Sophie's Multiple Choice Reading Plan

[Sophie]

My B choices are optional, if I have the time

★A: 52/52 read ★
★B: 9/24 read ★


1. A book you meant to read in 2015, but didn't: 1984 (audio) ★★★★☆

2. A book set in a different continent: Battle Royale ★★★★☆

3. A book from the Goodreads Choice Awards 2015 (winner or nominated)
A The Fold ★★★★☆
B My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry

4. A book by an author you discovered in 2015
A The Ocean at the End of the Lane (audio) ★★★★★
B Dark Places by Gillian Flynn ★★★☆☆

5. A book with a title beginning with the 1st letter of your name
A The Silmarillion ★★★☆☆
B Sabriel

6. The highest rated on your TBR: The Way of Kings (audio) ★★★★★

7. A book about books
A The Angel's Game ★★★★☆
B The Book of Lost Things

8. A classic book with less than 200 pages
A Of Mice and Men ★★★☆☆
B Animal Farm ★★★★★

9. A book that was mentioned in another book: Frankenstein (audio) ★★★★☆

10. A book by an author you feel you should have read by now: Slaughterhouse-Five ★★★☆☆

11. A book from the Rory Gilmore challenge: The Time Traveler's Wife ★★★★☆

12. A childhood classic: Fables ★★☆☆☆

13. Reader’s Choice:
A Hollow World ★★★★★
B The Last Town ★★★★★

14. A book with one of the five W’s -or H: Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang ★★★★☆

15. A book set in the past (more than 100 years ago)
A The Three Musketeers (audio) ★★★★☆
B The Long Ships

16. A book from the top 100 mystery novels: In Cold Blood ★★★☆☆

17. A book with a beautiful cover: Cat's Cradle (audio) ★★★☆☆

18. A book on a summer/beach reading list
A The Husband's Secret ★★★★★
B Eleanor & Park ★★★★☆

19. A non-fiction book: A Brief History of Time ★★★★☆

20. A book with a first name in the title: Dexter Is Delicious ★★★★☆

21. A book from the Goodreads Recommendations page: Doctor Who: 12 Doctors, 12 Stories (audio) ★★★★★

22. The first book in a new to you series
A Ender's Game ★★★★☆
B The Sword of Shannara ★★★★☆

23. The next book in a series you are reading
A Wayward ★★★★★
B This Book Is Full of Spiders: Seriously, Dude, Don't Touch It

24. A "between the numbers" book of a series:
A The Rose of Fire ★★★★☆
B Ajax Penumbra 1969 ★★★★★

25. A book whose main character is in a profession that interests you
A I Work at a Public Library: A Collection of Crazy Stories from the Stacks ★★★☆☆
B Vulcan's Forge

26. A book everyone is talking about
A Attachments ★★★★☆
B The Maze Runner

27. A book with a beautiful title (in your own opinion): Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe ★★★★☆

28. A biography, autobiography, or memoir: You're Never Weird on the Internet by Felicia Day (audio) ★★★★★

29. A book by an author who writes under more than one name
A The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith ★★★★☆
B The Dragon Keeper by Robin Hobb ★★★☆☆

30. A fairytale from a culture other than your own: The Pink Fairy Book ★★☆☆☆

31. A work of young adult fiction: Uprooted ★★★★★

32. A historical fiction book
A The Forgotten Garden (audio) ★★★★★
B The Life of Elizabeth I

33. The 16th book on your TBR: Phantom (audio) ★★★☆☆

34. A book about mental illness
A The Silver Linings Playbook ★★★★☆
B Trainspotting

35. An award winning book
A The Blind Assassin ★★★★☆
B Magnus by Sylvie Germain (re-read)

36. An identity book: Wonder ★★★★★

37. A book that you've seen the movie of but haven't read
A Big Fish ★★★★☆
B The Neverending Story

38. A book about an anti hero: The Gospel of Loki ★★★★★

39. A previous suggestion that did not make it into the list: A book with an end of the world, apocalyptic theme: The Girl with All the Gifts ★★★★★

40. A novella from your favorite genre: Coraline (audio) ★★★★☆

41. A book about a major world event (fiction or non-fiction): Winter of the World (audio) ★★★★★

42. A top 100 fantasy novel
A American Gods ★★★★☆
B The Emperor's Blades

43. A book about a thing that goes bump in the night: Dead and Gone (Sookie Stackhouse #9) (audio) ★★★★☆

44. A book you're embarrassed to read in public: Blood Promise (Vampire Academy #4) ★★★★★

45. A book related to a hobby or passion you have: Face Paint: The Story of Makeup by Lisa Eldridge ★★★★☆

46. A crime story: Lock In ★★★★★

47. A book with a type of food/drink in the title: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (audio) ★★★★☆

48. A dystopia
A The Man in the High Castle ★★★★☆
B Ready Player One (audio) ★★★★★

49. A book with a great opening line: Moby Dick (audio) ★★☆☆☆

50. A book originally written in a language other than English
A Night Watch ★★★☆☆
B The Reason I Jump: The Inner Voice of a Thirteen-Year-Old Boy with Autism

