[2023] Poll 7 Results

[Tracy]

Marie wrote: "Weird coincidence, I just saw something on Twitter about the Dragon Awards. I've never heard of them before, but reading a book that won one might be a nice twist on the Here Be Dragons prompt.

T..."

Funny coincidence!

[Michelle]

I can’t find that spreadsheet with the prompt info from this year, and I am confused by how it is collected.

Tracy - thanks for the info. Gives me more to think about, although now I am intrigued by the Dragon awards! 😂

The other three I have left are:
- related to glass - this is so random, I am lost
- gothic elements - not really sure what this means
- female detective

So I have different hardest prompts I guess. Just fined my book with the time related word in the title today.

[Alicia]

Here’s the link Michelle: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...

You may not be able to see it on the group page if you’re on the app. Also I usually do a bulk update instead of every time I finish a book. But I haven’t hit the language in the title prompt either and I don’t read in order.

Nina, I’m the same as you. I started reading The Sentence because of this suggestion and also loving it. I’m definitely going to try to read some of these recommendations this year and next.

[Tracy]

@Michelle - to find the link to the spreadsheet go to the ATY52 main page. Near the very top, where it says “▶️ Current Week” there is a link to the “Community Spreadsheet”. It is a Google doc. (And the triangle/arrow is really a solid black one but I couldn’t type that on my phone)

For ideas for your remaining prompts go to the Discussion Board “2022 Plans” and find the the thread called “Reading Challenge Listopias - 2022”

Hope this helps.

[Alicia]

Also gothic elements was a play on the trend to have “spooky” elements in a book. Some examples are Rebecca, Jane Eyre, Mexican Gothic which are seemingly normal novels but with a spoooky/haunted/nefarious element. It could be as simple as a cemetery, a creepy run down house, a ghost, etc. the book doesn’t have to prominently feature these, just an element.

Here’s a listopia: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/3...

Here’s a genre page: https://www.goodreads.com/genres/gothic

[Erica]

I’m really happy about these results. I’m a high school science teacher and read lots of science non-fiction so I think these will let me fit 2 of those into the challenge :)

[Ellie]

Michelle wrote: "The other three I have left are:
- related to glass - this is so random, I am lost..."

Haha yes some of our prompts seem super random if you weren't around for the voting. 2022 is the UN International Year of Glass. You can treat it as glass item on the cover (I had a quick scan of your TBR and you have covers with test tubes, jar, snowglobe and windows), glass or mirror in the title, a Cinderella story (the glass slipper) or about lighthouses (2022 is also the 200 anniversary of the glass lens that is used in lighthouses). There are a few books where the characters live in glass houses too (We and The Girl You Left Behind), though that's harder to research!

[Shannon]

I am a little sad that Tookie’s Favorite Books didn't get in, but I understand that if you have no connection to The Sentence, you would have no reason to vote for this one. Otherwise, I am good with the selections. I did not LOVE any of the prompts this time, but I am ok with these two.

[Michelle]

Ellie wrote: "Michelle wrote: "The other three I have left are:
- related to glass - this is so random, I am lost..."

Haha yes some of our prompts seem super random if you weren't around for the voting. 2022 is..."

Hey, thanks! Maybe I need to have someone scan my TBR for me for each prompt. I keep staring at it and need some fresh eyes! LOL

I am intrigued by the snowglobe one I have on there, but my library doesn't have it - otherwise I think I'd use that one.

Now someone knows how ecclectic and weird my TBR is. LOL

[Michelle]

Alicia wrote: "Also gothic elements was a play on the trend to have “spooky” elements in a book. Some examples are Rebecca, Jane Eyre, Mexican Gothic which are seemingly normal novels but with a spoooky/haunted/n..."

Thanks. It has been interesting to be a part of putting the list together for the first time this year, as opposed to just looking at the prompts at face value. I had no idea that there was such a thing as "the year of glass" for example, and have been googling, "what is a gothic book?" LOL

[Michelle]

Tracy wrote: "@Michelle - to find the link to the spreadsheet go to the ATY52 main page. Near the very top, where it says “▶️ Current Week” there is a link to the “Community Spreadsheet”. It is a Google doc. (An..."

Thanks - I couldn't find this on my phone, of course, and also never knew it existed anyway. I am intrigued now!

[Pamela, Arciform Mod]

Tracy wrote: "Michelle, are you finding the dragon prompt challenging because you think you have to read a book about dragons, like I did? If so, I researched the phrase "Here (There) Be Dragons" and it actually came from old "flat earth" age maps that indicated that dragons lived at the edges. So reading a book involving maps or cartography could work too. I read The Cartographers by Peng Shepherd. I know there are a lot of books out there about maps besides this one — it's an interest of one of my son..."

I had difficulty with this prompt too (I was always thinking maps, def not dragons), I was going to read Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time but wasn't super psyched but then heard about The Cartographers, so have it on hold at the library!

[Tracy]

The Cartographers was interesting. If you end up needing more ‘map book’ ideas let me know and I’ll look up what I’ve found. I haven’t read them all. Another I can recommend *might* fit the map category. The Address Book: What Street Addresses Reveal About Identity, Race, Wealth, and Power by Deirdre Mask. (Sorry no link, I’m on my phone). I DID read this non-fiction book and it was very interesting.

