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[2023] Poll 7 Voting
NancyJ wrote: "Does anyone have good lists for the Related to Science prompt? I'm looking for some good lists with fiction books (other than traditional sci-fi). Books along the lines of Greenwood, Migrations, O..."
You might have better luck searching for STEM fiction?
Man I have never downvoted so many in all my years. Really don't like this prompt list at all. Next time.
NancyJ wrote: "Does anyone have some links to sites of blogs with titles of books written from the perspective of the person with the disability? Also is there a listopia or list with more books with subjects i..."
Here are a few listopias of books from the POV of a disabled character (skews slightly in the romance direction, as that's my favourite genre, but there are a fair few other genres in there too!):
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/8...
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/3...
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/4...
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/3...
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
I enjoyed this set of prompts. A lot of sci fi/fantasy can fit in these prompts. I upvoted paranormal/supernatural, science, wild, children’s classic and explorer/traveller.I downvoted Tookie’s list and the bookbrowse because I looked at both of them and didn’t see a lot that interested me that I hadn’t already read. I also downvoted the beautiful cover. I remember that prompt from a few years ago and am just not a big fan of cover prompts in general.
NancyJ wrote: "Mandy wrote: "Bec wrote: "I really like these prompts. At first look I have 5 upvotes.I'm planning on voting for Australian book award (as I'm Australian), written by two or more authors, school ..."
You’re welcome. I was surprised by a couple of them when I read the list.
I went 4-4 in the end. I voted for supernatural ability, disability (although I still find the wording clunky), school subject in the title, and explorer/traveler.I downvoted Tookie's list and Bookbrowse because neither list had very much on it that I'm actively interested in reading. I also downvoted the Australian book awards because from the lists I was able to see, I didn't see much that appealed. I also downvoted "wild" because it's the kind of vague prompt that my brain has trouble managing (how do I define if a book is wild? Too many very different approaches).
I confess I downvoted the Australian one, because it’s too broad and I’m paralyzed by choice. I want to be pointed in a particular direction: vote for a book that won THIS award. If it doesn’t get in, please suggest it again with a particular award. (And if it does get in, somebody tell me which award I should focus on!!!)
NancyJ wrote: "Does anyone have some links to sites of blogs with titles of books written from the perspective of the person with the disability? Also is there a listopia or list with more books with subjects i..."
@Nancyj and @Emily:
I looked around for the best way to find books from the POV of a disabled character / character with a disability. What I found was that in general I was getting better titles (in Goodreads anyway) by doing a search for the specific disability you are interested in (deafness, cerebral palsy, diabetes, depression, etc.), clicking the "genre" radio button, and Listopia filter in the selections below the gray search box. If I just searched Disability in this area I found a lot of books that were maybe NOT as "disability positive", or taking advantage of a disability as a plot point (Like Listopias with names like "Best Fiction With Disfigured/Disabled Leads"). NOTE: this is not fool proof. You will still run into questionable Listopias, or titles within "good" Listopias.
Here are a few of the good results I got:
Disability-positive stories: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/4...
Fiction Books with Type 1 Diabetes: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
Heroes with Mental Illness: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
Science Fiction and Fantasy with Deaf Characters: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/3...
Or the Genre page for Disability, which has some listopias listed on the bottom half of the page:
https://www.goodreads.com/genres/disa...
OR this Shelf called "Characters With Disabilities Books" (not really sure how a Shelf is different from a Listopia...): https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...
Also, blog-wise, I found this list that is a) longer than 8-10 books, and b) often lists the disability/illness involved in the book near the top of the summary: https://molsbymoonlight.wordpress.com...
Hope this helps. Sorry I didn't include this in the Suggestion Process. Emily - can you please add these links to the #5 disability discussion in Message 2 on this page please?
Mod
I hope Tookie's list gets in! Thanks for doing all that work! I added many of the missing books to the list early tonight but most of them didn't stick! I have had this problem a lot recently with listopias.
Louise Erdrich was too modest to put her own books on the list. Do you think we should? If nothing else, I think more people have The Sentence on their radar now.
Hoffman used to live on the Cape but although I knew the part of town she lived in, I never found her. It's a small town which makes me think she was gone more than I was a bad stalker!
Thanks for adding more! I added some of the series but deleted all but book #1 when I saw I could only do 100 books
It seems to me totally fine to read one hers, esp the Sentence itself. There is a book by Lise Erdrich which made me laugh, But it is funny, if you did a list of the top native writers, she would be on it but isn't on that list, so while she is being humble, it's also a gaping void.
NancyJ wrote: "Does anyone have some links to sites of blogs with titles of books written from the perspective of the person with the disability? Also is there a listopia or list with more books with subjects i..."
