Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion
2018 Challenge - General
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2018 Challenge - I Didn't Finish!
Sara Grace wrote: "Hey!Just wanted to make a thread for those of us who won't be finishing the challenge this year (I may end up a book or 2 short of the regular challenge!). Still, it is an achievement to keep tru..."
Haha! I thought it was a bit early to say you didn´t finish :)
And yes, still working on it and probably will till the 31st december, if I finish.
Whether or not I finish the challenge depends on Libby. I only have three books left in the challenge and it's doable. November is a crazy month so I know I'll only be able to do audiobooks and that's exactly what I have on hold, two of them are Harry Potter books and the other is I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter . According to Libby I should have the challenge done early to mid December, but I'm not sure. With only three books left to finish, I'll be kind of disappointed if I don't complete the challenge.The three prompts I have left are:
A book made into a movie you've already seen (regular)
A book about or involving a sport (regular), and
A book tied to your ancestry (advanced)
Update:
I completed the challenge!! By some miracle the three books I had on hold were delivered to my phone late November. I was able to complete my last prompt a book made into a movie you've already seen with Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Thanks for doing this Sara Grace! I have three books left and most likely will finish, BUT this challenge isn't so much about finishing as it is about reading more, reading wider and having fun!
I’m not sure I will finish. I still have 7 prompts left. Some from the advanced and some from the regular. I’m so disappointed because 7 books is very much doable for me in the time I have left- but I’m so swamped at work I just haven’t had time. I really thought I would make it this year too.And thanks for making this thread! It’s discouraging seeing how many finished when you don’t think you’ll make it. Like I’m a slacker or something. I mean if I look at overall totals- I read more than the 40 regular prompts... so that’s kind of like finishing right? Lol.
Correction- I have 6 left. Forgot I finished A Wizard of Earthsea for childhood classic you’ve never read.I picked a relatively short book for Nordic Noir.. so I might be able to get that too. And ugly cover and set in the year you were born are both books I really wanted to read. So maybe I can finish out with 3 not done.
I have 12 left... I had given up, but this weekend i swapped some of my planned reads out with graphic novels and picture books. So it might be doable. I just have a lot of review books for work in the autumn and at this point in the year they don't naturally tick any prompts. So we'll see.
I might finish i might not. It matters how you look at it. My goal was the 40 main books. If i go with 40 as my goal i could say any i finish from the advance could take the place of a main prompt. plus i split # 40 in 3 prompts. So if i was trying to finish everything main and advanced i need 13 more books. 5 main and 8 advanced. If i'm just going for any 40 i just need 1 more. i have 39/52 done.
Number wise 13 books is completely doable for me. I have a goal of reading another 28 books before the year is up. BUT its the prompts that would keep me from finishing.
Prompts i still need:
Main-
5. Nordic noir- not happening, i've tried 2 different books by different authors and dnf both
6. A novel based on a real person - placed a hold so hopeful
7. A book set in a country that fascinates you - placed a hold so hopeful
15. A book about feminism - placed a hold so hopeful
17. A book you borrowed or that was given to you as a gift - I dont get books as gfts or borrow from people. I'll probably just throw a library book in here and call it done
Advanced:
1. A bestseller from the year you graduated high school- got ideas
3. A book that was being read by a stranger in a public place
4. A book tied to your ancestry
5. A book with a fruit or vegetable in the title
6. An allegory
7. A book by an author with the same first or last name as you
8. A microhistory - stated a book that could work here or # 9
9. A book about a problem facing society today - stated a book that could work here or # 8
I didn't finish the challenge last year and I let it roll over into January and February. I'll likely do the same again this year. There have been so many new exciting books that have come out this year that I spent time reading even though they weren't for the challenge, but I'm okay with that.
I am not going to finish... I have read 18 books for the prompts. But somehow I end up with books I wanted to read but I can’t place in the challenge. And I am ok with that. I started in the 2017 challenge to get back into reading and that happend, 42 books that year! So now I use the prompts to find new to me books, and that works just great for me!
I really don’t think I am going to finish, which disappoints me. I have 9 prompts left to complete which are all from the advanced section. I am off work now until the weekend, so going to try my best to catch up!
