#1 - Complete the 2024 Book Riot Reading Challenge (Fail)

I love how much the annual Book Riot Challenge has diversified my reading. With this annual list and Bingo Book Club, I've fallen in love with genres and subgenres I previously though I had no interest in. All of these are also listed in my (failed) Read 40 Books item from this year, but I wanted to group the Book Riot ones all in one place.

I got through over half for the first time ever!

1. Read a cozy fantasy book
2. Read a YA book by a trans author
3. Read a middle grade horror novel
4. Read a history book by a BIPOC author
5. Read a sci-fi novella
6. Read a middle grade book with an LGBTQIA main character.
7. Read an indie published collection of poetry by a BIPOC or queer author
8. Read a book in translation from a country you’ve never visited
9. Read a book recommended by a librarian
10. Read a historical fiction book by an Indigenous author
11. Read a picture book published in the last five years.
12. Read a genre book (SFF, horror, mystery, romance) by a disabled author
13. Read a comic that has been banned.
14. Read a book by an author with an upcoming event (virtual or in person) and then attend the event.
15. Read a YA nonfiction book
16. Read a book based solely on the title
17. Read a book about media literacy
18. Read a book about drag or queer artistry
19. Read a romance with neurodivergent characters
20. Read a book about books (fiction or nonfiction)
21. Read a book that went under the radar in 2023
22. Read a manga or manhwa
23. Read a “howdunit” or “whydunit” mystery
24. Pick a challenge from any of the previous years’ challenges to repeat

1. Read a cozy fantasy book: The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna

8/19/24, audiobook

I low key loved this book. It reminded me of The Night Circus with its sweet magic and underlying (very adult) love story. I didn't see the twist(s) or the ending coming. It held my interest, and I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a light, sweet read that still has some depth

2. Read a YA book by a trans author: The Witch King by H.E. Edgemon

This book started slow but then amped up in pace and stakes really fast. I also really appreciated something that my friend Allison once pointed out to me: YA really spells things out. You don't have to figure things out on your own. In the case of this book, that meant learning a lot about the teen trans experience and ways to be kind to people. I loved that the main character (Wyatt) was so complicated and was seemingly surrounded by simpler characters... until he wasn't. Everyone was complicated and was working through complicated situations. It really made for a compelling story, and I'm considering reading the rest of the books in the series.

7. Read an indie published collection of poetry by a BIPOC or queer author: Postcolonial Love Poem by Natalie Diaz

5/7/24

This was a lovely collection of poems. Some of the lines really hit hard, and the poetry was beautifully lyrical.

8. Read a book in translation from a country you've never visited: The Vegetarian by Han Kang

2/26/24, audiobook

I found the premise interesting, but I didn't love the story overall. It just felt like so much hating on this woman for becoming a vegetarian, and then it seemed like she lost her mind. It was just meh.

12, 21, & 24. Read a genre book (SFF, horror, mystery, romance) by a disabled author. read a book that went under the radar in 2023; & pick a challenge from any of the previous years’ challenges to repeat: Listen to an audiobook performed by a person of color of a book written by an author of color (2023): Noor by Nnedi Okorafor

4/14/24, audiobook

Book Riot listed this book as being under the radar in 2023. The premise was great: technology versus analog. In this world, some people, like Noor, have been able to overcome barriers due to their physical body through body modifications. Noor feels like she has the body she wants, but there are others, whom she eventually meets, who believe it's wrong to have body modifications. But then, she's on the run and is somehow the main target of a war? I had trouble following all of that, even though there weren't a lot of characters. The enemy was so faceless that it was hard to be invested, as the story felt so one sided. I know I just missed or forgot some things, but I didn't enjoy the story enough to go back and figure out what I missed.

9. Read a Book Recommended by a Librarian & 20. Read a Book About Books: Refuse to Be Done by Matt Bell

12/28/24, recommended to me by Tori Carl

I'm so pleased that some of my (writing) grad school friends took a course on teaching creative writing this fall and that their instructor assigned so many fantastic books to support writing a novel AND that these friends recommended the books to me! Refuse to Be Done is an incredible resource for strengthening a novel. I've already started paying attention to some of the advice around language, and I can't wait to go back and try some of the exercises on the novel I'm working on. Thank you, Tori!

15. Read a YA nonfiction book: Night by Elie Wiesel

8/8/24

Just an important read.

16. Read a book based solely on the title: Anarchism and Education: A Philosophical Perspective by Judith Suissa

8/21/24

I learned a few helpful philosophical distinctions from this book, which does help me think through how I articulate my approach to teaching, but, even though I shouldn't because the title includes "a philosophical perspective," I really expected some applications to practice. There were a few examples of schools with some interesting practices, but there wasn't really much about what this philosophical approach means and looks like in practice. But, it was short and an interesting read!

17. Read a book about media literacy: Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World by Cal Newport

7/1/24, audiobook

Were there useful insights and practices in this book? Sure. I took some things away. Plus, it's super short. And. It is clear to me that the author is a well-educated, white, cisman who is likely also pretty wealthy and seems not to have interrogated this whole system we call capitalism, nor his role in it and in our colonialist, white supremacist country. So much of it is like, just cut down on social media (which he has never used) and go for a walk! Walk every day! Maybe for four hours, like this famous (old, white, wealthy) man who is famous for his deep thoughts! While surely, hours spent scrolling social media (a low-impact activity) could be traded for better uses of our time. And also. There's SO much privilege in being able to engage regularly in "high-impact" activities, especially time alone doing things that are good for us. Also, he seemed to advocate for "productive" uses of our time, even spending a little time shaming just resting, if it's passive resting, like watching TV. While this book might be helpful to some, those shortcomings were irksome to me. I also don't spend a ton of time on social media and even have some specialized accounts to engage with content that I find truly joyful, rather than just mindless scrolling. So. If you feel like you're super super into social media in an unhealthy way, this book could be helpful. He gives actual practices, with rationale, to declutter that part of your life and engage in things that you actually want to engage in and give you the energy you want and need.

23. Read a “howdunit” or “whydunit” mystery: I read this for the Book Riot 2024 Read Harder Challenge: The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino

5/12/24, audiobook

I did not enjoy it. Like, the twist worked okay. But it would have worked for maybe a short story. It just dragged on and on. Just this detective and his weird friend being like, I think these two people who don't know each other well killed this guy. But we can't prove it. Huh. Weird. Talk to him. Talk to her. Still think that. Talk some more. I'm glad it's over.