Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion
2018 Challenge - General
>
Approaching the Challenge
I like to decide which books I'm reading all in one go then work my way through them, this year I kept reading other books in between my challenge books but next year I think I'll make sure I do one challenge book a week maybe just do the prompts in order xx
I'll plan a few but I keep it loose. I even rearrange which book is for which challenge as time goes on as needed. This ensures I read a book for each category, but I keep the challenge fun and ensure I actually finish. I don't believe in boxing myself in, but I enjoy the structure and journey of the challenge.
I try not to plan out too much because i find it makes reading too much like a chore and I won't keep up. I usually have a few books in mind for some prompts but for at least the first few months of the year I'll read whatever I'm feeling then by the summer I look at what difficult ones might be left and tackle those. I also am in a book club so I like to keep the more broad categories free in case a book club book is hard to place. (Ie last year I saved book written by a female author until almost the very end)
I made myself use books already on my bookshelves at home for next year (6 full sized) as this year I went with trying to broaden my horizons and that felt like a chore because I didn't enjoy a third of the books. Least next year I know I want to read them all lol
2018 will be my first challenge. I’ve made my list in advance and chosen multiple possible books for each prompt so that I won’t feel “required” to read any particular title (which would feel too much like homework). I won’t read them in any order unless I am participating in one of the planned group reads. In this way I hope it will feel a lot like my normal reading style — picking up whatever I’m in the mood for at any given moment from my large TBR pile — but having the loose structure of the challenge will keep my reading more diverse (no mystery ruts). Also, I am loving following the group discussions for all the individual prompts and I am finding a ton of new ideas.
There are lots of ways people approach the challenge as you can see! Personally I plan out nearly all my reads, but I frequently change them as I discover new books I want to read. Nothing is set in stone.I also try to knock out a few of the prompts I am least looking forward to at the beginning of the year. Nordic Noir is definitely high on that list.
Even if my list completely changes by the end of the year it still helps to give my reading life some shape and keep it moving along.
I do multiple prompts-based challenges each year, and I usually have several books in mind that I want to read most for the upcoming year (usually things I missed out on this year, or books that have been on my TBR for a long time). As I look at the lists of prompts, I usually end up finding places where the books I want anyway naturally fit in. I use Word to make lists of the prompts, and slot in the books I want for each prompt. It is definitely not set in stone though. I have no problem switching books out if I lose interest or I want something else more. The main reason I compile a list in advance is because I use my public library for the majority of my books, so I place most of them on hold and then suspend the holds until I'm ready to read them.
In terms of choosing what to read next, I mostly go by what I'm in the mood for. Because I have the lists already compiled, it's easier for me to keep track of which books I wanted, and also to remember which ones I'm most excited for. I also tend to be a little strategic about the order, so I don't read all the books/prompts I'm most excited for upfront and get stuck with all the books I'm dreading later in the year. And like Sara said, I like to get rid of some of the prompts that I'm least looking forward to early on (and follow them up with a couple of books that I really want!)
I planned out most of mine with the exception of a few. I also filled in the prompts with books I already own. There’s just a few I haven’t filled in yet because I wasn’t in love with the prompts, or they were just too generalized, that I will fill in as I go.I also don’t keep them set in stone. They are open to change throughout the year.
My strategy:Plan but allow for spontaneity
Part of the fun of this stage is looking at all the possibilities, and I love making plans, so I have ideas noted for most of the prompts. There are a few that I'm leaving open because they're easy to fill, or because I haven't found a good idea for them yet, but I have a lot of them planned out (partially from my TBR list and partially from recommendations I found on this group). However, I'm not going to lock myself into anything, as part of the fun is fitting in new books I find and reading spontaneously
Start with the basic challenge
I rather unexpectedly read 99 books so far this year, so theoretically I have plenty of room to do both parts of the challenge and work on my TBR list. But, since the previous two years my reading capped out around 40 books, I focusing on the basic challenge first in case this year was a fluke. Once I get far enough to be sure I can finish it in plenty of time, I'll start including books for the advanced challenge.
