Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion
General
>
Attention Overachievers: Post other reading challenges here
Thank you for the link. It really helpful. I only need to finish 1 more book to finish the PopSugar challenge.
I'm not sure whether I will start a new challenge after this one is over as I quite like the idea of picking up a book without wondering if it will fit a prompt! I like the one you posted though, Juanita, it's not too many prompts and some of them will be already ticked off!Book Riot's Read Harder challenge also has some of the same prompts as Popsugar plus some different ones - I think they are 24 in total. They have a Goodreads group here: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
Cate wrote: "Book Riot's Read Harder challenge also has some of the same prompts as Popsugar plus some different ones - I think they are 24 in total."Thanks, Cate! I'll check it out!
Nenda wrote: "Thank you for the link. It really helpful. I only need to finish 1 more book to finish the PopSugar challenge."Wow! Way to go!
I am also doing the Modern Mrs Darcy challenge. There are a few crossover books.A book published before you were born
Alice in Wonderland
A book you've already read at least once
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
A book you should have read in school
Rebecca
A book recommended by a librarian
Mr. Penumbra's 24-hour Bookstore
A book that was banned at some point
The Fault is in Our Stars
A book you previously abandoned
River of Darkness
A book you own but have never read
Horns*
A book that intimidates you
Red Mars
No other challenge: just doing the reading challenge 2016 twice ;-)
Around the Year in 52 Books Challenge1. A book you meant to read in 2015, but didn't: God Help the Child √
2. A book set in a different continent: The Kite Runner √
3. A book from the Goodreads Choice Awards 2015 (winner or nominated): Saint Anything √
4. A book by an author you discovered in 2015: The Husband's Secret √
5. A book with a title beginning with the 1st letter of your name: Message in a Bottle
6. The highest rated on your TBR: The Nightingale
7. A book about books: The Book Thief
8. A classic book with less than 200 pages: The Time Machine
9. A book that was mentioned in another book: Wuthering Heights
10. A book by an author you feel you should have read by now: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
11. A book from the Rory Gilmore challenge: A Clockwork Orange
12. A childhood classic: Charlotte's Web
13. Reader’s Choice: The Shack
14. A book with one of the five W’s -or H in the title (Who/What/Where/When/Why/How): What Alice Forgot
15. A book set in the past (more than 100 years ago): The Awakening
16. A book from the top 100 mystery novels: And Then There Were None
17. A book with a beautiful cover: Garden Spells
18. A book on a summer/beach reading list: Summer Secrets
19. A non-fiction book: The Gift of Therapy: An Open Letter to a New Generation of Therapists and Their Patients
20. A book with a first name in the title: Go Ask Alice
21. A book from the Goodreads Recommendations page: Looking for Alaska
22. The first book in a new to you series: City of Bones
23. The next book in a series you are reading: Fifty Shades Darker
24. *WILD CARD* A book in a genre you normally don't read: Bleach, Vol. 1: Strawberry and the Soul Reapers
25. A book whose main character is in a profession that interests you: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
26. A book everyone is talking about: Go Set a Watchman
27. A book with a beautiful title (in your own opinion): The Perks of Being a Wallflower
28. A biography, autobiography, or memoir: Finding Me: A Decade of Darkness, a Life Reclaimed: A Memoir of the Cleveland Kidnappings
29. A book by an author who writes under more than one name: The Silkworm
30. A fairytale from a culture other than your own: Momotaro: Peach Boy
31. A work of young adult fiction: Flawless
32. A historical fiction book: The Grapes of Wrath
33. The 16th book on your TBR: Sharp Objects
34. A book about mental illness: OCD Love Story
35. An award winning book: A Wrinkle in Time
36. An identity book - a book about a different culture, religion or sexual orientation: I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban
37. A book that you've seen the movie of but haven't read: The Princess Bride
38. A book about an anti hero: A Game of Thrones
39. A previous suggestion that did not make it into the list: Dawn
40. A novella from your favorite genre: The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
41. A book about a major world event (fiction or non-fiction): Day
42. A top 100 fantasy novel: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
43. A book about a thing that goes bump in the night: Dead Until Dark
44. A book you're embarrassed to read in public: Fifty Shades Freed
45. A book related to a hobby or passion you have: Yoga and the Quest for the True Self
46. A crime story: Career of Evil
47. A book with a type of food/drink in the title: Like Water for Chocolate
48. A dystopia: Animal Farm
49. A book with a great opening line: The Bell Jar
50. A book originally written in a language other than English: The Girl in the Spider's Web
51. A short story from a well-known author: The Gift of the Magi and Other Short Stories
52. A book published in 2016
Mod
I've just added on Book Riot as well and am contemplating panels.
I expect to complete my Popsugar challenge by end of fall. I am participating in the following reading challenges:BOOKISH KILL YOUR TBR - 12 prompts designed to help knock out titles on your TBR
PERPETUAL KINSEY MILLHONE - read books in the Kinsey Millhone alphabet series by Sue Grafton
PERPETUAL JACK REACHER - read books in the Jack Reacher mystery series by Lee Child - hosted by me
KEEPING UP WITH PATTERSON - read books in the Alex Cross, Women's Murder Club and Michael Bennett series by James Patterson - hosted by me
I'm doing the Book Hunter Challenge with my Book Vipers group. We found words in a word find puzzle and then read books with the word in the title. A little less restrictive for those who don't want to be limited by a prompt. I've had lots of crossover with this Popsugar challenge and my Book Vipers reading list. Here's my list for the Book Hunter challenge so far, but it keeps growing!angel: The Snow Angel
book: The Bookseller of Kabul (read)
book: Buried in Books: A Reader's Anthology (read)
child: Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children (read)
dark: Light in a Dark House
day: The Remains of the Day (read)
heart: A Heart Like His: Intimate Reflections on the Life of David (read)
hunter: The Heart is a Lonely Hunter (read)
light: The Light Between Oceans
lost: Little Girl Lost (read)
man: The Old Man and the Sea (read)
map: A Map of the World
night: Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil: A Savannah Story (read)
sand: House of Sand and Fog
secret: The Secret Healer (read)
silence: Silence
ship: In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex (read)
summer: Empire of the Summer Moon: Quanah Parker and the Rise and Fall of the Comanches, the Most Powerful Indian Tribe in American History (read)
war: Old Man's War (read)
watch: Their Eyes Were Watching God (read)
winter: Winter Garden
viper: The Viper of Milan (read)
LOL, I still work on my PopSugar list for 2015 :).
