I have been keeping my eyes open for new and interesting reading challenges over this month and came upon this one on Ana’s blog Things Mean A Lot.
‘Over the past few weeks, the new team tried to come up with a diverse, well-rounded reading list that addresses some of the gaps and blind spots we found in the texts we read last year. Some of our choices are more recent than the ones from the first year’s list, but we believe they’re all more than important and influential enough to be called classics.
Without further ado, here’s our reading list for the New Year:
- February – Feminism is for Everybody by bell hooks (Amy)
- March – The Book of the City of Ladies by Christine De Pizan (Jean)
- April – Whipping Girl: A Transsexual Woman on Sexism and the Scapegoating of Femininity by Julia Serano (Cass)
- May – Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë read alongside Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys (Iris)
- June – Stone Butch Blues by Leslie Feinberg (Emily)
- July – Little Women by Louisa May Alcott (Nancy)
- August – The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison (Lauren)
- September – Borderlands/La Frontera by Gloria Anzaldua (Melissa)
- October – The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan (Jodie)
- November – Beyond the Veil by Fatema Mernissi (Ana)
- December – Women, Race, and Class by Angela Davis (Emily Jane)
- January – Feminism Without Borders: Decolonizing Theory, Practising Solidarity by Chandra Talpade Mohanty (Eva)
We invite you all to think of this project as an informal feminist reading group. You don’t have to commit to joining the discussion every month, but we’d love to hear your thoughts whenever you’re able to. We’re very excited to read these books together, and we hope we’ll have the opportunity to continue to learn from each other and from you.’
This challenge will be running February 2012 to February 2013, and as Ana says people are very welcome to dip in and out each month depending how much time you have. One of my own personal goals is to read more Classics but thinking about it I would love to try some Feminist literature as well, as I have not consciously tried to before. At the moment I can definitely commit to May as I already have Jane Eyre on my TBR shelf, would be great to get hold of Wide Sargasso Sea to read alongside it. Would also love to get hold of Little Women as it is a book I have wanted to read for quite a long time. I know I won’t be able to have a reading role every month but will eagerly look forward to reading the reviews and discussions each month. Anyone else taking part in this challenge?
See Also:
So glad you’re joining us! And thanks for helping us spread the word
I’m rather excited Ana. Looks like I should be able to get Wide Sargasso Sea from my local library so I think I will definitely be set for May atleast
I’m glad to see you’re taking part in this project! I plan on (informally) joining in on the months that I have enough free time, heh.
Similar to me then, will look out for you reviews and import, exciting to be doing two of the same challenges this year
Pingback: Something New: Free Books! « The Bookworm Chronicles
I’m so glad the group is reading Jane Eyre and Little Women! (And I hope you enjoy them!! They’re a couple of my favorites. I participated last year for A Vindication of the Rights of Woman and A Room of One’s Own. I’ll probably only follow the discussions this year as my reading commitments are already huge.
Have fun!
Yes I’m really looking forward to both of them
And I know what you mean about reading commitments, so many great challenges I’d like to be involved with but at the same time I have my own personal reading goals. Hopefully I’ve struck a good balance this year.