2024 Read Harder...It Begins.

The sun has set on the 2023 Read Harder challenge, and now it rises on 2024's. There are some solid challenges - like read a book in translation from a country you've never visited or read a genre book by a disabled author. I enjoy challenges that focus on finding books written from perspectives I may not have experience with or read before. I try to read inclusively, but these challenges are a great reminder that I can always do better. 

Other challenges are very meh - read a cozy fantasy, read a book by an author with an upcoming event and then attend the event, for example. There were a lot that seemed to just be "read this genre" which........I guess you're expanding your horizons if you read a genre that you don't usually, but also...that's it? The whole challenge? Underwhelming. For the more lackluster challenges, I've decided to try and pick a book that's as intersectional as possible, so it's expanding my worldview in more ways than just reading a specific genre. Now to decide if I pick all my books for the year up front or if I choose a few at a time.

Whatever I decide, let's get started with my January books!

Challenge #1: Read a cozy fantasy book - I know I used this as an example of a meh challenge, but maybe I needed it, because I had no fucking idea what "cozy fantasy" was. There's no end to subgenres, I guess. Anyway, after much deliberation (and disappointment in the lack of diversity in cozy fantasy recommendation lists), I chose The Aurora Circus by Viano Oniomoh. 

Challenge #2: Read a YA book by a trans author - Ohhhh, this was so hard to narrow down. Any YA book by a trans author?! So many options! I was torn between a few, including Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas and Even If We Break by Marieke Nijkamp, but I ultimately went with Pet by Akwaeke Emezi, which has been on my list for a while.

And there you have it...my first two choices for 2024's reading challenge. I'm excited to get to it!

2023 Read Harder Wrap Up

Can't believe another year is almost in the books. So soon? 

I finally remembered to grab La Borinqueña from my school library to read, and it was very enjoyable! It's the first in a series, and I would love to get my hands on more of them. It was mostly in English but included Spanish here and there, and it was kind of fun to see how much I could understand without having to check on word meaning. I did have to pull out a translator more than once, but I was surprised by how much I knew! All that practice, paying off.

I put a hold on White Smoke at the library, forgot about it, had to put it on hold again, and finally picked it up after school on the last day before break. As noted, horror/thriller, not my jam, so I wasn't exactly eager to get started, but time was ticking. This was described as similar to like a Jordan Peele vibe, and while I have not watched his movies because I know I would get too scared, I figured that kind of take on horror would probably be less scarring for me than like...demons crawling out of TV screens and shit. Happy to report that, while this book will HAUNT me, I think I was right about that. I started it yesterday, couldn't put it down, and stayed up late to finish it. Holy fuck. Tiffany Jackson is an incredible writer - already knew that - but this was another level. Even if you aren't a big fan of the genre, I highly recommend reading White Smoke. 

Anyway, that's a wrap on the 2023 Read Harder challenge! I'm pretty proud of myself for being on top of it this year, and I'm looking forward to picking out books for next year's challenge.

Galaxy Jones and the Space Pirates - Briana McDonald

Initial Draw: ☆☆☆☆
Character Development: ☆☆☆
Plot/Writing Style: ☆☆☆
Overall: ⭐⭐⭐

From the cover:

"Galaxy Jones lives on the very, very edge of a star system in an inn run by her dads. She loves her home and her little family, but ever since the train station that serviced their part of the universe went defunct, tourists have stopped coming, and Lexi’s on the verge of losing it all. When the royal family stops at their inn on the way to a neighboring star system, Lexi’s dads hope for some good business, but Lexi knows from past experience with spoiled Prince Weston—and his annoying dog, Comet—to expect nothing but trouble.

Turns out, that “trouble” is a whole lot bigger than she anticipated. Weston has stolen something. Even worse, he’s stolen it from notorious pirates—former followers of Lexi’s idol, the famous pirate Astro Bonny—who have tracked him straight to her house. Problem is, Weston has lost the trinket somewhere in deep space. And now the pirates are holding all the adults hostage with the threat of destroying the inn if they can’t find what they’ve come for.

Lucky for Weston, Lexi has a plan. In exchange for his help saving the family business, she will use all her skills and embrace the adventurous spirit of the great Astro Bonny to help him find whatever it is the pirates are after. With some pluck, and a whole lot of luck, she might just pull it off—and make an unexpected friend along the way."

I haven't finished this book yet, but I need a book to review, and I've got some thoughts about this one, so it's happening. This was a subscription box book (the now-defunct Owlcrate Jr. box), and a fairly recent one. Rare, me reading a subscription book right away, but the cover drew me in.

Now, normally when a cover draws me in, it's because I've immediately fallen in love with it. In this case, it was less that and more that I was...a little confused? This version is a slightly toned down version as far as the colors - my cover is VERY pink, and just the whole vibe was like...what kind of story is this? Don't get me wrong, I think the cover art is unique and draws you in, but I also don't totally think it vibes with the actual story, which is an odd choice.

