2021 Reading Plans
Bookstagrammers share their no-fills 2021 Reading Plans (and what they’re looking forward to)
As much as we like mood reading, it’s almost inevitable for frequent readers to set reading goals, and on book(ish) Instagram, they’re (usually) elaborate plans of reading hundred(s) of books. We wanted to find out what some of our favourite Caribbean bookstagrammers had their bookish minds set on reading in 2021 and how they’re setting their own trends for 2021 reading goals.
TheRosePetals__
Do you have any reading and bookstagram goals for 2021?
My reading goal for 2021 is to read less. I read 75 books last year, and I questioned how much of that content I mindfully consumed. I set the goal to read less and reflect more in 2021 than I did in 2020. To help me fulfil this intention, I began journaling. The experience of writing down my reflections has been helpful in processing my emotions, digging deeper into research and background information, and responding to authors’ works with my own ideas and thoughts.
Have you started your first book for 2021 yet?
I know I just said I would read less but somehow I am on book number 4 already. I am still on vacation though. The first book was Deadly Family by Caymanian author, Elke Feuer, set in the Cayman Islands. It was refreshing to read a familiar place, and the work made me reflect on some issues in our society.
Which 2021 book releases you’re looking forward to?
I am an Angie Thomas stan, so I am excited about Concrete Rose releasing in 2021 of January! Another one I am looking forward to is Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson, which releases in February.
OddGyalReads
Do you have any reading and bookstagram goals for 2021?
I have no bookstagram goals other than sharing more fun content that will encourage others to read more and of course connecting with those in the bookstagram community. When it comes to reading I don’t want to set goals and targets, that kinda takes the fun out of it and I don’t want to get into the habit of binge reading. However I do intend to read as many bell hooks books as I can find this year. I will be joining in on the RWL reading challenge though, it looks like it’ll be super fun.
What are you reading now?
Emergent Strategy by Adrienne Maree Brown. It’s very good - it’s a challenge to the way advocacy work is being done and how NGOs are organized. Also, a reminder that if we want to see the world change the change has to start within our own live, organizations and communities
Which 2021 book releases you’re looking forward to?
Witches Steeped in Gold - Ciannon Smart
Love is an Ex-Country - Randa Jarrar
White Feminism: from suffragettes to influencers and who they leave behind - Koa Beck
A River Called Time - Courttia Newland
How Beautiful We Were - Imbolo Mbue
Di_Good_Books_Dem
Do you have any reading and bookstagram goals for 2021?
As you might have picked up from my IG Live, I’m bad at planning so I’ll spend some time thinking about this
Lol, so have you started your first book for 2021 yet?
I’ve finished 3 books for the year -Moonflower Murders by Anthony Horowitz, Monday’s Not Coming by Tiffany Jackson and Your Corner Dark by Desmond Hall
Which 2021 book releases you’re looking forward to?
I’m most looking forward to The Other Black Girl by Zakiyah Harris
RayningBooks 🇹🇹
Do you have any reading and bookstagram goals for 2021?
Bookstagram wise, I plan to just enjoy myself more and not worry too much about the aesthetic. I don’t have any reading goals because I like to keep this hobby really free of any pressures (I’m a huge productivity freak otherwise)
Have you started your first book for 2021 yet?
I read The Long, Hot Summer this year already and it was so funny! I’m currently reading Sarah J. Maas’ 2020 fantasy novel because... escapism 😂
Which 2021 book releases you’re looking forward to?
I’m dying to read The Women of Chateau Lafayette! It comes out in March and I love Stephanie Dray’s historical fiction ❤️
Do you have any 2021 reading goals are you just going with the flow?
If you’re looking for bookish inspiration to get your reading life on track this year, check out our 2021 Most Anticipated Caribbean Book Releases, and our 2021 Reading Planner
2021 RWL Reading Challenges - Reading Deliberately & For Fun
Two reading challenges to help you read with intention in 2021
Reading should always be a challenge but never a chore. After the year we had in 2020, we decided to scale our 2021 reading challenge into two small 6-book challenges that will inspire you to enjoy the books you read while expanding your worldview.
