Around the Year in 52 Books discussion
ATY 2026
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[2026] Poll 2 Voting
Mod
These are what was provided in the suggestion thread but are by no means exhaustive
2. A book with a desert setting
Desert plays a large role: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/2...
Desert settings: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/2...
Reading the Southwest: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
Oman: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
Fictitious Africa https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
Novels set in Arizona: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/5...
Desert Islands: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/7...
Las Vegas Books: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/7...
Desert Memoirs: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
Desert scene - Post-Apocalyptic: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
Deserts of the World: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/7...
4. A book that has to do with a favorite animal
Fiction
Come, Thou Tortoise
Life of Pi
The Travelling Cat Chronicles
Lily and the Octopus
Nonfiction
The Lion in the Living Room: How House Cats Tamed Us and Took Over the World
Poseidon's Steed: The Story of Seahorses, From Myth to Reality
Secrets of the Octopus
Animals used metaphorically
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
To Kill a Mockingbird
The Lion in Winter
Maybe your favorite animal is a mythical creature.
The Last Unicorn
The Natural History of Unicorns
A Natural History of Dragons
Dealing with Dragons
8. A book that has a punctuation mark in the title
Examples
- She’s a Lamb! by Meredith Hambrock
- Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar
- I’ll Have What He’s Having by Adib Khorram
9. A book with a “green” topic or character
A green topics could involve nature, environment, money, ecology, sustainability, climate fiction, trees, or earth day topics like recycling.
A green character could be an inexperienced novice, activist, jealous, sick, or actually the color green (eg. orc- Legends and lattes)
Green topics:
Wild Dark Shore
The Light Pirate
The River's DaughterEntangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures
Playground
The Music of Bees
When the Earth Was Green: Plants, Animals, and Evolution's Greatest Romance
Finding the Mother Tree: Discovering the Wisdom of the Forest
Greenwood
Migrations
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life
No More Tears: The Dark Secrets of Johnson & Johnson
The Psychology of Money
Green characters
Fourth Wing It has newbie dragon rider trainees, plenty of jealousy, and some of the dragons are green.
Legends & Lattes
Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West
The Woman in the Green Dress (jealousy)
Yellowface (jealousy)
Othello (jealousy)
Peter Pan
Swamp thing
Hulk
Dragons
Tree monsters
Some fairytale retellings should work
Environment lists
https://www.goodreads.com/list/tag?id...
Nature
https://www.goodreads.com/list/tag?ut...
Trees
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/3...
https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...
10. A book with the word "and" or "or" in the title
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
11. A book connected to the Middle East in some way
Setting, character, author, history, journalist or traveler visiting the area, an immigrant from the region, or any other connection. From ancient times to the future.
12. A book that deals with REM's It's the End of the World as We Know It (and I feel fine)
Link to the lyrics (the site also has a translation function if you need it)
https://lyrics.lyricfind.com/lyrics/r...
13. A book related to the Declaration of Independence
A link to the transcript:
https://www.archives.gov/founding-doc...
Mod
Some of the links got truncated. Sorry about that. Here are some links for Suggestion #9 -
9. A book with a “green” topic or character.
Environment lists
https://www.goodreads.com/list/tag?id...
Nature
https://www.goodreads.com/list/tag?ut...
Trees
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/3...
https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...
==
9. A book with a “green” topic or character.
It’s up to you how you interpret it.
A green topic could involve nature, environment, money, ecology, sustainability, climate fiction, trees, or earth day topics like recycling.
A green character could be an inexperienced novice, eco-activist, jealous, sick, or actually the color green (eg. orc- Legends and lattes)
Green topics/plots - examples w links
Wild Dark Shore
The Light Pirate
The River's DaughterEntangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures
Playground
The Music of Bees
When the Earth Was Green: Plants, Animals, and Evolution's Greatest Romance
Finding the Mother Tree: Discovering the Wisdom of the Forest
Greenwood
Migrations
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life
No More Tears: The Dark Secrets of Johnson & Johnson
The Psychology of Money
Green characters - examples w links
Fourth Wing It has newbie dragon rider trainees, plenty of jealousy, and some of the dragons are green.
Legends & Lattes
Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West
The Woman in the Green Dress (jealousy)
Yellowface (jealousy)
Othello (jealousy)
Peter Pan
Swamp thing
Hulk
Dragons
Tree monsters
Some fairytale retellings should work
I'm sorry but the links at number 10 leads to the same list and that's a list with a lot of books without "and" or "or".
