Kathleen's 2019 Reading Women Challenge

[Kathleen]

1. mystery / thriller woc – Ripper
2. woman with a mental illness – Faces in the Water
3. author from Nigeria or NZ – Dark Sparring: Poems
5. children's book
6. multi-gen family saga – Caramelo by Sandra Cisneros Finished 5/28/19 ★★★★
7. featuring a woman in science – Lab Girl
8. myth retelling -
9. novella – The Lover
10. about a woman athlete -
11. YA book by WOC – Coffee Will Make You Black
12. Lambda lit award winner – Under the Udala Trees
13. translated book pub pre 1945 - Sappho
14. a play -
15. South Asian author -
16. Indigenous woman -
17. from 2018 Reading Women award shortlist - Fruit of the Drunken Tree
18. romance or love story - The Professor by Charlotte Brontë Finished 5/21/19 ★★
19. about nature -
20. historical fiction – The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock by Imogen Hermes Gowar Finished 4/15/19 ★★★
21. bought / borrowed in 2019- We Two: Victoria and Albert: Rulers, Partners, Rivals by Gillian Gill Finished 5/20/19 ★★★★★
22. book you got b/c of cover - The Year of Pleasures by Elizabeth Berg Finished 1/12/19 ★★★
23. any book from a series – The Wife
24 book featuring a religion other than your own -

Bonus: Ward or Lahiri - Jesmyn Ward's Men We Reaped Finished 3/11/19 ★★★★★

[Kathleen]

Excited about my possibilities so far!

[Aubrey]

Same, Kathleen, especially about your 'Faces in the Water'. Will that be your first Frame?

[Kathleen]

It will, Aubrey! I've been wanting to read her since I read an article about her--it must have been decades ago, and I can't believe it's taken me this long. I think this is the one I want to start with.

[Aubrey]

It's the first one I started with, and it didn't let me down. Hopefully it does the same for you.

[Carol]

I want to finally read Udala this year, too. Thanks for the reminder. Now to check out Ripper ...

[Kathleen]

The fact that it's March and I've finished my first book for this challenge doesn't bode well. :-/ My goal now is to read at least half of these.

Starting with a bonus, Men We Reaped by Jesmyn Ward. My first Ward, and I found her writing style powerful in its simplicity. Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Kathleen]

Finally updating this challenge--not the ones I wanted to read necessarily, but at this point it's important to tick some off the list!

I just read Caramelo by Sandra Cisneros, and will use it for multi-generational saga. I definitely recommend it. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

For romance, I did not like The Professor by Charlotte Brontë. Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock by Imogen Hermes Gowar was pretty good for historical fiction. Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I loved this one. We Two: Victoria and Albert: Rulers, Partners, Rivals by Gillian Gill, so I'm using it for book borrowed in 2019. Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

And for book chosen for its cover, I'll use the first book I read this year, The Year of Pleasures by Elizabeth Berg. Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
See?

Pretty.

[Carol]

Kathleen wrote: "Finally updating this challenge--not the ones I wanted to read necessarily, but at this point it's important to tick some off the list!

I just read Caramelo by [author:Sandra Cisneros..."

April and May were great reading months for you! I’m enjoying all of these reviews immensely.

[Kathleen]

Thanks so much for reading them, Carol! I have enjoyed my reading lately, as always I guess. :-)

[Samy]

I was given the hardcover version of Caramelo as a gift a year or two ago, and just haven't gotten around to reading it, but now you've inspired me to move it up on my list. Some of the other ones you've read sound really good too..so many great books out there to check out. Thanks for sharing.

[Kathleen]

So true, Samy. I love being inspired to read all these books, even as my TBR list is way out of hand. Enjoy Caramelo--it's a special one!