#SmashYourStack: Week 1 Update

The goal is eight books. So I should have read two…

I read two!
//giphy.com/embed/13DV791075LRIc?html5=true

via GIPHY

I started the week with Paper Girls: Volume 1 written by Brian K. Vaughn of Saga fame. There may be time travel and aliens and a group of bad ass paper girls. It rocked my world. I can’t wait for volume two.

the cover of paper girls volume one

Look at that beautiful art.

I purposefully chose short books to get through this weekend and jump start my reading stats for #SmashYourStack Week 2 and in preparation for #BoutofBooks. More on that in another post.

These are the shortest books I own (each under 200 pages). I decided to start with The House on Mango Street. It was the shortest, contained vignettes, and is set in Chicago. That sound you hear are all my bells ringing. Cisneros did not disappoint. Esperanza, the narrator, is so perfect. I totally identified with her. I knew that pain, that joy. Yes and yes.


I’m going with Sula next because I am in the mood to have my life changed. This is my fourth Morrison, after The Bluest Eye, Beloved, and A Mercy. I feel it my duty as a black person, a woman, a book nerd, and a Howard University alumna to read all of her books.

I met up with some of my book club people on Sunday afternoon for reading and general nerdy socializing and, of course, drinks. It was a great way to wrap up the week.

Here’s to two more books next week!

#SmashYourStack Read Your Own Books in May

I am not the best at spending money wisely. I am really bad at impulse buying and my favorite implies buy are books. In the last six months, I’ve attended three huge book sales and acquired too many books to count or store. I have got to do something so I’m at least reading and then, hopefully, giving away all these books.

Enter Andi, Melissa, and their pragmatic book challenge. 

smash your stack challenge art
The concept is simple:

Set a percentage of your own books to read for the month. 

Pick a number!

Go hard and read ALL your own books!

Considering that I have library holds I have to read in May as well, I’m setting my goal at six books. It seems low, but I like to under promise  and over perform. If the first half of the month goes well, I’ll increase my goal. I know that’s technically cheating, but it’s all I got.

Shoutout to The Shrinkette for bringing  this challenge to my attention when I truly needed it.

Let’s see how this goes!