First impressions:1. A book with the word friend in the description - I don't think I understand this one. I assume by "description" it means the synopsis, which makes it seem very easy to me
2. A book with a desert setting - I don't think I have very many options that fit, but I could be persuaded if I had enough to choose from (ideally books already on my TBR)
3. A book that's part of a series - This would help me work toward my ever-present goal to read and catch up on series, but I'm not sure I'd vote for it. I think I'd prefer something a little more unique
4. A book that has to do with a favorite animal - Maybe. I'm feeling a little burnt out on animal-related prompts at the moment.
5. A book set during the time of the American Revolution. (1775 - 1783) - I'd have to look at my options. Nothing really comes to mind right now, and it seems like a relatively narrow range
6. A book with cover text that is NOT black or white - I wouldn't downvote it, but I don't know if I want it strongly enough to vote for it
7. A book with a character dealing with birth or rebirth - Likely an upvote! I think I have several thrillers involving new parents struggling after the birth of their child, which could be an interesting fit here
8. A book that has a punctuation mark in the title - Likely an upvote, but not totally sold yet.
9. A book with a “green” topic or character - A strong maybe. I like the uniqueness of the prompt, but not sure I'd have to see what I have that might fit
10. A book with the word "and" or "or" in the title - Another strong maybe. I'm actually not sure if this is a prompt I've ever had before
11. A book connected to the Middle East in some way - Meh, not a fan of geography prompts
12. A book that deals with REM's It's the End of the World as We Know It (and I feel fine) - Something about the wording of this one puts me off. I think we've had something similar in the past with a different wording that I liked better. But on a conceptual level, I like this.
13. A book related to the Declaration of Independence - Ironic considering I've often seen complaints of reading challenges (generally, not specifically this group) being too American-centric. I'm not American so I have no particular attachment to this and I'm not really sure how to approach it
14. A book set at a school, college, or university - I know it's a prompt I've done many times before, but I always love this one! Almost definitely an upvote
15. A book by an author who shares one of your initials - I'd rather it be both initials, if anything. One seems too easy.
Mod
I think the other prompt with the specific years of the Revolutionary War is too narrow. It doesn't have to be set in the US, but if it is in Georgian England, France, or any other country during that general time, the year may not be specified in the book.
Mod
When I click on the desert links it has nothing to do with deserts. They are best or worst
Mod
That is a short period... I would do a history book that includes those years. I like the idea of it- I almost never read books from that period so like the push.
I missed all the suggestions, so here's my thoughtsOn the whole, it was a good group of suggestions and I could live with almost all of them.
I find it odd that there were two American-centric ones this week. I guess since it was the 4th of July last week that people were feeling patriotic. As a non-American, I have zero interest in the Declaration of Independence prompt. A document about liberty by people several of whom thought it was cool to own human-trafficking victims and who think I shouldn't vote because I'm a woman.
I prefer a book set during the time of the American Revolution. (1775 - 1783) because a lot of books set during the French revolution overlap with the years specified and it would push me to read "A Tale of Two Cities".
1. A book with the word friend in the description - I do have two books with friend in the title, so I guess those would count.
2. A book with a desert setting - I have one desert island book, so it is do-able.
3. A book that's part of a series - A prompt I love!
4. A book that has to do with a favorite animal - I don't have a favourite animal, but a book with an animal in the title, cover, or as a character is do-able, but not exciting.
.
6. A book with cover text that is NOT black or white - This one is a challenge. Fortunately, because I love mysteries, I have several with white covers and blood red text. I'm seriously thinking of upvoting this.
7. A book with a character dealing with birth or rebirth - This could be fun
8. A book that has a punctuation mark in the title - Novel and not hard
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
9. A book with a “green” topic or character - I like this one.
10. A book with the word "and" or "or" in the title - Easy to do
11. A book connected to the Middle East in some way - This one I'm struggling with. I found a listopia, but the top book is the Kite Runner - is Afghanistan in the Middle East? What countries are we considering for this prompt?
12. A book that deals with REM's It's the End of the World as We Know It (and I feel fine) - I love, love a song prompt. I wish I could vote for this one twice. And there are so many options for non-fiction readers.
14. A book set at a school, college, or university - I've done this one many times, but still have a lot of books that work, so I won't complain if this one gets in.
