Around the Year in 52 Books discussion

And here we are at our FINAL prompts to make it on the 2021 list!! It was a tight race, but these two pulled out ahead in the end (literally, in the last few votes) to make it a true two winners (not three, not one).

Top
A book with flowers or greenery on the cover
A long book

Bottom
A book related to a mineral such as Scandium, Brass, or Nickel
A book related to alcohol

Close Call
A book related to the 21st _____
A book that takes place in at least two decades

Polarizing
A book featuring a member of a religious organization

Listopias:
A long book
A book with flowers or greenery on the cover

A few notes:
- As a reminder, the final list will be posted tomorrow. Planning threads will open then as well.
- The mods will be posting weekly threads for discussion over the course of the next few weeks. They may not be posted in order, and they will not be released all at once, so be patient with us as this is a big job.

Thank you all for your participation this year making the 2021 list great. I can't wait to see what we read!

Interesting results! I voted for both but didn’t think they’d win.
I’m excited the list is complete and looking forward to 2021 :)

🎉🎉🎉 Looking forward to seeing the list order, then I can decide how feasible it is to read in order and include all the 2020 releases I want to get to! Although it's Dewey's readathon weekend so I have to hold off planning for a few days.

I voted for the cover prompt just because I felt like we didn't have many of them, I didn't really expect it to get through. I don't expect to have any problem filling that one though.

I'll probably use 500+ pages as a definition of a long book, as I tend to read shorter books.

Yay! So exciting to see the list finalized!

I didn't vote for either of the winners, but can make them work.

My prompt for the topic that didn't win will definitely be the Fibonacci Series...I disappointed that it didn't get in. I thought it was one of the most original prompts suggested and that it didn't seem forced like some of the others. Oh, well. I'll still get to use it.

I'm kind of excited that the very last prompt to make it on the list was one that I suggested. That one and the ATY Best Books of the Month are the two prompts that I suggested that made it on to the final list.

(Even though, technically, the Best Books prompt didn't make it on the list in the poll I actually suggested it in, but made it in a later poll, so I can only take partial credit for that one lol.)

Just a quick reminder that you can sort your To Read list by page number.

My Books --> Want To Read
Click Settings, then check Num Pages
Hit Save Current Settings

I'm going to try to read a book with 700+ pages for this one.

I’m happy with both of the winners. They fit perfectly for the type of books I like to read.

My criteria for "long" is 500+ pages, but I'm just going to slot in the longest book that I currently own, The Crimson Petal and the White, which is 922 pages.

Not a huge fan of flowery/greenery but I'll find a way to make it work. I can make long book work easily.


By the way, you know what day we got our final poll results last year? October 22: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Now, granted, it was poll 18 instead of 19, but still, that's really great that we hit the same time.

Very surprised by these results. Two decades will now be my reject prompt.

Steve, not going to lie... I'm pretty impressed with myself and the other mods for predicting that we will need 19 polls and for landing the final date on the same day as the previous year (even starting the process a month later!).

I didn’t up vote either of the winners but I didn’t down vote the either.
I am glad we have our list finished! Now, once the World Series is over (Go Dodgers), I can begin the fun work of choosing books!
Thanks to the mods for making the voting process so smooth. It is a lot of work and I appreciate your hard work and dedication!

Yay, very happy with these winners! I love that a long book made it - I tend to really enjoy long books but sometimes find myself avoiding them when I'm doing challenges. This will make sure one gets in!

Sarah wrote: "Yay, very happy with these winners! I love that a long book made it - I tend to really enjoy long books but sometimes find myself avoiding them when I'm doing challenges. This will make sure one ge..."
I have to avoid them when i am doing challenges or i fail. Definitely using the WC on this one. Will find a season related book now.

Pretty surprised at these results. I voted for one of the winners, but didn't expect it to get in. One I thought was a shoe-in isn't anywhere in the results. Looking forward to seeing all the prompts listed in order (not that I EVER read in order).

I definitely downvoted the long book but it turns out it's very easy to fill. I have so many books that are 400-1100 pages on my TBR, including Hawaii, which I have targeted for a few different prompts. This year long books have been tough for me to get through.

