Around the Year in 52 Books discussion

And that's our final set of results! Great work, team!

Top:
A book with "this", "that", "these", or "those" in the title
An award winning book

Bottom:
A book connected to a Time's person of the year
A book featuring a holiday that you don't celebrate

Close Call:
A book with a love story

And that's a wrap! The final list in list order and a 2026 Plans folder will be posted in the next 24 hours, with weekly threads going up over the course of the next few weeks. Happy planning!

Wow! What a project, finally completed! So many thanks to our amazing mods for all your work putting this together! ❤️

Thanks for working on this, Emily 👏

I'm surprised at the first one, very happy with the award winner!

A Big Thank You to the mods for another great round of suggestions and voting! All your hard work is much appreciated!

Looking forward to the Final List in Order, and a 2026 of great reads for us all!

Thank you mods for doing an amazing job again this year!

I did not vote for either of these, but neither will be difficult to fill.

Very happy to have the award winner. I was neutral on the other, but I just saw Richard Osman has something that will work. So I'm sorted,

I finally got one in. Thank you all. 2026 looks like a really interesting reading year.

I voted for neither and kept seeing the not alive popping into the top few, only to fall down eventually. I'll probably make that my prompt that didn't make it.... there must be another book with Death in it (heck, I just finished another one!)

Can't believe we're done

Woop woop! Congrats, group, on another splendid list!

Thank you, mods, for handling everything with such aplomb – much appreciated <3 <3 <3

Now off to continue planning my list :)

I was hoping that "a book with this, that, these, or those in the title would not win since I had nothing on my shelf that fit this prompt. Thankfully, there was one book in Listopia that is one book on my TBR that fits. Hopefully, others might pop up.

John wrote: "I was hoping that "a book with this, that, these, or those in the title would not win since I had nothing on my shelf that fit this prompt. Thankfully, there was one book in Listopia that is one bo..."

I thought it was a ready anything prompt, but I just looked and yikes, it really isn't! However, there's two books I have been wanting to read for years that qualify, so this will get me to finally read one of them which is a great prompt in my book.

These are easy enough to fill. I’m shocked the not alive prompt didn’t get in though.

Clare wrote: "These are easy enough to fill. I’m shocked the not alive prompt didn’t get in though."

I was hoping for that one. I thought it had a chance. My other three upvotes did not really have a chance at all!

Like this, voted for both of the winners. But sad that the Time's person was bottomed.

Nike wrote: "Like this, voted for both of the winners. But said that the Time's person was bottomed."

Luckily bottoms don't count for future years. So it can be suggested again next year. I liked that one, too.

Dixie wrote: "Nike wrote: "Like this, voted for both of the winners. But said that the Time's person was bottomed."

Luckily bottoms don't count for future years. So it can be suggested again next year. I liked ..."

I thought it was a good one, too.

I’m not unhappy with these results, but I think they are the least aligned with how I voted all season. I was really hoping for “a character in transition” and “an issue you care about”. Maybe I can fit the books I had slotted in for those elsewhere, or I can try the Rejects Challenge for the first time.

But more importantly, thank you to all the mods for guiding us through this process! And thank you also to all those members who made suggestions, and the others who supported them into voting lists. This really is an amazing process 🥰

I’m relieved the award prompt made it in. I also wanted the not alive prompt, but I’m sure I’ll find something else for this or thst.

Thanks to everyone who submitted ideas, voted, and supported one another throughout this entire process. The democratic process really makes this list unique and special.

Thanks to the mods who tirelessly devoted time and energy to manage the group. Running a suggestion round requires the ability to juggle with speed and patience. You all rock.

Yes, thank you so much all of you for making this process as fun as always. 💕🌸

A huge thank you to the Mods for their efforts. You are very much appreciated!

I'm happy A book with "this", "that", "these", or "those" in the title made it. I'll read These Silent Woods for this one.

As always, I'm sad that yet another award/list related prompt made it. I know many of you like them, but I'm tired of them. I'll read A Confederacy of Dunces for it.

I'm disappointed the prompt A book with a character who isn’t alive didn't make it. I'm using it for the prompt that didn't make it and will read The Lovely Bones.

I set up my plan in the folder with the 52 prompts and a couple of other goals I have for 2026. I still have one more goal to decide on.

One down and one neutral for me, but they're fine prompts. I'm just excited to see our finished work take on its Final Form :)

Thank you for all your hard work, mods.

Quite pleased with an award winning book as the choice is so wide. The other one isn't exciting, but doable I would think.

Thank you mods for all the you work you put in to get the list created 🩷

Charlsa wrote: "A huge thank you to the Mods for their efforts. You are very much appreciated!

I'm happy A book with "this", "that", "these", or "those" in the title made it. I'll read [book:These Silent Woods|56..."

I like award prompts, but this is too wide. I'll pick an award ahead of time and only do books from that one award. I think... Dayton Peace Prize!

Pamela wrote: "Charlsa wrote: "A huge thank you to the Mods for their efforts. You are very much appreciated!

I'm happy A book with "this", "that", "these", or "those" in the title made it. I'll read [book:These..."

I downvoted the awards prompt because it was too wide. I love lists and award prompts, but not when it’s any award will do. It’ll be filled easily.

MJ wrote: "Pamela wrote: "Charlsa wrote: "A huge thank you to the Mods for their efforts. You are very much appreciated!

I'm happy A book with "this", "that", "these", or "those" in the title made it. I'll r..."

That's why I'm blindly picked an award to keep myself from looking at all sorts until I find what I want.

Thanks to everyone who showed up for nominating, seconding, and voting and whose input in the Wild Discussion helped craft the suggestions!

