Around the Year in 52 Books discussion
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[2024] List Order Suggestions
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TIMING:
Early in year:
A book with a title that ends in A, T or Y
A book that fits a suggestion that didn’t make the final list
A book connected to something you read in 2023
Late in year:
A book published in 2024
A book that has been on your TBR for over a year
A book posted in one of the ATY Best Book of the Month threads in 2023 or 2024
SEASONAL:
Spring:
A book related to the lyrics of What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong
Summer:
A book related to Boats, Beaches, Bars, Ballads, or Jimmy Buffett
Fall:
Winter:
MONTHLY:
April:
A book connected in some way to any of the flavors of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream
A book related to the phrase "It's Raining Cats and Dogs"
May:
A book with a botanical cover
A book by an author from an African country
August:
A book related to “Going for the Gold” (Olympics)
September:
A book that is part of a series
October:
A book with a chilling atmosphere
December:
A book with a senior citizen character
A book with a title containing 6+ words
2 Weeks: Two books with similar covers
A book whose author’s name includes one of the 4 least used letters in the alphabet - JQZX
A second book that fits your favorite prompt
A book related to night
A book with a secondary color on the cover
A book set in one of the 25 most beautiful cities in the world
A book related to the name of one of Snow White's seven dwarfs
A book that is not a novel
A book related to land
A book related to air
A book related to sea
A book with a touch of magic
A science or science fiction book
A book with fewer than 2024 ratings on Goodreads
A book involving a crime other than a murder
A book by an author known by their initials
A book with a number in the title
A book with a single word title
A book with a main character who is Black, Indigenous, or a Person of Color
A history or historical fiction book
A book set in a country bordering the Mediterranean Sea
A cozy mystery
A book with a sound-related word in the title
A book with a two word title, with the first word being "the
Raining cats & dogs - AprilBotanical cover - May
(April showers bring May flowers)
What a Wonderful feels like spring to me. (?)
Ice cream and Jimmy Buffett in summer
Maybe Mediterranean and beautiful city in summer (because, vacation)?
African author - maybe January or December for Kwanzaa? (It’s celebrated the last week of December.)
Beautiful cities and Going for the Gold in July/August I'm using Paris for my city and the Olympics are July 26-August 11.I love how we usually keep book published in 2024 until closer to the end to allow for more 2024 books to choose from.
Chilling atmosphere in October. Possibly either crime other than a murder, cozy mystery, book with a touch of magic, Edgar Award-winning author, or book related to night as other Spook-tober suggestions. I know that's too many suggestions for a month, but they are just potential ideas.
Series September is a Book Tube event happening this month (September). Perhaps September could include A book that is part of a series.Cozy mystery would be nice during a winter month.
For the first part of the year I like to read historical fiction and magical realism.
I liked keeping the multiweek prompts together this year and would like that to continue.
Book related to something you read in 2023 and book that has been on your TBR for over a year maybe at the beginning of the year.
dalex wrote: "Raining cats & dogs - AprilBotanical cover - May
(April showers bring May flowers)
What a Wonderful feels like spring to me. (?)
Ice cream and Jimmy Buffett in summer
Maybe Mediterranean and b..."
I had same ideas for your first two (Raining Cats & Dogs = April, Botanical Covers = May).
I was headed in a similar direction as you for the next 4 (What a Wonderful World, Jimmy Buffett, Mediterranean and Beautiful Cities) but I want to try to remember that seasons don't hold true for everyone in the group. I know we definitely have members in Australia, and possibly other southern hemisphere locations. Because of that I tried to find other ways to interpret prompts that could go seasonal - especially with weather related ideas. So these are my ideas for those 2 of these prompts:
What a Wonderful World: August for Louis Armstrong's birth month
Jimmy Buffett: December for Jimmy Buffett's birth month AND summer in the southern hemisphere
Mediterranean and Beautiful Cities: I actually haven't come up with good ideas for these two
And your idea for African Authors in December or January at first sounded good, but then I realized that Kwanzaa is an African American holiday, not an African holiday. Maybe we can pick a date from these African Union holidays? https://au.int/en/au-holidays
Besides my reply to dalex above, I have a few other ideas:A book with a main character who is Black, Indigenous, or a Person of Color — April, since this is Diversity Awareness Month
A book connected in some way to any of the flavors of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream — May, as this is the date of start of business for Ben & Jerry's (instead of picking month most likely to eat ice cream since that is different between the hemispheres)
Two books with similar colors — 1 in June and 1 in July, as these are adjoining months named with 4 letter names both starting with JU, so, similar
A book related to the name of one of Snow White's seven dwarfs — November, since apple picking season in both hemispheres overlap in November (connecting to the poison apple in Snow White)
A book with a senior citizen character — December (re: May/December romance)
Dubhease wrote: "Beautiful cities and Going for the Gold in July/August I'm using Paris for my city and the Olympics are July 26-August 11.I love how we usually keep book published in 2024 until closer to the end..."
