[2024] Poll 10 Voting

[Jette]

5 up and 3 down this week. I'm one of those who like the pop culture prompts, especially the DnD prompt. I down-voted dragons and botanical covers due to prompt fatigue. If dragons gets through, I'll read a Ms. Marple book or something similar.

Now its time to settle down and wait for the results...

[Pamela, Arciform Mod]

NancyJ wrote: "Pamela wrote: "NancyJ wrote: "I read West with Giraffes recently. It's pretty good, and surprising. I wish I read it with my bookclub. I hope you like it"

They're excited and even I voted for it- ..."

I must admit, I didn't love Yellowface as much as many people did. I don't do well when the main character is really bad.

[Trish, Annular Mod]

I'm afraid I downvoted "2. A book with a fictional famous character - I like this as I have Malibu Rising on my TBR" - it's getting back towards a Hollywood task!

[Robin P, Orbicular Mod]

Unusually for me, I upvoted 7, and I would be fine with any of the other prompts except 1. I downvoted the World Literature list because I've done it before and found that either they were super famous and I had read them (being a literature major and reading a lot of classics since) or they were very obscure. I'm not opposed to all lists but I don't care for this one.

[Edie]

Lots of great ideas this time.

I ended up with all upvotes. An upvote for dragons, thanks to the comments... no idea what I would read. And surely I can find something to read for "been on the TBR list for more than a year" from the 618 books that would currently qualify. LOL

[Pamela, Arciform Mod]

Trish wrote: "I'm afraid I downvoted "2. A book with a fictional famous character - I like this as I have Malibu Rising on my TBR" - it's getting back towards a Hollywood task!"

Could be a politician or a writer. I'm going to use it for a real historic personage in a book. Too bad I already read The Invisible Hour with Nathaniel Hawthorne the romantic lead. Although I'm sure we'll get another one next year, he seems a popular one these days!

[Pam]

Dubhease wrote: "If anyone wants the Are You Well Read in World Literature list in a listopia to check books against, apparently we did this in 2021.

https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1......"

I'm glad that this prompt was suggested! I had started a 2022 personal challenge, after we had the prompt in 2021, to read 6 books of the list. I just found my list and I've read 7 since then, and own 31 that I haven't read, and have another ~100 that I want to read but will have to find! I also see at least 10 that I had planned to read this year. Realistically, I will read 3 of them. There are some really good books on this list! Some are a bit obscure but others are well-known and easy to find.

[Kat]

There are some wonderful and different ideas this time so fingers crossed some make it onto the list. I really like DnD, Las Vegas and wild animal.

[Traci]

Pam wrote: "Dubhease wrote: "If anyone wants the Are You Well Read in World Literature list in a listopia to check books against, apparently we did this in 2021.

https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1......"

I also made this a personal challenge and am up to 96 read. Still a lot more of interest. A few of those I've never heard of have been quite good.

[Harini]

I decided not to overthink this and picked 8 prompts that I liked the most. So no downvotes this time around.

[Siobhan]

Hmmm, I feel a lot more mixed about this week's offerings. For my money a few fiddly and difficult prompts, that’d be a lot of effort to fill. 4 upvotes, 4 downvotes.

Upvotes:

4. A book related to the theme of a Las Vegas hotel - Much like the ice cream prompt of last week, I love the creativity and flexibility of this!

5. A book with a character that could be described as one of the classes in Dungeons and Dragons - Probably my favourite prompt this week. I LOVE Dungeons and Dragons, and there’s a lot of scope for really interesting creativity here. For example: the thought of Miss Marple as a paladin tickles me.

12. A book with a cover design that reminds you of one of the four seasons - I feel that this is an extremely fun cover prompt that could be approached in many interesting ways. Not sure what I’d read for it yet, but it’s one o those with a lot of options.

13. A book with a botanical cover - I do like botanical covers, and I have a few of them on my tbr. I’d be quite happy with this one.

Downvotes:

1. A book whose title is a prepositional phrase
6. A book from the Are You Well Read in World Literature list
7. A book that features a child character
14. A book shelved as literary fiction

[Nancy]

Pamela wrote: "Could be a politician or a writer. I'm going to use it for a real historic personage in a book. Too bad I already read The Invisible Hour with Nathaniel Hawthorne the romantic lead. Although I'm sure we'll get another one next year, he seems a popular one these days!"

FWIW, the prompt is fictional famous character. Not real historic personage. Like in Carrie Soto is Back, Carrie is a famous tennis player in the book, but not a real person. Misery is about a fictional author. So a book with the real person Nathaniel Hawthorne as a character would not fit, though it could be a KIS option if you really wanted to go that route.

