2020 CAT Planning thread

Post your suggestions here for next year's CATs. I'll keep a list here of ideas and the number of the post where the idea is first proposed, in case you want more information.

GeoCAT >2 Tess_W:
CATwoman >6 sallylou61:
CATastrophe >10 katiekrug:
EraCAT >11 Helenliz: >59 Helenliz:
RandomCAT >15 LadyoftheLodge:
CalendarCAT >26 LadyoftheLodge:
TravelCAT >26 LadyoftheLodge:
OlympusCAT >29 Montarville: >42 Montarville:
MysteryCAT >35 DeltaQueen50:
AwardsCAT >37 JayneCM:
HistoryCAT >45 LibraryCin:
SeriesCAT >46 LibraryCin:
YoungCAT >47 LibraryCin:
BioCAT >47 LibraryCin:
TranslationCAT >50 VivienneR:
SensoriCAT >70 Robertgreaves:
NonFictionCAT >71 pamelad:
NewsCAT >81 LibraryCin:

You have until October 31st at midnight PST (British Columbia's time zone) to make suggestions.

Voting will begin on November 1st in a separate thread.

Delighted to report that in addition to the chosen CATs, @majkia will be hosting AlphaKIT again, @fuzzi will be hosting SFFFkit and @sturlington will be hosting ScaredyKIT.

Edit November 1: the voting thread is here: https://www.librarything.com/topic/312553

Geo Cat--we read from a different geographic location each month--example: Scandinavia, Eastern Europe, Oceania, Central America, etc.

>2 Tess_W: I think we had this once before and I enjoyed it with some good finds.

>2 Tess_W: This is a great idea. Maybe add places like Atlantis. We can do lots of travelling.

Yeah, I'm all for SFF/Sci Fi places as well as 'real'.

CATWoman: titles by a female author — we have had this only once before although we have also had a female author BingoPUP.

>4 mnleona: >5 majkia: Maybe we could use "Fictional or legendary places" for one of the months.

>7 christina_reads: yup

>6 sallylou61: I'll second CATWoman.

CATastrophe

Fiction or nonfiction about or involving catastrophe/disaster.

Some possible topics:
Transportation
Hurricanes
Pre-1900
Famine/Drought
Riots/Uprisings/Sieges
Blizzards
Maritime
Historical fiction set during actual event
Nonfiction
War (maybe too broad)
Occurring outside the US (most of the books I could think of involved US disasters but that just may be my own bias or what's available to me) or Occurring outside your home country
Grab Bag/Miscellaneous

Fiction picks wouldn't have to be "about" the disaster, just feature a disaster as part of the plot (if that makes sense).

Apologies if this has already been done!

I'd like to suggest an AgingCAT. We'd read books published in different date ranges, but they could be from any format/genre etc.
More modern could be a single year (2020, for example), while for middling books it might be a decade - 1870 to 1880 for example. Really old books would be within quarter or half a century - 1700 to 1725 for example, or just pre a date (pre 1500).

>11 Helenliz: I like this. I was thinking of something similar but describing it seemed too complex (decades? past? ages? era?), not historical because modern works would be included.

>10 katiekrug: >11 Helenliz: Oh, both good ideas!

>12 VivienneR:, >13 majkia: Thanks - I wasn't sure if I'd have made myself clear, but sounds like you've understood what I'm trying to say. Phew! I was debating DateCAT, but decided AgingCAT was more CAT-like >:-)
I think the ranges need to vary as it is much easier to find a more recent book than older ones, this way at least there is some scope for people to find something that might appeal.

Can we do RandomCAT again? I love being surprised every month. This category really challenges me. Also I like AlphaKIT. I know we do these every year, but they are tried and true I think.

I'll definitely be running the AlphaKIT again.

>15 LadyoftheLodge: pleeeeease Random CAT - I don't always manage it, but I like the surprise element.
>16 majkia: Good!

>15 LadyoftheLodge: RandomCAT is my favourite! I look forward every month to the 15th when the new theme is announced.

>11 Helenliz: >12 VivienneR: So would the idea for AgingCAT to read books that were originally published in the span of years?

>15 LadyoftheLodge: Yes, please, I love RandomCAT too!

>11 Helenliz: >12 VivienneR: We have had HistoryCAT before with books being set in various time periods rather than necessarily from those time periods. No reason not to do it again :-)

When you said AgingCAT, my first thought was books with protagonists at different points in their lifespan, which might be interesting in itself.

I'm a big fan of the Random Cat too. I'm always excited to see the great ideas people come up with. (And I have a good idea for one for next year).

