Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion
2018 Weekly Checkins
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Week 2: 1/4 - 1/11
I've only finished one book so far for the 2018 challenge. This week I completed the graphic novel Paper Girls, Vol. 1, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I don't read a lot of graphic novels, but a colleague at work had volume 3 and I loved the cover art so much that I thought I would give the series a try. I wasn't disappointed! It's a quick, fun read! It fits into two prompts for me; it takes place on Halloween & has an element of time travel as well. I'm also about 80% finished The Break. It's heartbreaking and beautiful and fits into the death/grief prompt & an author of a different ethnicity than me. So far this is one of the best books I've read in while.
The only other reading goal I have this year is to read all the books from the book club I'm part of, as I don't finish them consistently.
Howdy y'all. This morning I tagged along with a friend who had a job a few hours away in a tiny town on the coast, thinking I could wander around while she worked, but it's just raining a lot, so I'm in the car with the books I brought. Still a win for me, but the cell signal isn't that great so I'll need to catch up later.I finished my time travel book, The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O.
I'm listening to The Shadow Cipher for my book with twins and am currently deciding which paper book to read while I sit in this car in the rain. I'm leaning toward From Here to Eternity: Traveling the World to Find the Good Death.
QOTW: Nothing specific. I set my Goodreads Reading Challenge to 55. I read more last year but you never know what life is going to throw at you, and I'd rather overshoot than come up short. I also want to continue to diversify my reading but don't have a specific plan for that.
Hello from a weirdly warm but rainy Columbus! It’s so crazy seeing so many people commenting! We’re there this many at the beginning of last year too? We’re fianlly falling back into a normal schedule so I’m getting back into reading more. Pride and Prejudice was my “a book made into a movie you've already seen” prompt pick. It was the first book of the year, fittingly since Emma was my first book last year. I’m slowly making my way through Austen. I read her works in high school and I’m getting a lot more out of them now that I’m older.
Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI was my true crime pick. I’ve had this for a few months, I got it when it was available through book of the month club. I’m glad I held off because it worked really well for this prompt. It was eye-opening and infuriating. And I’m mad that I’d never heard of these murders before.
The Woman in Black this wasn’t for a prompt, I was just curious to see if this was as creepy a second time as the first time around. And it was. I’ve never had a book make me feel as uneasy as this one. Quick and enjoyable read!
Ballad of the Whiskey Robber: A True Story of Bank Heists, Ice Hockey, Transylvanian Pelt Smuggling, Moonlighting Detectives, and Broken Hearts was my heist pick. Thanks to all the people who posted about this book in here because I really loved it. I listened to the audiobook version and it was funny and engaging. I also really love Eastern European accents so that was a bonus.
QOTW: I’m probably doing the book riot challenge too. And I want to actually read my BOTM picks to month I get them.
Dani wrote: "The Woman in Black this wasn’t for a prompt, I was just curious to see if this was as creepy a second time as the first time around. And it was. I’ve never had a book make me feel as uneasy as this one. Quick and enjoyable read! "Hi Dani. I'm actually using The Woman in Black for the "book adapted into a stage play" prompt. I've never read the novel myself but I'm always up for something...unsettling.
Hi all,Very, very rainy in Vancouver!
I'm at 4/40 and 1/10.
An excellent start to 2018.
I finished my book about a heist, Heist: The Oddball Crew Behind the $17 Million Loomis Fargo Theft. Such a strange book. I enjoyed the details of the heist. At the beginning, you're like....impresive! They did it, and it was a huge heist. But it gets a bit sad, and nobody really enjoyed their cash....
Then, because I had it on hand, I read the next book in a series you are reading. I finished off, Three to Get Deadly by Janet Evanovich. So fun!! I'm going to read a bunch of this series during 2018.
Now, I'm currently reading for the advanced prompt, a book about a problem affecting society today, and I'm reading, The Hate U Give. It completely fits this prompt!!
QOTW: Just doing Pop Sugar, and overall 80 books for Goodreads this year. I bow down to all of you doing multiple challenges :)
Hi all! Continuing to work on finishing the 2017 challenge before switching to the 2018 challenge. I threw a family housewarming party last weekend and have another housewarming with friends this weekend, so those have been taking up a majority of my time with work. It's been fun to see family and celebrate my new house, but it's not super conducive to getting some reading time in.
Finished
- Dad Is Fat - 2017 prompt of book you've read that makes you laugh. I enjoyed this book, since it reads like a bunch of stand-up pieces. I think readers who are parents will particularly enjoy this, since it's about Jim Gaffigan's kids. I don't have kids yet, but could appreciate Gaffigan's stories as a former nanny.
Currently Reading
- The Essex Serpent - 2017 prompt of book about a mythical creature. I'm only 30 or 40 pages into the book so far, but the cover is beautiful and the writing really flows. I've heard good things about this book, so I'm excited to get into it further.
QotW
I'm just working on the PopSugar Challenge this year, but I've also set a goal for myself to read 60 books this year.
Mod
Happy Thursday! This week is super busy at school, so I'm finding much less reading time than expected, but I managed to read a few pages every day on my commute.
I finished The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. It was my first ever Nordic noir, and I'm glad I read it, even though I wasn't blown away.
Currently I'm reading The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (set on a different planet), and I don't know what's wrong with me but I don't get the hype about this book. I don't dislike it, but I don't find it particularly funny.
QotW: I've got modest goals, I've set out to complete the regular Popsugar list. So that's 40 books for me this year, and I'll be happy if I can do it. That said, I'd like to fit in some bulkier ones, such as War and Peace.
Yay Kenya for having finished your first draft! :)
I finished four books for the challenge this past week.Audio-book of Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders(for the true crime prompt)- This was generally interesting, even though I already knew most of the basic facts of the case. It was written in a very plain matter-of-fact style, but given the sensational aspect of the murders that seemed appropriate.
