Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion

A book where the main character is a politician.


The first thing that popped into my head was Hope Never Dies


Listopia list is Here: A Book Where the Main Character is a Politician

One of the POV characters in The Power is a politician.

I might read a Star Wars book, since most of them involve politicians of some kind in one way or another.

If you like biographies of presidents, prime ministers, or other figures in power, then this one is almost a freebie.

Churchill: A Biography popped up on my randomizer challenge so I'll be reading that anyway.

Anatomy of a Scandal might work.

The Measure would work for this. The book is from lots of POVs and one is a politician

Bringing Down the Duke has a main character who is the time period's equivalent of a politician, if I'm remembering correctly.

I love the Interdepency series by John Sclazi! It's also pretty feminist. There are lots of women in positions of power.

The Last Emperox is the first book
(Em per oh)

The Case of Cem by Вера Мутафчиева - fiction set during dynastic battle in the Ottoman Empire. Emperor of Rome: Ruling the Ancient Roman World by Mary Beard - recent nonfiction.

I know Ray Nayler's next book is about politics (and AI of course), but the blurb makes me feel like those politicians aren't the main characters, so I guess I'll wait and see. It's Where the Axe Is Buried if anyone else enjoyed The Mountain in the Sea and wants to check it out.

I also enjoyed No Harm Can Come to a Good Man by James Smythe but it's rather bleak!

Would Captains and the Kings: The Story of an American Dynasty work here? It mirrors the Kennedys with the patriarch pushing one of the sons to aim for the Presidency.

A Memory Called Empire is an excellent sci-fi option for this. The main character is an ambassador.

Val Vega: Secret Ambassador of Earth is a cute YA/sort of middle grade book about a girl who is sort of thrust into an interstellar politician role. I read it as an ARC and really enjoyed. I think it would be a good option for people looking for a book that requires less commitment than a lot of the options listed above lol.

The Relentless Moon - the main character is the wife of a U.S. senator who's apparently getting ready to run for president. I haven't read it, but I'm trying to fit this series in and it might work here.

Jen W. wrote: "One of the POV characters in The Power is a politician.

I might read a Star Wars book, since most of them involve politicians of some kind in one way or another."

This is a great idea! I'll either do this or I'll read a memoir/biography.

I am just finishing Leia: Princess of Alderaan by Claudia Gray and I recommend it for anyone going the Star Wars route.

Nothing looked good that I hadn’t already read so I started looking for political thrillers where the main character is a politician, State of Terror looks okay so I guess I’ll go that route

Would Crown of Midnight or any of the Throne of Glass books work for this prompt? I know that they are technically royalty but there is some politicking going on with people trying to gain power, privilege, and alliances.

I was wondering what people thought about royalty, too.

But since I didn't get to it for an incarcerated author this year, I'm probably going to aim for Walking with the Wind: A Memoir of the Movement. Although he may not have been a politician during the events of the book... hmmm. He was when he wrote it, though. Depends how picky I want to be.

Do you think the head of a police unit could be considered a politician? I’m behind on the Chief Inspector Gamache series by Louise Penny. He’s the head of homicide for the Surete du Quebec.

Jennifer wrote: "Do you think the head of a police unit could be considered a politician? I’m behind on the Chief Inspector Gamache series by Louise Penny. He’s the head of homicide for the Surete du Quebec.

[book..."

I personally wouldn't consider him to be a politician, but it's up to you. He can affect things within the police maybe, but not within government as far as I know.

Denise wrote: "Jennifer wrote: "Do you think the head of a police unit could be considered a politician? I’m behind on the Chief Inspector Gamache series by Louise Penny. He’s the head of homicide for the Surete ..."

Is he elected or appointed to that position by a politician? Then I'd say it could count. Around here, sheriffs are elected, so they could be politicians.

There are some interesting choices. I'm going to read The Collapsing Empire.

Jen W. wrote: "The Relentless Moon - the main character is the wife of a U.S. senator who's apparently getting ready to run for president. I haven't read it, but I'm trying to fit this series in a..."
I highly recommend the Lady Astronaut Universe series! The fourth installment, The Martian Contingency, is due to release March 18, 2025! Not that I'm anxious or anything!!

I'm going to read Cicero: The Life and Times of Rome's Greatest Politician by Anthony Everitt.

Monica wrote: "I'm going to read Cicero: The Life and Times of Rome's Greatest Politician by Anthony Everitt."




LOL where I live many towns are named for famous Greeks & Romans, and the neighboring town (which is also our school district - because our school districts do not respect town borders here) is Cicero.

I don't know much about him, other than he was a senator. They should make all the kids in the high school read his biography! (they do not.)

Primary Colors is my choice.

