Around the Year in 52 Books discussion

Voting is now open!

The entire Around the Year challenge list is generated by the group members. We enjoyed the process so much in the past three years that we are creating another list for 2019.

The Process:
The topics for the 2019 RC list will be determined through around 13 mini-polls. Each user will vote for their favorite 4 topics in each mini-poll, which will then add up to the 52 topics (13 polls x 4 topics/poll=52 weekly topics). Suggestions for each poll will be opened until 15-20 suggestions are received+seconded. Then a poll will be opened for voting for one week so you can select your 4 favorite suggestions. This timeframe allows for a completed list in October-November.

The Rules:
- Vote for your TOP 4 and BOTTOM 4 - You are allowed to vote for less than 4
- Voting ends October 1
- One vote per poll per user

- see the suggestions thread for more details on some entries

Poll Entries:
1. a book about or inspired by an ancient civilisation
2. a book related to one of the elements on the periodic table of elements
3. a book that was nominated for or won an award in a genre you enjoy
4. a Victorian or neo-Victorian related book
5. a book in which faith or religion play a role in a main character's life or decision making
6. a book you were assigned to read (for school, Book Club, by a friend/family member) that you either didn’t read, didn’t finish, or didn’t like but which you think deserves a second chance
7. a book featuring a character with a job or profession you aspired to when you were a child
8. a book about or related to a conspiracy theory
9. a book that involves another world or planet or realm
10. a book from the Costa Awards - winner or short list from any year
11. a book about a person, place or topic that you have a negative opinion of
12. a book with a theme of gender or gender issues
13. two books related to the same topic, genre, or theme
14. two books - one inspired by the word high and one inspired by the word low (eg title, author, setting, # of pages, highbrow/lowbrow)
15. a book with a cover where the author's name is as large or larger than the title

Survey Link

So many good ones. I like both awards suggestions this time, I'm probably leaning towards the genre one but the Costa lists usually have something I'm interested in too.

The assigned book prompt is too much like one from Read Harder this year which has put me off finishing their list. Life's too short to re-read books you know you don't like (and I never skipped assigned reading at school). I'd probably have to wildcard that one if it makes it in.

I'll probably wait till the 3 day poll results are announced to vote.

I thought about waiting but I just went with my gut and voted.

This just wasn't my week for suggestions. I had trouble narrowing down my bottoms to only four and the only way I could get four tops was to vote for some of many that were re-suggestions. I liked them well enough to give them a re-vote but I would have preferred some new ideas. :/

I have 8 in my bottom and 2 tops. Hm, I guess I am going to have to think about this a while before I vote.

A book with a cover where the author's name is as large or larger than the title.
This one just seems fun to me, and we only have 1-2 cover prompts so far. Plus, I haven't seen this prompt in other challenges!

Here is a Listopia link, as well as a variety of example covers from all types of genres.

https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...

Avery I took a look at my TBR list and there are a lot more to choose from than I thought.

For the book you were assigned to read, I would probably take it as books I need to catch up on. I have a lot of books I received from the Book of the Month Subscription, that I haven't read yet! I also am in a few book clubs, so this prompt would work well for me.

I didn’t vote for the catch-up-on prompt, but if it wins I will read a book my book club read that I missed - there are a few I haven’t gotten to - or even one they read before I was a member.

I think when I put in the “conspiracy theory” as a topic a lot of people might be thinking about actual well known conspiracy theories, which you could read about, but there are a ton of “paranoid thrillers” that are fiction books that would be cool to read. I was honestly thinking more along that line when I put it in.

https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/2...

I submitted the two books that are related by topic, genre, or theme, and I'm hoping that this might be the two week prompt that makes it on to the list... I feel like it encompasses all of the polarizing prompts that we have come across so far, and it allows for as much flexibility as you might need (without being too open).

I also had trouble narrowing down my bottom and finding enough for my tops. There are few that interested me (like the periodic table one) but I'll need to do some research before I vote for them. I think I'm going to wait for the mini-poll to be published before I decide for sure.

I have a Danish YA dystopia called 'The Oxygen Thief' (Ilttyven in Danish, it's not translated) waiting for me if the periodic element prompt makes it.

