My 2017 Popsugar Ultimate Reading Challenge (Finished!!!)

1. A book recommended by a librarian - The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson

2. A book that's been on your TBR list for way too long - Up A Road Slowly by Irene Hunt

3. A book of letters - The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis

4. An audiobook - Coraline by Neil Gaiman

5. A book by a person of color - Swimming in the Monsoon Sea by Shyam Selvadurai

6. A book with one of the four seasons in the title - A Midsummer Night’s Dream by Shakespeare

7. A book that is a story within a story - Fire and Hemlock by Diana Wynne Jones

8. A book with multiple authors - Troll’s Eye View by Ellen Datlow

9. An espionage thriller - Angelmass by Timothy Zahn

10. A book with a cat on the cover - The Hallowed Hunt by Lois McMaster Bujold

11. A book by an author who uses a pseudonym - Who Could That Be At This Hour? by Lemony Snicket

12. A bestseller from a genre you don't normally read - Through the Woods by Emily Carroll

13. A book by or about a person who has a disability - Look Me in the Eye by John Elder Robison

14. A book involving travel - Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie

15. A book with a subtitle - Guns, Germs and Steel: The Fate of Human Societies by Jared Diamond

16. A book that's published in 2017 - By Your Side by Kasie West

17. A book involving a mythical creature - Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin

18. A book you've read before that never fails to make you smile - I Will Surprise My Friend! by Mo Williems

19. A book about food - Salt: A World History by Mark Kurlansky

20. A book with career advice - Leadership and Self-Deception by the Arbinger Institute

21. A book from a nonhuman perspective - White is for Witching by Helen Oyeyemi

22. A steampunk novel - Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

23. A book with a red spine - Shade’s Children by Garth Nix

24. A book set in the wilderness - Breaking Trail by Arlene Blum

25. A book you loved as a child - Holes by Louis Sachar

26. A book by an author from a country you've never visited - What is Chemistry? by Peter Atkins

27. A book with a title that's a character's name - The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

28. A novel set during wartime - A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

29. A book with an unreliable narrator - Made You Up by Francesca Zappia

30. A book with pictures - Tales of Mystery and Madness by Edgar Allen Poe

31. A book where the main character is a different ethnicity than you - The Color Purple by Alice Walker

32. A book about an interesting woman - Florence Nightingale by Catherine Reef

33. A book set in two different time periods - Kindred by Octavia Butler

34. A book with a month or day of the week in the title - The Man Who Was Thursday by G.K. Chesterton

35. A book set in a hotel - At Bertram’s Hotel by Agatha Christie

36. A book written by someone you admire - I am Malala by Malala Yousafzai

37. A book that's becoming a movie in 2017 - Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

38. A book set around a holiday other than Christmas - Herschel and the Hanukkah Goblins by Eric Kimmell

39. The first book in a series you haven't read before - Gone by Michael Grant

40. A book you bought on a trip - Shadow on the Mountain by Margi Preus

Advanced

1. A book recommended by an author you love - Sunshine by Robin McKinley

2. A bestseller from 2016 - When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi

3. A book with a family member term in the title - The Color of Water: A Black Man’s Tribute to His White Mother by James McBride

4. A book that takes place over a character's life span - The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman by Ernest Gaines

5. A book about an immigrant or refugee - Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai

6. A book from a genre/subgenre you've never heard of - The Number Devil by Hans Enzenberger

7. A book with an eccentric character - The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chobsky

8. A book that's more than 800 pages - The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

9. A book you got from a used book sale - Nights in Rodanthe by Nicholas Sparks

10. A book that's been mentioned in another book - A Separate Peace by John Knowles

11. A book about a difficult topic - Orbiting Jupiter by Gary Schmidt

12. A book based on mythology - The Heavenward Path by Kara Dalkey

2017 Popsugar Reading Challenge Progress

Book #22 completed: Magnus Chase and the Sword of Summer

Prompt: A book with one of the four seasons in the title

22/52

My reading goal for 2017 was 24 books; basically, 2 books per month. Thanks to audiobooks (combined with my long commute) and plenty of time to read this summer, I was able to surpass my goal and read 36 books. I tried to make a final push the last few days to get to 37 or 38, but I decided to end it at 36 so I could really savor the books I had planned to fly through. As a result, I decided that I would add them to my 2018 reading list, and include them in them in my 2018 PopSugar Ultimate Reading Challenge.

