Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion
2019 Challenge - General
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2019 Challenge - Thoughts and opinion
This is my second year doing the Popsugar Challenge and I found myself really enjoying the prompts that make you kind of stumble upon a book to read, which was this years 'A book you see someone reading on TV or in a movie' and last years 'A book that was being read by a stranger in a public place'. I finished this prompt relatively early but this entire year I've been far more observant of what people have been reading in film, just like how last year (and still to this day) I try to get a peek at what people are reading when I run across them. I found it really fun that these prompts kind of stuck with me even after they were completed.
I know that these type of prompts can be seen as less accessible to others so wording of these is especially important to allow for a bit more wiggle room (less 'you see' phrasing). I personally, would love if we have another next year.
I just love this challenge. It's transformed my reading life, and whilst I do other challenges too the PS will always be my favourite.I don't know that I have any specific things to suggest, even after three years of doing the challenge. Of course there have been prompts I've loved and prompts (especially genre/topic specific ones which aren't in my own particular wheelhouse) I've hated. But it would be boring if all the prompts were easy for me to fill, there'd be no challenge, and you can't suit everyone with every prompt.
I guess I just encourage a choice of prompts which don't make things too narrow (or, at least save those for the advanced prompts), and also that ones which promote diversity should be the majority.
This is my second year doing it, but last year I started a little late so left off the advanced list. I think it's so much fun. I have 4 more books including the one I'm reading and then I'll be done. Of course, I will continue to read, but it will be a little sad, knowing I'm not filling a prompt.The prompts I don't like are the ones where you have to read the book before you know it will fill the prompt. I try to do my challenge very intentionally, and pick the book for the prompt, not the other way around.
Otherwise, even if I don't like a prompt, I figure that's the point, get me out of my reading comfort zone. If I can stretch it so I'm more comfortable, I probably will. And if there's ever a prompt for porn or graphic slash, or something I just will not read, then I guess I'll just skip it.
Like others, the challenge helps me read books outside my comfort zone. I enjoy prompts best when they can be filled with a number of different books. I also like prompts that inspire personal responses so that we can see a wide range of books from different participants (e.g., a book that makes you nostalgic). I also like it when the list as a whole works together so that the prompts encourage a diverse reading experience, e.g., a mix of genres. Last year, I read Beartown for a book about a sport. I never would have read it without the challenge, and it was one of my favorites of 2018.I dislike it when prompts are similar in the same year, e.g. a book inspired by a myth and a retelling of a classic. I get the difference but there could be overlap so why not have more diversity among the prompts? Additionally, in 2019 we had two prompts reliant on other media (a book based on a movie coming out and a book you see someone reading in a TV show) and two prompts based on cover design.
I *hate* prompts that have a limited number of possible books that fufill them, e.g., a book that takes place on a boat (2018) or a book that has inspired a common phrase or idiom.
I like a good mix of prompt types; genre, setting, theme, character, author, lists, scavenger hunt, title and cover. I think Popsugar mostly gets the balance right but this year we did get 3 movie related prompts which seemed a bit repetitive (at least for me!).I don't like prompts with an individual element, eg. local author, your profession, seeing something yourself. These might be easy and fun for some people, but incredibly difficult for others. At least with something like an unusual subgenre, we're all in the same boat.
If we're to pick from a small selection of books for something, please can these go into the advanced prompts. The million+ ratings one was an example of this, I just don't think they considered people might have read most of them!
I participated in this challenge in 2015, 2017, 2018, and this year (I missed 2016, mostly because I thought the challenge was a one-time thing and didn't find out about it until too late). I've loved it each time, and it's always a treat when the new challenge is posted and I get to scramble to find books to fill it. XDI do sometimes find some of the prompts too narrow (such as "has a million or more ratings on Goodreads), but for the most part I'm fine with most of the prompts. They certainly do challenge me to find books I otherwise wouldn't read.
I kind of don't like prompts that depend on your personal information to fill them (author who shares your name, etc.), but that's just my feeling. Favorite color/animal/genre/etc. isn't as bad because that kind of thing can't be used to identify you later usually...
