Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion
2018 Weekly Checkins
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Week 12: 3/16 - 3/22
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This week I finished Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore (a book with a bookstore/library) and I read a poetry collection, There Are More Beautiful Things Than Beyoncé, which could count as a book by an author of a different ethnicity. I then went on a graphic novel binge and read Saga, Vol. 3, Saga, Vol. 4, Saga, Vol. 5 and Saga, Vol. 6, none of which actually count towards the challenge. I have now started Mend the Living - which I think could be my book about death/grief, but I had something else in my for that prompt, so we'll see if I want to use it for the challenge at all.
Mod
I remember "L'Auberge" ... but I just googled and its full name is L'Auberge Du Cochon Rouge, so ... yes! I was a poor college student and maybe ate there once. I don't remember it very well (except I did remember the name!)
Mod
for those of you in TX, have you read News of the World? (I know, TX is a bigass place, and I don't remember exactly where this book is set, but I know there was a map showing his route, and I think it went straight down the middle of the state.)
or
for those of you in NYC, have you read Zone One? I've read a lot of books set in NYC (haven't we all?!) but this is the one that pops into my head first when I think "books set in NYC!"
what did you think of the books' evocation of place, etc?
Mod
I love Saga! when that series is complete, I'm going to go back and binge read the whole thing, from start to finish!
I've been doing the Popsugar Challenge since February but this is my first time on GR. This week I finished 5 books, which brings me to 16/50.Frankenstein - 37. A book you meant to read in 2017 but didn't get to
The Silkworm - 3. The next book in a series you started
Halloween Magic & Mayhem - 29. A book about or set on Halloween
The Awakening - 15. A book about feminism
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - 27. A book set on a different planet
QOTW
It depends on the book. I'll read any book which interests me.
Diane wrote: "I know I live in Florida but this week was way too hot (91 degrees). My parents came to visit for a few days so I took them to our new ice cream parlor and ate way too much. It was so good. Befor..."
About the book you have lost track of--you might try the public librarians in Hilton Head. Librarians get that sort of question all the time (I'm a retired librarian), and since it was set there, they may already know about it. Good luck with your search!
I finished 3 books this one. Only one could technically count for the challenge but I'm on the fence about it. I have another book slotted for it that I think will be a better fit.1. Caraval - I wanted to reread this before Legendary comes out. I cannot wait! Highly recommend the audiobook this one.
2. Dolores Claiborne - This was ok
3. Flawless - This is book 2 in the Pretty Little Liars series. I had heard going in that the books are very different from the show so I expected some things, but O M G! I have to say I prefer the show at this point. There was a huge thing at the end of this book that has just devastated me. I could use this one for the LBGTQ+ prompt, but we'll see.
Currently Reading:
1. Obsidio
QOTW - I think I've only read 2 books that were set near me. From what I remember they were good books, but I don't remember them being something that people could get a good feel of the area from. I have Serafina and the Black Cloak on my TBR and it is set on the Biltmore Estate in Asheville so I'm looking forward to reading it. I recently added another book to my TBR but I can't remember the name of it, its a thriller that takes place in the Appalachian mountains I think. I have family in that area so I know it pretty well. Definitely a good place for a thriller.
Nadine wrote: "Theresa wrote: "When you were at Cornell, was there still that French restaurant on the top of the hill where 96B starts its descent into Ithaca proper - it was a converted farmhouse named I think ..."L'Auberge, that's it! I only ate there a couple of times myself for similar reasons.
Tonya wrote: "I finished 3 books this one. Only one could technically count for the challenge but I'm on the fence about it. I have another book slotted for it that I think will be a better fit."I remember trying to read the first book of PLL ages ago and not liking it, I never even finished it. It wasn't a show yet back then, but I remembered the opening scene in the barn from the book. I am tempted to try again, and see if the book series end up being better than the show (which shouldn't be that hard; the final few seasons were a chore to get through and I was so happy when it was finally over, yet angry at the big reveal because just no), but now I wonder haha! I added the first book back to my TBR, so we'll see if I ever get to it!
