Around the Year in 52 Books discussion
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[2023] Wild Discussion
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Nancy
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Sep 26, 2022 09:46AM
I don't see set in a workplace as a freebie at all. There are plenty of novels that don't revolve around workplaces that it's not "read a book" IMO.
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I don't think it's a freebie either. Looking at my books I'm guessing most of them don't qualify.
Ellie wrote: "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 id..."Ellie, I really didn't take your list of workplaces as a complaint. I actually saw it as support. Sorry if in my rush to comment I was unclear about that.
Tracy wrote: "@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."
I also suggested "a book in which a primary portion of the story takes place in a character's place of employment." About the same as Thomas' suggestion, but a little fancier.
I only thought people might not vote for "workplace" because they saw it as a freebie because everyplace could be a workplace for SOMEBODY (even your home might have paid caregivers, or a plumber like I need today). I just wanted it to be clear (I think similar to our discussion about non-road travel routes) that it should be clear that the setting of the book is where it is because of the work. Like the sky should have a bird or a plane in it on the cover for the travel route prompt, not just the sky. The purpose of that setting should be because a main character works there.
dalex wrote: "Tracy wrote: "@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 ..."
Sorry @dalex, didn't mean to ignore your contribution. Just limited resources and personal memory while using the app on my phone. Your "fancier wording" would certainly be very clear also. :)
This came to me early in the morning last week, but it was right as suggestions were opening and I wasn't ready to go. How do you all feel about:A book with an echo
The focus here would be on a specific repeated sound. This could include:
- An echo is featured in the plot or subject
- A character parrots something someone else says
- Same first and last line
- A particular refrain or quote is repeated throughout the book
- Two characters with the same name
- Author puts their own name in the story
- The title quotes another book, a song or a poem
- A significant word or name is repeated in the title
I have tried to get a few Listopias together, but my search game is coming up a little short this morning. Here's what I have so far:
Repetitive Titles and Titles That Are Repetitive
Book and Theme from Song Title or Lyrics
A Title With the Same Word Twice
Begins As It Ends (Same or substantially the same opening and closing line - I had to make this one; please add books if you know of more!)
(
Amy (Other Amy) wrote: "This came to me early in the morning last week, but it was right as suggestions were opening and I wasn't ready to go. How do you all feel about:A book with an echo
The focus here would be on a s..."
A simple idea, but slightly complicated research. Listopias help of course, relying on others past experiences. I DID have 3 books in the Repetitive Titles Listopia you provided that are on my TBR. One of them I might use for our Disability prompt though — Talk Talk by T.C. Boyle. That leaves me with 2 other good choices: Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know About the People We Don’t Know by Malcolm Gladwell, and And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer by Fredrik Backman. And that's just from the Repetitive Titles link. There's easily 6 more from your "...Song Titles..." link.
Mod
A book with an echo
The focus here would be on a s..."
I like the idea, but I question how one would do any of the ideas past word repeated in title.
Pamela wrote: "Amy (Other Amy) wrote: "This came to me early in the morning last week, but it was right as suggestions were opening and I wasn't ready to go. How do you all feel about:A book with an echo
The fo..."
If we can find Listopias that cover this idea it would make that part much easier.
Echo was part of the NATO prompt last year, and several people did a side challenge. You could check the Listopia from the prompt and the thread from the side challenge. I read Patient Zero for a Pop Sugar prompt and it turned out that the main character's team was called Echo. But until then I didn't know what I was going to read for it.
Pamela wrote: "Amy (Other Amy) wrote: "This came to me early in the morning last week, but it was right as suggestions were opening and I wasn't ready to go. How do you all feel about:A book with an echo
The fo..."
For me, this one would be more of a scavenger hunt unless the title satisfied it. I don't mind that, but I know many people do like to preplan every prompt. I am trying to get more sources for suggestions to that end.
No additional luck on Listopia so far. The Listopia enthusiasts I asked in another group didn't have any pointers for filtering down Listopia searches beyond what I already do.
I would be fine with "set in a workplace" - I have barely any books for this. I would vote for it but it's definitely not a freebie even with the broader wording.
As long as the wording is not "read a book about your own job" I will be fine with any wording.
Echo seems like an interesting idea that caught my attention. Going to think about examples.
Amy (Other Amy) wrote: "This came to me early in the morning last week, but it was right as suggestions were opening and I wasn't ready to go. How do you all feel about:A book with an echo
The focus here would be on a s..."
I agree that this could be difficult to research, but I'm intrigued. Interestingly, I just finished reading a book where echos, as well as a place called Echo Canyon, feature in the story: Lost Children Archive
Echo is a poem by Christina Rosetti. That could be inspiration for ideas. https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem...