Popsugar posted a summer reading challenge for 2016:Here:
http://www.popsugar.com/love/Summer-R...
Some of the prompts overlap
This list is great. Here's a link to a challenge from the Good Book Fairy Website:http://www.goodbookfairy.com/2106-rea...
There's also the Seasonal Reading Challenge here on Goodreads. Although you can join in at any time, the summer season just started and covers books read from June 1 to midnight EST (US) on August 31st.
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Another fun one for summer is Books On the Nightstand bingo. Here is a link to their Goodreads page:https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
The comment section has a link where you can generate your own bingo card.
A note about the Book Riot challenge-when you send them your finished checklist by 12/31, they'll send you a discount code to use in their online store. Last year it was 30%.
Mod
Here is my BookRiot Read Harder Challenge list (24/24):
✓ 1. Read a horror book - Warm Bodies
✓ 2. Read a non-fiction book about science - The Earth Moved: On the Remarkable Achievements of Earthworms
✓ 3. Read a collection of essays - The View from the Cheap Seats: Selected Nonfiction
✓ 4. Read a book out loud to someone else - Raymie Nightingale
✓ 5. Read a middle grade novel - The Titan's Curse
✓ 6. Read a biography (not a memoir or autobiography) - Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg
✓ 7. Read a dystopian or post-apocalyptic novel - Snow Crash
✓ 8. Read a book originally published in the decade you were born - Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
✓ 9. Listen to an audiobook that has won an Audie Award - The Silkworm
√ 10. Read a book over 500 pages long - Heir of Fire
✓ 11. Read a book under 100 pages - A Dead Djinn in Cairo
✓ 12. Read a book by or about a person who identifies as transgender - The Wicked + The Divine, Vol. 1: The Faust Act
✓ 13. Read a book that is set in the Middle East - Alif the Unseen
✓ 14. Read a book by an author who is from Southeast Asia - What Lies Between Us
✓ 15. Read a book of historical fiction that is set before 1900 - A Spy in the House
✓ 16. Read the first book in a series that is by an author of color - Sorcerer to the Crown (this was fantastic! I can't wait for the next one!)
✓ 17. Read a non-superhero comic that debuted in the last three years - Bitch Planet, Vol. 1: Extraordinary Machine
✓ 18. Read a book that was adapted into a movie, then watch the movie. Debate which is better - The Perks of Being a Wallflower (the movie was better)
✓ 19. Read a nonfiction book about feminism or dealing with feminist issues - Men Explain Things to Me
✓ 20. Read a book about religion (fiction or nonfiction) - God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything
✓ 21. Read a book about politics in your country or another (fiction/nonfiction) - Between the World and Me
✓ 22. Read a food memoir - Relish: My Life in the Kitchen
✓ 23. Read a play - A Doll's House
✓ 24. Read a book with a main character that has a mental illness - Made You Up
And my Around the Year in 52 Books list:
Currently 49/52
✓ 1. A book you meant to read in 2015, but didn't - Altered Carbon
✓ 2. A book set in a different continent - Thérèse Raquin
✓ 3. A book from the Goodreads Choice Awards 2015 (winner or nominated) - The Lake House
✓ 4. A book by an author you discovered in 2015 - Americanah
✓ 5. A book with a title beginning with the 1st letter of your name - North and South
✓ 6. The highest rated on your TBR - Queen of Shadows
✓ 7. A book about books - A Discovery of Witches
✓ 8. A classic book with less than 200 pages - The Hour of the Star
✓ 9. A book that was mentioned in another book - Tarzan of the Apes
✓ 10. A book by an author you feel you should have read by now - The Sign of Four
11. A book from the Rory Gilmore challenge - Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers
✓ 12. A childhood classic - The Call of the Wild
✓ 13. Reader’s Choice - A Torch Against the Night
✓ 14. A book with one of the five W’s -or H in the title (Who/What/Where/When/Why/How) - What Alice Forgot
✓ 15. A book set in the past (more than 100 years ago) - An American in Scotland
✓ 16. A book from the top 100 mystery novels - A Study in Scarlet
✓ 17. A book with a beautiful cover - All In
✓ 18. A book on a summer/beach reading list - A Hundred Summers
✓ 19. A non-fiction book - The Earth Moved: On the Remarkable Achievements of Earthworms
✓ 20. A book with a first name in the title - The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker
✓ 21. A book from the Goodreads Recommendations page - Real Murders
✓ 22. The first book in a new to you series - The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms
✓ 23. The next book in a series you are reading - The Last Star
✓ 24. A "between the numbers" book of a series (0.5, 1,5, 2.5, etc.) - The King's Guard
✓ 25. A book whose main character is in a profession that interests you - Lab Girl
✓ 26. A book everyone is talking about - The Nightingale
✓ 27. A book with a beautiful title (in your own opinion) - Snow Like Ashes
✓ 28. A biography, autobiography, or memoir - Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time
✓ 29. A book by an author who writes under more than one name - Career of Evil
✓ 30. A fairytale from a culture other than your own - The Princess on the Glass Hill from Andrew Lang's fairy tale books
✓ 31. A work of young adult fiction - Blue Lily, Lily Blue
✓ 32. A historical fiction book - Miss Wonderful
✓ 33. The 16th book on your TBR - The Thirteenth Tale (I think it's funny that I'll be reading a book with an ordinal number in the title for this prompt with an ordinal number - this really was the 16th book!)
