Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion
2021 Challenge - General
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2021 Challenge - I Finished!
Date you finished: March 2Message number of your list post (if you've got one):378
Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?): Dream Job prompt: Call the Midwife: A True Story of the East End in the 1950s
Favorite book (and what prompt was it for?): Black and White Cover
On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous
Was there a book you especially enjoyed that you never would have read if not for the Challenge? (and what prompt was it for?) : book by blogger, online personality Sitting Pretty: The View from My Ordinary Resilient Disabled Body
Least favorite prompt: best seller from the 1990s
Prompt you hope to see again: fewer than 1,000 reviews
Last prompt you finished: bestseller from the 90s
Were you overall satisfied with your Challenge reading?: yes
Did you like the TBR theme for the "advanced" prompts?: yes
Finally, are you in for 2022? Yes
Date you finished: 3/16/2021Message number of your list post (if you've got one): 645
Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?): A book by an author who shares your zodiac sign, Americanah
Favorite book (and what prompt was it for?):The House in the Cerulean Sea for A book about do-overs or fresh starts
Was there a book you especially enjoyed that you never would have read if not for the Challenge? (and what prompt was it for?) :The Martian for a DNFed book
Least favorite prompt: best seller from the 1990s
Prompt you hope to see again: A dark academia book
Last prompt you finished: The book that's been on your TBR list for the longest amount of time
Were you overall satisfied with your Challenge reading?: Yes
Did you like the TBR theme for the "advanced" prompts?:
Finally, are you in for 2022? Yes
Date you finished: 10 April 2021Message number of your list post (if you've got one): 670
Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?): The book that's been on your TBR list for the longest amount of time - Shakespeare: The World as Stage
Favorite book (and what prompt was it for?): The Queen's Gambit - A book you think your best friend would like
Was there a book you especially enjoyed that you never would have read if not for the Challenge? (and what prompt was it for?) : Mefisto in Onyx - A book with a gem, mineral, or rock in the title
Least favorite prompt: A book by a blogger, blogger, YouTube video creator, or other online personality
Prompt you hope to see again: A book from your TBR list you meant to read last year but didn't
Last prompt you finished: A free book from your TBR list (gifted, borrowed, library)
Were you overall satisfied with your Challenge reading?: yes
Did you like the TBR theme for the "advanced" prompts?: yes
Finally, are you in for 2022? Of course!
Date you finished: 4/24/21Message number of your list post (if you've got one): 638
Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?): Magical Realism - The Ten Thousand Doors of January
Favorite book (and what prompt was it for?): The Library at Mount Char - a genre hybrid
Was there a book you especially enjoyed that you never would have read if not for the Challenge? (and what prompt was it for?) : Catherine House - a dark academia book
Least favorite prompt: A DNF book
Prompt you hope to see again: An afrofuturist book
Last prompt you finished: A book published in 2021 - Winter's Orbit
Were you overall satisfied with your Challenge reading?: Yes. I did read some duds, but I enjoyed most of what I read. I read several things I wouldn't have otherwise and I cleared a lot of my TBR!
Did you like the TBR theme for the "advanced" prompts?: yes
Finally, are you in for 2022? Yes!
Just finished the challenge - yay! I did books by BIPOC authors only this year and it went well. I plan to continue that for future years. Date you finished: 5/5/21
Message number of your list post (if you've got one): This would take too long to find ;)
Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?): I'm not too big on SFF but I ended up really enjoying Riot Baby for the afrofuturist prompt.
Favorite book (and what prompt was it for?): Hmm it's hard to choose just one, but I appreciated The Undocumented Americans for the "saw on someone's bookshelf" prompt.
Was there a book you especially enjoyed that you never would have read if not for the Challenge? (and what prompt was it for?): Maybe Catherine House, for the dark academia prompt.
Least favorite prompt: Bestseller from the '90s - yikes! That was a struggle to find BIPOC books. It was all Danielle Steel and Stephen King. Very sad we didn't have more diversity in publishing then (and it still needs improvement now).
Oh and the "ugly cover one." I'm not a fan of the term "ugly."
Prompt you hope to see again: Indigenous author (or other race/ethnicity-specific prompts)
Last prompt you finished: Women's fiction winner
Were you overall satisfied with your Challenge reading?: Yes
Did you like the TBR theme for the "advanced" prompts?: Yes, except for the "ugly cover" one (and DNF, which I had to stretch to a book I had started in late December)
Finally, are you in for 2022? Yes
Just finished the "Regular" Prompts. I'm away from home, and my bookshelf, until june, and will tackle the rest then. I think it'll be a great chance for me to finally put some of those to bed. Date you finished: May 5
Message number of your list post (if you've got one): 633, I think?
Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?):A book you think your best friend would like Social Creature. I liked this one because I spend so much time thinking about who would like what books I've read.
Favorite book (and what prompt was it for? That's a hard one! I really liked A Children's Bible (set mostly outdoors) and The Book of Longings (multiple countries) and What Alice Forgot (current job). One is futuristic fiction, one historical fiction, and one contemporary.
Was there a book you especially enjoyed that you never would have read if not for the Challenge? (and what prompt was it for?) Honestly, I mostly go backwards, find a book I want to read and make it fit. The Coincidence of Coconut Cakewas not terrible, but never would have read it without the restaurant prompt.
Least favorite prompt: Where I want to travel in 2021. I couldn't decide if I was supposed to read a book about some place I fantasized about going or would actually go this year.
Prompt you hope to see again: Social Justice Issue
Last prompt you finished: Bunny
Were you overall satisfied with your Challenge reading?:
Did you like the TBR theme for the "advanced" prompts?: I am excited for it. It's annoying in my current circumstances, but being pushed to read the books on my bookshelf is exciting.
Finally, are you in for 2022? probably
Date you finished: 5 May 20212Message number of your list post (if you've got one): 194
Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?): No 34 I read Radhika's Story - Surviving Human Trafficking
Favorite book (and what prompt was it for?): Roots - No 37
Was there a book you especially enjoyed that you never would have read if not for the Challenge? (and what prompt was it for?) : Cemetery Girl by Charlaine Harris No 35 - different format - Graphic Novel
Least favorite prompt: No 20 - A book on the Black Lives Matter List
Prompt you hope to see again: Different Format
Last prompt you finished: No 37 - Roots
Were you overall satisfied with your Challenge reading?: Yes
Did you like the TBR theme for the "advanced" prompts?: Yes
Finally, are you in for 2022? Not sure there were too many prompt to do with race
Date you finished: 5/25/21Message number of your list post (if you've got one): Kim's Pop Sugar Books
Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?): A book by an author who shares your zodiac sign Never Change
Favorite book (and what prompt was it for?): A Column of Fire - #47: A book from your TBR list you associate with a favorite person, place, or thing [England]
Was there a book you especially enjoyed that you never would have read if not for the Challenge? (and what prompt was it for?) : A Discovery of Witches - #5 A dark academia book (4 star read!)