15. A book by an author who shares one of your initials - An easy prompt.
Robin P wrote: "We have 2 prompts related to the upcoming US 250th anniversary. I think "related to the Declaration of Independence" is much broader. For any not familiar, it talks about "life, liberty, and the pu..."I can understand if anyone wants to vote against either or both prompts for being American centric. But if related to the Declaration of Independence does make the final list, you can just treat it like the song lyrics that sometimes make the list.
Here's the link: https://www.archives.gov/founding-doc...
it contains plenty of common strong words you can use to find books.
I don't yet know what I'm voting for, since I currently have 6 up and 4 down, I have some decisions to make.
Mary wrote: "When I click on the desert links it has nothing to do with deserts. They are best or worst"Yes, how strange! Can they be fixed?
Mod
Haven't decided what to vote for yet, but here are my thoughts after a bit of searching:1. A book with the word friend in the description - Just in the description? Seems like a lot of things would count for this. Maybe it feels too wide open?
2. A book with a desert setting - Could work. I have a couple of things that might fit. Appointment with Death by Agatha Christie comes to mind.
3. A book that's part of a series - I have in-progress series, so this could be a push to get me back to one of them.
4. A book that has to do with a favorite animal - I have one of the Cat Who... books on deck, so I could do that. Maybe I could even pair it with the previous prompt and get through a couple of those. It's doable and might be an upvote.
5. A book set during the time of the American Revolution. (1775 - 1783) - This has a lot of possibilities that spring to mind. Alternate History or Historical Fiction set during the period, etc. A Tale of Two Cities and Thieftaker (though it looks like this might be set a few years too early) are on my list. Lots of historical fiction that would work. Maybe something with Catherine the Great or the Ottoman Empire. A nonfiction history book set during the period would work. I could handle this one if it goes through. I like historical prompts.
6. A book with cover text that is NOT black or white - Not a fan of cover prompts, but I have a TBR full of Riley Sager books. His are nearly always in a text other than black and white. It's something I could work with.
7. A book with a character dealing with birth or rebirth - Not sure what to do for this one. Emotional rebirth maybe? I'll probably have to rely on suggestions if it goes through.
8. A book that has a punctuation mark in the title - A quick search of my booklist yielded a couple of results, so I could work with this.
9. A book with a “green” topic or character - Still mulling this one over. Not interested in environmental themes, so I'd have to go with a green character or reread The Lorax.
10. A book with the word "and" or "or" in the title - I'm sure I have something that would work.
11. A book connected to the Middle East in some way - Seems like there is a lot of crossover with the desert prompt. I wouldn't vote for both, I don't think.
12. A book that deals with REM's It's the End of the World as We Know It (and I feel fine) - I like the idea of hunting for something, so this intrigues me.
13. A book related to the Declaration of Independence - No clue. If it goes through, I'll use it like the song prompt. Words like Life, Liberty, Happiness, Independence, etc. could be used to inspire book choices. Maybe a sci-fi or fantasy book about a rebellion, etc. I'd have to mull it over.
14. A book set at a school, college, or university - I think I have this prompt nearly every year in some group or another. But it's something I can work with. I won't downvote it.
15. A book by an author who shares one of your initials - Seems really wide open. My favorite prompts are the ones that have some wiggle room but aren't so wide open. I'd probably use an author with my first name to make it a bit more challenging. But that's me.
Not sure what I'll vote for exactly. I'm going to do a slightly deeper search before I vote. I'll start with Agatha Christie's bibliography. I have a theory that nearly any imaginable prompt can be solved by turning to Agatha Christie's bibliography, lol.
As a European I'm not that keen on two US - suggestions but if it's possible to read something that only takes place during the time frame mentioned but not necessarily in the US or about the American Revolution than I guess it's ok. So I have to ask if it is? Could I for example read something that takes place in Europe or Asia as long as it's taking place sometime between 1775 - 1783?
Robin P wrote: "The French revolution doesn't actually overlap the dates in suggestion 5, since it started in 1789."Apparently a Tale of Two Cities is set in 1775, 1780, and 1792, so most of it does take place in that 8 year window.
