Play Book Tag discussion

I hope you don't mind me posting the voting one day early. I have a very busy day tomorrow, and I'm just worried I might forget to do it . . .

Please vote for the tag you would most like to read for May at the following link:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/G3HK3W7

You may click on the answer choices in the survey to see a listing of books that fit each tag.

Remember, you may cast up to a total of 10 participation points for your choice. Everyone gets one vote for free so please vote even if you don't have any participation points!

You can see how many participation points you currently have in the spreadsheet below.

Please note that if you are new to PBT, the participation points are tallied at the beginning of each month, so it is possible your name may not yet be added to the spreadsheet. Don't worry, it will be next month! In the meantime, you have one vote to cast, so please join the voting.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...


Happy voting! Please cast your votes by 12 pm EST on 4/24.

Note: If no one choice receives more than 50% of the vote, people who chose the least popular choice will be asked to recast their votes for one of the remaining two options.

That time already! Uggg I am way behind on my reading for the month's goals.

That is quite an interesting list to pick from. I can't wait to see what wins.

SouthWestZippy wrote: "That time already! Uggg I am way behind on my reading for the month's goals.

That is quite an interesting list to pick from. I can't wait to see what wins."

I am in the same boat . . .behind . . .I switched out my planned strong women read for something shorter. Hope that works out for me.

(abstaining because all have the same level of appeal to me)

Cheryl wrote: "(abstaining because all have the same level of appeal to me)"

Ha ha, hopefully that level is somewhere along the lines of "oh good, interesting" and not "blech, I may need a vacation from PBT next month."

I voted for the one that didn't start with "a" or "s".

Joi wrote: "I voted for the one that didn't start with "a" or "s"."

Oh no. Those letters showed up again. And I voted for one. I did not help,
😀

Joi wrote: "I voted for the one that didn't start with "a" or "s"."
LOl, I did too Joi. It's time for a new letter :-), plus that tag is the one that had the most books I wanted to read.

Joi wrote: "I voted for the one that didn't start with "a" or "s"."

LOL!

Just noticed that Americanah is on the 'family drama' list!

Voted! Went for the one which had most on my #tbr and luckily it doesn't begin with either 'a' or 's'!

For the last six or seven months, we have had very broad tags win. I could be wrong, but I think it’s because folks have preferred that over some of the other choices. I to in this case would probably prefer the broad tag over the other two. Plus I personally need a really easy month. But I do think it would be interesting at some other point for a more narrow tag to be compelling enough to gain readership.

Jenny wrote: "Just noticed that Americanah is on the 'family drama' list!"

Hi Jenny. I forget sometimes. Where can I find the tag lists?

Cynda wrote: "Jenny wrote: "Just noticed that Americanah is on the 'family drama' list!"

Hi Jenny. I forget sometimes. Where can I find the tag lists?"

When you click on the survey monkey link, the tags are in blue - if you click on the tag it should open the shelf for you!

Jenny wrote: "Cynda wrote: "Jenny wrote: "Just noticed that Americanah is on the 'family drama' list!"

Hi Jenny. I forget sometimes. Where can I find the tag lists?"

When you click on the surve..."

Got it :-)

Cynda wrote: "Jenny wrote: "Cynda wrote: "Jenny wrote: "Just noticed that Americanah is on the 'family drama' list!"

Hi Jenny. I forget sometimes. Where can I find the tag lists?"

When you clic..."

Also, another way to find the lists is to go to the following link:

www.goodreads.com/shelf

And then simply enter the tag in the search box.

Cracking up about the "a" and "s" tags . . .now you see why I was so amused.

However, if I could vote, I'd vote for one of them.

Anita wrote: "Cynda wrote: "Jenny wrote: "Cynda wrote: "Jenny wrote: "Just noticed that Americanah is on the 'family drama' list!"

Hi Jenny. I forget sometimes. Where can I find the tag lists?"
..."

Thank you Anita. I have put this information in my tablet's notepad.

A and s have yielded some interesting reads. Why change things...

Sushicat wrote: "A and s have yielded some interesting reads. Why change things..."

Two thumbs up for this comment.

