Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion

charlottebibliophile wrote: "I've added a whole load of categories over the years on my blog, www.charlottebibliophile.com - here are just some:

- A book about self-discovery
- A co-authored book
- An audiobook
- A book with ..."

Having a lot of fun looking through your blog. Where would I look to find the categories you suggested? I haven't had much luck finding them so far.

Would love not to see:
- Prompts that require reading more than one book
- Prompts about recommendations by others
- Books set in particular locations - the state one was a little tough

Let's do more of:
- Non-fiction. Was disappointed in that for 2016.
- Books connected to movies or TV shows
- Books set in different historical periods
- Prompts about our TBR lists - my TBR list has gotten neglected the last 2 years because of this challenge (good problem to have!)

I would also love to see more variety of subgenres. Things like steampunk, legal thrillers, etc. I'd also love to see more about reading from different cultures or time periods, but maybe with a little more direction than just "a book set in the past." I also really like the "book with a subtitle" suggestion.

I'm not a fan of prompts that require asking for recommendations or for things like "the first book you see in a bookstore" since they can be impractical. I'm also not such a fan of prompts requiring very long books because it's very rare that I find a book of 600 pages or more that's actually kept my attention all the way through (Harry Potter being the exception).

I really liked the colored cover prompt. There wasn't a ton of blue books, so maybe purple or green would be a fun way to find something different.

Please don't make me find anymore books set in Ohio. I had to sift through an endless amount of titles of Amish romance novels before I found something that seemed interesting.

And don't make me ask my family with notorious bad taste for a book recommendation.

Yes to:
-A book that an academy award nominated film was based on
-A book set in a country your family is from
-A horror novel
-A different award than the national book award
-A book based on the cover alone
-A book you wanted to read but never got around t
- A book you always wanted to read but never got around to.

I love this! Thank you. The Popsugar challenge 2015 was the reason I got back into reading and found this website, it really inspired me. I have to admit though, I did prefer the prompts in 2015 to this year.

I agree with other people, I changed the first book you see in a shop, to the first book you see in the library. I get most of my books from the library, so it would be great to encourage people to use their local library.

- A book recommended by a librarian
- A book about books

I'd like prompts that let me read more of my TBR list, so maybe

- The highest rated on your TBR
- The lowest rated on your TBR
- The book that's been on your TBR list the longest (which really means you should have read it by now)
- The first book in your TBR list alphabetically
- The last book in your TBR list alphabetically

I also agree with other people that prompts based in your hometown/state are too difficult, especially for people who are outside the USA. So maybe something a bit wider - A book set in a different country or a place you'd like to visit.

I love the more simpler prompts - books with names, colours, numbers in the title. I also liked the book with a blue cover this year, so maybe next year it could be - A book with a red/green/yellow cover.

Juanita wrote: "Guys! You won't believe this! At Brenna's and Sara's recommendation, I reached out to the team at Popsugar to tell them about our fabulous group and (here's where the cool part comes in) they want ..."

I frowned at the category 'A book set in my home state'...I'm from the Philippines and really I don't read too much Filipino books. :(


..I would like to have a category like 'A book with an hour in the title'..that would be hard.:)

As a non-American reader I frequently have to change or interpret (sometimes rather creativelly) some categories. Maybe a bit less US-bias in the categories? Also I agree about promoting diversity, such as gender, race/ethnicitym, sexual orientation, trans-/intergender. Also, I usually read something like 30 % Swedish books, 30 % British books, 20 % American and 20 % the remaining world, which seems a bit unbalanced. Except for the nice aspect of being able to check the boxes off a list, and in general stimulating me to read more, I like that the list makes me read books I might not have found or bothered with otherwise.

There should also be a category with cats.

Another idea: a book with an animal in the title.

For my reaction to the reading challenge, they are honestly one of my favorite parts of my year. I may not love every category (poetry isn't my thing), but that doesn't mean I don't think those should be there. Without direction, I often get in a rut with reading because I can't decide what to read next. This challenge gives me a direction and pushes me to read books I've always wanted to or consider ones I never would have otherwise. I think it's great!

I'm the same as Brenna. I love to read, but the challenges help motivate me to actually pick something and read. My TBR right now has over 1000 books on it. Without the direction from the challenge, I'd probably get overwhelmed trying to choose something and just resort to re-reading Harry Potter again, lol!

