Around the Year in 52 Books discussion

Another big round of results!

Top:
A book with a senior citizen character
A book involving a crime other than a murder

Bottom:
A graphic novel/comic with a female main writer and female main artist
A book with a character reminiscent of a Nightmare Before Christmas character

Polarizing:
A book that’s a collection of short stories or essays

Close Call:
A book that is on a Five Books list (readers choice of which list)

Listopias:
A book with a senior citizen character
A book involving a crime other than a murder

The next round of suggestions will open around 3:30 pm CDT on Tuesday, September 5.

Interesting I think I voted for all of these, but not necessarily in those categories

I think I missed out on voting for this one but happy with the results anyway. Haha. a little surprised about NBC coming in at the bottom though!

I like these, but I was hoping more than two would make it in.

I hope Five Books is resubmitted!

I agree Charlsa. The two I downvoted are in the bottom (sorry for those who loved them), and I upvoted the two on top. I did hope that at least one or two more would have made it in, especially “Cover with a Household Object”. Maybe try again? There’s definitely room for more cover prompts.

I didn't have particularly strong feeling about the prompts this week. I like the crime one, though I think there are often murders as well as the non-murder so that will be interesting to see how long that takes to fill.

How old are senior citizens? I have Killers of a Certain Age on my TBR but that says they're 60 and that seems too young?

We've had this discussion in the past, and I've kinda settled on senior citizens/elderly being more about how they are portrayed than their actual age. Are they portrayed as someone of the older generation, passing down wisdom, etc? To me, Killers of a Certain Age is marketed as older people being killers lol so I think it would work.

This could be because I'm in my mid-thirties, so I have no real concept of what's old lol. But I feel like once characters are past the having and raising kids age, they cross into the older generation (though maybe not considered "senior citizens" but I'll be counting older generation for this prompt).

*hides from all the tomatoes thrown my way*

Wow - not my favorite results. I seem to have a hard time finding books with a senior citizen. I do have a couple on my tbr though I think. I'd have to see some lists of crime other than a murder but I guess The Art Forger and Pretty Things would count. Both of those I'm supposed to read this year though. I'm guessing books of espionage would count so that would be fun.

I hope the Five books list gets resubmitted!!!

I do think that having the senior citizen prompt be *a* character and not *the main* character helps a lot. There are plenty of books where the main character has an older relative or mentor that helps them.

Emily wrote: "I do think that having the senior citizen prompt be *a* character and not *the main* character helps a lot. There are plenty of books where the main character has an older relative or mentor that h..."

Emily- agreed. I was not keen on main character but a character works for me

When I finally remembered to vote last night the poll was already closed, but I doubt it would have made a difference. I was going to vote for crime, graphic novel, and five books (and a few others).

Probably not the most popular choice, but I was thinking of sexual assault for the non-murder crime. Might try to tackle Notes on a Silencing: A Memoir or The Color Purple although I’m sure either will be a difficult read. I strongly recommend Know My Name if anybody is looking to go this route.

also when will the book chosen by the readathon winner be announced?

Ellie wrote: "I didn't have particularly strong feeling about the prompts this week. I like the crime one, though I think there are often murders as well as the non-murder so that will be interesting to see how ..."

I think 60 would be ok (and I'm old!) The character in the book I've chosen at the moment (The Secret in Their Eyes) is also 60, is retired and looking back on his career. So, I think it is more about the portrayal rather than the calendar years.

@Ellie - I wish I could give you a big hug! I will be 60 early next year and I’m so happy to hear that you believe that surely this is too young to be a senior! I know I don’t feel like one :)

In the US, for benefits reasons at least (Social Security and Medicare), “senior” is considered 65. But 62 is also thought of as the threshold due to this being a common retirement age (or it used to be anyway).

But I agree that it could also be used to define attitude or changing lifestyle/abilities. “Killers of a Certain Age” is about retirees, so even if you wouldn’t consider them “senior” based on their abilities/attitude, I think you could still count them as senior for this purpose.

“Thursday Murder Club” however could easily be used as it is about septuagenarians (in their 70s) who live in a retirement village. And I think “A Man Called Ove” would certainly count. Plenty of books out there!

I voted for both of these, but I had 7 upvotes and was hoping we'd get more character prompts

Maybe it was too many character suggestions all at once and the votes got spread out?

Tracy wrote: "@Ellie - I wish I could give you a big hug! I will be 60 early next year and I’m so happy to hear that you believe that surely this is too young to be a senior! I know I don’t feel like one :)

In ..."
Ellie- and there was me thinking we were age mates

To qualify as a senior in our city (for the senior center membership) the age limit is 50! It’s 55 at Albertsons grocery store for the senior discount. I just turned 60 so I hate to say I’m a senior citizen but I’ll take the discounts!

