Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge discussion
2016 Read Harder Challenge
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Task 16: Read the First Book in a Series By a Person of Color
Kristin wrote: "Pia wrote: "I'm not sure Isabel Allende can be considered a "person of color". She is from Chile, and she is white."Yes, in the U.S., she would be considered a person of color. I know, it is conf..."
I am a director of a non-profit in the US and we keep demographic data for our funders, some of which are among the largest non-governmental funders in the country. We would not consider Isabel Allende a person of color. I do know that those who report to the Federal government count "White (non-Hispanic)" but for most organizations White is White without regard to country of origin.
I also think Book Riot should change this to require a book by an author not a member of the majority racial group in his/her/their country of residence and/or citizenship.
Ellie wrote: "Cristina wrote: "Ellie wrote: "Another UK person here and "person of color" is a term I've never used. Children I've worked with have been classed as being from BME communities. This was a while ag..."Ellie, I highly recommend them, now or in the future... I've given them as gifts to so many friends/family (in Spain AND in the USA) that I've lost count! To date they have all loved them as much as I did. :o)
Her YA novel on a young Zorro is also a blast! :o)
Cristina wrote: "Ellie wrote: "Cristina wrote: "Ellie wrote: "Another UK person here and "person of color" is a term I've never used. Children I've worked with have been classed as being from BME communities. This ..."Sounds great! Can't believe I've yet to read a book by her...
Thanks for the great link Stephanie (and to all who've shared good titles).Since I'm also looking for a horror book that would actually scare me I'm considering both My Soul to Keep by Tananariva Due or Dawn by Octavia Butler (I did very much enjoy Wild Seed btw).
Lately I've also been considering to read The Fifth Season by NK Jemisin, since I haven't found an epic fantasy setting that I like yet and I would like to give this one book a go.
And since I've had this as an ebook for a long time, I'm also considering Death of a Red Heroine by Qiu Xiaolong.
Stephanie wrote: "Qiu Xiaolong's Inspector Chen series is great. I have a friend who raves about them - the way he weaves in classic literary references like Eliot's Prufrock with facts of life in China (how the Ins..."It really sounds like something that I would enjoy!
Livia wrote: "Stephanie wrote: "Qiu Xiaolong's Inspector Chen series is great. I have a friend who raves about them - the way he weaves in classic literary references like Eliot's Prufrock with facts of life in ..."This sounds like something I'd enjoy, too, as it's not fantasy (I'm already reading a lot of that for another challenge). Thanks!
I read the first Inspector Chen last year. Great choice for this.
Kristin wrote: "Pia wrote: "I'm not sure Isabel Allende can be considered a "person of color". She is from Chile, and she is white."Yes, in the U.S., she would be considered a person of color. I know, it is conf..."
It is confusing! I think Isabel Allende has Spanish origins, so she would be considered white, not Latina, but I know it's different in the US. In Latin America Allende & Vargas Llosa would be considered white.
Does "coldest winter ever" by sister souljah qualify for this challenge?
I'm going to read Dawn by Octavia Butler.....been meaning to read more by her, and this challenge is the perfect opportunity!
I saw somebody mentioned the Inspector Chen novels? They're amazing! I'ma a big fan of Qiu Xiaolong
Mona wrote: "I don't want to wade too much into this discussion of parsing out authors' racial chromosome makeups because that feels really weird and wrong to me. So in an attempt to redirect the conversation..."
Thanks for the links to clarification, Mona. It does help to go back to the history of events. Diversity in publishing was a big subject discussed on Book Riot last year.
I'll be reading My Soul to Keep by Tananarive Due for this one!
Does anyone have a recommendation in the romance genre for this category?
From my reading last year, I would heartily recommend any of these three: Half Resurrection Blues - Daniel Jose Older
The Wrath and the Dawn- Renee Ahdieh
Voodoo Dreams - Jewell Parker Rhodes
I will be reading The Three Body Problem - Liu Cixin
Renee wrote: "I'll be reading My Soul to Keep by Tananarive Due for this one!"Ooh I read The Good House just before Christmas, I love her writing, must read more of it :)
This was the hardest category for me (I guess that's the point). I don't read fantasy and that seems to be the top recommendation for this category. So I've cheated and gone for a debut written by a person of colour - Between the World and Me
I think An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir would work for this task - she is of South Asian descent.
Sarah wrote: "This was the hardest category for me (I guess that's the point). I don't read fantasy and that seems to be the top recommendation for this category. So I've cheated and gone for a debut written by ..."Sarah, the task does not require a specific genre like Fantasy. It could be any genre that the writer prefers as long as it is a series.
I am going to read Legend by Marie Lu, it's definitely part of a trilogy and she's Chinese American.
I would say yes, and it's amazing.
Hello, thanks to your kind recommendations, I've just completed my first task -> I've just finished reading Death of a Red Heroine by Qiu Xiaolong, first volume in the series of Inspector Chen. What a great discovery! I'm so glad I've picked this one out of my TBR. The main point of interest for me, and of incessant surprise, was the description of life in Shanghai in the early nineties. The mystery is tied to the social and political situation of China in those days, as well, and that made the plot very compelling - which is great since the book is quite long. And of course the characters are great: Inspector Chen with his poetry, but I also really really liked the point of view of Chen's assistant Yu and his wife Peiqin.
Such a great way to start completing this challenge!
I was also thinking about some book by Alexander Dumas, pere
Hubert wrote: "I was also thinking about some book by Alexander Dumas, pere"Good point, The Three Musketeers is the first of a series. I think some of his others are related to each other in different ways.