Nancy, I didn't look for a list but this year I read a book (Girl at War) written by Sara Nović, who is a teacher of deaf studies and of creative writing, and is herself deaf. The book itself was wonderful. Her new book this year is True Biz and takes place in a boarding school for the deaf.
Ellie wrote: "NancyJ wrote: "Does anyone have good lists for the Related to Science prompt? I'm looking for some good lists with fiction books (other than traditional sci-fi). Books along the lines of Greenwood..."
You're right, the Women in STEM list (from this year) does have a lot of fiction in different genres. The Earth day and Flora and Fauna lists could help too. The Set on Water list has books about creatures in the ocean.
I'm surprised no one is talking about this one! Love it? Hate? Too narrow? Too broad?
I feel bad for the non-fiction readers, because so many prompts have been downvoted. There are many choices for popular science and specialized topics. Even people who don't like science could find fiction books with a science topic - e.g. a murder mystery involving genetic testing, or a novel about a woman in STEM, or climate fiction set in the near future. Not to mention science fiction and Lisa Genova books.
We could read a book about nature, biology, environment, genetics, oceans, medical topics, mental illness, chemistry, physics, psychology, neuroscience, climate change, evolution, extinction, health sciences, space, astronomy, etc.
Siobhan wrote: "NancyJ wrote: "Does anyone have some links to sites of blogs with titles of books written from the perspective of the person with the disability? Also is there a listopia or list with more books ..."
Thanks Siobhan. We could all use a little romance sometimes.
Here is the genre page with some more. There is a new book involving a sailboat that is calling to me. And I can't wait to read True Biz. The Disability-studies page looks like it will have some good memoirs.
DISABILITY GENRE Pages:
https://www.goodreads.com/genres/disa...
https://www.goodreads.com/genres/disa...
The science prompt was neither up or down it’s for me. If it gets in, I’d be fine with it.I think there are just some strong opinions either way on other prompts that sometimes take over the discussion.
Gail wrote: "NancyJ wrote: "Does anyone have some links to sites of blogs with titles of books written from the perspective of the person with the disability? Also is there a listopia or list with more books ..."
Gail. It's funny you mention that! My local book club is reading it this month. One of our members worked at a school for the deaf for 30 years, so she'll talk about her experiences too. This will be our first in-person (non-zoom) meeting in a year, so we're having a party too.
I'll check out here other book too. Thanks!
Tracy wrote: "NancyJ wrote: "Does anyone have some links to sites of blogs with titles of books written from the perspective of the person with the disability? Also is there a listopia or list with more books ..."
Thanks Tracy! I'm in one group that only uses tags, and this one mainly uses listopias. They each have their advantages and disadvantages, so it's nice to provide both.
Ann wrote: "Man I have never downvoted so many in all my years. Really don't like this prompt list at all. Next time."I have more upvotes. I hope we're not voting for/against the same ones.
Mandy wrote: Children s classics would include Alice in wonderland, wizard of oz, even (at the time of publication) lord of the rings..."Thanks for this Mandy. Very helpful.
A book written by two or more authors ?I know about Christina Lauren. Are there any other pairs that write under one name?
NancyJ, there are lots of fictional books with a science component. I could help with a Listopia if you want to start one.Fiction (not SciFi) with a Science Component:
The Signature of All Things
Bewilderment
Remarkable Creatures
A Bend in the Stars
State of Wonder
Euphoria
Regeneration
When We Cease to Understand the World
Rocket Boys
I read lots of books about science, both fiction and non-fiction.
Of course, there are lots of books of SciFi that would qualify, but I assume you are looking for other types of stories?
I had 3 upvotes and 5 downvotes. I downvoted all the title prompts. A book with a school subject in the title is a cute concept but it has a limited pool. I upvoted the Travel prompt despite the annoying female/non-binary restriction.
Pearl wrote: "A book written by two or more authors ?I know about Christina Lauren. Are there any other pairs that write under one name?"
I know Cleo Coyle is a wife and husband team.
KP wrote: "13. A book with a school subject in the titlee.g Lessons in Chemistry, The Secret History, Prisoners of Geography, The English Patient, Seven Brief Lessons on Physics, The Psychology of Time Trave..."
I guess it depends on which subject you pick, but there are a ton of books that have the word History in the title for example, but I would guess geography would be a bit more limited. Just from doing a quick search:
History Is All You Left Me
A History of Wild Places
The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks
The Art of Racing in the Rain
Remember: The Science of Memory and the Art of Forgetting
The Art of Being Normal
The Music of What Happens
Music from Another World
The Geography of You and Me
I'm sure there are also a ton of nonfiction options that have words like math, history or science in their titles, I just don't have so many of those on my TBR. A lot of schools also have various languages as subjects. Mine had French and Italian (in addition to English), but I know other countries have Spanish, German, etc. so those words could work too.
