Around the Year in 52 Books discussion

It's now time to get ready to vote for our next set of prompts! The thread will be open for at least 24 hours before the poll gets posted. This is a good opportunity to ask any question you may have regarding the prompts, do some research, or ask for recommendations.

Voting will open in the morning of Tuesday, August 19 and results will be posted in the morning of Saturday, August 23 (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 connected in some way to the "Queen of Crime", Agatha Christie
2.A book featuring a character with a similar occupation to one of the Clue/Cluedo characters
3. A book with an immortal character
4. A nonfiction book
5.A book set in a desert environment
6. A book that has to do with a favorite animal
7. A book that fits a prompt suggestion for this year that did not make the list
8. A book inspired by or related to the Charlie’s Angels franchise
9. A book related to one of the five basic tastes
10. A book that includes a science related topic
11. A book by a 2026 debut author
12. A book with an orphaned or adopted character
13. A book about wildlife or nature conservation
14. A book tagged by Goodreads readers as Literary Fiction
15. A book with a character who has a trait related to one of Dorothy’s companions in the Wizard of Oz


Feel free to discuss the prompts below, but please remember to be respectful to the other group members.

Click here to vote: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FA...

THOUGHTS AND IDEAS FROM THE SUGGESTIONS THREAD

1. A book connected in some way to the "Queen of Crime", Agatha Christie
...as in 2026, we mark 50 years since the passing of Agatha Christie.

I think this prompt can be easily adapted to fit your reading preferences. Consider these options:

Classic Christie: Pick up a beloved classic like And Then There Were None, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, or Murder on the Orient Express.
Short Story Collection: Dive into her masterful short stories, perfect for quick reads between longer books.
Beyond the Whodunit: Explore something different! You could read her fascinating autobiography to learn about the woman behind the mysteries.
A Taste of Adventure: Choose a book set in one of the countries she visited (like Egypt or Iraq), often tied to her archaeological expeditions with her second husband, Max Mallowan. Or, read a book directly related to archaeology itself, a subject she dearly loved and incorporated into many of her stories.

Or it could even be a title related to the monarchy...

2. A book featuring a character with a similar occupation to one of the Clue/Cluedo characters

The characters:
Colonel Mustard: military officer
Mr. Green: clergyman (UK), businessman (US)
Professor Plum: academic, professor
Mrs. White: domestic servant (maid, housekeeper, cook, etc)
Mrs. Peacock: widow, socialite
Miss Scarlett: a femme fatale. (a sexy lady, a sexy con artist, or a prostitute.)

3. A book with an immortal character
Books that discuss or include divine beings, undead, deathless characters, or theologies and mythologies
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/9...

4. A nonfiction book
Favorite Nonfiction: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/4...
You read a book about what? https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/8...
If you go to BROWSE and then click on LISTS and search for NONFICTION, there are quite a few nonfiction listopias with more specific lists…memoirs, etc

5.A book set in a desert environment
This doesn't have to mean "in the middle of nowhere"! Cities in the desert include Las Vegas, Dubai, Baghdad, Cairo, Lima, Santa Fe, and Casablanca. And Antarctica is considered to be a frozen desert!
https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...
https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...
https://travelingmel.com/books-set-in...
https://www.rosalynkelly.co.uk/blog/1...
https://www.mappit.net/bookmap/georeg...
https://www.bookbub.com/blog/mysterie...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...

6. 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
The Elegance of the Hedgehog

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 inspired by or related to the Charlie’s Angels franchise
TV, film, or vibe - for the 50th Anniversary of the TV Show

9. A book related to one of the five basic tastes

They are: sweet, salty, bitter, sour, umami/savory
Could be a character's personality, the general theme/plot, something on the cover, a word in the title - lots of possible interpretations

10. A book that includes a science related topic
Biology, forensics, medicine, laboratory testing, astronomy, forensics, chemistry, climate, meteorology, neuroscience, research, anthropology, tree science, physics, psychology, sociology, genetics, evolution, extinction, environment, agricultural science, psychiatry, cardiology, rheumatology, geology, natural sciences, social sciences, etc
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/2...
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/9...

13. A book about wildlife or nature conservation.

This could be about conservation globally, by country or region, locally, or just around your own home.

https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...
https://mountainandprairie.com/10-con...
https://www.gviusa.com/blog/smb-15-of...
https://www.jamesborrell.com/another-...
https://www.google.com/search?q=a+boo...