If you want to join a community of fellow readers and share your challenge progress, check out the Read Deliberately and the Read Widely Storygraph challenges. You can also use the #RebelWomenLit hashtag all over social media to share your books and each post enters gives you an opportunity to win a monthly prize from our book(ish) store.
Read Deliberately
A book nominated for the OCM BOCAS Prize for Caribbean Literature
A book translated into English
A book with a focus on mental health
A book written by a new-to-me Caribbean writer
A non-fiction book on a social justice issue I care about
An immigrant story not set in the US, UK or CAN
Read Widely (& For Fun)
A book with a reputation for being unputdownable
A book from a country you've always wanted to visit
A book you were excited to buy but haven't read yet
A book from a genre you typically avoid
A book you've already read
A book you bought/borrowed because of the cover
We’ll be sharing book suggestions for each prompt in our newsletter, on Instagram and Twitter
Don’t just read, read with intention :)
Get our printable Reading Journal/Planner to help you document your 2021 books
Winners of the Caribbean Readers' Awards 2020
Winners of our inaugural Caribbean Readers’ Award. An award 100% driven by readers celebrating outstanding works of literature.
Over 5000 people voted in our inaugural Caribbean Readers’ Awards, and we are excited to announce the winners!
The Caribbean Readers’ Award recognizes outstanding works in Caribbean Literature, as chosen by readers across the world. The prize is given to one fiction novel, YA novel, middle grade/tween novel, nonfiction works, short stories, and translated literature. Rebel Women Lit also recognized individuals who embody the spirit of Rebel Women Lit and have made recognizable contributions in their field and in the Caribbean Literature community. The selected awardees are highlighted as Rebel Women Lit Critics and Honorees.
Best Novel (Adult)
Winner: Tea by the Sea by Donna Hemans
Shortlist
A Million Aunties by Alecia McKenzie
Birthday Shot by Rilzy Adams
Black Rain Falling by Jacob Ross
Book of The Little Axe by Lauren Francis-Sharma
Daylight Come by Diana McCaulay
Love After Love by Ingrid Persaud
Polar Vortex by Shani Mootoo
Tea by the Sea by Donna Hemans
The Mermaid of Black Conch by Monique Roffey
These Ghosts are Family by Maisy Card
Best Young Adult Novel
Winner: Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo
Shortlist
Cane Warriors by Alex Wheatle
Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo
Facing The Sun by Janice Lynn Mather
Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender
Off Track By Tamika Gibson
Best Middle Grade/Tween Novel
Winner: When Life Gives You Mangoes by Kereen Getten
Shortlist
Letters from Cuba by Ruth Behar
The Madre de Aguas of Cuba (The Unicorn Rescue Society #5) by Adam Gidwitz and Emma Otheguy, illustrated by Hatem Aly
When Life Gives You Mangoes by Kereen Getten
Translated Works
Winner: The Sea Needs No Ornament / El Mar No Necesita Ornamento edited by Loretta Collins Klobah & Maria Grau Perejoan
Shortlist
The Belle Créole by Maryse Condé, translated by Nicole Simek
The Black Cathedral by Marcia Gala, translated by Anna Kushner
The Sea Needs No Ornament / El Mar No Necesita Ornamento edited by Loretta Collins Klobah & Maria Grau Perejoan
The Wondrous and Tragic Life of Ivan and Ivana by Maryse Condé, translated by Richard Philcox
Poetry
Winner: New Voices: Selected by Lorna Goodison, Poet Laureate of Jamaica, 2017-2020
Shortlist
Feels Like Home by Natalya Muncuff
Guabancex by Celia Sorhaindo
New Voices: Selected by Lorna Goodison, Poet Laureate of Jamaica, 2017-2020
Running with Daffodils by Samantha R.S.