I see a few people have added Illuminae to the listopia and that is a very good idea for people who want a quick long book. Because of the graphics/formatting element it's really not as long as it looks. I would say a longer than normal graphic novel also works (thinking something like My Favorite Thing Is Monsters, Vol. 1).

These two are pretty easy to fill. I would guess that at this point more people wanted to go with something they were sure they could work in rather than a more unusual prompt like we had near the beginning. Or there were so many good ones that a lot of them split the votes.

Anyway, kudos to the Mods. This is an incredible amount of work over so many weeks and now they still have to work on the order, weekly threads, etc.

I think I will miss checking this group multiple times a day like I did during the selection process!

Not going to lie I’m disappointed with both of the winners again. They feel like I’ve done them or variations of them over and over again. I was hoping for at least one more creative prompt to get picked.

I'm aiming to rejoin and COMPLETE an ATL challenge for 2021 (came very close in 2017), and I am very excited re long book final topic! Flower/greenery cover I can take or leave, won't be hard to fill but might need to BIO that one to be more interesting.

I also liked Fibonacci and the 21st_ prompts, need to look at all the rejects for the one that didn't make it in prompt, have a feeling it will be hard to choose just one!

I’m not real excited about either of the prompts but they’re easy enough to fill. I have a lot of long books sitting on my bookshelves that I’ve been procrastinating on reading! I think I will combine the long book prompt with one of the “rejects” to make it more challenging. I like looking for covers so the greenery prompt is fine. Maybe I’ll finally tackle One Hundred Years of Solitude!

Good job mods and members on creating the list! I’m excited to be almost done with 2020 and get going on 2021!

I've been thinking about reading The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich so might give that a shot. I used parts of it for an essay at school and still remember the cover boasting that it was over 1500 pages. Always thought that was a weird thing to brag about.

I had thought about using a cover prompt for the seasonal book but will come up with something else now.

Oh dang. I'm sad about Fibonacci not even being a close call! I'd say lets suggest it next year, but it's not as fun since 22 isn't on the list! I'd still vote for it next year!

I'm somewhat amused that we were all excited for some super creative prompts, and then none of them got in.

Avery wrote: "Oh dang. I'm sad about Fibonacci not even being a close call! I'd say lets suggest it next year, but it's not as fun since 22 isn't on the list! I'd still vote for it next year!"

I voted for this and expected it to win.... oh well.

Nancy wrote: "I'm somewhat amused that we were all excited for some super creative prompts, and then none of them got in."

Yep, me too. Oh well!

I'm glad the long book made it in as I never read them unless I'm forced to! Not too bothered about the cover prompt but it should be easy.

As others mentioned I'm also a bit disappointed that none of the more creative ones made it.

Still excited though that we now have the final list and I can start my plan (that I absolutely will not stick to!). I love the voting process every year, thank you mods for doing a great job once again! :)

Clearly the silent majority like prompts simple

I'm with a lot of people in that I am a bit disappointed as I wanted at least one of the more creative prompts to make it in. But I did vote for a long book because I was already planning to read War and Peace and I feel like that is the quintessential "long book"

Pam wrote: "I’m not real excited about either of the prompts but they’re easy enough to fill. I have a lot of long books sitting on my bookshelves that I’ve been procrastinating on reading! I think I will comb..."

That's a really good BIO option for any prompt someone thinks is too easy, combine it with a reject! I find reading in order enough of a challenge for me so I appreciate some easy prompts.

I have found in the past more creative prompts tend to be fun to vote for but I don’t actually like the finding or reading books for them. So, I was relieved that we got two straight forward prompts for the final two.

Jillian wrote: "I have found in the past more creative prompts tend to be fun to vote for but I don’t actually like the finding or reading books for them. So, I was relieved that we got two straight forward prompt..."

I totally agree, Jillian. I am perfectly happy to have to work to find a few books to fit creative prompts, but I want the vast majority of my reading to come from my overburdened TBR list, and the straightforward prompts allow me to do that.

I’d like to thank the mods as well. It’s obviously a big job. The last two polls have been pretty disappointing for me (I haven’t voted for any of the winners and one of my down votes made it in) . So I think my strategy next year won’t be to plan but just read what I want and slot books in if and when they fit. I’ll probably also list books under every prompt they fit. Midway through the year I’ll reassess, see how many prompts are left and decide whether or not I’m interested in filling them. Last year I planned, prioritised ATY and finished in March. This year has been a mix of planning and hybrid. And I haven’t prioritised any one challenge. Still got one possibly two prompts to fill. One prompt I’ve read something that will work but have something else I want to count but it’s a new book and my library has it on order but it’s not yet circulating. Hoping I’ll get it in time but no worries if not.