Nadine in NY wrote: "Irene wrote: "2021's Are You Well-Read in World Literature list was made by a random internet user ..."yeah the user was not an authority, but I liked that list!! I found quite few interesting b..."
I liked the list too. I wouldn't mind having it again.
How about international Awards lists? Australia plus other choices.
Pearl wrote: "Nadine in NY wrote: "Irene wrote: "2021's Are You Well-Read in World Literature list was made by a random internet user ..."yeah the user was not an authority, but I liked that list!! I found qu..."
Or an award in your own country? Your own province/state?
Tracy wrote: "I only thought people might not vote for "workplace" because they saw it as a freebie because everyplace could be a workplace for SOMEBODY (even your home might have paid caregivers, or a plumber l..."This is not a freebie. There are hundreds of books on the circus list, but has anyone found a good list for workplace settings yet? No disrespect to caregivers or plumbers, but the home is a boring workplace. (If you have a baby, the last thing you want to read about is another job involving poop.) Detective books might work, but that's a boring choice.
Project Hail Mary described his work in detail, but a lot of it was solitary work.
The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek - It showed all aspects of her work and workplaces.
For workplace. I only found 2 books I read this year that would fit, and they fit other prompts better. I hope no one suggests it until they find or make a good list.It would be easy to find a workplace setting on TV, maybe that's why we think this would be easy.
I know we hate the “same job as yours” prompt, but I would bet a lot of those lists would count for a workplace prompt. Looking at my reads for this year, I could fit Queenie, Act Your Age, Eve Brown, Love Hypothesis, Kitchen Confidential, The Sentence, and (possibly a stretch) Lost Apothecary.
That’s definitely enough books that would make me confident enough to vote for next year.
I like the "set in a workplace" prompt idea too. I found several books I read this year that would have fit into it. Books such as The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet, The Kaiju Preservation Society, The Menagerie, or Dust to Dust. Just to name a few.
Pearl wrote: "Tracy wrote: "I only thought people might not vote for "workplace" because they saw it as a freebie because everyplace could be a workplace for SOMEBODY (even your home might have paid caregivers, ..."Pearl, I hope you didn't think I wanted to necessarily read about a caregiver or a plumber! I was just pointing out how even though your home could be a workplace, it would need to be about the people working there – not just set in a home because you COULD work there.
I just tried to find some listopias. Of course, as most of my searches start out, the first few options were romance based — which is fine if that's what you are looking for of course, I just don't know why that's what I always get when I'm NEVER looking for that...
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/7...
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/7...
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/3...
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/9...
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
... and lots of workplace romance...
The best luck I had was searching for various types of workplaces with umbrella terms, like "office, medical, factory, scientists, government" with either "setting" or "fiction".
Alicia wrote: "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!"I intended to read Us Against You before now, so I could read The Winners tomorrow. Now I don't have time for either one.
Us Against You had a ridiculous wait list at the library (12 weeks initially), and last week it still said 2 weeks to go. So I bought both books when audible had them on sale this weekend. (Us Against You is now ready from the library. Go figure.) My husband said Beartown and Us Against You were two of the best books he every read. So I don't mind paying to own them both. When I re-read Beartown I appreciated it even more.
Beth wrote: "I don't think it's a freebie either. Looking at my books I'm guessing most of them don't qualify."I completely agree. Workplace itself would be a narrow prompt for me as I hardly have any books on my TBR that would qualify. But I would vote for the prompt as it is fun and will force me to pick up books that I have been ignoring for a while.
Amy (Other Amy) wrote: "This came to me early in the morning last week, but it was right as suggestions were opening and I wasn't ready to go. How do you all feel about:A book with an echo
The focus here would be on a s..."
Amy (Other Amy) wrote: "This came to me early in the morning last week, but it was right as suggestions were opening and I wasn't ready to go. How do you all feel about:
A book with an echo
The focus here would be on a s..."
I love your play on words.
Song titles - When Titles that Stand Out was proposed last week, I thought of titles with song names or lyrics in them. (I've still got Strange Magic in my head from the suggestions a few days ago.)
Repetitive refrains - The World That We Knew has a few repetitive refrains (memories of things her mother said) and it really worked for me. (I love small poetic touches.) That book gave me a great book high. If I Stay works too, and I loved it.
A Tale for the Time Being and The Sentence both had characters based on the authors and used their names. (Different authors).
Two characters with the same name - Will Grayson, Will Grayson.
Story within a story - These types of books often echo some type of theme, situation or message. The MC in All the Light We Cannot See kept referring to Journey to the Center of the Earth, and it echoed something that was going on in the story.
Beartown also had some repeated phrases and themes. (Man I loved that book). Anxious People did too (I didn't love it, but many others did). Us Against You and The Winners likely will too.
If you decide to make a listopia let me know, I'll try to keep thinking of examples.
I love this prompt. There is something very cool about the echo concept. I'm confident I will find more books that will work.
