Play Book Tag discussion

Please vote for the tag you would most like to read for October at the following link:

https://forms.gle/MjTBN41SBjQ6QN6bA

scifi-fantasy: https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...
social issues: https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...
witches: https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...

Remember, you may cast up to a total of 10 participation points for your choice. Every PBT member gets one vote for free so please vote even if you don't have any participation points!

You can see how many participation points you currently have in the spreadsheet below.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...

Happy voting! Please cast your votes by 12:00 pm EST on 9/22.

I may have to toss a coin betwen 2 of them. I don't even have to look to know I have multiple choices fo 2 of them.

There are two I like better than the third... and next month is October! Fingers crossed...

While I don't love, love a couple of those, I do have something that I would like to read for all.

We’re headed into October Flurries. We read books related to historical events or commemorations in October. All 3 tags relate to some flurries themes. Witches books, and some sci-fi-fantasy books will have Halloween vibes.

There is a lot of potential for social issues to pop up in books we find for other flurries topics. It is Hispanic Heritage Month now (from Sept 15-Oct 15) and October also has Indigenous People’s day (same day as Columbus Day) and a related week or month. There are disability or mental health related recognitions in October too I believe. GR has a blog with a long list of newer books for Hispanic heritage month. There were a lot of queer/LGBT books on the list, plus immigration, culture change, and other social issues. I noticed some science fiction and horror as well.

Science fiction is often able to comment on social issues indirectly. So I’ll be looking for a couple books that fit both tags, so I can have something lined up early. For Columbus Day, we could read a sci-fi book that deals with the social issue of colonialism. The Word for World Is Forest by Ursula K le Guin would work.

I will be reading Sisters in the Wind by Angeline Boulley in October. It sounds like it deals with social issues (foster child, cultural identity).

I also want Not My Type: One Woman vs. a President by E. Jean Carroll

Voted

I like all three categories... ARGH!!!! :-)

Difficult to choose. I only managed to scratch off one book from my speculative fiction list in July so scifi-fantasy would allow me to give it another shot. Witches is so seasonally timely and there are always social issues to confront is almost any genre.

Life is full of decisions.

Voted

As the Halloween Scrooge (my daughter has voluntarily taken over buying and distributing the candy, but my husband used to like to give it out and used to keep count) I prefer fall challenges that aren't all about that one day.

The other two are both good.

Well, at least half of my research materials for work meet the “witches” tag and almost all the “social issues.” I’ve discovered, rather to my surprise, that I have been enjoying “sci-fi” recently — a tag I’ve rarely read in the past. So, this is another great month for me.

I just finished A Resistance of Witches by Morgan Ryan. It was an engrossing, escapist read. This had nothing to do with work but was a selection you could choose for one of the Goodreads Challenges. Honestly, as an historian, I’m heartily sick of World War II books. I feel like history is so varied, and yet historical fiction authors keep choosing this same time period, usually in Europe. This was true about this novel, too, but with an alternate history fantasy twist that made it worthwhile. The twist was witches involved on both sides and a grimoire that was a sort of arc of the covenant. Good stuff from a debut novelist!

Voted. I'm reading right now a book that mixes science0fiction and fantasy by Zelazny, but I wouldn't mind if I will have the chance to pick another T Kingfisher book about witches.
Of social issues, frankly, I had more than enough already.

If social issues gets picked, which I doubt, remember many fiction books, both contemporary and historical, include social problems - drugs, poverty, racism, dysfunctional families. That's why there's such a thing as "the Book Group Blues". So many prizewinning and discussable books have those issues that it can get exhausting.

It seems like this time of year, we always have a Halloween related tag choice - Witches. Sci-Fi/Fantasy also has a lot of enthusiastic readers among us. I gravitate towards fiction with social issues but generally, this group veers away from it.

I predict that either one of the first two choices will win.

voted

Well, I had just begun a science fiction book but hadn't gotten too far. Since I have a couple of books on witches, I will change course and switch books. I will be reading Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix.

John wrote: "Well, I had just begun a science fiction book but hadn't gotten too far. Since I have a couple of books on witches, I will change course and switch books. I will be reading [book:Witchcraft for Way..."

I may have read this wrong, but there is no need to rush or switch books yet (unless you want to of course). We won’t know the October tag for another 4 or 5 days, and the book won’t count for the tag if you read it in September.

NancyJ wrote: "John wrote: "Well, I had just begun a science fiction book but hadn't gotten too far. Since I have a couple of books on witches, I will change course and switch books. I will be reading [book:Witch..."

