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2021 Challenge - I Finished!
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I FINISHED!!! 2021 PopSugar Reading Challenge
50/50 (updated on GRG 12/28/21)
Date finished: 12/28/21
Message number of your list post: message 571: by Melissa
Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?): A favourite prompt from a past PopSugar Challenge - My Brother's Name Is Jessica John Boyne (LGBTQIA+)
Favorite book (and what prompt was it for?): A magical - realism book - The Midnight Library Matt Haig
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 book by an indigenous author - The Night Watchman Louise Erdrich
Least favorite prompt: A book that was published anonymously
Least favorite book: The Four Winds Kristin Hannah (It was relentlessly depressing.)
Prompt you hope to see again: A book about a subject which you are passionate about
Last prompt you finished: Longest Book on TBR (2021 publication) - The Rose Code Kate Quinn(624 pages)
Were you overall satisfied with your Challenge reading?: Yes.
Did you like the TBR theme for the "advanced" prompts?: It was a good idea. I joined a TBR challenge for 2022.
Finally, are you in for 2022? Ask Again, Yes - title of a book I read this year. Ask Again, Yes Mary Beth Keane
Date you finished: 12/28/21Message number of your list post (if you've got one): #89
Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?): book about subject passionate about - Provence, 1970: M.F.K. Fisher, Julia Child, James Beard, and the Reinvention of American Taste
Favorite book (and what prompt was it for?): A Suitable Boy at 1,476 pages, the longest in pages in 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?) : Nope as all books came from my TBR
Least favorite prompt: book in a format don't normally read was very difficult as I am a very eclectic reader. Read a print library book as I never borrow physical books just ebooks - The Last Book Party
Prompt you hope to see again: favorite past prompt
Last prompt you finished: longest book in pages
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? Absolutely!
Date you finished: 27/12Message number of your list post (if you've got one): 280
Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?): "28. A magical realism book", I read The Night Circus
Favorite book (and what prompt was it for?): Favorite book this year has been 1991 by Frank Thilliez for prompts : "12. A book you have seen on someone’s bookshelf (in real life, on a Zoom call, in a TV show, etc.)" and "37. 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?) : Strange the Dreamer, I picked it it fitted well with a few prompts and ended up really liking it and piking the sequel for another prompt. Prompts: "7. A book where the main character works at your current or dream job", "11. A book about forgetting" and "21. A genre hybrid"
Least favorite prompt: "4. A book by an author who shares your zodiac sign", I really don't care about the birth month of authors and "49. A DNF book from your TBR list", still not sure I really understand this one
Prompt you hope to see again: "1. A book that's published in (current year)", I really like this prompt because it allows me to continue series I enjoy with new releases or favorite authors
Last prompt you finished: "46. A book from your TBR list you meant to read last year but didn’t" with #NoEscape
Were you overall satisfied with your Challenge reading?: I had a hard time getting into it and then around September when I was left with the books I picked because I wasn't inspired by the prompts or the prompts with nothing picked but overall it was a good.
Did you like the TBR theme for the "advanced" prompts?: Yes, except for prompt 49, it was mostly books I wanted to read anyway so these were easy to fill.
Finally, are you in for 2022? Yep, my list is almost ready.
Date you finished: December 27, 2021Message number of your list post (if you've got one): N/A
Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?): Indigenous author - Five Little Indians by Michelle Good
Favorite book (and what prompt was it for?): Recursion by Blake Crouch, 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?): The Martian by Andy Weir (Author that shares your zodiac sign)
Least favorite prompt: DNF from TBR (I always finish. Had to pick a book from a series I didn't finish)
Prompt you hope to see again: BLM reading list
Last prompt you finished: A book I meant to read in 2020
Were you overall satisfied with your Challenge reading?: Yes!
Did you like the TBR theme for the "advanced" prompts?: Yes, it was nice to dig through the TBR.
Finally, are you in for 2022? Not sure yet.