As for the other suggestions my thoughts are as follows:1. A book with the word friend in the description: Neutral
2. A book with a desert setting: Love this as it's not a common environment in most books and I do have a few unread books that would fit - for example Animal Dreams by Barbara Kingsolver, The Sand Child by Tahar Ben Jelloun, A Separate Reality: Further Conversations with Don Juan by Carlos Castaneda and a Swedish novel the title of which means "Into the Desert".
3. A book that's part of a series: Love this
4. A book that has to do with a favorite animal: Yes, why not - and that would be perfect for finally reading The Jungle Book for example
5. A book set during the time of the American Revolution. (1775 - 1783). See my comment message 17
6. A book with cover text that is NOT black or white: Neutral
7. A book with a character dealing with birth or rebirth: Really love this one! Last year a book about the history of midwifery was published here in Sweden and it has been so talked about as a very important piece of women history, I will get that one for this prompt. Kläda blodig skjorta: svenskt barnafödande under 150 år by Maja Larsson
8. A book that has a punctuation mark in the title. Yes, I like it
9. A book with a “green” topic or character: Oh, yes
10. A book with the word "and" or "or" in the title. Seems fun
11. A book connected to the Middle East in some way: Yes, I 've got two Persian novels still unread: The House of the Mosque by Kader Abdolah and Quién mató al ayatolá Kanuni (can't find an English translation so I give you the Spanish title) by Naïri Nahapétian
12. A book that deals with REM's It's the End of the World as We Know It (and I feel fine). I'm not that fond of song lyrics prompts but I did love REM when I was young and now I get inspired to start listening to them again.
13. A book related to the Declaration of Independence: No
14. A book set at a school, college, or university: Every year this prompt shows up in some of the big reading challenges so it starts to feel kind of repetitive.
15. A book by an author who shares one of your initials. I don't know ...
The one that jumps out at me that I like is the desert setting. I googled books with desert setting and found several that I’ve read, that I own, and a few other interesting ones. Also, I think that Tony Hillerman’s (continued by his daughter Anne) Leaphorn and Chee mystery series would work. They are set in Navajo country, which is high desert terrain. A few other ideas are the Dune series, the kid’s book Holes (made into a movie), and The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (again, made into a movie). I didn’t have any ideas today but I’ll try to come up with a suggestion for the next round!
Nike wrote: "As a European I'm not that keen on two US - suggestions but if it's possible to read something that only takes place during the time frame mentioned but not necessarily in the US or about the Ameri..."The original prompt said the location can be anywhere.
Angie wrote: "Nike wrote: "As a European I'm not that keen on two US - suggestions but if it's possible to read something that only takes place during the time frame mentioned but not necessarily in the US or ab..."Aha, I didn't notice that. Thank you so much (人 •͈ᴗ•͈). Then it might be an upvote, I live reading old literature.
Nike wrote: "...if it's possible to read something that only takes place during the time frame mentioned but not necessarily in the US or about the Ameri..."Nike, one book I can highly recommend is the historical fiction The Women of Chateau Lafayette by Stephanie Dray. It is set in Lafayette's castle during three different time periods: 1778-1807, with his wife running everything at the home front while Lafayette is fighting the wars in America and France; 1917-1918 during WW1, and 1941 during WW2. It's a hefty book but I found the history fascinating, particularly those sections with Lafayette's wife in charge. This gives you both the time period and a relationship to the American Revolution.
I figured if I didn't get this out to you now I would forget later!
Here are some links that work for the Desert prompt: (those in post #2 are not going to the right lists).The desert plays a large role:
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/2...
Desert settings (Arabia or Persia):
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/2...
Reading the Southwest US:
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
Books set in Oman:
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
Fictitious Africa: (note that some of these are real places)
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
Set in Arizona:
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/5...
Desert Islands:
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/7...
Las Vegas Books:
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/7...
Desert Memoirs:
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
Desert Scene Post Apocalyptic:
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
Deserts of the World:
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/7...
GailW wrote: "Nike wrote: "...if it's possible to read something that only takes place during the time frame mentioned but not necessarily in the US or about the Ameri..."Nike, one book I can highly recommend ..."
Thank you so much for the suggestion(人 •͈ᴗ•͈) - it seems truly interesting. I love to study strong women throughout history, whose challenges and work have so long been hidden.
