Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ

As many of our more seasoned members know, last fall someone from Popsugar reached out to us about our group. She allowed us to submit prompt suggestions for 2017 many of which were used! I don't know if she will be looking for similar feedback this year, and if not we can always send a collection of ideas to Popsugar, but I think many of us are already thinking of new ideas for next year. We might as well begin collecting! Here are mine so far:

Book with alliteration in the title
Book whose movie you've already seen
Book based on a character from a classic novel
Book with a body part in the title
Book turned into a stage play or musical
Book with color in the title

Book originally written in a language other than English.
Book shelved as "Humor" or "Comedy" at least 20 times.
Short story compilation.
Book written by an author who died in a different country than their birth.
Book written prior to the 19th century.

I kind of like the two parter ones so I want to suggest

A book mentioned in another book that you also read for the challenge

I also like a spectrum of specific and general and different genres but really like to expand my cultural base!

A book by or about an Asian author/character/culture

A book by an author from a continent you haven't visited

The MASH idea that someone posted in the finished thread! Where you'd play mash with maybe author nationality/culture, themes, genres etc I am not sure how it would be worded but it would be a fun challenge

Tara wrote:

A book by an author from a continent you haven't visited

That one would not work for me since I've been to all the continents except Antarctica....and I don't think there are any authors from there.

That MASH idea sounds fun, but I'm not sure how you would word it either.

I like a book mentioned in another book, even though I know it's been done.

Maybe a book by your favorite author.

A non-fiction book.

Sara - one of my ideas was a book made into a movie you've already seen! Good one ;-).

Also, a book that is connected in some way to a TV show - either the show is based on the book, like Bones, or the book is a spin-off from the TV show, like many Star Trek and Buffy books, or the book is a continuation of a cancelled show, like "Buffy season 8" and the Veronica Mars mystery books.

I've got more scribbled down somewhere ...

I love both of those Nadine! Sometimes I wish I could read 2-3 books for one lol I love finding out a movie a saw was based on a book and then reading it!

Yay! I have been keeping a list....

Revolving around a word or logic puzzle or encrypted clue
On feminism
On books, reading, or language
Childhood classic you never read
About forgery, counterfeiting, or a specific forgery
Involving game of chess
Book set in government
True crime
Bestseller from year born
time travel
Read at too young an age
Weather element in title
Read another book by an author you did not like the only book you read
Story set at sea
Locked room or isolated manor mystery
Involving an adventure or heist
on dying, grief or mourning
set in desert or jungle
Collection of essays
Nordic noire
Book set in ancient Egypt, Rome or Greece
About or involving a sport
Biography of a thing
Involving science or scientists

Here are my suggestions:-

-Book written by an author with your initials (first name + last name)
-Book written by an author with same first name as you
-Book that takes place on an island
-Book by an Australian author
-Book that takes place in a forest
-Book set more than 5,000 miles from your home location
-Book set in South America
-Book featuring topic of mental health
-Book about an invention
-Boot set in a school
-Book with a number in the title
-Book about a natural disaster
-Book about an animal or animal reference in title
-A fiction and non fiction book on the same topic
-An independently published book
-Book given to you as a gift

Rachel wrote: "Here are my suggestions:-

-Book written by an author with your initials (first name + last name)
-Book written by an author with same first name as you
.."

That first one was a Popsugar prompt a few years back. My name is Nadine Thompson and it was surprisingly hard for me to find authors with the initials NT. I ended up reading a romance by Nancy Thompson (I figured: bonus! same initials AND same last name!), and I hated it. Same first name would be interesting for me, since I've never read Nadine Gordimer, but I'm sure there are some people who won't be able to find any authors - I think someone suggested a similar category last year and a few people pointed out that their names are so uncommon they couldn't find anything. Maybe it would work if it was something like "same first name as you or your immediate family member"?

my list ...

