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[2024] Poll 11 Voting
Robin wrote: "dalex wrote: "I assume "A book with a real person as a character" means biographical fiction? Is there some other way to interpret it?..."
Doesn't have to be "biographical fiction". I have read m..."
@Robin and @dalex, adding to your list.
Ariel Lawhon writes historicla fiction based on real characters. She researches extensively and stays as close to true events as she can.
The Frozen River - releases December 5th and is about a midwife who lived in Maine in the late 1700's.
Code Name Hélène - about Nancy Wake who is most decorated female in British military history - She led thousands of British and French troops as part of the resistance during WWII. This book probably ranks in the top 5 books I've ever read.
I Was Anastasia - about a woman who believed she was a part of the Romanov family.
Flight of Dreams - about the flight of the Hindenburg
The Wife, the Maid, and the Mistress - takes place in the NYC during the Golden Age. I had never heard about this story. It's a fun read.
Also, Marie Benedict. She writes historical fiction based on real people. Also well researched. Here are a few of them. The Personal Librarian, The Mystery of Mrs. Christie, Lady Clementine, The Mitford Affair, Her Hidden Genius.
Patti Callahan Henry, some of her books are based on real people, including Becoming Mrs. Lewis, The Secret Book of Flora Lea, Once Upon a Wardrobe.
Kerri Maher, In my opinion, these books are more fictionalized then the authors noted above. This is my favorite book by her, The Kennedy Debutante. The Paris Bookseller, The Girl in White Gloves.
I'm on holiday so haven't read the whole thread but... I have affiliate links for Amazon, Waterstones and Blackwell's on my blog and make about £20 a year from them altogether. Certainly not enough to mean I "push Amazon books". You don't get any more payment (which is literally pennies for books) by linking to an Amazon published book. Book Riot also have affiliate links last time I looked and I wouldn't be surprised if many other sites people suggest for list prompts also do.
Alicia wrote: "I mean we’re also giving Amazon money just by being on Goodreads as much as we are. I think as long as people find books they’d like to read on the list, then it’s find. Five books has go try to ..."
I agree with that. I don’t mind supporting websites that provide me with free services, plus I spend a great deal of time on GR without spending a penny.
I ended up going 4 up and 4 down.My upvotes were:
*book with main character who is a bookseller, etc - I have an ARC coming out june next year set in a bookstore with the owner the main character. It's the second in a series of a book I read this year.
* book by an author from a country bordering the Indian Ocean - Australian book for me as I'm an Aussie and want to read more by Australian authors. I've found some really good ones this year
*book with a senior citizen - I have had The Five Wishes of Mr. Murray McBride on my TBR for a while and it's been recommended again, so want to get to it
*book involving crime other than murder - really enjoy these types of books
Downvotes
*collection of short stories or essays
*graphic novel with female writer and female illustrator
These 2 just don't do it for me and I really don't want to read either of them. If either make it I'll probably wildcard but if both make it I'm in strife. And I have tried before, just can't find anything I like.
*book with a character reminiscent of a Nightmare before Christmas - I don't know what this is - movie? book? - but therefore not interested in working out who the characters are and what character would fit
*real person as a character - don't really want to have to read one of these, but I have noted down some people have mentioned in case it gets through.
I’m sorry if I have upset people here for giving a reason why I downvoted a prompt. Some people here have said they like to know the reasons for downvotes, but there are obviously people who would rather not know. It is up to the individual what they vote for and against. I will keep my opinions to myself in future.
Bec wrote: "I ended up going 4 up and 4 down.My upvotes were:
*book with main character who is a bookseller, etc - I have an ARC coming out june next year set in a bookstore with the owner the main character...."
Know the feeling. I actually only have one I badly don’t want but obviously if it gets in I will be spending every remaining poll more concerned then before because my WC is used
Am I the only person who immediately forgets what they've voted for the moment they've submitted?
LeahS wrote: "Am I the only person who immediately forgets what they've voted for the moment they've submitted?"I remember most maybe forget some
LeahS wrote: "Am I the only person who immediately forgets what they've voted for the moment they've submitted?"No. In my own post of thoughts on the different proposed prompts, I came up with only 7 upvotes, and I had already voted with 8 upvotes. Can't remember which neutral got that last vote!
@Leah I have a spreadsheet where I track how I’ve voted and then results and put suggestions for books.
Jill wrote: "I’m sorry if I have upset people here for giving a reason why I downvoted a prompt. Some people here have said they like to know the reasons for downvotes, but there are obviously people who would ..."Jill, please keep sharing your opinions. You provided relevant information that might be important to some of our members. I didn’t think people were upset, they just don’t all agree. That’s ok.