The City of Brass (for the book you meant to read in 2017 prompt)- This was my December BOTMC pick that I didn't get to until the very end of 2017. The world-building and politics were pleasingly intricate, but the romance was irritating.
Audio-book of The Cuckoo's Calling (for the animal in the title prompt)- The narrator was very good for this and I enjoyed the story. I wouldn't have guessed it was J.K. Rowling as it is so different from Harry Potter.
Tolstoy and the Purple Chair: My Year of Magical Reading (for the favorite color prompt)- Unfortunately this wasn't my favorite. The essays weren't terribly insightful and needed a better editor as they were a bit repetitive as well.
QOTW-
I have a Goodreads challenge goal of reading 60 books this year. I am also planning on doing the Bookriot Read Harder and Modern Mrs Darcy reading challenges with overlap between challenges allowed. I think my focus will be PopSugar first, and then filling in any gaps from the Read Harder and MMD challenges that I haven't already fulfilled.
I've already spun off into a bit of a reading challenge vacation, LOL! But interestingly, that gave me two of my challenge finishes this week - unplanned but that's sometimes the best kind:Run to Ground - first in a series set in Colorado involving a K-9 unit in a small mountain town police department and a family in hiding. This ended up filling the prompt as a book with characters who are twins -- the protagonist has siblings, including twin brothers, and they are a real part of the plot, too.
I also read It's Only Love as my book with a song lyric in the title (Beatles - Marie Force's entire Green Mountain and Butler, VT series have Beatles song lyrics as their titles). I really did not enjoy this entry in her Green Mountain series at all. Came very close to hating it. Gave it 1 star. If I didn't already own the last in the series, I probably would not read it. It's a pity because I really enjoyed the earlier ones in the series (especially the ones where the town moose plays a significant role), and most of Force's other series as well.
Non-challenge finishes:
On the Chase - second in Colorado based K-9 Police Unit series - really like this series and am looking forward to the third which is due out in February. Has a nice level of suspense, mystery, and a little bit of romance. Characters are diverse, funny and the dogs are great (yes, I like having pets with personality in my light reading).
The Best Is Yet To Come and Can't Take My Eyes Off of You - both are for author's Summer Lake series set in the Adirondacks, related to those about the Sullivan family. I liked them both, great light reads, and if you need it, they fit some challenge prompts - place that fascinates you (Adirondacks), song lyrics in title, for example.
Currently - still - reading:
Green Mansions - this is for prompt book mentioned in another book - mentioned as Hemingway's favorite book in The Paris Wife (which I highly recommend if you need a recommendation from a challenge participant). I have been enjoying reading it, it's quite beautiful prose, interesting locale (Venezuela and Guyana rainforest), and a book I've been meaning to re-read (first read as a teen), BUT....for some reason I'm not sticking with it. I think it's because it is racist and distasteful, not because it is making a point about racism, but because that is the the author's viewpoint. Of course, it was written in 1904, a very different time and moral code. Plus I am only half way; it is possible the protagonist Abel (privileged white Venezuelan) will evolve. Even though I read this before, I have very little memory of it, in part because I absolutely know I read it just for the romance back when I was 15.
QOTW - One reading goal is to read lots of books from my personal library - print and ebook. Another is to not fall back into the rut of only reading fluff, which Pop Sugar Challenge helps accomplish. I am also trying to use NYPL ebooks more for recently published books that I want to read but not necessarily own. And one final goal -- make more progress reading (and in some cases re-reading) Proust.
Well, it’s been a decent reading week, in spite of a lot of moody toddlers who don’t want to play nicely together. I finished off The Complete Maus on a long drive - it was a fantastic reread. This is the book that introduced me to graphic novels back in university and it was good to revisit it. I used it for the Book Riot challenge - completely without meaning to, I’ve put quite a dent in that challenge already.
I used The Titan's Curse for next in a series - really I have so many going, this prompt could have been filled by almost anything, but this was due back first at the library.
Forever a Stranger and Other Stories came to me all the way from Oklahoma - it’s from the 1001 list and is hard to get ahold of, like many on that list. It fills the colonial lit prompt on Book Riot and is really worth reading, though almost everyone would have to get an ILL to get it. Then right after I found out that it’s been retranslated with a new title and can be bought on Kindle. 😂
For Around the Year, I’m trying out reading the prompts in order, so The Library at Mount Char finally got finished. I kept backburnering it because I didn’t finish it in time for my book club and then it didn’t fit any of my remaining 2017 prompts. But it did have the right letters in the title for ATY and yay, it such a fun book. Highly recommend, though it’s on the violent side as an FYI.
Then I finished The Subtle Knife because I wanted to reread the trilogy before starting Book of Dust. Conveniently it was published the year I finished high school - I tend to replace bestseller with popular in my challenges, so no idea of their was on any official lists but it definitely was popular and that’s enough for me.
Right now I’m listening to My Name Is Lucy Barton and reading Revival, Vol. 1: You're Among Friends and The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian and continuing with my Serial read of Wuthering Heights.
QOTW: I set my goal at 128, which would cover ATY, Book Riot and Pop Sugar all with a book per prompt. I expect that will be hit long before the end of the year, though I have plans to read a few chunky books, so perhaps not by as much as last year.
Besides finishing those challenges, I like to keep an eye on the diversity of my reading. I look at if I’m reading alternate viewpoints (POC, Indigenous voices; LGBTQ+, disability), I look at if I’m reading across a variety of genres, and I look to see if I’m reading across a diverse number of geographical areas (this one tends to be the biggest challenge because I find the library is best for American authors and topics).
