Rabbit Hole #23--October Reading Wrap-Up

This month was a tough one for my reading. It seemed to take me forever to get through things; as a matter of fact, there's still one book I started at the end of September that I'm trying to finish. I don't know if I'd call it a reading slump, exactly; it was more of the feeling I was moving through molasses. Maybe it's the weather, or that fact that I'm squarely in the middle of the semester and would really just like to curl up in a blanket fort and not come out for the next few weeks!

That all being said, here's some of the highlights from the past month (If you want to see everything I read, you can go here: Rabbit Hole #22: Read Harder Challenge 2015 Update--October).

1. I finished the Read Harder Challenge two months ahead of schedule!! As I said in that post, I'm going to continue to add to the list for November and December, so I can see my progress. It has definitely been good for me and my reading, and I'm looking forward to doing it again next year.

2. The last task I had on that list was a National Book Award, Man Booker Prize, or Pulitzer Prize winner from the past decade. Unfortunately, this is where I stepped in the molasses. I WANTED to love Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall, I really, really did. I usually love stories about England's past and all the infighting and craziness (both literal and figurative) that goes along with histories of the monarchs. But this just left me...bleh. I didn't care about any of the characters; in fact, besides Henry VIII, Thomas Cromwell, and Anne, everyone else bled together. Even those three seemed to be just caricatures of themselves. And at over 500 pages, it took everything I had to get through it. I do have the sequel, Bring Up the Bodies, which also won the Man Booker Prize, but it's going to be a while before I pick that one up.

3. Butterfly Boy: Memories of a Chicano Mariposa by Rigoberto González:
This was my favorite read of the month. González's memoir is a poignant reflection of growing up on both sides of the Mexican/American border, dealing with being part of the migrant community and the prejudice that comes along with that particular situation. It's also a heartwarming, and heartbreaking, tale of a young man coming to terms with his sexuality, particularly in a culture that prizes machismo. It's a quick read and well worth your time. 

4. The Wicked and the Divine, Vols. 1-2 by Kieron Gillan:
Every ninety years, twelve gods come back to Earth. There's only one catch--they only have two years to live once their immortal identities are revealed, inspiring a cult-like following by humans, who flock to them for their short reign. This is a beautifully drawn diverse comic, and the gods are pulled from a variety of religions which all helps to make this my new favorite comic series. 

Here's hoping November turns out better reading-wise. I have several volumes of contemporary poetry and some interesting novels sitting by my bedside, staring at me. 

NaNoWriMo--sort of

My favorite November "fad" isn't No Shave November. It's not Movember. It's not even the 30 days of blessings.

It's NaNoWriMo. 

For those of you who don't know, NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month. Every year, thousands of people sign up to write 50, 000 words, roughly the length of a standard novel, in the month of November. It's now in its 16th year, and doesn't show any signs of slowing down. 

While I've never actually participated, I've lived vicariously through friends who have undertaken the challenge. I love seeing what all of those amazing minds create in just 30 short days. Of course, just writing that much doesn't guarantee a novel. It definitely doesn't guarantee a GOOD novel, one that will be picked up by publishers at the end of November and skyrocket to the top of the bestseller lists. (There are definitely exceptions, though: Sara Gruen's Water for Elephants, Marissa Meyer's Lunar Chronicles series, Rainbow Rowell's Fangirl, and my personal favorite, Erin Morgenstern's Night Circus, all started out as NaNoWriMo projects). 

For me, I'm starting small this year. My goal is to write a blog post a day--I'm not going to aim for a certain word count, just getting back into the habit of writing daily. It's something I used to do, but for one reason or another, I quit. And just like eating right, exercising, and other habits, once you stop, it's hard to get back to a schedule. 

I'm not sure what these posts will consist of. Some will be reading updates, of course; some will be observations of our new life here in New Orleans. The others? They'll be a surprise to us both. 

And then, who knows: maybe next year will be my novel year!

**So I found out there is actually a name for what I'm doing: NaBloPoMo--National Blog Posting Month. Who would have guessed? 

Rabbit Hole #22: Read Harder Challenge 2015 Update--October

Well, I have officially FINISHED the Book Riot Read Harder Challenge 2015!!! Whoohooo!! I'm going to keep adding to it for the next two months, though, just to see where my reading leads me. This has been a really fun and worthwhile experiment because I have been able to see where my strengths are in reading diversely and where my weaknesses have been (I'll write more about that in a later post, however.)  

