There have been a few posts floating around lately about different kinds of reading challenges. I think that they’re always a good idea. Me, I’m guilty of too many re-reads. There’s nothing I love more than pulling one of my favourite books off my shelf and basking in the story, in the characters. It’s the ultimate luxury (even if, in the case of Robin Hobb, I end up crying my eyes out).

Don’t get me wrong, I love new books (I’m loving Laini Taylor’s Daughter of Smoke and Bone books at the moment) and it’s especially awesome to live with a bookish partner who has abundant shelves and who loves sharing her favourites. But I’m always drawn to re-reading books I love, especially if they really strike my heart the right way (Maggie Stiefvater’s The Raven Cycle and The Scorpio Races, I’m looking at you.)

So, this year, I’m going to push myself to read 50 new books, at least half of them by women.

I encourage everyone to take on a challenge, whether it’s more books by writers of colour, more books by women, more books by people they’ve never read before or just more books, period. I have about a million things I can recommend if you’re stuck!

Yay, book party!