I’m also trying to finish up some series that I’ve got unfinished. Last year I meant to focus on Poirot, Lousie Penny and Discworld. I didn’t do a great job at it at all. I’m also counting rereads from now on because some of these will require rereads of things I dont recall enough to continue and I think discounting rereads for challenges is one of the things that stopped me from making progress with this last year. Being in a sci-fi/fantasy book club doesn’t make this simpler as it feels like almost every month I’m reading the first in a series!
My other goal is to do a better job of reading books by authors who will be at Denver Comic Con in June. They haven’t announced any author guests yet, but I will be watching out and starting this attempt much earlier in the year this time because I failed hard at it last year.
I’d also like to read more off the 1001 list this year. I so often really enjoy those selections and often would never have come across them otherwise. I’m in a group on Goodreads and I’m trying to really work on completing mothly and quarterly reads and their challenges, although I allow those books to also count for my big three challenges.
Hello all! I'm still riding the excitement of starting a new challenge with 7 books crossed off my Popsugar list so far. This week I finished:
I read Horns which has been on my TBR for a very long time and I'm using it for a different challenge. It is a little bizarre and definitely dark, but I enjoyed that about it.
Raging Heat which was my next book in a series I've read before. Nothing too deep with this series, but they are a quick and fun read.
I read Love, Rosie which I saw recommended as being largely based in Ireland, though the location probably wasn't too key to the story line. I enjoyed it overall, though it felt a bit long in places.
Fairest was my pick for a book about a villain since I had previously red the rest of the series. I liked it, but didn't love it. I guess I kind of expected that going in since I waited this long to read it.
Lastly I read The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon which I'm counting for my book with an ugly cover (going by the cover the library has, not the one Goodreads pictures. I enjoyed this one, though it was bit different (less creepy) than what I think of as standard Stephen King.
I'm currently working on The Dime (LGBTQ+ protagonist).
QOTW: 2018 is my second year doing Popsugar so that is definitely a major goal, but I also added the Around the Year challenge and my plan is not to use the same book for both challenges. Overall, I set a reading goal of 125 books which allows for some extra reading on top of the two challenges.
Hi everyone! The weather is staring to warm up here, but there might be an ice storm this weekend, so who knows what will happen! I broke my ankle two weeks before Christmas so it's a lot of effort to do anything on the weekend, and an ice storm might mean I'll be reading all weekend!I finished 3 books this week, 2 for the challenge and 1 just on my own.
From Duke Till Dawn by Eva Leigh, which wasn't for the challenge. It was a a fun and quick read, but definitely not one of my favorite romances.
The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith was for the "book with a female author who uses a male pseudonym." I listened to the audiobook which had excellent narration! I liked the story, but wasn't totally wowed for it. However, I'm looking forward to reading the next 2 books, which my dad and I already have on audiobook.
Everything Is Awful: And Other Observations by Matt Bellassai, which was for "a book you meant to read in 2017 but didn't get to." Honestly this prompt could have counted for anything on my extensive tbr list on goodreads, but I had it out in ebook from the library and it was about to expire, so I thought it was the best fit. I really enjoyed this! I'm a big fan of Matt, and wish I'd gotten the audiobook because it would've felt like a long episode of his podcast!
I'm currently reading Dark Places by Gillian Flynn which I have on audio (I loved Sharp Objects on audio and wanted to listen to her work again). I don't think it'll fit with any of the prompts; maybe I'll use "an audiobook" as my favorite previous Popsugar challenge, since I always try to read a bunch of audiobooks every year.
I'm also reading Shadowhouse Fall by Daniel Jose Older, which will be for my "next book in a series you've started." I feel like this is a really underrated YA series, and I really liked the first book! I read it for a college course on children's and YA lit, so I'm glad I discovered it.
QOTW: I set my goodreads goal to 100 this year, which I've completed the past two years. Like Sara, I'm also trying to keep track of the diversity of my reads. Only about 24% of my reads last year were by nonwhite authors, so I'm pushing myself to read more authors of color, more non American/British authors, more LGBTQ+ authors and characters. I don't really have a metric for the goal, just that I'm challenging myself to be better than last year!
Gabi wrote: "Happy Thursday! This week is super busy at school, so I'm finding much less reading time than expected, but I managed to read a few pages every day on my commute.
I finished [book:The Girl with t..."
I also didn't get much of the hype about Hitchhiker's Guide. To me, the book felt as if it was one long setup for a joke and I didn't get the punchline. Ah well.
And thanks. :)
Hi from very rainy and Foggy Germany,this week i finished Die Nachtigall by Kristin Hannah (german version of The Nightingale) - i like it, but it was not the tearjerker i expected ..i use it for prompt # 26. A book with an animal in the title
Yesterday i finished Der dünne Mann by Dashiell Hammett (german version of The Thin Man - i love the movie with William Powell and Myrna Loy, but the book was a little bit confusing and dry. The story works better on screen. I use it for the # 1 "A book made into a movie you've already seen"
Currently reading:Die Indische Prinzessinby Javier Moro (german version of Pasión india]. I read it for AtY prompt.
QofW: I´m doing both Popsugar and ATY in 52 books readingchallenges . I set a reading goal of 104
Hitchhiker's is a very British kind of book, especially in its sense of humour. There are certain aspects that will go right past you if you're not British yourself, which might have a lot to do with ultimately not enjoying it.
Hey everyone from central Texas. Our weather here has been so bipolar lately, it has left my head spinning. We actually had snow on New Year's day, bitter cold temps the first week and then earlier this week, we had temps in the 60s only to have them fall to the low 30s by tonight.Anyways, New Year, new reading challenge... so totally pumped for all the new worlds to dive into. I didn't get a chance to check in last week, but with what I finished last week combined with this week, I am already three books into the challenge.
