Thursday, January 22, 2015

Doing the 2015 LGBT Reading Challenge

This is the next to reading challenge I am picking for 2015 (unless some miracle happens and something easy to add the flows with what I am reading already comes along).

There are some reasons I am going to try this LGBT challenge. One, I would like to diversify my reading a bit. I am anticipating that some of the titles will be nonfiction about the LGBTQIA community and culture. In addition, I do have some erotica and a graphic novel or two with LGBTQIA elements on my TBR pile that I can read and count for this challenge.  Three, the first book we are reading on campus as part of the Dean's Faculty Group deals with LGBTQIA issues, so I will have the first book for the challenge listed and read soon. That book choice did inspire me to try out this challenge this year.

So, here we go:







Some of the rules:

  • "The challenge runs from 1 January through 31 December 2015"
  • "Like last year, each month there will be a mini challenge/theme/list/thingy" (Not sure how this will work yet, but I am interested to see what little extra challenges they add along the way. I've never done a reading challenge that features additional mini-challenges). 
  • "This year, there is no form/genre restriction (you can read whatever you want – young adult, new adult, adult, erotica, nonfiction, manga – as long as its LGBT)" (Good. That they allow all genres will help me. I do have some erotica and manga I may want to count for this challenge.)

For this challenge, I am committing to the following level:

GENRE HOPPER: read 3-10 LGBT books from any genre

I have to hop genres. The other option is YA (young adult), and I am not much of a young adult reader. I prefer my books grown up, so to speak.  Given the low end is three books, I think I can do that just fine. I will aim to read as many as I can, and if I do more than ten, I will upgrade.

As I am doing in my other reading challenges, I will add books to my reading list as I read them. When I post the review on the blog, I will add the link here.

List of books read for this challenge:

  1. Kevin L. Nadal, That's So Gay! Microaggressions and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Community
  2. Mitzi Szereto, Darker Edge of Desire
  3. Adrian Brooks, The Right Side of History
  4. Bayard Rustin, Time on Two Crosses
  5. Jon Pressick, ed., Best Sex Writing of the Year, Volume 1.  

Update Note (9/23/15): At 5 books read and reviewed, the challenge can be considered complete. If I come across other books that qualify and can review them on time, I will add them. This has been an interesting challenge as I have had to actively seek out books that qualify, but it was well worth it. So far the books read were very good overall, especially the Pressick book that featured a variety of topics.



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