Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion

Here's the place to celebrate when you finish! Congratulations!

Date you finished:
Message number of your list post (if you've got one):
Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?):
Was there a book you especially enjoyed that you never would have read if not for the Challenge? (and what prompt was it for?) :
Least favorite prompt:
Last prompt you finished:
Did any 2026 prompt surprise you with how easy or how difficult it turned out to be?:
Anything else you want to add?:
Finally, are you in for 2027?



I don't tend to reply here much, but I am reading every post here and silently cheering you all on!!

Date you finished: 29 March 2026

Message number of your list post (if you've got one): 6

Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?):A book you were hoping would fit into a prompt but doesn't. I chose this because I miss the wild card prompts from previous years. I read James by Percival Everett for this prompt.

Was there a book you especially enjoyed that you never would have read if not for the Challenge? (and what prompt was it for?) : A book that features birding - I read The Big Year: A Tale of Man, Nature, and Fowl Obsession by Mark Obmascik. That book is a true story and was fascinating. It is an easy read so it made a topic that I thought would be boring, really interesting.

Least favorite prompt:A book with a character who does Pilates or Lagree - It was really hard to find a book for this. I ended up reading One by One by Freida McFadden where there is a passing reference to one of the characters doing pilates.

Last prompt you finished: A book about women astronauts. I read Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid. It was an excellent read

Did any 2026 prompt surprise you with how easy or how difficult it turned out to be?: A book in a different format than your usual: physical, audio, eBook. This one was tricky as I read all three regularly. I ended up reading a graphic novel which solved the problem :-)

Anything else you want to add?: I was surprised by the number of non-fiction books I used to fill the prompts. 12 of the prompts were filled by non-fiction, which is a much higher percentage from previous years. I learned a lot from these so maybe non-fiction books might a theme for the rest of 2026.

Finally, are you in for 2027? Definitely.

Date you finished: April 17

Message number of your list post (if you've got one): 42 (Douglas Adams would be proud), but I also have a more detailed breakdown of my reading list here -- https://docs.google.com/document/d/1I...

Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?): It's so hard to choose a favorite prompt! I'd have to say "a book where gardening or a garden is central to the plot" (The Spellshop), "a book about an overweight character whose story isn't about losing weight" (The Enchanted Greenhouse, "a book about a horse or with a horse on the cover" (Behooved, and "a book with a trans or nonbinary protagonist" (The Beautiful Something Else)

Was there a book you especially enjoyed that you never would have read if not for the Challenge? (and what prompt was it for?) : I probably never would have picked up Sky Daddy or The Godfather if it wasn't for this challenge. I read these for "love story that defies social boundaries" and "book about a mob" respectively.

Least favorite prompt: the Pilates or Lagree prompt was a nightmare. So was the bachelorette trip one, even though I liked the book I ended up reading for it. Stop being so hyperspecific on prompts, PopSugar...

Last prompt you finished: the "hidden past" prompt, for which I read Wolf Worm

Did any 2026 prompt surprise you with how easy or how difficult it turned out to be?: The book told entirely through letters -- I'd already read most of the ones that looked interesting for that prompt. But I ended up enjoying the book I read for it (84, Charing Cross Road).

Anything else you want to add?: I understand part of the fun of the challenge is to, well, be challenged, but maybe PopSugar can go for less hyperspecific prompts next year, please?

Finally, are you in for 2027? Yes I am! I'm curious to see if they continue with the Chinese Zodiac theme next year... especially since next year is Year of the Goat. That might be harder than the horse one...

Date you finished: 5/19 6/22 (changed because I decided to redo one of the prompts)

Message number of your list post (if you've got one): 194

Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?): There were quite a few I liked this year, but if I had to choose, I probably would say the Platonic Relationship Between a Man and Woman. There's been so many times that books with those types of friendships still hint toward a romantic possibility even if it's just a crush or unrequited. I challenged myself to find one that didn't have that (at least not in the present storyline). I read First-Time Caller. They were exes, co-parents, and great friends.