Here's my list so far:  
(This month's reads are in blue.)

1. A book written by someone when they were under 25: 

Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

2. A book written by someone when they were over the age of 65: 

God Help the Child by Toni Morrison
Lucrezia Borgia by Sarah Bradford

3. A collection of short stories:

Ten Little Indians by Sherman Alexie
Krik? Krak! by Edwidge Danticat

4. A book published by an indie press: 

The Salt Roads by Nalo Hopkinson (Open Roads Media Sci-Fi and Fantasy)
Citizen: An American Lyric by Claudia Rankine (Grey Wolf Press)

5. A book by or about someone who identifies as LGBTQIA: 

We Are the Animals by Justin Torres
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
Golden Boy by Abigail Tarttelin
Butterfly Boy: Memories of a Chicano Mariposa by Rigoberto González

6. A book by someone of a different gender than you: 

Shooting Victoria: Madness, Mayhem, and the Rebirth of the British Monarchy 

by Paul Thomas Murphy 
Half-Resurrection Blues by Daniel José Older
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

7. A book that takes place in Asia: 

The Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri
A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki

8. A book by an author from Africa:

We Need New Names by NoViolet Bulawayo
Zarah the Windseeker by Nnedi Okorafor

9. A book by or about someone from an indigenous culture: 

The Bone People by Keri Hulme

10. A microhistory: 

Desire and Disaster in New Orleans: Tourism, Race and Historical Memory by Lynnell L. Thomas
Liar, Temptress, Soldier Spy: Four Women Undercover in the Civil War by Karen Abbott

 Flapper: A Madcap Story of Sex, Style, Celebrity and the Women Who Made America Modern 
by Joshua Zeitz

The Girls of Atomic City: The Untold Story of the Women Who Helped Win World War II 
by Denise Kiernan
Rats: Observations on the History and Habitat of the City's Most Unwanted Inhabitants 
by Robert Sullivan
The Great New Orleans Kidnapping Case: Race, Law, and Justice in the Reconstruction Era 
by Michael A. Ross

11. A YA novel: 

Paper Towns by John Green
The Wicked Will Rise by Danielle Page
Shadowshaper by Daniel José Older
Scarlet by Marissa Meyer 
Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodsen

12. A sci-fi novel: 

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
Neuromancer by William Gibson
MADDADDAM by Margaret Atwood
Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury

13. A romance novel: The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty by Anne Rice

The Queen's Lover by Francine Du Plessix Gray

14. A National Book Award, Man Booker Prize or Pulitzer from last decade: Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

15. A book that is a retelling of a classic story: 

Boy, Snow, Bird by Helen Oyeyemi (retelling of Snow White)

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (The Jungle Book)

Cinder by Marissa Meyer (Cinderella)
ODY-C Vol. 1: Off to Far Ithicaa by Matt Fraction (The Odyssey)

16. An audiobook: 

Voices and Poetry of Ireland (a collection)

17. A collection of poetry: 

Once by Alice Walker
Horses Make a Landscape Look More Beautiful by Alice Walker
The Weary Blues by Langston Hughes

18. A book that someone else recommended to you: 

Pastrix: The Cranky, Beautiful Faith of a Sinner and Saint by Nadia Bolz-Weber

19. A book originally published in another language:

Beautiful Darkness by Fabien Vehlmann (French)
Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (Spanish)

20. A graphic novel, memoir or collection of comics: 

Captain Marvel, Vol. 1 by Kelly Sue Deconnick

Sandman, Vols. 1 and 2 by Neil Gaiman

Batgirl, Vol. 1 by Gail Simone

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Vol. 1 by Alan Moore

Nevermore: A Graphic Novel Anthology of Edgar Allan Poe's Short Stories
Ms. Marvel, Vol. 1: No Normal, Vol. 2: Generation Why, and Vol. 3: Crushed by G. Willow Wilson
Thor: Goddess of Thunder, Vol. 1; Who Holds the Hammer, Vol. 2 by Jason Aaron
Saga, Vol. 1 by Brian K. Vaughan
Just So Happens by Fumio Obata
Griffin and Sabine: Book 1 and Sabine's Notebook: Book 2 by Nick Bantock
March: Books 1-2 by Rep. John Lewis
Dominique Laveau, Voodoo Child: Requiem by Selwyn Seyfu Hinds
The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, Vol. 1 by Ryan North
Fables, Vol 1: Legends in Exile and Vol. 2: Animal Farm by Bill Willingham
The Wicked and the Divine, Vols. 1-2: The Faust Act and Fandemonium by Kieron Gillen
Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosch

