Around the Year in 52 Books discussion

Pamela wrote: "But for those of us who read new books, as well as using ATY to dig into the back of our TBR closets, it's a nice gimme. I read ARCs and sometimes it's hard to find a place for them!"

Out of the 24 prompts we have so far, only two (1001 books and backlist (unless an author is very prolific!)), can't be filled by something published in 2026. That's true for all the prompts suggested this round. I think that's plenty of scope for new books if that's what someone wants to read. I can't think of one prompt this year that couldn't be filled by a book published in 2025.

It makes no difference to me if it gets in, I'll wildcard it, but it does make me a bit sad when there are so many creative prompts that don't get in and we're repeating the simpler ones because people want a gimme.

I guess I’m lucky re: the 2026 Author Debut. One of my libraries lets you put a book on hold LONG before it has been published, so I am currently first in line for a debut book that comes out January 2026.

I fully appreciate how that is not common, so could be a problem for avid library users like me.

Nike wrote: "I've gone through the list a couple of times now and I still don't know how to vote. I do like 14 of the above suggestions and I feel a bit overwhelmed by the decision process. How will I be able t..."

I feel this way many weeks too.
*It helps to remember that they can all be submitted again later. (So if the wording isn’t quite right, I might leave it neutral so they can rework it.)
I think about:
* which ones fill a gap in the list, or are too similar to what we already have.
* What topics do I really want to read about
* What topics, genres or regions are NOT covered this year.
* the balance in the types of genres that could fit into the prompts. I like variety, and I think about how new members might view the list.
* the books I really want to read, and where they might fit.
* how much work could be involved, and would I find it fun or tedious.
* what associations might fill my mind all year when I read the prompt list?

The “fun” prompts might not be fun for everyone. They are always risky because they could repel as many people as they attract. Spice girls, sit-coms and fairytales might be a turnoff for some people, regardless of the prompt itself. (I liked the Grimm idea because I was curious about some of the stories, so I didn’t mind the extra work. I knew it would trigger ideas about books I might have forgotten I own.)

I think people are overestimating how tough library waitlists can be for debut authors of new releases. Unless the book is getting a huge marketing push or ends up as a celebrity book club pick, I feel like most debut works go under the radar. Plus, as others have mentioned, you have the whole year to receive the held item. Usually if a book is very popular, libraries will order many copies, which helps with wait times. Case in point, I placed a hold on Fourth Wing and was #90, but the library had like 30 copies of the book, so I was able to get it within 3 months.

Another option is placing holds on Libby. Pay attention to when your library puts out new additions on the app. I noticed my library uploads new ebooks and audiobooks every Thursday in the afternoon, so I always tune into the app at that time and am able to check out items before a waitlist forms!

That said, I’m pretty neutral on this prompt. If it makes the list, I’ll be able to find something for it. There are so many good suggestions this time around that I’m mostly prioritizing creativity and challenge over ease.

Tracy wrote: "I guess I’m lucky re: the 2026 Author Debut. One of my libraries lets you put a book on hold LONG before it has been published, so I am currently first in line for a debut book that comes out Janua..."

Mine opens holds about 6 weeks before

NancyJ wrote: "Nike wrote: "I've gone through the list a couple of times now and I still don't know how to vote. I do like 14 of the above suggestions and I feel a bit overwhelmed by the decision process. How wil..."

The problem is splitting voting. The ones that aren't so creative, everyone votes for, cause "why not, it's a good solid recommendation" (I'm convinced this explains the anniversary prompt list). And then the more creative ones, there's a bunch so people vote for a couple they like so their couple votes get split up. And then you get the people voting against them for random reasons like "I hate memoirs" (I'll throw my excuse under the boat). It's hard to get a consensus, even when here and on the voting thread it feels like it. So they're hard to get through. The secret is probably nominating dud prompts which will not attract for or against votes. But that is hard to do.


