It is now less than two weeks until I hit the big 3-0 and despite everything going on in the world and original birthday plans changing, I am rather looking forward to celebrating my 30th, despite the fact people keep reminding me I am now entering my fourth decade!!
30 is also the age that appears to be a popular choice for lists and posts online of things you must do before you hit that age i.e. 30 books/films/albums you must read/see/hear before you are 30 and might explode… I am sure they are a great way to encourage people to try different things before you hit that age but with time ticking by and lockdown hindering my burning desire to raid my Mum’s closet (yes this really was a thing on a online list to do before your 30) there isn’t much chance of me drawing up a list and completing it before the big day.
Instead I like to see the glass half full and believe that 30 is just the beginning of a life full of adventures and so to celebrate what comes after this milestone I have decided to purposefully select a book celebrating an event/theme that is happening each month as I head towards my 31st birthday. The events/themes I have chosen are as follows:
1. June – A novel dealing with LGBT issues (National Pride Month)
2. July – A novel where food plays an important role (National Ice Cream Month)
3. August – A comic (Summer should be in full swing and is normally a time to explore new things – I have only read a handful of comics so would be keen to start reading some more).
4. September – A novel with an educational setting (Back to School)
5. October – A novel that has won the Man Booker Prize (Man Booker Prize winner for this year announced in this month)
6. November – A novel by an indie author (National Indie Author Day)
7. December – A novel with a Christmas theme (pretty obvious!)
8. January – A novel originally published in another language and translated to English (January is often a time of resolutions such as learning a new language)
9. February – A rom-com novel (Valentine’s Day)
10. March – A novel with a strong female as the main character (International Women’s Day)
11. April – A novel linked to the weather (‘April Showers’)
12. May – A coming of age novel (the month of my birth!)
I am sure there are lots of other themes/events I could have chosen over the ones listed above but the great thing is I am hoping to have lots of other birthdays after this one so could always do other events/themes for life after 31!! The only thing I have yet to decide on is what actual book to read for each month, so I am open to any (sensible) suggestions anyone may have for each month. I will make sure to post on my Instagram account (@s.crossauthor) my chosen novel for that month at the beginning of the month so you can see what I finally decide on and you can let me know your thoughts.
Happy reading everyone and blog again soon!
Stephanie x
It's Definitely Stephanie! 