Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion

A book written by someone you admire ... that opens a whole host of opportunities. I admire a number of authors. Plus ... there's always the memoirs.

I'm struggling with this one. How does one define "admire"?

admire (verb, with object): to regard with wonder, pleasure, or approval.

And that's no help at all!!

Is it just an author I like? An author whose writing I admire? An author who has done good in the world? A public figure whom I admire? An historical figure??

Gahhhh it's too open ended!!

I shared my struggle with my daughters, and they looked at me the way only your own children can, very much a "duh, mom" look, and said: "J.K. Rowling!" Apparently J.K. Rowling is the answer to everything.

I have nothing for this category either.

Your daughter could be right. You could read Very Good Lives: The Fringe Benefits of Failure and the Importance of Imagination. I read it and then searched youtube - there's a video of her delivering the speech. Listening to her story, you can't help but feel admiration.

You could interpret admiration for someone who continues to get better with their writing. But that's more subjective. We've all read books in a series where the first one knocks our socks off then just goes down hill. Maybe seek out an author that continues to get better with time. Or maybe admire an author that is willing to think outside the box? Push the limits a little.

Like Juanita said we could admire someone's memoirs or how they over came a struggle. Like Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology.

That said, and I'm sure it didn't even make sense, I still have no idea what to read for this.

Like your daughters said, Nadine, I'm reading The Casual Vacancy for this. Not only did Rowling create a series that will always be special to me, but I admire pretty much everything about her.

I also don't think that this prompt means you have to admire the person before you read the book. Like for instance, Malala Yousafzai isn't exactly the first person that comes to mind, but obviously I admire her. So I think I Am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban would work.

Here is a list of books similar to I Am Malala. I think most of these would work for this as well :)

I think no matter where you fall on the political spectrum, Jimmy Carter has done a lot to admire in this world. I'm not usually a biography fan but I really enjoyed An Hour Before Daylight: Memoirs of a Rural Boyhood, which is the story of his childhood in the segregated south.

You can't go wrong with anything by Mister Rogers

I read a book by Jimmy Carter once, and I was gifted another, and yes I DO admire him, very very much! But I found his book was a bit dry, so I'm not so much champing at the bit to read another. (I can't remember which one I read - it was back before goodreads was around to be my memory.)

I'm planning to read "Very Good Lives" for "career advice" (because I've come up with absolutely nothing else that I actually WANT to read), so that's out for this. "Casual Vacancy" is a possibility, I was going to read that for "pseudonym," but I can switch that up with someone else.

And, hello! Mr Rogers wrote books?? Mr Rogers was my childhood!!! going to look now ...

Done!
The World According to Mister Rogers: Important Things to Remember

Nadine wrote: "Done!
The World According to Mister Rogers: Important Things to Remember
"

Thanks! Just added this to my list.

Nadine wrote: "Done!
The World According to Mister Rogers: Important Things to Remember
"

Thanks, added to my list too.

I will be reading one of my many books by Catherine Ryan Hyde.

I'm planning to read Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela . I visited South Africa in 2014 and see all the places of his life and work.

Nadine wrote: "Apparently J.K. Rowling is the answer to everything. "

True story! lol

Nadine wrote: "Done!
The World According to Mister Rogers: Important Things to Remember
"

Adding it to my list too! Thank you!

I'm going to go a little bit farther outside the box for this. I plan to read A Bridge Too Far by Cornelius Ryan. I read the Longest Day this year, and as a former journalist, the incredible way this man tells a true story is inspiring. It's like reading a novel, except these were real people, which makes his books even more heartbreaking. It's a total shame he died so early.

I'm going to read Scrappy Little Nobody. I really like Anna Kendrick (I guess that would be admiration?) and her body of work.

Ashley wrote: "I'm going to read Scrappy Little Nobody. I really like Anna Kendrick (I guess that would be admiration?) and her body of work."

I really like her too! Can we count that as admiration?

After reading Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, which I admired, I want to read more from her. I'll read We Should All Be Feminists.

This one seems to be giving me more difficulty than all the others combined! IF it said "written about someone you admire" it would be easy to select a biography. "Written BY someone you admire" is more difficult. Possibly ?

John Glenn: A Memoir by John Glenn
The Ocean World of Jacques Cousteau, Vol. 3: Quest for Food by Jacques Cousteau

This one was fairly easy for me. My former supervisor wrote a book about growing up with a mom with schizophrenia:
Mom & Me: My Journey with Mom's Schizophrenia

I've been meaning to read it since she had it published last year so it fit in well for this prompt for 2017.

I've decided I"m going to read The Politics of Truth: Inside the Lies That Put the White House on Trial and Betrayed My Wife's CIA Identity by Joseph Wilson. He was the Ambassador in Saddam Hussein's Iraq during the First Gulf War. He also stood up to Cheney and Bush #2 when they used false evidence to justify the war.

I think I'll read Cosmos for that prompt.

Anything by the Dalai Lama would be great for me and anyone else who "admires" him... luckily I happen to have Beyond Religion and The Universe in a Single Atom on my to-read shelf :)

Fannie wrote: "I think I'll read Cosmos for that prompt."

