Book Talk: Popsugar 2016 Reading Challenge

Last year when I had just started my blog, one of my first Book Talks was my list for Popsugar's 2015 Reading Challenge. While I had a lot of fun choosing books to fit each prompt, I'm going to get it out there and over with: I did not complete the challenge. I did not even come close. Some of that had to do with the fact that there were books that I couldn't access through my library system and it was also partially because some of the books were too far out of my comfort zone, but the biggest factor in my failure to complete the challenge was simply that I forgot about it.

The challenge got shrouded by my excitement for all the books that I was anticipating from my favorite authors and series. The books I did end up reading throughout the year were ones that I had been planning to read already, aside from the Legend trilogy. Overall, I read 13 out of the 52 called for in the challenge. I guess it'd be 15 if you counted the ones I've read this year already that were also on that list. Still not a very nice number, especially since I read over 90 books in total in 2015. Surely I could've squeezed in a couple more of my Popsugar books in there. 

There are fewer books required for the Popsugar Reading Challenge this year so hopefully it'll be more manageable. I want to make more of an effort to get through more of this challenge. I mean, it is called a challenge for a reason. I put a lot of thought into this list and I wanted to shine a spotlight on a couple of my high priority books. Last year I highlighted the five books I was most excited to read and I only read one of them... Whoops. This year I thought I'd show you the five books I want you to hold me accountable for. Please make me read these books. 

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

A book you haven't read since high school. Technically, I've been reading P&P since high school. That's not good. I started it in senior year to write a paper but since I was comparing it to the Lizzie Bennet Diaries, I already knew the story so reading that 18th-century syntax didn't seem necessary. It's been sitting in my "currrently reading" shelf since May of 2014 and I have made zero progress since then. It's about time that I got my butt moving on this book and the edition I own has pictures too so it shouldn't be that bad. I should tell myself that I'm dying to know what becomes of the Bennet sisters since Mary and Catherine aren't really in LBD as much... Especially since Catherine is a literal cat...  (Note: I couldn't find my exact edition of the book so I went for a nice cover instead.)

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

A book becoming a movie this year. There has been so much talk about Miss Peregrine's ever since it came out years ago and, although I've only heard phenomenal things about it, I haven't ever felt compelled to pick it up to figure out what all the hype was about. Since last year I was easing myself back into some creepy books, it seemed like the right time to pick up Miss Peregrine's. I honestly have no idea what this book is about. It doesn't help that when people gush over this book, the thing they emphasize is the creepy photos in the book. Where did Riggs get those photos?! I'm excited to see them. I also wouldn't want the movie to come out before I had read the book. Can't have that, can we? 

Maus by Art Speigelman

A graphic novel. In winter quarter 2015, I took a literature class (it was supposed to be a humanities class but all we did was write papers) that focused on graphic novels. This introduced me into a world of graphic narratives that allowed me to broaden my reading experiences as well as take in different topics in a new medium. I think Maus has an important story to tell, especially since the first part is about the Holocaust and the second part is how hearing these stories from his father has affected Speigelman. The story is told through anthropomorphic (from what I can tell) cats and mice with the cats representing the Nazis and the mice being their prisoners. I'd imagine taking this approach would make the horrors of the concentration camps and Hitler's Europe more digestible. I love history and Maus sounds like an intriguing book that would change my life. 

The Hobbit & The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien 

A book and its prequel. I'm closing in on twenty years on this planet. It's time I get with the pop culture. I hope this comes as a surprise to you, but I have never read nor seen the Lord of the Rings. This is gonna me my year. It's about time I caught up on my geekdom (last year was my first foray into Star Wars, believe it or not) and I can think of no better place to start than with Tolkien's Middle Earth. Maybe now I'll be able to fully understand all those references and I can stop faking my way through life. It has a lot to live up to and I have no doubt that it will live up to all my high fantasy expectations.  

I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai

A political memoir. In my first year of college, I took a class called Media and Globalization and I don't remember the exact assignment, but I chose to do it on Malala and through my research, I was incredibly inspired by her. Since then, she's released a book that I have yet to read and I think I would get a lot out of it. I have a feeling that I'm going to learn a lot by reading about her life. Malala is a source of inspiration to me and I'm hoping her book will broaden my worldview. Her story deserves to be told and I am ready to hear it. 

If there are five (I guess it's six?) books I have to read this year, it's gotta be these. I think the list I compiled for this year's Popsugar Reading Challenge is a lot more reasonable than last year's since I wasn't reaching as far to find books that fit the prompts. If you're interested in seeing all the books I'm planning on reading for this challenge, you can find a shelf on my Goodreads page. I think these are fun even if I have a hard time with commitment. I'll do my best to choose books from this list this year so when I come back next year, I can bear more successful numbers than I did this time around.  Are you participating in this reading challenge? Or any other reading challenge? Let me know! I'd love to compare our lists!


Talk to you soon!

xo, Yvette

P.S. If you don't see Pride and Prejudice in any of my Wrap Ups this year, you really need to punch me in the face because it's been way too long since I started it.