>11 Helenliz: Do you mean vintage and backlist books?
(I'm sorry, I'm a little over tired and my brain isn't quite firing on all cylinders!)

I'm also a fan of RandomCAT.

>23 Tanya-dogearedcopy: I'm thinking of books whose original publication dates fall within certain date ranges.

I loved CalendarCAT this year, with its many options. Not sure people want to do it again. Our categories overall this year were great!

Would TravelCAT be like GeoCAT?

>26 LadyoftheLodge: TravelCAT sounds like it would be a bit different from GeoCAT. Do you have something in mind?

>11 Helenliz: >21 Robertgreaves: The title AgingCAT also made me think of the aging process or featuring characters at different stages of aging,either of which would be interesting. If it is going to have the other definition, I suggest that it should be called the nonhuman aging cat or books written in different decades of history cat

For those who like cats that give a lot of options, how about MythologyCat? In Greek and Roman mythology, each god and goddess is god of a few things and has a few symbols associated with them. These could be used as subjects of books, or as elements on the cover, or words in the title, etc.

For example, Zeus/Jupiter is the god of the sky, lightning, thunder, law, order and justice, and his symbols include the thunderbolt, the eagle, the oak tree, the bull, the scepter, scales... So one could use justice to read a legal thriller, sky for an intergalactic saga or a book about planes, oak tree as an element on the cover a book, thunder for a book set in Thunder Bay, Zeus to read Dr Seuss...

Here are some examples of what the categories would look like:

Artemis/Diana: goddess of the hunt, the wilderness, virginity, the moon, archery, childbirth, protection. Symbols: moon, horse, deer, hound, she-bear, snake, cypress tree, bow and arrow.

Apollo: god of light, sun, prophecy, philosphy, truth, inspiration, poetry, music, arts, medicine, healing... Symbols: sun, bow, arrow, lyre, swan, mouse.

Aphrodite/Venus: goddess of love, passion, procreation, fertility, beauty, desire. Symbols: dove, bird, appel, bee, swan, myrtle, rose.

Poseidon/Neptune: god of seas, water, storms, hurricanes, earthquakes, horses. Symbols: horse, bull, dolphin, trident.

You can find other gods' area of expertise on this Wikipedia page: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twelve_Olympians.

*Edited for typos. And sorry for the long post.

>29 Montarville: oooh I like that

>29 Montarville: >30 Robertgreaves: Oh, so do I!

>29 Montarville: Me too!

>29 Montarville: - Love the idea!

>29 Montarville: That's a great idea!

Another tried and true Cat is the MysteryCat which I would love to see make another appearance.

>35 DeltaQueen50: I'm so glad you suggested this one, Judy!

>29 Montarville: Oooh yes, to mythology as could also include Norse mythology and myths from other cultures.
And I love RandomCAT too.

Maybe AwardWinningCAT? Could be any book awards - there are many to choose from! Could split it up per month by award or by year. For example, any book that has won the Miles Franklin award; or any award winning book from 1985. Or you could do years by events - any award winning book from the year of your birth or the year you finished high school. Or mix them up!

We had an AwardsCAT back in 2017 but there are so many awards that a repeat could be quite different.

>38 VivienneR: Oh, I wasn't here then!

>38 VivienneR: I think we've covered most CATegories over the years. I really enjoyed AwardsCAT so a repeat would be fine for me.

>29 Montarville: >37 JayneCM: I was wondering whether OlympusCAT might be a better name since there are twelve months and twelve Olympian gods with associated "departments". I'm not sure how you would work in different mythologies unless you were going to take different themes like Creation, Fire & Flood, Seasons etc.

>41 Robertgreaves: OlympusCat sounds good. I quite forgot that pretty much any ancient culture has its mythology (Norse, Egyptian, Inca...), and it could be difficult to include them all unless we go by theme, and then it would just be ThemeCat.

>27 VivienneR: TravelCAT--I was thinking of books related to travel, to different places, different modes of travel, etc.
Love the MysteryCAT, and also the MythologyCAT.

>2 Tess_W: >3 Robertgreaves: I think we've actually done that one twice before!

>21 Robertgreaves: I was also going to re-nominated HistoryCAT!

I see someone has mentioned CalendarCAT again for next year. Except for RandomCAT, we don't often do the same one two years in a row, but given that someone else has suggested CalendarCAT again, I'll also re-nominate:
SeriesCAT

In our discussion for topics for this year, we had more than enough for topics for a 2nd year, so it could, potentially, consist of all different themes than this year.

