2025 Reading Challenge discussion
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Popsugar Reading Challenge - 2018
Oh, this looks like fun! I'm in for all 50 thanks!Currently at 24/50
2. True crime
4. A book involving a heist
5. Nordic noir
6. A novel based on a real person
9. A book about a villain or antihero
11. A book with a female author who uses a male pseudonym
20. A book by a local author
21. A book with your favorite color in the title
22. A book with alliteration in the title
25. A book set at sea
28. A book with song lyrics in the titles
29. A book about or set in Halloween
30. A book with characters who are twins
31. A book mentioned in another book
33. A childhood classic you’ve never read
36. A book set in the decade you were born
38. A book with an ugly cover
40. Your favorite prompt from the 2015, 2016, 2017 PopSugar Reading Challenges
Advanced
41. A bestseller from the year you graduated high school
42. A cyberpunk book
43. A book that was being read by a stranger in a public place
44. A book tied to your ancestry
45. A book with a fruit or vegetable in the title
47. A book by an author with the same first or last name as you
48. A microhistory
50. A book recommended by someone else taking the PopSugar Reading Challenge
Just completed #30 (twins) - American Street by Ibi Zoboi. Well-done YA novel! The main character is wonderfully complex, and I loved that the author incorporated so much about Haiti into the character herself. Good writing! My only criticism was that the first half was a bit long. Definitely worth reading! 4.5 stars10/40
Message #13 update!
7. A book set in a country that fascinates you: Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden 08.02.2018 ★★★★☆
4/50
7. A book set in a country that fascinates you: Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden 08.02.2018 ★★★★☆
4/50
Jane wrote: "How do I add my challenge list? I think I've read nine or ten of the books: Here's my list.The ones I've already read are marked with √
2018 Popsugar Reading Challenge
1. A book made into a movi..."
Just like you did :) I will add you to the list of participants when I do the next update. If you are looking for more information on how to participate in the challenges in this group, you can find that here.
Update!!3/18
7. A book set in a country that fascinates you - Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen ✔️
27. A book set on a different planet - Artemis by Andy Weir ✔️
37. A book you meant to read in 2017 but didn’t get to - Anthem by Ayn Rand ✔️
Just finished reading Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen for the Quarterly Challenge and now I know why Jane Austen is revered so much. For her sheer class in writing style and how ahead she was in her time. A classic novel to the core.
m. 143 updated - 7/20A book written by two authors
Infernal Magic, C.N. Crawford being the pseudonym for the writing duo Christine and Nick.
Update message 88, progress 16/50✓29. A book about or set on Halloween - Halloween Magic & Mayhem by Stella Wilkinson (finished 2/1), my review is here
✓30. A book with characters who are twins - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling (finished 2/7), Fred and George Weasley are twins, my review is here
Mie wrote: "Update msg 6: 12/40✅ 16. A book about mental health - All the Bright Places - 5⭐️"
Good book!
Now have 9/50 done. Completed Turtles All the Way Down for a book about mental health and Louis Sockalexis: Native American Baseball Pioneer for a book about or involving a sport.
Update to message 530. finished two more. 8/4035. A past Goodreads Choice Awards winner: Feed
39. A book that involves a bookstore or library: Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library
Update to message 350. 5/207. A book set in a country that fascinates you. The Fisherman's Daughter Set in Italy
41/36ended with more than planned!