This challenge will not be easy; the advanced challenge is 50 books. But I am going to give it my best shot. I think with the help of audiobooks, and once I finish my internship in a few months, it is something that really will challenge me, not only to accomplish a goal, but to broaden my reading horizons.

I mean, it’s just 14 more books than I read this year, and I only got Audible in October. Imagine if I had had it all year! :)

Anyway, I wanted to share my reading list for the challenge with the world because it’s fun, and so that I have some more accountability. It’s subject to change, but these are the choices I have made for 2018 as of now.

2018 PopSugar Ultimate Reading Challenge

1.  A book made into a movie you’ve already seen – Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen complete 2.  True Crime – Catch Me If You Can by Frank W. Abagnale (changed from original list) complete 3.  The next book in a series you started – By the Banks of Plum Creek (Little House #4) by Laura Ingalls Wilder complete 4.  A book involving a heist – The Great Train Robbery by Michael Crichton complete 5.  Nordic noir – The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo  by Stieg Larsson complete 6.  A novel based on a real person – Midnight in Broad Daylight by Pamela Rotner Sakamoto complete 7.  A book set in a country that fascinates you – The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman complete 8.  A book with a time of day in the title – Welcome to Night Vale by Jeffrey Cranor and Joseph Fink (changed from original list) 9.  A book about a villain or antihero – Dark Places by Gillian Flynn complete 10.  A book about death or grief – The Guardians: An Elegy for a Friend by Sarah Manguso  complete 11.  A book with a female author who uses a male pseudonym – City of Dark Magic: A Novel by Magnus Flyte complete 12.  A book with an LGBTQ+ protagonist – More Than This by Patrick Ness complete 13.  A book that is also a stage play or musical – The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon  complete 14.  A book by an author of a different ethnicity than you – The Sun and Her Flowers by Rupi Kaur complete 15.  A book about feminism – Double Bind: Women on Ambition by Robin Romm  complete 16.  A book about mental health – Love’s Executioner by Irvin Yalom (changed from original list) complete 17.  A book you borrowed or that was given to you as a gift – Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan (changed from original list) complete 18.  A book by two authors – Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan complete 19.  A book about or involving a sport – The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Daniel James Brown complete 20.  A book by a local author – The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros complete 21.  A book with your favorite color in the title – A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler complete 22.  A book with alliteration in the title – Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt  complete 23.  A book about time travel – The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger complete 24.  A book with a weather element in the title – Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah complete 25.  A book set at sea – The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway 26.  A book with an animal in the title – My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell complete 27.  A book set on a different planet – Red Rising by Pierce Brown (changed from original list) complete 28.  A book with song lyrics in the title – Can’t Stop Won’t Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation by Jeff Chang  complete 29.  A book about or set on Halloween – Dead Leaves: 9 Tales from the Witching Season by Kealan Patrick Burke  complete 30.  A book with characters who are twins – I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson  complete 31.  A book mentioned in another book – The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams complete 32.  A book from a celebrity book club – The Lying Game by Ruth Ware (Reese Witherspoon’s book club) complete 33.  A childhood classic you’ve never read – The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry complete 34.  A book that’s published in 2018 – In Conclusion, Don’t Worry About It by Lauren Graham complete 35.  A past Goodreads Choice Awards winner – Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed complete 36.  A book set in the decade you were born – Little Fires Everywhere - Celeste Ng (1990s) (changed from original list) complete 37.  A book you meant to read in 2017 but didn’t get to – I Am Malala: How One Girl Stood Up for Education and Changed the World by Malala Yousafzai 38.  A book with an ugly cover – Dark Matter by Blake Crouch (changed from original list) complete 39.  A book that involves a bookstore or library – Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore: A Novel by Robin Sloan complete 40.  Your favorite prompt from the 2015, 2016, or 2017 POPSUGAR Reading Challenges – The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt (2016 - a book that’s more than 600 Pages) complete

Advanced Additions: 1.  A bestseller from the year you graduated high school – A Gate at the Stairs by Lorrie Moore (2009) complete 2.  A cyberpunk book – Neuromancer by William Gibson  DNF 3.  A book that was being read by a stranger in a public place – The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan complete 4.  A book tied to your ancestry – All the Light We Cannot See  by Anthony Doerr  complete 5.  A book with a fruit or vegetable in the title – The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Annie Barrows complete 6.  An allegory – The Phantom Tollbooth by Norman Juster complete 7.  A book by an author with the same first or last name as you – No One Belongs Here More Than You by Miranda July complete 8.  A microhistory – The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot complete 9.  A book about a problem facing society today – Citizen: An American Lyric by Claudia Rankine  complete 10.  A book recommended by someone else taking the POPSUGAR Reading Challenge – Last Christmas in Paris: A Novel of World War I by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb (from a member of the goodreads challenge group)  complete

A Million Junes by Emily Henry

“Grief is an unfillable hole in your body. It should be weightless, but it’s heavy. Should be cold, but it burns. Should, over time, close up, but instead it deepens.”

