Around the Year in 52 Books discussion
ATY 2026
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[2026] Poll 16 Voting
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1 up, 7 downFrothy and Gothy is still my favorite suggestion of the year. Frothy makes me think of ocean waves, delicious coffee drinks, exquisite gowns. If it wins, I will focus on that part. Or maybe it will be the year I finish Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West
The rest of the field seemed to have overlaps or just didn't excite me. It's like a complete 180 from last week.
6 UP and 2 DOWN. Really I'd be fine with any of them but the 2 I voted down. I tried to follow all the sage advice about limiting UPvotes. I think I did a decent job of constraining myself. I suppose I could have done better if I could stop myself from using all 8 votes. Maybe next poll I can also limit my overall votes also.
Also one of my UP votes used to be a DOWN until I looked at my notes from the earlier polls.
First impressions:1. A book listed in any ‘Best Books’ list of 2024 or 2025 - Not particularly interested. I don't like that it's so open to any list at all (making it way too easy), and I also want to get away from the idea that we "need" a list prompt at all if none are getting voted in
2. A book with a character that's in the public domain - Likely a downvote. It seems like it's mostly classics, and that's not really where I'm at with my reading interests right now.
3. A book that fits a suggestion that was in the bottom of its poll - Downvote. We already have a suggestion that didn't make it, and this is too similar
4. A book that is either frothy or gothy - I upvoted this last time, and I might upvote it again. The only reason I'm on the fence is because I voted for it already so it's already on my rejects challenge list, so I don't necessarily need to vote again to do it
5. A book that has been long-listed for the Tournament of Books in any year - Not a fan. I looked through the lists provided, and didn't see much I was actively interested in.
6. A book that would fill a favorite prompt from last year's list - Meh, I don't really care for prompts that involve pulling from previous years' list
7. A book with a primary character who is a woman over 40 - I like this. I've read quite a few books in the past couple of years that involved older protagonists, so this is likely an upvote
8. A book with a character that has been orphaned, adopted or abandoned in any way - Another potential upvote. I'd prefer it was a little more focused on one of the three options though
9. A book published at least 50 years ago - Downvote. I don't have much on my TBR that fits
10. A book with a bird on its cover - A strong maybe. I'd have to look at what I have on my TBR to see if I have enough options, but off the top of my head, I think I do
11. A book with antonyms in the title - Maybe. I've done this one a few times, but it's usually fun
12. A book that would fit the 26th prompt from any ATY52 year - Possibly a downvote, but maybe I'd leave it neutral. I'm not particularly interested in pulling from past challenges
13. A book that was banned or challenged - I've done this prompts so many times over the years, so I'm not that interested
14. A book with a character pretending to be something or someone else - Love this! I have lots of thrillers and lots of romance that might fit
15. A rainbow book - Maybe, but I don't feel strongly about it
Mod
1. A book listed in any ‘Best Books’ list of 2024 or 2025 - Not particularly interested. I don't like that it's so open to any list at all (making it way too easy), and I also ..."
Think of us who don't do a rejects challenge and want to do frothy gothy!
Jette wrote: "1 up, 7 downFrothy and Gothy is still my favorite suggestion of the year. Frothy makes me think of ocean waves, delicious coffee drinks, exquisite gowns. If it wins, I will focus on that part. Or..."
Great ideas for frothy. I wish I had thought to put that interpretation in the examples.
Every day when I look, there are more books in our monthly Best Books lists! Everybody's really stepping up.
Angie wrote: "I think I might be the buzzkill who will only have 2 (or 3) upvotes this round. There are a lot of prompts I just don't want. I thought it would be a 4/4 split until I really started looking at the..."I'm the same. So far I have 6 down votes and 1 upvote.
Mod
My thought was it wasn't just the classics themselves. I'd include the books which revisit or reinterpret classic characters. Think how many modern Sherlock Holmes pastiches or Pride and Prejudice "retellings" there are, or the trend for Greek myths and classics to be reinterpreted from the point of view of the women, for example.