I'm in for 36
✅ 1 A book made into a movie you’ve already seen
Gone Girl by Gillian FlynnCompleted 29 April 2018
✅ 2 True crime
Shooting Victoria: Madness, Mayhem, and the Rebirth of the British Monarchy by Paul Thomas MurphyCompleted 20 Sept 2018
✅ 3 The next book in a series you started
The Silent Shield by Jeff WheelerCompleted 06 January 2018
✅ 4 A book involving a heist
House of Thieves by Charles BelfoureCompleted 20 May 2018
✅ 5 Nordic noir
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg LarssonCompleted 25 March 2018
✅ 6 A novel based on a real person
Agincourt by Bernard Cornwell Completed 31 Oct 2018 ✅ 7 A book set in a country that fascinates you
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi Completed 05 Nov 2018 ✅ 8 A book with a time of day in the title
Illumination Night: A Novel by Alice Hoffman✅ 9 A book about a villain or antihero
The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt Completed 03 February 2018
✅ 10 A book about death or grief
Have a Nice Day by Billy Crystal✅ 11 A book with a female author who uses a male pseudonym
The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert GalbraithCompleted 14 May 2018
✅ 12 A book with an LGBTQ+ protagonist
Of Fire and Stars by Audrey CoulthurstCompleted 31 March 2018
✅ 13 A book that is also a stage play or musical
Coraline by Neil GaimanCompleted 17 May 2018
✅ 14 A book by an author of a different ethnicity than you
The Hate U Give by Angie ThomasCompleted 29 January 2018
✅ 15 A book about feminism
Circling the Sun by Paula McLainCompleted 07 April 2018
✅ 16 A book about mental health
Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris✅ 17 A book you borrowed or that was given to you as a gift
Year One by Nora RobertsCompleted 19 June 2018
✅ 18 A book by two authors
Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch by Terry Pratchett & Neil GaimanCompleted 30 June 2018
✅ 19 A book about or involving a sport
Girl on a Wire by Gwenda BondCompleted 02 Aug 2018
✅ 21 A book with your favorite color in the title
Being a Green Mother by Piers Anthony✅ 22 A book with alliteration in the title
The Poisoned Pilgrim by Oliver PötzschCompleted 18 January 2018
✅ 23 A book about time travel
Bearing an Hourglass by Piers Anthony✅ 24 A book with a weather element in the title
Boy, Snow, Bird by Helen Oyeyemi Completed 20 Aug 2018
✅ 25 A book set at sea
The Nautical Chart by Arturo Pérez-ReverteCompleted 04 June 2018
✅ 26 A book with an animal in the title
The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine ArdenCompleted 05 Aug 2018
✅ 27 A book set on a different planet
All Systems Red by Martha Wells[Completed 24 Aug 2018
✅ 28 A book with song lyrics in the titles
[bookcover:When the Moon Is Low|25540073] When the Moon Is Low
Completed 18 Feb 2018
✅ 30 A book with characters who are twins
Mischling by Affinity Konarcompleted 10 May 2018
✅ 32 A book from a celebrity book club
The Poisonwood Bible By Barbara KingsolverCompleted 25 June 2018
✅ 34 A book that’s published in 2018
Bone Music by Christopher RiceCompleted 13 April 2018
✅ 35 A past Goodreads Choice Awards winner
The Girl on the Train by Paula HawkinsCompleted 27 May 2018
✅ 36 A book set in the decade you were born
Krik? Krak! by Edwidge DanticatCompleted 25 July 2018
✅ 37 A book you meant to read in 2017 but didn’t get to
The Wonder by Emma DonoghueCompleted 09 February 2018
✅ 38 A book with an ugly cover
The Panopticon by Jenni FaganCompleted 05 February 2018
✅ 39 A book that involves a bookstore or a library
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz ZafónCompleted 04 April 2018
✅ 40 Your favorite prompt from 2015 Popsugar Challenge (Book made into a movie):
The Reader by Bernhard SchlinkCompleted 06 Aug 2018
✅ 41 A bestseller from the Year you graduated high school (1985):
With a Tangled Skein by Piers Anthony✅ 43 A book being read by a stranger in a public place
Dread Nation by Justina Ireland Completed 15 Nov 2018
✅ 46 An Allegory
The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin✅ 48 A Microhistory:
Age of Anger: A History of the Present by Pankaj Mishra✅ 49 A book about a problem facing society today:
Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Update progress: 4/30No. 23 - A book about time travel: How to Stop Time by Matt Haig
Great book! Thoroughly recommend it for something different, about a guy who never gets old and has lived for over 400 years!
updated post 585 now 6/36
I just noticed this. I've actually started this challenge on my own, but I'd like to be added to this one. Should I move my list over here? :)
Update:Completed 6/50
23. A book about time travel- Slaughterhouse-Five, Kurt Vonnegut
18/52Since last update:
I think I will pull out of this one. Please remove my name from the participants list. Thanks!
m. 143 update8/20
The next book in a series you’ve started: Nocturnal Magic, by C N Crawford.
Updated message 4912/40
2. True crime- The Stranger Beside Me: The True Crime Story of Ted Bundy 2-10
Berit wrote: "Edited post #21.So far 21/50."
Wow. That's impressive! You're almost halfway and it's only February!
4/52 - 22. A book with alliteration in the title: Fahrenheit 451.
Update to message 571Completed 3/50
Update to message 512 - I have now finished 22/50 tasks.Question on the rules - I've included The Last Rhinos: My Battle to Save One of the World's Greatest Creatures by Lawrence Anthony as my "heist" book. In it, he goes to the Democratic Republic of the Congo to rescue a herd of rhinos from local war lords (although he has the government's permission) - does that count as a "heist"?
Post 9 Updated 7/4012. A book with an LGBTQ+ protagonist Origin
34. A book that’s published in 2018 50 Oregon and Washington Hikes with Kids
31. A book mentioned in another book: Manna (in Life 3.0: Being Human in the Age of Artificial Intelligence)44. A book tied to your ancestry: The Pursuit of Italy
Progress: 25/50
Alex wrote: "I just noticed this. I've actually started this challenge on my own, but I'd like to be added to this one. Should I move my list over here? :)"You can do that, or just give us a regular update on your progress.
