January | Prompts & Discussion

[Summer]

I had a great time hosting Wheel of TBR in 2023 so I've decided to bring it back this year as well. Even if you've been too busy to participate later in the year consider this an invitation to start with a clean slate. Amanda, another of the MOD's as I'm sure you know by now, had the idea to add a bonus prompt halfway through the month for an added challenge and a little mystery. I thought this sounded like a fun idea so I'm going to trial it this month and see how it goes and whether we thought it was a fun addition to the game. As for everything else the rules are unchanged and are listed as always in the graphic above. Before I share the Prompts I want to take a moment to wish you all a very Happy New Year and to thank you for continuing to join us each year- Here is to a fresh slate and another year of amazing reads!!

The Prompts

Spin #1

★ a repeating prompt that needs no explanation.

Spin #2


★ I'll make a list of all 2023 Wheel of TBR participators and use a number generator to choose one of you. Keep an eye on your inbox 😉

Spin #3


Spin #4


★ Using the browser rather than the app click on your want to read shelf and choose a book thats between #45-55. I've had pretty good success with these prompts and think they're a really fun way to randomly choose a book from your TBR list.

Spin #5


Spin #6


★ I'll also accept an author's note.

We spun lots of multiples this month so 6 prompts in total but don't forget the mystery prompt that I'll add near the middle of the month, You'll have to stay tuned to see what it is! Share those TBR's! And if you have any ideas that you think would improve the game please don't hesitate to share them in the comments!

[Shia]

I’ll try to attempt this month! So I just wait for someone to give me a prompt?

[Nat]

1. Roll a dice to choose a genre (historical fiction) and 5. Body of water on the cover: Loyalty
2. Group member chooses a prompt: (me-flowers on the cover) I'll either count my #3 book for this (my copy of Jane Eyre only has one flower, and I cannot find that version on here), or one of the following: Forget Me Not, The Lucky List, or Five Feet Apart
3. Windows on the cover: Secrets at the Last House Before the Sea
4. Choose a book between 45-55 on your Goodreads TBR: We All Looked Up
6. Has a foreword or introduction: Jane Eyre
Bonus: Read a book inspired by a goal you have for yourself this year. I don't really do New Year's resolutions or goals, but I am going back to college this month for phys ed, so I'm choosing: Strong is the New Beautiful: Embrace Your Natural Beauty, Eat Clean, and Harness Your Power

Possibilities:

[fungivibes]

Wanted to thank Summer for putting this all together, its been lots of fun and really helps me narrow down my tbr. Happy New Year everyone!!
1) I rolled non-fiction: Half-Bads in White Regalia: A Memoir
2) Group member chooses a prompt: TBD
3)Windows on the cover: The Bad Beginning
4) Choose a book between 45-55 on your Goodreads TBR: An Ordinary Violence
5) Book with a body of Water on the Cover: A Million to One
6) Has a foreword or introduction: Black Sci-Fi Short Stories

[Shia]

1) I got Satire -
2) Rec by a member - TBD
3) Windows on Cover -
4) a book btwn 45-55 -
5) body of water on cover -
6) Has a foreword - FINISHED

[Vanessa]

Ohhh I want to spin :)

[Summer]

Nat was chosen to pick a prompt and that prompt is: Read a book with flowers on the cover!

Thanks Nat!

[Summer]

Shia wrote: "1) I got Satire -
2) Rec by a member - TBD
3) Windows on Cover -
4) a book btwn 45-55 -
5) bo..."

Nat chose: read a book with flowers on the cover!

[Summer]

fungivibes wrote: "Wanted to thank Summer for putting this all together, its been lots of fun and really helps me narrow down my tbr. Happy New Year everyone!!
1) I rolled non-fiction: [book:Endangered Eating: Ameri..."

aww thanks for that I appreciate it and you're very welcome ☺️

[Summer]

Vanessa wrote: "Ohhh I want to spin :)"

haha there will be more opportunities for you all to choose a prompt- for instance the bonus prompt at mid-point of the month is open so let me know if you'd like to choose for that one.

