Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion
2023 Challenge - General
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Excited chatter while we wait for the 2023 list to post!!!
*sets up camp*The list as a whole is always so fun for me because the prompts vary so much. Interested to see which award categories we get this year after Anisfield-Wolf and Hugos.
Do we hope for something with 23 in the title? I'm very curious about what the advance prompts will be this time around, as they seem to fit with the current year. I loved the sister cities prompts in 2022, that was so creative!
REVEAL: Book that you meant to read in 2022!
I guess you really can't start early with that prompt!
Mod
THAT is their sneak peek? Ugh! I was hoping for something surprising!!
And, I never know how to handle that one - there are over a thousand books on my TBR, but obviously I don't' truly intend to read all of them THIS year, so how do I decide which ones I really meant to read?? I guess I can wait and see what I've got borrowed from the library on January 1st and choose one of those!!
Actually, that's a good plan...
I am new to this challenge, so not sure what to hope for. Maybe fun prompts to research and find new books and prompts that help me to meet some of the challenges of my other groups.
Well that is better than published in 2023, but it is a little uninspiring. Oh well it’s a prompt and I will have many books as options.
Mod
YES. I am DEFINITELY looking for a "23" theme. Back when we weren't sure if there would be a list, I jotted down a bunch of "23" ideas. (A few of them, like a book with who/what/why/when in the title, ended up on the AtY list, so that's good.)
If one of these is not in the "advanced" category, I'll be sad:
* A book involving genetics and/or genealogy (because we have 23 pairs of chromosomes)
* The 23rd book on a list (your TBR list, for example)
* A book with five words in the title (because 2+3=5)
* A book based on Norse mythology (connection: Vanadium is the 23rd element and was named for Vanadis aka Freya)
* A book about sheep or shepherds (because Psalm 23 starts "The Lord is my shepherd")
* A book with flames on the cover or in the title (because a movie "23" was made about hacker Karl Koch who burned to death - possibly suicide - at the age of 23) - LOL this is such a reach, but it would still make a good category!!
* A title that starts with W (23rd letter)
* A book set on an island (because 23 is one of the recurring numbers in LOST 4 8 15 16 23 42)
* A book about or set in an ancient civilization. (Julius Caesar was stabbed 23 times)
* A book less than 230 pages long
I was doing a classics challenge in 2022, but I gave up on it. So I can read one of the books I meant to read for that.
Mod
I just checked the FB group - they are also teasing us with a partial view of the second prompt. "A book you bought from an ..." What do you think that says? "independent book store"?
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=...
Whatever it is, I am not loving it, because I use the library. I rarely buy books. So where ever they are asking us to buy a book from, it's going to have to morph into "a book you bought from the library's sale shelf" for me (which, granted, will be a fun search for me - I've got a tower of books I picked up from their sale shelf over the past year).
Nadine in NY wrote: "Ashley Marie wrote: "Do we hope for something with 23 in the title? ..."YES. I am DEFINITELY looking for a "23" theme. Back when we weren't sure if there would be a list, I jotted down a bunch ..."
Those are good, Nadine. They should just have you create the PopSugar Challenge! :)~
Nadine in NY wrote: "Ashley Marie wrote: "Do we hope for something with 23 in the title? ..."YES. I am DEFINITELY looking for a "23" theme. Back when we weren't sure if there would be a list, I jotted down a bunch ..."
Oooh I like these ideas, Nadine!
Nadine in NY wrote: "Ashley Marie wrote: "Do we hope for something with 23 in the title? ..."YES. I am DEFINITELY looking for a "23" theme. Back when we weren't sure if there would be a list, I jotted down a bunch ..."
These are so good. Really hoping for genetics/genealogy. I read Inheritance: A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity, and Love a few weeks ago, and it was really good.
Nadine in NY wrote: "Doni wrote: "REVEAL: Book that you meant to read in 2022!"I just checked the FB group - they are also teasing us with a partial view of the second prompt. "A book you bought from an ..." What do..."
Yep, independent bookstore's my guess as well!
Ooh I really like the idea of 23 chromosomes for a prompt. The best I was coming up with for 23 was a prime number in a series ie second, third, fifth etc.
I think it's independent bookshop too. Shame they specified "you" otherwise we could create a group list of books bought in independent bookshops for those that rely on the library or other sources.
Yeah I don't love prompts that specify that you buy something, but that's been a chronic issue with Popsugar. They just assume everyone has the same access and resources, which isn't great. I'm not surprised they didn't reveal a more exciting prompt, but thankfully we only have a few days to go.
Ellie wrote: "I think it's independent bookshop too. Shame they specified "you" otherwise we could create a group list of books bought in independent bookshops for those that rely on the library or other sources."This feels like a good category for bending the rule!
Also I don't live near ANY bookstore. The nearest bookstore (used or otherwise) is 60/70 miles away. definitely not a thing that i can get to easily. so definitely fudging that one with hmm, rightstufanime was indepentdent when i bought so and so book from them online . . .
I think you could just look up the closes t to you independent bookstore and see what their bestsellers were to combat the purchase element.