I'll also re-nominate a few that have been nominated before, but haven't (yet) been voted in:

YACAT (or YoungCAT to cover Children's and YA)

BioCAT (Biographies, memoirs) - tried this as a KIT one year

I thought I had others in mind to re-nominate, but at the moment, that's what I'm coming up with.

>10 katiekrug: I really like this one!

>10 katiekrug:, >48 LibraryCin:, I like that one too!

One of the CATs suggested last year was TranslationCAT that kind of appealed to me. So I'll throw it into the hat this year. I suppose it would have a different language each month.

>50 VivienneR: Yes! I was going to have books in translation as one of my own categories in 2020.

>50 VivienneR: that would be an interesting challenge. I also have a translation category for next year. It was a new one for me this year and will be making a return visit.

>16 majkia: yeah, ALPHAkIT! I'll be happy to do the letters again if you want me to!

>29 Montarville: OlympusCAT sounds interesting

Read a fictional book with an actual event used in the plot.
Example: The Dressmaker was set on the Titanic

>53 cyderry: Good idea! Can anyone come up with a short CAT name? I'll use RealityinFictionCAT until someone improves on that.

ETA: Just wondering how this would work for 12 months? Or was it intended as a Bingo suggestion?

>53 cyderry: >54 VivienneR: Suggesting ZeligCAT. But a whole year's worth of books might be hard to find.

I'm keen on the translation CAT and the Ageing CAT (EraCAT? DecaCAT? YearCAT?).

>53 cyderry: >54 VivienneR: When I read the suggestion, I thought I was in the BingoDOG planning thread. Not sure if that's what was intended or not. It was only when I read your reply that I had to scroll to the top of the page to see which thread I was looking at!

>56 pamelad: I like EraCAT, myself. I think it makes more sense (at least to me) than AgingCAT.

>56 pamelad: no objection to changing its name, if it makes it easier to understand. I'll take any suggestions:
AgeingCAT also known as:
EraCAT
DecaCAT
YearCAT
PubliCATion (in that books are picked on date of publication, which already has CAT in the middle of it!)
nonhuman aging cat
books written in different decades of history cat

My preference would be to keep the name short and snappy.

>59 Helenliz: I've changed it in the list at the top to EraCAT with a reference to post #59.

>54 VivienneR: Could be Fiction from Fact CAT

I'm definitely on board for Random Cat again. I join the chorus of those who love the surprise each month. EraCat sounds fascinating and I would also be interested in Olympus Cat, kind of a way to nod at mythology without reading straight on mythology
>53 cyderry: >54 VivienneR: I am not understanding the difference between reality cat and historical fiction, unless we are thinking of contemporary events. Am I not getting this right?

>61 clue: Good, I'll use that.

>62 beebeereads: Lots of good suggestions! Get ready to vote starting Nov 1. That's the exciting part of the process.

>53 cyderry: might be able to expand on the suggestion.

SciFi & Fantasy this year:SFF!

I'd also love to see Mystery back as a CAT.

>53 cyderry: One of my own categories for next year is fiction based on real people. I already have plenty on my list, so maybe extend it to people and/or events.

>64 fuzzi: SciFi and Fantasy don't feature much in my reading but this was a really popular KIT. Glad you are going to be back in 2020.

For the TravelCAT suggestion from >26 LadyoftheLodge:, I have been thinking of some possible topics for the months. Some of these could combine ideas from other CAT suggestions. Here are my thoughts (since I suggested the CAT).

A travel narrative
Related to food or drink from a specific location/country/region
Festival or event
Occurring or related to each of the continents (Asia, Europe, South America, North America, and so on, which would cover seven months)
In translation
Related to a place where you do not live
Related to a place you would like to visit
Modes of transportation (sea, air, rail, driving, etc)
Myths or legends from a specific region/country/location

56> sorry, I meant it for a BINGO square

I'll move it there.

>68 cyderry: Ah, that's kind of what I understood from your wording ("read a book...)

I'll remove it from the list. Thanks Chèli.

I would like to suggest SensoriCAT. 2 months for each of the five senses then 2 months for sixth sense, sense of direction, whatever. I'm not sure how to divide up the two months for each sense, though. If anyone thinks this could be interesting, feel free to run with it.

A non-fiction CAT. Some suggestions for categories:

1. Biography
2. Psychology
3. History
4. Sociology
5. Politics
6. Journalism
7. Science
8. Literary and film criticism
9. Philosophy
10. Religion
11. Writing
12. Travel

>71 pamelad: We had a DeweyCAT a couple of years ago. Is that the sort of thing you had in mind?

>72 Robertgreaves: I didn't have the Dewey CAT in mind. How did it go?

