PopReadHarderSugarEtc.Challenges 2018, Thread #2

Continuing the conversation about the PopSugar Reading Challenge.

The 2019 list is now available, and I will create a thread in the 2019 75ers group once that is created (usually at the end of December).

For now, feel free to continue to chat about the 2018 challenge, ask for suggestions for 2019 prompts, or drop in and just say hello!

2018 PopSugar Reading Challenge
http://www.popsugar.com/entertainment/Reading-Challenge-2018-44138581

1. A book made into a movie you've already seen
2. True crime
3. The next book in a series you started
4. A book involving a heist
5. Nordic noir
6. A novel based on a real person
7. A book set in a country that fascinates you
8. A book with a time of day in the title
9. A book about a villain or antihero
10. A book about death or grief
11. A book with a female author who uses a male pseudonym
12. A book with an LGBTQ+ protagonist
13. A book that is also a stage play or musical
14. A book by an author of a different ethnicity than you
15. A book about feminism
16. A book about mental health
17. A book you borrowed or that was given to you as a gift
18. A book by two authors
19. A book about or involving a sport
20. A book by a local author -
21. A book with your favorite color in the title
22. A book with alliteration in the title
23. A book about time travel
24. A book with a weather element in the title
25. A book set at sea
26. A book with an animal in the title
27. A book set on a different planet
28. A book with song lyrics in the title
29. A book about or set on Halloween
30. A book with characters who are twins
31. A book mentioned in another book
32. A book from a celebrity book club
33. A childhood classic you've never read
34. A book that's published in 2018
35. A past Goodreads Choice Awards winner
36. A book set in the decade you were born
37. A book you meant to read in 2017 but didn't get to
38. A book with an ugly cover
39. A book that involves a bookstore or library
40. Your favorite prompt from the 2015, 2016, or 2017 POPSUGAR Reading Challenges (you can easily Google these)

Advanced Reading Challenge

1. A bestseller from the year you graduated high school
2. A cyberpunk book
3. A book that was being read by a stranger in a public place
4. A book tied to your ancestry
5. A book with a fruit or vegetable in the title
6. An allegory
7. A book by an author with the same first or last name as you
8. A microhistory
9. A book about a problem facing society today
10. A book recommended by someone else taking the POPSUGAR Reading Challenge

2019 PopSugar Reading Challenge
https://www.popsugar.com/entertainment/Reading-Challenge-2019-45450968
(Thanks to Helen for transcribing the list!)

01 - A book becoming a movie in 2019
02 - A book that makes you nostalgic
03 - A book written by a musician (fiction or nonfiction)
04 - A book you think should be turned into a movie
05 - A book with at least one million ratings on Goodreads
06 - A book with a plant in the title or on the cover
07 - A reread of a favorite book
08 - A book about a hobby
09 - A book you meant to read in 2018
10 - A book with "pop", "sugar" or "challenge" in the title
11 - A book with an item of clothing or acceessory on the cover
12 - a book inspired by mythology, legend or folklore
13 - A book published posthumously
14 - a book you see someone reading on TV or in a movie
15 - A retelling of a classic
16 - A book with a question in the title
17 - A book set on a college or university campus
18 - a book about someone with a super power
19 - a book told from multiple POVs
20 - a book set in space
21 - a book by two female authors
22 - A book with a title that contains "salty", "sweet", "bitter" or "spicy"
23 - A book set in Scandinavia
24 - a book that takes place in a single day
25 - a debut novel
26 - a book that's published in 2019
27 - a book featuring an extinct or imaginary creature
28 - a book recommended by a celebrity you admire
29 - a book with "love" in the title
30 - a book featuring an amateur detective
31 - A book about a family
32 - A book written by an author from Asia, Africa or South America
33 - A book with a zodiac sign or astrology term in the title
34 - a book that includes a wedding
35 - A book by an author whose first and last names start with the same letter
36 - A ghost story
37 - a book with a two-word title
38 - A novel based on a true story
39 - A book revolving around a puzzle or game
40 - Your favorite prompt from a past Popsugar Reading Challenge

