Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion

Good idea, Nadine. I didn't even think of doing a top/bottom 5 from the past two years. Note that these were my favourite topics, but not necessarily my favourite books. Here's mine:

My favourites from 2015:
- A book by an author you've never read before -- very easy to fulfill, but still pushes you to try and branch out a little and try someone new
- A graphic novel -- at the time this was definitely outside my comfort zone, but I loved the one I picked and it really opened me up to a new kind of book
- A book set in high school -- in general, I just tend to love school stories
- A book set in a different country -- always good to read about different cultures
- A mystery or thriller -- just because I love psychological thrillers

My least favourites from 2015:
- A book a friend recommended -- I hate asking people for recommendations, and especially now that it's been done so many times
- A book that came out the year you were born -- I found very few options that interested me (and by now I've read all the ones I'm interested in reading)
- A book written by someone with your same initials -- I only found two books, and neither of which really appealed to me
- A book you were supposed to read in school but didn't -- because I'm too much of a nerd, and always did all my readings
- A book that takes place in your hometown -- Canadian fiction really doesn't interest me much

My favourites from 2016:
If I'm completely honest, I had a hard time choosing which prompts were my favourites this year since there were quite a few that I didn't like, and only a handful that caught my attention immediately. I was actually very hesitant to take on this challenge at all because I was so unsure about the prompts. I found quite a few of the prompts very similar to each other or (ie. a book under 150 pages and a book you can finish in a day)

- A book based on a fairy tale -- there are some great retellings out there, and they seem to be very trendy right now so there are lots of options
- A book about a culture you're unfamiliar with -- as I said for 2015, I love reading about different cultures
- A YA bestseller -- lots of great options. I think there's a huge bias against YA books, but some of them are gerat
- A book set in Europe -- similar to the book about another culture, but a little more limited
- A book that is published in 2016 -- there are always lots of very interesting new books coming out

My least favourite from 2016:
- The first book you see in a bookstore -- I don't often go to bookstores, and the first books on display anyway tend to be things that really don't interest me
- A political memoir -- combines two of my least favourite things to read: politics and non-fiction
- A book set in your home state -- basically the same as the prompt from 2015, but only slightly more open. Canadian fiction still doesn't interest me much
- A book recommended by someone you just met -- if I wasn't comfortable asking friends for recommendations, I definitely wouldn't be too comfortable asking strangers
- A book written by a celebrity -- I don't care much for celebrities
- A protagonist who has your occupation -- had to add a 6th one for this, since this prompt drove me crazy! It was so difficult to find anything even close!

The only prompts that I find truly uninteresting are the award winners, like National Book Award winner or Pulitzer prize winner. They just feel too limiting. Awards tend to only be given to a style of books I'm already not interested in, and then when you further limit that to a list of only a 100 or so books... The Oprah's Book Club prompt is similarly limiting. There just aren't that many books to choose from for that prompt and they all tend to be of a similar nature.

I enjoyed being challenged by the prompts, but there also needs to be a certain amount of flexibility.

2015 Favorites:
A book with non human characters
A book with a one word title
A book set in a different country
A book with a color in the title
A book based on or turned into a TV show

2015 Least Favorites:
A book your mom loves
A book you were supposed to read in school but didn't
A book you can finish in a day
A book that came out the year you were born
A book by an author with your same initials

2016 Favorites:
A book based on a fairy tale
A book set in Europe
A book that’s becoming a movie this year
A book that is published in 2016
A book about a culture you’re unfamiliar with

2016 Least Favorites:
A book set in your home state
A book recommended by someone you just met
A book recommended by a family member
A book with a protagonist who has your occupation
A book that’s guaranteed to bring you joy

Some suggestions -
- a new book you would have loved as a child
- a book mentioned in another book
- a classic from your country
- a book about travel
- free choice (gives you a break while still checking off a category)

I didn't like the "make you cry" or "bring you joy" categories as it's hard to know how you'll react to a book and I don't like rereading just for the challenge. Unlike others, I love the personal ones like initials and year of birth.