Finished:
Artemis - a book involving a heist (4)
I was looking forward to diving into this one since the challenge list was released last November and it certainly didn't disappoint. It was such a quick read and I really really enjoyed it.
The Murder of King Tut - a book by two authors (18)
I chose this one because I have had a fascination with ancient Egypt for years and always found the mystery of King Tut to be interesting. While I don't fully agree with the conclusions James Patterson came to, it was still an entertaining read.
The Hate U Give - a past Goodreads Choice awards winner (35)
I was afraid that all of the hype surrounding this book would be unfounded and at best I would find this book just "ok". BOY WAS I WRONG!!!! While it took me a little while to get into the style of the writing, I just couldn't put it down until I found out how it all turned out. Totally 5 out of 5 for me.
Progress:
3/42 regular challenge
0/10 advanced challenge
Currently Reading:
Heartless - a book about a villain or antihero (9)
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - a bestseller from the year you graduated high school (1b)
Since I threw out my back last night I see lots of reading in my future until I start to feel better. Fingers crossed that I have an even better check in next week.
QofW
I have decided to make my reading year relatively chill. The past few years, I have set my Goodreads reading goal at 100 and participated in multiple readathons and monthly reading challenges where I feel like I have to have a book that fits every single prompt. It made my enjoyment reading feel more like a chore. This year I have decided to lower my Goodreads goal down to 80. I will reevaluate around June, if I am way ahead in my reading, I will up the number. I am also going to chill out on my readathons and completely cut out the monthly challenges.
Good afternoon from Maryland, where the air no longer hurts when you're outside (whew). Finished: The English Wife. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND for anyone who enjoys period mysteries. Definitely a cozy winter read.
The Duke of Her Desire. I was really looking forward to this book but I had some... issues with the characterization of the hero and what was deemed "romantic" but it counts as a book with alliteration so it wasn't a waste of time.
Currently reading: 17 Carnations: The Royals, the Nazis and the Biggest Cover-Up in History. Still working on this... all the reviews said it got boring and damn if I didn't stall out about 2/3 of the way in and I can't put my finger on why! I set it aside and have been doing a chapter here and there as I can.
Still Life. FINALLY reading Louise Penny! This is so great and I'm flying through it. And there's so many more to gobble up!
QOTW: I set my Goodreads goal at 125 after crushing my 100-book goal last year. I also decided I want to read classics this year and stole an idea from a YouTuber to write down a bunch that are on my list and just pluck out one per month and that's the one you're reading. Let's hope that works.
I finished 3 books this week: 1. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince which I used for a movie I've already seen
2. The Lightning Thief for weather element in the title
3. Still Me for a book published in 2018
I'm currently reading Almost Chimpanzee: Searching for What Makes Us Human, in Rainforests, Labs, Sanctuaries, and Zoos (I'm reading this for a different challenge) and The Son as my Nordic noir.
QOTW: I'm doing 2 other challenges this year but they are both small and very low key. I have a few personal goals that I want to accomplish this year, but I'm able to incorporate them into this challenge so it's not that big of a deal. I want to read more classics and nonfiction. I also want to knock out a good portion of my TBR books that I own (I currently have over 200 😳). When I planned my popsugar list I was able to use a lot of books that I own for the prompts and even give myself multiple choices on several.
Hi everyone! This is my first challenge and my first post :) Happy to be here.Finished this week:
The Girl on the Train - I'm using this as the book I didn't get to in 2017.
Currently Reading:
If I Stay - This is for the book about death or grief prompt. I'll be reading the follow-up, "Where She Went" next for the next book in a series prompt. These look like they'll be pretty easy reads. I'm hoping to have them both done in a week or so.
QOTW:
I'm getting back into steady reading after not having read for quite some time, busy mom and all that jazz. My goal for this year is 25 or more books. I've set my GoodReads challenge goal at 25. Of those 25 books, I'm trying to tackle a bunch of books I've bought in the last couple years but have never read. Miraculously, I've been able to match 8 of them to prompts for this challenge! In addition to this challenge I'm doing the Winter Reading Program at our public library. It's just one of those challenges where you track all your reading for a specified time period and earn entries into drawings for various prizes. I've not done it before, but I figured as long as I'm reading for this challenge I may as well have a chance to earn prizes!
I finished my first prompt this week Blindness by José Saramago. It was the book that I meant to read in 2017. I absolutely loved the story of this book. I thought it was very touching, at times brutal and a really stark look at humanity. However, the stylistic choices enraged me to no end! There were very few paragraphs with often pages and pages of text with no breaks. The author also did not use quotation marks for speech and none of the characters had names. I can see that he was probably doing this on purpose to invoke a sense of blindness in the reader but it just made it really difficult to get into the story. I switched to audiobook and am so glad that I did because it was much more enjoyable that way.
I am currently still reading Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix for the twitter book club.
This week I started The Hummingbird for the nordic noir prompt. It is okay so far but not something I can't put down. I like the theme of immigration and racism which doesn't seem to be explored much in books from this area of Europe although I am surprised that one of the characters is so openly racist at work without reprimand. It's not too dark at the moment apart from the description of the murder itself.
I'm hoping to finish The Hummingbird this week and to move on to Catilina's Riddle which is my choice for the next in a series prompt.
This week I finished my second book of the year for the "book set in a country that fascinates you" which I read The Rosie Project. This book was set in Australia (I'm from the U.S.). I would love to visit there someday! The book didn't touch too much on Australia but it was still a pretty good read. The storyline reminded me of one of my favorite TV shows The Big Bang Theory.This is my first year doing the challenge so I'm taking it slow and starting with a goal of doing the challenge while reading 52 books this year (a book a week).
