Around the Year in 52 Books discussion

It's now time to get ready to vote for our first set of prompts! The thread will be open for at least 24 hours before the poll gets posted. This is a good opportunity to ask any question you may have regarding the prompts, do some research or ask for recommendations.

Voting will open in the morning of Friday, September 18 and results will be posted in the morning of Tuesday, September 22 (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 favourite and least favourite 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 (between 2 and 5 depending on how the votes are spread)

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. We’ve introduced this for two reasons:

1. On a few occasions in each poll, people have used more than the allotted number of votes, either because they aren’t familiar with the rules or just by mistake. When this happens our only option is to disregard the vote as we can’t identify the voter to ask them to resubmit. By asking for your profile address we’ll be able to message you and ask you to vote again if you’ve accidentally used more than the allotted number of votes.

2. Unfortunately a very small number of people have voted more than once per poll and so we are asking for this information to prevent duplicate votes.

As a reminder: You have a total of 8 votes to use among your top and bottom votes. The mods have access to each individual vote, so we can see if you use more than 8 votes. If you use more than 8 votes in the poll, your vote will have to be deleted, so please make sure to follow the directions so your voice can be heard.

Possible Prompts:
1. A book that might cause someone to react “You read what?!?”
2. A play
3. A book that features siblings as the main characters
4. A book related to a word given by https://randomwordgenerator.com/
5. A book related to a Tony Award-winning musical
6. A non-fiction book on a topic inspired by a fiction book you've read
7. A book that you had to wait for
8. A book related to folklore
9. A domestic thriller
10. A book that won an award for a genre you don’t often read
11. A book you picked up because of an adaptation of it or a related work
12. A book you find inspiring or uplifting
13. A book primarily set in a workplace or office
14. A book involving getting ‘the band’ back together, either literal or figurative
15. A book that has beauty, brains, and brawn

Feel free to discuss the prompts below, but please remember to be respectful to the other group members.

VOTE HERE: https://www.surveymoz.com/s/5XA81M/

NOTES AND EXAMPLES FROM THE SUGGESTIONS THREAD

1. A book that might cause someone to react “You read what?!?”
It could encompass weird unconventional non-fiction topics and other micro-histories, but also fiction books where the plot is just so out-there for you personally. (https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/8...)

Maybe it’s a novel about a steamy romance that your mom would see and say “you read WHAT?!” Maybe it’s a banned book, that a teacher would be surprised you read and say “you read WHAT?!” Maybe it’s a fantasy book where an ogre and a talking donkey rescue a princess in a tower only to find out she’s an ogre too, and when you tell the plot to someone, they’d say “uhh.. you read that?”

Nothing to See Here was a great fiction suggestion from the wild discussion... "you're reading a book where children spontaneously combust into flames when they get agitated?"

I also heard people say a good example would be books you're not the intended audience for, as in why would a die-hard liberal want to read a book by a conservative?

4. A book related to a word given by https://randomwordgenerator.com/
For example, one ‘spin’ turned up: key, brainstorm, patience, vote, stick, ice, strict, lost, provoke, and action.

So, the reader can choose to read a book with a key, stick or ice on the cover for people who like cover or title prompts. Or one could choose to read a book about strict parents, set in a cult or maybe a strict dystopian world for 'strict'. For the word ‘vote’, one could read a book about election or politics; for ‘lost’ you could read a mystery with a missing person/disappearance element, etc. The possibilities are endless.

5. A book related to a Tony Award-winning musical
Since the Hamilton movie came out this year, and In the Heights is coming next year, how about a book related to a Tony Award-winning musical? It could be the book from the musical, such as Lin-Manuel Miranda's Hamilton book, or something more loosely related (e.g., theme, subject, author, title, etc.). Some examples:

Illness as Metaphor and AIDS and Its Metaphors - related to Rent
The Once and Future King - related to Spamalot
Any books about cats, barbers, girls named Annie, auditions, etc. Lots of ways to go with this.