34. A book about mental illness - The Silver Linings Playbook
✓ 35. An award winning book - Ancillary Justice
✓ 36. An identity book - a book about a different culture, religion or sexual orientation - The Bonesetter's Daughter
✓ 37. A book that you've seen the movie of but haven't read - The Lover
✓ 38. A book about an anti hero - Lolita
✓ 39. A previous suggestion that did not make it into the list (animal on cover / in title) - The Raven King
✓ 40. A novella from your favorite genre - The Monarch of the Glen
41. A book about a major world event (fiction or non-fiction) - The Complete Maus
✓ 42. A top 100 fantasy novel - The Well of Ascension
✓ 43. A book about a thing that goes bump in the night - Zone One
✓ 44. A book you're embarrassed to read in public - Anna and the French Kiss
✓ 45. A book related to a hobby or passion you have (okay, I cheated a little bit with this one, but this is the only TV show I make time to watch, so I figure it counts!) - Lucifer, Book One
✓ 46. A crime story - Smaller and Smaller Circles
✓ 47. A book with a type of food/drink in the title - Cocktail Hour Under the Tree of Forgetfulness
✓ 48. A dystopia - Feed
✓ 49. A book with a great opening line - The Coldest Girl in Coldtown
✓ 50. A book originally written in a language other than English - Seeking Whom He May Devour
✓ 51. A short story from a well-known author - one of the stories in Stars Above
✓ 52. A book published in 2016 - Fellside
And, I didn't do the Summer Challenge, but I typed up the list here:
Wow that Popsugar Summer Challenge is 29 tasks!! that's a lot of books to read in the summer!! Maybe I'll try that one, but allow overlap (so if I used a book for another Challenge task, I could also use it for one of the Summer Challenge tasks). Or maybe I'll just use it for ideas. I want to paste the list here and into my spreadsheet, but I can't copy the text, it's just a graphic - why did they do that?
For anyone else interested, I typed it up:
Popsugar 2016 Summer Reading Challenge
1 A book about a road trip
2 A book you loved as a kid
3 A book with a summer romance
4 A book that's under 200 pages
5 A YA fiction book
6 A thriller
7 A book with a yellow cover
8 A collection of short stories
9 A book that takes place on an island
10 A funny memoir
11 A book from a high school summer reading list
12 A book about star-crossed lovers
13 A book you bought at the airport
14 A book about best friends
15 A used book
16 A book with the ocean on the cover
17 A romantic comedy
18 A book in the front window of a bookstore
19 A book that takes place in Europe
20 A book you bought without reading the back
21 A book with the word beach in the title
22 A book recommended by someone you met on vacation
23 A book set in Italy
24 A book that takes place somewhere warm
25 A book that made you cry
26 A book that takes place somewhere you hope to go
27 A book adapted into a movie
28 A book that has a wedding in it
29 A book you've been meaning to finish
Popsugar 2016 Summer Reading Challenge1 A book about a road trip-Amy and Roger's Epic Detour (Matson)
2 A book you loved as a kid-Good Luck Arizona Man (Benedict)
3 A book with a summer romance
4 A book that's under 200 pages
5 A YA fiction book
6 A thriller
7 A book with a yellow cover
8 A collection of short stories
9 A book that takes place on an island
10 A funny memoir
11 A book from a high school summer reading list
12 A book about star-crossed lovers
13 A book you bought at the airport
14 A book about best friends
15 A used book
16 A book with the ocean on the cover
17 A romantic comedy
18 A book in the front window of a bookstore
19 A book that takes place in Europe
20 A book you bought without reading the back
21 A book with the word beach in the title
22 A book recommended by someone you met on vacation
23 A book set in Italy
24 A book that takes place somewhere warm
25 A book that made you cry
26 A book that takes place somewhere you hope to go
27 A book adapted into a movie
28 A book that has a wedding in it
29 A book you've been meaning to finish
Popsugar 2016 Summer Reading Challenge18/26
I'm gonna call this a final count and finish the rest of the popsugar challenge. 18 books just over the summer I think is pretty good!
*1.A book about a road trip-Last Ride to Graceland by Kim Wright
2 A book you loved as a kid
*3 A book with a summer romance- modern lovers by Emma Straub
*4 A book that's under 200 pages- Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur
* 5 A YA fiction book- Cinder by Marissa Meyer
*6 A thriller: Don't You Cry by Mary Kubica
7 A book with a yellow cover
8 A collection of short stories
*9A book that takes place on an island: Love Anthony by Lisa Genova
10 A funny memoir
*11 A book from a high school summer reading list: Ragtime by EL Doctorow
12 A book about star-crossed lovers
13 A book you bought at the airport
*14 A book about best friends: Rich and Pretty by Rumaan Alam
*15 A used book: The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin
*16 A book with the ocean on the cover: before the fall by Noah Hawley
17 A romantic comedy
*18 A book in the front window of a bookstores Wildflower by Drew Barrymore
*19 A book that takes place in Europe: Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
*20 A book you bought without reading the back: Cress by Marissa Meyer
*21 A book with the word beach in the title: Little Beach Street Bakery by Jenny Colgan
22 A book recommended by someone you met on vacation
*23 A book set in Italy- Siracusa by Delia Ephron
24 A book that takes place somewhere warm
*25 A book that made you cry- Inside the Obriens by Lisa Genova
26 A book that takes place somewhere you hope to go
27 A book adapted into a movie
*28 A book that has a wedding in it: Secret Daughter by Shilpi Somaya Gowda
*29 A book you've been meaning to finish- The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
I finished the Popsugar challenge just now. I am going to work on the Modern Mrs. Darcy challenge after this one. How fun this year's challenge was!!
