Around the Year in 52 Books discussion
ATY 2026
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[2026] Poll 17 Voting
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1. A book where the main character has an occupation that didn't exist before 1900
Eg. Anything digital, customer service (call centres), influencer, podcaster, astronaut, geneticist, Paralympian, commercial airline pilot, flight attendant, anything television based, PhD student, book publicist, marketing, climate scientist, etc.
2. A book with a title that contains the name of a professional sports team
NHL
Ducks
The Lightning Thief
PWHL
The Siren (Kiera Cass)
The Poetry of Robert Frost
Who's in Charge? Free Will and the Science of the Brain
NFL
When we Were Vikings
Where Eagles Dare
Still Life (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache)
CFL
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
A Lion Among Men (Wicked #3)
The Red and the Black (Stendhal)
There is a lot of cowboy romance searching under """"roughrider""""
NBA
The Color of Magic
Practical Magic
Jazz (Toni Morrison)
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
WNBA
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Something Lost, Something Gained: Reflections on Life, Love, and Liberty (Hillary Clinton)
A Storm of Swords
Onyx Storm
The Fever Code (Maze Runner)
MLB
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
Red, White and Royal Blue
David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants (Malcom Gladwell)
None of these books are sports books, but you could probably find a sports book for every team if that is something you like to read
Yes it is! Let's add some names and nicknames from the UK's Premier League (soccer):
Arsenal: The Gunners
Aston Villa: The Villains
AFC Bournemouth: The Cherries
Brentford: The Bees
Brighton & Hove Albion: The Seagulls
Chelsea: The Blues
Crystal Palace: The Eagles
Everton: The Toffees
Fulham: The Cottagers
Liverpool: The Reds
Manchester City: The Citizens, The Sky Blues
Manchester United: The Red Devils
Newcastle United: The Magpies
Nottingham Forest: Forest
Southampton: The Saints
Tottenham Hotspur: Spurs, The Lilywhites
West Ham United: The Hammers
Wolverhampton Wanderers: Wolves
plus one I particularly love from the Championship League:
Ipswich Town: The Tractor Boys
3. A book that is not a novel
Could be a play/a book of plays, a book of poetry or essays or short stories, Manga, graphic novels or comics, and of course, any non-fiction including biographies or memoirs
4. A book that takes place in a country/place along the path of totality for the 2026 solar eclipse
Spain:
https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...
https://modernmrsdarcy.com/literary-t...
Portugal:
https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...
https://traversejourneys.com/blog/15-...
Iceland
https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...
https://modernmrsdarcy.com/recommende...
Greenland
https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...
https://heyimreading.com/2020/09/26/b...
The Arctic
https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...
https://adventuresmithexplorations.co...
The Atlantic Ocean:
https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...
https://thegreatestbooks.org/the-grea...
5. A book about a family or family relationships
Books for adults about families: https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...
Books about quirky families: https://modernmrsdarcy.com/quirky-end...
Books about found families: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
Nonfiction books about families: https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...
Memoirs about families: https://celadonbooks.com/booklists/st...
Middle-grade books and series about families: https://reedlibrary.blog/2023/06/27/m...
6. A book posted in one of the ATY Best Book of the Month threads in 2025 or 2026
2025: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/2...
7. A book with a missing person
Could be a missing person mystery, a book about grief, a series book where a beloved character is missing from the story, empty nesters, etc.
8. A book about nature, climate, or the environment
https://www.goodreads.com/genres/nature
https://www.goodreads.com/genres/envi...
https://www.goodreads.com/genres/clim...
9. A science fiction or fantasy book published after 2020
https://www.goodreads.com/genres/scie...
https://www.goodreads.com/genres/fantasy
10. A book whose title does not contain the first letter of your name
Could be your first name, last name, nickname, etc. So it won't be too hard for people whose names start with common letters
11. A book about a woman crossing barriers, borders, and boundaries
Ideas
pioneers
world travelers
women in unexpected careers
women fighting for causes
female explorers
women who broke records
Mary Shelley - books by or about her or her mother Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft
Jane Goodall - books by or about Jane Goodall.
