2025 Reading Challenge discussion

Update to Message 136: 46/36

Update to post #35:

Progress so far: 36/40

Updated msg 14

Black, Canadian, non-binary

Stormsong by C.L. Polk. I enjoyed this second book in the trilogy. I liked the progression of the characters! However, a little editing would have helped. I felt it got a little bogged down in the middle with too much detail. And the ending was really abrupt, and goes right into the third book, so I recommend having it handy. Worth reading! 3.5 stars

71/50

Updated msg 14

Black, Canadian, non-binary

Soulstar by C.L. Polk. I really enjoyed the conclusion to this trilogy. There was a lot of interesting ideas about labor, government, the role of representation, all carefully wrapped in this lovely story about childhood sweethearts. I loved the characters, and the ending is perfect. Definitely worth reading! 4.5 stars

72/50

Update to Message # 29:

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsson - Swedish

22/25

Updated msg 14

African-American

A Chance at Love by Beverly Jenkins. Perfect historical romance! I love that this is Lorelei’s story and addresses some of the major issues of her day (and ours) with a liberal dose of spunk, kindness, and love. Definitely worth reading! 5 stars

73/50

Updated to here! Congrats to Amy on completing the challenge! Two months left for the challenge:)

Diversity is the one true thing we all have in common. Celebrate it every day.
~ Winston Churchill

Update to Message #29:
The Thirteenth Tale . by Dianne Setterfield - English

23/25

Update to Message 136: 48/36

Update 241:
24/25
24. Black Cake / Charmaine Willkerson ***** Carribean

Update Message #29

Faithful Place by Tana French: Irish

24/25

Update msg 241:

25. The Dancer from Khive / Bibish ***** Uzbekistan

Goal Met!

Updated msg 6:

41/36 - GOAL COMPLETED

Added:
The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot by Marianne Cronin -UK
Force of Nature by Jane Harper -Australia
The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story by Nikole Hannah-Jones
The Keeper of Lost Causes by Jussi Adler-Olsen -Denmark
The Gauguin Connection by Estelle Ryan - South Africa
Seven Days in May by Kim Izzo -Canada
Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy - Australia
Into the Water by Paula Hawkins - Zimbabwe
The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood - Canada
All the Devils Are Here by Louise Penny -Canada

Update to Message #29
Finished!

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz - Mexican/American

25/25!

Updated msg 14

Nigerian-American

Harry Sylvester Bird by Chinelo Okparanta. This is one I will be pondering for a bit. The writing was good. But the subject and tone is very different from her previous novel. It’s a satire of white supremacy and colonialism. And somewhat a critique of wokeness. I enjoyed the thought experiment, and I want to talk about it with someone. But it missed the mark a bit. Interesting but I’m not sure to whom i would recommend it. I received this book as a free giveaway in exchange for my honest review. 3.5 stars

74/50

Updated msg 14

Canadian

Sorry I Missed You by Suzy Krause. I had high hopes for this one, but it was muddled and ultimately fell flat. I couldn’t tell what I was reading, where it was going, and I wasn’t confident the author knew either. The characters were quirky but in a way that made all of them caricatures. Not worth reading. 2 stars

75/50

Update message 53
16/30

Update to Message #29:

Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender - LGBTQ+

26/25

Updated msg 14

Spanish

The American Roommate Experiment by Elena Armas. Wow, that was a great romance book!!! The slow burn, the characters, the small touches, everything was perfection. This author is now an auto-buy, must-read for me. Definitely worth reading! 5 stars

76/50

Updated ( finally! ) message 42:

5 - Beowolf ( an old anglo-saxon poem from the 9th century by an anonymous author )
6 - A Man's Skin by Hubert
( gender and sexuality as well as cultural questions )
7 - Song of Susannah by Stephen King ( part of the series The Dark Tower, this book makes reference in its title to one of the main characters; a black dissabled and here pregnant woman )
8 - Suis-je hypersensible ?: Enquête sur un pouvoir méconnu by Fabrice Midal ( a french non fiction book about high sensitiveness )
9 - Zadig by Voltaire ( male author from the 18th century and the story deals with different cultures and social standars )
10 - Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse ( male author and the book is about oriental culture and philosophy )
11 - The Wolf Wilder by Katherine Rundell ( russian culture and the wolf wilder concept )
12 - The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller ( sexuality and on very different time period )
13 - The Sorceress: A Study In Middle Age Superstition by Jules Michelet( male author, gender, witchcraft/superstition and a different time period )
14 - Kit's Wilderness by David Almond ( male author, cultural and social environment of ancient mining places )

Progress: 14/15

Update to Message #29:

Best American Short Stories 2021 compiled by Jesmyn Ward: different stories involving various cultures and differences

28/25

Update message #40

14/18 books from authors from different countries.

