Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion

Well, I read Shipped this year, so next year I guess I can read Love, Lists, and Fancy Ships!! ... or Come Fly the World: The Jet-Age Story of the Women of Pan Am.

What are you thinking?

(And congrats to everyone who predicted "plane, train, or ship"!)

Listopia list is here

I'm thinking a few Agatha Christie books fit this bill. The Mystery of the Blue Train Murder on the Orient Express Death in the Clouds and probably a few more. Would Death on the Nile count as a cruise ship?

Saying that some Phryne Fisher murder mysteries are also coming to mind... maybe Death by Water

Hostage was the first book that came to my mind, it will probably be the one I'll read for this prompt

I have Falling on my TBR, and I had already earmarked it for this prompt in case it was just "set on a plane" 🤣

I'd argue Death on the Nile counts as a cruise ship.

Ellie wrote: "I have Falling on my TBR, and I had already earmarked it for this prompt in case it was just "set on a plane" 🤣"

I loved this book!

Ellie wrote: "I have Falling on my TBR, and I had already earmarked it for this prompt in case it was just "set on a plane" 🤣"

I REALLY liked that one. It is super fast paced. I wish I hadn't already read it.

Louise wrote: "I'm thinking a few Agatha Christie books fit this bill. The Mystery of the Blue Train Murder on the Orient Express Death in the Clouds and pr..."

I say it counts. There’s also A Caribbean Mystery.

Pooja wrote: "I'd argue Death on the Nile counts as a cruise ship."

Me too. River cruises are a thing.

I'm pretty happy it's ship, because I do love me an old ocean liner! I'm glad to have an excuse to read more books about/on them.

Non-fiction:
Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania
The Last Voyage of the Andrea Doria: The Sinking of the World's Most Glamorous Ship
A Night to Remember
Maiden Voyages: Magnificent Ocean Liners and the Women Who Traveled and Worked Aboard Them
High Tea on the Cunard Queens: A Light-Hearted Look at Life at Sea
Polar: The Titanic Bear - picture book

Fiction:
The Midnight Watch: A Novel of the Titanic and the Californian
The Girl Who Came Home - Titanic
The Glass Ocean - Lusitania
The Cat's Table - Oronsay
Dangerous Crossing - UK to Australia
A Bridge Across the Ocean - Queen Mary, ghosts
The Vices - QM2
The Transatlantic Lady Carisbrooke - QM2

Here's a murder mystery series, including
Murder on the Lusitania
Murder on the Mauretania
Murder on the Oceanic

ooh also there's always The Woman in Cabin 10

This one isn't set entirely on a ship, but a portion of Salt to the Sea is aboard the Wilhelm Gustloff. YA historical fiction with multiple POVs!

For YA there is a Disney series that several (a couple?) of the books take place on the Disney cruise ships.. The Kingdom Keepers series... I know Dark Passage and Shell Game happen on the cruise ship.

poshpenny wrote: "Pooja wrote: "I'd argue Death on the Nile counts as a cruise ship."

Me too. River cruises are a thing.

I'm pretty happy it's ship, because I do love me an old ocean liner! I'm glad ..."


I'd highly recommend When the Dancing Stopped: The Real Story of the Morro Castle Disaster and Its Deadly Wake, if I remember correctly, it talks about the early days of cruising. I definitely remember that it also has a true crime murder mystery, too. I found it "fun", if that's the right word for a tragedy plus murder.... In fact, maybe I'll reread it for this prompt.

Using this one to read Strangers on a Train.

The Last Voyage of Mrs Henry Parker by Joanna Nell came to mind as soon as I saw this one. Lovely book. I’ve already read it so I’ll have to see some of the other recommendations for my book.

I am going with Confessions on the 7:45

Would One Last Stop count for this prompt? I know it doesn't take place in any of these, but it does take place on a subway, which is kind of a train? Or is that too broad?

I try to pick books I already have on my Kindle but haven't read. There are hundreds!!! Looks like The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead fits the bill.

Sara wrote: "Would One Last Stop count for this prompt? I know it doesn't take place in any of these, but it does take place on a subway, which is kind of a train? Or is that too broad?"

A subway is a train, and it's significant in the story. Totally counts.

If we are counting subways (as we should):

20 Minutes On The Tube by Daniel Hurst

Does the Mayflower count as a cruise ship? Because I'm totally reading Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War for this.

Falling was really good - great pacing and timing!

Katy wrote: "Does the Mayflower count as a cruise ship? Because I'm totally reading Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War for this."

I'm stealing this one. That sounds very interesting.

4:50 from Paddington
Murder on the Orient Express
The Mystery of the Blue Train
Death on the Nile

All by the incredible Agatha Christie of course.

Marian Babson wrote a fun cozy mystery The Cruise Of A Deathtime.

Here is a link to find light mysteries set on cruise ships - there are a lot: https://cozy-mystery.com/blog/mystery...

