MobileRead Administration: New years reading categories

pilotbob · 09-20-2009, 09:36 PM

Hi All,

The October Book Club Category was the last one on the original schedule. It is time to put together a new schedule.

I think we have learned some things this past year.

1. Limiting to free books isn't easy when the category is very narrow.
2. Some of the categories were not well defined ahead of time.
3. Some categories were not as popular as others.

Here was the previous schedule:

January 09
Science Fiction (can be from anywhere, including our library)

February 09
MobileRead Contemporary (can be any genre, but must be contemporary and must be available in our library)

March 09
Nonfiction (can be from anywhere, including our library)

April 09
MobileRead Author (must be a book from an author who frequents MobileRead)

May 09
Horror (can be from anywhere, including our library)

June 09
MobileRead Classic

July 09
Humor (can be from anywhere, including our library)

August 09
MobileRead Contemporary

September 09
Mystery (can be from anywhere, including our library)

October 09
MobileRead Author

Some worked well, some didn't. I was thinking we should make the categories less narrow and more like a "Genre"... Like, is classic a genre?

Also, I think it might be nice to try to theme the genre with the month. Like perhaps October should be horror since it contains Halloween. April would be a good month for humor.

I would like to see us get an annual schedule thing we could repeat each year... but maybe some don't want the same schedule each year.

So... the floor is open... what would you guys like to see?

BOb

lilac_jive · 09-20-2009, 09:41 PM

Ooh I'm all for the horror in October! Also, same with April and humor, and then presumably something Christmas or holiday related in December? I also really enjoy the MR author month. I think we should narrow Nonfiction down, like to History.

Contemporary was really tough, so I think we should nix that one. Maybe for something like reading something off the bestseller list (although that would make the nomination process boring).

ficbot · 09-20-2009, 09:44 PM

I think whomever nominates the winning book for the month should be responsible for posting discussion questions of some sort on a weekly basis, to help keep the discussion interesting. The few times I managed to read the monthly book, I would check the thread and there didn't seem to be much activity. One or two weekly 'discussion' questions might help keep the conversation active and interesting.

pilotbob · 09-20-2009, 10:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lilac_jive

Maybe for something like reading something off the bestseller list (although that would make the nomination process boring).

Bestseller might be a good idea. Would it have to be a current best seller? We could also do other lists too... like Hugo nominees or well, there's got to be other writing awards.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ficbot

I think whomever nominates the winning book for the month should be responsible for posting discussion questions of some sort on a weekly basis, to help keep the discussion interesting.

That is an interesting idea... but I wonder if it would also discourage people from nominating a book. I think the more casual we make this the more people will play along. I also think the more people we have involved the more traffic the discussion threads will get. As you say, some have been pretty thin while others were quite busy.

BOb

Superlucky · 09-21-2009, 01:33 AM

Maybe a political month, with stuff like Common Sense, The Communist Manifesto and Mein Kampf. I would imagine it would make for great discussion.

Another idea: a banned books month, where obviously the selection is a book that has been banned by a government at some point. The list is long and varied.

HarryT · 09-21-2009, 08:59 AM

Please can we NOT have "contemporary fiction" again? It's too restrictive a category, and pretty much all the books which ended up getting nominated for it this time were NOT in the category at all

(SF is NOT contemporary fiction).

Also, if "MobileRead Author" means "a living author who has personally posted one of their books to MR", don't you think that too is extremely restrictive?

HarryT · 09-21-2009, 09:13 AM

I'd like to second the recommendation for "genre" months rather than specific sources of books such as "MR". Obvious genres would be:

Crime and Mystery
Horror
Adventure
Horror
Humour
Romance
SF/Fantasy
Biography/Autobiography
Classics

It should be pretty easy to extend this to cover 12 months, if that should be deemed appropriate.

EDIT: I'm not suggesting that "Horror" should really be in there twice

. I don't like horror books, personally!