Popsugar 2017 Reading Challenge - A book with a month or a day of the week in the title

Books I Read in 2017

#129 - Say You’re One of Them, by Uwem Akpan

For Mount TBR 2017 (116/150)

For the PopSugar 2017 Reading Challenge -- Task: A book about an immigrant or refugee

Rating: 2/5 stars

I wanted to like this book far more than I did, and at times I had to force myself to keep going. As a collection of short stories/novellas, it spans several countries in Africa and follows the lives and troubles of kids in terrible situations. It paints a bleak picture of what life for the poor can be, and is supposed to display "the resilience of children."

The narrative voice, however, is so devoid of inflection or emotion that the horrors supposed to chill us readers feel distant and flat. I didn't cry or laugh or feel moved or shaken...I felt bored.

On top of that, the dialogue is nearly unintelligible across all the stories. Depending on where each story is set, the patois spoken might be a mix of English and/or French and whatever local languages are spoken there, few of which are named and none of which I could identify if I weren't told. (The few that did I'd never heard of, so at least I picked up some extra knowledge of the incredible wealth of languages on the African continent.)

I'm all for using local language/slang to add authentic flavor to a character, but this went far beyond that, to the point where I literally could not understand what the meaning of any given sentence of dialogue was. Far too much non-English was used without any sort of translation or context. It got to the point where I was only reading the English and French words (since I did study French for several years and most of the basics are still there in my head) and tried to interpret the meaning from that. It didn't always work.

Honestly, if this hadn't been the final book I needed to read for the PopSugar reading challenge, I would have DNF'd it, but I just did that to the second-to-last book, so I stuck this one out. I shouldn't have, it wasn't worth it.

Book 46 of 2017: Norse Mythology - Neil Gaiman

Based on mythology for Popsugar’s 2017 Reading Challenge

Check out my Goodreads review of the audiobook

Daphne du Maurier, My Cousin Rachel

Book #72 Reading Challenge 2017

Bookoween: Caramel Apples, and my October TBR

Until now, I’ve actually never had a caramel apple! My husband and I had a discussion about this over the summer, when many of the seasonal anime we were watching featured summer festivals, where candied or caramel apples are a common treat. (You better believe if I ever get to Japan and attend a festival, though, I’m headed straight for the yakisoba and takoyaki!)

Cue one of my coworkers having a birthday recently, and I always make some kind of treats. It was finally time! They were easier to make than I thought they’d be, and not as messy either, so I’m pleased with my kitchen win. I used four different toppings: pretzel sticks, chocolate chips, shredded coconut, and butterscotch chips.

I already cut into one to stage a book photo (why would I waste this golden opportunity of photogenic seasonal treats) so of course I had to eat it--I tried the butterscotch, called it my lunch, and down the whole thing in about fifteen minutes. My thoughts: texture, great. Love the basic concept. Butterscotch as a topping might be too sweet, and/or I should have salted them, and/or used a less-sweet apple. (These are Galas, because I didn’t want to make giant servings, also that’s what I had in my fridge already. But I see why many recipes recommend Granny Smiths.)

Verdict: will make again, and experiment with different toppings/apple varietals.

Also, the books: my October TBR.

Haunted, by Chuck Palahniuk

Behold, Here’s Poison, by Georgette Heyer (currently reading)

Needful Things: The Last Castle Rock Story, by Stephen King

A Song for Arbonne, by Guy Gavriel Kay

Acheron, by Sherrilyn Kenyon

An American Princess: The Many Lives of Allene Tew, by Annejet van der Zijl

Blindness, by Jose Saramago

Dread Nation, by Justina Ireland

The Hangman’s Daughter, by Oliver Potzsch

I generally read more than nine books in a month, but this is the minimum necessary to cover all of my reading challenge tasks (including finishing PopSugar early, I only have three to go.)