It might even stretch to using the authors as characters - for example, there are cozy mystery series with the likes of Jane Austen, Beatrix Potter and Josephine Tey as detectives.
Re the list prompt and when to do them - I usually like and vote for them when proposed, but I realized they usually hang around until the end of my challenge. I think it's like Robin P said above - I don't look up the list every time I finish a book, so at some point, I just ending up going to check and picking something. Maybe if a list prompt does get in, I need to bookmark the list to make sure I have it handier so it's not so hard to track down!
We do have 1 list prompt already voted in: A book from the Rory Gilmore reading list.
No, we don’t have Rory Gilmore (another group?). We have 1001 Books to Read Before You Die
Tracy wrote: "No, we don’t have Rory Gilmore (another group?). We have 1001 Books to Read Before You Die"You're right. I was confusing the two. I knew we had a list prompt I wasn't happy about, I just forgot which one.....lol
Mod
I would love the Rory prompt! It would force me to read something not current
Pamela wrote: "Tracy wrote: "No, we don’t have Rory Gilmore (another group?). We have 1001 Books to Read Before You Die"I would love the Rory prompt! It would force me to read something not current"
I would also love to have the Rory prompt! There are a bunch of books on that list that I have not read yet but have forgotten about.
Not for me, I'm afraid, I have read so many of these books. I would much rather have NPR or ATY. And as Tracey says, we already have the 'books to read before you die' prompt, which also contains a lot of older books.
LeahS wrote: "Not for me, I'm afraid, I have read so many of these books. I would much rather have NPR or ATY. And as Tracey says, we already have the 'books to read before you die' prompt, which also contains a..."Same here. The ATY lists have both old and new books. Tob goes back 20 years, and NPR goes back 10+, so you can get a great mix.
I always use the NPR and ATY lists to create a pool to help me fill other prompts. I noticed this week that some of my favorites were on all 3 lists. I eventually read 10-20 from each list. NPR, ATY, and 2025 were the last slots to fill last night when I did all my shuffling, because I knew I had more on my tbr if needed. I only looked at the 2024aty list last night since I read many of them early in 2025.
Hi, could one of the mods tell me if I've already voted?Edit: I just voted because I didn't want to miss the deadline, but please feel free to delete if it's a duplicate!
I went 3 up and 5 down. I love a the A book with a character pretending to be something or someone else prompt. I was trying to come up with something cleaver that fit worked with "faking it" so I am happy that someone came up with something similar.
I also voted for Tournament of Books. Both this list as well as the NPR have big visuals that help me stay focus. Someone mention the 1001 books to read before you die list and I thought maybe I should look at that again and I was bored and distracted before I got half way through the 2000's. Thank god some of you lovely people have put books on the listopia, the pictures are small but it helps a little with my attention span.
I didn't hate most of the ones I voted down, they were just not my preference. I love the idea of birds but I still have a vivid recollection of being frustrated by finding book with wings so that was my least favorite. If it does go through I probably just need to plan better. Maybe look at the NPR list...
There are lots of prompts I like here... and I could easily have found 8 to upvote, but in hopes of getting more than one prompt, I voted 4 up and 4 down.
Pamela wrote: "Tracy wrote: "No, we don’t have Rory Gilmore (another group?). We have 1001 Books to Read Before You Die"I would love the Rory prompt! It would force me to read something not current"
Pamela wrote: "Tracy wrote: "No, we don’t have Rory Gilmore (another group?). We have 1001 Books to Read Before You Die"
I would love the Rory prompt! It would force me to read something not current"
I am not keen on lists prompts because they are used so frequently, but I would upvote the Rory Gilmore list just for you Pamela.
LeahS wrote: "Not for me, I'm afraid, I have read so many of these books. I would much rather have NPR or ATY. And as Tracey says, we already have the 'books to read before you die' prompt, which also contains a..."I'm the opposite. I've read everything on the NPR lists that interest me, so it's a tough prompt for me. I could probably find something on the ATY lists. I will go put my top of the month books there. I wouldn't mind the ToB list. I didn't down vote it. I left it neutral.