Thank you, Nancy. I misread a previous posting as witches being selected. I have reread it and caught my error. I know the book read doesn't count if it is before the month selected for. I'm curious, however, Does the book read for the prompt need to be finished before month end?

John wrote: "NancyJ wrote: "John wrote: "Well, I had just begun a science fiction book but hadn't gotten too far. Since I have a couple of books on witches, I will change course and switch books. I will be read..."

Yes, it does. If Witches is picked for October, the book(s) needs to be finished within October. It can be 11:59 PM Oct 31 of course.

The new tag is always announced on or about the 22nd of the month. It's handy to keep in mind.

Robin P wrote: "If social issues gets picked, which I doubt, remember many fiction books, both contemporary and historical, include social problems - drugs, poverty, racism, dysfunctional families. That's why ther..."

I like social issues....there are so many different ones to pick from. However, I don't live in the US which would probably make me sick of that topic too with all the division.

I like social issues too, and I live in the US. There are many older books that do not focus on current divisions.

Voted~

What I like about social issues is that I could read fiction and nonfiction. There is a wide range from Light and breezy, to very specific, to heartbreaking.
🔹You don’t have to read about misery. look for content warnings, or ask us.
🔹You don’t have to read about current politics - read fiction. Most fiction hasn’t caught up anyway.

I don’t think many general fiction novels deal with political divisions directly or the current culture shift - or not yet as far as I’ve seen. You’re more likely to see individual issues such as immigration or migration from the perspective of an individual family. These are the types of books that build empathy. Many novels show the current or future effects of climate change, without discussing specific political parties or leaders.

I consider social issues to include anything that affects (or reflects) our culture and values. Anything that causes big social changes.

The effects of social media on people’s lives, work, mobility, social behavior.
Diversity and Identity issues - lgbt, race, gay marriage, women’s issues (all types), experiences or practices of different groups
Discrimination (civil rights, hate crime, policies)
Social justice (e.g. poverty, inequality, policing, access to health care, immigration, climate change and disaster response).

Other economic, sociological or psychological trends. The lasting effects of Covid on some age groups.
Plus so much more.

It’s fascinating how much of our language is influenced by big shifts in values or political power. Political correctness, cancel culture, offensive language - all are defined differently now. Vehicles of culture change are really interesting to me, such as television and social media. I would turn to nonfiction for social science and political topics.

It’s interesting to look at what types of behavior or language could get someone fired. Compare 10 years ago to this week.

I know this might be a hard sell for some, and I haven’t even voted yet. I stocked up on audios and I need to add them to my tbr and count how many sci fi books I own.

I agree that the topic is quite diverse, and also that fiction often explores it in ways that are relatable. It is a tough sell, Nancy, but it doesn't hurt to point out the multiple options.

I don't vote as a moderator, but the way I look at is I love social issues, but will probably read some during October regardless; witches are a great October choice for fall flurries and again will probably read one during the month; sci-fi-fantasy is a bit outside my wheelhouse and I generally need a push to read, but I know others love it.

I think many books touch on social issues. I just finished The Berry Pickers and it is full of social issues: mental illness, racial discrimination, civil rights, domestic abuse, lgbtq, just to mention a few.
I think social issues is actually a very broad tag.

Booknblues wrote: "I don't vote as a moderator, but the way I look at is I love social issues, but will probably read some during October regardless; witches are a great October choice for fall flurries and again wil..."

Are you running Flurries again this year? I’ll look at the old post next week to find topics for planning. (I think it was in footnotes.)

The planning process is easier for me now. I’m relying more on books I own, plus my library changed the hold suspension process. I think it’s going to require a lot less time juggling and monitoring notifications.

I hope the E. Jean Carroll book talks about election issues enough to count for November.

Lyn wrote: "I think many books touch on social issues. I just finished The Berry Pickers and it is full of social issues: mental illness, racial discrimination, civil rights, domestic abuse, l..."

I agree. The Berry Pickers also fits for October flurries. Indigenous characters.

The vote is very tight so please make sure to cast your vote!!

Lyn wrote: "I think many books touch on social issues. I just finished The Berry Pickers and it is full of social issues: mental illness, racial discrimination, civil rights, domestic abuse, l..."

That was why I said earlier that I had enough of the topic: it can be argued that it is a major part of every new book published in the last couple of decades, often to the point of messaging overwhelming the actual story. I don't mind when it's done right, like in my recent Louise Erdrich novel, but there is also a lot of fluff out there.

They all work for me. I have no idea how I'll vote!

18 minutes left to vote.