In honor of the World Day of Social Justice (February 20th), I am hosting the first Annual Social Justice Theme Read during the month of February. I hope that this theme read will educate us on social injustice in the world and allow us to appreciate organizations that have been working for social justice locally and world-wide.
I will be thrilled for anybody to join me in reading fiction or non-fiction literature about social justice (or injustice) issues. There are SO many books to read! Fanda will be hosting a Dickens theme in February, and most of Dickens' books are about social injustice, if you want to hit two birds with one stone. ;) If you don't have a blog, you're welcome to post a guest-entry on my blog. Book reviews are welcome, and so are guest posts about social justice / injustice issues that interest you.
Read-alongs: To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee (for the classics/literature crowd)
Noughts & Crosses, by Malorie Blackman (for the YA/Dystopia crowd)
Noughts & Crosses, by Malorie Blackman (for the YA/Dystopia crowd)
You can sign up in advance in this intro post, or you can just jump in at any point in February as it suits you. If you sign up here by February 7th, 2013 AND write a blog post or book review about social justice/injustice you will be entered to win a $10 gift certificate from Amazon. Your name will be entered for each blog post you make in February. If you want to participate, please leave a comment below.
I am excited to announce that Jeanette Windle, author of Veiled Freedom (2010 ECPA Christian Book Award and Christy Award finalist) will be hosting a giveaway of her new book Congo Dawn, to be released on February 1st. Its social justice theme and heart-pounding suspense should be perfect for the 2012 Social Justice Theme Read. :DI will be working from the following potential reading list. Feel free to pick your own or join me for a group read!
Young Adult Literature
To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee (GROUP READ)
Let the Circle Be Unbroken, by Mildred D. Taylor
Noughts & Crosses (GROUP READ)
Noughts & Crosses (GROUP READ)
"Adult" Literature
Bleak House, by Charles Dickens
Little Bee, by Chris Cleve
The Jungle, by Upton Sinclair
Non-Fiction
The New Jim Crow, by Michelle Alexander
Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention, by Manning Marable
Dead Man Walking, by Helen Prejean
This is a very good idea, Rachel! Most of Dicken's novels speak about social injustice, so I think participants could read their books for both our events.
ReplyDeleteI'm definitely in! I'll read Little Dorrit, as it's the only book with that theme in my reading schedule, but let me check if I could slip one more into my (tight) reading schedule then.. ;)
Hi Fanda! I thought it dovetailed nicely. :) I was happy when I saw you were doing a Dickens theme that month, too. I love Dickens!
ReplyDeleteNice idea! As I now think about it, most of Russian literature (the one I'm best acquainted with) is about social injustice. But justice... Justice is rarer, of course =) I'll try to think of some examples, and I surely will participate (that's if my exam session goes well and is ended in January).
ReplyDeleteHi Arenel! I sort of meant the theme to encompass books about the LACK of social justice or the NEED for social justice. So books about social injustice fit my theme. :) I agree that there are some really good Russian books about social injustice. :)
ReplyDeleteOh, the wider the topic - the better! If you are going to compose a list, you are welcome to push me for suggestions sometime in January, and I'll give it more thought. I'm sure I can come up with something more interesting and less known than "Crime and Punishment" (which I hate, BTW =) )
ReplyDeleteThanks! I'll probably take you up on that offer. I actually liked Crime and Punishment, though I read it when I was too young to understand it. Perhaps I only liked being so very intelligent that I was reading C&P at the age of 15. ;)
ReplyDeleteI'll probably read it again sometime to see what I really think of it. haha
I'm down for this! (lilbrattyteen from LT here.)
ReplyDeleteI like to follow literature with a social justice theme. I will see what I can do in the way of comments or book reviews.
ReplyDeleteYay! Thanks for joining Jonathan and Bob!
ReplyDeleteWell, hi Rachel as I mentioned on your thread already, I will join you as well. Do you have any more reading suggestions in regards to fiction?
ReplyDeleteHi Drachenbraut! Good to have you join! Yeah, I had faith that you'd join anyway (from LibraryThing), but it's still nice to see your pretty picture here. :)
ReplyDeleteHi Rachel, just want to let you know that I have announced my Dickens event for Feb 2013 today: http://klasikfanda.blogspot.com/2012/11/celebrating-dickens-february-2013-sign.html :)
ReplyDeleteI am pleased to be taking part in this event and have posted my short introduction here:
ReplyDeletehttp://readingduringintermission.blogspot.com/2012/12/social-justice-themed-read.html
I am looking forward to February.
Yay! I'm so glad you're joining! It's going to be fun!
DeleteMy real life book group is reading To Kill a Mockingbird in March! Maybe I'll just jump ahead and read it with you in February.
ReplyDeleteI love this idea of combining a challenge with a giveaway.
Yay! Thanks for joining! It's good to have another member for my group read!
DeleteI'm super-excited about this. You can count me in! I'll probably read along for To Kill A Mockingbird, but otherwise I'm probably going to tackle the works already on my TBR list that are about social (in)justice.