Tanaz wrote: "I think I will pull out of this one. Please remove my name from the participants list. Thanks!"I'll remove you from the list when I post the next update, Tanaz. Good luck with your other challenges! :)
AnnaG wrote: "Update to message 512 - I have now finished 22/50 tasks.Question on the rules - I've included The Last Rhinos: My Battle to Save One of the World's Greatest Creatures by Lawrence ..."
That sounds fine to me :)
Finished 3 books in January - 3/201. A book made into a movie (TV series) you’ve already seen - The Awakening - technically a TV series, but same idea. The differences between the Vampire Diaries first book and first season was significant.
10. A book about death or grief - Hate List
17. A book you borrowed or that was given to you as a gift - New Boy
Message #13 update!
20. A book by a local author: Южнорусское Овчарово by Lora Beloivan 13.02.2018 ★★★★☆
5/50
20. A book by a local author: Южнорусское Овчарово by Lora Beloivan 13.02.2018 ★★★★☆
5/50
Just completed #46 (allegory) - Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld. This is an entertaining audiobook! The narrator did a good job with the voices. That being said, I felt like a bit of editing would have taken out some of the extraneous bits that detracted from the main story. Also, the prose was a touch repetitive. Overall, definitely worth reading (and listening)! 4 stars11/40
Ok, so Tuesday was my birthday, but I was sick and spent all day in bed. To make matters worse, I felt so bad I slept all day so didn't even get to take advantage of some reading time. Boohoo!Completed To Date: 6/40, 0/10
Last year, I focused heavily on the challenge books and finished just after Labor Day. This year, I've scheduled a book per week in the order of the prompts with two free weeks at the end of the year, so I'm moving more slowly this year. I like doing it this way. I'm sure I will switch out the order or skip a week at some point, but it has been nice to have books planned in advance if only because it is easier to manage the timing of the hold queues at the library.
Yes! I finally finished The Real History Behind the Templars. This is a history of the Templars written by a Medieval studies scholar, Sharan Newman. I read her Catherine LeVendeur series year ago. It is still one of my all-time favorite series. I ran across this book by accident and decided to read it. It was really interesting, and as it turned out, paired well with The Pillars of the Earth as some of the characters in this book were discussed in the Templars book.
The Magnolia Story - I was surprised at how good this book was. It tells the story of their meeting and how they started their business. I enjoyed it.
The Marriage of Opposites - I read this for a different prompt, but it would fit the prompt for which I read a different book this week. A novel based on a real person. It is about Rachel Pissarro, mother of Impressionist artist Camille Pissarro and their lives on the island of St. Thomas which was then part of the Danish West Indies. I enjoyed this book from beginning to end. She was an interesting woman who led an interesting though often not happy life.
My Ántonia - I read this for a different challenge although it would fit some of the PopSugar prompts. It was ok. I felt it ended abruptly and that I didn't get all of the story. I can't say that I'm particularly interested in reading any of Cather's other books as a result of reading this one.
The Invention of Wings - Another book I enjoyed from beginning to end. I loved Sue Monk Kidd's first novel, The Secret Life of Bees, so when I saw this book, I decided to read it as well. I was not disappointed. While this is a work of fiction, it is based upon the true story of two sisters who lived in Charleston in the early 1800's when slavery was the custom and law. The story centered around the Sarah and her younger sister Angelina who were both abolitionists and feminists and the slave who Sarah was given a child. The author extensively researched multiple historical resources and tried to write a story that was as accurate as possible to both the lead characters and the life of a slave during that time. It was a great book that kept me engaged to the end. I think I will read The Dance of the Dissident Daughter for my next book by this author.
Alex wrote: "I just noticed this. I've actually started this challenge on my own, but I'd like to be added to this one. Should I move my list over here? :)"No Alex, you can use the the books you have read as long as they are after 1/1/2018!
Update progress: 5/30No.15 - A book about feminism: The Power by Naomi Alderman
Very deep, dark, uncomfortable book to read, but lots to discuss!
Charlsa wrote: "Ok, so Tuesday was my birthday, but I was sick and spent all day in bed. To make matters worse, I felt so bad I slept all day so didn't even get to take advantage of some reading time. Boohoo!Co..."
Oh no! I hope you’re feeling better and can celebrate your bday with good health!