Date you finished: Dec 27Message number of your list post (if you've got one): 204
Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?): Genre Hybrid (Root Magic) and A book you think your best friend would like (The Tea Dragon Tapestry)
Favorite book (and what prompt was it for?): Firekeeper's Daughter (Prettiest cover) and The Tea Dragon Tapestry (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?): Together, Apart was a cute collection of short stories I would never have picked up (Oxymoron in the title)
Least favorite prompt: A book where the main character works at your current or dream job and A book whose title starts with “Q,” “X,” or “Z”
Prompt you hope to see again: Indigenous author
Last prompt you finished: Something broken on the cover
Were you overall satisfied with your Challenge reading?: I found it a bit more challenging to finish this time, but overall satisfied
Did you like the TBR theme for the "advanced" prompts?: Yes, except for the DNF prompt
Finally, are you in for 2022? Absolutely!
Date you finished December 11thMessage number of your list post (if you've got one): 687
Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?): The book on your TBR list with the prettiest cover and I read
I don't normally look too closely at covers because I'm an audiobook reader, but when I zoomed up on this cover I was really impressed at the detail. Favorite book (and what prompt was it for?):
Which I read for a dark academia Was there a book you especially enjoyed that you never would have read if not for the Challenge? (and what prompt was it for?) :
which I read for A Locked Room Mystery - I don't like straight mysteries--- but I ended up loving this and reading the sequal. Least favorite prompt: A DNF book from your TBR list - I DNF books sometimes - I don't spend valuable time on books I'm not enjoying at least a little. But I didn't like going into it looking for a book I wouldn't enjoy. I don't usually add books I think I'll dislike on to my TBR! It worked out, I had a book I DNF'd naturally but I didn't like trying for it.
Prompt you hope to see again: A book set somewhere you’d like to visit in 2021 was fun - I like exploring through books even if travel wasn't really on the agenda this year.
Last prompt you finished: Bestseller from the 1990s .. I also didn't like this one very much
Were you overall satisfied with your Challenge reading?: Yep! I had a lot of fun
Did you like the TBR theme for the "advanced" prompts?: Yes!! I always try to complete as many prompts as I can with books from my tbr so this fit in well with my own personal goals.
Finally, are you in for 2022? YEP! Got my spread sheet ready.
Date you finished: December 28, 2021 (down to the wire, but I did it!)Message number of your list post (if you've got one): 46
Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?): A locked-room mystery - The Escape Room
Favorite book (and what prompt was it for?): Firekeeper's Daughter - a book by an Indigenous 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?): Dear Martin - a book found on a Black Lives Matter reading list
Least favorite prompt: A DNF book from your TBR list
Prompt you hope to see again: a dark academia book
Last prompt you finished: a book that was published anonymously
Were you overall satisfied with your Challenge reading?: absolutely!
Did you like the TBR theme for the "advanced" prompts?: I loved this! It helped me get through some books in my never ending TBR!
Finally, are you in for 2022? Definitely!
Date you finished: 29 Dec 2021Message number of your list post (if you've got one): 679.
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? Yes,
too many answers for all posts except least favorite. I love books in general and enjoy the chance to read books outside my usual genres.
Date you finished: December 29thMessage number of your list post (if you've got one): 191
Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?): 07 a book where the main character works at your current or dream job; it was quite a difficult prompt for me to fill since I quit uni in the beginning of the year and needed to figure out a whole new career path. In the end I read The House in the Cerulean Sea since I am now studying to be a social worker? It was also one of my favourite reads (probably) ever!
Favorite book (and what prompt was it for?): A Little Life I really don't know what to say about this one, except I was in so much pain the entire time while reading it but also wanted to reread it immediately after finishing? I also read it for 15 a book with a black and white cover, which is quite honestly the most boring prompt to read a book like this for? No regrets though!
Was there a book you especially enjoyed that you never would have read if not for the Challenge? (and what prompt was it for?): All the Light We Cannot See comes to mind (for 26 a book with an oxymoron in the title). I don't know if I "especially enjoyed" it, but it was one of the better books I wouldn't have if it weren't for the reading challenge.
Least favorite prompt: I feel like there were a lot of throwaway prompts this year (also in the 2022 challenge, but that's a different topic) but 31 a book by a blogger, vlogger, YouTube video creator, or other online personality was really unnecessary in my opinion.
Prompt you hope to see again: I really enjoyed all the advanced prompts that helped me clean up my tbr this year. Something like that might be nice in a future challenge.
