Okay - I'll come clean this blog is now going to shift again. What started out as a grad school assignment that stressed me out somehow morphed into a coaching/teaching blog. However, now it is going to be my 2018 reading challenge tracker. As I give reviews/thoughts/critiques of the books I'm reading this year I plan on trying to use a "stream of consciousness" approach. By which I mean, I'm going to have typos, grammar errors, and probably not fully thought out analytical analysis. The blog is to track and create a snapshot image. I'm also tracking this on a thread on twitter @SFSDBreslin so they will probably link together from time to time. I know I'm an English teacher, I know I've written for academic journals, and spoken at conferences...but I'm giving myself permission to just read and review the books the best way I see fit. I may try to revisit the critiques later after I've digested the books some, but who knows. As a grad student, teacher, father of a 3 year old (with one on the way) I may not get time to do as much as I'd like. Who knows! So here we go:
Challenge:
Monthly: I'll read one book by a non-white straight male authors
Quarterly: I'll read one autobiography/memoir about someone I think is interesting. Can be anyone from a historical figure to a celebrity
Quarterly: I'll read one novel written in verse
Every Six Months: I'll read one graphic novel
Throughout the year: I'll read one impulse read.
Total: 23 Books
This does not include: books I'll read to my child, books for my books clubs at work, or other "professional books" these are books above and beyond this.
Rationale:
So there are a couple of reasons that I chose this goal, and I'm sure in my haste to post this I will forget some so I may edit this later. I live and work in a small rural area and I believe because of my background I can improve my world view. Given the times we live in, I believe the more diverse my reading diet the healthier I'll be. If I can make a diet metaphor. I think reading is a powerful way to shape the paradigm in which we view the world. I am a white middle class male, who has benefited from white privilege. I know this, but we live in a diverse world now, I need to see the world through other perspectives. I believe this goal will help me grow as a person. I am excited to attempt it!
Rules and such:
My plan is to try to stick to this plan as much as I can. I may not complete my goal, but I am going to try.
The monthly books will be fiction as much as possible. I really like non-fiction so I may stray from fiction once in a while. They should primarily be adult fiction books, that have some gravitas in the literary world. But, I may sneak in a YA novel. For example, in 2017 I may have included The Hate U Give into this goal. Furthermore, I want to try to push for diversity in my author choices. For example, in May I may read a book by an author with a Middle Eastern heritage whereas in June I may read a book by a gay author. The purpose of the challenge is to understand people from different backgrounds.
The quarterly books can be read at any time, and can incorporate any person or book of verse. The idea is just to learn about others and appreciate a style of writing I typically don't read.
The graphic novels can incorporate any genres. I like super heroes so this may be my reprieve from heavier reading.
I'm trying to keep them in categories. So if I read Trevor Noah's memoir that is a memoir not a book by a mixed race person. I am doing this because otherwise I'll cheat and try to double count the books, and that is no good.
Anyway- I hope this works. I hope you like it. I'll take suggestions. I can't promise that I'll blog all the time about, or that I'll make it through the year, but I can at least try!
Here's to a broader perspective in 2018!
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