I'm looking forward to my first reading challenge!This year-long challenge asks us to read both fiction and nonfiction books related to 'women's studies' and to discuss them -- on our own blogs and on the Women Unbound website.
The hosts offer some ideas of what to look for in both fiction and nonfiction books for the challenge:
For nonfiction, this would include books on feminism, history books focused on women, biographies of women, memoirs (or travelogues) by women, essays by women and cultural books focused on women (body image, motherhood, etc.)
It’s trickier to say what is applicable as fiction. Obviously, any classic fiction written by a feminist is applicable. But where do we go from there? To speak generally, if the book takes a thoughtful look at the place of women in society, it will probably count.
But they also make it clear that it's up to us to explain why we chose each book and how it relates to the topic of women's studies. I like that they've also provided some book lists and links for more ideas.
I think I'll sign up at the 'Bluestocking' level (read at least 5 books, including at least 2 nonfiction).
There's only one book on my list so far --
The Violet Shyness of Their Eyes: Notes from Nepal by Barbara J. Scot, revised edition, published by CALYX Books, 2005.From the back cover: "Barbara Scot gives us the Nepal she saw, touched, visited with a feminist's respect for difference."
But I do also have a list of authors I'd like to explore further and that I think would be good candidates for this challenge.
The authors:
- Margaret Atwood
- Jane Austen
- Octavia Butler
- Sandra Cisneros
- Louise Erdrich
- Barbara Kingsolver
- Anne Lamott
- Ursula K. Le Guin
- Toni Morrison
- Alice Munro
- Arundhati Roy
- Deborah Tannen
- Eudora Welty
- Jeanette Winterson
- Virginia Woolf
I'm glad you think the questions are thoughtful :-) I can't wait to see how you respond, and I think the one book you've decided to read so far sounds really compelling.
ReplyDeleteI think you could add Little Women to your fiction list.
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to your thoughts and reviews.
Thanks, Aarti, I'm really glad to be in this challenge.
ReplyDeleteSparkling Squirrel, you could join us--I'm sure there are tons of great feminist mothering books out there! (And a million other things to choose from.)
It's weird, because I'll have a theme for 2010 (like legumes or luck or rodents have been) and I like reading in related bursts, and I'll probably read a bunch of Women's Studies books (and I'm pedantic enough that I could write up anything as a women's studies book, [e.g. "By allowing Eowyn to slay the wraith witch, Tolkein is alluding to the magic which women posses and men don't"]), and I'm excited to read your reviews; I somehow think that joining challenges is too constraining.
ReplyDeleteMaybe I just have enough structured going on in my life that I want to believe my reading is just free-form. Oh well. I'll continue to read vicariously and suggest books for you.
Yeah, some unstructured reading is definitely a 'must.' I like picking up whatever catches my eye at the library or Oxfam.
ReplyDeleteBut I'm excited about reading challenges for lots of reasons - people to chat about books with; setting achievable goals; that sense of satisfaction that comes with making a list and crossing everything off!