I finished the quick read How to Train Your Dragon this week that I'm planning to use for 'a book made into a movie you've already seen.' I also started Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil for the 'book with time in the title' prompt.QOTW: This year I lowered my reading target and this only challenge I'm planning to complete. I do want to make sure I have a good mix of fiction and nonfiction and I always want to try to read a couple of classics each year that I've not yet read.
This past week I cleared several prompts. Pretty much everything I read is clearing one. I know it won't be like that all year but so far I am enjoying it!The Last Thing She Ever Did for villian or antihero. basically everyone in this book was a villian!
Down and Across for author of a different ethnicity than you.
Look For Me book published in 2018. It comes out in February.
My Absolute Darling book you meant to read in 2017.
The Cat Tender for its ugly cover.
I forgot to check in last week, so this is basically a week 1 check in (I haven't finished any new books this week).Since it's only the beginning of the year, I am just picking up whatever I feel like like reading and then try and think of a prompt it could fit. So far I have read:
Night Film (which I am using for a book with a time of day in the title)
La vita com’è: Storia di bar, piccioni, cimiteri e giovani scrittori (ugly cover)
The Stranger (a borrowed book - although if I can think of a different prompt I would like to move this as I have so many book I can use as borrowed/gifted!)
Kobane calling (set in a country that fascinates you)
At the moment I am reading The Humans, Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind and listening to the audiobook of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, but I still don't know which prompts I will use them for - any suggestions very welcome!
QOTW: Every year I set a goal of reading 50 books. This year, I have added that 5 should be non-fiction books (excluding poetry and memoirs) and 3 should be from countries I haven't read from before (I am currently at 37 countries and would like to reach 40 in 2018). I also track things like gender and nationality of the authors so that at the end of the year I can check how diverse my reading was.
Reading a lot of people talking about snow and cold weather reminds me of what an international group it is. Here in Brisbane, Australia it is a toasty warm 35 Celsius (95 Fahrenheit for those on that scale). Perfect weather (as long as it doesn't rain) for me to spend the weekend in the hammock with a wine and reading a few books. This week I finished:
Punishment (Nordic Noir). I thought this book was ok but there was something about the writing style that was a bit off for me. Maybe nordic noir is not my thing.
Valley of the Dolls (book made into a play). I know this is a modern classic but it is not something I would really recommend to people. I found the characters a bit frustrating.
The Household Guide To Dying (book about death or grief) This was an interesting book for me as I have a few people in my social circle with cancer and one passed away over Xmas/New Year. I think my current circumstances gave me a different appreciation of the book than I would normally have had and made me think about the death and grieving process a bit more.
Out of the Silent Planet (2015 prompt - first book in a series you have not read) and Perelandra (book set on another planet). These are the first two books in C.S. Lewis' Cosmic Trilogy. These were very short books and therefore I knocked them over very quickly. I liked the first one but I found the second a bit preachy at the end.
Currently reading:
The Good Girl Stripped Bare (feminist book). I saw the author speak about taking her employer (a television network) to court for discrimination and really wanted to read the book. It was a fairly high profile case here in Australia.
Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch (book with two authors). I am really enjoying this book.
Next on the list:
The Dry (book from Reece Witherspoon's book club)
Red Rabbit (Book with an animal in the title)
QOTW:
I read a lot so this year I am going to try to complete this challenge twice. I have tentatively put two books down against each prompt. We will see how I go :-)
Hi Everyone,This is the first year I have participated in the Popsugar and general Reading Challenges and so far I'm really enjoying it. How nice it is to return to books and leave behind the mindless internet searching and TV watching. I just finished today my third book. I'm not following the prompts in precise order; I started to and then found I was missing my True Crime book and needed to order it.
I have done the first with Breakfast at Tiffany's, (#10). The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo for the Nordic Noir (#5) and The Beginning: Born at Midnight for the local author (#20). Turns out the book includes the second book of the series so I'll be reading that for prompt #3.
I'm changing the book involving a heist. The one I started didn't do anything for me so after about page 55 or so, I abandoned.
Starting In Cold Blood (#2) now.
Happy Reading!
Okay guys I need your help. The microhistory prompt has been kicking my ass as I'd never heard the term before and I'm struggling to grasp its meaning.Would Testament of Youth be fitting for this prompt?
As for ancestry, I don't really have any, that I know of anyways, so would a book about a Dutch soldier's life (autobiographical) work?
Am also currently rushing through My Ladybird Story because it's just honestly too good. Started it earlier this evening, and am pretty sure I won't go to bed before finishing it. Am also really pleased to know I can read books on my laptop without problem, so that will definitely make things easier throughout the year!
Hello from Minnesota! Since last check in I have read The Little Prince for my childhood classic and The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection for a book set in a country I find fascinating. The Little Prince was good but Im not that into metaphors so I wasn't blown away. I love Alexander McCall Smith's Botswana described in his no 1 ladies detective agency, with Limpopo being in that series. The way he describes life there makes me want to sit down with a cup of bush tea and just enjoy the moment. I am currently reading Gone with the Wind and Men Explain Things to Me, the first being my title with a weather element and the second a book about feminism. It's interesting to read these two at the same time as they are very much in contrast. Though GWTW is outdated I think the writer did a beautiful job. Men explain things to me is a great read and I think every women should read it. QOTW My goal is to simply read a more diverse breadth of topics and genres this year.
Hey y'all! I have to say, I love seeing the different scope for each person's challenge. From the people who have a goal of 100+ books to folks who are just hoping to bump up their reading from 1 or 2 books a year, I think it's all great. I like having the structure and a bit of a push, but still the flexibility to choose what I like, double-dip, and sometimes torture prompts into a form I can deal with. :)This week I finished three books!