Last prompt you finished: 08 a book that has won the Women’s Prize For Fiction; I read Hamnet (because I've already read The Song of Achilles last year) and I just couldn't get into it. Kept putting it off for weeks and had to force myself to finish it in the end.
Were you overall satisfied with your Challenge reading?: Yes, I managed to read as much as I intended to (100 books) and finished the reading challenge without using reread or multiple prompts for a book
Did you like the TBR theme for the "advanced" prompts?: Like I said earlier, I thought they were really cool and definitely useful for my tbr, but I don't know if we necessarily need ten prompts like that again in the future, just one or two might be enough.
Finally, are you in for 2022? Yes! I already filled so many prompts for the challenge
Date you finished: December 26thMessage number of your list post (if you've got one): 148
Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?): Dark Academia (The Secret History)
Favorite book (and what prompt was it for?): 1Q84 (The longest book on your TBR list), Anything Is Possible (The book on your TBR list with the prettiest cover), The Eustace Diamonds (A book with a 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?) : I'd say 1Q84 - I added it to my Goodreads TBR list quite randomly, and it's so long that I doubt I would actualy have read it if not for the challenge
Least favorite prompt: An Afrofuturist book and a DNF book from your TBR list
Prompt you hope to see again: A book everyone seems to have read but you, A book you have seen on someone’s bookshelf
Last prompt you finished: A book whose title starts with “Q,” “X,” or “Z”
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: December 30th, I had to 'cut some corners' by choosing books that were shorter than the ones I planned to read. But I made it!Message number of your list post (if you've got one): 719
Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?): 5. A dark academia book for which I read Ninth House
Favorite book (and what prompt was it for?): The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue for the prompt 11. A book about forgetting
Was there a book you especially enjoyed that you never would have read if not for the Challenge? (and what prompt was it for?): Binti for 2. An Afrofuturist book
Least favorite prompt: 25. A book that was published anonymously
Prompt you hope to see again: 36. A book that has fewer than 1,000 reviews on Amazon or Goodreads
Last prompt you finished: 13. A locked-room mystery
Were you overall satisfied with your Challenge reading?: Yes!
Did you like the TBR theme for the "advanced" prompts?: Yes, I was able to 'clean up' my TBR a bit with 41. The longest book (by pages) on your TBR list (for which I read The Eighth Life, which I loved but probably would have postponed a lot without the prompt) and 45. The book that's been on your TBR list for the longest amount of time (for which I finally read To Kill a Mockingbird, a book I'd picked up a couple of times but never finished).
Finally, are you in for 2022? Of course!
Date you finished: December 30thMessage number of your list post (if you've got one): Message 460
Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?): A Book with a Family Tree Anna of Kleve: The Princess in the Portrait
Favorite book (and what prompt was it for?): The Great Alone - A book set mostly or entirely outdoors
Was there a book you especially enjoyed that you never would have read if not for the Challenge? (and what prompt was it for?) : Hamnet - For the Book that has Won the Women's Prize in Fiction
Least favorite prompt: Book from an author who shares your zodiac sign
Prompt you hope to see again: Pretty much any of the Advanced prompts from this year
Last prompt you finished: A Book You Think Your Best Friend Would Like -Lore Olympus: Volume One
Were you overall satisfied with your Challenge reading?: Yes and no. I only finished 49 out of 50 categories, not having enough time to do one of the advanced prompts, but I'm still pretty pumped I read as much as I did this year.
Did you like the TBR theme for the "advanced" prompts?: Yes! Please do it again in 2023. I have a LOT of books in my TBR that I need to clear out and read!
Finally, are you in for 2022? In like Flynn! My message is #179.
Date you finished: 10/21/21 (just didn't know it then)Message number of your list post (if you've got one): 92
Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?): Book about do-overs or fresh starts - Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano, but there were others that also fit
Favorite book (and what prompt was it for?): The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune - Favorite prompt from past challenges (2015 non-human characters)
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 by Susan Cain for Q, X, Z prompt
Least favorite prompt: Oxymoron in title
Prompt you hope to see again: A book everyone seems to have read but you
Last prompt you finished: Longest book
Were you overall satisfied with your Challenge reading?: Yes, I read a lot of good books with nothing rated less than 3 stars.