And it's now on my to-read-list (•‿•)
Angie wrote: "Nike wrote: "As a European I'm not that keen on two US - suggestions but if it's possible to read something that only takes place during the time frame mentioned but not necessarily in the US or ab..."I think the best lines in the Declaration of Independence could be read without considering America at all. You could read a book about freedoms in your own country. Or read a novel about a character exercising their freedom to manage their own life. Or read about a man in prison, or a woman with no freedom from her husband. I read a book about a Syrian women who moved to Sweden in the pursuit of happiness and a safer life for their family.
One of the lines might relate to a book you loved,
Mary wrote: "When I click on the desert links it has nothing to do with deserts. They are best or worst"I'll go back tomorrow and redo them. I clicked on everyone of those from the listopias tagged with desert and they worked for me at that time. I don't know why they didn't work.
Charlsa wrote: "Mary wrote: "When I click on the desert links it has nothing to do with deserts. They are best or worst"I'll go back tomorrow and redo them. I clicked on everyone of those from the listopias tagg..."
I think the mods can fix them all tomorrow. The were truncated when copied, but it can be fixed.
Here are the links for "and" and "or" books that were included in the suggestions thread. Hopefully, a mod can fix the links in post 2 in this thread.10. A book with the word "and" or "or" in the title
"and"
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
"or"
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
Lots of books would count: any with the popular format of A ___ of _____ and ____ like A Court of Thorns and Roses, classics like Pride and Prejudice, modern ones like Kate and Frida, Love Her or Lose Her. Some books have both like The Hobbit, or There and Back Again.
Can one of the Mods please correct the links on the desert setting prompt? What was copied was truncated, so they don't work. Thanks!Hopefully, these links will work.
A book with a desert setting.
This allows for a wide variety of country, genre, fiction, non-fiction, etc.
Desert settings:
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/2...
Reading the Southwest:
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
Oman:
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
Fictitious Africa
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
Novels set in Arizona:
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/5...
Desert Islands:
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/7...
The Desert:
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/2...
Las Vegas Books:
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/7...
Desert Memoirs:
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
Favorite Mohave Desert Stories:
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
Desert scene - Post-Apocalyptic:
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
Desert Spirituality:
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/9...
Mod
Just want to point out that Zimbabwe doesn't have any true deserts within its borders. The country has a largely tropical and subtropical climate with distinct wet and dry seasons, but no areas that qualify as desert according to standard definitions.
If you're looking for deserts in Southern Africa, Botswana is a better choice. The Kalahari Desert covers approximately 70-80% of Botswana's surface area.
Joy D wrote: "Just want to point out that Zimbabwe doesn't have any true deserts within its borders. The country has a largely tropical and subtropical climate with distinct wet and dry seasons, but no areas tha..."Ha! You're right! I just pulled from the lists that come up when you search desert. I shall remove it from the list!
Joy D wrote: "If you're looking for deserts in Southern Africa, Botswana is a better choice. The Kalahari Desert covers approximately 70-80% of Botswana's surface area."Thanks for catching that. This is what I get for trusting that lists are properly categorized.
Mod
Of course, Botswana is the site of The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series, and the desert does feature in some of the books. Other desert stories include Rift, The Map of Love, and the Amelia Peabody mysteries.
At first, I couldn't think of anything for desert, but now I am getting a lot more ideas!
Another angle for using the REM song: It's the End of the World as We Know It (and I Feel Fine) would be to connect it to the shows where it has been included such as the movies Tommy Boy, Independence Day, Armageddon, Chicken Little, Maestro, and the TV show 9-1-1. Just a thought.
Mod
NancyJ wrote: "Angie wrote: "Nike wrote: "As a European I'm not that keen on two US - suggestions but if it's possible to read something that only takes place during the time frame mentioned but not necessarily i..."Ok, thank you - that makes it easier. (人 •͈ᴗ•͈)
NancyJ wrote: "Charlsa wrote: "Mary wrote: "When I click on the desert links it has nothing to do with deserts. They are best or worst"I'll go back tomorrow and redo them. I clicked on everyone of those from th..."
Wow, I love to learn new words and the word truncated is a word I've never come across before. Love it!
In the FWIW category, found this chart that names all the deserts in the world and in which country(ies) they are located:https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/w...
Mod
Nike, one book I can highly recommend ..."
Ooo! I rewatched Hamilton to celebrate the 4th and love the idea of learning about Mrs Lafayette!
For the A book with the word friend in the description - the intent was the word friend to be in the description or synopsize, book blurb what ever it is that you look at that provides details about what's in a book. A book featuring adult friendships is probably my favorite one this year, and I was surprised how rarely I saw the word "friend" when looking through various book descriptions. In any case was looking for a way to continue the friend vide in 2026.
