Around the Year in 52 Books discussion

Another week of results, and we had some strong opinions!

Top:
A second book that fits your favorite prompt
A book related to “Going for the Gold”
A cozy mystery

Bottom:
A book another ATY group member gave 5 stars
A fiction book with a reference work in the title
A novel disguised as a guide or manual

Listopias:
A book related to “Going for the Gold”
A cozy mystery

The next round of suggestions will open around 8 am on Sunday, September 17.

For those of you concerned about me posting this a bit "early", we have only had 3 people cast votes in the last 12 hours. If the results would have been closer, I may have waited a bit longer before closing the poll, but this one was very clear.

Ooh cozy mystery was the dark horse!

Happy going for good finally made it and cozy mystery. I don’t really like the choose your own prompt prompts, but I’ve accepted them as showing up every year.

Good results! I'm so glad Going for the Gold finally made it. And I seconded the "second book" prompt so I'm happy with that one, too. Not a big fan of cozy mysteries but I'll find something for it. Nice round.

Yea I don't read a lot of cozy mysteries but I'm thinking I'll save The Mystery Guest for that one.

I’ve found a nice of regency mysteries with women amateur sleuths. They are definitely cozy mysteries with a bit of regency love, of course.

Thank you all voters. So happy this week

Wow, my top three made it! It feels really weird (in a good way) to be in sync with the group.

Emily wrote: "Yea I don't read a lot of cozy mysteries but I'm thinking I'll save The Mystery Guest for that one."

That does look fun! I might pick it up too.

I voted for one, was neutral on the other, and still don't know what makes a mystery cozy from all the ones on my TBR list. I may just read a mystery.

Dubhease wrote: "I voted for one, was neutral on the other, and still don't know what makes a mystery cozy from all the ones on my TBR list. I may just read a mystery."

Dubhease- in its simplest form it means non traumatic. A mystery with NONE of the following can constitute cosy
Traumatic or over graphic description of the death
Motives involving deep physiological issues
Sympathetic killers

Happy with these Two I voted for and the third was a neutral.

Thomas wrote: "Dubhease wrote: "I voted for one, was neutral on the other, and still don't know what makes a mystery cozy from all the ones on my TBR list. I may just read a mystery."

Dubhease- in its simplest f..."

I'd also add no explicit sex scenes, probably no sex at all but if so it happens off the page

I'm not thrilled with cozy mystery but I'm sure I'll find something. I'm going to use the Golden Crown Award or Golden Tentacle Award to vote for "gold." I'm happy about the second book to fit favorite prompt.

I hope warm or heated atmosphere and bilingual character are resubmitted.

Alicia wrote: "Thomas wrote: "Dubhease wrote: "I voted for one, was neutral on the other, and still don't know what makes a mystery cozy from all the ones on my TBR list. I may just read a mystery."

Dubhease- in..."

Alicia- agreed, thanks I knew there was something I’d forgotten

so happy cozy mystery got in!!

Dubhease wrote: "I voted for one, was neutral on the other, and still don't know what makes a mystery cozy from all the ones on my TBR list. I may just read a mystery."

I glanced thorough your WTR shelf and most of your mystery books look more like suspense/psychological thrillers.

Elizabeth wrote: "so happy cozy mystery got in!!"

I hope you and other cozy mystery fans will add lots to the Listopia for those of us who don't usually read them!

I voted for the top 2 so I’m happy with them. Not crazy about cozy mysteries but I’ll probably read a Granchester or Father Brown mystery. My parents used to watch the TV series and tell me about them. I do like the Flavia de Luce series and still have several left in the series so that’s another possibility.

Oh, I forgot about Flavia! I think I got about 4 books in and fizzled out, but could go back for this.

Glad "Going for the Gold" finally made it! Not too thrilled with the other two. I rarely read cozy mysteries but I'm sure I can find something. The "second book to fit a favourite prompt" is a bit irrelevant for me personally snice I tend to have enough challenges on the go that I have little trouble fitting in books I want to read.

I'm a bit sad my Addams Family prompt didn't make it, but I'm at least happy there was some enthusiasm about it and it wasn't in the bottom. At least it will make it onto my own rejects challenge.

Happy with these.

I don't generally have a *favorite* prompt but it makes for a good spot to fit a book that doesn't fit anywhere else when I only have a handful of prompts left. I much prefer that to using a second or third wildcard.

"Going for the Gold" - maybe I'll finally finish Iron Gold that I started back in 2018.....eh, probably not 😝

I read one or two cozy mysteries every year. They are great fluff to get me out of a reading slump or a palette cleanser after a 700 page behemoth read.

I'd love to see Warm Atmosphere, Adams Family and Group Living Situation pop up again in another poll.

Rachel wrote: "Glad "Going for the Gold" finally made it! Not too thrilled with the other two. I rarely read cozy mysteries but I'm sure I can find something. The "second book to fit a favourite prompt" is a bit ..."

Three bottoms was a high number ( as it happened I downvoted three and two were bottomed)

I miss the Addams Family!

Chrissy wrote: "Oh, I forgot about Flavia! I think I got about 4 books in and fizzled out, but could go back for this."

I love Flavia - she's my favourite heroine 🙂

Happy with these. Voted for two of them and gold was a neutral.

Dixie wrote: "Elizabeth wrote: "so happy cozy mystery got in!!"

I hope you and other cozy mystery fans will add lots to the Listopia for those of us who don't usually read them!"