11. Childhood (Denmark)
12. Auschwitz Lullaby (Spain)
13. De naam (Czech republic)
14. Good Girl, Bad Girl (Australia)

I don't know if I'm gonna make it, but I will try.

Updated msg 14

African-American, Lesbian

An Untamed State by Roxane Gay. All the trigger warnings for this one! It’s a difficult book to read, but the author handles the subject matter deftly. I particularly appreciated the exploration of surviving the aftermath. Writing is really good! Definitely worth reading! 5 stars

77/50

Update: MSG # 20 7/15

Updated msg 14

African-American

Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward. This is my first Jesmyn Ward experience, and it was fascinating! The writing was really good, and while it’s literary, the story is also accessible. I thought the portrayal of substance use and toxic relationships was brutal but accurate. When the plot diverged into the slight fantastical elements, it was lost a bit for me. I just didn’t quite get how it all fit. Really interesting! Definitely worth reading! 4.5 stars

78/50

Update Message #29

The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht - Balkan/Serbian

29/25

Message 23 Updated

10/10-COMPLETED

Updated msg 14

Pagan

Yule: A Celebration of Light and Warmth by Dorothy Morrison. I really appreciated the thoughtful way this book is organized and presented. Nothing is a mandate, just suggestions for how to make the season special to each person. That said, the history at the beginning is rather Eurocentric and not acknowledged as such. But other traditions and holidays that are more global are included toward the end of the book. Good reference and will be buying a copy for my bookshelf. 4 stars

79/50

I just found this group in the last couple weeks but hope this challenge will be replicatated in 2023!

Jessica wrote: "I just found this group in the last couple weeks but hope this challenge will be replicatated in 2023!"

Hi, Jessica! We revamped it a bit for next year into United by Reading. The challenge is available to check out in the 2023 yearly challenge section. Thanks!

Updated msg 14

Orphan, indigent, unhoused

The Book Woman's Daughter by Kim Michele Richardson. Overall, I enjoyed this book. There were a few things, like the frontier nursing service and moonlight schools, that I had not previously known. There is repetition in the language and the writing is a bit simplistic for my taste, but balanced with the history and message, I would still recommend it. 3.5 stars

80/50

Congrats to Kszr, Laureen, Gail, and Sarah on completing the challenge! Updated to here!

Updated message 17!

11/10!!

Updated msg 14

Jewish, queer

A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine. One of the most brilliant space operas I’ve read! I loved the integration of an Aztec-like tradition into the overall empire. Every image felt revolutionary as it all unfolded. The writing and character development is next level! I cannot wait to see what this author does next! I received this book as a free giveaway in exchange for my honest review. Definitely recommend! 5 stars

81/50

Updated msg 14

Indian-American

The Bridge Home by Padma Venkatraman. This book is full of truths that are hard to face but necessary. The writing is good and easy enough for middle grade, but the author does not dumb down the harsh realities of the world - homelessness, hunger, poverty, domestic violence. Realities that kids too often live with, but adults still at times pretend they need to be shielded from the stories in books. Sad story but really well done! Definitely worth reading! 4.5 stars

82/50

Update to Message #29:
Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng - Asian American
30/25

Update to msg #35: DONE!!

40/40

Update to Message 136: 50/36

Updated message 42:

15/15 Ĉhallenge completed!! :-)

Updated msg 14

Turkish, written in Turkish

Last Train to Istanbul by Ayse Kulin, translated by John W. Baker. I learned a lot about the Turks’ role in saving Jewish people during WW2 and about Turkey in general in this book. I really appreciated the stories related. However, the writing was stilted and a bit repetitive. Not sure if that was a translation issue or not. The beginning was rather long and uneventful, and then I really enjoyed the book once the action picked up a bit. And the ending was then abrupt. Overall, I always love learning new things and appreciate the story told. 3.5 stars

83/50

Update to Message #29:
The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris - African American female

32/25

Updated msg 14

Native American

The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich. I love this author’s writing! She draws her characters so finely that they feel like they could step off the page and wander about in reality. I really appreciate the way she describes this period of time and instead of telling us why it would have been terrible, she shows us in exquisite detail. Definitely worth reading! 5 stars

84/50

Updated message 10-- 17/15
Transgender author/MC

Update to Message #29:

Black Buck by Mateo Askaripour - African American male

#33/25

Updated to here! Congrats to CrazyAsACupcake, Laureen, Kendra, and Irphen on completing the challenge! Few days left to read!

