Around the Year in 52 Books discussion

Polarizing set of voting this round!

Top
A book involving survival

Bottom
A poetic book
A book that may pair or connect to a certain architectural style

Close Call
A book with a title that contains the name of a professional sports team

Polarizing
A book about obsession or desire
A modern retelling of an old story, myth, or fairytale
A book related to a current movie or television show

The next round of suggestions will open around 1 pm CST on Thursday, July 30.

The prompt that made it in this round was mine, and I have to say I’m shocked! I really didn’t think there was much, if any, interest. Thanks!

I am very sorry to see other favorites of mine didn’t make it though. I hope “Sports Teams” tries again later. But “Poetic Book” (which for me meant poetic/lyrical writing, but not actual poems) unfortunately does lot have that chance. 😢

This one will take a lot of thought for me to find something I want to read that will qualify.

Well, both of the bottom results were upvotes for me, and I didn't vote one way or another on the winner. These results are kind of a bummer. Survival is easy enough, though.

Bea - I’m sorry the Survival prompt is not your cup of tea. Here is a list of Listopias that all have to do with survival. There are a variety of options for what that can mean, and several genres covered. I hope you can easily find one you like 🤞🏼

https://www.goodreads.com/list/tag/su...

Survival can mean all kinds of things, not just adventure in the wilderness or at sea. Many literary fiction and even romance books have trauma in the characters' past that they need to overcome. To me that is also survival.

I didn't vote for survival, but it's an easy fill for me! Disappointed the sports prompt didn't make it, but hopefully, it gets resubmitted.

I didn't vote for survival and I'm disappointed that what I thought was a creative prompt didn't make it. Plus this is going to take sooo long to do this list if we start getting one prompt a week.

I don't read survival in the wilderness books, unless someone has a clever take on this prompt.

@dubhease I feel like survival can be so many things - surviving an illness/disease, surviving an abusive relationship, could be a thriller or cozy mystery about escaping a murderer of what I'll likely use it for which is something paranormal involving surviving a Vampire attack or something similar.

Dubhease wrote: "I didn't vote for survival and I'm disappointed that what I thought was a creative prompt didn't make it. Plus this is going to take sooo long to do this list if we start getting one prompt a week...."

I think, some thrillers could also work for survival.

Darn I really wanted the sports team prompt.

I feel like mystery/thriller would be a cheat.

This is what Tracy wrote:

Could be surviving a cult, an abusive relationship or divorce, a severe illness, a shark or wild animal attack, a plane crash, a shipwreck, being lost in the woods, stranded like the Donner Party, a war, a pandemic, financial ruin, natural disaster,

OR

some lighter/sarcastic things like high school, gossip, vacation with family, zombie attack…

I didn't want this one, but I know I'll find something good :)

I put some horror books on the list - I think those are about survival. And anything with survive or surviving in the title, is probably okay?

Bea wrote: "This one will take a lot of thought for me to find something I want to read that will qualify."

Likewise. I admit, I downvoted this one.

I don't think I voted for Survival either way, but will definitely look towards something less serious. Jimmy Buffett wrote and performed a song called 'Survive'. I may take my cue from those lyrics.

I'm really disappointed about the TV/Movie connection - maybe if it were changed to "favorite" or "classic" from current it would get in. Or include the "currently available to stream" option in some way. Wordsmithing is not a personal strength.

I'm also sad about sports teams and architecture. The team mascots would have made an interesting title search.

I did not vote for this prompt either but sometimes I am more excited by the ones I did not vote for because it forces me to either choose something out of my usual reading habits or to get creative.

I am browsing lists of both historical fiction and non-fiction about Katherine (Katharine, Catherine) Parr, Henry VIII's surviving wife. I love historical fiction and have seen Six twice. For me this will be a fun way to fill this prompt. She is definitely a survivor!

Hm, a pity the architectural style hit bottom.

