Around the Year in 52 Books discussion

Hello everyone! It is time to start the process of creating our reading challenge list for 2023! (Can you even believe it?!)

Our Wild Discussion is the place where you can talk about possible prompts you might want to suggest, give recommendations for various topics, ask the mods questions, pose questions to the group, and generally get excited about the voting process.

As always, please be respectful of the group members here... we may not all share the same opinion, but we do require a respectful discourse.

You can see our Introduction Thread for more information on how the process will work and for a schedule of voting.

From the Mods: You should NOT post in the Introduction Thread, but follow the thread for important updates and announcements about the reading challenge, including an announcement when each poll goes live.

It feels like we only just finished making the last list!

It does, Kat! But I'm excited to see where this list takes us!

Let the Wild Discussion begin! It always makes me think of the Wild Rumpus in Where the Wild Things Are. It is great fun to see the creativity of our members.

Time to run amok!

I was a lurker last time (and very happy with the final list of prompts), but I'm keen to get involved in discussion this time!

Is it that time already?? It just feels like yesterday that we finished the list. This is also a reminder to me that I am falling behind in my ATY challenge this year. Lots of catching up to do.

Wow, so fast! This was so much fun last summer. I really need to catch up too. I need to update my 2022 plan, and work on the rejected prompts list. It will be interesting to look at last year's ideas with a fresh perspective.

"Let the wild rumpus start! "

I thought I'd start looking up some facts about 2023... the UN has declared it the International Year of Millet. Hrm, thanks UN for that unhelpful subject!

I know lots of you wanted a Disney prompt last year, 2023 will be their 100th anniversary. And of course, it will be Year of the Rabbit, could it be the year the rabbit prompt finally gets in?

I feel the opposite, it seems we planned the last list a really long time ago. It is going to be a crazy summer for me so I’m not going to be too active. It will be nice to see what the group comes up with this year.

OMG maybe it will finally by the year the bunny prompt makes it!

I will for sure vote for the rabbit prompt again.

For the prompt ideas that didn't make the cut despite several tries, I think we need to workshop them to come up with something that feels fresh. The same exact prompt might result in a knee jerk reaction by people who rejected it before.

This might require different wording, a different perspective, a broader or more narrow scope, or combine it with a similar concept to provide more choice.

For the Disney prompt, I think many objected to the song titles part of the prompt. Maybe a different prompt could satisfy people who love retellings, as well as those inspired by the songs.

Last year a couple of us played around with ideas about climate fiction, ecology, and the environment, but I'm not sure if any of them were actually submitted to a vote due to lack of support in the discussion. Then someone came up with "Earth Day," which hit exactly the right note, and got a lot of support in the wild discussion.

I would support the rabbit prompt too. Since then I've seen many interesting books that were somehow related. Bees was another popular one. I think I voted for them only a couple times last summer, based partly on the fact that we already had Flora and Fauna. We won't have that two-book prompt again this year.

Maybe we could combine them?

"Birds, Bees and Rabbits" or "A book related to Birds, Bees or Bunnies."

I like "birds, bees or bunnies"!

Looking forward to our ‘23 reads. Is anyone thinking of good song lyrics for next year? 🤔 And yes to birds, bees or bunnies!

A Ray of Sunshine? (cover art or author initials?)
Shake a Tail Feather :-D

I think the poor rabbit idea is getting an inferiority complex! Hopefully this is the year! I would vote for birds, bees, and bunnies.

I was reading a book with a lot of little people on the cover, and each one had a shadow. So I was thinking maybe a shadow on the cover. If that is too specific, could do related to shadow, or cover has shadow, reflection, or silhouette.
What do you all think?

I like birds, bees and bunnies but I also have something else to suggest:
As w is the 23rd letter: a book with who, what, where, when or why in the title?

Random ideas:

- 23 is related to the birthday paradox (in a group of 23 (or more) randomly chosen people, the probability is more than 50% that some pair of them will have the same birthday) We could do a prompt with birthdays - a birthday party or something

- we have 23 chromosomes - something with a scientist, biologist, ?

- it's the 100th year anniversary of the Hollywood sign - biographies of anyone in Hollywood?, books set in LA?

- I second or third doing something for Disney's 100th year anniversary too.

I would also vote for Birds, bees, or bunnies. Definitely more scope than if they were separated.

Thomas wrote: "I like birds, bees and bunnies but I also have something else to suggest:
As w is the 23rd letter: a book with who, what, where, when or why in the title?"

I like your who, what, where, when, why idea.

Oh and as it often comes up the bingo call for 23 is thee and me, not sure how that would work for a prompt

Thomas wrote: "I like birds, bees and bunnies but I also have something else to suggest:
As w is the 23rd letter: a book with who, what, where, when or why in the title?"

That was the prompt I was going to suggest! I have been thinking about this one for the last couple of months.

Dubhease wrote: "Random ideas:

- 23 is related to the birthday paradox (in a group of 23 (or more) randomly chosen people, the probability is more than 50% that some pair of them will have the same birthday) We co..."

I love your ideas, especially the Hollywood prompt.

In 2016 (our first year!) we had a prompt that was written:

A book with one of the five W’s -or H in the title (Who/What/Where/When/Why/How)

We could take out the How and just say "A book with one of the five W's in the title" to make it a bit shorter and more relevant to the letter W.