A book written by an author from North America (but not USA)
A book written by an author from South America
A book written by an author from Europe (but not UK)
A book written by an author from Asia
A book written by an author from Africa
A book written by an author from Australia
"emerald noir" (a dark type mystery by an Irish author like Tana French)
cyberpunk
historical romance NOT set in the Regency era (this is a category that works for me, personally, since I read a lot of Regency romances, but it might not work for everyone?)
A microhistory
A book at least 30 years old
A book set in the future
A book with magic
A book with lots of buzz
A book of short stories
Dystopian or post-apocalyptic
"Literary" fiction
Set on a different planet
Set on a spaceship
From a mystery series I haven't read yet
Feminist
Memoir
Author I've never read
A book I started but never finished
Fairytale retelling
A story involving animals
a book set in a National Park (or other government-controlled park)
a book set in my home state/area
A book set in a fictional country
A woman sci fi author I haven't read yet
Novel based on a real person
a book that involves the color yellow (cover, title, author, or subject matter)
a book that involves the color orange (cover, title, author, or subject matter)
a book that involves the color red (cover, title, author, or subject matter)
a book that involves the color purple (cover, title, author, or subject matter - this could also be a book related to The Color Purple)
a book that involves the color blue (cover, title, author, or subject matter)
a book that involves the color green (cover, title, author, or subject matter)

* If you defined and ordered the "color" categories properly, you could work your way through Mosley's Easy Rawlins mysteries! I haven't read A Little Yellow Dog yet, so I'm particularly focused on yellow for the upcoming year.

As a scientist, I would like to read more science-based books. Not an organic chemistry textbook or something like that. Popular science. Authors like Mary Roach or Neil deGrasse Tyson.

Also, for purely selfish reasons, how about a book with a character who shares your last name? My last name happens to be Potter...

Maybe the name one (because I like personal challenges I think it's fun to see what each person does but peoples' names are all over the board. For author that shares your initials I ended up using my maiden name.) could be something like "an author who shares part of your name ie. first, last middle or initials" I think most people could find something that is broader like that.

I'm personally hoping to be able to expand my cultural and social horizons next year where I've been working on quantity the past 3. The thread about how diverse your reading list is really opened my eyes to how much straight, white, North American and British literature/authors I read to the detriment of all other types of people and cultures.

LOL Mike, that is a very cool name!

Mike wrote: "Also, for purely selfish reasons, how about a book with a character who shares your last name? My last name happens to be Potter...."

Ha ha! Some of us don't have it quite that easy ;)

Sara wrote: "Mike wrote: "Also, for purely selfish reasons, how about a book with a character who shares your last name? My last name happens to be Potter...."

Ha ha! Some of us don't have it quite that easy ;)"

I figured, so I was half joking. Maybe make it broader, as Tara suggested, such as a Book Whose Main Character Shares Your Initials. A twist to the similar Author Who Shares Your Initials.

I have a couple specific suggestions but I would like broader prompts that can be interpreted differently (I had a really hard time with the steampunk fiction since it was both the genre and type of book) and I would like to see more variety. This year we had two based on myths/mythology, two on difficult subjects/persons with disabilities (I know they're different but still similar) etc. I would like more variety since there are so many different things to read about and explore!

The next book in a series you started

Book from you to be read shelf or wishlist (if its been there the longest, middle, or just added...anything to clean up my TBR pile!!)

book read from the library

book with a number in the title

read a book in a different format (if you usually read ebooks - read a physical, if you usually read physical get the audio, etc.)

a duo-logy

book from the Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ choice awards (winner or nomination)

A book you meant to read in 2017 but didn't get to

book randomly chosen for the cover

Revisit your favorite prompt from the 2015, 2016, or 2017 Popsugar Challenge

Some random ideas

A book with an unattractive cover
A book with a dog on the cover
A novel that's based on a true story
A book set in Africa
A book set in the decade you were born

A book that takes place in space
A classic
A book about genocide
A book that takes place at sea
A book with a (color) cover
A children's book
A book for middle schooler's
A Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ Choice Award book - winner or nominee
A book involving science
A book around a natural disaster
A book tied to your ancestry (author, setting, non-fiction, etc.)

1. a book about a historical event
2. a book based/inspired upon a TV show or movie
3. a true crime book
4. a high fantasy book
5. best seller from the year you finished high school
6. A book picked solely because of the cover art
7. A book by an author with the same first name as you
8. a bestseller from the year you were born
9. a book with a paranormal or supernatural element
10. a book recommended by your best friend
11. hugo award winner
12. nebula award winner
13. newbery award winner
14. recommended by a co-worker
15. next book in a series you've fallen behind in
16. booked picked solely because the title caught your attention
17. a book with a flower on the cover
18. a "close your eyes and pick" book - walk into the library/bookstore and walk down an aisle and randomly grab a book without looking.
19. a book that's usually on a required reading list but you never read
20. a book of short stories

1. A book that has been banned/challenged
2. A book with a "punny" name
3. A debut author's book
4. A book with an animal's perspective
5. A book with an opposing view-point from your own