Least favorite prompt: #44 The book on your TBR list with the ugliest cover AND # 12 A book you have seen on someone's bookshelf (in real life, on a Zoom call, in a TV show, etc.)
Prompt you hope to see again: #40 Your favorite prompt from a past POPSUGAR Reading Challenge
Last prompt you finished: #A book from your TBR list chosen at random
Were you overall satisfied with your Challenge reading?: It was a mixed bag, I had some duds, but some great books, too. Several books that the challenge inspired me to read that I might not have otherwise.
Did you like the TBR theme for the "advanced" prompts?: Honestly, they were among my least favorite prompts.
Finally, are you in for 2022? Always!
Comment This year I decided to do both the Around the Year and Pop Sugar challenges with as many unique books (not double dip between challenges) as possible. I ended up with 86% unique!
Date you finished: June 4, 2021Message number of your list post (if you've got one): I don't remember my list post number, but here's a link to my DA journal where I have my list -- https://www.deviantart.com/kenyastarf...
Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?): I'm biased -- my favorite prompt was "book by a blogger, vlogger, YouTuber, or other online personality," since I've been suggesting that one for a few years running now. I read Differently Morphous, written by the creator of the online game-review series Zero Punctuation.
Favorite book (and what prompt was it for?): How do I choose just one? My faves would have to be The Girl with All the Gifts (saw on someone else's bookshelf), The Haunting of Tram Car 015 (genre hybrid), Station Eleven (book set somewhere you want to visit in 2021), and The Galaxy, and the Ground Within (favorite prompt from a previous year -- book set on another planet).
Was there a book you especially enjoyed that you never would have read if not for the Challenge? (and what prompt was it for?) : The Red Tent, which I read for "book with a family tree." It was NOT what I was expecting, in a good way... and I found myself really loving it.
Least favorite prompt: "A book that has won the Women's Prize for Fiction." The only one of the choices that I liked was one I'd read before (for last year's challenge no less), and I ended up DNFing the first book I picked for the prompt. Ended up reading and finishing Hamnet, which I found kind of overrated.
Prompt you hope to see again: I hope to see one of the "book originally written in another language" prompts again, because those are always fun and a good way to diversify your reading.
Last prompt you finished: "A book about art or an artist," for which I read The Second Story. The FIRST prompt I finished was "shortest book on your TBR list," for which I read The Great Lab Escape
Were you overall satisfied with your Challenge reading?: I was! I read a wide range of books this year, and I enjoyed most of them. Also found I wasn't afraid to DNF books I wasn't enjoying more than I was in previous years.
Did you like the TBR theme for the "advanced" prompts?: I did... but I still hope they go for another theme next year. I like variety.
Finally, are you in for 2022? Abso-tively posi-lutely ;)
Date you finished: 6/5/21Message number of your list post (if you've got one): 23
Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?): A book published in 2021. The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse I love how this prompt gives you lots of options.
Favorite book (and what prompt was it for?): Kingdom of Shadow and Light by Karen Marie Moning- A book set somewhere you'd like to visit in 2021- Ireland
Was there a book you especially enjoyed that you never would have read if not for the Challenge? (and what prompt was it for?) : The Authenticity Project by Clare Pooley- A Book Set in a Restaurant
Least favorite prompt: A book by an anonymous author. There were so few options for this. I read Beowulf and hated it.
Prompt you hope to see again: I loved the advanced prompts. To be able to read some of my books that have been sitting on my bookshelves forever was awesome. I would love to have that option again.
Last prompt you finished: The Longest Book on my TBR List- The Butterfly Room by Lucinda Riley
Were you overall satisfied with your Challenge reading?: Yes, having all of the advanced TBR books really helped me close out this challenge early because I had all of the books.
Did you like the TBR theme for the "advanced" prompts?: YES!!!!!! Especially because it was harder to get books this year due to my library being shut down for awhile. It was so nice to decrease my TBR pile.
Finally, are you in for 2022? Of Course!! Love this challenge.
Date you finished: 6/5/2021Message number of your list post (if you've got one): N/A
Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?): A Book about a Social Justice Issue - Spilled Milk and A Book mostly set Outdoors - The River
Favorite book (and what prompt was it for?): Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day (Book with a Black/White Cover) and Island of the Sea Women (Book on your TBR you associate with a favorite place, person, thing; My sister recommended the book to me)
Was there a book you especially enjoyed that you never would have read if not for the Challenge? (and what prompt was it for?) : The Deep - An Afrofuturist book
Least favorite prompt: Book with Same Title as a Song and a Genre Hybrid
Prompt you hope to see again: favorite prompt from previous challenge and would like to see one involving your TBR each year
Last prompt you finished: Longest Book by pages on Your TBR (Les Miserables) and I enjoyed it!
Were you overall satisfied with your Challenge reading?: Yes
Did you like the TBR theme for the "advanced" prompts?: Very much! Always helpful to have a push to read some books on my TBR
Finally, are you in for 2022? Absolutely! Can't wait!
Date you finished: 16 JuneMessage number of your list post (if you've got one): 56
Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?): 18. A book about a subject you are passionate about - The Memory Collector
Favorite book (and what prompt was it for?): Home Fire - A book by a Muslim American or Muslim British author
Was there a book you especially enjoyed that you never would have read if not for the Challenge? (and what prompt was it for?) : Home Fire as above. I hadn’t heard of it before pulling it from the Listopia and it’s (so far) my book of the year.
Least favorite prompt: The very specific genre ones: Afrofuturist, dark academia, magical realism, even though I read some great books.
Prompt you hope to see again: 20. A book on a Black Lives Matter reading list, or rather a prompt of this type that references a category of reading list rather than a specific list
Last prompt you finished: 6. A book with a gem, mineral, or rock in the title - Cutting for Stone
Were you overall satisfied with your Challenge reading?: Yes
Did you like the TBR theme for the "advanced" prompts?: Yes, though it made the reading easier not more advanced.
Finally, are you in for 2022? If it goes anything like this year I’ll think “I can’t do that” then will get stuck in. So yes!
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Date you finished: June 9thMessage number of your list post (if you've got one): N/A
Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?): Dark academia. Read A Deadly Educaton by Naomi Novak, but then read a bunch more off of the listopia.
Favorite book (and what prompt was it for?): Robert E. Lee and Me by Ty Seidule for the prompt a book about a social justice issue
Was there a book you especially enjoyed that you never would have read if not for the Challenge? (and what prompt was it for?) : The Year of Magical Thinking, an Audible adaptation of the play from the book by Joan Didion, narrated by Vanessa Redgrave, for the prompt a book in a different format than what I normally read. Really enjoyed it and it prompted me to listen to a few more unusual Audible originals of words and music.
Also One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London for body positivity.
