Hi all, it’s been a solid three months since I did a #readmyowndamnbooks post because I wasn’t real worried about it while I was thesis-ing, but I do have an update. These are a bit weird, firstly because they’re mostly childhood re-reads and I usually don’t re-read at all, and secondly because I read library copies since mine are in storage, but I figure they count. (If you’re new, this is a no-frills set-your-own-goal challenge to read books you own and clean out your TBR.)
Paper books:
- Commander Toad in Space by Jane Yolen. This series is like Frog and Toad crossed with Star Trek, the whole thing is delightful.
- My Father’s Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett. A colorful outlandish-reality classic.
- Lizard Music by D. Manus Pinkwater. A trippy 1970s sci-fi for kids, which I found transcendentally awesome in my youth and still adore.
- Dead Water Zone by Kenneth Oppel. This one is more YA, a kind of scary sci-fi. The writing isn’t great but the imagery is gripping.
- Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare. Way funnier than I remembered.
Ebooks:
- Porn Archives edited by Tim Dean. This one wasn’t a childhood favorite, obviously. It’s a substantial collection for professionals — historians, public historians, archivists, librarians. Really important stuff in here, but not casual reading.
2017 total: 11 paper books, 7 ebooks
Also, I have another quarterly update on the Book Riot Read Harder Challenge! I had gotten pretty far ahead of schedule in the first quarter and am still ahead, so I didn’t push this hard, but new additions are underlined.
- Read a book about sports: Mara by Brian Wood. This is a graphic novel I can only describe as “Dr. Manhattan is a lady sports star.”
- Read a debut novel: A Chosen World by Carl Corley, a pulp writer on whom I am basing my capstone project.
- Read a book about books:
- Read a book set in Central or South America, written by a Central or South American author:
- Read a book by an immigrant or with a central immigration narrative: Born a Crime by Trevor Noah, host of The Daily Show and immigrant from South Africa.
- Read an all-ages comic: The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Vol. 1 by Ryan North, would recommend.
- Read a book published between 1900 and 1950: At the Mountains of Madness by H.P. Lovecraft, discussed here.
- Read a travel memoir: Plane Insanity by Elliott Hester. Unremarkable.
- Read a book you’ve read before: The Original Adventures of Hank the Cowdog by John R. Erickson on audio. If you haven’t heard it, get it!
- Read a book that is set within 100 miles of your location: Foster’s Store by Wayne Lankford, a book of 1960s memories from alumni of my school.
- Read a book that is set more than 5000 miles from your location:
- Read a fantasy novel: Wicked Gentlemen by Ginn Hale, reviewed here.
- Read a nonfiction book about technology:
- Read a book about war:
- Read a YA or middle grade novel by an author who identifies as LGBTQ+: The Manny Files by Christian Burch, reviewed here.
- Read a book that has been banned or frequently challenged in your country: Fun Home by Alison Bechdel. She’s a very good writer and artist but it wasn’t really my thing.
- Read a classic by an author of color:
- Read a superhero comic with a female lead: Wonder Woman Earth One by Grant Morrison, discussed here.
- Read a book in which a character of color goes on a spiritual journey:
- Read an LGBTQ+ romance novel: Brute by Kim Fielding, reviewed here.
- Read a book published by a micropress:
- Read a collection of stories by a woman: The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories by Angela Carter.
- Read a collection of poetry in translation on a theme other than love:
- Read a book wherein all point-of-view characters are people of color: Moonshot: The Indigenous Comics Collection, a high-quality anthology of comics by Native creators in a variety of genres.
Hannah Reads Books 