What's also interesting is how the voting shifts. The first day, people are very in agreement but then by the end, there's always total shifts. I've learned not to get excited about what is in the lead in the beginning, it won't hold.

I took a break from work to impulse vote before having breakfast. Id I think about it too much, I'll never vote, lol.

Tracy wrote: "I guess I’m lucky re: the 2026 Author Debut. One of my libraries lets you put a book on hold LONG before it has been published, so I am currently first in line for a debut book that comes out Janua..."

I do that also. As soon as I hear about a new book coming out, I will put it on hold. Once the library gets a copy, I'm already on the hold list. I downvoted this prompt, though, since we already have a 2026 book on the list. I'm also a little burnt out on debuts.

I didn't plan to do this, but I voted for orphaned child since I realized it would include The Book Thief, which is staring at me from my bookshelf. I also have David Copperfield and Oliver Twist.

I’m usually a late voter. My votes always change after I think about it and read the comments.

One vote last week would have been different if I reviewed our 2026 list first.

Andrea wrote: "I think people are overestimating how tough library waitlists can be for debut authors of new releases. Unless the book is getting a huge marketing push or ends up as a celebrity book club pick, I ..."

Good point, but it has a flip side. Because many debut books are under the radar, a lot of us won't know about them, unless we read NY Times Book Review or other sources, or spend a lot of time on GR. That does include many of us, but not everybody. It can take time for a debut book to get the buzz to be known. And libraries can't buy all the debut books in a given year.

Andrea wrote: "I think people are overestimating how tough library waitlists can be for debut authors of new releases. Unless the book is getting a huge marketing push or ends up as a celebrity book club pick, I ..."

To the ARC readers : Thank you for your service. 😎
If we didn’t have ARC readers, all we would know about debut books is what their marketing team tells us. I wait to see what shakes out, and drop hints for my birthday (in December).

5 up, 3 down for me. I upvoted Clue character, immortal character, desert environment, science topic, and wildlife/conservation. Not interested in five tastes, Agatha Christie (sorry!), Charlie's Angels (enjoyed the show but no idea what to do with this as a prompt), and 2026 debut author. I'm trusting "prompt that didn't make the list" will get in, if not this time, then down the line. Nonfiction is too broad for me and Oz not broad enough. Literary fiction I read all the time anyway. Neutral on the others.

KP wrote: "ATo the ARC readers : Thank you for your service. 😎
If we didn’t have ARC readers, all we would know about debut books is what their marketing team tells us. I wait to see what shakes out, and drop hints for my birthday (in December).

LOL- it is service! As great as it is to get the new books early (currently reading the new Ian McEwan) there are some stinkers and I feel like I need to finish them to review them! Esp when they send you one uninvited and it sounds kinda fun--- it never is!

Since most of these prompts, I could do, I only voted 1 up and three down. I voted for "A book that fits a prompt suggestion for this year that did not make the list" since I recommended this prompt. I voted down books involving favorite animals, wildlife or conservation, and orphans.

I used to vote the first day. Then one year, I downvoted a prompt about birds and bees because what on earth was I going to read. Then two days later someone reminded everyone that Sherlock Holmes was a beekeeper.

So now, I vote later and benefit from everyone else's posts and suggestions about prompts.

