Around the Year in 52 Books discussion
ATY 2026
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[2026] Poll 10 Voting
Mod
1. A book related to the name of one of Santa's reindeer
For example:
Dasher - a runner, a character on the go
Dancer - a book about dance
Prancer - a spirited horse - for everyone who wants more horse books
Vixen - actual foxes or a sexually attractive and alluring female character
Comet - anything astronomy or space related
Cupid - Roman god of love - anything romance related
Donner and Blitzen - derived from German for Thunder and Lightning
Rudolph - an outcast or person with a physical difference.
A lot of these could work for fiction or non-fiction.
Some of our readers don't read in English. If the reindeer have names in another language, readers can interpret those words as they see fit.
2. A book set in an isolated location
This can be interpreted in many ways. Here are some lists for inspiration:
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...
https://www.bookbub.com/blog/mysterie...
4. A book suggested by one of the song titles from Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon
Title, cover, or content. Fiction or non-fiction. Be inspired...don't overthink it.
Song List:
1 Speak To Me/Breathe
2 On The Run
3 Time
4 The Great Gig In The Sky
5 Money
6 Us And Them
7 Any Colour You Like
8 Brain Damage
9 Eclipse
It's the song title that should inspire your pick, not the song lyrics
5. A Bildungsroman (coming-of-age) book
Some lists for inspiration:
https://tacoma.bibliocommons.com/v2/l...
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/9...
https://bookriot.com/best-coming-of-a...
https://lithub.com/the-50-greatest-co...
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
6. A book for which all of the words in the title start with one of the letters in OLYMPICS
Examples:
Murder in Second Position
Stranger In Paradise
Lady Chatterly's Lover
O Pioneers!
Skeleton Crew
Missing Pieces
Chestnut Street
7. A book related to a painting by Vincent Van Gogh
Some options off the top of my head: shared titles or title words (e.g. using "Starry" or "Night"), covers that share primary colors/color palettes or primary painting subjects (e.g. yellow books, books with sunflowers), books set where the painting was painted (the Netherlands, France), autobiographies (so many self portraits!), and so on.
8. A book either written by or featuring a “Nepo Baby”
A "Nepo Baby" is a popular term to refer to those who have benefitting greatly by the family's position, fame & wealth: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nepo_baby
Examples: written by : Anne Hillerman, Joe Hill/Owen King, Victoria Benton Frank, Samantha Van Lear
Featuring: The Nest, Age of Vice, Crazy Rich Asians, MacBeth, Empire of Pain, etc.
https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...
Like in "Succession" or even "Game of Thrones"
9. A book with a symbol of death on the cover
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symbols...
Symbols of death are the motifs, images and concepts associated with death throughout different cultures, religions and societies.
Skull, coffin, hourglass, tombstone, grim reaper, scythe, crow, bat, owl, cross, angel, black dog, candle, lily, red poppy, noose, pale horse, etc.
Crows: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
Crosses: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/3...
Tombstones: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
10. A fiction or non-fiction book that could be considered a microhistory
This could be a traditional non-fiction micro history about a specific thing (salt, cod, the building of a famous bridge, etc).
Or if non-fiction just isn’t your thing, then it could be novel that focuses on a particular micro-topic or a historical fiction novel focusing the invention or discovery of a specific thing (airplanes, penicillin, etc.), or a very narrow historical event told as historical fiction.
Micro-Historical-FICTION Listopia (thanks to JoyD!): https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/2...
Micro-histories (Non-Fiction) Listopia: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
12. A book that includes the "fish out of water" trope
This trope can be found in general fiction, romance, fantasy, sci-fi, horror, gothic. and cross genre mysteries. Time travel, immigration, relocation, space aliens, and travel all fit well.
“The beloved fish out of water trope” (from a blogger)
… It provides opportunities for misunderstandings that aren’t contrived and humor that arises organically from the situation. It gives characters a way to compare/contrast cultures, and to poke gentle fun at the unique foibles of any group. It can do all of that on the lighter side but can go alongside darker themes, like the universal experiences of alienation, yearning for that place that means “home” to us, and wanting to belong to a place and people who value us.”