6. A non-fiction book on a topic inspired by a fiction book you've read
I'm currently reading The Water Dancer and its making me want to read more about the Underground Railroad. Or maybe Jane Austen inspires you to read some relationship self-help. Or I read another book recently that had Nehru in it and I'm intrigued to learn more about him. It can be any sort of non-fiction, not just history books. Or anything else that you read that makes you think "I want to read more about this but not fiction."

7. A book that you had to wait for
It could be:
- a book that was delayed in 2020
- a book that is next in a series or by a favourite author that you have been waiting for
- a book you have had on hold at the library
- a book you saw a friend or family member reading and waited to borrow it
- a book that has been sat on your shelf for ages but haven't had time to read

11. A book you picked up because of an adaptation of it or a related work
Could be you saw the movie/TV show and want to read the source material. Could be you saw a play, heard a podcast, it was parodied on The Simpsons, a popular meme is based on it, or you read a derivative work or non-fiction book which references it.

12. A book you find inspiring or uplifting
https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2019...
https://roolee.com/blogs/news/10-upli...
https://bookriot.com/best-uplifting-b...
https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...

14. A book involving getting ‘the band’ back together, either literal or figurative
There’s so many books about groups falling apart only to have to reunite OR you can BIO with a book about an actual band getting back together

15. A book that has beauty, brains, and brawn
Beauty - Cover, setting, character
Brains - non-fiction, intelligent character, complicated writing style
Brawn - Strong character, hefty 600+ page tome, hardcover book
Examples:
- a beautiful cover about an extremely intelligent woman who plays volleyball for a living
- a beautiful man who is kidnapped by a strong, cunning evil villian,
- a hefty (brawnish) 600 page book about a rocket scientist and her purebred ("beautiful") dog

Quick question - for "a book that has beauty, brains, and brawn"....does it have to fit all three words? Or should the "and" be an "or"?

If the "you read what?" goes through I might go in the direction of a really long classic, like Moby Dick.

I'm not very enthusiastic about this group of prompts unlike Poll 13. I was hoping for a little longer discussion period. Maybe the voting thread will inspire me a bit more.

Since I read most of my books from an online library, anything new would qualify as a book "you have to wait on." The longest wait I have is for a John Grisham novel that the wait is greater than 6 months.

Well I guess I'm not the only one with title/cover fatigue since none of these prompts are that type!

I have the same issue with pretty much everything I read being something I have to wait on. I very rarely find books I want to read are immediately available.

I'm definitely voting for "you read what" and the random word generator. I also like the non-fiction related to a fiction and folklore. I read a lot of family dramas so one with siblings won't be hard to find.

My other votes are still TBD. Workplace or office should be fairly easy as workplace is so broad. I read a lot of domestic thrillers so there are a lot on my TBR that would fit.

I've really been evaluating the thrillers I've read and enjoyed lately, because there are so many that I DO NOT enjoy, so I was looking for the types I do enjoy.

It seems like I definitely enjoy courtroom dramas/thrillers like Miracle Creek and A Nearly Normal Family over psychological and domestic thrillers. I guess A Nearly Normal Family could technically be a domestic thriller since the family is at the center of it? but I don't really enjoy the whole "wife has a secret and the man is lying" trope, like in your stereotypical domestic thrillers (a la The Wife Between Us)

If "you read what!?!" goes through, 2021 will be the year I finally read Infinite Jest.

...and if it doesn't, I'm going to have to find another prompt where i can slot it. hmm

I like the musical idea (and it would be a good excuse to finally read Ron Chernow's Hamilton biography), but it's also a narrower version of the adaptation prompt. i could see that splitting voters who want more specific vs more broad interpretations.

I also like the non-fiction for exploring a topic I read about more thoroughly, as that's something i like to do anyway but don't always make time for.

I'm not sure about the "band back together" and may need some suggestions. I could think of bands getting together for the first time perhaps, but the "back" part complicates it. My mind went to "family reunion hijinks", ha.