The Dyzgraphxst by Canisia Lubrin
The Sea Needs No Ornament / El Mar No Necesita Ornamento edited by Loretta Collins Klobah & Maria Grau Perejoan
Best Non-Fiction (Book)
Winner: Wicked Flesh: Black Women, Intimacy, and Freedom in the Atlantic World by Jessica Marie Johnson
Shortlist
An Autobiography of the Autobiography of Reading by Dionne Brand
Beyond Homophobia: Centring LGBTQ Experiences in the Anglophone Caribbean edited by Moji Anderson and Erin C. MacLeod
Carnival Is Woman: Feminism and Performance in Caribbean Mas edited by Frances Henry and Dwaine Plaza
Musings, Mazes, Muses, Margins, by Gordon Rohlehr
Reimagining Liberation: How Black Women Transformed Citizenship in the French Empire by Annette Joseph-Gabriel
The Undiscovered Country by Andre Bagoo
The Millennial Mind by Daniel Francis
Wicked Flesh: Black Women, Intimacy, and Freedom in the Atlantic World by Jessica Marie Johnson
Non-Fiction (Individual Pieces)
Winner: Cross Words in Lockdown: #WhatIAmDoingWithMyTime by Olive Senior
Shortlist
After the Aftermath: Hurricane Dorian by Alexia Tolas
Cross Words in Lockdown: #WhatIAmDoingWithMyTime by Olive Senior
F is for …” by Joanne C. Hillhouse (from the Caribbean Literary Heritage Forgotten Caribbean Books Series)
Jewellery for Re-membering in the Afterlife of Slavery: A View From the Disappearing Beach by Maziki Thame
Life on Stilts by Carinya Sharples
Strategies to Escape the Eyes of the State” by Gervais Marsh
Short Story (Collection)
Winner: Stick No Bills by Elizabeth Walcott-Hackshaw
Shortlist
Dominoes at the Crossroads by Kaie Kellough
Stick No Bills by Elizabeth Walcott-Hackshaw
Short Story (Individual Pieces)
Winner: “A Bright Future for Tomorrow” by Andre J P Warner
Shortlist
A Bright Future for Tomorrow by Andre J P Warner
A Mermaid by Zaniah Pigott
Belonging to Barbuda by Barbara Arrindell
Cruising on Wrangler Avenue by Kaleb D’Aguilar
Fabled Truth by Aria-Rose Browne
Invisible Scars by Pietra Brown
Saffy’s Song by Sharma Taylor
Tom, the Ninja Crab by Cheyanne Darroux
The Beast of Barbados by William Henderson
Vizay by Hadassah K Williams
New Content Creators
Winner: @Ambi_reads on Instagram
Shortlist
ambi_reads
booksnbushtea
di_good_books_dem
oddgyalreads
rayningbooks
therosepetals_
Critics and Honorees
Kelly Josephs
Gabrielle Bellot
Shivanee Ramlochan
Joanne C. Hillhouse
The Inaugural Caribbean Readers’ Awards was live-streamed on Youtube on Sunday, January 3rd 2021 Thank you to everyone who voted and showed their support for their favourite author and works written in 2020. We look forward to making it even better in 2021, until then Stay Lit!
If you like the work Rebel Women Lit does for Caribbean Literature, become a sustaining member to support our projects.
Our Most Anticipated Caribbean Books of 2021
From Malika's Poetry Kitchen to the Moulite Sisters, our most anticipated Caribbean Books of 2021 in academic text, essays, biographies, poetry, romance, speculative fiction, young adult fiction and literary fiction.
2020 was an incredible year for Caribbean literature and after announcing the Caribbean Readers’ Awards everyone couldn’t wait to hear the line-up for 2021. This list is by no means exhaustive, but it is representative of what the Rebel Women Lit community is excited about getting on our bookshelves.