Hi all! Here i go with my thoughts.
Poll Prompts:
1. A book connected in some way to the "Queen of Crime", Agatha Christie-solid maybe. i think there's one book I want to read but otherwise nope.
2.A book featuring a character with a similar occupation to one of the Clue/Cluedo characters. My daughter really enjoyed clue when she was younger so probably upvote.
3. A book with an immortal character-hmm maybe. Nothing is calling my name.
4. A nonfiction book-maybe? I already read plenty of nonfiction so this is a "read any book"
5.A book set in a desert environment-another maybe. Can't think of anything that meets this
6. A book that has to do with a favorite animal-I can do this. I love dogs (and my daughter loves elephants)
7. A book that fits a prompt suggestion for this year that did not make the list-nah. I feel like i see this every year.
8. A book inspired by or related to the Charlie’s Angels franchise-another maybe. Not big into this show.
9. A book related to one of the five basic tastes-sounds broad enough i can do it.
10. A book that includes a science related topic-Sure-i can do this. lots of nonfiction.
11. A book by a 2026 debut author another one i am not too excited about. trying to do more stuff on my bookshelf.
12. A book with an orphaned or adopted character-I have some books on my bookshelf waiting.
13. A book about wildlife or nature conservation another maybe
14. A book tagged by Goodreads readers as Literary Fiction i can do this-i read some literary fiction.
15. A book with a character who has a trait related to one of Dorothy’s companions in the Wizard of Oz- i like this one.

Could I ask why one of the options for Miss Scarlett is a prostitute?
Is it because she wears red? Does that make us prostitutes?

Rosemary wrote: "Could I ask why one of the options for Miss Scarlett is a prostitute?
Is it because she wears red? Does that make us prostitutes?"

I think it was from the movie, but I never saw it.

She is not a prostitute in the game. I think someone said it was the film that gave her that designation.

My 2 favorite fun prompts are matching characters personalities to Oz characters or
sweet/bitter/sour/salty/savory personalities.

In my house we pronounce umami “Ooh Mommy!”
What book could make me say that?

All I know about clue is what I’ve read here.

For Charlie’s angels I could read a fantasy with angels, or a book with female detectives.

Joy D wrote: "She is not a prostitute in the game. I think someone said it was the film that gave her that designation."

Okay, I see. But it seems like the prompt is about the game, because it also has Cluedo in there. Still, the prostitute thing is not in the actual prompt, and if it gets in, by the time we get around to it next year I will surely have forgotten how much I hate that aspect of it.

I agree.

Pamela wrote: "KP wrote: "ATo the ARC readers : Thank you for your service. 😎
If we didn’t have ARC readers, all we would know about debut books is what their marketing team tells us. I wait to see what shakes ou..."

I couldn’t do it, but I’m glad you like it.

Patricia wrote: "My 2 favorite fun prompts are matching characters personalities to Oz characters or
sweet/bitter/sour/salty/savory personalities.

In my house we pronounce umami “Ooh Mommy!”
What book could make..."

Oh, the prompt is five TASTES!?!?

I read it as the five SENSES. Duh. I read a book about the five senses last year, and maybe we had a suggestion with senses then. But Duh.

I wouldn’t have been interested in the five tastes if I was thinking about food, but I like it as personality types. I can also think of books that I would describe as sweet, bitter (full of cynicism) , sour (one that gave me a sour face), and really yummy, which i guess is savory or umami.

Patricia wrote: "I couldn’t do it, but I’m glad you like it"

It stressed me out, I feel I need to finish quickly (and I'm a slow reader) but it's worth it for getting books free and early

I've looked back through people's comments here and through quite a bit of the Wild Discussion, but I have not found anything that clarifies for me what a Charlie's Angels booklist might include.

I had to do a deep dive into the characters because I couldn't remember anything about the show other than being mesmerized by the glamour as a kid.

Jill was great with guns and self defense. She was the athletic California girl. She was written out by saying she became a race car driver.

Sabrina was divorced. They wrote her out by saying that she wanted to get married and have kids.

Kelly was an orphan, raised in part by nuns and foster families. She stayed for the whole show.

Kris was Jill's sister. She could do the guns and combat like her sister, but also knew how to set traps and use forensic chemistry.

Tiffany had been a sorority girl. She could play violin. She previously worked for a ghost hunter and could conduct a séance.

Julie was an ex-con (shoplifting) whose mother died of alcoholism. Despite her stereotypical rough upbringing, she was working as a model before joining the team.

I still don't know what I'd read, but learning more about the characters gives me ideas.

For 1. A book connected in some way to the "Queen of Crime", Agatha Christie, there was a book released last year titled Marple: Twelve New Mysteries.