Book Riot Read Harder Challenge
24/ 24 - 12/1/16
http://www.popsugar.com/love/Fall-Rea...Popsugar fall reading challenge! Though I didn't read all of the summer books, I really love these seasonal lists!
5/16
*1- A scary book: Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane
2-A book that was written by a female and has a male protagonist
3- A book and its sequel
4- a celebrity memoir
*5- A book on all the bestseller lists: The couple next door by Shari Lapena
6- A book recommended by an independent bookstore employess
7- A book that your book club read but you skipped
8- A book that you always wanted to read but never got around to reading
9- A book by a famous author you've never read
*10- A book based on a historical event-the wonder by emma donoghue
11- A book that was published in 1995
*12- A book that was published in 2015: Between the world and me by Ta-nehisi Coates
13- A book with food in the title
14- A book with a pun in the title
*15- A book that takes place during Fall: Dark Matter by Blake Crouch
16- A book with an orange cover
Mod
Popsugar fall reading challenge! Though I didn't read all of the summer books, I really love these seasonal lists!
1- A scary book
2-A..."
Those are fun categories!! I think I might be done with challenges for this year, so I hope they bring some of those categories back for the 2017 challenge.
Nadine wrote: "Those are fun categories!! I think I might be done with challenges for this year, so I hope they bring some of those categories back for the 2017 challenge."I agree there are some really fun ones here, but I don't think I could do this and finish the year (while being distracted by fall TV and Oscar bait movies AND adjusting to my crazy new work schedule). A couple of those were what I was already hoping for in 2017! I might see what I can do though.
6/17
√ 1. A scary book The Turn of the Screw
- 2. A book that was written by a female and has a male protagonist
√ 3. A book and its sequel Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul
- 4. A celebrity memoir
- 5. A book on all the bestseller lists
- 6. A book recommended by an independent bookstore employee
- 7. A book that your book club read but you skipped
- 8. A book that you always wanted to read but never got around to reading
- 9. A book by a famous author you've never read
- 10. A book based on a historical event Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania
- 11. A book that was published in 1995
- 12. A book that was published in 2015
√ 13. A book with food in the title Eggs, Beans, and Crumpets
- 14. A book with a pun in the title
√ 15. A book that takes place during Fall Something Wicked This Way Comes
√ 16. A book with an orange cover Hallowe'en Party (Hercule Poirot #36)
I'm actually doing 4 different challenges in 2016. The first I found was from a local bookstore (Ukazoo in Towson, MD) with 12 books. Our Baltimore County (MD) Public Library also had a 12 book challenge. Of course, the Ultimate! Then since our library challenge said "a book by a Maryland author" I wondered if I could read at least one book by at least one author from each of the 50 states. It was challenging to find an author for some states and since many authors moved around I had to decide in which state to assign each author. Note: I did not use any book more than once among the four challenges. IF YOU would like to try for 50 States/50 Authors in 2017 you can find some suggestions herehttps://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
Mod
That's interesting! I've already got too many challenges lined up for next year, but maybe the year after I"ll try that myself.
Here is my update of my progress so far for 2016 on all my challenges..... The Reading with Style Group has a thread for posting each year's goals.:✔1. Read at least 120 books. (Update -120 of 120 as of 12/6/16)
✔2. Complete both the challenge and sub-challenge for all four seasons in the Reading With Style Challenge.
✔Winter challenge and sub challenge completed on 2/24/16.
✔Spring 2016 challenge and sub-challenge completed on 5/28/16.
✔ Summer 2016 challenge and sub-challenge completed on 8/29/16.
✔30 of 30 completed for the Fall.
Winter 2017 - 5/30
3. Complete the Year in 52 Books challenge. (Update- completed 49 of 52 as of 12/6/16).
4. Complete the A to Z challenge using the initials of novel authors. (One of my reading groups breaks this challenge down to books at least 10 years old and those which are younger than 10 years- so, I may actually have three lists for this but in addition, I will do a non-fiction list as well...with less hope that I will complete that one. I finished the list for older books in 2015 but fell short on the newer books.)("X" and "Q" don't need to be initials but can be found anywhere in the author's name. I'll follow this rule for the Book Titles and Mapping challenges too.)
