Are you ready to get knee-deep in books with our reading challenge?

The second edition of The Tempest Reading Challenge is officially underway. In the first phase, we introduced this year’s categories and asked you to nominate your recommendations for our audience. We received so many suggestions from our readers that our team had a tough time settling on which titles to include, but hey, we’re not complaining about any work that’s book-related.

Download our printable list here, checking off the books as you go, and pin the handy graphic ahead for reference. Share your progress on Instagram with #thetempestreadingchallenge.

If you’re looking for an easy way to digitally track and rate the books you’ve read for the challenge, we’d suggest also joining this Goodreads group made up of readers who participate in The Tempest Reading Challenge every year. You’ll get early access to our book giveaways. You’ll be the first to learn about our events with authors and bloggers.

To help you get started, we’re also sharing hand-picked suggestions from our editors and Tempest fam for what to read for all the prompts that make up The Tempest Reading Challenge 2020!

• A book on disability or written by a disabled author
• A book written by a woman of color
• A book with an LGBTQIA+ main character
• An ‘own voices’ book
• A book based on true events
• A self-help book
• A book on careers
• A debut book from a new author

Whatever path you take in 2020, we’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: the point of The Tempest Reading Challenge is to have fun and kick some ass! So who’s ready to get started?

1. A book on disability or written by a disabled author

Haben: The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law by Haben Girma

An opportunity for innovation is how Haben Girma defines disability. This book is her story as she navigated life’s obstacles from isolation to a quest for knowledge and a sense of belonging. Girma’s stories range from shocking to hilarious, documenting her accomplishments from building a school to developing a text-to-Braille communication system to graduating from Harvard Law and now advocating for accessibility. Her memoir will leave readers with a renewed thirst for life, and its mysteries, and the keys to quenching in.

A book on disability or written by a disabled author

 

The Pretty One: On Life, Pop Culture, Disability, and Other Reasons to Fall in Love with Me by Keah Brown

A book on disability or written by a disabled author

The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang

2. A book by a woman of color

Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler

What listicle is complete without a YA dystopian novel? Parable of the Sower is set in 2024 when the world is descending into anarchy and chaos (we might be ahead of schedule on this one, folks) as a result of climate change and privatization.

It unfolds through the journal entries of 15-year-old Lauren Olamina as she traverses from safe haven to a path of revolution and salvation. There has been much debate about which dystopian novel most accurately reflects today’s times and as readers will learn of President Donner, who won based on empty promises of making the nation great again, Butler’s Parable of the Sower may be a front-runner for many.

A book by a woman of color

 The Color Purple by Alice Walker

A book by a woman of color

Wicked As You Wish by Rin Chupeco

3. A book with an LGBTQIA+ main character

The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee

The first of the Montague Siblings series, the story follows Henry “Monty” Montague in his last year of hurrah before stepping into the role his father has set for him. It’s very much the trope of an unwilling heir rebelling against their parents’ wishes and finding love in their revolt, though in this case, we’re looking at queer love!

The Pop Culture editors were already keen on this because it features a character named Percy (shoutout to Percabeth fans!). But now, with the throw-in of Paris, Rome, and love heating up, and we’re there with ship names and fanfic.

A book with an LGBTQIA+ main character

Tarnished Are the Stars by Rosiee Thor

A book with an LGBTQIA+ main character

Cantoras by Carolina de Robertis

4. A book in “our own voice”

Ayesha At Last by Uzma Jalaluddin

It’s Pride and Prejudice but Muslim and modern. Arranged marriages, family pressures, choosing between faith and culture and assimilating to a white narrative while navigating its many micro-aggressions, Ayesha At Last wraps a plethora of hang-ups often experienced by Muslims in America into a lovely romance novel bringing a fresh narrative to the forefront of this genre.

A book in “our own voice”

 

Lord of the Butterflies by Andrea Gibson

A book in “our own voice”

The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo

5. A book based on true events

The Good People by Hannah Kent

Based on the true story of the death of a young boy named Michael Leahy, Kent’s The Good People dives into the overlap of superstition and mental illness in the 19th century. It tells the tale of widow Nóra Leahy and her grandson Micheál who suffers from an unnamed disability.

His condition strikes fear into the heart of the Leahys’ townspeople and he’s accused of being something other than human. And so ensues a tale rooted in the battle between superstition and science as the Leahys and company fight for their right to survive.

A book based on true events

Girl Waits With Gun by Amy Stewart

A book based on true events

 The Man Who Walked Away by Maud Casey

6. A self-help book (that actually helps)

Sex After…: Women Share How Intimacy Changes As Life Changes by Iris Krasnow

A long and satisfying sex life is what’s on offer in this book. Sex After… gives answers across all manners from regaining sexual confidence to senior dating, all built from the stories of real women in similar situations.

Krasnow brings forward stories surrounding coming out late in life, addiction to viagra, post-illness sex, dealing with adultery, and more.

A self-help book (that actually helps)

Rising Strong by Brené Brown

A self-help book (that actually helps)

Manage Your Money Like A F*cking Grown Up: The Best Money Advice You Never Got by Sam Beckbessinger

7. A book on careers

Forget a Mentor, Find a Sponsor: The New Way to Fast-Track Your Career by Sylvia Ann Hewlett

Who’s pulling for you? Who’s got your back? Who’s putting your hat in the ring? Odds are this person is not a mentor but a sponsor. Mentors can build your self-esteem and provide a sounding board—but they’re not your ticket to the top.

Honestly, we LOVE the way this book moves you into a place that gives you a head-start on moving up in the corporate world, or your own business. There are lots of great stories that will explain what you need to know to grow your career!

A book on careers

Weird In A World That’s Not by Jennifer Romolini

A book on careers

 

Successful Women Think Differently: 9 Habits to Make You Happier, Healthier, and More Resilient by Valorie Burton

8. A book by a new author

On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong

This epistolary piece is Vietnamese-American poet Ocean Vuong’s debut novel. Vuong has been the recipient of many awards for his poetry and essays and this work is no less accomplished having been shortlisted for the Dylan Thomas Prize this year.

On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous is non-linear in its narrative structure – that of a letter – and is told from the POV of Little Dog, a young Vietnamese-American whose life mirrors Vuong’s. It tells the tale of Little Dog’s grandmother, mother, and his first love, culminating in a raw exploration of race, class, and masculinity.

A book by a new author

Burn It Down edited by Lilly Dancyger

A book by a new author

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

 

NOTE: Are you an author looking to collab with a badass, book-obsessed publication? Email federica.bocco@thetempest.co with your bio and book blurb with the subject: AUTHOR NAME x THE TEMPEST.

 

Get The Tempest in your inbox. Read more exclusives like this in our weekly newsletter!