Hey All! A couple of weeks ago @marthabethanreads on Instagram announced plans for a readathon she created. She also created the #makeyourshelvesinclusive tag on Instagram near the start of June to promote inclusiveness in our book collections, and to challenge us as readers to constantly ensure we’re diversifying our readers. She’s created this readathon off the back of that and I’m very excited to join in this July.
The readathon is running from July 1st to July 31st and there are eight prompts – you can read eight books or only one, it’s designed to be a laid back readathon so you can read as much as you want! You can also use one book for multiple prompts as you like as long as the aim is to be more inclusive in your reads.
For this readathon I’ve compiled a TBR list of all the books I definitely want to read in the month of July, as well as a possible TBR list of books I may get time to read.
My TBR:
Prompt One: Read a book from a series by a BAME author – The Poppy War by R. F. Kuang
This is one of the books I mentioned on my Summer TBR and I’m really excited to get to it! It’s the first in a series and it is by an Asian author so it fits the prompt, and I’m just grateful I’ve been given a reason to pick this up so soon. I am slightly scared I’m going to become obsessed with the series and need all the sequels immediately, but it’s a risk I’m willing to take.
Prompt Three: Read a book that will help educate you on BLM- Why I’m No Longer Talking To White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge
This has been on every reading list I’ve seen for anti-racism or for BLM, and really it’s about time I picked it up and read it. Every review I have seen for this has sung it’s praises, and no one seems to have read this and thought it doesn’t say or do enough, so I have high hopes going into this one.
Prompt Five: Read a book for Pride – Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
I had originally hoped to read this in June for Pride, but a reading slump messed up my plans for that, so I’ve decided to add it to this TBR. This is one of those classic YA novels I think most YA readers have read, and I’m one of the very few who haven’t so I feel a bit left out at the moment!
Prompt Seven: Read an own voices story/memoir – Becoming by Michelle Obama
This is another one of the books I listed on my Summer TBR, and it’s one I’ve wanted to read for a very long time. Michelle Obama is an extremely intelligent and strong woman, so I want to listen to what she has to say about her life and experiences and how she’s learnt from them – I’m hoping I’m going to learn a lot from this.
Prompt Eight: Reread a book that makes your shelves inclusive – Noughts & Crosses by Malories Blackman
I’ve owned this book for a very long time, I think I acquired my copy in 2011, and it’s a series and book I adored as a teenager. I haven’t reread this book in a very long time, and it’s one I should reread because it’s so influential in the YA landscape and we recently got a TV adaptation with the BBC. This is a read I’m looking forward to, because I’m sure I’ll still love it.
Possible TBR (if I have time)
Prompt Four: Read a mystery / thriller by a BAME author – My Sister, The Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
I keep seeing this book everywhere recently, and with this prompt and the fact it’s available as an ebook from my library I don’t think I have an excuse not to try it. I don’t think I’ve read a thriller before but I’m intrigued by this, and I’m willing to give this and the genre a fair go. I’m not confident I’ll finish this as it’s not a genre I’ve ever read before but I’ve included it here just in case.
Prompt Three: Read a Feminist Books By A Female Author – Hood Feminism: Notes From The Women That A Movement Forgot by Mikki Kendall
The only reason this is in my possible TBR is because the order of my copy was cancelled as the bookshop couldn’t fulfil it. So I need to buy this again, and that costs money and requires people to deliver during a pandemic, so I’m not sure I’ll get my hands on a copy of this anytime soon but it’s something I desperately want to read.
And those are my picks for this readathon! I’m hoping I’ll get a chance to get to all seven of the books I’ve chosen, but I’m a little cautious as a reader slump did hit me pretty hard this month so I’m not going to be too optimistic.
Links:
Moonlit Books 
This is such a great post!! So glad that you’re excited for the readathon too! ☺️
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Thank you!:) I’m really looking forward to it
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