I love the PopSugar challenge. The challenge is my motivation to read more, and it keeps my reading diverse so I don't fall into a reading slump. I like when prompts have a large selection of books ("a book that has been made into a movie" versus "a book being made into a movie this year"). I also like the genre specific prompts because sometimes it's been a few years since I've read that genre or it's brand new to me.
I like to see unique prompts. It's really fun looking for books to fill prompts we've never had before. I understand that 50 brand new prompts every year is a big ask. I wouldn't mind reused prompts from a couple years ago. But when we've had a prompt multiple years (for example, a "multiple authors" prompt 3 years in a row) it can feel like picking from a rejects list after awhile.
I like a mixture of prompts, both ones that are deep and ones that are kind of silly. Such as an a book by an author of a different ethnicity vs a book with a cat on the cover. Both have their merits and make you look in different directions for books. I don't really like prompts that make you involve other people, such as someone else's favorite book or recommended by someone else doing the challenge, book someone else is reading in public. I don't like forced interactions, and it seems like they end up resulting in having to fudge the prompt by just looking through the recommendation thread with "well someone ELSE saw someone reading this".
I also don't really like prompts that aren't very inclusive, such as requiring a book to be bought (not everyone has a book budget, even a "cheap" book could be a luxury for some people) or audio books that require hearing, books not easy to find at libraries (such as read harder doing a micropress one a couple years ago).
I also like my prompts to be a bit broader. Like I don't mind genre prompts, but I prefer it when they have some wiggle room for finding stuff that is appealing. I liked the "genre or sub genre you've never heard of" a few years ago, was not a fan of the LitRPG one this year.
This is my first year doing the challenge, and overall I've really enjoyed it! It's definitely motivated me to read more, and I love the sense of accomplishment I get when I check something off the list.I really like prompts that point you in a direction but still have lots of options to choose from, such as "a book inspired by myth/legend/folklore" and "a book set in space." I also like prompts that get me to search my TBR list in a new way, like "a book by an author whose first and last names start with the same letter" and "a book with a two-word title." Prompts like these add to the scavenger hunt feel I enjoy!
I agree with the above comments that some of the prompts are just too narrow for me. "A book becoming a movie in 2019" was a very limited pool to choose from, and I ended up hating the book I read for it. I'm also not a fan of the prompts that require finding a specific word in the title. Personally, I really prefer to use reading challenges to read books that are already on my huge TBR list, and prompts like "a book with SALTY, SWEET, BITTER, or SPICY in the title" required me to either add something new to my list (not what I'm going for) or read something close but not quite fitting (I went with a book that had "salt" in the title instead).
I love reading challenges for several reasons, the biggest one probably being that it makes me pick up books I may not have otherwise that I've ended up loving and that they encourage a little more variety that keep me more interested in reading!My favourite prompts have probably either been the genre specific prompts which make me explore new genres or the prompts that will encourage me to read books I know I'll love like book recommended by someone else taking the challenge, next book in a series you've started etc.
The prompts I'm ready to see go are ones that tend to have much narrower choices, encourage you to read something overhyped or that seem repetitive (for me it's especially annoying when most of those choices tend to be classics..yuck)! Prompts that fit this bill for me have been things like: Posthumously published, being made into a movie this year, Scandanavia/Nordic Noir, celeb related prompts, favourite prompt from a past challenge (if you choose to do one for every past year, how many years until you run out of faves for one of the years? & plus I've already filled that, I want a new challenge!)
Sarah wrote: "prompts like "a book with SALTY, SWEET, BITTER, or SPICY in the title" required me to either add something new to my list (not what I'm going for) or read something close but not quite fitting..."I wish someone at Popsugar had taken a bit of time to research their word in title prompts this year. I think title prompts are fine as long as it's something that will have plenty of options without having to bend it (really could it not have been salt and spice not salty and spicy?). I still haven't settled on anything with pop, sugar or challenge in the title that I really want to read...