Was there a book you especially enjoyed that you never would have read if not for the Challenge? (and what prompt was it for?): Hmm... I tend to read a wide range, especially since I started doing the challenge back in 2018. I want to say One Dark Window since fantasy and romantasy aren't my go-to's, but I'll go with The Puzzler: One Man's Quest to Solve the Most Baffling Puzzles Ever, from Crosswords to Jigsaws to the Meaning of Life. I read a lot of nonfiction, but this wouldn't even have been on my radar without the Granny Hobby Prompt and I found it really interesting and surprisingly funny and I enjoyed the puzzles in the book.

Least favorite prompt: Probably the Book in a Different Format. I tend to read all formats except audio books, so I tried it. It confirmed that I hate being read to and I tend to zone out. lol

Last prompt you finished: A Book Told Entirely Through Letters. Originally I read The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, but I realized it technically doesn't completely fit, so I read Ella Minnow Pea: A Novel in Letters

Did any 2026 prompt surprise you with how easy or how difficult it turned out to be?: I was surprised that the Zodiac prompt wound up being so easy. By using the search feature on my kindle I discovered I already had one: Do Your Worst.

Anything else you want to add?: I would really love to force a few of these prompts on an extended break (looking at you book club prompts). Also, while I'm not fond of super specific prompts, I would be happier if they would yield more than just a few reading options. I write down choices for each prompt and this year it feels like a lot of the prompts only gave me 3 or 4 options when I'm used to writing down at least half a page.

Finally, are you in for 2027? Definitely!

Date you finished: 4/12/26
Message number of your list post (if you've got one): forgot this year :(
Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?): A Book That Features A Platonic Friendship Between A Man And A Woman - One Piece, Volume 61: Romance Dawn for the New World
Was there a book you especially enjoyed that you never would have read if not for the Challenge? (and what prompt was it for?) : Honestly I didnt really read any books that I wouldnt have read anyways but I guess this got pushed up in my TBR The One - A Book With A Character That Runs A Marathon
Least favorite prompt: A Book About Postpartum
Last prompt you finished: A Book About Postpartum
Did any 2026 prompt surprise you with how easy or how difficult it turned out to be?: The Michigan one - I didn't realize Emily Henry was from Michigan so it was really easy
Anything else you want to add?:
Finally, are you in for 2027? Of course

Date you finished:
5/29

Message number of your list post (if you've got one):
22

Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?):
A book with an overweight main character whose story isn't about losing weight Hemlock & Silver by T. Kingfisher
I really enjoy reading books that don't have your typical main character.

Was there a book you especially enjoyed that you never would have read if not for the Challenge? (and what prompt was it for?) :
21 A book about a bachelorette trip- The Wedding People by Alison Espach
I loved this book and I don't know if I would have gotten around to reading this book if it wasn't for this prompt.

Least favorite prompt:
39. A book with a character who runs a marathon- This was almost impossible to find. There were very few books listed as possible books and the one I wanted to read I couldn't get at the library. I ended up picking up a book for another prompt and it mentioned that the character was training for a marathon so I used that one.

Last prompt you finished:
5. A book about women astronauts

Did any 2026 prompt surprise you with how easy or how difficult it turned out to be?:
Yes, I thought I would really struggle with the trans or non-binary character because that is not the typical type of book I read but I naturally picked out several books that looked interesting and it turned out the main characters were trans. I really enjoyed those books.
I did struggle with the woman's astronaut prompt and thought it would be easy. I had already read Atmosphere the following year so I wasn't sure what to read. I saw one that looked good but it was not at my library and I did not want to spend money on it. I ended up reading a book where a woman was in space but it was more of a cozy mystery and not one really focused on women astronauts.

Anything else you want to add?:
I really enjoy this challenge and I was happy to see that this year's list was a little easier. However I wish they would loosen up some of the prompts. I really want to follow the prompts exactly but it is not always easy to find books to fit super specific prompts.

Finally, are you in for 2027?
Yes!

Date you finished:
31st May 2026.

Message number of your list post (if you've got one):
71

Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?):
1 A book where gardening or a garden is central to the plot
Death and the Gardener, though I also read Life in the Garden and used it for #7 A book about a granny hobby.'