Jeni wrote: "The Fifth Season is fantastic! I highly recommend it to those considering it for this task. I'm finally getting around to Half-Resurrection Blues by Daniel Jose Older."
Lots of people have suggested The Fifth Season! I am going to read that.
I'm going to read "The Famished Road," by Ben Okri
Malia wrote: "Trudie wrote: "I thought I might go with Things Fall Apart, since it has been on my shelf for some time."I didn't know that was in a series, great idea I'm going to read 'Things fal..."
No, neither did I but it is indeed Book 1 of "The African Trilogy"
Planning to read ''Hear the Wind Sing'' which is the first book in Haruki Murakami's Rat Trilogy (plus Dance Dance Dance). I think it should mostly count.
Jacquelyn wrote: "I'm going to read "The Famished Road," by Ben Okri"I have that in my TBR pile - is it the first in a series, though?
I think Who Fears Death fits this prompt. It's the first book written in the series that also features The Book of Phoenix, which is a prequel.
Karin wrote: "Very excited that Half-Resurrection Blues qualifies. Book 2 comes out pretty soon too I think."Hooray! I was planning to read The Three Body Problem for this task, but I've heard such wonderful things about Older that I may have to change my mind.
Presently reading "Wild Seed", by Octavia E. Butler ... Book One in her new Patternist series. So far it is a gripping tale of genetic engineering, incest, and two immortals, but one is a malevolent being. I'm about 50% done so far, and it keeps drawing you in deeper and deeper.
I'm excited to see all the people reading Dawn, I loved that book! It's such a unique and moving sci-fi. I just tore through The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms (IT WAS FANTASTIC), so I can check this category off!
I just finished Sorcerer to the Crown by Zen Cho. Two tasks down, twenty-two to go…
Melissa de la Cruz was born in the Philippines and moved to the U.S. as a teenager (also fits the author from South East Asia category). I'm leaning toward reading The Isle of the Lost (Descendants prequel). This is also a middle grade novel (I've already read from here) so it could potentially fill three categories if anyone is interested in that.
There's also the Blue Bloods series, and other YA series from her.
Just read (in one sitting!) Throne of the Crescent Moon. It's been confirmed there is a sequel (yes!) so that's another one done. (Although I'm still planning on reading The Three Body Problem too!)
Stephanie wrote: "After doing some basic searching, I loved this article I found on Bitch Media: I read 50 books by people of color this year. Here are the ones I'm considering reading to meet this challenge: [book..."
Great link! There's lots of books on that list I'd like to read & for this challenge I've selected The Goddess Chronicle by Natsuo Kirino which is described as " a mythical feminist noir about family secrets, broken loyalties, and the search from truth in a deceitful world."
Stephanie wrote: "After doing some basic searching, I loved this article I found on Bitch Media: I read 50 books by people of color this year. Here are the ones I'm considering reading to meet this challenge: [book..."
Voodoo Dreams is brilliant and ties into a modern day series about one of Laveau's descendents. I'd absolutely recommend it.
Completed reading "Wild Seed" by Octavia Butler. 4*****This science/ historical fiction based novel on the genetic engineering of humans with psychic abilities and the philosophical differences between these two immortals, main characters, have made this novel enthralling. (view spoiler) Both omnipotent, yet one was a healer and lover of humans, while the other an uncaring, murdering, despot. I highly recommend this novel and the series.
Task 16- done!
4/11 goals accomplished so far: #5, #11, #16, & #19.
I might read "The Salaryman's Wife" by Sujata Massey, a mystery about a young Japanese-American woman living in Japan who stumbles onto a murder. I read the second of the Rei Shimura series and enjoyed the cosmopolitan Japanese setting. There are about 10 books in the series. Massey herself is biracial, of Swiss and Indian descent.
I second the suggestion of the Indu Sundaresan trilogy in an earlier comment. I read the first and the 2nd books many years ago. Only learned that there's a 3rd book very recently. The Twentieth Wife is interesting and anyone interested in the Mughal Empire should pick that up.
I have Half-Resurrection Blues on my Kindle - I'm also interested in the audiobook version of Daniel José Older's newest YA novel, Shadowshaper - it's narrated by Anika Noni Rose. <3
Robin wrote: "Rachiel wrote: "Anyone know a cozy mystery series by a person of color?"Yes!. Barbara Neely is an African-American writer and her character, a black woman ironically named Blanche White, is a cle..."
Thank you both! I was wondering the same thing.
Regarding books for young readers, I remember enjoying The Case of the Goblin Pearls way back when. (Looking it up now, though, it seems to get some poor reviews! I wish that I could remember it better.) The Birchbark House is also a good possibility (with better reviews!).Pauline wrote: "We're doing this challenge as a family again next year. I would love to hear ideas for this category (as well as any others) for a 14 and 12 year old. Any ideas?"
I picked up I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou at goodwill (yay goodwill finds) and loveddddd it and im pretty sure it qualifies for this category:)
Heather wrote: "I picked up I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou at goodwill (yay goodwill finds) and loveddddd it and im pretty sure it qualifies for this category:)"Hi Heather! I'm fairly familiar with the book but hadn't recalled it being part of a trilogy - did I miss that? Just wanted to clarify since that's part of the task.
Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge
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Authors mentioned in this topic
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Octavia E. Butler (other topics)
N.K. Jemisin (other topics)
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I did think it was a standalone. It's on my books that I hope to get read this year, possibly :) Thanks for the other suggestions - not sure I've heard of that triology so I will have an explore when I decide how I'm going to play this category :)