[2026] Poll 16 Results

[Pamela, Arciform Mod]

Sorry for the delay! I slept in extra long cause I kept up with people celebrating Halloween (it lasts 7 weeks here). Kinda appropriate given the results.... Cranky old woman vs the Goths

Top:
A book that is either frothy or gothy
A book with a primary character who is a woman over 40
A book with a bird on its cover

Bottom:
A book with a character that's in the public domain
A book that has been long-listed for the Tournament of Books in any year

Polarizing:
A book that fits a suggestion that was in the bottom of its poll
A book with a character pretending to be something or someone else
A book that would fill a favorite prompt from last year's list

There was no close call

The next round of suggestions will open between 7 and 8 am CDT on Sunday, October 5. We're at 48 prompts... so hopefully only 2 polls left!

[Shannon SA]

Three great ones!!

[Pearl]

😢

[Angie]

I voted for two of the winners. I'm not wild about the bird on the cover prompt, but I'm sure I'll be able to find something.

[Tracy]

7 weeks of Halloween?! I know some people where I live (in California) who would be very happy about that!

And I am very happy about these results, both the actual prompts and the number voted in!

[Pamela, Arciform Mod]

Tracy wrote: "7 weeks of Halloween?! I know some people where I live (in California) who would be very happy about that!

And I am very happy about these results, both the actual prompts and the number voted in!"

Yeah- they all come here! October is beyond nuts- hotels are booked a year in advance- so people think "I'll go in Sept b4 it gets nuts" so it's nuts in Sept and then there's overflow till Veterans Day. Life in the Witch City! I'm looking forward to leaving town to catsit for a few days, but work is bonkers so you can't leave town like many people do,

I'll admit. I'm not a fan of the woman over 40. I feel I read a lot of that anyways.

[Trish, Annular Mod]

Cool that Frothy Gothy made it.

[LeahS]

I think I only upvoted one of these, but I am perfectly happy with them, and pleased that we got three prompts this time.

[Dubhease]

I downvoted tournament of Books (I still haven't found anything to read for it this year.) I am frustrated that we can't seem to get ATY's Best Books of the month in, in any incarnation. It and the ATY prompt are literally the only things that distinguish our prompt group from the zillion of other prompt groups.

But yay for Frothy and Gothy.

[LeahS]

Dubhease wrote: "I downvoted tournament of Books (I still haven't found anything to read for it this year.) I am frustrated that we can't seem to get ATY's Beast Books of the month in, in any incarnation. It and th..."

Love the typo - perhaps we could try it and limit it to Best Books about animals? Seriously, it would be good to have Best Books.

[MJ]

I already read a fair share about women over forty, so I’m ambivalent about that one. It would be more challenging for me to read something about a man over forty!

None of my downvotes got in so I am pleased about that. And THREE prompts is also nice.

[Chrissie]

Not my set of prompts at all, tbh, but I'll probably find something either way. (And my Rejects list is ever growing at this point haha)

[Jillian]

Pamela, which time zone for the suggestion thread?

[Pam]

I only voted for one of these prompts (bird on cover) but I'm ok with the other 2. There are a lot of gothic classics that I haven't read. The thing I don't like about the PC being a woman over age 40 is making this determination before reading the book AND not relying on a list. I do have one book that I'm excited to read that I'm sure works. Super glad that we have 3 prompts!

[MJ]

Pam wrote: "I only voted for one of these prompts (bird on cover) but I'm ok with the other 2. There are a lot of gothic classics that I haven't read. The thing I don't like about the PC being a woman over age..."

I’m of the same mind as you on all counts. There are a lot of classics that I haven’t read yet and I like being reminded about the classic gothics I should get to.

[Deborah]

Chrissie wrote: "Not my set of prompts at all, tbh, but I'll probably find something either way. (And my Rejects list is ever growing at this point haha)"

Is the rejects challenge an official challenge with rules or does everyone just do what they want with it?

[Chrissie]

Deborah wrote: "Chrissie wrote: "Not my set of prompts at all, tbh, but I'll probably find something either way. (And my Rejects list is ever growing at this point haha)"

Is the rejects challenge an official chal..."

No rules, as far as I know. You can do what you want, and read any rejected prompt you want. Just go wild. ^^

[Deborah]

Chrissie wrote: "Deborah wrote: "Chrissie wrote: "Not my set of prompts at all, tbh, but I'll probably find something either way. (And my Rejects list is ever growing at this point haha)"

Is the rejects challenge ..."

Thanks!

[Kendra]

Deborah wrote: "Chrissie wrote: "Not my set of prompts at all, tbh, but I'll probably find something either way. (And my Rejects list is ever growing at this point haha)"

Is the rejects challenge an official chal..."

There's no official challenge, but the mods keep the list of rejected prompts handy, and a lot of us choose to set up our own rejects challenge. Some track all the prompts they voted for that didn't get in and make that their challenge. Some wait until they've finished the main challenge and then see how many reject prompts they can fill. I personally pick one or two prompts per poll. That way I don't feel bad when the prompts I want don't make it on, because I know I'm going to do them anyways.

[Deborah]

Kendra wrote: "Deborah wrote: "Chrissie wrote: "Not my set of prompts at all, tbh, but I'll probably find something either way. (And my Rejects list is ever growing at this point haha)"

Is the rejects challenge ..."