[Dixie]

Pam wrote: "Dubhease wrote: "If anyone wants the Are You Well Read in World Literature list in a listopia to check books against, apparently we did this in 2021.

https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1......"

A big handful of these are on my TBR list. A definite upvote for me.

[Isabel]

I’m going to delay my vote for a bit so I can mull over the D&D suggestion. On the one hand, I really love the theme, but on the other hand there are already a couple of nested prompts, and I am not a fan of those (i.e. Ben & Jerry’s flavours, What a Wonderful World, Snow White’s seven dwarves - they’re all multiple prompts inside of one prompt).

[Tracy]

Jette wrote: "5 up and 3 down this week. I'm one of those who like the pop culture prompts, especially the DnD prompt. I down-voted dragons and botanical covers due to prompt fatigue. If dragons gets through, I'..."

Jette - since I'm not a dragon reader OR a Ms. Marple reader, can you please explain the connection?

Also, for all you dragon readers out there, do you have any suggestions for dragon books for someone who's not "into" dragon books? I already read When Women Were Dragons, which I enjoyed, but I don't think that was your standard dragon book.

Thanks to all!

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

Answering your question, Tracy, paladins are described as "crusaders, detectives, police officials, judges". Ms. Marple is a female detective, so she would fit that description.

[Robin H-R]

@ Tracy

Here is a cute series that features a dragon:

Hoard It All Before: A humorous cozy mystery with a dragon detective

[Pamela, Arciform Mod]

Nancy wrote: "FWIW, the prompt is fictional famous character. Not real historic personage. Like in Carrie Soto is Back, Carrie is a famous tennis player in the book, but not a real person. Misery is about a fictional author. So a book with the real person Nathaniel Hawthorne as a character would not fit, though it could be a KIS option if you really wanted to go that rout."

I was thinking it was a famous person in literature... well the joy of this is I can interpret it how I want!

[Dubhease]

The trick for me this week is going to be narrowing down what to vote for. It's an awesome bunch of prompts.

Definite upvotes:

A book whose title is a prepositional phrase - creative, yet easy to do

A book related to the theme of a Las Vegas hotel - I love the creativity

A book with a character that could be described as one of the classes in Dungeons and Dragons - We don't have enough character plots. The number of occupations you could use should allow everyone to find something

A book that has been on your TBR for over a year - I know it's a gimme, but some of our other prompts are narrow

Considering upvoting:

A book with a fictional famous character - a new prompt I have not seen 10 times before
A book with a main character who is Mad, Bad or Dangerous - very creative
A book from the Are You Well Read in World Literature list - We don't have any list prompts and this one has so many options
A book that features a child character - I love that it's a character and not the protagonist or main point of view. This makes it easier to fill
A book connected to color by topic, title, or author name - An easy prompt
A book shelved as literary fiction - genre that isn't hard to fill (unlike SF or historical fiction)
A book with dragons - I started reading a dragon series when we had the dragon prompt 2 years ago and I need prompts to put other books under.

So that's 11 upvotes that I have to narrow down to 8.

[Joanna G]

Tracy wrote: "Jette wrote: "5 up and 3 down this week. I'm one of those who like the pop culture prompts, especially the DnD prompt. I down-voted dragons and botanical covers due to prompt fatigue. If dragons ge..."

I don't know if it would meet your tastes, but I can recommend The Memoirs of Lady Trent series, starting with A Natural History of Dragons. It's basically a memoir of a Victorian-era female scientist whose particular interest is dragons. Various forms of them do exist in her world, and she wants to study, but comes up against many obstacles, mainly having to do with her gender. The first can definitely be read as a stand alone, it won't feel unresolved, although there's some sort of aside references to events later in her life as covered by the later books in the series.

[NancyJ]

Dixie wrote: "Here are some more lists of books that feature a child character. And although some of the list titles say child protagonist, the prompt only calls for a child character.

https://bookgirlsguide.co..."

Thanks for posting these. They reminded why I'll never be too old to read a good book with a child as a main character. I read some good ones this year too and added them to the listopia.
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...

[NancyJ]

It looks like I'm going to have 8 upvotes again. I have 10 I want to upvote right now.

I'll probably drop Dragon, because I only have one book I could read for it - the sequel to Fourth Wing. I'm sure it will fit many other prompts.

[Mandy]

@ Tracy

Tracy wrote: "Jette wrote: "5 up and 3 down this week. I'm one of those who like the pop culture prompts, especially the DnD prompt. I down-voted dragons and botanical covers due to prompt fatigue. If dragons ge..."