My top choices were the bottom votes. I didn't vote either way for survival and I know I'll find something. I'm disappointed that the two bottoms have no chance now, but my rejected prompt list for next year is growing.

Amy wrote: "I did not vote for this prompt either but sometimes I am more excited by the ones I did not vote for because it forces me to either choose something out of my usual reading habits or to get creativ..."

Interesting idea about how to use this prompt Amy!

Nike wrote: "Hm, a pity the architectural style hit bottom."

I agree — I was looking forward to the hunt! ("house hunt" 😜 )

I voted for poetic book, but I can't say I'm at all surprised that it was at the bottom. Oh well.

Martha wrote: "My top choices were the bottom votes. I didn't vote either way for survival and I know I'll find something. I'm disappointed that the two bottoms have no chance now, but my rejected prompt list for..."

I’m disappointed too. For a couple days I was starting to think they had a chance. I can always find a survival book, so that’s fine. It’s more than just a word search, and there are some angles to make it more challenging. I really want some new topics or concepts to explore, or I can’t call it a challenge. I’ll have to think of more prompts for my rejects challenge too.

On the other hand, I really need to cut back on how much time I spend online. I went through a health crisis and I’m able to get out more now and do other things. So a super easy challenge might make it easier to cut back.

Bummed that the architecture prompt didn't get in; it was so unique!
It sucks that it can't get suggested again, but maybe the sports team one can. The penguin prompt may have split the vote with that one.

I feel like a lot of dystopian fiction will work for the survival prompt. There was competition prompt suggestion that didn't get voted in a couple of polls ago, but a lot of books that feature a survival-of-the-fittest-type game can apply here.

Speaking of “survival-of-the-fittest” I was thinking earlier that something about Darwin or evolution could work too.

I didn't downvote anything. But none of these topics really spoke to me either.

The sports team one is good, but there are so many sports teams in the world that it falls into the 'read whatever you want and figure out how it fits later' topic type.

Erica wrote: "Darn I really wanted the sports team prompt."

So did I. I'm counting on that being suggested again later in the process.

J wrote: "I didn't downvote anything. But none of these topics really spoke to me either.

The sports team one is good, but there are so many sports teams in the world that it falls into the 'read whatever y..."

But you still have to choose a team name and a book that works with it. That's the fun of it, for me. There is still a choice to make and a hunt.

Huh. Well I shouldn’t be surprised by the three that were polarizing, because I was torn myself on all three. Stories about obsession can be hot or chilling. I had a love hate reaction to the books in the list. I could have found something for all of them though.

Are we playing it too safe?

I feel like any Riley Sager book will fit this prompt.

Another direction for survival could be to read a book connected to archeology or art that has survived the sands of time.

Personally I'm a sucker for a good history nonfiction about people getting into extremely perilous extremely preventable situations.

I’m leaning toward either finally getting around to Darwin’s The Origin of Species, or reading a book from my TBR about extinction.

Dixie wrote: "I’m leaning toward either finally getting around to Darwin’s The Origin of Species, or reading a book from my TBR about extinction."

You might be interested in Origin Story: The Trials of Charles Darwin published last year. I might use it for this prompt.

Thanks!

Dixie wrote: "But you still have to choose a team name and a book that works with it. That's the fun of it, for me. There is still a choice to make and a hunt."

Right? A lot of the time, the solution is just to BIO. But I thought I'd share why I didn't vote for this topic, in case it can be improved upon and resubmitted.

Pearl wrote: "Are we playing it too safe?"

Always. It does often feel like the safe prompts are far more likely to make it. At the end of the process, there are usually a good mix of easy and challenging topics. But when you are in the voting, it feel like everyone just wants to vote for what is easy or what they already know they have a book for.

I was really hoping for the sports team one. I hope it gets resubmitted. That's all I'm going to say. lol

Jackie wrote: "Another direction for survival could be to read a book connected to archeology or art that has survived the sands of time.

