Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion
2020 Challenge - Advanced
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07 - A book with more than 20 letters in the title
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I stumbled across probably the longest title I have ever seen in a local bookstore here in Germany, and wanted to share it with you (although it will probably never be translated into English):Altstädter Friedhof in Erlangen, 14. Mai, 10 Uhr 30, meine 35. Beerdigung, die zahlreichen Nachkommen streiten am Grab um den Fernsehsessel des 73-Jährigen
It's literal translation is: "Old town cemetery in Erlangen, 14 May, 10:30 a.m., my 35th funeral, the numerous descendants arguing at the grave about the 73-year-old's television armchair"
If you like sci-fi, the novella To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers meets the requirement, and is a great read.
If you used to buy a new dictionary and read it once you got home, you may like The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary by Simon Winchester. It's a fascinating history. I read it for another prompt.
The book I read for this challenge was True Strength: My Journey from Hercules to Mere Mortal--And How Nearly Dying Saved My Life by Kevin Sorbo. This was a 5 star read for me!
Teresa wrote: "The book I read for this challenge was True Strength: My Journey from Hercules to Mere Mortal--And How Nearly Dying Saved My Life by Kevin Sorbo. This was a 5 star ..."I will have to add this to my TBR list. I do like him.
Seems like everyone is interpreting this one as 20+ characters in the title. When I read the prompt as 20+ different letters, as in more than 20 of the 26 letters of the alphabet in the title (however long that may be). It's certainly more challenging that way. Am I alone in this interpretation?
Jami wrote: "Seems like everyone is interpreting this one as 20+ characters in the title. When I read the prompt as 20+ different letters, as in more than 20 of the 26 letters of the alphabet in the title (howe..."That's such a clever interpretation! I honestly don't think it was the original intention, but if I hadn't already read a book for this category that won't fit anywhere else I would definitely have tried this!
I went with Things My Son Needs to Know about the World by Fredrik Backman because I love everything he writes. This is a hilarious set of essays, basically, about being a father.
Jami wrote: "Seems like everyone is interpreting this one as 20+ characters in the title. When I read the prompt as 20+ different letters, as in more than 20 of the 26 letters of the alphabet in the title (howe..."Have you found any titles that fit using that interpretation? I feel like it would be pretty difficult!
If I Understood You, Would I Have This Look on My Face?: My Adventures in the Art and Science of Relating and Communicating by Alan Alda was the one I read for this, and it was pretty interesting.Fantasy:
Dusk or Dark or Dawn or Day
An Enchantment of Ravens
A Court of Thorns and Roses
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone]
YA:
Jack of Hearts (and other parts)
The Dangerous Art of Blending In
The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue
The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy\
To All the Boys I've Loved Before
Under Rose-Tainted Skies
Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
What a find! If you want to read a book that uses 20 of the 26 letters of the alphabet, here it is:You Mean I'm Not Lazy, Stupid or Crazy?!: A Self-Help Book for Adults with Attention Deficit DisorderMissing letters: G,J,Q,V,W and X
Sounds interesting as well.
I read #MeToo: Essays About How and Why This Happened, What It Means and How to Make Sure it Never Happens edited by Lori Perkins. I think the subtitle basically tells you what this book is all about. But I will add that it is a collection of essays from different individuals, including men, so the perspectives and experiences shared or alluded to are mixed. But they all come together with a powerful message, and that is really what the purpose of this book is. As with many anthologies, the pieces are on a spectrum. They range from analytical to emotional, and there are pieces that are stronger than others. But this is a protest book, it is raw and reactionary, maybe unpolished. That doesn't detract from the fact that it is important, and it still managed to be a good read. My only criticism is that it is very US-centric, but it's only a nit-pick at best because the movement began in the US, it's key antagonists are from the world of Hollywood, and unfortunately sexual abuse and harassment translate easily into every culture and language on earth.
Finished Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End
by Atul GawandeMy Review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Fall of the House of Dixie: The Civil War and the Social Revolution That Transformed the SouthDone!
I finished my Harry Potter reread so I'm sliding Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows into this slot.
Shelley wrote: "I finished my Harry Potter reread so I'm sliding Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows into this slot."I have been watching the series on TV. One is on now. I may get around to reading the books sometime.
Leona wrote: "Shelley wrote: "I finished my Harry Potter reread so I'm sliding Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows into this slot."I have been watching the series on TV. One is on now. I may get..."
There's so much that is missing (Peeves! The Marauders! Ron not being a jerk and Hermoine not being perfect!) so I recommend it.
I used
Tennessee Curiosities: Quirky Characters, Roadside Oddities & Other Offbeat Stuff for this prompt. It had been my bathroom book for more than a year so I finally finished it.
Why is this an advanced prompt? It is so easy.I ended up going with The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman.
Erica wrote: "Why is this an advanced prompt? It is so easy.I ended up going with The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman."
This year, the "advanced" prompts each have something to do with the numeral 20, in a nod to 2020.
I agree that a lot of them are easier than the regular prompts - but still good ones.
Yeah I think the 'advanced' section is more about the idea that it's harder to read 52 books in a year than it is about the prompts themselves being more difficult.
I recommend They Will Drown in Their Mothers' Tears by Johannes Anyuru. I read it in Swedish when it first came out and I am so excited that it has been translated into English."A remarkably intense, beautifully wrought tale that combines the ingenuity of speculative fiction with the difficulties of today’s harsh political realities, They Will Drown in Their Mothers’ Tears is the groundbreaking, award-winning work from the bestselling Swedish-Ugandan author Johannes Anyuru. With echoes of Guantanamo Bay, Abu Ghraib, the Charlie Hebdo tragedy, and anti-immigrant hysteria, this largest and most complex novel from an already celebrated poet, author, and spoken word artist catapults him to the front ranks of world writers. "
Night Sky with Exit Wounds Enjoyed the rhythms, consonance and slant rhymes of his poetry, and the heartfelt storytelling. If you enjoyed On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous, you will probably like this book. Intense and well worthwhile.
Books mentioned in this topic
It's Not All Downhill from Here (other topics)The Lost City of the Monkey God (other topics)
The City of Lost Fortunes (other topics)
On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous (other topics)
Night Sky with Exit Wounds (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Douglas Preston (other topics)Johannes Anyuru (other topics)
Dietmar Dath (other topics)
Neil Gaiman (other topics)
Neil Gaiman (other topics)
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All the Light We Cannot See
The Inexplicable Logic of My Life
Tales From the Shadowhunter Academy
If someone would like to add these to the list :)