Happy New Year! – Challenge Accepted
Greetings friends,
2021 was a tough year for a lot of people. Myself included. There were good things and bad things, such is life. A lot of changes occurred, including on my end a change of career. That aspect of my life has been an interesting journey in the last year but a great one. I am confident that it was a good move. Only time will surely tell. I am looking forward to what the future has in store and I am more at peace with my past than I have ever been. There is no better time than now to enjoy the present. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, “The past and future aren’t meant to be a prison that holds us frozen in time.” With that out of the way, I am excited to share my choices for the PopSugar reading challenge this year! Below are the choices with their category and the reason(s) for choosing. In order to save time and space, not every cover will be featured.
1. A book that’s published in 2022 – Gallant by V.E. Schwab
Having read Darker Shade of Magic, I know to trust that V.E. Schwab will be a reliably great read. When this was announced, I knew instantly that it would be my pick for this prompt.
2. A book set on a plane, train, or cruise ship – The Midnight Meat Train by Clive Barker
My foray into Clive Barker has been primarily with films based on his works. Hellraiser, Hellraiser II, Hellraiser: Bloodline, Nightbreed, and the movie based on this story are some of my favorite horror films. It has been a goal of mine to remedy not having read any of his works. What better time to start than now?
3. A book about or set in a nonpatriarchal society – The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
This book keeps popping up on lists for this prompt. The description sounds amazing, so I went ahead and followed suit along with many others.
4. A book with a tiger on the cover or “tiger” in the title – The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories by Ken Liu
It is a goal of mine to read more Asian authors. I cannot help that I was born and raised in a Western society. However, I can choose to dive headfirst into works that are more Eastern in nature. Ken is on my radar for The Dandelion Dynasty series of his and I was happy to see that I could fill a prompt with one of his works.
5. A sapphic book – The Rise of Kyoshi by F. C. Yee
This popped up as an option for a sapphic book so I immediately pounced on it. It fulfills my wish to read more Asian authors and is set in the world of Avatar. My Avatar experience is not great, but I have enjoyed what I have come across.
6. A book by a Latinx author – The Alchemist by Paolo Coelho
After watching the movie Extraction on Netflix, this shot up on my interest list. The quote, “You drown not by falling into a river, but by staying submerged in it” resonated with me and if the rest of the book is as profound, then I am in for a treat.
7. A book with an onomatopoeia in its title – The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang
Another Asian author, with the start of a series I have heard great things about. This is one of the ones that I am looking forward to the most.
8. A book with a protagonist who uses a mobility aid – The Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo
I have read Six of Crows and thoroughly enjoyed it. One of the main characters Kaz Brekker uses a cane.
9. A book about a “found family” – A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab
This is the follow up to Darker Shade of Magic. The first book impressed me enough to make me add most of the rest of her bibliography to my to-read list. If the other series are as good as this one then she will find herself ranked high on my favorite authors list.
10. An Anisfield-Wolf Book Award winner – The Old Drift by Carla Namwali Serpell
This is one I just looked up award winners and stared reading synopses for. I have not read many books based in Africa so I am excited to broaden my usual reading locations with this book.
11. A #BookTok recommendation – The Invisible Life of Addie La Rue by V.E. Schwab
I do not frequent TikTok. However I remember the hype for this book ringing out all across social media. Thankfully I was able to Google and find that it had indeed been recommended on booktok. This is one that I was gifted the exclusive Owlcrate edition for so I am excited to finally read it.
12. A book about the afterlife – Limbo. by Marko Pandza
This is a Goodreads giveaway win for me. I find books about the afterlife interesting and look forward to checking this one out.
13. A book set in the 1980s – Darkness on the Edge of Town by Adam Christopher
Who doesn’t love Stranger Things? Sheriff Hopper is one of my favorite characters in the show so I am really looking forward to a story that features him heavily and explains some of his past.
14. A book with cutlery on the cover or in the title – Lioness Rampant by Tamora Pierce
Swords are cutlery. Anyone that disagrees can swordfight me in the street. This is the final book in the Song of the Lioness quartet. I have read the first two already and plan on the final two this year.
15. A book by a Pacific Islander author – Stoicism for Inner Peace by Einzelgänger and Fleur Vaz
Fleur Vaz happens to fall under the category of a Pacific Islander author. This is one of the books I am most excited to read this year. I am a huge fan of the Einzelgänger YouTube channel. When I found out books had been released too, I could not resist.
16. A book about witches – Skin Game by Jim Butcher
The Dresden Files is my favorite book series of all-time. Book one single-handedly reignited my passion for reading at a time when I was in a dark place. I fully credit Jim Butcher with helping me through that tough time. Molly is one of the main characters and happens to be a witch.
