Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion

Had a good reading week and am really looking forward to being on vacation next week to get some fun reading done.

Finished:

1.) The Other Woman- great book and a surprising twist. I used it for the clothing on the cover.
2.) Then She Was Gone- quick read, bit dark and twisted, with a surprising ending. Could be used for the multiple POV or a book about a family prompts. I used it for the family prompt.
3.) My Oxford Year (a book set on a college or university campus)- counting this as my first book for the challenge. Great description of Oxford and it started off one way, then took a surprising turn, but I still liked it in the end. Just much deeper than I was expecting.
4.) Winter Street (read a book during the season it is set in) using this for my first bonus prompt. Light cleanser, romantic story about a family and love and a Nantucket Inn.

Challenge Progress
3/40 completed
1/10 bonus

Currently Reading

1.) November 9 (not for the challenge)
2.) Attached: The New Science of Adult Attachment and How It Can Help You Find—and Keep—Love (not for the challenge)

QOTW
I don't know any authors yet.

I just finished my second book of the challenge! I have "A book with love in the title" Love, Music, Madness by Tabitha Rhys and "A book I think should be made into a movie" Slated by Teri Terry. :) Week two is right on track!

Finished Du Boisfor #19 a book told from the POV of multiple characters

And The Shadow of the Wind for #32 a book that includes a wedding

Teri-lynn wrote: "My sons girlfriend gifted me her favorite books for Christmas which was such a l8vely gift so i in turn gave her 3 of my many many many favorites. So for A debut novel i read the first one [book:Ho..."

Such a lovely gift! Now she is a keeper!

I have one book finished for the challenge so far. I don't know yet if I'm going to double up on prompts or not. I'll probably have to decide closer to the end of the year when I see how my reading rate is this year. But under the assumption that I won't double up:

The Hogfather by Terry Pratchett for book that takes place in a single day

For this week, I finished a Wrinkle in time and started Fool Me Once by Harlan Coben. Since for these two weeks I am working at home, I do not have much reading in my free time because I end up watching Netflix, shame on me.
QOTW: I do not know any authors personally, but I have a cousin who wants to be a writer someday. I read some of the things she wrote, I liked it.

I finished 2 books so far The Almost Sisters which took care of "A book by an author whose first and last names start with the same letter" and To All the Boys I've Loved Before which took care of "A book with 'love' in the title" So that's 2/40.

I tried to find the January book at the library (The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle) but the hold is like 12 weeks. So I ordered it on Amazon and received it yesterday. I was able to get February and March's books at the library and finished the February one. So now I have to decide if I want to start the January book which I own or the March book which will be due back to the library soon. Decisions, decisions. What are the odds I can find the time to finish them both? Wish me luck.

I just finished FANTASTICLAND by Mike Bockoven for #19 A book told from multiple POV

Popsugar Challenge progress: 4/40

Castle in the Air for "a book with an extinct or imagery creature."

Calypso for "a book about a family."

Killing Commendatore for "a book written by an author from Asia, Africa or South America." I started this book in 2018 and read other books at the same time.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower for " a book with at least one million ratings on Goodreads."

I am currently reading Ready Player One which I haven't decided which prompt to use once I finish it.

Victoria wrote: "I just finished FANTASTICLAND by Mike Bockoven for #19 A book told from multiple POV"


did you like it? I've been eyeing that one for a while

I didn't finish a book during this week. I'm in the middle of six books (most of which are for book clubs and other time sensitive things), and I'm overwhelmed by it all and can't make myself read. Silly.

Plus, I have to admit that I've been sucked into a few streaming series because I got free 30-day trials for Amazon Prime and Hulu. Since I have no plan to join either after the trial, I'm trying to watch the things I want to see. I'm not much of a binge watcher, so this is unusual for me.

The next check-in isn't looking much better unless I get on a mad streak the next couple of days. C'est la vie.

QOTW: I do not have any real relationship with an author. I'm in online communities with some and have met a few briefly, but no one I can consider part of my life. I'm intimidated by authors as they are awesome!

@Teri, what are you binging? Anything good? I use Prime for Preacher and American Gods, and some day The Man in the High Castle, but I’ve hardly ever paid for it haha!

So far I've read three books:

#37 Beautiful Bastard
#23 Leväluhta
And this week I finished #3 Bird Box

And now I'm stuck, I really liked Bird box and can't seem to find a new book I want to listen. I've already started two and DNF'd them... Trying to find something lighter to listen because the last two were quite intense but everything just feels like meh. So looking for happy romance...

I totally forgot to check in last week.

between 1/4 and 1/10 I finished:


Wild Things: The Joy of Reading Children's Literature as an Adult for the category "A book that makes you nostalgic". it was OK.

Hamlet, Prince of Denmark for "A book set in Scandinavia" LOVED it.

Killing Floor for "A Debut Novel". I totally understand why people who like the genre love the books. Personally, I could give or take, but that's how I feel about the genre too.

Late to the check-in, but did finish reading We Are Okay for the face-to-face book club I facilitate. All of us really enjoyed it. Although it was particularly poignant for a couple of us, we now want to read more of LaCour's writing! #31 Book about a family.

I also read The Reading Circle and really liked it--much better than I thought I might. If I live long enough, I'll read the series, though it isn't at the top of my "series to complete list"! #6 Book with a plant on the cover or in the title (trees on cover)
#8 Book about a hobby

Finished:

Becoming by Michelle Obama - A book that makes you nostalgic

Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur - A book recommended by a celebrity you admire

Progress: 2/50, 0/10

Ment to post earlier. So i am reading a ton so far. Mainly because I'm in a GR group called Game Night where I'm doing A Spell-Out, so i need lots of letters which means lots of Books.