Least favorite prompt: Afrofuturist and a book whose title starts with Q, X, or Z - bad picks on my parts. And prettiest and ugliest covers - not really sure I find any of them pretty or ugly.
Prompt you hope to see again: favorite prompt from past PopSugar Challenges
Last prompt you finished: Prettiest cover. I switched A Crack on the Edge of the World by Simon Winchester from something broken to this category because the cover is folded "breaking" it up to have a bigger view of the earthquake damage. Most creative cover counted as "prettiest."
Were you overall satisfied with your Challenge reading?: yes
Did you like the TBR theme for the "advanced" prompts?: yes
Finally, are you in for 2022? yes! Thank you fellow readers for all the great suggestions in the listopias.
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Date you finished: June 23rd
Message number of your list post (if you've got one):
698
Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?):
18. A book about a subject you are passionate about. I read Brandwashed by Martin Lindstrom.
Favorite book (and what prompt was it for?):
5. A dark academia book
Lirael - Garth Nix
Was there a book you especially enjoyed that you never would have read if not for the Challenge? (and what prompt was it for?) :
20. A book on a Black Lives Matter reading list
Children of Blood and Bone - Tomi Adeyemi
Least favorite prompt:
8. A book that has won the Women’s Prize for Fiction
There weren't enough options to pick from, and I really dislike literary-type books.
Prompt you hope to see again:
13. A locked-room mystery. I've gotten really into mysteries in general this year.
Last prompt you finished:
28. A magical realism book - and it turned out to be one of the best! The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker
Were you overall satisfied with your Challenge reading?:
Yes!
Did you like the TBR theme for the "advanced" prompts?:
No - I could not participate because I don't keep a TBR list, I either read a book or reject it.
Finally, are you in for 2022?
Yes!
DONE DONE DONE!My full list: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...
Date you finished: June 29, 2021
Message number of your list post (if you've got one): NA
Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?): The longest book (by pages) on your TBR list; The Count of Monte Cristo
Favorite book (and what prompt was it for?): Euphoria; The book on your TBR list with the prettiest cover
Was there a book you especially enjoyed that you never would have read if not for the Challenge? (and what prompt was it for?): No! Of the 5 I chose only for the challenge, the best was only 3 stars.
Least favorite prompt: A book you have seen on someone's bookshelf (in real life, on a Zoom call, in a TV show, etc.)
Prompt you hope to see again: All the TBR prompts!
Last prompt you finished: An Afrofuturist book
Were you overall satisfied with your Challenge reading?: Yes!
Did you like the TBR theme for the "advanced" prompts?: LOVED IT!
Finally, are you in for 2022? 100%!
Date you finished: 7/6/21Message number of your list post (if you've got one): I don't know what this means. Would someone please tell me?
Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?): A book everyone seems to have read but you. I read The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
Favorite book (and what prompt was it for?): The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel for a book set in multiple countries
Was there a book you especially enjoyed that you never would have read if not for the Challenge? (and what prompt was it for?) : Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler for the Afrofuturist prompt.
Least favorite prompt: Although I enjoyed the book I read, the prompt I had the hardest time to come up with something was a book about a subject you are passionate about.
Prompt you hope to see again: I loved all of the TBR prompts in the advanced section, especially a free book from your TBR list (gifted, borrowed, library)
Last prompt you finished: the book on your TBR list with the ugliest cover
Were you overall satisfied with your Challenge reading?: Yes!
Did you like the TBR theme for the "advanced" prompts?: Yes and I hope they do this again next year!!
Finally, are you in for 2022? Probably
Mod
Message number of your list post (if you've got one): I don't know what this means. Would someone please tell me?
Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?): A..."
Congrats on your finish!!
Every message in a post is numbered, Your messge here is #17 and this message I'm typing is #18.. The header of yours says "message 17: by Jan" BUT if you're on mobile, you can't see that.
The "list post" is this one here - a lot of members like to list the books they read for each category. A while back, some people requested that the list be connected to the "I finished" posts because some members like to look at what others chose, maybe to get some ideas of what worked or didn't work.
Nadine wrote: "Jan wrote: "Date you finished: 7/6/21Message number of your list post (if you've got one): I don't know what this means. Would someone please tell me?
Favorite prompt (and what book did you read..."
Thanks! I get it now. I don't post very often...maybe I should do it more. I am mostly on this group so I can get ideas for books for each prompt. I'll try to start posting more.
Date you finished:7/10/2021Message number of your list post (if you've got one):20
Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?): Do over/ fresh Start The Midnight Library
Favorite book (and what prompt was it for?): The Four Winds- Social Justice issue
Was there a book you especially enjoyed that you never would have read if not for the Challenge? (and what prompt was it for?) :The Kite Runner- Muslim American Author
Least favorite prompt: DNF from your TBR List
Prompt you hope to see again: Locked Room Mystery
Last prompt you finished: Favorite Prompt From a Past Challenge
Were you overall satisfied with your Challenge reading?: YES!
Did you like the TBR theme for the "advanced" prompts?:No, hated it.
Finally, are you in for 2022? Yes!
Date you finished: July 14, 2021Message number of your list post: 212
Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?): Prompt #23 A book with something broken on the cover - The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Favorite book (and what prompt was it for?): The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett - Advanced Prompt #10 A free book from your TBR list ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Was there a book you especially enjoyed that you never would have read if not for the Challenge? (and what prompt was it for?): Yes! I was dreading this prompt, but I found a book of short stories by one of my favorite sketch comedians from like 20 years ago! Prompt #31 A book by a blogger, vlogger, YouTube video creator, or other online personality - Someone Who Will Love You in All Your Damaged Glory by Raphael Bob-Waksberg ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Least favorite prompt: Advanced Prompt #5 The book that's been on your TBR list for the longest amount of time - Naked Lunch by William S. Burroughs ⭐⭐
Prompt you hope to see again: Prompt #39 A book everyone seems to have read but you - Redwall by Brian Jacques ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Last prompt you finished: Prompt #10 A bestseller from the 1990s - The Kitchen God's Wife ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Were you overall satisfied with your Challenge reading?: Yes, this was the fastest I've completed the challenge! Although, I was trying to finish by the end of June, so I was 2 weeks late on my goal. 🤣 But I read a nice mix of books. I do wish there had been an additional seasonal challenge though!
Did you like the TBR theme for the "advanced" prompts?: No. I like this challenge for helping me discover new books I may not have read otherwise. The books on my TBR list are already familiar to me, and the prompts seemed a little boring.