Read for fun (and accessibility)
I'll probably start off the year by putting on hold at the library the half a dozen books or so that I'm most excited about reading for the challenge (whether because they were high on my TBR anyway, or because they're books I wouldn't have discovered without the challenge that I'm now intrigued by). Which ones I end up starting with will partially depend on which ones come available first.
I'll probably start tackling the challenging ones (like Nordic Noir) in my second wave of holds/reading.
I have 16 books already slotted into spots for the prompts, challenge and bonus. I will start meandering through those but I also have several other books I am set to read through the first quarter. Hopefully some of those will satisfy a prompt. When we get to October or so I will probably start hunting down books for prompts I haven't completed yet.
I try to make a list of books, mostly based on other members ideas and lists. Sometimes I'll read one for a prompt, but then read another that only fits that prompt, so I'll bump the first one to another prompt if I can. Sometimes I randomly pick up a book at the library or bookstore and try to find a prompt for it (thank you book with a red spine this past year). I would like to get better about tackling those books I think will be more difficult so I don't dread them at the end of the year!
This is my very first time participating in the Popsugar challenge and I am psyched. I think I am going to try to plan out all the prompts but if I see a book I'd rather read for one of the prompts.. that is OK. So basically.. I will keep it loose. Any advice is great, too.
I don’t plan ahead. Mostly, I read the prompts and have 2-3 ideas with what I will start. I always write down which prompts fit to the book I am reading, so once it get’s difficult finding a book for a prompt I move them around....I keep on going through the prompts and I love browsing through my books at home or in the library. I love reading what others are reading - if I have the time.
These challenges make reading more lively and you find lots of books that you would not have read without the challenge.
Whenever I have to start a new book, I have a feeling of what kind of book I want to read at that precise time so I won't try to plan a particular book nor prompt to start because it's probably going to work against me.I did start planning on a larger scale, finding at least a couple of books for each prompt -I don't want to end up with a book that doesn't appeal to me anymore when others could work perfectly!- and in January I'll be looking at that page and going with my heart.
I do think I'll try to start with books I already have but haven't read since there's so many of them, ha. And I'm afraid I'll want to read even more books when I'll see what everyone's reading... I guess I'll try to be studious, but not too much because that's the beauty of being here!
I've found for myself that too many choices is a little overwhelming, and I end up not making the decisions. Therefore, I planned ahead what books I will read for the challenge. I also stacked the books I have physical copies of on a shelf in the order I will read them. That way, I don't have to agonize over what to read next. It's just there waiting for me. It might seem too rigid for some, but for me, it actually helps me read more.I should also note, that this plan doesn't stop me from reading other books outside the list. Hopefully, I don't end up derailed along the way this year. 50 books is a lot to read for me.
My plan:1. Try to read as many of the monthly challenge picks with the group as I can (accountability).
2. Look what I have at home and how they fit prompts
3. Currently I am really into reading and re-reading books for children/ elementary, middle and high school books. I think this might help alleviate the need to read a huge book for every prompt.
4. I am starting with main list and will see how it goes and if I want to do the extra list.
I don’t plan but I did choose my first book. As I enjoy reading what I’m in the mood for rather than setting a plan I pretty much play it by ear. What I do however is look through the prompts and my books taking notes what fits into the challenge and into the prompts. I always plan which 1-2 books I will be reading next....
I raid my TBR first. After that I see what comes along.
