different jobs.
It seems like whatever topic I look up in Listopia the first several lists are romanced based (with the stereotypical covers). I think we need to be creative about the workplaces. If you like police procedural mysteries it could be a police department. Could be a medical drama from the point of view of a doctor (a medical memoir would be much less likely to be a romance), I would think a university setting from the POV of a professor or researcher would be less likely that if the MC were a student - of course not a guarantee. Churches are workplaces for priests, so it would at least be in bad form for there to be a romance in that workplace.Are there any other non-geographic settings that would have a good amount of options for books, especially not all in one genre?
@Nancy, a lot of the other settings Tracy mentioned could actually work for workplace as well. For example, in the two books I've read that are at least partially set in restaurants, Before the Coffee Gets Cold and Dead Until Dark, the restaurants are workplaces for at least a few of the major/main characters. (I gave both of these books 3 stars so I'm bringing these up as examples rather than recommendations for the prompts). The only book that comes to mind for the circus setting at the moment is The Night Circus, which is also the workplace of the main characters. So I think "workplace" is lot more flexible than it may initially sound, it's just that some people might conflate "workplace" with "office".
Edit: For love story + another genre, I really liked Kate Quinn's 57 page novella Signal Moon. The female lead's job/workplace is central to the story, but I'd recommend reading it without peeking at the synopsis or even looking at the genres it's listed under because they spoil a major plot twist. It's included in Kindle Unlimited and I got great Amy Harmon vibes from it.
NancyJ wrote: "I like the "idea" of a workplace setting a lot. However, the last time I searched for books with this as a setting, I mostly found romance genre books with people with interesting jobs, or a couple..."I would just consider the question "is this a setting that someone would consider their workplace?" So school, hospital, circus, museum, laboratory, shop, restaurant, office, tech company, courtroom, theatre, film set, farm, factory, funeral home, space ship, military vessel, etc, are all workplaces for someone.
Ellie wrote: "I would just consider the question "is this a setting that someone would consider their workplace?" So school, hospital, circus, museum, laboratory, shop, restaurant, office, tech company, courtroom, theatre, film set, farm, factory, funeral home, space ship, military vessel, etc, are all workplaces for someone.Housekeepers and nannies work in houses. Forest rangers work in woods, mountains, etc. Astronauts work in outer space. Scientists work in the arctic. Documentary film makers work under water. Pilots work in the sky.
Pretty much everywhere, someone could consider that a work place. I think we need to do something to prevent this prompt from becoming too broad.
Mod
dalex wrote: "Pretty much everywhere, someone could consider that a work place..."I have zero problem with people interpreting the prompt that way.
I would think for a book set in a workplace then work and workers in that workplace would need to be a focus in the story. A huge amount of cozy mysteries would apply for this prompt.
Ellie wrote: "dalex wrote: "Pretty much everywhere, someone could consider that a work place..."I have zero problem with people interpreting the prompt that way."
i don't withewr Ellie but I know some peopel will downvote it because they will call it a freebie or a "read a book"
Mod
Haven't watched it, but I'm currently rereading Beartown in anticipation of The Winners coming out this week and I'm remember just how much I love the book!
I just read Beartown a couple weeks ago (I’m very behind). Reading Us Against You now and hoping I get lucky on Tuesday and get to be one of the first on the library waiting list!
Tracy wrote: "@Katie - I’ve just started this book, so not sure yet, but West with Giraffes by Linda Rutledge takes place over the life of the MC from 17(?) to 105. So far the Dust Bowl era is discussed, but I’m..."I just got a copy of this and hope to read it yet this year!
I've had The Winners on hold for weeks at the libraries that allow you to request before it's released. I'm #1 for the audio so should have it tomorrow! Can't wait! I didn't re-read Beartown or Us Against You but now I'm wondering if I should try to squeeze them in.
dalex wrote: "Ellie wrote: "I would just consider the question "is this a setting that someone would consider their workplace?" So school, hospital, circus, museum, laboratory, shop, restaurant, office, tech com..."@dalex, @RobinP, @Ellie - my intent with the workplace setting prompt was that it involve, or be from the POV of, the workers in the workplace. I suppose the rest of you cannot read my mind, and I apologize for that.
So, how to word the prompt to make this clear? Open to suggestions, but here are my first attempts:
1) A book set in a workplace, where the work or the workers are the focus.
2) A book set in a workplace, from the employees point of view.
3) A book set in a workplace, where the work is important to the story.
