As we’re finally starting to go outside more again after getting Covid vaccinations, there are more competitions for our free time. We can hang out with friends! We can hug family! We can go on beautiful bike rides! Spring has never felt as magical as it does right now.
We also get to spend time in our backyard hammock reading books. And while we’re switching up our reading locales, we want to shake up our reading list, too. That’s where our monthly reading challenge comes in.
Here’s how Feed Your Mind works:
Each month, we’re creating five different prompts to follow; you can challenge yourself to complete one, all five, or any number of them in between. These prompts are designed to motivate you to:
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Read more
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Explore new content types
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Help you find works that are outside of your usual go-to genres
The challenges will be a mix of timely prompts and random, fun ideas.
If you’re up for the challenge, here are May’s prompts:
Read diversely: Asian and Pacific Islander Authors
May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and with hate crimes against Asian Americans on the rise due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s more important than ever to stand with the Asian and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. According to the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, a proposed bill to better track and respond to hate crimes, “there were nearly 3,800 reported cases of anti-Asian discrimination and incidents related to COVID-19 between March 19, 2020, and February 28, 2021, in all 50 States and the District of Columbia.” About 25% of employees at Scribd are members of the AAPI community, and the other 75% are their staunch allies. We stand with the AAPI community and encourage reading more authors of Asian descent.
Relevant lists:
Our Community’s Favorite Works by Asian Authors
The Asian American Authors You Need to Read
Asian Authors in Romance
Asian American Authors in Science Fiction and Fantasy
Learn history: Asian American contributions
This isn’t the first time in American history that Asians have been the target of public and political ire and injustice. There was the Chinese Exclusion Act banning Chinese immigrants for decades at the turn of the 20th century; there was Japanese internment during World War II, where Japanese Americans were rounded up and sent to concentration camps. By delving into Asian American history, we can hopefully avoid the mistakes of the past.
Relevant lists:
Fight Anti-Asian Racism
Honoring Asian Pacific Americans and Pacific Islanders
Celebrate awesome moms
Give your mom an extra big hug this Mother’s Day (if you can do so safely). Working moms have been hit the hardest by the pandemic — laid off in the highest numbers, taking on more of the responsibilities of child-rearing and household duties — and the only way to change the gendered landscape is to learn more about how much emotional and physical labor moms do.
Relevant lists:
The Best Moms in Fiction for Mother’s Day
Reflections on Motherhood
Read diversely: Mexican authors
Lots of people in the US use Cinco de Mayo as an excuse to eat lots of tacos, but few know what it’s actually a celebration of (it’s not Mexico’s Independence Day). It commemorates Mexico’s victory over the French in the Battle of Puebla in 1862, and it’s largely celebrated only in the Mexican state of Puebla and the US. So this May, let’s indulge in works from Mexican and Mexican American authors and avoid stereotypes.
Relevant list:
The Mexican Authors We Love
Read an Edgar Award-winning mystery
Sitting outside enjoying the sun is the best time to read a mystery: You don’t have to be afraid that someone will ax murder you in the middle of the day. You can read all the scary psychological stuff and feel assured by the lengthy daylight hours during daylight savings time. The Edgar Awards, the premier mystery genre award, recently announced this year’s winners. Pick one of those up, or go even further back in the Edgars catalog.
Relevant list:
2021 Edgar Awards Winners
Tweet us @Scribd or tag us on Instagram @Scribd using the hashtag #FeedYourMind to show what you’ve been reading or listening to for our reading challenge. Join our private Facebook Group Scribd Reading Room to talk about all the content that’s struck a chord with you.