And I find this list - https://www.google.dk/url?sa=t&so...

Sorry about the clumsy link, I am on phone.

There really is a list for everything...

I have a couple on my TBR, and I'm glad to see it!

Yes, I was actually surprised there was a list, but there it was :) Also thinking of 'The Radium Girls...' and 'The Tin Drum' that I didn't see on the list.

Emily, I really like the 2 books linked by theme/genre/topic. For those people who want to have a spot to read from a series, this would be a good topic for that.

I didn't have strong feelings about most of these. I voted for the two books related by the same topic etc since I really liked the one fiction/one non-fiction prompt that was rejected and this would let me run with it. I also voted for the Costas since the short list for each year has always included at least one book I've really enjoyed. I downvoted the assigned book prompt since I really struggle with these (I cheated with the Read Harder version this year by using a title that I assigned myself for another challenge and that I really hated) and the other worlds prompt since I'm not a big fantasy reader.

My top 4:
1. a book about or inspired by an ancient civilisation
4. a Victorian or neo-Victorian related book... no idea what this is, but a ghotic book was a good experience, so why not a neovictorian ?
7. a book featuring a character with a job or profession you aspired to when you were a child. I was not excited about this one until someone mentioned options as jedi or princess... maybe a wizard could fit here :)
9. a book that involves another world or planet or realm, because it reminds me the portal one :)

My bottom 4 (that are 3):
2. a book related to one of the elements on the periodic table of elements
6. a book you were assigned to read that you either didn’t read, didn’t finish. We already had something similar and it was very difficult to find something to fit in here.
11. a book about a person, place or topic that you have a negative opinion of

Brittany my thought was books like "Bourne", legal thrillers, "Pines" books that debunk fads like diets or less known government conspiracies.
There are just so many ways this one can be twisted.

Oooh if conspiracy wins I'll be reading the first Bourne - I've been meaning to read it for years

Would 11/22/63 work for conspiracy?

Anastasia wrote: "Brittany my thought was books like "Bourne", legal thrillers, "Pines" books that debunk fads like diets or less known government conspiracies.
There are just so many ways this one can be twisted."

The more I was thinking about the more I realized people probably didn’t realize how diverse you could make it and just thought I was a weirdo who was way too much into conspiracy theories

Chinook wrote: "Would 11/22/63 work for conspiracy?"

Absolutely

Brittany wrote: "I think when I put in the “conspiracy theory” as a topic a lot of people might be thinking about actual well known conspiracy theories, which you could read about, but there are a ton of “paranoid ..."

Glad I saw this before voting. I loved the idea when I first saw it, but got put off a bit when I thought it had to only be real conspiracy theories. I have lots of psychological thrillers on my TBR so I'll have to look and see if I think any of them are close enough to count.

Johanne wrote: "And I find this list - https://www.google.dk/url?sa=t&so......"

This may have just swayed me lol, and I was thinking it might be a bottom for me.

I love the conspiracy theory prompt. 11/22/63 would probably be perfect for it.. but I can think of so many others that would fit. The Silent Corner by Dean Koontz... Too Like the Lightning by Ada Palmer... (a personal favorite).

I am really not a fan of “give it a second try” prompts.

Especially from school.

I didn’t finish it for a reason, and that reason wasn’t that I didn’t enjoy reading. Most of those weren’t books I even chose to read to begin with.

The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements is going to be my read for the periodic table one, for sure, if it wins! I was inspired to suggest the prompt after reading a section of A Visit from the Goon Squad in which a character puts gold flakes in his coffee every day.

This conversation about the periodic table is so interesting! I didn’t consider the prompt as an option before, but now I realize how many books I have on my tbr that would work for it. Such a fun idea when you start researching!

I love the periodic table prompt! And a few others. The one I feel most negatively about is the assigned book. I’m having the hardest time with the Read Harder prompt this year. I read everything I was ever assigned and the only thing I vaguely remember disliking is Hamlet.And I don’t really want to read it again.

Great idea combining those linked book suggestions into one prompt Emily! I really hope that makes it in.

This may be my easiest voting yet. I had exactly 4 that I liked and disliked with everything else falling someplace in the middle.