21. A guilty pleasure: 

The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert 

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

22. A book published before 1850: Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens

Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northrup (actually 1853, but close)

23. A book published this year: 

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins (Jan. release date)

 Find Me by Laura van den Berg (Feb.)
The Gracekeepers by Kirsty Logan (May)
Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee (July)

24. A self-improvement book: 

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo

I also read: Talulla Rising by Glen Duncan and Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner

Cowardice

It took
a
long
time
to find my voice.

For years, I listened
to people who
ignored
dismissed
ridiculed
the things I said,
the things I held dear.

Shuttering my thoughts
behind
closed windows;
Moths
banging against the glass,
desperate to be free,
Only to die of exhaustion
on the window sill.

Slowly
very
slowly
I fought back:
Quit being so timid.
Quit being so scared.

Finding those who thought
my ideas
worth hearing,
I started opening up,
tentatively.
Ideas and thoughts
c r e e p i n g
toward the surface
like vines

Breaking down brick,
slipping into cracks
in the foundation,
striving to reach the sunlight.

They see the sunlight now.
The thoughts find their way out
More confidently than before,
Less afraid of what others
may think,
may say.

But.

But.

There are still
too many times:
Shrinking away from conflict
Refusing to engage
Creeping back into myself.

I let others down.

I let myself down.

It's easy to hide.
I have that luxury.

I keep trying.
Too many people are hurting.
I can't keep silent.
I can't keep
being
a
coward.

Rabbit Hole #21: September Reading Wrap Up

I just realized I didn't do an August wrap-up...I blame starting a new job for that. Anyway, here are a few of my favorites read in September, in no particular order: 

Krik? Krak? by Edwidge Danticat: This is an beautiful and devastating short story collection weaving Haitian folk tale and myth with the immigrant experience and personal tragedy. Danticat's writing is exquisite; I sank into the book from the very first work. Most short story collections are hit and miss--there are usually duds in every grouping, but I didn't find that in here. All of the stories are linked subtly and build on the emotions of the previous one. I can't recommend this highly enough. 

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness: Witches. Vampires. Ancient texts--it hits all of the right buttons for me. This is what Twilight wanted to be, and what Anne Rice novels are--a believable world inhabited by supernatural creatures who struggle just as much as we do with what it means to be "human". It has just the right balance of folklore, history, and action, and it has a realistic romance. This is the first in a trilogy, and I will definitely be picking up the other two. 

Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodsen: Part YA, part poetry, part memoir, and completely breathtaking, Woodsen tells the story of growing up African-American in the South during the Civil Rights Movement in a beautifully lyrical prose poem. She tells of bouncing between South Carolina and New York City, trying to balance both the northern and southern ways of life, her mother's activism, and her grandmother's religious expectations. This should be part of every school curriculum. 

And the award for the strangest book I read this month goes to Rats: Observations on the History and Habitat of the City's Most Unwanted Inhabitants by Robert Sullivan, and it's exactly what its title suggests--a book about rats.  I won't say this is a favorite, but it certainly will stick with me. In case you're worried, I didn't go searching this one out; it was on the shelf in my new classroom, and to be honest, it sounded...well, unique. What I really appreciated about this book was how Sullivan played with Walden, emulating the style and technique that Thoreau used in his work. I now know more about these little creatures than I ever thought (did you know they can chew through CONCRETE?!?). 

All in all, it was another good reading month. If you want to see everything I read, click here. 

Rabbit Hole #20--Read Harder Challenge Update 2015--September

Continuing through the Book Riot Read Harder Challenge 2015...

Here's my list so far:  
(This month's reads are in blue.)