51. A short story from a well-known author
A Trigger Warning: Short Fictions and Disturbances (audio) ★★★★★
B Harrison Bergeron ★★★★☆

52. A book published in 2016: A Criminal Magic ★★★★★

▁▁▁▁▁▁

2016 Popsugar challenge (started in 2015)

★ 29/41 read ★


1. A book based on a Fairy Tale: Cinder

2. A book you can finish in a day with a title that starts with the word "The" (replaces a National Book Award winner): The Halloween Tree ★★★★☆

3. A YA bestseller: The Knife of Never Letting Go

4. A book you haven't read since high school: L'homme noir ★★★★☆

5. A book set in your home state: L'insoutenable légèreté de l'être

6. A book translated into english: The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared ★★★★★

7. A romance set in the future: Oryx and Crake. Did not finish

8. A book set in Europe: Lontano by Jean-Christophe Grangé (audio) ★★★★☆

9. A book that's under 150 pages: The Hen Who Dreamed She Could Fly ★★★★★

10. A New York Times bestseller: The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up ★★★★☆

11. A book that's becoming a Movie in 2016A Monster Calls ★★★★☆

12. A book recommended by someone you've just met: Where Sea Meets Sky

13. A self-improvement book: The Art of Procrastination: A Guide to Effective Dawdling, Lollygagging and Postponing ★★★☆☆

14. A book you can finish in a day: Breakfast at Tiffany's ★★★☆☆

15. A book written by a celebrity: Ghost Flight

16. a Hugo-award winner (replaces a political memoir): The Graveyard Book (audio) ★★★★★

17. A book at least 100 years older than you: Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (audio) ★★★★☆

18. A book more than 600 pages: A Feast for Crows (audio) ★★★☆☆

19. A book from Oprah's Book Club: Great Expectations (audio) ★★☆☆☆

20. A Science Fiction novel: The Handmaid's Tale ★★★★★

21. A book recommended by a family member: Red Dragon (audio) ★★★☆☆

22. A Graphic Novel: I Kill Giants ★★★★☆

23. A book that is published in 2016: Congo Requiem ★★★★★

24. A book with a protagonist who has your occupation

25. A book that takes place during summer: We Were Liars ★★★☆☆

26. A book and its prequel:
To Kill a Mockingbird (re-read) ★★★★☆
Go Set a Watchman ★★★☆☆

27. A murder mystery: And Then There Were None ★★★★☆

28. A book written by a comedian: Yes, My Accent Is Real: and Some Other Things I Haven't Told You by Kunal Nayyar

29. A dystopian novel: Son by Lois Lowry ★★★★☆

30. A book with a blue Cover: The Screaming Staircase ★★★★☆

31. A book of Poetry: Dark Star ★★★☆☆

32. The 1st book you see in a bookstore: Le Sixième sommeil

33. A classic from the 20th century: Brave New World ★★★★☆

34. A book from the library: Sandstorm ★★★★★

35. An autobiography

36. A book about a road trip: Kamikaze Kangaroos!: A trip around Oz in a van called Rusty ★★★★☆

37. A book about a culture you're unfamiliar with: The Penguin History Of New Zealand ★★★☆☆

38. A satirical book: So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish

40. A book that takes place on an island: Moon Over Soho

41. A book guaranteed to bring you joy: The Wise Man's Fear ★★★★★

[Zaz]

Ok, now I'm interested, you have to tell me more about those french children classics, because I think I know none! (except Le Petit Prince)

My (totally uninterested) advice for the book about books is The Book of Lost Things because... I'll read it :p

[Sophie]

Oh shoot, I was counting on you for a french children classic ! It could be a fun thing to look for one together ;)

And I discovered The Book of Lost Things on your plan...

[Sophie]

Zaz, I just thought about it, there is Les malheurs de Sophie

[Zaz]

Yes, there are the Comtesse de Ségur's books (I think it's in Sophie that the girl is torturing animals... traumatized me)! Another classic is Friday, or, The Other Island (Vendredi ou la vie sauvage). I'm currently asking to my friends and all of them read mostly translated children books, same for me.

[Laura, Celestial Sphere Mod]

The Time Traveler's Wife was one of my favorites from this year so I would definitely recommend it. Especially if you haven't seen the movie since it would be all new ;)

I also read Big Little Lies this year and really liked it. It's hard to choose between that and The Husband's Secret but I think I would say that I liked The Husband's Secret just a little bit better.

You have a good list in the making!

