2025 Reading Challenge discussion

sign
me
uuuuuuup

as if i didn't have enough books to fit into april already

(Hmm, maybe I should put off reading The Things I Would Tell You: British Muslim Women Write and I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings till this starts.)

I'm in for 3

1 Typhoon - nationality, race and religion
2 Darkly Dreaming Dexter - gender
3 Big Little Lies - parents
4 Agony and Ecstasy: My Life in Dance - nationality and occupation

Participants:

Cendaquenta - 4/?
Jennifer - 2/2
Jhuma - 1/4
Laura - 0/2
Maris - 0/3
Mark - 0/2
Matilde - 0/5
Michelle - 0/4
Nova - 0/3
Roxanne - 0/3
Samantha - 0/2
Savannah - 3/?
Suaad - 0/3


Completed:
Amanda - 3/3
Cat - 4/?
Charlotte - 4/3
Cindy III - 3/3
Diane - 2/2
Janine - 7/4
Kristin - 4+/4
Lindsay - 3/3
Lulu - 3/3
Megan - 5/5
Mie - 3/3
Nikki - 4/4
Rachelnyc - 9/9
SarahKat - 5/5
Veronica - 4/4
Wayne - 6/6

Last update: up to message 88

Yeah, thank you for turning this idea into a challenge! I plan to do all of the categories but I'll commit to 5 by the end of April.

ETA: I've upped my goal to 9.

9/9

√ Historical Era The Broken Girls
√ Age or Generational Group Ready Player One
√ Gender Slaughterhouse-Five
√ Race or Ethnicity Crazy Rich Asians Brown Girl Dreaming
√ Religion Educated: A Memoir
√Socioeconomic Status (Income, Occupation, Education) Sing, Unburied, Sing
√ Sexual Orientation If I Was Your Girl
√ (Dis)abilities, Medical Diagnoses, or Health Status The Bell Jar
√ Nationality/Language (Can read a book in translation) Pachinko

I would like to go for 3 - which might be these:

✅ Historical era - Romeo and Juliet - 2,5⭐️
✅ Socioeconomic status - Insurgent - 3,5⭐️
✅ Nationality - Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close - 2,5⭐️

I will go for 5. Not sure which ones yet.

Welcome everyone! I'll be keeping track in message 5. Looking forward to reading diversely and seeing what you all pick up next month.

I´m in and I´ll try for 5.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Hi!! I'm in for 3 (maybe more but I did sign up for all 20 of the quarterly bibliophile challenge)... I'm thinking Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood and that may hit a couple diversity elements. I've also been reading the books on Emma Watson's list so I may use Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race (Race) for this challenge. My third may be Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity (again multiple diversity elements) or My Lovely Wife in the Psych Ward ((Dis)abilities, Medical Diagnoses, or Health Status) .

I'll join in for 5!

4/5

I'm joining. No idea how many I'll read.

Sign me up for 4!

I will aim for 2

1. Little Men
How its different: Socioeconomic status

2.Crime and Punishment
How its different: Nationality/Language

I'll try this out. I've actually been meaning to read Kindred, so that'll probably be one of my books for this challenge :) I've been trying to be more conscious about reading more diversely, so hopefully this will challenge me to do that.

1) My Favorite Thing Is Monsters, Vol. 1
How it's different: Sexual Orientation, Medical Diagnosis (Cancer), SES
Surprising similarities: Doing things a certain way so society will accept you, multiple struggles in life that are happening concurrently
Change in perspective?: This book changed my perspective on living in poverty conditions. In my head, I feel like it's something that you think on all the time; almost like a stereotype where the one word defines every aspect of your life. While reading this book, I could tell that the MC doesn't live in a good neighborhood, but she sees things as normal, everyday life, just how I view my own life. Sure, the type of people she's around don't necessarily partake in legal activities or the quality of conditions aren't the greatest, but you have your neighbors that you either like or dislike. You have outings with your family to do things together. You have going to school and dealing with the kids who don't like you.

2)

I will start with 3 books, thanks! (Love the challenge, btw!!)

