Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion

Hello bibliophiles! And welcome to the end of Week 5 in our 2016 reading challenge.

How's it going in your neck of the woods? Did you participate in the January challenge? Are you reading a romance that takes place in the future this month for our February challenge?

What books have you finished?

I am at 7/41 and hope to finish my romance tonight. In the last 7 days, I have finished Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix for my "more than 600 pages" book and The Year of Magical Thinking for "National Book Award winner."

I'm plodding through my romance and mostly irritated with it at this point. Might challenge myself to read another just because I'm bored. I can pretend I'm Christophe and double up on the challenge (confident that won't happen but good to dream, right?)

ETA: I finished Memory in Death for my romance set in the future. The best thing I can say about that is that it is over. *sigh* On to better books (one hopes ...)

Brings me to 8/41

I finished 2 books so far this week and will be finishing another later today. That puts me at 8/41 with a few additional books not assigned yet.

The Siren by Kiera Cass. I was debating about where to put this book, but I ended up reading the entire thing on Saturday so it became my book I can read in a day!

Naked in Death by J.D. Robb. This was for our February challenge - a romance set in the future. As I said on that discussion board, the characters were likeable enough but I just don't have a desire to read any more books in that series. I'm just thankful it was a quick read. That category was one that I was dreading...

Wonder by R.J. Palacio. I am 81% finished with this book and will definitely finish it today. It has been on my TBR list, but I hadn't planned for it to be any particular category. There are a few it could fit, but I already have choice in place. I may just leave it uncategorized for now.

I also started The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie and Inkheart, but I haven't made a lot of progress yet.

Juanita wrote: "Might challenge myself to read another just because I'm bored. I can pretend I'm Christophe and double up on the challenge (confident that won't happen but good to dream, right?)"

I'm thinking the same thing for at least some of the categories. I may double up on some of them just for fun, but probably not all!

I finished two books - the 600 page category and then the other book I finished was for the Around the Year challenge.

Currently reading Carry On. I'm only 5% in but I think I'm going to put it down for now. Two reasons, one: I'm not liking it at this time. I won't offend anyone who adores this book but its just not what I feel like reading right now. Secondly, its due back at the library in a couple days and there's no way I'm going to plow through it that quickly.

I have two books ready to read. My blue cover book and my NY best seller. Hope to read those and have that checked off for next week.

Although, I find myself rushing through books just to get to the next one and the next category. I have to remind myself that this is not a race and that I have allllll year to do this challenge.

Finished The Fault in Our Stars for my book set in my home state (Indiana).

Just now finished Animal Farm. I had intended it to be my Classic from the 20th Century, but since I finished it in 24 hours time, I will count it as my Book You Can Finish in a Day. Now that pressure is gone!

Started Warm Bodies for my Romance Set in the Future for the February Challenge.

7/41 complete

I finished "The Miniaturist" for my Book from the Library prompt. I think I might skip the "Romance set in the Future" prompt because I'm simply not interested and it seems like many who have chosen a book for this are struggling, bored, or disappointed. Life is too short! I'm only reading what I want to read.

This week, I completed When We Wake (science-fiction) and Cinder (fairy tale). Still making good reading progress - at the expense of other things, of course. Oh, how the struggle is real.

I read Wolf Children: Ame & Yuki for A book that's guaranteed to bring you joy.

So this week knocks out two more books. My book that's less than 150 pages "The old man and the sea" by Ernest Hemmingway, which I actually enjoyed & my book that brings me joy "you're never weird on the Internet (almost)" by Felicia Day, which I am super happy I read for this challenge! If someone needs a book written by a celebrity or a book with a blue cover this fits the bill also.

Not sure what prompts I am going to accomplish this month besides a romance set in the future, but sometimes not knowing is awesome too.

I'm now at 15/40.

32. The first book you see in a bookstore library- The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen 2/1/16

33. A classic from the 20th century- In Cold Blood by Truman Capote 1/30/16

38. A satirical book-The Well of Lost Plots by Jasper Fforde 1/29/16

I'm now at 11/41 books read.

This week I finished Mr. Shivers for my Book from the Library. My library was doing a "Blind Date with a Book" thing. They wrap books in brown paper and decorate it with hearts and some kind of clue to the contents. Mine said "I love you to Death" which I figured might be a murder mystery. The book was decent, kind of Stephen King-ish.

I also finished Fat Girl Walking: Sex, Food, Love, and Being Comfortable in Your Skin…Every Inch of It for Self Improvement, Crossed for Romance set in the future, Reached for Dystopian, and Inferno for set in Europe. Was glad I could squeeze the Matched trilogy in there.

I started Cinder for my Fairy Tale book the evening of the 4th. I may have to find a way to use the Lunar Chronicles series for the challenge too!

Juanita wrote: " I can pretend I'm Christophe and double up on the challenge (confident that won't happen but good to dream, right?)"
LOL! Go ahead, pretend you're me - I should probably post on the introduction board to give you a few pointers, though!

