Popsugar wants to know your favorite challenge book!

[Rochelle]

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee for the prompt "Author of a different ancestry than you.

It took me to another place and another time and taught me about a period of history that I did not know much about. Min Jin Lee is a beautiful writer.

[Rachel]

Is it too late to change my answer? Seriously considering it since I read another book for this challenge that is also a favourite, although in a different way from the one I already picked.

[Harry]

Since there's no reading police & it's your list, go right ahead.

[Elisabeth]

Title/author of a favorite book you read for this year's challenge: Autoboyography by Christina Lauren

Prompt you used it for: A book by two authors

Two to three sentences on why you loved it: The authors just drew me in and had me rooting for these boys who fall for each other in a Mormon community - one of them the son of a bishop. The struggle between wanting to follow your heart and by doing so going against everything you were taught to believe (that being gay is a sin) was beautifully, heart-wrenchingly, portrayed.

[Rachel]

Elisabeth wrote: "Title/author of a favorite book you read for this year's challenge: Autoboyography by Christina Lauren

Prompt you used it for: A book by two authors

Two to three sentences on why ..."

Great choice! I read this one for another challenge, and it's easily one of my favourites of the year.

[Sonali]

Title/author of a favorite book you read for this year's challenge: The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer by Siddhartha Mukherjee

Prompt you used it for: A book about death or grief

Two to three sentences on why you loved it: A gripping narrative of mankind's fight against cancer. It spans from the earliest documented instances of cancer in humans to how scientists and doctors have tried to understand its nature, causes and potential cure. This book helps one understand this "not so modern" killer in a much better manner.

[Rachel]

Title/author of a favorite book you read for this year's challenge: This is How It Always Is

Prompt you used it for: A book you meant to read in 2017 but didn't get to

Two to three sentences on why you loved it: Because it gave me a profoundly moving insight and appreciation (albeit fictional) into the life of a transgender child and their family. My first 5 star read of 2018, love it and recommended to many people since.

[Nichelle]

Title/author of a favorite book you read for this year's challenge: The Thing About Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin

Prompt you used it for: A book about death or grief

Two to three sentences on why you loved it:
I was dreading this prompt because I don't like to read sad books but this one didn't feel sad. I like how the author gave the background of what happened before the main character's friend died. I gave it five stars and would recommend it to a middle grade child who has lost a friend.

[Trish]

Definitely The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng, which I used for the "A book by an author of a different ethnicity than you" prompt.

Every so often you read a book which is so well written that you find yourself utterly drawn into it. For me, this is one of those books. Beautifully written, evocative and poignant, covering difficult topics (memory loss, Japan in WWII) without being sensational about it. Definitely a five-star read.

[Jen]

Big Bang by Simon Singh
prompt was a book you meant to read in 2017 but didn't get to.

I also meant to read it in 2016 and 2015 but didn't get to it. I picked this as my favourite book because I really enjoyed it, felt I learnt something new and properly understood some things I didn't before and was really pleased I finally got round to reading it. There were other 5 star reads but they were just enjoyable without the learning or sense of achievement of actually finishing the book this time.

[Cheryl]

The one prompt that I didn't think I would enjoy that I ended up loving was "a book set at sea". I read Michael Ondaatje's "The Cat's Table" and I LOVED IT!! Had it not been for this prompt in the challenge I probably never would have picked up this book. Now I need to go read another book by this author.....

[Charlsa]

Title/author of a favorite book you read for this year's challenge:

Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie

Prompt you used it for:

A book with a time of day in the title

Two to three sentences on why you loved it:

I like the timeframe of the story, the setting, the contrasts of the main characters situations, and I like the magical realism that was woven throughout the book.

[Danielle]

Title/author of a favorite book you read for this year's challenge: The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz

Prompt you used it for: A book by an author of a different ethnicity than you

Two to three sentences on why you loved it: Geek heaven!!! I geeked over all the references plus I learned so much of Dominican history that I never was aware of. Finding an online guide for some of the Spanish slang helped too.

[Jai]

Title/author of a favorite book you read for this year's challenge:
American Gods

Prompt you used it for:
A book involving a heist

Two to three sentences on why you loved it:
I really loved this book because i listened to it and it was a full cast performance. The story was rich and exciting and I loved how everything progressed. It's my favorite books by this author.

[Jen]

Big Bang Simon Singh.