April is here! Can't wait to see what books you all choose this month. Welcome to all participants!

I’ll try for 4

Just completed my first selection (age group - Baby Boomer and Gen X to Xennial (me)) - Fly Away by Kristin Hannah. Not as good as the first book, but it was still well-done! A continuation of the first in a signature Hannah style. Nice character development. My only criticism is that, while I appreciate that her characters don't always have good things happen to them, this seemed a bit extreme. Definitely worth reading! 4.5 stars

The women predominantly described in this book had incredible struggles fighting for their voice and freedom and then their choice in ways I have not. I have had a voice and freedom and choice because they fought against the white male patriarchy. And for that I am grateful. In my own way I continue the fight, which is the surprisingly similar part:)

1/5

This is a cool challenge, I'll try for 3!

Count me in for two!

Goal: 2/2

1. Sing, Unburied, Sing, Jesmyn Ward
* Differences: age, gender (half the book was told from a teenage boy's perspective), race, socioeconomic status
2. Kindred, Octavia E. Butler
* Differences: historical era (took place mostly in 1815 on a slave plantation), race, socioeconomic status

Just completed my second selection (gender - male to female) - Bullseye by James Patterson. Not my favorite book in this series. The improbable events all seemingly happening to involve a single detective is stretching the bounds of credulity at this point. And to keep stringing along the nanny after all she's been through and being oblivious to the troubles of his own kids is just annoying now. I'm really hoping the next book returns to the original snap of the series, or I might be through. Kinda worth reading. 3 stars

The main character is male. While there are some issues he has that are particular to his gender, most of the struggles he has I can relate to.

2/5

Sign me up for 4.

Welcome Michelle, Roxanne, Diane and Jhuma!

Congrats Megan on reading two books already. I'm very much enjoying reading your comments on the books, and the similarities and differences you found!

- Race or Ethnicity
At last I have a nudge to read
The Hate U Give
- Nationality/Language (Can read a book in translation)
The Little Prince or
The Master and Margarita or
Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood or (one more)
Kafka on the Shore

I'm really stretching myself here. We'll see.

So, put me down for two.

I've completed 1/5

Age or generational group: The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood. Main character is in her 80's. I'm not.

Wayne wrote: "This looks like a great challenge! I can commit to 5 at least, but I hope to do more.

I also have a question. I just finished The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet. The characters ..."

I would say that probably counts, as the alien species have many different ways of life, social structures, sexualities and genders, which are discussed on-page. Plus (almost) all the human characters are mixed-race.

I will sign up for 3

I'd like to join also with 2 books for sure. But I'll try for 3.

Welcome everyone!

Wayne - I think Cendaquenta explained it well. I'll put you down for 6 :) Let me know if you wish to change!

Savannah - You can read multiple from the same category. This challenge is fairly open-ended, as long as you're reading books with elements of diversity that are different to you! I plan on reading multiple books that tick the 'different race' box as I'm currently reading one with Taiwanese characters, and one with British black characters, so as a white woman those are both different for me.

I'm in for 3.

3/3

1. Same Kind of Different As Me: A Modern-Day Slave, an International Art Dealer, and the Unlikely Woman Who Bound Them Together
2. Pride and Prejudice
3. Star Trek Movie Tie-In (in the future counts as different historical period, right? :) )

Unfortunately, I didn't get to as many truly diverse books as I was expecting (or as many books in general as I planned). I do have more planned for throughout the rest of the year, though.

Completed 1 book - I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Could fulfil multiple categories including race, era and nationality.

It was really good, but I think I'll need to reread it in future to fully appreciate it.

Updated.

I've also completed my first book for this challenge - The Power. It can fit a few categories, but the main one is nationality; of the five core threads/characters followed, four are different nationalities to me. Tunde is Nigerian, Tatiana is Moldovan, Allie + Margot are American.

Update msg 7: 1/3
✅ Nationality - Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close - 2,5⭐️

Updated message 6. 2/5 completed

The Broken Girls was partially set in the 1950s, at a school where girls were sent because their families didn't know what else to do with them. The "troubled" girls were completely relatable and would have been fine in a "normal" school had there been resources to assist them and their families.