Finally, are you in for 2022?: Absolutely! Next year will be my sixth year. 💜📚💜
Date you finished: 16th July 2021Message number of your list post (if you've got one): 164
Favourite prompt (and what book did you read for it?):
A magical realism book (The Ickabog by J.K. Rowling)
Favourite book (and what prompt was it for?):
The Secrets of Strangers by Charity Norman (A book with something broken on the cover)
Was there a book you especially enjoyed that you never would have read if not for the Challenge? (and what prompt was it for?):
The Daydreamer by Ian McEwan (A book that has the same title as a song)
Least favourite prompt:
A DNF book from your TBR list (The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner)
Prompt you hope to see again:
A book from your TBR list chosen at random (Cupid and Psyche by M. Charlotte Craft)
Last prompt you finished:
A book about do-overs or fresh starts (Do-Over: A What-If Short Story by David T. Wolf by David T. Wolf)
Were you overall satisfied with your Challenge reading?:
Yes
Did you like the TBR theme for the "advanced" prompts?:
Yes
Finally, are you in for 2022?:
I would like to, although next year I will begin studying a 3 year course, so I am not sure how much time I will have for reading then
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My Complete List:
2021 Popsugar Reading Challenge
1. A book that’s published in 2021
Outside, Inside by LeUyen Pham
2. An Afrofuturist book
Binti by Nnedi Okorafor
3. A book that has a heart, diamond, club, or spade on the cover
The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
4. A book by an author who shares your zodiac sign
The Railway Children by E. Nesbit
5. A dark academia book
Dracula by Bram Stoker
6. A book with a gem, mineral, or rock in the title
Iron, Potassium, Nickel by Primo Levi
7. A book where the main character works at your current or dream job
The Actress by Agatha Christie
8. A book that has won the Women’s Prize for Fiction
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
9. A book with a family tree
The Sisters by James Joyce
10. A bestseller from the 1990s
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
11. A book about forgetting
Forgetting Things by Sigmund Freud
12. A book you have seen on someone’s bookshelf (in real life, on a Zoom call, in a TV show, etc.)
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
13. A locked-room mystery
The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie
14. A book set in a restaurant
The Van Gogh Cafe by Cynthia Rylant
15. A book with a black-and-white cover
So Lucky by Dawn O’Porter
16. A book by an indigenous author
Jingle Dancer by Cynthia Leitich Smith
17. A book that has the same title as a song
The Daydreamer by Ian McEwan
18. A book about a subject you are passionate about
Rene Magritte: Now You See It--Now You Don't by Angela Wenzel (Art & Surrealism)
19. A book that discusses body positivity
Wonder by R.J. Palacio
20. A book on a Black Lives Matter reading list
Black Is a Rainbow Color by Angela Joy
21. A genre hybrid
The Secret Life of the Red Fox by Laurence Pringle
22. A book set mostly or entirely outdoors
The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling
23. A book with something broken on the cover
The Secrets of Strangers by Charity Norman
24. A book by a Muslim American author
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
25. A book that was published anonymously
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
26. A book with an oxymoron in the title
The Economics of Innocent Fraud: Truth for Our Time by John Kenneth Galbraith
27. A book about do-overs or fresh starts
Do-Over: A What-If Short Story by David T. Wolf by David T. Wolf
28. A magical realism book
The Ickabog by J.K. Rowling
29. A book set in multiple countries
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
30. A book set somewhere you’d like to visit in 2021
The Dead by James Joyce (Ireland)
31. A book by a blogger, vlogger, YouTube video creator, or other online personality
Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur
32. A book whose title starts with “Q,” “X,” or “Z”
X by Jack Croxall
33. A book featuring three generations (grandparent, parent, child)
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button by F. Scott Fitzgerald
34. A book about a social justice issue
White Teeth by Zadie Smith
35. A book in a different format than what you normally read (audiobooks, ebooks, graphic novels)
Anne of Avonlea by L.M. Montgomery (audiobook)
36. A book that has fewer than 1,000 reviews on Amazon or Goodreads
Feathertop by Nathaniel Hawthorne
37. A book you think your best friend would like
The Devil and the Dancer by Elizabeth Hunter
38. A book about art or an artist
Artists and Models by Anais Nin X
39. A book everyone seems to have read but you
Aquamarine by Alice Hoffman
40. Your favorite prompt from a past POPSUGAR Reading Challenge
The Sleeper and the Spindle by Neil Gaiman (A book based on a fairy tale)
2021 Popsugar Advanced Reading Challenge
1. The longest book (by pages) on your TBR list
The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith
2. The shortest book (by pages) on your TBR list
Hogwarts: An Incomplete and Unreliable Guide by J.K. Rowling
3. The book on your TBR list with the prettiest cover
Indigo by Alice Hoffman
4. The book on your TBR list with the ugliest cover
Forty Short Plays: Plays and Sketches for the Classroom by Ann Cartwright
5. The book that’s been on your TBR list for the longest amount of time
Danny the Champion of the World by Roald Dahl
6. A book from your TBR list you meant to read last year but didn’t
Snape: A Definitive Reading by Lorrie Kim
7. A book from your TBR list you associate with a favourite person, place, or thing
Actresses' Audition Speeches by Jean Marlow
8. A book from your TBR list chosen at random
Cupid and Psyche by M. Charlotte Craft
9. A DNF book from your TBR list
The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner
10. A free book from your TBR list (gifted, borrowed, library)
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty by James Thurber
Date you finished: 7/16/2021Message number of your list post (if you've got one): 630
Favorite prompt: A book by an indigenous author: The Only Good Indians
Favorite book: A book that has fewer than 1,000 reviews: Clive Barker's Next Testament Vol. 1
Was there a book you especially enjoyed that you never would have read if not for the Challenge? A book in a different format than what you normally read: The Book of Delights
Least favorite prompt: A book whose title starts with “Q,” “X,” or “Z”: Zoo
Prompt you hope to see again: A book from your TBR list chosen at random Fever Dream
Last prompt you finished: An Afrofuturist book: The City We Became
Were you overall satisfied with your Challenge reading?: Yes.
Did you like the TBR theme for the "advanced" prompts?: Yes, but this was my first year so I am not sure what the other options have been in the past.
Finally, are you in for 2022? Absolutely!
Date you finished: 26 July 2021Message number of your list post (if you've got one): 424
Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?): Author with your star sign: Midnight Sun, Stephanie Myers
Favorite book (and what prompt was it for?): Anxious People: Locked room mystery
Was there a book you especially enjoyed that you never would have read if not for the Challenge? (and what prompt was it for?) : Children of Blood and Bone: Afrofuturist book
Least favorite prompt: DNF from your TBR list
Prompt you hope to see again: A book that discusses body positivity because i had lots of options for it
Last prompt you finished: Book from BLM reading list
Were you overall satisfied with your Challenge reading?: Yes
Did you like the TBR theme for the "advanced" prompts?: Loved it!
Finally, are you in for 2022? Definitely
Date you finished: 7/26/2021Message number of your list post (if you've got one): n/a
Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?): A book by an Indigenous author, Thunder Boy Jr.