Slite · 09-21-2009, 09:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

I'd like to second the recommendation for "genre" months rather than specific sources of books such as "MR". Obvious genres would be:

Crime and Mystery
Horror
Adventure
Horror
Humour
Romance
SF/Fantasy
Biography/Autobiography
Classics

It should be pretty easy to extend this to cover 12 months, if that should be deemed appropriate.

I second this. Genres is easier than origin.

AnemicOak · 09-21-2009, 09:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

I'd like to second the recommendation for "genre" months rather than specific sources of books such as "MR". Obvious genres would be:

Crime and Mystery
Horror
Adventure
Horror
Humour
Romance
SF/Fantasy
Biography/Autobiography
Classics

It should be pretty easy to extend this to cover 12 months, if that should be deemed appropriate.

EDIT: I'm not suggesting that "Horror" should really be in there twice

. I don't like horror books, personally!

I agree. Having genre's one might normally read, at least for me, would be a good thing.

While I "get" the whole MR Author thing that's really a pretty limited list isn't it?

JSWolf · 09-21-2009, 10:49 AM

This looks like a good schedule. If a book from a series is nominated, please make it book #1.

January 2010
Science Fiction/Fantasy
February 2010
Mystery/Thriller
March 2010
Nonfiction
April 2010
Humor
May 2010
Classic
June 2010
Any book uploaded to MR
July 2010
Autobiography/Biography
August 2010
Any book not at MR
September 2010
Mystery/Thriller
October 2010
Horror
November 2010
Science Fiction/Fantasy
December 2010
Any book uploaded to MR

HarryT · 09-21-2009, 10:54 AM

Sorry, Jon, but I don't think that SF/Fantasy should get 3 slots. What about romance - the most popular genre of all?

JSWolf · 09-21-2009, 11:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

Sorry, Jon, but I don't think that SF/Fantasy should get 3 slots. What about romance - the most popular genre of all?

Oh did I leave out romance?

Well, I've edited the list and removed SF and made fantasy SF/Fantasy and the last one another free MR book. So there could be two romance if one is voted for.

AnemicOak · 09-21-2009, 11:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

This looks like a good schedule. If a book from a series is nominated, please make it book #1.

January 2010
Science Fiction/Fantasy
February 2010
Mystery/Thriller
March 2010
Nonfiction
April 2010
Humor
May 2010
Classic
June 2010
Any book uploaded to MR
July 2010
Autobiography/Biography
August 2010
Any book not at MR
September 2010
Mystery/Thriller
October 2010
Horror
November 2010
Science Fiction
December 2010
Fantasy

I see you left off Romance. Is this just because you don't like it or was there another reason?

Historical Fiction might be a nice genre to consider.

`

Moejoe · 09-21-2009, 11:01 AM

Where's magical realism, dark fantasy, slipstream and speculative fiction in that genre list?

HarryT · 09-21-2009, 11:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moejoe

Where's magical realism, dark fantasy, slipstream and speculative fiction in that genre list?

Those all fit into "SF/Fantasy", IMHO. But we really do need a specific "romance" slot, IMHO, regardless of whether or not Jon like it

.

09-21-2009, 09:13 AM	#7
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	I'd like to second the recommendation for "genre" months rather than specific sources of books such as "MR". Obvious genres would be: Crime and Mystery Horror Adventure Horror Humour Romance SF/Fantasy Biography/Autobiography Classics It should be pretty easy to extend this to cover 12 months, if that should be deemed appropriate. EDIT: I'm not suggesting that "Horror" should really be in there twice . I don't like horror books, personally! Last edited by HarryT; 09-21-2009 at 09:22 AM.