Did you like the TBR theme for the "advanced" prompts?: Loved it
Finally, are you in for 2022? Yes
Date you finished: December 21, 2021Message number of your list post (if you've got one): 50
Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?): A book about a subject you are passionate about. A Thousand Ships
Favorite book (and what prompt was it for?): I'll Be the One. A book that discusses body positivity and a book that has the same title as a song
Was there a book you especially enjoyed that you never would have read if not for the Challenge? (and what prompt was it for?): Pachinko. A book from a different format, a book featuring three generations, and a book set somewhere you'd like to visit in 2021
Least favorite prompt: A book by an author who shares your zodiac only because there were authors I didn't really care for who had my zodiac and had to go with one that's part of my astrology and a magical realism book only because I'm not a huge fan of magical realism.
Prompt you hope to see again: A book by an Indigenous author, afrofuturist book, a book by a Muslim American author, a book everyone seems to have read but you
Last prompt you finished: 18. A book about a subject you are passionate about
Were you overall satisfied with your Challenge reading?: It was mixed. There were some great books that came out of the prompts, but others were kinda meh and didn't really enjoy them.
Did you like the TBR theme for the "advanced" prompts?: It was challenging and some of them were a bit hard to fill, but I thought they were okay.
Finally, are you in for 2022?: of course!
Date you finished: 30/12/2021Message number of your list post (if you've got one):
Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?): The choose a prompt from a previous challenge to do - The Southern Guide to Slaying Vampires
Favorite book (and what prompt was it for?): The bookish life of Nina Hill - areas 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?) : Jurassic Park 1 - read a book from the 1990’s
Least favorite prompt: Read the ugliest book on your tbr
Prompt you hope to see again: Read a book of nature poems
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
Finally, are you in for 2022? Yes
Date you finished: 31/12/2021Message number of your list post (if you've got one): 729
Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?): 7. A book where the main character works at your current or dream job - The Love Hypothesis
Favorite book (and what prompt was it for?): 50. A free book from your TBR list (gifted, borrowed, library) - The Weight of the Stars
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 locked-room mystery -And Then There Were None
Least favorite prompt: the prompt 25. A book that was published anonymously
Prompt you hope to see again: none, to be honest. I prefer new prompts. But I like that there's always a prompt about a book released in the said year.
Last prompt you finished: 25. A book that was published anonymously
Were you overall satisfied with your Challenge reading?:Mmm It was my first year, and I learned about the challenge pretty late, so I am satisfied. I have completed all the regular prompts and eight out of the ten advanced ones.
Did you like the TBR theme for the "advanced" prompts?: Considering that I didn't complete two of the prompts, because I disliked them...wasn't a fan.
Finally, are you in for 2022?: YES!
Date you finished:December 31st
Message number of your list post (if you've got one):
26
Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?):
A book by a blogger, vlogger, YouTube video creator, or other online personality
I read Untamed
Favorite book (and what prompt was it for?):
Nineteen Minutes
The book that’s been on your TBR list for the longest amount of time
Was there a book you especially enjoyed that you never would have read if not for the Challenge? (and what prompt was it for?) :
I don't think there are any this year
Least favorite prompt:
A book you think your best friend would like
Prompt you hope to see again:
A book by a blogger, vlogger, YouTube video creator, or other online personality
Last prompt you finished:
The shortest book (by pages) on your TBR list
Were you overall satisfied with your Challenge reading?:
Yes, it was fun overall.
Did you like the TBR theme for the "advanced" prompts?:
Not really, I felt that it limited me even though I have a giant TBR.
Finally, are you in for 2022?
Of course!
Date you finished: 12/31/2021 (sorta. Ran out of time.)Message number of your list post (if you've got one): 692
Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?): It's hard to pick favorites. I find the ones that look close at the cover to be the most fun.
Favorite book (and what prompt was it for?): Too many good ones to choose! The Final Girl Support Group? (pub. 2021) Black Water Rising ? (longest time on TBR) The Marrow Thieves? (Indigenous author) I'm Not Dying with You Tonight? (Black Lives Matter 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?) : no... I'll read anything. :)
Least favorite prompt: From a past list. Or "Women's Prize for Fiction"
Prompt you hope to see again:
Last prompt you finished: saw it on someone else's shelf.
Were you overall satisfied with your Challenge reading?: yes
Did you like the TBR theme for the "advanced" prompts?: yes and no
Finally, are you in for 2022? Not sure yet. Going to depend on how my year is going.