Favorite book (and what prompt was it for?): A book where the main character wors at your current or dream job The Unteachables
Was there a book you especially enjoyed that you never would have read if not for the Challenge? (and what prompt was it for?) : Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking A book whose title starts with "Q," "X," or "Z"
Least favorite prompt: An Afrofuturist book (not my genre, but I tried it) Elysium
Prompt you hope to see again: Your favorite prompt from a past POPSUGAR Reading Challenge The Cactus
Last prompt you finished: A book from your TBR list you meant to read last year but didn't Of Curses and Kisses
Were you overall satisfied with your Challenge reading?: Yes, I really loved the stretching prompts
Did you like the TBR theme for the "advanced" prompts?: I loved to get done with the TBR
Finally, are you in for 2022? Of course
Date you finished: July 31st, 2021Message number of your list post (if you've got one): 16
Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?): #6 - A book with a gem, mineral, or rock in the title (The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo)
Favorite book (and what prompt was it for?): The Deep by Rivers Solomon (#18 - A book about a subject you are passionate about)
Was there a book you especially enjoyed that you never would have read if not for the Challenge? (and what prompt was it for?) : The Devil and the Dark Water by Stuart Turton (#13 - A locked-room mystery)
Least favorite prompt: #7 - A book where the main character works at your current or dream job (I read The Hours by Michael Cunningham).
This was my least favorite only because 2016 had a pretty similar prompt.
Prompt you hope to see again: #30 -A book set somewhere you’d like to visit in 2021 but for 2022 (I read Fledgling by Octavia E. Butler)
Last prompt you finished: #46 - A book from your TBR list you meant to read last year but didn’t (The Memory Police by Yōko Ogawa)
Were you overall satisfied with your Challenge reading?: Yes!
Did you like the TBR theme for the "advanced" prompts?: Yes, it was fun to find things from my TBR list, though I would like something different for 2022.
Finally, are you in for 2022? Totally!
Date you finished: Wednesday, July 28Message number of your list post (if you've got one): didn't post there
Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?): Took place mostly outside--- I used Cold Vanish for this, but I had multiple books that could have been used for this one prompts-- Ruby Holler, Echo Mountain, Mud Rocks Blazes, The Overstory, Poisonwood Bible, That Wild Country, Endless Numbered Days.
Favorite book (and what prompt was it for?): Firekeepers Daughter (Indigenous author) or Mud Rocks Blazes (gem, mineral, or rock in the title)
Was there a book you especially enjoyed that you never would have read if not for the Challenge? (and what prompt was it for?) : Poisonwood Bible (I have been putting it off since it came out), bestseller of the 1990's
Least favorite prompt: Oxymoron
Prompt you hope to see again: I prefer the less specific prompts
Last prompt you finished: published anonymously
Were you overall satisfied with your Challenge reading?: Yes!! The goal is to read more diverse books. I'm definitely doing that!
Did you like the TBR theme for the "advanced" prompts?: I did! I always have a stack of books to read AND I want to check off a number of the "best books of all time" lists.
Finally, are you in for 2022? Of course!
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Date you finished: 5 August 2021
Message number of your list post (if you've got one):
N/A
Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?):
38. Book about art or an artist. I read Lizzie Siddal: The Tragedy of a Pre-Raphaelite Supermodel.
Favorite book (and what prompt was it for?):
Home Fire; read for prompt 8: Winner of Women's Prize for Fiction.
Was there a book you especially enjoyed that you never would have read if not for the Challenge? (and what prompt was it for?) :
Kindred; prompt 2: An afrofuturist book.
Least favorite prompt:
28. A Magical Realism book. I don't like these books, but I did happen to enjoy the one I read: The Lie Tree
Prompt you hope to see again:
34. Book about a social justice issue
Last prompt you finished:
44. TBR book with ugliest cover. Just the way it panned out, with getting library books finished first. I really wanted to read the book I read: The Assault on Truth: Boris Johnson, Donald Trump and the Emergence of a New Moral Barbarism.
Were you overall satisfied with your Challenge reading?:
Yes, considering only the last half of my reads was planned.
Did you like the TBR theme for the "advanced" prompts?:
Hated it when I first saw it, but it turned out to be quite helpful and enjoyable. Perhaps less of it next time.
Finally, are you in for 2022?
Yes.
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5 August 2021 - 10 out of 50 prompts done. I still need to match the books in my TBR to the prompts. #So exciting!!3 Prompts from Advanced list done. :-) ...making real progress now since 2017!
1. A book that published in 2021 - The lost Apothecary
2. An Afrofuturist book
3. A book that has a heart, diamond, club, or spade on the cover - Diamond dust
4. A book by an author who shares your zodiac sign
[Done] 5. A dark academia book - The Raven Boys
6. A book with a gem, mineral, or rock in the title - Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
(In progress) 7. A book where the main character works at your current or dream job - Harvey Spector
8. A book that has won the Women’s Prize for Fiction
9. A book with a family tree - Daughter of fortune
10. A bestseller from the 1990s Die agterhuis - Anne Frank / daughter of fortune
11. A book about forgetting
12. A book you have seen on someone’s bookshelf (in real life, on a Zoom call, in a TV show, etc.)
13. A locked-room mystery
14. A book set in a restaurant
[Done] 15. A book with a black-and-white cover - The memoirs of a Geisha
16. A book by an indigenous author
17. A book that has the same title as a song
18. A book about a subject you are passionate about - it / Training/ law / gardening
19. A book that discusses body positivity
20. A book on a Black Lives Matter reading list
21. A genre hybrid
22. A book set mostly or entirely outdoors
23. A book with something broken on the cover
24. A book by a Muslim American / Muslim British author
[Done] 25. A book that was published anonymously - 9th or 10th Century Anonymous author - The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter - Elena N Grand
26. A book with an oxymoron in the title - Frostfire
27. A book about do-overs or fresh starts
28. A magical realism book - Graceling / blue lily
[Done] 29. A book set in multiple countries - The memoirs of a Geisha
30. A book set somewhere you’d like to visit in 2021
31. A book by a blogger, vlogger, YouTube video creator, or other online personality
[Done] 32. A book whose title starts with “Q,” “X,” or “Z” - Slave, Warrior, Queen
33. A book featuring three generations (grandparent, parent, child) Daughter of fortune
34. A book about a social justice issue
[Done] 35. A book in a different format than what you normally read (audiobooks, ebooks, graphic novels) - The Raven Boys
36. A book that has fewer than 1,000 reviews on Amazon or Goodreads
[Done] 37. A book you think your best friend would like - The memoirs of a Geisha (she watched the movie)
38. A book about art or an artist - The girl in the painting
39. A book everyone seems to have read but you
40. Your favorite prompt from a past POPSUGAR Reading Challenge
ADVANCED
41. The longest book (by pages) on your TBR list - C++ Borland - 1600 pages
42. The shortest book (by pages) on your TBR list - tbr 56 pages Product Management Roadmap ebook pc
[Done] 43. The book on your TBR list with the prettiest cover - The Language of flowers
44. The book on your TBR list with the ugliest cover
45. The book that’s been on your TBR list for the longest amount of time - Breakthrough 8 steps to wellness
46. A book from your TBR list you meant to read last year but didn’t - Dit spook daar
(Done) 47. A book from your TBR list you associate with a favorite person, place, or thing - The Language of flowers
48. A book from your TBR list chosen at random
[Done] 49. A DNF book from your TBR list - The Dream Thieves
(In Progress) 50. A free book from your TBR list (gifted, borrowed, library) - Rich Dad, poor dad - borrowed
Date you finished: August 14, 2021Message number of your list post (if you've got one): 677
Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?): 34: A book about a social justice issue: They Called Us Enemy
Favorite book (and what prompt was it for?): Rebecca (39: A book everyone seems to have read but you)
Was there a book you especially enjoyed that you never would have read if not for the Challenge? (and what prompt was it for?): An Artist of the Floating World (38: A book about art or an artist)
Least favorite prompt: 25: A book that was published anonymously. There weren’t many titles to choose from.