✔Pre-2006 books (Fiction): 26 of 26
Post-2006 books (Fiction): 8 of 26
Non-Fiction books: 13 of 26
5. Complete the A to Z Book Title challenge.
23/26
A- Alchemist, The by Paulo Coehlo
B- Billy Liar
C- Cassandra by Christa Wolf
D- Devil's Pool, The by George Sand
E- English Patient by Michael Ondaatje
F- Fables for Our Times by James Thurber
G- Garden Where the Brass Band Played
H- Heat and Dust by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala
I- I Was Amelia Earhart
J- James Herriot's Cat Stories
K
L- Lysistrata by Aristophanes
M- Messiah of Stockholm by Cynthia Ozick
N- No Longer at Ease by Chinua Achebe
O- Old Rosa by Reinaldo Arenas
P- Princess de Cleves by Madame de Lafayette
Q
R- Remembering Babylon by David Malouf
S- Stranger, The by Albert Camus
T- Trouble for Lucia
U- Unfamiliar Fishes by Sarah Vowell
V- Vile Bodies by Evelyn Waugh
W- Wise Blood
X- X Out of Wonderland by David Allan Cates
Y- Year 1000, The by Robert Lacey
Z
6. Pop-Sugar (I'll also keep track of... Rejected Categories Challenge. see post #48)
POPSUGAR
★ 37/40 tasks completed ★
1. A book based on a fairy tale - planning A Wild Swan: And Other Tales
✔2. A National Book Award winner- The Color Purple by Alice Walker
✔3. A YA best seller- Lord of the Flies by William Golding
✔4. A book you haven't read since high school- The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe
✔5. A book set in your home state - Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan
✔6. A book translated to English- Cassandra: A Novel and Four Essays by Christa Wolf
✔7. A romance set in the future- Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
✔8. A book set in Europe- The Messiah of Stockholm by Cynthia Ozick
✔9. A book that's under 150 pages- The Devil's Pool by George Sand
✔10. A New York Times best seller- The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
11. A book that's becoming a movie this year- planning Jungle Book
✔12. A book recommended by someone you just met- Where Angels Fear to Tread by E.M. Forster
✔13. A self improvement book- Fifteen Years in Hell An Autobiography by Luther Benson
✔14. A book you can finish in a day- Heart of a Dog by Mikhail Bulgakov
✔15. A book written by a celebrity- Romanoff And Juliet by Peter Ustinov
✔16. A political memoir- The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin by Benjamin Franklin
✔17.A book at least 100 years older than you - Two Hussars by Leo Tolstoy
✔18. A book that's more than 600 pages- The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
✔19. A book from Oprah's Book Club- The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers
✔20.A science fiction novel- I, Robot by Isaac Asimov
✔21. A book recommended by a family member- The Traveller's Histories: India by Sinharaja Tammita-Delgoda
✔22. A graphic novel- Pride of Baghdad by Brian K. Vaughan
23. A book that is published in 2016- perhaps Zero K: A Novel by Don DeLillo
✔24. A book with a protagonist who has your occupation- The Reader by Bernhard Schlink
✔25. A book that takes place during summer- Death in Venice, California by Vinton Rafe McCabe
✔26. A book and it's prequel- The Mersault Investigation and The Stranger.Jan Morris
✔27.A murder mystery - The Hanged Man of Saint-Pholien by Georges Simenon
✔28. A book written by a comedian - Still Foolin' 'Em: Where I've Been, Where I'm Going, and Where the Hell Are My Keys? Billy Crystal
✔29. A dystopian novel- The Iron Heel by Jack London
✔30. A book with a blue cover- The World: Travels 1950-2000 by
✔31. A book of poetry- Eugene Onegin by Alexander Pushkin
✔32. The first book you see in a bookstore- Mr Norris Changes Trains by Christopher Isherwood
✔33. A classic from the 21st century- Heat & Dust by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala
✔34. A book from the library - The Year 1000: What Life Was Like at the Turn of the First Millennium by Robert Lacey
✔35. An autobiography- I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
✔36. A book about a road trip- Tales of a Traveler with Selections from the Sketch Book by Washington Irving
✔37. A book about a culture you are unfamiliar with- Remembering Babylon by David Malouf
✔38. A satirical book- Lysistrata by Aristophanes
✔39.A book that takes place on an island- Trouble for Lucia by E.F. Benson - all takes place in England.
✔40.A book that's guaranteed to bring you joy - Fables For Our Time/Further Fables For Our Time by James Thurber
------
✔7. I just saw that Amanda had this goal: "Read as many books published in different years from 1900 to 2016, minimum of 60." I think I will try that too. 65 of (60 for the year) and (116-total) as of 11/30/16.
8. And just for fun.... with the new group Reading Map in the 52 Books challenge group....I will try to add a book corresponding to 26 places using the alphabet using the same rules for Q and X as for authors.
20/26
A - Australia- Remembering Babylon
B - Burma - Burmese Days (Yes, I know it is now Myanmar...taking a liberty here.)
C- Canada - The English Patient
D
E- Egypt - Crocodile on the Sandbank
F- France - The Devil's Pool
G- Greece- Lysistrata
H- Hawaii - Unfamiliar Fishes (history of Hawaii as a nation and as a state)
I- India- Heat & Dust
J- Japan- Acts of Worship
K-Kenya- Ade- A Love Story
L
M- Morocco- The Lemon
N- Nigeria
O
P- Peru - The Cubs and Other Stories
Q- MozambiQue- Wirriyamu
R- Russia - Two Hussars
S- Sweden- The Messiah of Stockholm
T- Turkey - Cassandra
U- UK- The Year 1000
V- Vietnam - The Lover
W
X- MeXico - Signs Preceding the End of the World by Yuri Herrera
Y- Yemen-The Hostage
Z
9. In line with the Mapping idea I also joined the 666 challenge on Bookcrossing.com http://www.bookcrossing.com/forum/6/5... -
read 6 books which are set in OR are written by an author from 6 different countries in each of the 6 continents within the 12 month period of the 1st day of 2016 and the last. You cannot count books of the same country twice; you cannot count one book for more than one country. NOTE - The United Kingdom is made up of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. These are not considered independent countries.
31 of 36 as of 12/4/16
The 6 continents are:
✔AFRICA (1)-Egypt- Crocodile on the Sandbank by Elizabeth Peters. (2)- Algeria - The Mersault Investigation by Kamel Daoud (3) Mozambique- Wirriyamu by Williams Sassine (4) Tunisia- Amyntas by Andre Gide (5) Nigeria- No Longer at Ease by China Achebe. (6) Morocco- The Lemon by Mohammed Mrabet.