17. A book becoming a TV series or movie in 2022 – Absolute Sandman by Neil Gaiman
My wonderful wife got me the Absolute Sandman for my birthday one year. It still ranks as one of the best and most thoughtful gifts I have received. The story my wife provided me about the amount of work that went into obtaining it only adds to the thoughtfulness of it. It is a series that I have long wanted to read in its entirety and now I can at least finally start it.
18. A romance novel by a BIPOC author – Legend by Marie Lu
Marie Lu fits this prompt and her Legend series is one that I have been curious about for ages.
19. A book that takes place during your favorite season – The Once and Future Witches by Alix Harrow
My favorite season is fall. This book is set during that time frame and is highly recommended on many lists. I won a Goodreads giveaway for another Alix Harrow book and want to pay it forward by reading that one and continuing with this one.
20. A book whose title begins with the last letter of your previous read – IQ84 by Haruki Murakami
This is a book that I will have to read directly after Rise of Kyoshi in order to fulfill the requirement for the prompt. I loved 1984 by George Orwell and this book sparked my interest since the title is close. Whether or not they have anything to do with one another, I will have to find out. Haruki Murakami is one of my favorite authors of all time which has been fairly recent. It started with his book After Dark. Every subsequent book has been a though-provoking work of art as well.
21. A book about a band or musical group – Lacuna Coil: Nothing Stands In Our Way by Mark Eglinton
Thankfully a book about one of my favorite bands has been published! I pre-ordered this one back when it was announced. In my opinion Cristina Scabbia is one of the best vocalists of our time and I look forward to this look into her life and the lives of the rest of the band.
22. A book with a character on the ace spectrum – No More Heroes by Michelle Kan
This book popped up on lists for this prompt and was one of the most interesting sounding ones. I am also excited that she is an Asian author!
23. A book with a recipe in it – Peace Talks by Jim Butcher
There is a recipe for a spell in this book. It is a part of my favorite series that I really need to get caught up on.
24. A book you can read in one sitting – How to Relax by Thich Nhat Hanh
I have read How to Fight. It was a short collection of profound thought bubbles that inspire one to find their center. How to Relax I am hoping is a continuation of calm techniques and thought-provoking anecdotes.
25. A book about a secret – Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
This book has shot up towards the top of my to-read list by being highly recommended as a cornerstone of philosophy. My first discovery of Aurelius was in an Einzelgänger video about being calm. I love studying philosophy and going down that rabbit-hole has led to quite a few discoveries. This book is said to contain the secret to living a good life.
26. A book with a misleading title – Trying Not to Try by Edward Slingerland
In true Taoist fashion, the title of this book appears contradictory. That is why I chose it for a misleading title. How can one try not to try? Isn’t trying by default an action towards an end? I discovered Edward in an interview with George Thompson who is a YouTuber that I follow quite a bit.
27. A Hugo Award winner – Three Body Problem by Cixin Liu
I looked up winners and found this gem. Translated by another author on this list, Ken Liu. The synopsis of this book sounds fantastic. The fact that is also an Asian author is icing on the cake.
28. A book set during a holiday – Haunted Nights by ed. Ellen Datlow and Lisa Morton
The only thing I know about this collection is that it is supposed to be stories set during Halloween which is my favorite holiday. I wanted to stick with Halloween since I am drawn to spooky stories. I was ecstatic to find a collection with a story by Garth Nix. He is one of my favorites and has authored quite a few series that I have loved through the years, most notably The Old Kingdom Series.
29. A different book by an author you read in 2021 – Men Without Women by Haruki Murakami
I read Kafka on the Shore in 2021. So I am excited to continue with the works of Murakami with Men Without Women.
30. A book with the name of a board game in the title – Arkham Horror: Ire of the Void by Richard Lee Byers
This is an interesting prompt and I had quite a bit of fun brainstorming and looking up options. Finally, I settled on a book with Arkham Horror in the title and inspired by the board game to boot.
31. A book featuring a man-made disaster – Underground: The Tokyo Gas Attack and the Japanese Psyche by Haruki Murakami
On March 20th 1995 a terrorist attack was carrying out in a Tokyo subway. Several packages containing sarin gas were released. Twelve people were killed and over 5,000 were injured. Haruki Murakami investigated the attack and interviews victims in this novel. I cannot say that I am looking forward to this book due to the atrocity, but I do feel that it will be a powerful thought-provoking piece that will honor the victims and will chronicle an event in history that will hopefully not be repeated.