In realistic fiction, it is often found in books involving immigrants, travel, major relocation, cross culture conflicts, survival, and stories about starting over in a new location. Variations can be found Romance and paranormal romance, involving all types of outsiders.
In sci-fi-fantasy, the fish out of water trope can often be found in books involving time travel, time slip, portals, and books involving space aliens, animals, body swaps, and fairytales.
Popular books can be found on the attached list and listopia.
Genre page https://www.goodreads.com/genres/fish...
Tag page: https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...
Info about the trope
https://nofilmschool.com/fish-out-of-...
https://jeevesreads.com/2024/09/07/15...
https://booktrib.com/2021/06/10/8-boo...
https://daveastoronliterature.com/202...
https://iheartsapphfic.com/theme/fish...
https://www.writersrelief.com/5-steps...
13. A book about women crossing borders and boundaries
https://heyimreading.com/2022/05/21/b...
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/th...
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/th...
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
https://electricliterature.com/8-nonf...
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/th...
A book related to psychology, mental health or neuroscience
https://www.goodreads.com/genres/psyc...
https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...
https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...
https://www.goodreads.com/list/tag?id...
Sorry Emily, I left off the most important link, the listopia. Can you add it below genre page? Popular books can be found on the attached list and listopia.
Genre page
https://www.goodreads.com/genres/fish...
Listopia
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
Popular books can be found on the attached list and listopia.
Genre page
https://www.goodreads. com/genres/fish-out-of-water
Listopia
https://www.goodreads. com/list/show/180516.A_Fish_out_of_Water_or_An_Outsider
Thanks! Nancy.
Hi, Emily! I went through and cleaned up/edited my thoughts & references - would you be able to update the Van Gogh prompt with the list below instead? A little more comprehensive and easier to read :)For reference a list of his paintings: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...
- Books with the same titles/title words
- Covers with the same primary color or color palettes (a color palette example: https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit...)
- Covers with a subject from the painting somewhere on them (e.g. crows, sunflowers, stars, a church, a chair, a skeleton, a cigarette)
- Set in or written in the same year/century as the painting (Van Gogh painted from around ~1881 - 1890; 17th century)
- Books with a similar theme as the painting: about death, country living, the natural world, featuring peasant/rural characters, etc.
- Set where the painting was painted - as general as the country (the Netherlands, France) or as specific as the city/area/or even counting in a garden or house or mental institution (Van Gogh painted some of his most famous works when he was hospitalized)
- Or set where the painting is currently hanging - a lot are in the Netherlands, but there are others in the USA, Japan, Poland, Switzerland, Germany, Australia, Mexico, Spain, and more! The Wikipedia link has where each painting is currently housed, for reference.
- An autobiography or memoir - many of his paintings are self-portraits!
- A fun BIO option could be the specific painting is on the cover or mentioned in the book :)
Thank you!!!
This is going to be hard. I don't dislike any of these prompts, and I love so many of them.I'm especially excited for VanGogh — one that I think will be so fun!
While looking at his paintings for inspiration (lots) I came across one I hadn't seen before — 'Skull of a Skeleton with Burning Cigarette', which he is said to have painted in art school as a juvenile joke. I thought I'd seen a book cover that is similar, so I googled it (book with cover similar to...).
Turns out the cover I'd seen had actually used VanGogh's painting!
When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris
Mod
Thoughts:1. A book related to the name of one of Santa's reindeer
Original and fun. Lots of options.
2. A book set in an isolated location
Not sure this would be my first choice but I like setting prompts.
3. A book that is one of the first 20 books on your Goodreads "want to read" list
Could be interpreted as the first 20 books ever (oldest) or the first 20 books you see (newest). I have some books on my list that date back over ten years and this would be a great chance to knock one of those off.
4. A book suggested by one of the song titles from Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon
I have no real connection to this, but the titles do open up a lot of possibilities.
5. A Bildungsroman (coming-of-age) book
Not excited by this, but could fill it from my TBR list.
6. A book for which all of the words in the title start with one of the letters in OLYMPICS
Including all words in the title makes this a nice challenge.