Dragon Ladies: Asian American Feminists Breathe Fire
Dragon Lady: The Life and Legend of the Last Empress of China

[Robin H-R]

Pamela wrote: "Nancy wrote: "FWIW, the prompt is fictional famous character. Not real historic personage. Like in Carrie Soto is Back, Carrie is a famous tennis player in the book, but not a real person. Misery i..."

KIS: Sherlock Holmes...

[Jette]

Tracy wrote: "Jette wrote: "5 up and 3 down this week. I'm one of those who like the pop culture prompts, especially the DnD prompt. I down-voted dragons and botanical covers due to prompt fatigue. If dragons ge..."

Its another term for an overbearing, frightening, elderly lady. It has passed from common usage, but I recall the term being used somewhere in the British fiction that I've read. In my mind, I frequently associate a 'dragon' with a dowager...usually in fiction, it's a common association.

[Jette]

Pamela wrote: "Nancy wrote: "FWIW, the prompt is fictional famous character. Not real historic personage. Like in Carrie Soto is Back, Carrie is a famous tennis player in the book, but not a real person. Misery i..."

Right On!!

[Dixie]

Tracy wrote: "Jette wrote: "5 up and 3 down this week. I'm one of those who like the pop culture prompts, especially the DnD prompt. I down-voted dragons and botanical covers due to prompt fatigue. If dragons ge..."

I really enjoyed The Last Dragonslayer - light and funny, inspired me to pick up the sequels.

[Verity]

Argh! When I clicked submit, my finger caught the downvote for dragons - I didn’t want to do that!

Mods, what should I do?

[Tracy]

Emily wrote: "Answering your question, Tracy, paladins are described as "crusaders, detectives, police officials, judges". Ms. Marple is a female detective, so she would fit that description."

Thank Emily. But I think Jette was referring to the "dragon" prompt, not the "Dungeons & Dragons" prompt (so confusing) based on her saying she did/would downvote "dragons", but seemed to be saying she could squeak it in by using Ms. Marple if it came out on top.

Learning a lot here though - I know nothing about Dungeons and Dragons except it has weird dice, and of course the role playing. I really appreciate those who know more about it spelling out all the character types and how they could be used. Without that, there's no way I'd vote for Dungeons and Dragons, but now I probably will.

Still curious if I misread Jette and she really DID mean to be reading Ms. Marple for Dungeons & Dragons...

[Tracy]

Robin wrote: "@ Tracy

Here is a cute series that features a dragon:

[book:Hoard It All Before: A humorous cozy mystery w..."

Thank you Robin - this looks like fun, especially for a "not necessarily a dragon person". :)

[Tracy]

Joanna wrote: "Tracy wrote: "Jette wrote: "5 up and 3 down this week. I'm one of those who like the pop culture prompts, especially the DnD prompt. I down-voted dragons and botanical covers due to prompt fatigue...."

Thank you Joanna! This looks interesting too. And I DO enjoy a good Victorian lady scientist story. Love the scientific diagramming on the cover also :)

[Tracy]

Mandy wrote: "@ Tracy

Tracy wrote: "Jette wrote: "5 up and 3 down this week. I'm one of those who like the pop culture prompts, especially the DnD prompt. I down-voted dragons and botanical covers due to prompt..."

Thank you Mandy. This isn't even a direction I imagined going. Nice creative thinking!

[Tracy]

Jette wrote: "Tracy wrote: "Jette wrote: "5 up and 3 down this week. I'm one of those who like the pop culture prompts, especially the DnD prompt. I down-voted dragons and botanical covers due to prompt fatigue...."

Ah... thank you for your thought process — I understand now. So I guess Ms. Marple could be read for EITHER of the "dragon" prompts!

[Jillian]

Tracy wrote: "Emily wrote: "Answering your question, Tracy, paladins are described as "crusaders, detectives, police officials, judges". Ms. Marple is a female detective, so she would fit that description."

Tha..."

Tracy,
Jette responded in message 75.

[NancyJ]

Verity wrote: "Argh! When I clicked submit, my finger caught the downvote for dragons - I didn’t want to do that!

Mods, what should I do?"

Verity, I would resubmit your ballot with the corrections. In the space where you put your profile name, add "CORRECTED", and send a Direct message to Emily to let her know what happened.

[Tracy]

Dixie wrote: "Tracy wrote: "Jette wrote: "5 up and 3 down this week. I'm one of those who like the pop culture prompts, especially the DnD prompt. I down-voted dragons and botanical covers due to prompt fatigue...."

This looks like fun Dixie! And I love the cover. Looks like it could also be used for child character, as the MC is 15.