- An inspirational or self-help book
- A book about money literacy or becoming better with money, budgeting, etc.
- A book about happiness
- A book by a black author
- A romance novel or a book about love
- A book written in verse
- A book with a character's name in the title
- A funny book
- A fantasy novel
- A book set in a place you will visit this year (state, country, town...)
Alternatively a book by an author from a place you will visit this year
- A book that takes place at the beach
- A young adult novel
- A book recommended by a person you admire
- A book recommended by a TED speaker
- A book that takes place in the fall
- A mystery/thriller/suspense novel
- A book with an animal on the cover
- A book about a vampire or vampires
- A horror book
- A novel that takes place in winter
- An award winning book (any award)
- A biography
- A book written by a British novelist
- A book published in the last five years
- A book by an author who died in the last five years
- A book with rock, paper, or scissors in the title

A book with a rhyme in the title
A book with an alliteration in the title
A book with a time of day (morning, afternoon, etc) in the title
A book set in or about outer space
A book about religion
A book about a game or sport
A book by an author with the last name of Q or Z
A book about animals
A supernatural story
A book you got for free
An allegory
A book with a cardinal direction in the title
A book recommended by someone older than you
A book that takes place in winter
A book by a local author
A book set in NYC
A book with a city or country in the title
A book by a Nobel winner
A book with multiple narrators

Ooh a title with a rhyme sounds fun to search for!!

Sorry if I'm repeating any suggestions. I read through the list, but there are so many already that it's hard to keep track! :)

-A book with a time of day in the title (midnight, noon, morning, night, etc.)
-A bestseller on an important-to-you date (birthday, anniversary, child's birth, graduation, adoption date, etc.)
-A book with a fruit or vegetable in the title
-A book with less than 100 pages
-A book with characters who are twins
-A book involving a type of transportation (car, train, bus, plane, etc.)
-A book representing a compass point (north, south, east, west -
can be title, author;s name, location, etc.)
-A book that was made into a TV show/movie the decade you were born (born in 1977? TV show or movie could be made/released anytime between 1970 & 1979)
-A book with punctuation in the title
-A book published in a year with a 3 in it (1963, 2003, etc.)
-A book written by a TED speaker
-A book with a supernatural character (vampire, werewolf, ghost, zombie, witch/wizard, etc.)
-A book set in a place you have lived/visited before
-A book by an author younger than you

Rachel wrote: "-A fiction and non fiction book on the same topic..."

I love this idea! Last year this was a challenge in another group I'm in and I have a long list of book pairs. It was wonderful to read these two for different ways of approaching the same thing.

I love pairing challenges, the fiction and non fiction in the same category would be fun. I also always thought 2 books with a common main word in the title (ie not "the") like Orange is the New Black and A Clockwork Orange.

Yes! I really want a category like that, because so often I find myself reading unrelated books with the same word in the title, and I think "what a funny coincidence! ". For example, for this year's challenge I read both Fight Club and Feminist Fight Club, Strangers on a Train and The Underground Railroad (and I want to read Underground Airlines), How Murray Saved Christmas and How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accent. Four books on my "want to read soon" list are The Dark Forest, The Word for World is Forest, The Price of Salt, and Salt: A Microhistory.

This has made me want to create my own reading challenge to do in conjunction with a 2018 Popsugar or Bookriot Challenge!

An Autobiography/Biography about or by someone you admire
A book with your FAVORITE color in the title
A book you started and stopped for no reason
A book set in an Africa
A book you read in school
A bestseller from the year you were born
A book with the month you were born in the title
A book you randomly chosen for its title
A book you want to read that doesn't fit into any other category
An Audiobook with 2 different narrators
A book written in the 1st person
A classic written by a different ethnicity or gender than you
A book set in a time period you've never read

And due to the recent . . .turmoil . . . in the US, I thought of a book about a revolution or uprising.

Mike wrote: "AAlso, for purely selfish reasons, how about a book with a character who shares your last name? My last name happens to be Potter...
."

Nice try Mike, but would never work - my last name is RACHT. It's not a particularly common name, and no one is a or was a writer - lots of blue collar workers and farmers though. Plus doesn't exist prior to about 1850...that we can find.

Heck, even an author with my initials was not so easy...

Sam wrote: And due to the recent . . .turmoil . . . in the US, I thought of a book about a revolution or uprising.
"
This is actually a really interesting idea, Sam!

Theresa wrote: "Mike wrote: "Also, for purely selfish reasons, how about a book with a character who shares your last name? My last name happens to be Potter...
."