I'm with those who find the us centric ones difficult (not too bad since I'm from Canada so it's not that different lol) but the national book award one i didn't like, could be cool to do something more international like Pulitzer again or book by a Nobel prize winning author.

Man Booker is also an international book prize (for a novel translated to English).

I thought this suggestion would be a bit different.
- Read a book to children at the library (or any story time location)

Robert wrote: "I thought this suggestion would be a bit different.
- Read a book to children at the library (or any story time location)"

I like the idea, but I personally would not want something like this. It's not so feasible for everyone, especially if they are not near a library.

There are a number of classic children's books that I would love to read: Anne of Green Gables, Old Yeller, The Yearling, The Secret Garden, etc. ,

-Book by or about a Nobel prize winner
-Book about someone with special needs or a disability
-Book with a certain color cover
-Book with a time in the title
-Book set in a country you'd like to visit or have traveled to
-Book that was an academy award nominee or winner
-Book about a pet
-Book from an animal's point of view (or other interesting POV)
-Book set in different time periods
-Favorite book from high school
-Bestseller from the year you were born
-Book written by or about a leader of your country
-Book with a number in the title
-Book about making something (cookbook, craft book, DIY book)
-Book written by someone with your first, middle, or last name or your initials
-Book about or written by someone of a different ethnicity
-Book that made you angry (or some other emotion)
-Book about books/library/bookstore

I like prompts for books from a certain genre. Would love to see one for historical fiction, fantasy, horror.

Woah I got a little out of control LOL but this was fun! I loved the challenge this year. I read so many books that I never would've read. My TBR pile is sadly neglected, though, so a prompt about that would be great!

I'm curious where people are finding all these books that have a time in the title...

Rachel wrote: "I'm curious where people are finding all these books that have a time in the title..."

I can think of a few that have "midnight" in the title (Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, Midnight Cowboy, The Midnight Hour). But, I admit, the first book that popped into my head was "The Hours."

I really like some suggestions from this thread:
- a book with a number in the title
- a book about animals / with an animal in the title
- a book about books / library / bookstore
- a book with time in the title
- a book with an hour in the title
- a book with a red (or another color) cover
- a book written by an author using a pseudonym
- a book written by a Nobel prize winner
- a book written by a person of color
- a book from a "best of 2016" list
- a category related to the TBR list
- a category related to TV or movies (for example, a book you haven't read which became a movie you've already seen, or a book which became an award winning movie...)
- a category which requires re-reading a book

Re: the 2016 challenge, I agree some prompts were too US-centric.
Also, as someone who mostly reads fiction, I struggled a bit with the memoir / autobiography / poetry categories.
And finally, I found some prompts difficult from a practical point of view - especially the "book recommended by someone you've just met" or "the first book you see in a bookstore".

I just read through everyone's suggestions and want to put my two-cents in with my favorite ones and some I’ve tweaked

- reading from your TBR pile – either some book that you already own or your from you Goodreads “to read” shelf.
- a book with a title that has the character’s name in it
- a not well known book (on Goodreads under 1000 ratings) and/or an debut author’s book
- the first book in a series / or I have a ton of unfinished series so Last book in a trilogy you’ve been meaning to finish
- a book set in a school
- a book set during autumn/winter/spring
- A book with a family member term in the title (eg. wife, father, daughter)
- A book with multiple narrators
- a book of letters/ journal style
- A graphic novel – I know it’s not everyone’s cup-of-tea but I liked saving this one for a week that I was busy but still wanted to complete a prompt (aka – graphic novels are quick reads)
- A book I wouldn't normally read / outside comfort zone
- A book you got from a used book sale
- A book you wanted to read but never got around to it
- The book that's been on your TBR list the longest (which really means you should have read it by now)
- Book about a pet
- a book from a "best of 2016" list


I would just like to say that I hope next years challenge is back to being 52 books - I liked knowing my pace needed to be one book a week. Also, with such a large popularity I know there are challenges that I’ll look at once the list is publish and think “I’ll never find a book for that one that I’ll like” but then I do! So I urge myself to go in to it with an open mind. And the beauty of this challenge is that there is a bit of open interpretation with it.

