Planning for 2016

So, votes are in, these are our categories for the year!

Early modern horror: 1950-1980 - Moomin_Mama - January
Non-English - Moomin_Mama - February
Women authors - sturlington - March (Women's History Month/Int'l Women's Day)
Slashers, serial killers & the like - Monkey - April
Non-fiction - luvamystery65 - May
Stephen King & family - sturlington - June
Graphic novels + children's/YA - LibraryCin - July
Pre and post-Victorian Gothic - Monkey - August
Paranormal - luvamystery65 - September
Hauntings (/ghost stories) - LibraryCin - October
Diversity in horror - Monkey - November (Native American Heritage Month + Transgender Day of Remembrance)
Short stories - Moomin_Mama - December

Some folks mentioned wanting to host months, so if you'd like to do that (no obligation, I'm glad to lead wherever needed, so don't feel like you need to if you only see a couple people claim things!) then now's the time to stake your claim. Please let us know which one you'd like to take, and if you're limited to (a) specific month(s). Right off the bat I'm snagging Gothic, I'm sure no one minds after having focused on it this year ;) but it's a thing of mine, so, ya know. XD

We had a request for September to lend itself well to sequels/series, paranormal would do well for that.
I think early modern horror would be good for January, lots of options, good way to kick off the year, no?
Perhaps hauntings would be best suited to October?
Graphic novels/kids would be nice in a busy month, December? Or maybe one of the summer months when people also tend to have a lot going on?
Short stories would also do well in a potentially busy month.
Thoughts? Others you think fit best with certain months/times of year?

I can make wikis, but it's a little tedious to me, especially since I rarely use them, so if anyone wants them for anything, and anyone else would like to volunteer to make them...

Anything else that you can think of re: planning, bring it up here!

We'll do a separate thread for book ideas a little later, once the planning is finished. :)

Stephen King has a new book out in June, so I think that would be a good month for the King family. Happy to host that one, since he is a favorite author.

I might plug short stories for Oct, because I get in the mood for reading a bunch of scary stories around Halloween and I'm already tentatively thinking about rereading The October Country next Halloween.

Do we have to wait until November for Gothic? Please say it isn't so! How about Spring?

LOL hey, in the thread asking about next year's ideas everyone was complaining about all the Gothic! XD Well then, does anyone else have opinions on when they'd like Gothic to happen? I don't mind it being earlier if that's when it's wanted, I just figured with all that talk, folks would rather the distance. :P

But either way, don't forget, you can always read Gothic that fits in with others, too! Women, non-English, short stories, paranormal, hauntings, all of those for sure have Gothic titles under them as well. I will be reading Gothic all year under many of them myself, so you are welcome to join me however much you like! :)

October, hauntings or short stories (or do you have some other notion?), chime in, folks!

I don't read newly released books, like, ever, lol, but June is fine with me. Anyone have thoughts on King fam for June?

I don't have any real preferences. I'm good with whatever. :)

February - Non-Fiction.

March for women authors - to tie-in with International Women's day?

I'm happy to follow the other suggestions already made.

That sounds like a good reason to tie March to Women. Any reasoning behind the Feb choice? I have nothing against it, just seems random is all! ;P

I host a NF thread in the 75 group. I love it and won't mind taking the NF here either. My 75 thread is in November so I'm glad November is spoken for. How about May? It would work selfishly for me as I could tie some of my reading in with the May Murder and Mayhem group. I'm open for other months but May would be ideal for me.

>8 luvamystery65: That's fine. I put you up for that one.

I also assigned months to everything, most of which are still quite flexible, but since there's not much discussion (at least so far) on what should be when, I figured I'd just try sticking things places, and they can always be rearranged. :)

>9 .Monkey.: It looks like a good lineup!

>9 .Monkey.: Looks good to me!

I have a thread going in the 2016 Category Challenge where I'll be recording and reviewing all my reads. I've done my planning for this group for 2016. I'll be following most but not all of the months, of course allowing for the inevitable sidetracks. Here's the message with my plan, if you're interested: http://www.librarything.com/topic/197651#5299074

I hope you'll copy your reviews/thoughts over here as well, for those of us not in the CC group. :) Looks good though!