✔ASIA (INCL. MIDDLE EAST & S.E. ASIA) (1) India- Heat & Dust by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala (2) Turkey - Cassandra by Christa Wolf. (3) Two Hussars by Leo Tolstoy (4) Vietnam- The Lover (5) Japan- Acts of Worship by Yukio Mishima; (6) Iraq- Pride of Baghdad by Brian K. Vaughan.
✔EUROPE (1) Sweden- Messiah of Stockholm by Cynthia Ozick; (2) Greece- Lysistrata by Aristophanes; (3) France - The Devil's Pool by George Sand; (4) UK- The Year 1000 by Robert Lacey; (5) Latvia- Coup de Grace; (6) Italy- Death in Venice.
NORTH AMERICA (INCL. CENTRAL AMERICA & THE CARIBBEAN)(1) Canada- The English Patient (2) Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan. (3) Cuba- Old Rosa by Reinaldo Arenas. (4) Mexico- Signs Preceding the End of the World by Yuri Herrera
PACIFIC (INCL. ANTARCTICA)- (1) Australia- Remembering Babylon by David Malouf; (2) Hawaii- Unfamiliar Fishes; (3) Solomon Islands- Devil-Devil by Graeme Kent.; (4) Antarctica- The Mountains of Madness by H.P. Lovecraft
SOUTH AMERICA-(1)- Brazil- The Alchemist; (2)- Colombia-Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel Garcia-Marquez; (3)-Ecuador- The Old Man Who Read Love Stories; (4) Argentina- The Book of Sand by Jorge Luis Borges. (5) Peru - The Cubs and Other Stories by Mario Vargas Llosa
10. Read at least 20 more books on the Boxall's 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die List:
(1) Remembering Babylon by David Malouf
(2) The Devil's Pool by George Sand
(3) The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje
(4) The Lover by Marguerite Duras
(5) Princesse de Cleves by Madame de Lafayette
(6) Billy Liar
(7) Death in Venice
(8) Northanger Abbey
(9) The Sorrows of Young Werther
(10) The Brothers Karamazov
(11) I, Robot
(12) The Color Purple
(13) Look Homeward Angel
(14) I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
(15) Lord of the Flies
(16) Vile Bodies
(17) Ficciones
(18) Three Lives
(19) The Postman Always Rings Twice
(20) Burmese Days
(21) The Garden Where the Brass Band Played
(22) Vanishing Point
(23) Lolita
(24) Nip the Buds, Shoot the Kids
(25) The Iron Heel
(26) The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells
(27) The Immoralist
(28) Where Angels Fear to Tread
(29) The Mountains of Madness
(30) Mr. Norris Changes Trains
(31) We
(32) 39 Steps
(33) The Cubs and Other Stories (Total 172)
Mod
✔1. Read at least 120 books. (Update -120 of 120..."
whoa. I'm impressed! And both inspired and intimidated! I've been planning to challenge myself to read books by authors from more countries next year, but wasn't sure what format I would use; you gave me some ideas.
I am almost finished with the 2016 Book Riot Read Harder Challenge, and then I'm hoping to finish my 2016 Personal Reading Challenge and make at least a little bit more progress on the 2016 PopSugar challenge before the year is out. If anybody wants to join me in my 2017 Personal Reading Challenge, the list is on my blog at https://cpontius.wordpress.com/2016/1.... It's nice and short!I'm joining an absurd amount of challenges for 2017, and most of them I found on the "Sleep Less, Read More" Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/18759....
I'm not sure if this is the place to post this, but I seem to remember there being seasonal lists last year as well. I've managed to find the summer PopSugar list and the Fall PopSugar list, but I'm having no luck finding Winter or Spring. Anyone know what I'm talking about?
Rachel wrote: "I'm not sure if this is the place to post this, but I seem to remember there being seasonal lists last year as well. I've managed to find the summer PopSugar list and the Fall PopSugar list, but I'..."Rachel, I know what you are referring to. I have completed their Fall challenge early this month.
I think most people are busy reading books for the Ultimate challenge during the winter months and probably into spring to commit to new challenges. The additional two (summer and fall) are options for the people who finish early.
The fall challenge was really fun, even if I had to push myself with the my last book: A book with a pun in the title. Maybe they will release the additional ones next year too. One hopes :)
Or maybe they just started with summer and that's as far as they have so far. Perhaps when winter and spring arrive they will have them then.
Mod
There's a Goodreads group for seasonal challenges, too:
https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
IF you are up for a 2nd challenge, but don't have time for a really long one, the Ukazoo bookstore (Towson MD) had the following one for 2016. I dont' know if they will post another this year since they are in the middle of moving to a new location. I've listed my choices for the prompts.1. A book published this year - A Wee Dose of Death & A Turn for the Bad & No Cats Allowed & Death of a Nurse & The Grim Steeper & An Unhappy Medium
2. A book you can finish in a day - A Deadly Cliché
3. A book on your TBR list - 1st to Die
4. A book recommended by a librarian or bookseller - Them Bones & Wesley the Owl: The Remarkable Love Story of an Owl and His Girl
5. A book you should have read in school - Jane Eyre
6. A book chosen by your spouse, child, BFF, etc. - Naked in Death & Glory in Death
7. A book published before you were born - My Ántonia
8. A book that was banned at some point - 1984
9. A book you previously abandoned - The Friday Night Knitting Club
10. A book you own, but have not read - The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax
11. A book that intimidates you - Exodus
12. A book you have already read at least once - King Solomon's Ring
Also, the Baltimore County (MD) Public Library issued a 2016 challenge. They have not announced whether they will post a different one this year.
