2018 Ultimate Reading Challenge

[Heather L , Cozy Mysteries Moderator]

2018 POPSUGAR Ultimate Reading Challenge


This challenge runs January 01, 2018 to December 31, 2018

As the goal is to read a greater diversity and number of books, a book may be counted only once in this challenge, but may be used in other challenges (Monthly mini, seasonal, etc).


This discussion is for the 2018 Ultimate Challenge created by PopSugar. This year’s challenge is set up similarly to last year's. There are 40 "basic" challenges, plus another 10 "advanced." As with last year, I will post links to lists or websites that should make it easier to find some of your challenge books. Remember, these links are merely a jumping off point; you do not have to choose from these lists. They are merely samples of books that fit the theme. Be sure to check our group bookshelf, too, as some of this year’s categories can easily be found there.

This challenge is meant to be fun. Instead of worrying about completing every category, try to set a manageable goal for you. For example, my goal for the 2017 challenge was to read books for half the categories, which I did. Another fun way to approach it is to see how many books with a mystery element you can apply to the different categories (easier for some categories than others, but a good way to shake up your TBR pile). Some of the books in the "advanced" section may be easier to knock off than some in the "basic," so feel free to choose from both lists.

Good luck, and have fun!



Here is this year’s list, which you can copy and paste onto your personal challenge thread, if you wish.


Basic level (40)

[ ] A book made into a movie you’ve already seen
[ ] True Crime
[ ] The next book in a series you started
[ ] A book involving a heist
[ ] Nordic Noir

[ ] A novel based on a real person
[ ] A book set in a country that fascinates you
[ ] A book with a time of day in the title
[ ] A book about a villain or antihero
[ ] A book about death or grief

[ ] A book with your favorite color in the title
[ ] A book with alliteration in the title
[ ] A book about time travel
[ ] A book with a weather element in the title
[ ] A book set at Sea

[ ] A book with an animal in the title
[ ] A book set on a different planet
[ ] A book with song lyrics in the title
[ ] A book about or set on Halloween
[ ] A book with characters who are twins

[ ] A book with a female author who uses a male pseudonym
[ ] A book with an LGBTQ+ protagonist
[ ] A book that is also a stage play or musical
[ ] A book by an author of a different ethnicity than you
[ ] A book about feminism

[ ] A book about mental health
[ ] A book you borrowed or that was given to you as a gift
[ ] A book by two authors
[ ] A book about or involving a sport
[ ] A book by a local author

[ ] A book mentioned in another book
[ ] A book from a celebrity book club
[ ] A childhood classic you’ve never read
[ ] A book that’s published in 2018
[ ] A past Goodread’s Choice Awards winner

[ ] A book set in the decade you were born
[ ] a book you meant to read in 2017 but didn’t get to
[ ] A book with an ugly cover
[ ] A book that involves a bookstore or library
[ ] Your favorite prompt from the 2015, 2016, or 2017 Popsugar Reading Challenge


Advanced (10)

[ ] A bestseller from the year you graduated high school
[ ] A cyberpunk book
[ ] A book that was being read by a stranger in a public place
[ ] A book tied to your ancestry
[ ] A book with a fruit or vegetable in the title

[ ] An allegory
[ ] A book by an author with the same first or last name as you
[ ] A microhistory
[ ] A book about a problem facing society today
[ ] A book recommended by someone else taking the POPSUGAR Reading Challenge

[Heather L , Cozy Mysteries Moderator]

Other Sources



Time Travel
* Best Time Travel Fiction
* The Best Time Travel Romances


Twins
* Best Books about Twins
* Twins or Looks-alikes in Historical Romance
* Twins
* Children’s Books About Multiples



LGBTQ+
* LGBT for YA
* Best Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Nonfiction
* Best Gay Fiction
* Best Lesbian Fiction


Mental Health
* Women and Mental Illness
* YA Books About or Mentioning Depression, Self-Harm and Suicide
* Great Reads About Mental Health
* Mental Health and Family


Celebrity Book Clubs
* Oprah’s Book Club Picks
* Reese Witherspoon’s #RWBookClub
* Lena Dunham’s Lenny Letter
* Emma Watson’s Our Shared Shelf
Emma Watson Suggested reads
* Florence Welch’s Between Two Books
* Emma Roberts’s Belletrist

Others with no Goodreads listing:
* Sarah Michelle Gellar
* Sarah Jessica Parker
* Kimberly Williams-Paisley (KWP)
* Uzo Aduba


Books About Bookstores/Libraries
* Stories for Booklovers
* Books About Librarians

[Kirsten]

Many of these links don't work.

[Heather L , Cozy Mysteries Moderator]

ARGH! Thanks for the heads up, Kirsten. For some reason, when I do a mass copy and paste from a word document, GR changes the quote marks in my html code so that instead of looking like ["] they are curved, which renders the coding inoperable. Ticks me off to no end! >:-(

Am working on fixing them. :-\

ETD: Okay, I think they're all fixed now.

[Anne (Booklady)]

Heather, I'll try this challenge.

What do I do to set it all up?

[Heather L , Cozy Mysteries Moderator]

Anne,

You can copy and paste the above list into your personal challenge thread -- see the link above for that section. You can also print off the list or C&P it into a word doc to keep track off-site.

[Julesy]

I'll try the challenge again for 2018.

