Tis Me Michelle

While I’ve been back into my reading groove and my brain rot apps have been pumping me with anti-brain rot content. I figured I should maybe listen the algorithm Gods on this one. Basically, I’ve been getting a lot of content about reading more and reading more intentionally. Most of what I read is Young Adult Romantasy or Chicklets. And I love those, but I would like to expand my reading pool, more than anything I’d like to just learn more and feel a bit smarter. I could do with some anti-brain rotting. This challenge is from @thisstoryaintover. Here are the main rules:

• Read a physical book for 45 minutes per day (e-books count, audiobooks don’t)
  • Bonus points: Read 45 extra minutes, this can be a physical book or audiobook
• Read 1 article or essay per month on a topic you want to learn about
  • This is intriguing and scary to me!

Note: One book can check off more than one of the following ‘rules’.

Also note: I’m filling in a few book options I may read as part of these rules, since I have them already. Disclaimer: they could very well change!

• Read a BIPOC per each book you read by a white author
• Read a book from each of the following genre
  • Literary Fiction: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë or Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
  • Historical Fiction
  • Fantasy
  • Science Fiction: Severance by Ling Ma or The Road by Cormac McCarthy
  • Horror
  • Romance: In Five Years by Rebecca Serle
  • History/Politics
  • Science
  • Memoir/Biography
• Read one from the following formats
  • Play
  • Graphic Novel: Cats of the Louvre by Taiyō Matsumoto
  • Anothology/Short Story Collection: A House Is a Body by Shruti Swamy
  • Translated Book: Mona’s Eyes by Thomas Schlesser
• Read books from the following categories
  • Lead is an LGBTQ+ character
  • Book with a Disability Rep
  • Book by an author outside North America: Touch by Adania Shibli
  • Book by a Black Author who is alive today: Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi (I started this forever ago, I must finish! I was so into it, just lost track)
  • Book by a Indigenous / Native American author
  • Book by a Latinx author
  • Book by a East Asian author who is not Japanese/Chinese/Korean
  • Book by a South Asian author who is not Indian

These are some intense goals. I want to give it a shot though! Some of these, I already are going to be difficult. I do think it’d help me in so many ways to be more well read. There are a few things I’m learning with reading… One I don’t have to read only one book at a time. I also don’t have to finish every book I start. And one of the biggest things I’m learning is that I can read books that aren’t so long. There’s nothing wrong with a short story or shorter book. For some reason in my brain that never seemed to be an option before.

This can be considered a new year challenge, but I figure I’ll start now… While my reading phase is alive and thriving.

Are you joining the anti-brain rot reading challenge? What are some books on your list?! I could use some help with the missing categories.

Let me know below if you’re interested in book review posts!