I've been doing the challenge since 2015 and I absolutely love it. I've been telling myself all year that I was going to take it easy next year and skip the challenge but I know I won't be able to stay away (even if I maybe don't do the advanced prompts for once). I love the scavenger hunt feel for this challenge. When the list comes out I always scour my TBR to see what I can fill but I'm always looking forward to expanding out from my comfort zone to fill prompts. I've read so many books I never would have picked up if it wasn't for this challenge. I like prompts that encourage diversity like reading specific genres or authors from specific places or with racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds different from my own. Even if a prompt seems too narrow, you can always expand the definition to fit your needs. But I also have the expectation that I'm not going to like every book I pick up, whether it's for the challenge or not. It's supposed to be challenging but it's also supposed to be fun.
There is plenty I like about the challenge, and it's exciting to tackle every year. That being said, I agree with some of the already stated "dislikes": - based on personal information
- repeated prompts several years in a row
- have to read the book to figure out if it fits the prompt
- too easily changed, for example the book turned to movie prompt has the issue of movies moving to 2020, causing an issue for people who filled the prompt early; the same can happen when it's based on number of ratings, which can change by the end of the year
My favorite prompts this year were:- A book written by a musician (fiction or nonfiction)
- A book featuring an extinct or imaginary creature
- A book featuring an amateur detective
- Read a book during the season it is set in
What I love most is how Pop Sugar Reading Challenge pushed me out of a decades long reading rut, and by doing it every year since, kept my reading rich and diverse, a rut no more!I am not much of a planner, finding I fill prompts rapidly just reading what I feel like reading whenever. Although I also will designate a few books from my TBR Towers for specific prompts. Sometimes I read them for the prompt. And sometimes not.
Another thing about the challenge I love is that it has me reading approximately 45 books each year that have been languishing in my TBR.
I like most of the prompts that require me to do research to find suitable books...like LitRPG this year, although I did not like what I read.
I dislike tv and movie related prompts, celebrity related prompts and award list ones. Also any connected to my name - i have a rare last name [and there are no authors in my family] and my first name isn't that common either.
I love being encouraged to read children's books because it is letting me read so many marvelous classics that I never read as a child.
I like the range of prompts on PS and figuring out what might fit from my TBR (which unfortunately seems to keep growing the more time I am in this challenge). Like others have mentioned I prefer it when prompts are distinctly different from each other and are a little open to interpretation. If there was a last name prompt I would be in deep doo doo and have to read my mum's poetry book again or dad's ferns.....I read them once because they are my parents but...… Ancestry last year gave me a gem and let me learn about my aunts and uncles evacuation in WWII so that will always be a favourite prompt.
I also like some of the strange genres which I didn't even know were genres. I get to learn stuff in this challenge which is fab at my age.
I very much appreciate prompts that do not assume everyone participating in the challenge is based in the US. I know that PopSugar is a US-based site, but this challenge has always been larger than the borders of a country. Reading and publishing worldwide are, I believe, growing considerably, and having a wide variety of categories helps not only those of us with access to a vast array of published media, but also to those who don't or who feel more limited. I like having a good mix of prompts I can fill with books from my TBR list and ones that challenge me outside my comfort zone. I haven't liked every book I've read for the challenges over the years, but I've also read some all-time favorites that I would never have discovered. I've enjoyed the scavenger-hunt feel that teaches me about new and interesting ideas/topics I don't know about; in the same vein, I've also learned about some things that just aren't for me, which is also a useful learning tool.
I also understand the need to repeat prompts over the years (there are only so many ideas out there!), but I'd recommend spacing them out a bit more. For example, if there's a "book based on a movie" prompt, then archive that category for 4-5 years, then bring it back to make it feel more refreshed.
PopSugar has been really open to feedback about the challenge; at least that's my perception because they have used several of our category suggestions and even asked for specific book recommendations from readers based on the prompts. I appreciate that they are willing to listen, learn, and grow from the people who are actually taking the challenge!
This is my third year doing this challenge, and I really love challenging my reading and knocking books off my tbr.I think the challenge has made an effort to promote reading diversely in ways that were great (own-voices & LGBTQ+ focused book) but failed in others, ie having ONE prompt be an author from Africa, Asia, or South America... that prompt is insane. These are huge continents with thousands of cultures and it was so broad. Meanwhile we got a second prompt this year focusing on Scandinavia. It was a pretty disappointing.
I think a great type of prompt are things that make you search for particular words or things on the cover. That way it can reach past so many type of genres and allow people with wildly different tastes to all complete the prompts in satisfying ways.