>73 pamelad: Some months attracted more interest than others. Personally, I found some months I had lots of books on my TBR shelves that fitted and other months only one or two, which I didn't get to anyway because there were so many challenges going on and only so many books I can read in one month.

>70 Robertgreaves: I love the idea of the sensoriCAT. Since you pointed out that we all follow so many challenges and don't always fulfill them, what if we made it a two month challenge for each of the 6 senses?

I really would have a difficult time with TranslationCAT all year. I had difficulty finding one for the BingoDOG challenge, and other LT members helped me out with suggestions. I just don't read works in translation very often.

I'd have no difficulty at all with translations, but wouldn't manage many SFF or any YA. No problem - we don't have to participate in every CAT.

>37 JayneCM: I'd be interested in an awards CAT. There are probably enough awards to have one or more a month.

>71 pamelad:, >72 Robertgreaves: . I much prefer a non-fiction cat described by pamelad to another DeweyCat. The topics suggested in >71 pamelad: are all very attractive; the DeweyCAT had categories that tended to be uninteresting to fill such as 000 (computer science, libraries, encyclopedias, etc.), 400 (Languages), and both 500 (sciences), and 600 (technology). Many of the social sciences were grouped in the 300s (although we spent two months on them). Many of the topics above would fall into only several of the Dewey fields.

With so many suggestions the voting is guaranteed to be interesting.

>71 pamelad: I like this idea, although it is quite broad.

It reminded me of a possibility we discussed last year. I'd have to look up details for month suggestions, but it was a NewsCAT or HeadlinesCAT or something along those lines.

Permalink to the original suggestion last year, though I'm sure it got more fleshed out as the discussion went on:

https://www.librarything.com/topic/296779#6589869

So, I'd like to add in a NewsCAT nomination, as well.

ETA: Maybe it didn't get overly fleshed out, after all, but it came to someone's mind due to a RandomCAT month we had "Ripped from the Headline", where people thought of all kinds of interesting topics.

>81 LibraryCin: If we chose sections from the news we wouldn't have to stick to non-fiction e.g. local news, world news, science, sport, fashion and food are topics that could be found in fiction, particularly if we didn't confine ourselves to current news. Our local newspaper has the sections "culture" and "lifestyle", which could cover anything we wanted them to.

>81 LibraryCin: I was thinking of your suggestion while I was reading Lethal White by Robert Galbraith that was set with the London Olympics as background.

>82 pamelad: You are correct - good point!

>70 Robertgreaves: and >75 beebeereads: I love that idea.

Travel Cat vs Geo(graphy) Cat....they could be the same or nearly...for example: a read from each of the 7 continents, then perhaps space, oceans, deserts, imaginary place, etc. Or we could just keep it on the 7 continents and divide some of the larger continents such as Asia and Africa into North/South, etc.

>86 Tess_W: Good idea, Tess. Asia and Africa are so large and diverse. My reading this year was less global than I would like. I'm hoping one of these, or the TranslationCAT are chosen.

I really enjoy the ScaredyKIT that's going on this year and would really like to see it running again next year, either as a CAT or a KIT. I'm not sure how KITs are created though. Are they necessarily CAT proposals that did not get enough votes to be made official CATs?

>88 chlorine: That's how some of the KITs started and as far as I remember, ScaredyKIT was one of them. Because it has been a KIT, and may well continue, I won't add it to the CAT suggestions.

@sturlington has hosted it for the past two years and may be planning to do so again in 2020. You could leave her a pm to find out.

>88 chlorine: >89 VivienneR: I would continue on with ScaredyKIT if it keeps going.

It was a popular KIT and if @sturlington is reading this, you might hear more. Of course if she is not ready to host another year, she could pass the reins to someone else to take over.

Can I put in a plea here, where I think it will be seen by most feline fans, for those hosting each month to PLEASE link to the wiki in your first post.

>92 Robertgreaves: YAY! Agreed! Makes it easier. :-)

Hi! I'm glad to see there's interest in another ScaredyKIT. For those of you who may not have participated, we read horror, thrillers, suspense, and true crime. Participants suggest themes each month and then host the month they suggested. It's a great way to try out genres you might not otherwise read.

I will start a separate thread to start collecting theme suggestions.

EDIT: Here is the thread: https://www.librarything.com/topic/312530#

>94 sturlington: Thanks for setting it up again this year! :)

The voting thread is now open: https://www.librarything.com/topic/312553

Just so I know, is it just the number of yes votes, or will you take into account no and undecided votes when identifying the most popular?