Regarding the challenge in general: This is my second year completing the challenge. Admittedly, I did not stumble across this until my local library had a flyer about it on their desk for the 2015 challenge - the rest is history. I can't remember what it’s like to pick up a book and not think "what prompt does this go toward." I love reading, and this gives me a scavenger hunt feel towards reading with is exciting and fun. The satisfaction of checking off a prompt gives me the motivation I need. I can't express how much I love doing the challenge (and how I've been able to connect with members of this group with check-ins, polls, discussions). Like some of you, my friends are not avid readers like I am and I feel this group is my outlet for reading. Everyone is motivational, friendly, and most important, non-judgmental and I’ve come to think of you all as friends. I know we all look forward to our Thursday check-ins. Sorry, didn’t mean for this to get sappy here but I felt the need to thank Popsugar for pushing me outside of my comfort zone and giving me the chance to connect with all of you! Like others have said, I’d be glad to give more feedback so don't hesitate to ask!

Megan wrote: "I feel this group is my outlet for reading. Everyone is motivational, friendly, and most important, non-judgmental and I’ve come to think of you all as friends. I know we all look forward to our Thursday check-ins..."

Ditto to all you said Megan! :)

Megan - yes to all of that!! The thrill of the scavenger hunt! The joy of checking the box! The delight of having a new group of friends to connect with here on GR!!! The Popsugar Challenge has really invigorated me too.

- a book written in a form other than prose
- a book with a non-human narrator
- a book to invoke a sense of wanderlust
- a book that takes place in a country you do NOT want to visit
- a book written by a differently-abled author
- a book written by someone younger than 18
- a book that has been or is going to be made into a movie
- a book about music
- a book with food in the title
- a book with a major twist

Nadine wrote: "Megan - yes to all of that!! The thrill of the scavenger hunt! The joy of checking the box! The delight of having a new group of friends to connect with here on GR!!! The Popsugar Challenge has rea..."

Same here. I like so much the way we can share a thing that we love.

Sorry these are a bit awkwardly-worded: A book it seems everyone but you has read; a book commonly assigned in high school that you never read.

Everyone has made a lot of really good suggestions already. Mine are mostly repeats of others but here we go:
- A book from the TBR pile (this can be more specific, I think Charline up there had some great suggestions for this)
- A book from the Rory Gilmore challenge
- An author of an ethnicity other than your own
- A biography (I'm tired of memoirs, I write them for a living)
- A book based on the cover color
- A bestseller from the year you graduated

I have greatly enjoyed the Popsugar challenge. I started it last year on a whim and its also how I discovered Goodreads. I'm sad I had never heard of it sooner. The challenge has taken me outside of my comfort zone with reading and pushed me to read more throughout the year. I, like many others, enjoy the scavenger hunt feel the challenge gives us and the satisfaction of ticking off prompts. I can't wait for next year's list so I can start planning ahead.

I would like to see a broader field for a protagonist who has your occupation. Couldn't seem to find a book with library clerk as an occupation!

here my suggetions:

- a terror/horror book
- a steampunk/time travel novel
- a bestseller from the year you were born
- mom's/dad's/sibling's favorite or recommendation
- a book with pets (main character or someone on the books owns a dog/cat/etc)
- a book with any character has your name
- a color cover (this year was blue, next could be any other color, red, yellow, green, pink, etc)
- a random book from your tbr
- a nobel prize author's book
- a book with aliens
- a book set in asia
- a book about music (could be biography, fiction, non-fiction, anything, but ABOUT music and no only WITH music)
- a book from rory gilmore challenge

i thinks thats it. :)

I hate to say it, but I've honestly never seen a book with a character who has my name. I think that would be hard for a lot of people. But I would love to see a Brenna in a book someday! Especially if she was like, the hero or something :)

That's what I was just thinking! I'm sure there is a book out there with a character named Nadine, but how would I find it?

As far as the name category goes, maybe a specific name could be chosen, possible one for a prominent figure, or a name that represents a year. Possibly "A name in the top five names for girls/boys of 2015" or "A name in the top five names for girls/boys, the year you were born."

https://www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/to...

Brenna, check out Alison Gaylin books :)

@tara oh my gosh, I've never heard of these!!! Adding to my to-read list now. Thank you!!