Books
Lessons in Chemistry
Atmosphere
Remarkable Creatures
Leaving Coy's Hill (fiction on the life of Lucy Stone, suffragist)
I Am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban (she has a new book coming out as well)
These Is My Words: The Diary of Sarah Agnes Prine, 1881-1901
Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset
Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren
The Friday Night Club: A Novel of Artist Hilma af Klint and Her Creative Circle
River Sing Me Home
Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries
Circe
Where the Crawdads Sing
The Queen of Sugar Hill: A Novel of Hattie McDaniel
The Frozen River
The Dictionary of Lost Words
Here are the links from poll 10 in case someone else is also planning on helping Nike.
Woman Adventurers: https://heyimreading.com/2022/05/21/b...
Women in Science: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/th...
Women in Sports: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/th...
Women in Politics: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/th...
Female Astronauts: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
Resilient Women: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
Women Trailblazers: https://electricliterature.com/8-nonf...
Women Fighting for a Just Society:https://electricliterature.com/9-nove...
Women Overcoming Societal Barriers: https://booktrib.com/2023/04/26/10-no...
14. A book with a character who is an astronaut
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/4...
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/4...
I'm confused with the phrase "smoke and mirrors". Can someone explain perhaps or give examples?
Chrissie wrote: "I'm confused with the phrase "smoke and mirrors". Can someone explain perhaps or give examples?"There’s a surprising number of books (or series) with that exact title:
https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=Sm...
But that would be the straight forward route to finding a book
Edit: the phrase means:
the obscuring or embellishing of the truth of a situation with misleading or irrelevant information.
Books with characters who do this (my first thought was to read something with a magician or circus. You could go with something political (that’s another place my thinking goes when I hear that phrase) or maybe a book with an unreliable narrator.
Hi Emily. The voting dates (opening and results) are old. Can you update them please?Thanks for using your morning off mom-duty with us :)
Mod
There's other books not on those lists like Andy Weir's ouevre. Last year's Booker prize winner Orbital. Taylor Jenkins Reid's latest Atmosphere
Or for cute rom com vibes A Cosmic Kind of Love. Or history Hidden Figures
And that's not even touching sci fi
Mod
Thanks for using your morning off mom-duty with us :)"
Whoops, it's fixed!
Mod
Pamela wrote: "Astronaut! I'm SO there although maybe not everyone is? I always have a stack of space history books waiting to be read. There's other books not on those lists like Andy Weir's ouevre. Last year'..."
Added Orbital to my tbr in the event it gets in!
MJ wrote: "Pamela wrote: "Astronaut! I'm SO there although maybe not everyone is? I always have a stack of space history books waiting to be read. There's other books not on those lists like Andy Weir's oue..."
I probably won’t vote for astronaut, only because I read several others in recent years, and it’s not a big category. If it wins I have 2 books I would be happy to read. (Did I just talk myself into an upvote?). This year, I liked Orbital even though it doesn’t have a real plot, and I really enjoyed Good Morning, Midnight which was written many years earlier. They are both about long term space stations. My current book might end up with a space trip too, if the MC accepts the offer from an Elon Musk type character.
MJ wrote: "Chrissie wrote: "I'm confused with the phrase "smoke and mirrors". Can someone explain perhaps or give examples?"There’s a surprising number of books (or series) with that exact title:
https://ww..."
Doppelganger: A Trip into the Mirror World would fit this really well. It’s a brilliant book that I want to reread.
I’d love to hear more examples of books. I can think of movies (mostly thrillers), and a couple nonfiction corporate true crime books. There might be books involving conspiracies, fixers, advertising firms, defense lawyers, strategists, think tanks, spy agencies, press secretaries, con men, corporate crisis managers, and campaign managers. Empire of Pain might fit, and maybe No more Tears.
Mod
There's other books not on those lists like Andy Weir's oue..."
It's apparently a novella so regardless, would work for that prompt.
Mod
I know... and I will be voting against scifi as I am an anti-scifi person.
#15 is always my favorite prompt
Robin P wrote: "I would bet almost anything that astronauts won't win - too narrow. - although personally I'd be fine with it. Same for sci-fi from last 20 years. some people just refuse to read certain genres."The one I think is narrow is nature and the environment. We already have non-fiction, then we have science, and now we have a narrowing of science which is non-fiction.
The astronaut lists are all missing Chris Hadfield's books. It probably won't get in because we only have 4 prompts left. But if it does, I'm reading The Defector or Final Orbit
Mod
Pamela wrote: "Robin P wrote: "I would bet almost anything that astronauts won't win - too narrow. - although personally I'd be fine with it. Same for sci-fi from last 20 years. some people just refuse to read ce..."I like #15 too. I can’t believe I didn't think of it this year. This year I found quite a few connected books and read them already.