Date you finished: Today! 12/31/21 - one year I will finish before the last day - I swearMessage number of your list post (if you've got one):
Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?):
There were a lot of good prompts - I always like the newly published one, and I liked the free book this year.
Favorite book (and what prompt was it for?): The One 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?) : A Quiet Kind of Thunder - for started with Q, X, Z
Least favorite prompt: DNF prompt - I DNF'd for a reason!
Prompt you hope to see again: The list is out! I always enjoy seeing a prompt you liked from last years list.
Last prompt you finished: Oldest on TBR - how fitting
Were you overall satisfied with your Challenge reading?: I just wish I could get my act together and finish earlier!!
Did you like the TBR theme for the "advanced" prompts?: Yes! I love a good theme.
Finally, are you in for 2022? Yeppers.
Date you finished: I am calling it at 49/50. The first time I haven't finished the challenge.Message number of your list post (if you've got one): 100
Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?): I didn't really have a favorite so I'll say A book published in 2021
Favorite book (and what prompt was it for?): The Rose Code AA 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?) : The Peach Keeper A magical realism book
Least favorite prompt: A book by a blogger, vlogger, YouTube video creator, or other online personality
Prompt you hope to see again: Your favorite prompt from a past challenge
Last prompt you finished: A book from my DNF list although I started the longest book in my TBR list and am only halfway through.
Were you overall satisfied with your Challenge reading?: Yes and no. I would have liked to finish but doing a cross country move on our own set back my reading this year. I am happy I got 49/50 although I was 67 books overall for the year.
Did you like the TBR theme for the "advanced" prompts?: Yes, it helped me clear up a few books from my TBR list.
Finally, are you in for 2022? Definitely!
Date you finished: December 20Message number of your list post (if you've got one): 377
Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?): A book with an oxymoron in the title, The Once and Future Witches
Favorite book (and what prompt was it for?): The Starless Sea (A Book About Forgetting)
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 Bad Muslim Discount (a book by a Muslim American Author)
Least favorite prompt: A DNF Book from your TBR list
Prompt you hope to see again: A genre hybrid
Last prompt you finished: A book that has won the Women's Prize for Fiction
Were you overall satisfied with your Challenge reading?: Yes!
Did you like the TBR theme for the "advanced" prompts?: It helped me get some books read I had been putting off!
Finally, are you in for 2022?
YES :)
Date you finished: 12/31/2021Message number of your list post (if you've got one): 179
Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?): Locked room mystery, Shiver
Favorite book (and what prompt was it for?): Hamnet, Winner of Women's Prize
Was there a book you especially enjoyed that you never would have read if not for the Challenge? (and what prompt was it for?) : Becoming Duchess Goldblatt (book published anonymously)
Least favorite prompt: Author who shares your zodiac sign
Prompt you hope to see again: I would be happy with most of the regular prompts except above!
Last prompt you finished: Winner of Women's Prize
Were you overall satisfied with your Challenge reading?: Yes!
Did you like the TBR theme for the "advanced" prompts?: I liked the theme but didn't care for many of the individual prompts.!
Finally, are you in for 2022? Yes!
Date you finished: 12/31/21Message number of your list post (if you've got one): 114
Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?): A book about Forgetting The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
Favorite book (and what prompt was it for?): The House in the Cerulean Sea - Magical Realism
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 Vanishing Half - A book about a Social Issue
Least favorite prompt: A book set in a restaurant & book with the ugliest cover
Prompt you hope to see again: A best seller from the 90's.
Last prompt you finished: A book on TBR for the longest amount of time
Were you overall satisfied with your Challenge reading?: Absolutely. I didn't think I would finish the regular challenge let alone the advanced challenge!
Did you like the TBR theme for the "advanced" prompts?: yes, this helped me knock off some of the books that have been on this list for a while.
Finally, are you in for 2022? of course!
Date you finished: Technically only did 49/50. Hoping to finish the last book soonMessage number of your list post (if you've got one): 469
Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?):
Book set in a restaurant: Arsenic and Adobo
Favorite book (and what prompt was it for?):
Conviction by Denise Mina
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?):
Murder in Morningside Heights by Victoria Thompson
A Dark-academia book
Least favorite prompt:
Afrofuturist book: just not my genre (futurist, sci-fi, etc.)