Anything else I read once I’m done will be either clearing my remaining 2017 backlog, or continuing series in progress.

Bex’s Book Corner #1

January was a good reading month for me. I read 5 books in total and started a sixth. 3 were books that I already owned, 2 were books I traded for, and the sixth was a library pick.

1. Suggested Reading by Dave Connis

This is a YA contemporary on the issue of censorship in a private American school. The main character, Clara, starts a secret library of banned books out of her locker, leading to consequences she never saw coming. The author did a great job describing Clara’s emotional journey and growth.

I counted this book toward the “book about a book club” prompt for the PopSugar Reading Challenge, but it could also count for the following categories:

-        A bildungsroman

-        A book with at least a 4-star rating on Goodreads

-        A book you meant to read in 2019 (because it was released in 2019)

-        A book that has a book on the cover

-        A book you picked up because the title caught your attention

 2. Keeping The Moon by Sarah Dessen

Somehow I’ve never managed to read a single Sarah Dessen book in my life, despite, at one time, being in the target demographic for them. After the brouhaha on Twitter last year about the merit of her work, I thought I owed it to myself to see what all the fuss was about. When I spotted this book at a bookswap, I snapped it up. And let me just say: Sarah Dessen is the real deal. I wish I’d read this when I was younger. I was a very insecure young person and this book would have really spoken to me. Young people need books that they can relate to. I won’t stand for anyone devaluing Sarah Dessen now.

I counted this book toward the “bildungsroman” category in the PopSugar Reading Challenge, but it could also count for the following categories:

-        A book published in the 20th century (the first edition came out in 1999)

-        A book that passes the Bechdel test

 3. The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow

I know it’s early to call it, but this is going to be my favourite book of the year. Maybe even favourite of the decade! This adult fantasy ticked all of my boxes: portals to strange new worlds, magic books, a heroine’s journey, gorgeous prose – that hits me where I live. This was a 2019 release and I will be eagerly anticipating whatever Alix E. Harrow does next. 

I counted this book toward the “A book with a great first line” prompt, but it could also count for the following categories:

-        A book that passes the Bechdel test

-        A book you meant to read in 2019 (because it was released in 2019)

-        A book with at least a 4-star rating on Goodreads

-        A book you picked up because the title caught your attention

 4. Artemis by Andy Weir

I loved his debut, The Martian, so I bought this sight unseen when it was released… and then I didn’t read it. This book has been languishing on my TBR shelf since 2017. I got scared off by the mixed reviews. I even considered unhauling Artemis at one point. But it always survived my book purges and this year I finally picked it up.

And it’s really good! It’s not on the same level as The Martian, but let’s be real: The Martian was an outstanding book. They even made a movie for it. The bar was set really high. Impossibly high. And while Artemis struggles with sophomore book syndrome, it was worthwhile to see Andy Weir pushing himself as a writer with his anti-heroine main character. I’m also looking forward to seeing what he writes next.

I counted this book toward the “about or by a woman in STEM” prompt, but it could also count toward:

-        A book you meant to read in 2019 (because it was released in 2017)

-        A book with a map

-        A book with a main character in their 20’s

 5. Beauty Queens by Libba Bray

Another favourite for the year. January was such a good reading month overall for me. Beauty Queens is another backlist title I picked up at the bookswap. I read two of Bray’s other books years ago and I’ve always seen Beauty Queens on so many rec lists. Let me just tell you: the hype is real. This book is a satirical take on beauty pageant culture, sisterhood, and what it means to be a young woman in a world determined to put girls in their place.

I counted this book toward the “book that passes the Bechdel test”, but it could also count toward:

-        A bildungsroman

-        A book you picked up because the title caught your attention

6. Loveboat, Taipei by Abigail Hing Wen

I’ll talk more about this one in my February roundup!

See also: my book aesthetics for some of this month’s books! TTTDoJ, Beauty Queens, and Artemis.

Popsugar Reading Challenge 2019 - update

So we’re now 2/3rds through the year (yikes), and I’m just under 40% of my way through the Popsugar Reading Challenge 2019. I had a strong start in January and February, and then crashed and burned from March to May. I started to get back on track in June, and I’m picking up pace now, but I think I need a few easy wins to be sure I’ll finish. For me, that’s YA fantasy and scifi, so I thought I’d try the Percy Jackson & The Olympians series - if I can find a way to wedge them into the prompts.

