As a self-professed book lover, I am deeply ashamed to admit that I have read exactly one book since being in Korea (and by book, I mean you know, one that was meant to be read by someone over the age of 7 and also wasn’t mostly pictures), and it was just earlier this month. I would like to blame this on the fact that only brought one paperback novel with me (which by the way, I have not read and is now on this list), and the fact that the bookstores nearest us only sell Korean books. Like I said, I’d like to blame it on that - but I can’t. I also have and my e-reader with me. The possibilities for reading are endless. ENDLESS. So really I’ve just been in a bit of a reading rut and I don’t have a very good excuse, other than not having any burning desires to read any particular book.

ENTER READING CHALLENGE. I had on my list of goals for 2021 (not to be confused for resolutions, because I don’t do well with those and they’re different, okay?) “read at least one book a month.” Normally for me, this is child’s play. In my reading prime, I was reading double that and more. I read books for breakfast. But since I’ve sucked at it recently, this felt achievable. I started building a reading list, and then I noticed Chapters had a reading challenge on their website. Alright Chapters, BRING IT ON. The challenge gives you 21 categories to fill, so that’s what I’ve done. It’s not necessarily 21 books, because the challenge DOES SAY you can use the same book in multiple categories. Is that cheating? Nah, I think it’s being uhh… resourceful. But if you want to make ‘em 21 different books have at it! I figured I’d share my list and reasonings in case anyone wants to join in on the challenge and needs some ideas, and then I can check in periodically and give some thoughts about what I’ve read. You know, for accountability reasons and to obviously to launch my long-awaited career as a book critic. So without further ado, I present to you Jenny’s Indigo Reading Challenge for 2021, also known as JIRC (poetically pronounced jerk).

Up first, A book about someone who inspires you: Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly - Anthony Bourdain

This obviously isn’t a new release and I’m not sure if this one is kind of cheating (yes, I’m off to a great start), but I’ve been watching a lot of Anthony Bourdain lately, and have been really inspired by his love of travel and his way with words. I know this book is about his adventures in the culinary underbelly as the title suggests, but I also know it’s about his own experiences and it’s classified as a memoir and biography as well SO IT COUNTS.

A book by a black author: The Color Purple - Alice Walker

This isn’t a new release either, in fact it came out in 1982, but it’s a modern classic, and one I’ve been meaning to read for a while. It won a Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the National Book Award for Fiction and was adapted into a film and a play. The book deals with domestic and sexual abuse and I have been forewarned that I will likely be devastated by what I read. But know that where there is trauma, there is also bravery and resilience. I think I’ll wait until I can dedicate a good chunk of time to work my way through this one.

A book that a movie or television show was based on: Dune - Frank Herbert

Okay, we’re going even further back to a novel released in 1965. Now, I do enjoy the occasional sci-fi novel, but as big of a cult following as the Dune universe has, I’ve just really never had the desire to get into it. HOWEVER, I love reading a novel before the movie comes out, especially if it’s a much-anticipated film. Well the Dune movie is slated for release in 2021 and it stars Timothee Chalamet, Josh Brolin, Oscar Issac, Dave Bautista, Jason Momoa, Javier Bardem, and Zendaya. Need I say more?

A non-fiction book by a Canadian author: Home Body - Rupi Kaur

A new release! This one is Rupi Kaur’s newest collection of poems. I own all of her other collections and have seen her perform live in Seattle. She was wonderful and I’m excited for this one. Oh, and full disclosure - I am aware that I am 100% cheating on this one. Poetry is not non-fiction. But it’s also not fiction. So I’m changing this category to be a not-fiction book by a Canadian author. Sue me.

A book to assist in self-discover and self-care: The Five-Minute Journal

Is this also cheating? I don’t know. I know this isn’t a writing challenge. But if we’re getting technical it is a book. And there are words in it. Words that you read. So no, I’m not cheating okay? Incidentally another one of my goals for 2021 was to begin daily journalling, so I’m just going to go ahead and kill two birds with one stone with this one.