It's a collection of a 12 original short stories, all featuring Jane Marple, and written by 12 very successful authors. Each author reimagines Agatha Christie’s Marple through their own unique perspective while staying true to the hallmarks of a traditional mystery. List of authors below:

Naomi Alderman
Leigh Bardugo
Alyssa Cole
Lucy Foley
Elly Griffiths
Natalie Haynes
Jean Kwok
Val McDermid
Karen M. McManus
Dreda Say Mitchell
Kate Mosse
Ruth Ware

Marple: Twelve New Mysteries

I plan on reading this for the prompt.

Charlsa wrote: "For 1. A book connected in some way to the "Queen of Crime", Agatha Christie, there was a book released last year titled Marple: Twelve New Mysteries."

That one's on my TBR list, too.

Any ideas on how to interpret the favorite animal prompt if we either don't have a favorite animal or have a really obscure one, like an okapi? Would it just turn into read a book that has to do with an animal?

I'm still on the fence for so many of these prompts. I think this is the first time I haven't had any obvious/immediate downvotes (except for maybe Charlie's Angels, which I'm too young to have seen or have any associations with).

Irene wrote: "Any ideas on how to interpret the favorite animal prompt if we either don't have a favorite animal or have a really obscure one, like an okapi? "

For a really obscure animal, maybe one option is all the letters of the word in the title?

Irene - I think it can be interpreted as a character’s favorite animal. It doesn’t say “your favorite”. For a really unusual animal, there is always children’s non-fiction.

You could also use your second-favorite animal. Or your friend's favorite.

Charlsa wrote: "For 1. A book connected in some way to the "Queen of Crime", Agatha Christie, there was a book released last year titled Marple: Twelve New Mysteries.

It's a collection of a 12 original short sto..."

Last night I found The Mystery of Mrs. Christie

Irene wrote: "Any ideas on how to interpret the favorite animal prompt if we either don't have a favorite animal or have a really obscure one, like an okapi? Would it just turn into read a book that has to do wi..."

Well, there actually is an interesting-looking book about okapis: The Okapi: Mysterious Animal of Congo-Zaire, as well as some children's books that feature okapis. If you do a search, you can find books about almost any animal (though that doesn't mean some won't be in other languages or impossible to get a copy of). Or choose from your top ten animals, or pick your favorite domestic animal -- there are books aplenty about all of those. I volunteer at the zoo and my favorites include dwarf mongoose, takin, and binturong, so I hear you. I also love dogs though.

Dixie wrote: "Irene wrote: "Any ideas on how to interpret the favorite animal prompt if we either don't have a favorite animal or have a really obscure one, like an okapi? Would it just turn into read a book tha..."

I like binturongs.

Deborah wrote: "Dixie wrote: "Irene wrote: "Any ideas on how to interpret the favorite animal prompt if we either don't have a favorite animal or have a really obscure one, like an okapi? Would it just turn into r..."

Awesome! We don't have any at my zoo, but I'm planning a trip to the Nashville Zoo to see theirs.

Dixie wrote: "Deborah wrote: "Dixie wrote: "Irene wrote: "Any ideas on how to interpret the favorite animal prompt if we either don't have a favorite animal or have a really obscure one, like an okapi? Would it ..."

I haven't been to your zoo yet. The first I ever saw was at a safari park. We lucked out seeing them feed at the national zoo in DC, but Zoo Atlanta has an entire family.

Irene wrote: "Any ideas on how to interpret the favorite animal prompt if we either don't have a favorite animal or have a really obscure one, like an okapi? Would it just turn into read a book that has to do wi..."

The prompt says “A favorite animal”, not “your your favorite animal” so you have a lot of choices. My most memorable animal books were about elephants. If you don’t necessarily want to read “about” animals, you might try Starter Villain by John Scalzi. It’s a very entertaining book, and it includes cats and dolphins with distinctive personalities.