Also you have AgingCAT and it probably makes more sense as EraCAT, can you change that in the voting thread?

You might want to announce the voting over on the 2019 thread too.

>97 Helenliz: In the past we have counted Yes votes but in a close race, the undecided votes were considered.

>98 dudes22: Thank you for the reminder!

>97 Helenliz: >99 VivienneR: I would think that the NO votes should deduct from the Yes votes if there is a tie. How is a tie handled?

>100 cyderry: This year an almost tie for 3rd place gave us four CATs. I believe in previous years there was a run-off vote for ties. Your idea of subtracting the NO votes is a good one. It will be interesting to see the results to find out if we need to choose the next step.

>100 cyderry:,>101 VivienneR: . I personally do not like the idea of subtracting the NO votes. Nobody is obligated to read anything (i.e. any CAT or any month in any CAT) if she/he does not want to do so. However, that should not prevent others who really want to read a CAT from doing so.

We cannot change the voting once it has begun, but perhaps in the future we could have either have weighed voting or limit the number of CATs for which a person can vote (such as saying vote no more than for three CATs). In the latter case the person would be on his/her honor not to vote for more than allowed.

I think we've discussed the possibility of subtracting the no votes before. I'm not sure I like that idea, either. I am ok with potentially using undecided votes to help decide, though.

>102 sallylou61: & >103 LibraryCin: I've been thinking about it some more and now I'm not so sure it's such a good idea. I've looked at the results so far using that calculation and it doesn't really make that much of a difference (so far).

In my experience ALL the CATs that have been chosen in the five (?) years that I've been here have all been a lot of fun, even the ones that didn't seem to have much promise to begin with.

I think the best idea is just to answer the question as posed: "are you interested in a ----CAT".

The Yes votes will be counted. A run-off vote will be done if results are too close.

>101 VivienneR: I've found 4 CATS plus 3 KITS too many. I would use them to select books to choose from for the upcoming month but then by the time I got to them I'd forgotten for many books which felines they represented, especially if they fit more than one category.

>102 sallylou61: I would also suggest there only be yes votes. If each person gets 3 votes to "spend" and they voted yes to their 3 favorites it would be pretty clean and easy to determine the most popular it seems to me.

>105 Robertgreaves: I agree which is why over the years I have simply stuck with certainty to the AlphaKit because I am a planner and don't go for a lot of "ooh, let's see what comes up next month.". I check the CATS to see if something that I've planned to read fits, but if not, oh, well. I'm especially extremely tired of the RANDOM CAT since it takes a slot every year and the ideas seem to get farther a field from my reading each month that goes by. I never bother to look at it anymore.

If we are only going to have 3 CATS why can't we let the Random CAT sleep for a year?

>105 Robertgreaves: me too, I don't read enough books to have 7 of them defined by Kits & CATs each month. Some months that're more boosk than I read! I make a decision which of those selected I will try and just leave the rest. This year I have kept up with Random & TBR CATs & AlphaKit.
I completely understand that there are some people for who 7 books in a month is a drop in the ocean, and therefore having more CATs & Kits may suit them more than it does me.

I believe the RandomCAT is so popular because it is the only CAT that isn't pre-planned. If we could come up with another CAT that can surprise us, maybe we could get folks to not select RAndomCAT.

Ok, this may sound a little obsessive, but this year I set up an excel spreadsheet with all the CATS and KITS that I wanted to follow down the left side. As I planned ahead for my reading and my libarary holds, I highlighted which ones I would attempt for that month. It's fun and keeps me organized. I also include a slot for my RL bookclub and a Just for Fun slot as well. I usually read about four books a month, sometimes only three, sometimes 5. As you can see from that stat, I would never be able to do all CATS I am interested in, but I do enjoy following each one even if I'm not satisfying the challenge that month.

I agree the RandomCAT is fun for the surprise factor...I don't want my life so prescribed that there is no room for randomness :-)

I participate in the CATs that I'm interested in only, where I know that I already have books that will fit - last year that meant 2 CATs (CATWoman and CultureCAT), this year just the one (TBRCat), plus I look at the RandomCAT monthly opening post and decide month by month whether I have something that fits or not. It works for me, and I enjoy at the end of each year digging out all the books that will fit the challenges I've decided to participate in for the next year.

Thank you to @VivienneR for organising the voting. My personal preference would be for undecideds to be counted (in the event of a tie) rather than nos, but am happy to go with the majority view.

>110 beebeereads: I've been using a similar spreadsheet plan for every year I've participated in this group as well as other challenges I've taken. It helps me keep my library holds under control too. And if I have only one book for a Bingo square, then I know to hold it for that purpose.

