Around the Year in 52 Books discussion
Archives
>
[2024] Poll 13 Voting
Mod
1. A book with a warm or heated atmosphere
This prompt parallels the chilling atmosphere prompt
It could include:
Books set in warm climates or heat waves
Books with steamy sexual tension, or warm cozy vibes.
Books with wildfires, drought, hurricanes, flooding
Books involving global warming or climate change
Futuristic sci-fi about escaping the hot planet- Project Hail Mary
"Hot zones" with fighting, nuclear waste, or unknown "hot" germs under the ice that is melting in Siberia - How High We Go in the Dark
More book examples:
Heat Wave by T.J. Klune
Heat Wave by Nancy Thayer
Instructions for a Heat Wave by Maggie O’Farrell
The Lost Man by Jane Harper
The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng
The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood
The Light Pirate
With the Fire on High
Hurricane Lizards and Plastic Squid: The Fraught and Fascinating Biology of Climate Change
A Bright Future: How Some Countries Have Solved Climate Change and the Rest Can Follow
The Anthropocene Reviewed
The Unhoneymooners
2. A book another ATY group member gave 5 stars
3. A second book that fits your favorite prompt
4. A book with a bilingual character
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
5. A book related to the Addams Family
Some ideas of how to tackle it:
- A book with a Gothic setting or set in an old mansion
- A book with a wealthy and/or eccentric family
- A book involving a close-knit family or extended family (The Addams Family has a huge extended family, with many cousins and relatives visiting often)
- A book with a grand romance (because of Gomez and Morticia)
- A book with a disembodied hand on the cover (because of the character Thing)
- A book involving a domestic servant (because of the character Lurch, their butler)
- A book involving Frankenstein or a Frankenstein-like creature (also because of Lurch)
- A book involving a long-lost relative (relates to several episodes and the 1991 movie)
- A book involving a "black widow" character (relates to the 1993 movie the Addams Family Values)
- A book involving Halloween (the Addams Family loves celebrating Halloween, and their entire aesthetic is pretty Halloween-ish)
6. A book related to “Going for the Gold”
Possible interpretations:
- Gold = color on the cover
- word in the title i.e. “The Golden Compass”, “The Goldfinch”, etc
- Or author's name (William Golding, Arthur Golden, William Goldman, Lily Gold, etc.)
- gold medal/award (a character striving to be the best, related to the Olympics, a character seeking the top prize in any competition or race, or an achievement such as a gold record or golden globe award)
- money or jewelry (big business, a character with a gambling addiction, a bank robber or jewel heist, a "gold digger", treasure seekers/pirates, someone trying to steal a leprechaun's pot of gold or a dragon's treasure.)
- metal seekers (an alchemist, a prospector/set during the gold rush)
- The search for anything “golden” (golden ticket, Golden State killer, golden snitch, Golden Fleece, entrance into the Golden Dawn, etc)
7. A book nominated for a Goodreads Choice Award
For those who want a BIO, they can limit it to 2023 GR Choice Awards, but it's open for any year.
8. A fiction book with a reference work in the title
dictionary, atlas, encyclopedia, almanac, guide, etc.
Cloud Atlas, The Atlas of Reds and Blues, An Atlas of Impossible Longing, The Atlas of Us, The Dictionary of Animal Languages, The Liar's Dictionary, A Dictionary of Mutual Understanding, A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers, The Encyclopedia of Early Earth, The Russian Debutante's Handbook, Lexicon, A Doubter's Almanac, A Catalog of Birds, The Sleepwalker's Guide to Dancing, The Sasquatch Hunter's Almanac
9. A book set in a group living situation
Examples: dorm, prison, retirement home, halfway house, nunnery, refugee camp, boarding school, prison camp, monastery, commune, boarding house, brothel, summer camp, army barracks, homeless shelter, Antarctic research station, rehab, international space station, traveling circus, etc.
10. A book with a divided, or split, cover
Split covers have become common to indicate that two characters are from different backgrounds, or to show the book is about parallel worlds/alternate timelines.
Part of Your World (Part of Your World, #1) by Abby Jimenez
The Betrayal of Anne Frank A Cold Case Investigation by Rosemary Sullivan
Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson
The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
The Power Couple by Alex Berenson
2 lists:
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
11. A novel disguised as a guide or manual
The idea of this prompt is that the title suggests it is a “how to” guide but it is fiction.