The intro poll 16 post says results are on October 3rd and the schedule in FAQ says October 4th. There is confusion over which day is results day.
I believe the reason for the confusion is because the calendar runs from Monday - Sunday rather than Sunday - Saturday. The poll closes tomorrow (Friday, Oct. 3rd), and the results will be posted on Saturday, Oct. 4th. Poll 17 suggestion will be on Sunday, October 5th.
Charlsa wrote: "I believe the reason for the confusion is because the calendar runs from Monday - Sunday rather than Sunday - Saturday. The poll closes tomorrow (Friday, Oct. 3rd), and the results will be posted o..."Then the initial post needs to be changed because it currently reads:
“ Voting will open in the morning of September 30 and results will be posted in the morning of October 3 (CST time).”
It is probably just a typo, but I mainly use the app so always use the thread for dates. I can’t see the calendar on the app and even using the web browser on my phone the calendar is too blurry for my bad eyesight.
Mod
Not a typo-- voting ends in a few minutes and results will be announced tomorrow morning (3). Nominations are on Saturday (4).
Pamela wrote: "Jillian wrote: "Charlsa wrote: "I believe the reason for the confusion is because the calendar runs from Monday - Sunday rather than Sunday - Saturday. The poll closes tomorrow (Friday, Oct. 3rd), ..."According to the calendar, voting ends at the end of tomorrow and results are announced Saturday, with suggestions on Sunday. This is getting lots of discussion on the Wild Discussion as well, and the feeling is that people are reading the calendar as if the first day is Sunday, but it's done the British way where the first day is Monday.
Dixie wrote: "Pamela wrote: "Jillian wrote: "Charlsa wrote: "I believe the reason for the confusion is because the calendar runs from Monday - Sunday rather than Sunday - Saturday. The poll closes tomorrow (Frid..."I agree. The calendar is a little fuzzy but it’s clear enough. Poll 16 ends Friday, poll 16 results are Saturday, and Poll 17 suggestions are on Sunday. ,
Mod
Well crap.... I liked some of the results! (they've been stable for the past few days)
Pamela wrote: "Dixie wrote: "Pamela wrote: "Jillian wrote: "Charlsa wrote: "I believe the reason for the confusion is because the calendar runs from Monday - Sunday rather than Sunday - Saturday. The poll closes ..."The next two suggestion days are on Sunday, and then Saturday, so I hope that means we’ll have a good turnout.
I’d be happy to see the results a day early if you’d like to give us a sneak peek!! How about a hint? Will the list lovers breathe a sigh of relief?
I’m curious, do you usually get a lot of votes on the last day? I voted early today, but I usually wait.
Could anyone of the mods please tell me if I've voted or not.
Mod
That's your hint-- in my view, there's good and bad. Course, since I never say what I hated until voting is over and the one I hate gets through, that might not help you.
Mod
Yup, you're in there
Pamela, could you check on my vote too? Thanks in advance.I’m glad we have more than one winner. Unless today’s votes change everything.
Mod
I’m glad we have more than one winner. Unless today’s votes change everything."
Yup, you voted- 2029 on 10/1
Pamela wrote: "Nike wrote: "Could anyone of the mods please tell me if I've voted or not."Yup, you're in there"
Thxs
Mod
Yup, you're in there"
Thxs"
I normally run a voter query near the end to make sure there's no dupes, so good timing!
Around the Year in 52 Books
Books mentioned in this topic
Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (other topics)Up the Down Staircase (other topics)
Green Eggs and Ham (other topics)
Charlotte’s Web (other topics)
The Great Gatsby (other topics)
More...
Likely upvotes:
4. A book that is either frothy or gothy
- I just love the fun wording of this, and it's not a prompt I've seen before. And I have lots of gothic options.
6. A..."
I think antonyms (opposites) are a lot easier than oxymorons. But it’s similar to the pair of prompts (18&19) we have this year.