Do you like any kind of fantasy books? You don’t have to read sci-fi,
I will definitely be upvoting path of totality and ATY Books of the Month because the only year-specific prompt we have is "a book that came out in 2026". Also, we have dozens if not hundreds of new books added to the BOTM lists since this was last suggested - please check them out before you vote against it on the assumption that there's nothing there for you! Other favorites are sports team name, nature/climate/environment, and women crossing boundaries - I would fold astronauts into that category. Science fiction or fantasy published after 2020 is a great one, too; there are so many wonderful new books that fit that category.
Dubhease wrote: "Robin P wrote: "I would bet almost anything that astronauts won't win - too narrow. - although personally I'd be fine with it. Same for sci-fi from last 20 years. some people just refuse to read ce..."Emily wrote: "I don't think the nature/environment prompt needs to be nonfiction! Specifically thinking of Charlotte McConaghy's books"
I agree! I love her books. Since I read her first one, I can’t get enough of this genre. There is a lot of nature fiction, climate fiction and environmental fiction.
@ dubhease, I just checked the links that Kp provided. They all include fiction books. The nature list’s “most read this week” list has some of my favorite novels, and many I plan to read next year. I can help you find more later too.
This too:
https://www.goodreads.com/genres/envi...
Dubhease wrote: "Robin P wrote: "I would bet almost anything that astronauts won't win - too narrow. - although personally I'd be fine with it. Same for sci-fi from last 20 years. some people just refuse to read ce..."There is lots of nature/climate/environment fiction. Here are some ideas:
https://www.nypl.org/blog/2025/04/15/...
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/th...
https://modernmrsdarcy.com/climate-fi...
https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booke...
https://marinet.bibliocommons.com/v2/...
If KP approves, we could add these to Message 2 above, to help other voters see how much fiction is available for these topics.
Dixie wrote: "Dubhease wrote: "Robin P wrote: "I would bet almost anything that astronauts won't win - too narrow. - although personally I'd be fine with it. Same for sci-fi from last 20 years. some people just ..."Wow thanks Dixie. I’m having a kid in the candy store moment here. I didn’t know I Cheerfully Refuse has a climate angle. ( I think it’s on sale now )
I don't love that there are so many repeat suggestions this round, although I do like the occupation and eclipse prompts. It would be disappointing if some of the middling prompts from previous rounds got in this time just because of reduced competition rather than because a lot of people really like them. I don't have any ideas for an astronaut book but I think I might upvote it just because it's the only one I haven't seen recently (either in voting, this year's challenge, or another reading challenge). If I were a faster reader I might not care as much but since I'm still working on these prompts for this year's challenge, it makes me a lot less enthusiastic to see similar prompts suggested for next year's list. For example, the "smoke and mirrors" prompt seems like it would just give me the exact same list of options as this year's "book of secrets, lies, or deception" - it feels like the same prompt with different wording.
For Astronauts - I too read “Orbital” this year and loved it. True, it doesn’t have a lot of plot, but it is very poetic (I don’t love poetry, but I love poetic writing), looking at the beauty of space. It is also fairly philosophical, allowing me to think differently and more deeply about things I previously had not.For Nature/Environment/Climate - there is definitely a lot of climate fiction out there (it’s even often called Cli-Fi). This is a genre that is now my husband’s favorite to read.
Mod
Yes, I avoid nonfiction on this but love her books.
Current thoughts:Poll Prompts:
1. A book where the main character has an occupation that didn't exist before 1900
Neutral. I have an urban fantasy about a werewolf DJ, so I could fill this.
2. A book with a title that contains the name of a professional sports team
Everyone else seems to love this, but I'm not that enamored. I guess I don't understand the excitement. Isn't it basically just a list of words?
3. A book that is not a novel
This one I like. It's a place to slot that oddball book I always seem to wind up with.
4. A book that takes place in a country/place along the path of totality for the 2026 solar eclipse
Downvote. I'm sick of "set in country XYZ" at this point.
5. A book about a family or family relationships
Neutral.
6. A book posted in one of the ATY Best Book of the Month threads in 2025 or 2026
Right now, I'm neutral. I'll have to look at the threads so far.
7. A book with a missing person
Maybe.
8. A book about nature, climate, or the environment
Not remotely interested.
9. A science fiction or fantasy book published after 2020
Well, I like a good fantasy book. Upvote.