Advanced:
41 - A "cli fi" book
42 - A "choose-your-own-adventure" book
43 - An "own voices" book
44 - Read a book during the season it is set in
45 - A LitRPG book
46 - A book with no chapters / unusual chapter headings / unconventionally numbered chapters
47 & 48 - Two books that share the same title
49 - A book that has inspired a common phrase or idiom
50 - A book set in an abbey, cloister, monastery, vicarage, or convent

Here is the link to the challenge group on Goodreads (thanks, Susan!) - there are threads for every prompt so lots of helpful suggestions (even if it is Goodreads - ha!):

https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/152458-ultimate-popsugar-reading-challenge

Thanks for the new thread, Katie.

Can we discuss number 5 in the 2019 list? Can we come to an agreement that we'll use a rating level on LT, rather than having to use the number of Goodreads reviews?

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's stone has 5.5 million ratings on GR and 96,000 ratings on LT. So if we assume that's representative, we could use a book that was in ~ 17,500 libraries to equate to a similar popularity.
Does that make any kind of sense?

>5 Helenliz: - That's fine with me. I used the Goodreads link to find their most rated books, but I am all for adjusting the prompts to make it work for the individual.

Thanks for putting up the new thread, Katie.

Could someone please explain to me POVs, cli fi and LitRPG. I've no clue what they mean. Thanks so much.

POV - point of view. So a book with multiple narrators, or a non-fiction book that explores more than one side of an issue
Cli fi - (No, I didn't know this one either) climate change fiction. May I suggest Flight Behaviour if anyone's not read it as being a book that would fit this category.
LitRPG - (Katie did the leg work on this one for us, although I remain none the wiser!) Apparently LitRPG is a book based on a role-playing video game or some such.

Hi Barbara!

POV is point of view - so a book that tells the story through different perspectives, or multiple narrators, that sort of thing.

Cli-fi is climate fiction - novels where the climate or climate change play a significant role. For instance, Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver is a novel which has, as a back drop, the effect of climate change on butterfly migration. I think a lot of dystopian novels involve climate/weather so that might be another place to look.

LitRPG is the one I am dreading most and which I understand least - it's books that include the tropes of video games (as I understand it). Apparently, Ready Player One counts, so I'll be reading that.

I find the tag searches here on LT can be helpful in finding books that meets very specific prompts.

Oops, cross-posted with Helen!

>8 Helenliz: >9 katiekrug: Thanks so much, Helen and Katie.

>10 katiekrug: at least we both came up with the same answers - right down to the same book!

Indeed! Maybe I'll finally get to Flight Behavior now!

>13 katiekrug: do, it is really very good! Leaves me a bit stuck on what to read for that one...

>14 Helenliz: - Seeing as how I spent most of my morning goofing off and coming up with multiple options for most of the categories, perhaps I can suggest something?

Just from my own shelves/Kindle, in addition to Flight Behavior, I noted down The Terranauts by T.C. Boyle, American War by Omar El Akkad, and Rivers by Michael Farris Smith.

Thanks for the thread, Katie! And I also thought of Flight Behaviour when I saw the cli-fi category. (I agree with Helen that it's excellent). I think I'll try American War for that one, as the GoodReaders seem to love it. Overall, I think the list makes me feel very old. There are categories I've never heard of, let alone read! But I have a few ideas so maybe I will broaden my horizons.

Hello, folks. I might try the challenge next year, if only to promote some variety in my reading. Maybe I can dovetail it into the 'ROTS from each letter of the alphabet' challenge I've set myself, a desperation move if ever there was one! I look forward to seeing you all after the 1st.

Thanks for starting a new thread and sharing the 2019 prompts

I kind of figured that Cli Fi would be a prompt as I’ve been seeing lots of chatter about that lately.