I had meant to read it for several years but always got a little way in and got distracted because it required concentration and people/pets kept needing my attention as they died. This time I got to actually get into it and found it really well explained and useful for new ideas for teaching those concepts myself. There were also some really interesting little side-notes about some of the physicists which I had never heard/read before.

[txncupcake]

Title/author of a favorite book you read for this year's challenge:
The Elephant Whisperer: My Life with the Herd in the African Wild by Lawrence Anthony

Prompt you used it for: A book with an animal in the title

Two to three sentences on why you loved it: It gave me a greater insight on my favorite animal, the elephant. You grow to fall further in love with this majestic animal as the author transports you through his journey (and theirs) while living on an African reserve.

[Kim]

I've had so many great books this challenge (and I haven't finished yet) that it is hard to pick just one. I'm torn between "A Man Called Ove" for A book made into a movie you've already seen, or "Lamb, The Gospel According to Biff" for A book with an animal in the title.

[Amanda]

I loved Little Fires Everywhere. I used it for the local author prompt because I live in Cleveland and she lived in a Cleveland suburb for several years of her childhood (where the book takes place).

I fell in love with Ng's character development and in-depth analyses of the characters' pasts. They were fleshed out so that everyone had both contemptuous and admirable traits about them. It's not a fast paced novel, but the story line is well thought out and I couldn't put it down.

[Miranda]

Hard to choose because I have enjoyed so many, and still have several I am looking forward to reading between now and the end of the year. But thus far, I think I’ll go with...


Title/author of a favorite book you read for this year's challenge: The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Daniel James Brown

Prompt you used it for: A book about or involving a sport

Two to three sentences on why you loved it: The bond between the boys in the boat and their long journey to the 1936 Olympics was so intriguing and heart-warming. I never would’ve expected to be riveted by a book about rowing, but this book showed me that sometimes the unexpected is exactly what I need. I’m looking forward to seeing the film-version in a few years!

[Sara Grace]

Would still like to hear what everyone's favorite books were if anyone has any left to share! This is how I really find new books to add for next year for fun!

[Kym]

PopSugar 2018 Update - 40/50 complete...

1. A book made into a movie you’ve already seen The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd 4-stars
2. True crime
3. The next book in a series you started The Forgotten Holocaust by Scott Mariani 3-stars
4. A book involving a heist
5. Nordic noir The Thirst by Jo Nesbo 5-stars
6. A novel based on a real person In the Name of the Family by Sarah Dunant 3-stars
7. A book set in a country that fascinates you In Xanadu: A Quest by William Dalrymple 4-stars
8. A book with a time of day in the title Horses of the Night by Geoffrey Aggeler 3-stars
9. A book about a villain or antihero Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee 4-stars
10. A book about death or grief The First Immortal by James L Halperin 4-stars
11. A book with a female author who uses a male pseudonym Naked in Death by J.D. Robb (Nora Roberts) 3-stars
12. A book with an LGBTQ+ protagonist The Party by Elizabeth Day 4-stars
13. A book that is also a stage play or musical Murder In Three Stages: Black Coffee, Spider's Web, The Unexpected Guest by Agatha Christie and Charles Osborne 4-stars
14. A book by an author of a different ethnicity than you Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi 3-stars
15. A book about feminism Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu 4-stars
16. A book about mental health Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman 5-stars
17. A book you borrowed or that was given to you as a gift Not Just Lucky by Jamila Rizvi 4-stars
18. A book by two author The Slight Edge: Turning Simple Disciplines into Massive Success and Happiness by Jeff Olson & John David Mann 5-stars
19. A book about or involving a sport
20. A book by a local author
21. A book with your favorite color in the title My Purple Scented Novel by Ian McEwan 4-stars
22. A book with alliteration in the title Insidious Intent by Val McDermid 5-stars
23. A book about time travel Outlander by Diana Gabaldon 4-stars
24. A book with a weather element in the title Into the Thickening Fog by Andrey Gelasimov 1-star
25. A book set at sea The Cat's Table by Michael Ondaatje 3-stars
26. A book with an animal in the title Wolf Of The Plains by Conn Iggulden 5-stars
27. A book set on a different planet - The Martian by Andy Weir 4-stars
28. A book with song lyrics in the titles Freedom by Jonathan Franzen 2-stars
29. A book about or set in Halloween Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng 4-stars
30. A book with characters who are twins This Bright Beauty by Emily Maine Cavanagh 3-stars
31. A book mentioned in another book Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf (in The Hours) 2-stars
32. A book from a celebrity book club Conclave by Robert Harris (Richard & Judy Book Club) 5-stars
33. A childhood classic you’ve never read - Aesop's Fables 3-stars
34. A book that’s published in 2018 - Collaborative Advantage: How collaboration beats competition as a strategy for successby Paul Skinner 5-stars
35. A past Goodreads Choice Awards winner
36. A book set in the decade you were born - A Single ManA Single Man by Christopher Isherwood - reading
37. A book you meant to read in 2017 but didn’t get to - Too Fast to Think: How our 24/7 Hyper-connected Work Culture is Destroying our Creativity by Chris Lewis 5-stars
38. A book with an ugly cover
39. A book that involves a bookstore or a library Possession by AS Byatt 4-stars
40. You favorite prompt from the 2015, 2016, 2017 PopSugar Reading Challenges Come, Tell Me How You Live by Agatha Christie Mallowan (2015 - A Memoir) 4-stars

