Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge

[Michelle]

Hey, challenge junkies! Book Riot's Read Harder challenge is up now too for 2016. Just thought I'd mention it since I know some of you were working on it in 2015.

[Raeann]

EXCELLENT. I've been checking daily for this list! So excited it's out now. Time to craft yet another list!

Here it is in copy/paste-able text for any who may need it:

Read a horror book.
Read a nonfiction book about science.
Read a collection of essays.
Read a book out loud to someone else.
Read a middle grade novel.
Read a biography (not a memoir or autobiography).
Read a dystopian or post-apocalyptic novel.
Read a book originally published in the decade you were born.
Listen to an audiobook that has won an Audie Award.
Read a book over 500 pages long.
Read a book under 100 pages.
Read a book by or about someone who identifies as transgender.
Read a book that is set in the Middle East.
Read a book that is by an author from Southeast Asia.
Read a book of historical fiction set before 1900.
Read the first book in a series by a person of color.
Read a non-superhero comic that debuted in the last three years.
Read a book that was adapted into a movie, then watch the movie. Debate which is better.
Read a nonfiction book about feminism or dealing with feminist themes.
Read a book about religion (fiction or nonfiction).
Read a book about politics, in your country or another (fiction or nonfiction).
Read a food memoir.
Read a play.
Read a book with a main character that has a mental illness.

[Michelle]

There are a lot of tasks that are identical to other challenges I'm doing. Time to make another list! ;)

[Raeann]

I wonder if picture books read for storytime would count as books read aloud to someone else... otherwise that one could be challenging! Or maybe that could be an excuse to go on a road trip. "So for this reading challenge I have to read a book out loud... wanna drive across the country so I can read to you?" XD

[Zaz]

Thanks Raeann, I was grumbling because of the pdf only list!
I suppose picture books count. Not sure about reading to my cats :p

There are many categories I could check with books I plan to read in 2016, but with the food memoir and biography, I clearly have a problem because I'm not interested at all in these categories (I did/will do an exception for the popsug 2015 RC and our 2016 RC, but don't ask me more).
Maybe I'll do the Incomplete Book Riot's Read Harder challenge and see if I want to bore me to death at some point.

[Jody]

WOO!

Time to get choosing again.

[Fatemeh]

Woohoo!
Another challenge!

[Joy]

This one lives up to its name for me! There are several categories that I will have to really stretch myself to complete (horror, food memoir, nonfiction science, essays). I suppose that is why it's called a challenge. At first I thought, "I have no one to read a book aloud to." Then I thought about nursing homes and our local VA hospital. I am sure there are patients/residents that would love to have a reader. I may have to look into that for my summer break from teaching.

[Michelle]

You're a wonderful person, Joy. I was just going to read aloud to my dog. ;) No, only kidding... I thought I'd introduce my niece to something I loved when I was her age and read it to her (even though she can read herself).

I'll tell her Auntie Emm has to read it out loud for homework. ;)

[Francesca]

I really like this list! I doubt I'd get it all done next year as well as my reading challenge here (this year I've just about managed to read over half of my actual list and nothing else) but I think I'm going to keep hold of it as a side challenge that I can complete over time.

[Erica]

I'm planning on doing this one as well, on top of our challenge and the PopSugar one :) However, whenever I can I will count picture books and/or children's classics that I can read to my baby, especially if it looks like I won't finish all three by the end of the year. 116 books might be a stretch since I go back to work at the end of February!

[EllenZReads]

More lists! I think I now have four different lists, but the Around the World in 52 books challenge is the main one I'll be working on.

[Jody]

I have four too, Ellen! I think I'm addicted to challenges. AtY is my main squeeze though.

[Joy]

I'm with you, Ellen and Jody; four challenges and two book clubs. I'm going to try to do AtY in order and then fit in the others along the way, overlapping when possible. Usually I average 30-35 books a year, but with this challenge and book clubs in 2015, I've read 59. :-)

[Raeann]

I've almost finished my list for this challenge. I'm having a hard time finding an author from southeast Asia. Most of the authors I've found so far (who have written books that interest me) are from a different part of Asia. But I'll find one eventually! I also have next to no interest in the food memoir, so that's another one I just can't seen to find.

[Joy]

The Ghost Bride by Yanszee Choo is a quick read and written decently. She is from Malaysia.

[Zaz]

Raeann, have a look at these listopia:
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/8...
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/8...
Probably not all the authors are from there, but the chances are good :)

[Jody]

Reann, I'm planning on reading Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly, which is supposed to be pretty good. It's also on the Rory Gilmore challenge I think, so I'm killing two birds with one stone.

I'm also struggling with an author from SE Asia, so thanks for that list Zaz!

[Michelle]

I'm going to be reading the The Ghost Bride for my list but I'm reading The Book of Salt right now (for the 2015 challenge). It is by Monique Truong who is a Vietnamese author.

[Raeann]

Thanks for all the suggestions!! You've all definitely helped. Now I actually have to narrow the SE Asian author category down, instead!

[Kirsten]

Read out loud? Could the somebody else be my dog? Does she have to be awake?

[Michelle]

Since it's not officially hosted by this group, I suppose it is open to interpretation. They have a GR group if you're a real by the book challenge participant. I try to be, for the most part, but with this one I've been playing a little fast and loose.

For example, I am currently reading Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix for my book about politics. It's technically political, the whole Ministry of Magic vs. Dumbledore thing, but I'm sure that isn't what they had in mind. ;)

[Rachel]

I've recently decided to take on this challenge, and the Read Harder 2015 challenge since I've made quite a bit more progress than I expected by this point on ATY and PopSugar. In general, I find BookRiot's tasks harder than other challenges.

[Michelle]

I think the tasks in the Read Harder challenge are definitely more specific/tailored than other challenges which makes it seem more challenging, at least to me, because it limits your potential reads.

This is the toughest challenge for me this year because there are a great many tasks that require me to read things I really have no desire to read. I've had to think outside the box some (like the Harry Potter/political thing). I'd rather bend the rules instead of reading something that's going to drive me into a reading slump. I'm all for reading outside my box but I'm not so keen on reading things I have absolutely no interest in reading. Politics does nothing but depress me. I'm also struggling with the non-fiction book with feminist themes. I would actually have no problem with this if the "non-fiction" precept was removed. There are plenty of fiction books with feminist themes I'm dying to read. Non-fiction, meh, not so much.

[Jody]

Emm, I read a 64 page book by Simone de Beauvoir for the feminist non-fiction. A very quick and easy one. Do you read ebooks? PM me your email if you do and want it.

[Michelle]

Yeah, I do. A lot. Thanks!

[Marta]

I was thinking of doing this in January but thought it was too much. In case I finish my ither two early - which might happen - I will look at this. I think my side reads might cover a few topics already.

We Should All Be Feminists is also a short feminst non-fiction - 49 pages. Helen Keller's memoir is also pretty short. For a collection of essays, Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things is an excellent and hilarious choice.