24 - a book that takes place in a single day

[Lilith]

I'm counting any period of 24 continuous hours as a single day, so The Mercy Seat by Elizabeth Hartley Winthrop will work.

[Lynette]

Monica wrote: "A Christmas Carol begins on Christmas Eve and ends on Christmas Day, so I do not consider it to be a book that takes place in a single day."

I love how the Popsugar prompts can be more interpretive than we first think. For example, "a single day" actually works for individual judgement - one can take it to mean sun-up to sundown, or to mean within a 24-hour period. . . or even numerous repetitions of the same day, either Groundhog Day style or as a given date year after year.

Ultimately, the PopSugar challenge is not a competition, and can be interpreted and used however each reader wants. It's wonderful. :)

[Drakeryn]

Personally, I count it as any 24-hour period. I had this same interpretation issue with the previous prompt "a book you can read in a day," since there were several books I started in the evening and finished the next morning.

[Katy]

Drakeryn wrote: "Personally, I count it as any 24-hour period. I had this same interpretation issue with the previous prompt "a book you can read in a day," since there were several books I started in the evening a..."

On the book you can read in a day, I think you were covered anyway. Because the prompt said that you can read it in a day, not that you have to read it in a day.

[Monica]

This is what wikipedia says:

"A Christmas Carol opens on a bleak, cold Christmas Eve in London"

"Scrooge awakens on Christmas morning a changed man"

"The following day he gives Cratchit an increase in pay"

So it seems that the book begins on December 24 and ends on December 26. I really don't see how anyone can count it as a 24 hour period.

"Ultimately, the PopSugar challenge is not a competition, and can be interpreted and used however each reader wants." I guess that means that "a book that takes place in a single day" means "a book that starts on one day and ends two days later." That's some interpretation. Then why not read a book that takes place over, say, a year, and claim "But it fits the category, because that's how I interpret it?"

[Raquel (Silver Valkyrie Reads)]

Monica wrote: "This is what wikipedia says:

"A Christmas Carol opens on a bleak, cold Christmas Eve in London"

"Scrooge awakens on Christmas morning a changed man"

"The following day he gives Cratchit an incre..."

I'm all for being super strict on prompts, myself--I even made some similar comments on the 'set in space thread' at one point about how the prompt still has to mean something--but you seem awfully upset about this and I'm not sure why?

I think most people remember the main 24 hour period of the book (which is still a reasonable interpretation of 'one day' regardless of calendar days) and may not have remembered that the last bit takes place outside of the time span when suggesting it. It's understandable oversight, I think.

[Monica]

Ha ha ha! I'm not upset at all. Rather, I'm amused at people who claim that they are following a reading challenge and then refuse to admit that a book they say fits a particular category actually does not fit that category. Why not put this book in the category "Read a Book During the Season it is Set In?" Because you can be absolutely certain that the book takes place in only one season, and you can be absolutely certain that the season is winter.

Okay, it's "understandable oversight" to forget that the book actually takes place from December 24 to December 26, which I refuse to acknowledge is a 24 hour period, but when that fact is pointed out, I find it very amusing that people don't want to say that they were wrong about the book and that they will choose another book to fulfill the challenge. It's not as if there haven't been plenty of examples provided. But if they insist of reading books that don't satisfy the challenges, then what is the point of claiming to want to take the PopSugar challenge? They should just read any old books they want to - and there's nothing wrong with that.

Really, the whole thing makes me laugh. And not just me - I've told a bunch of people that there are people who think that a book that took place from December 24 to December 26 took place in a single day, or over a 24 hour period. "Don't they know how to count?" I was asked. I guess not. They all think it's really really funny.

[Vanessa]

Kit wrote: "I'll be going with Evelyn Hardcastle. One I've wanted to read for quite sometime and just bought it off Amazon. Hurrah! :)"

I just finished this after waiting quite a while to get it from the library, I really enjoyed reading it and had already recommended it to multiple people before I was even halfway through.

[Karen]

I finished with On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous. The book is his son writing a letter to his mother. It tells the ztory of their lives but I don't see any evidence of the timeline of the actual writing of the letter. Anyone think this might fit for takes place in a day?

