Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion
2025 Challenge - General
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Excited chatter while we wait for the 2025 list!!!
Maybe it's 40 new ones and 10 repeats??
I love the planning...but not so much the waiting. And, this year's list is starting to wear me down with still 12 books to go.
Jennifer W wrote: "Maybe it's 40 new ones and 10 repeats??"Repeats aren't necessarily bad. A book published in (insert year) appears on the list almost every year.
favorite prompt from a past POPSUGAR Reading Challenge isn't a bad repeat either.
No, I don't think so, either. Just trying to think of why they mentioned 40 instead of the usual 50. I haven't done all the years of the challenge, and even the years I have done, I don't think I've gotten to 50%, so there's lots of repeats I haven't even done a first time! :)
I think they wrote "over 40" because there are a handful of repeats and they thought that sounded better than writing something like "45 new prompts and 5 repeats". :) The person who is in charge is new and probably doesn't realize how excited we all get about this, lol.
Oh nooooo... they aren't releasing the list until tomorrow? That's a bummer. I'm ready to go with my spreadsheet and a cup of coffee on the couch.
Bea wrote: "I love the planning...but not so much the waiting. And, this year's list is starting to wear me down with still 12 books to go."I'm at 37/50 and have pretty much given up. If I read something that fits I'll tick it off but I'm not going to go out of my way to finish now. Life's too short and all that.
Mod
yes their FB profiles show them in NY. But if they work remotely and the main office is in CA, then they'd work on PST. Iwish they would just say what time!!
I didn't realize the list doesn't drop until tomorrow. Oh well, it doesn't really matter. I've had an awful reading year, even worse than last year and I solely blame it on this challenge. I'm very sad to say that what used to challenge and motivate, and push, has been gradually killing my reading these past couple of years. I've been doing it since the beginning so it's a huge bummer to me. If the new list isn't creative, I'm done with it. I've gotten sick of the repeats and the agenda.
Mod
Dedra ~ A Book Wanderer wrote: "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!"I'm in the exact same boat!!!
I've got 6 books to finish this years challenge, and I am prioritizing them all above books I really wanted to read to try to close out this challenge this year. Wish me luck!
I was bummed when I saw the list was delayed until tomorrow. I didn't do the challenge this year because I lost my job at the end of last year and sometimes I can make the challenge a bit stressful to myself and didn't want that. "New" job is going nicely and looking forward to the challenge for next year.
Dubhease wrote: "I'm hoping for some interesting prompt and not just the same old same old."This. I'm really hoping that it's not going to be another "a character who's 25"/"a character who's 52" bs. That's so hard to plan! Also, not another "A Booktok rec". Those tend to be the same books over and over. I'm really hoping for some original prompts that are challenging.
Ellie wrote: "I had a sneaky peek on LinkedIn and it looks like the two PS staff posting about the challenge on Facebook are based in New York. They also said "over 40 brand new prompts"?! So smaller list? The s..."My guess is that maybe 10 are reused or they're not including the bonus prompts in that count, which are what brings it up to 50. One of the two.
Laura wrote: "I didn't realize the list doesn't drop until tomorrow. Oh well, it doesn't really matter. I've had an awful reading year, even worse than last year and I solely blame it on this challenge. I'm very..."what is "the agenda"?
I have hopes for the 2025 challenge, but I have been honestly struggling this year. The autobiography by someone in rock'n roll was very specific; and the one word title you had to look up is, for someone who reads a lot and in multiple languages, really not that easy to find. And I don't know if it's me but the prompts used to be more fun. Then again, the mixture of 'fun', 'interesting', and 'challenging' is probably hard one to nail.
Whitney wrote: "Laura wrote: "I didn't realize the list doesn't drop until tomorrow. Oh well, it doesn't really matter. I've had an awful reading year, even worse than last year and I solely blame it on this chall..."I have this person blocked, and I rarely do that, so I assume it's along the lines of the "we can't even say slurs any more" Wokeness Agenda, aka acknowledging that white middle class men isn't the default of the human experience.
I've liked being asked to seek out books by authors that have a life experience vastly different from my own. I have found so many great new-to-me romance authors by deliberately looking for authors that are non-American BIPOC. I have a strong preference for the romance genre, specifically monster/paranormal/alien romance, so having specific prompts to read a non-fiction book or a memoir is useful to remind me to look at other parts of the library. :D
All reading challenges are voluntary and the reward is in the reading. I don't know why people get involved in them and then do nothing but complain about how the prompts are chosen. If you want to read the same old stuff you've always read, just do that. No one is holding a weapon on you and no one knows you're only reading Matt Walsh and Nazi Romance unironically unless you publicize it.
