And we’re back! I am once again working in Toronto after returning to school for another term, which means yet another foray into the world of blogging ha ha ha…
This also happens to be the day the Canada Reads 2015 longlist was released and it is delightful. So many diverse writers and the perfect theme: books which break barriers. I’m rooting for Ru by Kim Thuy, An Inconvenient Indian by Thomas King, and For Today I Am a Boy by Kim Fu for sure. I admit I haven’t read any of them yet but they’re all books which have caught my attention enough to make my to-read-shortlist. If they all make it in I have the perfect excuse to start reading them over the gross pile stewing beside my bed.
I’m willing to gamble on King’s newest book making it into the arena. It’s topical, very Canadian, and King has a fantastic reputation as a writer. There will probably also be a debut novel in the mix to represent Canada’s newest and upcoming authors. I like For Today I Am a Boy to open up the discussion about gender (it’s a topic that’s been on my mind lately). All in all super excited for another national discussion about books (!!!) this time with Wab Kinew taking over the reins from Jian Ghomeshi.
The Read Harder Challenge
- A book written by someone when they were under the age of 25
- A book written by someone when they were over the age of 65
- A collection of short stories (either by one person or an anthology by many people)
- A book published by an indie press
- A book by or about someone that identifies as LGBTQ
- A book by a person whose gender is different from your own
- A book that takes place in Asia
- A book by an author from Africa
- A book that is by or about someone from an indigenous culture (Native Americans, Aboriginals, etc.)
- A microhistory
- A YA novel
- A sci-fi novel
- A romance novel
- A National Book Award, Man Booker Prize or Pulitzer Prize winner from the last decade
- A book that is a retelling of a classic story (fairytale, Shakespearian play, classic novel, etc.)
- An audiobook
- A collection of poetry
- A book that someone else has recommended to you
- A book that was originally published in another language
- A graphic novel, a graphic memoir or a collection of comics of any kind (Hi, have you met Panels?)
- A book that you would consider a guilty pleasure (Read, and then realize that good entertainment is nothing to feel guilty over)
- A book published before 1850
- A book published this year
- A self-improvement book (can be traditionally or non-traditionally considered “self-improvement”)