7. A book related to a painting by Vincent Van Gogh
Would use a book about the night sky for this.
8. A book either written by or featuring a “Nepo Baby”
Doesn't interest me.
9. A book with a symbol of death on the cover
I have a couple of crow covers I could use for this.
10. A fiction or non-fiction book that could be considered a microhistory
Love microhistories!
11. A book with an intriguing first line
Not interested in this one.
12. A book that includes the "fish out of water" trope
Could fill it but not inspired by it
13. A book about women crossing borders and boundaries
Great prompt, so many inspiring options
14. A book whose character has the same hobby or pastime as you
Lots of books about readers on my TBR list, and that's really my main hobby (and clearly a hobby we all share!)
15. A book related to psychology, mental health or neuroscience
Love this, could fill it many times over from my TBR list.
I have 6 definite yes votes (so I say now!) Thank you Pearl for suggesting psychology, mental health, and neuroscience themes. While I would most likely read non-fiction, there are lots of great fiction choices, also! WRT the Pink Floyd songs, my first reaction was NO but, after 5 minutes of reflection, I have some good ideas related to 3 of the songs and think that could be a fun prompt! Great suggestions everyone!
Kristina wrote: "Hi, Emily! I went through and cleaned up/edited my thoughts & references - would you be able to update the Van Gogh prompt with the list below instead? A little more comprehensive and easier to rea..."I’m really excited about this. I was thinking I would read about Van Gogh himself. Maybe Vincent and his brother Theo. Or I might read one of the newer books that includes his sister in law Joanna. She worked for years after his death to get his paintings shown,
https://www.goodreads.com/genres/van-...
More Van Gogh:Have any of you seen the movie Loving Vincent that was animated using paintings created by many artists in his style? It was amazing! Here is a trailer for anyone not familiar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VpzX...
Also, my husband just told me that Christopher Moore's book Sacré Bleu ('part mystery, part history, part love story, and wholly hilarious' — Goodreads description) is about Henri Toulouse-Lautrec's (ficitional) quest to unravel the mystery behind Van Gogh's "suicide".
Tracy wrote: "More Van Gogh:Have any of you seen the movie Loving Vincent that was animated using paintings created by many artists in his style? It was amazing! Here is a trailer for anyone not familiar: http..."
I love Christopher Moore - added this one to my TBR list.
Another good week. I love Van Gogh, psychology, fish out of water/outsider, and the song titles - I have at least half covered already. I like women doing amazing things (I’ll need sone new inspiration) and I have a lot of books with isolated settings and Bildungsroman tags. There are only two that might give me trouble.
The last time I looked for good first lines, the examples were very old, many I already read. I’m an audio reader so I would need a new list.
My tbr is so huge, I might need to do some serious pruning before counting. I might feel like cheating. I won’t even ask if first means oldest or newest.
The Van Gogh one seems pretty interesting, the more I think about it.I already read that one, but if anyone's interested then a few editions of Tin Man by Sarah Winman would work.
I would be thrilled if we had another voting round and got four top results from this batch. I have my favourites but would be happy with any of these.
Poll Prompts:A lot of good ones here.
1. A book related to the name of one of Santa's reindeer
Fun and lots of choice.
2. A book set in an isolated location
An okay one and we could do with more settings.
3. A book that is one of the first 20 books on your Goodreads "want to read" list
Don't have one so will have to downvote this one
4. A book suggested by one of the song titles from Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon
Some interesting titles, I would be happy with this one
5. A Bildungsroman (coming-of-age) book
Rather tired of these, but wouldn't downvote.
6. A book for which all of the words in the title start with one of the letters in OLYMPICS
Another okay one
7. A book related to a painting by Vincent Van Gogh
Really like this one.
8. A book either written by or featuring a “Nepo Baby”
No interest in this. Downvote.
9. A book with a symbol of death on the cover
Another okay one.
10. A fiction or non-fiction book that could be considered a microhistory
Would be happy with this.
11. A book with an intriguing first line
No, don't like first/last line prompts.
