2018 PopSugar Reading Challenge – COMPLETED!
     An updated version and final version of the books I read for this challenge.

1. A book made into a movie you’ve already seen – The Devil Wears Prada
2. True Crime – Lost Girls: An Unsolved American Mystery
3. The next book in a series you started – Endless Knight
4. A book involving a heist – Heist Society
5. Nordic noir – The Snowman
6. A novel based on a real person – Kaiulani: The People’s Princess
7. A book set in a country that fascinates you – Irish Fairy and Folk Tales
8. A book with a time of day in the title – Dusk or Dark or Dawn or Day
9. A book about a villain or antihero – Snow, Glass, Apples
10. A book about death or grief – Vanishing Girls
11. A book with a female author who uses a male pseudonym – Flowers in the Attic
12. A book with an LGBTQ+ protagonist – If I Was Your Girl
13. A book that is also a stage play or musical – Dear Evan Hansen
14. A book by an author of a different ethnicity than you – Let’s Talk About Love
15. A book about feminism – We Should All Be Feminists
16. A book about mental health – Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things
17. A book you borrowed or that was given to you as a gift – Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood (Persepolis #1-2)
18. A book by two authors – The Nixie’s Song
19. A book about or involving a sport – Of Fire and Stars
20. A book by a local author – The Search for WondLa
21. A book with your favorite color in the title – The Last Little Blue Envelope
22. A book with alliteration in the title – Black and Blue
23. A book about time travel – Outlander
24. A book with a weather element in the title – The Lightning Thief
25. A book set at sea – The Woman in Cabin 10
26. A book with an animal in the title – The Bird and the Blade
27. A book set on a different planet – A Wrinkle in Time
28. A book with song lyrics in the title – Carry On
29. A book about or set on Halloween – Something Wicked This Way Comes
30. A book with characters who are twins – The Poisonwood Bible
31. A book mentioned in another book – The Language of Thorns
32. A book from a celebrity book club – Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl
33. A childhood classic you’ve never read – Winnie-the-Pooh
34. A book that’s published in 2018 – Batman: Nightwalker
35. A past Goodreads Choice Awards winner – Talking as Fast as I Can: From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls, and Everything in Between
36. A book set in the decade you were born – The Carnival at Bray
37. A book you meant to read in 2017 but didn’t get to – Kill You Twice
38. A book with an ugly cover – Hidden Meanings
39. A book that involves a bookstore or library – The Invisible Library
40. Your favorite prompt from the 2015, 2016, or 2017 POPSUGAR Reading Challenges (I turned this prompt into 3)

2018 Popsugar Advanced Reading Challenge

1. A bestseller from the year you graduated high school – The Scarecrow
2. A cyberpunk book – Ready Player One
3. A book that was being read by a stranger in a public place – The Hazel Wood
4. A book tied to your ancestry – Across a Hundred Mountains
5. A book with a fruit or vegetable in the title – Tangerine
6. An allegory – The Phantom Tollbooth
7. A book by an author with the same first or last name as you – Marked
8. A micro history – The Ghost Map
9. A book about a problem facing society today – The Hate U Give
10. A book recommended by someone else taking the POPSUGAR Reading Challenge – The Book Thief

*As a personal rule to this challenge, I didn’t re-read any books. I also did not use one book for more than one prompt.

I had so much fun doing this challenge, I can’t wait to start on next years challenge. I’ve already started planning the books!

31. A book mentioned in another book – The Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo

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Finished 11/25/18

This was not the book I had originally planned for this prompt but after reading the Six of Crows duology, starting the Grisha Trilogy, and pre-ordering King of Scars (which all take place in the same world) I got hyped and bought the hardcover of this book. It’s so pretty and I started reading right away. The stories collected in this book are talked about in the Crooked Kingdom so I used it to check off this prompt. Easy peasy! This ended up being my last prompt for the challenge.

Now for the book, I really liked it. There’s six fairy tales, some retellings of classics but with a Grisha twist to them. The artwork is beautiful and adds to the whole experience while reading this book. I definitely recommend this to fans of the Grishaverse.

title: Saga Volumes 5-9

author: Brian K. Vaughan

my rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
genre(s): Comics, Fantasy, Science Fiction

my thoughts: wowowow. After reading Vol. 4 I put a request in at my library for the rest of the trades because I needed to know what happens next. Since Volume 9 came out recently there was a loooong wait so I just went and bought it. Oh man that ending! I’m sad that it’s currently on hiatus for at least a year but I can understand why they have decided on that. I will wait as long as I have to for this amazing story.

Finish date: 11/09, 11/10, 11/11, 11/12, 11/18

title: Let Me Go (Archie & Gretchen #6)

author: Chelsea Cain

my rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
genre(s): Fiction, Mystery, Thriller

my thoughts: under the cut, no spoilers.

