Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge discussion
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Read Harder 2016
Jaleenajo wrote: "SibylM wrote: "I'm toying with the idea of trying to complete the challenge by reading 100% women authors (just as a little added challenge to myself)."Ooo, that's a great idea!
I'm so excited t..."
For a middle grade book, you could consider "Wonder." I haven't read it yet but plan to read it for that category. My teacher friends have raved about this book and said adults will get something out of it as well. Happy reading!
SibylM wrote: "Bea wrote: "Rebecca wrote: "love it! Great categories this year. Though reading a book aloud to someone else is going to be hard. I might have to babysit a friend's child."I do not have anyone to..."
SibylM wrote: "Bea wrote: "Rebecca wrote: "love it! Great categories this year. Though reading a book aloud to someone else is going to be hard. I might have to babysit a friend's child."
I do not have anyone to..."
I've read out loud to my dog before just to hear the sound of my voice (the joy of living without other humans haha). She is always very attentive and doesn't correct me. ;) Not sure if the cat would bother to sit still.
Lisa wrote: "Jaleenajo wrote: "SibylM wrote: "I'm toying with the idea of trying to complete the challenge by reading 100% women authors (just as a little added challenge to myself)."Ooo, that's a great idea!..."
I second the rec of 'Wonder'.
Candiss wrote: "Nelly wrote: "I've started planning, and wondering if Anna Karnina works as a historical fiction set before 1900s..."Nelly, A.K. was published in the 1870s and takes place in the 1860s-1870s. Thi..."
Thank you Candiss for your reply and for your clarification :)
Nelly wrote: "Candiss wrote: "Nelly wrote: "I've started planning, and wondering if Anna Karnina works as a historical fiction set before 1900s..."Nelly, A.K. was published in the 1870s and takes place in the ..."
It will fit here. Read a book that was adapted into a movie, then watch the movie.
Debate which is better
Jolynne wrote: "Nelly wrote: "Candiss wrote: "Nelly wrote: "I've started planning, and wondering if Anna Karnina works as a historical fiction set before 1900s..."Nelly, A.K. was published in the 1870s and takes..."
The list says Historical Fiction set before 1900 not written in the 1900's so Anna Karinina will be fine.
I am reading Wolf Hall, which is set in the period from 1500 to 1535.
If the author is contemporary to the time he's writing about, it's not historical fiction, even if the time period is historical to the reader. Somebody please correct me if I'm missing something.
So I have begun my research for the 2016 challenge and I must say, this is really going to push me out of my normal reading worlds. I am not saying I am not looking forward to the challenge but rather feeling daunted and apprehensive as I look over my current reading plan. Thanks for the push Book Riot, I think.
Tjoel2 wrote: "Looking forward to doing this in 2016!"And I am actually the opposite, I am will have to try and get them all but for maybe 2 or 3 from the library... Definitely, this list pushes me into whole new reading worlds.
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Jo wrote: "Yay! This actually looks easier than last year's, for me, but I'm setting my own challenge of buying no* books next year so I'll still have to work for it.* or just less, I'm not fully delusional."
umm.. I say that every year and just ask for gift cards for my birthday or Christmas.. hehehe.
I have been lurking in the shadows but plan to participate this year. This should be interesting.. Some things I will be coming back here for help on..
Mindy wrote: "If the author is contemporary to the time he's writing about, it's not historical fiction, even if the time period is historical to the reader. Somebody please correct me if I'm missing something."Historical fiction is defined as movies and novels in which a story is made up but is set in the past and sometimes borrows true characteristics of the time period in which it is set. A novel that makes up a story about a Civil War battle that really happened is an example of historical fiction.
Historical fiction will have one of three techniques. First, some will use real events, but with fictional people. A good example would be a novel about World War II, with fictitious military leaders as characters and invented scenes and dialogues. Second, some historical fiction will use fictional events, but with real people. A good example would be a novel about President George Washington that explores a fictitious affair he had with a Native American. Finally, a story may include both real events and real people. In this case, the writer must be make up the scenes, dialogue, and overall plot, otherwise the story would become nonfiction.
I know all that, but what I'm saying is it must be set in the AUTHOR's past.
from https://historicalnovelsociety.org/gu...... the Historical Novels Review, has a working definition, which we use for consistency purposes in deciding which books to review. To us, a “historical novel” is a novel which is set fifty or more years in the past, and one in which the author is writing from research rather than personal experience.
We also consider the following styles of novel to be historical fiction for our purposes: alternate histories (e.g. Robert Harris’ Fatherland), pseudo-histories (eg. Umberto Eco’s Island of the Day Before), time-slip novels (e.g. Barbara Erskine’s Lady of Hay), historical fantasies (eg. Bernard Cornwell’s King Arthur trilogy) and multiple-time novels (e.g. Michael Cunningham’s The Hours).
https://historicalnovelsociety.org/gu..."To be deemed historical (in our sense), a novel must have been written at least fifty years after the events described, or have been written by someone who was not alive at the time of those events (who therefore approaches them only by research)."