Nice try Mike, but would never work - my last name is RACHT. It's not a particularly common name, and no one is a or was a writer - lots of blue collar workers and farmers though. Plus doesn't exist prior to about 1850...that we can find. ..."

Worth a shot.

A book made into a play or musical
revolving around or involving the environment
a book written by a chef
a story or play made into an opera
a play performed in NYC or London in the last ten years
a book published in the 1800s (or between 1900 and 1950)
a book set in a country at least 1000 miles from the one you currently reside in (or were born in).

Some of these are really great! Sorry if I repeat any

An animal in the title
A beautiful cover
The spine is your favourite colour
Song lyrics in the title
Set in your favourite city/country
Inspired by another book you've read (so could be sequel, same author, same topic etc)
Featuring a robot
Made into a play/musical
Published the decade you were born
LGBTQ+ protagonist
Mentioned in a TV Show
Sea life on the cover
Main character is a child but book isn't aimed at kids
An element in the title (from periodic table)
Written at least 50 years after it is set
Weather in the title
From the villains perspective
Hugo award winner
Set in Africa
Features a classic character

I'll post again later with my own list of suggestions, since I'm still trying to put it all together, but I just wanted to weigh in on a couple of prompts that I really would not want to see again:

The first is the book originally published in a language other than English. I know this is a very popular one, and for anyone who also does the Around the Year challenge, it has already been confirmed for next year -- so for selfish reasons, I don't want that because I do both challenges and I'd rather not have a repeat. On top of that, this prompt has come up so many times over the years that I'd much rather see something new.

The same applies to other common prompts, like books set in a place you've visited, published the year you were born, etc. These have been done so many times before!

The other one I'm against is the book by an author with your initials. My initials are R.A. and I would have thought that would be easy, but it was ridiculously difficult to find anything (I ended up needing to choose between Watership Down and Mr. Popper's Penguins).

I would really love if the challenge this year would take into account prompts that have been used commonly before. I know not everyone does other reading challenges so I'm probably in the minority here, but it gets a little boring doing the same topics over and over when there are so many other great ideas out there!

Just a couple that came to mind now:
- A book with a focus on social media or technology (fiction or non-fiction)
- A book with characters who are twins
- A book that deals with loss or grief
- A chick-lit book (I know a lot of people tend to be against this, but it might be a good way to push people outside their comfort zones and see that chick-lit is a bit broader than we think)
- A book with a cover that is your favourite colour
- A new release that you are excited for
- A book with a supernatural character
- A book from a series you've been meaning to finish
- A sci-fi or fantasy standalone
- A book featuring someone who has special abilities (can be supernatural or a real person with a special talent)
- A realistic fiction book

I really like the idea of rereading a you read too young, or that you expect to enjoy more at your current age than when you first read it.

Some other ideas - some are mine, some that I saw above and would like to second:
A book set in a place you love
A standalone sci-fi or fantasy novel
A book you choose because its cover is beautiful
A book you read in SPITE of its cover
The favorite "school book" of someone with taste you trust (family, friend, librarian, favorite author, etc.)
A book with a main character raised by someone other than bio-parents

I also like the ones where the title has to contain a certain thing - maybe this year it could be an animal, chemical element, directional word, punctuation... you still have so many options for genre, but have to get creative in your search.

A book that's commonly read at school in another country.

A book that takes place in at least two different countries.

Read a book about a villain/anti-hero.

Read a book about surviving a disaster.

Choose an author who has written in more than one genre and read two books by that author in two different genres.

Read a book dealing with a conspiracy.

Read a book from a popular list (1001 Books to Read Before You Die, The Gilmore Girls Challenge, 1000 best Guardian books etc)

Read a book about a utopia.

Read a book selected for you by someone else (family members, librarian, member of a book club, bookseller, etc)

Read a book about addiction.

Read a banned book.

Read a non-fiction and a fiction book on the same subject.

Read a book representing a minority opinion in the country in which it is set.

Read a book that has been nominated for a major literary prize.

Read a book each by authors that had a literary feud.

Reduce, reuse, recycle: read a book to reduce your TBR, read a book that you've borrowed (library, friend, etc) and reread a book.

Stunt book: read a book where an author set out to write about their experiences living in a specific way (The Year of Living Biblically, Supersize Me, etc)

Read a book about a religion that is not your own or about a character whose religion is not your own.

Read a book set in one of the most populous countries (China, India).

Read a book set in a country with a very small population. (East Timor, Andorra, etc)

Read a book written by an author in exile.