Thanks to the spring snow storm we had, I got a lot of extra reading time in this week. Finished:
* ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ We're Going to Need More Wine: Stories by Gabrielle Union, while it didn't fit any unfinished PopSugar prompts for me, I was able to use it for the Modern Mrs. Darcy and BookRiot challenges I'm also working on;
* ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Audacity Jones Steals the Show by Kirby Larson, which I'd picked up as an Agatha nominee read. I have it tentatively slated for "a book with an ugly cover" but I feel bad using a children's book for that prompt, so I may end up using something else;
* ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Snowblind by Ragnar Jónasson, which I'm using for the "Nordic noir" prompt;
* ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore by Matthew J. Sullivan, which I'm using for "a book with a time of day in the title." I also used it for the Modern Mrs. Darcy prompt "a book recommended by someone with great taste" since my Mom recommended it;
* ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie, which I'm using for "a book made into a movie you've already seen." This is one of those classics that I had been meaning to read forever; I managed to see the latest movie adaptation before I picked it up and really enjoyed looking for the clues even though I knew the ending.
Currently Reading:
* Mercury's Rise by Ann Parker, which I don't think will fit any PopSugar prompts but will work for a BookRiot prompt (a western);
* Dead Water by Ann Cleeves, which doesn't fit any unfinished prompts, but would've worked for "the next book in a series you started." I'm hoping to finish this one and the next one in the series before a mystery conference I'm attending in April; and,
* Manderley Forever by Tatiana de Rosnay, which I'm reading since it was nominated for an Agatha (best non-fiction). I'm listening to the audio version and am hoping that I can get through all 13 hours before it's due back to the library. I don't get a lot of listening time typically, which is why this will be a challenge for me. I finished Part One, which was 2 hours, and will try to knock out another hour or so later today.
I picked up And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie at the library yesterday, but plan to finish up one of the books already in progress before starting this one.
That brings my totals to 22/40 and 2/10 for this challenge, and 41/75 for my overall Goodreads Reading Challenge.
QotW:
Do you like to read books set in the area that you live (or have lived)? I enjoy reading books set in areas where I currently live and have lived previously. Of the places I've lived, I'd say that I'm most drawn to books set in DC since I grew up in the suburbs and went to college there. I especially like when authors include local details that help bring the story to life and evoke memories of places I've been. I tend to like any book with a strong sense of place and in which the location becomes a character, even if it's a location I've never been to before.
Carmen wrote: "Tonya wrote: "I finished 3 books this one. Only one could technically count for the challenge but I'm on the fence about it. I have another book slotted for it that I think will be a better fit."..."
I never finished the show. I still have to watch the last season so I have no idea who A really is. The characters are very different in the books, their personalities, physical descriptions. Idk if I'll read all 16? books but I'm going to at least read books 3 and 4 since I own them.
AF wrote: "Dani wrote: "Unauthorized Cinnamon wrote: "Fangirl - pretty sure I'm going to be tarred and feathered, but so far I hate all the characters. Cath is such a sad sack, and none of it reads as remotel..."A friend recommended Carry On to me. I had never read another book by Rowell, but I loved this one. It would also fit well in the "LGBTQ+" category if you haven't filled that one yet.
Tonya wrote: "I never finished the show. I still have to watch the last season so I have no idea who A really is. The characters are very different in the books, their personalities, physical descriptions. Idk if I'll read all 16? books but I'm going to at least read books 3 and 4 since I own them."Sounds a lot like The Vampire Diaries then! I adored those books, but besides character's names and Damon and Stefan being vampires, it's completely different. I used to love the show, but once again, was glad it was over. Those last few seasons were a struggle.
Good luck with watching the final season of PLL if you ever do! I hope you'll love it, or at least like it, because no one should have to feel like watching something is a chore. I just wish it happened to me less often haha!
Theresa wrote: "Rachelnyc wrote: " also can't resist reading pretty much anything set in Paris because it's my favorite city in the world. .."Same here! I even pull out my tattered and worn Plan de Paris to look..."
Oh I love those map booklets! I sometimes mark spots in google maps so that I can visit the spot when in the neighborhood.
Carmen wrote: "Tonya wrote: "I never finished the show. I still have to watch the last season so I have no idea who A really is. The characters are very different in the books, their personalities, physical descr..."haha well at this point I'm hooked enough to finish PLL. I loved Vampire Diaries too but I gave up on the show. It just got too repetitive.