14. A book tagged by Goodreads readers as Literary Fiction

https://www.goodreads.com/genres/lite...

We might each define the term differently. Common descriptions include well written, beautiful prose, not a genre book, not a mystery, reveals the human condition


15. A book with a character who has a trait related to one of Dorothy’s companions in the Wizard of Oz


Some Ideas:


Scarecrow:
A character who:

- is a protector (security guard, secret service, mom, etc.)

- lives or works on a farm

- is smart, intelligent or wise

- is “stuffy” (since the Scarecrow is stuffed with hay)



Tin Woodsman:
A character who:

- is loving, caring, or kind

- works with wood (logger, forestry, carpentry)

- lives or works in a forest

- works with/uses something that is tin (tin soldiers; tin is used in food packaging, electronics, glass, bronze, pewter, copper)

- works in the oil industry

- works in a factory



Cowardly Lion:
A character who:
- is courageous or brave
- is cowardly or afraid
- lives in a jungle (even though lions don’t live there they are known as “the king of the jungle”)
- lives in sub-Saharan Africa (the savannah - where lions actually live)
- is a king
- has long hair
- is proud (being proud of one’s self or others, or in the LGBTQ+ sense)

Y'all-- if we can get at least 2 through, we'll be halfway there!

In Thoughts and Ideas #2, could you please change Miss Scarlet's description line to Miss Scarlett: a femme fatale. (a sexy lady, a sexy con artist, or a prostitute.)

Thanks!

Pamela wrote: "Y'all-- if we can get at least 2 through, we'll be halfway there!"

I hope we get more than two. This is a good set of options!

And in Thoughts and Ideas #5, could it please include my whole list with "headers"? A list of cut-off links isn't as helpful imo as knowing which link you're clicking on. Many thanks!

Desert books:https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...
Morocco: https://heyimreading.com/2022/12/24/b...
Arizona: https://travelingmel.com/books-set-in...
Fantasy: https://www.rosalynkelly.co.uk/blog/1...
The Sahara: https://www.mappit.net/bookmap/georeg...
Mysteries & thrillers: https://www.bookbub.com/blog/mysterie...
Australian outback: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/2...
Antarctica: https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...
A list of world deserts: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...

Wow, this will be a severely tough one! I really, really like All suggestions Except the Charlie and Angels which I haven't got any relation to. I know OF them, but I have never been interested, neither by the old series nor the modern one.

The others - how on earth will I be able to choose? ¯⁠\⁠_⁠༼⁠ᴼ⁠ل͜⁠ᴼ⁠༽⁠_⁠/⁠¯

Ideas for entertaining books with science - thanks Vicki
Please add your favorites to a list

Fiction
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/9...
Thrillers
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
Women
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/2...

NancyJ wrote: "Ideas for entertaining books with science - thanks Vicki
Please add your favorites to a list

Fiction
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/9...
Thrillers
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/..."

These are great lists. I hope this gets in!

I think this is my favorite set of prompts thus far. Also, thanks again to Nike for suggesting and Becky for seconding my prompt. ^^

For prompt #12 orphaned or adopted character I put forward the following lists, if someone needs inspiration:

Orphans
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/3...
Adoption (general overview of existing lists)
https://www.goodreads.com/list/tag?id...
Adopted (general overview of existing lists)
https://www.goodreads.com/list/tag?id...

Also, I agree with NancyJ, foster kids can definitely be included for this as well. Some of the existing lists are the same as for adoption/adopted for that matter.

Foster Care
https://www.goodreads.com/list/tag?id...

For anyone looking at the support information for Prompt #15 - Oz, for some reason it is coming out with huge spaces and missing information on the phone app (worse than normal gaps that are often found on the phone app). It appears to be just fine on the browser on my computer though. FYI, in case you can't follow the info I provided.

I hate:
4. A nonfiction book
and
14. A book tagged by Goodreads readers as Literary Fiction

Because I always complete the challenge at least twice. Once with all fiction and once with all nonfiction titles.

Any fiction suggestions for 4 or nonfiction for 14?

Deborah wrote: "I hate:
4. A nonfiction book
and
14. A book tagged by Goodreads readers as Literary Fiction

Because I always complete the challenge at least twice. Once with all fiction and once with all nonficti..."

14 doesn't have to be literary fiction, it just needs to be tagged that way on Goodreads, so look for something nonfiction that's mis-tagged.

For 4, you could maybe stretch it to a fictionalised account of real events and people, something like The Other Einstein.