Quick Index:
Contemporary and Literary Fiction
Poetry
Speculative Fiction
Young Adult Novels
Romance
Historical Fiction
Short Story Collections
Translated Works
Reprints
Biographies, Autobiographies, Memoirs
Essays, Creative Non-Fiction, and Literary Criticism
Academic Texts
If you’d like to make any suggestions or corrections for our 2021 Caribbean Book List, feel fee to send us a message.
Contemporary and Literary Fiction
Mrs Death Misses Death by Salena Godden (January - Cannongate)
Black Buck by Mateo Askaripour (January - Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
The Vanishing Girls by Callie Browning (February - Self-Published)
How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House by Cherie Jones (February - Little, Brown and Company)
What’s Mine and Yours by Naima Coster (March - Grand Central Publishing)
This One Sky Day (UK) / Popisho (US) by Leone Ross (April - Faber Faber (UK) and Farrar, Straus and Giroux (US))
Waiting for the Waters to Rise by Maryse Condé (August - World Editions)
Poetry Collections
Too Young, Too Loud, Too Different: Twenty Years of British Poetry from Malikas Poetry Kitchen (August - Corsair)
Mother Muse by Lorna Goodison (June - Carcarnet)
Thinking with Trees by Jason Allen-Paisant ( June - Carcarnet)
(Photos to be added once released - Dunno why dem always leggo the poet dem artwork late)
Speculative Fiction
(Fantasy, Magical Realism, Sci-Fiction, and a Seamless Blend of Our Spiritual and Physical Worlds)
A River Called Time by Courttia Newland (January - Cannongate and June- Akashic)
A Master of Djinn (Fatma el-Sha’arawi #3) by P. Djèlí Clark (May - TOR)
Witches Steeped in Gold by Ciannon Smart (April - HarperTeen US and Hot Key Books UK) (Also in Young Adult)
No Gods, No Monsters by Cadwell Turnbull (Sep - Blackstone Publishing)
Young Adult Novels
One of the Good Ones by Maika Moulite & Maritza Moulite (January - Inkyard Press)
Your Corner Dark by Desmond Hall (January - Simon & Schuster)
Your Heart, My Sky: Love in a Time of Hunger by Margarita Engle (March - Simon & Schuster)
Hurricane Summer by Asha Bromfield (May - Wednesday Books)
Josephine Against the Sea by Shakirah Bourne (July - Scholastic Inc.)
Romance
Scandal in the VIP Suite by Nadine Séïde Gonzalez (January - Harlequin Desires)
Where the Rhythm Takes You by Sarah Dass (May - Balzer + Bray)
Sweethand (Island Bites Book 1) by N.G. Peltier (March - self-published)
Short Story Collections
Folk Stories from the Hills of Puerto Rico / Cuentos folklóricos de las montañas de Puerto Rico edited by Rafael Ocasio (May 2021, Rutgers University Press)
Translated Works
Folk Stories from the Hills of Puerto Rico / Cuentos folklóricos de las montañas de Puerto Rico edited by Rafael Ocasio (translated by Spanish) (May 2021, Rutgers University Press)
Waiting for the Waters to Rise by Marse Condé (translated from French) (August - World Editions)
Reprints
Sprucing up some favourite Caribbean Classics for today’s readers to enjoy
The Fat Lady Sings by Jacqueline Roy (February - Penguin UK)
Minty Alley Black Britain by C.L.R. James (February - Penguin UK)
Without Prejudice by Nicola Williams (February - Penguin UK)
The Dancing Face by Mike Phillips (February - Penguin UK)
Biographies, Autobiographies, and Memoirs
The Gift of Music and Song: Interviews with Jamaican Women Writers by Jacqueline Bishop (January - Peepal Tree Press)
Bird Uncaged: An Abolitionist's Freedom Song by Marlon Peterson (April - Bold Type Books
Essays, Creative Non-Fiction, and Literary Criticism
We Must Learn to Sit Together and Talk About a Little Culture: Decolonizing Essays 1967-1984 by Sylivia Wynter (February - Peepal Tree Press)