KP wrote: "13. A book with a school subject in the titlee.g Lessons in Chemistry, The Secret History, Prisoners of Geography, The English Patient, Seven Brief Lessons on Physics, The Psychology of Time Trave..."
Yes, there are lots more. Of course, non-fiction has an enormous number. If you are looking for fiction, here are a few:
The Physics of Sorrow
The History of Love
History of Wolves
The History of the Siege of Lisbon
The History of Bees
History of the Rain
A History of Loneliness
A Brief History of Seven Killings
The Aftermath
The English Wife
The English Teacher
English Passengers
French Exit
The Italian Teacher
The Italian Girl
The Math Olympian
The Art of Hearing Heartbeats
The Art of Racing in the Rain
The Art of Fielding
A Dance to the Music of Time: 1st Movement
Beach Music
Music of the Ghosts
Fifth Business
I have a bunch more and can help with a Listopia if this wins.
These are great examples! I used "history" for the prompt this year with the same word in two titles. I had many great options. I'm leery of more title prompts too, but I like this one more than most. Still, if you gave me a choice of reading a book involving music or science, or a book with music or science in the title only, I'd choose the broader options.I second the recommendations for:
The Art of Hearing Heartbeats
The Art of Racing in the Rain
Remember: The Science of Memory and the Art of Forgetting (2 subjects!)
History of Bees
History of Love
History of Loneliness - which is not for everyone
Mod
I'm currently on a non-fiction tear and using 2 for the similarly named books (Dress Code/s), book with less than 5000 reviews, book released this year, and book with a person on the cove. So it is doable with some creativity. Quite a few of the prompts we have for next year would be easy for nf as well (oh, I'm also planning nf for the STEM prompt). Unless the title is genre specific or from a list with no NF, any prompt can be interpreted that way,
I am also in the 'mostly downvote ' camp this week. I dont hate all lists but there is a LOT of literary fiction here which does not work for me
For a school subject, I was thinking of “shop”. Lots of options using that word! I don’t know if it’s still a subject but it was when I was in school. Foreign languages such as Spanish, German, French would work also.
Jillian wrote: "Pearl wrote: "A book written by two or more authors ?I know about Christina Lauren. Are there any other pairs that write under one name?"
I know Cleo Coyle is a wife and husband t..."
Ilona Andrews is also a wife and husband writing together.
I always read science books, so that is a gimme for me, and an automatic upvote. I like the school subject one as well. I always enjoy the “two or more authors” prompt. It is great for graphic novels or anything illustrated. Not sure if translations would count?
The bookbrowse list just has way too few entries - didn’t count, but perhaps 50? Many are very popular and I already read them, too. This is too limited a list even among list prompts.
I don’t feel strongly about any other prompt either for or against.
Pam wrote: "For a school subject, I was thinking of “shop”. Lots of options using that word! I don’t know if it’s still a subject but it was when I was in school. Foreign languages such as Spanish, German, Fre..."I think it was called Industrial arts when I was in high school (in the last century).
Joy D wrote: "NancyJ, there are lots of fictional books with a science component. I could help with a Listopia if you want to start one.Fiction (not SciFi) with a Science Component:
[book:The Signature of All ..."
Thanks Joy. These are great books. I went down a rabbit hole tonight when I started looking at all the science and sci-fi listopias. I didn't find what I was looking for exactly, but it was an interesting little trip. I don't have the energy now, but if it doesn't make it this week, maybe it can be resubmitted at the end of the summer, with that extra list.
Pam wrote: "For a school subject, I was thinking of “shop”. Lots of options using that word! I don’t know if it’s still a subject but it was when I was in school. Foreign languages such as Spanish, German, Fre..."I've never heard of shop as a school subject. What did it cover?
Marta wrote: "I always read science books, so that is a gimme for me, and an automatic upvote. I like the school subject one as well. I always enjoy the “two or more authors” prompt. It is great for graphic no..."
Yea science! Translations as a second author - that's a good idea.
I was surprised by the bookbrowse list too. I've already read most of the books (except the YA books). I don't think I could say that for any other award list. It's much less literary than other awards. It's too bad they don't list finalists or a short list to give us more choices.
I always wait to vote, but I can tell I'm going to have a lot of upvotes.
So changed my votes slightly after looking at a few more lists....upvoted science and not school subject in the title. Realised I had nothing on my list with school subject in the title but a few related to science.
Bec wrote: "I've never heard of shop as a school subject. What did it cover?."