Marie wrote: "Deborah wrote: "I hate:
4. A nonfiction book
and
14. A book tagged by Goodreads readers as Literary Fiction

Because I always complete the challenge at least twice. Once with all fiction and once w..."

Thank you so much. I never would have thought to look for mis-tagged books.

Historical fiction or based on a true story would work, now maybe I don't hat that one so much. I did love her book The Personal Librarian maybe I should read more by Marie Benedict

Deborah - maybe there is a literary author who has written a memoir? Or someone else has written a biography of a literary author? Oh! Just thought of Ann Patchett (who I would consider a literary author) who wrote a book of essays, “These Precious Days”.

Tracy wrote: "Deborah - maybe there is a literary author who has written a memoir? Or someone else has written a biography of a literary author? Oh! Just thought of Ann Patchett (who I would consider a literary ..."

Wow! That's perfect.
Thanks, I guess there's always an answer even if I can't think of it.

Thank you to Heather L and Pamela who helped to suggest for me! I really like this list. I hope we get a few of them through!

As for the immortals, fiction options include stories with vampires, liches or other undead, books that have characters who reincarnate, super heroes (for those who like graphic novels) and most fantasy series probably have character elements with immortality or who follow particular gods. Deathless characters can be ones that were never alive so cannot be killed, animate inanimate objects, if you will. ( https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1... )

For non-fiction fans, a book that studies cultures with strong religious beliefs, histories of holy wars, or one that is by or about a person whose life or actions are influenced by a strong belief in a god-like being totally work here.

The only two options on this list that I would definitely upvote are 2026 debut and a book related to one of the five senses. Though, I could see myself upvoting for the literary fiction option since my book club reads a lot from that genre.

Deborah wrote: "Any fiction suggestions for 4 or nonfiction for 14?"

For #4 maybe a work of autofiction. I read Homeland Elegies a couple years ago, which is a fiction book. However, the author and real people in his life are characters in the book and he discusses things that really happened in his life such as seeing his award-winning play, Disgraced, come to fruition. It definitely blurs the line between fact and fiction

Andrea wrote: "Deborah wrote: "Any fiction suggestions for 4 or nonfiction for 14?"

For #4 maybe a work of autofiction. I read Homeland Elegies a couple years ago, which is a fiction book. Howeve..."

Thank You!

Deborah - another idea for literary non-fiction. Have you read “Know My Name” by Chanel Miller? I have no idea how it is tagged. It is her memoir, but I found she wrote it in a very Literary way (her degree is in Literature). Can’t remember if you are one of the people who doesn’t like memoirs though…

Deborah wrote: "I hate:
4. A nonfiction book
and
14. A book tagged by Goodreads readers as Literary Fiction

Because I always complete the challenge at least twice. Once with all fiction and once with all nonficti..."

You don’t need to hate on them. You’re our role model on how to be flexible with a prompt you think you’ll hate.

#4 - A book called nonfiction that takes liberties with the truth. 4 cups of tea. IMO most biographies, memoirs, exposés, scandal books.

#14 - auto-fiction?

Deborah wrote: "I hate:
4. A nonfiction book
and
14. A book tagged by Goodreads readers as Literary Fiction

Your challenge, your call.

#14 Easy - books with both nonfiction and fiction tags would work perfectly. Any book commonly mistaken for the other would fit.

#4 Narrative nonfiction. Fact based books that read like fiction. If there is dialogue at all, it’s suspect to me. How many people can honestly recount dialogue accurately?

NancyJ wrote: "Ideas for entertaining books with science - thanks Vicki
Please add your favorites to a list

Fiction
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/9...
Thrillers
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/..."


I forgot how many science books I liked.

#1 on the lab list has spam votes. We should upvote better books.

Tracy wrote: "Deborah - another idea for literary non-fiction. Have you read “Know My Name” by Chanel Miller? I have no idea how it is tagged. It is her memoir, but I found she wrote it in a very Literary way (h..."

I haven't read it. I'm fine with memoirs, read a few this year.

Thanks for the suggestion.

Judy wrote: "Deborah wrote: "I hate:
4. A nonfiction book
and
14. A book tagged by Goodreads readers as Literary Fiction

Because I always complete the challenge at least twice. Once with all fiction and once w..."

Wow! Thanks.

I actually might even vote for nonfiction now and have stopped hating them both now.

I do appreciate the help.