4) A book set in a workplace, focusing on the relationships between the workers and their work.
Any other ideas for wording this? And preferences from my suggestions?
@Nancy, I have 4 library cards and it’s only available at one ahead of time and I’m 10th. But I’ll keep refreshing today and first thing tomorrow! I’ll probably finish us against you by Wednesday at the latest.
@Tracy, I think you can just do set in a workplace. I think it’s clear the intent is that it’s where the characters are working. And thank you Ellie for reminding me that I can read Night Circus because they work there. You all are so creative and my mind went straight to office or hospital only. If someone wants to stretch it to be a forest because technically there are park rangers, I think that’s on them.
Alicia wrote: "@Tracy, I think you can just do set in a workplace. I think it’s clear the intent is that it’s where the characters are working. And thank you Ellie for reminding me that I can read Night Circus be..."Well, at least a few people thought it could be just about anywhere because someone works in every location, so although you were able to read my mind (haha), many people like the prompts to have a clear interpretation. Maybe the KIS option would include something like your forest idea, but for me, a forest setting would require that the park rangers, e.g., would need to be the main characters.
Thanks for speaking up that you are ok with the simpler wording though :)
Sadly I can't find an available copy of Beartown at any of my libraries in any format and the waits are several weeks. Oh well.
How about” set around the work place of at least one character” so a house would only count if the book is about nannies or servants a park would only count if the park rangers feature etc
Tracy wrote: "So, how to word the prompt to make this clear? Open to suggestions, but here are my first attempts:1) A book set in a workplace, where the work or the workers are the focus.
2) A book set in a workplace..."
How about changing it from a setting prompt to something like, "a book in which a character's occupation is central to the plot"?
Or if you want to keep it as a setting prompt, how about "a book in which a primary portion of the story takes place in a character's place of employment"?
I agree with Alicia - 'set in a workplace' is fine. The majority of people will interpret it as you intend, Tracy. I don't see the need to nitpick at the wording so that no one can use it as a freebie. If people choose (or need) to interpret it in a broader sense I don't see why that's a problem. The intent of the prompt is clear but the original wording allows for a wider interpretation if needed.
I like ‘set in the work place’ if someone wants to make it really broad that is okay. Just like it is okay if someone wants to make it really narrow. I prefer prompts to error on being written too broad over too narrow. I’m okay with narrowing a prompt for myself if it is too easy, but it makes me uncomfortable to expand an narrow prompt for myself.
Beth wrote: "I agree with Alicia - 'set in a workplace' is fine. The majority of people will interpret it as you intend, Tracy. I don't see the need to nitpick at the wording so that no one can use it as a free..."Agreed.
Sorry if I derailed the discussion. I honestly don't see being creative about workplaces as a negative. I thought people were struggling to find books set in workplaces, so I was just giving out ideas, rather than complaining.
My only concern with the workplace prompt wording is not how people will USE it, but that it won’t get voted in if it is interpreted as TOO much of a freebie.@Thomas - I really like your wording. “A book set around the workplace of at least one character.”
@dalex - this was developed because some of us felt we needed more setting prompts but didn’t want another geographical setting.
Beth wrote: "I agree with Alicia - 'set in a workplace' is fine. The majority of people will interpret it as you intend, Tracy. I don't see the need to nitpick at the wording so that no one can use it as a free..."I agree with Beth.
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Around the Year in 52 Books
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Best 100 romance novels:
https://www.npr.org/2015/07/29/426731...
(which, full disclosure, I've been working my way through, and sometimes I really hate the book)
Best 100 horror:
https://www.npr.org/2018/08/16/632779...
(tbh, I'm looking at this list and there isn't much on here I'd want to read - a lot of OLD books, like Dracula and Frankenstein)
Best 100 graphic novels:
https://www.npr.org/2017/07/12/533862...
Best 100 YA novels:
https://www.npr.org/2012/08/07/157795...
Best 100 tween novels:
https://www.npr.org/2013/08/05/207315...
Best 100 novels for younger kids (lots of picture books):
https://www.npr.org/2020/08/31/905804...
Best 100 humorous novels:
https://www.npr.org/2019/08/20/752044...
Best 100 SFF:
https://www.npr.org/2011/08/11/139085...
and Best 50 SFF from this past decade:
https://www.npr.org/2021/08/18/102715...
Best 100 thrillers (this is from 10 years ago so it won't have any of the newer books):
https://www.npr.org/2011/06/13/128718...