Read a book by an author of a different gender.

Read a book about a problem facing society today.

Read a book that makes you feel hopeful.

Typing on my phone so I can't quote, but I just wanted to ask Chinook what do you mean by an author in exile?

I second the LGBTQ+ prompt.

(I would love "a book by or about someone who is transgender, non-binary, or gender non-conforming"....but I understand that might be too specific for this group.)

Oh I have a few ideas..

1. A book set around a holiday that is not celebrated in your country
2. A Booker Prize winner who is not from your country
3. A book having any celestial object name in its title
4. A book set around any major historical/political movement in your country
5. A book by a celebrity from your country

1. A book that takes place in more than one country
2. A book involving space travel
3. A book about women in science
4. A book about something that scares you
5. A book with numbers in the title

1. a book that's a paranormal mystery
2. a book that's historical urban fantasy/fantasy
3. a book about LGBT speculative fic (SF, fantasy etc)
4. A bestselling middle grade book
5. A book about a true crime
6. A book in the gaslight fantasy genre

Rachel wrote: "Typing on my phone so I can't quote, but I just wanted to ask Chinook what do you mean by an author in exile?"

An author who had to leave their home country. A lot of Russian writers left during the Soviet Union, for example. Not someone who immigrated by choice but someone who had to leave due to persecution/censorship etc.

There is some good stuff on here. For the name one, how about a book that starts with the first letter of your name? That would be easier for those with unique names.

I second this one:

A book with an opposing view point to your own.

A book which is a retelling of another story
A book which includes a trans character
A book from a recently deceased author

Simant wrote: "Oh I have a few ideas..

1. A book set around a holiday that is not celebrated in your country
2. A Booker Prize winner who is not from your country
3. A book having any celestial object name in i..."

I think #1 should just be "a book set around a holiday you don't celebrate." The USA is so diverse that I'm not sure there are ANY holidays tha
t aren't celebrated by SOMEBODY who lives here!

All these suggestions about "a book with an author with your initials" or "book with a character with your first name" could be combined into one 'A book with an author or character that shares your initials or one of your names"

That should keep it broad enough so that people with unusual names can still find something. And if your first name is Jordan you can read something by Robert Jordan and it would still count.

And I request we that we NOT have any "bestseller from...." prompts. I had a very frustrating, unpleasant time trying to find a list of "best sellers." to look through. I don't object to "book from the year you were born or graduated high school" or "book with a 3 in the publication date" but please don't make them have to be "best sellers."

If they've won a specific prize, like the Nobel Prize for literature or the Hugo award or the Newberry award- that can be searched for easily enough. But "best seller" is just too vague.

I created a personal list since the first day of 2017 challenge with several prompts, like:
1. a book with a emoji/emoticon on the cover;
2. a book about a ancient culture;
3 a book with an world's wonder on the cover;
4. a book with, at least one color on title;
5. a book with a human body at title or cover;
6. a book with the word of the year 2017 on title;
7. a book with our own name on title or given to a character;
8. a book with more than 100 years;
9. a book that you seen a person reading at a public caffe;

Some difficult to find, but challeging!

Emanuel wrote: "I created a personal list since the first day of 2017 challenge with several prompts, like:
...
9. a book that you seen a person reading at a public caffe;
..."

I like that one even though it should probably be generalized as "a book that was being read by a stranger in a public place" or something like that, so as to include public transports, attendants in offices or shops...

All in all, I like prompts that are non directive about what kind of book people are going to read - which means, please, don't put in your favourite genre or subgenre: it's everybody's right not to enjoy it. On the contrary, prompts that are not directly related to the content of the book are fun.

One I would like very much: a book with five different vowels in the title - or other variations on the letters of the title.

Words of the title are fun too; what about "a book whose title includes the name of a musical instrument"? Dunno wether it should also include musicians ("the pianist"...), or musical pieces ("the Kreutzer Sonata").

Geographical settings are nice too. We could have prompts about every continents (except maybe Antarctica) - that would make 5 to 7 prompts, depending how you count! Or more generic geographical settings: the sea or seaside; mountains...

Some suggestions that have been made here don't work too well for me, especially those about opinions ("an opposing point of view than your own"? Does books have points of view? That's very unsound...) or those that are way too specific (like, "a book about women in science", "a book where an author set out to write about their experiences living in a specific way"). Prompts like that would be deal-breakers for me. The point of the challenge is not to dictate what reader should read; it is to pique their curiosity and encourage creativity. At least that's the way I see it!