Brenna, Tears of the Moon by Nora Roberts has a Brenna as the lead character. It's the second of a trilogy and Brenna is in all of them. Hers is one of my favorite of Roberts' romances. I've re-read it several times. ;-)

Rachel wrote: "In general, I enjoyed this year's challenge but I thought there were too many non-fiction categories (autobiography, self-improvement, political memoir). I was actually a bit hesitant to take on th..."

Juanita wrote: "Guys! You won't believe this! At Brenna's and Sara's recommendation, I reached out to the team at Popsugar to tell them about our fabulous group and (here's where the cool part comes in) they want ..."

How about get in touch with our youthful side and read a Newbery,Caldecott or Coretta Scott King Honor Book.

Nichelle wrote: "How about get in touch with our youthful side and read a Newbery,Caldecott or Coretta Scott King Honor Book. "

I like this idea. Not sure how difficult it may be for our international members as it awards works in American children's literature. But I'm in for this one! Everyone should read

Nichelle wrote: "How about get in touch with our youthful side and read a Newbery,Caldecott or Coretta Scott King Honor Book. ..."

I agree with you and Juanita! Children's classics are so often overlooked, but they are great reads and can really show depth of human emotion! I try to read a few every year!

Juanita wrote: "Nichelle wrote: "How about get in touch with our youthful side and read a Newbery,Caldecott or Coretta Scott King Honor Book. "

I like this idea. Not sure how difficult it may be for our internati..."
I am all game for this one. :-) And I don't think it will be difficult at all, we can tweak the challenge according to our country settings if possible and if we wish so (like I did for the 'national book award prompt' this year). Reading a children's book is delightful always. This is an amazing idea.

Nadine wrote: "That is so cool!!! I'm so glad you contacted them! Very awesome of you.

The ideas I threw out when I'd finished were: something international, like: "book by an author from a country you've never visited." ..."

I'd also enjoy seeing the opposite challenge: something international, like: "book by an author from a country you've visited."

I am hoping the list isn't too much longer next year! As it is I'm going to have to really make an effort to get them all in this year. I also like having room for books I want to read that don't fill prompts or for the seasonal challenges.

I'm not sure why so many people want a TBR prompt. The first thing I did when I got the list was populate it as much as I could with my TBR books, and then I looked to fill the rest of the prompts with other books.

I'm also not a big fan of the re-read. Anything requiring me to talk to a stranger usually makes me fake it and use an internet list, and I have no family to ask either. And oh please after this year skip any political prompt. I prefer not to know too much about a book (or movie) beforehand so things like unreliable narrator or with a twist are like spoilers to me. I don't want to know there's a twist before I read it!

Add me to the list of people who enjoy the mix of broad and specific categories. I love the very broad colored cover type and the award lists. I would love to see that prompt each year with a different award, US, international, other nations, children's. I thought I would not find an Oprah book but I was surprised to find I already had one! Some prompts I dreaded (self-improvement, political memoir, poetry) and had to interpret creatively to fill, but that's all part of broadening those horizons.

To me the best prompts are the ones that can go either fiction or non-fiction; adult, YA or children's. I like to mix it up. I even have a couple of picture books on my list this year. A book about an historical event could be non-fiction or historical fiction, and for any age level.

I also look forward to prompts that require me to read books by/about people different than me. Diversity is amazing but sometimes we need a little nudge to seek it out. Comfort zones can be blinding.

I wouldn't mind the list being 52 topics again. I was actually a bit disappointed that it was only 40 this year, although I'm already involved with another challenge of 52 books for next year. I wouldn't mind doing both though. And by the looks of it, there will be quite a bit of overlap in categories, so I'd have to figure out how to handle that (either read 2 for that topic, or just do it once and replace with something else).

I would really, really encourage the people creating the list to take a look at other challenges that are already going on next year, and try to branch out a bit from those. I'm not sure if there are too many others who are in the same boat as me in terms of doing multiple challenges, but I'd love to be able to do both. I don't mind a few overlapping categories but judging by the suggestions we have here, the two lists can end up being pretty much the same...On the other hand, it does give a good window into what people thought has been missing from previous challenges, and what kinds of prompts we like.