Emily wrote: "I do think that having the senior citizen prompt be *a* character and not *the main* character helps a lot. There are plenty of books where the main character has an older relative or mentor that h..."

I voted against it because I feel without "main" detail, it's a "read anything" prompt. Last time it ran, I hadn't picked a book for it yet and needed a place to out a book that had a grandmother as a supporting character, so I used it there.

I'm bummed we only got 2.

Tracy wrote: "@Ellie - I wish I could give you a big hug! I will be 60 early next year and I’m so happy to hear that you believe that surely this is too young to be a senior! I know I don’t feel like one :)..."

My mum is late 70s and has only just started admitting she's old. She waited quite late (for the time) to have us kids, so I guess I have a different outlook on age.

Pamela wrote: "Emily wrote: "I do think that having the senior citizen prompt be *a* character and not *the main* character helps a lot. There are plenty of books where the main character has an older relative or..."

the common divide in this group the people who down vote because its too flexible and the people like me who down vote when its not flexible enough

Thomas wrote: "Ellie- and there was me thinking we were age mates..."

I'm an elder millennial 😆

I'm super excited for the crime prompt! Senior citizen a little less exciting, but in both cases, I am eager to see what the group comes up with.

Well, I'm stoked! These were both my suggestions in Wild Discussion.

As far as "senior citizen", you're as young as you feel. I turned 65 this year (and applied for Medicare). But I can't retire until I'm 66.7. Like Pam said, at 50-55, you start qualifying for "senior discounts".

I think it's all about how the book treats the character. Maybe think "an older character"?

Robin wrote: "Well, I'm stoked! These were both my suggestions in Wild Discussion.

As far as "senior citizen", you're as young as you feel. I turned 65 this year (and applied for Medicare). But I can't retire ..."

Robin- I’m glad I was able to submit the crime one for you. So thanks to the people who proposed and seconded the one I was going to submit leaving me free

I like the senior citizen character, I voted for that one, but to be honest - one of the least interesting suggestions in this whole process is actually the crime with no murder-prompt. I'm so sorry. I love crime novels with gruesome murders (never true crimes though, only fictional murders).

But I'll look through the list and maybe I'll find something that truly interests me. Otherwise I might just read a mystery book for children.

I would have hoped for the Five Book List and I did hope for more than two suggestions to make it. I don't know how the process works, when is it possible for three books to get selected?

@Nike - maybe a “heist” would interest you? Like the Ocean’s Eleven movies. There are several non-fiction as well as fiction options. That’s the route I’m planning on taking.

Nike wrote: "I like the senior citizen character, I voted for that one, but to be honest - one of the least interesting suggestions in this whole process is actually the crime with no murder-prompt. I'm so sorr..."

Nike- if it’s not bottomed it can be submitted again any time but I believe more get in if there’s at least one poll in between

Nike- while I’m going another route one could note that it technically just says involves a crime other than murder so technically it could have murder as well.

Thomas wrote: "Robin wrote: "Well, I'm stoked! These were both my suggestions in Wild Discussion.

As far as "senior citizen", you're as young as you feel. I turned 65 this year (and applied for Medicare). But I..."

Thank You Thomas!

Yes, I'm planning to read A Good Night to Kill: a Pretty Boy Novel (2), where the main crime is drug dealing, but judging by the title and the first book in this series, I'm sure several murders will also occur.

I’m good with the 2 winners but still like the 5 Books prompt. A book w a senior character is easy enough to find. Main character is much harder! A murderless crime is more challenging for me, but I did vote for it, since I rarely read mysteries or true crime. Zadie Smith has a new book out titled Fraud, which might work.

Nike wrote: "I don't know how the process works, when is it possible for three books to get selected?..."

From what I've gathered from the mods explaining their results spreadsheet, if we had three or four top prompts with very similar number of votes, they would all get in. Let's say non-murder and senior citizen had 100 and 98 votes but five books had 80 votes. Then the next closest had 70 votes. So the close call is closer to the next one that didn't get in than the winners. I think it's a bit more complicated than that, but if we had 6 prompts in that 100-98 bracket there's no reason they wouldn't all get in that week.

Nike wrote: "I like the senior citizen character, I voted for that one, but to be honest - one of the least interesting suggestions in this whole process is actually the crime with no murder-prompt. I'm so sorr..."