Okay sooo I love these characters and I love reading this series. It would have been cool to have a conclusion but I’m also looking forward to more (I hope we get more anyway). I can see why some people would be tired of Gretchen getting away yet again but eh I didn’t mind. I was also able to handle Susan a little better in this book than in the other ones. Anyway I recommend this series to everyone but maybe #5 & #6 for die hard Archie and Gretchen fans.

A3. A book that was being read by a stranger in a public space – The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert

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Finished 10/30/18

This ended up being one of the hardest prompts to fulfill. I couldn’t see any of the titles of books that were being read and I’m a very quiet person. I can’t just talk to someone out of nowhere, it makes me uncomfortable. I finally just went with a book that I saw someone pick up at the bookstore and that ended up being Raven Black. I also saw two other books that interested me but they weren’t readily available at my library. Unfortunately something happened with the hold I put on the book and it was checked out again and I just didn’t want to wait 21days for it to be available. I’m still planning on reading Raven Black but not for this prompt.

Now finally finally I was able to actually find a book being read out in the wild! I was so excited because 1. I actually found someone myself and 2. It’s a book that I’ve been wanting to read. The Hazel Wood. I was lined up for the Disney Designer Collection exclusive Princess Jazmine barbie (I wasn’t called in the raffle sad) but in line I saw someone sitting down reading this book.

Okay okay enough with my unnecessary explanation in picking the book. Though to be fair this feels more like a diary that I’m keeping for myself. I doubt anyone will see this or even read it. Anywayyyy hahaha on to the book review.

The actual book review: I really enjoyed the story. It definitely is a typical fairy tale, it was all the ingredients for one. There’s also a lot of mystery and answers to questions that are not straightforward. If that’s not your thing avoid! But I don’t mind cliches and tropes and I really ended up caring for the characters and the story.

13. A book that is also a stage play or musical – Dear Evan Hansen by Val Emmich

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Finished 10/25/18

I was going to originally read Wicked for this but I just wasn’t feeling it. I will read it eventually but as I was looking for alternatives I found that there was a novelization of Dear Evan Hansen coming out in October. Well I immediately pre-ordered the hardcover.

Eeeeeee!! I absolutely loved the cover! And the message from the authors in the beginning was great! Anyway I’ve never seen this musical but my sister has (she LOVES musicals and always watches them) I love them too but not as much as she does. She told me I had to watch this musical back when she first saw it and I had plans to do so but still haven’t. But I know what she likes and she knows what I like so recommendations to each other are always amazing. I loved this book. Seriously. It was amazing and heartbreaking and what a depiction of life right? I fucking sobbed! I 10000% recommend. Now I’m off to go find the musical xD

title: We Have Always Lived in the Castle

author: Shirley Jackson

my rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
genre(s): Horror, Gothic Horror, Mystery, Classics, Fiction

my thoughts: under cut for spoilers!

The cover was what originally caught my eye and I immediately put it on my TBR list. I checked out the book from the library at the end of September because I thought it would be a great read to get into the Halloween spirit. I love horror books like this, nothing scarier than the human mind imo. Immediately after learning about the death of the Blackwood family I knew that Constance was covering for her little sister whose mind was full of dark thoughts. And it turned out that was indeed the case (most of the time I’m wrong so I was doubting myself). This was pretty smooth sailing, a book about the horrors of life really with no big epic conflict. I know that’s not everyone’s cup of tea but I loved that aspect of the story. If you don’t mind those quiet endings that make you think, this book might not be for you.

After finishing I looked up Shirley Jackson and learned a lot, I ended up reading her whole wiki page and learning that the new netflix show, The Haunting of Hill House is based on one of her books. I’m excited to read more of her books.

Finish date: 10/21/18

A8. A microhistory – The Ghost Map by Steven Johnson

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Finished 10/18/18

I had to look this up, I didn’t know what books counted as micro histories. Oh boy did I find options. There were many books that interested me, I’m someone that would totally read a book all about the history of just salt! Yes the condiment. Anyway I chose this one in particular because of the ease of obtaining it. I really enjoyed it, the science in the book was a tad hard for me but I’ve never been amazing at science. I was able to at least follow along and it was interesting to read the history of it all, how one person was able to trace the outbreak of cholera back to the source just by personal investigation. There was a lot of repetition which is why this ended up being a 3 for me. After reading this book I’m excited to explore more micro-history books.

title: City of Ghosts (Cassidy Blake #1)

author: Victoria Schwab

my rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
genre(s): Middle Grade, Fantasy, Paranormal

my thoughts: This is Schwab’s first middle grade book and I really enjoyed the story. It definitely had a creepy vibe but wasn’t terrifying (which sometimes I just can’t handle so this was perfect for me). I’m looking forward to the next book in the series. Hopefully it will be released soonish. I recommend this book for those looking for an easy and fun halloween (spooky in general) read.

Finish date: 10/14/18