[Pamela, Arciform Mod]

Shannon wrote: "I am a little sad that Tookie’s Favorite Books didn't get in, but I understand that if you have no connection to The Sentence, you would have no reason to vote for this one. Otherwise, I am good wi..."

I'm def renominating it and if I'm not around, anyone else should feel free to. Maybe it needs more text in the voting thread explaining that it's just a good list that happens to come from a book. I like that it has so many good options on it, but for those who keep wanting diversity prompts, a good percentage of the list are native writers. And there's short books on it too!
I guess I don't understand the anti-list people. Pretty much all prompts are lists, you need to find something that suits a challenge, I vote against anything that has too few options, but this it over 163 books (since some of those are a series listed once), so lots of choices.

[Pamela, Arciform Mod]

Michelle wrote: "Tracy wrote: "@Michelle - to find the link to the spreadsheet go to the ATY52 main page. Near the very top, where it says “▶️ Current Week” there is a link to the “Community Spreadsheet”. It is a G..."

The Community spreadsheet is awesomeness! I would be lost without it!

[Siobhan]

I was so thrilled when I remembered a book series that I was rereading had a villain called The Dragon! That solved the "Here There Be Dragons" prompt very nicely, after I spent the first few months of the year worrying about it.

The prompts I've got outstanding are: A Book related to Earth Day (currently reading one for it, though!), A book that won an award from Powell's list of book awards, A book where the main character is a female detective/private eye/police officer, A book with a language or nationality in the title, a book related to a game, A book posted in one of the ATY Best Book of the Month threads in 2021 or 2022 and a book with a time related word in the title.

I've got books tentatively picked out for all of them now. The one I had the most trouble with, though, was the Powells Book Awards one. In the end I'm reading one about whales! Which will hopefully be interesting.

[Nancy]

FWIW, of those 5 that are below 40%, all of them are yet to come if reading in order and by the week, which I am, except Powell's List.

However, even if I wasn't reading in order, I have 3 books penciled in for the language or nationality prompt, all of which were already on my TBR, so that was definitely not one that was difficult for me.

I am also choosing to use a non-language school subject so I won't have any overlap.

[Tracy]

Speaking of the ATY Best Book of the Month prompt — is there a compiled list somewhere? I’m finding it quite cumbersome to go through many threads and hundreds of comments to see what has been suggested.

[Ellie]

Tracy wrote: "Speaking of the ATY Best Book of the Month prompt — is there a compiled list somewhere? I’m finding it quite cumbersome to go through many threads and hundreds of comments to see what has been sugg..."

There's listopias for 2021 and 2022:
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...

[GailW]

Tracy wrote: "Michelle wrote: "How do you know the percentage of completion rate for different prompts? Is there someplace to add this info?

I only have I think 4 prompts left and one is the dragon one - findin..."

There is a second definition as well that is a little more "generic" that states the phrase refers to "dangerous or unexplored territories", which I then turned into something I perceive to be a dangerous territory. I read a book about Nazis and the KKK in LA during WW2.

[Charlsa]

Ellie wrote: "I accidentally discovered the new listopias before your announcement this week. I love science books, both fact and fiction so happy it got in. For romance fans, I think Ali Hazelwood's success is ..."

Ellie, Lessons On Chemistry wasn't for me either. I agree Ali Hazelwood's books are going to bring more science/romance adjacent books to the market.

[Tracy]

Michelle wrote: "Tracy wrote: "@Michelle - to find the link to the spreadsheet go to the ATY52 main page. Near the very top, where it says “▶️ Current Week” there is a link to the “Community Spreadsheet”. It is a G..."

Michelle - did you see that Alicia was able to give you the link above in Message 53? Thanks Alicia!

[Tracy]

Ellie wrote: "Tracy wrote: "Speaking of the ATY Best Book of the Month prompt — is there a compiled list somewhere? I’m finding it quite cumbersome to go through many threads and hundreds of comments to see what..."

Thank you Ellie! This will be MUCH easier going forward.

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

I'm working on updating those Best Books of the Month listopias this weekend, but they should be mostly updated through June's best books!

[Tracy]

Emily wrote: "I'm working on updating those Best Books of the Month listopias this weekend, but they should be mostly updated through June's best books!"

Thank you Emily!

[Michelle]

Tracy - I found the spreadsheet and added myself and my books. Here’s hoping I did it correctly. I don’t know why, but I had so much fun adding my books to that spreadsheet! 😂

[Marta]

I have upvoted those two so I am happy :) I love science! I am surprised how many don’t like science.

You don’t have to go for the hard sciences. There is also social science, which, according to Wikipedia, “ In addition to sociology, it now encompasses a wide array of academic disciplines, including anthropology, archaeology, economics, human geography, linguistics, management science, communication science, political science and psychology.”

Medicine and biology are also a science!

You can read nonfiction in any of those areas, or fiction as well. For example, the very entertaining Amelia Peabody series is about archeologists. Dr. Siri, well, is a medical doctor. These are mystery series.

[Tracy]

So glad to hear you found and enjoyed the spreadsheet Michelle!

[viemag]

I had mostly down votes this time. I really felt like the list was repeats. Every year we read a book about science. But there are ways to get around the ones, I am not interested in. It is what it is. I guess?