I really like the challenge "New to You Author". It gives people chances to read a book from an author they haven't yet read. For example I haven't read any books by Leigh Bardugo, J.D Netto, Adam Silvera.

Now that the list is finalized for my other challenge, I feel a bit more free to suggest some of the topics that didn't make it but I really wanted. And some are just ideas I came up with based on reading the lists. Some have been mentioned before, but I think they're worth mentioning again:

- A book with a pronoun in the title (I, we, our, etc.)
- A book with a male or female pronoun in the title (he/she, him/her, boy/girl, etc.)
- A book written in first person perspective
- A book with a family member word in the title (ie. husband, wife, son, daughter)
- A book about an immigrant or refugree
- A book about a difficult topic
- A book from a nonhuman perspective (this was suggested several times during the nomination stages, but never made it onto the final list for the other challenge)
- A high fantasy book
- A speculative fiction book
- A duology
- A book with a low GoodReads average rating (by looking at my TBR, there are many great books that have a lower rating. I think people didn't vote for it because they thought the books would be terrible, but our threshold was set at 3.6 stars or lower, which is still quite high)
- A book wtih an eccentric character
- A book about siblings/a book where family ties are very important
- A book with less than 1000 Goodreads ratings (ie. an underrated book)
- A book about advanced technology
- A book with an appealing title
- A book with a simplistic cover design
- A book that has been read or is being read by your book club (if you don't have a book club, it could be a book that would be good to read in a book club)
- A legal thriller

Topics I would not like to see because of repetition from previous years/challenges:
- A book translated to English/originally written in another language (These are great, but I've seen this topic in 4/5 challenges I've done in the past 2 years)
- A book published the year you were born
- A dystopian
- An autobiography/biography/memoir
- A book set where you live (hometown, state, etc.)
- A book becoming a movie this year/a book that has been adapted into a movie
- A book recommended by a friend/family member/stranger

I never get tired of "books that have been translated" because that's such a broad category with SO many books to choose from!

Two years ago Popsugar did "a book with bad reviews" and, predictably, the book I read for that prompt was terrible and a waste of time. I don't want to go through that again!

A book with a family member, or pronoun, in the title would be fun to look for.

I think a book that has been banned would be a good challenge.

I love Debbi's idea of a "banned book"

I haven't seen any of the following suggestions. I love mysteries and literature of the old West, i.e., My Antonia, The Virginian, Roughin It, Lonesome Dove, etc.

An Edgar Award winner
A book about the old West

Patricia wrote: "I haven't seen any of the following suggestions. I love mysteries and literature of the old West, i.e., My Antonia, The Virginian, Roughin It, Lonesome Dove, etc."

A Western would be fun -- Lonesome Dove has been on my TBR for *ages.*

Juanita wrote: "A book with a number in the title (I really loved the book I read in 2015 for "with a color in the title" The Red Tent)"


I think both would be great.
Also some ideas I have been thinking of.
I really liked the prompts where you read a book recommended by someone. I.e. a family member or by someone you just met.

A book on your To-read list.
Maybe list a certain book for everyone to read. I.e. read A Wrinkle in Time.
Read a book in audio form.
Read a book in electronic form.
Read a hardback book.
Read a paperback book.
I liked the prompt "A book with a blue cover" and "A book you haven'tread since high school."
Read a book by
Read a book in script form: i.e. Shakespeare.

I'msure I could come up with these prompts all day, but I really need to get back to finishing a book on my procrastinated reading list. I am almost done with it. Anyway, I like that we are giving ideas to Popsugar and I look forward to seeing the new list, as this was my first time doing the Popsugar reading challenge.

Brenna wrote: "This is so cool! Thanks Tara! I totally talk up the challenge to all my friends who read a lot. I did it with one of my best friends last year! Excuse me while I list a bunch of ideas now :)

- I ..."

You've got some good ideas.