12. A book that includes the "fish out of water" trope
Not wild about this one.
13. A book about women crossing borders and boundaries
Another okay one.
14. A book whose character has the same hobby or pastime as you
Not wild about this, but perfectly doable.
15. A book related to psychology, mental health or neuroscience
Possible.
My initial thoughts before any kind of deep research:1. A book related to the name of one of Santa's reindeer
Not sure what I'd read, but I like it. It's a creative prompt.
2. A book set in an isolated location
This fits lots of genres.
3. A book that is one of the first 20 books on your Goodreads "want to read" list
Definite upvote. I need to get to some of my older books.
4. A book suggested by one of the song titles from Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon
I like this one. I'm not sure I'd go for both this and the reindeer one. I'll have to research titles for both. I love me some Pink Floyd, though.
5. A Bildungsroman (coming-of-age) book
Always doable.
6. A book for which all of the words in the title start with one of the letters in OLYMPICS
I'm kind of burnt out on title prompts, but I like the added layer of difficulty by having to have every little come the word.
7. A book related to a painting by Vincent Van Gogh
I'll have to give this some thought. There's a Doctor Who episode about Van Gogh, btw. Second poll in a row with a prompt that features the subject of a Doctor Who episode.
8. A book either written by or featuring a “Nepo Baby”
I don't care for the term Nepo Baby, but I get the point of the prompt. Maybe I'd finally read Joe Hill?
9. A book with a symbol of death on the cover
I liked this the first time, and I still like it.
10. A fiction or non-fiction book that could be considered a microhistory
Maybe. I'm a historian in real life, so this is easy enough for me.
11. A book with an intriguing first line
Love this.
12. A book that includes the "fish out of water" trope
Neutral.
13. A book about women crossing borders and boundaries
Honestly... neutral. I'm sure I could come up with something for it, though.
14. A book whose character has the same hobby or pastime as you
I don't know... genealogy, reading, hiking (before I got sick, anyway), binge-watching '70s game shows... don't think that comes up in many books
15. A book related to psychology, mental health or neuroscience
Maybe if I could find an appropriate fiction book. I'm not fond of reading about psychology or neuroscience. Maybe The Virgin Suicides would work? Can anyone confirm?
Angie wrote: "My initial thoughts before any kind of deep research:1. A book related to the name of one of Santa's reindeer
Not sure what I'd read, but I like it. It's a creative prompt.
2. A book set in an i..."
The Virgin Suicides is tagged as Mental Health, so yes.
Re: books about reading books: https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/... I immediately saw two that are on my TBR list! Quite a few hiking books, too: https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/... And even some genealogy! https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...
I'm pretty sure there are books about everything :D
The Portrait of Dr. Gachet: The Story of a van Gogh MasterpieceFor people who prefer nonfiction this is a fascinating biography of a Van Gogh painting.
There are too many good ones this round. Right now I have 7 up votes and only 3 down votes.
Currently, I'm neutral on 1, 2, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12-14.Up: 3 (it would be good to remove one of my older TBRs, which tends to be lost as new ones are added, 5 (love coming-of-age books), and 15 (since I worked and taught in the mental health field)
Down: 4 (I love the concept; however, the track, "Any Colour You Like" appears to broaden the field of possible reads too much. Any book with color in its dust jacket could suffice. If this one is chosen I might emphasize one of the other tracks or limit colour to a comination of three primary color), 8, and 11.
Tracy wrote: "More Van Gogh:If this prompt is selected, I might use the song lyrics for Vincent by Don McLean as a jumping off spot.
John wrote: "Tracy wrote: "More Van Gogh:If this prompt is selected, I might use the song lyrics for Vincent by Don McLean as a jumping off spot."
John — "Vincent" by Don McLean would be a great lyric prompt in general (obviously not while VanGogh is also a prompt, but maybe another year?) For anyone who doesn't remember the song, here are the lyrics and some of the story behind it: https://nicmoon.weebly.com/vincent---...
John wrote: "Currently, I'm neutral on 1, 2, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12-14.Up: 3 (it would be good to remove one of my older TBRs, which tends to be lost as new ones are added, 5 (love coming-of-age books), and 15 (sinc..."