Prompt you hope to see again: 16: A book by an Indigenous author.
Last prompt you finished: 49: A DNF’ed book from your TBR List (The Book Thief)
Were you overall satisfied with your Challenge reading?: Yes!
Did you like the TBR theme for the "advanced" prompts?: Yes. I have so many books on my TBR that it was great to go through and check some of them off the list.
Finally, are you in for 2022? Definitely!
Date you finished: 13/08/2021Message number of your list post (if you've got one): #353
Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?):
A dark academia book - The Secret History
Favorite book (and what prompt was it for?):
The Devil and the Dark Water for A genre hybrid
Was there a book you especially enjoyed that you never would have read if not for the Challenge? (and what prompt was it for?):
Trail of Lightning for A book by an indigenous author - I was very pleasantly surprised by this one!
Least favorite prompt:
There were several that I didn't rate much this year, but I'm going to go with A DNF book from your TBR list because that's just illogical to me, and I had to spin it to be able to fill it.
Prompt you hope to see again:
A book by an author who shares your zodiac sign - another one of my favourites!
Last prompt you finished:
A book from your TBR list chosen at random - The Roommate
Were you overall satisfied with your Challenge reading?:
More or less - I had to fudge a few prompts, which I didn't like.
Did you like the TBR theme for the "advanced" prompts?:
Very much yes!
Finally, are you in for 2022?
We'll see!
Date you finished: 08th August 2021Message number of your list post (if you've got one): #260
Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?):
- A dark academia book: The Castle School
Favorite book (and what prompt was it for?):
-My favourite book this year was Stephen King's The Dark Tower and the prompt was "The longest book (by pages) on your TBR list".
Was there a book you especially enjoyed that you never would have read if not for the Challenge? (and what prompt was it for?):
-The book was We Are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies and I read it not because of the prompt. (The prompt was "A book that has fewer than 1,000 reviews on Amazon or Goodreads")
Least favorite prompt:
-A book that has won the Women’s Prize for Fiction. Because it's hard to find a book that fits my interest.
Prompt you hope to see again:
-A book that's published in 2021. Because there's still a lot more of 2021 books that I haven't got the chance to read yet.
Last prompt you finished:
-A book that was published anonymously.
Were you overall satisfied with your Challenge reading?:
-Yes, I do.
Did you like the TBR theme for the "advanced" prompts?:
-Not really. But, at the end of the day, I managed to finish a lot of DNF books that otherwise I might have not.
Finally, are you in for 2022?
-Most probably, yes!! :)
Message number of your list post (if you've got one):N/A
Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?):
I thought "A book where the main character works at your current or dream job" was interesting. I read *Abyss: Section 31" by David Weddle, Jeffrey Lang for this one, which is just an okay Star Trek book. (My dream job is to be a Federation Officer on a star ship)
Favorite book (and what prompt was it for?):
I think I have to go with "If We Were Villains" by M. L. Rio. This was a "Dark Academia Book"
Was there a book you especially enjoyed that you never would
have read if not for the Challenge? (and what prompt was it for?)
Probably "My Brilliant Friend" by Elena Ferrante, for "A book published anonymously". The cover put me off; I thought it was going to be a book about the joys of motherhood, but it is really not.
Least favorite prompt:
"A book with a family tree". I don't tend to like these books.
Prompt you hope to see again:
Nothing in particular. I like to see new prompts.
Last prompt you finished:
"A book with less than 1000 reviews in Goodreads" because I was waiting for Becky Chambers' "A Psalm for the Wild-built" that came out in July!
Were you overall satisfied with your Challenge reading?:
Yes! Apparently I was so satisfied, I tagged an extra book as popsugar2021 and now I have 51. I don't have the motivation to see which book I accidentally tagged.
Did you like the TBR theme for the "advanced" prompts?:
It was cute, and took me through some of my list.
Finally, are you in for 2022?
Yes!
Date you finished: August 22Message number of your list post (if you've got one): 51
Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?): Either a book that takes place in multiple countries The Innocents Abroad or a place you want to go The Shadow of the Lynx. I love to travel by reading
Favorite book (and what prompt was it for?): I'm not sure, but if I have to pick I'll go with A Man Called Ove which I read as a book everyone else has read.
Was there a book you especially enjoyed that you never would have read if not for the Challenge? (and what prompt was it for?) : Half of a Yellow Sun, this wasn't on my radar at all as I hadn't heard of it.
Least favorite prompt: DNF book. I cheated a bit and read Great Expectations which I had read a condensed version of, which isn't the same as not finishing it. Honestly, if I hated a book so much as to not finish it before, why would I want to read it again?
Prompt you hope to see again: a place you want to go. the possibiliies are endless
Last prompt you finished: A locked room mystery And Then There Were None
Were you overall satisfied with your Challenge reading?: Yes.
Did you like the TBR theme for the "advanced" prompts?: they were alright I guess.
Finally, are you in for 2022? We'll see. By the looks of things, I think in 2022, we'll be nostalgic for 2020.
Date you finished: 8/21Message number of your list post (if you've got one): n/a
Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?): A book that discusses body positivity. I read Spoiler AlertSpoiler Alert
Favorite book (and what prompt was it for?): Black Sun Black Sun I read it for "a book by an Indigenous American Author."
Was there a book you especially enjoyed that you never would have read if not for the Challenge? (and what prompt was it for?) : Zahrah the Windseeker (Afrofuturist book) Zahrah the Windseeker
Least favorite prompt: A book by an author that shares your zodiac sign (it was too hard to find the information!)
Prompt you hope to see again: "A book you think your best friend would like"
Last prompt you finished: "A book with a family tree" (because the book suggested was the first in a series, and now I'm free to read the rest of the series without abandoning the rest of the challenge.)
