Around the Year in 52 Books discussion

It's time for our next round of suggestions!

Just a reminder that you can find a full list of prompts already on the 2026 list in the third post on this thread.

A little reminder of how things are done around here:

How it works:
- The topics for the 2026 reading challenge list will be determined by a series of mini-polls, the number of which depends on the number of prompts winning in each mini-polls
- Suggestions for each poll will be opened until 15 suggestions are received and “seconded”.
- The voting thread will open the day after suggestions go live. You can find the schedule here.
- The poll will be posted after the voting thread is opened for 24 hours, and will remain open for three full days.
- Each user has 8 votes to spread between their favorite (top) and least favorite (bottom) prompts
- 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)

Rules:
- Each member can only suggest OR second one prompt
- Suggestions close after 15 total seconded prompts

When suggesting and seconding, feel free to provide examples and descriptions that may help other members understand the prompt better. These descriptions and examples will be copied over to the voting thread for further discussion.

As always, please express any and all feedback (respectfully, of course), either here or in The Wild Discussion.


Moving on to Voting:
1. A book with a horse as a character
2. A book where the main character has an occupation that didn't exist before 1900
3. A book where one of the characters is a ghost, a spirit, an angel, or an imaginary being
4. A book by a Korean or Korean-diaspora author
5. A book nominated for an award that values peace, cultural understanding, and related social issues
6. A book by the author who shows up most on your TBR but is so far unread by you
7. A book related to a national park
8. A book related to a lion, a witch, or a wardrobe
9. A book with an adult main character who is NOT in paid employment
10. A book which features royalty as main characters
11. A book where all or part of the action takes place in a library, a courthouse, or another public building
12. A book related to “soul”
13. A book from the 1001 Books to Read Before You Die list
14. A book that's title and author's first or last name start with the same letter
15. A book relating to television

To Be Seconded:
-

Suggestion:

Read a book where one of the characters is a ghost, a spirit, an angel, or an imaginary being

https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...
https://crimereads.com/ghosts-in-fict...
https://www.theguardian.com/books/201...
https://bookriot.com/books-about-angels/

Read a book with a horse as a character
*2026 is the year of the horse in Chinese Zodiac
Listopia: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/6...

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.

I'll second horse as character

I’ll second an occupation that didn’t exist before 1900.

I'll second ghost, spirit, angel, etc.

updated through 7

From NancyJ:

A book nominated for an award that values peace, cultural understanding, and related social issues

Links to be added to voting section if applicable

Rae wrote: "I'll second horse as character"

Thank you!

(In honor of Korea winning their first Nobel Prize in Literature) A book by a Korean or Korean-diaspora author.

We’ve had multiple prompts in this group about books set in Japan or by a Japanese author (as well as other specific countries like Ireland but I think only Japan for Asia?). In light of Korean author Han Kang winning the most recent Nobel Prize for Literature “for her intense poetic prose that confronts historical traumas and exposes the fragility of human life” (only Korea’s second-ever Nobel Prize win after a Peace Prize in 2000), I think it would be awesome to have a prompt that explores the numerous Korean and Korean-diaspora authors out there. And it would give us a break from only highlighting Japan as the representative East Asian country in literature, especially given its history of occupation of other Asian countries in the 20th century.

I’ve listed examples of books by Korean authors but these are just the books on my TBR or that I’ve read/seen so I’m sure there are a bunch more!

Listed in alphabetical order by last name
- The Wrath & the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh
- Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake
- The Queen of the Night by Alexander Chee
- Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-Joo
- Cursed Bunny by Bora Chung
- Magnolia Table: A Collection of Recipes for Gathering by Joanna Gaines
- The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han
- To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han
- The Vegetarian by Han Kang
- Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-Reum
- The Girl with Seven Names: Escape from North Korea by Hyeonseo Lee
- Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
- Ninefox Gambit by Yoon Ha Lee
- The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh
- A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
- Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
- The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin
- Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

A book where all or part of the action takes place in a library, a courthouse, or another public building.