Ellie wrote: "I thought I'd start looking up some facts about 2023... the UN has declared it the International Year of Millet. Hrm, thanks UN for that unhelpful subject!..."

We're clever and creative. Surely we can come up with something?

If millet is too specific, how about expanding to include other grains, or grains in general? Bread? Baking bread? "breaking bread together"?

Dubhease wrote: "Random ideas:

- 23 is related to the birthday paradox (in a group of 23 (or more) randomly chosen people, the probability is more than 50% that some pair of them will have the same birthday) We co..."

I've been thinking about the chromosome connection and want to suggest books about genetics, geneology, traits, heredity, or heritage.

Books ideas realted to "23"

Chromosomes (mentioned above by Dubhease): books about genetics, geneology, traits, heredity, heritage

Year of the Rabbit (mentioned by many) - rabbit title, character, or cover with rabbit

23rd State of the Union: Maine - books set there

Titles with "Two" or "Three" in them

Books featuring twins or triplets

23 is my favorite number so I'm excited for 23-related prompts!

Some other things that come to mind: 23andMe, the popular DNA/genetic testing...so maybe something related to ancestors.

23 is the number of Michael Jordan, so maybe something related to someone widely considered to be the greatest in their field.

"23 skidoo" was a slang phrase in the early 1900s...so maybe a book that contains a slang word/phrase in its title. Or something else related to slang.

There's Blink-182's "What's My Age Again?" which states "nobody likes you when you're 23." Wonder if there's anything there about dislikes/hate.

I'm excited already!

Yes to birds, bees, and bunnies.

Yes to Disney.

Yes to Hollywood.

Yes to the 5 W's.

I like the millet theme. Other grains, baking....I'm trying to think of how to word it.

Also Pantone color of year for 2023 is "Digital Lavender." Possibly a book with a purplish cover, or purple name in the title (lavender, purple, orchid, lilac, amethyst, eggplant, etc.)

Millet is a major food source is arid regions of the world, so maybe a book about deserts or drought. Or a book set in one of the parts of the world it is popular -- semiarid Asia and Africa (especially in India, Mali, Nigeria, and Niger).

Laurel wrote: "Millet is a major food source is arid regions of the world, so maybe a book about deserts or drought. Or a book set in one of the parts of the world it is popular -- semiarid Asia and Africa (espec..."

I like the idea of a book set in those areas.

I like all the ideas so far! Maybe we'll have to ration them so they don't knock each other out in the early rounds.

Like Robin, I like all the ideas suggested so far. Favourites being the W's, birds, bees and bunnies, and something to do with genes. Millets could be an interesting idea too as reading books from countries where millets are consumed predominantly sounds great.

The millet go be a book with bread, croissants or cookies on the cover?

Maybe a book where the author or main character is an immigrant?

Tracy wrote: "Dubhease wrote: "Random ideas:

- 23 is related to the birthday paradox (in a group of 23 (or more) randomly chosen people, the probability is more than 50% that some pair of them will have the sam..."

I really like this idea.

Googling what happened in 1923 for anniversary ideas indicated that Time Magazine started in 1923. How would we feel about a prompt related to someone who was a Time Magazine person of the year. Some years they had groups (e.g. 1960 was US scientists) so there would be plenty of options even for people who don't necessarily like history/biographies.

Times magazine person of the year sounds good for some alternatives to biography:
As stated book related to a group
Book where the person is mentioned ( so could be historical fiction)
Love any other suggestions

Just checked the list so for example:
Middle America- any book set in that part of America ( can any Americans here explain where that is?)
Women of America- any feminist book or book where the main character is a female American
The Earth- anything about the environment
Baby boomers- anything where the main character(s) is from the baby boomer generation

Or women of the world? A female main character from 2 or 3 different continents?

I like a book related to Disney's 100 year anniversary. I would finally read Alexander Hamilton because it is playing on Disney +. You could read all sorts of Star War novels. It would include all the Disney songs & movies. Think Thumper. The bunnies would get a chance. You could read a biography on Walt Disney. There is something for everyone here.

Sherri, I'm not always a fan of the "related to" prompts, but I like this one... it's broad enough for everyone to find something they like while still having a focus.

On another note, will the pre poll chocies be the same as last year?

I agree that "birds, bees, bunnies" is cute and broader, but I hope we can give rabbit at least one chance to shine alone for the year of the rabbit!

Becky wrote: "I agree that "birds, bees, bunnies" is cute and broader, but I hope we can give rabbit at least one chance to shine alone for the year of the rabbit!"

maybe a book connected to the year of the rabitt? Any bunny books would work but so would a book published in a previous year of the rabitt

I am excited about all of these ideas!

Isekai fantasy.

"Isekai is a subgenre of fantasy in which a character is suddenly transported from their world into a new or unfamiliar one"

the chinese zodiac will be a water rabbit. so maybe a type of water in the title. sea, lake, river, etc.

the water rabbit is also a representation of the moon goddess, so maybe featuring moon things. or goddesses

Jackie wrote: "I am excited about all of these ideas!"

me too

Thomas wrote: "Just checked the list so for example:
Middle America- any book set in that part of America ( can any Americans here explain where that is?)
Women of America- any feminist book or book where the m..."

Middle America- not on either coast is a rather broad definition

I googled 2023 and started looking at Nostradamus’s predictions for 2023 but they seem pretty depressing.