Hope you like my choice ;-)

I voted, and I admit I voted for the broad tag. I always think I am going to love something interesting and different, and then realize how absolutely simple and delightful it is to read in one's comfort zone. Especially in an extremely busy upcoming month. I would like us to see, maybe starting in June, some less broad tags become winners. As a devoted PBT-er, (can't believe its only been a couple of years), I have been exposed to some wonderful things I never would have picked up. And have been better for it. Its one of the beautiful things about this group. Can I admit for this month, hoping just to go the easy road? I have never not read for the tag or not finished a challenge, and in time. And I don't forsee that changing. But April, May, and June is going to test me for sure. So I hope my choice wins - don't we all? I'll be fine no matter what.

I voted and yes I went for the one in my comfort zone but I doubt it will win.

Hmmm... I'm going to let this sit and brew for a bit. There is an easy choice that I know that I'm going to find something to read and two other choices that I will have to search a bit for.

Without giving it away, Sushicat, I did. I have a title I am very excited about for it.

I will say none of these three tags will be a disappointment. I feel like the randomizer and our member did a great job!

Voted ....
I have two books for each of these tags that I plan to read in May ... so I'm good with any of them .... but I did throw a few extra points towards my choice.

Amy you’re so right about comfort zones. Only twelve years ago all I read was non fiction. My best friend introduced to me over and over fiction and historical fiction. I finally took the plunge and haven’t looked back. Since then I have grown to love several genres but of course always have those that are in my comfort zone. I’m hoping for easy as well. This month into the next two are so busy for me with a house selling and moving but I’m up to the challenge.:)

Rachel,

I am also in house selling mode!!! Awful, right? It is like every day I see something to repair or replace before we list.

Voted. I went a little outside my comfort zone. It's good to stretch our reading muscles, right?

I selected the one easiest for me because I want to devotemmore time to exercising. I stopped exercising as much and my health took a dip. I want to dip only when I swim.

Anita wrote: "Without giving it away, Sushicat, I did. I have a title I am very excited about for it.

I will say none of these three tags will be a disappointment. I feel like the randomizer and our member did ..."

Same here.

Anita wrote: "Cracking up about the "a" and "s" tags . . .now you see why I was so amused.

However, if I could vote, I'd vote for one of them."

I was pretty amused when I saw the A and S options, as well!

I usually lean toward a narrower tag, but if I was voting, I would probably go for the broader one this time. However, I do believe I have something that should fit any of the three tags, so I'll be ok no matter what wins.

Amy wrote: "I have never not read for the tag or not finished a challenge, and in time. ..."

I have only ever missed one month (not including the first month of PBT's existence, when I joined at the very end of the month). Stupid part - it was a super-broad tag and should have been easy. I do remember I was travelling, so I was trying to take thinner books or something - point is, I was limiting myself that month in a different way. I must have been reading all nonfiction and genre fiction that month, though, because the one tag I missed was "contemporary fiction"!!!! How in the world did I manage that!?

Voted. None really appealed to me, so I went with the least broad of the three just to have a change.

Voted!

I don't understand ppl saying 'narrow' and 'broad' for the choices. Maybe it's because I'm interpreting them differently, but they all seem like they could be narrow or broad depending on how one understands them.

Can we use this thread to actually discuss them? It seems like ppl are being evasive and I don't understand why... - ?

Usually at some point, somebody starts naming the topics directly in this thread and people do start talking about them. I guess I never want to be the first, because I think for folks were not on daily, it’s kind of fun to open the thread get straight to the top and to discover for yourself what the three choices are. But that’s just me. I try not to offer spoilers in general - lol. Since I’m the one who first introduced the word broad topic versus narrow, I can only speak for myself and share what I was thinking. What I would consider a broad topic is one that there’s already 1000 on your TBI that fit. Kind of like strong women, or African-American, or society, or bestsellers. You don’t have to stretch out of your comfort zone, because you could find something that you were planning to read pretty darn soon anyway, maybe something that already exists in your house or was on your shortlist. What I was considering a more narrow tag would be one that you really have to think about, and maybe pick something up that you wouldn’t have picked up next. Something that might not have an obvious fit. Like you might go on their list and find that there are plenty of matches in your list, but you wouldn’t have thought of them out right. Usually when a more narrow tag wins, and usually have already done this before the voting process anyway, you can look at the list and see if there are matches with your TB read shelf or something interesting pops up that you hadn’t considered. The other thing I tend to do is go through my list of want to read books and see if there are matches that aren’t necessarily on the list but that obviously fit for me. So when I did that I found a couple of books each maybe that I would consider reading for the two other tags, and I wrote them down in case one wins. Then I went on my library app and ordered like four bucks from the broad tag, Which I might’ve read sooner or later anyway, and order them from the library. This way if or when it wins, it’s already here for me to pick up. Hopefully that helps. Maybe others have a different way of describing it, I want to use our actual three choices more specifically to explicate.