Historical fiction is definitely only historical if it was historical in the author's time. To toss in a couple of comparative examples of what works and what does not work for historical fiction: Pride and Prejudice is not historical fiction, The Hunchback of Notre Dame is. Anna Karenina is not historical fiction, Gone With The Wind is. Just because it is historical to us does not make it historical. Otherwise we are setting ourselves up anything from Harry Potter to American Psycho to be considered historical fiction.
Rainey wrote: "For historical fiction I am reading Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel"ooh, good choice. I've been wracking my brain because I usually don't like historical fiction - but I love Hilary Mantel and that one has been on my shelf since it came out in paperback.
Lisa wrote: "Jaleenajo wrote: "SibylM wrote: "I'm toying with the idea of trying to complete the challenge by reading 100% women authors (just as a little added challenge to myself)."Ooo, that's a great idea!..."
Thanks, Lisa! This thread is definitely helping me to figure out exactly what qualifies as "middle-grade."
Miss Davies wrote: "Lee wrote: "For someone outside the U.S. I'm not sure what a middle grade read is? Great list this year!"Age 9-11? I'm in the UK so don't take that as 100% correct!"
Middle grades refers to grades 5-8 which is roughly corresponds to ages 10-13.
Rebecca wrote: "love it! Great categories this year. Though reading a book aloud to someone else is going to be hard. I might have to babysit a friend's child."I'm going to read to my cats!
Jolynne wrote: "Nelly wrote: "Candiss wrote: "Nelly wrote: "I've started planning, and wondering if Anna Karnina works as a historical fiction set before 1900s..."Nelly, A.K. was published in the 1870s and takes..."
good idea Jolynne ! thanks :)
I printed the list yesterday for the 2016 Read Harder Challenge. Here is the link: http://bookriot.com/2015/12/15/2016-b...
Krisha wrote: "I was still on the fence about the challenge until I saw the list and now I am so excited to get started. I'm already looking into books from the year I was born (there were some great books that y..."I wasn't sure either, but once they posted it, I was like "game on, Book Riot!" Relish is on my ridiculously long to-read list and that's a great idea for the Food Memoir category - I hadn't even thought of that! I wish I had more people to read this with too, but my friends aren't huge readers. They do host live Book Riot Read Harder Book Groups - maybe they have one in your area?
Book Riot wrote: "You guys are all spot on about Middle Grade -- it's books aimed at that 8-12 year old age range. The early Harry Potter books are a good example, as would be things like The Phantom Tollbooth, brow..."Elle wrote: "Miss Davies wrote: "Lee wrote: "For someone outside the U.S. I'm not sure what a middle grade read is? Great list this year!"
Age 9-11? I'm in the UK so don't take that as 100% correct!"
I had th..."
I am planning to read (listen to) the Graveyard Book. I will be able to check 3 boxes: A horror book, a middle-grade novel, and a book that won an Audie Award.
Rebecca wrote: "Rainey wrote: "For historical fiction I am reading Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel"ooh, good choice. I've been wracking my brain because I usually don't like historical fiction - but I love Hilary Mant..."
I think I am going to read The House of Hawthorne. Historical fiction is my favorite genre and this has been on my TBR list for a while.
Nelly wrote: "Jolynne wrote: "Nelly wrote: "Candiss wrote: "Nelly wrote: "I've started planning, and wondering if Anna Karnina works as a historical fiction set before 1900s..."Nelly, A.K. was published in the..."
Anna Karina is not considered historical fiction. See message 125 by ELIZABETH. She is correct.
Lauren wrote: "I wish I had more people to read this with too, but my friends aren't huge readers. They do host live Book Riot Read Harder Book Groups - maybe they have one in your area? "Sadly no Book Riot group in my area. I think I manged to get a couple friends on facebook interested. At the very least I'm hoping to find a handful of people to do the read the book then watch the movie challenge. That always makes for an interesting debate.
Eva wrote: "Book Riot wrote: "You guys are all spot on about Middle Grade -- it's books aimed at that 8-12 year old age range. The early Harry Potter books are a good example, as would be things like The Phant..."There is no "right " or "wrong" way as long as you are reading. But my understanding of the challenge is that we need to read 24 books. So if you count one book for 3 categories, you're not exactly doing it as intended. On the other hand, I was doing 3 different challenges in 2015, and whenever it fit, I counted a book in 2 or 3 different lists.
Robin wrote: "Eva wrote: "Book Riot wrote: "You guys are all spot on about Middle Grade -- it's books aimed at that 8-12 year old age range. The early Harry Potter books are a good example, as would be things li..."Take a look at the last line on the PDF of the list of categories. I read many more than 24 books a year, as most of us do. I was working towards that "well done!" I actually am pretty good at reading directions. Please see below.
And for you multi-taskers who found titles that ticked more than one box: well done! It’s A-OK to use the same book for multiple categories.
Will a new group be created or do we stay in the 2015 one?
I am really looking forward to the challenge. I tend to read the same type of mystery/thriller books. I want to expand my reading base and this seems like the perfect way to do it. The only one I am concerned about is the audio book.