Chai wrote: The autobiography by someone in rock'n roll was very specific; That is interesting to me, because that was the easiest prompt for me to fill. The Britney Spears memoir dropped in October 2023 and I had put it on hold on Libby. The hardest part was waiting until it was my turn to get it. It took until MARCH because it was so popular.
Kristy wrote: "Chai wrote: The autobiography by someone in rock'n roll was very specific; That is interesting to me, because that was the easiest prompt for me to fill. The Britney Spears memoir dropped in Octo..."
I know that one came out, my issue is that I don't really have an interest in music in general, and while at first I thought the Britney Spears book would be an option, I hate it when I see it everywhere and a book is hyped into oblivion. (And yes, I am very much aware that that is childish, I'm working on it^^)
I've been contemplating one of the books by Dolly Parton, but currently I'm still procrastinating.
Chai wrote: "I've been contemplating one of the books by Dolly Parton, but currently I'm still procrastinating. "I found this prompt a hard one to find a book for and finally decided on Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics. I have to admit that it is a bit daunting to me ~ 12x9 and heavy!
Chai, I do have an interest in music but primarily classic and sacred music, not rock. But a group I sing in did an excerpt from Beautiful (as part of a concert of songs from musicals), and I decided to read Carole King's A Natural Woman and found it very interesting. I didn't recognize many of the songs that were mentioned but I found her life and character interesting.
It took some digging, but I finally found PS's Books page, so now I can stalk that all morning!
I hate it when I see it everywhere and a book is hyped into oblivion. (And yes, I am very much aware that that is childish, I'm working on it^^) I ugly laughed out loud! I did the same thing with Buffy The Vampire Slayer TV series until my best friend basically tied me down and made me watch it.
I usually try to read a memoir or autobiography every January, and then I have my vegetables out of the way for the rest of the year.
not done it since 2020. Here's hoping 2025 will be a better year than that was
Jennifer W wrote: "It took some digging, but I finally found PS's Books page, so now I can stalk that all morning!"Where is it?
popsugar.com/books and
https://www.popsugar.com/latest/popsu...
I'm refreshing both every few minutes!
Mod
LOL yes ... REFRESH REFRESH REFRESH
@Bea I read the Dolly Parton Songteller book for the woman in rock n roll. That was a prompt I found challenging but the audiobook was short so I went with it. Dolly basically is interviewed about various songs so she’s just talking really fast. I guess that led to a high word count for the print version. :) I did enjoy the book so I hope it works for you.
I’m in double waiting mode here for the new list and to see if it snows.
I started watching the website at 11:50 PM last night.Then 4AM today.
Then 8 AM
Then 10:30 AM.
Next check at noon.
Last year it was 8AM.
*sigh*
Bea wrote: "I love the planning...but not so much the waiting. And, this year's list is starting to wear me down with still 12 books to go."You got this - start asking in your groups for short page counts, YA recs, short audiobooks, whatever works for you.
I have always treated the PS challenge as a way to read things I may not select for myself normally. So trying audiobooks, more YA, poetry, novellas aligns with that goal!
Kristy wrote: "Whitney wrote: "Laura wrote: "I didn't realize the list doesn't drop until tomorrow. Oh well, it doesn't really matter. I've had an awful reading year, even worse than last year and I solely blame ..."so, I assumed that, as well, but they're a library worker and they've read some books with BIPOC characters this year, so I'm just like...what does that mean? Also, I'm very concerned that you think this and work in libraries. What are you maybe soft censoring? T-T
Chai wrote: "I have hopes for the 2025 challenge, but I have been honestly struggling this year. The autobiography by someone in rock'n roll was very specific; and the one word title you had to look up is, for ..."So I also struggled with that one but I ended up LOVING the book I read for it Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl. The audiobook was wonderful and is read by the author. It's not very long. I liked it a lot and I hadn't listened to much of Sleater-Kinney, so I gained a new band, as well. I knew Carrie Brownstein from Portlandia, and it's just as funny and emotional.
Mod
We got snow overnight in central NY - all day yesterday they were blasting Winter Storm Warnings but we only got a few inches, and barely an inch over by the community college.
Forecast looks like we are going to get a bit of snow every night this week.