I don't read in all the CATs and KITs every month but I don't rule any out either. Because I have little that would fit I normally don't do ScaredyCAT but last month's Stephen King theme was tempting.

>111 Jackie_K: Glad to help out!

>104 VivienneR: In my experience ALL the CATs that have been chosen in the five (?) years that I've been here have all been a lot of fun, even the ones that didn't seem to have much promise to begin with

Agreed!

>105 Robertgreaves: by the time I got to them I'd forgotten for many books which felines they represented, especially if they fit more than one category.

I keep a piece of paper beside my computer that lists all the CATs and KITs, with my book options listed below each one, so that when I finish my book, I can check that paper to see which one(s) it fit.

>111 Jackie_K: Like Jackie, I participate in the CATs that interest me, so I don't mind how many CATs and KITs there are. We have a wide range of reading interests in this group, so having more CATs caters to more people. I'm happy with 3 CATs or 4, and as many KITs as people want to run.

It's interesting to see how structured people are with their reading.

>102 sallylou61: The current voting system, with everyone able to vote for any CAT, is straightforward. Asking people on their honour to vote for only 3 makes it more complicated. I think that simpler is better.

I'm happy for Vivienne to make the final decision on the number of CATs and the fairest way of counting the votes. Thank you for doing this, Vivienne.

I think that one's relationship to the RandomCAT exactly correlates with how much of a planner a person is, with the planners finding it objectionable and the non-planners loving it. I love it, and while I can understand why the überplanners dislike it, I would be sad to see it go - I love the unpredictability of it. Let's let the votes decide, after all, CATs are optional. We can ignore the ones that we don't like.

I'm starting to look forward to a fresh reading year!

>114 pamelad: Thank you!

>115 RidgewayGirl: I guess I'm an anomaly. I'm probably one of the überplanners yet RandomCAT is my favourite CAT of all time. Can't wait until the 15th of each month.

I don't know about anyone else but I'm ready to start a new page (spreadsheet) to plan my 2020 reading.

Wow-and congrats to the planners! I guess because I live my "life" in 42 minute periods for the last 30 years and have to teach certain courses at certain times, when I read for enjoyment, I rebel against structure! I participated in 1 kit and the Bingo dog last year and that's all I could handle, even had to get rid of my Yellow Brick Road as it was too confining!

I am definitely a planner and list maker! I already have lists going for next year. Although sometimes I think the research for my lists is taking away too much reading time!

>116 VivienneR: I agree about enjoying RandomCAT. Even though I rarely meet my goals, one thing I love to do is plan my reading, and that's what makes November & December exciting and motivating to think & plan about my reading for the coming year.

At the same time, what's cool about RandomCAT is that it makes the 15th of each month like the end of the year--I can do all the thinking & planning about my RandomCAT book every month all over again. It's sort of a mini-end of the year excitement packed into the end of each month. Of course, probably says more about the lack of excitement in my life than anything else ;)

>119 kac522: Funny and so true for me as well!

I have a tendency to get really obsessive about lists, so knowing what the cats/kits and topics are is a mixed blessing: Too much time sorting and organizing; OTOH, once I finalize the lists, there is an immense satisfaction! I'm going to have to manage my expectations a bit in 2020 though-- maybe just a calendar of books read and dipping in and out of a couple of kits. :-)

>121 Tanya-dogearedcopy: Same here: obsessive about lists - however, apart from early January, I rarely finalize any of them! My lists change daily as I buy more books, borrow from the library, and get hit by bullets. I think I need to find a listmaker therapist.

I only really start looking at what I'll be reading the following month once the CATs and KITs are posted mid-month the previous month.

I do enjoy the planning aspect, but not a full year in advance! :-) A month at a time works well for me.

I'm a compulsive list maker for almost everything - except reading. I read far more on a whim, although guilt plays a significant role (all those unread books glaring at me from the shelf).

>123 LibraryCin: Yes, although I am a planner for sure, I rarely plan a year in advance. I look forward to the 15th to set my goals for the next month. Again, I usually work from my TBR so in fact some of the planning was done a long time ago when I chose a book for my TBR!

It's interesting to hear how others read and plan (or not).

I've been planning too much, the last few years, and I'm beginning to resent the plans, because there are books I want to read 'NOW'. So this year, I partially went to unplanned reads, and this coming year I'm going to be going on desire rather than planning. I'll try to be more spontaneous and then see if a book fits any CAT or KIT.

