2025 & 2026 Reading Challenge discussion
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Popsugar Reading Challenge - 2018
6/40 #34 A book that was published in 2018 - "the outsider" by stephen king. Published may 2018
50/50! Challenge completed 8-)Regular Prompts
√ 1. A book made in to a movie you've already seen - The Devil Wears Prada, by Lauren Weisberger
√ 2. True crime - In Cold Blood, Truman Capote
√ 3. The next book in a series you've started - The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, by Douglas Adams (read the first book in the Hitchhikers' Guide series years ago!)
√ 4. A book involving a heist - Absolute Power, by David Baldacci
√ 5. Nordic noir - The Crow Girl, Erik Axl Sund
√ 6. A novel based on a real person - Bengal Nights, by Mircea Eliade (translated by Catherine Spencer) [It is a highly fictionalized account of Mircea's experiences in Bengal, India]
√ 7. A book set in a country that fascinates you -These Hills Called Home: Stories from a War Zone, by Temsula Ao (It is set in North-Eastern India, a part of my country that I was always fascinated by)
√ 8. A book with a time of day in the title - Evening Class, by Maeve Binchy
√ 9. A book about a villain or anti-hero - Satan's Story: A Postscript to the Story of God, by Chris Matheson (Satan is The Anti-Hero!)
√ 11. A book with a female author who uses a male pseudonym - Three Act Tragedy, by Agatha Christie (has a character who is a female author/playwright, using a male pseudonym - thank heavens someone suggested this interpretation! I really didn't want to read George Eliott)
√ 10. A book about death or grief - Crooked House, by Agatha Christie [is about a murder, so death. At least that's my interpretation]
√ 12. A book with a LGBTQ+ protagonist - The Song of Achilles, Madeline Miller
√ 13. A book that is also a stage play or musical - And Then There Were None, by Agatha Christie [ Wikipedia says it has been adapted in to 3 different plays]
√ 14. A book by an author of a different ethnicity than you - Rose of Sarajevo, by Aysa Kulin
√ 15. A book about feminism - Dear Ijeawele, or a Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions, by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
√ 16. A book about mental health -Let's Pretend This Never Happened: A Mostly True Memoir, by Jenny Lawson
√ 17. A book you borrowed or that was given to you as a gift - Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury (borrowed it from my dad)
√ 18. A book by two authors - The Wife Between Us, Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen
√ 19. A book involving a sport - Forward: A Memoir, by Abby Wambach (The memoir of one of the best football player the world has every seen; and yes, I refuse to call it "soccer")
√ 20. A book by a local author - Khushwant Singh on Humour: Selected Writings, edited by Mala Dayal (Written by an Indian, local enough for me)
√ 21. A book with your favorite color in the title - Red: My Autobiography, by Gary Neville
√ 22. A book with alliteration in the title - Rendezvous with Rebels: Journey to Meet India's Most Wanted Men, by Rajeev Bhattacharjee
√ 23. A book about time travel - Kindred, by Octavia Butler
√ 24. A book with a weather element in the title - Gone with the Wind, by Margaret Mitchell
√ 25. A book set at sea - Cinnamon and Gunpowder, by Eli Brown
√ 26. A book with an animal in the title - Five Little Pigs, by Agatha Christie
√ 27. A book set on a different planet - The Dispossessed, by Ursula K Le Guin
√ 28. A book with song lyrics in the title - ন হন্যতে, by Maitreyi Devi (There's an album by Rupam Islam titled ন হন্যতে, and one of the tracks is titled "ন হন্যতে - কিযে ভালো লাগে মাঝে মাঝে পাশে বসতে")
√ 29. A book about or set on Halloween - Hallowe'en Party, by Agatha Christie
√ 30. A book with characters who are twins - Identical by Ellen Hopkins
√ 31. A book mentioned in another book - The Tales of Beedle the Bard, by JK Rowling (mentioned in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows)
√ 32. A book from a celebrity book club - Wonder Woman: Warbringer, by Leigh Bardugo (read in Emma Watson's feminist book club - Our Shared Shelf)
√ 33. A childhood classic you've never read - The Little Prince, by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
√ 34. A book that's published in 2018 - In Pursuit of Conflict by Avalok Langer
√ 35. A past GoodReads Choice Award winner - Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened, by Allie Brosh (2013, Best Humour)
√ 36. A book set in the decade you were born - The Future of Us, Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler
√ 37. A book you meant to read in 2017, but didn't get around to - Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood, Trevor Noah
√ 38. A book with an ugly cover - We Need to Talk About Kevin, Lionel Shriver
√ 39. A book that involves a bookstore or library - 84, Charing Cross Road by Helena Hanff
√ 40. Your favorite prompt from 2015/16/17 PopSugar Reading Challenge (Read a graphic novel, because it introduced me to an all new medium that I really loved!) - A Contract With God and Other Tenement Stories, by Will Eisner
Advanced Prompts
√ 41. A bestseller from the year you graduated high school - Orange Is the New Black, by Piper Kerman
√ 42. A cyberpunk book - Trouble and Her Friends, by Melissa Scott
√ 43. A book that was being read by a stranger in a public place - Adulthood Is a Myth, by Sarah Andersen
√ 44. A book tied to your ancestry - The Great Indian Novel, by Sashi Tharoor (describes the creation of my country, the country all my ancestors have been born in and helped create.)
