Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion

A book about a 24-year-old


Wow. That's ... super specific. I'm not opposed to the idea, but I'm worried about how I'll find a book!! Popsugar suggests Hana Khan Carries On. Sounds good to me!


Listopia list is Here: A Book About a 24-year-old

Not to play lawyer, but does the MC have to be 24 for the whole book. Say someone read a book where a character passes from 21-28 over the course of the book, would that count? They were 24 for part of the book.

Veronicka decides to Die

This is the one that seemed the hardest to me at first because it's super specific and I've already read the one book they suggest, so I've already started researching and found a few more.

Thirst for Salt (also includes a 42-year-old!!!)
Cleopatra and Frankenstein
My Year of Rest and Relaxation (also works for the sleeping for over 24 hours prompt)
Eileen
The Circle
Milk Fed
Call Me By Your Name
Trespasses

I also just finished Free Food for Millionaires, and the main character, Casey, is 24 for at least part of it (if you're counting books that span multiple ages).

I'm not sure how often I even come across (or notice) a character's specific age in a book...24 is also *very* specific.

From what I understand, the main character in Such a Fun Age is about to turn 25. Works for me!

Hana Khan Carries On was a good book.

Erica wrote: "Hana Khan Carries On was a good book."

I agree - I enjoyed it, and it's well worth a read.

Dubhease wrote: "Not to play lawyer, but does the MC have to be 24 for the whole book. Say someone read a book where a character passes from 21-28 over the course of the book, would that count? They were 24 for par..."


Oh no. This category is hard enough as is, I'm not interested in any more restrictions. If the character is 24 at some point in the book, then I think it counts!

Awesome Nadine. I'm following the same rule for the character being 42.

Gina wrote: "This is the one that seemed the hardest to me at first because it's super specific and I've already read the one book they suggest, so I've already started researching and found a few more."

My Year of Rest and Relaxation is really good!

I've been on the fence about reading Such a Fun Age, but I'll give it a try. The summary says she's 25, but maybe at the start she's 24?

Anna wrote: "Veronika Decides to Die"


Perfect!! I've been trying to read this book for years!

I just read it a few months ago and I'm pretty sure Rosemary is 24 at the start of Rosemary's Baby.

The main in character in My Year of Rest and Relaxation is 24 too.

Jackie wrote: "I'm not sure how often I even come across (or notice) a character's specific age in a book...24 is also *very* specific."

Same. I often don't even remember an age range unless it's like super obviously YA lol.

Damn it, I just finished a book with a 25-year-old. So close!

I just read this one but can’t remember 100% but think the main character is 24.

Going to try to look for nonfiction books with a person that is either 24 or 24 at some point.

Anyone know how old the character is in Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore??

Jamie wrote: "Anyone know how old the character is in Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore??"

I love that book so I just went and checked. It doesn't give an exact age to the character (at least not that my cursory checking could find) BUT at the start of the book he has recently lost his job after about 1 year, and that it was his first job out of art school. If we assume a four-year degree, that would put him *very* close to being 24. And since there are other similarly aged characters, there's a decent chance one of them has already hit 24 even if our main character is just shy.

Jackie wrote: "Jamie wrote: "Anyone know how old the character is in Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore??"

I love that book so I just went and checked. It doesn't give an exact age to the character..."

Well, safe to say he's probably in his 20's anyways. There's a lot more books for this prompt if it's extended to 20's. May be cheating, but I may have to do that. Lol.

Into the Wild might be good. It is vaguely on my TBR. He is 24 for the survivalist part of the book. Obviously, there is a wee bit of background, but if you are up for non-fiction , this could be for you.

Lilith wrote: "Into the Wild might be good. It is vaguely on my TBR. He is 24 for the survivalist part of the book. Obviously, there is a wee bit of background, but if you are up for non-fiction , thi..."

That's right, hadn't thought about that one.

Into the Wild is one of my all-time favorite books.

Now I wish I hadn’t started That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon since the main character mentions she’s 24 in the early chapters. May hold off on finishing it until January.

Going to read Hana Khan Carries On as I have read some of Uzma's other books and really enjoyed them

Uh, I'll accept "close enough" with this, and go with Black Water Sister
I don't know if her age is ever mentioned, but people usually graduate from college at the age of 22-25.

Also, Good Wives - Jo is 24 when Beth dies.

I just found another book that's been on my TBR for a while, Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness.

When twenty-four-year-old Susannah Cahalan woke up alone in a hospital room, strapped to her bed and unable to move or speak, she had no memory of how she’d gotten there.

I was thinking it might work for the sleep prompt, and it still might, I'm not sure.

PS- Nonfiction, Ron!!

