Pop Sugar's Annual Ultimate Reading Challenge discussion

Oh my gosh! I just realized how many members there are in this group. So great to be reading with y'all. I thought I'd kick off a round of introductions for anyone who's interested. :)

I'm Nicole, an early-career space engineer, happy newlywed, and recent-ish graduate of Texas A&M University. I've often joked that I'll read anything in my vicinity printed in English, but my favorites are probably historical fiction, mystery, and YA sf/f. I decided to do the challenge because 1) Caitlin's awesome, and 2) it sounded like a good way to prioritize my ever-growing and much-too-long "to be read" list.

Feel free to add me as a friend - but be warned that I WILL read and comment on your reviews!

My turn. I'm Bonnie :) I found out about this group from Nicole (college friend) and Caitlin (a friend of all my college friends that I somehow did not meet until later). I'm an engineer at an oil & gas company in Houston. Outside of reading and working, I spend all of my time working out and training for triathlon. I'll be competing in my first half ironman on April 26. Eek!

I took on the Challenge because I am a competitive person and a goal really motivates me. Also, the challenge is having me branch out and read books I normally wouldn't read. I'm all over the place, but I guess that I tend to read historical fiction or dystopian novels. Some of my most recent favorites are Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen, The Martian, and Anne of Green Gables. Some of my all time favorite books are Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, The Pillars of the Earth, Angels & Demons, and The Poisonwood Bible. Also, I usually read books based off of recommendations from friends.

Feel free to add me as a friend on here. It's always interesting to see what books other people are reading and what they have to say about them.

Hello all :) I am mostly internet buds with some of the core people in this group.

The only challenge I really participated in was the debut author challenge (since 2012!). I am reaaallyy bad at expanding beyond my YA fantasy reading comfort zone (like We Were Liars was pushing it for me) so the Popsugar one seemed like a fun group thing I can be part of that helped me expand a teeny tiny bit more.

Now I have to read non-fictions and classics because of you people ('-' )

Other than reading, I basically hang out with my dog and boyfriend and play some video games and try to explore this small city I'm living in. Add me if you like statuses where I almost always use all caps to punctuate my feelings.

Stephanie wrote: "Hello all :) I am mostly internet buds with some of the core people in this group.

The only challenge I really participated in was the debut author challenge (since 2012!). I am reaaallyy bad at ..."

Non-Fiction is the best!!! What are you looking for? I have many suggestions.

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Hi all! I'm Caitlin, my co-moderator asked me to participate in this challenge with her and I always have more fun doing things in groups so I decided to recruit as many people as I could. Like Nicole, it's been a really good way to read those books that have been sitting on my TBR but that I've been avoiding. (example, I've told myself Lonesome Dove is happening this year.)

I read a huge variety of books, at one point I used to read 50/50 fiction and non-fiction but now it's probably 50% YA fiction, 33% Non-fiction, and 27% other (MG, Adult, and comics/graphic novels). (That's pure speculation, btw.)

If you want an idea of what I'm reading currently feel free to friend or follow me on GR but I will fill your feed with my GR obsession. You can also see me talking about books on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9AS...

I' so glad so many of you are participating in this challenge and how active this group is. It seriously makes me smile to see us conquering the challenge together.

@Rachel - Nice to meet you! I would send you a friend request, but it appears your profile settings won't let me.

Hi, guys. I'm so glad I found the group. I've been doing the challenge since early February, but I could add a lot of the books that I read in January. Just compiling the list was a lot of fun.

I am Spanish but I live in the UK with my English husband. No kids and a massive train commute to work allow me plenty of time to indulge in my favourite past-time and I read 245 book last year. I am a Psychotherapist but I only add the books I read for fun to GR, not the hundreds of psychology or therapy books I need to read to stay up yo date. And guess what? I live in a town called Reading. Wicked!

Teresa wrote: "And guess what? I live in a town called Reading!"