Pearl wrote: "Deborah wrote: "I hate:
4. A nonfiction book
and
14. A book tagged by Goodreads readers as Literary Fiction

Your challenge, your call.

#14 Easy - books with both nonfiction and fiction tags wou..."

Thanks!

There are some good ones here. Not a fan of Literary fiction or Non-fiction. Too general, you can plug those in anywhere. And 2026 debut author is a downvote from me too. I have too many books on my TBR already.

I'm really going to need more than 8 votes this time around...

First impressions - I like this batch of suggestions overall, but there seems like a lot of (potential) overlap:

- A book connected to Agatha Christie
- A book featuring a character with a similar occupation to one of the Clue/Cluedo characters
(If you read anything by Agatha Christie for the first prompt, you will definitely encounter at least one character with a similar occupation to those listed in the second prompt. If both make it in, I think my list of options for both prompts would be near identical)

- A book that includes a science related topic
- A book about wildlife or nature conservation
(I'd rather have one of these rather than both, but I do like them. Not sure which one to vote for!)

And I'm very on the fence for A book with a character who has a trait related to one of Dorothy’s companions in the Wizard of Oz. If a book just needs to contain one character who is either kind, caring, smart, courageous, cowardly, afraid, proud or LGBTQ, or has long hair, then that's basically "read a book" to me since every fiction book I've read this year fits. I do like the theme though, so if this makes it in I would try to make it a lot more narrow, like requiring a character who works on a farm, in a factory, etc. My sweet spot is when a prompt gives me about 5-10 solid options so I don't love when I have well over 100+ options just from the books I already own.

Irene - thanks for pointing out that the ideas I offered for Oz contain both KIS and BIO options (I wish I had thought to sort them that way!). I think you are right, you can make it easy, or you can make it more of a challenge.

For me, I’d probably go for either someone who lives or works in either a farm or a forest. Or possibly a woodworker of some sort.

Chrissie wrote: "I think this is my favorite set of prompts thus far. Also, thanks again to Nike for suggesting and Becky for seconding my prompt. ^^

For prompt #12 orphaned or adopted character I put forward the ..."
I love this topic. There are two authors that have not let me down yet. These are books that might fit.
Necessary Lies by Diane Chamberlain
Take Me with You by Catherine Ryan Hyde

So many different prompts this week.

I love all the creative prompts: My Clue prompt, the Wizard of Oz, and the Agatha Christie one.

I am thinking of upvoting non-fiction only because I have a few autobiographies on my TBR list.

I love the immortal character prompt.

A book that fits a prompt suggestion for this year that did not make the list - This is a definite upvote. It is often my favourite prompt of the year.

A book by a 2026 debut author seems odd to me. We already have a 2026 book. We often have a debut book, but changed it up this year with a sophomore book. What if no one publishes a first book in 2026 that I want to read. Looking back on the Goodreads awards for debut books , it's hit and miss different years.

I should like the idea of a Charlie's Angels prompt. It's creative and I was the right age to love the show at its peak. But I don't know what I'd read. I need to know what other people would do with the prompt.

Ditto for the basic tastes prompt. Like the idea, but am no sure where to go with it.

I love all of these! gonna be hard to pick favorites

Dubhease wrote: "So many different prompts this week.

I love all the creative prompts: My Clue prompt, the Wizard of Oz, and the Agatha Christie one.

...I should like the idea of a Charlie's Angels prompt. It's creative and I was the right age to love the show at its peak. But I don't know what I'd read. I need to know what other people would do with the prompt.

Ditto for the basic tastes prompt. Like the idea, but am no sure where to go with it...."

Dubhease, I feel the same about the Charlie's Angels prompt. I remember enjoying it, but I don't remember the "Angels" having super distinct personalities that I could work with. All I can think of is a book with a female private-eye or spy?

And re: "A book related to one of the five basic tastes" (I wish the actual tastes could be included in the prompt itself), i.e., sweet, salty, bitter, sour, umami/savory, my thoughts are:

Sweet: a cozy mystery set in a bakery? a low-on-the-chili-pepper-scale romance? memoir or cookbook by a well known pastry chef/baker?

Salty: about someone at sea (lost at sea, naval story, pirates)

Bitter: a curmudgeon story (like A Man Called Ove), or someone who is not doing well after a breakup/failure of some sort?

Sour: not sure about this one. A "sour" character might be pretty similar to a "bitter" character. Maybe a citrus farmer? Not that I'm aware of a book specifically about a citrus farmer... Or maybe someone whose behaviour could be described as "sour grapes" (angry because they have not gotten or achieved something that they wanted).