Was there a book you especially enjoyed that you never would have read if not for the Challenge? (and what prompt was it for?) :
The Edinburgh Skating Club. I used it for #17 A book about your favourite event in the Winter Olympics.

Least favorite prompt:
Hard to choose! I thought having prompts about infertility and postpartum was a bit insensitive, but didn't affect me personally. In the end, I think it's a tie between #20 A book with a character who does Pilates or Lagree and #49 A book with a mention of your Zodiac sign.

Last prompt you finished:
#44 Two books written by real life partners or spouses

Did any 2026 prompt surprise you with how easy or how difficult it turned out to be?:
TBH, when I first saw the list, I decided not to do the challenge this year. So many prompts where you would have no idea whether books fitted without reading them. In the end, as I was doing ATY twice, I used the same books for this challenge. I ended up with only a dozen prompts for which I had to read 'new' books. That made it quite easy, and on the whole, I enjoyed the challenge. Hats off though to anyone doing this from scratch. Fewer specific prompts next year, please.

Anything else you want to add?:
No, enough whingeing above.

Finally, are you in for 2027?
I expect so!!

Date you finished:
Message number of your list post (if you've got one):
Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?):
Was there a book you especially enjoyed that you never would have read if not for the Challenge? (and what prompt was it for?) :
Least favorite prompt:
Last prompt you finished:
Did any 2026 prompt surprise you with how easy or how difficult it turned out to be?:
Anything else you want to add?:
Finally, are you in for 2027?

Date you finished: July 13, 2026
Message number of your list post (if you've got one):
Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?): My favorite were the two books written by real-world partners. I read the Glorians by Terry Tempest Williams and Encountering Dragonfly by Brooke Williams.
Was there a book you especially enjoyed that you never would have read if not for the Challenge? (and what prompt was it for?) : I read Diane Ackerman's Cultivating Delight and The Zookeeper's Wife for about garden and starts with a Z. I probably wouldn't have read them otherwise even though I love Diane Ackerman.
Least favorite prompt: A book about a bachelorette trip. So I didn't do it. A lot of these prompts were too specific or redundant with prompts from previous years' challenges.
Last prompt you finished: favorite Olympic sport. I used Skating on Mars which could also be used for takes place in Michigan or has an enby character.
Did any 2026 prompt surprise you with how easy or how difficult it turned out to be?: I wasn't going to do main character who is overweight but the story's not about losing weight. But then I read The Astral Library and it happened to fit the prompt.
Anything else you want to add?: I finished, but only 40 prompts. This is how many I've intended to complete all along.
Finally, are you in for 2027? Maybe. If the prompts are better.

Date you finished: Aust 5, 2026.

Message number of your list post (if you've got one): 32

Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?): I like paired prompts, and 2 by real-life spouses or partners made for an interesting challenge. I read The Hunger Moon: New and Selected Poems, 1980-2010 by Marge Piercy, and You're Married to Her? by Ira Wood.

Was there a book you especially enjoyed that you never would have read if not for the Challenge? (and what prompt was it for?) : I'd seen the notorious "birding while Black" viral video with Christian Cooper, but probably wouldn't have read Better Living Through Birding: Notes from a Black Man in the Natural World without the challenge. It was a really good read, and I'm glad he got one positive thing out of that experience.

Least favorite prompt: "Shadow daddy." Way too niche, and not a niche that interests me. I used a graphic novel, Demon in the Wood, to get it over with quickly.

Also, several people pointed out that the "infertility" prompt was just really insensitive.

Last prompt you finished: "Book outside your comfort zone." I used The Reformatory by Tananarive Due. I'm a wimp with horror, but I'd heard this was a brilliant book about a boy in a racist "reform school," and I think it was excellent (and scary).

Did any 2026 prompt surprise you with how easy or how difficult it turned out to be?: I assumed I'd run across a book about a platonic m/f friendship, but eventually I had to go looking for one! Partly because I wanted both characters to be straight (I hate the stereotype that straight men & women can't be friends). At a friend's suggestion, I read an old spy novel, Modesty Blaise by Peter O'Donnell.