It seems to me that many biographies would fit for this prompt. The subject would just have to be alive and doing something interesting during their 24th year of life.

I am going with Marisha Pessl's Night Film. It starts with "Ashley Cordova, 24, Found Dead".

Laura wrote: "I am going with Marisha Pessl's Night Film. It starts with "Ashley Cordova, 24, Found Dead"."



Looks like it works for "someone dies in first chapter" also!

Laura wrote: "I am going with Marisha Pessl's Night Film. It starts with "Ashley Cordova, 24, Found Dead"."

I totally forgot about that one. I read it this year for the longest book on my TBR prompt. I dreaded it based on the number of pages, but wound up reading it in a few days because the story was interesting. I probably would have rated it higher if not for the very ending. It was one of those endings you either love or hate. I don't regret reading it though.

Laura wrote: "I am going with Marisha Pessl's Night Film. It starts with "Ashley Cordova, 24, Found Dead"."
One of my favorite books, ever

I’m rereading A Game of Thrones, as I want to finally get round to reading the rest of the series (which fits perfectly for “a book featuring dragons”, and “a book with at least 3 POVs”), and apparently the character of Tyrion Lannister is 24 at the start of the series.

https://screenrant.com/game-thrones-c....

This might be stretching it a bit, as the prompt does say “a book about a 24-year-old”, and it’s obviously about a lot more than just him! But he is a major point of view character, so I think it could work.

I just finished Neon Gods and the female lead character is 24 yrs old

I wasn't sure if I wanted to continue the trilogy or not, but I just saw The Atlas Paradox has several characters who turn 24 and it's 99p right now so I guess I have a plan if I don't stumble across anything.

Currently reading Joseph and His Brothers. The third section of it (which was also published independently), Joseph in Egypt, mentions at one point that he's now 24. And it seems like some significant stuff is about to happen, so he'll be 24 for a chunk of it, it seems.

I'm reading Because I Could Not Stop for Death for this as the sleuth (Emily Dickinson yes that one) is 24 at the time.

Also I ran across this book in tonight's GR giveaways. I know nothing about it but it fits the prompt Forgive Me

according to google, the MC of Norwegian Wood is 24 so I'm going with that one

I'm using books from Upton Sinclair's Lanny Budd series for both 24 (Between Two Worlds) and 42 year old MC (Presidential Mission). I could use a couple of the others for bildungsroman and 24 years before my birth, but each volume is 800-1000 pages, so that's probably overdoing it.

I'd also note that in Red, White & Royal Blue, Henry turns 24 early in the story. Technically Alex (who turns 23) is the MC, but since it's a romance, I'd argue it's "about" both of them.

Jennifer wrote: "I just read this one but can’t remember 100% but think the main character is 24.

"

The protagonist is 23 years old in Black Sheep.

I'm reading Midnight at the Blackbird Café & the main character--Anna Kate--is 24.

Nadine in NY wrote: "Dubhease wrote: "Not to play lawyer, but does the MC have to be 24 for the whole book. Say someone read a book where a character passes from 21-28 over the course of the book, would that count? They were 24 for par..."


Oh no. This category is hard enough as is, I'm not interested in any more restrictions. If the character is 24 at some point in the book, then I think it counts!"
TOTALLY AGREE!!

Doni wrote: "Damn it, I just finished a book with a 25-year-old. So close!"

You make me laugh! 😁

Laura wrote: "I'd also note that in Red, White & Royal Blue, Henry turns 24 early in the story. Technically Alex (who turns 23) is the MC, but since it's a romance, I'd argue it's "about" both of them.."
Ooohhh, yes! I enjoyed that book!!

Days of Distraction

Donna Tartt, The Secret History

Lanark by Alasdair Gray

I am reading Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh. I read My Year of Rest and Relaxation by her last year and enjoyed it.

I just read Lab Girl, a memoir by Hope Jahren, for my book club. She gets her PhD (4 years at Berkely, no MS) in the first section so she's between 21 and 25 there. I don't want to reread that part to see if 24 is mentioned, but she had to have hit on it sometime.

Then again, I'm going to read 75 books, so maybe I'll do a more specific title later on.

I am currently reading “the weaver and the witch queen” and one of the three MC is 24. Not what I originally planned for it, but glad to stumble on a book that fits a prompt!

The Dying Animal by Philip Roth has a character of this age as the aging protagonist's object of desire.

Paulina wrote: "The unnamed narrator in Bright Lights Big City is 24, and that book is really outstanding. Considering rereading it this year, it's just so great."

I'm going to read this book for the prompt 'A book set in a travel destination on your bucket list'. Glad to know its outstanding.