Pearl wrote: "Tracy wrote: "I only thought people might not vote for "workplace" because they saw it as a freebie because everyplace could be a workplace for SOMEBODY (even your home might have paid caregivers, ..."LOL. You're not wrong about the similarities between those jobs.
I really wanted this prompt last summer but it didn't get through. Because of that I've been on the lookout for books that would work, and I have not found very many. These are the stand outs. The first ones work for the prompt, plus they have interesting workplace issues, showing team work, leadership, conflicts, etc.
Beartown- Coaching, teaching, interaction between employees, power differences, culture.
His Majesty's Dragon - Showed two workplaces (on ship and in the "air force") with excellent realistic situations (teams, conflict, sabotage, leadership, morale, values, and two different types of cultures), especially for a book with dragons!
Eat a Peach - restaurants. These descriptions are real-life, and somewhat brutal.
The Year of the Flood - showed a few different workplaces.
True Biz - set in a school for the deaf
Nothing to See Here - work as a nanny in a house. It dealt with some realistic work issues, co-workers.
The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek - I agree.
The Giver of Stars - This mountain library story works too.
The Sentence - bookstore
Euphoria - anthropologists working in villages
A Single Man - a day in the life of a college professor
Convenience Store Woman - about job satisfaction
The Eye of the Elephant: An Epic Adventure in the African Wilderness - This turned out to be fascinating as a book about a job and workplace.
Agatha of Little Neon
Mod
I also think "set in a workplace" is specific enough.
Mod
Workplace fiction
https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...
Books with an office theme
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
Books set in a hospital
https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...
Textile mill fiction (who knew that was a thing?)
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/7...
Books set in Libraries or Bookstores
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/7...
Alicia wrote: "I know we hate the “same job as yours” prompt, but I would bet a lot of those lists would count for a workplace prompt. Looking at my reads for this year, I could fit Queenie, Act Your Age, Eve B..."
@Alicia - Good to know. I've had Queenie on my tbr for a long time.
@ T - I agree about The Long Way to a small angry planet. Some of her other books would work too. The Scalzi book sounds interesting too.
@Pearl - I agree with both of those too.
Robin P wrote: "Not sure if some of these lists were given above - Workplace fiction
https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...
.."
The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot works for has a hospital setting. It mainly focuses on the patient's lives, but there are good scenes with nurses and the hospital chaplain. Some other books involve a short visit to the setting (a character's visit to an ER), and one shows only the POV of a ghost.
Some of the Outlander books would work (book 2 has a lot of hospital scenes). They all show medical work even if the location is the patient's home or next to a battlefield.
Robin P wrote: "Not sure if some of these lists were given above -."Here is another workplace tag list. It has a lot more hits than the others. But the dress codes in some of these places are rather lax. 😏
Workplace
https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...
I recognized some books on the list as work related, but you'll face some distractions looking for them.
Nancy wrote: "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."I would contact the Collection Development department/person at your library. They will sometimes add extra books if they get direct requests. My library is pretty good about adding books that are in high demand. They might not pay as much attention to older books like these. I really should have asked about Us Against You weeks ago.
Emily wrote: "Alicia wrote: "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)"
Haven't watched it, but I'm..."
Emily, are you watching it? I haven't looked for it yet.
Irene wrote: "@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, [book:Before t..."I just downloaded Signal Moon. I will resist the temptation to read anything about it before I read it. Thanks!
Mod
RachelG. wrote: "As long as the wording is not "read a book about your own job" I will be fine with any wording."LOL yes I never want to see that prompt again
dalex wrote: "Echo is a poem by Christina Rosetti. That could be inspiration for ideas. https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem..."
I would be interested in a prompt that directs us to find a book related to a poem. I suggested something similar last year and got zero traction on the idea, so I'm skeptical that this would get anywhere, but I'd vote for it!!
Mod
There's a listopia!
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/8...
I was at the top of the list for The Winners both on audio and ebook, so it was fun to get those notifications at the same time at 10pm last night (I'm mountain time)! I'm not going to wait to get Beartown so I'm just going to dive in today, switching between formats. I have a couple of flights this weekend so am looking forward lots of reading time.
Pamela wrote: "Nadine in NY wrote: "I would be interested in a prompt that directs us to find a book related to a poem. I suggested something similar last year and got zero traction on the idea, so I'm skeptical ..."I like the Echo idea a lot. I'm expecting an ARC of a new book The Enduring Echo of Words Unsaid by Michael Bowe.
I like it when novels include a little poetry. I don't know enough poetry though to make me recognize it in a book title (unless the poetry was from a popular song). Amy Harmon and Louise Penny include bits of poetry in many of their books. All the Devils are Here by Louise Penny is on your list. She includes some poetry (sometimes presented as being written by one of the characters) or other evocative references in nearly all the books in the Gamache/Three Pines series.