[Amanda]

I am very excited for another month of the TBR game! It's come to be something I rely on to pick my monthly reads and it's broken me out of my comfort zones a time or two, I can't wait for another year!

Edit: Updated 1/8/24 (My group I was reading House of Leaves with decided to extend out on it a month so I am taking advantage of that for sure! So now my prompts 1, 4 & 6 have been updated to reflect this change)

1. Roll a Die for Genre: Horror
The Whispering Dead
3. Window(s) on Cover
The Paris Apartment
4. Choose a Book from TBR #45-55: Redid this for #52 & From my Kindle Novels
Seven Sins
2. Group Member Chooses Prompt: Flowers on the Cover (Thanks Nat!)
&
5. Body of Water on Cover
These Still Black Waters
6. Foreword or Intro
Vampires: The Occult Truth

[Summer]

My plans:

1. & 5. roll a die/choose a genre (Sci-Fi) & body of water: The Past Is Red ✅

2. Group member chooses prompt (Nat- flowers on the cover): Switched ✅

3. Window/s on the cover (I'm cheating a bit here but theres more than 100 pages left of the book so I'm going with it): The Last Séance: Tales of the Supernatural ✅

4. A book between #45-55: White Cat ✅

6. Foreword/introduction: Greek Mythology: The Gods, Goddesses, and Heroes Handbook: From Aphrodite to Zeus, a Profile of Who's Who in Greek Mythology ✅

*Bonus Prompt- Inspired by New Year goals: Torn (CR)

I had a very successful month of reading- I completed all the original prompts and I'm currently reading the book I chose for the bonus prompt so I'm calling that a win!

[Shia]

Summer wrote: "Shia wrote: "1) I got Satire -
2) Rec by a member - TBD
3) Windows on Cover -
4) a book btwn 45-55 - [bookcover:Wolf God|61..."

thank you! will update my post now

[Jane]

1. I got poetry and will read:

2. Read a book with flowers on the cover & 6. Foreword/Introduction

3. Read a book with windows on the cover & 5. Body of water on the cover

4. Book beteen 45-55

[Summer]

Bonus Prompt: read a book inspired by a New Year’s resolution or a goal you have for yourself this year.

* completing this prompt isn’t required to win this months round.. think of it as an added challenge- an advanced prompt for those of you that like to push themselves. I’ll share one of these bonus prompts around the 1/2 mark of the month each month

[Amanda]

Nice! I have a bunch of series I want to restart so I can try to finish at least one this year, so I'm thinking I'll pick one of those to reread the first book to complete the bonus prompt!

[Summer]

Amanda wrote: "Nice! I have a bunch of series I want to restart so I can try to finish at least one this year, so I'm thinking I'll pick one of those to reread the first book to complete the bonus prompt!"

oh this is also a goal of mine- I think thats how ill interpret this one as well, I know its probably assumed that I create this prompts to fit what I want to read at any given time but thats honestly not the case- I go in blind just like all of you lol

[Vanessa]

I have a stupid question! Roll a die to pick genre? Where can I find the genres or do I pick my own? Thanks!

[Vanessa]

2024 Wheel of TBR: January

✔️ 1. Roll a die: Horror
Twittering from the Circus of the Dead by Joe Hill 1/03/2024
✔️ 2. Read a book with flowers on the cover.
Eartheater by Dolores Reyes 2/10/24
Paint that looks like flowers!

✔️ 3. Read a book with windows on the cover.
Tales to Keep You Up at Night by Ben H. Winters 1/26/24

✔️ 4. Read a book between 45-55 on TBR
#FashionVictim by Amina Akhtar 2/27/24
✔️ 5. Read a book with a body of water on the cover
The Body in the Lake by Matthew Costello 1/15/24

✔️ 6. Read a book with a foreword or introduction
The Box: Uncanny Stories by Richard Matheson 2/2/24

[Summer]

Vanessa wrote: "I have a stupid question! Roll a die to pick genre? Where can I find the genres or do I pick my own? Thanks!"