That's a great idea! I've got Mr Rogers penciled in for this category, but I think I'll add Sagan. Cosmos was fantastic, but it's the only book I've read from him.

I would like feedback if this book fits the prompt, The Wisdom of Mother Theresa, thank you.

Sheila wrote: "I would like feedback if this book fits the prompt, The Wisdom of Mother Theresa, thank you."

The category is "a book written by someone you admire." That book fits if you admire the author, Kathryn Spink. If you're indicating that you admire Mother Theresa, then that book does not work, because she did not write it.

Ashley wrote: "I'm going to read Scrappy Little Nobody. I really like Anna Kendrick (I guess that would be admiration?) and her body of work."

So funny - this is my choice for this task as well!

I'll definitely be reading an autobiography of some sort for this..or something similar! Too bad I've already read Bear Grylls autobiography and Bossy Pants by Tina Fey and also Howie Mandel's autobiography! I love and respect all of them for different reasons!

Marisa wrote: "Ashley wrote: "I'm going to read Scrappy Little Nobody. I really like Anna Kendrick (I guess that would be admiration?) and her body of work."

I really like her too! Can we count t..."

Loved this! I read (listen too) a lot of memoirs and this is my favorite of the year by a lot. The audio is excellent.

Sheila wrote: "I would like feedback if this book fits the prompt, The Wisdom of Mother Theresa, thank you."

Thank you.

I was thinking of Born to Run by Springsteen. Besides loving his music years ago, I've heard him interviewed and have admired what he's said and his hard work. It's on my TBR list.

Oh Sheri, that's a great idea! I just gave my husband Born to Run, the memoir by Bruce Springsteen, for Christmas. I'll steal it from him during the year and use it for this category. Thanks!

Lisa wrote: "Oh Sheri, that's a great idea! I just gave my husband Born to Run, the memoir by Bruce Springsteen, for Christmas. I'll steal it from him during the year and use it for this category. Thanks!"

Ha. I, too, bought "Born to Run" for my husband with the intention of reading it myself. I spot a trend here. ;-)

Anything by Thich Nhat Hanh.
Although today I feel like reading something by Carrie Fisher.

It's funny, I'm taking my husband's copy of Born to Run to read too haha. Definitely a trend. Glad to see others thought it was good for this. Though I do admit anything by Thich Nhat Hahn works too.

Marta wrote: "Anything by Thich Nhat Hanh.
Although today I feel like reading something by Carrie Fisher."

Yeah that would work! I'm pretty set on reading something by Carl Sagan, but if I were still up in the air on this category, I'd go with Carrie Fisher.

Marta wrote: "Although today I feel like reading something by Carrie Fisher."

Me too. I think I'll finally read Postcards from the Edge.

Yes I thought of Carrie Fischer also. Probably Postcards from the Edge. Never read that one.

I've decided on Wishful Drinking by Carrie Fisher. I'm still a little verklempt following the news of her death yesterday. I had read Postcards from the Edge, but not her memoirs, so I'll be reading that, but also probably The Princess Diarist

Lisa wrote: "Yes I thought of Carrie Fischer also. Probably Postcards from the Edge. Never read that one."

That was exactly what I was thinking. Or one of her other books Shockaholic or Wishful Drinking.

For this I changed my book to Courage to Soar: A Body in Motion, A Life in Balance

I very much admire Hilary Mantel as a writer, and have been wanting to read her A Place of Greater Safety for a while.

There will be others though, this is one I'm going to have to come back to.

I read "Read my pins" by Madeleine Albright.Read My Pins: Stories from a Diplomat's Jewel Box You can't help but admire a woman who pursued a career in the 1950s and 1960s and eventually became Secretary of State and Ambassador to the United Nations, dealing with characters like Sadam Hussein, Vladimir Putin and Arafat.
The fun part is that this book is about Ms. Albright's love of pins and brooches, with some anecdotes about her life and career interspersed. So very enjoyable to read, with lots of pretty pictures, and yet a little more than brain junk food. I read it in a few hours on New Year's Day. So consider this if you're pressed for time!

Ann wrote: "I read "Read my pins" by Madeleine Albright.Read My Pins: Stories from a Diplomat's Jewel Box You can't help but admire a woman who pursued a career in the 1950s and 1960s and eventu..."

Would you say it counts as a political memoir? I need one of those for a different challenge, and this sounds much more interesting than the other books I was considering.

Personally I am reading a book by a friend that I admire, Jo Green. They wrote a book called Queer Paganism that I've had ever since it was published on Amazon and I still haven't read it all yet. Perfect reason to!

I'm saving this prompt for Unfiltered by Lily Collins when this book comes out in March. I absolutely adore her ever since watching her in Mortal Instruments and I do say I admire her very dearly.

I seriously admire anyone who writes a novel! I love writing and ideally would love to write a book but don't have the attention span lol but I'll be a little more discerning for this prompt

My Beloved World by Sonia Sotomayor. I'm admiring this Justice more and more as I read.

This was the hardest prompt for me this year. I ended up penciling in My Life on the Road by Gloria Steinem.

I *love* Neil Degrasse Tyson so I'm reading Death by Black Hole: And Other Cosmic Quandaries