Some examples could include A Good Girl's Guide to Murder; How to Eat Fried Worms; A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Mayhem; How Not to Die Alone; How to Kill Your Family;The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
Some other ideas can be seen in "Not a Handbook" books
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
12. A book for a prompt that was used in a previous year
2023: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
2022: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
2021: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
2020: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
2019: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
2018: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
2017: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
2016: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
13. A book longlisted for a Booker Prize
This would include the previous names for the Booker Prize and the International Booker Prize.
https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booke...
14. A historical fiction book that takes place before the 20th Century
15. A cozy mystery
https://www.goodreads.com/genres/cozy...
Aren’t 8 and 11 basically the same thing? I like them, but don't want to spend 2 votes.
Chrissy wrote: "Aren’t 8 and 11 basically the same thing? I like them, but don't want to spend 2 votes."Very close, and both specify fiction so I can't use any of those not-a-guide-but-non-fiction books I found in my TBR for guide in the title last week.
Chrissy - not imho - for example, as I understand it -8 - Cloud Atlas doesn't suggest a "how to"
11 - A Cat's Guide to Training Your Dragon does suggest a "how to"
I'm never really sure what a "cozy mystery" is, but it seems that if there is food involved, it's considered "cozy," is that accurate? Vivien Chien's Noodle Shop Mystery series all fit? And Jesse Q. Sutanto's Aunties series also counts as "cozy"?
Nadine in NY wrote: "I'm never really sure what a "cozy mystery" is, but it seems that if there is food involved, it's considered "cozy," is that accurate? Vivien Chien's [book:Noodle Shop Mystery|349..."I'm not sure of the exact definition either, but I think any mystery that doesn't take itself too seriously is shelved as cozy. Like the premise is a bit silly, there's a lot of humour or all the characters are nice despite people being murdered all over the place. And yeah, food, cats or knitting is often involved!
Nadine in NY wrote: "I'm never really sure what a "cozy mystery" is, but it seems that if there is food involved, it's considered "cozy," is that accurate? Vivien Chien's [book:Noodle Shop Mystery|349..."I found this when looking up cozy mysteries:
Cozy mysteries, also referred to as "cozies", are a subgenre of crime fiction in which sex and violence occur off stage, the detective is an amateur sleuth, and the crime and detection take place in a small, socially intimate community.
Louise Penny said in an interview on "What should i read next" podcast, that she hints at the "gory" details of a crime but doesnt have to write about them. She writes under "cozy mystery".
hopefully that helps.
The links provided for #4 - A book with a bilingual character - have nothing to do with this topic. Maybe this Listopia can be inserted instead (it’s the only one I found in Listopias): https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
Nadine in NY wrote: "I'm never really sure what a "cozy mystery" is, but it seems that if there is food involved, it's considered "cozy," is that accurate? Vivien Chien's [book:Noodle Shop Mystery|349..."Usually, the protagonist is a civilian (e.g., baker, librarian, archaeologist, etc.) who either assists the police or works on a case independently from the "official" investigation. They are usually murders, but aren't gory or sexual in nature. Think "Murder, She Wrote" or a Hallmark Murder Mystery in book form.
Mod
But it seems there are many opinions on this, including from the writers themselves.
Courtney wrote: "Nadine in NY wrote: "I'm never really sure what a "cozy mystery" is, but it seems that if there is food involved, it's considered "cozy," is that accurate? Vivien Chien's [book:No..."I think the early Louise Penny novels were very cozy, and yes, there was a lot of food discussed at the cafe. After the first 5 books they got more serious. They've always had a professional team of murder investigators which most cozies don't have, but the Chief detective is very compassionate and kind. Still, there was one a few years ago that was especially gruesome with a murderer doing strange things with body parts, and an unusual weapon. Another one involved a detective with PTSD type memories of a police ambush shooting. The story included repeated descriptions of his memories, so it felt like I was there.
Nadine, I agree that cute titles with food is a very good sign that it's a cozy mystery. I would primarily look at how people shelved the books. If it has hundreds of cozy-mystery tags, or it's listed high on the first page, I would assume that the tone of the book would be light, it would be less graphic or disturbing, and less likely to include sex crimes. There might be coworkers or friends around to keep it friendly, rather than a hard-boiled or lone-wolf detective.