21. A book with your favorite color in the title: Red Country33. A childhood classic you've never read: Mary Poppins
Progress: 27/50
I'm a little late to this party but I need to look this over before I can declare a number.Popsugar Challenge - January 1, 2018 - December 31st, 2018
8/50
1. A book made into a movie you’ve already seen
2. True crime
3. The next book in a series you started
4. A book involving a heist
5. Nordic noir
6. A novel based on a real person *
✅ Carnegie's Maid by Marie Benedict**
7. A book set in a country that fascinates you
✅ A Walk Across the Sun by Corban Addison India
8. A book with a time of day in the title
9. A book about a villain or antihero
10. A book about death or grief
11. A book with a female author who uses a male pseudonym
12. A book with an LGBTQ+ protagonist
13. A book that is also a stage play or musical
14. A book by an author of a different ethnicity than you
✅ Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng Asian
15. A book about feminism
16. A book about mental health
17. A book you borrowed or that was given to you as a gift
✅ As Bright As Heaven by Susan Meissner
18. A book by two authors
19. A book about or involving a sport
20. A book by a local author
21. A book with your favorite color in the title
22. A book with alliteration in the title
23. A book about time travel
24. A book with a weather element in the title
25. A book set at sea
26. A book with an animal in the title
27. A book set on a different planet
28. A book with song lyrics in the titles
29. A book about or set in Halloween
30. A book with characters who are twins
31. A book mentioned in another book
32. A book from a celebrity book club
33. A childhood classic you’ve never read
34. A book that’s published in 2018
✅ All the Rivers Run: A Novel by Dorit Rabinyan
35. A past Goodreads Choice Awards winner
36. A book set in the decade you were born
37. A book you meant to read in 2017 but didn’t get to
✅ A Piece of the World by Christina Baker Kline
38. A book with an ugly cover
✅ Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton
39. A book that involves a bookstore or a library
40. Your favorite prompt from the 2015, 2016, 2017 PopSugar Reading Challenges
Advanced
41. A bestseller from the year you graduated high school
42. A cyberpunk book
43. A book that was being read by a stranger in a public place
44. A book tied to your ancestry
45. A book with a fruit or vegetable in the title
46. An allegory
47. A book by an author with the same first or last name as you
48. A microhistory
49. A book about a problem facing society today
50. A book recommended by someone else taking the PopSugar Reading Challenge
Entered new challenge information at message 620.1/50
2025 Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
Thunderhead (other topics)Those Who Save Us (other topics)
Lilac Girls (other topics)
The Last Battle (other topics)
Holes (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
David Sedaris (other topics)Billy Crystal (other topics)
Ta-Nehisi Coates (other topics)
Pankaj Mishra (other topics)
Piers Anthony (other topics)
More...
Currently: 10/50
1. A book made into a movie you’ve already seen
2. True crime
3. The next book in a series you startedGemina 7/19/184. A book involving a heist
5. Nordic noir
6. A novel based on a real person
7. A book set in a country that fascinates youWarcross 5/14/188. A book with a time of day in the title
9. A book about a villain or antihero
10. A book about death or grief
11. A book with a female author who uses a male pseudonym
12. A book with an LGBTQ+ protagonistBetween the Blade and the Heart 4/24/1813. A book that is also a stage play or musical
14. A book by an author of a different ethnicity than youThe Sun and Her Flowers 2/11/1815. A book about feminism
16. A book about mental healthFour Weeks, Five People 2/7/1817. A book you borrowed or that was given to you as a gift
18. A book by two authorsIlluminae 7/12/1819. A book about or involving a sport
20. A book by a local author
21. A book with your favorite color in the title
22. A book with alliteration in the titlePaper Princess 5/28/1823. A book about time travel
24. A book with a weather element in the title
25. A book set at sea
26. A book with an animal in the title
27. A book set on a different planetObsidio 8/5/1828. A book with song lyrics in the titles
29. A book about or set in Halloween
30. A book with characters who are twins
31. A book mentioned in another book
32. A book from a celebrity book club
33. A childhood classic you’ve never read
34. A book that’s published in 2018Lies You Never Told Me 5/17/1835. A past Goodreads Choice Awards winner
36. A book set in the decade you were born
37. A book you meant to read in 2017 but didn’t get toMilk and Honey 2/9/1838. A book with an ugly cover
39. A book that involves a bookstore or a library
40. Your favorite prompt from the 2015, 2016, 2017 PopSugar Reading Challenges
Advanced
41. A bestseller from the year you graduated high school
42. A cyberpunk book
43. A book that was being read by a stranger in a public place
44. A book tied to your ancestry
45. A book with a fruit or vegetable in the title
46. An allegory
47. A book by an author with the same first or last name as you
48. A microhistory
49. A book about a problem facing society today
50. A book recommended by someone else taking the PopSugar Reading Challenge