I really like the connection between Going for the Gold to be the same month as the Olympics, even if I'm not planning on going that direction with my reading for this prompt.
International dog day is July and cat day is August so maybe that prompt around that time
I like cozy crime in winter so maybe crime not murder should be somewhat earlier to space them out. Similar covers maybe June and July time or the ber months as they are similar months
Science maybe when they do the novel prizes
I think unsuccessful and second prompt that fits your favourite probably late in the year
Above I associated the 7 Dwarves prompt with the poison apple, but maybe since that is more closely linked with Snow White herself, and the prompt is only about the 7 Dwarves, July would be an appropriate month since it is the 7th month?
3rd April is Ben & Jerry's Free Cone Day, it could be a reminder not to miss out, if you're lucky enough to be able to take advantage of that.
I think one of the easier/broader prompts as the first one. It is nice to pretend that I’m going to do the challenge in order.
I hope that there are prompts in Jan and Feb that will be easy to slot Tournament of Books shortlist into. Some ideas: historical fiction, BIPOC main character, possibly fewer than 2024 ratings…I second putting going for the gold during the Olympics!
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And I typically put the prompt that didn’t make it in early in the year since it’s closer to voting season and feels more relevant than when we have already started voting on the following year’s prompts.
Emily wrote: "I figured I’d start the year with our ATY character prompt since we’ve been using an ATY prompt the last couple years to start the year. And I typically put the prompt that didn’t make it in earl..."
Sorry what ATY character prompt?
For the 2024 challenge the ATY is a title prompt.
Jillian wrote: "I think one of the easier/broader prompts as the first one. It is nice to pretend that I’m going to do the challenge in order."Hah, yes! I always feel like I should try and read in order but generally the books I want to read straight away end up being perfect fits for prompts way later in the challenge and it all falls apart.
I love that we start with the ATY prompt.I like the idea of the book on your TBR over a year could come at the end of the year.
The book related to night could work for april, as thats when world book night is and it will be celebrating its 13th year in 2024
Jillian wrote: "For the 2024 challenge the ATY is a title prompt."I know, I wondered if maybe this was a secret clue about what the read a thon winner had picked
Africa Day is May 25th, so maybe have author from Africa in late May.
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Emily wrote: "lol nope, this is me forgetting what prompts we already have in and commenting on this thread from my phone. I meant the ATY title prompt."Fair enough
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Emily wrote: "What should our last prompt of the year be? I like to end on a fun one!"I’d say Snow White or raining cats and dogs should be last unless something quirkier gets in ( we still have I’m guessing 4 to go counting 14)
Yes, I agree with Thomas that we might still get the perfect fun one in the coming weeks.But if not, earlier I suggested Jimmy Buffett for December (his birth month and summer for the southern hemisphere) and I think this is a fun one. It could be good for the very last week also because his birthday is actually Christmas Day!
dalex wrote: "Raining cats & dogs - AprilBotanical cover - May
(April showers bring May flowers)
What a Wonderful feels like spring to me. (?)
Ice cream and Jimmy Buffett in summer
Maybe Mediterranean and b..."
Kwanzaa is an American holiday, African-American but is not originally from Africa although it is based on some of them.
May 25 is Africa Day, which was founded in 1963--May would be my suggestion for African holidays.
Some big African holidays include:
Mombasa Carnival in Kenya in November
Festival of the Dhow Countries in July and held in Zanzibar
National Arts Festival in June to July in Grahamstown, South Africa
Maitisong Festival in April is held in Gaborone, Botswana
Abu Simbel Festival in Egypt on Oct and Feb 22
The Gerewol Festival in Chad in September -- this is a male beauty pageant but not a gay pageant--women take the lead in relationships there.
There are many other holidays and festivals, of course, and since there are black African Jews, Christians and Muslims from centuries ago--long before Europeans started ruling any of those countries--those are also observed.
