Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion

I am really stretching this category as I really don't care for all the prompts with specific words in the title. I've decided to go with Pawn of Prophecy which is already on my bookshelves. The initials of the title spell POP, so I'm using it!

I highly recommend Popcorn - a really fun read.

Those who enjoy Historical Romance, there is The Greatest Challenge Of Them All, but it is the third in a trilogy with a linked plotline about attempted political unrest and murder in Queen Victoria's early years. Other titles are The Lady By His Side and An Irresistible Alliance which could fill bok with item of clothing on cover and book with amateur sleuth. The murder and potential treason plotline is fun and intriguing.

Also in the romance line: The Wedding Challenge or Up to the Challenge.

I found The Whizz Pop Chocolate Shop in my library ... sounds good! It's probably about middle-grades level.

Also, after hearing Neal Shusterman speak at a conference, I think Challenger Deep is a GREAT way to fill the prompt. His story about his son's battle with mental illness was heart-rending, and how he framed the story is based on collaboration with his son and his experiences.

At the Sign of the Sugared Plum (book one of a series), which is historical fiction (London, 1665, plague time) and YA/teen, if you don't mind not just using "sugar".

I don´t think it is mentioned here, but I saw someone had Higglety Pigglety Pop! or There Must Be More to Life by Maurice Sendak on their 2019 plan. I love Sendak, so I am glad to be made aware of this.

Chrissi wrote: "Also, after hearing Neal Shusterman speak at a conference, I think Challenger Deep is a GREAT way to fill the prompt. His story about his son's battle with mental illness was heart-rending, and how he framed the story is based on collaboration with his son and his experiences."

I love this prompt for it's quirkiness but hate that I don't have anything on my TBR already lol. Challenger Deep it is!

Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us

It looks interesting.

This one had me so stumped! Im snagging the suggestion of 'Challenger Deep' as well. It's the only premise that really intrigued me :)

I was having trouble with this prompt but I think my front runner is now Sugar Land. I found it on the longlist for the 2019 Tournament of Books.

James Patterson's Alex Cross series, book 5 is entitled "Pop Goes the Weasel."

I'm going with Queen Sugar by Natalie Baszile.

I didn't have anything in my TBR that contained any of these words or combinations of them that would work. And I didn't love any of the suggestions, but I came across a collection of short stories called The Popular Girl by F. Scott Fitzgerald. It is available on Kindle for .99 and has great ratings, as well!

Several people on my Bookstagram feed have been talking about The Wondering Years

The Wondering Years: How Pop Culture Helped Me Answer Life's Biggest Questions*

Sylvia wrote: "I think I’m going to go with
Salty Piece of Land by Jimmy Buffett."

I think you're suffering from Thread Confusion Disorder ;)

I've been wanting to read Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life from Dear Sugar.

jordan wrote: "I'm going to go with Mary POPpins (unless I find something that feels less like cheating)."

Not cheating! I love this choice!

Jackie wrote: "Sylvia wrote: "I think I’m going to go with
Salty Piece of Land by Jimmy Buffett."

I think you're suffering from Thread Confusion Disorder ;)"

😂😂 I did this same exacting in this thread earlier. So confused. LOL

Edit: It wasn't in this thread, it was a different one, but message 22 got lost here also.

These prompts are killing me this year. I'm dying.

How do we feel about Pop. 1280? Does this count (since it's technically an abbreviation...and, yes, it IS possible that I am overthinking this...)?

I may go with Lost Kingdom: Hawaii's Last Queen, the Sugar Kings and America's First Imperial Adventure, although if partial matches are okay, I also have Mistress of the Vatican: The True Story of Olimpia Maidalchini: The Secret Female Pope, Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling, The Pope Who Quit: A True Medieval Tale of Mystery, Death, and Salvation, or Mary Poppins.

Doug wrote: "How do we feel about Pop. 1280? Does this count (since it's technically an abbreviation...and, yes, it IS possible that I am overthinking this...)?"

I would probably count it, especially since it's not written out. I personally probably wouldn't' count it if it were written out as 'population', but some people are even counting partial matches like that, so there's definitely some room for interpretation.

Nullifidian wrote: "For anyone taking Alisia's suggestions, please be aware that Naguib Mahfouz's Sugar Street is the third book of the Cairo Trilogy. Palace Walk and Palace of Desire come before, in that order. Howev..."

Thanks. I think I own but haven't read this entire trilogy. I have read other books by Mahfouz and loved them. So I think I'll do the whole series for the challenge.

I'm going to go with Sugar Land I think.