09-21-2009, 10:49 AM	#10
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 76,337 Karma: 136006010 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	This looks like a good schedule. If a book from a series is nominated, please make it book #1. January 2010 Science Fiction/Fantasy February 2010 Mystery/Thriller March 2010 Nonfiction April 2010 Humor May 2010 Classic June 2010 Any book uploaded to MR July 2010 Autobiography/Biography August 2010 Any book not at MR September 2010 Mystery/Thriller October 2010 Horror November 2010 Science Fiction/Fantasy December 2010 Any book uploaded to MR Last edited by JSWolf; 09-21-2009 at 11:00 AM.

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09-20-2009, 09:36 PM	#1
pilotbob Grand Sorcerer Posts: 19,832 Karma: 11844413 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Tampa, FL USA Device: Kindle Touch	Administration: New years reading categories Hi All, The October Book Club Category was the last one on the original schedule. It is time to put together a new schedule. I think we have learned some things this past year. 1. Limiting to free books isn't easy when the category is very narrow. 2. Some of the categories were not well defined ahead of time. 3. Some categories were not as popular as others. Here was the previous schedule: January 09 Science Fiction (can be from anywhere, including our library) February 09 MobileRead Contemporary (can be any genre, but must be contemporary and must be available in our library) March 09 Nonfiction (can be from anywhere, including our library) April 09 MobileRead Author (must be a book from an author who frequents MobileRead) May 09 Horror (can be from anywhere, including our library) June 09 MobileRead Classic July 09 Humor (can be from anywhere, including our library) August 09 MobileRead Contemporary September 09 Mystery (can be from anywhere, including our library) October 09 MobileRead Author Some worked well, some didn't. I was thinking we should make the categories less narrow and more like a "Genre"... Like, is classic a genre? Also, I think it might be nice to try to theme the genre with the month. Like perhaps October should be horror since it contains Halloween. April would be a good month for humor. I would like to see us get an annual schedule thing we could repeat each year... but maybe some don't want the same schedule each year. So... the floor is open... what would you guys like to see? BOb

09-20-2009, 09:41 PM	#2
lilac_jive Grand Sorcerer Posts: 5,870 Karma: 27376 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Pennsylvania Device: PRS-505	Ooh I'm all for the horror in October! Also, same with April and humor, and then presumably something Christmas or holiday related in December? I also really enjoy the MR author month. I think we should narrow Nonfiction down, like to History. Contemporary was really tough, so I think we should nix that one. Maybe for something like reading something off the bestseller list (although that would make the nomination process boring).

09-20-2009, 09:44 PM	#3
ficbot Wizard Posts: 2,409 Karma: 4132096 Join Date: Sep 2008 Device: Kindle Paperwhite/iOS Kindle App	I think whomever nominates the winning book for the month should be responsible for posting discussion questions of some sort on a weekly basis, to help keep the discussion interesting. The few times I managed to read the monthly book, I would check the thread and there didn't seem to be much activity. One or two weekly 'discussion' questions might help keep the conversation active and interesting.

09-21-2009, 01:33 AM	#5
Superlucky Fanatic Posts: 581 Karma: 5952 Join Date: Aug 2009 Device: PRS-505, PRS-350	Maybe a political month, with stuff like Common Sense, The Communist Manifesto and Mein Kampf. I would imagine it would make for great discussion. Another idea: a banned books month, where obviously the selection is a book that has been banned by a government at some point. The list is long and varied.

09-21-2009, 08:59 AM	#6
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Please can we NOT have "contemporary fiction" again? It's too restrictive a category, and pretty much all the books which ended up getting nominated for it this time were NOT in the category at all (SF is NOT contemporary fiction). Also, if "MobileRead Author" means "a living author who has personally posted one of their books to MR", don't you think that too is extremely restrictive?

09-21-2009, 10:54 AM	#11
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Sorry, Jon, but I don't think that SF/Fantasy should get 3 slots. What about romance - the most popular genre of all?

09-21-2009, 11:01 AM	#14
Moejoe Banned Posts: 5,100 Karma: 72193 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: South of the Border Device: Coffin	Where's magical realism, dark fantasy, slipstream and speculative fiction in that genre list?

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