Umami/Savory: maybe going with an UNsavory character, especially in Japan — a criminal or thief of some sort, maybe Yakuza (Japanese mobsters, in case you aren't familiar: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yakuza)

Hope this helps. I like the "tastes" prompt too, but now I realize that filling it will take a little more thought than I realized. But I still think it's doable.

First impressions:

1. A book connected in some way to the "Queen of Crime", Agatha Christie - I like the idea behind this, but the examples of how to approach it threw me off a bit. I was thinking to read an Agatha Christie-style mystery (ie. something similar to And Then There Were None or Murder on the Orient Express), but then I started to second-guess if that fits since it's not related to her specifically.

2.A book featuring a character with a similar occupation to one of the Clue/Cluedo characters - Love this, and I can easily see myself turning this into another unofficial multiweek.

3. A book with an immortal character - Love it, but I feel like it would be more of a struggle than I expect to find something that fits.

4. A nonfiction book - Downvote for me. I prefer prompts that allow both fiction and nonfiction options, and I'm not a fan of nonfiction generally.

5.A book set in a desert environment - I can't think of many books that fit, but I could be convinced if I had enough options.

6. A book that has to do with a favorite animal - Meh, I'm kind of over animal-related prompts. I feel like we have variations of this every year.

7. A book that fits a prompt suggestion for this year that did not make the list - Probably a shoo-in to make the list, but I'm unlikely to vote for it. I do a rejects challenge anyway of the prompts that I vote for that don't make it, so I have no real need to have this.

8. A book inspired by or related to the Charlie’s Angels franchise - I loved the movie version with Drew Barrymore, so maybe, but I don't really care for spy stories so I'm not sure what I'd actually want to read.

9. A book related to one of the five basic tastes - Neutral. I can definitely find something if it gets in, but there are others that I want more.

10. A book that includes a science related topic - A strong maybe. I seem to have quite a few STEM-related romances on my list, and I'm sure I could find some sci fi, historical fiction or maybe even fantasy that could fit

11. A book by a 2026 debut author - Most likely an upvote. It's a good chance to pick up some new releases, and probably some BOTM selections.

12. A book with an orphaned or adopted character - Another strong maybe. It wouldn't necessarily be my top choice because it's a prompt I've done a lot before, but I usually really like it.

13. A book about wildlife or nature conservation - Again, I'm burnt out on animal-related prompts and also environmental prompts. I'm sure I could find something if I had to, but I don't really want it.

14. A book tagged by Goodreads readers as Literary Fiction - Neutral. I like the genre, but there are just too many other options on the list that I want more.

15. A book with a character who has a trait related to one of Dorothy’s companions in the Wizard of Oz - For some reason, I feel like I've seen different wording of a similar concept that I liked better, but I can't remember exactly what it was. This is another strong maybe. I love the Wizard of Oz.

Dubhease wrote: "So many different prompts this week.

I love all the creative prompts: My Clue prompt, the Wizard of Oz, and the Agatha Christie one.

I am thinking of upvoting non-fiction only because I have a fe..."

Ditto on 2026 debut. It’s already difficult because we have to wait for them to be published. Save the 2026 debut for ATY 2027. or make it read a 2022-2027 debut.

Deborah wrote: "Judy wrote: "Deborah wrote: "I hate:
4. A nonfiction book
and
14. A book tagged by Goodreads readers as Literary Fiction

Because I always complete the challenge at least twice. Once with all ficti..."

I love it when that happens! It’s nice to find new things to like. I think that’s why I do challenges. To show myself that This dog can learn new tricks.

And hey I’m excited that thanks to medical science I can once again walk a mile. (The hard part will be to keep doing it.)

Pearl wrote: "NancyJ wrote: "Ideas for entertaining books with science - thanks Vicki
Please add your favorites to a list

Fiction
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/9...
Thrillers
https://www.goodreads..."

Thanks Pearl.
I hate spammers who try to put their book at the top of a list. We had one on an Aty list not too long ago but Emily got them all deleted.

I voted for a lot of books, even near the top of the list. Did you see all the Barbara Kingsolver and Andy Weir books?

I didn’t have time today, but I still need to find a couple newer science listopias - especially the one with the really popular nonfiction books.