[Beverly]

Basic level (40)

[ ] A book made into a movie you’ve already seen
[ ] True Crime
[ ] The next book in a series you started
[ ] A book involving a heist
[ ] Nordic Noir

[ ] A novel based on a real person
[ ] A book set in a country that fascinates you
[ ] A book with a time of day in the title
[ ] A book about a villain or antihero
[ ] A book about death or grief

[ ] A book with your favorite color in the title
[ ] A book with alliteration in the title
[ ] A book about time travel
[ ] A book with a weather element in the title
[ ] A book set at Sea

[ ] A book with an animal in the title
[ ] A book set on a different planet
[ ] A book with song lyrics in the title
[ ] A book about or set on Halloween
[ ] A book with characters who are twins

[ ] A book with a female author who uses a male pseudonym
[ ] A book with an LGBTQ+ protagonist
[ ] A book that is also a stage play or musical
[ ] A book by an author of a different ethnicity than you
[ ] A book about feminism

[ ] A book about mental health
[ ] A book you borrowed or that was given to you as a gift
[ ] A book by two authors
[ ] A book about or involving a sport
[ ] A book by a local author

[ ] A book mentioned in another book
[ ] A book from a celebrity book club
[ ] A childhood classic you’ve never read
[ ] A book that’s published in 2018
[ ] A past Goodread’s Choice Awards winner

[ ] A book set in the decade you were born
[ ] a book you meant to read in 2017 but didn’t get to
[ ] A book with an ugly cover
[ ] A book that involves a bookstore or library
[ ] Your favorite prompt from the 2015, 2016, or 2017 Popsugar Reading Challenge


Advanced (10)

[ ] A bestseller from the year you graduated high school
[ ] A cyberpunk book
[ ] A book that was being read by a stranger in a public place
[ ] A book tied to your ancestry
[ ] A book with a fruit or vegetable in the title

[ ] An allegory
[ ] A book by an author with the same first or last name as you
[ ] A microhistory
[ ] A book about a problem facing society today
[ ] A book recommended by someone else taking the POPSUGAR Reading Challenge

[Beverly]

Your favorite prompt from the 2015, 2016, or 2017 Popsugar Reading Challenge

What exactly is meant by a favorite prompt?

[Jess]

I'm trying this one as well. My personal goal is to read more than 25, with 4 from the advanced list.

[Julesy]

Beverly wrote: "Your favorite prompt from the 2015, 2016, or 2017 Popsugar Reading Challenge

What exactly is meant by a favorite prompt?"

I'm guessing that out of the 2015, 2016, and 2017 lists, which item in those lists was your favorite.

[Sz]

Going to try this. Think I will aim for half the categories in each section with half of those new to me kind of books. Thats about all the expansion I want right now.

[Heather L , Cozy Mysteries Moderator]

Beverly -- What Julesy said. Which prompt/category on past lists was your favorite?

[Lindy-Lane]

personal goal: read 13/26
*mystery genre element being applied

(view spoiler)[

A book from a celebrity book club :

The Woman in Cabin 10 : Ruth Ware
aug. read
*reese witherspoon book club

The next book in a series you started:

Cook's Night Out : Joanne Pence
may read
*series: angie amalfi

Nordic Noir:
The Redbreast : Jo Nesbø
nov read
*norway setting

A book set in a country that fascinates you:

Death at Glamis Castle : Robin Paige
jan read
*scotland setting

[ ] A book with a time of day in the title

[ ] A book with alliteration in the title

A book with a weather element in the title:

Dead with the Wind : Miranda James
sept. read

[ ] A book about or set on Halloween

[ ] A book mentioned in another book

A childhood classic you’ve never read:

The Greek Symbol Mystery : Carolyn Keene
oct. read

A book that’s published in 2018 :

Raspberry Danish Murder : Joanne Fluke
july read

[ ] A book set in the decade you were born

a book you meant to read in 2017 but didn’t get to :

Cimarron Rose : James Lee Burke
oct. read

A book you borrowed or that was given to you as a gift :

The Square Root of Murder : Ada Madison
aug. read
*gifted book

[ ] A book set at Sea

A book with an animal in the title:

Cat in the Dark : Shirley Rousseau Murphy
jan. read

[ ] A book with your favorite color in the title


advanced categories:


[ ] A bestseller from the year you graduated high school

A book that was being read by a stranger in a public place:

Upon a Winter's Night : Karen Harper
jan read

A book tied to your ancestry:

A Pattern of Lies : Charles Todd
jan. read
*united kingdom tie

[ ] A book with a fruit or vegetable in the title

[ ] An allegory

[ ] A book by an author with the same first or last name as you

[ ] A microhistory

A book about a problem facing society today:

The Killing Hour : Lisa Gardner
nov. read
*serial killer

[ ] A book recommended by someone else taking the POPSUGAR Reading Challenge

(hide spoiler)]

[Beverly]

To Julesy and Heather--
Thanks much for the clarification!

[Mary (Biblophile)]

I'll give it a try. Had fun with last year's challenge.

Basic level (40)

[ ] A book made into a movie you’ve already seen
[ ] True Crime
[ ] The next book in a series you started
[ ] A book involving a heist
[ ] Nordic Noir

[ ] A novel based on a real person
[ ] A book set in a country that fascinates you
[ ] A book with a time of day in the title
[ ] A book about a villain or antihero
[ ] A book about death or grief

[ ] A book with your favorite color in the title
[ ] A book with alliteration in the title
[ ] A book about time travel
[ ] A book with a weather element in the title
[ ] A book set at Sea

[ ] A book with an animal in the title
[ ] A book set on a different planet
[ ] A book with song lyrics in the title
[ ] A book about or set on Halloween
[ ] A book with characters who are twins

[ ] A book with a female author who uses a male pseudonym
[ ] A book with an LGBTQ+ protagonist
[ ] A book that is also a stage play or musical
[ ] A book by an author of a different ethnicity than you
[ ] A book about feminism