I have found that I enjoy reading what I want to read when I want to read it. My structured reading comes with book club reads, adult education classes, and our retirement home short story seminar. I enjoy BingoDOG, and have three more titles to read for my second card. Many of my planned reads for the various CATs end up being read in another month although I’ve read something every month except September. I also try to read from my TBRCAT shelves, but find this year to have read more new books to keep them from becoming TBRCAT books.

I don't like to plan more than a month ahead either. I'm going to take a step back this year and will read a little less for CATS and KITS. I'll definitely continue BingoDOG and at least one more but I want more free reading time to see if I can move more off of the TBR, I've decided to concentrate on TBR acquired in 2018 and 2019. Of course I have TBR from before those years too but most are from the past two years.

I have made yearly lists in the past, especially for the AlphaKIT, and tried to correlate them with my own reading challenges. However, I changed my choices often. I will still make the lists (obsessive list maker here!) but try to be more open and not so strict with myself. I also have an old-fashioned bound notebook (think Composition Book, with the black and white covers) and I keep track of my reading challenges in there. It is fun to see what I read over the last few years.

For 2020, I am not making any personal reading challenges, as that seemed too constraining. I am sticking with BingoDOG and a few of the CATS/KITS depending on the topics that get selected.

I, too, am a compulsive planner. I love making lists and usually plan my year of reading in advance - but - I rarely actually stick to the list. Something always comes up to change my mind usually a challenge of some sort or a book that I want to read right then and there. I am hoping to build my 2020 challenge around some randomness but I will be planning out my Cat & Kit Challenges in advance.

>125 beebeereads: I also work from my tbr, but I only really start investigating what's there that fits all the CATs and KITs mid-month of the month before.

>129 LadyoftheLodge: >130 DeltaQueen50: Same with me. I planned it all out in advance but then would change it to make a book I wanted to read fit in somewhere. I'm sure I will still plan (cannot help it!) but leave lots of wiggle room.
Plus, there are always SO many great books mentioned here that I want to read - need to leave my options open a bit to fit them in!

>119 kac522: I totally agree! This has been the first year I've participated in CATs and I have very much enjoyed the RandomCAT. I look forward to the 15th of each month! "I wonder what the RandomCAT will be for next month" -- and then I get to scan my bookshelves and think about what I want to read. My favorite activity apart from the actual reading itself.

>133 EBT1002: You have described me exactly! I start looking for the RandomCAT days before it is usually up. I like the artwork the hosts use too, and the element of surprise. As you said, then I start scanning my shelves to find out what will fit the reading "assignment." Way more fun than when I was in school and had to read the assigned materials.

>134 LadyoftheLodge: "Way more fun than..." Agreed!!! :-)

The reason I like RandomCat so much is it helps me decide which of the many books I've bought (that apparently I want to read), that I should read. I need a bit of a reason to pick 'this' book over 'that' book, and fitting into a Randomcat can be just the inspiration I need to decide which TBR to read.

>136 raidergirl3: RandomCat also makes me go to the shelves and see what I have that will fit, instead of buying something new. It stretches my reading choices, just as you said. Sometimes it makes me really think about what books might fit the category.

We have winners!

RandomCAT -- 29 Yes votes
GeoCAT -- 28 Yes votes
Non-fiction CAT -- 26 Yes votes

Many thanks to Vivienne for setting up the planning and voting! Please send her your best vibes; she is having surgery this week, hence my stepping in to do the counting.

Also, whoever wants to set up planning threads for each of the CATs can go ahead and do so.

Thanks to everyone for a quick and painless voting process!

>138 rabbitprincess: thanks to both of you for sorting that out - and a nice clear cut decision. All the best to Vivienne. That's certainly a change of categories. Looking forward to seeing how they get organised now.

Many thanks to Vivienne and rabbitprincess for facilitating this process!

Thank you all for making this happen. Sending good vibes to Vivienne.

I'm willing to volunteer for the Random Cat, except I don't know how to set up the wiki.

I'm willing to set up GeoCat, but will need monthly volunteers!

Thank you rabbitprincess for taking over for me. And thank you for all your good wishes. I was given a reprieve, sent home to wait for surgery that has been rescheduled to the end of the month. The event reduced my reading to zilch this week.

I'm happy about the choice of CATs (although I was secretly hoping CATwoman would make it). Looking forward to 2020.

>144 Tess_W: Build the thread, and they will come ;)

>143 dudes22: Jean can probably help with the wikis :)

I will add links to all planning threads on the main group page once they're up.

I am happy to have a go at setting up the Non-fiction CAT, but am clueless about setting up the wiki.

I'm so interested to see how the CATs will look!