Currently ReadingKindred by Octavia Butler (13. A book about time travel)
QOTW
I lived in New York my whole life before moving to Florida. I enjoy reading about my old home remembering the sights and longing to go back. I haven't found a good book set here in Florida (yet)
Can someone recommend me some good books set in the 2000s? It's for the "book set in the decade you were born in" prompt and I can't seem to find any good ones that I actually want to read.
Asita wrote: "Can someone recommend me some good books set in the 2000s? It's for the "book set in the decade you were born in" prompt and I can't seem to find any good ones that I actually want to read."I checked your profile; you Read shelf holds a lot of books I loved :) I see two Dan Browns but not The Da Vinci Code ... that would fit the bill. Also, you have The Kite Runner on your TBR list, which was published in 2004 and is also set in that decade, as far as I know.
This list may also help:
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/5...
I know it's books PUBLISHED, not SET in the 2000s, but with the exception of The Hunger Games et al., I'm guessing that many will be set in the decade they were actually written :)
I've been busy:Das dunkle Spiel ("The Dark Game"; not published in English)
For the "based on a real person" prompt of the ATY challenge. I think I already described it last week at the check-in: a literary fiction focused on fin-de-siècle Vienna, with political intrigue and a secret society at its core, and the Bohemian/Austrian composer-conductor Gustav Mahler in the center of it. Beautiful!
Kasperle auf Burg Himmelhoch ("Kasperle at Sky-High Castle"; not published in English)
The second book in a series of children's books by a German author, Josephine Siebe, who is lamentably all but forgotten nowadays. I loved the first book as a child but had never until now read the other ones. Read for the "A book you expect to make you laugh" prompt of the ATY challenge., and boy, did it live up to that expectation!
Wolkenschloss ("Cloud Castle"; not (yet) published in English)
The latest by German YA author Kerstin Gier; a cozy standalone read set in an aging grand hotel in the Swiss Alps and told through the eyes of the intern. Sweet, funny, engaging, and very warm and fluffy. Read for the ATY prompt "A book you have high expectations or hope for."
Schlusstakt ("Closing Chord" or "Final Bar"; not published in English)
YA thriller by German thriller author Arno Strobel, read for the ATY prompt "A suggestion from the AtY 2018 polls, that didn't win but was polarizing or a close-call" ("A book related to music"). It is set on the set of a casting show in the vein of "American Idol" etc. where candidates are treated badly, tensions rise, and it all culminates in murder. A quick, suspenseful read, but not quite up to the standard of his "grown-up" thrillers.
QOTW:
My hometown is a medium-sized Northern German town of 70,000+ inhabitants, not too small, not exactly big, either, but picturesque and popular with tourists because it remained completely undestroyed during WW2 ... but there are not too many books set there, so I do enjoy it when it comes up as a location every now and then.
Mod
Kindred by Octavia Butler (13. A book about time travel)
QOTW
I lived in New York my whole life before moving to Florida. I enjoy reading about my old home remembering the sights..."
Two rather weird speculative fiction books set in Florida:
Fathom
Wakulla Springs (this is a free tor short, but it's a long short so it's more like a short novella): https://www.tor.com/2013/10/02/wakull...
Theresa wrote: "@Judy - if you posted your reading list in the group, would you share what number you are? I like seeing what others who have completed the challeng have read for prompts that are giving me fits."Of course. It's message 201, top of page 5. Seems like that was part of the final "I did it" post last year. Maybe I should go back and add it.
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Nadine wrote: "Yeah I did not copy that question for the list # over from last year because it seemed like half the members who commented said they never posted a list, so it didn't seem to be a good fit for all."OK, that makes sense.
Does this group get empty towards the end of the year or do people carry on with their weekly updates even after they're completed? I only ask because I'm pacing myself to take the whole year but so many people seem to be about half way already!
Ellie, you can rest assured that I won't finish till the end of the year. I think I'm 11/52 so in this pace and with the knowledge of myself and deadlines I'll finish the 31st December (if all goes well)
But I've been wondering the same, so I'm glad I'm not alone...