For an inspiring book, I wasn’t thinking of UpLit like many of the examples in the lists. I was thinking non-fiction, either about a person you consider inspirational because of their accomplishments, spiritual, or a hobby or skill you want to develop/improve. I was inspired by reading Marie Kondo’s books, for example.

I would like to see some ideas about getting the band back together. It’s an unusual prompt so I’m drawn to it! My first thought was The Commitments, even though it may not exactly fit. It is a band book!

First reactions:

I love the idea of a book related to a Tony-Award winning musical. There are so many fun ways to work with that. Here is a link to musical that have won.

I also love play, folklore, award for a genre you don't read often, and uplifting or inspiring book.

I'd like some ideas for "getting the band back together." I can think of several TV show examples, but I'm at a loss for books.

The prompts I really like are the siblings as main characters, random word, adaptation and domestic thriller. They will all be upvotes for me.

As for downvotes I don't enjoy reading plays and don't have a single one on my TBR so that would have to be a downvote. Same for folklore. I have a few others I'm considering for downvotes so I'll need to have a look through my TBR so see which ones I could potentially work with and which ones are a no-no.

dalex wrote: "Quick question - for "a book that has beauty, brains, and brawn"....does it have to fit all three words? Or should the "and" be an "or"?"

The beauty, brains, and brawn examples that are listed incorporate all three, I believe the intent is "and"

Could someone please explain what a domestic thriller is and provide some examples? Thanks!

Kelly wrote: "The beauty, brains, and brawn examples that are listed incorporate all three, I believe the intent is "and""

Ugh. That's hard. And I thought the prompt was challenging when it was presented as "or"!

The "band back together" prompt immediately made me think of a common trope (that's one of my favorites).....

When they were kids, the Bad Thing happened. Now they're together again as adults and the Truth About The Bad Thing will finally be revealed.

A classic example is It by Stephen King. A more recent example is The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager (judging by the synopsis; I haven't read it yet).

I definitely like the musical related one (crud, Waitress didn't win anything in 2016 since it was the Hamilton year so I can't use Sara B's autobiography there), the office one (I nominated so I'd hope so...), and the random word generator.

I don't like to read inspirational stuff, so that'll be a downvote. I feel like this'll be the third or fourth time I've downvoted the Brains, Beauty, and Brawn one in some capacity.

There's a few others I'm on the fence on that I'll have to see how the discussion plays out. I like the "getting the band back together" concept, but can't really think of books I know that'll fill that.

I am so not into musicals that I didn't even know what the Tony awards were. I don't really want to research musicals to find a link to a book, I guess I could pick one that is also a film where I vaguely know the plot.

I like the challenge of finding beauty, brains and brawn all in one book. Also happy to see the you read what prompt get another chance and the random word one.

dalex wrote: "Kelly wrote: "The beauty, brains, and brawn examples that are listed incorporate all three, I believe the intent is "and""

Ugh. That's hard. And I thought the prompt was challenging when it was pr..."

I keep thinking of a stereotypical YA fiction trope with a pretty girl being wooed by the athletic/hero boy but secretly being in love with the nerd!

But I like the examples that were provided don't all have to do with characters in the book, so I'm sure more interesting options exist :)

Lol, I agree with the brains, brawns and beauty Steve! I feel like I downvoted it thousand times last year, and Hey here we go again for the n’th time this year.

A thick book with a pretty cover about an intelligent person would work!

As I was typing this, my brain went to The Alienist, which I really like the cover of.


Also think The Heart's Invisible Furies would work.


You could even argue that Gone with the Wind could work because it's thick (brawn), has beauty (Scarlett) and brains (Rhett).

For those interested, I've updated the list of prompts already selected here: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

They are broken down by type (loosely, don't come at me lol)

Kelly wrote: "Could someone please explain what a domestic thriller is and provide some examples? Thanks!"

According to Crime by the Book '....at its most basic, this subgenre of crime fiction is a style of psychological thriller that focuses on interpersonal relationships.'