FINISHED:
At Home Carly Marie 1/5
Sixty Five Hours N.R. Walker 1/5
Milestone J. Hayden Bailey 1/6
Shelter in Place Nora Roberts 1/6
Bound Kirsten Weiss 1/7
Taboo For You Anyta Sunday 1/7
Cocaine Blues: Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries Kerry Greenwood 1/8
The Princess Companion: A Retelling of The Princess and the Pea Melanie Cellier 1/10
Ashes H. J. Welch 1/10

Challenge Progress

8/43 completed
0/10 bonus

3 fit this week,
The Princess Companion- 31 A book about a family
Shelter in Place - 7 A reread of a favorite book
Milestone - 9 A book you meant to read in 2018

QOTW: I don't know any personally. But i have met some

I didn't have time to check in this week (don't really want to get into it all, but it involved a couple days in hospital waiting rooms and then a funeral, followed by an already scheduled anniversary getaway) and finally gave up on reading every post in this thread and just skimmed for the interesting looking ones. :-)

I'll save my check in for tomorrow, but wanted to answer the question of the week:

I only know self published authors personally, but most of them actually sold copies (at least a few) which makes them 'real' authors in my book.

My father wrote a book on parenting: Rearing Faithful Children: Handbook for Biblical Discipline

The wife of one of my previous pastors wrote a couple of books (which I have to admit I never read...): Raising Maidens of Virtue: A Study of Feminine Loveliness for Mothers and Daughters and Passionate Housewives Desperate for God: Fresh Vision for the Hopeful Homemaker

One a rather different note, my friend Gabrielle wrote this book with a very gritty local feel: A Year Under Streetlights

And her brother Seth has written multiple roleplaying/storytelling games (which come in book format to explain the rules):Dirty Secrets: a game about crime and A flower for Mara (That last one was originally going to be a play, and I took his concept/outline and did quite a bit of the writing on a first draft for it before it shifted gears and became a game.)

And another friend from our old gaming group wrote this roleplaying/storytelling game: Universalis, The Game of Unlimited Stories

I think that's all the authors I actually know, but I do occasionally rub elbows with some published authors in the writing groups I'm in, and there are a quite few more authors that are friends of friends (just because the Christian homeschooling community has lots of connections like that).

I love the idea of this becoming a prompt, actually, but it's obvious from the responses that a lot of people would have no way to fill it. Maybe if it included all authors you'd met, so people could just go to a signing to count it?

Raquel wrote: "I love the idea of this becoming a prompt, actually, but it's obvious from the responses that a lot of people would have no way to fill it. Maybe if it included all authors you'd met, so people could just go to a signing to count it?..."

It's a nice idea but I still think there are a lot of people who can't get to signings easily. I've only met a lot of authors through blogging connections (involves travel to London which is not cheap) and conventions (also not cheap). Signings just aren't a thing in a lot of smaller places.

Raquel wrote: "I didn't have time to check in this week (don't really want to get into it all, but it involved a couple days in hospital waiting rooms and then a funeral, followed by an already scheduled annivers..."

First of all I am so sorry for what you have had to go through, and I hope the getaway did you some good <3

Secondly, meeting authors is indeed not that simple for a lot of us. I met Joanne Harris at LFCC at the YALC section, but I was going for LFCC anyways. I don't think I'd travel all the way to London (I'm from the Netherlands) for YALC alone. Though the travel itself would be cheaper than getting a train to Amsterdam or whatever for a signing. So I can imagine if you live in a big country/state, it's even more difficult to get to such things! (Though I do love the idea of the prompt, could be stretched to 'author you would love to meet')

That all makes sense--I've never even tried to go to a signing, but my perspective is probably a bit skewed in that I live in *just* big enough of a town that local authors do readings and such around town on a fairly regular basis. Obviously, if you live in a little tiny village, you're not even going to get much of that...

First time checking in...and first time challenger. I wish I had more time to read but any books read is a good thing, I suppose.

Finished reading
Lady Chatterley's Lover - D.H. Lawrence. This was for my monthly classic read challenge. It was a tough one to get through - super slow. Not that gripping. I guess scandalous just doesn't have the same meaning as back in the day.

Currently reading:
My Name Is Venus Black - Heather Lloyd. This is for the Zodiac Sign or Astrology Term in the Title prompt. I just started and I'm excited about reading it.

The Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas for my monthly classic read challenge. I don't know anyone who hasn't had amazing things to say about this book. Can't wait.

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd - Agatha Christie. I thought this may work for the amateur detective prompt but Poirot isn't exactly "amateur." I've been on a Christie kick lately. They're just so good!

QOTW: I don't know any authors personally but I've been lucky enough to meet some of my favorites in person at signings. It's like meeting your heroes - such a cool experience.

Books finished
Becoming by Michelle Obama. OH. MY. GOSH. So very good.

Question of the week:
Rena Olsen is a friend I met through NaNoWriMo a few years ago. She has written a couple of really great books.

I didn't get to post last week and may have a little overlap here from last week's posts due to dates. I read:
The Life We Bury I really enjoyed this one,
The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle I enjoyed it for the most part, but wasn't a typical book for me.

Challenge progress:
GR 3/60
PS 4/40

QOTW: I don't think I know any authors personally. I have an online friend that is working on writing her first novel. Maybe one day I'll be able to say I know one!

Finished Woman in the Window, Four Noble Truths of Love.