[ ] A book about mental health
[ ] A book you borrowed or that was given to you as a gift
[ ] A book by two authors
[ ] A book about or involving a sport
[ ] A book by a local author

[ ] A book mentioned in another book
[ ] A book from a celebrity book club
[ ] A childhood classic you’ve never read
[ ] A book that’s published in 2018
[ ] A past Goodread’s Choice Awards winner

[ ] A book set in the decade you were born
[ ] a book you meant to read in 2017 but didn’t get to
[ ] A book with an ugly cover
[ ] A book that involves a bookstore or library
[ ] Your favorite prompt from the 2015, 2016, or 2017 Popsugar Reading Challenge


Advanced (10)

[ ] A bestseller from the year you graduated high school
[ ] A cyberpunk book
[ ] A book that was being read by a stranger in a public place
[ ] A book tied to your ancestry
[ ] A book with a fruit or vegetable in the title

[ ] An allegory
[ ] A book by an author with the same first or last name as you
[ ] A microhistory
[ ] A book about a problem facing society today
[ ] A book recommended by someone else taking the POPSUGAR Reading Challenge

[Kirsten]

Good luck all!

[Amanda]

0/50 Complete

Basic level (40)

[ ] A book made into a movie you’ve already seen
[ ] True Crime
[ ] The next book in a series you started
[ ] A book involving a heist
[ ] Nordic Noir

[ ] A novel based on a real person
[ ] A book set in a country that fascinates you
[ ] A book with a time of day in the title
[ ] A book about a villain or antihero
[ ] A book about death or grief

[ ] A book with your favorite color in the title
[ ] A book with alliteration in the title
[ ] A book about time travel
[ ] A book with a weather element in the title
[ ] A book set at Sea

[ ] A book with an animal in the title
[ ] A book set on a different planet
[ ] A book with song lyrics in the title
[ ] A book about or set on Halloween
[ ] A book with characters who are twins

[ ] A book with a female author who uses a male pseudonym
[ ] A book with an LGBTQ+ protagonist
[ ] A book that is also a stage play or musical
[ ] A book by an author of a different ethnicity than you
[ ] A book about feminism

[ ] A book about mental health
[ ] A book you borrowed or that was given to you as a gift
[ ] A book by two authors
[ ] A book about or involving a sport
[ ] A book by a local author

[ ] A book mentioned in another book
[ ] A book from a celebrity book club
[ ] A childhood classic you’ve never read
[ ] A book that’s published in 2018
[ ] A past Goodread’s Choice Awards winner

[ ] A book set in the decade you were born
[ ] a book you meant to read in 2017 but didn’t get to
[ ] A book with an ugly cover
[ ] A book that involves a bookstore or library
[ ] Your favorite prompt from the 2015, 2016, or 2017 Popsugar Reading Challenge


Advanced (10)

[ ] A bestseller from the year you graduated high school
[ ] A cyberpunk book
[ ] A book that was being read by a stranger in a public place
[ ] A book tied to your ancestry
[ ] A book with a fruit or vegetable in the title

[ ] An allegory
[ ] A book by an author with the same first or last name as you
[ ] A microhistory
[ ] A book about a problem facing society today
[ ] A book recommended by someone else taking the POPSUGAR Reading Challenge

[Ann]

Ok. I’m in. I have never tried one of these challenges except for the Goodreads annual number of books challenge.

[Tahmina]

Start Date: 01.01.18
End Date: 12.31.18
Basic Level Books Completed: 24/40
Advanced Level Books Completed: 1/10

Basic level (40)

[X] A book made into a movie you’ve already seen: The Girl on the Train 06.24.18
[ ] True Crime
[X] The next book in a series you started: An Uninvited Ghost 02.07.18
[ ] A book involving a heist
[ ] Nordic Noir

[X] A novel based on a real person: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian 11.27.18
[X] A book set in a country that fascinates you: Pride and Pyramids 02.18.18
[X] A book with a time of day in the title: Stephen Colbert's Midnight Confessions 06.15.18
[X] A book about a villain or antihero: The Sun Also Rises 03.01.18
[X] A book about death or grief: Colonel Brandon's Diary 03.11.18

[ ] A book with your favorite color in the title
[X] A book with alliteration in the title : Pride and Prejudice 09.30.18
[X] A book about time travel: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Parts One and Two 06.11.18
[X] A book with a weather element in the title: Thunderhead 08.08.18
[ ] A book set at Sea

[X] A book with an animal in the title: Chasing Redbird 01.09.18
[X] A book set on a different planet: Red Rising 07.05.18
[ ] A book with song lyrics in the title
[ ] A book about or set on Halloween
[X] A book with characters who are twins: The Casual Vacancy 01.25.18

[X] A book with a female author who uses a male pseudonym: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay 06.06.18
[X] A book with an LGBTQ+ protagonist: Fingersmith 02.07.18
[ ] A book that is also a stage play or musical
[X] A book by an author of a different ethnicity than you: The Pearl 06.01.18
[ ] A book about feminism

[ ] A book about mental health
[X] A book you borrowed or that was given to you as a gift: For the Love of a Son: One Afghan Woman's Quest for Her Stolen Child 05.13.18
[ ] A book by two authors
[ ] A book about or involving a sport
[ ] A book by a local author

[ ] A book mentioned in another book
[ ] A book from a celebrity book club
[X] A childhood classic you’ve never read: Aesop's Fables 03.25.18
[X] A book that’s published in 2018: The Fates Divide 07.15.18
[X] A past Goodread’s Choice Awards winner: Into the Water 10.07.18