Voted for the one that had the most titles pop up from my TBR.

Cheryl, people usually say tags are broad when you can make about anything fit them and narrow is much more specific.

And you are absolutely right, even the “broad” tags can be narrowed depending in how you personally define them or other restrictions you want to put on yourself!

I typically try to interpret the tag pretty narrowly as I apply it to myself personally.

I would talk about the tags specifically, but I haven’t even looked to see what they are yet! Lol.

As for speaking more specifically of the tags, I like for people to decide for themselves how they'd like to vote, rather than trying to sway people, so I, personally, try not to be more specific in this discussion.

I think Amy's explained the narrow/broad quite well.

Voted, after some deliberation, I stayed in the s & a trend.

I voted. I would be fine with any of the choice but none just jump out at me and beg to be chosen.

Back when this group started on Shelfari, the tag was chosen randomly and Anita would give us fiendishly difficult clues and we would all try to guess what the tag would be. She did always reveal it about a week before the month began, so we could plan.

Then, after a few years we started randomly picking one member each month who would then chose three tags, which the rest of the membership would vote on.

We tried to never reveal what we voted for ... allowing each member to discover them on his/her own when going to the site for voting.

It just became a habit to be somewhat "secretive" or circumspect. And sort of adds to the fun of anticipation.

But once the tag is chosen ... there will be PLENTY of discussion about what books might fit and recommendations for others to consider.

Voting done. I found this vote easier than last month

Oh sure, I understand what broad and narrow mean. But I'd have to be liberal with my definition of all three to find anything to fit.... I guess maybe I'm defining them too strictly.

Of course, I've also found that I mostly don't read a lot of the same things that many of you do, so we have different tastes/ interests, too. So, since I don't read a lot of the one that doesn't start with an A or an S, maybe that's the one you-all are considering broad? The others seem kind of narrow at first, but I'll probably find them easier to fulfill....

Might be fun to analyze them after the reveal, after the voting ends.

Cheryl wrote: "Oh sure, I understand what broad and narrow mean. But I'd have to be liberal with my definition of all three to find anything to fit.... I guess maybe I'm defining them too strictly.

Of course, I..."

The diversity entertains and expands me. I am glad to be here.
The Big Thing: I can use the library and don't have to buy books unless I really want to for my personal challenges.

Cheryl wrote: "Oh sure, I understand what broad and narrow mean. But I'd have to be liberal with my definition of all three to find anything to fit.... I guess maybe I'm defining them too strictly.

Of course, I..."

Before looking at the shelves to see what matched my #tbr, I wanted to vote for the 's' tag. However, after looking at the shelves I ended up voting for the broad tag as that gave me plenty of options to choose from!

Jenny wrote: "Before looking at the shelves to see what matched my #tbr, I wanted to vote for the 's' tag. However, after looking at the shelves I ended up voting for the broad tag as that gave me plenty of options to choose from! "

This was my EXACT thought process as well.

Joi wrote: "I voted for the one that didn't start with "a" or "s"."

So did I. I am not interested in the other two at the moment, although art could be interesting. btdt with the other one. BUT, I forgot to check the shelves first and now it's too late #$&$&!#*%$~!

I voted once, for the tag I thought would most enlighten me. ^_^

Voting update:

If you voted for sexuality, please recast your vote. Sadly it has no shot at winning . . .