I didn't vote for the cover prompt as I don't care for cover prompts. But it should be easy enough to fill.

I'm glad long book made it through, as I want a push to read one of my doorstoppers.

Still, I'd like to have seen the decades prompt make it.

I was surprised to see that Their Eyes Were Watching God has both flowers and greenery on the cover. So that is what I will use for that prompt.

It has been an interesting process this year and I'm excited for the overall list. I have about 5 titles on hold now that I should receive around the first of the year. One has a 6 month wait and another has been on my hold shelf since June. If you read from the library, it doesn't seem that its ever too early to start.

Very surprised by the two winners as well. I didn't vote for any of them but am fine with the cover prompt.

As I'm struggling to finish the current ATY and will keep on struggling next year, I'm not to keen on adding a "long book" to my list, since that would mean 500+ pages for me..

Does anyone have a KIS option for this prompt that doesn't relate to the number of pages? Would a book by a fellow named Long count? ;)

Sarah wrote: "Does anyone have a KIS option for this prompt that doesn't relate to the number of pages? Would a book by a fellow named Long count? ;) ..."



LOL like Julie Anne Long?! Her books are technically "Long books"

Nadine wrote: "Sarah wrote: "Does anyone have a KIS option for this prompt that doesn't relate to the number of pages? Would a book by a fellow named Long count? ;) ..."

LOL like Julie Anne Long..."

Jeez, the covers... :D I'd probably KIS-and-cringe my way through it! Are they any fun though?
In the meantime I had a look at Whereasby Layli Long Soldier and keep in mind my beloved Ki Longfellow (though that would be a stretch).

Sarah wrote: "Jeez, the covers... :D..."


The covers are awful! In some cases the titles are even worse!! It's as if Long's publisher hates her and wants her to fail and sabotages her with these things. But I think she's a very good romance author and I've enjoyed everything I've read by her (but you have to like romance, of course).

What about long in the title? I see you have Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk on your TBR.

Like Ellie mentioned above, Illuminae (which is written as a series of documents) or a long graphic novel would work for this prompt. I think "long for the genre" (like a longer collection of poetry) could also work. A 300 page poetry collection is long for a set of poetry, even if it isn't long in the grand scheme of all books.

I would also suggest one of Brian Selznick's books, they're long but more than half of it is illustrations. They're YA/middle grade but so good.

i'm a little surprised by the results but mostly pleased! i love floral covers and i'm happy to push myself to read a longer book. The Priory of the Orange Tree has been eyeing me from my tbr shelves for months!

if anyone needs ideas for books with flowers, plants or greenery on the cover, i have a shelf with over 400 books here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

Annie, I love that you have a shelf for everything! I wish I was as organized with my books as you.

thanks alicia! my goodreads tbr is very much a record of all the books i have ever been interested in so i find it really handy for challenges like this to have it organised. i like to narrow down what i'll actually read for the promt in my spreadsheets but it's nice to have the full list somewhere for me to browse if i change my mind!

I just realized I'm most sad about not seeing everyone's comments and getting notifications. Who's going to understand me when I'm stressing about which favorite thing of favorite things I'm going to choose?

Alicia wrote: "I just realized I'm most sad about not seeing everyone's comments and getting notifications. Who's going to understand me when I'm stressing about which favorite thing of favorite things I'm going ..."

Don't worry, once we start opening the weekly threads there will be plenty of new notifications lol :)

We will have 52 threads for discussion!

I have never thought of breaking down my books by categories that might be useful for challenges. It is tempting but there are so many potential categories. I see I could kill a lot of time that way!

I would also like to thank the mods for the awsome work of keeping the voting process so organized. This is my first year. I may not have commented much but so amazed by the work of the mods and also the nice spirit of the group :-)

I have not kept track of my votes. Some has surprised me and some not. But I know that I have one of my suggested prompts in there, since I got to chose one as summer challenge winner.

So excited now over the planning process and will try to be active in the planning threads. It is a great community here.