For the Award Winner prompt I’m planning on choosing from one of these awards: Dayton Literary Peace Prize, Women’s Prize (Fiction or Non-fiction), or The Kitchies — which sadly closed after last year’s awards were given.

Thanks to the Mods, and everyone who participated!

Excited to start planning for my 2026 reads, even though I will inevitably abandon those plans!

Pamela wrote: "Charlsa wrote: "A huge thank you to the Mods for their efforts. You are very much appreciated!

I'm happy A book with "this", "that", "these", or "those" in the title made it. I'll read [book:These..."

I chose one too, The Wainwright Prize for Nature Writing. But see, that is how this one got in and the narrower ones didn't; this way we each pick the award that means something to us.

For the person who reads picture books for one round, the Sigurd Olson nature writing prize has a category for children’s book.

https://www.goodreads.com/award/show/...

This one is popular. Read it with Dr Seuss The Lomax
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6...

KP wrote: "For the person who reads picture books for one round, the Sigurd Olson nature writing prize has a category for children’s book.

https://www.goodreads.com/award/show/......"

Thank You!

Joanna G wrote: "Thanks to the Mods, and everyone who participated!

Excited to start planning for my 2026 reads, even though I will inevitably abandon those plans!"

Hahaha I understand! I've been making notes from my TBR lists of ideas for prompts as we've progressed, and I have a crazy number of possibilities for many of them. Narrowing it down will be the tricky part for me. And I'm a bit of a mood reader so I might be in the mood for something completely different from my planned choices when the time comes.

Dixie - thanks for the note about the Wainwright Prize for Nature Writing. It lead me to Wainwright Prize for Illustrative Writing, which has “Insectopolis” long-listed for 2025. I just added this book to my TBR this week! Maybe it will win and I can read this one.
🦋🐝🐞🐜🪲🪳

Tracy wrote: "Dixie - thanks for the note about the Wainwright Prize for Nature Writing. It lead me to Wainwright Prize for Illustrative Writing, which has “Insectopolis” long-listed for 2025. I just added this ..."

I just read Insectopolis. It was a lot of fun and the art is fantastic.

Tracy wrote: "Dixie - thanks for the note about the Wainwright Prize for Nature Writing. It lead me to Wainwright Prize for Illustrative Writing, which has “Insectopolis” long-listed for 2025. I just added this ..."

I found the Wainwright Prize the year that this prompt got in: "A book that won (maybe "or was nominated for") an award beginning with W." There are so many!! But I love reading good nature literature, so I've been pulling books from the Wainwright Prize candidates ever since. And now I've added Insectopolis: A Natural History to my TBR!

*Please include a note on which award the book won, if it's not listed on the main page of the book.

This is on the Awards Listopia page. Please put this in your notes when you suggest books for this prompt!

Joanna G wrote: "Thanks to the Mods, and everyone who participated!

Excited to start planning for my 2026 reads, even though I will inevitably abandon those plans!"

I so want to start but I can't until I finish this year.

I voted for award winner, but was shocked it won given how many people leave comments saying they hate list prompts.

The other one is easy to do.

I guess I'm wildcarding Best Books of the month, for some prompt I can't find a book for.

Dubhease wrote: "I voted for award winner, but was shocked it won given how many people leave comments saying they hate list prompts.

The other one is easy to do.

I guess I'm wildcarding Best Books of the month, ..."

I know! I love a list prompt! Esp one that gives me 4-6 choices. Enough to change my mind, not enough to be anything.

I, too, would have preferred a more narrow award prompt. But people don't seem willing to vote those in, so I'm glad we've at least got some kind of award prompt. I've self-narrowed to a Hugo Winner and will likely do The Tainted Cup, which was the 2025 winner for Best Novel. Interestingly, it was also nominated for an Edgar Award in the same category.

Thanks for all your work.

I’m making a list of the award and list related prompts for my extra challenge. I’m putting it on the front page this year so I don’t wait so long. Please Let me know if I missed any. It’s in 2026 plan

Thank you so much to all the mods for your work setting up the 2026 list!

Angie wrote: "I've self-narrowed to a Hugo Winner and will likely do The Tainted Cup, which was the 2025 winner for Best Novel."

I read it during Hugo season this year and really enjoyed it. Fantasy meets procedural.

Trish wrote: "Angie wrote: "I've self-narrowed to a Hugo Winner and will likely do The Tainted Cup, which was the 2025 winner for Best Novel."

I read it during Hugo season this year and really enjoyed it. Fanta..."

Yay! Sounds perfect for me.

NancyJ wrote: "I’m making a list of the award and list related prompts for my extra challenge. I’m putting it on the front page this year so I don’t wait so long. Please Let me know if I missed any. It’s in 2026 ..."

I have a rejects list too, called Science, Social Issues, and a Sense of Place. I've made it public since a few people in the Wild Discussion expressed interest. Here's a link: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Angie wrote: "I, too, would have preferred a more narrow award prompt. But people don't seem willing to vote those in, so I'm glad we've at least got some kind of award prompt. I've self-narrowed to a Hugo Winne..."

I've added The Tainted Cup to my TBR list - thanks!

Pamela wrote: "Joanna G wrote: "Thanks to the Mods, and everyone who participated!

Excited to start planning for my 2026 reads, even though I will inevitably abandon those plans!"

I so want to start but I can'..."

Same! It seemed as if we were still choosing prompts so late into the year, but now that we're finished it seems like so long until we actually get to start reading for them!

I know. I keep seeing books I've planned available in the library - hard to keep my mittens off them!