JANUARY THOUGHTS
HELLO EVERYONE! I decided to do a post reflecting on how my January has been with reading, life etc. I have been reading just not as much as I would like to. I have completed 3 books this month. I was hoping to have at least 4 maybe 5 completed but I have not read as much as I wanted to at night.
I work full time in a school district and after work I sometimes go to the gym, work at a sporting event or I go home and try to do some cleaning. I am trying to catch up on my TV shows. I also spend time with my boyfriend. I do try to read when I am with him if he is playing video games, but alas I sometimes get distracted by the game. I will also read when I am selling tickets at a sporting event if it is a little slow.
Here is a list of books I am currently reading:
I work full time in a school district and after work I sometimes go to the gym, work at a sporting event or I go home and try to do some cleaning. I am trying to catch up on my TV shows. I also spend time with my boyfriend. I do try to read when I am with him if he is playing video games, but alas I sometimes get distracted by the game. I will also read when I am selling tickets at a sporting event if it is a little slow.
Here is a list of books I am currently reading:
- Cold Case (Carlotta Carlyle #7) by Linda Barnes
- The Rosie Project (Don Tillman #1) by Graeme Simsion
- The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton
- Prisoner of my Desire by Johanna Lindsey
I am concentrating on The Rosie Project because I have to finish that for my February book club meeting. I am hoping to finish a book this weekend. I think I might decide to start the Outsiders since that is a re-read and I should be able to finish that fairly quickly.
I am also participating in some challenges this year which are new to me and that has taken up some of my time with looking for books to incorporate into them. I am trying to get some of the books to fit into more than one challenge or category if possible. My goal is to read at least 75 books this year. Last year I didn't reach 75. I have done it in the past so I know I can do it.
Please make suggestions about books I could read for some of these challenges:
- Reading Women Challenge 2019 https://www.readingwomenpodcast.com/reading-women-challenge-2019/
All books read for this challenge must be by or about women.
A mystery or thriller written by a woman of color
Check out our episode about mysteries and thrillers for some great options.
A book about a woman with a mental illness
A book by an author from Nigeria or New Zealand
A book about or set in Appalachia
Find out more about Appalachia on the Appalachian Regional Commission’s website.
For more inspiration, listen to our interview with fellow Appalachian Elizabeth Catte!
A children's book
A multigenerational family saga
A book featuring a woman in science
A play
A novella
A novella is a text of written, fictional, narrative prose normally longer than a short story but shorter than a novel, somewhere between 17,500 and 40,000 words.
A book about a woman athlete
A book featuring a religion other than your own
If you have no religion, then choose to read about whatever religion you like!
A Lambda Literary Award winner
Learn more about the Lambda Literary Awards on their website.
A myth retelling
Check out our crossover with Jean, the host of That’s Ancient History, for more inspiration. Jean also has a guide myth retellings over on her blog!
A translated book published before 1945
A book written by a South Asian author
The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), a contiguous block of countries, started in 1985 with seven countries—Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka—and added Afghanistan as an eighth member in 2007.
The DSC Prize for South Asian Literature is an excellent resource for recommendations for this prompt.
A book by an Indigenous woman
This includes Native, First Nations, and Indigenous women from anywhere in the world.
A book from the 2018 Reading Women Award shortlist
2018 RWA Fiction Shortlist
2018 RWA Nonfiction Shortlist
A romance or love story
A book about nature
A historical fiction book
A book you bought or borrowed in 2019
A book you picked up because of the coverAny book from a series One Week Girlfriend by Monica Murphy
A young adult book by a woman of color
BONUS:
A book by Jesmyn Ward
A book by Jhumpa Lahiri - BookRiot's 2019 Read Harder Challenge:
We’ll be publishing recommendations for each of the tasks in the coming months to help you complete this year’s Read Harder (links will be added to this post as the recommendations are posted).
An epistolary novel or collection of letters
An alternate history novel
A book by a woman and/or AOC (Author of Color) that won a literary award in 2018
A humor book
A book by a journalist or about journalism
A book by an AOC set in or about space
An #ownvoices book set in Mexico or Central America
An #ownvoices book set in Oceania
A book published prior to January 1, 2019, with fewer than 100 reviews on Goodreads
A translated book written by and/or translated by a woman
A book of manga
A book in which an animal or inanimate object is a point-of-view character
A book by or about someone that identifies as neurodiverse
A cozy mystery
A book of mythology or folklore
An historical romance by an AOC
A business book
A novel by a trans or nonbinary author
A book of nonviolent true crime
A book written in prison
A comic by an LGBTQIA creator
A children’s or middle grade book (not YA) that has won a diversity award since 2009
A self-published book
A collection of poetry published since 2014 - 2019 PopSugar Reading Challenge
https://www.popsugar.com/entertainment/Reading-Challenge-2019-45450968
(Thanks to Helen for transcribing the list!)
01 - A book becoming a movie in 2019
02 - A book that makes you nostalgic The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton
03 - A book written by a musician (fiction or nonfiction)
04 - A book you think should be turned into a movie
05 - A book with at least one million ratings on Goodreads
06 - A book with a plant in the title or on the cover
07 - A reread of a favorite book
08 - A book about a hobby
09 - A book you meant to read in 2018
10 - A book with "pop", "sugar" or "challenge" in the title11 - A book with an item of clothing or acceessory on the cover- The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka
12 - a book inspired by mythology, legend or folklore
13 - A book published posthumously
14 - a book you see someone reading on TV or in a movie
15 - A retelling of a classic
16 - A book with a question in the title
17 - A book set on a college or university campus
18 - a book about someone with a super power19 - a book told from multiple POVs- One Week Girlfriend by Monica Murphy
20 - a book set in space
21 - a book by two female authors
22 - A book with a title that contains "salty", "sweet", "bitter" or "spicy"
23 - A book set in Scandinavia
24 - a book that takes place in a single day
25 - a debut novel
26 - a book that's published in 2019
27 - a book featuring an extinct or imaginary creature
28 - a book recommended by a celebrity you admire
29 - a book with "love" in the title
30 - a book featuring an amateur detective
31 - A book about a family
32 - A book written by an author from Asia, Africa or South America
33 - A book with a zodiac sign or astrology term in the title
34 - a book that includes a wedding
35 - A book by an author whose first and last names start with the same letter
36 - A ghost story
37 - a book with a two-word title
38 - A novel based on a true story
39 - A book revolving around a puzzle or game
40 - Your favorite prompt from a past Popsugar Reading Challenge
Advanced:
41 - A "cli fi" book
42 - A "choose-your-own-adventure" book
43 - An "own voices" book
44 - Read a book during the season it is set in
45 - A LitRPG book
46 - A book with no chapters / unusual chapter headings / unconventionally numbered chapters
47 & 48 - Two books that share the same title
49 - A book that has inspired a common phrase or idiom
50 - A book set in an abbey, cloister, monastery, vicarage, or convent
Any suggestions would be appreciated!
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