Seems like a pretty lame reason to vote down #4. The reader only needs to choose one book from the list. Does it really matter if someone takes the easy route? That's their choice. It's what you choose to read that's important.
Sorry to vent...I thought this was a creative prompt, and it's not too narrow. I think of it as a Rorschach test using words instead of ink-blots.
I don't care for the Pink Floyd prompt because I'm not a fan of their music, but would never downvote it because it was too broad.I'm rarely ambivalent with music prompts when they get narrow to one band/musician/micro-genre. I'm especially not ambivalent with songs. I often love/like them or hate/dislike them, even songs/compositions from one composer or musician, although I'm not like that with everything in life, thankfully!
As you might guess, I tend to dislike easy listening and elevator music.
RE: Dark Side of the MoonHere are some quick thoughts as a starting point:
1 Speak To Me/Breathe - an inspirational book
2 On The Run - a main character who is being chased
3 Time - time travel
4 The Great Gig In The Sky - takes place in outer space
5 Money - greed
6 Us And Them - a revolt or revolution
7 Any Colour You Like - main character is a POC
8 Brain Damage - mental health
9 Eclipse - there is a solar eclipse in 2026
Mod
First impressions: 1. A book related to the name of one of Santa's reindeer - Love this! I can see myself deciding to turn it into a multi-week prompt and then kicking myself afterwards, but I love the creativity of this
2. A book set in an isolated location - Love this one too! I think it would be a good fit for a lot of the thrillers I have
3. A book that is one of the first 20 books on your Goodreads "want to read" list - Likely a downvote. The first 20 books on my TBR are classics that I added without any immediate attempt at reading them, and I can see myself just sorting the list different ways until I see something I want, and that doesn't really feel like it's in the spirit of the prompt to me
4. A book suggested by one of the song titles from Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon - Completely indifferent. I know nothing about Pink Floyd or their music. I'm sure I can find something that fits one of those titles, but I have no attachment to it whatsoever to make it motivating enough to vote
5. A Bildungsroman (coming-of-age) book - Most likely neutral. I like these kinds of books, but for some reason, I always struggle to find one that fits this kind of prompt when it comes up
6. A book for which all of the words in the title start with one of the letters in OLYMPICS - Not really a fan of searching out specific letters in a title, although I do like that this is different from anything we've had before
7. A book related to a painting by Vincent Van Gogh - I don't think I'm familiar enough with his art to be able to immediately connect it to a book
8. A book either written by or featuring a “Nepo Baby” - I have no idea how I'd even begin to tackle this one
9. A book with a symbol of death on the cover - Loved this when it first came up, and still love it now! Definitely an upvote
10. A fiction or non-fiction book that could be considered a microhistory - We already have a non-fiction prompt, so I'd rather not have another, and I'm especially not that into microhistories. My brain is too literal to accept fiction as a microhistory without feeling like too much of a stretch.
11. A book with an intriguing first line - I always struggle with this because I get hung up on what "counts" as intriguing, and I also don't love having to preview every book to check whether it fits.
12. A book that includes the "fish out of water" trope - Love the concept, but I feel like I've struggled to find books that fit in the past. Still, I'd most likely upvote.
13. A book about women crossing borders and boundaries - Love that the wording on this one is open enough to allow a variety of options. Likely an upvote.
14. A book whose character has the same hobby or pastime as you - I don't really feel like I have a ton of interesting hobbies aside from reading, so I'd most likely just pick a book about readers. While I love those, I'm not sure I care enough about the prompt to vote for it, but definitely wouldn't downvote.
15. A book related to psychology, mental health or neuroscience - I am fascinated by psychology (it was my major) and neuroscience, so I might upvote. I'm just not sure I have many books that are a clear fit
Robin P wrote: "The one that seems too narrow to me is nepo baby. I’m not interested in celebrities or politicians who inherited their fame. But if it gets in, I could use one of the many Regency romances with nob..." Robin, that's why "MacBeth" is listed as an example - it could be any noble, for sure. Doesn't have to be a celeb or pol - just any character who inherited money, privilege or advantages - they don't even have to be actively using their inheritance either - I've read books where someone stepped away from their rich or powerful family. Just seems like a fairly common trope.