1. A book written by someone when they were under 25: 

Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

2. A book written by someone when they were over the age of 65: 

God Help the Child by Toni Morrison
Lucrezia Borgia by Sarah Bradford

3. A collection of short stories:

Ten Little Indians by Sherman Alexie
Krik? Krak! by Edwidge Danticat

4. A book published by an indie press: 

The Salt Roads by Nalo Hopkinson (Open Roads Media Sci-Fi and Fantasy)
Citizen: An American Lyric by Claudia Rankine (Grey Wolf Press)

5. A book by or about someone who identifies as LGBTQIA: 

We Are the Animals by Justin Torres
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
Golden Boy by Abigail Tarttelin

6. A book by someone of a different gender than you: 

Shooting Victoria: Madness, Mayhem, and the Rebirth of the British Monarchy 

by Paul Thomas Murphy 
Half-Resurrection Blues by Daniel José Older
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

7. A book that takes place in Asia: 

The Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri
A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki

8. A book by an author from Africa:

We Need New Names by NoViolet Bulawayo
Zarah the Windseeker by Nnedi Okorafor

9. A book by or about someone from an indigenous culture: 

The Bone People by Keri Hulme

10. A microhistory: 

Desire and Disaster in New Orleans: Tourism, Race and Historical Memory by Lynnell L. Thomas
Liar, Temptress, Soldier Spy: Four Women Undercover in the Civil War by Karen Abbott

 Flapper: A Madcap Story of Sex, Style, Celebrity and the Women Who Made America Modern 
by Joshua Zeitz

The Girls of Atomic City: The Untold Story of the Women Who Helped Win World War II 
by Denise Kiernan
Rats: Observations on the History and Habitat of the City's Most Unwanted Inhabitants 
by Robert Sullivan

11. A YA novel: 

Paper Towns by John Green
The Wicked Will Rise by Danielle Page
Shadowshaper by Daniel José Older
Scarlet by Marissa Meyer 
Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodsen

12. A sci-fi novel: 

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
Neuromancer by William Gibson
MADDADDAM by Margaret Atwood

13. A romance novel: The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty by Anne Rice

The Queen's Lover by Francine Du Plessix Gray

14. A National Book Award, Man Booker Prize or Pulitzer from last decade:

15. A book that is a retelling of a classic story: 

Boy, Snow, Bird by Helen Oyeyemi (retelling of Snow White)

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (The Jungle Book)

Cinder by Marissa Meyer (Cinderella)
ODY-C Vol. 1: Off to Far Ithicaa by Matt Fraction (The Odyssey)

16. An audiobook: 

Voices and Poetry of Ireland (a collection)

17. A collection of poetry: 

Once by Alice Walker
Horses Make a Landscape Look More Beautiful by Alice Walker
The Weary Blues by Langston Hughes

18. A book that someone else recommended to you: 

Pastrix: The Cranky, Beautiful Faith of a Sinner and Saint by Nadia Bolz-Weber

19. A book originally published in another language:

Beautiful Darkness by Fabien Vehlmann (French)
Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (Spanish)

20. A graphic novel, memoir or collection of comics: 

Captain Marvel, Vol. 1 by Kelly Sue Deconnick

Sandman, Vols. 1 & 2 by Neil Gaiman

Batgirl, Vol. 1 by Gail Simone

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Vol. 1 by Alan Moore

Nevermore: A Graphic Novel Anthology of Edgar Allan Poe's Short Stories
Ms. Marvel, Vol. 1 by G. Willow Wilson
Thor: Goddess of Thunder, Vol. 1; Who Holds the Hammer, Vol. 2 by Jason Aaron
Saga, Vol. 1 by Brian K. Vaughan
Just So Happens by Fumio Obata
Griffin and Sabine: Book 1 by Nick Bantock
Sabine's Notebook: Book 2 by Nick Bantock
March: Books 1-2 by Rep. John Lewis
Dominique Laveau, Voodoo Child: Requiem by Selwyn Seyfu Hinds
The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, Vol. 1 by Ryan North
Fables, Vol 1: Legends in Exile by Bill Willingham

21. A guilty pleasure: 

The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert 

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

22. A book published before 1850: Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens

Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northrup (actually 1853, but close)

23. A book published this year: 

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins (Jan. release date)

 Find Me by Laura van den Berg (Feb.)
The Gracekeepers by Kirsty Logan (May)
Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee (July)

24. A self-improvement book: 

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo

I also read: Brave New World Revisited by Aldous Huxley

Rabbit Hole #19: Read Harder Challenge 2015 Update--August

Continuing through the Book Riot Read Harder Challenge 2015...

