Book Options for the Modern Mrs. Darcy 2019 Reading Challenge

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I love reading, but I don’t love feeling as if I have to read something. I enjoyed many of the books I was assigned in college, yet didn’t always like having to stick to a syllabus. That’s why I’ve never participated in any online reading challenges. I don’t want reading to feel like homework.

One of my favorite book blogs is Modern Mrs. Darcy. I was looking at her 2019 reading challenge and realized this one actually excites me. At only 10 categories, it’s not too long, and there are plenty of options for every requirement so I won’t feel pressured to read specific things.

Today I’m sharing some possible reads for each category. Who knows if I’ll stick to this list, but at least I’ll have a plan. (And I love plans.) Maybe these books will inspire you if you’re doing the challenge, too.

1. A book you’ve been meaning
to read

This list could be ridiculously long since I have so many unread books on my shelves. (One of my 2019 reading goals is to lower that number.) For this task, I’m choosing a book that I’ve owned for at least a year. These are the ones I’m most excited to read right now:

2. A book about a topic that fascinates you

I’m fascinated by a lot of things, but my primary interests right now include:

American Presidents: The Path to Power by Robert Caro
Food: Tender at the Bone: Growing Up at the Table by Ruth Reichl
World War II: Stalingrad: The Fateful Siege: 1942-1943 by Antony Beevor
North Korea: A River in Darkness: One Man’s Escape from North Korea by Masaji Ishikawa

3. A book in the backlist of a favorite author

Sometimes when I really love an author, I’ll hesitate to read everything they’ve written because I want to know there’s still a book out there by them I haven’t read yet. (Especially when there are many, many years between new releases, DONNA.) Is that weird? Maybe. Probably.

Donna Tartt: The Little Friend
Roxane Gay: Ayiti
Liane Moriarty: What Alice Forgot
Tana French: Faithful Place

4. A book recommended by someone with great taste

Some friends have recommended:

5. Three books by the same author

I’d love to read more from Baldwin and French, and I haven’t read Ferrante at all.

James Baldwin: Giovanni’s Room, Notes of a Native Son, Tell Me How Long the Train’s Been Gone
Elena Ferrante: My Brilliant Friend, The Story of a New Name, Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay
Tana French: Faithful Place, Broken Harbor, The Secret Place

6. A book you chose for the cover

I’m a sucker for a pretty book cover. These are the most recent ones that have caught my eye:

7. A book by an author who is
new to you

Thanks to some Christmas gift cards, I just bought a few books by authors I’ve yet to read, including:

8. A book in translation

I was happy to see this category on the list since reading more translated books was already one of my reading goals this year. At the top of my list are:

9. A book outside your (genre) comfort zone

This category is going to stretch me more than any of the others because I tend to read a bit narrowly when it comes to fiction. I mostly stick to literary fiction, thrillers, and mysteries. Here are some titles that are definitely outside my comfort zone, but intrigue me nonetheless:

Western: Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
Fantasy: Magic for Liars by Sarah Gailey
Romance: The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory
Sci-Fi: The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

10. A book published before you were born

I’m hoping this category will inspire me to pick up a few of the classics that have been sitting on my shelves for too long, such as:

So those are my ideas so far. If you have any suggestions to add, please let me know. I’m always up for book recommendations.

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1. A book you’ve been meaning to read