September Read Harder update

SEPTEMBER? Is ENDING? I don't know how so much of this year is already over, someone must have sat on the remote and accidentally hit fast forward. Anyway, my books this month were Hood Feminism and Postcolonial Love Poem. I also bought a copy of Butcher by Natasha T. Miller, since poetry books are usually on the shorter side - does doubling up for this challenge compensate for refusing to read a DNF book? I say it does. I ended up reading Butcher before Postcolonial Love Poem - waiting on my hold from the library for that one. And I'm only about a quarter of the way through Hood Feminism, but WOW it is a must-read. 

As has been the case for months, I also continued to work my way (slowly, so slowly) through The 1619 Project. I'm in a bit of a reading slump, so it's a bit slower than it has been right now, but I'll pick back up soon, I'm sure.

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And now, October challenges. OCTOBER. Fuck. How?

#21: Read a book of short stories

As luck would have it, Joel chose a book of short stories for our next bedtime read after we finished two heartbreaking historical fiction novels, so I'm reading one now! Scattered Showers by Rainbow Rowell, here we go! Now I just need Joel to not work a million night shifts so we can finish it before the end of the year.

#22: Read any book from the Ignyte awards shortlist/longlist/winner list

Wow, I did not know what that award was! From their website:

"The Ignyte Awards began in 2020 alongside the inaugural FIYAHCON, a virtual convention centering the contributions and experiences of BIPOC in Speculative Fiction. Founded by L.D. Lewis and Suzan Palumbo, the awards were an attempt to correct representative gaps in traditional spec lit awards and have grown into a coveted and cherished addition to the awards landscape. The Ignytes seek to celebrate the vibrancy and diversity of the current and future landscapes of science fiction, fantasy, and horror by recognizing incredible feats in storytelling and outstanding efforts toward inclusivity of the genre."

Pretty cool. I've already read the YA winners from 2020 (We Hunt the Flame) and 2021 (Legendborn), the middle grade winner from 2020 (Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky), and a few of the runners up, which is a fun surprise! Now I'm torn between reading the 2021 middle grade winner, Ghost Squad or the 2022 YA winner, A Snake Falls to Earth. Or the 2020 middle grade winner, Root Magic. Again with the difficult choices! When in doubt, start with the first choice and proceed from there, it's worked before. So Ghost Squad it is, and then I'll read my way through the others! Should be fun.