Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion

I read it in December and thought it would be a great book club pick. There are so many quotes in that book worth remembering. It's one I could easily re-read and pick up things I didn't notice during the first read.

Anna wrote: "Should we have an unofficial group read for "Gentleman in Moscow"? This is not on the final list of monthly group prompts. "

LOL yes I think that's a good idea! I think we've had group discussion folders for specific books before, haven't we?

I want to read The Paying Guests...I see it mentioned twice but the description of the story seems a stretch for this prompt. Has anyone read it? If it doesn't fit this prompt, what would it fit?

A Separation (which I read for "book published in 2017") is set in a hotel in Greece. It's funny because I didn't realize at first that it would work for this category - it doesn't "feel" like a hotel somehow, even though it's most definitely set in a hotel, she describes the check in process, her room, and the dining terrace, and several hotel employees are key characters in the story.

Sara Grace wrote: "I want to read The Paying Guests...I see it mentioned twice but the description of the story seems a stretch for this prompt. Has anyone read it? If it doesn't fit this prompt, what would it fit?"

Definitely not set in a hotel, so I guess it depends how much you want to stretch it. They take in a paying border, but it's just a single person renting part of their home. It takes place in between WWI and WWII so wartime is a stretch for it also. I'd say it mostly could fit personal prompts like the TBR list, by a person you admire maybe, or I'm sure you could find/get a librarian to recommend it, or find an author you admire who has recommended it at some point. I always assume all fiction writers are using pseudonyms, so there's that. :)

I'm going with A Room with a View, a classic and free Kindle book I've had for years!

Megan wrote: "I don't think I have any Hotel books already on my TBR. So I have to do some research on it. I found Hotel Ruby by an author I have read before. Just looking at it now, I think it's..."

Hotel Ruby aka Hotel for the Lost is excellent! I love Suzanne Young and read this book last year. Loved it! It's not -exactly- horror so if you like YA I think you'll like it.

Rachel wrote: "If anyone's partway through the Series of Unfortunate Events, the second last book The Penultimate Peril is set in a hotel."

I was thinking of that! I read them all last year.

I read an interesting book last year that would fit this category: Security . It very violent but I liked how the story was told.

Donna wrote: "I have just read the Gentleman in Moscow and it was so good I will read it again in 2017 because any other option will be a let down"

I just started reading this yesterday and suddenly realized it would meet a challenge item! Usually I choose books to fit the category, but sometimes it works the other way around. I love this book, and I'm pleased to see that others do as well.

Nadine and Anna, I just saw your posts about reading A Gentleman in Moscow. I don't see any reason why a thread couldn't be opened up for those who wish to discuss a certain book. I may even join in if I can manage to squeeze that read into my schedule (I have it check out. That's step one!)

You all convinced me, I'll read A Gentleman in Moscow too! Since there's a lovely folder "Book Discussions" especially for this sort of thing, I'll go ahead and make a thread there for folks to gravitate toward. I'm on a wait list though, could be up to 3 months before I get my hands on a copy. There may be a pretty uneven start to discussion, but we'll work it out. :)

And here's a link, for easy finding!
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

That's a good reminder, I need to put the book on hold! Probably a big wait list at my library too.

I ended up reading White is for Witching for this one - it's set in a B&B so I decided it counted. I just got it out from the library on a whim (not knowing it would fit this prompt) and it was very different from what I expected (much creepier!) but really good.

Eleanor wrote: "I'm currently reading Evergreen Falls which I picked up at the library before I definitely decided to do the challenge again. Turns out that a hotel is featured prominently in this,..."

I read Evergreen Falls after seeing it mentioned on this board. It was a great book set in a hotel. It also works as a story within a story. Either way, I really enjoyed it so I wanted to make sure it got a second mention.

Kathy wrote: "Hotel du Lac by Anita Brookner is a Booker Prize winner and very good."
I read this last year, and I highly recommend.

I'm thinking maybe Austenland by Shannon Hale for this one as it takes place at a resort.

Either that or Heartbreak Hotel by Deborah Moggach.

I just finished The Lonely Hearts Hotel. It's not set entirely in a hotel, but the main characters spend a lot of their time living in hotels. The hotels are major and consistent enough locations that I'm counting it.

I'm reading Jamaica Inn for this prompt. Funny enough, I visited the Jamaica Inn tourist site when I was in England in college with some friends. They were going because they adored Daphne Du Mourier; I'd never heard of the book at the time. I'm finally getting around to reading it, 20 years later! :)

On a related note, though, it looks like Bellweather Rhapsody is available on Kindle for $1.99 now through March 31st. The summary on Goodreads is: Fifteen years ago, a murder-suicide in room 712 rocked the grand old Bellweather Hotel and the young bridesmaid who witnessed it, Minnie Graves. Now hundreds of high school musicians have gathered at the Bellweather for the annual Statewide festival; Minnie has returned to face her demons, and a blizzard is threatening to trap them all inside.