√ 45. A book with a fruit or vegetable in the title - The House on Mango Street, by Sandra Cisneros
√ 46. An allegory - Alice in Quantumland: An Allegory of Quantum Physics, by Robert Gilmore
√ 47. A book by an author with the same first or last name as you - বাঙালনামা by Tapan Raychaudhuri [uses a different transliteration from Bengali - but we share the same last name]
√ 48. A microhistory - Palestine, by Joe Sacco
√ 49. A book about a problem facing society today - Mother, Where's My Country?: Looking for Light in the Darkness of Manipur by Anubha Bhonsle (Insurgency & nationalism - pretty big problems facing us as a society today)
√ 50. A book recommended by someone else taking the PopSugar Reading Challenge - Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife, by Mary Roach
Updated post 939-- a book written by an author using a male pseudonym-- Rapture in Death38/40-- only a bestseller the year I finished high school and a cyberpunk book left. Not too excited about these two tbh
SarahKat wrote: "52/52 I am DONEFull list:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/..."
Congrats, SarahKat!!!
I'm up to 10 / 20 books.Details in message 131
Edited # 114337 of 50
26. Fer de Lance by Rex Stout. Animal in title. Title is a poisonous snake.****
48. *** Dear Mrs. Bird by A> J> Pearch. Microhistory of YA in WWII bombings of London. Historical fiction.
Update to message 88, progress 44/50A bestseller from the year you graduated high school - The Sum of All Fears by Tom Clancy (finished 10/31), my review is here
44/52: 33. A book from your childhood you’ve never read- Wrinkle in Time
updated message 66completed 50/50
challenge completed!
28/301. A book made into a movie you’ve already seen: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
It's actually the 2nd time I've read it... the first time was before I saw the movie, but I watched the movie a few months ago and wanted to read it again (plus, I haven't read the last 2 in the series and I wanted a refresh).
Edited # 114339/50
added:
#8 *** "Mr. Tonight" by Kendall Ryan.
Updated #114339/50
Added:
*** "Mister Tonight" by Kendall Ryan.
45/52: a book mentioned in another book - Quidditch through the ages
Updated post 938-- a bestseller from the year I graduated high school (1991)-- Chrysanthemum. I looked for a best selling novel from that year, but anything I was interested in I had already read, and much of what was left didn't interest me. Until I say Chrysanthemum. My daughter loved this book and I had it up in the attic. So I dug it out and reread it. Such a cute story, so many good memories!Now all I have left is a cyberpunk book. I just got Minority Report and will start it this week. TBH I wasn't too thrilled with this prompt, but I'm keeping an open mind-- maybe I will discover that I enjoy this genre.
Updated message 5624. A book involving a heist The Lies of Locke Lamora
25. A book set at sea The Glass Ocean
28. A book with song lyrics in the titles Brown-Eyed Girl
39. A book that involves a bookstore or a library The Lost for Words Bookshop
45. A book with a fruit or vegetable in the title If Life Is a Bowl of Cherries What Am I Doing in the Pits?
47. A book by an author with the same first or last name as you Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow
Progress 28/50
41) A bestseller from the year I graduated high school, Night Shift &23) A book that is also a stage play or musical, The Elephant Man
Update: 47/50
update to message 647A book set in a country that fascinates you: The Shadowy Horses
A novel based on a real person: Fever
A book with a female author who uses a male pseudonym:City of Dark Magic
A book about or set on Halloween: The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane
A book that involves a bookstore or library: The Invisible Library
Your favorite prompt from the 2015, 2016, or 2017 POPSUGAR Reading Challenges: A book with one of the four seasons in the title - Wintersong
A microhistory: The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women
A book about time travel: The Jane Austen Project
A book involving a heist: The Last Magician
30/52
Edited post #21.Challenge completed.
50/50.