It's largely subjective, and the number of tags gives you an idea of how many people judged it to be cozy. You can find them on this link:
https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...
I disagree with the idea that the character has to amateur I think it’s more about how deep, generally cozy crime motives are things like money which don’t make the killer sympathetic
Chrissy wrote: "Aren’t 8 and 11 basically the same thing? I like them, but don't want to spend 2 votes."They're extremely different prompts.
8 (a fiction book with a reference work in the title) is about the title. The book has a reference work in the title but the story can be about anything.
11 (a novel disguised as a guide or manual) is about the plot. The story is presented as a guide or manual about how to do something. The title may or may not have the word "guide" in the title.
For the Booker Prize, in addition to the actual Booker Prize and the International Booker, there is also the Not the Booker. The Not the Booker is conducted by The Guardian and it's a reader nominated award for a best book of the year.
I can't find a comprehensive list anywhere online but here's a link to some articles on the Guardian:
https://www.theguardian.com/books/ser...
Robin P wrote: "In my opinion, cozy mysteries have only amateur detectives, even though a professional police officer may provide help (and romance!) I don't think of Louise Penny's books as cozies, since they hav..."Ellery Adams has a series called Secret, Scones and Book Society, (or something of that variety) which is considered "cozy" where the murders or crimes arent described in great detail and its a group of women that try to solve the crimes that occur either alongside the police or on their own.
Chrissy wrote: "Aren’t 8 and 11 basically the same thing? I like them, but don't want to spend 2 votes."That's what I think. They ought to submerge into one and the same I believe. I can't choose between them so I can't upvote any of them.
dalex wrote: "1 (a novel disguised as a guide or manual) is about the plot. The story is presented as a guide or manual about how to do something. The title may or may not have the word "guide" in the title...."The examples given with the prompt don't give the impression that's what the prompt is though. A Good Girl's Guide to Murder does not present the plot as a guide for instance.
Shannon SA wrote: "Chrissy - not imho - for example, as I understand it -8 - Cloud Atlas doesn't suggest a "how to"
11 - A Cat's Guide to Training Your Dragon does suggest a "how to""
Excuse me, but what is "imho"?
The links to #4 are both wrong. One does not exist and the other one is not about bilingual characters at all.
For the "A book related to Going for the Gold” prompt, two additional options are the Historical Writer's Association Gold Crown Award and the Golden Tentacle Award (speculative fiction).I'm not able to find a list for Gold Crown Award but here's a link to the website:
https://www.historiamag.com/tag/hwa-g...
And here's a list of the nominees for the Golden Tentacle Award:
https://worldswithoutend.com/books_go...
Agatha Christie's crime novels are cozy.
Nike wrote: "what is "imho" ..."IMHO = "In My Humble Opinion"
variation is IMO = "In My Opinion"
Mod
Mod
Ellie wrote: "The examples given with the prompt don't give the impression that's what the prompt is though. A Good Girl's Guide to Murder does not present the plot as a guide for instance."Maybe I don't understand that prompt?
The way I read it as that it is a guide or manual that is disguising itself as a novel. "A novel disguised as a guide or manual"
So, you think it's a novel but discover that instead of a traditional story it's actually a how-to in disguise.
Mod
Nadine in NY wrote: "Nike wrote: "what is "imho" ..."IMHO = "In My Humble Opinion"
variation is IMO = "In My Opinion""
Thank you 🙂
I will upvote:Nr 2: A book that a ATY group member gave 5 stars
Nr 5: A book related to the Adams Family - I really love this one!
Nr 9: A book set in a group living situation
and
Nr 13: A book longlisted for the Booker Prize
I might upvote nr 14: historical fiction set before the 20:th century but after reading the discussion I understand that I have previously not been aware of any difference between historical novels and historical fiction. Now I do - so thank you for that explanation to whomever it was - but then I believe it will be more difficult to choose. How would I know for example which books by Charles Dickens are historical fiction until I've read them? (Yes, I saw the explanation but earlier I had no idea that Two Cities takes place during the 18:th century.)
Nr 8 and 11 are just confusing me now so I won't upvote any of those (but I wouldn't anyway so it doesn't really matter).
