Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion

Phew, made it just under the wire!

Date you finished: December 28, 2023

Message number of your list post: 16

Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?): A modern retelling of a classic, I am a sucker for those. However, the book I read for this one, Emma: A Modern Retelling, I did not love.
Also a shout out to rabbit on the cover - although the content of the prompt was fine, that's sort of now my ideal "difficulty" for a prompt to be - with some searching you could turn up a lot of options, across genres, but it wasn't specific enough that any book could be slotted in in some way. And no interpretation issues, it was clear if a book qualified or not! (Except, I guess, for the question of whether a hare counted - I guess there will always be something!) For that I read Rabbit Foot Bill.

Favorite book (and what prompt was it for?): I mean, I knew I loved Pride and Prejudice because I used it for one of the re-read prompts. For something new to me, probably Nettle & Bone, which I read, then used for a book I think my friend would like, as we have similar tastes.

Was there a book you especially enjoyed that you never would have read if not for the Challenge? (and what prompt was it for?) : No, I'll read pretty much anything, so nothing on my list stands out as something I wouldn't otherwise read if it came across my path. I did want to use this year's challenge to get me to read books I already own and haven't read yet...managed a grand total of five of those. Sigh.

Least favorite prompt:The reread prompts. I want to be reading new things!

Prompt you hope to see again: I do enjoy favorite prompt from a past challenge, although it didn't make the cut for next year.

Last prompt you finished: Longest book on my TBR, Joseph and His Brothers. Should not have left that until the end!

Did you like the "nostalgia" theme for this year?:Not really. The prompts I think it lead to (book rereads or reused prompts) weren't my favorite, I like to see new things.

Finally, are you in for 2024? Yes, and I'm much more excited about next year's list (although I will say that I was unexcited about the 2023 prompts, but overall, still really enjoyed my reading and fulfilling the challenge).

Date you finished: Thursday, December 28th (Right at the deadline!)
Message number of your list post (if you've got one): Yikes, I do not remember!
Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?): A book with mythical creatures, I read Fairy Tale
Favorite book (and what prompt was it for?): Happy Place and the prompt was a book you bought from an independent bookstore.
Was there a book you especially enjoyed that you never would have read if not for the Challenge? (and what prompt was it for?) : Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows and the prompt was a book a friend recommended
Least favorite prompt: A book that is based on a popular movie, I searched for WEEKS for this and ended up using the Popsugar recommendation Bravely
Prompt you hope to see again: A book with a love triangle, I fulfilled this prompt so many times!
Last prompt you finished: A book that takes place entirely in one day.
Did you like the "nostalgia" theme for this year?: Meh
Finally, are you in for 2024? YES!

Date you finished: 29 December

Message number of your list post (if you've got one): 331

Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?):
A book you read more than 10 years ago - The God of Small Things it was a treat to revisit this classic.

Favorite book (and what prompt was it for?):
The Haunting of Hajji Hotak and Other Stories for The longest book (by pages) on your TBR list. I think Jamil Jan Kochai is the freshest, most exciting voice in regional diaspora literature and I was very pleased with myself to read both this short story collection and his debut novel for the prompts this year.

Was there a book you especially enjoyed that you never would have read if not for the Challenge? (and what prompt was it for?):
Both The Day in Shadow for A book about divorce and Heat and Dust for A book you bought secondhand were surprisingly good, and made me regret I had never read anything by Nayantara Sahgal or Ruth Prawer Jhabvala before.

Least favorite prompt:
A book by an author with the same initials as you - It was very difficult to find a same initials author because I was mostly reading South Asian literature.

Prompt you hope to see again:
A book you wish you could read for the first time again

Last prompt you finished:
A book with a pet character

Did you like the "nostalgia" theme for this year?:
Yes, i think it went with my South Asian reading list for the most part.

Finally, are you in for 2024?
Yes, totally!

Date you finished: 30 December

Message number of your list post (if you've got one): 287

Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?):
A book you wish you could read for the first time again - Funny Boy by Shyam Selvadurai.
A book you read more than ten years ago - Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Favorite book (and what prompt was it for?):
A Romance with a Fat Lead - Here the Whole Time by Vitor Martins
A historical-fiction book - My Government Means to Kill Me by Rasheed Newman

Was there a book you especially enjoyed that you never would have read if not for the Challenge? (and what prompt was it for?):
A historical-fiction book - My Government Means to Kill Me by Rasheed Newman

Least favorite prompt:
A book about or set in Hollywood, A book was written during NaNoWriMo

Prompt you hope to see again:
The shortest book (by pages) on your TBR list, A book you read more than ten years ago

Last prompt you finished:
A self-published book

Did you like the "nostalgia" theme for this year?:
Yes, I was able to read two of my favourite books of all time. The theme made me realize that I should do more re-reads.

Finally, are you in for 2024?
Yes!