I'm with poshpenny about the prompts that require talking to a stranger. I'm not the type to really go out much after work/on weekends because my job can be quite exhausting (I work with young adults with special needs). The only "strangers" I'm in contact with are employees of the places that offer work placements for our participants, and I wouldn't feel comfortable approaching them for a book recommendation. Aside from my mom and possibly one cousin, my family is not too interested in recommending books for me (and those two already have recommended quite a few), and my friends aren't huge readers.

I like prompts that are broad enough to cover a variety of styles, so people are free to choose what book length, format, etc. they want to fulfill it. I do like having some genre-specific or format-specific prompts to push me outside my comfort zone as well. There were quite a few books that I never would have read if it weren't for my challenges in the past few years, but I ended up loving them!

A book with a gemstone in the title

All suggestions are good. I don't need to add any : )

Shilpi wrote: "I'd also enjoy seeing the opposite challenge: something international, like: "book by an author from a country you've visited."

This year, I started bringing home a book by a local author as a souvenir from my trips. (I try to make it from the city I'm visiting, but in foreign countries it's usually just someone from that country, translated to English.) I find staff at the local bookstores are really excited to help me find one.

One more that just popped into my head:

A book that has been banned (in your country or another)

Or a book that you lost.

I lend my books to people and forget about it only to realize months or years later that there's an empty place on my shelves.

A book about adoption

Booklover wrote: "A book about adoption"

Oooo...I like that one. It's unique :)

Here's a reminder of the 2015 prompts for those who have forgotten or didn't participate. No problem having repeats (I love "a book from the library") but just FYI.

2015 Popsugar Reading Challenge

1) A book with more than 500 pages
2) A classic romance
3) A book that became a movie
4) A book published this year
5) A book with a number in the title
6) A book written by someone under 30
7) A book with non human characters
8) A funny book
9) A book by a female author
10) A mystery or thriller
11) A book with a one word title
12) A book of short stories
13) A book set in a different country
14) A nonfiction book
15) A popular author's first book
16) A book from an author you love that you haven't read yet
17) A book a friend recommended
18) A Pulitzer Prize winning book
19) A book based on a true story
20) A book at the bottom of your to-read list
21) A book your mom loves
22) A book that scares you
23) A book more than 100 years old
24) A book chosen based entirely on its cover
25) A book you were supposed to read in school but didn't
26) A memoir
27) A book you can finish in a day
28) A book with antonyms in the title
29) A book set somewhere you've always wanted to visit
30) A book that came out the year you were born
31) A book with bad reviews
32) A trilogy
33) A book from your childhood
34) A book with a love triangle
35) A book set in the future
36) A book set in high school
37) A book with a color in the title
38) A book that made you cry
39) A book with magic
40) A graphic novel
41) A book by an author you've never read before
42) A book you own but haven't read yet
43) A book that takes place in your hometown (or surrounding area)
44) A book that was originally written in a different language
45) A book set during Christmas
46) A book by an author with your same initials
47) A play
48) A banned book
49) A book based on or turned into a TV show
50) A book you started but never finished

many good suggestions here (some of them were already in the 2015 challenge though) so I won't be making specific suggestions.

In more generic terms, I'd really like the 2017 list to be more like 2015 than 2016 in several respects:
- we need less, not more, genre (or sub-genre) specific prompts: it's alright to like or dislike, I dunno, sci-fi or heroic fantasy, or YA, or whatever; prompts should be worded in such a way that you can fill them with very different types of books;
- on the other hand, thematic prompts are nice, like, "a book with a train journey", stuff like that - those are nice treasure hunts!
- as someone pointed out, US-specific prompts should be avoided;
- as for quantity, 50-ish would be much better.

I agree, the thematic prompts that let us search a little bit (with the help of suggested lists!) are a lot of fun.

Since Tara asked for our feedback ...

My five least favorite prompts from 2015:
A book chosen based entirely on its cover
A book you were supposed to read in school but didn't
A book with bad reviews
A book by an author with your same initials
A book you started but never finished

My five most favorite prompts from 2015:
A book published this year
A book with a number in the title
A book with antonyms in the title
A book with a love triangle
A book that was originally written in a different language

My five least favorite from 2016:
Recommended by someone you just met
Self-improvement
Written by a celebrity
Political memoir
Protagonist with your occupation

And my most favorite from 2016:
Based on a fairy tale
Graphic novel
Published in 2016
Blue cover
Classic from 20th Century