Well, I haven't come anywhere close to completing the challenge for 2018 but I'm going to follow along and semi-participate again in 2019. I like the variety of prompts.

>16 susanj67: - I really want to read American War, too, Susan. Suzanne (Chatterbox) strongly recommended it.

>17 ffortsa: - Welcome, Judy!

>18 ChelleBearss: - Chelle, I am impressed with your keeping up on literary trends :0

>19 EBT1002: - The more the merrier, Ellen.

>20 katiekrug: Ha, I actually saw a post on facebook that someone shared about Cli Fi. I had never heard of it until recently

Whatevs. I'm still impressed!

Wow, I think the 2019 prompts are going to be harder than 2018. Of course I haven't sat down and actually started making a list yet. Can someone tell me what does #43. An "own voices" book mean?

Judy, I found this description:

"OwnVoices authors share a diverse, minority, or marginalized trait with their protagonist."

I have penciled in something by a Native American writer for that one...

>24 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie, that one shouldn't be too difficult.

For the month of November I only completed one book for this challenge:

39. A Book that involves a bookstore or library - The Library At the Edge of the World by Felicity Hayes-McCoy

This leaves me with 2 books to read in December to finish the 2018 Challenge.

I finished my second to last book for this challenge (Londoners by Craig Taylor which was gifted to me by Susan - hi Susan!); and I am currently reading The English Patient which is set in Italy and Egypt, two countries that fascinate me. So... almost finished with the challenge!

Finished the challenge, with the completion of The English Patient a few minutes ago....

2018 PopSugar Reading Challenge

x 1. A book made into a movie you've already seen - True Grit by Charles Portis
x 2. True crime - Writing My Wrongs by Shaka Senghor
x 3. The next book in a series you started - The Dark Angel by Elly Griffiths
x 4. A book involving a heist - The Heist by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg
x 5. Nordic noir - He Who Fears the Wolf by Karin Fossum
x 6. A novel based on a real person - Georgia by Dawn Tripp
x 7. A book set in a country that fascinates you - The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje
x 8. A book with a time of day in the title - The Five-Forty-Five to Cannes by Tess Uriza Holthe
x 9. A book about a villain or antihero - The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
x 10. A book about death or grief - The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
x 11. A book with a female author who uses a male pseudonym - Portrait in Death by J.D. Robb
x 12. A book with an LGBTQ+ protagonist - London Calling by Clare Lydon
x 13. A book that is also a stage play or musical - A Kid for Two Farthings by Wolf Mankowitz
x 14. A book by an author of a different ethnicity than you - Black Water Rising by Attica Locke
x 15. A book about feminism - How To Be a Woman by Caitlin Moran
x 16. A book about mental health - Dog Crazy by Meg Donohue
x 17. A book you borrowed or that was given to you as a gift - Londoners by Craig Taylor
x 18. A book by two authors - Love in a Nutshell by Janet Evanovich and Dorien Kelly
x 19. A book about or involving a sport - Running Back by Allison Parr
x 20. A book by a local author - Catherine the Great by Robert K. Massie
x 21. A book with your favorite color in the title - Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Adichie
x 22. A book with alliteration in the title - The Grave's a Fine and Private Place by Alan Bradley
x 23. A book about time travel - Fortunately the Milk by Neil Gaiman
x 24. A book with a weather element in the title - Red Lightning by Laura Pritchett
x 25. A book set at sea - The Charm School by Susan Wiggs
x 26. A book with an animal in the title - The Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aiken
x 27. A book set on a different planet - The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell
x 28. A book with song lyrics in the title - Go Tell It on the Mountain by James Baldwin
x 29. A book about or set on Halloween - Hallowe'en Party by Agatha Christie
x 30. A book with characters who are twins - A Murder is Announced by Agatha Christie
x 31. A book mentioned in another book - Auntie Mame by Patrick Dennis
x 32. A book from a celebrity book club - Exit West by Mohsin Hamid
x 33. A childhood classic you've never read - Betsy-Tacy by Maud Hart Lovelace
x 34. A book that's published in 2018 - The Judge Hunter by Christopher Buckley
x 35. A past Goodreads Choice Awards winner - The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo by Amy Schumer
x 36. A book set in the decade you were born - Fiesta San Antonio by Janet Dailey
x 37. A book you meant to read in 2017 but didn't get to - Mudbound by Hillary Jordan
x 38. A book with an ugly cover - Jumping the Queue by Mary Wesley
x 39. A book that involves a bookstore or library - The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan
x 40. Your favorite prompt from the 2015, 2016, or 2017 POPSUGAR Reading Challenges - Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows by Balli Kaur Jaswal (2017 - Book about a refugee or immigrant)