As for the others - they are all okay. I would neither upvote or downvote so I'm not sure what to do with the rest of my votes.
Nike wrote: "I will upvote:Nr 2: A book that a ATY group member gave 5 stars
Nr 5: A book related to the Adams Family - I really love this one!
Nr 9: A book set in a group living situation
and
Nr 13: A book ..."
You are probably aware but in case you aren't, you do not have to use all your votes. I only used 6 of mine a few weeks ago when I had no strong feelings either way about a majority of the prompts we were voting on.
°~Amy~° wrote: "Nike wrote: "I will upvote:Nr 2: A book that a ATY group member gave 5 stars
Nr 5: A book related to the Adams Family - I really love this one!
Nr 9: A book set in a group living situation
and
N..."
I didn't know that! Thank you 🙂
Kristin wrote: "Nadine in NY wrote: "I'm never really sure what a "cozy mystery" is, but it seems that if there is food involved, it's considered "cozy," is that accurate? Vivien Chien's [book:No..."I got my next read The Woman in the Library off a "cozy mystery" shelf the library is featuring this month. I think the "Murder She Wrote" captures the cozy genre well.
Mod
Nadine in NY wrote: "I'm never really sure what a "cozy mystery" is, but it seems that if there is food involved, it's considered "cozy," is that accurate? Vivien Chien's [book:Noodle Shop Mystery|349..."Food does not have to be involved in a cosy mystery. They are mystery novels that are more gentle and less graphic, etc.--sex and violence usually occur off stage. There often themes like food, knitting, quilting, animals etc, but not always.
Cozy mystery is a genre response to hardboiled crime novels. (It's basically a later attempt to recreate the same vibe as Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers.) Whereas hard boiled crime has violence and sexual intrigue on the page, in cozy mysteries the crime, which typically happens in a village or other close-knit community, occurs offstage. The sleuth is usually (but not always) an amateur rather than paid law enforcement. Murder, She Wrote is an excellent example. If you've got a book where Miss Marple wouldn't be out of place, you've probably got a cozy mystery.
i think is the first time i might have more downvotes than upvotes. the only one i'm excited about is the Addams family.
Nike wrote: "I have previously not been aware of any difference between historical novels and historical fiction. Now I do Would you (or anyone else) mind pointing me in the direction of the discussion on this? I can't find it. To me A Tale of Two Cities is an historical novel.
LeahS wrote: "Nike wrote: "I have previously not been aware of any difference between historical novels and historical fiction. Now I do Would you (or anyone else) mind pointing me in the direction of the disc..."
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Message 68
LeahS wrote: "Nike wrote: "I have previously not been aware of any difference between historical novels and historical fiction. Now I do Would you (or anyone else) mind pointing me in the direction of the disc..."
I didn't see the whole discussion. It was written 50 years after the events in the book, so it fits the strict definition of historical fiction that some groups follow. (The book should be written long after the events took place.) It's about an important historical event, so I would also call it a historical novel. Is there another criteria for that term?
Mandy wrote: "i think is the first time i might have more downvotes than upvotes. the only one i'm excited about is the Addams family."
What do you recommend for "Addams family"? I'm unsure about that one.
Thank you, Nike.
At first glance:upvotes may be
1. A book with a warm or heated atmosphere
3. A second book that fits your favorite prompt
4. A book with a bilingual character - how I wish I had a second language...maybe a retirement project
11. A novel disguised as a guide or manual - love this 'novel' idea!
Possible downvotes
2. A book another ATY group member gave 5 stars
8. A fiction book with a reference work in the title - I prefer prompt #11
14. A historical fiction book that takes place before the 20th Century
Waffling
5. A book related to the Addams Family ~ oddly enough I'm struggling with this as 'another pop-culture prompt' - I may upvote it based on research
9. A book set in a group living situation ~ could go either way based on research.
12. A book for a prompt that was used in a previous year ~ this one also competes with prompt #3 in my mind. I would be okay with either or both.
15. A cozy mystery - it might get in without an upvote ~ also debating between this and prompt #1
This seems to be a difficult round. Results should be very interesting.
