Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion

Eve wrote: "Anyone have suggestions for EP?..."

Edgar Allan Poe!

If, inexplicably, you choose not to read Poe, you can also look at
Emily X.R. Pan - The Astonishing Color of After
Eleanor H. Porter - Pollyanna
Elizabeth Peters - Crocodile on the Sandbank (I love this series!!)
Edith Pattou - East
Ellis Peters - A Morbid Taste for Bones
Emma Pass - Acid

and there's always poetry:
Ezra Pound

I can't find any author with my initials, TI.

Talia wrote: "I can't find any author with my initials, TI."

Oh you've got Texas Instruments for initials! that's a challenge.

Your best bet might be manga, like:
Takano Ichigo - Orange: The Complete Collection, Volume 1
Takehiko Inoue - Vagabond, Volume 1 & Slam Dunk, Tome 1

I did find a few non-manga authors, but these are all rather niche (I mean, if you're a Black Sabbath fan, you're all set!):
Tom Isbell - The Prey
Tanwi Nandini Islam - Bright Lines
Terri Irwin - Steve & Me
Tony Iommi - Iron Man: My Journey Through Heaven & Hell with Black Sabbath
Tajja Isen - Some of My Best Friends: Essays on Lip Service
Tasha Ivey - Every Breath

Or you could count a MIDDLE initial, like:
Tamara Ireland Stone - Every Last Word
Tara Isabella Burton - Social Creature

Or flip-flop the initials:
Ivan Turgenev - Fathers and Sons
Ilana Tan - Winter in Tokyo
Ian Tregillis - The Mechanical
Isabella Tree - Wilding



If it were me, I'd be reading Orange!

I didn't see anyone else in the thread posting ideas for my initials (but its possible I missed it) so I'm going to share some of the ones I'm considering (so to be clear, I haven't read any of them).

My initials are EK.

Kiki's Delivery Service by Eiko Kadono
The Trumpeter of Krakow by Eric P. Kelly
Emil and the Detectives by Erich Kästner
Lottie And Lisa by Erich Kästner (which was adapted to The Parent Trap)
Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth by by E.L. Konigsburg
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by by E.L. Konigsburg
House of the Wolf: An Egyptian Novel by Ezzat El Kamhawi

I'd love some help with TV or TA - thank you!

Tanvi wrote: "I'd love some help with TV or TA - thank you!"


TV
Timur Vermes - Look Who's Back
T. Marie Vandelly - Theme Music
Tabatha Vargo - Playing Patience
Tom Vanderbilt - Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do and What It Says About Us - I actually OWN this book, my mother gave it to me two years ago and told me it was a MUST READ. I'll get to it eventually!
Talia Vance - Silver
Tarjei Vesaas - The Ice Palace
Tom Vitale - In the Weeds: Around the World and Behind the Scenes with Anthony Bourdain
Thorstein Veblen - The Theory of the Leisure Class
Taleen Voskuni - Sorry, Bro
Tony Vigorito - Just a Couple of Days


TA
Tomi Adeyemi - Children of Blood and Bone
Taylor Adams - No Exit
Taffy Brodesser-Akner - Fleishman Is in Trouble (I am never sure how to handle initials for people with hyphenated names, is she TB or TA?)
Tom Angleberger - The Strange Case of Origami Yoda & Darth Paper Strikes Back - omg this is a whole series and it looks so cute!!! would work for "based on a movie" too.
Tara Altebrando - The Leaving
Tasha Alexander - And Only to Deceive (I keep meaning to read this book!)
Toni Aleo - Taking Shots

Tanvi wrote: "I'd love some help with TV or TA - thank you!"

Thelma Adams - The Last Woman Standing - Also a "debut" novel

Does anybody know an author with the initials “VP?”

Victoria wrote: "Does anybody know an author with the initials “VP?”"

Vance Palmer
Vid Pečjak
Valeri Petrov
Veljko Petrović
Virgilio Piñera
Vivienne Plumb
Velma Pollard
Vasko Popa
Lady Violet Powell
Vasco Pratolini
V. S. Pritchett
Victor Plarr

There wasn't a lot listed and many of them will be translations.