A book by an Indigenous author: Heart Berries: A Memoir - Terese Marie Mailhot

I’m not going to lie, I’m unfortunately not very familiar with many Indigenous authors, so I had to do a bit of a search to decide for this one. It’s described as “a poetic memoir of a woman's coming of age […] having survived a profoundly dysfunctional upbringing only to find herself hospitalized and facing a dual diagnosis of post traumatic stress disorder and bipolar II disorder; Terese Marie Mailhot is given a notebook and begins to write her way out of trauma,” and it sounds like an incredible read. I also just realized this is a non-fiction book by a Canadian author, so look who isn’t cheating after all??

A book considered to be a great classic: Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury

This is the only novel I brought with me to Korea and it still remains unread. I’ve started and stopped this book probably four times now. I’m not sure why. I love Bradbury’s writing style and dystopian novels are my jam, but for some reason, I’ve never made it more than 1/3 of the way through. I’m determined to change that this time though. Besides, maybe a good old-fashioned dystopia can take my mind off all the crazy present-day dystopian stuff going on in the world right now. Worth a shot, right?

A book about helping the environment: A Life on Our Planet - David Attenborough

I also had no idea what I was going to choose for this one, but then I saw that David Attenborough released a book and that was all I needed to know. Actually I do still need to know one more thing - does it have an audiobook? God, I hope so.

A book about a true crime: The Devil in the White City - Erik Larson

When Andrew and I first started dating, he told me I needed to read this book so I think it’s time. It’s a novelization of the events that transpired during the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, told from the viewpoints of one of the designers, and H.H Holmes, who is often credited as being the first modern serial killer. Plus Leonardo DiCaprio bought the rights to the movie years ago, so Leo if you’re reading this - as soon as I’m finished reading you can go ahead and make that movie, okay?

A book that teaches you about the past: The Color Purple - Alice Walker

Here is where I double-dip. Given its setting, the book teaches you about what life was like in the 1930s, especially if you were a woman of colour. In that way, it works for this category too. I love historical non-fiction, so I may end up adding another book for this one along the way.

A book you could read in a day: Grief is the Thing with Feathers - Max Porter

I’m going to be quarantined for two weeks when I come back to Canada, so reading a book in a day shouldn’t be too difficult, but I chose a novella just in case. And no, that’s not cheating, that’s just being smart. If it sounds vaguely familiar, you might notice that the title is a play on a well-known poem by Emily Dickinson, “Hope is the Thing with Feathers.” Clearly this is a little bit, uh, darker than that. It’s about a family grieving the loss of their mother and a crow who visits them. Also it was made into a play that starred Cillian Murphy which is neat.

A book by a trans* or nonbinary author: Over the Top - Jonathan Van Ness

First, let me just say that I absolutely love Queer Eye, bust especially Jonathan Van Ness, so I’m excited about this one. He identifies as non-binary, which makes his book a great fit for this category. He didn’t use a ghost writer and penned everything himself, so I’m sure it promises to deliver that full-on JVN attitude we all know and love. I only know bits and pieces about his personal life, but I know he’s been through a hell of a lot and somehow managed to be the absolute beacon of joy that he is, despite it all. And I’m also contemplating the audiobook for this one because it’s narrated by none-other than Jonathan Van Ness himself, honey.

A Heather’s Pick: The Vanishing Half - Brit Bennett

It’s the story of identical twin sisters who grew up in a small, southern black community, now living vastly different adult lives, from their families and communities, to their racial identities. This book keeps appearing on must-read book lists, it debuted at the top of the New York Times Bestsellers list, and is the Goodreads Choice 2020 winner, so needless to say - sign me up.

A book to build your antiracist reading list: White Tears/Brown Scars - Ruby Hamad

I have a list saved on my phone of antiracist books, but admittedly, given my lack of reading this year I haven’t crossed any off. I am so glad this is a category on this list, because it’s reading I definitely need to be doing. This one in particular deals with the impact that white feminism has on black and indigenous women, and women of colour. It’s another one that fits into the “teaches you about the past” category, as it dives into not only modern day issues, but brings us to the slave era, and centuries of colonialism as well.

A book by a local author: The Dutch Wife - Ellen Keith

This is like, LOCAL local. Like I didn’t even have to pretend that Edmonton was local, because Ellen Keith is actually from my hometown of St. Albert. And we definitely went to school together at some point, which is cool. The Dutch Wife is historical fiction, one of my favourite genres, and I’m super excited to read this one. Now I just need to buy it from a local small bookstore to feel VERY local (forgive me Chapters, even though this is your reading list… heh).