Personally I'm a sucker for a good history nonfiction about people getti..."
I"m about 2/3 of the way through A Woman of No Importance: The Untold Story of the American Spy Who Helped Win World War II. The main theme is that she doesn't need to be in France. People keep trying to keep her out of danger, and yet she finds different ways to stay in the middle of the war.

Nancy wrote: "I feel like any Riley Sager book will fit this prompt."

I'm probably reading Survive the Night by him. A bit on the nose, but it'll work.

J wrote: "Dixie wrote: "But you still have to choose a team "

Right? A lot of the time, the solut..."

Good point about playing it safe. I hope we will get more adventurous later on. There were many prompts submitted already that I would like, and some can be suggested again later.

What time does the suggestion round open? I’m on the App and it’s cut off the most important part, the time! Thanks.

Around 1 pm CST!

I'm also bummed about the sports team prompt! It falls into my favorite category of prompt where you're limited to a certain set of choices/topics but can make it as narrow or difficult as you want, like these past prompts:
- NATO phonetic alphabet
- Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream
- Monopoly token
- 22 Major Arcana card
- Spice Girls personalities
- Element of periodic table
- Song lyric prompts might fit into this category as well.

I'd selfishly love to request someone to suggest this type of prompt again! It's broader than a list prompt where you're limited to an actual list of books while giving you the option of making it really hard, like choosing a book related to kilo or zulu.

I downvoted the sports team prompt. I've gone back to check it so many times because, to me (and apparently just to me!) the discussion and suggestions don't match the wording of the prompt. I keep thinking I must have misread it, I'm very confused!

The prompt is "A book with a title that contains the name of a professional sports team".

If I was guessing the prompt from the discussion, I'd think it was "A book with a title that contains a word from the name or nickname of a professional sports team", or even the broader option of "A book connected to a word in the name or nickname of a professional sports team".

I downvoted it in part because my interpretation is that it's very narrow, but also because I don't understand why everyone else thinks it's so broad and adaptable.

I don't know if this helps the people who want this prompt, but I feel a little better for saying it :)

I think that's an excellent point, Marie. I definitely think your wording expands the prompt in a way that might make less people downvote it.

Thanks for noticing this Marie. I voted FOR this prompt, but had totally missed the title connection. In my mind it was just “related to a team name”. If it comes up again I hope that kind of adjustment is made.

I was the one who suggested the Sports team prompt. I made it a title prompt because if it had been a related to prompt, you could literally have used anything.

All the examples I gave were of the team names. I do think it was doable across a variety of genres.

Marie wrote: "I downvoted the sports team prompt. I've gone back to check it so many times because, to me (and apparently just to me!) the discussion and suggestions don't match the wording of the prompt. I keep..."

This is also how I feel. I found it very limited with it being a title only prompt. Plus, I’m not interested in sports and the team names I did search for came up with nothing I was interested in reading.

Marie wrote: "If I was guessing the prompt from the discussion, I'd think it was "A book with a title that contains a word from the name or nickname of a professional sports team", or even the broader option of "A book connected to a word in the name or nickname of a professional sports team"...."

I agree with this. The examples of UK teams looked like nicknames to me, not the actual team names. A lot of people don't refer to their team by a nickname here so it's a really hard prompt for me just to know by looking at a title whether it fits. The other examples were just lists of books and I don't understand how "magic" is the name of a sports team because I don't follow sports.

Maybe I could look for a place name or just the word "city", but it's just not a fun prompt for me.

I think changing it to "name, nickname, or mascot" would clarify it a bit.

I will say that it had a high enough net votes to make it onto the list, but there were too many downvotes to qualify. So... it probably was more polarizing than close calls usually are.

I don't follow sports either, but there is a modern tendency to give teams names that don't necessarily end in s.

Orlando Magic, Utah Jazz, and Miami Heat are all professional basketball teams. I don't watch basketball, but my father used to.

The Minnesota Wild is an NHL team.