Hi there! I’m here with my third post in my 2023 Buzzword Reading Challenge series! **And every day we are reminded that discrimination against marginalized communities is still a serious problem, so click here to find a compilation of resources where you can donate your time, money, or whatever you can to support these communities. I still encourage you to research these causes on your own to educate yourself and find the best way to lend your support.**
This is the third installment of my Buzzword Reading Challenge series of posts for 2023. In case you’re new here, the Buzzword Reading Challenge (also called Buzzword-a-thon or the Buzzword Readathon) was originally created by Kayla at the YouTube channel booksandlala. It centers around readers choosing books that include specific words or ‘types’ of words. This is the third year where all 12 prompts were selected in advance and it’s being loosely hosted once a month on sites like Goodreads and Storygraph. Each month we search our shelves for books with either specific words in the title, or title words that fit a specific theme. Previous years I’ve done recommendations, or multiple books for each month, but in 2023, I think I’m just going to stick to one book per prompt, as to [hopefully] prevent burn-out later on in the year. This is a reading challenge after all, and it’s supposed to be fun. In March we returned to a direct word prompt, “secret,” which proved a lot harder than I previously thought it would be. But overall I’m really happy with the book I decided to choose.
“secret” – The Secret Sunshine Project by Benjamin Dean
I was originally going to read an adult rockstar romance, Our Secret Song, but I wasn’t in the mood to start another series at the moment. Since that was the only book on my TBR with the word “secret” in the title, I had to go searching for books elsewhere. I was looking through Goodreads for some of the booktubers I follow and came across a middle grade contemporary, The Secret Sunshine Project, on Gavin from How to Train Your Gavin’s page. He gave it five stars, so I had a hunch it would be something I’d enjoy. The Secret Sunshine Project follows Bea, her older sister, Riley, and their mom. A year ago, Riley came out to Bea and their parents, and to show their support they attended London Pride. But then their dad got sick and passed away, and now it’s summertime, where they can’t afford their London housing anymore and have to move to the countryside with their Gran for the time being. Bea can tell Riley hasn’t been herself lately, so with the help of a few friends she launches “The Secret Sunshine Project,” a way to bring Pride to the countryside and make Riley feel less alone. There’s only one problem and it comes in the form of a neighborhood grump who will do anything to rain on Bea’s parade. This was so delightful. I loved seeing Bea make friends and form a plan to make her sister happy again, even as she is also feeling grief in her own way since the anniversary of her dad’s passing is approaching. It was sweet that all she wanted to do was see her sister smile again, and that The Secret Sunshine Project, though originally just for Riley’s sake, became more of a movement to help bring the entire community together again. The book had conversations about what it was like to be queer in a way that was appropriate for a middle grade audience, and it showed the support of adults when their child is comfortable to share these thoughts, sometimes confusing ones, with them. It’s so simple to just be accepting in these circumstances, and Riley’s parents were lovely in allowing her to experience a sense of community at Pride. I loved seeing Bea and Riley make the most of their upturned summer and find friends who helped and supported them when confronted with individuals who were less than kind. And can I just say the introduction of a certain character towards the end, and their relationship to the town’s villain, had a smile on my face as I watched the events play out. I would highly recommend this book to all audiences – particularly middle grade readers, as they are the target, but I really feel like anyone can enjoy it while learning some important life lessons along the way.
In conclusion, The Secret Sunshine Project has been my favorite book read for the reading challenge so far. I can’t wait to see what the rest of the year has in store.
Where to find The Secret Sunshine Project:
Bookshop UK
Amazon
Goodreads
Storygraph
Benjamin Dean’s Instagram
Thoughts About Things 