MobileRead Administration: New years reading categories

[sun surfer]

I like the categories now. While changing a few in theory may sound like a good idea, in practise I think it would be a massive and muddled undertaking to put it to nominations and voting.

There is also the prospect in voting of this becoming less than a "general" book club, if the votes should fall a certain way. And then what would you do? Veto the results or certain nominations, or let it stand?

To give an example, we could end up with these categories: post-apocalyptic, dystopian, space opera, time travel, steampunk, magic realism, mythic, paranormal, sword and sorcery, etc., which are not bad categories for a genre club but which would make the general book club not general.

Of course those examples are extreme, but the point is that leaving the categories completely open to voting could result in anything and would have a good chance of having the club lean away from "general" and towards certain genres.

If you are intent on changing some things, I'd rather, after everyone has had their say, you personally decide the categories based on our feedback but also based on still keeping the club very general (and I think that's the way the categories were decided before). But as I said, I'm fine with not changing anything.

[WT Sharpe]

If the majority wants to keep the categories the same for 2012, that works for me. Perhaps around June or July we should start thinking about the 2013 categories.

@sunsurfer: I echo your fears and agree that whatever changes might be made in the future, they should not be so radical that our "general" categories are obliterated.

[issybird]

Two words occur to me: integrity and style.

Integrity applies in respect to and for the voting process. Surely a vote of this kind should be let stand for a year? This is absurd. Are we going to have similar votes at regular intervals? Do-overs are for the playground.

Style comes into play in regard to how to take a defeat. Accept it and move on. Graciously.

Can't we just let all this go? Why the urge to jump whenever someone whinges?

[jgaiser]

Originally Posted by Hamlet53

Or most people are happy, thought the matter settled, and are annoyed at the fact that the same few people keep raising the same issue over and over?

[HomeInMyShoes]

Originally Posted by sun surfer

...To give an example, we could end up with these categories: post-apocalyptic, dystopian, space opera, time travel, steampunk, magic realism, mythic, paranormal, sword and sorcery, etc., which are not bad categories for a genre club but which would make the general book club not general.

What, no zombie apocalypse?!? Oh, the humanity, or lack there of.

[Nyssa]

Wow. Sorry I asked. Forgive me for not making assumptions. It does say 2010 book list, "not all life time how dare we change anything ever" book list. My question was simple- are we doing next year what we did this year. It really was a yes or no question. I might even ask the question again net year unless this becomes the official list, in which case the year should be removed and the list be titled as such. Then there will be no confusion and no one will ask if any changes will be made.

[WT Sharpe]

I think it plain from the responses that the 2012 list will be identical to the 2011 list. If we want to talk about 2013, we can take that up in June or July.

[sun surfer]

Originally Posted by Nyssa

Wow. Sorry I asked. Forgive me for not making assumptions. It does say 2010 book list, "not all life time how dare we change anything ever" book list. My question was simple- are we doing next year what we did this year. It really was a yes or no question. I might even ask the question again net year unless this becomes the official list, in which case the year should be removed and the list be titled as such. Then there will be no confusion and no one will ask if any changes will be made.

I don't know about the others, but I was only responding to Tom's question.

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

I think it plain from the responses that the 2012 list will be identical to the 2011 list. If we want to talk about 2013, we can take that up in June or July.

Since we're on the subject...

There were two things I was going to bring up after the vote ended today, but since it's close enough to done I'll go ahead now.

First, can we get a rule about a book only being allowed to be in say one vote per six months? I think it's absurd that Storm Front was in the vote for Horror of all categories and that it's ending up in second place. But what is even more absurd is that it's been included in the poll THREE of the last four months. That's a little ridiculous. Next thing we know it'll win the romance month because someone called someone else cute somewhere in the book.

Second, I do propose one minor change to the category list: Can we switch Mystery to another month? Mystery and Horror are pretty similar to be back-to-back, and since Horror is a themed month for October it probably should stay where it is. Looking over the category list, there aren't many good options as it shouldn't be too close to Thriller either nor should it be December (to keep classics apart), January (second chance from last year), February (themed for romance) or April (themed for Humour), so that really only March and Non-Fiction to switch it with.

So could we switch Non-Fiction and Mystery? It's not a big deal but I think it'd keep the genres better spread out through the year.

^ I was thinking about raising the Storm Front issue myself (noticed the same thing), but I figured one argument at a time. Either these categories are going to mean something or Sci-Fi/Fantasy is valid for every monthly category but non-fiction.

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by sun surfer

...First, can we get a rule about a book only being allowed to be in say one vote per six months? I think it's absurd that Storm Front was in the vote for Horror of all categories and that it's ending up in second place. But what is even more absurd is that it's been included in the poll THREE of the last four months. That's a little ridiculous. Next thing we know it'll win the romance month because someone called someone else cute somewhere in the book.

Second, I do propose one minor change to the category list: Can we switch Mystery to another month? Mystery and Horror are pretty similar to be back-to-back, and since Horror is a themed month for October it probably should stay where it is. Looking over the category list, there aren't many good options as it shouldn't be too close to Thriller either nor should it be December (to keep classics apart), January (second chance from last year), February (themed for romance) or April (themed for Humour), so that really only March and Non-Fiction to switch it with.

So could we switch Non-Fiction and Mystery? It's not a big deal but I think it'd keep the genres better spread out through the year.

What do the rest of you think of these two proposals?

[Nyssa]

1. I personally don't care how many times a book is nominated. If people are interested in it for that month they will 2nd & 3rd it, and then vote for it. If they are not interested then they won't. I'm pretty sure that if Storm Front was nominated for Romance it would be ignored.


2. I have no problems with Mystery & Non-Fiction being switched. But then again I'm flexible that way, you know when I'm not whining, asking questions, or making suggestions.

I'll be in the hospital having suegery tomorrow, maybe they'll cure me of having opinions.

[HomeInMyShoes]

Not sure what I think about Storm Front. It obviously shouldn't have been nominated in the one month, but categorization is what it is. Messy. I think a six month hiatus is good with the obvious exception being the RunnerUp month in January.

I'm going to jigger the months a little more:

Jan  RunnerUp
Feb  Romance
Mar  Thriller/Suspense
Apr  Humour
May  Fantasy
Jun  Classic
Jul  Mystery/Crime
Aug  FreeForAll
Sep  NonFiction
Oct  Horror
Nov  Science Fiction
Dec  Classic

It was an effort to try to split up the following groups:
- Science Fiction, Fantasy
- Classic, Classic
- Mystery/Crime, Thriller/Suspense, Horror

I really messed them around. Since summer is supposed to be about fun reading I put Mystery, and FreeForAll in it so we can get some good summer reads. I also put NonFiction into September for back to school time. I would have liked to space Humour and Romance better, but the months they are in just make too much sense.

[Nyssa]

What you have there looks good to me HIMS.

[sun surfer]

Originally Posted by Nyssa

But then again I'm flexible that way, you know when I'm not whining, asking questions, or making suggestions.

Hey, I resemble that remark!

Originally Posted by HomeInMyShoes

I'm going to jigger the months a little more:

Oh wow, I was trying not to rock the boat too much but that looks good. I think all the changes you made make sense. The only thing I might switch would be having Thriller July and Mystery March. I don't know why; Thriller just seems better for Summer than winter, and a nice cozy mystery for cold March. But either way sounds good.

[HomeInMyShoes]

July is Winter for some of our members.

Of course, that's not what I was thinking when I drew that up.