MobileRead October 2013 *Category* Poll

[WT Sharpe]

I'm thinking of when we get through with the 2013 categories, proceeding straight to the 2014 categories before we take a break. Any objections?

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

...To give folks an example of the range this category might cover here's a list of the top Science books of 2012....

Originally Posted by orlok

^ looks like we have all our nominations right there! Interesting post, and it has swayed my opinion on the best category.

Of course I agree about Science being the best category, but with one day to go, the Patricia Clark Memorial Library (MobileRead Library) category is in the lead by one vote. Seems like an unnecessary category to me, since so many of the best copies of the books we read already come from there. It's not unlike nominating The Kindle Store as a category. I hope something else wins.

On the other hand, Mythology could make my grandson take more of an interest in the club.

[Nyssa]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

I'm thinking of when we get through with the 2013 categories, proceeding straight to the 2014 categories before we take a break. Any objections?

Sounds alright to me.

Any thoughts on doing the book nominations a month ahead of time, next year? We could actually run the January poll and February nominations at the same time, since there will no nominations needed (provided we keep the "2nd chance" category - which I hope we do).

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by Nyssa

Sounds alright to me.

Any thoughts on doing the book nominations a month ahead of time, next year? We could actually run the January poll and February nominations at the same time, since there will no nominations needed (provided we keep the "2nd chance" category - which I hope we do).

Not my first choice, as I like the setup we have now.

[Nyssa]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

Not my first choice, as I like the setup we have now.

Could you possibly be persuaded by a list of Pros: including more time to acquire (especially if placing a hold at the library), and more time to read?

[sun surfer]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

I'm thinking of when we get through with the 2013 categories, proceeding straight to the 2014 categories before we take a break. Any objections?

It's up to you of course, but a lot can change in a year or even half a year. I'd prefer to wait so that we don't get too far ahead. After the December 2013 category poll, we could always just take a break for at least six months or so then start again for 2014 in the last few months of this year. Then we'll have had a chance to experience most of the categories for this year and know what we think of it all, and any new people joining us along the way will have a chance to have a say for 2014.

[Synamon]

Originally Posted by sun surfer

It's up to you of course, but a lot can change in a year or even half a year. I'd prefer to wait so that we don't get too far ahead. After the December 2013 category poll, we could always just take a break for at least six months or so then start again for 2014 in the last few months of this year. Then we'll have had a chance to experience most of the categories for this year and know what we think of it all, and any new people joining us along the way will have a chance to have a say for 2014.

I agree, with all the new categories it would be useful to see how they work out before selecting categories for the next year.

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by Nyssa

Could you possibly be persuaded by a list of Pros: including more time to acquire (especially if placing a hold at the library), and more time to read?

Several people have complained in the past that there's already too much time between the vote and the discussion.

Originally Posted by sun surfer

It's up to you of course, but a lot can change in a year or even half a year. I'd prefer to wait so that we don't get too far ahead. After the December 2013 category poll, we could always just take a break for at least six months or so then start again for 2014 in the last few months of this year. Then we'll have had a chance to experience most of the categories for this year and know what we think of it all, and any new people joining us along the way will have a chance to have a say for 2014.

My thinking is that the rate we're going, a six month break would put us further behind than we were at the start of this year.

[John F]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

I'm thinking of when we get through with the 2013 categories, proceeding straight to the 2014 categories before we take a break. Any objections?
...

No objection but...

I didn't think we would be going through this category selection process every year. IMO, we don't need to do this every year.

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by John F

No objection but...

I didn't think we would be going through this category selection process every year. IMO, we don't need to do this every year.

How about this then—when we get through with December, have an up or down vote on whether to keep the same categories for 2014 or vote on new ones. We could take a break for a couple of months in the mean time rather than jumping right in.

[John F]

Works for me.

[Nyssa]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

How about this then—when we get through with December, have an up or down vote on whether to keep the same categories for 2014 or vote on new ones. We could take a break for a couple of months in the mean time rather than jumping right in.

Sure!

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

How about this then—when we get through with December, have an up or down vote on whether to keep the same categories for 2014 or vote on new ones. We could take a break for a couple of months in the mean time rather than jumping right in.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

I'm thinking of when we get through with the 2013 categories, proceeding straight to the 2014 categories before we take a break. Any objections?

No objection here.

What about having the book nominating/voting a month early so we can have more time to get ready for the read?

Of course I agree about Science being the best category, but with one day to go, the Patricia Clark Memorial Library (MobileRead Library) category is in the lead by one vote. Seems like an unnecessary category to me, since so many of the best copies of the books we read already come from there. It's not unlike nominating The Kindle Store as a category. I hope something else wins.

On the other hand, Mythology could make my grandson take more of an interest in the club.

I'm not a fan of any of the top three categories. I agree about the MR Library. But the other two just are not all that interesting overall. That list of Science books reads like a a list of who can be duller then the other. Mythology is just not for me.

But if Science does win, I know what I'll nominate. I'll be nominating the biography of Albert Einstein.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

Not my first choice, as I like the setup we have now.

But, it would give us more time for Overdrive wait lists, more time to gather together the money to buy the eBook and more time to read especially if it's a rather large book. This would mean that size as a reason to choose a given book would not come into play (one would think given the extra time available)

Also, if you read the thread I started, everyone posting there is in favor.

[Bookpossum]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

How about this then—when we get through with December, have an up or down vote on whether to keep the same categories for 2014 or vote on new ones. We could take a break for a couple of months in the mean time rather than jumping right in.

That sounds manageable, though it does mean some good categories might miss out both in 2013 and 2014. Here's another suggestion:

In December, have nominations for the 12 categories for 2014, ie as many categories as people want to put up, and then we vote in the top 12. Well, it would actually be only 11 if we stay with the Runner-Up category in January.

Doing that would save you work, and we would be clear for the year on the category we are going to have each month. That would also let us run the book nominations earlier to fit in with Jon's suggestion if others are in agreement. I can see merit in an earlier nomination process, especially where people might need to wait a while for a nominated book to become available in the library, for example.