Advanced Reading Challenge
x 1. A bestseller from the year you graduated high school - I Was Amelia Earhart by Jane Mendelsohn
x 2. A cyberpunk book - The Completionist by Siobhan Adcock
x 3. A book that was being read by a stranger in a public place - Don't Let Go by Harlan Coben
x 4. A book tied to your ancestry - From a Low and Quiet Sea by Donal Ryan
x 5. A book with a fruit or vegetable in the title - Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library - Chris Grabenstein
x 6. An allegory - Lord of the Flies by William Golding
x 7. A book by an author with the same first or last name as you - Men and Dogs by Katie Crouch
x 8. A microhistory - The Children's Blizzard by David Laskin
x 9. A book about a problem facing society today - Big Guns by Steve Israel
x 10. A book recommended by someone else taking the POPSUGAR Reading Challenge - Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay

>28 katiekrug: well done!

>28 katiekrug: Congrats! Well done, lady.

Popsugar Reading Challenge books completed in November:
A book set at sea -Life of Pi by Yann Martel
A book about or involving a sport - Circling the Sun by Paula McLain
A book involving a heist - True Blue by David Baldacci
A cyberpunk book - The Few by Sean Lewis and Hayden Sherman

I have completed my 2018 PopSugar Challenge with The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith as the book for my final prompt - "Female Author - Male Pseudonym":

DeltaQueen's 2018 PopSugar Reading Challenge

1. A book made into a movie you've already seen: Black Dahlia by James Ellroy
2. True crime: Go Down Together by Jeff Guinn
3. The next book in a series you started: Love Story, With Murders by Harry Bingham
4. A book involving a heist: High Sierra by W. R. Burnett
5. Nordic noir: Nemesis by Jo Nesbo
6. A novel based on a real person: Flaubert's Parrot by Julian Barnes
7. A book set in a country that fascinates you: The King's Last Song by Geoff Ryman
8. A book with a time of day in the title: The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng
9. A book about a villain or antihero: The North Water by Ian McGuire
10. A book about death or grief: Blaming by Elizabeth Taylor
11. A book with a female author who uses a male pseudonym: The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith
12. A book with an LGBTQ+ protagonist: Ash by Malinda Lo
13. A book that is also a stage play or musical: Black Coffee by C. Osborne, play by A. Christie
14. A book by an author of a different ethnicity than you: Go Tell It On The Mountain by James Baldwin
15. A book about feminism: The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
16. A book about mental health: Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
17. A book you borrowed or that was given to you as a gift: A Robot In the Garden by Deborah Install
18. A book by two authors: Tuesday's Gone by Nicci French
19. A book about or involving a sport: Wobble To Death by Peter Lovesey
20. A book by a local author: Pleased To Meet You by Caroline Adderson
21. A book with your favorite color in the title: Friends At Thrush Green by Miss Read
22. A book with alliteration in the title: Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz
23. A book about time travel: Time And Again by Jack Finney
24. A book with a weather element in the title: Snow Angels by Stewart O'Nan
25. A book set at sea: Sea Witch by Helen Hollick
26. A book with an animal in the title: The Judas Sheep by Stuart Pawson
27. A book set on a different planet : I Dare by Sharon Lee
28. A book with song lyrics in the title: My Best Friend's Girl by Dorothy Koomson
29. A book about or set on Halloween: Hallowe'en Party by Agatha Christie
30. A book with characters who are twins: Ice Twins by S. K. Tremayne
31. A book mentioned in another book: The Island of Doctor Moreau by H. G. Wells
32. A book from a celebrity book club: Truly Madly Guilty by Liane Moriarty
33. A childhood classic you've never read: Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
34. A book that's published in 2018: The Chalk Man by C. J. Tudor
35. A past Goodreads Choice Awards winner: Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld
36. A book set in the decade you were born: A Bullet For Cinderella by John D. MacDonald
37. A book you meant to read in 2017 but didn't get to: Dark Matter by Blake Crouch
38. A book with an ugly cover: Cemetery Lake by Paul Cleave
39. A book that involves a bookstore or library: The Library At The Edge of the World by Felicity Hayes-McCoy
40. Your favorite prompt from the 2015, 2016, or 2017 POPSUGAR Reading Challenges - 2017 - A Book Set in the Wilderness: The Revenant by Michael Punke