It’s not like you were telling us to boycott a service. It’s a topic that some of us grapple with as consumers, and we all like to add our own comments.
I appreciate hearing all the opinions, and I’m not shy about sharing mine. If someone disagrees with me, I might hear about it, but I don’t take it personally.
@Jill I agree with Nancy. I was not aware of the link. That information was something that interests me. While it is almost impossible to avoid the large conglomerates, I do like to limit the controls they do have on my life.
It could be why I am drawn to sci-fi. Elysium comes to mind and a few others.
NancyJ wrote: "Jill wrote: "I’m sorry if I have upset people here for giving a reason why I downvoted a prompt. Some people here have said they like to know the reasons for downvotes, but there are obviously peop..."Jill, I agree with NancyJ, your opinions are valid, keep sharing :)
Agree Jill, and I’m sorry if I made you feel like you can’t share your opinions. That was not my intention in any way. I do like when people share why they downvote and enjoy your posts in this group.
LeahS wrote: "Am I the only person who immediately forgets what they've voted for the moment they've submitted?"I am with you. I can usually remember a few that I felt strongly about... and the rest of the votes are lost to my brain.
LeahS wrote: "Am I the only person who immediately forgets what they've voted for the moment they've submitted?"I'm absolutely this way! If I feel really strongly about prompts, I remember if I voted for them but the rest are more based on how I was feeling at that moment.
Ellie wrote: "I'm on holiday so haven't read the whole thread but... I have affiliate links for Amazon, Waterstones and Blackwell's on my blog and make about £20 a year from them altogether. Certainly not enough..."It's a good point, @Ellie. Also, not everyone has a great Indie near them, so Amazon is a lifesaver for some people.
LeahS wrote: "Am I the only person who immediately forgets what they've voted for the moment they've submitted?"No, I remember most of what I vote for or against, but I always forget what I decided on the 2 or 3 that I was going back and forth on.
Someone said they keep a spreadsheet. I've never felt I need to do that, but I've changed my mind this year. It would also help to remember the prompts that made the polls but didn't make it.
Joy D wrote: "If anyone wants to read non-fiction, there are plenty of books about crimes that are not murder:Priceless: How I Went Undercover to Rescue the World's Stolen Treasures
Catch M..."</i
The Feather Thief was great, and you can add [book:The Falcon Thief: A True Tale of Adventure, Treachery, and the Hunt for the Perfect Bird to the list.
Also, Gaudy Night did not have a murder in it.
I started tracking my votes last year. I also track my upvotes that didn't make it in in case I decided not to do Pop Sugar and do a side challenge. Which, unless PS has drastically better prompts next year, is likely to happen.
Charlsa wrote: "Ellie wrote: "I'm on holiday so haven't read the whole thread but... I have affiliate links for Amazon, Waterstones and Blackwell's on my blog and make about £20 a year from them altogether. Certai..."I buy on Amazon because I use kindle. Books are difficult for travelling
Thomas wrote: "Charlsa wrote: "Ellie wrote: "I'm on holiday so haven't read the whole thread but... I buy on Amazon because I use kindle. Books are difficult for travelling"
All my books are Kindle now. I don't have room for 2,000+ books.
I voted 6 up and 2 down. One of my downs I REALLY tried vote for, but when I tried the reading samples, I just couldn't see myself being happy getting through a whole book.
Nancy wrote: "I started tracking my votes last year. I also track my upvotes that didn't make it in in case I decided not to do Pop Sugar and do a side challenge. Which, unless PS has drastically better prompts ..."Yeah, I also stopped doing Popsugar. The editor who always organized the reading challenge quit last year and it realllly shows in the list. Fortunately the ATY is awesome!
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Five Books participates in the Amazon Associate program and earns money from qualifying purchases."
Lots of websites do that. My blog does! If any of my 23 readers decide they want to link to a knitting book I've mentioned (it's a knitting blog), then I get like a penny. Amazon sends me no suggestions or free books to review or anything. There's no great conspiracy.
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I read on my kindle because I can read without glasses on. Until I get to increasing font size to be a letter per page.
I rarely buy though- I'm a library user and love I can get a book at 2 am and start reading right away!
I make a list of the prompts for the week, rearrange them in order from most liked to least liked, and decide which ones I feel most strongly about to determine my votes. I keep the lists at least until the challenge list is compiled for the year. This is how I remember what my votes were.
