Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion
2025 Challenge - General
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Excited chatter while we wait for the 2025 list!!!
I guess I have to finish PS24 quickly now. ;) I’ve got two prompts left so it’s not a worry. It’s nice that they collected feedback from our group.
I'm excited too! I've got 5 more prompts to go but I'll get there! I love this challenge. It challenges me to read outside my comfort zone
not sure if will complete 2024 but excited for 2025
I'm hoping for some interesting prompt and not just the same old same old.
I’m strongly considering doing the original list next year. As it’s ten years on
I always like the time just after the list drops, and so many new book possibilities open up. I may not complete the entire challenge, but I do read books that I may have otherwise skipped or postponed. Some of the best books that I read in 2024 because of PS include:Dolly Parton: Songteller
The Importance of Being Earnest
Yellowface
Not able to finish the challenge but it’s a fun way to tackle my TBR. :) cannot wait to see the prompts for 2025
Mod
You and me both on finishing the current challenge! And I can't imagine that soliciting feedback doesn't help to make their job a bit easier! I think that is very smart of them!
Mod
I may not finish either and that's okay!
Yeah!!! New challenge is coming!!! I never complete it but this is one of my favorite reading challenges to tackle. I love that they asked for feedback on ideas. I'm excited to see what prompts they come up with.
Once this list drops I’ll allow myself to go pick books for prompts for it and the aty challenge which was finalized last month.
I don't think my brain is clicking that it's almost December! Do you think they'll give us a sneak peak of a prompt or 2?
Mod
Do you think they'll give us a sneak peak of a prompt or 2?"
I do not know why but time is FLYING by for me right now.
They have not mentioned anything about a sneak peek. PS is a bit frustrating that way nowadays, they show up on FB and be all "heyyyy this is the new thing coming!!" and then they don't show up again and it's dead silence. I guess they are busy. One of the admins said she's going to be doing the challenge herself so I'm hoping we'll hear from her a lot.
Only one prompt left in 2024 for me, but I cannot wait for the new list! The anticipation, what the prompts will be like ❤️
I won't be finishing this year's challenge, so mostly I'm hoping 2025 isn't the same as this year. I'm slightly concerned that their pivot to health and fitness means there'll be prompts for, erm, health and fitness books, but it's a good sign that the person making the list is actually planning on doing the challenge.
Mod
Yeah I wondered about that. It's not the sort of thing I usually read about, but I'm willing to try to find a few books to fit "health & wellness" type categories if I MUST. But if it's more than just a few, I might have to mutiny.
I'm hoping it's just that the Reading Challenge is awkward and has no obvious department within PS to call home. But it's been popular so PS doesn't want to cancel it. It used to be shoved into "Entertainment" - and even that was an awkward fit, their "entertainment" was usually celebrity news. Now we've got the Director of Audience Development (makes sense I guess? we are a big "audience"!) and the Balance Editor leading us. "Balance" seems to be "everything that's not beauty, health, or fitness"
Under "Balance" they've got: Sex, Relationships, Parenting, Finances, Home, and "Hype Check" (which seems to look at TikTok trends - everyone brace yourselves for more BookTok!!). And somehow Food and Travel also fits under "Balance" although they do not get their own subheading.
What's interesting is the final PS category: "Identity," which focuses on Black voices, Latino voices, AAPI voices, and LBGTQ voices. I predict a bunch of categories pointing at that.
So if you look at all that, it won't be that much different than past challenges. (Okay, grammarians: I NEVER know - do I want to say "different than" or "different from"????)
Well reading is self care so this completely fits into a health and fitness brand. Not to mention reading audio books at the gym is much easier now.
Nadine in NY wrote: "So if you look at all that, it won't be that much different than past challenges...."Phew! There seems to be less categories on the UK site, so I thought they'd ditched a lot of that content. Not that I actually look at it beyond the reading challenge, but let's not tell them that.
Mod
Phew! There seems to be less categories on the UK site, so I thought they'd ditched a lot..."
wow I didn't even realize they had a different UK site! There are a lot of articles about shopping, are yours based on UK suppliers/prices?
They seem to have lots of articles about expensive beauty products, but yes, they do seem to have UK products and prices. I guess there's no money in advertising products where they can't be bought!I also found they accept pitches from freelancers, if anyone wants to write about books being good for your wellbeing!
Ellie wrote: "I won't be finishing this year's challenge, so mostly I'm hoping 2025 isn't the same as this year. I'm slightly concerned that their pivot to health and fitness means there'll be prompts for, erm, ..."I manage to fill a good 80-90% of the prompts with Monster Romance novels, so I'm sure I could bend and stretch any fitness book prompts to my will as well.
i just joined the group (i've been doing the challenge for a few years though) and i'm keen for next year. i struggled this year as some of the prompts were so specific. i haven't finished yet.
Very excited, too :) I have no clue if they're going to change direction with the challenge to align it more with the new PS philosophy, but I'm SO curious to see what they come up with, and if they include any of our sugestions provided over in the Facebook group! My TBR is huge as always and I cant wait to find creative ways to slot the books I already have into the prompt categories^^
Conny wrote: "My TBR is huge as always and I cant wait to find creative ways to slot the books I already have into the prompt categories"mine too! that's always my favourite part of the challenge
Wish I could he excited but the prompts have gotten progressively worse the last few years. The 2024 list was awful. One last chance for me before I bail for another challenge.
the around the year in 52 book challenge is the best challenge!