HAHA! I love that we have a thread for this now :-)Im definitely not going to finish but Ive been working on ATY and Book Riot alongside of this, and I did all 52 ATY prompts in picture books with my daughters, AND I started to do a middle grade version of ATY. So my total books read for this year is 125 and counting and I will at least finish the adult ATY version ( already finished the picture books). So I can't be disappointed in myself for that. I over planned for next year as well, because I love to plan, and I carried over whatever I haven't finished from this year ( I finished half of Book Riot, hardly any of PopSugar). My philosophy is it keeps me reading and its fun and I've met a lot of great reading challenge friends, so I don't worry too much about finishing ( especially all of them)
I have two left and I am determined to finish this one and the Book Riot Read Harder challenge (4 left there).1) Local Author
2) Another Planet - reading Red Rising now
Britany wrote: "I have two left and I am determined to finish this one and the Book Riot Read Harder challenge (4 left there).1) Local Author
2) Another Planet - reading Red Rising now"
Almost time to move over to the "I Finished " thread Britany :-)
Congrats!!
I just want to say I love that this is a thread! <3There have been several posts I've seen where you can tell the person is discouraged because they don't think they'll finish the challenge or a specific prompt but I think it's really great that they're still trying and reading what they can! :) Lets face it, life is busy and it can get in the way and nobody should feel like they have to prioritize reading over something else that's important like spending time with family, their job etc.
The whole idea is to diversify your reading or give yourself ideas of what to read in a fun way, and even reading half the prompts you already accomplish that so great job everybody!
Personally I have 2 books left to complete the challenge and I'm currently reading both of them:
The Girl Who Played with Fire for 41/A1) Bestseller from the year I graduated High School (2009) - about 75% done
&
The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith (J.K. Rowling) for 11) Book written by a female author who uses a male pseudonym - a few chapters in (reading a chapter or 2 aloud to boyfriend before bed some nights...he's not at all a reader so I know I'm going to end up finishing this without him but for now it's nice to have an excuse to go to bed early and snuggle up together, especially since it's full on winter here now)
I only have 3 left:female author who uses a male pseudonym
book with a heist
related to your ancestry
give me all of the best recommendations because I'm trying to finish!!
Brittany wrote: "I only have 3 left:female author who uses a male pseudonym
book with a heist
related to your ancestry
give me all of the best recommendations because I'm trying to finish!!"
That's spooky Brittany - I have the same prompts left too!
I'm thinking of reading Heist Society for the heist prompt as it seems like it'll be a quick read and is quite cheap on Kindle.
For the male pseudonym I was thinking of The Silkworm but I wasn't much of a fan of the first book so still keeping my options open on that!
For ancestry I've found a book about the Cocos islands, which is where my grandfather was stationed during the war. This prompt has made me realise how little I know about my family history!
What is your ancestry?I think Heist Society is a great idea for a fast read. I am halfway through The Lies of Locke Lamora and that is a long book.
I had originally planned a long book for the pseudonym (that´s also one I have left), but someone mentioned Andre Norton - and a lot of her books are short - around 200 pages. It´s classic fantasy and sci-fi, so you have to like that.
Here´s a link:
https://theportalist.com/andre-norton...
I did not finish also but 2019 is another try for me.Leona
For those who will not finish this year (me included), will you continue on to the 2019 challenge or finish up the 2018 next year?
I will start with a clean slate, but see if I can fit the books I already have in my physical TBR pile (it´s actually a shelf now) for new prompts. But i haven´t given up! Unless I am only missing like half a book or something, then I will finish in the new year.
Amy wrote: "For those who will not finish this year (me included), will you continue on to the 2019 challenge or finish up the 2018 next year?"I will be starting fresh with the 2019 challenge, If I manage to finish it I will go back and try to complete the remaining 2018 prompts.
I have 5 or 6 prompts left to finish.I was well on my way, but suddenly there was an explosion of new comments to read in this Goodreads group that I'm in...
**easily distrac...Look a squirrel!!**
Brittany wrote: "I only have 3 left:female author who uses a male pseudonym
book with a heist
related to your ancestry
give me all of the best recommendations because I'm trying to finish!!"
Not sure I can help since my male pseudonym book, which I loved, was a doorstop Middlemarch and I disliked my heist book Artemis. What is your ancestry?