My TBR is not too long, I only have a few books I really want to read and they're from series that I started on previous challenges, I'll try to fit those first. What I do plan to do for next year is avoid repetitions, this year I ended up reading 3 books set in different time periods and 6 set on hotels! I almost chose true crimes for the nordic noir, based on a real person and mental health prompts! LOL
Luciana wrote: "I almost chose true crimes for the nordic noir, based on a real person and mental health prompts! LOL "What book would that be? I ask with an interest that's beyond the challenge itself :)
I love the planning part of the challenge! I have a spreadsheet with all the prompts for PopSugar (& my other challenges) then I try to find multiple books that fit each challenge that sound good to me. I start looking at my TBR list first and then the GoodReads threads for each prompt. When I have some good options, I start slotting in books and comics (I read one of each) for each prompt, looking at the over all diversity for the year. (I like to have at least half my books written by people of color and I am trying to add more LGBTQ+ representation.) Last year I even plotted what time of year I was going to read each book. (Working at a school, I have some idea of when I might want to dive into a more intense book and when I might need something lighter.)I know, that all sounds really nerdy, but I like the structure. And I get great satisfaction updating my spreadsheet each time I complete a prompt, especially if it applies to more than one challenge. Also, I am totally up for changes. If it turns out I am not enjoying a book, that is ok. I have other options. If someone recommends something great, that fits a prompt, I'll read that instead.
Last year was my first year doing a reading challenge, and I found out about it in March. I started by slotting in books I had already read. This year I have books that I am holding off on reading until 2018. When the clock strikes midnight I might just excuse myself from my friend's party to start reading All the Birds in the Sky. I bought a copy for myself as a treat this year, but couldn't quite make it fit any open slots for my 2017 challenges. Luckily it works for a bunch of 2018 prompts over multiple challenges.
Eujean2 wrote: "I love the planning part of the challenge! I have a spreadsheet with all the prompts for PopSugar (& my other challenges) then I try to find multiple books that fit each challenge that sound good t..."Well, it's interesting how everyone goes about it differently... I love to read according to my moods and try to fit my books into the prompts. I also love to see what others read. But, I always try to read the books I still have at home and haven't read yet.
Like so many, I keep it loose. I plan some, based on books I have, want or already plan to read, and read the prompts in any order. Within a couple of weeks of starting, I will have identified at least one possibility for each prompt, and pulled them from my bookshelves or put on hold at the library. These do get changed around, or other books leap out screaming to be read as the year passes, but I have a starting place for each prompt.I read in the order my mood directs, however, I do save some easy, long looked forward to books for year end. That also means making sure that harder reading is done in the middle of the challenge year - in 2018 that will be cyberpunk and mental health.
And I know that there will be 'challenge vacations' while I read the latest cozy mysteries or books by favorite authors. In 2017, some of that reading ended up filling prompts!
I’m new to This challenge but I don’t think I want to plan my books out. For one you guys may read something that may peek my interest for a category, so therefore I won’t commit to anything. I’m going to try to make sure everything I read is related to the challenge “TRY” lol because I know how I am. However, this should be fun and different for me!! I love reading and have tons of books that I haven’t read because I keep buying them go figure !!
Eujean2 wrote: "I love the planning part of the challenge! I have a spreadsheet with all the prompts for PopSugar (& my other challenges) then I try to find multiple books that fit each challenge that sound good t..."I'm a planner as well, to a point. I have a spreadsheet that is a little over half full, but I also intentionally leave several categories open. I'm a mystery reader, and I play a book BINGO several times a year. I can usually fit some of those books into challenge categories so I keep that option open. I also change books that I have in some of the pre-selected spots. And I mix up my books to keep some easy reads in there, some children's and YA books. I haven't completed the challenge in the past, but definitely stretching my horizons as to what I read. I'm a big reader (read 100 books this year) but I've got to push myself with some of these categories.
I definitely love the planning aspect as well. Since I will rely on the library/overdrive for 99% of my choices, I have made a list of the prompts and found books to meet each of them. It is a bit like a puzzle and definitely diversifies my reading. I will remain flexible. I will certainly not turn away a good read because it doesn't fit in a designated category. I usually am reading at least two books and listening to one audio-book at any given time and I read according to mood. After a long bad day I have no desire to read about difficult topics or dysfunctional relationships! Sometimes I just need to reread or listen to all or part of a favorite book as comfort food, especially if my current reads leave me cold. Also, I have no problem abandoning a book when I have a list of titles I know I can find in my local library.