As others have mentioned, I love the push to find new books that the challenge provides. I enjoy searching my tbr for things that will fit a particular prompt. Prompts that inspire creative interpretations are also fun. One problem I've seen with the Popsugar Challenge over the years is the tendency on the part of the listmakers to make assumptions about the people participating. Specifically, the prompts about books you bought while traveling, a book from the year you graduated high school, etc, assume that the readers are of a certain socio-economic status and that's not ok. The book you saw in public and local author prompts were also more difficult for people who didn't live in urban places. Both problems could be avoided just by asking who would this prompt be super hard for? Is this prompt going to be hard for someone based on something that's out of their control? LitRPG might have been hard for people because it's not their reading taste; a book you bought while traveling was hard for people who couldn't afford to travel. As a group, we have always worked hard to invent work-arounds so that everyone could find a way to participate, but we shouldn't have to do that.
PS: for the love of all that's holy, please stop with the book to movie adaptation prompts.
2015: a book that became a movie
2016: a book that's becoming a movie this year
2017: a book that's becoming a movie in 2017
2018: a book made into a movie you've already seen
2019: a book becoming a movie in 2019
Seriously, every damn year with this. There's not enough books that become movies in any given year, even if you include tv miniseries, and movies that have been in production for the last five years. There just aren't enough. And you're better than this. Leave it off the list next year.
I guess the ones I don't like were becoming a movie this year and published this year. I get most of my books from the library and new books, or newly popular (because a movie has increased the hype) are harder to get my hands on.I'm also very literal, so the specific words ones, I want the exact word in my choice, salty vs salt etc.
The only other thing I would like is if the challenge was more inclusive to nonfiction.
This is my third year of doing the PS challenge. The prompts I've enjoyed most are the ones that have pushed me out of my reading genre comfort zone (mysteries), even if I didn't love the book I picked. I also love the prompts that are related to specific geographic regions or countries (either setting or the author is from there) and would love to see more like that. And, I loved the ones that gave me a chance to revisit a childhood favorite. The prompts I would like to see less of are the movie-related ones (books with tv or movie tie-ins tend to be hard to snag at my library) and ones dealing with celebrities (most of the time, I'll just go straight to Oprah's Book Club website since at least I know I'll find something I'll like). The prompts dealing with spotting a book in the wild (i.e. being read in public, seen on tv, mentioned in another book) aren't really my cup of tea either, mainly because I feel like that relies on too much serendipity. I've always found a book to meet the prompt, but I found it more stressful than fun finding a title that way.I've really enjoyed discovering new genres and new-to-me authors thanks to the reading challenges I've done (I'm up to four this year!). They've helped me to increase my reading time and speed, as well as helped me make a dent in my many, many stacks of unread books. When the new lists are posted, I print out copies and head straight to my book piles to see which ones I can check off in the coming year.
Jackie wrote: "As others have mentioned, I love the push to find new books that the challenge provides. I enjoy searching my tbr for things that will fit a particular prompt. Prompts that inspire creative interpr..."I am so with you on the movie prompts!
Laura wrote: "I very much appreciate prompts that do not assume everyone participating in the challenge is based in the US. I know that PopSugar is a US-based site, but this challenge has always been larger than..."Yes, youmake an excellent point. Ithink looking global and seeing diverse as a very broad concept, not just ethnic diversity is important.
I was so obsessed with this when I found out about it and spent hours building my list, which was really fun!Like others, I love the scavenger hunt aspect of it and I do like the prompts that have words in the title or things on the cover and things like that.
Since this is my first challenge, I don't mind the movie prompt, but I can see how it would be annoying to those who have it before. I kind of actually do like it being repeated, though, because I'm a huge movie buff as well and I love seeing movies for books I've read and reading the book before the movie. So I kind of think it should stay! Leeway should definitely be given for movies that get pushed back, though.
I guess I just like knowing some prompts will always be repeated (like what book you wanted to read last year, a book published in the current year, etc).
I didn't like the "A book you think should be turned into a movie" one because I didn't want to reread one I thought should be a movie and how do I know I want it to be a movie before I read it? So I went into this prompt blind and filled it in with a book I read that wasn't planned but was like, yeah, I'd go see that movie.