Nancy wrote: "I started tracking my votes last year. I also track my upvotes that didn't make it in in case I decided not to do Pop Sugar and do a side challenge. Which, unless PS has drastically better prompts ..."After several years of doing PS, I gave up on them and have not done the challenge this year. I don't plan to do it next year either. I need to check out some of the other challenges.
Is there an official rejects challenge? I've never researched it.
I screenshot the list and highlight my up votes in green and my down votes in red. That’s the only way I can remember my votes!
Glad to hear I'm not the only one with a spreadsheet. I like to know what I voted for so I can pick one for the inevitable prompt that didn't make it week. I can also look back at previous years for things I liked that didn't make it and suggest them again.
LeahS wrote: "Am I the only person who immediately forgets what they've voted for the moment they've submitted?"Yes! Even worse, I forget whether or not I voted. I usually copy the ballot onto a Word file when I first mark my votes. But I often change my mind by the time I actually hit Submit, and I might not remember to save the changes.
I had a lot of maybes this week and I have to eliminate one of my upvotes right now. After reading the comments tonight, I'm more confident that the real person prompt has a chance to win, but I really love short stories. They're an acquired taste - I think you need to find the right author - so it might not have as good a chance this week.
I can't tell if Fish out of Water (my favorite prompt) has a good chance or not. I just hope it doesn't end up in the bottom.
Tracy wrote: "I voted 6 up and 2 down. One of my downs I REALLY tried vote for, but when I tried the reading samples, I just couldn't see myself being happy getting through a whole book."Was it short story collections? I love them, but I often read only half the stories and set it aside for later, unless they're all interconnected. The Tsar of Love and Techno is looking like a real winner right now. It feels more like a novel.
We like a lot of the same books, so if the household item covers get in, I'll be relying on you to put your best recommendations at the top of your listopia voting list. I'll be fine with the food worker prompt. I'll even be good with the graphic novel as long as I can get a kindle that enlarges the pictures.
@NancyJ - no, it’s not the short story collections. I’ve actually learned to like short stories and essays in the past few years. It’s the graphic novels. I guess I like the short story version of graphic novels, but a full length novel version just seems like a push, even if the story is something I’d like.I’m hoping that Household Items get in - I’m looking forward to filling up the Listopia!
My voting is based on the books that I most want to read this month. Crime not a murder is my #1 choice. A character who is a real person, fish out of water, senior citizen, or who works in an eating establishment. I like Indian Ocean and Five Books for next year.
Tracy wrote: "@NancyJ - no, it’s not the short story collections. I’ve actually learned to like short stories and essays in the past few years. It’s the graphic novels. I guess I like the short story version of ..."I forgot about that one. I found one this year that was also an audiobook. I first picked it out based on the topic, not the format, and I got lucky. My library had both formats.
NancyJ - The Tsar of Love and Techno is one of my favorite books! It’s a great example of a short story collection that feels like a novel. The writing is amazing, also. I highly recommend it! I keep thinking I should reread it.
Mod
Nothing official, but some people choose to do some of their favorite prompts that didn't make it as a personal bonus challenge.
Mod
Here's the Community Spreadsheet tab (Rejects 2024) where some of us are planning which prompts we might use for a Rejects Challenge in 2024. Claim your space!https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...
Kathy wrote: "Here's the Community Spreadsheet tab (Rejects 2024) where some of us are planning which prompts we might use for a Rejects Challenge in 2024. Claim your space!https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets..."
Thanks! I added myself to both 2024 tabs.
Robin P wrote: "I don't care for literary short stories, such as those in the New Yorker, but many fantasy/mystery/romance authors put onutcollections of stories about their characters. If we get a short story pro..."I've also struggled with short stories and essays. I read These Precious Days and This Is the Story of a Happy Marrige, both by Ann Patchett. I usually get impatience with short stories because I feel like they more of an outline for a book, than a book. Essays have a hard time keeping my attention, but Patchett is excellent at crafting her prose. I feel like I can finally read these formats successfully. I've read a couple of books that are short stories since then and enjoyed them.
For short stories, I’d recommend Girl, Woman, Other. Just finished it today. I think it could be either a novel or collection of short stories all woven together. But overall really great book
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Pamela wrote: "I'm one of those who hate short stories but I just read an interview with Alice Hoffman how she really like writing books that are a bunch of short stories that form together to be a book. Includin..."That is how This is the Story of a Happy Marriage reads to me. Short stories formed together for a book.
