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!