10. A book whose title does not contain the first letter of your name
Good be interesting. I'll have to have a look through my TBR.
11. A book about a woman crossing barriers, borders, and boundaries
Neutral. I can probably read a Patti Smith book if it gets in. I had her slotted somewhere else, but maybe I can shift things around.
12. A book related to the phrase "smoke and mirrors"
Maybe.
13. A book with a character with a disability or chronic health problem
I myself have mobility issues and a chronic health problem. I don't want to read a book about it. But if I can find something where the character's disability is just a part of their character but the story is about something else, then maybe.
14. A book with a character who is an astronaut
Too niche for me.
15. A book you want to read because of something you read in 2025
I don't care for prompts that are dependent on conditional things. Just because I'm reading something this year, that doesn't mean I'll be in the same place next year. If this prompt gets in, I'll have to quickly read something in a series so I can continue it for this prompt or something.
I sound like such a curmudgeon.
ETA for a note to self: If 4 goes through, do Jar City (Iceland).
@Angie - for “A character with a disability…” that isn’t ABOUT the disability, I just started “Elena Knows” by Claudia Piñeiro. It’s a murder mystery about the mother of a murdered young woman who is trying to solve the murder herself. The mother has Parkinson’s, so this is of course slowing her down. I’ve only read the first few pages, by I like the voice of the mother who started out by trying to describe Parkinson’s. My step-mother has been living with Parkinson’s for about 25 years, and I think this description is a really interesting way of looking at it. And as far as how it affects the story, so far there is no “poor me” or complaining, it’s just another problem to be solved as part of the murder mystery (“how will I get where I need to go when I can only move after my meds kick in?”).Also, in the last year I read another murder mystery where the person solving the crime was an autistic young man who was not a detective (“Rubbernecker” by Belinda Bauer). I enjoyed it!
Btw - I don’t generally read murder mysteries, but these characters were intriguing to me, so I decided to try. Happy so far!
Tracy wrote: "@Angie - for “A character with a disability…” that isn’t ABOUT the disability, I just started “Elena Knows” by Claudia Piñeiro. It’s a murder mystery about the mother of a murdered young woman who ..."That’s such an interesting take on Elena Knows! I like how you describe the disability as shaping the story without taking it over. Rubbernecker sounds intriguing too, do you think it’s the unique characters that draw you into mysteries, even if you don’t usually read the genre?
Dixie wrote: "Dubhease wrote: "Robin P wrote: "I would bet almost anything that astronauts won't win - pOf course I approve, if Emily is willing. Your lists have books that aren’t prominent on the gr lists. Great research, thank you,
Yes Jessica, I think it must be the characters that draw me into these murder mysteries. I’ve always been interested in autistic characters, and with Elena Knows I think I was initially looking for a book in translation, but once I found out the MC had Parkinson’s I was hooked, given my connection to the disease.
1. A book where the main character has an occupation that didn't exist before 1900 -this seems different than before. Neutral or downvote. 2. A book with a title that contains the name of a professional sports team
3. A book that is not a novel - possible upvote
4. A book that takes place in a country/place along the path of totality for the 2026 solar eclipse.. The ocean books could be good if they’re in the right path, but I can’t tell. Maybe
5. A book about a family or family relationships - maybe
6. A book posted in one of the ATY Best Book of the Month threads in 2025 or 2026 - upvote
7. A book with a missing person - neutral
8. A book about nature, climate, or the environment - Upvote
9. A science fiction or fantasy book published after 2020 - I like it, possible upvote
10. A book whose title does not contain the first letter of your name - no. Downvote.
11. A book about a woman crossing barriers, borders, and boundaries - could be good- neutral or upvote
12. A book related to the phrase "smoke and mirrors" - intriguing
13. A book with a character with a disability or chronic health problem - depressing, neutral or down vote. Sorry.
14. A book with a character who is an astronaut - maybe
15. A book you want to read because of something you read in 2025- neutral
I’ll have to do more research to pick my top 3 or 4.
Emily wrote: "THOUGHTS AND IDEAS FROM THE SUGGESTIONS THREAD1. A book where the main character has an occupation that didn't exist before 1900
Eg. Anything digital, customer service (call centres), influencer,..."
Emily, could the links from message 19 please be added to Msg 2 Thoughts and Ideas #8? KP, who came up with the nature/climate/environment suggestion, approved adding these links (in Msg. 27). Thank you!
Mod
I could have done 52 weeks of connected books this year instead of only 2.