If anyone finds one can you post it? I’ll add it to the list above

I'll be very disappointed (but not surprised) if 2026 debut gets in. It's not just a duplicate of a prompt we already have, with an added restriction, but we have that prompt every year. If anything is burnt out or overdone, it's "published in the current year ".

How will it work in the final list? The regular version is usually at the end to give people more options, do we have both together or does one have to be limited by being earlier?

A few more thoughts on how to approach the Agatha Christie prompt if you're for some reason not wanting to read an actual Agatha Christie book:

– You could read something attributed to The Detection Club, of which Agatha Christie was President from 1957–1976

– You could read Marple: Twelve New Mysteries or one of the New Poirot books by Sophie Hannah

– You could read a fiction book in which Christie appears as a character, such as The Woman on the Orient Express or The House at Riverton (where she makes a cameo appearance)

– You could read a nonfiction book about Christie herself such as Eleven Days In December: The Disappearance of Agatha Christie or her own nonfiction account of her time accompanying her archaelogist husband to a dig in Syria Come, Tell Me How You Live

– You could read a nonfiction book about her writing and/or her methods such as Murder Isn't Easy: The Forensics of Agatha Christie or Agatha Christie's Secret Notebooks

– Or you could simply read a book with a character who reminds you of her – a crime writer, an English lady, a woman who finds happiness and fulfillment in her second marriage (perhaps even to a younger man), a character who mysteriously disappears for a short time, an expert in poison …

– You could read The Agatha Christie Book Club, Eight Perfect Murders, or another Christie-referencing work. Or one that shares a title with one of hers, such as Murder at the Old Vicarage or . . . And Then There Were None

Poll Prompts:

1. A book connected in some way to the "Queen of Crime", Agatha Christie
I quite like this one, and can think of ways of doing it which wouldn't clash with the Clue/Cluedo prompt. Archeology springs to mind, and she was one of the first water skiers, if you want a sporty book.

2.A book featuring a character with a similar occupation to one of the Clue/Cluedo characters
An upvote.

3. A book with an immortal character
Not really my thing, but I do have a book that will fit. Neutral.

4. A nonfiction book
A downvote. I read nonfiction anyway, and this prompt seems both too wide and too prescriptive.

5.A book set in a desert environment
I read a lot of sea related books this year, so I would be happy if this got through. An upvote.

6. A book that has to do with a favorite animal
Not sure. There is no shortage of books about cats, but I'm not very inspired by this one. Might be neutral, might be an upvote.

7. A book that fits a prompt suggestion for this year that did not make the list
Always a good one to have.

8. A book inspired by or related to the Charlie’s Angels franchise
I never got into Charlie's Angels, and this really doesn't interest me. A downvote.

9. A book related to one of the five basic tastes
Don't mind this, don't love it, but will decide on voting.

10. A book that includes a science related topic
I like science books, and might well read one or two to fulfill other prompts. Another one to ponder.

11. A book by a 2026 debut author
For me, this means waiting for a book which fulfills both these to become available in the library. A downvote.

12. A book with an orphaned or adopted character
An upvote and a chance to read Before Dorothy

13. A book about wildlife or nature conservation
I don't mind this one. Another possible.

14. A book tagged by Goodreads readers as Literary Fiction
For me, this is read a book. No problem if it gets in, but I wouldn't upvote.

15. A book with a character who has a trait related to one of Dorothy’s companions in the Wizard of Oz
I would have preferred this to be just 'related to the Wizard of Oz'. A neutral, I think.

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 to narrow it down? Frustrating! I'm sure about science and orphans - I think! But when it comes to the rest I'm just confused. I wish I could borrow six additional votes from another week.

But I think I can let go of 2026 debut author, I can read that 2027.

Go vote:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FA...

Marie wrote: "I'll be very disappointed (but not surprised) if 2026 debut gets in. It's not just a duplicate of a prompt we already have, with an added restriction, but we have that prompt every year. If anythin..."

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!

A 2026 author I could be neutral on - it's the combination of debut and the year that makes it so tricky. And because of the unlikelihood of such a combination becoming available that year in libraries, for a lot of people, it means spending money on a hardback by an unknown. A definite downer for me.

Pamela wrote: "Go vote:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FA..."


I got an error when I voted - did my vote go through?

Nadine, I don't see your vote.

Emily wrote: "Nadine, I don't see your vote."

thanks! i'll try again

Nadine in NY wrote: "Emily wrote: "Nadine, I don't see your vote."

thanks! i'll try again"

It's there now