Anyone have suggestions for EN?

Elizabeth wrote: "Anyone have suggestions for EN?"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...

just sorta scroll looking for e.

e. nesbit
Elizabeth Nannestad
Echezonachukwu Nduka
Emma Neale

Any help with initials AE? Drawing a blank here!!

Anissa:

Akwaeke Emezi - The Death of Vivek Oji (very good book) She also has a new book, You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty (2022), which is in my TBR.

Elizabeth wrote: "I didn't see anyone else in the thread posting ideas for my initials (but its possible I missed it) so I'm going to share some of the ones I'm considering (so to be clear, I haven't read any of the..."

If you like fantasy, there's also Ellen Kushner - her novel Swordspoint has been one of my favorites for years.

Suggestions for MH?

Megan wrote: "Suggestions for MH?"

Mary Higgins Clark immediately comes to mind, if you ignore the “Clark.”

Suggestions for LJ?

Elizabeth,

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler is a great book written in a different age of technology use.

For Tom Angleberger, a couple that I would recommend are Return of the Jedi - Beware the Power of the Dark Side! (a retelling of Return of the Jedi that is fascinating and fun for people at any depth of fandom) and Two-Headed Chicken (a graphic novel that is a bit like Dog Man in tone and art style).

Brandon wrote: "For Tom Angleberger, a couple that I would recommend..."



it's too late for me, I've already got The Strange Case of Origami Yoda waiting for me on my hold shelf at the library!! It might turn out to be my first Challenge read of 2023, for "based on a movie"

Brittany wrote: "Help! My initials are B.T. and I am STRUGGLING."

I found this Listopia with last name ending with B
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
There's not a lot of BT out there, but i did find
Bianca Turetsky
Barbara W. Tuchman
Booth Tarkington


My initials are MM, so its not suuuuper common but i do have a few Marissa Meyer books i wanted to read so i'll probably go with that. I also have an author friend who's initials are MM and his book is on my TBR so, maybe i'll go with him too

Any recommendations for AM? Thanks!

Anyone got any recs for WB? All I've found so far are William Burroughs and William Blake. Not really up my alley. Any scifi, fantasy or contemporary fiction writers with those initials?

9987 wrote: "Anyone got any recs for WB? All I've found so far are William Burroughs and William Blake. Not really up my alley. Any scifi, fantasy or contemporary fiction writers with those initials?"

If you're willing to stretch, you could probably use Bill Bryson - his full first name is William. He writes humorous nonfiction/essays.

Today I stumbled across a book not where not only does the author share my initials but she's only gone and given the character my name, first and surname! I'm laughing so much at this, I might have to read it. You Are Here by Eva Woods.

9987 wrote: "Anyone got any recs for WB? All I've found so far are William Burroughs and William Blake. Not really up my alley. Any scifi, fantasy or contemporary fiction writers with those initials?"

I don't have any that fit that criteria, but if you want a quick one to knock out, there's William Barrett who wrote The Lilies of the Field. I remember having to read for school in junior high. It's a fairly short one at around 120 pages.

The only scifi/fantasy author I could find was William Barnwell

Thanks for the tips, I'll check them out!

Welp I'm KQ so .... not many options. lol

Kimberly wrote: "Welp I'm KQ so .... not many options. lol"

That is a tough one. The only one I have in my lists is Kelly Quindlen. I've only read two by her, but I enjoyed them. I liked She Drives Me Crazy a bit more than the other.

Kimberly wrote: "Welp I'm KQ so .... not many options. lol"

Kate Quinn:
The Alice Network
The Diamond Eye
The Rose Code
The Huntress
etc

Any ideas for JL? I'm completely drawing a blank.

Desperately seeking HZ authors...does anyone have a lead?

my initials are CK in case anybody has any suggestions that aren't Carolyn Keene *fingers crossed*

Ellie wrote: "Today I stumbled across a book not where not only does the author share my initials but she's only gone and given the character my name, first and surname! I'm laughing so much at this, I might hav..."

holy sh*t what are the freaking odds of that happening???? I do think you have to read it now!