Advanced Reading Challenge

1. A bestseller from the year you graduated high school: Cousin Kate by Georgette Heyer (1968)
2. A cyberpunk book: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick
3. A book that was being read by a stranger in a public place: Secret Daughter by Shilpi Somaya Gowda
4. A book tied to your ancestry: Morning At Jalna by Mazo de la Roche
5. A book with a fruit or vegetable in the title: Spilling the Beans on the Cat's Pajamas by Judy Parkinson
6. An allegory: Red Moon by Benjamin Percy
7. A book by an author with the same first or last name as you: Middlemere by Judith Lennox
8. A microhistory: Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis
9. A book about a problem facing society today: Dumplin' by Julie Murphy
10. A book recommended by someone else taking the POPSUGAR Reading Challenge: Slow Horses by Mick Herron

>28 katiekrug: Yay Katie! Well done!

>32 DeltaQueen50: Congratulations, Judy!

Congrats Katie & Judy!!

BookRiot's 2019 Read Harder Challenge:
We’ll be publishing recommendations for each of the tasks in the coming months to help you complete this year’s Read Harder (links will be added to this post as the recommendations are posted).

An epistolary novel or collection of letters
An alternate history novel
A book by a woman and/or AOC (Author of Color) that won a literary award in 2018
A humor book
A book by a journalist or about journalism
A book by an AOC set in or about space
An #ownvoices book set in Mexico or Central America
An #ownvoices book set in Oceania
A book published prior to January 1, 2019, with fewer than 100 reviews on Goodreads
A translated book written by and/or translated by a woman
A book of manga
A book in which an animal or inanimate object is a point-of-view character
A book by or about someone that identifies as neurodiverse
A cozy mystery
A book of mythology or folklore
An historical romance by an AOC
A business book
A novel by a trans or nonbinary author
A book of nonviolent true crime
A book written in prison
A comic by an LGBTQIA creator
A children’s or middle grade book (not YA) that has won a diversity award since 2009
A self-published book
A collection of poetry published since 2014

Oooh, another challenge 0_0

Thanks, Richard! I like the focus on diversity with this one...

It does make it more appealing to me as well.

I need another list like a hole in the head.
... but ...
that does have some appeal.

The more I look at the PopSugar challenge, the more it annoys me, so for 2019 I'm going to do Around the Year in 52 Books, which is on GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/174195-around-the-year-in-52-books

The post with the categories in it is here: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/19645196-the-52-topics-for-the-2019-reading... (I can't get the link to the printable list to work, though).

>40 katiekrug: - That is an awesome list of prompts, Susan.... Hmmmm.....

Like you, I wasn't super thrilled with the 2019 PopSugar ones.

>39 susanj67: you're nothing but trouble, aren't you?