[ ] A book set in the decade you were born
[X] a book you meant to read in 2017 but didn’t get to: The Accident 01.17.18
[X] A book with an ugly cover: The Teatime Trilogy 05.01.18
[X] A book that involves a bookstore or library: The Camel Bookmobile 04.11.18
[X] Your favorite prompt from the 2015, 2016, or 2017 Popsugar Reading Challenge -- A classic romance: Northanger Abbey 04.07.18


Advanced (10)

[ ] A bestseller from the year you graduated high school
[X] A cyberpunk book: Ready Player One 03.25.18
[ ] A book that was being read by a stranger in a public place
[ ] A book tied to your ancestry
[ ] A book with a fruit or vegetable in the title
[ ] An allegory
[ ] A book by an author with the same first or last name as you
[ ] A microhistory
[ ] A book about a problem facing society today
[ ] A book recommended by someone else taking the POPSUGAR Reading Challenge

[Katie]

I'm in! This looks really fun!

[Louise]

I'll give it a try! I enjoyed last year's challenge. It's highly unlikely that I will read a true crime book though.

[Kait]

I was not too successful last year, but hey, this is a new year! Looking forward to it.

Basic level (40)

[ ] A book made into a movie you’ve already seen
[ ] True Crime
[ ] The next book in a series you started
[ ] A book involving a heist
[ ] Nordic Noir

[ ] A novel based on a real person
[ ] A book set in a country that fascinates you
[ ] A book with a time of day in the title
[ ] A book about a villain or antihero
[ ] A book about death or grief

[ ] A book with your favorite color in the title
[ ] A book with alliteration in the title
[ ] A book about time travel
[ ] A book with a weather element in the title
[X ] A book set at Sea The Woman in Cabin 10

[ ] A book with an animal in the title
[ ] A book set on a different planet
[ ] A book with song lyrics in the title
[ ] A book about or set on Halloween
[ ] A book with characters who are twins

[ ] A book with a female author who uses a male pseudonym
[ ] A book with an LGBTQ+ protagonist
[ ] A book that is also a stage play or musical
[ ] A book by an author of a different ethnicity than you
[ ] A book about feminism

[ ] A book about mental health
[ ] A book you borrowed or that was given to you as a gift
[ ] A book by two authors
[ ] A book about or involving a sport
[ ] A book by a local author

[ ] A book mentioned in another book
[ ] A book from a celebrity book club
[ ] A childhood classic you’ve never read
[ ] A book that’s published in 2018
[ ] A past Goodread’s Choice Awards winner

[ ] A book set in the decade you were born
[ ] a book you meant to read in 2017 but didn’t get to
[ ] A book with an ugly cover
[ ] A book that involves a bookstore or library
[ ] Your favorite prompt from the 2015, 2016, or 2017 Popsugar Reading Challenge


Advanced (10)

[ ] A bestseller from the year you graduated high school
[ ] A cyberpunk book
[ ] A book that was being read by a stranger in a public place
[ ] A book tied to your ancestry
[ ] A book with a fruit or vegetable in the title

[ ] An allegory
[ ] A book by an author with the same first or last name as you
[ ] A microhistory
[ ] A book about a problem facing society today
[ ] A book recommended by someone else taking the POPSUGAR Reading Challenge

[Karen]

Will need to see what I have to read to see how it fits these listings. While I like stretching the diversity of what I read, I like reading what I like reading. :o)

Good luck to those who participate. I'm rooting for you!

[Trish]

Sure. Why not... but I'll only aim for half overall being mysteries or procedurals.

Running total:
Basic: 38 out of 42
Advanced: 9 out of 10

Alas, I'm admitting failure that this point.

Mysteries/procedurals (aiming for half overall): 25 out of 26

Basic level (40+2)

* A book made into a movie you’ve already seen - 2001: A Space Odyssey, Arthur C Clarke - 20/02/18
P True Crime - The Black Dahlia, James Ellroy
*M The next book in a series you started - Mission Impawsible, Krista Davis - 04/01/18
* M/P A book involving a heist - Bank Shot, Donald E Westlake - 14/11/18
* P Nordic noir - Nightblind, Ragnar Jonasson - 16/11/18

* M A novel based on a real person - The Tale of Holly How, Susan Wittig Albert - 26/09/18 (author Beatrix Potter, and her future husband Will Heelis are major characters)
*M A book set in a country that fascinates you - The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection, Alexander McCall Smith - 10/01/18 (because reading this series always makes me want to go to Botswana)
* A book with a time of day in the title - The Night Masquerade, Nnedi Okorafor - 14/02/18
* A book about a villain or antihero - The Gospel of Loki, Joanne Harris - 31/01/18
*P A book about death or grief - Blood Ties, Lori G Armstrong - 05/04/18

*M A book with your favorite color in the title Death in Dark Blue, Julia Buckley – 02/02/18
*M A book with alliteration in the title - Fatal Fortune, Leighann Dobbs - 06/04/18
A book about time travel - Dark Matter, Blake Crouch
*M A book with a weather element in the title - Raining Cat Sitters and Dogs, Blaize Clements - 15/02/18
* A book set at sea - The Old Man and the Sea, Ernest Hemingway - 28/09/18

*M A book with an animal in the title - No Cats Allowed, Miranda James - 11/04/18
* A book set on a different planet - Dragonsong, Anne McCaffrey - 06/03/18
*P A book with song lyrics in the title - The Paper Moon, Andrea Camilleri - 05/01/18 ("It's only a paper moon", Frank Sinatra)
*M A book about or set on Halloween - Murder at the Witching Hour, Kathi Daley
* M A book with characters who are twins - Aunt Dimity and the Family Tree, Nancy Atherton - 08/09/18 (Lori has twin sons)