So, oh wise internet, or the corners thereof who have read the series - these are my prompts. Strikethrough are ones I’ve read. Italics are ones I might read. I’ve stuck The Lightning Thief in at #35, but I also have Circe by Madeleine Miller for that, and I’ve just bought that book and really want to read it. Do you have any bright ideas for where the full Percy Jackson series can fit? I’ll also take suggestions on how to rearrange my list in order to wedge them all in, if you’re so inclined. :)

A book becoming a movie in 2019 (uggggh, they all look terrible!)

A book that makes you nostalgic (The Colour of Magic, Terry Pratchett)

A book written by a musician (fiction or non-fiction) (Shiver, Maggie Stiefvater)

A book you think should be turned into a movie (Trail of Lightning, Rebecca Roanhorse)

A book with at least one million ratings on Goodreads (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, J.K. Rowling / The Time Traveler's Wife, Audrey Niffenegger)

A book with a plant in the title or on the cover (The Bean Trees, Barbara Kingsolver / Cereus Blooms At Night, Shani Mootoo / Gossip from the Forest: The Tangled Roots of Our Forests and Fairytales, Sara Maitland)

A reread of a favourite book (Jingo, Terry Pratchett)

A book about a hobby (Sourdough: A Novel, Robin Sloan)

A book you meant to read in 2018 (Carry On, Rainbow Rowell)

A book with "pop" "sugar" or "challenge" in the title

A book with an item of clothing or accessory on the cover (A Hat Full Of Sky, Terry Pratchett)

A book inspired by mythology, legend, or folklore (I Shall Wear Midnight, Terry Pratchett)

A book published posthumously (The Shepherd's Crown, Terry Pratchett)

A book you see someone reading on TV or in a movie

A retelling of a classic (The Silence of the Girls, Pat Barker)

A book with a question in the title

A book set on a college or university campus (Zuleika Dobson, Max Beerbohm)

A book about someone with a superpower (Vicious, V.E. Schwab)

A book told from multiple character POVs (The Lion's Daughter, Loretta Chase)

A book set in space (The Martian, Andy Weir)

A book by two female authors (Spoiled / Messy, Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan)

A book with a title that contains "salty", "sweet", "bitter", or "spicy"

A book set in Scandinavia (The Girl Who Saved The King Of Sweden, Jonas Jonasson)

A book that takes place in a single day

A debut novel (Selling Lip Service, Tammy Baikie)

A book that's published in 2019 (Storm of Locusts, Rebecca Roanhorse)

A book featuring an extinct or imaginary creature (A Natural History Of Dragons, Marie Brennan)

A book recommended by a celebrity you admire (there’s a list of these on GoodReads, far too many to put here)

A book with "love" in the title

A book featuring an amateur detective (Miss Phryne Fisher Investigates, Kerry Greenwood)

A book about a family (Kindred, Octavia E. Butler / Purple Hibiscus, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie)

A book written by an author from Asia, Africa, or South America (Convenience Store Woman, Sayaka Murata)

A book with a zodiac sign or astrology term in the title (Half Of A Yellow Sun, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie)

A book that includes a wedding (Don't Tempt Me, Loretta Chase)

A book by an author whose first and last names start with the same letter (Circe, Madeline Miller / The Lightning Thief, Rick Riordan)

A ghost story (Beloved, Toni Morrison)

A book with a two-word title (Wayward Son, Rainbow Rowell)

A novel based on a true story (Once More With Feeling, Victoria Coren and Charlie Skelton - not a ‘novel’, strictly speaking, but idc)

A book revolving around a puzzle or game

Your favourite prompt from a past POPSUGAR Reading Challenge: A book you bought on a trip (2017) (The Secret Lives of Colour, Kassia St Clair)

A "cli-fi" (climate fiction) book (The Overstory, Richard Powers)

A "choose-your-own-adventure" book

An "own voices" book (Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi)

Read a book during the season it is set in (Wintersmith, Terry Pratchett)

A LitRPG book

A book with no chapters / unusual chapter headings / unconventionally numbered chapters (Snuff, Terry Pratchett)

Two books that share the same title (1) (The Doll's House, Neil Gaiman)

Two books that share the same title (2) (A Doll's House, Henrik Ibsen)

A book that has inspired a common phrase or idiom (e.g. Big Brother from 1984) (Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, John le Carré / Gaslight, Patrick Hamilton)

A book set in an abbey, cloister, monastery, vicarage, or convent

Why Motivation Is Important for Your Life?