Nicole wrote: "Jordan wrote: "I'm going to go with Mary POPpins (unless I find something that feels less like cheating)."

I like your idea :)
Who says we can't be creative with our challenges!"

The way I see it if interpreting the rules a bit encourages someone to read more than it would otherwise, then that matters more than strict adherence!

It's not exactly in my wheelhouse, but there's a Kindle deal today on a book called Sugar Money

https://www.amazon.com/Sugar-Money-No...

It might be interesting for those that like historical fiction or stories set in the Caribbean. It's also based on a real event, so it can check off the "novel based on a true story" prompt too.

The Poppy War - R.F. KuangThe Poppy War

A YA option is Popular: Vintage Wisdom for a Modern Geek

Brittany wrote: "In Watermelon Sugar is probably going to be my read here."

Love this!!!

The only book to fit this prompt that I've found (which isn't nonfiction about sugar or some self-help book about challenging yourself) is Populäärimusiikkia Vittulajänkältä or Popular Music from Vittula which I have been meaning to read and actually even have it now. It's also set in Sweden, if anyone's interested. And if you want to know what "Vittula" means, it's the (colloquial) name of the place and basically translates as "a place of the c word"...

I guess it could also count for own voices prompt, as well, because the author comes from the Finnish minority in the area (or his father, actually) whose children were forbidden to use Finnish in schools for a long time and also prevented from learning it, and it carried a negative stigma elsewhere, too (one reason being because Finns and the Sami people belonged to another, an inferior and non-Germanic race). Though considering some of the news stories I'm not sure if it's still allowed everywhere...

I found a good one for pop! Up Pops the Devil, about a man who gets released from prison with the best intentions to live on the straight and narrow, but the women in his life keep getting in the way.

Sarah wrote: "I found a good one for pop! Up Pops the Devil, about a man who gets released from prison with the best intentions to live on the straight and narrow, but the women in his life keep g..."

Good Choice!

I'm using my creative licence here and I'm choosing Mary POPpins and I cannot wait :)

Di wrote: "I'm using my creative licence here and I'm choosing Mary POPpins and I cannot wait :)"

Works for me! 😄

Tiny Beautiful Things would qualify.

Do you think PopCo by Scarlett Thomas could be ok for this prompt?

What about these ones?

Pop Goes the Weasel by James Patterson
Popcorn by Ben Elton

The Case Against Sugar by Gary Taubes
Queen Sugar by Natalie Baszile

Challenger Deep by Neal Schusterman
The Challenge by Tom Hoyle (found on Amazon)

:-)

I’m going to read Sugar Creek by Toni Blake.

There's a secind Pop Goes the Weasel which is by M.J. Arlidge, I enjoyed Eeny Meeny so that's my pick.

Pop Goes the Weasel

Hello!
I just stumble upon this Roald Dahl book that fits the prompt: The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More

Neal Shusterman may be my favorite author ever so it is!

My choice will be a music essay called Retromania: Pop culture's addiction to its own past. :)

Found one on my TBR list... A Cousin's Challenge The third book in a series I started in 2017 for the PopSugar challenge that year from the prompts A book with a family member term in the title and A book you got from a used book sale.

Sarah wrote: "Oh dear. This prompt is forcing my hand on something I've been avoiding. So, I love Roald Dahl's children's stories... The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More." I thought of doing that one as well and wrote it down on my paper list as a backup... I love Roald Dahl and have been working my way through his books.

The only book in my TBR shelves and boxes that even remotely fits is Sugarplum Dead. Since I see others are going to partials, guess I will go with it! (I'm still finding it hard to believe, I didn't have anything else at all that came even close to fitting!)

It looks like I'm going to have to semi-cheat and do a partial as well. It's literally one of only two books on my TBR with any of the words in it. I'm probably going with Hit Makers: The Science of Popularity in an Age of Distraction.

The other one was Wink Poppy Midnight. I might switch to that one if I fall behind in my reading this year.

Last year I across Most Talkative: Tales From the Front Lines of Pop Culture. It’s an adorable memoir from the creator of “Real Housewives of .....” I have zero interest in Real Housewives, don’t have that cable channel and I still loved it.

Would Mary Poppins work for 'Pop"? Could somebody help me with this query?

Thanks.

Sandra wrote: "Anyone has any YA suggestions for this prompt?"

Sugar
I would recommend this - I read this last year and it was excellent!

I loved Wild by Cheryl Strayed so I’m reading Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life from Dear Sugar for this prompt.

Sugar Run was just mentioned in Entertainment Weekly.

The Poppy War was really good, I highly recommend it!