Rachel wrote: "First impressions: 3. A book that is one of the first 20 books on your Goodreads "want to read" list - Likely a downvote. The first 20 books on my TBR are classics that I added without any immediate attempt at reading them, and I can see myself just sorting the list different ways until I see something I want, and that doesn't really feel like it's in the spirit of the prompt to me..."
What about choosing among the 20 you've added most recently? It seems to me that the wording allows for either the oldest or the newest 20, in particular because the newest 20 are the first ones I see when I go to my TBR list. Just a thought.
A lot of you are BIO people. I am a KIS interpreter of prompts. My lazy ideas for some of these prompts:A book for which all of the words in the title start with one of the letters in OLYMPICS - If you pick a one word title then it's easier.
A book with an intriguing first line - Every time this prompt comes up (or last line), I reverse engineer it by assigning it one of the books I read anyway that has a sentence that fits.
Mod
My issue with the prompt is there seems no reason for it- there's no anniversary or anything and it just seems random. If I'm going to do a prompt based on something like that, I want there to be a reason. Otherwise, why this album and not some other one?
I don't think you have to like the artist or medium for a pop culture prompt (I'm not a Van Gogh fan, but it's a good guiding prompt)- noone is asking anyone to read a book about the song or TV show. But for me to buy a prompt like that, it need to have a reason or at least hit the sweet spot of the books you can read. If it's a read any book and the fun in the prompt is finding the connection, then the like comes into it,
Tracy wrote: "This is going to be hard. I don't dislike any of these prompts, and I love so many of them.I'm especially excited for VanGogh — one that I think will be so fun!
While looking at his paintings fo..."
Wow, have never seen it before. Thank you so much for sharing! Oh, I really do hope this one gets in. I would finally (if it matches the prompt - does it(?) - read my book about him. (I do believe I got to books about him by the way (!) and I haven't read any of them yet, it's about time. I saw an exhibition here in my city Göteborg (Gothenburg) once. I love his work so much 🌻💜
Pamela wrote: "Karin wrote: "I don't care for the Pink Floyd prompt because I'm not a fan of their music, but would never downvote it because it was too broad."My issue with the prompt is there seems no reason ..."
They had one 50th anniversary album come out and they have another anniversary this year. I don’t think the date matters at all for most people. They are getting a lot of renewed interest with people right now, and not just from people over 60! More importantly for us, the song titles relate to many topics that can be really interesting for a reading challenge. I’m glad it’s not based on light weight song lyrics. This album was picked because it meets many of our goals.
I really liked the song “ it’s the end of the world as we know it …” but i think it depresses people so it never got in. It doesn’t depress me because there is usually a hopeful ending, “… and I feel fine”
NancyJ wrote: "Pamela wrote: "Karin wrote: "I don't care for the Pink Floyd prompt because I'm not a fan of their music, but would never downvote it because it was too broad."My issue with the prompt is there s..."
Thank you, NancyJ! I appreciate your interpretation.
Let Me Tell You About a Man I Knew is a very good book about Van Gogh from the perspective of the wife of the warden of the artist's asylum. References paintings, so would fit the prompt.
This sounds really interesting Leah - thanks for sharing!I think it might even work as a Fictional Micro-history.
I'm more out of step with the group than ever...lol. The last three votes for me have been 2 up and 6 down. My ups will be Santa's Reindeer and Pink Floyd.
Dubhease wrote: "A lot of you are BIO people. I am a KIS interpreter of prompts. My lazy ideas for some of these prompts:A book for which all of the words in the title start with one of the letters in OLYMPICS - ..."
I LOVE your approach to the FIRST LINE PROMPT (and I would copy the other one too). I wouldn’t even call them KIS. If we all took that approach to the first line prompt, we as a group could create a fantastic list of books with great first lines! That list could eventually get pulled up by people doing other similar challenges in the future!