[Jennifer]

I strongly suggest Of Mice and Men and The Three Musketeers for books you were thinking about reading. As far as the author you should have read by now I would pick Charles Dickens

[Sophie]

Zaz wrote: "Yes, there are the Comtesse de Ségur's books (I think it's in Sophie that the girl is torturing animals... traumatized me)! Another classic is Friday, or, The Other Island (Vendredi ou..."

I think I read it when I was a child, but I don't remember this part. I never heard of "Vendredi"!
I'm going to have a look, thanks for asking your friends, I'm sure there are other french classics!

Laura wrote: "The Time Traveler's Wife was one of my favorites from this year so I would definitely recommend it. Especially if you haven't seen the movie since it would be all new ;)."

No I haven't see the movie! A friend really recommended it to me, so with your message, I'm definitely going to put it in the challenge somewhere!
She also said I should start with The Husband Secret, you have similar taste!

Jennifer wrote: "I strongly suggest Of Mice and Men and The Three Musketeers for books you were thinking about reading. As far as the author you should have read by now I would pick [author:C..."

Thank you Jennifer, this is going to help me choose!

[Jody]

I love your list!

Vonnegut & Dickens were authors for me that I finally read this year - and I'm so glad that I did! I'd definitely recommend Great Expectations or Slaughterhouse-Five - I loved them both. And Week 27 - ohh, please choose The Ocean at the End of the Lane! It's so so beautiful.

[Zaz]

Ah, more books :D
For the new series, you have plenty of very nice choices in your list. I'll root for The Emperor's Blades and advise you to avoid Maze Runner. For the YA book, Uprooted or The Graveyard Book are very solid choices and I don't think you can be disappointed with them (easy and compelling read for both of them).

[Charity]

I'm reading Breakfast at Tiffany's for my 200 page book and Slaughterhouse Five for my author I should have read by now. I really enjoyed both The Time Travelers Wife and Aristotle and Dante.

[Nicole]

I'm planning on reading the English Passengers too! I got it from a "leave a book, take a book" shelf.

[Jody]

I loved Breakfast at Tiffany's. I saw the movie first and actually didn't like it but still read the book - I'm glad I did!

[Marina]

You should read Brave New World. I've promised Jody I'll read it next year, and I have high expectations!

[Jody]

It's so good!

[Sophie]

I definitely want to read Brave New World, maybe I'll even tackle it this year, we'll see.

[Zaz]

Just thought about 2 children french classics! La Guerre des Boutons and Poil de Carotte. I read both of them when I was young. If I've to re-read them, I think I'd like to revisit La guerre des Boutons, it's probably a very different read as an adult!

[Raeann]

For a book about being a librarian, I'd say go for I Work at a Public Library: A Collection of Crazy Stories from the Stacks! I haven't read it, but a lot of my coworkers have and they have all enjoyed it. I paged through it one day when it came through the bookdrop and it definitely rings true.

[Sophie]

Oh thanks Raeann, I'm going to add it to my list!

[Sophie]

Thanks to your messages and what I saw on your plans, I was able to add books to my list (the new stuff is in bold).

I can't wait for next year!!! I need to finalize my list to choose what I'm going to read after finishing the 2015 challenge... If I ever finish it, I'm stuck on two big ones.

[Sophie]

I again added some books, although I seem to still be stuck for the same categories... But I don't worry, I'm sure I'm going to have plenty more to add during the 6 weeks to come!

[Deb]

I read The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared a couple years ago and really enjoyed it. This year for the Goodreads recommendations week I am reading The Little Old Lady Who Broke All the Rules. I like old folks. :)

Interestingly, both books are written by Swedish authors.

[Sophie]

I really like Swedish authors and their humor. I don't remember reading a book with an elderly character, it can be funny!

[Sophie]

I selected 40 books I really want to read next year, now I need to decide in which category to fill them and what to do with the tons of other ideas I have ;)

[Sophie]

I'm finding it so hard to fit all the books I want to read next year into only 52 categories that I might plan a "B" challenge. If I complete it, great, if not, it's ok...

[Zaz]

The problem is not fitting all the books you want to read, it's actually to find enough time to read them all :p I'm planning to have tones of side-reads if I have enough free time but I'm pretty sure I won't read all the books I want :(

[Jody]

Join us in our reject challenge Sophie!

I know exactly what you mean though, I love planning out my books, but then I get so sad when I think about a book not on my plan that I won't he able to read until 2017.

[Ella]

Yay for Kamikaze Kangaroos! I'm reading one of his other books in 2016 too. The Handmaid's Tale is one of my favorites, and I love Brave New World. I meant to read Oryx and Crake this year, but switched it out for something else. I'm going to read The Husband's Secret in 2016 for my book club.

[Sophie]

Thanks for trying to convert me to the reject challenge, but I fear it might add books to my TBR, exactly what I want to avoid!