Ugh. I don't like reading about real politicians. Too depressing! The only ones I have enjoyed are Long Walk to Freedom and Becoming.

Off to sci fi and fantasy.

Mistborn series
Mistborn: The Final Empire
The Well of Ascension
The Hero of Ages
The Alloy of Law
Shadows of Self
The Lost Metal
The Bands of Mourning

Dune
Dune
Dune Messiah
Children of Dune
God Emperor of Dune

Stormlight Archive
The Way of Kings
Words of Radiance
Oathbringer
Rhythm of War
Wind and Truth*

If you want YA, the Selection series should fit. Once a girl is chosen for the selection, she is in a sense a political figure. The last two are about the next generation heir to the throne, which is definitely a political position.
The Selection
The Elite
The One
The Heir
The Crown

*I haven't read Wind and Truth, but I'm assuming it's solid on political figures, knowing the main characters. I'm reading it anyway, so if not here, I'll fit it somewhere else.

I've been wanting to read It Can't Happen Here for a while now. It sounds like it would fit this prompt. What do y'all think??

Susan wrote: "I've been wanting to read It Can't Happen Here for a while now. It sounds like it would fit this prompt. What do y'all think??"

The main character isn't a politician, but several of the other important characters are. It's a good read!

Charlotte wrote: "Would Crown of Midnight or any of the Throne of Glass books work for this prompt? I know that they are technically royalty but there is some politicking going on with people trying ..."

Its on my list to read this year, so that's a really good question. For me it depends on how much power the people have. Are they the people making the laws and negotiating with other territories? If so, I personally think it would count, but then my definition may be looser than others.

Primary Colors was a hilarious movie, maybe its time to read the book. If I go nonfiction it may be the Demon of Unrest

I'm a bit skeptical with this prompt. After this election I am so over politics for a while, but I do have a couple of books in mind that I'll jump into should I decide I'm desperate enough to read them.

I read The President Is Missing the year it came out, and really enjoyed it.

Just learned that Alexei Navalny, the Russian opposition leader, wrote a book, Patriot: A Memoir. That sounds interesting (if depressing, considering what happened to him).

Thought about skipping this because I am so over politics but I found one that seems to be interesting:

Making a Difference: My Fight for Native Rights and Social Justice (Volume 19)

I'm thinking about The Uncommon Reader, something I wanted to read years ago but never did.

Even though I have my politician book picked, if I wanted to I could add this book:

Star Wars: The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire

It's about the Empire in the Star Wars universe and the rise of Emperor Palpatine.

I'm going to read His Truth Is Marching On: John Lewis and the Power of Hope

You could always go for a genre bending novel and read Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.

For Star Wars fans, the Padme Trilogy would work since they cover her time as Queen and in the Senate.
Queen's Shadow
Queen's Peril
Queen's Hope

I've never read 1984 and it seems political. Does it have a main character that's a politician?

Gail W wrote:

For Star Wars fans, the Padme Trilogy would work since they cover her time as Queen and in the Senate.
Queen's Shadow
Queen's Peril
Queen's Hope

Oh you're totally right about that! I have those books but have yet to read them.

A few off the top of my head:

Ender’s Game <-- Ender's siblings become politicians (and maybe some of the rest of the series?)

March: Book One <-- this is the first in a graphic novel trilogy about John Lewis's life.

Party of Two <-- I think the MMC is a senator.

Red, White & Royal Blue would probably fit here, too.

I’ve decided on: Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland

Ruba wrote: "I've never read 1984 and it seems political. Does it have a main character that's a politician?"



Not really. Some characters are government employees, but they aren't politicians.

I actually am really excited about this prompt....because I can read a book about President Lincoln (who is my favorite president)

I will be reading Lincoln by David Herbert Donald


HAPPY READING!!

Currently about to start chapter 2 of Star Wars: The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire

I love this book! It's not at all what I was expecting. It's a history book set within the Star Wars universe so that's pretty cool. Even though I'm barely starting ch.2 I feel like I've been in this book a lot longer because of how much I'm enjoying it and how much I'm annotating from it.

I'm pretty good at rating my books early on and I already have a feeling of what I'll be rating this one.

I'm right where you are on that one, Ron, just about to start the chapter on The Clone Wars. I love that we get Beaumont Kin from The Rise of Skywalker as our authorial viewpoint.

Ruba wrote: "I've never read 1984 and it seems political. Does it have a main character that's a politician?"

I would think it fits more under a classic - but I guess you could argue that politicians are featured in the book.

Hey guys! I've seen this asked above but I'm still not super sure 😅 But do royals count as politicians for this prompt? For example, the kind of royals where they have total power (as in fantasy books), and not just figureheads like the British Royals.

Those Who Wait by Haley Cass has a main character that is running for office.