1. A book made into a movie you’ve already seen: The Martian - READ
2. True crime: One of Us: The Story of Anders Breivik and the Massacre in Norway - READ
3. The next book in a series you started: The Year of the Flood - READ
4. A book involving a heist: The White Tiger - READ
5. Nordic noir: Jar City - READ
6. A novel based on a real person: Alias Grace - READ
7. A book set in a country that fascinates you: The Underground Girls of Kabul - READ
8. A book with a time of day in the title: Reykjavík Nights: Murder in Reykjavík - READ
9. A book about a villain or antihero: Devil's Bargain: Steve Bannon, Donald Trump, and the Storming of the Presidency - READ
10. A book about death or grief: Two Sisters: Into the Syrian Jihad - READ
11. A book with a female author who uses a male pseudonym Out of Africa - READ
12. A book with an LGBTQ+ protagonist: The Absolutist - READ
13. A book that is also a stage play or musical: Stora Emilboken - READ
14. A book by an author of a different ethnicity than you: The Kite Runner - READ
15. A book about feminism: The Handmaid's Tale - READ
16. A book about mental health: Of Mice and Men - READ
17. A book you borrowed or that was given to you as a gift: Are We Smart Enough to Know How Smart Animals Are? - READ
18. A book by two authors: Modern Romance - READ
19. A book about or involving a sport: Jag är Zlatan: Zlatans egen berättelse - READ
20. A book by a local author: Bröderna Lejonhjärta - READ
21. A book with your favorite color in the title: The Color Purple - READ
22. A book with alliteration in the title: Ronja rövardotter - READ
23. A book about time travel: Slaughterhouse-Five - READ
24. A book with a weather element in the title Ett jävla solsken: En biografi om Ester Blenda Nordström (sunshine) - READ
25. A book set at sea: Life of Pi - READ
26. A book with an animal in the title: The Elephant Whisperer - READ
27. A book set on a different planet: The Martian Chronicles - READ
28. A book with song lyrics in the titles: Never Let Me Go - READ
29. A book about or set in Halloween: The Halloween Tree - READ
30. A book with characters who are twins: Lord of the Flies - READ
31. A book mentioned in another book: Boken om Pippi Långstrump mentioned in Ett jävla solsken: En biografi om Ester Blenda Nordström - READ
32. A book from a celebrity book club: The Alice Network - READ
33. A childhood classic you’ve never read: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland - READ
34. A book that’s published in 2018: Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House - READ
35. A past Goodreads Choice Awards winner: And the Mountains Echoed - READ
36. A book set in the decade you were born: Between Friends - READ
37. A book you meant to read in 2017 but didn’t get to: Steppenwolf - READ
38. A book with an ugly cover: Death from the Skies!: The Science Behind the End of the World - READ
39. A book that involves a bookstore or a library: The Bookseller of Kabul - READ
40. A book I loved as a child: Mio, min Mio - READ
Advanced
41. A bestseller from the year you graduated high school: Delta of Venus - READ
42. A cyberpunk book: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? - READ
43. A book that was being read by a stranger in a public place: 1984 - READ
44. A book tied to your ancestry: My European Family: The First 54,000 Years - READ
45. A book with a fruit or vegetable in the title: A Clockwork Orange - READ
46. An allegory: Animal Farm - READ
47. A book by an author with the same first or last name as you The Scandinavian Belly Fat Program: 12 weeks to get healthy, boost your energy and lose weight - READ
48. A microhistory: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks - READ
49. A book about a problem facing society today: No Is Not Enough: Resisting Trump’s Shock Politics and Winning the World We Need - READ
50. A book recommended by someone else taking the PopSugar Reading Challenge Still Alice - READ
Just completed #5 (nordic noir) - The Boy in the Suitcase by Lene Kaaberbol. I really enjoyed this nordic noir! Maybe having two female authors gave this a slightly different voice from the other nordic noir writers, and I really liked it. I appreciated the references to immigration problems, graft, and exploitation of women and children. Having those issues highlighted can make a difference in the international conversation. Definitely worth reading! 4 stars49/40
48) A microhistory: Rabid (11/14)Update: 48/50
Said I would try for 45 out of 50 in post #214. Going to submit my updates in this post: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
7. A book set in a country that fascinates you
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
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
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
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
38. 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
So far, 14 books updated by my count.