I'm a little concerned about the audio book too - last year, the challenge prompted me to listen to one for the first time ever. I chose Amy Poehler's 'Yes Please' and absolutely loved it, but it took me about 8 months of a chapter here and there; I just don't seem to have the right sort of time? But I think I'm gonna get a month's free trial of Audible and grab a relevant one and maybe that will force my hand (ear?).
LaToya wrote: "Will a new group be created or do we stay in the 2015 one?"LaToya, Book Riot will be setting up new threads for each of the tasks soon. The old tasks for the 2015 will remain but be archived (or at least in a separate folder).
I would hope that they will create the Reading Harder Personal Plans thread soon, so we can see what others are planning.
Julia wrote: "I am really looking forward to the challenge. I tend to read the same type of mystery/thriller books. I want to expand my reading base and this seems like the perfect way to do it. The only one I a..."I am not as gung ho about the new challenge and, in fact, had decided not to participate once I finished 2015. However, when the new list came out, there I was...printing and planning.
The only reason I had thought I would NOT participate is that currently I am in four other groups with challenges plus three groups that I follow/work on besides this one. I was looking to reduce my participation in challenges...but, no, here I am planning on 2016!
I really need to learn to balance my life better. :)
Mod
We'll be creating a whole set of boards that are new for 2016 when the year gets a little closer!
I'm worried about audiobooks. I love them, but not always the ones that seem to win Audie awards. So we'll see. Also horror. Maybe I'll try classic like Dracula or Shirley Jackson. That's more my mother's genre than mine.
Middle grade is about grades 6-8, ages 11-15. Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Dork Diaries
etc
Julia wrote: Also horror. Maybe I'll try classic like Dracula or Shirley Jackson. That's more my..."I am reading The Library at Mount Char for my horror selection.
Julia wrote: "I am really looking forward to the challenge. I tend to read the same type of mystery/thriller books. I want to expand my reading base and this seems like the perfect way to do it..."Julia, I agree! I discovered challenges on Goodreads a little over a year ago and they have really helped me to get out of my reading rut. I can hardly wait for the new boards to go up -- I get so many great ideas from people's suggestions! They're especially helpful for genres that I don't usually read.
Does anyone have any good recommendations for a book "that is by an author from Southeast Asia"? Or one that "identifies as transgender"? Just looking into some titles for next year.Thanks!
I look forward to the challenge though I see some that will be difficult to do. especially reading a book out loud... I would like to learn another language so maybe I can read a book in that language out loud to practice for myself. (hope that counts too)
also ; a food memoir?! never heard of one! I'm going to have to see wat other people make of that one
Stephanie wrote: "Does anyone have any good recommendations for a book "that is by an author from Southeast Asia"? Or one that "identifies as transgender"? Just looking into some titles for next year.Thanks!"
I bought In the Shadow of the Banyan by Vaddey Ratner completely by chance last year and it's been sitting on my TBR pile.
My pick for the transgender task is Stone Butch Blues by Leslie Feinberg. Someone gave it to me as a gift a couple years ago and I can't wait to finally get around to it.
Stephanie wrote: "Does anyone have any good recommendations for a book "that is by an author from Southeast Asia"? Or one that "identifies as transgender"? Just looking into some titles for next year.Thanks!"
I'll be reading Short Girls by Bich Minh Nguyen for the Southeast Asia category. I've owned two of her books forever but never got around to reading them!
As for the transgender author, Jennifer Finney Boylan's memoirs are really beautiful; I loved Stuck in the Middle With You: A Memoir of Parenting in Three Genders. Janet Mock's Redefining Realness: My Path to Womanhood, Identity, Love & So Much More is another popular choice. If you're looking for something more academic (but still very accessible), Julia Serano's Whipping Girl: A Transsexual Woman on Sexism and the Scapegoating of Femininity is a good choice. I'll be reading The Collection: Short Fiction from the Transgender Vanguard.
Stephanie wrote: "Does anyone have any good recommendations for a book "that is by an author from Southeast Asia"? Or one that "identifies as transgender"? Just looking into some titles for next year.Thanks!"
For the transgender category, I was personally considering Redefining Realness: My Path to Womanhood, Identity, Love & So Much More which looks great and I've read some pretty positive reviews
Bianca wrote: " a food memoir?! never heard of one! I'm going to have to see what other people make of that one ."I have a couple books selected for food Memoir: Day of Honey: A Memoir of Food, Love, and War; Culinary School: Three Semesters of Life, Learning, and Loss of Blood or Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly. Once I get into it I will decide which one to read.
Michael wrote: "Stephanie wrote: "Does anyone have any good recommendations for a book "that is by an author from Southeast Asia"? Or one that "identifies as transgender"? Just looking into some titles for next ye..."for transgender I am reading Redefining Realness: My Path to Womanhood, Identity, Love & So Much More. She did a talk at my local library.
Stephanie wrote: "Does anyone have any good recommendations for a book "that is by an author from Southeast Asia"? Or one that "identifies as transgender"? Just looking into some titles for next year.Thanks!"
Quan Barry was born in Saigon. I'm sure there will many more ideas when the 2016 boards come up. But for starters, I enjoyed this book immensely.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge
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Thanks, I'll try it with Chrome.