Thanks!

[Samantha]

I am wildly out of sync with voting so not surprised by these results. I had to laugh that Birds because of how hard the wings prompt was last year. Hopefully my fear of endless searching helps as a reminder to keep an eye out.

Sad to see ToB in the bottom but can look for bird books on that site.

[Pamela, Arciform Mod]

Jillian wrote: "Pamela, which time zone for the suggestion thread?"

US- Central. Emily's running them

[Pamela, Arciform Mod]

Pam wrote: "I only voted for one of these prompts (bird on cover) but I'm ok with the other 2. There are a lot of gothic classics that I haven't read. The thing I don't like about the PC being a woman over age..."

It's harder than I thought- I was just adding books to the list and realized I read a lot of books that happen over the years or have lots of main characters. I wrote notes where needed Also classics that feature "old" women and they're like 30! I used the rule "is she an essential part of the story at that age,"

[Dixie]

I'm delighted that frothy and gothy made it, though I have no idea what I'll read for it. But I like going into the new year with some prompts up for grabs. I didn't vote for bird on the cover and wasn't sure I had anything for it, but after scrolling through my Want to Read books I have 29 options!

I'm assembling a rejects challenge made up of some of the suggestions I feel are thought-provoking, related to science & nature, social issues, and geography.

[Pam]

Dixie wrote: "I'm assembling a rejects challenge made up of some of the suggestions I feel are thought-provoking, related to science & nature, social issues, and geography..."

Dixie - I like that idea a lot! I don't read enough to do a rejects challenge, but I could always combine one of the reject prompts with a regular prompt. Maybe I will try that for next year. The book I want to read for the bird prompt is The Backyard Bird Chronicles, which would fit a science and nature theme.

[J]

Angie wrote: "I voted for two of the winners. I'm not wild about the bird on the cover prompt, but I'm sure I'll be able to find something."

I'd highly recommend This Is How You Lose the Time War.

[Dixie]

Pam wrote: "Dixie wrote: "I'm assembling a rejects challenge made up of some of the suggestions I feel are thought-provoking, related to science & nature, social issues, and geography..."

Dixie - I like that ..."

Great idea!

[Robin P, Orbicular Mod]

A number of mysteries have women over 40 - Miss Marple, Mrs. Polifax, Judith Potts from the Marlow Mystery Club, the women in The Thursday Murder Club series.

[Irene]

Happy with the results overall (I upvoted one and was neutral with the other two). I don't know what it says about my reading speed that most of the options I had listed for the same bird on the cover prompt from Popsugar back in 2020 are still sitting unread on my TBR xD

[Karin]

Pamela wrote: "Sorry for the delay! I slept in extra long cause I kept up with people celebrating Halloween (it lasts 7 weeks here). Kinda appropriate given the results.... Cranky old woman vs the Goths

Top:
A ..."


Wow, one I upvoted, one I didn't vote on only because we have 8 votes and one I downvoted altough I might be able to make it work.

[Misty]

Ugh - I really, really dislike that prompts can be submitted again when they have already been voted down. They were voted down! Well, I have gotten less adamant about filling all the prompts and will now allow myself a wild card.

[Charlsa]

I'm happy with the results and especially that we got 3 in this time. I'm surprised that ToB was bottomed. I thought it would be somewhere in the middle.

For now I've marked No Nest for the Wicket by Donna Andrews for frothy or gothy.

Olga Dies Dreaming for woman over 40.

I hope to read The Backyard Bird Chronicles before the end of 2025. If I don't I'll read it for Bird on the cover. Meanwhile, I've marked The Good, the Bad, and the Emus

[Jette]

I’m happy for frothy and gothy! I may do it as a multi-week prompt sine I’m having trouble deciding which way to go with it.

I was neutral on the other two. A KIS idea for bird on the cover came to me as I was opening a kindle book from Libby. It was a Penguin edition with a little penguin on the cover. It has nothing to do with the book, but would fit the prompt.

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

Misty wrote: "Ugh - I really, really dislike that prompts can be submitted again when they have already been voted down. They were voted down! Well, I have gotten less adamant about filling all the prompts and w..."

The only prompts we do not allow for resubmission are the bottom prompts. All of the others could just be a matter of a numbers game (like the frothy/gothy prompt here) where they didn't quite have enough to beat the prompts in their previous poll, but they make it through in a poll with different prompts!

[Dixie]

Emily wrote: "All of the others could just be a matter of a numbers game (like the frothy/gothy prompt here) where they didn't quite have enough to beat the prompts in their previous poll, but they make it through in a poll with different prompts!..."

Yes, I often really like more suggestions than I have votes for, and I'm glad to see some of them come up again later with different competition.

[Misty]

Emily wrote: "The only prompts we do not allow for resubmission are the bottom prompts. All of the others could just be a matter of a numbers game (like the frothy/gothy prompt here) where they didn't quite have enough to beat the prompts in their previous poll, but they make it through in a poll with different prompts!"

Thank you for explaining that. I still don't like it because it feels a bit like having things shoved down your throat (and with the political climate in the US - where I am - it feels particularly icky), but I do appreciate that you took the time to tell me that. Thanks Emily.