Samantha wrote: "For the A book with the word friend in the description - the intent was the word friend to be in the description or synopsize, book blurb what ever it is that you look at that provides details abou..."Hmm. That’s good to know. The prompt says “description” but doesn’t specify that it has to be the Goodreads blurb. I always start with the tag list or genre page, to find the books that have a large number of friendship tags. If the Goodreads blurb doesn’t have the word, I might look for a different description from the publisher or a published review. I’ll have to try before I vote. Thanks Samantha, I’ve been enjoying these books too.
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This year I’ve been reading a lot of water related books, so the
desert is a perfect contrast. For desert settings my first thought was The Water Knife. Las Vegas, Arizona, California, etc are all fighting for water rights. The beginning feels like a crime novel.
I highly recommend the Binti series. Books 2 and 3 work for the desert setting. I have other books by Nnedi Okorafor that probably work too. I love her books on audio.
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The Green topics are really fun for me.
I also love the REM song. The Light Pirate would be perfect for both prompts. This would be a great song to play at the end of the movie. Florida is left to go back to the wild, and the world as they know it is over, but the people who stay have a whole new life. And maybe it will be better than the old one. And I feel fine. 🎶
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Martyr! is high on my list, and it fits both punctuation and Middle East connection. I also really want to read
Enter Ghost, The Beekeeper of Aleppo, and There Are Rivers in the Sky
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I could find something for all of them, so it will be hard to decide.
GailW wrote: "In the FWIW category, found this chart that names all the deserts in the world and in which country(ies) they are located:https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/w..."
Thanks for the link! I love reading books featuring deserts. There are so many options around the world.
GailW wrote: "In the FWIW category, found this chart that names all the deserts in the world and in which country(ies) they are located:https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/w..."
Thanks for this list :) There are many countries I either know have deserts or can safely assume have them. But there were two surprises on this list— Poland and New Zealand! Who knew?!
Joy D wrote: "If you're looking for deserts in Southern Africa, Botswana is a better choice. The Kalahari Desert covers approximately 70-80% of Botswana's surface area."I'd like to read something about the Kalahari. I've started following @sirgathelioness and @valgruener on Instagram. They are in the Kalahari.
GailW wrote: "In the FWIW category, found this chart that names all the deserts in the world and in which country(ies) they are located:https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/w..."
Thanks. Now I'm going down the rabbit trail of how many deserts I've been to.
It just occurred to me that the desert setting could also be used to read about certain indigenous peoples/native Americans, Indians, etc., if they live or lived in a desert environment.
Around the Year in 52 Books
Books mentioned in this topic
The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August (other topics)Life After Life (other topics)
The Midnight Library (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Nnedi Okorafor (other topics)Kader Abdolah (other topics)
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Barbara Kingsolver (other topics)
Tahar Ben Jelloun (other topics)
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Voting will open in the afternoon of 7/8/25 and results will be posted in the morning of 7/12/25 (CST time).
How it works:
- When the voting opens, follow the link to the mini-poll that will be added at the end of this post
- You have a total of 8 votes this poll to spread across your favorite and least favorite prompts (you can also use less than 8 votes)
- You can find examples of acceptable voting practices on the Introduction thread.
- 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
We are asking people to include their Goodreads profile address when they vote. To find this, just go to your own profile and then copy the URL/web address. If for some reason you can't link to your Goodreads profile, please post your full Goodreads name with enough identifiable information that we'll be able to access your profile.
Poll Prompts:
1. A book with the word friend in the description
2. A book with a desert setting
3. A book that's part of a series
4. A book that has to do with a favorite animal
5. A book set during the time of the American Revolution. (1775 - 1783)
6. A book with cover text that is NOT black or white
7. A book with a character dealing with birth or rebirth
8. A book that has a punctuation mark in the title
9. A book with a “green” topic or character
10. A book with the word "and" or "or" in the title
11. A book connected to the Middle East in some way
12. A book that deals with REM's It's the End of the World as We Know It (and I feel fine)
13. A book related to the Declaration of Independence
14. A book set at a school, college, or university
15. A book by an author who shares one of your initials
Feel free to discuss the prompts below, but please remember to be respectful to the other group members.
VOTE HERE: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FA...