Out of curiosity does anyone have a specific book that they are excited to read for this challenge? I really want to read Stolen Heir by Holly Black for ps and The Secret Life Of Bees for aty which has a weird bees, bunnies or birds prompt.
Mod
That's an interesting angle. We do have a new small bookstore in town - prior to that, we had no bookstores except two Barnes & Nobles. The new small store has a "thoughtfully curated" selection, which I've taken to mean they won't have anything I want to read because I've "thoughtfully curated" my own TBR already, and it does not necessarily align with someone else's ideas. So I've never taken the time to visit this store. But I could give them a chance. They are too small to publish what their stock is or what their big sellers are, or even have much of a website. But I just discovered they have a bookclub! I did not know they had a bookclub (I also didn't realize they've apparently been open for over two years now). I've read a bunch of the books they list as past bookclub reads, perhaps I could choose another one from the list to read next year. Or I could even join the bookclub!
We have an independent bookstore with a decent website called Changing Hands in Arizona. They have staff picks, new books, and other various categories, so I can probably find something good to read from that source.
Mod
I've already picked books to read for almost all the AtY categories! So, yes! I'm going to try to read Sally Rooney's first two books, and a few others that I keep meaning to get to, so I'll be happy if I can fit them into Popsugar.
Conversations with Friends
Normal People
Vladimir
A Curious Beginning
The Vegetarian
Migrations
The Memory Police
A Memory Called Empire
Case Histories
The Cloud Roads
How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House
The Book of Night Women
The Intuitionist
I only read ebooks these days, so I'll use the independent bookstore prompt as a sort of free space where I can put anything.
Museum gift shops, Scholastic book fairs?
I haven't purchased a book in at least 13 years, when we moved to my current city with an excellent library system. When one reads more than 150 books per year, one does not want to purchase. That said, one of my favourite online people, TheBloggess, has an independent bookstore AND a book club. I shall pick something from either her bestsellers or her book club. Nowhere Book Shop dot com
Nadine in NY wrote: "Ashley Marie wrote: "Do we hope for something with 23 in the title? ..."YES. I am DEFINITELY looking for a "23" theme. Back when we weren't sure if there would be a list, I jotted down a bunch ..."
Nadine- YOU are so creative! I love it.
Ellie wrote: "I think it's independent bookshop too. Shame they specified "you" otherwise we could create a group list of books bought in independent bookshops for those that rely on the library or other sources."I vote we go with some implied words that were unfortunately left off: you (would have) bought(, if you were someone who buys) from an independent bookstore.
Nadine in NY wrote: "Ashley Marie wrote: "Do we hope for something with 23 in the title? ..."YES. I am DEFINITELY looking for a "23" theme. Back when we weren't sure if there would be a list, I jotted down a bunch ..."
I love your ideas. I tried to float the 23 pairs of chromosomes in ATY and no one cared. 23 is also the birthday paradox (if you have a group of 23 people, the odds are more than 50% someone will share a birthday. I would like a birthday prompt.
Dubhease wrote: "I tried to float the 23 pairs of chromosomes in ATY and no one cared..."I guess I'm no one. I didn't vote for it bundled in with genealogy and traits, but I did in later rounds where the wording was more focused.
Nadine in NY wrote: "Ashley Marie wrote: "Do we hope for something with 23 in the title? ..."YES. I am DEFINITELY looking for a "23" theme. Back when we weren't sure if there would be a list, I jotted down a bunch ..."
I love the concept! How about: A book by or about Shakespeare who was born on and later died on April 23rd?
Juliana wrote: "I love the concept! How about: A book by or about Shakespeare who was born on and later died on April 23rd?"Ohhhh yes PLEASE!
Mod
I cared!! I voted for anything related to "genealogy" every time it popped up, for this very reason (and also because I've got a few non-fiction books on my TBR that would fit)
Nadine in NY wrote: "Dubhease wrote: "I love your ideas. I tried to float the 23 pairs of chromosomes in ATY and no one cared...."I cared!! I voted for anything related to "genealogy" every time it popped up, for th..."
I also voted for it every time it came up in ATY.
Doni wrote: "REVEAL: Book that you meant to read in 2022!"Definitely have options for this one. I’ll just look through group reads I didn’t get to this year.
Melissa wrote: "I vote we go with some implied words that were unfortunately left off: you (would have) bought(, if you were someone who buys) from an independent bookstore..."What? That's not exactly what your version reads? Mine does ;)
Also, my version has a version that replaces "bought from" with "found at".
Furthermore, if it is independent bookstore, then I'm allowing anyplace that sells books that isn't a chain/mega store to count.
Book fairs
Salvation Army store
Some random person on Ebay
A friend (can I buy this book from you for a penny?)
Etc....
