It’s year five of the Bookish Jay and Reading Mermaid challenge. There is a multitude of interesting challenge prompts to dive into, enjoy!
1. Join the Resistance– whether subverting Nazis in WWII-era France, opposing a current oppressive state or ideology, or fighting the patriarchy in a dystopian future, be a rebel with a cause.
The Resistance Girl | Mandy Robotham
2. The lost art of handwriting– choose a book with the title written as script.
3. Daughters– explore the complex sibling relationships so often a theme in literature.
4. Atomic Elements– book with an element from the periodic table in the title (carbon, oxygen, gold, silver, neon…)
The Periodic Table | Primo Levi
5. Mist, haze, or fog-like cover.
The Lost Man | Jane Harper
6. Reuse, recycle, regift– a thrifted book.
Out of Africa | Isak Dineson
7. Back to the future– bridge time and distance with a dual timeline narrative.
8. Neurodiversity– seek to gain a better understanding of mental health and the diverse abilities of those who process the world differently, in fiction or non-fiction.
Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family | Robert Kolker
9. Protagonist over 50.
We Spread | Iain Reid
10. Summon your familiar- read from an animal character’s perspective or from its close human companion.
11. Book maze– get lost in a twisty plot that keeps you on edge.
Nine Coaches Waiting | Mary Stewart
12. Heartsqueezer.
13. Inner child- pick up a children’s or youth book.
14. Memoir or Biography– dive into someone else’s journey.
Greenlights | Matthew McConaughey
15. Opening sentence hook that reels you in.
16. Green. Because it is an amazing color.
The Lemon | S.E. Boyd
17. Read your bliss– any topic or genre that makes you happy.Â
Unmasked: Life Solving America’s Cold Cases | Paul Holes
18. We might not get out of here alive- Survival fiction or non, fantasy or reality.
Where the Crawdads Sing | Delia Owens
19. Book of secrets– whether the international intrigue of a spy novel abounds, or dark family secrets are waiting to be unlocked; there’s destined to be subterfuge afoot.
20. Gothic horror– I’m not saying it’s haunted, but there’s something going on in with house…
21. Missing link– a book that you want to read to finish up or continue a series.
22. Hearth & Home– nesting, homesteading, tending.
23. Memento Mori– death, grief, mourning.
24. Booktok, Booktube, or Bookstagram– discover what real readers recommend, and find out if that book is worthy of all the hype.
It Ends With Us | Coleen Hoover
25. #Ownvoices–Â books about characters from underrepresented/marginalized groups in which the author shares the same identity.
The Hate You Give | Â Angie Thomas
26. The moon as muse– inspired by the moon; depicting moonlight, the night sky, or heavenly bodies on the cover.
27. Never have I ever…read a book about ___. Fill-in the blank with a new topic or genre.
The Name of the Rose | Umberto Eco
28. Honoring ancestors– reading deeper about native lands or personal lineage
Italian American: red sauce classics and new essentials | Angie Rito & Scott Tacinelli with Jamie Feldmar
29. Dark Academia–Â An academic aesthetic that can be found in many genres, including contemporary fic, historical, mystery, fantasy, or horror. Book Riot categorizes DA as this: “The definition of it can be broad, but it requires some kind of an academic setting and a dark undertone or overtone to its story.”
Ninth House | Leigh Bardugo
30. Forged in friendship– a tale of companionship.
The Hidden Palace | Helene Wecker
*I’ll update my current reads and ratings here throughout the year, and may even submit a short review if a book strikes me strongly.
The Scented Library 