Reading Challenge 2021 Results
For 2021, I completed the extended Toronto Public Library Reading Challenge 2021 where I read books that fulfilled 26 different criterions. (I read more books than that this year, but I didn’t document those). Many of these books were chosen using the Baltimore Public Library’s “Be Surprised” service, where you name a genre (or other specification) and they choose a book for you!
Here is my review of each book and rating on the Negative Five to Five Scale. Let me know in the comments below if you’ve read any of these already and if you agree/disagree with my assessment or if you are going to read them based on my review!
Score < 0
(i.e. not worth your time)
Condition: A book about someone unlike yourself
Rating: -5
Review: I was disgusted and offended by this book. Dripping with privilege and obliviousness Singer decides to appropriate ancient traditions as a means to clear his name after being investigated by the FBI and IRS.
Stephen Marche
Condition: A book in a genre you’ve never read before
Rating: -1
Review: Since it was hard to find a new genre, I found a multi-genre book instead. I would have never thought that werewolves and obscene wealth could be so boring. Don’t read this book.
0 < Score < 1
(i.e. not bad, not great)
Farhad Daftary
Condition: A book about your heritage or culture
Rating: +0.5
Review: I really wanted to like this book more but it was just too dry. It was basically a history textbook without really giving me enough context or color until the last two chapters.
Robert Jordan
Condition: A book that is first in a series
Rating: +0.5
Review: I had to listen to this as an audiobook at 1.75x speed and it was over 30 hours long! A pretty standard fantasy book – so worth the read if you like that kind of thing.
King and The Dragonflies
Kacen Callendar
Condition: A children’s book by an LGBTQ2S+ author
Rating: +0.5
Review: From what I remember, this book was sweet and sad. Not bad but not remarkable either.
Christopher Paolini
Condition: A book written before the author turned 21 (for 2021)
Rating: +0.75
Review: I started reading the physical book and switched to the audio book. My favorite part was how the narrator did the dragon’s voice. It seemed to follow the tropes of a standard fantasy novel and I think it was written well enough - but not enough to capture my long-term interest.
1 < Score < 2
(i.e. good enough to try)
Nnedi Okorafor
Condition: A book of speculative fiction by a BIPOC author
Rating: +1
Review: Decent story but with not too many plot points. This was supposed to be a short novella but I felt like the protagonist wouldn’t stop repeating herself. Perhaps it was because I listened to it as an audiobook, I was especially susceptible to noticing that.
Empire of Wild
Cherie Dimaline
Condition: A book by an Indigenous woman or Two-Spirit Indigenous person
Rating: +1
Review: I really enjoyed reading this book because it was so intense. I could only read one chapter at a time. It kept building up and building up but I don’t feel like it really paid off, which is why I didn’t score it higher.
John Doerr
Condition: A book about someone who is living your dream
Rating: +1
Review: The OKR process is such an important tool, and this book shows how several companies have used it to their benefit. However, when I finished reading the book, I did not actually feel like I actually understood the process. It has taken me a lot of additional exploration and conversations to get to a point where I’m beginning to feel like I know what I’m doing.
Are you there, God? It’s me Margaret
Judy Blume
Condition: A book about growing older
Rating: +1.5
Review: I was pleasantly surprised at the 12-year-old protagonist’s depth and introspection. An easy read that prompts reflection – how can you lose?
Emily Henry
Condition: A book that made you feel comforted or hopeful
Rating: +1.5
Review: The title says it all! A nice, easy, comfortable reading escape. The very cute love story didn’t hurt either.
If on a winter’s night a traveler
Italo Calvino
Condition: A book that is someone else’s favourite
Rating: +1.5
Review: It’s clear that the author is having fun and playing with the medium and your expectations of narrative. I love it but hated it a little because I definitely needed to be in the right mood to read and enjoy this book.
NoViolet Bulawayo
Condition: A debut book
Rating: +1.5
Review: This book was so powerful and carries that abstract feeling of despair that is so hard to explain to someone who doesn’t understand. It captures so much so accurately – but reality is so painful, it’s hard to give this a higher rating.
2 < Score < 3
(i.e. good)
Laura Blackett, Eve Gleichman
Condition: A book by two or more people
Rating: +2
Review: This book was so easy to read and had a nice little story. I loved the protagonist and how she thought about things. The ups and downs of the plot and unexpected ending were all icing.
Educated
Tara Westover
Condition: A book that is narrative non-fiction
Rating: +2
Review: A rough, but fascinating, read especially since I read it so soon after Girl A. I have both narratives crossed in my mind. I feel so proud of Tara but horrified at how abusive and dangerous people can be so protected by a community.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
Taylor Jenkins Reid
Condition: A book about fame
Rating: +2
Review: It certainly lived up to the condition. I really enjoyed Evelyn’s story, however, the parts with the journalist felt poorly written. Still worth the read if you like reading about the dirty realities of Hollywood.
Condition: A book that was published posthumously
Rating: +2.5
Review: This author’s voice was unique – in a young, precocious, authentic kind of way. I think the context provided in the foreword by her professor and about her untimely death also provided an extra layer of depth to this collection of short stories.
Condition: A book with a one-word title
Rating: +2
Review: I didn’t know what to expect when I picked this book up – but it was fascinating. It was hard to read about the terrible traumas and abuse. There is some controversy around the accuracy of this book though, so read at your own discretion.
Abigail Dean
Condition: A book published this year
Rating: +2
Review: A dark fiction book that felt a little too real. It was so easy and so hard to read at the same time, but I enjoyed it all the same. As mentioned before, I seem to get it mixed up with Educated in my head.
Oyinkan Braithwaite
Condition: A book about love (not just the romantic kind)
Rating: +2.5
Review: This book felt so refreshing, but I can’t put my finger on why. You get frustrated on behalf of the protagonist more than once, but it is relatable and clever. Worth reading!
3 < Score < 4
(i.e. great!)
All Systems Red
Martha Wells
Condition: A book where the main character is not human
Rating: +3
Review: Murderbot for the win! This book had a great sci-fi plot without taking itself too seriously. It’s short and sweet and you should read it.
Stephen Witt
Condition: A book about music
Rating: +3
Review: Informative and witty, I have recommended this book to so many people. I think it’s especially appealing to those of us who experienced these industry disrupting changes in the mid-90s and early 2000s firsthand and now have the opportunity to revisit it and see it from multiple perspectives.
Ender’s Game
Orson Scott Card
Condition: A book set in the future
Rating: +3
Review: Prolific and smart, this book did not disappoint! My only critique is that I hadn’t read it sooner. Interestingly enough, I have no intention of reading any of the other books in the series. This was a stand-alone great read.
Esmé Weijun Wang
Condition: A true story written by an author with a disability
Rating: +3.5
Review: I knew we as a society were not equipped to handle mental illness, but I didn’t realize HOW ill-equipped we are. This book provided so much insight into something of which I always felt like I had an approximate knowledge and understanding. An illuminating and well-written book.
4 < Score
(i.e. excellent, must read!!)
Edwin A. Abbott
Condition: A book about STEM
Rating: +4.5
Review: This book is an elegant union of abstract geometric concepts and timeless critiques of systemic racism/classism/sexism. A truly remarkable piece.
Sophie Kinsella
Condition: A book by or about someone you’d like to meet
Rating: +5
Review: I was laughing out loud every 2 minutes! Becky Brandon (neé Bloomwood) is the funniest fictional person in the world. I love the little crazy stories she tells herself to justify her behavior and the ridiculous situations she gets into. Hilarious and sweet, this book is all sorts of wonderful.