Funny thing is, when I was 15 my mother ran an employment agency (what the MC does in this book). And later, when I was 16 and she was still doing that I bought my first car - a VW bug (featured on the cover). This might be fate!

[Tracy]

Jillian wrote: "Tracy wrote: "Emily wrote: "Answering your question, Tracy, paladins are described as "crusaders, detectives, police officials, judges". Ms. Marple is a female detective, so she would fit that desc..."

thank you - I just saw that :)

[Ellie]

Burn by Patrick Ness is another alternate history with dragons.

[Robin H-R]

Jette wrote: Its another term for an overbearing, frightening, elderly lady. It has passed from common usage, but I recall the term being used somewhere in the British fiction that I've read. In my mind, I frequently associate a 'dragon' with a dowager...usually in fiction, it's a common association..."

Think Maggie Smith in "Downton Abbey"

[Pamela, Arciform Mod]

Jette wrote: "Its another term for an overbearing, frightening, elderly lady. It has passed from common usage, but I recall the term being used somewhere in the British fiction that I've read. In my mind, I frequently associate a 'dragon' with a dowager...usually in fiction, it's a common association.."

Dragon Lady is also a racial sterotype term for Asian women. I've never heard dragon being used for non-Asian women.

There's a new bio on Anna May Wong, who played them in the early movies, just came out this week- Daughter of the Dragon: Anna May Wong's Rendezvous with American History (edited- linked to the wrong one but there's a number of Daughter of the Dragon books, if anyone needs to know!)

[Anastasia]

Margaret Thatcher was referred to as "Dragon Lady"

[Jette]

Tracy wrote: "Emily wrote: "Answering your question, Tracy, paladins are described as "crusaders, detectives, police officials, judges". Ms. Marple is a female detective, so she would fit that description."

Tha..."

@Tracy - I did indeed mean the dragon prompt. I’m actually excited for Dungeons and Dragons. I played it in 7th grade a couple of times.

@Pamela - I meant no offense. I’m from the South and our frightening, feisty women are usually revered. (I have an aunt who fits this description. She headed the family after my grandfather died. I’m in my 50’s and still obey immediately.) I would never use it in a derogatory way.

[Tracy]

Robin wrote: "Jette wrote: Its another term for an overbearing, frightening, elderly lady. It has passed from common usage, but I recall the term being used somewhere in the British fiction that I've read. In my..."

ooh - I would love to read a book from the POV of Violet, the Dowager Countess!

[Tracy]

Ellie wrote: "Burn by Patrick Ness is another alternate history with dragons."

This sounds like fun too!

I love all the Dragon suggestions that have been generously shared with me. These are the sort of dragon books I can see myself enjoying. All I could picture before were the dangerous, fire-breathing, high-fantasy sort, or the one ones focused on special people riding them. I like these ones more woven into everyday life.

[KP]

I don't want to read about dragons, but I voted for wood dragon in poll1 and I could find something completely different for Dungeons and Dragons. I don't have positive memories associated with D&D, so if it wins, I'll call it something else on my spreadsheet.

If someone doesn't want to read about wild animals, it's easy to find them on the cover of a book about something else. Or they could read about baby elephants, werewolves or other creatures of the night.

[Book Concierge]

Miss Marple is NOT a detective. She is an amateur sleuth.

Hercule Poirot IS a detective.

There ARE thriller / suspense / mystery books featuring female detectives, though.

[Dixie]

Tracy wrote: "Dixie wrote: "Tracy wrote: "Jette wrote: "5 up and 3 down this week. I'm one of those who like the pop culture prompts, especially the DnD prompt. I down-voted dragons and botanical covers due to p..."

Wow! I love it!

[Pearl]

Book Concierge wrote: "Miss Marple is NOT a detective. She is an amateur sleuth.

Hercule Poirot IS a detective.

There ARE thriller / suspense / mystery books featuring female detectives, though."

I think for the purposes of this prompt, she is. If it acts like a duck…. Paladins probably don’t get a salary from the city either.

[Pearl]

I like the leap year idea but I don’t want to search through all those years. Do we have a list of books with time leaps or calendrical shenanigans?

Maybe Quantum Leap was based on a book?

[Siobhan]

Book Concierge wrote: "Miss Marple is NOT a detective. She is an amateur sleuth.

Hercule Poirot IS a detective.

There ARE thriller / suspense / mystery books featuring female detectives, though."

For me it's not so much her actual job that makes her a Paladin, but her attitude to life. There's a brilliant moment in one of her books where she names herself Nemesis, and to me that's a cornerstone of the Paladin attitude.