Based on my recently NaNoWriMo attempt, and my current run at Blogmas, you can tell I love a personal challenge. But one challenge that I’ve never even tried is a reading challenge. I’ve wanted to take part in one for a while now, but it seemed like every time I found out about one, it was almost over.
And then Kristin posted about the POPSUGAR Reading Challenge. You can read all about it here, but basically, it’s 40 prompts (50 if you want to do the ‘advanced’ section) and you pick a book for each prompt.
What I like about this challenge already, is that it has me looking at my TBR and making a plan to read some of the books that have been there the longest. Books that, without this little nudge, might take years to get read.
Here at my choices as of now, though they may be subject to change:
A book made into a movie you’ve already seen
The Martian by Andy Weir
True Crime
The Ice Man: Confessions of a Mafia Contract Killer by Philip Carlo
The next book in a series you started
The Core by Peter V. Brett
A book involving a heist
Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo
Nordic Noir
Macbeth by Jo Nesbo
A novel based on a real person
The Lost Girls: The True Story of the Cleveland Abductions and the Incredible Rescue of Michelle Knight, Amanda Berry, and Gina DeJesus by John Glatt
A book set in a country that fascinates you
Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh
A book with a time of day in the title
Dayfall by Michael Ares
A book about a villain of antihero
Nevernight by Jay Kristoff
A book about death of grief
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
A book with a female author who uses a male pseudonym
The Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith
A book with a LGBTQ+ protagonist
They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera
A book that is also a stage play or musical
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
A book by an author of a different ethnicity than you
Legend by Marie Lu
A book about feminism
Room by Emma Donoghue
A book about mental health
We Are the Ants by Shaun David Hutchinson
A book you borrowed or that was given to you as a gift
Skyborn by David Dalglish
A book by two authors
Gemina by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff
A book about or involving a sport
Slobberknocker: My Life In Wrestling by Jim Ross
A book by a local author
Remy’s Dilemma by Andrew Snook
A book with your favourite colour in the title
Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater
A book with alliteration in the title
White Walls by HMC
A book about time travel
Invictus by Ryan Graudin
A book with a weather element in the title
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
A book set at sea
Life of Pi by Yann Martel
A book with an animal in the title
The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
A book set on a different planet
Iron Gold by Pierce Brown
A book with song lyrics in the title
Carry On by Rainbow Rowell
A book about or set on Halloween
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving
A book with character who are twins
Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
A book mentioned in another book
Ringworld by Larry Niven
A book from a celebrity book club
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
A childhood classic you’re never read
The Princess Bride by William Goldman
A book that’s published in 2018
Good Guys by Steven Brust
A past Goodreads Choice Awards winner
The Fireman by Joe Hill
A book set in the decade you were born
American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis
A book you meant to read in 2017 but didn’t get to
A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab
A book with an ugly cover
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
A book that involves a bookstore or library
Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine
Your favourite prompt from the 2015, 2016, or 2017 POPSUGAR Reading Challenges
Dad is Fat by Jim Gaffigan
As I mentioned before, there are 10 additional prompts that are considered ‘advanced.’ I may do these prompts, but I may not. Even if I do the primary 40 prompts, it’ll be the first time in years that I’ve read 40 books in a year (I’m actually setting my personal goal to 52.) It’s exciting just saying that!
The advanced prompts are as follows:
A bestseller from the year you graduated high school
A cyberpunk book
A book that was being read by a stranger in a public place
A book tied to your ancestry
A book with a fruit of vegetable in the title
An allegory
A book by an author with the same first or last name as you
A micro history
A book about a problem facing society today
A book recommended by someone else taking the POPSUGAR Reading Challenge
Wonderful choices. I also plan to take part in the POPSUGAR reading challenge.
I am so happy you are doing this challenge too. The more fellow bloggers that participate the more likely I am to stick to it! It looks like 2018 is going to be a good reading year!
I agree. I’m really excited about the challenge. I’m even excited about reading the books that would have kept getting shoved down on my TBR. It’s the little nudge I needed to cross some of them off.
A few of these have been on my TBR for the longest time, and I’ve yet to read them. I’m also going to include them in the PopSugar Challenge – and then pray that I finally get to them 😀
Good luck with the challenge!! 🙂
Yay! Same to you. Have you posted your list? I’d love to see it.
Thanks! Not yet, I’m working on it. I’ll post it soon, though ☺️👍🏼
Looking forward to it!
I’m going to try to do the popsugar challenge too, but I don’t know if I’ll get all 40 books in. This is a good list!
The original intent is a book per prompt, but it’s personal challenge. There’s nothing saying you can’t pick books that check off 2 prompts or more.
I’ll be looking to check off a lot of the prompts through audiobooks, because I’m not totally sure I could do 40 books, either.
That is a good point! I’d definitely recommend Dad is Fat on audio since Jim Gaffigan narrates it himself (of course). I don’t know if I would have liked it if I wasn’t a parent, but since I am it definitely had me laughing. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.
Ha ha ha! I already have a print copy, but I just might have to check out the audiobook version. I’m a HUGE Gaffigan fan.
I’ve seen these over the last few years but they always seemed to have prompts that I couldn’t possibly fill. This year though – I’m going for it! Best of luck in reaching your goals and thanks for motivating me to try this year!!
I want to see your list!
That’s a long post to write,… maybe soon! 😂
I am taking your list hostage <3