I think the general guideline is a ‘historical novel’ was written at in the past when it was that time ( I E Jane Austen books) while ‘historical fiction’ looks back at the past
Thanks to the Netflix show, there's quite a few lists about books for Wednesday fans floating about on the internet that might help with inspiration for The Addams Family:https://www.buzzfeed.com/cassiegutman...
https://teenlibrariantoolbox.com/2022...
https://www.booktopia.com.au/blog/202...
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/blog/b...
Nadine in NY wrote: "Mandy wrote: "i think is the first time i might have more downvotes than upvotes. the only one i'm excited about is the Addams family."
What do you recommend for "Addams family"? I'm unsure abo..."
Overlord, Vol. 1: The Undead King
Long Live the Pumpkin Queen: Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas or any of the nightmare before christmas books and manga.
The Unwanted Undead Adventurer: Volume 1
Gallows Hill
Greymist Fair
Coven
Monstress, Vol. 1: Awakening
Frankenstein: The 1818 Text
Toilet-bound Hanako-kun, Vol. 1
Vampire Hunter D
Relic and Ruin
Ferryman
A Terrible Fall of Angels
Mao, Vol. 1
A Discovery of Witches
Raven of the Inner Palace (Light Novel) Vol. 1
The Misfit of Demon King Academy: Volume 4 Act 1
Thieftaker
a cursory list off the top of my head.
Also a cute blog post on why The Addams Family (90's one) is actually about the importance of books:https://lithub.com/the-addams-family-...
Mod
the only one i'm excited about is the Addams family."
What do you recommend for "Addams family"? I'm unsure abo..."
Oh Addams family I'm thinking of leaning into gothic, large family in a creepy house vibes. Anybody have some good recs that involve a loving family? Cuz most of mine are more murder-y.
Stuff I've read that fit the vibe (according to moi)
Crooked House
The Witch Boy
Lavender House
What Moves the Dead
After the Funeral
The Unfinished Clue
Greenglass House
The Death of Mrs. Westaway
Not yet read but has the vibe:
Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone
The Fall of the House of Tatterly
The Three Dahlias
A Blunt Instrument
Jackie wrote: "Oh Addams family I'm thinking of leaning into gothic, large family in a creepy house vibes. Anybody have some good recs that involve a loving family? Cuz most of mine are more murder-y...."Cozy-gothic is a trend I'm yet to see! The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches is a loving family despite one of the kids having murderous thoughts. The house isn't very creepy though.
7 up, 1 down, which has been typical this year. I really like some of these!
Around the Year in 52 Books
Books mentioned in this topic
A Psalm for the Wild-Built (other topics)Dead Wrong (other topics)
Pumpkins & Poltergeists (other topics)
Happy Place (other topics)
The Addams Family: An Evilution (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Rhys Bowen (other topics)Alyssa Maxwell (other topics)
Jim Lavene (other topics)
Cleo Coyle (other topics)
Tasha Alexander (other topics)
More...
Voting will open in the morning of Tuesday, September 12 and results will be posted in the morning of Saturday, September 16 (CST time).
How it works:
- When the voting opens, follow the link to the mini-poll that will be added at the end of this post
- You have a total of 8 votes this poll to spread across your favorite and least favorite prompts (you can also use less than 8 votes)
- You can find examples of acceptable voting practices on the Introduction thread.
- The prompts with the more favorable votes (comparing top votes to bottom votes, and looking at the overall number of votes it received) will be added to the final list
We are asking people to include their Goodreads profile address when they vote. To find this, just go to your own profile and then copy the URL/web address. If for some reason you can't link to your Goodreads profile, please post your full Goodreads name with enough identifiable information that we'll be able to access your profile.
Possible Prompts:
1. A book with a warm or heated atmosphere
2. A book another ATY group member gave 5 stars
3. A second book that fits your favorite prompt
4. A book with a bilingual character
5. A book related to the Addams Family
6. A book related to “Going for the Gold”
7. A book nominated for a Goodreads Choice Award
8. A fiction book with a reference work in the title
9. A book set in a group living situation
10. A book with a divided, or split, cover
11. A novel disguised as a guide or manual
12. A book for a prompt that was used in a previous year
13. A book longlisted for a Booker Prize
14. A historical fiction book that takes place before the 20th Century
15. A cozy mystery
Feel free to discuss the prompts below, but please remember to be respectful to the other group members.
VOTE HERE: https://forms.gle/NuHgYYD51AaS57RK7