1. A book by a Maryland author (or your state/country) - The Maltese Falcon & The Thin Man both by Dashiell Hammett. Other Maryland authors include: Tom Clancy, Nora Roberts, Laura Lippman, and Anne Tyler
2. A book published IN the year you were born - The Caves of Steel & Childhood's End & Fahrenheit 451
3. A book with a color in the title - Red Mars & Green Mars
4. A book set in another country - One Child: The Story of China's Most Radical Experiment & The Good Earth & Chestnut Street
5. An audiobook - The Queen's Jewels
6. A book by a celebrity - What's So Funny?: My Hilarious Life
7. A book by an author with your initials - A Hero to Come Home To & A Man To Hold On To & A Love to Call Her Own & A Promise of Forever & A Chance of a Lifetime
8. A book with a one word title - Frankenstein & Dracula
9. From the library's "new" bookshelf a book you know nothing about - The Gilded Life of Matilda Duplaine
10. A favorite children's book - The Wind in the Willows & The House at Pooh Corner
11. A non-fiction book - The Autistic Brain: Thinking Across the Spectrum
12. A book from the year end best book list - H is for Hawk
Kiwi wrote: "Rachel wrote: "I'm not sure if this is the place to post this, but I seem to remember there being seasonal lists last year as well. I've managed to find the summer PopSugar list and the Fall PopSug..."I'm not really too worried about the reasons why they only did challenges in a couple of seasons, but I really remember seeing both a spring and winter list. I just wondered if anyone knew where to find those lists.
Rachel wrote: "Kiwi wrote: "Rachel wrote: "I'm not sure if this is the place to post this, but I seem to remember there being seasonal lists last year as well. I've managed to find the summer PopSugar list and th..."I don't believe they did a spring or winter challenge - I'm on the site pretty often and Google didn't bring anything up. But if you do find them do share :)
Lindi wrote: "Rachel wrote: "Kiwi wrote: "Rachel wrote: "I'm not sure if this is the place to post this, but I seem to remember there being seasonal lists last year as well. I've managed to find the summer PopSu..."I've been digging for them for a few days now, with no luck so I'm guessing I was wrong. I just had such a distinct memory of seeing a list on the kind of backgrounds PopSugar normally uses...
Is anyone else doing the Better World Books 2017 Reading Challenge? I think I'm going to tackle it in addition to the popsugar & advanced. This will keep me busy, not only reading, but finding books to fit the prompts.
I think I'll also try to do the A to Z challenge. I'll focus on Popsugar but use the books for both. Once Popsugar is complete, I'll focus on the the A to Z challenge.
Book Riot announced its Read Harder Challenge today. There's a link to their Goodreads group in the story.
Thanks for posting the link Amanda, they look great!
I'm doing Books and Chocolates Back to the Classics challenge. It will be interesting, as I haven't really read too many classics (not academically inclined in high school, lol) and I tend to like non-fiction better than fiction.
18 months ago I embarked on my life challenge : to read all the great classics in chronological order, starting with the Epic of Gilgamesh (c. 2000 BC). I post on each book at www.chronolit.com I am currently nearing the end of the Ancient Greeks having read 98 books to date (Plato's Republic is lined up for #100 over the Christmas week) I am hoping to complete the popsugar challenge alongside this in 2017, with minimal overlap. so maybe 40 pops and 60 classics?
Mod
I ..."
That is fascinating. How do you determine which books are the "great classics"? Did you make a list for yourself, or are you working from an existing list? Are you reading these books to your daughter? because, that is too cute!
Steph wrote: "I'm doing Books and Chocolates Back to the Classics challenge. It will be interesting, as I haven't really read too many classics (not academically inclined in high school, lol) and I tend to like ..."Thank you for the reference! I checked it out and I like that one!
I also found a Goodreads group called "Nothing But Reading Challenges" and they have an untimed all of Shakespeare's works challenge and a one year (you choose the start date) Jane Austen challenge.
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Mod
This challenge does look interesting - it's a list of 12 types of classics. I've been planning to read more books from the 1001 list of books, so maybe I'll use this list as a guide if I need inspiration!
Books and Chocolates Back to the Classics Challenge
1. A 19th Century Classic - any book published between 1800 and 1899.
2. A 20th Century Classic - any book published between 1900 and 1967. Just like last year, all books MUST have been published at least 50 years ago to qualify. The only exception is books written at least 50 years ago, but published later, such as posthumous publications.
3. A classic by a woman author.
4. A classic in translation. Any book originally written published in a language other than your native language. Feel free to read the book in your language or the original language. (You can also read books in translation for any of the other categories).
5. A classic published before 1800. Plays and epic poems are acceptable in this category also.
6. An romance classic. I'm pretty flexible here about the definition of romance. It can have a happy ending or a sad ending, as long as there is a strong romantic element to the plot.
7. A Gothic or horror classic. For a good definition of what makes a book Gothic, and an excellent list of possible reads, please see this list on Goodreads.
8. A classic with a number in the title. Examples include A Tale of Two Cities, Three Men in a Boat, The Nine Tailors, Henry V, Fahrenheit 451, etc.
9. A classic about an animal or which includes the name of an animal in the title. It an actual animal or a metaphor, or just the name. Examples include To Kill a Mockingbird, Of Mice and Men, The Metamorphosis, White Fang, etc.
10. A classic set in a place you'd like to visit. It can be real or imaginary: The Wizard of Oz, Down and Out in Paris and London, Death on the Nile, etc.
11. An award-winning classic. It could be the Newbery award, the Prix Goncourt, the Pulitzer Prize, the James Tait Award, etc. Any award, just mention in your blog post what award your choice received.
12. A Russian Classic. 2017 will be the 100th anniversary of the Russian Revolution, so read a classic by any Russian author.