You could choose any book with Miss Marple or Flavia de Luce.

I agree with some wistful wishes above about The Addams Family and Bilingual Character.

So happy Going for the Gold finally made it. And pleasantly surprised about cozy mystery.

Re: defining a cozy mystery - you could just be lucky and find it in the title like this one:

Hoard It All Before: A humorous cozy mystery with a dragon detective

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6...

For anyone looking for something maybe a little bit different for cozy mystery, I’ll point you to The Mimicking of Known Successes. It’s described as “a cozy Holmesian murder mystery and sapphic romance set on Jupiter.”

I can’t say I hate cozy mysteries based on experience because I’ve never read one. They sound painfully twee and saccharine, which is off putting to me. But make it sapphic and set it in space? I’ll try that. Haha.

I think this is the most surprised I’ve ever been by a result - cozy mystery. From the comments above, I’m not alone. Though I shouldn’t be so surprised because many of the books we read for the female detective prompt were on the cozy side.

https://www.goodreads.com/genres/cozy...
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/7...

Despite what you might find on google, there are no cut and fast rules for what makes a cozy mystery. For most people, the most important criteria is how it makes you feel. Some books that are widely considered cozy mysteries have paid detectives, mostly female.

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency
A Is for Alibi
Murphy's Law
Cocaine Blues
Still Life (the first few books in the series)
The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax - many consider it cozy, but she works for the CIA

If you find many cozy mysteries too silly, try the Three Pines/ Inspector Gamache series by Louise Penny. I highly recommend Still Life and A Fatal Grace for this prompt - BUT the series gets darker over time. I’ll read her next book when it comes out (in early 2024 I hope) but not for this prompt. Gamache is very compassionate and Penny brings interesting new topic into her books.

I’m amused by how many people are interpreting “a book related to Going for the Gold” as “a book with gold in the title or author name” on the listopia. It’s such a great prompt to be with creative with.

There’s mining, alchemy, el dorado, Spanish Main, Fort Knox.

Golden laurels, doubloons, Midas,

And those off the top of my head

I’m going to use it to read a book about a professional athlete and/or Olympics but that’s not very creative either.

Mandy wrote: "There’s mining, alchemy, el dorado, Spanish Main, Fort Knox.

Golden laurels, doubloons, Midas,

And those off the top of my head"
Mandy- I’m using to readUnmasked: Crime Scenes, Cold Cases and My Hunt for the Golden State Killer

dalex wrote: "I’m amused by how many people are interpreting “a book related to Going for the Gold” as “a book with gold in the title or author name” on the listopia. It’s such a great prompt to be with creative..."

It’s only been a couple hours! I think people should start with the most obvious choices to create a solid list. It confuses (or annoys) people when they can’t see how the books relate to the prompt. If there are too many, they might think twice about voting for another open ended prompt.

Though I admit, that if I saw the starter list when we were voting, I might not have been too enthusiastic, there are only 2-3 books I really liked so far. It will get better.

I look forward to seeing the books you add. Is there a gold related book award?

Nike wrote: "I miss the Addams Family!"

I agree! I hope that one comes up again.

Dixie wrote: "Nike wrote: "I miss the Addams Family!"

I agree! I hope that one comes up again."

Let’s scour the lists for some of the more wicked and wild ones and bring them back

Emily wrote: "Yea I don't read a lot of cozy mysteries but I'm thinking I'll save The Mystery Guest for that one."

I've got an ARC of that one so will need to read it this year!

I only upvoted one of these but happy enough with the winners. I actually downvoted going for gold last poll but left it neutral this time so I'm sure I'll be able to make it work.

Dixie wrote: "Nike wrote: "I miss the Addams Family!"

I agree! I hope that one comes up again."

I noticed spooky series on some of the cozy mysteries lists. These are fun books: Dead Until Dark and Grave Sight by Charlaine Harris

Excellent results. When the gold prompt was suggested, I knew that I wanted to read Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allende. It’s set during the California gold rush.

I am happy with the results. I was neutral on Going for the Gold but I think I will read a book nominated for Booker International or any other price as they are aiming for the Gold, right? Well, this makes total sense in my head. Anyone else agree?

Harina & Pearl- I like both of your ideas! My suggestions aren’t as clever- books with gold items (dragon, for example) or design on the cover. I’ll add them to the listopia tomorrow. I’m curious to see what others have added.

Harini wrote: "I am happy with the results. I was neutral on Going for the Gold but I think I will read a book nominated for Booker International or any other price as they are aiming for the Gold, right? Well, t..."

Going for the gold makes me think of Olympic gold medals and the Oscar awards, but not book awards. I think the Nobel Prize comes with a gold medal, and the Newberry Award has a gold seal.

It is a big achievement and it will increase book royalties, so maybe it can work.

All 3 tops were upvotes for me, very happy with the results :)

Very happy with two of these. Cosy mysteries are not my thing, but there are a lot of them about, so I'm sure I'll cope.

There is also the Gold Dagger award given by the Crime Writers Assiciation in the UK. The awards started in 1960 so there are plenty of winners and nominees.

I see related to Going for Gold as it being a challenge or quest not just related to gold. So trying to win an award or event, searching for gold (Gold Rush, golden fleece, buried treasure etc.), seeking your fortune etc.

°~Amy~° wrote: "I'd love to see Warm Atmosphere, Adams Family and Group Living Situation pop up again in another poll."

I agree.