I apologize if I offended anyone by making the Kwanzaa/Africa connection. I should have researched it before posting. I did not mean to be insensitive about anyone's culture.
Did not offend me (but not my culture). I would hope someone would assume you meant well, but just acted quickly. We can’t research everything… but Kwanzaa IS based on some African festivals, so not too far off.
I would put <2024 ratings near the start. That way if you choose your book in advance it's less likely to get more ratings before you read it
Meg wrote: "I would put <2024 ratings near the start. That way if you choose your book in advance it's less likely to get more ratings before you read it"Agreed it would be really annoying if that happened
I like the Raining Cats and Dogs and botanical connection to April showers bring May flowers, so it would be fun to have Cats & Dogs be the last week in April and botanical the first week in May.I like the idea of Buffett in December, not just because of his Christmas birthday, but because of the song Boat Drinks with lines like "20 degrees and the hockey game's on" and "I gotta go where it's warm."
dalex wrote: "I apologize if I offended anyone by making the Kwanzaa/Africa connection. I should have researched it before posting. I did not mean to be insensitive about anyone's culture."It didn't offend me :) I just thought that since it's about African authors a holiday that started in Africa would be more appropriate. Kwanzaa is celebrated in other countries now, but it definitely started in the States.
I still like the idea of 2 similar covers being in June and July since the month names are also similar.
It wasn’t until spring when the prince found Snow White and kissed her to wake her up. So maybe the third full of week of March since that is when spring begins would be a good spot for Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs.
Favourite prompt should be towards the end so you have time to decide what your favourite prompt is. (My opinion often changes in the time between making the list and actually reading the book)Night could be connected to the winter solstice (longest night of the year) so 21/22 December or June.
Land, Air and sea could be good for the summer as it seems connected to travelling or holidays.
Touch of magic feels Halloweeny.
British Science Week is 8-17 March for science or science fiction.
The Mediterranean is also a summer destination. We seem to have a lot of summery prompts so far.
How do people feel about reading similar books together, versus spreading them out? Groupings:
🔹Geographic- Beautiful cities. Mediterranean. African author. Australia/Canada/NK. Some might prefer to spread them out if they’re challenging.
🔹Natural settings- Land. Air. Water. I might spread these out when reading to get a periodic nature fix, but I would like to think of them together while planning.
🔹Mysteries - Edgar award. Night. Chilling. Cozy mystery.
🔹Vacations or Beach reads - Beaches. Water. Mediterranean. Cities.
🔹Halloween related ideas.
🔹Books with nonfiction potential- Not a novel. History HF. Science SF. 6 words.
Grouping together could make it special or make people get board
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I prefer spreading them out.Except for the Multiweek challenges.
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I complete the challenge in order so the order does matter to me. I view multi weeks as one prompt that has been split over a few weeks so they should be together. I would prefer regular prompts to be more spread out to allow some variety.
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Thomas wrote: "Grouping together could make it special or make people get board"I'd prefer to not have them grouped together since some of us will have groupings full of prompts we don't like as much.
Yes to multi-book ones being close together.
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I'd prefer to not have them grouped together since some of us will have groupings full of prompts we don't like as ..."
The multi-week prompts are usually such that the books read can vary in genre, setting, style, etc. (or not, depending on your preference.)
NancyJ wrote: "How do people feel about reading similar books together, versus spreading them out? Groupings:
🔹Geographic- Beautiful cities. Mediterranean. African author. Australia/Canada/NK. Some might prefe..."
I like this idea. I agree with @Emily, a month of mysteries would be fun.
Emily wrote: "I do like the thought, though, NancyJ. It would be cool to do a month of mysteries, etc. Maybe something for a possible read-a-thon."I don’t usually read in order (so my opinion doesn’t count), but if I did, I would rather spread the geographic books apart. I can’t travel this year, but I would love some armchair travel to warm locations in the winter (to escape the snow), or in March or April (for spring break). Or September. I have friends and relatives who are on cruises in the Mediterranean right now. (I’m dog sitting for one couple).
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Emily wrote: "I was going to put the single word title and the 6+ word title back to back to kind of play off each other... but now that we also have this two word title. Any suggestions?"Put single word and two word title very far apart, like January and December, since they are so similar. And put 6+ in the middle.
I've started placing prompts (tentatively) in list order. I think I'm going to read in order next year, so this list has extra meaning for me lol. I love getting suggestions on when different prompts should be placed, and I'd love to hear your perspective! Let me know in a comment below!
You can see all of the selected prompts here: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...