P A book with a female author who uses a male pseudonym - Career of Evil, Robert Galbraith (JK Rowling) - 06/12/18
* A book with an LGBTQ+ protagonist - Her Body and Other Parties - 16/05/18
* A book that is also a stage play or musical - A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens - 22/12/18
* A book by an author of a different ethnicity than you - The Garden of Evening Mists, Tan Twan Eng - 02/07/18
* A book about feminism - A Vindication of the Rights of Women, Mary Wollstonecraft - 22/04/18

* A book about mental health - You're Never Weird on the Internet, Felicia Day - 18/03/18 (parts of it discuss depression and gaming addiction with great honesty)
*P A book you borrowed or that was given to you as a gift - Death at the President's Lodging, Michael Innes - 30/01/18 (borrowed)
*P A book by two authors - A book by two authors - The Locked Room, Maj Sjöwall, Per Wahlöö - 31/03/18
* A book about or involving a sport - Hitler's Olympics: The 1936 Berlin Olympic Games, Christopher Hilton - 25/09/18
* A book by a local author - The Furthest Station, Ben Aaronovitch - 10/09/18 (born and raised in London)

* A book mentioned in another book - Gulliver's Travels, Jonathan Swift – 08/05/18 (mentioned in A Vindication of the Rights of Women, Mary Wollstonecraft)
A book from a celebrity book club - Rebecca, Daphne du Maurier
* A childhood classic you’ve never read - Heidi, Joanna Spyri - 23/12/18
*M A book that’s published in 2018 - Whisker of a Doubt, Leighann Dobbs - 09/04/18
* A past Goodreads Choice Awards winner - Artemis, Andy Weir - 07/02/18 (SF winner 2017)

*M A book set in the decade you were born - The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax, Dorothy Gilman - 16/01/18
* A book you meant to read in 2017 but didn’t get to - The Stone Sky, NK Jemisin - 18/04/18
A book with an ugly cover - Quite Ugly One Morning, Christopher Brookmyre
*M A book that involves a bookstore or library - Plot Boiler, Ali Brandon - 05/03/18
Your favourite prompt from the 2015, 2016, or 2017 Popsugar Reading Challenge
*M From 2015 – 49. A book based on or turned into a TV show Dry Bones, Craig Johnson - 16/02/18 (Longmire) (Longmire)
*M From 2016 – 27. A murder mystery - Pies and Prejudice, Ellery Adams - 11/02/18
*M From 2017 – 10. A book with a cat on the cover - Elementary, She Read, Vicki Delany - 08/02/18

Advanced (10)

* A bestseller from the year you graduated high school - The Color Purple, Alice Walker - 26/11/18
* P A cyberpunk book - Head On, John Scalzi - 20/09/18
Maybe a bit of a stretch but it does have cyberpunk elements (misuse of technology, radical change in the social order - i.e. the Hadens)
A book that was being read by a stranger in a public place - My Brilliant Friend, Elena Ferrante (seen on the Tube)
* A book tied to your ancestry - Waterloo: The History of Four Days, Three Armies, and Three Battles - 23/05/18
* M A book with a fruit or vegetable in the title - The Way The Rhubarb Crumbles, John Bayer - 16/08/18

* An allegory - The Last Battle, CS Lewis - 25/06/18
* M A book by an author with the same first or last name as you - Something Wicked, Carolyn G Hart - 23/11/18
A microhistory - The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Rebecca Skloot - 13/12/18
* A book about a problem facing society today - On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century, Timothy Snyder - 29/04/18
* A book recommended by someone else taking the POPSUGAR Reading Challenge - The Lie Tree, Frances Hardinge - 27/05/18

[Carol]

I would like to join, please.

2018 Ultimate Reading Challenge

18/50

Basic level (40)
1. Stephenie Meyer - Read
2. Ann Rule - Read
3. Cornelia Funke – Read
4. Janet Evanovich - The Chase (Fox and O'Hare, #2)
5. Henning Mankell - Faceless Killers (Kurt Wallander, #1)
6. Alison Weir - Innocent Traitor: A Novel of Lady Jane Grey
7. Elizabeth Peters – Read
8. Erin Morgenstern - The Night Circus
9. Stephen King - Read
10. Jodi Picoult - Read
11. Laurie Faria Stolarz - Blue is for Nightmares (Blue is for Nightmares, #1)
12. Anna Sewell - Black Beauty
13. Michael Crichton - Timeline
14. J A Jance - Desert Heat (Joanna Brady, #1)
15. Jonathan Swift - Gulliver's Travels
16. Agatha Christie - The Pale Horse
17. Pierre Boulle - Planet of the Apes
18. George Orwell - Read
19. Stephen King - The Shining (The Shining, #1)
20. Kim Edwards - The Memory Keeper's Daughter
21. Dean Koontz - Ashley Bell (David Axton)
22. Cassandra Clare - City of Glass (The Mortal Instruments, #3)
23. J K Rowling - Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Parts One and Two (Harry Potter #8)
24. Alexander McCall Smith - Read
25. Arthur Golden - Read
26. Gayle Forman - Where She Went (If I Stay, #2)
27. Geoff Tibballs – Voices from the Titanic
28. Nicci French - Blue Monday (Frieda Klein, #1)
29. Alex Ferguson – Read
30. Sheila Quigley - Read
31. H G Wells - Read
32. Isabel Allende - Daughter of Fortune
33. Frances Hodgson Burnett - A Little Princess
34. Jojo Moyes – Still me
35. Pierce Brown - Red Rising (Red Rising, #1)
36. E.L. Konigsburg - From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
37. Sue Perkins - Spectacles
38. Stephenie Meyer - The Host (The Host, #1)
39. Geraldine Brooks - Year of Wonders
40. E B White - Charlotte's Web