Mod
Asita wrote: "Can someone recommend me some good books set in the 2000s? It's for the "book set in the decade you were born in" prompt and I can't seem to find any good ones that I actually want to read.""The Kite Runner" is mostly set in the 2000's, but it can tend to be pretty heavy. I love the "Inkheart" books, which are also set in the 2000's. "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" is another heavy one, but it is great. Or "Angels & Demons."
Hi everyone,I've just finished Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology. I knew a bit about Scientology from different documentaries and Leah's show but reading about it from the perspective of a former member was so interesting.
I think the only prompt this can fit is containinEarth Incg song lyrics.
I'm nearly done with Scythe and have made zero progress on Earth Inc
QOTW
I would love to but I don't think I've ever read a book set where I live! The closest I think I've got is characters from (not even books set in) Liverpool or Manchester, both of which are about 25 miles away.
Mod
Your question made me curious about the statistics, because even though it seems like everyone is so far ahead, I didn't think most people finish early.
For the 2017 challenge, out of 134 people who posted their finish date (keeping in mind that this is not a peer-reviewed study ;-) and I may have missed one or two and/or counted some people twice):
less than 1% finished before June
10% finished in July & Aug
13% finished in Sept
13% finished in Oct
25% finished in Nov
36% finished in Dec
2% finished in 2018
For the 2016 challenge, almost 60% of the responders finished in December.
Melissa wrote: "Currently ReadingKindred by Octavia Butler (13. A book about time travel)
QOTW
I lived in New York my whole life before moving to Florida. I enjoy reading about my old home remembering the sights..."
If you live in southern Florida you could try a book by Carl Hiaasen. I've only read one of his but it was a fun, quirky, local read. The one I read, Nature Girl, takes place in the Everglades and surrounding areas on both coasts.
Ellie wrote: "Does this group get empty towards the end of the year or do people carry on with their weekly updates even after they're completed? I only ask because I'm pacing myself to take the whole year but s..."I post all year long, both challenge and non-challenge reading, figuring that even my non-challenge reading might interest someone -- just as what folks read in general interests me. In the past it has taken me pretty much all year to finish the Pop Sugar challenge. I inevitably go on a couple of what I call 'challenge vacation' where I read anything except books for challenge...thus slowing me down, but also reinvigorating me for challenge.
I set quarterly goals for myself so I don't end up with 20 books to read at the end of the year, lol. So far I'm way ahead this quarter but I've been mostly reading books that are 300 pages or less, which I go through very quickly. However, that will grind to a halt soon as I have a couple of 'big' reads planned.
Asita wrote: "Can someone recommend me some good books set in the 2000s? It's for the "book set in the decade you were born in" prompt and I can't seem to find any good ones that I actually want to read."I too looked at your TBR list and saw you have The Hate U Give - that fits I think and was one of the best books I read in 2017.
Also, I think you would like C. A. Belmond's series that starts with A Rather Lovely Inheritance - published in 2007 and contemporaneous to then.
Also, any of Tana French's Dublin Murder Squad series. The first is In the Woods which also was published in 2007 and I recall it as being contemporaneous to then.
Nadine wrote: "Heather wrote: "... The Secrets of Mary Bowser, which is a novel based on a real person but I've already ticked that prompt. This is an imagining of the life of real Union spy Mary Bowser, who was ..."It is sitting on my Kindle! I picked it up on sale after the gals at Smart Bitches, Trashy Books raved about it so much. Definitely bumping it up in the queue!
I finished in July last year, but I continued posting what I read. I figured something I read might help someone else with their prompts, and I like the community. :)
Johanne wrote: "But I've been wondering the same, so I'm glad I'm not alone..."DITTO.
Rachael wrote: "Hi everyone,I've just finished Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology. I knew a bit about Scientology from different documentaries and Leah's show but reading about it ..."
Liverpool and Manchester happy memories. I studied at both unis back in the 90s.
Judy wrote: "Of course. It's message 201, top of page 5. Seems like that was part of the final "I did it" post last year. Maybe I should go back and add it. "Judy, what do the K and O abbreviations mean on your post, if you don't mind me asking?
Okay guys, one of my books from the library has been put on hold by someone else, so I only have 7 more days to read it before I need to return it (I don't really want fees ha).Do you think The Crown: The inside history would count for a microhistory?