Full disclosure: the doubling up idea came through a discussion with a friend of mine who's doing the challenge, even though she's not writing on the boards, and who is an avid reader. I pointed out that 41 books was a very low bar for her; verbal (or more accurately electronic) escalation ensued, and we ended up challenging each other to do the challenge twice.

Truth be told, I finished only two books during week 5, which puts me at only 9 books, total. Those are:
A book under 150 pages: Lou Rowan, My Last Days - an account of Superman last days as a superhero;
An autobiography: Marjorie Perloff, The Vienna Paradox: A Memoir - an account on how Gabrielle Mintz, a Jewish little girl from Vienna, became Marjorie Perloff, former MLA president and one of the leading voices in American litterary scholarship.
Both were great read, contrarily to some books I'm now reading (like Sara, I had to go to J.D. Robb for the February challenge...). Part of the game, I guess!

I'm still at 2/41, but I made half way through a book this week. That's awesome progress for me! Haha.

In week 5 I finished my 600+ pager, , bringing me to 7/41! I really enjoyed Winter, although this was a book I would have read with or without the challenge, so I don't really have the challenge per se to thank for the experience. But I'm still very happy!

I am not participating in the monthly challenges. Rather, I am reading books on my to-read lists and matching them to categories as I go. Surprisingly much of what I have read this year (eight out of twelve books so far) match challenge categories. I just finished my book of poetry: Baseball, Snakes, and Summer Squash a middle grade book with poems about the author's experiences in fourth and fifth grade. I'll add it to my fourth grade classroom library. I also finished my book about a road trip: Open Road Summer about a girl who goes along on tour with her best friend who is a country singer. I almost finished my NY Times bestseller: Ashley Bell by Dean Koontz but had to return it to the library before I was finished. I'm about nine categories in and am completing the challenge much more quickly than last year, mostly due to the fact that the books on my to-read list match up nicely with many of the categories.

I only finished two this week...The Round House for National Book Award winner and Naked in Death for Romance set in the future. I'm at 10 read for this challenge, though.

I also read Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania but that was just a want-to.

This week I read three.

Attachments by Rainbow Rowell. I enjoyed it. It was an entertaining quick read but I it was pretty inconsequential and I doubt I'll remember much about it a year from now.

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman for translated book but would also work for blue cover or book set in Europe. I really, really loved this book. Ove reminded me of my grandfather and brother so it was like spending time with a curmudgeonly old friend.

The Sky is Everywhere which I read for a different challenge but would totally work for blue cover or book that takes place n the summer. I didn't love this nearly as much as I did Jandy Nelson's second book I'll Give You the Sun. But it was a worthy read.

15/41

This week I read 3.

Red Rising for my Science-Fiction book. It was better than I expected it to be.

The Graveyard Book Volume 1 for my graphic novel. I'm glad to get that one out of the way because I'm not a graphic novel fan.

Me Before You from the library. I really liked this book.

Brandy, I read Ove last month and was utterly charmed by it!

I only finish one book last week: Night by Elie Wiesel for my under 150 pages.

Since then, I started reading The Wise Man Fear for my 600 + pages. It's about 1000 pages and since I like it A LOT, I'm taking my time to read it. I don't want it to end.

Didn't finish any books or read a whole lot last week, but this week I did start and finish In Order to Live: A North Korean Girl's Journey to Freedom by Yeonmi Park. I'm counting is as my "culture I'm not familiar with" book. I'm starting Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology by Leah Remini and still reading bits and pieces of Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life from Dear Sugar by Cheryl Strayed. It's a memoir kind of month!

Fannie wrote: "...Since then, I started reading The Wise Man Fear for my 600 + pages. It's about 1000 pages and since I like it A LOT, ..."

I am currently reading this book too for my book recommended by a family member. I'm about halfway through now and loving it but it is putting me behind in the challenge.

Charlotte wrote: "Fannie wrote: "...Since then, I started reading The Wise Man Fear for my 600 + pages. It's about 1000 pages and since I like it A LOT, ..."

I am currently reading this book too for my book recomme..."

I´m also reading this one as a buddy read with my BF so I left it outside the challenge cause i knew it will keep me behind also. We are half way with it and really enjoying it!

For my Popsugar challenge i'm 11/41.

Last week finished my Romance set in the future prompt with Ready Player One.

I just finished my YA Bestseller (Eleanor and Park) and book recommended by someone you just met (The Fifth Wave). I have my book for the February Challenge which I'll start tonight. I'm at 9/41 so far

I finished "Naked In Death" as by romance that takes place in the future, and also finished "The Guest Room by Chris Bojahlian.
I am at 13 of 41 books. I read physical books and audiobooks at the same time. Working in a library helps.

I'm going to start The Next Together as my romance set in the future. I'm also reading It's What I Do: A Photographer's Life of Love and War as my autobiography, and reading Ashley Bell on and off because it was the first book I saw in a book store.

I'm at 3/41 so far.. which is really behind where I planned to be, but I'll catch up!

I just finished my sixth book The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo for a book translated to English. I am excited that I am keeping on track and I loved the book once I was able to get into it! For my next prompt I am reading Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail for a book recommended by a family member.