Tricia’s Comments (group member since Nov 21, 2016)

Tricia’s comments from the Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge group.

The Zookeeper's Wife

I have Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters

Whistling For The Elephants - it is bright orange with a bird and an alligator tail on it. It is the ugliest book I own.

A book set in Africa/Asia/South America/Middle East/Australasia (any one of these). The reason I suggest this is that I find a lot of the books l am reading are set in either Europe and North America. Last year there was the Europe prompt so it might be might be nice to try another region.
A book with a plant term in the title (eg. Flower, tree, weed, leaves, bark) Some examples of this might be Flowers in the Attic, The Poisonwood Bible, The Magic Faraway Tree. I think that might be interesting.
A book set somewhere cold. We had the summer prompt last year but this could leave it open to a book set in winter or in a cold place like the Arctic.
A book set at least 1000km of where you currently live.
A book that has won a book award from a country you don't live (list is here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...) - again trying to read a bit more widely.
A book that starts at night

I also liked the prompt earlier about "How about oldest book by published date on your TBR list". I need to get my reading pile down and that would help.

Also can they publish the book list a little bit earlier this year (say November). I would like a few months to start pulling my list together.

The Golem and the Jinni

Finally finished. It was a good challenge and one I have forwarded on to a number of other people. Certainly I have read books I would not have normally read.

Date you finished: 21 August 2017

Message number(s) for regular and advanced list posts: Regular list - Message 94. Advanced list - Message 55

Favorite prompt: I enjoyed the book from a genre I had never heard of before. I was stunned that there were so many genres I had not heard of. My cousin (who is also doing the challenge) and I had lots of fun researching this genre. I ended up going with a Dieselpunk novel (Atlas Shrugged) which I only found out about while researching a steampunk novel.

Favorite book: This is a hard one but it would have to be The Count of Monte Cristo (my pick for a book with more than 800 pages). My most surprising enjoyable read was the prompt for the best seller I don't normally read (The Hunt for Red October). I can see why it was so popular.

Least favorite prompt: The book about food.

Last prompt you finished: The book about food. I ended up going with a book about diet and it is not one you actually sit down and read. It is more of a dip in, follow the meal plan and try some recipes kind of book. It took me ages but if anyone else is wanting to give it a try it was The 10-Day Gi Diet: Lose up to an inch off your waist.

"I hope they bring back this prompt in 2018": I liked the book by a person of colour ( I chose Breadfruit) and the prompt about a book where the protagonist has a different ethnicity to you (I chose The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane). Both of these books offered a different perspective and I found the cultural aspects fascinating.

Suggestion for a new prompt for 2018: I have put this in the separate discussion on this topic.

Are you in for 2018?: Absolutely. I really enjoy these challenges and the conversations that I have had with other participants.

I will continue to participate in the discussions if I read any books that might match any of the prompts.

Hello from Brisbane

I didn't make any progress on my final two books but I read Borders of Infinity which is a story within a story.

QOTW- I focus more on the story rather than the narrator but I do like ones that actually put an effort in and it doesn't sound like a monologue.

Hi from Brisbane Australia.

I haven't made much movement on my list (although I am only 2 off finishing)

Something that I read off prompt was The Illustrated Man. It would be a good choice for a story within a story if people are still looking for a prompt in this area.

QOTW: I read a variety of genres so there is nothing I am trying to read more of. I was surprised to enjoy the book I chose for a Bestseller from a genre I don't normally read (The Hunt for Red October) I would never read it without this challenge so I guess that is the purpose of it.

Hello from Brisbane Australia

This week I continued on with my last two books from this challenge. Firstly See Jane Lead: 99 Ways for Women to Take Charge at Work which is my choice for a book about careers. The other one is my book about food - The 10-Day Gi Diet: Lose up to an inch off your waist. I hope it works :-)

My books off challenge I have read/currently reading but could meet one of the prompts:
Mister Pip - a good choice for a book set in war time (set during the Bougainville Civil War)
Summer At Mount Hope - a book with the season in the title. I liked it
The Illustrated Man - A story within a story. Jury is out on this one as I have just started.