Oh, I love short stories! I went neutral on that prompt because I felt like we already had one that it could be folded into (the non-novel prompt) but if it gets in, there's plenty to choose from. One thing I like about short stories is that it feels like there's more room for experimentation - I've read a lot of short stories that do weird, cool stuff with form or genre or have a really off-the-wall idea that would never work in a full novel but is just right for short fiction.Some I've read I'd definitely recommend:
1. Her Body and Other Parties: Stories by Carmen Maria Machado - this one is def. not for everyone, but if you like weird, speculative fiction that plays with form & function, this one could be a good choice! I read one of these stories in college and it stuck with me so much I remembered it immediately when I re-read the collection this year. Sharp prose, interesting story forms, and a ton of cool/creepy body horror.
2. Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang - if you watched Arrival, the story it's based on is part of this collection. Great SF stories and Ted Chiang is a master of the genre.
3. Self-Help by Lorrie Moore - another one that won't necessarily appeal to all, but Lorrie Moore was one of my first short story collections so I had to include her. Sharp, funny, and weird tends to be my favorite kind of short stories.
4. The Tsar of Love and Techno by Anthony Marra - seconding this rec. One of the best collections out there.
5. A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan - another set of interconnected short stories - very enjoyable, plays with form, and well-written. This one could also count for the musician prompt if that gets in. (I also read The Candy House which is another interconnected collection and mostly enjoyed it, but not quite as much as Goon Squad.)
6. Tenth of December by George Saunders - George Saunders is a king of short stories, but I have to mention this collection because the titular story is one of my favorites. I didn't love every short story in this one, but you honestly can't go wrong with Saunders.
7. The Dead Fish Museum by Charles D'Ambrosio - I last read this one in college, but I remember enjoying it!
Also, there are usually "Best" themed books (The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2018 / The Best American Short Stories 2007) for example which are usually pretty good collections, especially if you want to just dip your toe in a genre or get an idea of what's popular in a given year.
If this one got in, I'd probably go with Fragile Things: Short Fictions and Wonders, Sansei and Sensibility, Birds of America: Stories, Your Duck Is My Duck: Stories, or You Will Never Be Forgotten: Stories.
Martha wrote: "There's a list for linked short stories: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1..."I LOVE linked short stories!! But - as always - I take issue with some of the books on that Listopia. I do not think There There was a collection of short stories ,and I don't remember Love Medicine feeling like short stories either but it's been a long time since I read that so maybe I remember wrong.
The book i expected to see on the list - The Graveyard Book - isn't there!!! That's DEFINITELY a collection of linked short stories, it's based on the structure of The Jungle Book, which I believe everyone agrees is a collection of short stories (I just checked and Wikipedia describes it that way, anyway!)
Turns out this list-maker broke this list into three parts - I guess because of the limitations GR sets on how many books one person can add to a list. Shame they can't be combined, it would make a fantastic one-place resource. NONE of the three lists include The Graveyard Book though! I added it to the first list.
I don't read short story collections often, but when I do I find myself wondering why I don't read them! Some short story collections I've really enjoyed:
A Lucky Man by Jamel Brinkley
Jesus’ Son by Denis Johnson - linked short stories
This Is Paradise: Stories by Kristiana Kahakauwila
Night of the Living Rez by Morgan Talty - this one reads like a novel, these are definitely linked stories
How the García Girls Lost Their Accents by Julia Alvarez - another great collection of linked short stories, this one is told in chronologically reversed order which I really enjoyed.
After the People Lights Have Gone Off by Stephen Graham Jones (unlike the others I listed, this one felt like a very random collection that his publisher just pulled together - but all of the stories were very good, some quite haunting)
I love short stories as well, really started reading them after a recommendation to read no more than one story a day rather than trying to read a collection like a novel (I think this was from the Biblioracle John Warner). Some that I have loved that I don't see mentioned yet:Olive Kitteridge
Linked stories
A Manual for Cleaning Women: Selected Stories
Battleborn
Cloudbursts: New and Collected Stories
The Girl of the Lake
Music for Wartime
linked by theme
Around the Year in 52 Books
Books mentioned in this topic
Music for Wartime (other topics)Olive Kitteridge (other topics)
A Manual for Cleaning Women: Selected Stories (other topics)
Battleborn (other topics)
Cloudbursts: New and Collected Stories (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Morgan Talty (other topics)Julia Alvarez (other topics)
Jamel Brinkley (other topics)
Stephen Graham Jones (other topics)
Kristiana Kahakauwila (other topics)
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Very few people I know have reading preferences similar to mine. I enjoy and benefit from recommendations from experts in my fields of interest. I'm enjoying the Five Books site and have already ordered a couple of books suggested by them. I didn't order the books *through* the site, however. If just being there is somehow of benefit to Amazon, surely being here on Goodreads is, too.