Around the Year in 52 Books discussion

Here's your Poll 17 results! We are so close to the end of this process!

Top:
A book with a common household object on the cover
A book related to one of the traditional full moon names
A book you'd consider a comfort read

Bottom:
A book with zombies
A book related to one of the top ten cereals of all time

The next round of suggestions will open around 8 am CDT on Friday, October 11.

I'm very happy with all three of these! Household object and full moon names didn't get in last year, so it's especially fun to see them make it this time around.

I upvoted the moon one, household object I'm sure I'll find something, I honestly don't know what I consider a comfort read, I don't think it's something I can plan for.

Very sad to not see fits three prompts, Alex Award, gothic, and zombies!

But I upvoted or was neutral about the ones that got in. And at least they’re more interesting prompts than we’ve been seeing.

Off to scavenger hunt for household objects …

Good results round.

Do we need two more? Are all the contest winner prompts done?

I’m surprised with the results. I was neutral on all the winner’s and zombies ( I did down vote cereal). I was hoping for the Alex award and 3 prompt to be winners.

That's it! ZOMBIES is officially my "category that didn't make it."

So, that's that sorted ...

Again, I'm neutral on the results. Maybe when I've embedded the moon names into my brain, I'll be more excited about it. At the moment I can only think of Harvest Moon or werewolf books.

Books are a common household object, right?

I am surprised Alex Award and fits three prompts didn't make it. Though, I wanted Shakespeare sonnet to get it, I was sure it wouldn't. I am not unhappy with the results, I upvoted one and was neutral on two others.

@Ellie

I would say definitely... especially in our homes.

Two prompts to go, and all the winner prompts have been chosen. Mods have decided that the top two winners for Poll 18 will make it in to finish off our year!

Emily wrote: "Two prompts to go, and all the winner prompts have been chosen. Mods have decided that the top two winners for Poll 18 will make it in to finish off our year!"

Any update on which 2025 prompt might be the Anniversary Prompt?

I am fine with the results. I really wish the prompt using three prompts had made it in though!

Happy with the moon and household object. Not thrilled by comfort read, but I was sure it was going to get in, so no great disappointment.

MJ wrote: "I am fine with the results. I really wish the prompt using three prompts had made it in though!"

This could be a side challenge for individuals - book that fits 3 prompts, book that fits 4 prompts, etc.!

None of the prompts on the recent polls have come close to the ones I listed previously. We will announce it with the Poll 18 results!

The winners were all neutral for me although I had thought about voting for the household object. I don't have a comfort read type of book. I know what it isn't (murder, horror, true crime, dark themes) so I guess anything else works. I'll probably use it for a serendipitous find at the library.

I find the occasional read of a child's book is comforting. Everything back then was so simple, with no worries

I’m so happy with these results! I’ll put Alex awards on my rejects challenge that I’m planning too

So sad revolution didn't make it through.

One last poll... and sandwiches can't be tried one last time. hmmm

Haha I’m three for three. My three suggestions this year have been bottomed. Do I have the pulse of the group or what. ;)

I'm definitely going to have to try to work in a rejects challenge next year. There are too many good ones. Super happy about the common household objects prompt, though!

Again I upvoted both the bottom ones. I love the idea of the group but obviously I don’t share the same interests of many here.

Anthony wrote: "Again I upvoted both the bottom ones. I love the idea of the group but obviously I don’t share the same interests of many here."

I feel that way sometimes too, but then i manage to find really good books for the prompts that DO get in, despite a fair many of my favourite prompts getting bottomed.

Love that the full moon names and the household objects got in!

I thought the cereal suggestion would do better than it did; sometimes it is hard to predict.

Zombies probably did badly because it is quite a restrictive prompt. You either want to read a book with zombies in it or you don't - not much leeway for interpretation.

I didn't vote for comfort read, but I like that it's on the list because if I'm in a reading slump I can grab whatever looks like a good, easy, entertaining book (which is my definition of a comfort read) and not worry if it fits any of the other prompts.

And thanks to those of you who revived the full moons prompt this year, I'm glad it got in this time!

I dislike the moon one because I don't like anything with religion or mythology, etc, and many of them come from that in one part of the world or another, but will look for names such as blue moon (has two meanings--it's literally happened plus means a second full moon within a month), etc.

I'll have to contemplate what I consider a comfort read. I don't usually think of books in that fashion... maybe a favorite author.

LeahS wrote: "I thought the cereal suggestion would do better than it did; sometimes it is hard to predict.

Zombies probably did badly because it is quite a restrictive prompt. You either want to read a book wi..."

Yes, I just don't do zombies, werewolves, or vampires - not for a religious or philosophical reason, I just find them boring.

I didn’t vote for comfort read because those are usually rereads for me. I do these challenges to avoid rereading my favourites all the time. I’ll probably just use a new publication by a favourite author though.

Well, it's already on the listopia, but I will make a pitch for Moon of the Crusted Snow. An often quiet but also tense post-apocalyptic book set on a Northern Ontario reserve. You've got the crusted snow moon in the title, but there are also references to some of the other traditional moons in the text.

I love that book so much. I don't usually do re-reads but may consider it for that prompt as it's such a perfect match.