Some of the books about heists, kidnappings, theft, etc do have deaths in them. I figure as long as the main crime driving the story is not murder, if a killing happens because bad guys are bad guys that it still counts.

Ellie wrote: "Nike wrote: "I don't know how the process works, when is it possible for three books to get selected?..."

From what I've gathered from the mods explaining their results spreadsheet, if we had thre..."

Thankyou 🙂

Dubhease wrote: "Nike wrote: "I like the senior citizen character, I voted for that one, but to be honest - one of the least interesting suggestions in this whole process is actually the crime with no murder-prompt..."

Great!

I'm really happy about a senior citizen character. I'll add a lot of books to the listopia tonight. I still have some art theft, forgery and con artist books on a list for this year's prompt.

I hope the 5 books prompt gets resubmitted too.

Ellie wrote: "How old are senior citizens? I have Killers of a Certain Age on my TBR but that says they're 60 and that seems too young ..."


They are retiring & off on a cruise to celebrate retirement, so I think they count as senior citizens.

Somehow I missed the voting but I was around for a lot of discussion! Oh well there is always next time. Quick question-polarizing means it was like split close to 50/50 with upvotes and downvotes but you can still renominate?

Mary wrote: "Somehow I missed the voting but I was around for a lot of discussion! Oh well there is always next time. Quick question-polarizing means it was like split close to 50/50 with upvotes and downvotes ..."
Mary- as I understand it only BOTTOMED means it can’t be submitted again. Although I don’t remember many polarising prompts that were later voted in but that doesn’t mean don’t try

Tracy wrote: "@Nike - maybe a “heist” would interest you? Like the Ocean’s Eleven movies. There are several non-fiction as well as fiction options. That’s the route I’m planning on taking."

All those books for the con prompt this year work (I read Portrait of a Thief and totally recommend it.) I'm just happy- every year, I have Last Day in my plan and I don't get to it (it was going to be my book about art this year but I read something else) so it's back on the list for next year!

Dubhease wrote: "Nike wrote: "I like the senior citizen character, I voted for that one, but to be honest - one of the least interesting suggestions in this whole process is actually the crime with no murder-prompt..."

The Sisterhood series by Fern Michaels fits the non-murder prompt. The first book is Weekend Warriors.

For the crime novels, there's a very broad selection. Some of these crimes do also involve death, but that death is incidental and not the point. I'll add these to the listopia.

Moonshiners: Gods of Howl Mountain
Bootleggers: The Wicked City & Cocoa Beach
Street-racing and general thievery: Blacktop Wasteland
pickpockets: Fingersmith
Smugglers, and whatever the term is for running ships aground: Jamaica Inn
Heists and general thievery: Harlem Shuffle
Drug dealers: The Reckless Oath We Made
Jewel thievery and helping people on the run: The Stolen Coast
Smuggling, thieving, black-mailing: The Singer's Gun
Smuggling slaves out of the slavery regions: The Underground Railroad, Underground Airlines, Indigo, An Extraordinary Union
Dealing drugs and who knows what else: Nobody Move
Crime family, gambling, heists: Queenpin
Drugs, prostitution: Bury Me Deep, Die a Little
Grifters: Grifters
Smuggling / grift: Counterfeit
Art theft: Portrait of a Thief, Confidence
Heist: Provenance
Kidnapping / espionage: Real Tigers

I am happy with these two, but would have liked the household item and the eating place to have got in as well.

Pretty much anything in any of the No.1 Ladies Detective Agency series would count as a crime other than murder. I think the Detective Varg books by the same author could, too.

very excited by senior citizen getting in! and the "crime other than a murder" should also be fun

a little disappointed by Nightmare Before Christmas being bottomed, but was kind of expecting it.

Mary wrote: "Somehow I missed the voting but I was around for a lot of discussion! Oh well there is always next time. Quick question-polarizing means it was like split close to 50/50 with upvotes and downvotes ..."

Yes exactly: polarizing are the ones that had a lot of votes but were split evenly between up and down votes. They can be resubmitted, but they might need tweaking or more examples to help people think of ideas.

Donald E. Westlake wrote a series of books about the John Dortmunder gang of thieves. They are frequently hilarious. No murders. All sorts of thefts. The first in the series is The Hot Rock but they do NOT need to be read in order. If I recall correctly, one involves a kidnapping.

As for senior citizen ... All the Stephanie Plum novels (by Janet Evanovich) have her doing something with her Grandma Mazur. Also the Miss Julia series by Ann B. Ross feature a senior citizen - gentle southern humor, frequently with some mystery involving a real estate deal or political corruption of some kind. The first in the series is Miss Julia Speaks Her Mind