I plan on reading A Death in the Lucky Holiday Hotel: Murder, Money, and an Epic Power Struggle in China by Pin Ho for this one.

I recently reread the entire Series of Unfortunate Events (my interest was sparked by the Netflix adaptation.) The Penultimate Peril takes place in a hotel.

Almost finished with Psycho and am really enjoying it.

Clean Sweep

For this one I have either The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware or Heartbreak Hotel by Jonathon Kellerman. I guess I will see once I pick one up!

I have to recommend Bellweather Rhapsody; it's about a murder that happens at old hotel in upstate New York. Great characters, fantastic atmosphere, excellent story telling.

For those who read graphic novels/ya, I highly recommend Goldie Vance Vol. 1 about a 16 year old girl who wants to become the in-house detective for the hotel where she lives with her father, the manager.

Eujean2 wrote: "For those who read graphic novels/ya, I highly recommend Goldie Vance Vol. 1 about a 16 year old girl who wants to become the in-house detective for the hotel where she lives with h..."

Sounds good!

Elyse wrote: "I'm going with A Room with a View, a classic and free Kindle book I've had for years!"

Oh I didn't even think of that! It's been on my TBR list for a while now.. I think I'm going to be reading that for this prompt as well.

Kara wrote: "I just finished The Lonely Hearts Hotel. It's not set entirely in a hotel, but the main characters spend a lot of their time living in hotels. The hotels are major and consistent en..."

I finished this today and I'm using it for this category as well. The hotels are a major part of the story. What an incredible book.

for this one I am using Heartbreak Hotel. its pretty awesome so far. I have only ever read one other Jonathon Kellerman novel, the Murderer's Daughter but enjoyed it and I'm really loving this one too.

thebrittisharecoming wrote: "If anyone is looking for a good YA option the Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard series by Rick Riordan would fit this and they're really fun reads"

I agree, these books are great. I would like to point out, if your trying to be a bit of a purist with the prompts, that the first book The Sword of Summer follows the "set in a hotel" prompt more so than the second book. The second book doesn't feature that much of the hotel.

For those of you that have Kindle Unlimited Amanda M. Lee has a series of books in which the main character and her family live at, own and run a B&B. They are an easy quick read.

I just finished Bellweather Rhapsody for this prompt. I really enjoyed it. The characters were interesting to follow and the mystery caught me off guard. Would definitely recommend.

Psycho would be good for this one.

For this prompt I read The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. It was a pretty cute story. Now I just have to watch the movie!

Megan wrote: "For this prompt I read The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. It was a pretty cute story. Now I just have to watch the movie!"

The movies are cute too.

For this prompt I just got done reading Smugglers and Scones. It was a cute, fast read murder mystery that took place in a bed and breakfast. If you're wanting a good, fast read this is a good option.

For something a bit obscure and off-the-wall, I highly recommend I Served the King of England for this one. It's about a waiter who works in plush Prague hotels through the second world war. It manages to be hilarious, and devastating, and a bit bizarre if you like that kind of thing (I do! the film is great too). It's not entirely set in a hotel (he narrates his history from a backwoods mountain shack) but most of the important action takes place in one.

Another book I just found and am considering for my list is The Green Man, about a ghost in old british inn. Also, it's on the 1001 Books List.

This was a hard prompt for me, but I realized after I read it that They Came to Baghdad by Agatha Cristie qualified, since many of the characters were staying in hotels throughout the book and some of the main action scenes happened there

Just finished The Woman in Cabin 10 for this prompt. Great story! I liked how it got wrapped up!

The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary is set in a hotel.

Alycia wrote: "The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary is set in a hotel."

Loved that movie as a kid! lol

Started reading Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet and have to say that although hotel is in the title it is not -set- in a hotel, so I wouldn't count it. I am now 0-2 for this prompt! I didn't like A Gentleman in Moscow... ugh. Already read the Shining, Woman in Cabin 10. Boo!

Sara Grace wrote: "Started reading Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet and have to say that although hotel is in the title it is not -set- in a hotel, so I wouldn't count it. I am now 0-2 for this prompt! I didn'..."

I read Psycho and loved it! In case you're looking for suggestions.

I am trying really hard to read The Last Time They Met Granted I am only in the beginning few chapters, but I am wondeirng if it is worth it to keep going because it may acutally fit the prompt.

I'm really showing my age here - but I just remembered that both Trixie Belden and Cherry Ames have books set in Dude Ranches. I would think both of those would fit. If, you know, you like old fashioned "mysteries".

I read At Bertrams Hotel, by Agatha Christie.

I am planning to read The Invention of Everything Else


"It is 1943, and the renowned inventor Nikola Tesla occupies a forbidden room on the 33rd floor of the Hotel New Yorker, stealing electricity." That's all I needed to know!

Ok so this is a stretch...a pretty big stretch....but there are a few chapters that take place in a hotel. I'm just going to go with it. If I happen to read something that fits better, I'll change it. I've been in such a slump reading wise because I've become obsessed that it jsut isn't right. haha.
Frayed Silk