If the purpose of the fist line prompt is to get readers and writers to appreciate the importance of first lines, then your approach will meet that goal because you will paying attention to them all year. I will need to remind myself to write them down when I listen to the audios.
I always want some prompts that will inspire me to research books , or do a deep dive into a topic. They just make my brain happy. Some of the rest might be plugged in long after I read them. It’s not KIS as long as the book truly fits imo. Though it does keep things simple. (Or it would if I could stop moving things around trying to find the “best” fits.)
I'm voting early because I'm about to leave on a trip. Hopefully the trip will distract me from having to wait so long between voting and results!I could have UP voted almost ALL of these prompts. But in the end I decided just to use 6 of my votes, just to give my very favorites a bit more of a chance.
My TOP Pick is
7. A book related to a painting by Vincent Van Gogh
I have at least 3 books I'd really like to read that are inspired by this prompt. I can easily see this prompt as the one I used TWICE thanks to our "A second book for your favorite prompt"
A Close Second is:
4. A book suggested by one of the song titles from Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon
Thanks to the simple titles with broad themes on this album I have many books I can read. A couple of examples: "Time" would allow me to read a time themed or multiverse book (one of my favorite prompts this year), and "Any Color You Like" would allow me to finally get to a historical fiction duology that focuses on art and color.
Others:
10. "Micro-history": as this is the one I suggested, I obviously have many on my TBR. Right now I think I'd read The Invention of Design as most of my life has been involved in design: engineering, graphic & web design, creating my own bead weaving designs, close involvement in updates to my house, etc. But I'm also attracted to some fun titles like The Truth about Baked Beans: an Edible History of New England and Zero: the Biography of a Dangerous Idea. And I love the idea that was suggested to open this up to fiction as I have many historical fiction books that take a look at unknown real people in history.
2. "Isolated Location": among other options, this would allow me to read a Barbara Kingsolver book. She is not on my list for this year, and I am feeling the lack.
12. "Fish out of Water": I have a few books that have been on my TBR for too long, one especially suggested by an old friend (she was my two sons' teacher for 6 years starting about 27 years ago).
13. "Women Crossing Borders and Boundaries": found a really interesting book about a cave diver. The books I usually read don't really make my heart race, but this one probably will!
For the first sentence prompt - I just realized that this prompt is probably MUCH easier now than it was just a few years ago, thanks to AI.
NancyJ wrote: "we as a group could create a fantastic list of books with great first lines! That list could eventually get pulled up by people doing other similar challenges in the future!We did "A book with a great opening line" years ago, before we had the spreadsheet and listopias. If anyone feels like digging around in the plans from 2016 there's going to be the information to get started on a decent list in there.
Tracy wrote: "I'm voting early because I'm about to leave on a trip. Hopefully the trip will distract me from having to wait so long between voting and results!I could have UP voted almost ALL of these prompts..."
How wonderful to find some perfect matches in just one day! I won’t even try until tomorrow.* What is the name of the duology and the Fish out of Water book? I could really go for another Kingsolver book too.
I like many of those choices too. I am planning a mini challenge for the song titles. It will give me the topic variety that I’ve been missing.
* I went to a great party yesterday with incredible scenery that I know you would appreciate. We were on a cliff overlooking one of the Great Lakes. There was no light pollution, so the star show at night was the best I’ve seen in years. ( I don’t get out much, but my son is stepping up to take care of mom, and it’s been wonderful to have date nights again. )
Have a great vacation!
1. A book related to the name of one of Santa's reindeer - downvote - if it gets in, I will find something I'm sure, but I'm just not interested4. A book suggested by one of the song titles from Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon - upvote - my deceased brother's favorite band, and I love this suggestion. This one would be a lot of fun to search.
6. A book for which all of the words in the title start with one of the letters in OLYMPICS - downvote - meh, it's kind of fun for the short, season challenges, but I'm not interested for the 52 books challenge.
7. A book related to a painting by Vincent Van Gogh - upvote - Love this - it's super creative. One of his paintings captivated me in a way that very few other pieces of artwork have.