Anything else you want to add?: Every year we beg for less hyper-specific prompts. And every year we get hair-pullers like "pilates" and "type C character." With the help of the folks on the chat boards, I always find something, but would really prefer categories where I can find more than one book I'd actually want to read!

Finally, are you in for 2027? I'm actually doing 5 challenges this year, and enjoying how I can make them fit together. I expect to do the same next year.

Date you finished:
18/08/26

Message number of your list post (if you've got one):
message 3

Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?):
Prompt 40 - book outside your comfort zone - like the incentive to try something different. Read First Date by Gemma Amor.

Was there a book you especially enjoyed that you never would have read if not for the Challenge? (and what prompt was it for?) :
Really enjoyed Kin by Tayari Jones - read for prompt 26.

Least favorite prompt:
prompt 20 - not my thing at all, and disliked the book I read for the prompt. Just felt too forced.

Last prompt you finished:
Prompt 4 - got busy with other reading challenges and this was the last I could tie in to something else I was reading.

Did any 2026 prompt surprise you with how easy or how difficult it turned out to be?:
Prompt 5 seemed geared to reading Atmosphere, but I'd already read it so this was harder to find a book I wanted to read.

Anything else you want to add?:
Less specific prompts because this takes some of the fun out of it. I might also be nice to have the opportunity to make the prompts fit across the year so I don't race to try and finish it early.

Finally, are you in for 2027?
Of course I'll look, and hope I can find something to tickle my fancy!

Date you finished: 3 September
Message number of your list post (if you've got one): 8

Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?): I like it when the prompt itself makes me think, not just because of the contents of the book, but because of the prompt itself. From that point of view I really liked #31, a book that makes you feel FOMO. I read Madame Sosostris and the Festival for the Brokenhearted, which turned out to be a different sort of book than I was expecting, but I did enjoy it.

Was there a book you especially enjoyed that you never would have read if not for the Challenge? (and what prompt was it for?) Yes, I had two 5-star reads that I don't think I would have read of my own accord: Sugar (#12, a book with "pop" or "sugar" in the title) and The Secret to Superhuman Strength (#20, a book with a character who does Pilates or Lagree). There were also several four-star reads that I might not have read otherwise.

Least favorite prompt: #9, a book with a Type C character, because it was so unclear. To my surprise, I also ended up disliking the book I chose for it, which was Network Effect. I loved the earlier books in the series, but this one took some new directions that I didn't enjoy.

Last prompt you finished: By coincidence, I ended with the two music-based prompts - The Long Sandy Hair of Neftoon Zamora: A Novel for #42, a book inspired by a real song, album, band or artist, followed by Shapes of Love for #37, a book about a pop star. They're very different books, but I enjoyed them both, so it was a good way to end.

Did any 2026 prompt surprise you with how easy or how difficult it turned out to be? It was more difficult than I expected to find a book that suited me for #39, a book with a character who runs a marathon. I settled on The Marathon Monks of Mount Hiei. Conversely, #48, a book with a shadow daddy, turned out to be easier than I expected because I happened across one that fit, Through Gates of Garnet and Gold.

Anything else you want to add? I have to mention my absolute favourite book of the challenge, The Warm Hands of Ghosts, which I read for #30, a travel ghost story. Highly recommend, if you can stomach the intensity of the battlefield/field hospital descriptions.

Finally, are you in for 2027? Totally, I had a great time again this year.

Date Finished 9/7/26
Message number of your list post (if you've got one): 19
Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?): I didn't have a favorite one they all felt like we've done them before.
Was there a book you especially enjoyed that you never would have read if not for the Challenge? (and what prompt was it for?) : For Whom The Belle Tolls a book with a shadow daddy.
Least favorite prompt: 24,26,50
Last prompt you finished: 50
Did any 2026 prompt surprise you with how easy or how difficult it turned out to be?: No.
Anything else you want to add?: I just feel like a lot of these are repeated over and over every year in some form or another
Finally, are you in for 2027? depends on what the prompts are.