I too love that this thread is here and it'll be interesting to see which of the two is longer by the end of the year!
Brittany wrote: "I only have 3 left:female author who uses a male pseudonym
book with a heist
related to your ancestry
give me all of the best recommendations because I'm trying to finish!!"
For the first one I read Mary Poppins.
Kacey wrote: "I might finish i might not. It matters how you look at it. My goal was the 40 main books. If i go with 40 as my goal i could say any i finish from the advance could take the place of a main prompt...."Aren't ALL library books borrowed? So you should have no trouble with that prompt unless you are someone who keeps the books from the library.
Interested to see this thread. I should finish... four prompts to go and I have books in hand for two of them.
Thank you so much for this thread! I have felt bad the last days about my challenges. I tried Book Riot Read Harder, AtY and Popsugar this year and recently had to admit to myself that I won't be able to finish all oft Thema. So I dropped Book Riot and am trying to finish the other two. I have quite a few left, but have lost momentum a bit... I will allow myself to count books for more than one prompt now, but still might not finish. I have read 92 books already this year, though, which is a lot for me!
Yeah Edie the borrow one will be easy to fill i just feel little like i'm cheating putting a library book in there even though i realize its not cheating. I think its because it makes it feel like a free spaceBrittany & LJ
I used Seanan McGuire, not because she ever tried to pretend to be male but because even today she will get people who think she is male because of her name.
for a heist i read With Song. I also looked at books about Robin Hood like Shadows of Sherwood, Hawksmaid: The Untold Story of Robin Hood and Maid Marian, The Outlaws of Sherwood.
As to either start fresh or keep with this list I'll start fresh. I'll still have my spreadsheet so i might fill in any that ft but i wont actively work on 2018 in 2019
I'm not finished either! I'm still working on it but considering how busy the holidays are and how long the books I chose are, I may not finish. You never know, though!
Edie wrote: "Aren't ALL library books borrowed? So you should have no trouble with that prompt unless you are someone who keeps the books from the library. "Definitely. Since I get almost all of my books from the library, I was reluctant to use any of them for this prompt because it didn't seem like I had to try at all. Just my own personal quirk. However, if I had run out of time or didn't have a better option, I would have gone with a library book.
I don't think I'm going to finish. I'm reading at quite a fast rate at the moment but most of my books don't fit any of the prompts and the books I had planned for my remaining prompts really aren't calling me at the moment. I'm left with:Regular
True Crime: I'm really not interested in this genre at all. I read a mob book earlier this year which was very much based on the life and crimes of a real Mexican drug lord so I may just cheat and slot that in here because if True Crime books are anything like True Crime TV shows they are going to bore me to death!
Favourite Colour in the title: My favourite colour is green. I had The Green Road pencilled in for this but its not calling me at the moment
Alliteration in title: I'm going to read A Little Life for this which is a book I'm looking forward to and probably will read before the end of the year
Publised in 2018: I'm planning to join in with the group read of Circe if I can get it from the library
Advanced
Cyberpunk: I'm not really feeling this prompt, I'll probably skip it
An allegory: I'm still not sure what qualifies for this prompt. Some of my unassigned books can probably be forced into this prompt
A book by an author with the same name as you: There are surprisingly few Jessica's on my TBR an definitely no one with my last name. I'll probably skip this
A microhistory I got excited about this prompt at first but I'm no longer really interested. May be another skip
A book recommended by someone else taking the challenge: My plan for this is to plug in all of my unassigned books and hope that someone has recommended one of them on the threads. Here's hoping.
Sarah wrote: "I’m not sure I will finish. I still have 7 prompts left. Some from the advanced and some from the regular. I’m so disappointed because 7 books is very much doable for me in the time I have left- bu..."Same! I had a different job at the beginning of the year where I didn't get as much reading in. I try to only count my print/ebooks as challenge books and not my audiobooks (this is just a personal goal thing).
I can read more with the commute on the train for my new job and have time at lunch to read. I might get to finish the regular prompts, but definitely not the advanced. Sometimes life doesn't work out to get as much reading done! I did 59 print/audio in 2016, 149 in 2017 and it'll be about 100 for 2018. Some years are better than others!
