The Sh*tty Readers Book Club — before the blonde

ONE DAY, DURING THE CHRISTMAS-TO-NEW-YEARS HAZE:

AND SO, THE SH*TTY READERS BOOK CLUB WAS CONCEIVED!

Join us on FB (follow the link or search “Sh*tty Readers Book Club” in Groups specifically) and start the 12-step challenge to picking up a book vs. scrolling on your phone! Leave a review for each book you read in our Discussion group (be as silly, as serious, as colourful as you’d like, just keep things positive with other community members!) and be entered to win the giveaway happening at the end of the year. Yup, each book you read and review equals one entry into the giveaway, so there’s extra incentive to get all 12 done!

THE CHALLENGE:

Choose a book - any book! - that fits one of the categories below and leave a review on FB when you’re done! Super simple! We’ve even included personal recommendations from our own bookshelves in case you’re ever stumped for ideas!

And the categories are…

“The Crowd Pleaser”

A zillion people can’t be wrong, can they? Pick up anything that’s ever been on the NY Times bestseller list and decide for yourself.

Katie’s Pick: The Book Thief - Markus Zusak

Mandy’s Pick: The Leftovers - Tom Perrotta

“Thrills & Chills”

What scares you might not scare be what scares me so pick up whatever tingles your spine. Read this one in the day time or risk being up all night!

Katie’s Pick: The Weight of Blood - Laura McHugh

Mandy’s Pick: You - Caroline Kepnes (now a Netflix special!)

“Smarten Up”

Use your thinkers! Choose something you’ve always wanted to know more about and fill your mind with knowledge!

Katie’s Pick: Return to Life - Joseph H. Pilates

Mandy’s Pick: The Inner Life of Animals - Peter Wohlleben

“Back in the Day”

Newsflash: Loads of stuff happened before you came along! Pick a story that takes place anytime before the year you were born.

Katie’s Pick: Slammerkin - Emma Donoghue

Mandy’s Pick: In Cold Blood - Truman Capote

“Think Outside the Box”

Pick a topic or genre that you would usually avoid like the plague. Challenge yourself to open your mind and read something new!

Katie’s Pick: A Wrinkle in Time - Madeleine L’engle

Mandy’s Pick: The Plant Paradox - Dr. Steven Gundry

“Phone a Friend”

You may not trust your friend’s advice when it comes to relationships or fashion but give them a chance to recommend a book (bonus points if you borrow it directly from their shelf!). It will give you something new to talk about over your next bottle of rosé.

Katie’s Pick: Lullabies for Little Criminals - Heather O’Neill

Mandy’s Pick: This is How You Lose Her - Junot Diaz

“Laugh It Up”

They say that laughter is the best medicine. Pick something that lightens your mood and gives you the giggles.

Katie’s Pick: Marley & Me - John Grogan

Mandy’s Pick: “The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a F*ck”, “Get Your Sh*t Together”, and “You Do You” - all by Sarah Knight

“The Stalker Special”

Get the lowdown on the object of your affection (or anyone of your choosing). Pick up a biography or memoir and get lost in someone else’s story rather than your ex’s IG feed.

Katie’s Pick: The Glass Castle - Jeannette Walls

Mandy’s Pick: The Year of Magical Thinking or Blue Nights - both by Joan Didion

“That’s Showbiz, Baby!”

Get one step ahead of the Hollywood glam and go back to where it all started. Pick a book that has been made into a movie and let the pages come to life.

Katie’s Pick: The Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins

Mandy’s Pick: Mystic River - Dennis Lehane

“The Great White North”

Okay, okay…we don’t necessarily want to read stories about igloos or wheat fields. But take the opportunity to read the work of one of our fellow Canucks and appreciate the talent right here in our true north, strong and free.

Katie’s Pick: The Book of Negroes - Lawrence Hill

Mandy’s Pick: A Complicated Kindness or Swing Low - both by Miriam Toews

“Get Inspired”

Find a topic that feeds your soul and sparks your inner fire. Read something that inspires you to improve upon your already-fabulous self.

Katie’s Pick: Making Faces - Kevyn Aucoin

Mandy’s Pick: Girl, Wash Your Face - Rachel Hollis (highly recommend listening to the audiobook)

“Fall in Love with an Old Fave”

When in doubt, stick with what you love. Reread one of your top shelf books or get lost in a new one by your fave author.

Katie’s Pick: A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini

Mandy’s Pick: A Beautiful, Terrible Thing - Jen Waite

Okay! Sooo…not so hard, right?! 12 books total = a book a month! Haha easier said than done, I know ;)

Let’s all have some fun and keep each other accountable in 2019! Less screen scrolling, more page turning!!