How perfect is that? Nice to meet you! :)

I have so far. Just compiling the list was great

Hi, everyone. I'm new here and I found the group when I was trying to find other peoples' list for help with a few categories. I'm doing the challenge because my daughter found it on Pinterest and wanted me to do it. I track my books and the category I am using it for on a board there but I did add the shelf here to fit in. I love reading - real ones, Kindle, audio. I will read anything (although romance is my very last choice...or westerns...)

Anyhow...nice to "meet" everyone!

Hi Stacy :) welcome to the group! If you want, you can share your pinterest board here, we'd love to see what you're reading!

I've never shared a Pinterest board, so I'm hoping this works!

https://www.pinterest.com/stack4700/2...

That's a great idea! To do a Pinterest shelf for the challenge. It's been great to see your books!

HI everyone :)
I found the list on Pintrest and thought it was such a diverse and interesting list that it would be fun to do and fill all the catagories and not feel like homework. I live In upstate New York (which is the total opposite of the city). I work at my local library as well as a receptionist at a local acupunture studio.
I am recently married (Septemeber) and loving the simplicity of the everyday.
I have allways been a reader and am one of those weridos that reads three or four books at once, and is constantly getting distracted by a new title. I mostly read fantasy but am open to anything! The main goal of this challenge for me was to read the books I have gotten at bags sales and thrift shops I told myself I would read and redonate. It is working a bit but as I said I work at a library and am easily distracted lol

All of you doing this on Pinterest are total geniuses. Seriously going to go add that as a board now.

Hey y'all! I'm Chelsea, a middle-school English teacher from Dallas, Tx. Due to this, I tend to read a lot of YA books. :) Mysteries are probably my favorite. Agatha Christie is a genius, and my favorite author of all time.
I am loving this challenge because it is making me read outside of my usual genres. Although I have let my library card lapse, so it is also causing me a fortune. But that's okay, I prefer to own books anyway.

Girl, you know they will just GIVE you a new library card. There's no credit check lol.

hehe, and it only takes 10min to set one up ;) plus access to digital stuff is so worth it imo

Also, every Texas resident can have a Houston library card too! If you want to double up on Overdrive.

Well I know!! But that requires going to the library! And the two in our town are in super random places that I never go to.

Stacy wrote: "I've never shared a Pinterest board, so I'm hoping this works!

https://www.pinterest.com/stack4700/2..."

I love your selections Stacy. I also have "Wool" as my one word title but the others are really different from ones I know. hanks for sharing.

Hey, I've been doing this challenge since Jan., but just joined the group. I've read some if the conversations on topics. Just wondering if there is a rule on page numbers or anything like that. Example: I'm an elementary library media specialist, we are doing the play Cinderella. Can that count as my play? Some of these categories are hard!!

I guess I didn't introduce myself. I'm Sheally and I'm an elementary library media specialist. This was my first year. I previously taught 5th/6th grade for 17 years! I've always been a reader, I saw this challenge and thought it would be fun to read outside my normal YA or middle school genres. Add me as a friend! Unless you are a crazy, psycho, stalker! I think I read to much! LOL

I guess I didn't introduce myself. I'm Sheally and I'm an elementary library media specialist. This was my first year. I previously taught 5th/6th grade for 17 years! I've always been a reader, I saw this challenge and thought it would be fun to read outside my normal YA or middle school genres. Add me as a friend! Unless you are a crazy, psycho, stalker! I think I read to much! LOL

Welcome to the group, Sheally

I knew there had to be another group for this challenge. Can't believe it took me until November 2nd to find it - and then, completely by accident! The other group I found was breaking it down to where they all read the same category together. I've still got about 8 books to go. I'll add my info to the spreadsheet when I get a chance.
Oh - introductions. I'm Chris. I live in Maryland. I've been on GR for five years. I've been participating in the Seasonal Reading Challenge for the past three or four years--but only finished it once. I also did the A-Z title and author challenges for several years running. I was looking for something new and saw this back at the beginning of the year and decided to give it a go.

Hi Chris! Welcome aboard. :)

dang, that group sounds hardcore. glad you found us, Chris! welcome :D