My favourite of the three will, I think, be the NonfictionCAT!

I'm wondering if anyone is interested in making any of the others a KIT? I think the ones I'd like didn't get as many votes, so maybe not.

I'd be interested in any of CAT/KITastrophe, NewsKIT, TravelKIT. There would probably be a few others I'd join, but wanted to throw those out there as what would probably be my favourites. :-)

If there are a few people interested in any of these, I could probably start a thread with some discussion on them. Or. whoever first suggested them could (if you'd like - I don't want to take away your suggestions!!!

>147 pamelad: I learned how to set up a wiki last year, so I'll be happy to set up the NonfictionCAT wiki for next year. (...just need to remember how I did it!!! I would like to try again, though, to refresh my memory.)

>150 LibraryCin: Thank you, but I'd like to learn how to do it. Will have a look for instructions. Do you know where I could find Jean?

>150 LibraryCin:
>151 pamelad:

I would like to learn, also. Is there a page of instructions somewhere on LT?

>152 Tess_W: Going on memory, someone just gave me instructions. Easiest way (again, memory - I'm going to try to find those instructions) was to copy an already existing one!

for anyone interested in creating a wiki, here is the formatting help: https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Formatting

It is also easy to just use one of the wikis already set up and change the wording.

>153 LibraryCin: I found my instructions, and it was you, majkia, who sent them to me last year! Yes, you had suggested copying one that was already made and changing the wording which is what I did for the one I set up.

How exciting! Thanks to all the organizers!

>149 LibraryCin: I like that idea. Some of my faves did not get selected either.

>149 LibraryCin: >157 LadyoftheLodge: Probably the easiest way to see if there's enough interest in a KIT is to start a planning thread and see if there are enough people willing to be involved to cover all the months. For example, last year there was an attempt to get a MysteryKIT going, but not enough people posted their interest and the thread quietly faded away. I'd participate - and it certainly seemed as though there were plenty of voters in favor.

I'm hoping that the Science Fiction and Fantasy KIT (SFFKit) makes a return for 2020 - it's my favorite!

ETA: I'd probably dip into a DisasterKIT and/or NewsKIT, but with NonfictionCAT making the cut, I think there won't be enough interest.

>158 Dejah_Thoris: ETA: I'd probably dip into a DisasterKIT and/or NewsKIT, but with NonfictionCAT making the cut, I think there won't be enough interest.

You probably saw my comments over there, so I like a little more specific, so that's where DisasterKIT (KITastrophe?) and NewsKIT is a bit more interesting to me!

Ok, I've started new threads for each of the three I mentioned to see if there is any interest. (I have linked back to the original posts, and copy/pasted the suggested themes (and also gave credit to those who made the suggestions and suggested the themes).)

TravelKIT:
http://www.librarything.com/topic/312949

KITastrophe (or DisasterKIT):
http://www.librarything.com/topic/312947

NewsKIT:
http://www.librarything.com/topic/312948

>160 LibraryCin: Thanks! This is a great idea.

>158 Dejah_Thoris: as per your request, here is a link to the 2020 Official UN-official SFF-KIT planning thread:

https://www.librarything.com/topic/313056#

I would be interested in joining a Mystery KIT, too...

>162 fuzzi: Thank you fuzzi!

I wouldn't mind a mysterykit either, but i haven't seen anyone pondering one.

>162 fuzzi: Thank you so much! I hated the thought that we might not have a SF&F Kit - I am very relieved!

>162 fuzzi: >163 majkia: Given how many people voted for a MysteryCat, I'm surprised it hasn't come up. If someone sets up an interest thread, I'll take a month.

The ScaredyKIT has a wiki here: https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/2020_ScaredyKIT

>164 Dejah_Thoris: Interest thread for MysteryCAT is now set up.

>166 LadyoftheLodge: thanks for that!

>166 LadyoftheLodge:. I know, but thank you! I already picked my month last night. :)

When do we get started on planning for 2021? I am already excited about new ideas!

I am starting the new group this Monday, to coincide with Canadian Thanksgiving :)

Yay! Thanksgiving wishes.

Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy your special celebration. (A year ago, I was in Canada for Canadian Thanksgiving and loved it. I got to celebrate both Canadian and American Thanksgiving!)

Happy Thanksgiving to the other Canadians! I love long weekends!

And am looking forward to starting next year's planning!

I was just wondering if there was going to be some planning soon.

Happy Thanksgiving to our Canadian readers!

It's here! Have fun :D

https://www.librarything.com/groups/2021categorychalleng

>175 Kristelh: Thank you, Kristel!