ReplyDeleteThanks for joining Alouette! I'll be eagerly waiting to see what books you read. Maybe you'll give me some ideas for next year. :)
DeleteI love this! Really delighted to see it -- as I've got The New Jim Crow on my TBR for work, I had to sign up -- I love novels that address justice issues so I can't wait to see what folks read and what I end up digging into! Will be doing my official sign up post in a few weeks -- thanks for hosting this!
ReplyDeleteWelcome Audra! I'll be glad to have you. I'm excited to see what you'll be reading, too!
DeleteI am going to join in. This is a great topic (although I mostly read mysteries). I definitely want to join in on a read along for To Kill a Mockingbird. It has been on my list to read for a long time AND I have never participated in a read along on a blog. I will post about my participation at my blog as soon as I can.
ReplyDeleteGreat to have you Tracy!
DeleteGreat idea and I am joining.
ReplyDeleteYay! It's good to have you!
DeleteI didn't want to commit to doing this until I was sure I knew what book I'd read. And then today "Half The Sky" arrived in my mailbox today from a friend. Decision made!
ReplyDeleteGood to have you Lisa! I might try to sneak in "Half the Sky," too, if I can! :)
DeleteGreat topic. I'd love to do this challenge. I haven't read Lee's book yet and I've recently Mooch a copy so I'm all set to start.
ReplyDeleteGreat! It's a book that I should have read a long time ago, and haven't, so I'm looking forward to it too. :)
DeleteSounds great! I read a lot of books on this subject so it will be fun to join in!
ReplyDeleteGreat to have you Shan! :)
DeleteThis is such a great idea! I actually have quite a few books on my "to-read" list that would go along nicely with this, particularly "Half the Sky", which I've been wanting to read forever. Definitely in.
ReplyDeleteThanks for joining Stormy! All this interest in "Half the Sky" has peaked my interest too. I'll see if I can fit it in this year. :)
DeleteOh, I just finished re-reading Noughts and Crosses! What poor timing, I would definitely have waited had I known this was going to happen... I'm dying to talk about it with someone though, so might have to have a little join of the discussion anyway ;-)
ReplyDeleteCertainly you can join in the discussion! Too bad for the timing, but I guess that happens sometimes. :)
DeleteOoooh what to choose what to choose!? Both 'To Kill a Mockingbird' and 'The Jungle' are on my CC list... Then there's Dickens... Count me in, but I'm still deciding in on what to read! =)
ReplyDeleteHappy reading!!
:) It's great to have you! I'm really looking forward to all the books I hope to read - I've planned way too much because there are so many good books!
DeleteI can't even begin to tell you how much I love this idea. I'm joining, definitely. Thank you for hosting such a great event.
ReplyDeleteThanks for joining Caro! I'll eagerly await your thoughts/reviews.
DeleteI just found this post and will chose a book off my TBR pile and jopin you!
ReplyDeleteHi Gavin! It's good to have you! I'll look forward to your reviews/thoughts!
DeleteI love this idea. I'll try and find something off my TBR pile and join in.
ReplyDelete:) Still good to have you! :)
DeleteBrilliant. I enjoy oit.
ReplyDelete:) Thanks Daniel!
DeleteI think this is a great idea. I have made a two documentaries and written a book on the whole issue of women's empowerment in India and especially on the issue of justice for the lowest caste dalit girls in rural India.
ReplyDeleteDo check out my blog and my book site.
http://suneetamisra329.blogspot.com/
http://amzn.to/XcTp2v
Thanks for stopping by Suneeta!
DeleteWe're doing this but forgot to sign up! Awesome idea.
ReplyDeleteYay! Thanks for joining!
DeleteI'm a bit late, but I'm in! I mentioned it in my weekly post here: http://thetruebookaddict.blogspot.com/2013/02/a-reading-life-with-mailbox-monday.html
ReplyDeleteNot sure what I'm going to read yet, but hoping I can find something that will go along with French February (besides Les Miserables since I started it last month). =O)
Thanks for joining!
DeleteHi
ReplyDeleteCame to know of this recently. Am signing-up for it. Here's my sign-up post:
http://inkquilletc.blogspot.in/2013/02/reading-events-in-february-and-march.html
Good to have you!
DeleteHi Rachel, just to let you know I've posted a review for World Day Of Social Justice.
ReplyDeletehttp://pettywitter.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/weirdo-mosher-freak-if-only-theyd.html
Thanks for joining!
DeleteMy review for Dickens' Little Dorrit:
ReplyDeletehttp://klasikfanda.blogspot.com/2013/02/little-dorrit.html
One of the most beautiful and thought provoking books I've ever read, my review of The Raging Quiet can be found here at
ReplyDeletehttp://pettywitter.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/the-raging-quiet.html
I've been wanting to read that one.
DeleteMy review of Half The Sky is here: http://litandlife.blogspot.com/2013/03/half-sky-turning-oppression-into.html. Thanks for putting this together!
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to read this one!
Delete