Doni wrote: "REVEAL: Book that you meant to read in 2022!" I mean, I have a whole month yet, but Jan.1 comes around and my answer would be "All"
I'm so excited for the new list!I'm happy about the prompt that was revealed, even though it's not the most imaginative. I can think of a lot of books that would fit it
Nadine in NY wrote: "Ashley Marie wrote: "Do we hope for something with 23 in the title? ..."YES. I am DEFINITELY looking for a "23" theme. Back when we weren't sure if there would be a list, I jotted down a bunch ..."
Great suggestions! To be honest, I didn´t like this year´s list too much. Can´t wait for the new list to come.
Ive seen on twitter today the full list will be posted on the 1st....tomorrow!!!
Ellie wrote: "Dubhease wrote: "I tried to float the 23 pairs of chromosomes in ATY and no one cared..."I guess I'm no one. I didn't vote for it bundled in with genealogy and traits, but I did in later rounds w..."
I misspoke. I should have said that not enough people cared for it to have been a prompt. This is the problem with voting.
ATY is a democracy (with all the inherent problems) and PS is a dictatorship (with all the inherent problems). After two years of participating in ATY voting, I'm still not sure which system works better.
Mod
yes they both have good and bad points!! I try to follow both, for that reason (obviously I tend to prioritize Popsugar!)
Nadine in NY wrote: "Ashley Marie wrote: "Do we hope for something with 23 in the title? ..."YES. I am DEFINITELY looking for a "23" theme. Back when we weren't sure if there would be a list, I jotted down a bunch ..."
I really like these Nadine, I'm adding them to the end of my spreadsheet in google drive as "Nadine's Prompts "23" themed".
Mod
YES. I am DEFINITELY looking for a "23" theme. Back when we weren't sure if there would be a list, I..."
LOL!! I am honored.
Nadine in NY wrote: "Dubhease wrote: "ATY is a democracy (with all the inherent problems) and PS is a dictatorship (with all the inherent problems). After two years of participating in ATY voting, I'm still not sure wh..."The literature map linked to one of the ATY prompts is cool!
Nadine in NY wrote: "Dubhease wrote: "ATY is a democracy (with all the inherent problems) and PS is a dictatorship (with all the inherent problems). After two years of participating in ATY voting, I'm still not sure wh..."With the voting mechanism, I'm surprised ATY prompts aren't better...
Nadine in NY wrote: "Ashley Marie wrote: "Do we hope for something with 23 in the title? ..."YES. I am DEFINITELY looking for a "23" theme. Back when we weren't sure if there would be a list, I jotted down a bunch ..."
That's what I'm doing! I always make about a dozen Bonus Prompts, and I've been planning for months now, for my "3 or 23" theme. I've been saving the latest Ladies' No. 1 Detective Agency book for next year (it's the 23rd in the series). I've been reading the Women's Murder Club series out of order, for the last few years, just to get the right number in the title... I also love that Patterson is publishing them in the corresponding year). I even found a book on my GR To-Read list, that has 23 letters in the title!
"Read a trilogy (book 1)" Planetside (Planetside #1), Michael Mammay
"Read a trilogy (book 2)" Spaceside (Planetside #1), Michael Mammay
"Read a trilogy (book 3)" Colonyside (Planetside #1), Michael Mammay
"The 3rd in a series or trilogy" Snapshot (Inspector Challis #3, Garry Disher; Gwendy’s Final Task (The Button Box #3), Stephen King; Blitz (The Checquy Files #3), Daniel O’Malley (Coming out Oct. 4, so only if I can fit in the first 2 titles, before October).
"The 23rd book in a series" A Song of Comfortable Chairs (No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency #23), Alexander McCall Smith
"A book with a 3 word repeat in the title" Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, Gabrielle Zevin
"A book with a 3 word title" Oh. What. Fun., Chandler Baker (A short story)
"23 in the title" 23 Hours to Midnight (Women’s Murder Club #23), James Patterson (March 2, 2023)
"23 letter title" The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, David Wroblewski
"The last book in a series" Cat Chase the Moon (Joe Grey #21), Shirley Rousseau Murphy
"A book published the year you were born" ebook: My Family and Other Animals (Corfu Trilogy #1), Gerald Durrell (Bonus Prompt - 1956)
Ellie wrote: "I think it's independent bookshop too. Shame they specified "you" otherwise we could create a group list of books bought in independent bookshops for those that rely on the library or other sources."I think this one would be easy to work around. Most of the time, I listen to audiobooks through my libraries. But I have a few used books I've bought from independent Amazon Marketplace sellers, when the book was too obscure to find at my libraries, on Overdrive or Libby. Often the books come from Goodwill. I'm going to read one of those.
Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
War and Peace (other topics)Beartown (other topics)
Exit West (other topics)
Blood Heir (other topics)
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
T. Kingfisher (other topics)Ilona Andrews (other topics)
Shanna Swendson (other topics)
Let it all out here! What are you excited about? What are you hoping for?
For me, I'm looking for a fun genre prompt that sends me researching, an author location prompt that is specific enough to be interesting but not so restrictive that it's difficult, prompts that easily lend themselves to books I'll pick up for the various cultural appreciation months, AND that unicorn category that is fun and surprising and not like anything I would have thought of myself. No pressure, Popsugar!!