My first year doing challenges and I think I killed Pop Sugar (and 52 book and read each state and alphabet) challenge(s)Need to refine my book journal for next year and i so which I had a record of every book I’ve ever read. I remember in the 3rd grade we kept track and my parents wouldn’t let me write all of my titles down figuring no one would believe me. That was also the year it was discovered how BAD I needed glasses and hence why no sports 🤪
Mod
I’m relatively new to challenges (been doing them since about 2019 or 20). I’ve enjoyed PS a few times, but the 2024 prompts were so narrow, it just didn’t feel like fun. So, I created my own challenge with prompts to read at least 24 books from my personal bookshelf (I own so many books, and I’m one prompt away from completing my challenge !). I’m hoping that 2025 has more interesting prompts than 2024 that can be widely interpreted. I love the challenge of reading books I wouldn’t discover on my own, but I also don’t want it to feel like a chore. Looking forward to Monday!
I've been participating in this challenge every other year, in 2021 and 2023. Can't wait to see the list and decide if I want to join in 2025!
Have a safe and fun trip, Nadine! Don't they have after hours drop off? The one time in my life I rented a car, we had to return it on New Year's Day and just dropped it off.I'm glad the list is coming on Monday, Tuesday I have my infusion and that always turns my brain to mush. I need to be able to focus on prompts and planning! ;)
👀 all my years of unfinished reading challenges eyeing the evening of the 2025 list…. I’m setting my ‘25 reading goal to finish all my unfinished PSRCs but I know I’m going to get sucked into planning books for this year’s list. Trying to also read through my stash so I’ve got a lot going on
Mod
I’m setting my ‘25 reading goal to finish all my unfinished PSRCs but I know I’m going to get sucked into pla..."
what is PSRC?
Mod
..."
I actually didn't think of that! they might ... but I'd need a ride back home. I'm renting with Enterprise because they will pick me up and take me back home. What I did realize however is ... I'm getting the weekly rate, so I don't REALLY need to return it until Wednesday morning, so I could wait until Tuesday w/ no problem ...
News on my car:
ETA: Car is repaired and back home with me! Yay!! Rental reservation cancelled! Problem solved! it's smooth sailing, and I'll now be free all day Monday (except for when I provide Student Shuttle Service to my college kid)
If I had to predict any effect of the shift towards 'wellness' from PS on the reading list, I would guess we'll see more prompts that are about expanding your horizons. A book from a genre you don't normally read, a book by an author from an underrepresented group, etc.
I had a crazy year, so I'm hoping to get back into the challenges this next year! I miss it
Nadine in NY wrote: "Before we know it, it will be here! I decided to rent a car for my Thanksgiving trip, and since they are closed Saturday afternoon and all day Sunday, I can't return it until ... Monday. So HOPEFUL..."9am PST would be best for me too because that's home time here and I can check the list on the train home rather than trying to sneak a look while I'm working!
Nadine in NY wrote: "Sarah wrote: "👀 all my years of unfinished reading challenges eyeing the evening of the 2025 list…. I’m setting my ‘25 reading goal to finish all my unfinished PSRCs but I know I’m going to get s..."
I think it means "Pop Sugar Reading Challenges" :)
Mod
I’m setting my ‘25 reading goal to finish all my unfinished PSRCs but I kn...
what is PSRC?
I think it means "Pop Sugar Reading Challenges" :)"
Ohhhh! LOL yes you must be correct!
Popsugar was my introduction to reading challenges, I think in 2019, and one I always finished, until this year. I was really uninspired by the prompts this year - hoping for something more interesting in 2025. This year I also tried to just have more fun letting myself mood read and if the book fit one of the many challenges that look interesting, then that’s a bonus. It wasn’t fun for a bit so I had to work on my perfectionism a little.
I've done the challenge every year except 2016 (because I didn't realize the challenge was going to be a yearly thing, whoops), and it's been a lot of fun. I'm actually really glad I have Monday off, because I can spend the entire day plotting out my list. (Yes, I'm a planner, though I have no qualms about dropping a book if I end up not enjoying it...)I just hope we don't have any "exact age" prompts this time around. That was a nightmare...
I hope it's a slightly better list than 2024 - I'm still struggling with several prompts. I think I've got books for them all now, but some of them put up a fight, especially as I wasn't that interested (memoir of a woman in rock, for example).
Trish wrote: "especially as I wasn't that interested (memoir of a woman in rock, for example)"i still haven't done that one yet because it is way too specific! i don't have any titles on my radar or tbr like that
Kenya wrote: "I just hope we don't have any "exact age" prompts this time around. That was a nightmare..."I'm still struggling with the 42 year old one. I'm hoping Wrong Place Wrong Time fits
So excited for the release of next year's list on Monday! I teach straight through from 7:45-11:15 EST, so I'm hoping by the time I take my lunch break it will be up. If not I will be refreshing every few minutes for sure!
Mod
First time in the 5 years I’ve been participating that I’m not done with the current challenge before the new list comes out, but I’m determined to finish. Can’t wait for the new list!
Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge
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Here is your exclusive place to share all your hopes and fears and plans, while we wait for the list!!
Since GR has limits on numbers of posts, Lynn & I will be creating dummy placeholder posts so that we can be ready on The Big Day. You can just ignore all of those - only THIS post is the place to be right now!!!