Advanced (10)
1. Virginia Andrews - Read
2. Philip K. Dick - The Minority Report
3. Bethany Griffin - Masque of the red death
4. Diana Gabaldon - Read
5. John Steinbeck - Read
6. Gregory Maguire - Read
7. Carol Higgins Clark - Decked (Regan Reilly #1)
8. Rebecca Skloot - Read
9. Jodi Picoult - Read
10. M R Carey - The Girl with All the Gifts (The Hungry Plague #1)

[Louise]

Basic level (40)

[ ] A book made into a movie you’ve already seen
[ ] True Crime
[x] The next book in a series you started: Tarnished and Torn by Juliet Blackwell
[ ] A book involving a heist
[ ] Nordic Noir

[ ] A novel based on a real person
[ ] A book set in a country that fascinates you
[ ] A book with a time of day in the title
[ ] A book about a villain or antihero
[ ] A book about death or grief

[ ] A book with your favorite color in the title
[x] A book with alliteration in the title: A Vision in Velvet by Juliet Blackwell
[ ] A book about time travel
[ ] A book with a weather element in the title
[ ] A book set at Sea

[ ] A book with an animal in the title
[x] A book set on a different planet: Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett (Discworld)
[ ] A book with song lyrics in the title
[ ] A book about or set on Halloween
[ ] A book with characters who are twins

[ ] A book with a female author who uses a male pseudonym
[x] A book with an LGBTQ+ protagonist: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
[ ] A book that is also a stage play or musical
[ ] A book by an author of a different ethnicity than you
[ ] A book about feminism

[ ] A book about mental health
[x] A book you borrowed or that was given to you as a gift: Crowned and Dangerous by Rhys Bowen
[ ] A book by two authors
[ ] A book about or involving a sport
[ ] A book by a local author

[ ] A book mentioned in another book
[ ] A book from a celebrity book club
[ ] A childhood classic you’ve never read
[x] A book that’s published in 2018: Why Kill the Innocent by C.S. Harris
[ ] A past Goodread’s Choice Awards winner

[ ] A book set in the decade you were born
[ ] a book you meant to read in 2017 but didn’t get to
[ ] A book with an ugly cover
[ ] A book that involves a bookstore or library
[ ] Your favorite prompt from the 2015, 2016, or 2017 Popsugar Reading Challenge


Advanced (10)

[ ] A bestseller from the year you graduated high school
[ ] A cyberpunk book
[ ] A book that was being read by a stranger in a public place
[ ] A book tied to your ancestry
[ ] A book with a fruit or vegetable in the title

[ ] An allegory
[ ] A book by an author with the same first or last name as you
[ ] A microhistory
[ ] A book about a problem facing society today
[ ] A book recommended by someone else taking the POPSUGAR Reading Challenge

[Susan]

For the prompt "A bestseller from the year you graduated from high school" I think Agatha Christie's Curtain was the best mystery, but was it best seller? Does it count?

[Susan]

sorry. the year is 1977.

[Heather L , Cozy Mysteries Moderator]

I would say if it was the bestselling book in its genre it counts

[True.magic]

POPSUGAR Ultimate Reading Challenge - 2018

Duration: January 01, 2018 to December 31, 2018.

Basic level (40)
Completed: 00/40

[ ] A book made into a movie you’ve already seenThe Hunger Games
[ ] True Crime
[ ] The next book in a series you started
[ ] A book involving a heist
[ ] Nordic Noir

[ ] A novel based on a real person
[ ] A book set in a country that fascinates you
[ ] A book with a time of day in the title
[ ] A book about a villain or antihero
[ ] A book about death or grief

[ ] A book with your favorite color in the title
[ ] A book with alliteration in the title
[ ] A book about time travel
[ ] A book with a weather element in the title
[ ] A book set at Sea

[ ] A book with an animal in the title
[ ] A book set on a different planet
[ ] A book with song lyrics in the title
[ ] A book about or set on Halloween
[ ] A book with characters who are twins

[ ] A book with a female author who uses a male pseudonym
[ ] A book with an LGBTQ+ protagonist
[ ] A book that is also a stage play or musical
[ ] A book by an author of a different ethnicity than you
[ ] A book about feminism

[ ] A book about mental health
[ ] A book you borrowed or that was given to you as a gift
[ ] A book by two authors
[ ] A book about or involving a sport
[ ] A book by a local author

[ ] A book mentioned in another book
[ ] A book from a celebrity book club
[ ] A childhood classic you’ve never read
[ ] A book that’s published in 2018
[ ] A past Goodread’s Choice Awards winner

[ ] A book set in the decade you were born
[ ] a book you meant to read in 2017 but didn’t get to
[ ] A book with an ugly cover
[ ] A book that involves a bookstore or library
[ ] Your favorite prompt from the 2015, 2016, or 2017 Popsugar Reading Challenge



Advanced (10)
Completed: 00/10

[ ] A bestseller from the year you graduated high school
[ ] A cyberpunk book
[ ] A book that was being read by a stranger in a public place
[ ] A book tied to your ancestry
[ ] A book with a fruit or vegetable in the title

[ ] An allegory
[ ] A book by an author with the same first or last name as you
[ ] A microhistory
[ ] A book about a problem facing society today
[ ] A book recommended by someone else taking the POPSUGAR Reading Challenge

[Heather L , Cozy Mysteries Moderator]

My goal for this challenge was to finish at least half of the 50 criteria, which I have now accomplished. List in my personal challenge thread has been updated. With six months to go, I should be able to manage another five for sure, maybe even ten.

