The air is getting cooler, the leaves are starting to fall, the Giller list is out, and it’s time to start thinking about what MARM goodies we’re going to read this year.
Margaret Atwood Reading Month is hosted by Marcie at Buried in Print and Naomi at Consumed by Ink and inspired by decades of reading Margaret Atwood’s words.
From November 1st to November 30th we’ll be reading Margaret Atwood, and we invite you to join in! (And, don’t forget, the 18th is Margaret Atwood’s 81st birthday. We’ll be celebrating with books, quotes, and cake!)
As always, there is so much to choose from: fiction, essays, poems, biographies, graphic novels, children’s books, film and TV. Any or all are up for grabs. As little or as much as you want.
Post about it wherever it is you like to talk about books, then leave a link to your post in a comment below – here or on Marcie’s site. Either on this page, or on one of the posts-yet-to-come.
Or, maybe your heart is set on a particular book, and you’ve been looking forward to it since last November? If you let us know your posting date ahead of the official launch on November 1st, we’ll be sure to include your link in our weekly November posts.
Either way, we will track participants’ posts and collect up all the links and share them at the end of the event.
Looking for more structure? This year we are preparing a Bingo grid to help guide you, if you choose. We’ll have it ready for you several weeks in advance of the event so you can plan your next steps.
Looking for inspiration? Visit the author’s own website, or check out past years wrap-up posts: 2018, 2019.
Browse our previous posts on Margaret Atwood: Alias Grace(M); Alias Grace (N); The Circle Game (M); The Door (M); Hag-Seed (M); The Handmaid’s Tale (M); The Heart Goes Last (M); The Heart Goes Last (N); Illustrated Children’s Tales (N); Maddaddam (M); Moral Disorder (N); Morning in the Burned House (N); Negotiating with the Dead (M); Oryx and Crake (M); The Penelopiad (M); Stone Mattress (M); Stone Mattress (N); The Year of the Flood (M)
Here’s your chance to try Margaret Atwood for the first time, or re-read your favourite Atwood books, or try out a genre you haven’t before. Do you usually read fiction? Try some of her essays or poetry. Love graphic novels? Try one of Atwood’s. Are you a kidlit lover? Did you know Margaret Atwood has written several children’s books? Get reading. Fill your boots.
See you in November!
Consumed by Ink 
Hooray! Looking forward to it.
Me too!
I shall do my best join in again. I do love Margaret Atwood, and I had meant to read MaddAddam or re-read Cat’s Eye, both of which are a bit chunky. As I am reading slowly at the moment so I may have to buy one of her shorter story collections that I haven’t read yet, (any excuse, right?)
Absolutely! I am considering one of her poetry collections for the same reason. 🙂
I planned to join in last year and didn’t manage it, but will try my best again with Oryx and Crake!
It’s SO GOOD. A standout reading experience.
That’s a great one!
I’m excited already! I have a copy of Wilderness Tips on the shelf. That might be my only one, or I might find something else from the library. She also has a new poetry collection coming out; fingers crossed my request goes through and I get a copy to review for Shiny New Books.
Ooo… That would be great! I have it on hold at the library, but doubt that it will come in in time. However, I am first on the list!
I haven’t read Wilderness Tips, but love the title of it.
You know I have mixed feelings about Margaret Atwood, but I received a copy of Good Bones for my birthday, and it looks so delightfully weird… I might just have to take
I saw that and wondered if you might be tempted to join this year! I mean, good books are good books. And I love the cover on that one!
Contemplating a reread of The Blind Assassin. It’s been a really long time since I read it and I remember loving it.
I was tempted by that one, too, but decided on Hag-Seed because I haven’t read it yet. I’ll be interested in hearing if you still love it!
I love your MARM month! I was saying to Marcie that I’m interested if you guys are going to address the recent controversy (recent, as in a few years ago) when she pissed off a bunch of a feminists. There seems to be some new can-lit authors who are sick of hearing about her, but she’s a wonderful writer so I’m always happy to see more Atwood 🙂
I don’t know about Marcie, but I’m not going anywhere near that! And I really don’t know enough about it to have an opinion. (I think that’s part of the problem – lots of people like to have opinions without knowing all the information.) What I do know: 1) I love her work. And 2) Margaret Atwood has done/written/thought so many amazing things in her life, and is still going strong at the age of 81. It’s hard not to admire that.
well said Naomi!
Thanks. 🙂
Hello! This is just to publicize to those interested in #MARM that the Contemporary Women’s Writing Association (CWWA) is going to be contributing to MARM by running a short birthday event. It’s free and includes speakers from Canada and the UK speaking about Atwood, her writing, and how she’s influenced other contemporary novelists. If anyone would like to attend, they are very welcome to. It’s from 3.00pm GMT and via Zoom. Book here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/margaret-atwood-cwwa-birthday-symposium-tickets-125475878731?ref=estw
Excited to contribute to #MARM
This is so exciting! Thanks for letting us know, and for joining in the fun! 🙂
Awesome! I’ve just signed up to attend.
This is exciting! I’m a huge Atwood fan. I realise that it is too late to suggest one but likely my favourite novel of hers is Cat’s Eye. I have been reading it with my daughter this year (a third time for myself). For me, it is one of the best coming to age novels that captures childhood vulnerability and bullying and the ongoing effects into adulthood better than almost any other novel I have read.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on Cat’s Eye, Suzanne! It’s been a long time since I read that one – it will have to go on my books-to-reread list.
You’re very welcome to join in MARM any time! 🙂
Not sure where to post my link for The Penelopiad, so I’ll pop it here for now 🙂
http://bronasbooks.blogspot.com/2020/11/the-penelopiad-margaret-atwood-novella.html
This spot is perfect! 🙂