And my favorite interpretation of a prompt last year was this one-- two years ago I readMolly Molloy and the Angel of Death and last year I read Casket Case. Another book about falling in love with the Angel of Death! So proud of that one... It is a read anything prompt but it's a "read everything but try to link it somehow awesome." In my book at least.
Pamela wrote: "NancyJ wrote: "Pamela wrote: "Robin P wrote: "I would bet almost anything that astronauts won't win - too narrow. - although personally I'd be fine with it. Same for sci-fi from last 20 years. some..."I know! It’s very satisfying. I like when I learn about a book from characters in another book. When they love it, it feels like a personal recommendation. I also love the 2 week prompt this year for two books with a commonality but different genres. I found 4 pairs this year, that were not trivial. Next year I’m only doing one round, and I’ll get a little more in depth with my themes.
Hey, you can read witchy books for the fantasy prompt! You don’t have to read Sci fi.
First impressions:In general, I personally would have preferred not to have the Close Calls added into this by default. I don't think we had enough Close Calls this year to warrant it, and they could have been suggested again if someone really wanted. There are tons of good suggestions here, I would have preferred even more room to see something new!
1. A book where the main character has an occupation that didn't exist before 1900 - I still really like this one especially because I like books about podcasts or social media influencers. I upvoted it last time and might again, but I might prefer to save my votes for something new
2. A book with a title that contains the name of a professional sports team - Still not interested. I don't have much familiarity with sports teams. I'm sure I could find something if I had to, but it's not something I actively want.
3. A book that is not a novel - I feel like we already have something similar-ish with the novella prompt. I'm not particularly interested in poetry or essays, so this is likely a downvote.
4. A book that takes place in a country/place along the path of totality for the 2026 solar eclipse - Downvote. I'm pretty sure I downvoted this last time too. I'm not interested in geography prompts.
5. A book about a family or family relationships - This fits a lot of things on my TBR so I might upvote, but again, might prefer to save my vote for something new.
6. A book posted in one of the ATY Best Book of the Month threads in 2025 or 2026 - I'm indifferent. I'm sure I could find something on the list that I'm interested in, but I am not at all enthusiastic about it.
7. A book with a missing person - Definitely an upvote. I have many, many thrillers on my TBR that fit.
8. A book about nature, climate, or the environment - Downvote. I feel like something along these lines comes up every year, and it's never interested me.
9. A science fiction or fantasy book published after 2020 - Love this! Definitely an upvote. It would help push me to read some of the series I still have on my TBR.
10. A book whose title does not contain the first letter of your name - This is fine and a fun twist on a scavenger hunt prompt that I'm not sure I've seen before. I'm not deadset on it, but I might vote for it.
11. A book about a woman crossing barriers, borders, and boundaries - I voted for this one last time and still really like it, so maybe I'd upvote again.
12. A book related to the phrase "smoke and mirrors" - I really like this one in theory, just not sure how I'd actually tackle it. But it's a strong upvote contender.
13. A book with a character with a disability or chronic health problem - I work with adults with disabilities (autism and developmental disabilities) so this is pretty much always an upvote for me
14. A book with a character who is an astronaut - Probably a downvote. I absolutely loved Atmosphere but I don't think I have much else on my TBR that fits
15. A book you want to read because of something you read in 2025 - Probably a downvote. I don't generally pick books based on other books I've read, unless it's a series in which case I'm going to likely continue it anyway.
I liked the close calls being automatically added because we didn't have enough for an entire poll like we did last year, even though I'm probably only going to vote for one of them. I do think we need the path of the eclipse this year because it is year specific. The close calls were only a third of the suggestions.
I don't like not a novel, we already have nonfiction.
I do like the ATY best books.
I like A science fiction or fantasy book published after 2020
And of course a woman crossing barriers, borders, and boundaries
Deborah wrote: "... I don't like not a novel, we already have nonfiction. ..."Deborah, I don't read it as being strictly non-fiction. A novella, a collection or anthology of short stories/essays, a play, are other formats that could be used for this as well. All but the essays would definitely classify as fiction, but not a novel. This opens up the prompt much wider.
I agree Gail. There are many thing that would fit in “not a novel” that would not fit in nonfiction or novella. I have collections of essays and short stories I’d like to read.
But I already do the challenge three times. Once with fictionl, once with nonfiction and once with picture books. This would force me to read another historical fiction (and I already have 3) for my fiction list.