I'm also not a big fan of the book written by a musician...I like music and bands, but I don't know about this prompt!
I would love to see more prompts with books in different geographic locations or books based in a certain time period. I also echo the sentiment that more nonfiction books should be included.
The biggest challenge with this for me has been getting distracted by books I hadn't planned on reading this year for the challenge. I've already read 52 books this year, but only 28 on my challenge! I'm honestly not sure I am going to do it next year so I can feel I have more freedom, but I had so much fun planning it that I feel torn...maybe I just need it to be more aware of what's coming out and comb through my TBR better.
That being said...still super antsy to discover the 2020 prompts!
Jenn wrote: "I didn't like the "A book you think should be turned into a movie" one because I didn't want to reread one I thought should be a movie and how do I know I want it to be a movie before I read it? So I went into this prompt blind and filled it in with a book I read that wasn't planned but was like, yeah, I'd go see that movie..."I didn't like that prompt for the same reason. But, I decided to apply logic and use a book by an author that they usually turn his books into movies.
As for your other thing and how you've read lots of books, but only 28 for the challenge, so don't know if you want to do it again, you could always do a half challenge. Either just the left or right side, or top or bottom half, or pick out your favorite 25. Sure, you wouldn't technically be finishing the challenge, but since this is just for fun and nobody's check up on it, nobody will mind. Best of both worlds of doing the book hunt and reading just whatever.
I have to say on the movie prompts that I don't necessarily MIND reading a book being turned into a movie -- you'd be surprised just how many movies are based on books, especially taking into account how titles are often changed. (The Orchid Thief: A True Story of Beauty and Obsession became "Adaptation," Red Alert became "Dr. Strangelove," Between Shades of Gray became "Ashes in the Snow," etc.). But I do agree that "book becoming a movie this year" is just too narrow -- and in cases like mine where the movie based on the book you picked gets pushed back a year, it's frustrating. (Still counting The Knife of Never Letting Go for my challenge, though, even if "Chaos Walking" got its release delayed...)
Also on the same topic -- why not switch it around and do "book based on a movie/a film novelization?" Just to mix things up a little. Film novelizations often add deleted scenes from the movie, for example, or the author gets a little wiggle room to add/develop things you don't see in the film.Or maybe this is a terrible idea, I dunno...
Count me as another vote to give the book-movie prompt a rest for next year. I would much prefer some more genre related prompts - essays or short stories or memoirs or historical novels...
Jenn wrote: "I guess I just like knowing some prompts will always be repeated (like what book you wanted to read last year, a book published in the current year, etc).."I think you make an excellent point, Jenn. I'd like to clarify my comments about unique prompts. If a prompt is refreshed by a completely different and large selection of books, I'm happy to see it repeated each year. "A book published this year" and "a book you meant to read last year" are great examples of prompts that could be used without growing old because there's always a new and large group of books to choose from.
So many thoughtful comments, I'm not sure what I have to add except as a first-timer, I would advocate for keeping a movie-based prompt in some form. (although not this year's book you think should be made into a movie.) I know that puts me in the minority, but there are so many options and really, how many times do you hear people say, "the book is so much better than the movie." Unlike others, I loved mapping out my reading list for the year. It kept me honest and on-track. Sure I got distracted and went "off-list" for several books. In fact though I've read 69 books to date, I still have 4 prompts left to read, but this year has been my best reading journey year to date, and I'm so looking forward to next year's list!
Julie wrote: "So many thoughtful comments, I'm not sure what I have to add except as a first-timer, I would advocate for keeping a movie-based prompt in some form. (although not this year's book you think should..."That's not far off track.....I've read 107 and still have 11 to go I think. Ooops but shiny new books.
I also like the book/movie prompts, but would prefer it not be narrowed to a specific year. I like having weird genre categories, although maybe one each year would be best (seemed like a lot to have both CliFi and LitPRG).
I love the categories from different areas of the world, but agree that it seemed unnecessary to have Scandinavia two years running.
But these are minor complaints, and I will happily go along with whatever is chosen.