Were you overall satisfied with your Challenge reading?: Yes
Did you like the TBR theme for the "advanced" prompts?: no, i hated it. First, I was angry about the whole concept- I don't have a "to be read pile at all! I never plan my books in advance!" Then, I realized that I literally have a text document labeled "TBR pile" full of book suggestions from friends and from social media. In the end, I decided to define my TBR pile as "anything I read at all, since it needs to be on my TBR list for at least a minute before I start reading." The entire advanced challenge ended up being "use random books to check off prompts if they don't fit any of the more specific prompts." The "longest book" made some sense as I used the latest Stormlight Archive book for that. But "a book you meant to read last year but didn't" would normally take advanced planning from me, and the DNF truly pissed me off! Normally, I finish books, and if I don't, there's a damn good reason! If I've abandoned a book, I don't want to pick it back up.
Fortunately, I decided to reread the Dresden Files last year, started on one of the newer books, read about a page before I decided that I couldn't get into the story in the middle and I should reread the whole thing. It was late enough in the year that it was 2021 by the time I got back to the book I read one page of (that was my DNF) and "the book I meant to read last year but didn't" was the book right after it, which I definitely would have gotten to if I'd finished the first one.
I'm also royally pissed about the "book in a format you' don't normally read" prompt. It's ableist, it's not fair, and I feel like I cheated on it by reading a large-print book instead of a normal print book (but any paper book is part of my normal format for reading.) I have some neurodiversity that makes it hard for me to read graphic novels or to follow along with audiobooks.
Finally, are you in for 2022 Absolutely! The challenges are fun ways to find new books to read, and I generally finish them early enough in the year that I have a few months to read whatever catches my eye in between finding books for challenges.
Just, please, when making the prompts for next year, keep in mind that many of your readers may be limited in what kinds of books they can obtain/what kinds of books they're capable of reading. Audiobooks don't work for deaf people or those with auditory processing disorders. Graphic novels don't work for the blind. Braille is a skill many of us don't have.
In the past, there have been challenges that specifically mentioned books we "bought" under specific situations. Don't do that either- I have almost no budget for buying books and can participate in these challenges via the local public library.
Please leave the challenges related to the books themselves- not the format we're reading it in, or where it was obtained, or whether or not we'd started it in the past and didn't finish it, or meant to read it before but didn't, or anything that makes it impossible for somebody to decide to join the challenge in the middle of the year. Don't make any challenges that require people to buy books, or require people to use a library (as not everybody has access.)
Challenges related to the title of the book, or pictures on the cover, or that we'd seen somebody else reading (especially if this includes social media and TV shows/movies) are all a lot of fun. Specific genres can be hard or fun, but that's the kind of hard I expect from a reading challenge.
Hi Ruth,You should leave the comments about categories in the second half of your post in the “category suggestions” discussion. Personally, I have no problems with the “TBR” prompts since, with few exceptions, all my books come from my TBR. The only prompt for which I had no books was the “published in 2021,” but have borrowed a book from a friend who actually has a book budget this year.
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
I would also recommend you put those comments in the facebook group. The popsugar editors don't have any association with this group, but they do run the facebook group, so it's at least possible that they'll see and consider your feedback there. I agree that they haven't had the greatest track record of considering how the prompts will fit to a wider demographic, but at least this year's list didn't ask people to buy a book while travelling.
Jackie wrote: "I would also recommend you put those comments in the facebook group. The popsugar editors don't have any association with this group, but they do run the facebook group, so it's at least possible t..."The problem with that is — and I know this is, for some unfathomable reason, difficult for some people to believe — that not everyone is on FB. Is there another way for people to submit comments?
Mod
Tara Block had been our main Popsugar connection (I assume she's still the one running the reading challenge, but I'm not sure - that's how disconnected we are from Popsguar!). I thought there might be a way to contact her on the Popsugar site, but there are just links to her instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest pages.
https://www.popsugar.com/author/Tara-...
I'll see if I can find a way to contact her and I can forward these comments to her.
Thank you for all your feedback, and thank you, Nadine, for reaching out! I'll keep a close eye on the suggestions and feedback in this thread as well as the category suggestions thread from now until the 2022 challenge is finalized! Noted on the accessibility front, thank you again for sharing your thoughts! And congrats, everyone, for finishing the challenge!!!
Tara wrote: "Thank you for all your feedback, and thank you, Nadine, for reaching out! I'll keep a close eye on the suggestions and feedback in this thread as well as the category suggestions thread from now un..."Thank you, Tara, for checking in here, and for listening to participants’ thoughts and concerns.
Date you finished: 8/27/2021Message number of your list post (if you've got one): 100
Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?): #4 A book by an author who shares your zodiac sign. Deacon King Kong by James McBride. Virgo
Favorite book (and what prompt was it for?): Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell. #8 A book that has won the Women's Prize For Fiction.
Was there a book you especially enjoyed that you never would have read if not for the Challenge? (and what prompt was it for?) : Legendborn (Legendborn #1) by Tracy Deonn. # 5 A dark academia book.
Least favorite prompt: #12 A Book you have seen on someone's book shelf.
Prompt you hope to see again: #19 A book everyone seems to have read but you.
Last prompt you finished: #18 A book about a subject you are passionate about. The Lending Library by Aliza Fogelson
Were you overall satisfied with your Challenge reading?: Yes
Did you like the TBR theme for the "advanced" prompts?: Yes but I wouldn't want to repeat them in 2022.
Finally, are you in for 2022? Yes
Date you finished: 29 August 2021Message number of your list post (if you've got one): 90
Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?):A dark academia book. I have never heard of this genre before. I read If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio and was surprised by how much I enjoyed it.
Favorite book (and what prompt was it for?):Wolfblade by Jennifer Fallon. I read it for the longest book on my TBR pile and I loved it. It had been sitting there for 15 years and I wondered why I waited so long!
Was there a book you especially enjoyed that you never would have read if not for the Challenge? (and what prompt was it for?) : If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio which I read for the Dark Academia prompt. I had never heard of that genre and while the book had a slow start, I ended up loving it.
Least favorite prompt: The DNF prompt as I never DNF a book. I had to cheat on this one and chose a book from a series I did not finish.
Prompt you hope to see again: The book that’s been on your TBR list for the longest amount of time - I think that prompt gives a lot of flexibility.
Last prompt you finished: The book on your TBR list with the ugliest cover
Were you overall satisfied with your Challenge reading?: It took longer than I normally would have taken to finish because life got in the way but overall I am pretty happy
Did you like the TBR theme for the "advanced" prompts?: I did except for the DNF prompt (for reasons stated above.
Finally, are you in for 2022? yes I have been doing these every year so I would like to keep going.