Date you finished: 9/20/2026
Message number of your list post (if you've got one): 21
Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?): #18 A love story that defies social boundaries. The House of Doors
Was there a book you especially enjoyed that you never would have read if not for the Challenge? (and what prompt was it for?) :Angel Down. # 40 A book outside your comfort zone. I don't know about especially enjoyed but I liked the book & it haunts me. I'm glad I read it.
Least favorite prompt: There were a few prompts that felt very random & I didn't get anything from the prompt. My least of the least was #4 A book that starts with the letter Z. Sometimes prompts seem creative but in reality they are too narrow for reading challenges. Believe it or not I have done many variations on this prompt over the years.
Last prompt you finished: It was an advanced prompt #46 A sapphic comic. I have done this prompt over the years many times. I kept it for last because I could finish it easily..
Did any 2026 prompt surprise you with how easy or how difficult it turned out to be?:# 48 Shadow Daddy turned out hard because I read so many of these I was trying for a not obvious title. I went with the obvious Onyx Storm
Anything else you want to add?:No
Finally, are you in for 2027? Yes

Date you finished: September 30

Message number of your list post: 68 (the books can also be found on my PS Challenge 2026 shelf).

Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?): I don’t think there was really a standout, but I enjoyed “A book where gardening or a garden is central to the plot” and felt like my selection fit it perfectly. I read Bryony and Roses, by T. Kingfisher. It’s a charming, clever “Beauty and the Beast” riff that beautifully imagines the garden in particular.

A book you especially enjoyed that you never would have read if not for the Challenge (and what prompt was it for?): For some reason, I always need a push to read Louise Erdrich—I love what I’ve read of hers, but I find her a little intimidating—and “A book that takes place during harvesting season” pushed me to pick up The Mighty Red (the first section takes place during the “beet campaign”). It was wonderful, dealing with grief and trauma and loneliness in a world that seems to be teetering on the edge of apocalypse, and yet there’s a buoyancy to it, even a surprising sense of humor, that keeps it from pitching into despair.

Least favorite prompt: “A book with a character who does Pilates or Lagree.” Way too specific. I read The Secret to Superhuman Strength by Alison Bechdel, which was great but also, strictly speaking, a bit of a stretch since Pilates was only briefly and passingly depicted. But I didn’t care because, again, this was a ludicrously hyperspecific prompt.

Last prompt you finished: “A book that features birding.” It motivated me to pick up Better Living Through Birding: Notes from a Black Man in the Natural World, by Christian Cooper. I wasn't really sure what to expect, but it's a lovely memoir, very thoughtful, and I'm so glad I read it.

Did any 2026 prompt surprise you with how easy or how difficult it turned out to be? It took me a while to realize that “A book with a mention of your zodiac sign” could be interpreted fairly liberally. I’m a Pisces, and “Pisces” literally means “fish,” so rather than hunt around for a mention of the star sign (ugh), I just read Cod: A Biography of the Fish that Changed the World, by Mark Kurlansky—a classic microhistory I’d been meaning to get to forever. That definitely made the prompt easier and more rewarding.

Anything else you want to add? “Shadow daddy” is such a cringe term. Also, if I can only scrounge up three or four books that could conceivably fit a prompt, it is WAY TOO NARROW.

Finally, are you in for 2027? Absolutely! Despite the inevitable absurdities, reading challenges really are my favorite hobby.

Date you finished: October 1

Message number of your list post (if you've got one): 24

Favorite prompt (and what book did you read for it?): I think I liked the one with a book inspired by your zodiac sign. I read Unsporting Life.

Was there a book you especially enjoyed that you never would have read if not for the Challenge? (and what prompt was it for?): Hold Me Closer, Necromancer that I read for "inspired by a real-life song, band or singer"

Least favorite prompt: all of the overly specific prompts (Hello, pilates.)

Last prompt you finished: #2 the platonic friendship

Did any 2026 prompt surprise you with how easy or how difficult it turned out to be?: I had a hard time finding a book I wanted to read for the sexless marriage prompt and the trans or non-binary protagonist prompt. I just couldn't find something that sounded good.

Anything else you want to add?:

Finally, are you in for 2027? I'm not sure.