Also I made a goal this year to read more -pages- and have kept a basic excel work book with my reading stats. I've read more pages per book this year than last, and last year I had more of the prompts done. I feel I start filling in books I don't want to read just to fill in because they are short. I'm trying to read longer books each year and more classics, so that takes more time!
Sara Grace wrote: "Sarah wrote: "I’m not sure I will finish. I still have 7 prompts left. Some from the advanced and some from the regular. I’m so disappointed because 7 books is very much doable for me in the time I..."Yup! That’s about what I’ve done- 97 books so far this year. I also was trying to focus more on pages than book totals, but I also read a bunch of graphic novels- which to me don’t equate to reading a full page... so I’m not exactly sure where that leaves me. I’m off next week and I really just want to powerhouse through these!
Monkiecat wrote: "I have only 3 left, so I'll definitely finish :)(even though one of the books is It and it's as much brick as book :D )"
I also have It to finish for the challenge. I am angry with myself for leaving it until the end of the year. I am switching between print and audio based on what else becomes available from the library at that time. Only 30 more hours to go.
I'm going to let the 2018 challenge roll into 2019. I think I'll be able to get a fair bit done before the end of 2018 though since I've got a lot of air travel coming up for the holidays.
This year I actually have a chance to finish, if I power through the last 6 prompts, but I don‘t think I will force it. I‘m doing this challenge for a couple of years now and never finished before. I just like that it forces me out of my comfort zone a bit. If I don‘t manage to finish this year I will make a clean cut and start 2019 with the new list. Too excited for new prompts to keep on with the old ones in 2019 ;-)
There is no way I will finish, but the challenge really helped me to focus my reading and try things I either gave up on before or wouldn't have tried otherwise. In the past I struggled to find the next thing to read when I finished a book, but now I have an awesome "want to read" list of books I can't wait to get to. Props to Goodreads and this community for inspiring me! I'll never get to the 2019 challenge if I insist on finishing 2018 first so I might drop 2018 and move on.
Hayley wrote: "There is no way I will finish, but the challenge really helped me to focus my reading and try things I either gave up on before or wouldn't have tried otherwise. In the past I struggled to find the..."Hayley - I drop it at the end of 2018 and start fresh. Normally the prompts I have left are too much a chore to get into. I still feel like the challenge has helped me expand my reading selections, even if there are a few prompts I couldn't get into.
Starting fresh in 2019 helps me a lot to get excited to read something new. We all get a bit tired of the prompts by Nov/Dec haha!
Not sure I'm going to finish but that's not because I haven't been trying!! I have 5 prompts left and 8 other books I want to finish up this year (for my goodreads goal of 80 books read).
So, I have the number of pages each of those 13 books are. Added that for total number of pages. And divided that total page number by the number of days left in the year. If I read at least 75 pages a day - I can finish all my goals!
(sorry - I work in accounting so numbers, averages, stats are kind of my "thing")
Megan wrote: "Not sure I'm going to finish but that's not because I haven't been trying!! I have 5 prompts left and 8 other books I want to finish up this year (for my goodreads goal of 80 books read).
So, I..."
Just done this myself out of interest to see how many pages I would need to read per day, as I was convinced I wouldn't be able to finish this years challenge, which would have disappointed me because it's the first time I've participated.
Turns out I need to read at least 60 pages a day to complete the challenge. It's made things seem a lot more do-able and I'm feeling more positive!
60-75 pages is definitely doable!! You guys can do it- I believe in you!!
Brittany wrote: "I only have 3 left:female author who uses a male pseudonym
book with a heist
related to your ancestry
give me all of the best recommendations because I'm trying to finish!!"
For the book with a heist, I recommend (audio), Artemis, by Andy Weir. It's a fast "read", and fun, because it's 100% about a heist, set on the moon.
I also read, The Cuckoo's Calling, by Robert Galbraith, aka J.K. Rowling. Also on audio.
For my ancestry book, I stretched the prompt to it's limits with, The Water's Edge, by Sarah Gruen, just because it was set in Scotland. (Not even the part of Scotland my grandfather came from).