Nancy wrote: "I was at the top of the list for The Winners both on audio and ebook, so it was fun to get those notifications at the same time at 10pm last night (I'm mountain time)! I'm not going to wait to get ..."One of the libraries I have a card for is San Francisco, and it's still not available (ebook or audiobook) yet! I keep refreshing lol
I'll finish Us Against You today. Darn Frederik is giving me heart palpitations
Nadine in NY wrote: "I would be interested in a prompt that directs us to find a book related to a poem. I suggested something similar last year and got zero traction on the idea, so I'm skeptical that this would get anywhere, but I'd vote for it!"I'd use all eight of my upvotes for a poem related prompt! Haha.
I don't know how well it would go over with people, though, to be honest. Poetry is not very popular and people seem to prefer concrete prompts over "related to" prompts.
If you plan to suggest it, please let me know and I'll try to be there to second it!
Amy (Other Amy) wrote: "This came to me early in the morning last week, but it was right as suggestions were opening and I wasn't ready to go. How do you all feel about: A book with an echo."The more I think about it and the more I read people's suggested books and ideas, the more I like it. Definitely would be an upvote for me!
I went through the books I read this year and these all work for set in a workplace.A Gentleman in Moscow - takes place in a hotel, main character works there at one point
Last Summer at the Golden Hotel - also a hotel
The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry - book store
The School of Essential Ingredients - cooking school
Lessons in Chemistry - university, set of a tv show
The Easy Life in Kamusari - mc is a logger, revolves around the logging industry
The Kaiju Preservation Society
The Hotel Nantucket - another hotel
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow - video game company
Lab Girl - all about working in a lab
Carrie Soto Is Back - tennis is her job
Drunk on Love - mc owns a winery, a good chunk of the book takes place there
Arsenic and Adobo - restaurant
Tracy wrote: "Pearl wrote: "Tracy wrote: "I only thought people might not vote for "workplace" because they saw it as a freebie because everyplace could be a workplace for SOMEBODY (even your home might have pai..."Just came across a book a read a few years ago that would nicely fit into "a workplace setting": The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women by Kate Moore. Historical fiction based on the true story of young women employed in a clock factory around World War I. Their job was to apply the glow-in-the-dark paint to watch face markers, using paint that is radioactive. These watches were very helpful to soldiers at war in the dark, but very detrimental to them. This was unknown at the time, and the job was very sought after. VERY interesting book.
Thank you everyone for your comments on the echo prompt. I am encouraged. I have started a Listopia here if you would like to add suggestions:Books With an Echo
I have also been filling out the roster of existing Listopias with different possible ideas:
Begins As It Ends (Same/almost the same first and last lines. I had to start this one and I would really appreciate any additions to it as well, just as a matter of Goodreads being a repository for these little book facts.)
A Title With the Same Word Twice
Repetitive Titles and Titles That Are Repetitive
Book and Theme from Song Title or Lyrics
Books with a Song Name as the Title
A Book that has the Same Title as a Song
song lyric book titles
Quotation as Title
Alliterations
Alliterative Titles (Exact alliterations)
(Still nothing for character names, Listopia wise. I am going to try searching Goodreads with Google directly one more time later. I am also going to add more to the Echo list myself later; I just don't have anymore time right now.)
Another vote for "set in a workplace"The "echo" prompt is a little too abstract for me, but I wouldn't downvote it as I'm sure I'd find something to read.
Amy (Other Amy) wrote: "Thank you everyone for your comments on the echo prompt. I am encouraged. I have started a Listopia here if you would like to add suggestions:Books With an Echo
I have also been filling out the ..."
I added a few books to the echo Listopia! The Body Finder is a YA paranormal book where the main character hears echoes of the dead (I think book 3 in the series even has the word "Echo" in the title). Haven't read it yet, but it's the first book that came to mind. And the Mountains Echoed would also be great for this prompt.
I also added Metamorphoses by Ovid because it includes the Narcissus and Echo myth, although I guess that means most collections of Greek myths could count.
I was not so sure about the "echo" idea, it feels nebulous and I don't fully understand. I thought it was about titles that have an "echo" like There There, but the Listopia and discussion seems to be more focused on books that have a literary "echo" within them now. I can't know if the text echoes something if I haven't read the book. But I just searched my TBR and found three books with "echo" in the book title or series title! So, I'm good to go. Suggest it and vote it in, I've got choices!!
Echoes from the Dead by Johan Theorin
Dark Echoes of the Past by Ramón Díaz Eterovic
The Tiger and the Wolf (book #1 in the Echoes of the Fall series) by Adrian Tchaikovsky
In the past I've read (but didn't exactly love)
Echo Park
The Echo Wife
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