Robin P wrote: "…too narrow. - Same for sci-fi from last 20 years. some people just refuse to read certain genres."It isn’t so much the genre(s) that has me downvoting this one, but the restriction of a book after 2020. I would have been more open to it without the restraint.
While some may be loving this list, there is nothing here that truly excites me. I’m seeing a lot of downvotes this round. 🫤
First Impressions:1. A book where the main character has an occupation that didn't exist before 1900
Meh
2. A book with a title that contains the name of a professional sports team
I liked this the first few times, probable upvote
3. A book that is not a novel
Too easy
4. A book that takes place in a country/place along the path of totality for the 2026 solar eclipse
Meh. I'm not big on location prompts
5. A book about a family or family relationships
Meh
6. A book posted in one of the ATY Best Book of the Month threads in 2025 or 2026
I still maintain that this prompt should ALWAYS be on the list.
7. A book with a missing person
This one has potential
8. A book about nature, climate, or the environment
No thankyou
9. A science fiction or fantasy book published after 2020
Too easy
10. A book whose title does not contain the first letter of your name
Too easy
11. A book about a woman crossing barriers, borders, and boundaries
This prompt has been growing on me. Still not sure about it though.
12. A book related to the phrase "smoke and mirrors"
Love this one
13. A book with a character with a disability or chronic health problem
Maybe
14. A book with a character who is an astronaut
Meh
15. A book you want to read because of something you read in 2025
Meh
My current thoughts:1. A book where the main character has an occupation that didn't exist before 1900
This seems doable.
2. A book with a title that contains the name of a professional sports team
This is the third time and I'm still not interested at all, sorry.
3. A book that is not a novel
Doable, I plan to use mangas if I can anyway.
4. A book that takes place in a country/place along the path of totality for the 2026 solar eclipse
Voting for it again, mostly because I love Iceland as a setting.
5. A book about a family or family relationships
Doable enough.
6. A book posted in one of the ATY Best Book of the Month threads in 2025 or 2026
Probably leaving it neutral.
7. A book with a missing person
I kinda like it.
8. A book about nature, climate, or the environment
Not my favorite though I'd probably find something if I have to.
9. A science fiction or fantasy book published after 2020
Doable, and definitely fantasy for me.
10. A book whose title does not contain the first letter of your name
Doable enough.
11. A book about a woman crossing barriers, borders, and boundaries
Neutral.
12. A book related to the phrase "smoke and mirrors"
I now have vague idea of this (thanks MJ and NancyJ) but will probably leave it neutral.
13. A book with a character with a disability or chronic health problem
Neutral.
14. A book with a character who is an astronaut
Nothing of interest to me, to be honest.
15. A book you want to read because of something you read in 2025
I read a lot of series anyway or discover an author I like, so easily doable.
1. A book where the main character has an occupation that didn't exist before 1900Doesn't excite me but it's doable. Neutral.
2. A book with a title that contains the name of a professional sports team
The topic itself is not one I love, but this gives so many options for books that don't fit elsewhere. Upvote
3. A book that is not a novel
Ok, and its good to have something different. Probably an upvote.
4. A book that takes place in a country/place along the path of totality for the 2026 solar eclipse
I really like this one, and the countries included are interesting. I see it as a prompt to read a book in translation (though it needn't be). Upvote
5. A book about a family or family relationships
A wide choice, but it doesn't excite me. I would use it to read a book with a family relationship in the title. Neutral/upvote
6. A book posted in one of the ATY Best Book of the Month threads in 2025 or 2026
As someone has said in the discussion, this is something that links directly to us as a group. If it doesn't get it, I would like a wider prompt - a book you have seen recommended in this group. Upvote.
7. A book with a missing person
Not difficult, but I have read so many of these. Possible.
8. A book about nature, climate, or the environment
Usually I would upvote this sort of prompt, but I am using climate change books for my multi-week prompts, and nature related books for the science topic prompt. So from a purely personal point of view I will leave it neutral.
9. A science fiction or fantasy book published after 2020
Groan, but it will be so popular I might not waste a downvote on it...
10. A book whose title does not contain the first letter of your name
Tough for people whose name begins with E, and have done the anniversary challenge this year. Neutral.
11. A book about a woman crossing barriers, borders, and boundaries
I want to like this prompt, but I'm actually not getting the feeling. I will see how many upvotes I have.
12. A book related to the phrase "smoke and mirrors"
I don't think this one will make it, but I quite like the possibilities and may upvote. A good prompt for an espionage book.