I also found genre-hybrid harder than you would think
Prompt you hope to see again:
A book about a subject your passionate about
Last prompt you finished: Since I haven't read it yet...A book published anonymously. But, actually... a Book that's been on your TBR the longest.
Were you overall satisfied with your Challenge reading?: Yes
Did you like the TBR theme for the "advanced" prompts?: Yes and No. It's hard deciding ugly and pretty based on the cover since it's so subjective.
Finally, are you in for 2022? Yes, already starting.
**UPDATE**
I did end up finishing 50/50!
On Jan. 6 I finished NFL Confidential: True Confessions from the Gutter of Football by Johnny Anonymous.
Message number of your list post (if you've got one): Haven't looked since I posted it. I keep a spreadsheet.Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?): A Book about a Social Justice Issue, I read A Colony in a Nation by Chris Hayes. The end gutted me more than anything else I read this year.
Favorite book (and what prompt was it for?): That's a hard tie between The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin (for A free book from your TBR list [literally free because I found copy in a Free Little Library]), and Ancestor Approved: Intertribal Stories for Kids for a book by an Indigenous author. It was the second book I'd read specifically for that prompt. I'd also read There, There by Tommy Orange which was excellent. The two books mirrored each other in myriad ways. But Ancestor Approved was wonderful, growth focused, and I could share it with my kids.
Was there a book you especially enjoyed that you never would have read if not for the Challenge? (and what prompt was it for?) :
Bunny by Mona Awad for the Dark Academia challenge. I'd never heard of the mood or that it was a thing until this prompt appeared.
Least favorite prompt: I liked all the prompts, even if I didn't enjoy every book.
Prompt you hope to see again: A book from your TBR list that you meant to read the year before. I always have a few nagging me, and I appreciated the encouragement to clean house a bit.
Last prompt you finished: DNF'd book from your DNF'd list - A People's History of United States by Howard Zinn. I'd had it mostly read for ages, just needed to bite the bullet.
Were you overall satisfied with your Challenge reading?: Yes, and extra pleased that I finally finished this challenge after 3 years of trying.
Did you like the TBR theme for the "advanced" prompts?: Absolutely, though I tend to draw most of my picks from that list anyway. So I added the challenge of DNF to a number of them. I had several abandoned books that needed completion.
Finally, are you in for 2022? Yes, and I'm close to finishing my second title.
Date you finished: 12/28/21Message number of your list post (if you've got one): I think it was 768 or 726.... unsure though
Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?): A book you think your best friend would like - The Elegance of the Hedgehog
Favorite book (and what prompt was it for?): Milk Blood Heat - A book published in 2021
Was there a book you especially enjoyed that you never would have read if not for the Challenge? (and what prompt was it for?): Kitchens of the Great Midwest - A book where the main character works at your dream job
Least favorite prompt: A book whose title starts with Q, X or Z
Prompt you hope to see again: A book you associate with your favorite person, place or thing
Last prompt you finished: A book set in multiple countries
Were you overall satisfied with your Challenge reading?: Yup! I thought that the clues allowed for a well rounded amount of choice and didn't feel pigeon holed. The prompts this year really helped me to find the next book without feeling like it was a chore.
Did you like the TBR theme for the "advanced" prompts?: It was a great way to check off books I would have continued to put off reading, but really wanted to read.
Finally, are you in for 2022? Duh
Date you finished: 1/28/22 - It took me 13 months instead of 12 but still did it!Message number of your list post (if you've got one): 332
Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?): A book that discusses body positivity - One to Watch
Favorite book (and what prompt was it for?): Its hard to choose! I liked a lot of books in 2021. I'm going with one that's not obvious though. The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris for Book set in a restaurant
Was there a book you especially enjoyed that you never would have read if not for the Challenge? (and what prompt was it for?): Where the Crawdads Sing A Free book from TBR list.
Least favorite prompt: A book by a blogger, vlogger, YouTube video creator, or other online personality
Prompt you hope to see again: A book everyone seems to have read but you
Last prompt you finished: A book with a family tree
Were you overall satisfied with your Challenge reading?: Yup
Did you like the TBR theme for the "advanced" prompts?: Yup... though I usually use books from my TBR list anyways.