The Supernatural Enhancements was awesome. It's probably one of my favorite books ever, and I'm so glad Meddling Kids (also fantastic) led me to it. This is my "book about death or grief," which was my sly way to completely fulfill the prompt without reading anything too sad.
Oh, and is it possible to describe a 44yo mom as a total fangirl? Because I actually had to write to Edgar Cantero and gush at him about how I loved his books and his English is astoundingly good. And he answered me and said thanks! SQUEE!
OK, so I also listened to Kate Winslet read Matilda. She does an amazing job with each character. Totally delightful except sometimes the child abuse and neglect got to me, even though it's presented in an over-the-top, comical way.
Finally, I finished Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman. At first I was surprised it was so lighthearted and funny, then once I'd recalibrated to that expectation, it got harder and sadder. But good throughout. And even at sad or upsetting parts, she'll throw in an absurd or self-deprecating comment that takes the edge off a bit. Plus she addresses really important things in such a human, engaging way. The title is quite ironic because she makes "radical" ideas very approachable with personal connection.
QOTW:
This is the first time I'm committing to doing the advanced prompts too. That's enough extra challenge for me!
Though I did modify the challenge and gave my 9yo 20 prompts to have some fun with this year. We went to the library and tested whether there's an upper limit to how many books you can check out, LOL.
Carmen wrote: "Okay guys I need your help. The microhistory prompt has been kicking my ass as I'd never heard the term before and I'm struggling to grasp its meaning."A microhistory, from what I can ascertain, is an in-depth look at one very specific subject. Mark Kurlansky writes a lot of them.
olá, from cold Portugal. this week I started A Rapariga Que Sonhava com Uma Lata de Gasolina e Um Fósforo for the nordic noir and the next book for a series, and still reading the last one of 2017:Outlander V - A Cruz de Fogo.QOTW: yes I have: at least 36 books, one for each year of age and still alternate one book of non portuguese with a book of portuguese author.
I managed to complete quite a few prompts - almost without realizing it!Completed
Through the Fog #24 weather related book. Not really a great read - the premise is fascinating but the execution was not well done, in my opinion.
Peace Like a River #28 song lyrics in the title. Fabulous book. I had heard such good things about this book and it completely lived up to them.
The Food of Love #16 mental health. Prowse writes women with such honesty and emotion. This book had me sobbing. It explores a family that is dealing with an anorexic daughter: heart-wrenching.
Killman Creek This could fit #37 a book I meant to read in 2017
Started
The Art Forger #4 book involving a heist.
QOTW
I have a few goals for the year. I want to start a local book club and there are a few other reading challenges that I am participating in as well.
I finished my 3rd book of the year: my first advanced prompt. I read a microhistory about the advent of a nautical timepiece that could measure precise time as well as longitudinal location. I'm a geography nerd, so thought it would be super interesting. Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time It started out incredibly dry and boring and improved slightly throughout. The information was presented oddly (jumping around in timelines, some first person narrative - which I found odd for this type of material), but the actual history of the chronometer was interesting enough. I'm thankful it was under 200 pages, though, so I could move on to something far more engaging.I'm now just shy of halfway through Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race, which deals with racism, white privilege, feminism, and other issues in the UK. Thus far, it's an engaging read and a topic in which I'm fairly well-versed (at least as it pertains to the US). I am enjoying the honest, candid writing style of the author.
This book just happened to be on the Our Shared Shelf (Emma Watson) book list for Jan/Feb, so I suppose I might step up my game and participate in the other 5 books chosen by Emma this year to knock out 2 different lists/challenges. This is my 3rd year doing the Popsugar Challenge. I finished my goal of 26 books the first year (I painstakingly chose books that would fit 2 prompts to cover all prompts with only 26 books since I knew I wouldn't finish 52). Last year I did not finish :( This year I WILL finish and hope to surpass my goal of 42 (I am reading 8 books that will cover 2 prompts to cover the 50 total prompts).
This week I finished 4 books kind of different from each other but most of them pretty good.First this erotic romance In Flight that even thought is not my genre of preference it was interesting. I'll guess this is what 50 shades wanted to be but it failed. Although I'm not the demographic for this type of book it entertaining. (Promt 14. A book by an author of a different ethnicity than you. I'm latina and she is pretty white. Actually I didn't knew where else to put this book )
Then The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue which is if honest I loved. The adventure, the romance was on point for me. I liked this book very much. (Prompt 12. A book with a LGBTQ+ protagonist)
Also finished Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future by Ashlee Vance. I've been fascinated by Elon and his work for a while and I was curious to get a little inside on how he operates, this was a really interesting read. (Prompt 37. A book you meant to read in 2017 but didn't get to)
And the last book that I just finished today it was Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis. I was crying at end because the memories from the movie and a lot of things came back to my mind. I love this story so much. (Prompt 1. A book made into a movie you have already seen)
Currently Reading:
The Voyage Out by Virginia Woolf. I'm still in the first pages and not sure if would fit any category.
QOTW:
I'm planning to read at least 80 book but my goal is 100. Last year I didn't read as much as I used to and I wanted this year to read a lot before life gets more complicated and I'll have little to no time to read. Also I'll see if I can do the book riot 2018 Read Harder Challenge but my main focus is this challenge.
Oh my. I just realized that I linked the wrong book in my earlier post! I have edited it -- and in case you are interested, go back to message 63 to see the correct one!That's what I get for writing my update while on the phone at work.
Finished The Last Black Unicorn by Tiffany Haddish. More depressing than funny but interesting read. Still working on The Count of Monte Cristo and Clash of Kings.
QOTW: Goals are 40 books (only got 32 last year), Finish the Popsugar Challenge and the Read Harder challenge.