In the Eye of the Storm: Edgar Mittelholzer 1909–2009: Critical Perspectives by Juanita Cox (Feb - Peepal Tree Press)
The Disordered Cosmos: A Journey into Dark Matter, Spacetime, and Dreams Deferred by Chanda Prescod-Weinstein (March - Bold Type Books)
The Shape of That Hurt by Gordon Rohlehr (Mar - Peepal Tree Press)
Things I Have Withheld by Kei Miller (May - Canongate)
Writing the Caribbean in Magazine Time by Katerina Gonzalez Seligmann (June - Rutgers University Press)
(back to the top)
Academic Texts
Talawa Theatre Company: Theatrical History and the Brewster Era by David Vivian Johnson (January - Bloomsbury)
The Haiti Reader: History, Culture, Politics editors: Editor(s): Laurent Dubois, Kaiama L. Glover, Nadève Ménard, Millery Polyné & Chantalle F. Verna (January - Duke University Press)
A Contested Caribbean Indigeneity: Language, Social Practice, and Identity within Puerto Rican Taíno Activism by Sherina Feliciano-Santos (February - Rutgers University Press)
Black Flags of the Caribbean: How Trinidad Became an ISIS Hotspot by Simon Cottee (February - Bloomsbury)
The Bloomsbury Handbook to Edwidge Danticat edited by Jana Evans Braziel & Nadège T. Clitandre (February - Bloomsbury)
The Struggle of Non-Sovereign Caribbean Territories Neoliberalism since the French Antillean Uprisings of 2009 edited by H. Adlai Murdoch (February - Rutgers University Press)
Kincraft The Making of Black Evangelical Sociality by Todne Thomas (March - Duke University Press)
Colonial Debts: The Case of Puerto Rico by Rocaio Zambrana (May - Duke University Press)
Selected Writings on Race and Difference by Stuart Hall (April Duke University Press)
Ian Fleming and the Politics of Ambivalence by Ian Kinane (May - Bloomsbury)
Slavery in Africa and the Caribbean: A History of Enslavement and Identity Since the Eighteenth Century edited by Olatunji Ojo & Nadine Hunt (May - Bloomsbury)
The Jamaica Reader: History, Culture, Politics editors: Diana Paton and Matthew J. Smith (May - Duke University Press)
The Natural, Moral, and Political History of Jamaica From the First Discovery of the Island by Christopher Columbus to the Year 1746 by James Knight (May - University of Virginia Press)
Beyond Man: Race Coloniality, and Philosophy of Religion editors An Yountae & Eleanor Craig (June - Duke University Press)
Cuba: An American History by Ada Ferrer (September - Simon & Schuster)
Bookmark this page to check back for any updates we have throughout the year.
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Index:
Contemporary and Literary Fiction | Poetry | Speculative Fiction | Young Adult Novels | Romance | Historical Fiction | Reprints
Biographies, Autobiographies, Memoirs | Essays, Creative Non-Fiction, and Literary Criticism | Academic Texts
Rebel Women Lit is a book club turned literary community. You can become a sustaining member of Rebel Women Lit to support our projects, community library, podcast and other activities.
Three Short Books You Can Finish In A Weekend
We can all use a few short books to end the year on a high note, so are three of our fav quick reads you can finish before the ball drops.
Let's be honest, most of us either spent the year devouring books to escape the chaos outside or only read the subtitles for Emily in Paris (that show is frustratingly addictive 🤣 )
Either way, we can all use a few short books to end the year on a high note, so are three of our fav quick reads you can finish before the ball drops.
70 pages
Rhythmic Poetry Collection 🪘
Jamaican Writer 🇯🇲
4 or 5 ⭐️ ratings from every Jamaican on Goodreads
Imagine your introverted & witty friend telling you all the news, gossip and things they observed while taking route taxis around Kingston, that's how we'd describe In Nearby Bushes.