There are a couple of Japanese detective story writers who set many of their books on trains, some available in translation:

The Mystery Train Disappears by Kyōtarō Nishimura who is famed for his train set crime fiction

Inspector Imanishi Investigates by Seichō Matsumoto involves trains though technically not set on a train. However, Matsumoto was a prolific writer and did set some on trains.

For plane, I would suggest Circling the Sun

I have The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins.

The Anomaly by Herve de Tellier starts on a plane. There's also Bullet Train by Kotaro Isaka, which is also being made into a movie this year if someone is looking to fill that prompt.

Would The Lincoln Highway work here?
The cover has a train on it, but I don't know if it meets the requirements here having not read it yet.

I'm taking the opportunity to read Murder on the Orient express for this prompt because I am surprised that I haven't read it before now.

thanks for all the suggestions. I'm planning to go with one of the ones mentioned here. probably Love, Lists, and Fancy Ships.

Hey A Fatal Crossing looks like my kinda book

Caitlin wrote: "Would The Lincoln Highway work here?
The cover has a train on it, but I don't know if it meets the requirements here having not read it yet."

YES! There is a part of the book they are on a train. I already read it, or would definitely read it for this prompt.

To add to the Agatha Christie suggestions, there's also The Man in the Brown Suit

I haven't yet read Raising Steam by Terry Pratchett, but it's about trains so I'm sure they are 'on' one at some point?

Actually I've settled on Inflight Science: A Guide to the World From Your Airplane Window

Shawna wrote: "Caitlin wrote: "Would The Lincoln Highway work here?
The cover has a train on it, but I don't know if it meets the requirements here having not read it yet."

YES! There is a part of the book they..."

Thank you!

Spirit of Steamboat by Craig Johnson was good, and also not too long. Steamboat is actually an old plane.

I was planning on reading Water Memory by Daniel Pyne. It takes place on a container ship, but it's close enough for me.

Another on my TBR is Show Boat by Edna Ferber, technically a show boat rather than a cruise ship though

Ah, to complete the feminist trifecta:

Iron Women: The Ladies Who Helped Build the Railroad

to go with
Maiden Voyages: Magnificent Ocean Liners and the Women Who Traveled and Worked Aboard Them
and
Come Fly the World: The Jet-Age Story of the Women of Pan Am

poshpenny wrote: "Ah, to complete the feminist trifecta:

Iron Women: The Ladies Who Helped Build the Railroad ..."



ooo that looks good!!

Britany wrote: "ooh also there's always The Woman in Cabin 10"

This is on my TBR list, so this is the perfect excuse to finally read it. :)

Hello all ,

Over my dead body by Jeffery archer ( ship)
Bullet train by kotaro isaka (train)
Golem and the jinni by Helene wecker ( ship)

Love
Maya

Transatlantic by colum McCann

Heather L wrote: "Louise wrote: "I'm thinking a few Agatha Christie books fit this bill. The Mystery of the Blue Train Murder on the Orient Express Death in the Cloud..."



Ohhh, sadly, [book:A Caribbean Mystery is set at a resort. Won't fit the prompt :(
There is a picture of a cruise ship on the cover, though.
The first Agatha Christie I read, and still one of my faves.

ETA: I hope it can fit another prompt! Worth a read.

For anyone looking for a comic/graphic novel rec, you could go with Snowpiercer, Vol. 1: The Escape for a train, or Displacement: A Travelogue, a graphic memoir where the author cares for her grandparents on a cruise ship. It's an excellent read!

Surviving Savannah would be a great fit -Patti Callahan

It was called "The Titanic of the South." The luxury steamship sank in 1838 with Savannah's elite on board; through time, their fates were forgotten--until the wreck was found, and now their story is finally being told in this breathtaking novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Becoming Mrs. Lewis.

IF you're looking for a cute, easy YA fluff, i recommend Field Notes on Love

I've had a hard time reading this one in the past mainly because it's a list of the events and I get bored with lists. Still I'm going to attempt it.

The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11

I’m reading this right now. I’m enjoying it- that’s not quite the right word. The interviews are in little snippets and not too overwhelming. There is a lot of heartache, but also joy in places.

The Only Plane in the Sky is amazing on audio! it doesn't feel like lists at all

Ron wrote: "I've had a hard time reading this one in the past mainly because it's a list of the events and I get bored with lists. Still I'm going to attempt it.

[book:The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral Histo..."

Melissa, thanks for the recommendation via the audiobook. I'm sure it would be interesting. I just have a hard time with audio. I get distracted easily enough to not pay attention.

Aleta, that's cool that you're getting something out of it.

This time around I'm going to try to be open-minded.

Of course then I just realized I have the book The Ship of Dreams: The Sinking of the Titanic and the End of the Edwardian Era which has been sitting in my library for a while.