Honestly, I feel like my progress has been quite slow this year. We're already 11 days into it, and I've "only" finished three books, but to be fair, they were about 500 pages each. Between the 4th and today, I read Firefly Lane for another challenge, and I'm just finishing up Our Dark Duet, which incidentally is also for another challenge. Is it still okay to post what I read if it's not for PopSugar? Lol
QOTW:
Aside from PopSugar, I have taken on 4 other challenges, although two of them have timelines extended until the end of March 2019 just to keep it realistic.
My challenges are:
- Goodreads Around the Year
- PopSugar 2018
- BookRiot 2018
- Modern Mrs. Darcy 2017 (I liked those prompts better than the 2018 list, and this is one that I'm expecting to finish by March)
- ATY Top Picks (Expected to finish by March. This one is a list I made myself of my votes for prompts for Goodreads ATY that didn't make the final list, and that weren't covered by other challenges)
Aside from specific challenges, I have a number of series that I'm aiming to finish within the year. I think the total is about 12 or so that I have in progress, because it is getting a little out of hand to manage so many series.
Raquel wrote: "Having the same weird weather here in the midwest that several others have reported (strangely warm temps, soon to be followed by another huge temperature drop). We also have some familywi..."Okay obviously I don’t know how to capture part of a post, but I was so excited you read The Blue Castle. I love Anne, and I had heard of Emily, but I had no idea this book existed. I’m reading it for my favorite color challenge.
Finished Brown Girl Dreaming- Jacqueline Woodson
A book lended to you/borrow- This book is written in free verse and a really touching memoir of growing up as a young African American in the south and then moving to New York. It's all about trying to find yourself when you don't feel welcome. And it's beautiful.
Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith- Jon Krakauer
True Crime prompt - This book was super eye opening, because it really stresses the dangers of blind faith. It's a true crime book that is an important read. I don't know if I have words to properly express my thoughts, I think it was super important.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo- Stieg Larsson
Nordic Noir- I listened to this. I really don't know what to think about this one. I'm torn cause I hated how graphically violent this was, but I thought the mystery was exciting and addicting. However, the graphic violence will probably keep me from continuing the series.
Coming Next
I'm probably going to read And Then There Were None next. I also downloaded Small Great Things audio book so that's what I'm expecting.
QOTW
Honestly, I'm trying to focus more on reading, so this is my only challenge. However, I am trying to maintain another bookclub. I'm a PhD student in chemistry, so if I complete this challenge I'll be proud of myself. Audiobooks will definitely help because I can listen while I science :-)
It's a rainy day in Southern Oregon, great for reading. I didn't finish any books this week, probably because I'm reading too many at once (4). I'm having trouble focusing or getting fully involved in any one story. I think I'm putting too much pressure on myself because of my increased reading goals this year and it's backfiring and making me anxious, lol!QOTW:
In addition to Popsugar, my reading goals this year include reading 60 books for the GoodReads challenge (my usual comfort zone is 40-50, so I'm trying to step it up), and casually attempting the Book Riot Read Harder and Modern Mrs. Darcy reading challenges. My biggest goal is to spend more time reading and less time on my phone!
Hello from Cleveland! I tried to enjoy having the house opened up today while it was in the 50's, since we are going to have a major winter storm and plunge back into single digits tomorrow. We have tickets for a show downtown, and I'm really hoping it doesn't get cancelled! I have been enjoying all my free time between jobs and have gotten quite a bit of reading in. First was the oddly named My First Murder for Nordic noir. (It is the first murder case the detective is investigating, even though the title makes it sound like she is the culprit!) There was some very casual racism that was off-putting, and for a book written in first person perspective of a straight woman, it was very, very male gaze-y. Yuck. It was a semi-locked room case involving a college choir, which added some unique elements. I did find it interesting whenever sexism or other issues were discussed, since I feel like the perception is Scandinavia is a utopia. I was also able to count it as my book for Finland. I gave it 3*.
Next was The Rehearsal for a book by a local author. She was the only local female author I could find, and since I'm getting more into going to the theater, I chose this, which revolves around a family rehearsing Of Mice and Men one summer with their resident theater company. The author spent a lot of time in theater, so I felt like she knew what she was talking about. It was a quiet story, but she captured voice excellently, and I enjoyed the different relationships explored. 4*.
Then came The Highly Sensitive Person: How to Thrive When the World Overwhelms You for a book I meant to read in 2017. I kept checking this out of the library but thought it might be hard to read emotionally. It was...because it made me so angry. I can only describe the tone as "academic woo" and there was little advice on actually being a HSP. The chapter about spirit guides was very weird, but the chapter about how taking medication for mental illness is the worst thing ever sealed the 1* fate for this one. I was so disappointed!
Finally, there was Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit for a book with a fruit/vegetable in the title. This is essentially a memoir with a fiction veneer, and I give the author so much credit for what she went through as a child. The only part I didn't like were the little stories sprinkled throughout, because I didn't understand enough of the references to get how they related to the main story. Still, 4*, and I will definitely check out her actual memoirs.
QOTW: My Goodreads goal is 150 books, but I'm reserving the right to lower it if my new job doesn't allow for as much audiobook time as my old one. I'm also doing AtY and Book Riot. I did a diversity challenge in 2017, and I'm hoping something similar is done this year, because it was eye-opening and I really enjoyed it. I'm also copying someone's idea from last year to not read anything by straight white men (only one category didn't work out for me), and I'm already enjoying my picks more!
Hello all! I'm finally starting to recover from the madness of December, though I don't have a lot of books completed to show for it. I've been doing a lot of cross stitching and listening to the podcast My Dad Wrote a Porno, and if that's not healing I don't know what is.I have finished one book, The Lost City of the Monkey God: A True Story, my book with an animal in the title. It started quite slow, but once it got into the history of Honduras I was more interested.