Public buildings:
City Halls/Town Halls
Courthouses
Police Stations
Fire Stations
Post Offices
Government Agencies: Buildings housing various government departments (e.g., DMV, social security offices).
Embassies/Consulates
Prisons/Correctional Facilities
Military Bases

Schools and universities
Libraries
Museums
Art Galleries
Theaters/Auditoriums
Community Centers 

Public Works & Utilities
Water Treatment Plants
Sewage Treatment Plants
Power Plants
Roads, Bridges, and Tunnels
Public Parks and Recreation Centers
Hospitals and other public healthcare facilities

Irene wrote: "(In honor of Korea winning their first Nobel Prize in Literature) A book by a Korean or Korean-diaspora author.

We’ve had multiple prompts in this group about books set in Japan or by a Japanese a..."

I second this one

A book related to a lion, a witch, or a wardrobe.

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

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

https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/3...

A book related to “soul”. This could be a book related to “the soul”, “a soul”, with the word soul in the title, books good for the soul, about our souls, soul music, soul food, or even Soul Train!.


Soul in the Title:

The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration Into the Wonder of Consciousness



https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
Our Souls At Night by Kent Haruf – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
Soulless (Parasol Protecorate, #1) by GailCariger (Steampunk) - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6...
A Discovery of Witches (All Souls Trilogy) by Deborah Harkness - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8...
The Souls of Black Folk by W.E.B. Du Bois - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...
Inés of My Soul by Isabel Allende - https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=in...

Good for the soul:

https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
The Gift of Imperfection by Brene Brown - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7...
Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...


About our soul:

https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...

The Five People You Meet In Heaven by Mitch Albom - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...
Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...
The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...
The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...
Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...
The Gift of Imperfection by Brene Brown - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7...
The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom (Hardcover) by Miguel Ruiz - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6...
Anatomy of the Soul: Mind, God, and the Afterlife by Stephen Goldberg - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6...


Soul Music:

Higher Ground: Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Curtis Mayfield, and the Rise and Fall of American Soul by Craig Werner - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
Otis Redding: An Unfinished Life by Jonathan Gould - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
The Influential Legends of Soul Music: The Lives of Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin, and Stevie Wonder by Charles River Editors - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...
Soul Train - The Music, Dance, and Style of a Generation by Ahmir Questlove Thompson - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

Soul food:

https://www.delish.com/kitchen-tools/...

https://blacksouthernbelle.com/soul-f...

The Surprising Story of an American Cuisine, One Plate at a Time by Adrian Miller - https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/sho...
The Taste of Country Cooking by Edna Lewis - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...

The Cooking Gene: A Journey Through African American Culinary History in the Old South by Michael W. Twitty - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

I would like to suggest “the author who shows up most on your TBR but is so far unread by you”

Thanks Shannon!!

I’ll second the award prompt (peace, cultural….) Sorry to paraphrase I’m just on my cell and can’t hit reply.

Mary wrote: "I would like to suggest “the author who shows up most on your TBR but is so far unread by you”"

I'll second this one.

A book related to a national park.

This could be set in a park you love, a setting you enjoy like the mountains or even a reef (Great Barrier Reef) or about a park ranger or hiker.

With over 6000 national parks worldwide in a variety of ecosystems you could make it easy or as hard as you like.

Samantha wrote: "A book related to a national park.

This could be set in a park you love, a setting you enjoy like the mountains or even a reef (Great Barrier Reef) or about a park ranger or hiker.

With over 60..."

I'll second this one

I'll suggests:

A book with an adult main character who is NOT in paid employment.


Listopias/Shelves: some of these characters might be in paid employment, but this is a start

Unemployment in general: https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...

Non-Fiction Poverty: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...

Ill or hospitalized: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...

Mental Hospital Novels: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/6...

Wealthy: https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...

Retirees: https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...

Senior citizen: https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...

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

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

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

Women in Prison Memoirs: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...

Lost My Job Romance: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...