Regarding movie prompts: As others have said, I really dislike "becoming a movie in " because it's so narrow and hard to find anything I'm interested in. But I liked "a book that should be turned into a movie" - it's a lot more flexible and also fun to think about which books would make good movies. I wouldn't mind keeping a movie-based prompt as long as it's something reasonably broad like that.
Just had a thought....those prompts with over 500pages etc I am not a fan of (wasn't one in PS this year but was in ATY). It is great for those who have heaps of free time or who want to lug a tome about but for those with full time work/kidlets/families and friends that is a tad harder. I have read a few 500pg plus books this year but always in holidays and when I had a chunk of free time. You lose the thread if you have to keep putting it aside. Also for those who are slow readers the minimum page count would be torture. I really liked the different format/different chapter headings type options because they exposed me to graphic novels which I had not read before this year as an adult. They were really open and let you as the reader pick something different for you without being prescriptive. Outside the box but not torture. I would not like poetry or verse and would find that a real challenge.
For poetry or verse, keep children's books in mind. Dr Seuss wrote great rhymes.
KF-in-Georgia wrote: "For poetry or verse, keep children's books in mind. Dr Seuss wrote great rhymes."I do love Dr Seuss but am pretty sure I've read them all.
This is my third year doing the challenge but I haven't actually made it through a complete challenge yet, but it looks like I'm going to actually do it this year. I really like challenge prompts that are more general. I really liked "A book you meant to read in 2018" and the "Book with a red spine" from last year or the year before.
I also feel like I'm the queen of shoehorning a book to fit a prompt. I have no problem using a book that vaguely fits into a prompt.
The only prompt this year that I have any issue with is the salty, sweet, bitter or spicy one. I've looked and there's really nothing I want to read with those words in the title. I'm probably going to find a audiobook that will fit the prompt.
No more holiday prompts! Those are always hard for me and often I haven't liked the book I end up reading.
2019 was my second year. I look at this as a "Challenge". It should be hard for me to find books to fit categories or to read all the books. You can just set a goal of 50 books for the year if you don't like the prompts. I enjoy looking outside my typical thriller/mystery genre. Gosh so many books I've found. Popsugar is great as far as I'm concerned and I can only imagine how hard it is to select the prompts. Keep up the good work!
I’m another who is over the movie prompts, especially if you are meant to have seen the film. Movies, subscription services etc aren’t in everyone’s budget. I love genre prompts, own voices prompts or books set in other countries. I love learning about lives that are different from my own.
Ashley wrote: "...The only prompt this year that I have any issue with is the salty, sweet, bitter or spicy one. I've looked and there's really nothing I want to read with those words in the title. I'm probably going to find a audiobook that will fit the prompt.."I did that, I got Bitter Lemons of Cyprus from audible. I don't get around to reading much travel writing and it's a place I've been meaning to visit and that fascinates me - especially with the historical & political context which this book should offer plenty of insight into!
Ashley wrote: "This is my third year doing the challenge but I haven't actually made it through a complete challenge yet, but it looks like I'm going to actually do it this year. I really like challenge prompts..."
I used Bitter Harvest on audio. It's true crime if you like that genre. Not something I usually listen to, but it was good. And it's only 4 hours long
Mod
Hahaha you’ll be inundated with suggestions now!! I took a quick look at your GR shelves, looks like you like thrillers and contemporary romances. I can recommend these:
Sweet Little Lies by Caz Frear (thriller/mystery)
Sweet Little Lies by Jill Shalvis (contemporary romance)
Ashley wrote: "The only prompt this year that I have any issue with is the salty, sweet, bitter or spicy one."Nadine wrote: "Hahaha you’ll be inundated with suggestions now!!"
Feel free to inundate me with suggestions too!! I think it's a neat prompt - it's a cool idea and also reasonably flexible with four words to choose from - but I haven't found anything that catches my eye. I like fantasy/sci-fi/weird fiction, particularly dystopian and (post-)apocalyptic.