Advanced
41. A bestseller from the year you graduated high school
42. A cyberpunk book Ready Player One by Ernest Cline 5-stars
43. A book that was being read by a stranger in a public place Small Great Things by Jodi Piccoult 5-stars
44. A book tied to your ancestry
45. A book with a fruit or vegetable in the title Bitter Orange by Claire Fuller 4-stars
46. An allegory The Richest Man in Babylon by George Clasons 3-stars
47. A book by an author with the same first or last name as you Complicit by Gillian E Hamer 4-stars
48. A microhistory Captain Cook by Oliver Warner 4-stars
49. A book about a problem facing society today Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge 4-stars
50. A book recommended by someone else taking the PopSugar Reading Challenge

[Sherma]

Title/author of a favorite book you read for this year's challenge: The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro

Prompt you used it for: A book by an author of a different ethnicity than you

Two to three sentences on why you loved it: It was the first book I read for the challenge and still is my favorite of the year. The story of Stevens unfolds with ripples rather than crashing waves. I curled up with this book. I got caught up in Stevens' story, that of his employer, Lord Darlington, and his personal struggles.

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[Kym]

PopSugar 2018 Reading Challenge

Progress: 41/50

36. A book set in the decade you were born - A Single Man by Christopher Isherwood (set in California 1962) 3-stars

[Dedra ~ A Book Wanderer]

Title/author of a favorite book you read for this year's challenge: Outlander

Prompt you used it for:
23. A book about time travel.

Two to three sentences on why you loved it: I have had this book for years just sitting on my shelf, taunting me. This prompt finally gave me the courage to pick it up, and I loved it. This book has it all: romance, history, and science fiction.

[Juliebean]

Mine would have to be American Gods by Neil Gaiman.

Prompt: Celebrity Book Club (Felicia Day's)

Neil Gaiman's world building is one of the best that exists, with an immersive quality that causes the worst book hangovers in the world. American Gods manages to be sweet and gory and tender and horrible all at once.

[Kym]

PopSugar 2018 Reading Challenge

Progress: 42/50

20. A book by a local author - Spirit of Gratitude by George Jerjian (lives in London) 4-stars

[Kym]

PopSugar 2018 Reading Challenge

Progress: 43/50

38. A book with an ugly cover - The Secret History by Donna Tartt 5-stars

[StefanieFrei]

Best I read so far ...
Herta Müller: The Hunger Angel, in its original version AtemschaukelThe Hunger Angel
I do not know why I never read this before, especially since she received the Nobel Prize for Literature, It is great, poetic, tough to read as you really feel your way into the hunger and loss in the POW-camps. Nothing to read like at night, alone; I had to take small doses.

[Johanna]

Title/author of a favorite book you read for this year's challenge:
America's First Daughter

Prompt you used it for: A novel based on a real person

Two to three sentences on why you loved it: I love historical fiction, especially set in colonial times. Since I live in Charlottesville, VA, this novel based on Patsy Jefferson really appealed to me as so many places were familiar and I could almost see them happening. We all love anything having to do with Thomas Jefferson down here!

[Kym]

PopSugar 2018 Reading Challenge

Progress: 44/50

19. A book about or involving a sport - Bounce by Matthew Syed 5-stars

[Carol]

Title/author of a favorite book you read for this year's challenge: The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah

Prompt you used it for: A book set in the decade you were born

Two to three sentences on why you loved it: I loved the strength and resilience of the characters. I really cared about what happened to them. This book demonstrates the true power of love, both in positive and negative terms. The untamed and unknown setting of Alaska was also interesting to learn more about.