Last year’s Adoption Reading Challenge was a success. I don’t care if you didn’t read all of your books and feel that you failed; it was still a success. People who aren’t touched by adoption read books they never would have read. People who are touched by adoption read books they never would have read. We expanded our knowledge, ranted a little bit and had a lot of fun. With books. That? Is a success, my friends.
As such, I’m hosting the Adoption Reading Challenge again in 2012. The landing page to share your links is already live. I kept the reading levels and number of challenge books the same this year. I actually fell short of the 20 myself (by 3!), but I don’t think 20 books is too outrageous. Here’s the challenge levels:
Level 1: Read 3 books about adoption, non-fiction or fiction.
Level 2: Read 6 books about adoption, 3 non-fiction/3 fiction.
Level 3: Read 12 books about adoption, 6 non-fiction/6 fiction.
Level 4: Read 20 books about adoption, 10 non-fiction/10 fiction.
That’s a lot of reading if you choose Level 4, but it was really interesting for me. I had to go out and beyond what my experience is (open, domestic adoption) and into other realms I hadn’t before (international adoption, adoptee rights, and so on). The rules, on the official page, are also the same as last year, with this addition that explains why people not touched by adoption might want to join this challenge.
Adoption is a huge theme in books (and movies/TV). Reading it with that in mind, to look at how it is treated in both fiction and non-fiction is a great way to become mindful of something that might be outside of your immediate experience.
Edited to Add: The rules also show that we have a Goodreads group for the challenge. Participation is not mandatory. Why should you use it? It would be great if you’re not a blogger (easy, quick interaction and reviews) or if you don’t like to review every book on your blog. It would also be great to help others find books.
The truth is that adoption is mentioned in all sorts of popular books (think Twilight to Jodi Picoult to even the books our children read). Recognizing it when you read it, talking about it and understanding why some depictions of adoption are detrimental to social change is not a bad idea whether you’re touched by adoption or not.
That said, I hope you will participate again in the Adoption Reading Challenge. You can sign up below and leave your links for reviews on the main landing page. Doing so helps others figure out what to read as they go. (Or, you know, what not to read if it’s a truly horrid book.)
I hope you'll join us again this year. I have no clue what I'll be reading adoption-wise this year (though I do know that even when I wasn't planning on reading an adoption-specific book, I sometimes got to check off another book read as it ended up being about adoption!). Let's get reading and sharing ideas, okay? Okay!
Twitter: bflomama
says:
I was a horrible failure at this last year – not so much the “reading” part, but the “writing about” part, absolutely – but I’m excited to give it another go this year! xo
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Twitter: firemom
says:
I also didn’t write about every book. One of our participants isn’t planning on blogging about every book, but she will make note of each on Goodreads. I think I’m also going to follow that path, choosing only my favs (or horrors!) to blog about this year. Enjoy!!
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We should pick a standard Goodreads tag (er, shelf) to use so we can find each other’s reviews.
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Twitter: JennyBHammond
says:
I’m on Goodreads, too! I agree – let’s share a “shelf”! True confession: I’m not so good a writing book review on my blog, but can write a sound-byte on Goodreads!
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Twitter: fouragainsttwo
says:
I completed level II last in 2011, I’m thinking about commiting to level I this year. I had fun reading everyones reviews and think this reading challenge is a great asset to the Adoption Community! Thanks Jenna :)
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This will be my first time participating in the Reading Challenge- level 1 participant. :)
I’m looking forward to it!
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I wrote a paper on adoption last year and learned tons! (that’s how I found this site) I’m really excited about the Adoption Reading challenge! Thanks Jenna!
Anybody have suggestions for books to read?
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Since you asked. ADRIFT, How Discovering I Was Switched at Birth Changed My Life at Fifty is the just-released memoir of my loss of identity and recovery from psychological trauma, and a broader commentary on family, social change, and growing up in America. It is available at amazon as quality paperback and enhanced ebook. Here is a link to my book trailer. The paperback is 204 pages, and the enhanced ebook 55K words. Somebody told me she laughed, cried, and scratched her head a lot while reading it. It don’t get better than that. :)
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[...] to join the Chronicles of Munchkinland‘s 2012 Adoption Reading Challenge? I think I will give it a go, but I already have 74 adoption books on my goodreads adoption [...]
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This is such a great challenge. I have always shied away from books about adoption, but over the past few months I’ve heard about and read about some great stuff- thanks to this challenge. Now I’ll just procrastinate about deciding whether to officially participate… kate
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I’m really quite excited about this challenge! I know at least one book I’m going to read and maybe another! I just entered the basic 3 book level though I may end up bumping up to 6! Thanks for hosting this great challenge! :)
Is It Amazing
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I’m in! I think I’ll try level 2, and depending on what others suggest, I might bump it up to 3. I’m a fanatical reader, so it should be level 4, but I’ve already read a lot of adoption books, and there are too many books out there to read most of them over instead of something new.
Question: do books for kids count? I could totally do level 4 if they do – at least on the fiction side.
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Twitter: firemom
says:
YA definitely counts. Children’s books (picture, even beginner chapter) not so much. I read quite a few YA books last year. It’s a great look at what our teens are reading and being taught about adoption issues.
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[...] had some pretty lofty reading goals for this year. I joined a Southern Reading Challenge, an Adoption Reading Challenge, a Read Your Own Books from Your Own Bookshelf…Mostly…and Don’t Buy (or Try Not [...]
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