Mod
..."
oh you are harder for me to find something! If you streeeettccchhh the prompt, you could read The Salt Line which is an interesting post-apocalyptic with killer ticks (my recommendation of this book stands, but if you're like me, you won't be happy with stretching the rules to suit this prompt)
I have this on my TBR: Sweet Fruit, Sour Land - I can't personally recommend since I haven't read it yet, but it's literary dystopian, so it fits your genre request.
in YA fantasy, there is The Bitter Kingdom, which is book #3 in a series and full-disclosure I didn't really like this one as much as the first two books in the series. But I LOVED the first book in the series!
and Bitterblue which is also a book #3 in a YA fantasy series, and I have not read it so I don't know if you have to read the other two books first to understand it. (I've only read book #1 in this series but I must've liked it since I've got the next two on my TBR)
and Bitter Greens which is what I was going to read for this Challenge until I stumbled upon Sweet Little Lies. I like fairy tale retellings, so I'll read this someday. Other people in our group give this good reviews!
i>SarahKat wrote: "Ashley wrote: "This is my third year doing the challenge but I haven't actually made it through a complete challenge yet, but it looks like I'm going to actually do it this year. I really like ch..."
Home Sweet Murder was only a couple of hours to read. True crime with a twist (told like it is a story which makes it easier to read).
Ashley wrote: "This is my third year doing the challenge but I haven't actually made it through a complete challenge yet, but it looks like I'm going to actually do it this year. I really like challenge prompts..."
I found several options, some already mentioned, but also Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet and a book I loved reading as it is a real travel essay as well as cookbook Hot Sour Salty Sweet: A Culinary Journey Through Southeast Asia.
I'm also tired of the movie-based prompts. I do PopSugar and several other challenges each year, and it is one of a few prompts that I find is overused. Another one I'm tired of seeing is books in translation. I can't remember if it was in this year's challenge, but I feel like it's been done to death. I like prompts that give you a wide enough range of options to choose from that you can comfortably pick something you're genuinely interested in, but not so many that it's a complete freebie. One of the reasons I didn't like the book-to-movie prompt this year is because there was such a small range of options, and many were books I'd already read. I
I also don't really like prompts based on my hometown/home country/places I've lived or visited, etc. It's another kind that I find has been overdone, and isn't necessarily easy for everyone to find books that fit. I'm also generally a little tired of picking books by geography, but I know a lot of people like to do that.
In general, I thought this year had a very good balance of prompts. My initial reaction when seeing the list was that many of them were very hard (common phrase or idiom was especially a nightmare, and so was abbey/cloister/monastery), but once I started to find books that I wanted to read, it wasn't too bad. I have no problem with unique prompts or something a little outside the box, as long as whoever is making the list can double-check that there are a lot of options.
Generally, I want a challenge that fits pretty well with what I'm already interested in reading (ie. books that I own or books on my TBR). I don't mind branching out a bit for a few prompts, but I'd love for the majority to be things that fit with what I'm already hoping to read soon. I don't mind genre-specific prompts if they are genres with a solid amount of options, but I tend not to like things that force classics or force non-fiction. I'd prefer to have the option to use classics or non-fiction if I want to, but not be required to use them.
Actually, prompts about classics are another kind that I'm a bit over seeing. They usually come in the form of classics that I've never read, or classics that I was supposed to read in school. I've already read the majority of classics that I have any interest in reading, and the remaining are either huge or complicated, and not something I want to pick up soon.
Nadine wrote: "oh you are harder for me to find something! If you streeeettccchhh the prompt, you could read The Salt Line..."Thanks for the recs! I usually don't like bending prompts but I might end up choosing a "salt" book after all.
Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
Hot Sour Salty Sweet: A Culinary Journey Through Southeast Asia (other topics)Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet (other topics)
Home Sweet Murder (other topics)
The Salt Line (other topics)
Bitter Greens (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Caz Frear (other topics)Jill Shalvis (other topics)
As we get closer to the release of the 2020 Popsugar Reading Challenge (historically they have been released in mid-November), we wanted to give you a chance to share what you love and don't love in your reading challenges. What kinds of prompts do you want to see more of and which ones are you ready to put out to pasture? What else do you love/not love about reading challenges?
We are not looking for specific prompt suggestions (there's a separate thread for that). The goal here is to understand what you want to get out of your reading challenge.
This information may be shared with Popsugar as well so this is a good opportunity to let them know what you love about reading challenges!