There are some examples on that link and also some others here:
https://www.goodreads.com/genres/dome...
https://www.readitforward.com/essay/a...

Beth wrote: "According to Crime by the Book '....at its most basic, this subgenre of crime fiction is a style of psychological thriller that focuses on interpersonal relationships.'"

But not just any interpersonal relationships, right? Aren't domestic thrillers pretty much always about a crazy marriage?

A domestic thriller is a thriller that is NOT a detective mystery or espionage. It's the kind of thriller that is set up so you might think "this could happen to me." You're on vacation and you hear something from the next room. You think you see a murder committed but you're not sure. You start seeing someone from your past but can never catch up to them on the street. You accidentally find a hidden treasure and then bad guys are on your tail. You think someone has started following you on the subway. You witness an accident and you think it may have been intentional. It seems like someone has broken into your house but no one believes you. Your best friend is missing. Your husband is gaslighting you. Your boyfriend packed up and left and you don't know why or where he went. ...



Do domestic thrillers always feature a woman as the main protagonist?

dalex wrote: "Beth wrote: "According to Crime by the Book '....at its most basic, this subgenre of crime fiction is a style of psychological thriller that focuses on interpersonal relationships.'"

But not just ..."

Typically, yes! That is just a broad definition. Although most do revolve around a couple or marriage, there are other types of domestic relationships that could count such as parent-child or siblings.

Wow. You guys were busy in my overnight again. At first glance I’ll be voting for you read what, random word generator, non-fiction and probably won a prize or a genre you don’t normally read. I’m leaning towards downvoting Tony musical since the music connection makes it feel similar to some of my favourite things lyrics. Also I’m not really familiar with musicals. The and is making beauty, browns and brains feel really limiting.

I appreciated the comment about courtroom dramas for domestic thrillers. I hated Gone Girl and don't want to read more about toxic marriages, so I was going to automatically downvote, but I do like courtroom dramas, so that changed my mind. A lot of mysteries turn on family issues, resentments, and jealousies.

The thing about reading a play is that it is very fast. If you don't have any available, many classics can be obtained free online or on Kindle or other platforms - Oscar Wilde, for example.

Nadine, thanks for the many examples of domestic thriller! I sorta knew what it meant but couldn't have defined it :D I might upvote that one after all, also because I read a lot of thrillers and am sure to find something on the TBR.

Also, I'm a huge musical fan, so I'm excited about that prompt! Lots of options there!! Alos, I didn't realize that there was something of an overlap with my adaptation suggestion until after I suggested it, sorry about that! But then again, the perspectives are different and I am sure both prompts can coexist peacefully if they both get in^^

I also really like random word, you read what, getting the band back together, folklore, BBB, and the non-fiction one, so it looks like it's going to be all up votes for me this time!

dalex wrote: "Beth wrote: "According to Crime by the Book '....at its most basic, this subgenre of crime fiction is a style of psychological thriller that focuses on interpersonal relationships.'"

But not just ..."

I don't know, I think a lot of friendship-centric thrillers in this vein would count as domestic thrillers, too, or family-centric but not necessarily just marriage (lot of thrillers out there about mothers/kids, for instance). The domestic sphere is historically associated with women, so I think the genre leans into that, and it's personal/intimate rather than public/professional - partner, parents, other family relations, close friends, roommates, next door neighbors even. Marriages are just an easy and frequent choice for that because there's so much scope for lies and secrets and thriller-yness.

I personally would prefer to see plays performed as they were intended and not to read them with half the nuance missing that actors/music/set add. I was fortunate at school that our Shakespeare was Romeo and Juliet the year that the DiCaprio/Danes film came out, so I actually saw it in an entertaining light and could better understand the text. We probably all had better grades thanks to that film. I would wildcard it and read something related to a play if it got in, rather than just reading something quick and free.

Ellie wrote: "I was fortunate at school that our Shakespeare was Romeo and Juliet the year that the DiCaprio/Danes film came out, so I actually saw it in an entertaining light and could better understand the text.