Alright, I’m ready now, it’s time for the list
Nadine in NY wrote: "Erica wrote: "I’m in double waiting mode here for the new list and to see if it snows."We got snow overnight in central NY - all day yesterday they were blasting Winter Storm Warnings but we on..."
I'm also in CNY and was not pleased when I woke up and saw the white stuff. Why do I live here again?? 🤣
Great now while I’m anxiously waiting for the list I’m getting buzzes so people can talk about snow. Use this thread for its intended purpose
Thomas wrote: "Great now while I’m anxiously waiting for the list I’m getting buzzes so people can talk about snow. Use this thread for its intended purpose"you realize one of the people you're fussing at is the mod, right?
That's wild behavior
Mod
LOL this is a general "excited chatter" post, it's not intended to alert you to the new list release.
Thomas wrote: "Great now while I’m anxiously waiting for the list I’m getting buzzes so people can talk about snow. Use this thread for its intended purpose"Wow, rude.
Hi! New to this challenge for 2025 - I've seen it and thought about it for several years but I am ready to dig in. I find myself refreshing the Popsugar page this morning, too... thanks to the group member who posted the links above direct to the Popsugar book pages! It's 10:30 my time (central), I'm surprised it hasn't been released yet. My fingers are crossed it will be 9am west coast time.
Mie wrote: "https://www.popsugar.com/books/popsug...🥳"
Something on my computer hates the pictures on that website so I'm still completely in the dark. But at least someone will copy and paste it soon!
Quick copy and paste version:1. A book about a POC experiencing joy and not trauma
2. A book you want to read based on the last sentence
3. A book about space tourism
4. A book with two or more books on the cover or "book" in the title
5. A book with a snake on the cover or in the title
6. A book that fills your favorite prompt from the 2015 PS Reading Challenge
7. A book about a cult
8. A book under 250 pages
9. A book that features a character going through menopause
10. A book you got for free
11. A book mentioned in another book
12. A book about a road trip
13. A book rated less than three stars on Goodreads
14. A book about a nontraditional education
15. A book that an AI chatbot recommends based on your favorite book
16. A book set in or around a body of water
17. A book about a run club
18. A book containing magical creatures that aren't dragons
19. A highly anticipated read of 2025
20. A book that fills a 2024 prompt you'd like to do over (or try out)
21. A book where the main character is a politician
22. A book about soccer
23. A book that is considered healing fiction
24. A book with a happily single woman protagonist
25. A book where the main character is an immigrant or refugee
26. A book where an adult character changes careers
27. A book set at a luxury resort
28. A book that features an unlikely friendship
29. A book about a food truck
30. A book that reminds you of your childhood
31. A book where music plays an integral part of the storyline
32. A book about an overlooked woman in history
33. A book featuring an activity on your bucket list
34. A book written by an author who is neurodivergent
35. A book centering LGBTQ+ characters that isn't about coming out
36. A book with silver on the cover or in the title
37. Two books with the same title (1)
38. Two books with the same title (2)
39. A classic you've never read
40. A book about chosen family
Advanced Prompts
Easy
41. A book by the oldest author in your TBR pile
42. A book with a title that starts with the letter Y
43. A book that includes a nonverbal character
44. A book you have always avoided reading
Medium
45. A book with a left-handed character
46. A book where nature is the antagonist
47. A book of interconnected short stories
Hard
48. A book that features a married couple who don't live together
49. A dystopian book with a happy ending
50. A book that features a character with chronic pain
Shelley wrote: "Mie wrote: "https://www.popsugar.com/books/popsug...🥳"
Something on my computer hates the pictures on that website so I'm still completely in the dark. But at leas..."
The prompts are in text right beneath the picture if that helps!
Some of these are super picky like the food truck, space tourism, and soccer. I don't think if I was a 600 year old ghost in a library that I'd stumble upon either of those.I shockingly do have a book about a run club on my TBR
Which ones do people like?
Okay so I hate that one of them is pushing us to use AI, but I am super thrilled that one of my all time faves (a book mentioned in another book) is back! I love keeping track of the books mentioned in my reads of the year and then picking one of them to fulfill this prompt :)Gonna have a real hard time with some of these, but I never finish the full list anyway at my reading pace, so I'll happily choose a handful to focus on and go from there.
Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
Palindrome (other topics)Shaman (other topics)
Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (other topics)
Tales of Two Planets: Stories of Climate Change and Inequality in a Divided World (other topics)
Star Wars: The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Roddy Doyle (other topics)Sierra Greer (other topics)
So could be an earlier list drop like last year.