Image by Designer Printables via Simply Amanda

Without motivation, it’s definitely difficult to achieve happiness and reach your success in life. How can you be happy if you always spend time for something without motivation? And How can you pass your midterm and final examination without motivation in studying?

What is happiness in your mind?

Image by Emily Co via POPSUGAR

Martin Seligman said that “Happiness” or H = S + C + V which means Happiness = Set individual range + Circumstances of life + Voluntary controllable factors. And one of the most important things that can make you feel happy is “Motivation” in your life (Hassanzadeh, R. and Mahdinejad, G., n.d.).

Motivation is crucial for people to live more than you think because people cannot live happily in daily life without motivation. Motivation is the purpose to achieve daily life or our aims (Sharma, 2017). For example, motivation assists us to get up everyday to become productive to go study in early morning. Or you have not had iPhone, iPad, or Macbook if Steve Jobs was not motivated to create Apple products (Why Motivation is Important in Life, 2017).

Image by Thalmaray Portal via recordatio.nl

People will be motivated when they are excited, interested, inspired, or getting expected from someone or something. For instance, when you read someone’s story or his/her biography who get successful in his/her life, it can inspire you because you feel happy when you knew that someone can achieve goals in his/her life (Sharma, 2017). So, that’s the way people are motivated and it also can assist people to achieve their aims too.

Additionally, the way to help you reach your self-love and satisfaction objectives, I showed the list of the reasons why motivation is necessary for your happiness and success, and how you can have happiness in your life.

1. Motivation can increase energy level

Image by Clayton Pearson via TimeOut

When we are motivated on something in life, our body will release adrenaline that support we to achieve our own aims which we prefer or set them up for ourselves; thus, it can affect our body increase energy levels (Zambas, 2019). For example, When you’re not excited on your study or work, you will always feel sleepy. On the other hand, if that subject is your favourite, you will be always excited and rarely get tired. It same as you can hang out with your friends for the whole night without any issues because you’re interested in it. These prove that when we are focused or passionate about outcomes, our energy levels are increased. That’s why motivation can allow us to perform better and increase human energy level.

2. Motivation can make you feel happier

Motivation can build purpose or determination for people to attain something in life and when they succeed their goals, they will feel happy with their outcomes (Hassanzadeh, R. and Mahdinejad, G., n.d.). For example, When you get fat and you try to exercise everyday to lose weight and after a month you can lose 7 kilograms, you will be very happy. Or when you try to study hard and always review lesson after class then you get high score, you will definitely be happy. Hence, people will commonly be happier than they did before if they continue to motivate themselves to reach their objectives. Moreover, happiness is the fundamental requirement that leads the motivation in life even though success is the basic root of motivation (Hassanzadeh, R. and Mahdinejad, G., n.d.).

Image by Tristen Santangelo via SELFMADELADIES

However, setting challenges for your life and learn to be satisfied it is one of the way to ensure that both your happiness and motivation are growing.

3. Motivation can enhances your performance

According to the research of Dr. Ericsson, A. and Taylor, J., the psychology research showed motivation is one of the most important successful forecaster, and success is completed through high performance (as cited in Zambas, 2019). 

People will naturally do better work, study well, or reach their own aims when they have good performance. According to Woolley, K. and Fishbach, A., researchers of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology of Cornell University, reported that “giving people an immediate bonus for working on a task, rather than waiting until the end of the task to reward them, increased their interest and enjoyment in the task.”  (as cited in Zambas, 2019).

Image by Lucinka via weheartit

Thus, giving award for yourself is the positive way that make you feel more motivated to do or achieve something, maybe it’s a small award. For example, if I pass principle of marketing examination, I will buy Starbuck coffee for myself.

4. Motivation can increase your commitment

Image by Felix H. via Lifehack

People will put all endeavor on their tasks and be more committed to them when they’re motivated to do them. Although it looks easy to complete task when people are motivated on doing some good jobs, they will need to remind themselves about the relevance that commitment have on their success when they feel demotivated (Zambas, 2019).

5. Motivation helps you grow as a person

Image by ENTHUSIAST via Goalcast

Motivation can support development in each person. As setting and reaching personal goals, people will be more inspired to push themselves and achieve goals (Zambas, 2019), such as Rihanna. She is a superstar who began singing at 17 years old, acted in blockbuster movies like City of a Thousand Planets, and launched her own makeup brand by setting her goals which achieved success in life and established herself as an entertainer (Robehmed, 2019).