Other categories of possibly unpaid employment or lack of employment:

Stay-at-home parents

Adult caring for an elderly or ill family member

People not working due to: being fired, begin laid off, company closing, war, national financial depression (e.g., The Great Depression), pandemic, etc.

Dubhease wrote: "A book related to a lion, a witch, or a wardrobe. "

I'll second this.

Halfway there!

I second "A book with an adult main character who is NOT in paid employment"

I suggest a book which features royalty as main characters.

GailW wrote: "I second "A book with an adult main character who is NOT in paid employment""

Thanks GailW!

I'll second royalty!

A book that's title and author's name start with the same letter

I'll second "A book where all or part of the action takes place in a library, a courthouse, or another public building."

I will second the prompt about soul.

3 spots remaining

Emma, do you want to clarify which name (first, last, either)?

Hey Charlsa, all of the links in the soul post are truncated - likely from copying and pasting the entire post rather than the individual links. Please fix (or whoever you copied it from can post the original with the full links) if you'd like the links in the voting thread!

I would like to suggest a book relating to television

Someone brought this up in the Wild Discussion, so I'll suggest:

A book from the 1001 Books to Read Before You Die list:

https://1001bookreviews.com/the-1001-...

A listopia of the books:

https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/9...

Angie wrote: "Someone brought this up in the Wild Discussion, so I'll suggest:

A book from the 1001 Books to Read Before You Die list:

https://1001bookreviews.com/the-1001-...

A listopia of the books:
..."

I'll second this

I’ll second title and author start with same letter

And I'll second A book relating to television

Chrissie wrote: "Angie wrote: "Someone brought this up in the Wild Discussion, so I'll suggest:

A book from the 1001 Books to Read Before You Die list:

https://1001bookreviews.com/the-1001-...

A listopia ..."

Thanks!

CLOSED

Emily wrote: "Emma, do you want to clarify which name (first, last, either)?"

Can this still be updated to clarify? Or are we just leaving it up to the reader?

Hi Emily, I just got home and I’ll post the extras for the award prompt

Emily can you please add this?


A book nominated for an award that values peace, cultural understanding, and related social issues.

There are many awards that focus on peace and important social issues throughout the world. My favorite is the Dayton Peace Prize. You may choose one that is most relevant to you, or your region. Some examples are listed below. Please add any others you find this week during the voting period.

Examples:
*The Dayton Literary Peace Prize recognizes the power of the written word to promote peace by honoring adult fiction and non-fiction books that foster understanding of other cultures, peoples, religions, and political viewpoints.
Listopia:
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/2...
Awards page:
https://www.goodreads.com/award/show/...

*Aspen Words Literary Prize: This prize goes to an influential work of fiction that illuminates a vital contemporary issue and demonstrates the transformative power of literature on thought and culture.
https://www.goodreads.com/award/show/...

*Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards: Established in 1935, these awards honor books that have made important contributions to our understanding of racism and human diversity.
https://www.goodreads.com/award/show/...

*Pulitzer Prize
Pulitzer 2025 finalists
https://www.goodreads.com/award/show/...
Pulitzer full list of awards and nominees
https://www.goodreads.com/award/show/...

*The Nobel Prizes - books written by or about a Nobel Prize winner (many categories)

Others
* The Creators of Justice Literary Award
* The Moore Prize for Human Rights Writing
* The Malka Penn Award for Human Rights in Children's Literature
* The International Literacy Association's (ILA) Social Justice Literature Award
*PEN awards
*Stowe Prize for Literary Activism: drawing inspiration from Harriet Beecher Stowe's work
*PEN/Bellwether Prize for Socially Engaged Fiction
*Barbara Mandigo Kelly Peace Poetry Awards: Administered by the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation
*Robert F. Kennedy Book Award

Thank you Jackie and Brittany!

Will adjust wording on the author name prompt to:

A book that's title and author's first or last name start with the same letter

Emily wrote: "CLOSED"

It can either be up to interpretation or last name. Whatever makes more sense!