FYI, Kate has asked me not to post the 2019 challenge here, when it is revealed later this year.

[Teresa]

Heather L wrote: "My goal for this challenge was to finish at least half of the 50 criteria, which I have now accomplished. List in my personal challenge thread has been updated. With six months to go, I should be a..."

Congratulations on reaching your goal Heather. And it's too bad about the 2019 challenge. I read Kate's earlier post (which has since been deleted). One of the things I loved about this group was not only the cozies but the opportunity to discuss and find out about other genres of books that were non-cozy related with others that shared some of my reading interests (i.e., cozies). But it is her group and her decision.

Will all the challenges from now on be strictly mysteries or cozies?

[Heather L , Cozy Mysteries Moderator]

Hi Teresa,

I must have missed her earlier post. As for you question, as far as I'm concerned, books from any genre may be used in the seasonal and monthly mini challenges. People -- including myself -- do read across genres and some would find it more difficult to participate or finish if only mysteries could be used.

[Susan]

Hi! Would you call Richard B radford's Crime Fiction-a very short history. a microhistory?

[Heather L , Cozy Mysteries Moderator]

Susan: Sorry, not familiar with the book or author myself, and I admit I have struggled with defining this particular genre. It's one I will not be crossing off of this year's list. Perhaps you could pose your question in the related challenge thread in the official GR group?

I am currently 34/50, and hope to work in at least one more this year, which exceeds my goal by ten. Kate has asked me not to post a thread for the 2019 Ultimate Challenge, but you can C&P a list from my personal challenge thread --OR-- you can find a printable list at the Popsugar website.

[Trish]

Susan wrote: "Hi! Would you call Richard B radford's Crime Fiction-a very short history. a microhistory?"

The Very Short Introduction one? I'd say so (and I might have to read that myself at some point).

Wikipedia starts the definition with "Microhistory is the intensive historical investigation of a well-defined smaller unit of research" (although, I'll admit it, I generally mentally define them by close subjects, rather than the "most often a single event, the community of a village, or an individual" which continues the wikipedia definition). I'd say Crime Fiction is definitely a well-defined smaller unit of fiction.

Heather, I'm planning to read The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks for this one. I don't read them often, but if it helps, this is my microhistory shelf: https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

[Rhonda]

Here is the start of my Ultimate Reading Challenge

A Book made into a movie you've already seen: The Man who Invented Christmas - Les Standiford

True Crime

The next book in a series you started - A Casualty of War- Charles Todd

A book involving a heist - At Bertram's Hotel - Agatha Christie

Nordic Noir - The Scarred Woman - Jussi Adler - Olsen

A novel based on a real person - Mr. Dickens and His Carol - Samantha Silva

A book set in a country that fascinates you - The Paris Spy - Susan Elia Mac Neal ( France)

A book with the time of the day in the title - It Happened at Two in the Morning - Alan Hruska

A book about a villain or anti-hero

A book about death or grief - H is for Hawk - Helen MacDonald

A book with your favorite color in the title - Words in Dark Blue -
Cath Crowley

A book with alliteration in the title - Gossamer Ghost - Laura Childs

A book about time travel - Timebound - Rysa Walker

A book about a weather element in the title

A book set at sea - Cabin 3033 - Anna Clarke

A book with an animal in the title - Cat About Town - Cate Conte

A book set on a different planet - A Wrinkle In Time - Madeleine L'Engle

A book with song lyrics in the title - Wake Up Little Susie - Ed Gorman

A book about or set at Halloween - Death Overdue - Alison Brook

A book where the characters are twins

A book with an LBGT protanganist - The Rules of Magic - Alice Hoffman

A book that is also a stage play or musical

A book by an author of a different ethnicity than you - Homegoing - Yaa Gyasi

A book about feminism

A book about mental health

A book you borrowed or was given as a gift

A book by two authors - Every Breath You Take - Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke

A book involving sport

A book by a local author - Give the Dog a Bone - Leslie O'Kane

A book mentioned in another book - Chocalat mentioned in Murder in the Paperback Parlor - Ellery Addams

A book from a celebrity book club

A childhood classic you never read - The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe - C. S. Lewis

A book published in 2018 - The Gate Keeper - Charles Todd

A past Goodreads Choice Awards winner

A book set in the decade you were born

A book you meant to read in 2017 but didn't get to it

A book with an ugly cover - Jungle Girl - Edgar Rice Burroughs

A book that involves a bookstore or library - The Haunted Bookshop - Christopher Morley

Your favorite prompt from the 2015, 2016, 2017 Popsugar

Advanced

A bestseller from the year you graduated high school

A cyberpunk book

A book that was being read by a stranger in a public place

A book linked to your ancestry -

A book with a fruit or vegetable in the title - Raspberry Danish Murder - Joanna Fluke

An Allegory - The Magician's Nephew - C. S. Lewis

A book by an author with the first or last name as yours

A microhistory - Longitude - Dava Sobel

A book about a problem facing society today

A book recommended by someone else taking the Popsugar Reading Challenge

[Heather L , Cozy Mysteries Moderator]

I managed to exceed my goal this year. I was hoping for 25/50 and was able to knock off 35. There were a few categories I had books for at least another ten categories, but wasn't able to get to them. Most will work for the 2019 Ultimate, so maybe I'll get to them next year.