Congratulations to everyone who completed this year's challenge!
I did poorly this year as a few prompts put me in a reading slump and a few I wasn't interested in at all, so I never came around to them.
I am only now trying to read one short book that perhaps, if I manage to read it in two days, will place me at 44 out of 50.

I am looking forward to 2024 now!

I finished just in the nick of time.

Date you finished: 12/31/2023
Message number of your list post (if you've got one): I don't have one. I did the spreadsheet instead.
Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?): A book with a love triangle. (It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover)
Favorite book (and what prompt was it for?): Size 12 Is Not Fat (Romance with a fat lead)
Was there a book you especially enjoyed that you never would have read if not for the Challenge? (and what prompt was it for?) : Not really.
Least favorite prompt: Book about an athlete/sport
Prompt you hope to see again: A book with alliteration in the title
Last prompt you finished: Book becoming a movie in 2023
Did you like the "nostalgia" theme for this year?: Yes
Finally, are you in for 2024? Yes

Date you finished: 31 December 2023
Message number of your list post (if you've got one): 469
Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?): A book you wish you could read for the first time again – Gone with the Wind
Favorite book (and what prompt was it for?): The Book of Lost Names – Recommended by a Friend
Was there a book you especially enjoyed that you never would have read if not for the Challenge? (and what prompt was it for?): A book that comes out in the second half of 2023 – All the Sinners Bleed
Least favorite prompt: A book about or set in Hollywood
Prompt you hope to see again: A book you bought from an independent bookstore – A History of Wild Places
Last prompt you finished: 41 A book written during NaNoWriMo – The Hacienda
Did you like the "nostalgia" theme for this year?: No
Finally, are you in for 2024? No

Date you finished: 12/29/23

Message number of your list post (if you've got one): N/A

Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?): (9) A book with a color in the title- White Noise

Favorite book (and what prompt was it for?): (39) A book you wish you could read for the first time again- Yours Truly

Was there a book you especially enjoyed that you never would have read if not for the Challenge? (and what prompt was it for?): (9) Longest book on your TBR list- The Count of Monte Cristo. This book had been on my TBR for over a decade, but I would never come around to reading it because of its 1200+ pages. The prompt forced me to finally read it, and I'm glad I did as it's now one of my all time favorites.

Least favorite prompt: (2) a book you bought from an independent bookstore. I mostly get my books from the library, and if I do buy, I usually get them secondhand. It took me awhile to find a book I was willing to pay $30 for at an independent bookstore.

Prompt you hope to see again: (12) A book published in Spring 2023 only because I tend to read new releases anyways so it would be easier for me to fulfill. Also, (26) The shortest book on your TBR because it would help knock off some easy books off my TBR

Last prompt you finished: (2) A book you bought from an independent bookstore- Hello Stranger by Katherine Center

Did you like the "nostalgia" theme for this year?: At first I didn't as I didn't feel like revisiting similar prompts, but in the end it wasn't that bad.

Finally, are you in for 2024? Absolutely!!

Ellie wrote: "I'm calling it a day at 40 prompts (mix of regular and advanced).

Date you finished: 19/10/2023

Message number of your list post: #12

Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?):
A book..."

I guess they heard you cause the 2024 list has a couple of lgbtq prompts and a dragon prompt!

Date you finished: October 1, 2023
Message number of your list post (if you've got one): 163
Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?): Book that Features 2 languages. The Whale Rider by Witi Ihimaera

Favorite book (and what prompt was it for?): Prom Mom by Laura Lippman for Book published in second half of 2023 tied with Drowning by T.J. Newman
for A Book My Best Friend Would like , tied with The Whispers by Ashley Audrain Book My Best Friend Would Like

Was there a book you especially enjoyed that you never would have read if not for the Challenge? (and what prompt was it for?) : Cursed Bunny: Stories by Bora Chung. Book with a rabbit on cover or in title.

Least favorite prompt: Book with mythical creatures. The Tea Dragon Festival by Kay O'Neill

Prompt you hope to see again: Banned Book. Dear Martin
Last prompt you finished: Book You bought Secondhand. White Lilacs
Did you like the "nostalgia" theme for this year?: It was OK.
Finally, are you in for 2024? Yes.

Date you finished: 7/11/24
Message number of your list post (if you've got one): 189
Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?): A Book From An Animal's POV - White Fang
Favorite book (and what prompt was it for?): A Semi-Definitive List of Worst Nightmares - A Book With Magical Realism
Was there a book you especially enjoyed that you never would have read if not for the Challenge? (and what prompt was it for?) : Pretty Boys Are Poisonous: Poems - A Collection Of At Least 24 Poems
Least favorite prompt: A Book That Centers Video Games or A Book With A Main Character Who's 42 Years Old
Prompt you hope to see again: A Book About Pirates
Last prompt you finished: A Book That Centers Video Games - I would have finished in March if not for this one
Did you like the "nostalgia" theme for this year?: eh
Finally, are you in for 2024? obviously