I'm currently reading Naughty in Nice (alliteration) and Alias Grace (novel based on a real person). I'm enjoying both of them.
QOTW: For the second year in a row, I'm tracking PopSugar, Around the Year in 52 Books, and BookRiot. I'm also tracking my life goal of reading a book that tells me about every country in the world, but I hardly expect to finish that this year. On top of all that, my brother and I have a book club called (brace yourself for some imagination) Brother-Sister Book Club, and those books don't necessarily satisfy challenge prompts. Our next book is At the Existentialist Café: Freedom, Being, and Apricot Cocktails, and thank goodness for the fruit in the title so I can apply it to PS!
Woo hoo. Week 2This week I read The Deal of a Lifetime. It was incredibly short, but as of now I have read everything that has been released in the US by Fredrik Backman. I love him. I’m plugging it into my death and grief slot for now. It may just end up being a bonus pick.
I also read The Night Circus for the time of day prompt (it also fills the twins prompt). This book is not for everyone. It jumps around in time a little and the plot moves a little slower than a lot of people like, but the author does an incredible job of bringing the circus itself to life. Beautiful imagery.
QOTW i have committed to 40 books for the Goodreads challenge. I also am going to try to knock 12 off of the 50 reads before you die list based on the old Barnes and Noble bookmark.
In addition to that I want to read one book off of my TBR list, one book from my owned but not read pile, one recommended by a relative or friend, and one checked out from the library book a month. Yes I am aware this is over 40 books, we’ll see where we are at later in the year. :0)
Finished The Keeper of Lost Causes by Jussi Adler-Olsen- Nordic noir category.On to the next: a childhood classic I have never read- Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm by Kate Douglas (1903)
I'm still working on Savage Beauty: The Life of Edna St. Vincent Millay for prompt 40. It's a great book, but not a quick read! I'm hoping to finish it by this weekend or early next week.QOTW:
I'm pretty sure I've never read 50 books in a year, so this challenge is enough for me! I read 43 last year, so I think 50 is doable, but it will be a challenge. However, I've tried to incorporate some of my other reading goals into this challenge. I always try to read some classics, some books by authors of color (I think it's important to read books from diverse perspectives), and some nonfiction books about current or historical social issues, and I've been able to continue these goals within the PopSugar challenge.
Hi everyone!How was your week? How was your reading? Hope that both ok. I think this was a good week for me
Books finished:
I managed to finished 2 books:
Death with Interruptions - I started this book previously to the challenge. Like I said last week, at first I got caught by the narrative but as the pages gone by I kinda lost interest, only 50 pages away form the end. So I decided to gave this another chance and sure I was glad to do it because I liked very much the way the story end. Gave it 3 stars
War Dogs - This was indeed the first book I read for the challenge. I really liked and enjoyed so much. In the first pages I thought it was gonna be a lot alike the movie but I was so wrong (thankfully), not 'cause I didn´t like the movie (which I did) but because it shows another perspective of what really happened back in the day with these "gundealers" and the army; less comedy and more facts. I liked the aproach of the autor and the way he write the story: not taking sides, just showing what he was able to dig. I gave it 3 stars but im thinking of changing it for 4.
Currently reading:
I just started reading In Cold Blood (page 56) I wanted this to be my second book and I chose it for the "True crime" category. I think im gonna like the story, and how can I not? Its from Truman Capote!!! We will se next week
Question of the week:
Aside from the Popsugar challenge do you have any reading goals for 2018?
Yes!! I wanna read 52 books for this year (1 per week). I really like to read, but sometimes weeks past by without read anything, so i decided to put me on a challenge and then I found this fantastic group and everything just "click" :)
I read Full Wolf Moon, The Glass Castle, and The Iron Duke this week. I am counting Full Wolf Moon as my book with an animal in the title. I might use The Iron Duke for steam punk. I think I remember a prompt to that affect. I counted The Glass Castle towards a book whose movie I had seen. None of the three overwhelmed me with their "awesomeness"; in fact, I think I rated all of them 3 stars. They were all "okay."
5/50This week I finished two books. Camino Island by John Grisham, for a book with about a heist. I just love Grisham and this one didn't disappoint. It mentions a lot of books within. If you need ideas look at the thread for a book mentioned in another book. I wrote a list for yall. The heist is of rare Fitzgerald book manuscripts and one of the main characters owns a book store. I have Rooster Bar on my list for this year, too. Then I'll be all caught up on my Grisham books.
I also read The Ice Princess by Camilla Läckberg. I have to admit- I was hesitant about starting this book. I assumed I wouldn't like it. But I really did. It had so many surprises throughout. I'm glad I read it.
QotW: I set a Goodreads goal of 60 books. On Litsy there is a bingo challenge and many of the prompts are on the PopSugar challenge. I also like to keep up with all the books written by certain authors. I try to preorder their new books. I got behind on Grisham, but am doing okay with Kristin Hannah and Jodi Picoult. Hannah has a new book coming out this spring and it takes place during the decade I was born. It was like it was meant to be. :)
Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (other topics)P.G. Wodehouse (other topics)
Ray Porter (other topics)
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Robin Miles (other topics)
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I finished 2 books this week. Magpie Murders for alliteration, and Artemis for a book about a heist. I liked Magpie Murders a lot. Artemis was fine and a quick read, but not nearly as good as the Martian.
Right now I am reading The Impossible Fortress since it came up from the library. Not sure where it will fit yet.
QOTW:
The POPSugar challenge appealed to me because I can use many books I already own, or classics I have been meaning to read to tick off the prompts. Otherwise, I just pass those over to read the latest thing.