13. A book with a character with a disability or chronic health problem
Rather guiltily, a downvote.
14. A book with a character who is an astronaut
Definite downvote. We're likely to get the sci-fi prompt, and NF on this subject is not for me. I read Orbital and Atmosphere this year; they were good books, but enough astronauts for me. Astronaut would of course work for the first close call suggestion.
15. A book you want to read because of something you read in 2025
Quite a few of the books I've already planned are by authors that I read last year, so I'm not excited by this one. It's doable so I'll think about it.
All in all, a list with a lot of neutrals for me.
Heather L wrote: "Robin P wrote: "…too narrow. - Same for sci-fi from last 20 years. some people just refuse to read certain genres."It isn’t so much the genre(s) that has me downvoting this one, but the restricti..."
And it's the restriction that makes me like it! I've read so many classics in these fields, I appreciate being encouraged to take a look at what is newer.
Kendra wrote: "6. A book posted in one of the ATY Best Book of the Month threads in 2025 or 2026I still maintain that this prompt should ALWAYS be on the list..."
Agreed. I would like a couple of ATY-specific prompts like this to be automatic every year.
1. A book where the main character has an occupation that didn't exist before 1900 - I love this prompt because it is so creative, but a lot of these occupations are things I'm not interested in reading about.2. A book with a title that contains the name of a professional sports team - I will happily vote for this any time it appears
3. A book that is not a novel - Upvote, I always like to sneak in a couple of nonfiction selections
4. A book that takes place in a country/place along the path of totality for the 2026 solar eclipse - Again, very creative, but I feel like we have a lot of location prompts already.
5. A book about a family or family relationships - Neutral, if it gets in I will probably read a family saga
6. A book posted in one of the ATY Best Book of the Month threads in 2025 or 2026 - Upvote! (And I really need to add my own best books to the monthly threads...)
7. A book with a missing person - About half the books I read already have a missing person in them, did not vote for it but will not be upset if it gets in
8. A book about nature, climate, or the environment - Would have voted for this if we did not already have a similar prompt.
9. A science fiction or fantasy book published after 2020 - Neutral
10. A book whose title does not contain the first letter of your name - This would be a "read any book" prompt for me (although I'm sure there are others who would find it more challenging!) Downvote
11. A book about a woman crossing barriers, borders, and boundaries - yes yes yes!
12. A book related to the phrase "smoke and mirrors" - Neutral, could easily find something if it gets in
13. A book with a character with a disability or chronic health problem - Neutral
14. A book with a character who is an astronaut - This would be hard unless you really like sci-fi, I think.
15. A book you want to read because of something you read in 2025 - Right now nothing is coming to mind.
3 up, 5 down. I wish I had had a couple more votes for upvotes and a few more downs.As much as I have enjoyed this process, I'm ready for it to come to an end for this year.
Mod
1 up, 4 down. I did like the prompt for the occupations that didn't exist before 1900; however, I didn't vote for the prompt for astronauts since the first had greater variety.
Around the Year in 52 Books
Books mentioned in this topic
Atmosphere (other topics)Orbital (other topics)
Jar City (other topics)
Atmosphere (other topics)
Molly Molloy and the Angel of Death (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Patti Smith (other topics)Charlotte McConaghy (other topics)
Charlotte McConaghy (other topics)
Charlotte McConaghy (other topics)
Voting will open in the morning of Monday, October 6 and results will be posted in the morning of Friday, October 10 (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.
Poll Prompts:
1. A book where the main character has an occupation that didn't exist before 1900
2. A book with a title that contains the name of a professional sports team
3. A book that is not a novel
4. A book that takes place in a country/place along the path of totality for the 2026 solar eclipse
5. A book about a family or family relationships
6. A book posted in one of the ATY Best Book of the Month threads in 2025 or 2026
7. A book with a missing person
8. A book about nature, climate, or the environment
9. A science fiction or fantasy book published after 2020
10. A book whose title does not contain the first letter of your name
11. A book about a woman crossing barriers, borders, and boundaries
12. A book related to the phrase "smoke and mirrors"
13. A book with a character with a disability or chronic health problem
14. A book with a character who is an astronaut
15. A book you want to read because of something you read in 2025
Feel free to discuss the prompts below, but please remember to be respectful to the other group members.
Vote here: https://forms.gle/L7KBMKCqSGW3oCKd6