QOTW - I often read books in one sitting but it depends on the book and how much time I have.

Hi from Brisbane.

This week I finished Atlas Shrugged as my genre I have never heard of before. I quite liked it but it was an epic and not a light read by any means.

I started The 10-Day Gi Diet: Lose up to an inch off your waist which is my choice for a book about food.

For fun I also started reading Summer At Mount Hope which could be a choice for someone still wanting a book with a season in the title.

QOTW: I am just about finished the Popsugar Challenge. After I finish the book about food I only have the career book to go. That book will be See Jane Lead: 99 Ways for Women to Take Charge at Work. I am not sure what I will do with myself after that.

Hi from Australia. Shortest day of the year here. Perfect weather to wrap up in a blanket and read 😀

I am two thirds of the way through Atlas Shrugged (book from a genre I have not heard of before). It is a big read but I should finish this week.

I also read Hidden Figures for fun. I struggled with it a bit as it was a bit dry.

QOTW - I can't listen to music with words as I find it distracting.

I would like to nominate Into the Wild. It was a strange but interesting read

Hi from Brisbane Australia.

I am still reading Atlas Shrugged which was my choice for a genre I have not heard of before (Dieselpunk). I can understand why it polarised so many people but so far I am enjoying it. It is 1163 pages so it might keep me occupied for a while.

QOTW: I have mixed feeling about best seller lists. I think sometimes these lists are dependant on how well marketed a book is. Usually if a book is on the best seller list I have heard of it before.

I rather read books that people I trust recommend to me. That is where sites like Goodreads come in handy.

Hi from Australia

I am reading Atlas Shrugged, which was my choice for a read from a genre you have not heard of (Dieselpunk)

I am just about finished the challenge so I have started to read books for fun but I thought I would include some that might meet some of the challenges:

Barbed Wire And Roses and The Winter Sea - both categories would be good for the two different time periods category.

QOTW - I try to not give up on a book. There have been a few books that I hadn't enjoyed until the end.

There is a page dedicated to this

https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...

Who would have thought!

I was really surprised with The Hunt for Red October. It was fantastic and this genre is one that I usually avoid.

I guess that is the point of doing the challenge :-)

Hi everyone. It certainly got cold here this week after a last heat wave. Winter certainly has arrived here in Brisbane Australia.

I finished The Shack as my prompt for a book becoming a movie this year. I was really disappointed in it and didn't end up going to see the movie.

I have started Atlas Shrugged which is my choice of a book from a genre I have never heard of. I found Dieselpunk when looking up Steampunk novels and just happened to have a book from that genre on my shelf. It is a massive book so it will keep me occupied.

Someone lent me The Winter Sea so I read that outside the challenge. I had already read a book with a season in the title but I would recommend it to others still looking for a book in that genre.

QOTW: I am a member of the library. I don't attend programs put on by it but our library has an amazing café where you can sit and read. I also borrow books all the time.

Hi from Brisbane Australia.

This week I finished My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry which was the recommendation by a librarian. I really liked it. Thank to librarian Jessica in the forum who recommended it.

I also finished The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane which was my choice for a book where the character has a different ethnicity to you. I also really liked this one as well and recommend it.

I am furiously reading The Shack as my choice for a book that is becoming a movie this year. I want to finish reading it before I go and see the movie. It recently came out and I would like to see it in the next few weeks.

I might read the career choice one next.

I am looking at everyone talking about the heat while here in Australia the weather has turned cold *sigh*. No summer reading here - just books in doonas. Very wet here in Brisbane this week.

I finished Life After Life which was over a persons lifespan (many lifespans in fact!).

Still powering through My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry which was the recommendation by a librarian. It is good but I got caught up in another book that doesn't meet any of the categories (The Signature of All Things) just for fun.

Plan on reading Nefertiti next which is a book about an interesting woman.

QOTW - I take lots of different books on holidays but generally try to stick to something light.

I would recommend The Spy for this category. It is short at only 188 pages.

It might also work for the story within a story category.