Have you been in a reading funk [or any kind really] during these strange times?
I know that I love to read, and yet the thought of picking up a book has so often felt just too heavy. It’s a strange place to be, rationally I know there is no simpler escape from the endless news cycle but yet the concentration involved sometimes feels too much.
However, I have devised a plan – please feel free to get involved with my self set reading challenge, one for each month of 2021. Whilst I don’t review every book I read; I solemnly swear that I will review each one that falls into one of these themes.
I have some ideas for each prompt and I’m always interested in what your thoughts are if you’ve read any of these ones?
- A ‘classic’ I have never read
- Nineteen Eighty-Four – George Orwell
I know, I know – I ‘should’ have read this one by now, but do you ever avoid books specifically because you should have read them? I have a feeling it might be a little too close for comfort in the world of 2021. Also add to this list – The Handmaids Tale – Margaret Atwood.
- A number one Sunday Times bestseller
- The Midnight Library – Matt Haig
I actually pre-ordered this and still haven’t picked it up – I blame the fact I ordered it on Kindle when I should have ordered a hard copy [that’s my excuse and I’m sticking with it].
- A Poetry Anthology
- Where Hope Comes From – Nikita Gill
This is a bit of a cheat, I already have this one on order but I love Nikita Gill’s work and can’t wait to read this new one, coming soon!
- A book that’s been on the shelf for over a year
- Passengers – John Marrs
I read The One by John Marrs a while back and absolutely loved it although it was a massive departure from my normal type of reading material [I’m not much of a thriller reader]. Obviously, I promptly ordered another John Marrs book, but it has yet to be opened, I sometimes find thrillers a little daunting and this is one of the unfortunate consequences.
As a side note – The One is due to come out as a Netflix series early this year, and my goodness I cannot wait for it!
- A book that’s been on the shelf for over three years
- Americanah – Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
This one I’m ashamed of, it’s been on my ‘to-read’ list for literally years – since in fact, my best friend took me to a talk by Adichie at the Southbank Centre in London during the Women of the World Festival a few years ago. I loved the talk and was incredibly inspired and yet it hasn’t translated – 2021 is the year to correct that I think.
- A translation
- I burn Paris – Bruno Jasieński
I have to confess, I have a weakness for buying books – especially when I’m travelling, especially if they’re pretty. It’s not always practical, and no I don’t always love the stories I find within the pages – but I do always find something new or unexpected. This is one of them, it’s a beautiful hardback book and it looks lovely on my shelf, but it really is high time I read it. I’ve not read a translation for a long time so it will be interesting to see if I can sense a difference in the telling of the story.
- A play / film script
- Harry Potter and The Cursed Child?
I’m not sure on this one, I’m a huge Harry Potter fan but I’ve been swerving JK Rowling works recently so I’ll see how I feel when I come around to this theme.
- Something adapted into a movie
- The Light Between Oceans – M.L. Stedman
I have to confess, I’ve never seen the film, but the trailer looked so beautiful that I immediately purchased the book with great intentions of reading it prior to watching it, maybe this is the year!
- Something adapted into a tv series
- Tiny Pretty Things – Dhonielle Clayton and Sona Charaipotra
This just sounds like it’s been ready made for me, I have a lot of time for well written YA Fiction and everything I’m hearing about this one makes it sound like the perfect escape.
- A comfort book
- A Year and a Day – Isabelle Broom
You know the type of book I mean, either a long loved favourite, or an author you can always connect to, the ones where you know it will transport you to somewhere else. And okay, so this was technically a cheat one for me, and is the first one I ‘ticked off’ for January, but Isabelle Broom never fails to get me out of my funk so it seemed like a perfect choice.
- A book for personal growth
- I Am Not Your Baby Mama – Candice Brathwaite
I have followed and admired Candice Brathwaite for some time now and I’m looking forward to reading her latest book [I’m sure there will be more in the future] and educating myself more deeply on the topic of active anti-racism.
- An autobiography
- A Promised Land – Barack Obama?
Technically, it’s a presidential memoir as opposed to a straight up autobiography but I’m seriously looking forward to reading it so maybe I’ll jam it in for this one!
It will be interesting to see if I stick to the books I imagine might tie into these themes at this early stage of 2021: they say it’s always good to have a plan! Let me know what’s on your lists, or if you have any recommendations of course.
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