Ready Player One The main character was a teenage boy (could have used for gender as well as historical era since it's set in the future) who wanted to escape the real world by essentially living within a video game.

Just completed my 3rd book - Dodgers by Bill Beverly. This book was incredibly honest. It honestly portrayed the life of a black boy born into gang life in the inner city. It honestly portrayed how a black child is perceived by white privileged America. It was written well. That being said, it was difficult to read. The subject matter is not easy. But it's an important truth. Definitely worth reading. 4 stars

The protagonist is about as different from me as one can get, apart from country of origin. However, I work with this population each and every day. I don't live in his skin, but I get his struggles.

3/5

2/5

- Socioeconomic Status (Income, Occupation, Education) - The Stepford Wives by Ira Levin

Completed another 2 books - Jane Eyre and The Trick to Time.
Jane Eyre would fall under different historical era and socioeconomic status.
The Trick to Time would fall under different nationality and age/generation.

3/3

Surprisingly Similar
Duration: April 1, 2018 - April 30, 2018

For this challenge, chose books with elements of diversity that are different from YOU from the categories below.

- Historial Era
The Lightning Dreamer: Cuba's Greatest Abolitionist by Margarita Engle Cuba, 1826-1836

- Nationality/Language (Can read a book in translation)
The Journey of Ibn Fattouma by Naguib Mahfouz Egyptian author, translated from Arabic 4/1 - 2
The Book of Chameleons by José Eduardo Agualusa Angolan author, translated from Portuguese 4/23 - 25

Lots of great books read so far, well done everyone! And welcome to Cindy.

I've read two more for this challenge:

2) Different race/nationality: The Astonishing Colour of After. The author is Taiwanese American and the protagonist is half-Taiwanese.

3) Different gender/race/sexuality: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe. The two main characters are Mexican boys who, at least partially, identify as gay.

updated message 37
1/3

Just completed a selection for Nationality/Language - The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo. I've never been a huge fan of poetry and have never read a narrative poem outside of an English class. This book was excellent! I loved how the author connected each poem but gave each one its own identity as well. Definitely worth reading! 5 stars

The book is about a young woman who's family is from the Dominican Republic and has large sections written in Spanish. I have no idea, really, where my family is from other than America, and as much as I have tried, cannot learn Spanish to save my life. But I resonated with so many of this woman's struggles.

4/5

Megan wrote: "Just completed a selection for Nationality/Language - The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo. I've never been a huge fan of poetry and have never read a narrative poem outside of an Englis..."

Really interesting to hear your thoughts on The Poet X. Thanks for sharing, Megan. I have this on my kindle and will aim to read it this month!

Update to message 6. I am now 4/5.

I used Slaughterhouse-Five for gender and while there aren't many similarities between myself and Billy Pilgrim, I can certainly understand his desire/need to escape reality after all he has been through.

Update msg 7: 2/3
✅ Socioeconomic status - Insurgent - 3,5⭐️

Updated message 37
2/3

Completed a 4th book - Sing, Unburied, Sing. This falls under different age/generation, gender, race, socioeconomic status, and nationality.

It was excellent but very emotionally painful to read.

Update msg 4

3/3 completed

Three please!

3/3

1. Nationality: The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (Author is American)
2. Race/Ethnicity & Nationality: The Fifth Season (Author is black & American)
3. Race/Ethnicity: Bearly a Lady (Author is Malaysian)

I forgot to sign up for this month's challenge...I'm trying to one each month this year! I will commit to 4 books.

1. Nothing by Janne Teller
*Difference - Nationality/Language: Translated from Danish
2. The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman
*Difference - Historical Era: World War II, German invasion of Poland
3. Into the Darkest Corner by Elizabeth Haynes
*Difference - Disabilities: PTSD, OCD
4. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
*Difference - Age or Generational Group: old woman telling the story of her childhood, story flips back and forth between present and past

4/4 Complete

Welcome Nikki! I've added you to the participants' list.

I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on Into the Darkest Corner.