Historically I've planned out mostly all my books for the challenges. For 2018, I really want to just randomly pick books that I've been neglecting or bypassing because they don't fit prompts and upon finishing the book scan the list and see if it fits a 2018 prompt. I'll try to do this for the first 6 months and then see what prompts are left and plot those. I also get all my books from the library, so I have to go based on holds and loan periods. :)
Mod
I like the treasure hunt, finding and planning stage, but I also keep it loose. If I find some books that look interesting for a prompt I'll slot them in, but they aren't set in stone. Mostly they are there so I don't panic by seeing a huge blank list that I still need to work getting ideas for. I still have way too many blank spaces right now for my comfort, but I haven't had much time/energy to fit more books to prompts yet. Knowing what some of the books might be helps through the year if I happen to see one on sale, I can grab it cheap. I do like to get some of the less-than-thrilling prompts done early while the excitement is still fresh. I'm SO GLAD I did the 800-page book first this year! It was good to get that weight off my shoulders early. I also have no shame in using literally any book I want to read, including picture books. I do a lot of random reading and will fit those in if can.So, I like to have some intriguing book suggestions for the prompts ahead of time, knock a few yucky prompts out early, read what I like and move everything around until it all fits.
I'm new to the challenge, but I will likely read and fit blank prompts with prompts I've planned before its start.
I'm new to this challenge as well. :) Since my reading wants change from time to time, I've put multiple choices for each category, but have tried to include as many from my TBR as possible!
This is my first challenge too. I have a lot of books on my Fire so I tried to fit as may of them as possible to the chalenge. Get me to finally read some of them! But I see my list as suggestions, not written in stone.
I don't plan the whole challenge in advance. By now, I have planned around 10-15 categories; for some prompts, I have a couples of ideas; for others I'll decide as I go, but by September / October I generally have all the categories filled.
Deciding the reading order isn't always easy - in spring 2017 I was really stuck with the challenge after reading 3-4 books in a row that I didn't particularly like / weren't my cup of tea. So this year I'll make sure to alternate between books that I'll probably enjoy (even if you never know ) and books that could prove a bigger challenge.
oh @Giulia! Don't read books you don't like! I am sure you (or someone else doing the challenge can help you) find a book you will like to meet each prompt!
Susan wrote: "oh @Giulia! Don't read books you don't like! I am sure you (or someone else doing the challenge can help you) find a book you will like to meet each prompt!"You're right, but it's difficult to know if you're going to like a book before actually reading it!
Also every year, there are 2-3 categories that just aren't very appealing to me (steampunk is a good example of that - or cyberpunk in 2018!). So for those prompts I generally just go with a short / easy book.
But yes, experimenting is nice but in 2018 I'll definitely try to read books that are closer to my tastes.
2017 was the first year I did the challenge and I planned everything out in advance with a just few changes along the way. I enjoyed that method a lot but decided to change it up for next time and take a much looser approach. I want to read as much as possible from my existing TBR so I plan to pick a book from that list so long as it satisfies at least one prompt. Then I'll note every possible category it fits once I finish it. I figure I can go hunting for the last few prompts if I don't fill all of them organically. For anyone who might want to try it the same way, I have a simple excel tracker you are welcome to adapt to your own use!
I’m a newbie and don’t know where to post my question - can you use the same book for several prompts?
It depends on your personal interpretation of the challenge whether you allow a book to count for multiple prompts. I think most don't, but some do. Last year I planned to allow books to count for multiple prompts, because I didn't think I'd read more than 40 or so books, and wanted to leave some room for random non-challenge reads. Then my reading took off this year (99 books so far) so I decided to redefine my rules and go for a different book for every prompt.
It really depends on what you're trying to get out of challenge-- just generally trying new things, inspiring you to read more, more diversity in your reading, the fun of matching the prompts to books, etc.