I had the same experience for Mel Gibson's Hamlet, it came out the year we read that play in English. It was also quite fun having my whole English class go to the movies!

You are NOT alone in the title/cover prompt fatigue! I find these especially annoying considering many books have different covers for Kindle/audio/hardcover,etc. Plus why the obsession with book covers; I thought it’s what’s on the inside that counts? Haha. Happy reading!

Nancy wrote: "Well I guess I'm not the only one with title/cover fatigue since none of these prompts are that type!

I have the same issue with pretty much everything I read being something I have to wait on. I ..."

I, too, would rather SEE a play than read it. I have donated all the Shakespeare I got at half-price because they’re damn near impossible to read as a book without having knowledge about the context. Really hope this prompt isn’t picked. I’ll have to just read NO EXIT again and tick that box if so.

Ellie wrote: "I personally would prefer to see plays performed as they were intended and not to read them with half the nuance missing that actors/music/set add. I was fortunate at school that our Shakespeare wa..."

I like this interpretation more than a literal musical band getting back together. Still won’t upvote this prompt, but it’s not as unbearable as I thought initially!

RANDOM WORD generator prompt is gold. Will be easy to fit that awkward book you don’t want to wait to read but also want it to apply to this list.

dalex wrote: "The "band back together" prompt immediately made me think of a common trope (that's one of my favorites).....

When they were kids, the Bad Thing happened. Now they're together again as adults and ..."

For those that like to see plays rather than just read them, LA Theater Works publishes audiobook versions of select plays, often with recognizable actors. Not quite the same as seeing the play, but I quite enjoy them.

There are plays other than Shakespeare, by the way 😂 just throwing that out there. As someone with an MA in dramaturgy and a professional interest in both seeing and reading plays.

I agree with the comment above about there being quite a few more subjective prompts on this list. Personally, I struggle a bit with the vague "related to" wording in a lot of cases, unless the book I pick has a clear and obvious connection to the prompt. That's throwing me off a bit for the musical prompt, since I don't necessarily see certain books as related even when it probably should be (ie. a book about witches should logically connected to Wicked or The Wiz, but something like The Babysitters Coven doesn't "feel" like it connects to me).

At first glance, I had three or four that I very strongly liked. I love the siblings prompt, the domestic thriller, and the workplace setting, so those are all very likely upvotes for me. I also love the added challenge with this spin on the BBB prompt to find a book that incorporates all three elements.

Non-fiction and the play are very likely downvotes for me. I totally agree that I prefer to see a play than read it, and non-fiction doesn't interest me much. I'm also voting with the assumption in place that I'll have limited to no library access during the year since covid numbers are picking back up here right now. I don't own a lot of nonfiction. I guess I could find something as an audiobook from the library, but I'm already doing that (and not enthusiastic about it) for the non-fiction prompt we already have.

I'm also not really a fan of the "You read WHAT?!" prompt for the same reasons. I literally spent some time looking at the literally hundreds of books in my room, and couldn't think of a single thing that anyone would find surprising that I'd read. I read quite a bit of fantasy too, so even something with a weird premise probably wouldn't be that surprising. I'm at a complete loss for how to approach it.

Monica wrote: "You are NOT alone in the title/cover prompt fatigue! I find these especially annoying considering many books have different covers for Kindle/audio/hardcover,etc. Plus why the obsession with book c..."

Monica and Nancy, add me to the list of those with title fatigue. Unless a very intriguing title prompt turns up, title prompts are automatic downvotes now. We already have more than enough.

For all those who are hating on title prompts, of the 30 prompts so far, only 3 are title prompts. That’s 10% and really doesn’t seem like a lot, imo.