[Katy]

Karen wrote: "I finished with On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous. The book is his son writing a letter to his mother. It tells the ztory of their lives but I don't see any evidence of the timeline o..."

My personal opinion is no. The timeline for the book is their lives.

[Wifey]

A. L. Kennedys Serious Sweet would fit there as well, as it takes place in one day.
I do like her writing a lot and this book was very good in places but in total I could not really get into it.

[jaadhimalli]

I finished 'Gideon's day' for this topic.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7...

[Erica]

So I used A Darker Shade of Magic for this prompt. It's the closest book, that I'll read, for completing this challenge. It's like 95% or more the same day.

[Christy]

Monica wrote: "Ha ha ha! I'm not upset at all. Rather, I'm amused at people who claim that they are following a reading challenge and then refuse to admit that a book they say fits a particular category actually ..."

Because some people are using it more for motivation to read more than to worry about being strict about prompts.
Because maybe a prompt reminded someone strongly of a book they've been meaning to read for ages, and the prompt is giving them an excuse to get around to it even if it doesn't strictly fit.
Because filling out forms is fun!

People have a lot of reasons for interpreting prompts less strictly, and they don't deserve to be laughed at by you and your friends and be accused of not knowing how to count. That's pretty unkind.

[Sarah]

I had a look at my copy of A Christmas Carol and it is literally one page which isn't within a 24 hour period so it's up to you how strict you want to be.

Personally, I don't really like Charles Dickens so I would say look elsewhere any way :D

[Katy]

Sarah wrote: "I had a look at my copy of A Christmas Carol and it is literally one page which isn't within a 24 hour period so it's up to you how strict you want to be.

Personally, I don't really like Charles ..."

That makes me sad. I love Dickens. I've read all his novels. And the only ones I didn't care for were Martin Chuzzlewit, Little Dorrit and Great Expectations. And, I had to read Great Expectations for school and figure that might be why I didn't like it. I should give it another go.

[Sarah]

Katy wrote: "Sarah wrote: "I had a look at my copy of A Christmas Carol and it is literally one page which isn't within a 24 hour period so it's up to you how strict you want to be.

Personally, I don't really..."

Haha, my sister-in-law loves him too and keeps trying to get me to like him. I've read A Christmas Carol, Great Expectations and Oliver Twist and didn't like any of them. Do you have any recommendations?

[Christy]

Sarah wrote: "Katy wrote: "Sarah wrote: "I had a look at my copy of A Christmas Carol and it is literally one page which isn't within a 24 hour period so it's up to you how strict you want to be.

Personally, I..."
I know you didn't ask me, but I recommend Bleak House! Dickens is my favorite when he's talking about people he doesn't like--the "good" characters can get really treacly, like Li'l Em'ly in David Copperfield--and Bleak House is full of terrible people getting skewered.

[Katy]

Sarah wrote: "Katy wrote: "Sarah wrote: "I had a look at my copy of A Christmas Carol and it is literally one page which isn't within a 24 hour period so it's up to you how strict you want to be.

Personally, I..."

I agree with Christy. Bleak House is very good. My favorite is Dombey and Son, but that's a lesser known work, so I'm probably wrong. If you just want a good laugh the Pickwick Papers are funny. But, if you don't like him, you don't like him. We all have our own tastes.

[Emanuel]

maybe I'll read After Dark. found it on a goodreads' list.

[Raquel (Silver Valkyrie Reads)]

Katy wrote: "Sarah wrote: "I had a look at my copy of A Christmas Carol and it is literally one page which isn't within a 24 hour period so it's up to you how strict you want to be.

Personally, I don't really..."

My husband's parents say that Great Expectations is the worst Dickens book, and that schools always seem to pick the worst book by an author to make everyone read. :-) I haven't read it yet myself, but I usually find that the most famous/popular work by a classic author is my least favorite.

[Cassie]

I saw The Dinner by Hermen Koch recommend here, and I picked it up for this challenge. Most of it takes place within 24 hours. The last chapter briefly includes events from the next several months, though. If you are wanting to be strict about the 1 day rule, you may want to stay away.