Update to #29

On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong - Vietnamese-American and LGBTQ

34/25

Update to message 6:

43/36 completed for the year.

This represents 43% of my total reading for the year.

Updated message 17!

13/10

Moved to make more room and finish challenge

2022 Reading Challenge
Diversity in Reading - 2022
Duration: January 1, 2022-December 31, 2022

Progress: 73 out of 50

“Reading is an exercise in empathy; an exercise in walking in someone else’s shoes for a while.” - Malorie Blackman.

When we read about someone different from us, we learn what makes us different, but also what makes us similar. To participate, simply choose how many books you would like to read for this challenge. To qualify for this challenge, the book must be written by an author(s) who is different from you. The difference could be in race, gender, sexual orientation, geography, nationality, religion, family background, language, ability, etc.

Happy Reading!

Asian/African American Authors:
1. Stargazing by Jen Wang - ***** - 1/3/2022 - 224 Pages
2. Let Me Be Your Motivation by Tay Mo'Nae - **** - 2/22/2022 - 141 Pages
3. Class Act by Jerry Craft - ***** - 2/24/2022 - 249 Pages
4. Assembly by Natasha Brown - **** - 5/8/2022 - 112 Pages
5. Inheritance: A Visual Poem by Elizabeth Acevedo - **** - 5/18/2022 - 48 Pages
6. Mr. Chickee's Funny Money by Christopher Paul Curtis - **** - 9/8/2022 - 160 Pages
7. The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin - **** - 9/21/2022 - 468 Pages



Non-English Speaking Country:
1. Les Misérables by Victor Hugo - * - 1/6/2022 - 928 Pages
2. The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski - ***** - 1/30/2022 - 352 Pages
3. Mother Land by Leah Franqui - ***** - 2/13/2022 - 384 Pages
4. The Girl Who Takes an Eye for an Eye by David Lagercrantz - ***** - 2/23/2022 - 347 Pages
5. The Girl Who Lived Twice by David Lagercrantz - *** - 2/28/2022 - 368 Pages
6. Zorba the Greek by Nikos Kazantzakis - **** - 4/24/2022 - 368 Pages
7. A View Across the Rooftops by Suzanne Kelman - ***** - 4/25/2022 - 396 Pages
8. Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren - **** - 4/27/2022 - 160 Pages
9. My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry by Fredrik Backman - ***** - 4/29/2022 - 372 Pages
10. In the Woods by Tana French - ***** - 7/18/2022 - 429 Pages
11. Pachinko by Lee Min-jin - *** - 7/26/2022 - 490 Pages
12. The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry - ***** - 8/1/2022 - 85 Pages
13. Our House Is on Fire: Scenes of a Family and a Planet in Crisis by Malena Ernman - *** - 8/22/2022 - 288 Pages
14. Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law by Mary Roach - ***** - 10/15/2022 - 308 Pages
15. American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins - ***** - 10/21/2022 - 459 Pages
16. The Little Book of Hygge: The Danish Way to Live Well by Meik Wiking - **** - 10/30/2022 - 289 Pages