A Book in another format (eBook/audiobook): Untamed - Glennon Doyle

So I’ve checked this one off already in January, and I expect to read quite a few more on my Kindle before the year is up. Don’t get me wrong, I am a diehard hardcopy book advocate. I love a little library in my home and it broke my heart to give up my collection of books when I moved to Seattle (though luckily many of my books found homes with friends). I will admit though, it is convenient. And environmentally friendly. And your girl is on a budget. So here we are. Keep reading for the book description, up next.

A book by an LGBTQ2+ author: Untamed - Glennon Doyle

BEHOLD THE ONE BOOK I’VE READ THIS YEAR. Thanks Jayelle for this recommendation! It’s a New York Times best seller for good reason. This book was incredibly empowering and definitely relatable. I found myself reaching over and asking Andrew to read pages of the book, just to show him how relatable it was. It’s about taking control of your own life and happiness, in a way that feels real. It’s not a preaching self-help book, but a funny, moving memoir that will make you think about what you want out of life.

A book to help you escape to another world: Rhythm of War - Brandon Sanderson

This is the fourth book in an epic fantasy series (of what is set to be ten), The Stormlight Archives, which was just released at the end of 2020. It’s an incredible series that follows multiple story-lines, kind of the same way GoT does, except this series is far less likely to disappoint, since Sanderson is STILL PUBLISHING BOOKS (No George R.R. Martin, I’m not angry - I’m just very, very disappointed). Sanderson is amazing at world-building and character development, so if that interests you, I suggest starting with the first in the series - The Way of Kings.

A prize-winning book: Do I have to pick just one?

The Color Purple, Dune, Heart Berries: A Memoir, Fahrenheit 451, The Devil in the White City, Grief is the Thing with Feathers, and The Glass Hotel have all been recipients of various and sometimes multiple awards, so I’m pretty sure this category has been well-covered.

The first book in a series: Chosen Ones - Veronica Roth

I’m not too certain about this one, but I honestly don’t know if I’m ready to commit to another series right now, so this feels… low risk? A series is a serious commitment, okay? And Roth is the author of the Divergent series, which I’ve read (YA dystopian novels are my guilty pleasure), but of all the YA dystopias, Divergent was probably my least favourite. This one is marketed to adults though. What happens to a group of teen heros years after they’ve defeated the dark one and saved humanity? Well, WE’RE GONNA FIND OUT.

A book recommended by Indigo experts: The Glass Hotel - Emily St. John Mandel

Okay, I really am 100% cheating with this one, which is maybe not the best way to end this off, but hey, we’re going to roll with it. A neat feature of the Indigo Chapters website is that you can give their experts some information about your reading preferences, and they’ll suggest books for you. The books they recommended to me were Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel, The Carhullan Army by Sarah Hall, and The The Midnight Bargain by C.L Polk. I’ve already read Station Eleven, and I loved it. The Carhullan Army sounded a lot like The Handmaid’s Tale, which I’ve read and loved, but I feel like there’s no way this one can compare to Margaret Atwood, so I opted out. The last recommendation is YA romantic fantasy novel, The Midnight Bargain, and I’ve already got a good fantasy novel on my list so again, pass. Instead, I’m going to instead read Emily St. John Mandel’s newest release - The Glass Hotel. Basically I’m ignoring their suggestions, but I AM sticking with one of their suggested authors, and so in a way, I’m very loosely adhering to their suggestions. Kind of.

So there you have it.

I’ve got 18 different books on my list so it looks like I’m pretty well booked for 2021, and I’ve got to say - I’m feeling my shelf (don’t act surprised, you knew the puns were coming). I’ve already read one so just 17 more to go! Well, 16 more to go, plus one journal. Overall I’m pretty happy with the way this list turned out and I’m excited to start making my way through it. Up next in my queue is that paperback that’s been staring me in the face accusingly from my shelf for 11 months, Fahrenheit 451.

Stay tuned for the second installment of JIRC, when I review some of my reads. Until then, if you end up making our own reading list or have read something good recently, I’d love to hear about it! For anyone who wants the link to the original category list, you can find it here.

Happy Reading!