[Susan]

Yeah - here is my list.
2018 Ultimate Reading Challenge
• A book made into a movie you’ve already seen – To Catch a Thief by David Dodge
• True Crime – Murder of the Lindbergh Baby by Rachel James
The next book in a series you started – Archie in the Crosshairs by Robert Goldsborough
• A book set in a country that fascinates you - Lord James Harrington and the Easter Mystery by Lynn Florkiewicz
• A book involving a heist – Diamonds aren’t forever – Heist Ladies Book 1 byConnie Shelton
• Nordic Noir – The Pyramid by Henning Mankell (Kurt Wallander)
• A novel based on a real person – Credenza for Caruso by Barbara Paul
• A book set in a country that fascinates you – Snobbery with Violence by Marion Chesney
• A book with a time of day in the title – Case of the Midnight Burglar by Barbara Greenlee
• A book about a villain or antihero – Moriarty meets his match – Anna Castle
• A book about death or grief - Murder in the Courthouse by Nancy Grace
• A book with your favorite color in the title – Pink Slips by Beth Aldrich
• A book with alliteration in the title - Coattails and Cocktails by Rumer Haven
• A book about time travel – Palais Paar by Lena R. Campbell
• A book with a weather element in the title - Some Hidden Thunder (U.S. Grant Mysteries Book 3) by Jeffrey Marks
• A book set at Sea - Murder on the Lusitania by Conrad Allen
• A book with an animal in the title – The Cat who Spoke to Ghosts by Lilian Jackson Braun
• A book set on a different planet - Space Tales (Seven For Space Book 3)
William F. Nolan (Mostly Mars)
• A book with song lyrics in the title – Blue Moon by Peter Duchin
• A book about or set on Halloween - A Dash of Murder by Teresa Trent
• [ ] A book about feminism –Seneca Falls Inheritance by Miriam Grace Monfredo
• A book with characters who are twins - Aunt Dimity and the Family Tree by Nancy Atherton
• A book with a female author who uses a male pseudonym - Cuckoo's Calling - Robert Galbraith (JK Rawling)
• A book with an LGBTQ+ protagonist – Tribe by R D Zimmerman
• A book that is also a stage play or musical – Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand (one of my favorite of all time, but not a mystery)
• A book by an author of a different ethnicity than you - Bitter Sugar: A Lupe Solano Mystery (Lupe Solano Mysteries) by Carolina Garcia-Aguilera (born in Cuba)
• A book about mental health - The Man Who Understood Cats: A Caleb & Thinnes Mystery by Dymmoch, Michael Allene
• A book you borrowed or that was given to you as a gift - Paris A Go-Go (The Havilah Gaie Series … by Tracy Whiting
• A book by two authors - Buried in a Book by Lucy Armstrong (Ellery Adams and Sylvia May)
• A book about or involving a sport A Bicycle Built for Murder by Kate Kingsbury
• A book by a local author - Dying for a Thrill by Mark Zubro
• A book mentioned in another book - The Affair Next Door by Anna Katharine Green (mentioned in Pistols and Petticoats)
• A book from a celebrity book club (Richard and Judy Book Club Summer 2018 Books) Midnight Line by Lee Child
• A childhood classic you’ve never read – The Deserted Library Mystery (The Boxcar Children Mysteries) by Gertrude Chandler Warner
• A book that’s published in 2018 - Death knocks twice by Robert Thoroughgood
• A past Goodread’s Choice Awards winner - Smokin Eleven by Jaquiline Evanovich
• A book set in the decade you were born - The Case of the Lucky Legs by Earl Stanely Gardner
• A book you meant to read in 2017 but didn’t get to - Archie in the Crosshairs by Robert Goldsborough

• A book with an ugly cover - The World’s Longest Yard Sale by Linda S. Browning
• A book that involves a bookstore or library - Murder Past Due by Miranda James
• Your favorite prompt from the 2015, 2016, or 2017 Popsugar Reading Challenge (2015 Challenge - A book set in a different country) - Sins of the Father by Stephen Weeks


Advanced (10)

• A bestseller from the year you graduated high school. - Curtain by Agatha Christie
• A cyberpunk book- Liquid Cool by Austin Dragon
• A book that was being read by a stranger in a public place - Prima Donna at Large (The Opera Mysteries Book 2) by Barbara Paul
• A book with a fruit or vegetable in the title - Pineapple Lies: A Pineapple Port Mystery: Book One (Pineapple Port Mysteries 1) by Amy Vansant
• A book tied to your ancestry - Swiss Vendetta by Tracee de Hahn
• An allegory – The Innocence of Father Brown by G K Chesterton
• [A book by an author with the same first or last name as you - Dying for a Drive by Susan Harper.
• A microhistory – Pistols and Petticoats: 175 Years of Lady Detectives in Fact and Fiction by Erika Janik
• A book about a problem facing society today - Bad weather, Bad Man by Zana Hart (homelessness)
• A book recommended by someone else taking the Sugarpop Reading Challenge.- Art and Arsenic (Veronica Margreve Mysteries #2) by Valerie Murmel

[Susan]

Ooopps, corrections to my list:

A novel based on a real person – Credenza for Caruso by Barbara Paul should be Cadenza.
A book with an animal in the title – The Cat who Spoke to Ghosts by Lilian Jackson Braun - should be talked to
And book you meant to read in 2017 but didn’t get to - should be Paris A Go-Go by Tracy Whiting

[Tahmina]

Well I read 24 out of the 40 and 1 from 10 .... So half :) None of the books I am reading till the end of the year will fit the criteria so as far as I am concerned. I'm done!

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