Brenna wrote: "This is so cool! Thanks Tara! I totally talk up the challenge to all my friends who read a lot. I did it with one of my best friends last year! Excuse me while I list a bunch of ideas now :)

- I ..."

I love all your ideas!

@Tiffani and @Hilary thanks so much :) I really liked previous categories like that so I thought I would weigh in!

*A book to read when you need a good cry
*A children's book you still love as an adult
*A book with a one word (or number) title
*A book that takes place during your favorite season (or holiday)
* A book with a not so attractive cover
* A book that teaches you something (like a skill, concept, etc)
*A book in which a character shares your name or the name of a close relative or friend
*A book that takes place in your favorite or dream vacation
*A nonfiction book about a historical event you lived through or want to know more about
*A book you've been dying to read but just haven't gotten around to reading yet

lol these are probably really terrible ideas. Just stuff off the top of my head though! LOL

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..."

haha and out of all of those nonfiction categories I couldn't fit in this book written by an astronaut about his space adventure. I am almost finished with this challenge so I'll be able to read it very soon! Thank goodness! LOL

Does anyone know when the final list will be posted? I'd love to start planning!

Planning is one of my favourite parts too. Hope we find out soon.

I agree with some of the already posted messages that some of the prompts are very USA-centered. I'm in the Netherlands, love to read American fiction, but more international would be nice.
I would also love a (or more) non-fiction prompt.

So many great suggestions. I didn't read through them all, but one prompt I think would be a good idea is: A book published the year you were born.

Some ideas:
- A book with the word "boy" or "girl" in it
- A book with a verb as the title
- A book with an animal on the cover
- A classic from another country translated to English
- A book about sisters
- A book about gardening or farming
- A book set in space
- A book about a craftsman/artisan
- A book someone keeps trying to get you to read

I really like these suggestions by others:
- A book by or about a person who has a disability
- A book you've never heard of
- A book that you have read at some point but don't remember anything about
- A book set in a fictional country

And these are the ones I thought were fun this year:
- a book of poetry (I've never read one and really enjoyed my pick)
- a book written by a comedian
- a book with a blue cover
- a book at least 100 years older than you
- a book translated to english

Oooh! A book from the Authors card game!

How about adding the category "a novel set in the old west"?

Here are a couple:

A book that takes place during a war.
A book recommended by a librarian.
An audio book.
A biography.

Let see, my recommendation will be:
1. A book from an author that you hate
2. An Anthology
3. A book of essays
4. A book about coup or political dishevel
5. An epistolary fiction (made from letters, articles etc)
6. A book from culture that you unfamiliar with
7. A biography of non-famous person

A book with a one-word title

A book you got as a gift!

There are a few prompts I think would be interesting/that I have enjoyed from past reading challenges:

* A book set in your favorite historical era
* A fantasy book
* A Trilogy of books
* A book and its sequel
* A book between 800-1,000 pages (i like a good challenge)
* A book you own but have never read
* A romance novel
* A book based on a true story
* A book based on a specific event that changed history
* A book about the Tudor era
* A book about a royal family you don't know much about (i.e. The Romanovs).
* A book about WWII or WWI
* A book about a famous historical person (i.e. Harley Davidson, Thomas Edison, Nikola Tesla
* A book mentioned on Gilmore Girls (over 340 to choose from)
* A book written by John Grisham
* A book written by James Patterson



Prompts that I would like to NOT see:
* A graphic novel
* A book based on your occupation
* A Self-improvement book
* A book of Poetry
* A book in Oprah's book club (she doesn't have that many to choose from that are really that interesting in my opinion)
* A book set in your home state (this can be rather difficult to find books that are set in certain areas)

Just a few ideas off the top of my head. I'm sure 2017 is going to be another great year of reading.

An audiobook is a great suggestion. I never thought I would like audiobooks but since I commute all the time I have learned to love them. I go through so many more books that way.

Erin wrote: "An audiobook is a great suggestion. I never thought I would like audiobooks but since I commute all the time I have learned to love them. I go through so many more books that way."