[Britany]

Finished Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

My Review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Emanuel]

I read After Dark

[The Chapter Conundrum (Stacey)]

I haven't seen it mentioned anywhere in this thread yet but I just finished reading If I Stay by Gayle Forman and it takes place within a 24 hour time period; in fact the chapter headings are the times throughout that day. There are some memories/flashbacks throughout the book for additional context but they're clearly memories. :)

It's another suggestion for the people here looking for a YA title and it's also a very short book (150ish pages) for anyone looking for a quicker read.

**Also just a warning, it has a couple mildly graphic/somewhat gory short descriptions in a couple places that not everyone would be thrilled about if they are really not into reading that kind of thing although it's nothing the average person would be upset over.

I wasn't very excited to pick up and read my original choice for this prompt so I'm using this here and shuffling some things around to fill the newly made hole! :P

[Fabrizio]

For this I suggest La Tosca. I really enjoyed it, suggested not only for opera geeks like me!

[Kristin]

Stacey wrote: "I haven't seen it mentioned anywhere in this thread yet but I just finished reading If I Stay by Gayle Forman and it takes place within a 24 hour time period; in fact the chapter hea..."

That's the one I have too. Didn't specifically pick it for the challenge, but I tend to fit prompts to books I read rather than the other way around. Technically, the last timestamp is a few minutes beyond 24 hours after the first, but I'm not nitpicky enough to rule it out because of that.

[SadieReadsAgain]

I read Rachel Cusk's Arlington Park for this. I am always interested in books about the motherhood experience, and now that I'm in my mid-30's I do sometimes seek out stories which speak to my point in life. This book did that...though not in an entirely comfortable way. I loved that this was made up of snapshots from a group of women who live in the same suburb. I did struggle a little to distinguish some of them though, and I did feel that there wasn't a lot of diversity in either their lifestyles or their approach to their lives. I think my favourites were Solly with her lodgers, and Juliet with her school book group, and I wished there had been more to their strands through the book. I've read a few of Cusk's books now, and I absolutely love her writing and the way she can capture and put into words a feeling or sense that was previously intangible. But I do struggle with a certain coldness to her approach, which at times verges on remoteness and detachment. This is the first of her fiction books I've read, and that coolness creates a barrier around the characters. I struggled to feel anything for most of them due to that (and the fact that I have a bit of issue with privilege problems, which this book is rammed with). I wanted more from this book, but it just never quite lost the chill for me.

[Emily]

Can I count Today Will Be Different by Maria Semple?

[Rebecca]

The Dinner

I used this book. It isn't over an entire day and flashes back and forth to previous events, but the main story is at one meal, so I thought it would count.

[Alexandra]

Does “The Light We Lost” by Jill Santopolo fit in this category?
I kind of think it does because the story is told in one day, even though it happens over a lifetime.

[Gulbeste]

The Winner Stands Alone

[Lynette]

OK, so Neverworld Wake does NOT actually fit this prompt. The bulk of the book centers on a time-loop, but the first chapter spans a summer, and the final chapter is an undefined period of time after the time-loop occurrence.

So, thanks to the person who posted the cue for La Tosca. I've never read an opera libretto before, and found it quite entertaining. You can even find it free online, and in English. :) Link to English version of La Tosca

[Leona]

Britany wrote: "Finished Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

My Review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show......"

I downloaded from Project Gutenberg and read it today. Thanks for the suggestion.

[Britany]

Anytime Leona!

[Kirsty]

Does anyone know if When All is Said by Anne Griffin fits this prompt? It’s about a man at a bar giving toasts to the most important people in his life all in one night. But as he gives the toasts he tells stories about them which happened in the past, so I’m not sure. The majority of the book is him telling stories from his past, while still sitting at the bar in the present.

[L Y N N]

Kirsty wrote: "Does anyone know if When All is Said by Anne Griffin fits this prompt? It’s about a man at a bar giving toasts to the most important people in his life all in one night. But as he gives the toasts ..."

Sounds like it works!