>13 .Monkey.: Oh, absolutely.

Good good, wouldn't want to miss out! :D

Awww, I came in too late. I liked the hauntings idea for October!

I'd like to host a month, as well. I'm just trying to figure out which one. Maybe the hauntings/ghost stories month for whichever month that ends up being.

Or, the graphic novels/children's/YA month?

>17 LibraryCin: Either is fine, or you could do both if you feel like doing two, whatever works for ya! :)

I can see the case for both hauntings & short stories in either Oct or Dec, this is why I was hoping more folks would chime in! XD
There's obviously plenty of short stories about ghosts/hauntings so, there is that angle for short stories in Oct, as well as sturlington's notion of more stories to get in the Halloween spirit. And December does, to me at least, feel like it fits with the haunting/ghosts as well, with the long dark nights and icy air keeping people closed up inside so the streets are all quiet and such, has that perfect atmosphere! And, while I've not yet actually read it myself, of course the one ghost story we all associate with Dec, Dickens' Christmas Carol! :P
But then ghosts/hauntings is the natural instinct for Halloween time, and short stories could do well for Dec when people are busy with holidays and end of the year things and all.

So, anyone else have thoughts either way??

Wow, Monkey, you've really got us organised!

I think short stories are good for December - like you said, plenty of the traditional ghost stories are great at this time of year, and everyone is busy with Christmas and New Year.

I wouldn't mind hosting 'Early Modern Horror'.

>19 Moomin_Mama: Sure, adding you in for that one. And okay, if no one else chimes in otherwise, then I will switch it back around to short stories in Dec and hauntings in Oct, since that has more support.

>18 .Monkey.: Sorry I didn't get back to you on whether or not I wanted to do both. If someone really has an inkling to do one or the other, I can do the other. If not, so as not to leave you doing so many, I can plan on both! I just need to add them to my calendar...

No worries, the year hasn't even started yet! ;) I don't mind doing any that aren't claimed, but if you want to do both of them you can!

Also happy to do Non-English and Short Stories if no-one else offers...

Okay, >21 LibraryCin: & >23 Moomin_Mama: I stuck your names next to both of those for each of you with question marks, no obligations required! Cin, you are welcome to choose just one of them, but just to keep things straight I just marked both, and for everyone else, non-English & short stories are still grab-able if you're interested. Also if anyone would like paranormal? I'll take it if no one wants, but it just happens to be an area I read very little of, generally, so if anyone reads a lot of that and would like to snag it...

I'd be happy to host Paranormal month! I read a lot of urban fantasy and that fits the bill. If someone comes along later and wants one of my categories I would also be happy to give one up.

I think you're probably safe keeping them ;) but excellent, will toss you on the list for that one. :D

I probably could have done paranormal, as well, but already doing two, I think I'll let luvamystery do that one!

Haha. Okay so you're going to keep both the others, then? I will remove the question marks! :)

>28 .Monkey.: Sure, I'll do both!

Hey, .Monkey, you are hosting a lot of months. I can take Women too, if you like.

I don't mind at all, but if you're interested in it, I don't mind passing it along, either. I'm quite flexible! xD

Is the list in >1 .Monkey.: definitive, or are we still moving things around?

I just wanted to chime in and say thanks to everyone else for offering to host. I feel a little guilty about not volunteering at all, but I'm already hosting various group reads elsewhere, and I didn't want to take on more than I could handle. I'm looking forward to being a participant in these challenges next year!

>33 mathgirl40: No worries, it's totally not required!

>32 majkia: I think we're probably pretty set, was there something you were hoping to get switched around, or just thinking over your planning for the year?

>31 .Monkey.: Sure, put me down for Women.

>34 .Monkey.: Just trying to plan for next year. I'm good with whatever month for whatever!

>33 mathgirl40: I totally understand the little bit guilty stuff. I'm sadly all too good at that. I'm not hosting here either. I'm just not that conversant with the genre. I'm more a sci fi/fantasy kinda gal.