Opinions of a Wolf

About the Challenge:
I decided to start hosting the Mental Illness Advocacy (MIA) Reading Challenge in 2011 in an effort to raise awareness, knowledge, and acceptance of mental illness. Reading, both fiction and nonfiction, is an excellent way to broaden one’s horizons and expose one to new ideas and ways of thinking and being. Many reading challenges already exist in the book blogging community to address racism, sexism, and homophobia, but I could not find any to address the stigma faced by those suffering from mental illness. In spite of mental illnesses being recognized by the scientific community as diseases just like physical ones, many still think those suffering from one are at fault for their own suffering. I hope reading and reviewing books featuring characters struggling to deal with mental illness, whether their own or another person’s, will help remove the stigma faced on a daily basis by those with a mental illness. They already have to struggle with an illness; they shouldn’t have to face a stigma too.

Challenge Levels:
Acquainted–4 books
Aware–8 books
Advocate–12 books

Rules:

• Books read for the challenge must address mental illness in some way.  If it’s fiction, a character has a mental illness.  It can also be non-fiction ranging from self-help books to academic books on the topic.
• No book read for the challenge may demonize the mentally ill.  They certainly can be presented as 3-dimensional, flawed characters, but absolutely not demonized or presented as “crazy” etc…  That goes against the purpose of this challenge.
• Books you read for this challenge can be counted for other challenges as well.
• Be sure to point out what mental illness or illnesses are addressed in the book in your review of the book.  If you use LibraryThing or GoodReads in lieu of blogging, please just note it in the tags on the book or in the comment stating you’ve completed the book.

Reading Suggestions and Review Links:
Check out the official MIA Reading Challenge page to find reading suggestions.  Also use the comments section on that page to post links to your reviews.

Sign Up:
Sign up by commenting in the comments section below with a link to your official sign-up post!  If you don’t blog but use LibraryThing or GoodReads, you can still participate!  Just note that in your comment.

Spread the Word:
Help get the word out on the challenge!  Blog, tweet, facebook, email, whatever you can think of to do about it!  Please feel free to grab the image above to post on your blog as well.  This is a fun way to address an important cause.  :-)