At the moment I allowed myself to have two books for each category the choosing became so much easier! I'm going to try and finish it tonight!

Ella, it seems we have similar tastes!

[Jody]

Haha, I'm only using stuff already on my TBR list for the reject challenge. Although I am constantly adding books to my TBR anyway ... I think I really need to start culling it!

[Marina]

If you decide to read Sarum: The Novel of England, I'll be curiose to hear what you think. I still haven't finished it and now I've started reading London instead.

[Marina]

Jody wrote: "Haha, I'm only using stuff already on my TBR list for the reject challenge. Although I am constantly adding books to my TBR anyway ... I think I really need to start culling it!"

Your TBR-list is just crazy! I'm trying to keep my list as short as possible to avoid getting stressed ;-)

[Sophie]

Jody, you are just mad! I wonder If I'll even read 2000 books in my whole life! haha

Marina, I'm not sure I'm going to read Sarum, I'm finishing my list and don't see when I would have the time to read it... But maybe I'll pick it for my next audiobook, we'll see.

I just learned that my boyfriend has to work between the holidays, I'm going to have 3 days all by myself to read and read :)

[Jody]

Hahahahaha, yes, I am mad! But I've got around 500 books on my 'read' list here, and that's just the ones I can remember reading, and since I'm reading much more now, hopefully at some point my TBR list will be smaller than my read list. Yeah right.

[Sophie]

That's good thinking, except if you keep adding books faster than you can read them... I don't know about you but it's definitely my case ;) We're not out of the woods!

The (almost) final list is on! I'm so excited to start! It's the first time of my life I'm actually happy the new year is coming so fast.

But where's The Handmaid's Tale, would you ask? (or not, but I like imagining you would) Well, It's going to be the first book I read when I finish the 2015 Challenge! Ok, I'm slacking a bit with side reads, but I'm motivated to finish soon!

[Jody]

The Handmaid's Tale is awesome! A very good choice for your first post-challenge read. Yay!

[Zaz]

Good choices :)

I liked a lot Lock In. Don't forget to read Unlocked: An Oral History of Haden's Syndrome before, if you want to understand something! (it's a short story, it's free and there is a link in the 1st review).

[Sophie]

Oh thanks Zaz, I didn't know I had to read the short story before!

[Zaz]

The world is a dystopia and he doesn't really explain it in Lock In because it's just the background (as it's a detective story). With Unlocked, you have the explanations on how the world became like this. I read Unlocked because I was curious, it made me read Lock In as I wanted more :)

[Sophie]

Oh great, I should be careful not to read it to soon so I can wait for 2016 ;)

[Sophie]

I just added the first draft for the Popsugar 2016 challenge. I'm going to start it now, so I was able to add few books I planned on reading before the end of the year.

I'm not that happy about some of the categories (political memoir, poetry), so I'm giving myself time to think about what to do with those.

[Zaz]

The Knife of Never Letting Go is in my mini-challenges, I'm looking forward to read it (I really like what this author creates). You haven't read To Kill a Mockingbird? Great one :)

For the poetry, there are non-classic ones around there (I've a sci-fi one in my minis!), maybe you'll find them more pleasant/entertaining. Or you can use Revolting Rhymes as you just finished it!

[Sophie]

I initially planned To Kill a Mockingbird for the book I haven't read since high school, but it's so perfect for the book and its prequel week, I'm re-reading it before Go Set a Watchman.

I thought about using Revolting Rhymes, but I read it for the 2015 challenge and I'm a bit psycho-rigid about using the same book twice haha
You're interesting me with your sci-fi poetry, I need to check that out! Can you tell me the name?

[Zaz]

It's Dark Star. No idea if it totally fits the poetry category but the reviews all label it under "epic poetry".

[Marta]

Read The Handmaid's Tale this year, amazing and unfortunately current book. Margaret Atwood is my new favorite author!

I am also reading this year In Cold Blood, Breakfast at Tiffany's, The Man in the High Castle and Uprooted. Looking forward to see your take!

The Life of Elizabeth I is one of my favorite books, ever. She was such an incredible woman, I greatly admire her. Alison Weir is one of my favorite authors.

[Sophie]

Thanks Zaz, I'm going to check it out.

I've never read anything by Alison Weir, but I love historical fiction and I'm very surprised I don't know much about Elizabeth. I'm looking forward to it.

I'm also discovering Margaret Atwood this year, every book of hers I stumble upon seems so good!

[Maple]

I really like the A-B options. Such a great list!!!

[Sophie]

Thanks Manda, I'm definitely excited to read them all!

[Nicole]

Have you seen The Man in the High Castle show? I'm hooked, and I really want to read the book now!

[Sophie]

I've been wanting to read this book for years, I'm definitely watching the show after reading it!