- A book whose title contains a negative
- A book whose title refers to person(s) without giving their name
- A book with a building in the title

I like a lot of them this week. I especially like, "you read what?!" even though I don't have a specific title in mind. I also like the musical and the workplace, and surprisingly, the nonfiction book related to a fiction book. I read a lot more fiction than nonfiction but I do read lots of historical novels, historical mysteries and historical romances set in 19th century England and France, so nonfiction about that era would interest me. it could also be a biography, travel book, or even a how-to. If you read a fiction or genre book that involved a hobby, art, cooking, etc., you could read about that.

dalex wrote: "For all those who are hating on title prompts, of the 30 prompts so far, only 3 are title prompts. That’s 10% and really doesn’t seem like a lot, imo.

My complaint was both title and cover, of which there are 6. The one with the letter u is listed under Title & Cover on the master list. While I don't mind some prompts that have a more scavenger hunt feel, that gets tiresome. I'm also not saying I won't vote for another title/cover prompt, it's just nice to have some other ideas this time.

"You read what?" Last year I read something where the main character's favorite book was . They even took a copy to her in the hospital. I happened to come across the book at my used book store last fall and picked it up. They thought I was funny.

Alicia wrote: ""You read what?" Last year I read something where the main character's favorite book was . They even took a copy to her in the hospital. I happened to come across the book ..."

Oh man, maybe I can use that prompt as an excuse to FINALLY read this!


(Disclaimer: I don't REALLY want to read that book. I just found it in a bookstore once with a friend and had sooo many questions and it became a running joke between us).

Steve wrote: "Oh man, maybe I can use that prompt as an excuse to FINALLY read this! Wallbanger (Cocktail, #1) by Alice Clayton"

OMG. "...clad in sexual frustration and a pink baby-doll nightie" - hahahaha

I don't really get the random word generator. I can see me just putting in heaps of words or just keeping on spinning until I get a word I like so I feel it's a freebie.

On the first pass, I feel like these three overlap: play, musical and adaptation. I could see all of those being one prompt any other time. Not sure where I'll go with those three yet, as I feel like I have strong feelings about a lot of the prompts, and not in a good way.

I love: you read WHAT?? and folklore. That's about it.

I very much dislike:
~ siblings as main characters and domestic thrillers: I generally dislike books with families - unless it's a book solely on the Weasleys!
~ random word generator: I already feel like I have 4 freebies on this list for next year and I know from playing with the tool that I would just keep rolling until I found a word I like - e.x. I just got salmon and wall =(
~ award prompt: I usually dislike books that are that hyped. I've learned I do not have the "sophisticated tastes" that these judging panels have. This year was especially true with Normal People and There There which I struggled to finish.
~ workplace or office: I love WFH and never ever want to go back to an office. I also don't think I read a single book about that this year, which makes me nervous.

I'm meh on getting the band back together and inspiring/uplifting because I can't think of anything, but may change my mind with examples.

I would have preferred an "or" for brains/brawn/beauty, and I would argue that Rhett is the brawn in Gone with the Wind while Scarlett is both the beauty and the brains. This is my first year with the prompt, but I'm curious to hear why those that have been around longer dislike it so strongly.

I was also thinking the word generator could be a bit of a freebie but I do like the idea and am still going to vote for it. If it makes the list I think I would limit it to maybe 5-10 words - enough so there will be something to work with but not so many it could cover almost any book.

Anyone have any suggestions for books set in an office? I can't think of many and google searching didn't really turn up anything appealing. The two I can think of are Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine and The Devil Wears Prada. I suppose the word "workplace" might open it up somewhat, like maybe a book set in a lab would work if the main character was a scientist? Or a school, but only if the main character was a teacher?

Whisper Network is set in an office! But I agree that workplace opens it up a lot more. I'm a teacher and work in a school, so a school would be a workplace for me.

Hannah wrote: "Anyone have any suggestions for books set in an office? I can't think of many and google searching didn't really turn up anything appealing. The two I can think of are

Yup, it could be a lab for a scientist; a school for a teacher; a bakery for a baker; a firehouse for a firefighter; a hospital for a doctor; any workplace!

Two others that come to mind are Then We Came to the End and The Circle.