32. A book with a quote from your favorite author on the cover or Amazon page – Cursed by Benedict Jacka
A recommendation by the man Jim Butcher himself. This is actually book two in the Alex Verus series, book one of which I thoroughly enjoyed. Alex is a great character and I look forward to more exploits set within this world. The magic is interesting and worldbuilding is on point.
33. A social-horror book – Unoffendable: The Art of Thriving in a World Full of Jerks by Einzelgänger and Fleur Vaz
Throughout my life I have struggled with anxiety, at times in particular social anxiety. I feel this book fills the prompt due to it being about a world full of jerks.
34. A book set in Victorian times – The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack by Mark Hodder
This book fits the prompt and is one that I own but have never read. It is said to be a steampunk novel as well which is intriguing since steampunk is an interest of mine.
35. A book with a constellation on the cover or in the title – Velocity Weapon by Megan O’ Keefe
There is a cluster of stars on the cover so it fits. This is also a Goodreads giveaway win of mine. I look forward to finally reading it and being able to provide a review. It is said that this book is a space opera which is of great interest to me.
36. A book you know nothing about – Atomic Habits by James Clear
This was recommended in a Ryan Holiday video I watched about Stoicism. I clicked on the video because he was wearing an Iron Maiden shirt and stayed for the Stoicism. The following week I found in my local library book sale. It was meant to be. I feel like the universe was directing me towards it. I know nothing about it.
37. A book about gender identity – The Woman Who Rides Like A Man by Tamora Pierce
Song of the Lioness book three. I will read this one before Lioness Rampant. Part of the story in this quartet deals with the main character being female and hiding her identity to become a knight.
38. A book featuring a party – Birthday Stories by Haruki Murakami
Sometimes I am a simple man and just love to read me some Murakami. This is a book about birthdays and as such contains birthday parties.
39. An #OwnVoices SFF (science fiction and fantasy) book – Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix Harrow
This is a Goodreads giveaway win for me that I have been meaning to read for a while. I am excited to finally get to it. This book has shown up on quite a few lists for fulfilling this prompt.
40. A book that fulfills your favorite prompt from a past POPSUGAR Reading Challenge – The Anxiety Code: Deciphering the Purposes of Neurotic Anxiety by Dr. Roger Di Pietro
One of my favorite prompts from a previous challenge was reading a self-help book. This is a book that I won from a Goodreads giveaway and I look forward to finally crossing it off my to-read list.
41. A book with a reflected image on the cover or “mirror” in the title – Sputnik Sweetheart by Haruki Murakami
The cover has a mirrored image of a lady on the front. Another potential banger from Haruki Murakami. I made sure to specifically buy this version of the novel to fulfill the prompt, since it has quite a few alternate covers.
42. A book that features two languages – A Bond Undone by Jin Yong
This book contains English and Chinese. It is also a Goodreads giveaway book that I won. I absolutely loved the first book in the series and look forward to continuing it. It is book two of The Legends of the Condor Heroes series.
43. A book with a palindromic title – Dance Dance Dance by Haruki Murakami
I tend to dance every time I get to read a Haruki Murakami novel. Thankfully this fits the prompt due to being able to repeat the same words backwards.
44. A duology (1) – An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green
Hank hosts Crash Course Philosophy and Psychology. I love those videos and have learned a lot from them. I was beyond excited to find out that he had written a book. I am stoked to finally check this one out.
45. A duology (2) – A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor by Hank Green
This directly follows An Absolutely Remarkable Thing.
46. A book about someone leading a double life – The Book: On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are by Alan Watts
My interpretation for this prompt is that we are all living a double life…or multiple lives for that matter. Alan Watts is amazingly thought-provoking and I recommend any of this lectures or books.
47. A book featuring a parallel reality – Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff
The cover of this book is so beautiful it hurts. Set in a parallel Japan it fits this prompt. Described as a dystopian steampunk novel, it has my complete attention.
48. A book with two POVs – Prodigy by Marie Lu
When looking up books with more than one POV, this came up. Since I already had book one on here, I decided to add book two.
49. Two books set in twin towns, aka “sister cities” (1) – Battle Ground (Chicago) by Jim Butcher
The man, the maestro, Jim the badass Butcher makes it on the list again!
50. Two books set in twin towns, aka “sister cities” (2) – The House of Shattered Wings (Paris) by Aliette de Bodard
I started by picking The Dresden Files because I knew it was set in Chicago. Then I looked up sister cities and discovered Paris. I began looking at my favorite genres and trying to find books set in Paris that fit them. I settled on this book which I know pretty much nothing about aside from the city.
What books are you looking forward to reading in 2022?
Thank you,
Jake Jeffries
P.S. Coming next month, 10 Life Lessons from The Wire.