This 70-page poetry collection about place and consciousness will help you forget about all the time you had to spend inside this year.
190 pages ⏳ (longest one on the list we promise)
Multiple Points of View 🔎 🔍
Jamaican Writer 🇯🇲
Hopeful / Heartwarming 🥰
Short Story(ish) 📑
If you like the structure in Girl, Woman, Other, A Tall History of Sugar, or These Ghosts Are Family this is your book!
Though this book addresses grief, it focuses on warmth, healing and feelings of hopefulness that we only receive from our chosen families.
Also, check out our A Million Aunties playlist on Spotify.
110 pages ⏳
Nigerian - American Main Character 🇳🇬
Stream-Of-Consciousness Meets Multiple Points of View 📑
Elderly Main Character We All Aspire To Be 👵🏾 🏎
We read this in November for book club when we realised we hadn’t read many books with elderly main characters and oh my days. It was perfect. Manyika does a perfect at crafting a seamless streams of consciousness with real world humour, tension and in multiple points of view. This novella will leave you unsure about if you’ve fallen in love with the main character or if you just want to be her.
Best Caribbean Middle Grade and Tween Books of 2020 - Readers' Award
These three books have been nominated the best three books in the Caribbean Redaers’ Awards for 2021. Have you read any?
These three books have been nominated the best three books in the Caribbean Redaers’ Awards for 2021. Have you read any?
Letters From Cuba - Ruth Behar (PenguinRandomHouse)
https://www.facebook.com/Ruth-Behar-999319306766100/
IG @ ruthbeharauthor
Twitter @ruthbehar
Things have gotten dire for Esther’s family in Poland as discrimination against Jews has intensified. With the family store shuttered, her father has fled to Cuba to work to bring his family over, and now Esther’s made sure she’s the first child to join him.
Being separated from her beloved sister is heart-wrenching, but Esther promises to write everything down that happens until they’re reunited. And many good things do happen. First of all, the Cuban people are welcoming and treat her with dignity. Then she chances upon a way to make more money than her peddler father could dream of when she discovers her talent for making lightweight dresses. All of a sudden there is a demand for her designs, and it looks like they will soon be able to afford to bring the family over. But it turns out not everyone is pleased with her success and there are pockets of anti-Semitism in Cuba too. Now it’s a race to get her family out of Poland and into Cuba before it’s too late, and to see if there is a way to stop the hate from spreading through Cuba too.
Unicorn Rescue Society The Madre de Aguas of Cuba (PenguinRandomHouse)
Adam Gidwitz (author)
Twitter @AdamGidwitz
Emma Otheguy (author)
Twitter @EmmaOtheguy
https://www.facebook.com/emma.otheguy
Hatem Aly (Illustrator)
Twitter @metahatem
In Cuba, it is believed that a mysterious water serpent–the Madre de aguas–is responsible for providing and protecting the fresh water of the island. But the serpent is missing, and a drought has gripped the island. Uchenna, Elliot, and Professor Fauna fly to Cuba and endeavor to rescue the Madre de aguas. Unfortunately, it tries to kill them. Meanwhile, the Schmoke Brothers’ goons are driving around Havana, dumping pink sludge into the sewers. What is going on? Can Elliot and Uchenna end the drought? Stop the Schmokes? Or will the creature they are trying to save just eat them instead?
When Life Gives You Mangoes - Kereen Getten (PenguinRandomHouse)
IG @kezywrites
Twitter @kereengetten
Kereengetten.com
https://www.facebook.com/kezywrites-216449442469027
Twelve-year-old Clara lives on an island that visitors call exotic. But there’s nothing exotic about it to Clara. She loves eating ripe mangos off the ground, running outside in the rain with her Papa during rainy season, and going to her secret hideout with Gaynah—even though lately she’s not acting like a best friend.