My top 4 were:
5. A book in which faith or religion play a role in a main character’s life or decision making
7. A book featuring a character with a job or profession you aspired to when you were a child
8. A book about or related to a conspiracy theory
14. Two books - one inspired but the word high and one inspired by the word low

I only down voted 3.
1. A book about or inspired by an ancient civilization
6. A book you were assigned to read that you didn’t finish, didn’t read or didn’t like but you think deserves a second chance
11. A book about a,person, place or topic that you have a negative opinion of

Silvia wrote: "4. a Victorian or neo-Victorian related book... no idea what this is, but a ghotic book was a good experience, so why not a neovictorian ?"

Neo-Victorian just means a modern book set during the Victorian era as opposed to Victorian which means a book written during the Victorian era.

Some neo-Victorian and Victorian books are gothic, but not all gothic books are neo-Victorian or Victorian.

Voted!

Tops
- Author's Name is Larger than Title: I think I already expressed my love for this prompt in my earlier post :)
- Assigned to Read: I have so many books on my TBR from my real-life book club, celebrity book clubs, and subscription boxes that I need to catch up on!
- Another World: This is an interesting prompt, and I think would encompass portal fiction and time travel novels that are on my TBR.
- Two Books Related To Each Other: I really just needed a fourth prompt to round out my top picks... and this one seemed open-ended enough.

Bottoms
- Ancient Civilization: Too similar to the indigenous people prompt, which I already have an ancient civilization book in that slot.
- Costa Awards: There was only one book on the list that was remotely interesting to me.
- Victorian: Not my cup of tea.
- Negative Idea Of: This prompt just rubs me the wrong way.

The more I thought about, I think the negative opinion prompt has some solid opportunities. You could definitely read about many historical events (i.e. world wars, Holocaust, genocides, etc.) or about many different crimes (i.e. Manson murders). It really could even be illness or death, like cancer. I would say I have a "negative opinion" of all those things.

Avery wrote: "- Ancient Civilization: Too similar to the indigenous people prompt that has already been selected."

I was thinking more this could be books inspired by things like Greek myth, Egyptian gods, or the Library of Alexandria for people who aren't interested in the history side. Not all ancient civilisations were made up of indigenous people (eg. the Roman Empire).

Laura wrote: "The more I thought about, I think the negative opinion prompt has some solid opportunities. You could definitely read about many historical events (i.e. world wars, Holocaust, genocides, etc.) or a..."

Laura, I totally agree and I came very close to voting for it, but the more I thought about it, the more I felt it was a redundant topic. There are prompts that have won or will win that I have negative feelings about that I will be reading a book for already. I look at these topics as an opportunity to learn more about things I think I don't like. A lot of the time I am proven wrong. But I totally agree that the prompt is a really good one and could be examined and filled in a way that could be very beneficial to a reader. If you are a Democrat, read a book by a Republican or vice versa. Learning more about the things you oppose can only make you a better rounded person.

I have voted for my top. It was very difficult for me to decide because I had 6 on my top. I ended up voting for
1. a book about or inspired by an ancient civilisation
3. a book that was nominated for or won an award in a genre you enjoy
10. a book from the Costa Awards - winner or short list from any year14. two books - one inspired by the word high and one inspired by the word low (eg title, author, setting, # of pages, highbrow/lowbrow)

My bottom 4 were
5. a book in which faith or religion play a role in a main character's life or decision making
6. a book you were assigned to read (for school, Book Club, by a friend/family member) that you either didn’t read, didn’t finish, or didn’t like but which you think deserves a second chance
12. a book with a theme of gender or gender issues
4. a Victorian or neo-Victorian related book

My close calls were
2. a book related to one of the elements on the periodic table of elements
9. a book that involves another world or planet or realm

I have to say that the only prompt I will have a problem finding a book for is the assigned book one because in my school we weren't assigned books. We read a lot of poetry or short stories. I was never a part of a book club and I finished all the books other people told me to get to. If that prompts win I will just have to be creative and read a book from my country's canon that I never got to. The other in my bottom I will find something for, I am just not very enthusiastic for them. I dare say they will push me outside my comfort zone.