When I was in school it was making things out of wood or metal and sometime extended into a bit of light automotive repair
Bec- What we used to call Shop is now called Industrial Arts in some schools. It’s building and designing items with wood and/or metal. It was a required rotation when I was in junior high.
Bec wrote: "Pam wrote: "For a school subject, I was thinking of “shop”. Lots of options using that word! I don’t know if it’s still a subject but it was when I was in school. Foreign languages such as Spanish,..."When I was in high school, most of the girls took home Economics, and boys took Industrial arts, which involved making things, carpentry, mechanics, electricity and I don't know what else. My Home Ec. teacher was awesome. She was a feminist (this was the 1970's), and gave us a lot of very practical advice on independence (which helped us avoid becoming our mothers). :D
When I was in high school (also last century) I was the only girl in my metal shop class and at least a couple of drafting classes (not exactly Shop, but related and in the same building). Went on to study engineering where I also got to take welding! They were all fun. Oh, and had wood shop in junior high, but at our small school boys and girls took a rotation of “cooking” (mostly mixing cans of soup and making candy apples), sewing (my mom owned the only fabric store in town!), wood shop and PE (yes, only had PE for one quarter of the school year). Wonder what it’s like now…
Re: DUAL AUTHORS(Sorry I can’t ‘reply’ - on my phone)
These are two books that I read last year that have two authors, but not combined under one name:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...
I feel like I read another one last year that had two authors under one name, but I can’t find it right now.
My middle school boys have class options like Engineering, Lego Robotics, Cooking, Language Arts (as opposed to "English"), Band, Orchestra, Choir, Piano and S.E.L. (Social Emotional Learning). And of course the usual Math, P.E., and the like. I think they might have a P.E. alternative of Weight Lifting.
"English" is still acceptable, though, as it is taught around the world to non-native English speakers.I searched for the terms mentioned above and found:
The Language of Flowers
An Orchestra of Minorities
The Chilbury Ladies' Choir
The Piano Tuner
The Piano Teacher
The Piano Teacher
I'm sure there would be a great list we could assemble for this prompt if it wins.
Great thanks everyone. So based on those comments it was called tech studies when I went to school, and for my kids (year 10 and year 8) it's called design and tech. They do woodwork and metal work etc.And then home economics is separate.
I voted 4 up, 4 down. Up votes were Tookie's list (I loved The Sentence and always thought her list would make for a good challenge prompt), a book related to science, a work of fiction based on a real person or event (I thought I'd try and base the book on a real person), and the Australian book award. I voted against fruit or vegetable cover, 2023 miles away, female/nonbinary character because I've done this prompt many times in the last few years, and paranormal or supernatural character , though in hindsight I could probably find something if the prompt gets in. All of the prompts seem doable, but the 4 above were my favorites.
I didn't vote either way on school subjects, but I did see you can now do a Scottish Higher in Care or Dance and an A-Level in Law. So there are a bunch of options beyond the traditional school subjects.
My husband is a middle school art teacher and he teaches wood shop as a class.
Mod
"Industrial Arts"- to appeal to more kids? It was my favorite class in middle school! One term they goofed up and gave me a second term of wood shop instead of home ec/ cooking. When the error was discovered by the teacher (my parents were like cool), ends up the kid who was switched with me in cooking also didn't want to switch so we got to stay in the wrong classes!
Mod
We did "language arts" in the 80s in elementary and middle school and then it switched to english in high school. Apparently "language arts" is more focused on grammar, writing, and reading skills and english is more on comprehension and analysis.
My kids' middle school called it Literacy. The high school had a curriculum change a few years ago so instead of English 1-4, they can take things like Mythology and Sci-Fi or Graphic Novel. I wish my older son had had those options, he would have done much better than he did in just English.
I want to go back to high school and take mythology and Sci-fi!
Around the Year in 52 Books
Books mentioned in this topic
Talk Talk (other topics)Talk Talk (other topics)
Sitting Pretty: The View from My Ordinary Resilient Disabled Body (other topics)
The Sentence (other topics)
The Sentence (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Liv Constantine (other topics)Rebekah Taussig (other topics)
Liv Constantine (other topics)
Greer Hendricks (other topics)
Cleo Coyle (other topics)
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I'm looking for some good lists with fiction books (other than traditional sci-fi). Books along the lines of Greenwood, Migrations, Oryx and Crake, Once there were Wolves, Bewilderment, Outlander, Remarkable Creatures. I read many this year that were very entertaining. [In January, the tag of the month was science, and we were amazed at the tremendous variety of topics and books for non-scientists.]
So far I found: Most read this week in science (many are fiction)
https://www.goodreads.com/genres/most...