I love audiobooks too. For me, I use them a lot. I get migraine and sinus headaches and so I always turn to my audiobooks to get me through the pain. Also, I find that listening to a book while in the dentist's chair reduces my stress so much I don't need any valium or nitrous as I used to.

My opinion about suggestions is less celebrity books. I like the ones from lists, books originally from a foreign country, etc.

Some I have thought of:

- a book using characters from a classic novel (written by a different author)

- a book based on or inspired by classic literature

- a true crime novel

- the first book in a new to you series

Just a few off the top of my head.

I've thought of a few more, don't know if these have already been mentioned.

A children's book you didn't read in childhood
A book by a foreign author
A book title beginning with The

I just found this group today by searching for the 2017 list :) Hope it will be out soon!

The one I struggled the most with in the 2016 list was the book with a protagonist with my profession, which is HR. I could only find one novel with someone who works in HR and that was a vampire novel and it's so weird. I'm still struggling to get through it. A search for "novels about HR" only brings HR management book results.

Victoria wrote: "I just found this group today by searching for the 2017 list :) Hope it will be out soon!

The one I struggled the most with in the 2016 list was the book with a protagonist with my profession, whi..."

Have you checked out this thread Victoria?

Thank you all SO SO SO much for the feedback! I'm seeing some trends on what you don't like as well as a few popular suggestions I'll be sure to include. I'm hoping to get the final list up mid-November, which means finalizing it soon. I probably won't be including any of the same prompts from past lists, just to keep it fresh, but it's very helpful to see what you did / didn't like from past years! Again, I really appreciate all of your thoughtful ideas on this, and it means the world to me that you love our reading challenge!!! Stay tuned for more updates!

Victoria wrote: "I just found this group today by searching for the 2017 list :) Hope it will be out soon!

The one I struggled the most with in the 2016 list was the book with a protagonist with my profession, whi..."

This is a great group to keep you on point with the challenge.

Tara wrote: "Thank you all SO SO SO much for the feedback! I'm seeing some trends on what you don't like as well as a few popular suggestions I'll be sure to include. I'm hoping to get the final list up mid-Nov..."

Yay I can't wait to see it!

Tara wrote: "Thank you all SO SO SO much for the feedback! I'm seeing some trends on what you don't like as well as a few popular suggestions I'll be sure to include. I'm hoping to get the final list up mid-November, which means finalizing it soon."

I could really use a positive distraction right now so very much looking forward to the 2017 list.

Juanita wrote: "I could really use a positive distraction right now so very much looking forward to the 2017 list."

Same. Even reading does not sound appealing.

The list is finalized, just finishing up design! Getting close!

Yay!

Can't wait to see the final list so I can start planning! I hope there's not too much overlap with the GoodReads Around the Year Challenge...I've already committed to that one. I don't mind a few overlapping categories, but if there are too many the same, I'll have to figure out what to do.

My guess is they'll do their best, but they're probably more concerned about overlapping with their own previous challenges than ones sponsored by other people. Hopefully there's not too much overlap for you though!

Brenna wrote: "My guess is they'll do their best, but they're probably more concerned about overlapping with their own previous challenges than ones sponsored by other people. Hopefully there's not too much overl..."

Definitely, although I'd personally be less concerned about overlapping with previous years. Those challenges are probably already done, and I think it would be better to repeat a category from the past year or two than to have too many identical categories in the same year. More of an issue for me than for others I guess, since I doubt too many people are doing more than one challenge of this size.

Brenna wrote: "My guess is they'll do their best, but they're probably more concerned about overlapping with their own previous challenges than ones sponsored by other people. Hopefully there's not too much overl..."

Agreed. I don't think any one list creator is looking at the other lists for 2017 before creating theirs. Around the Year has 52 categories, and some of them are pretty broad, so odds are good that one or two of those, in some form, will show up on other lists. I realized, when I was reading everyone's ideas here, that there are a finite number of categories, after a while you starting seeing the same ones over again.