Lauren: The 2020 Reading Women Challenge
Reading is always a significant part of my personal resolutions. I (Lauren) usually set a goal in terms of number of books, try to read a certain number of scholarly articles per week, and—for the last several years—I’ve adopted a challenge that increases the diversity of my reading material. For a few years, I have used Book Riot’s Read Harder challenge and I have encountered so many authors and stories outside of what I might naturally choose. This year, Amy and I are sharing a reading challenge. The Reading Women Podcast established the #ReadingWomenChallenge, which includes 24 books in different categories all authored by women. Throughout the year, Amy and I will offer some updates and reviews. I’ll start by telling you what categories and titles are most exciting to me.
A Winner of the Stella Prize or the Women’s Prize for Fiction
I read Madeline Miller’s Circe last fall and it was definitely in the top three books I read all year. Her debut novel, The Song of Achilles, won the Orange Prize in 2012 (now the Women’s Prize for Fiction) and I can’t wait to get it from my library. Miller wrote this over a ten-year period while she also taught Latin and Greek so I’m confident she not only knows the material but has been able to add nuance and beauty to her retelling, which features the love story of mythical heroes Achilles and Patroclus. The novel ignited significant controversy when it was released but the themes seem to have remained relevant for the current day.
Read and Watch a Book-to-Movie Adaptation
When I stumbled upon the BBC’s television adaptation of A Discovery of Witches late last year, I was hooked. I’m not usually one for vampire stories but this one, set in Oxford, features a woman chemistry professor and a French aristocrat. When I saw this category on the reading challenge, I immediately put a hold on the book that served as the source material. This is definitely outside of my comfort zone in terms of reading material, but that’s the point of the challenge. I’m hoping for lots of alchemy, time travel, and rich description of the dreaming spires of Oxford.
A Book That’s Frequently Recommended to You
Our very own webmistress, Abby, has often recommended Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland so that’s going on my list. I don’t know much about this book except that a storyteller recounts the events of the Troubles in Northern Ireland—including the kidnapping of a widow. This book received numerous glowing reviews, almost all of which discuss the quick pace and near-unbelievable events of the text while also mentioning the overwhelming tragedy faced by a whole country. I’m confident this read will be by turns difficult and moving.
If you’re doing a reading challenge this year, let us know which one. Or, if you have suggestions for us to read and review, we’d love to hear your thoughts.