8. A book either written by or featuring a “Nepo Baby” - downvote - No, nope, not interested. If this one gets in, it will likely become a wild card.
10. A fiction or non-fiction book that could be considered a microhistory - upvote - so many awesome possibilities!
13. A book about women crossing borders and boundaries - upvote - absolutely love this one!!!
15. A book related to psychology, mental health or neuroscience - upvote - yea, I'm a nerd so, I will definitely upvote this one!
Mod
NancyJ wrote: "Tracy wrote: "I'm voting early because I'm about to leave on a trip. Hopefully the trip will distract me from having to wait so long between voting and results!I could have UP voted almost ALL of..."
NancyJ — you are right, I would love to have been at a starlit party overlooking the Great Lakes! I've only been to the Great Lakes twice - once near Grand Rapids (so, Lake Michigan), and once in Duluth (Lake Superior). Lake Michigan was in the afternoon, so no stars. Lake Superior was at night, but I didn't think to look for the stars because I was distracted by the glow-in-the-dark mushrooms where we were camping on our whitewater trip!
As for some of the books I'm considering:
1) The duology that is involved in art and color (and mystery): Turns out it's become a trilogy this year! It's the Genevieve Planché series by Nancy Bilyeau. The first book is The Blue, second is The Fugitive Colours and the new one is The Versailles Formula
2) The Fish Out of Water book: the one my old friend suggested some time ago is The Moor's Account by Laila Lalami. It is the account of a Moroccan slave regarding one of the conquistadors attempts at conquering land in the New World for Spain. One person on the expedition whose name I recognize is Cabeza de Vaca.
Two others I'm interested in are Four Treasures of the Sky by Jenny Tinghui Zhang and How to Stop Time by Matt Haig
3) Kingsolver (isolation prompt): the specific Kingsolver book I'm looking at right now for Isolation is Prodigal Summer, but I'm guessing there are others of hers I could read for this as well.
Mod
Ditto! I love looking and figuring it out!
I also don't let myself do more than 20 at a time... spread out the joy. And let me respond to new TBR books
Mod
I could have UP voted almost ALL of these prompts..."
Well, your microhistory response just added 3 books to my TBR list!
Mod
I always feel like that! (and I watch the voting day by day, so I have more reactions as they go up and down!). And I get quite grumpy about it- and then the one I hate the most often ends up my favorite prompt by the end of the year because it pushes me out of my comfort zone.
The thing that surprises me watching the voting is how many people don't vote 8 times (because we do count each person's votes!). That has changed my voting to only vote for things I feel strongly about and not vote just because I have more votes.
Pamela wrote: "Tracy wrote: "I'm voting early because I'm about to leave on a trip. Hopefully the trip will distract me from having to wait so long between voting and results!I could have UP voted almost ALL of..."
🥰
Even if microhistory doesn't make it, I'll have to find some way to fit in The Handshake: A Gripping History.
Around the Year in 52 Books
Books mentioned in this topic
Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty (other topics)Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty (other topics)
Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty (other topics)
The Running Man (other topics)
The Green Mile (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Martin Amis (other topics)Joe Hill (other topics)
Voting will open in the morning of Monday, August 25 and results will be posted in the morning of Friday, August 29 (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 related to the name of one of Santa's reindeer
2. A book set in an isolated location
3. A book that is one of the first 20 books on your Goodreads "want to read" list
4. A book suggested by one of the song titles from Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon
5. A Bildungsroman (coming-of-age) book
6. A book for which all of the words in the title start with one of the letters in OLYMPICS
7. A book related to a painting by Vincent Van Gogh
8. A book either written by or featuring a “Nepo Baby”
9. A book with a symbol of death on the cover
10. A fiction or non-fiction book that could be considered a microhistory
11. A book with an intriguing first line
12. A book that includes the "fish out of water" trope
13. A book about women crossing borders and boundaries
14. A book whose character has the same hobby or pastime as you
15. A book related to psychology, mental health or neuroscience
Feel free to discuss the prompts below, but please remember to be respectful to the other group members.
Vote here: https://forms.gle/dE79cJZNaLAixcTs5