When I asked about people’s favorite animals in the world, Google’s AI answered
“People's favorite animals vary, but dogs, cats, dolphins, and elephants consistently rank high in popularity. Tigers are also highly sought after globally, topping search results in many countries. Other animals like lions, penguins, horses, and various birds are also frequently mentioned as favorites. “

You’ll get lots of different answers depending on how you form the question. I saw a survey that included chickens in the top ten.(Perhaps because many people in the world own them? Idk). I’m sure there are more books with cats or dogs than anything else.

NancyJ wrote: "You’ll get lots of different answers depending on how you form the question. I saw a survey that included chickens in the top ten.(Perhaps because many people in the world own them? Idk). I’m sure there are more books with cats or dogs than anything else.."

I read that and just heard totally heard my assistant yelling from her desk, if I had read it aloud, "omg! Chickens are the best!!: She went to Hawaii on vacation and 90% of her photos were chickens.

I totally agree with you Mary!
"7. A book that fits a prompt suggestion for this year that did not make the list-nah. I feel like i see this every year."

Deborah wrote: "Charlsa wrote: "For 1. A book connected in some way to the "Queen of Crime", Agatha Christie, there was a book released last year titled Marple: Twelve New Mysteries.

It's a collection of a 12 or..."

I also recommend

Pamela wrote: "NancyJ wrote: "You’ll get lots of different answers depending on how you form the question. I saw a survey that included chickens in the top ten.(Perhaps because many people in the world own them? ..."

That’s hysterical! Come to think of it, I’ve read a few books with really funny sections about chickens. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life had a great story about chicken reproduction techniques. I didn’t expect it to be such a fun read. (She’s a little evangelical tho about organic and natural “real” food.)

Is science too dry?

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

Based on this old ATY Science listopia, I’d say the answer is no. It shows the diverse interests in this group. I think that’s why I like our challenge much more than Pop Sugar and the others like it. Please take a look and feel free to add any books you liked that have a science topic. Especially if you have books in which the science topic is not obvious from the title.

2023 Science Listopia :
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...

New Science Books. I forgot to add this list with the suggestion:
https://www.goodreads.com/genres/science

Thanks I found some new books I want to read. I’m voting for No More Tears: The Dark Secrets of Johnson & Johnson

NancyJ wrote: "Pamela wrote: "NancyJ wrote: "You’ll get lots of different answers depending on how you form the question. I saw a survey that included chickens in the top ten.(Perhaps because many people in the w..."

I love these two funny books about chickens:
The Egg and I, by Betty MacDonald
The Hoboken Chicken Emergency, by Daniel Pinkwater

Rosemary wrote: "Could I ask why one of the options for Miss Scarlett is a prostitute?
Is it because she wears red? Does that make us prostitutes?"

I found this characterization at the link below. I couldn't find where she was ever considered a prostitute for the game, but in the movie she was portrayed as a madam.

Characterization:

Miss Scarlett is a young and beautiful woman, commonly depicted as a socialite or an actress, and is often the youngest of the original six suspects. She often wears red-colored attire, showing her slim and curvaceous figure. Scarlett is often depicted as the stereotypical femme fatale, shown to being cunning and seductive, using her considerable beauty and feminine charm to get her hands on the prizes she covets, usually the monetary kind.

https://cluepedia.fandom.com/wiki/Mis...

Judy wrote: "Thanks I found some new books I want to read. I’m voting for No More Tears: The Dark Secrets of Johnson & Johnson"

I've recently added this book to my TBR as I understand from a trusted source that it is excellent.

Yesica wrote: "Deborah wrote: "Charlsa wrote: "For 1. A book connected in some way to the "Queen of Crime", Agatha Christie, there was a book released last year titled Marple: Twelve New Mysteries.

It's a colle..."

I've not read that one but have read it's great. I did read The Mystery of Mrs. Christie by Marie Benedict and enjoyed it. Same topic.