Finally, are you in for 2022? Yup. Hoping I finish on time this year.
Date finished: Jan 9, 2022 (I was so close!) Technically I did 49/50 but all the regular prompts were completed.Message number of your list post (if you've got one): 221
Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?): There are a couple I think I could pick for this, but I guess I'll go with 28: Magical Realism, because it fits in with what I usually read. I read and absolutely loved: The Tiger's Wife for this prompt.
Favorite book (and what prompt was it for?): (I have to pick only one?!) The Goldfinch (and: Migrations and Hamnet and Daisy Jones & The Six and Perhaps the Stars)
Was there a book you especially enjoyed that you never would have read if not for the Challenge? (and what prompt was it for?) :
I would have read this book either way: Daisy Jones & The Six but the prompt I slotted it for was different format, so I might not have listened to it on audio if not for the challenge and the audio version really brings this book to life.
Least favorite prompt: A DNF book. Because it's the only one that prevented me from fully finishing the challenge including advanced. But I also disliked the body positivity prompt and the restaurant prompt because they just didn't fit with anything on my existing TBR.
Prompt you hope to see again: Women's Prize for Fiction - I read several books from this list last year and recently: Piranesi, The Song of Achilles, The Tiger's Wife and Hamnet and I'd rank all of them pretty highly. Really outstanding books.
Last prompt you finished: Book with a family tree. Wolf Hall is a BEAST.
Were you overall satisfied with your Challenge reading?: Overall I was pretty satisfied with my reading last year. I wish I had gotten around to Sharks in the Time of Saviors for full completion but I have to move on to other books for now. Trying to catch up on book club.
Did you like the TBR theme for the "advanced" prompts?: Yes and no- I like that it pulled from TBR lists, but I also disliked that they were pretty inflexible unless you were willing to bend the rules. For example, my longest book was either an Omnibus (so multiple books in one) or a book 5 in a series where I hadn't yet read books 2, 3 and 4. So I bent the prompt but also feel like I cheated.
Finally, are you in for 2022? I think I'm taking a break in 2022. This year I really only had time for about 50 books total, so there wasn't a lot of room for me to read outside the challenge. I'm excited to be able to go back to reading just what I want. I'll conquer the full list some day.
Date you finished:9/5Message number of your list post (if you've got one):n/a
Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?):Book About the Afterlife - Elsewhere
Favorite book (and what prompt was it for?):Verity - Reflected 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?) : Pachinko - Onomatopoeia
Least favorite prompt:#10 Ainsfield-Wolf winner- Obit
Prompt you hope to see again:Book with misleading title
Last prompt you finished:#10
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!
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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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Message number of your list post (if you've got one): 12
Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?): With fewer than 1000 reviews on Amazon or Goodreads. I officially read Wally Funk’s Race for Space: The Extraordinary Story of a Female Aviation Pioneer to fill this prompt, but Women at the Beginning: Origin Myths from the Amazons to the Virgin Mary is the best one for it, with only one review!
Favorite book (and what prompt was it for?): Blood Heir by Ilona Andrews. Officially not used, but was the book for prompt #1, published in 2021, for most of the year.
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 Complete Maus by Art Spiegelman. I had heard of this book for a 2020 challenge, but wasn't thinking to read it until I literally saw it on a friend's bookshelf while visiting. I got it from the library when we got home and read for prompt #12.
Least favorite prompt: Everything with an absolute. Longest, shortest, prettiest, ugliest. I don't like being told there is only one option for a prompt.
Prompt you hope to see again: Set in Multiple Countries. It was surprisingly versatile!
Last prompt you finished: Oxymoron Title.
Were you overall satisfied with your Challenge reading?: Yes, because while it seems like all the favorites I read were for other reasons (book club, Hugo nominees, favorite authors), I was still able to finish the challenge without too much stress.
Did you like the TBR theme for the "advanced" prompts?: Yes and no. I quite liked two of them, meant to read last year and free book (borrowed from the library). But I had very big problems with the first five, the absolutes. I would have preferred those prompts to be more generic, like "a book from your TBR with a pretty cover" or "a short book from your TBR."
Finally, are you in for 2022? Yep! Need to actually study the list now.