I wasn't going to vote for the periodic table one but I've been thinking how flexible it is. There are 118 elements and they can be connected in so many ways. Helium airships in steampunk, neon signs on covers, metallic titles, arsenic poisonings or the people the elements are named after (eg. Nobelium could be stretched to a Nobel winning book). Plus I know I'll be reading The Kingdom of Copper when it comes out next year.

My other tops were genre award, ancient civilisation and two connected books.

Ellie wrote: "Avery wrote: "- Ancient Civilization: Too similar to the indigenous people prompt that has already been selected."

I was thinking more this could be books inspired by things like Greek myth, Egypt..."

Same. For me, "ancient civilization" is historical fiction set in late BC times or first century AD. "Indigenous people" will be a modern fiction novel written by (and about) an indigenous person, like Tommy Orange (except not him since I already read There There). Of course I'm a mostly fiction reader, obviously ;-)

Mini-poll results are out, for those of you waiting to vote until after those were revealed!

So, I have five top favorites, and I can't figure out which one doesn't make it in my votes. This would be a good time to use the strategy that was mentioned in another thread about having eight votes, but spreading them out over tops & bottoms however we want. I do have a bottom four, but I could have left one of them and done five tops instead. Hmmm...

My top three are faith/religion, two books on same topic/genre/theme, and two books inspired by high & low. The two that I'm trying to decide between for spot #4 are periodic table & author's name larger than title. I just don't know which one to pick!

My bottoms were pretty easy to me, and the first three jumped out as soon as I saw them: ancient civilization, Victorian/neo-Victorian, book you were assigned to read, and other world/planet/realm.

Nicole wrote: "So, I have five top favorites, and I can't figure out which one doesn't make it in my votes. This would be a good time to use the strategy that was mentioned in another thread about having eight vo..."

I put the author/cover prompt as one of my bottoms. I feel that generally speaking those kind of covers are for "popular" lit that are being sold on the basis of the author's name and not the quality of the literature. It's more of a promotional gimmick: "You're going to buy this book because you love James Patterson, even not knowing what this book is about." I don't love reading those kind of books.

Steve wrote: "I put the author/cover prompt as one of my bottoms. I feel that generally speaking those kind of covers are for "popular" lit that are being sold on the basis of the author's name and not the quality of the literature."

I did assume the point of that prompt was to read a popular author but I disagree that it's only commercial fiction that it happens to. In the UK at least, once an author has had a few successful books their name starts to get bigger on the cover. There are plenty of Booker Prize shortlisters whose names suddenly enlarge on the paperback release.

I didn't vote for that one only because we already have quite a few cover prompts. I think there's plenty of covers that I could apply to that prompt if it does get through too.

I ended voting for:

- Two books related to the same topic, genre, or theme
- A book related to one of the elements on the periodic table of elements
- A book in which faith or religion play a role in a main character's life or decision making
- Two books - one inspired by the word high and one inspired by the word low

I really hope one of these multi-week prompts make it in. I'm not sure why I'm so tied to them getting in, but... I just want to see one succeed!

I did vote for high/low and for religion in a previous poll, so I picked the two new ones that I liked, then added those two to round out my four. I plan on reading for those anyway for my rejects challenge, so if they make it, that's less books on my rejects list haha!

I concur with Steve on the big print. I think the periodic table is a little more interesting and would allow you a wide variety of themes and genres to work with. Cobalt could be a book that color, Neon could be a book that has the title in a neon lettering style, Nickel could be a self help book on setting up a budget, and copper, tin, silver, gold have a ton of good connections that could be made to books! I think that ended up as one of my top four.

Thanks for all the input! I decided to go with the periodic table as my 4th choice. Can't wait to see the results next week! :)

I voted for:

Ancient civilization
Faith/religion
2 books related
2 books high/low

I too am weirdly invested in getting one of multi weeks voted in!

The discussion on the periodic elements is interesting. I almost downvoted it but after hearing some ideas, I wouldn't mind seeing that make it even if I didn't vote for it.

I really want one of the multi week prompts to make it as well, so I voted for both of them. I also voted for the periodic table & takes place in a different realm.

As an initial thought, I wasn't crazy about the periodic table idea, but now I really like it after the conversation. I wonder how it will pan out in the voting for those who don't read the discussions.