Motivation is crucial to make you smile and become happiest person. Motivation is necessary to achieve your future goals. Motivation is significant to allow good habits. Motivation is very critical to make you meet your success in your life. 

Let’s watch this video to motivate yourself in every morning life.

6 Minutes to Start Your Day Right! - MORNING MOTIVATION | Motivational Video for Success

Video by Be Inspired

References

Hassanzadeh, R. and Mahdinejad, G. (n.d.). Relationship between Happiness and Achievement Motivation: A case of University student. Journal of Elementary Education. 23(1), 53-65.

Robehmed, N. (2019). How Rihanna Created A $600 Million Fortune—And Became The World’s Richest Female Musician. Forbes. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/natalierobehmed/2019/06/04/rihanna-worth-fenty-beauty/#66b8533113de

Sharma, V. (2017). Improtance of Motivation in our daily life. klient Solutech. Retrieved from http://www.klientsolutech.com/importance-of-motivation-in-our-daily-life/

Why Motivation is Important in Life. (2017). Natalie Cook. Retrieved from https://www.nataliecook.com/blog/why-motivation-is-important-in-life

Zambas, J. (2019). Why Motivation Is Important for Your Success and Happiness. Careeraddict. Retrieved from https://www.careeraddict.com/why-motivation-is-important-for-success-and-happiness

2017 Popsugar Reading Challenge Progress

Book #23 completed: Magonia

Prompt: A book involving travel

23/52

Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff

“Please. Marriage is made of lies. Kind ones, mostly. Omissions. If you give voice to the things you think every day about your spouse, you’d crush them to paste. She never lied. Just never said.”

Popsugar 2017 Reading Challenge - A book set in two different time periods

Books I Read in 2017

#122 - The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho

For Mount TBR 2017 (111/150)

For the PopSugar 2017 Reading Challenge -- Task: A book by a person of color

Rating: 1/5 stars

I am not pretentious enough for this shit.

The Alchemist is touted as a life-changing work, but I found it to be a half-assed self-help book masquerading as a fable.

Whatever message it purports to have is garbled, drawing from a whole mess of different philosophical schools and religious disciplines–I can’t even be sure if I’m supposed to believe in Free Will or not after reading this, because some elements support it while others don’t. And if it can’t even come down clearly on one side of the FW vs. Fate debate, I have no idea what I’m supposed to take away from this.

The writing style is ham-fisted, repeating “Personal Legend” a few times a page and telling us exactly what “the boy” thinks and says and realizes. Telling, telling, telling. (Also, why is he “the boy” when we get his name on the first page? Why does he have a name at all if the narrative never uses it again?)

I made myself finish this because if I was going to hate such a popular work, I had to be sure it didn’t get better.

It doesn’t.

Book 45 of 2017: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone- J K Rowling Book you've read before that always makes you smile for Popsugar's 2017 Reading Challenge Check out my Goodreads review, although it's basically just a 5/5 rating!

November 2019 Reads

Get a Life, Chloe Brown - Talia Hibbert How to Find Love in a Bookshop - Veronica Henry Meet Cute - Helena Hunting American Royals - Katherine McGee The Royal We - Heather Cocks & Jessica Morgan Bitter Greens - Kate Forsyth The Queen of the Tearling - Ericka Johansen The Invasion of the Tearling - Ericka Johansen The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet - Becky Chambers

Bold = Highly Recommend Italics = Worth It  Crossed out = Nope

Thoughts: I dove headfirst into romances and royal reads in November, finding two new favorites for the year: Get a Life, Chloe Brown and American Royals. Get a Life, Chloe Brown has such wonderful disability and chronic pain representation and is just such a fun read. American Royals is set in an alternate US where George Washington became monarch instead of president, and it follows his modern descendants and their love lives. It is dishy and full of clever details. 

If you liked Diary of a Bookseller, you should check out How to Find Love in a Bookshop. Bookshops, small town settings, and fun locals. 

Part of the Popsugar Reading Challenge this year was to read two books with the same title. For that I read Meet Cute (by Helena Hunting and the YA anthology). I have resolved to never read another book called Meet Cute. The title suggests a light and fun rom com. (Spoilers) Both in the novel and in several stories in the anthology a main plot point is the traumatic death of parents and heavy subject matter. This is not at all what I thought I was getting into. 

2017 Reads | 2018 Reads | 2019 Reads