The only thing out of the ordinary for Clara is that something happened to her memory that made her forget everything that happened last summer after a hurricane hit. Sometimes things come back to her in drips like a tap that hasn’t been turned off properly. Other times her Mama fills in the blanks…only she knows those aren’t her memories and it is hard feeling like she is not like everybody else.
But this summer is going to be different for Clara. Everyone is buzzing with excitement over a new girl in the village who is not like other visitors. She is about to make big waves on the island—and give Clara a summer she won’t forget.
How To Stay Bookish When You’re in a Reading Slump
Lean Into It! Four tips on how to (not) read without the guilt
Eight-ish months ago, my everyday life shifted dramatically and so did my reading habits.
So far, I’ve read 171 books this year and abandoned 17, and while that sounds glitzy, it wasn’t a smooth ride. I’ve had many (many) dry spells where I found myself reading the same line over again, where I found myself reading the same line over again, and I just couldn’t go forward.
This year taught me a lot about myself, and one of those things is how to lean into my reading slump without the guilt. There are tons of articles and videos about fighting our reading slump, but I find “listen to the audiobook instead” tips can only go so far. Instead, here are my four tips for leaning into your reading slump and still enjoying great stories.
1. Attend Online Literary Events
I’ve been finding that a lot of the things I value about literature moves beyond the page - I love being able to connect with people and share my literary experiences with others. These experiences are part of why I love book club, but what happens when you haven’t read the book? That’s where literary events become fantastic. The best part of the pandemic is how accessible literary festivals, readings, and awards have been and I’ve attended at least one lit event every week since March. We’ve been having a few literary events of our own you can check out, that are often geeky literary hangouts, more than a discussion on a single book. Plus, if you’re a travel club member you get access to past event recordings so you can
2. Play Video Games
For years, video games have been criticised for making people antisocial and depressed (jokes on you I’ve always been this way! Kidding… anyway) If you actually play video games you know how deeply rewarding it can be for your imagination and stretching your critical thinking skills.
I’m in love with strategy games and lately, 80 Days has my fav mobile game (I know I’m late but omg this game is brilliant!) This game is based on Verne’s 1873 novel Around The World in Eighty Days, and I’m actually enjoying it more than the book! Strategy and role-playing video games takes story-telling to another level, and it’s interactive nature keeps you constantly engaged to press onwards.
3. Listen to Bookish Podcasts
It’s a bit too easy to plug our own podcast, Like A Real Book Club, here and for good reason. Listening to book clubs and author interview podcasts are a great way to keep up with the literary world, even if you’re in a slump.
And if you’re really deep in a slump, and the traditional bookish podcast induces some level of guilt about not reading, maybe turn to scripted podcasts instead? I love scripted fictional podcasts. The Truth has been a staple for me over the years when I find myself in reading slumps, so give it a try! Find a podcast in your favourite literary genre and enjoy the stories.
4. Watch Literary Adaptations
Back when I thought this pandemic would be over by September I binged, and LOVED, the Hulu adaptation of Celeste Ng’s Little Fires Everywhere. Watching it made me want to reread parts of the books soon after and I donated a copy of it to our community library. After that, I quickly turned to my most trusty comfort watches, which include such obvious choices as the Gone Girl, Tales from Earthsea, and the 2005 Pride & Prejudice (this is a safe space, don’t judge my Austen hate-watches).
I’m really looking forward to the adaptation of Dune, and as I’m writing this I’m itching to Mismatched, the series based on When Dimple Met Rishi. I probably won’t re-read these books after seeing their adaptations, and that’s ok. I’m here for the amazing stories.
I hope these tips are helpful fo you if you choose to lean into your reading slump for a bit, and that we can all practice patience as readers.
About Rebel Women Lit
Rebel Women Lit is an open book club, turned literary community, based in Jamaica.
We focus on stories from women, non-binary persons, queer persons, and other voices that have been traditionally marginalised in publishing. Yes, everything we do is political and deliberate.
You can join the Rebel Women Lit community & if you’re a Caribbean Literary Content Creator, join our database