Josie wrote: "Any ideas for JL? I'm completely drawing a blank."

There was a Jane Langton but I feel like her books might be outdated by now..

Ellie wrote: "Today I stumbled across a book not where not only does the author share my initials but she's only gone and given the character my name, first and surname! I'm laughing so much at this, I might hav..."




WOW!! when I was a kid, my grandmother was reading a book and there was a character with my name (and I think she was a "bad guy") - I was too little to really care back then, but now I often wish I knew what book it was.

Josie wrote: "Any ideas for JL? I'm completely drawing a blank."

Jack London
Jhumpa Lahiri
Jenny Lawson
Jeff Lindsay

Haley wrote: "Desperately seeking HZ authors...does anyone have a lead?"

Howard Zinn
Hari Ziyad
Hafsa Zayyan
Helen Zia

Christina wrote: "my initials are CK in case anybody has any suggestions that aren't Carolyn Keene *fingers crossed*"

Christina Baker Kline
Caroline Kepnes
Chuck Klosterman
Claire Keegan
Cassandra Khaw
Claire Kingsley

Josie wrote: "Any ideas for JL? I'm completely drawing a blank."

Jackie Lau - contemporary romance
Jenny Lawson (aka The Bloggess) - humorous essays/memoir
Judy I. Lin - fantasy
Jane Lindskold - SFF
Jenn Lyons - fantasy

Christina wrote: "my initials are CK in case anybody has any suggestions that aren't Carolyn Keene *fingers crossed*"

Claire Kann - YA contemporary
Caitlín R. Kiernan - SFF, Horror
Chris Kluwe - SFF, humorous essays/memoir

Nadine in NY wrote: "Christina wrote: "my initials are CK in case anybody has any suggestions that aren't Carolyn Keene *fingers crossed*"

Christina Baker Kline
Caroline Kepnes..."

omg YES, Caroline Kepnes!! so close to Carolyn Keene too, how could I forget... *facepalm* I should even still have an unread copy of the You sequel somewhere... thanks so much Nadine!

Christina wrote: "Nadine in NY wrote: "Christina wrote: "my initials are CK in case anybody has any suggestions that aren't Carolyn Keene *fingers crossed*"

Christina Baker Kline
..."


There's a fourth "You" novel coming out in 2023, too!! For You and Only You

Having trouble finding authors with the initials SU. Any ideas?

I use my middle name as well as my last name - all the suggestions I’ve seen this far has been for just authors with the initials JB, but I am hoping to find someone with all my initials - JDB. Any ideas? 😊😊 thanks in advance!

Sarah wrote: "Having trouble finding authors with the initials SU. Any ideas?"

Sigrid Undset, Nobel Laureate, best known for Kristin Lavransdatter series, which begins with The Wreath.

If you reverse them:
Upton Sinclair, American author of nearly 100 books, most notably The Jungle. Won the Pulitzer.

I need an idea for author with initials KR

I don’t know how to quote while writing on a phone. But I found an author with the initials JDB, in case anyone needs it: https://www.amazon.com/Diving-Bell-Bu...

Karen wrote: "I need an idea for author with initials KR"

Some ideas for you:
Kelly Robson
Kit Rocha
Kathleen Rooney
Kate Rorick

I was pleasantly surprised with the options I found for MM:
Oona Out of Order by Margarita Montimore
Madeline Miller - I still haven't read The Song of Achilles or Circe
The Milky Way: An Autobiography of Our Galaxy by Moiya McTier
There were more but these are the most likely ones I'll choose from.

Also lucked out, I already had a (JK) Jon Krakauer book on hold at the library. I really enjoy his books.

Melissa wrote: "I was pleasantly surprised with the options I found for MM:
Oona Out of Order by Margarita Montimore
Madeline Miller - I still haven't read The Song of Achille..."



you should absolutely read Madeline Miller, but if for some reason you need more options, i also like:
Marissa Meyer (Cinder)
Megan Miranda (All the Missing Girls)