1. A book that was nominated for or won an award in a genre you enjoy
2. A book with one of the 5 W's in the title (Who, What, Where, When, Why)
3. A book where the author’s name contains A, T, and Y
4. A book with a criminal character (i.e. assassin, pirate, thief, robber, scoundrel etc)

5. A book by Shakespeare or inspired by Shakespeare
6. A book with a dual timeline
7. 2 books related to the same topic, genre, or theme: Book #1
8. 2 books related to the same topic, genre, or theme: Book #2

9. A book from one of the top 5 money making genres (romance/erotica, crime/mystery, religious/inspirational, science fiction/fantasy or horror)
10. A book featuring an historical figure
11. A book related to one of the 12 Zodiac Chinese Animals (title, cover, subject)
12. A book about reading, books or an author/writer

13. A book that is included on a New York Public Library Staff Picks list
14. A book with a title, subtitle or cover relating to an astronomical term
15. A book by an author from a Mediterranean country or set in a Mediterranean country
16. A book told from multiple perspectives
17. A speculative fiction (i.e. fantasy, scifi, horror, dystopia)

18. A book related to one of the elements on the periodic table of elements
19. A book by an author who has more than one book on your TBR
20. A book featuring indigenous people of a country
21. A book from one of the polarizing or close call votes

22. A book with a number in the title or on the cover
23. 4 books inspired by the wedding rhyme: Book #1 Something Old
24. 4 books inspired by the wedding rhyme: Book #2 Something New
25. 4 books inspired by the wedding rhyme: Book #3 Something Borrowed

26. 4 books inspired by the wedding rhyme: Book #4 Something Blue
27. A book off of the 1001 books to read before you die list
28. A book related to something cold (i.e. theme, title, author, cover, etc.)
29. A book published before 1950
30. A book featuring an elderly character

31. A children’s classic you’ve never read
32. A book with more than 500 pages
33. A book you have owned for at least a year, but have not read yet
34. A book with a person's name in the title

35. A psychological thriller
36. A book featured on an NPR Best Books of the Year list
37. A book set in a school or university
38. A book not written in traditional novel format (poetry, essay, epistolary, graphic novel, etc)

39. A book with a strong sense of place or where the author brings the location/setting to life
40. A book you stumbled upon
41. A book from the 2018 GR Choice Awards
42. A book with a monster or "monstrous" character
43. A book related to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) (fiction or nonfiction)

44. A book related in some way to a tv show/series or movie you enjoyed (same topic, same era, book appeared in the show/movie, etc.)
45. A multi-generational saga
46. A book with a (mostly) black cover
47. A book related to food (i.e. title, cover, plot, etc.)

48. A book that was a finalist or winner for the National Book Award for any year
49. A book written by a Far East Asian author or set in a Far East Asian country
50. A book that includes a journey (physical, health, or spiritual)
51. A book published in 2019
52. A book with a weird or intriguing title

Wow another type of challenge for me to consider!!

We'd love to have you join the fun, Monica :)

>41 Helenliz: - Thanks for doing that, Helen!

>43 katiekrug: I will have to add the list to my LT CAT challenge for 2019 thread. I did join the group over on Goodreads. :)

I've created a non-LT challenge thread in the 2019 group:

https://www.librarything.com/topic/301256

Please come keep me company!

>39 susanj67:, >40 katiekrug:, >41 Helenliz: OOH! I like the looks of that one much better than the 2019 PopSugar one! Thanks so much, ladies!

I didn't complete the challenge: of the 40 categories there were eight that I didn't fulfil. There were some that I didn't want to read - True Crime, Nordic Noir and Halloween; some that I couldn't be bothered to look up - Celebrity Book Club, Goodreads Choice Winner and favourite previous PopSugar prompt (so I may have fulfilled them!) and some that I just missed - Favourite Colour, Ugly Cover and Book from 2017's intended list. Lots of the ones I did fulfil were books that I was going to read anyway that were shoe-horned in!

My complete list is available on my 2018 thread here (post 20).