Now, maybe people can help me! I also have only three prompts left to fill, and if I get them done, this will be the first time I have ever finished a PopSugar Challenge! I have multiple books in some prompts, and I've done the most reading I've ever done this year, so I'll be thrilled, even if I don't make the deadline.
My prompts include one no one can help me with (A book I've borrowed or was gifted). I found a book I'm pretty sure a friend gave me. It's a gag book, Mr Bean's Diary, so that will be a fast "read". The alternative is to read, One, by David Karp, given to me in a stack of heavy philosophy titles my late friend gave me 35 years ago.
True Crime... I wanted to read a book about a crime that took place in my area, when I was in college, and claimed the life of one of my schoolmates (The Hillside Stranglers). I think I might not be able to get that one on audio and that's why I've procrastinated on it.
A book set at sea (I've already read the Girl in Cabin 10). Other than the Patrick O'Brien Commander series, does anyone have any ideas? I actually came here this morning to have a look at the discussion group for that topic, but can use any help I can get!
Back to the general topic, I've never approached the PopSugar Challenge thinking I have to actually finish it. I just want to have fun! I used the "wild card" prompt as an opportunity to fill in a blank here and there on my previous challenges, and tried to get one from each year. (Hmm... it could be fun next year, to try to fill some 2019 prompts with prompts not finished in previous years, if you can find a book that would do double duty...)
Jess wrote: "I don't think I'm going to finish. I'm reading at quite a fast rate at the moment but most of my books don't fit any of the prompts and the books I had planned for my remaining prompts really aren'..."My favorite color is green, also! Thanks for mentioning The Green Road. That one would have also worked for my ancestry, since I have a lot of Irish in me, as well as Scot.
This year, I had a grand plan to read as many books for the prompts as I could, all having the color, Green, in the title!
I chose Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, for a book from a movie I've already seen.
For the book with my favorite color in the title: Green Mansions (Never got around to this one, so I swapped in Green Tomatoes for this one, and something else for the movie prompt).
A book about mental health: One Green Bottle. (I tried SO hard to find this book, audio or not, and haven't had much luck, so I used Freshwater for that one).
I might keep trying to find these books, and make my own, extra challenge for 2019, to keep trying to read, "Green" books!
@Kim, I read 'The Old Man and the Sea' for set at sea. It is a very short book and I really liked it (even though I sometimes struggle with classics). You don't use the library, for 'borrowed'?
Jess wrote: "I don't think I'm going to finish. I'm reading at quite a fast rate at the moment but most of my books don't fit any of the prompts and the books I had planned for my remaining prompts really aren'..."For "An allegory", I wish I hadn't already read, Watership Down, because I LOVED that book! But my husband and I took a tip from someone on the Goodreads thread for that prompt, and read (on audio), Fifteen Dogs. That book really stuck with us, and we've recommended it to other dog lovers. Not a super upbeat book, but very thought-provoking. And if you were familiar with the neighborhoods of Toronto, you would really love it. It's really site specific!
Set at sea: If you dont mind childrens books I read The Sinking of the Titanic, 1912Green : Green with Envy: A Heather’s Forge Cozy Mystery Which is free on Amazon and only 168 pages
Greensmith Girls which is also free and 180 pages.
Right now I'm going back through my list of books I've read this year (172) to see if any fit that I just didnt realize it at the time or because at one point i was saying no reread or kids books. But i see no reason to not put them on there since i did read them this year. This has gotten me to my goal of 40 total but i'm going to try to get as many of them as I can finished. I'm at 41/52, I might still find a few more
Kim wrote: "Jess wrote: "I don't think I'm going to finish. I'm reading at quite a fast rate at the moment but most of my books don't fit any of the prompts and the books I had planned for my remaining prompts..."I loved Fried Green tomatoes! I wish I hadn't read it already. And I too am half Irish. I do really want to read The Green Road but I guess I should have read it earlier in the year because it sounds like it's going to be sad and I just don't want to read something sad at the moment.
Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
Circe (other topics)Inheritance from Mother (other topics)
Six of Crows (other topics)
Friday Night Lights (other topics)
It (other topics)
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Just wanted to make a thread for those of us who won't be finishing the challenge this year (I may end up a book or 2 short of the regular challenge!). Still, it is an achievement to keep trucking along, so go us!
Anyone else out there still working on the list? :)