Here's my list so far:  
(This month's reads are in blue.)

1. A book written by someone when they were under 25: 

Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

2. A book written by someone when they were over the age of 65: 

God Help the Child by Toni Morrison
Lucrezia Borgia by Sarah Bradford

3. A collection of short stories:

4. A book published by an indie press: 

The Salt Roads by Nalo Hopkinson (Open Roads Media Sci-Fi and Fantasy)
Citizen: An American Lyric by Claudia Rankine (Grey Wolf Press)

5. A book by or about someone who identifies as LGBTQ: 

We Are the Animals by Justin Torres
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

6. A book by someone of a different gender than you: 

Shooting Victoria: Madness, Mayhem, and the Rebirth of the British Monarchy 

by Paul Thomas Murphy 
Half-Resurrection Blues by Daniel José Older
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

7. A book that takes place in Asia: 

The Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri
A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki

8. A book by an author from Africa:

We Need New Names by NoViolet Bulawayo
Zarah the Windseeker by Nnedi Okorafor

9. A book by or about someone from an indigenous culture: 

The Bone People by Keri Hulme

10. A microhistory: 

Desire and Disaster in New Orleans: 

Tourism, Race and Historical Memory by Lynnell L. Thomas

 Liar, Temptress, Soldier Spy: 

Four Women Undercover in the Civil War by Karen Abbott

 Flapper: A Madcap Story of Sex, Style, Celebrity 
and the Women Who Made America Modern by Joshua Zeitz

The Girls of Atomic City: The Untold Story of the Women 
Who Helped Win World War II by Denise Kiernan

11. A YA novel: 

Paper Towns by John Green
The Wicked Will Rise by Danielle Page
Shadowshaper by Daniel José Older
Scarlet by Marissa Meyer 

12. A sci-fi novel: 

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
Neuromancer by William Gibson
MADDADDAM by Margaret Atwood

13. A romance novel: The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty by Anne Rice

14. A National Book Award, Man Booker Prize or Pulitzer from last decade:

15. A book that is a retelling of a classic story: 

Boy, Snow, Bird by Helen Oyeyemi (retelling of Snow White)

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (The Jungle Book)

Cinder by Marissa Meyer (Cinderella)

16. An audiobook: 

Voices and Poetry of Ireland (a collection)

17. A collection of poetry: 

Once by Alice Walker
Horses Make a Landscape Look More Beautiful by Alice Walker

18. A book that someone else recommended to you: 

Pastrix: The Cranky, Beautiful Faith of a Sinner and Saint by Nadia Bolz-Weber

19. A book originally published in another language:

Beautiful Darkness by Fabien Vehlmann (French)
Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Garcia Gabriel Marquez (Spanish)

20. A graphic novel, memoir or collection of comics: 

Captain Marvel, Vol. 1 by Kelly Sue Deconnick

Sandman, Vol. 1 by Neil Gaiman

Batgirl, Vol. 1 by Gail Simone

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Vol. 1 by Alan Moore

Sandman, Vol. 2 by Neil Gaiman
Nevermore: A Graphic Novel Anthology of Edgar Allan Poe's Short Stories
Ms. Marvel, Vol. 1 by G. Willow Wilson
Thor: Goddess of Thunder, Vol. 1 by Jason Aaron
Saga, Vol. 1 by Brian K. Vaughan
Just So Happens by Fumio Obata
Griffin and Sabine: Book 1 by Nick Bantock
Sabine's Notebook: Book 2 by Nick Bantock
March: Books 1-2 by Rep. John Lewis

21. A guilty pleasure: The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert 

22. A book published before 1850: Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens

Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northrup (actually 1853, but close)

23. A book published this year: 

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins (Jan. release date)

 Find Me by Laura van den Berg (Feb.)
The Gracekeepers by Kirsty Logan (May)
Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee (July)

24. A self-improvement book: 

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo

I also read: Divided Lives: American Women in the Twentieth Century by Rosalind Rosenberg, Queen Sugar by Natalie Baszile, and The Coldest Winter: A Stringer in Liberated Europe by Paula Fox.