Mod
Nadine wrote: "I am not an expert on what "microhistory" means (and I confess I'm also still very confused about what is and is not an "allegory" but that's neither here nor there), so I might be wrong, but I thi..."Same. As a non-native English speaker some of the terms in the prompts mean absolutely nothing to me, no matter how often I read and reread the meaning of it. The microhistory is one that legit boggles my mind, because to me, a biography is a microhistory in its own way haha! I've had Testament of Youth slotted, and Out of Rushmore's Shadow: The Luigi del Bianco Story - An Italian Immigrant's Unsung Role as Chief Carver, but I'd have to buy the latter and I'm low on funds (and am gonna be for the next 4-5 months at least).
Ohwell. I'd hoped The Crown would have fit an unfilled prompt, but I guess I'll have to read it without one. If I really wanted I could stretch the 'movie you've already seen' to a 'tv series', but we'll see. It was worth a shot!
Nadine wrote: "I am not an expert on what "microhistory" means (and I confess I'm also still very confused about what is and is not an "allegory" but that's neither here nor there), so I might be wrong, but I thi..."I think of a microhistory as a biography of a thing or place or period of time - i.e. I'm planning to read Salt: A World History or Periodic Tales: A Cultural History of the Elements, from Arsenic to Zinc. It's essentially a very narrow study.
The Wikipedia definition for a microhistory includes individuals and thus I think The Crown might qualify. Here's a link to the Wikipedia definition which lists a bunch of noted authors of microhistories - perhaps look at the books they have written and compare to what you want to read? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microhi...
@Nadine - I'm reading my allegory now - will finish in time for this week's check-in. Perhaps I'll start a discussion of what is an allegory? I had to do some research myself.
@Theresa, thank you, I'll look into that tomorrow/later today (it's five minutes past midnight haha)! The Dutch wiki also mentioned individual people, hence my confusion. You just gave me some hope on completing this prompt; now I can sleep peacefully heh.
Nadine wrote: "Your question made me curious about the statistics, because even though it seems like everyone is so far ahead, I didn't think most people finish early...."Well that's a relief! Thanks for the stats :)
Nadine wrote: "Chrissi wrote: "I've gone from Chicago to Shanghai to Hong Kong and then next year is still a big question mark as to where I'll land...."Wow! what kind of job leads to travel every year or so li..."
I'm a teacher in international schools - I lived in Shanghai for three years, Hong Kong for three, and am moving on to another place next year, TBD still. :)
Mod
Wow! what kind of job leads to travel ever..."
that is fascinating! How do you end up with a job like that? did you plan for it? What subject do you teach? Do you work for one company and they move you around, or do you choose the schools you will go to?
Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
Periodic Tales: A Cultural History of the Elements, from Arsenic to Zinc (other topics)Salt: A World History (other topics)
Out of Rushmore's Shadow: The Luigi Del Bianco Story – An Italian Immigrant's Unsung Role as Chief Carver (other topics)
Testament of Youth (other topics)
The Crown: The inside history (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Carl Hiaasen (other topics)Josephine Siebe (other topics)
Kerstin Gier (other topics)
Arno Strobel (other topics)
Agatha Christie (other topics)
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Shot All to Hell: Bad Ass Outlaws, Gunfighters, and Law Men of the Old WestShot All to Hell: Bad Ass Outlaws, Gunfighters, and Law Men of the Old West for the "True Crime" slot. I figured how could I go wrong with a stories of outlaws and gunfighters from the wild west, but I found it pretty boring, and really slow reading. I forced myself to finish it, not getting any other reading done till I did. (Since Thursday, when I finished it, I've finished another 3, but that will wait for next week).
Born in bred in NYC, and living for most of my life in Jerusalem, it's not rare for me to read books located in these places, but they don't always relate to my part of the world within these places. However, this year I read two books of a trilogy that takes place in Jerusalem, and was thrilled to find so many places that I am personally familiar with(the coffee shop around the corner from my daughter's apartment, restaurants that I've eaten at, hospitals I've visited, stores I patronize, etc). It made it feel so personal!!! The books An Unexpected Afterlife: A Satire and An Accidental Messiah were a fun read. I enjoyed the satire and how close to home it was.