(I liked the sequel, Moon of the Turning Leaves a little less, but it's also quite good - just that the first one set such a high bar!)

It would be interesting on one round of voting to see all vote totals, up and down.

Anthony wrote: "Again I upvoted both the bottom ones. I love the idea of the group but obviously I don’t share the same interests of many here."

When this happens, it makes me feel a bit better to pick a few books that would have fit the rejected prompts, then slot them in my plan against winning prompts that I don't love. So I could finish off the Newsflesh series with a zombie book with less than 10 letters in the title. It makes the boring prompts a bit more interesting, but also I don't have to stick to it if I decide I'm over zombies next year.

Here's some fun data from Poll 17:

212 people voted. That would lead to a maximum of 1696 votes (each person x 8 votes to use).

Of this, 881 votes were given to voting UP a prompt, and 769 votes were given to voting DOWN a prompt, and 46 votes when unused.

Ellie - I love your plan to adhere to the winning prompts with books you would have chosen for prompts that didn’t make it. Great attitude and an additional puzzle challenge :)

Emily - interesting data. Didn’t expect the Ups and Downs to be so closely split based on reports in the voting thread.

@Joannna I agree with your suggestion of Moon of the Crusted Snow. it is good.

Anthony wrote: "Again I upvoted both the bottom ones. I love the idea of the group but obviously I don’t share the same interests of many here."

I think that every year during voting and then by halfway through the next year, the ones I hated I love and vice versa.

Joanna wrote: "Well, it's already on the listopia, but I will make a pitch for Moon of the Crusted Snow. An often quiet but also tense post-apocalyptic book set on a Northern Ontario reserve. You'..."

I have been meaning to read that for years but have penciled in Empire of the Summer Moon for it

I'm not surprised. After 17 rounds, I'm used to creative prompts being downvoted and "read a book, any book" prompts getting in.

At least we got the moon prompt in, so that makes me happy.

Anthony wrote: "Again I upvoted both the bottom ones. I love the idea of the group but obviously I don’t share the same interests of many here."

Yeah I stopped voting a while ago when I realised my interests don't align too closely with the group, but that's ok with me because I always find books I'm interested in to fit the prompts and it pushes me to think outside my normal thought patterns :)

Household objects was one of my votes so I'm happy about that one, and indifferent to the other two. I'm a little fatigued with all the zodiac/astrology/astronomy related prompts since at least one seems to come up every year. Same goes for "comfort read." I can find something and it will likely be a graphic novel of some kind or maybe a reread, but it's another prompt I've done a lot over the years and would have preferred something else.

Interesting set. I upvoted two of the winners, and I definitely downvoted zombies. I'm really not a fan of zombie books - or movies for that matter.

Personally I might make the moon prompt a little mini-challenge and try to get them all. Could be a bit of extra fun!

Jackie wrote: "Personally I might make the moon prompt a little mini-challenge and try to get them all. Could be a bit of extra fun!"

That's what I did this year, and I really enjoyed it. I added all the books I read for it onto the Listopia.

I'm not super excited about the moon phase one but I know I'll find something. A comfort read is too subjective for me. It more feels like a freebie. The household object one will be easy to fill.

I've got a few books about the ocean & tides on my TBR (The Tide: The Science and Stories Behind the Greatest Force on Earth, Rising: Dispatches from the New American Shore, The Blue Machine: How the Ocean Works, & Tides: The Science and Spirit of the Ocean) and I know they don't technically fit any of the "full moon names" but they do relate to the full moon so I might read one of them. The book by White shows the full moon on the cover that one feels closest to the spirit of this prompt, although I know they are all not really good fits.

Nadine in NY wrote: "I've got a few books about the ocean & tides on my TBR (The Tide: The Science and Stories Behind the Greatest Force on Earth, [book:Rising: Dispatches from the New American Shore|36..."

They all definitely work for science ! I have The Blue Machine too.

I found this interesting article about the moons and the traditional teachings by the Anishinaabe (a collective name for three tribes - the Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi). For example, "The Big Spirit Moon’s purpose is to purify us and to heal all of Creation."

https://durhamcollege.ca/info-for/ind...

Because the moons are part of indigenous culture, I plan to read a book by an indigenous author and match the theme of the book to a moon teaching.

dalex wrote: "I found this interesting article about the moons and the traditional teachings by the Anishinaabe (a collective name for three tribes - the Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi). For example, "The Big Spi..."

This is so interesting.

Nadine in NY wrote: "I've got a few books about the ocean & tides on my TBR (The Tide: The Science and Stories Behind the Greatest Force on Earth, [book:Rising: Dispatches from the New American Shore|36..."


The Blue Machine could be tied to the Blue Moon which occurs about every 2 1/2 years when there are two full moons in the same month. The second full moon has a blue tint to it. I think it fits the spirits of the Full Moon name prompt.

They definitely fit the science prompt. While I read books with elements of science to them several times a year, for some reason I always struggle to fill the science prompt. I always select a book for the prompt as soon as the winners are posted with each vote. I've always just read the book related to science that interests me rather than having it waiting in the wings. It's a thing with me every time the science prompt pops up.