Emerjas

24 Festive Tasks - Kwanzaa Book

Royal Holiday - Jasmine Guillory

Book: Read a book set in Africa or the Caribbean, by an African, Caribbean, or African-American author, with a green, red, or black cover, or with crops of the earth or a native African animal on the cover (Lion, giraffe, cheetah, etc.).

24 Festive Tasks - Christmas Book

How the Dukes Stole Christmas: A Holiday Romance Anthology - Sophie Jordan, Sarah MacLean, Tessa Dare, Joanna Shupe

Book: Read a Christmas book.

24 Festive Tasks - Christmas Task 2

Task 2: Watch a favorite Christmas movie.

 

I typically watch new Christmas movies more often than I rewatch old ones each year. However, I did rewatch one favorite this year - A December Bride. I'm a sucker for fake relationship romances.

 

 

24 Festive Tasks - Hanukkah Book

Nyxia Unleashed - Scott Reintgen

Book: Read a book about light, miracles, featuring Jewish characters, set in Israel, that is the second book in a series, with the word “two” in the title, or with a light on the cover.

24 Festive Tasks - Winter Solstice Task 2

Task 2: Yaldā Night task (Persia / Iran): Stay up all night reading a good book (or at least stay up past your usual bedtime).

 

I was on a flight that didn't land until a little after midnight, which puts it at solidly past my bedtime. Since I was awake already, I spent that time reading A Thousand Beginnings and Endings. It was definitely a good book.

24 Festive Tasks - Winter Solstice Book

A Thousand Beginnings and Endings - Preeti Chhibber, Roshani Chokshi, Alyssa Wong, Aisha Saeed, Melissa  de la Cruz, Sona Charaipotra, Elsie Chapman, Renee Ahdieh, Rahul Kanakia, Julie Kagawa, Shveta Thakrar, Aliette de Bodard, Cindy Gerard, Lori Foster, David G. Myers, Ellen Datlow

Book:  Read a book that takes place in December, with ice or snow on the cover, where all events take place in a single day or night, that revolves around the solstice, set in Persia / Iran, China or the American Southwest or prominently featuring Persian / Iranian, Chinese or Native American characters, or a collection of poetry.

 

This is a collection of short stories based on mythology and folklore from East and South Asia, so some of the stories feature Chinese characters or are based in China.

24 Festive Tasks - New Year's Eve / St. Sylvester's Day Task 3

Task 3: Bibliomancy: Ask a question related to your reading plans or experience in the coming year, open one of your weightiest tomes on page 485, and find the answer to your question in line 7.

 

 

I want to know if I will find new books to love in the coming year, so I consulted my copy of Carry On.

 

Carry On - Rainbow Rowell 

 

"What have you done?" He's shaking Simon, and beating on

 

Well, that doesn't sound good. I may have screwed things up somehow for Simon by asking my question. No answer though. Sorry, Simon! I'll leave you alone to solve your problem and stop bothering you with my questions.

24 Festive Tasks - New Year's Eve / St. Sylvester's Day Task 1

Task 1: Tell us: What are your reading goals for the coming year?

 

 

My goals for 2020 will be pretty similar to my goals for 2019.

 

  1. Read 200 books.
  2. Complete 30 manga series. (Anime-Planet's 2020 manga challenge)
  3. Read books from my list of most-anticipated 2020 books / top books I didn't get to in 2019. I'll create the list at the beginning of the year.

24 Festive Tasks - St. Lucia's Day Book

The Queen of Nothing - Holly Black

Book:  Read a book set in Scandinavia / Northern Europe, by a Northern European / Nordic author, with a predominantly white cover (or white with red lettering), newly released in November or December of this year, or set in the candle-lit world (i.e., before the discovery of electricity – roughly, that is, before the late 19th century).

24 Festive Tasks - International Human Rights Day Book

She Said: Breaking the Sexual Harassment Story That Helped Ignite a Movement - Jodi Kantor, Megan Twohey

Book: Read a book featuring a strong female character (or characters), by an author from any minority group, a story about a minority overcoming their oppressors, or revolving around the rights of others either being defended or abused, a book set in New York City, or a book originally written in a language other than English and / or your mother tongue or by anyone not Anglo-Saxon.

24 Festive Tasks - St. Nicholas' Day Book

What We Talk About When We Talk About Rape - Sohaila Abdulali

Book: Read a book with an orange or red cover, set in the Netherlands or Germany, by a Dutch or German author, or with nuts, chocolate, coins, canals or beer on the cover.

24 Festive Tasks - Russian Mothers' Day Book

With the Fire on High - Elizabeth Acevedo

Book: Read a book set in Russia, by a Russian author, featuring a story within a story (like a Russian “matryoshka” doll), or featuring a character who is a mother.

24 Festive Tasks - World Philosophy Day Book

Task 1:  Share your reading philosophy with us – do you DNF? If so, do you have a page minimum to read before you declare it a DNF?

 

 

I have no problems with deciding to DNF a book. I used to be more stubborn about finishing things, but my TBR has grown far too large, and I realized I needed to be pickier. I don't have a page minimum I have to read before dropping it. If a book is boring me, I don't push myself to keep reading it. I just DNF and move on.

24 Festive Tasks - International Children's Day Book

Wild and Crooked - Leah Thomas

Book: Read a children’s or YA book or a book where children or teenagers play a significant role, or written by an author who was under the age of 18 at the time of publication.

24 Festive Tasks - International Day for Tolerance Task 1

A Night to Surrender - Tessa Dare

Task 1: Find a redeeming quality in a book you read this year and didn’t like.

 

 

I don't want to say anything nice about the book I liked least this year, but I don't have to. I went with a different book I disliked this year, A Night to Surrender. Even though I disliked the story and the romance overall, it did amuse me at times. It made me laugh repeatedly.

24 Festive Tasks - International Day for Tolerance Book

How to Be an Antiracist - Ibram X. Kendi

Book: Read a book about tolerance, or outside your comfort zone, or set in Paris (seat of UNESCO).

Currently reading

Escape Journey vol 1 by Tanaka Ogeretsu
Saiyuki: The Original Series Resurrected, Edition 1 by Kazuya Minekura
That Blue Sky Feeling, Vol. 1 by Atsuhisa Okura, Coma Hashii
After Hours, Vol. 1 by Yuhta Nishio
コヨーテ [Coyote] by 座裏屋蘭丸, Ranmaru Zaria
My Neighbor Seki, 1 by Morishige Takuma
Given, Vol. 1 by Natsuki Kizu
Penguindrum, Vol. 1 by ikunichawder, Isuzu Shibata, Lily Hoshino
Blank Canvas: My So-Called Artist’s Journey (Kakukaku Shikajika) Vol. 1 by Akiko Higashimura
Kakegurui - Compulsive Gambler -, Vol. 1 by Homura Kawamoto