And speaking of the story, this book clocks in at 288 pages, and about halfway in, I feel confident in saying that is too long. The pace is a mess - nothing is happening, and then fast-forward a bunch of things happen in one chapter that should probably have been spaced out over at least a couple, and then nothing is happening, and then something is happening but it doesn't make sense...add to that, the character development is virtually nonexistent, and I just...I feel like it's a great idea that falters on the execution. 

Maybe someone with more patience would like it, but it isn't drawing me in, and while I will be adding it to my school library, I'm not sure if my students will have the patience for it either. But who knows? Maybe my opinion for it will change in the second half. I'll update if so.

The Chalice of the Gods - Rick Riordan

Initial Draw: ☆☆☆☆
Character Development: ☆☆☆☆
Plot/Writing Style: ☆☆☆☆
Overall: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

From the cover:

"After saving the world multiple times, Percy Jackson is hoping to have a normal senior year. Unfortunately, the gods aren’t quite done with him. Percy will have to fulfill three quests in order to get the necessary three letters of recommendation from Mount Olympus for college.

The first quest is to help Zeus’s cup-bearer retrieve his goblet before it falls into the wrong hands. Can Percy, Grover, and Annabeth find it in time?"

I have a student who is OBSESSED with Greek mythology, and he tipped me off that this book was coming out, so I grabbed a copy. I didn't look into a synopsis or anything, I just assumed it was one last book to cap off the series for...reasons? And I figured whatever the case, I like Percy Jackson, I like Rick Riordan books, it'll be enjoyable no matter what. And it was! So that's good!

Am I confused at the choice to make it book six in a series that was finished publishing over a decade ago, particularly when the story picks up at a completely new point in Percy's life? I am. Honestly, I assumed it was because it was a one-shot, so tacking it on to the end of the series made more sense than having a standalone book. After reading it, though, it has clearly been set up for at least two additional books so...why not make it a new trilogy? I guess because Percy Jackson and the Letters of Recommendation doesn't have the same ring to it as Percy Jackson and the Olympians.

Whyever they made the decision, that's my biggest gripe with the book. It does nothing to change the book itself, it's just an odd thing I'm curious about. The book itself - great. Same Percy Jackson sense of adventure, some nice action, and lots of Annabeth and Grover to enjoy. There's more time at home than we usually get to see in a middle grade book, which I thought was sweet, and there were some surprising twists in how Percy, Annabeth, and Grover ended up approaching their quest that I really enjoyed. Overall, a very enjoyable read, and I look forward to the next one.

The Forbidden Wish - Jessica Khoury

Initial Draw: ☆☆☆☆☆
Character Development: ☆☆☆☆☆
Plot/Writing Style: ☆☆☆☆☆
Overall: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

From the cover:

"When Aladdin discovers Zahra's jinni lamp, Zahra is thrust back into a world she hasn't seen in hundreds of years - a world where magic is forbidden and Zahra's very existence is illegal. She must disguise herself to stay alive, using ancient shape-shifting magic, until her new master has selected his three wishes.

But when the King of the Jinn offers Zahra a chance to be free of her lamp forever, she seizes the opportunity - only to discover she is falling in love with Aladdin. When saving herself means betraying him, Zahra must decide once and for all: is winning her freedom worth losing her heart?

As time unravels and her enemies close in, Zahra finds herself suspended between danger and desire in this dazzling retelling of the Aladdin story from acclaimed author Jessica Khoury."

Have you ever had one of those moments where you're browsing for books and the stars align, guiding you to one you didn't know existed but that you have to have? That's how I found this book. Paperbacks & Frybread was having a sale, it happened to include a random, signed copy of this book, and as soon as I saw that it was an Aladdin retelling, I was sold. Now, in my perfect, idyllic dream world, it would be a queer Aladdin retelling...but aside from lacking that one aspect, this was pretty nice as far as retellings go.

For starters, I loved Zahra. How complicated she was, the way her history was woven into the story and revealed bit by bit, her tenacity and creativity...Zahra rocks. So does Caspida and her handmaidens. Aladdin was acceptable, but the women in this book were by far the best part. Honestly, the...I guess secondary conflict(?) with the vizier and his son was not super engaging to me, probably because it was alluded to but nothing was really done with it until it fully came to a head, but I would have read more of this book just to see Zahra, Caspida, and company be amazing some more. They were glorious. A revelation. Honestly, authors take note. Do we even need Aladdin? This could have been the queer retelling the world needs. (Joking, mostly. Sort of.)

Sorry, getting off track. In addition to the girl power, I enjoyed the world building that went into this book. We only got bits and pieces of it, but it was intriguing as hell! I would read so many more books about Zahra's history. And Caspida's rule. About how her handmaidens came to be her handmaidens. What I'm getting at, Jessica Khoury, is give me more books in this world. I will devour them like Cookie Monster. That's not to say this book is perfect - it definitely had some funky word choices at times and several pacing issues - but for me the good more than made up for the clunky. It was a delight. And now I want to watch Aladdin.