Update to message 88, progress 45/50✓4. A book tied to your ancestry - They Came in Ships: A Guide to Finding Your Immigrant Ancestor's Arrival Record by John P. Colletta, Ph.D. (finished 11/17), a useful guide for those of us who had immigrant acenstors who arrived in the United States by ships whether or not they came through Ellis Island, my review is here
Update: Message 11023/30
39. A book that involves a bookstore or a library: My Bookstore: Writers Celebrate Their Favorite Places to Browse, Read, and Shop
Updated!Congratulations to all the participants that finished the challenge! :)
46/52: 27. A book set on a different planet- Winter #4 The lunar Chronicles
Updated message 122950/50
Challenge complete!
43) A book that was being read by a stranger in a public place--Murder in Paradise 11/22/18Update: 49/50!!!!!!
Update to message 82: 30/30 done, I'm finished! Though I might even add one or two more before the year is done :-)
Just completed #11 (female author using pseudonym) - The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith. This book was not what I expected, in a good way. It's cheeky and fun and reminds me a lot of BBC mysteries featuring amateur detectives. I liked the main character, though his description was more of a caricature. I loved the character of his secretary! Worth reading! 4 stars50/40
47/52: 36. A book set in the decade you were born - The Taking of Pelham One Two Three
Update on my challenges Popsugar Update on message #1228
18/15 done and number 19 (space travel started)
Additional challenge: 2019 read only female authors So far 100% score and given the bookshelf on my reader I’ll get there
1. **A book made into a movie you’ve already seen**
Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race
Book is better.
2. **True crime**
I am going to say Radum Girls.Effectively the crimes committed are of labour laws and occupational safety and those too are crimes. They got enough victims and the court cases are harrowing
4. **The next book in a series you started**
Farewell to the East End: The Last Days of the East End Midwives The trilogy by Jennifer Worth - So I did start the trilogy this year but it still counts
6. **Nordic noir**
Ijsprinces (Iceprincess) Camila Lackberg
7. .**A novel based on a real person**
My sister Rosalind. A book about Scientist Rosalind Franklin.
8. *A book set in a country that fascinates you*
The Story of a New Zealand River by Jane Mander With of course New Zealand being the country that I love and still fascinates me
9. **A book with a time of day in the title**
Nachtblauw (nacht is night) was read
15. **A book by an author of a different ethnicity than you**
De winter voorbij - Isabel Allende -She is hispanic I am not
16. **A book about feminism**
Margaret At took A Handmaids Tale
17. *A book about mental health*
Met zachte hand - Leila Sleimani - though it is a novel it is also about what drive the nanny and her spiral into depression
23. A book about time travel*
The Psychology of Time Travel - Kate Mascarenhas
25. **A book set at sea**
The Bone People By Keri Hulme
31. *A book mentioned in another book*
Jane Eyre: Mentioned in Eyre affair by Jasper Forde die ik vorig jaar las - en een reread van een much loved book
34. **A childhood classic you’ve never read**
Nienke van Hichtum Afke’s Tiental.
34. **A book that’s published in 2018**
Hella de jonge Hartschade
38. *A book with an ugly cover*
Ink - Sabrina Vourvoulias Really dislike to cover but love the inside
39. **A book that involves a bookstore or a library**
De boekhandelaar van Kaboel: Åsne Seierstad
The owner of a bookstore and family. It is clear that to the owner his bookstore is the centre of his being.
45. **A book tied to your ancestry**
Call the Midwife My great great grandmother was a midwife Obviously much earlier than this book was set in but still it was this link that got me to watch the series and read this book. My midwife ancestor was the reason why my female line were educated from early on. So you see that link is very much there
50. **A book about a problem facing society today**
Fasiscm:A warning Madeline K. Albright
Update message 88, progress 46/50I had to update the format of my original post a bit, I'm running out of characters allowed!
✓23. A book about time travel - A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens (finished 11/26)
Updated message 10. Challenge complete. 35/35
Update to message 88, 47/50✓36. A book set in the decade you were born - The Shining by Stephen King (finished 12/1)
Done! Completed 10/101. A book about death or grief (#10) - When Breath Becomes Air
2. A book about a problem facing society today (#49) - The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less
3. A book by an author of a different ethnicity than you (#14) - Grit
4. A book from a celebrity book club (#32) - Love in the Time of Cholera (from Oprah's book club)
5. A book with characters who are twins (#30) - The Poisonwood Bible
6. A book made into a movie you’ve already seen (#1) - City of Bones
7. The next book in a series you started (#3) - City of Ashes
8. A book by a local author (#20) - A Long Watch: War, Captivity and Return In Sri Lanka
9. A book with song lyrics in the titles (#28) - City of Glass
10. A book that’s published in 2018 (#34) - Endure: Mind, Body, and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance
2025 & 2026 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)
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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)
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A book involving a sport.Vision QuestChallenge Completed - 19/26