This is my second year doing the challenge . I do the prompts but not in any any order. I started the 20017 one in June. So I still have a few more to read I might put that in the TBR later category , or use some of this groups great suggestions! I'm eager to start the challenge for 2018 I may not post as much . I'm more of a lurker and suggestion giver, but will follow the challenge and offer suggestions on possible books for 20017 & 20018
I really enjoy planning the books out in advance, because there is something deeply gratifying about having a concrete list to tick off. That doesn't mean I don't accommodate any spontaneous changes, of course. Another main reason for planning ahead is my mile-high TBR pile. This year I am really trying to fit in as many books from that pile as I can, or else I'll just keep buying books and then have no clue when to read them. This is my fourth PS challenge but I am also doing the Mount TBR challenge in parallel, so.of course I'm trying to match them up as much as I can.There will always be a few spontaneous book buys plusnew releases by favorite authors, but it is at least a serious attempt to finally decimate the number of unread books on my shelf and Kindle.
I'm really excited for my first year of doing the challenge! I read quite fast so I'm hoping to manage to do something for each prompt, though budget might be a factor at times. I've had ideas for each prompt but I'm sure lots of things will change as the year goes on.
This is my first challenge and my approach is to plan all my books so I don't waste the extra time I have in searching books to read for the prompts once the challenge is started. (if this makes any sense) I have about 75% of my books picked with only a few to go. I am also trying to put a dent in the 1280 books I have on my kindle. My TBR list is huge. I will be doing one book per prompt even though I am a slow reader. I am hoping to finish the challenge but even if I read 20 books from it will be a goal for me. Looking forward to getting started!
T. wrote: "I've found for myself that too many choices is a little overwhelming, and I end up not making the decisions. Therefore, I planned ahead what books I will read for the challenge. I also stacked the ..."I agree with this wholeheartedly. I need to plan ahead and will be reading a mix of kindle books and physical books. Great ideas with stacking them in the order you plan on reading them.
I don't plan the reading out for this (or the other challenges I do). I read what I feel like, the selections for the book club I am in and try to fit what I read into a prompt. I also get suggestions as to what to read from the comment streams... an approach I probably will use to find a book set on a different planet. I try to make sure the tough prompts are covered by September or so. I don't want to have read a 800 page book to do in the final week of December. I want to keep reading enjoyable while I stretch into genres I wouldn't normally touch.
I do have a plan on which book I want to read for each prompt. I do, or will soon, have a good amount of books that will fit most of the prompts this year. I’m going to try and not use the library so much just because I want focus on the books that i own but I do know that there is a challenge or two that I will definitely use the library for. I’m just so excited to have a fresh start cause I didn’t do as well as I wanted to this year.
I don't really have a plan. It usually depends on what is going on. In the past when I went to Peru, I brought with me the longest book to work on as it was a 30+ trip to get there and 30+ trip to get home. I got about 2/3 of the book done during that trip. It wasn't a book that I wanted to read after some time so it took me a while to read it. It was about 600 pages too. Usually though I go with whatever book I want to read as that it helps me to read it faster. I try to get the smaller ones done on days that I don't have a lot of time and the bigger ones during breaks/weekends. I'm really having to fight the urge this year to not start reading these books today.
Soooo I planned all my books out... then I got 43 books and a new kindle for Christmas....
I’ve done this 2 ways:In 2016 I read books specifically for each prompt. I actively looked for books that would satisfy a requirement and I read them. I finished it in October I think. This was an easy way to do it but I found it to be kind of stifling- I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to finish so I didn’t want to read something outside of the challenge. I ended up reading 57 books in 2016 so I saw o could be a little more relaxed this year.
In 2017 I mostly just read what I wanted and then saw where it fit. I did keep the challenge in mind as I looked at books but I was much more relaxed about it. It took me much longer to complete the challenge- until December 26, but I read 72 books this year!
Like most of you I'm really looking forward to the 2018 Challenge. I've participated before but this is my first time joining in on the Goodreads boards. Because I'm trying to break out of my comfort zone I'm going to tackle the prompt that is the least appealing to me first, which is Nordic Noir.
Kinda nice that that is also the first group read, and while I won't be reading the same title, at least the genre is the same. After that, I have no idea! Probably something exceedingly warm and fuzzy to counter it, but who knows, maybe I'll be hooked!