Male Author:
1. Neuromancer by William Gibson - *** - 1/13/2022 - 271 Pages
2. Head Lopper, Vol. 3: Head Lopper & The Knights of Venora by Andrew MacLean - ***** - 1/16/2022 - 224 Pages
3. Mouse Guard: Winter 1152 by David Petersen - ***** - 1/18/2022 - 192 Pages
4. Stick Dog by Tom Watson - **** - 2/13/2022 - 189 Pages
5. Year Zero by Rob Reid - ***** - 2/14/2022 - 364 Pages
6. Grumpy Cat by Ben Fisher - *** - 2/19/2022 - 167 Pages
7. The Books of Magic by Neil Gaiman - *** - 2/24/2022 - 200 Pages
8. Stick Cat: A Tail of Two Kitties by Tom Watson - **** - 2/27/2022 - 208 Pages
9. Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann - ***** - 3/2/2022 - 338 Pages
10. The Midnight Library by Matt Haig - ***** - 3/19/2022 - 304 Pages
11. Sakina's Restaurant by Aasif Mandvi - **** - 4/15/2022 - 80 Pages
12. Watcher's Test by Sean Oswald - *** - 4/13/2022 - 658 Pages
13. Gather 'Round the Sound by Paulo Coelho - *** - 4/15/2022 - 36 Pages
14. The First Time Investor: How to Invest with Little Money by Bruce Walker - ***** - 4/15/2022 - 73 Pages
15. The Art of Procrastination: A Guide to Effective Dawdling, Lollygagging and Postponing by John R. Perry - ***** - 4/18/2022 - 112 Pages
16. Bull's-Eye: The Power of Focus by Brian Tracy - **** - 4/18/2022 - 112 Pages
17. On Power by Robert A. Caro - ***** - 4/20/2022 - 150 Pages
18. The Most Wonderful Tales of the Year: Holiday Memories Written and Performed by Our Favorite Narrators by Jonathan Davis - *** - 4/24/2022 - 20 Pages
19. Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney - *** - 4/25/2022 - 226 Pages
20. Break Shot: My First 21 Years by James Taylor - ***** - 4/26/2022 - 95 Pages
21. Hurry Up and Meditate by David Michie - ***** - 5/11/2022 - 193 Pages
22. Furious Love: Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, and the Marriage of the Century by Sam Kashner - ***** - 5/11/2022 - 500 Pages
23. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien - ***** - 5/15/2022 - 233 Pages
24. I Will Judge You by Your Bookshelf by Grant Snider - ***** - 5/18/2022 - 128 Pages
25. The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit by Michael Finkel - ***** - 5/31/2022 - 203 Pages
26. The Comfort Book by Matt Haig - ***** - 6/5/2022 - 272 Pages
27. The Rainbow Comes and Goes: A Mother and Son on Life, Love, and Loss by Anderson Cooper - ***** - 6/11/2022 - 290 Pages
28. The Stranger in the Lifeboat by Mitch Albom - **** - 6/23/2022 - 271 Pages
29. Stick Dog Wants a Hot Dog by Tom Watson - ***** - 6/27/2022 - 224 Pages
30. The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman - ***** - 7/1/2022 - 382 Pages
31. Yearbook by Seth Rogen - ***** - 7/8/2022 - 260 Pages
32. Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear - ***** - 7/14/2022 - 319 Pages
33. Noel Street by Richard Paul Evans - **** - 7/26/2022 - 304 Pages
34. The Complete Tales and Poems of Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne - ***** - 7/30/2022 - 557 Pages
35. Moloka'i by Alan Brennert - ***** - 9/15/2022 - 405 Pages
36. A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson - ***** - 8/24/2022 - 397 Pages
37. The Witches of Eastwick by John Updike - ***** - 8/18/2022 - 307 Pages
38. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum - ***** - 8/17/2022 - 154 Pages
39. The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick - ***** - 8/15/2022 - 304 Pages
40. Kirk and Anne: Letters of Love, Laughter, and a Lifetime in Hollywood by Kirk Douglas - **** - 8/15/2022 - 240 Pages
41. The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music by Dave Grohl - ***** - 10/18/2022 - 376 Pages
42. There There by Tommy Orange - *** - 10/31/2022 - 294 Pages
43. Skin Game by Jim Butcher - ***** - 11/9/2022 - 454 Pages



LGBTQ Themed:
1. Untamed by Glennon Doyle - **** - 3/9/2022 - 333 Pages
2. We Are Never Meeting in Real Life. by Samantha Irby - ***** - 5/15/2022 - 288 Pages
3. The Girl from the Sea by Molly Knox Ostertag - ***** - 5/17/2022 - 247 Pages
4. Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston - ***** - 6/17/2022 - 448 Pages
5. Beetle & the Hollowbones by Aliza Layne - ***** - 6/24/2022 - 256 Pages
6. The Guncle by Steven Rowley - ***** - 7/6/2022 - 326 Pages
7. A Queer and Pleasant Danger: The True Story of a Nice Jewish Boy Who Joins the Church of Scientology and Leaves Twelve Years Later to Become the Lovely Lady She is Today by Kate Bornstein - **** - 8/26/2022 - 258 Pages