2017 Around the Year in 52 weeks1. A book from the Goodreads Choice Awards 2016
Ideas: It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover
2. A book with at least 2 perspectives (multiple points of view)
Ideas: Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult, All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr, Winter by Marissa Meyer, Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
3. A book you meant to read in 2016
Passenger by Alexandra Bracken, This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab, The Bourbon Thief by Tiffany Reisz
4. A title that doesn't contain the letter "E"
Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell, Of Scars and Stardust by Andrea Hannah
5. A historical fiction
America's First Daughter by Stephanie Dray, Glory over Everything: Beyond The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom, Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys, The Summer Before the War by Helen Simonson, The Summer Queen by Elizabeth Chadwick
6. A book being released as a movie in 2017
Ideas: The Mountain Between Us by Charles Martin, An Ember In the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir, A Man Called Ove by Fredrick Backman , A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
7. A book with an animal on the cover or in the title
Ideas: The Butterfly Garden by Dot Hutchison, The Diabolic by S.J Kincaid, To the Bright Edge of the World by Eowyn Ivey
8. A book written by a person of color
Kindred by Octavia Butler
9. A book in the middle of your To Be Read list
My Name Is Resolute by Nancy E. Turner,
Hopeless by Colleen Hoover
10. A dual-timeline novel
Ideas: The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton, The Orchid House by Lucinda Riley, The Girl You Left Behind by Jojo Moyes
11. A category from another challenge
Ideas: A Book from the Goodreads 2015 Choice Awards: After You by Jojo Moyes,
12. A book based on a myth
Ideas: The Golem and the Jinni, Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini, The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater,
13. A book recommended by one of your favorite authors
Ideas: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith recommended by Jeanette Walls, Mrs Bridge by Evan S. Connell recommended by author of Annie Barrows
14. A book with a strong female character
Ideas: Throne of Glass by Sarah J Mass, Graceling by Kristin Cashore, Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews
15. A book written or set in Scandinavia (Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Iceland) Wolf Winter by Cecelia Ekbäck, Burial Rites by Hannah Kent, The Complete Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Anderson, A Man Called Ove
16. A mystery
In the Woods by Tana French, Cormoran Strikes by Robert Galbraith, Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter, All the Missing Girls by Megan Miranda, The Couple Next Girl by Shari Lapena
17. A book with illustrations
Animal Farm A Monster Calls Patrick Ness
18. A really long book (600+ pages)
Ideas: Fall of Giants by Ken Follet, Voyager (Outlander #3 Series) by Diana Gabaldon
19. A New York Times best-seller
Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee,
20. A book that you've owned for a while but haven't gotten around to reading
Shades of Blue Karen kingsbury
21. A book that is a continuation of a book you've already read
Lover Unleashed by J.R Ward
22. A book by an author you haven't read before
Truthwitch by Susan Dennard
23. A book from the BBC "The Big Read" list (link)
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
24. A book written by at least two authors
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, Let it Snow by John Green
25. A book about a famous historical figure
America's First Daughter
26. An adventure book
The Martianby Andy Weir
27. A book by one of your favorite authors
A court of wings and ruin (march 2017) by Sarah j maas
28. A non-fiction
Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari
29. A book published outside the 4 major publishing houses (Simon & Schuster; HarperCollins; Penguin Random House; Hachette Livre) - check all the editions
Walking Disaster by Jamie McGuire, books by Jennifer Armentrout
30. A book from Goodreads Top 100 YA Books (link)
Looking for Alaska by John Green, Hush Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick, Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
31. A book from a sub-genre of your favorite genre
Antebellum Romance: Gone With the Wind
32. A book with a long title (5+ words, excluding subtitle)
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer
33. A magical realism novel
When the Moon was ours by Anna-Marie McLemore, The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Leslye Walton, The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen
34. A book set in or by an author from the Southern Hemisphere
The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton, The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion
35. A book where one of the main characters is royalty
The Elite by Kiera Cass, Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
36. A Hugo Award winner or nominee (link)
Uprooted by Naomi Novik, The Fifth Season by N.K Jemisin, The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison
37. A book you choose randomly
Thief (Love Me With Lies #3) by Tarryn Fisher
38. A novel inspired by a work of classic literature
The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood,
39. An epistolary fiction
We Need to Talk About Kevin, Everything Everything Nicole Yoon
40. A book published in 2017
A court of wings and ruin by Sarah J Maas May 2017, Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor,
41. A book with an unreliable narrator
Th Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, Room by Emma Donoghue
42. A best book of the 21st century (so far)
Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult, The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
43. A book with a chilling atmosphere (scary, unsettling, cold)
Wicked Little Words by Stevie J. Cole (Goodreads awards nominee)
44. A recommendation from "What Should I Read Next" (link)
45. A book with a one-word title
46. A time travel novel
47. A past suggestion that didn't win (link)
48. A banned book
49. A book from someone else's bookshelf
50. A Penguin Modern Classic - any edition
51. A collection (e.g. essays, short stories, poetry, plays)
52. A book set in a fictional location
Hi NadineAt the moment its a combination of the Wikipedia entry for Ancient Literature and restricting it to those titles and/or authors I recognise (which is quite a few since i used to catalogue literature for an academic library), and the website Great books and classics www.grtbooks.com
Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
Sweetbitter (other topics)Devotion (other topics)
Night of Miracles (other topics)
Limbs (other topics)
The Red Car (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Tom Clancy (other topics)Nora Roberts (other topics)
Laura Lippman (other topics)
Anne Tyler (other topics)
The one I have my eye on is the 2015 challenge from the Modern Mrs. Darcy blog. She has a great blog if you've never read it and has great entries in her Books and Reading section.
This challenge has 12 prompts and I've suggested it to friends who were intimidated by the 52-book challenge. Some of the prompts are similar/identical to PopSugar but others are different or have a slight twist. I think "a book everyone has read but you" is a fun idea.
Here's the link.