Date you finished: August 29thMessage number of your list post (if you've got one):
Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?): A book from your TBR list you associate with a favorite person, place, or thing
(Celine by Peter Weller)
Favorite book (and what prompt was it for?): Becoming by Michelle Obama (A book that everyone seems to have read but you)
Was there a book you especially enjoyed that you never would have read if not for the Challenge? (and what prompt was it for?) : The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver (A bestseller from the 1990s)
Least favorite prompt: A book that was published anonymously (Hotel Babylon)
Prompt you hope to see again: A book with an Indigenous author
Last prompt you finished: The longest book (by pages) on your TBR list (Centennial by James Michener)
Were you overall satisfied with your Challenge reading?: Yes
Did you like the TBR theme for the "advanced" prompts?: Yes
Finally, are you in for 2022? Yes
Date you finished: August 29, 2021Message number of your list post (if you've got one):392
Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?): Dark Academia Tell Me Everything and Confessions
Favorite book (and what prompt was it for?): The Mueller Report Best book I've read in the last decade or so. Longest book on my TBR
Was there a book you especially enjoyed that you never would have read if not for the Challenge? (and what prompt was it for?) : A Crime in the Neighborhood - - A book that has won the Women's Prize for Fiction
Least favorite prompt: A DNF'ed book from your TBR list, I DNF for a reason
Prompt you hope to see again: A book by an indigenous author
Last prompt you finished: - A book from your TBR list chosen at random
Were you overall satisfied with your Challenge reading?: Yes!
Did you like the TBR theme for the "advanced" prompts?: Yes, it was clever. My TBR isn't really a list of what I must read, so much as books that looked good in the moment, like trinket in a blue jay's nest
Finally, are you in for 2022? Yes!
Date Finished: September 7, 2021Message number of list post: 462
Favorite prompt and book: A book set in a restaurant: Coconut Layer Dake Mystery by Joanna Fluke
Favorite book and prompt: Deadmen Walking by Sherrilyn Kenyon, A magical realism book
Book especially enjoyed but never read if not for challenge and prompt: Seed to Harvest by Octavia E. Butler, An Afrofuturist book
Least favorite: A book that discusses body positivity -- don't need preachy self help stuff
Prompt to see again: pretty cover
Last prompt finished: book on my TBR list the longest
overall satisfied: yes
Did you like TBR? good to look around for books laying around the house but unread. bad because I rarely pick up books with ugly covers....
In for 2022: yes
Note: instead of "indigenous author" how about book by an author from your local community OR from your ethnic group OR from the area your family emigrated from. Indigenous to a recent immigrant may not mean what we in the US think of as indigenous.
Soc wrote: "from the area your family emigrated from..."This would exclude anyone whose family has never emigrated or those who have no idea where their family come from.
Date you finished: September 9thMessage number of your list post (if you've got one): 230
Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?): #18 - a book about a topic you are passionate about. I read Underground: A Human History of the Worlds Beneath Our Feet
Favorite book (and what prompt was it for?): It's a 5-way tie ;) :
1 - Homegoing [P#20]; 2 - The World That We Knew [P#4]; 3 - The Midnight Library [P#28]; 4 - The Narrow Road to the Deep North [P#49]; 5 - The Beauty of Your Face [P#50].
Was there a book you especially enjoyed that you never would have read if not for the Challenge? (and what prompt was it for?): The Only Good Indians [P#16 - a book by an indigenous author]
Least favorite prompt: #26 - book with an oxymoron in the title
Prompt you hope to see again: #29 - a book set in multiple countries
Last prompt you finished: #26 - book with an oxymoron in the title
Were you overall satisfied with your Challenge reading?: Yes - I got to read a lot of books on my shelf for the advanced challenge that I wouldn't have read [possibly].
Did you like the TBR theme for the "advanced" prompts?: I did. It made me pull books off my TBR lists I'd 'ignored' or 'glanced over' for ages in the name of newer books I wanted to read. I also rearranged my bookshelf at home and 'found' books I wouldn't have seen otherwise. Besides, I don't think I'd ever have read Fall of Giants [my longest at 944 pages!!] or The Narrow Road to the Deep North [a book I had DNF'ed before]. I ended up enjoying both.
Finally, are you in for 2022? I am - but not sure if I'll finish it since I'm starting an online postgraduate programme soon.
Date you finished: August 26, 2021Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?): #37 A book you think your best friend would like. I read Brown Girl Dreaming and loved it. My daughter recommended it.
Favorite book (and what prompt was it for?): For prompt #20 A book on the Black Lives Matter reading list I listened to the audio version of Concrete Rose. It was such a good book, and the narrators made it even better. I laughed and cried and thought about it long after I'd moved on to other books.
Was there a book you especially enjoyed that you never would have read if not for the Challenge? (and what prompt was it for?) : For prompt #31 A book by a blogger, etc. I read Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, Her Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed. I rarely read non-fiction but this was one of the few where I read every word and hated for it to end.
Least favorite prompt: Prompt #36 A book with fewer than 1000 reviews. I had a hard time finding a book with so few reviews that I was interested in reading and that was at my library.
Prompt you hope to see again: #39 A book everyone seems to have read but you.
Last prompt you finished: #34 A book about a social issue.
Were you overall satisfied with your Challenge reading?: Yes always. I enjoy doing the challenge because it makes me read books I'd never have considered otherwise, and I always find new authors to follow. Also, it's a fun way to see what other people find to read for different prompts because we all think differently and some people are so creative in their picks.
Did you like the TBR theme for the "advanced" prompts?: Yes, it was a good way to clean up my TBR list, but I don't think I would want to do it again. My TBR list is usually not very long.
Finally, are you in for 2022? Definitely!
Date you finished: September 12thMessage number of your list post (if you've got one): 521
Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?): A Book You've Seen on Someone's Bookshelf
Favorite book (and what prompt was it for?):
for the Body Positivity prompt Was there a book you especially enjoyed that you never would have read if not for the Challenge? (and what prompt was it for?) :
Prompt: A book by an indigenous authorLeast favorite prompt: Bestseller from the 1990s
Prompt you hope to see again: An afrofuturist book
Last prompt you finished: A Book Set in Multiple Countries
Were you overall satisfied with your Challenge reading?: Yes
Did you like the TBR theme for the "advanced" prompts?: Yes, I always prefer ways to clear out my existing TBR pile
Finally, are you in for 2022? Probably
Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
Daisy Jones & The Six (other topics)Sharks in the Time of Saviors (other topics)
The Goldfinch (other topics)
Hamnet (other topics)
The Tiger's Wife (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Susan Cain (other topics)Ann Napolitano (other topics)
T.J. Klune (other topics)
Matt Haig (other topics)
Kristin Hannah (other topics)
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Date you finished:
Message number of your list post (if you've got one):
Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?):
Favorite book (and what prompt was it for?):
Was there a book you especially enjoyed that you never would have read if not for the Challenge? (and what prompt was it for?) :
Least favorite prompt:
Prompt you hope to see again:
Last prompt you finished:
Were you overall satisfied with your Challenge reading?:
Did you like the TBR theme for the "advanced" prompts?:
Finally, are you in for 2022?