It's not at all stupid and I'm sorry I didn't see this question until now! The way I do it is I assign 1 genre of my choice to each side of a six-sided die and roll. Of course you can use a die with as many sides and genres that you'd like but that is the idea!

[Amanda]

Amanda wrote: "Nice! I have a bunch of series I want to restart so I can try to finish at least one this year, so I'm thinking I'll pick one of those to reread the first book to complete the bonus prompt!"

I changed my mind lol, I'm doing a review request for a book of poetry I was sent which fits two of my resolution type goals of reading different genres more as well as completing my reviews. I should be done today it's called Thinking of Dinner at Lunch: Poems

[Summer]

Good idea! I hope it’s good!

[Vanessa]

Thanks for the clarification, Summer!

[Nat]

I did not end up with the reading list I had planned, but I had a great month of reading (10 books finished, 8 of them were audiobooks...I drove A LOT!)
I switched out Loyalty for My Brother Sam Is Dead for my historical fiction pick.
Flowers on the cover ended up being Secrets at the Last House Before the Sea, and windows on the cover went to its sequel, A Letter to the Last House Before the Sea.
I didn't even start any books that were between 45-55 on my TBR (neither before or after the purge).
For body of water on the cover, I ended up reading Island of the Blue Dolphins.
Although I started Jane Eyre, I only got to chapter 4 so far, so my book with an author's note is Bud, Not Buddy, and a book inspired by my new major in college (I started back this week after 4 years off!) was Strong is the New Beautiful: Embrace Your Natural Beauty, Eat Clean, and Harness Your Power.
So overall, I'd say that I crushed this challenge, even if what I ended up using for the prompts was not what I initially thought.

[Summer]

Nat wrote: "I did not end up with the reading list I had planned, but I had a great month of reading (10 books finished, 8 of them were audiobooks...I drove A LOT!)
I switched out Loyalty for [..."

Wow, you had a great reading month and congrats on going back to school thats amazing!

[Summer]

Vanessa wrote: "Thanks for the clarification, Summer!"

No problem and I'm sorry it was so late.. due to an oversight on my part you will see that this prompt comes up again in February.. whoops.. but at least you know how it works now lol

[Nat]

Summer wrote: "Nat wrote: "I did not end up with the reading list I had planned, but I had a great month of reading (10 books finished, 8 of them were audiobooks...I drove A LOT!)
I switched out [book:Loyalty|613..."

Thanks! It helps that I live in the middle of nowhere, between school, work, and skiing, I get a lot of driving in, and I usually am listening to a book while I do that. Although the book I'm listening to right now, I might have to shelf as DNF because I am just not enjoying it, and what's the point of reading something that I just don't like and doesn't interest me? (rhetorical)

[Summer]

Nat wrote: "Summer wrote: "Nat wrote: "I did not end up with the reading list I had planned, but I had a great month of reading (10 books finished, 8 of them were audiobooks...I drove A LOT!)
I switched out [b..."

It may be rhetorical but I still agree with you lol

[Amanda]

Amanda wrote: "I am very excited for another month of the TBR game! It's come to be something I rely on to pick my monthly reads and it's broken me out of my comfort zones a time or two, I can't wait for another ..."

Well, I only did 2 of my 5 original, plus I finished my bonus prompt with Thinking of Dinner at Lunch: Poems but still plan on finishing The Paris Apartment asap, and Vampires: The Occult Truth but These Still Black Waters I'm about halfway through and not sure I'll finish it, I just don't think most domestic style thrillers are my fave and this one kind of stalled my month trying to finish it. But I think it'll be fun for me this year to still try to finish the TBR from this game the next month as like a punishment for not completing them already. Hoping for a fun February for us all!

[Vanessa]

✔️ Finally finished January! 😝