Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge discussion
2018 Read Harder Challenge
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2018 Read Harder Challenge plans
1) A book published posthumouslyNorthanger Abbey by Jane Austen
2) A book of true crime
Vanished Smile: The Mysterious Theft of Mona Lisa by R.A. Scotti
3) A classic of genre fiction (i.e. mystery, sci fi/fantasy, romance)
Herland by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
4) A comic written and illustrated by the same person
Big Mushy Happy Lump by Sarah Andersen
5) A book set in or about one of the five BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, or South Africa)
One Child: The Story of China's Most Radical Experiment by Mei Fong
6) A book about nature
The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative by Florence Williams
7) A western
The Personal History of Rachel DuPree by Ann Weisgarber
8) A comic written or illustrated by a person of color
Solanin by Inio Asano
9) A book of colonial or postcolonial literature
Shadows of Your Black Memory by Donato Ndongo
10) A romance novel by or about a person of color
An Extraordinary Union by Alyssa Cole
11) A children’s classic published before 1980
The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
12) A celebrity memoir
Buffering: Unshared Tales of a Life Fully Loaded by Hannah Hart
13) An Oprah Book Club selection
Ruby by Cynthia Bond
14) A book of social science
The Way We Never Were: American Families & the Nostalgia Trap by Stephanie Coontz
15) A one-sitting book
So Long a Letter by Mariama Bâ
16) The first book in a new-to-you YA or middle grade series
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
17) A sci fi novel with a female protagonist by a female author
Brown Girl in the Ring by Nalo Hopkinson
18) A comic that isn’t published by Marvel, DC, or Image
Step Aside, Pops by Kate Beaton
19) A book of genre fiction in translation
Harmony by Project Itoh
20) A book with a cover you hate
The Hiding Place: The Triumphant True Story of Corrie Ten Boom by Corrie ten Boom
21) A mystery by a person of color or LGBTQ+ author
The Intuitionist by Colson Whitehead
22) An essay anthology
The Writer on Her Work: New Essays in New Territory edited by Janet Sternburg
23) A book with a female protagonist over the age of 60
Remnant Population by Elizabeth Moon
24) An assigned book you hated (or never finished)
Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech
1) A book published posthumously2) A book of true crime
3) A classic of genre fiction (i.e. mystery, sci fi/fantasy, romance)
4) A comic written and illustrated by the same person
5) A book set in or about one of the five BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, or South Africa)
6) A book about nature
7) A western
8) A comic written or illustrated by a person of color
9) A book of colonial or postcolonial literature
10) A romance novel by or about a person of color
11) A children’s classic published before 1980
12) A celebrity memoir
13) An Oprah Book Club selection
14) A book of social science
15) A one-sitting book
16) The first book in a new-to-you YA or middle grade series
17) A sci fi novel with a female protagonist by a female author
18) A comic that isn’t published by Marvel, DC, or Image
19) A book of genre fiction in translation
20) A book with a cover you hate
21) A mystery by a person of color or LGBTQ+ author
22) An essay anthology
23) A book with a female protagonist over the age of 60
24) An assigned book you hated (or never finished)
1) A book published posthumouslyForward the Foundation
2) A book of true crime
3) A classic of genre fiction (i.e. mystery, sci fi/fantasy, romance)
Brave New World
4) A comic written and illustrated by the same person
Pashmina
5) A book set in or about one of the five BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, or South Africa)
The Prey of Gods
6) A book about nature
Wicked Plants: The Weed That Killed Lincoln's Mother and Other Botanical Atrocities
7) A western
True Grit, maybe.
8) A comic written or illustrated by a person of color
Black Panther: World of Wakanda, maybe.
9) A book of colonial or postcolonial literature
10) A romance novel by or about a person of color
It's Not Like It's a Secret
11) A children’s classic published before 1980
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
12) A celebrity memoir
West with the Night
13) An Oprah Book Club selection
One Hundred Years of Solitude
14) A book of social science
Bright-Sided: How the Relentless Promotion of Positive Thinking Has Undermined America
15) A one-sitting book
Artificial Condition
16) The first book in a new-to-you YA or middle grade series
Unearthed
17) A sci fi novel with a female protagonist by a female author
An Ancient Peace
18) A comic that isn’t published by Marvel, DC, or Image
Misfit City Vol. 1
19) A book of genre fiction in translation
Rumo & His Miraculous Adventures
20) A book with a cover you hate
Jane, Unlimited
21) A mystery by a person of color or LGBTQ+ author
Stay
22) An essay anthology
23) A book with a female protagonist over the age of 60
Murder at the Vicarage
24) An assigned book you hated (or never finished)
The Canterbury Tales
0/241 - A book published posthumously - maybe Persuasion
2 - A book of true crime - maybe American Kingpin: The Epic Hunt for the Criminal Mastermind Behind the Silk Road or The Smartest Guys in the Room: The Amazing Rise and Scandalous Fall of Enron or People Who Eat Darkness: The Fate of Lucie Blackman
3 - A classic of genre fiction (i.e. mystery, sci fi/fantasy, romance) - 1984
4 - A comic written and illustrated by the same person - Nimona or Can't We Talk about Something More Pleasant? or Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic
5 - A book set in or about one of the five BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, or South Africa) - maybe The Association of Small Bombs or Mastering the Art of Soviet Cooking: A Memoir of Food and Longing
6 - A book about nature - maybe A Walk in the Woods or The Drunken Botanist: The Plants That Create the World's Great Drinks
7 - A western - maybe The Widow Nash, True Grit or Lonesome Dove
8 - A comic written or illustrated by a person of color - Monstress, Vol. 1: Awakening
9 - A book of colonial or postcolonial literature - maybe
10 - A romance novel by or about a person of color - maybe An Extraordinary Union or A Study in Scarlet Women
11 - A children’s classic published before 1980 - maybe The Phantom Tollbooth, The Wind in the Willows, or A Wrinkle in Time
12 - A celebrity memoir - Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl
13 - An Oprah Book Club selection - Stolen Lives: Twenty Years in a Desert Jail
14 - A book of social science - Takeover: Race, Education, and American Democracy
15 - A one-sitting book -
16 - The first book in a new-to-you YA or middle grade series -
17 - A sci fi novel with a female protagonist by a female author - maybe Autonomous
18 - A comic that isn’t published by Marvel, DC, or Image
19 - A book of genre fiction in translation - jo nesbit, henning menkelm, etc
20 - A book with a cover you hate
21 - A mystery by a person of color or LGBTQ+ author
22 - An essay anthology Selfish, Shallow, and Self-Absorbed: Sixteen Writers on The Decision Not To Have Kids or Goodbye to All That
23 - A book with a female protagonist over the age of 60
24 - An assigned book you hated (or never finished)
I did the Read Harder challenge last year, and it was a wonderful experience—getting out of ruts, discovering new books and authors. When I finished the 2017 list, I went ahead and did 2016 as well! I've enjoyed going through people's plans here and tweaking my own. Here are my current intentions!
1. A book published posthumously: The Master and Margarita or A Moveable Feast: The Restored Edition
2. A book of true crime: Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI or The Monster of Florence
3. A classic of genre fiction: The Maltese Falcon or Minority Report and Other Stories
4. A comic written and illustrated by the same person: Henchgirl or Sin City, Vol. 1: The Hard Goodbye
5. A book set in or about one of the five BRICS countries: Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity or Nothing Is True and Everything Is Possible: The Surreal Heart of the New Russia
6. A book about nature: Pilgrim at Tinker Creek or The Botany of Desire: A Plant's-Eye View of the World
7. A western: The Sisters Brothers or True Grit
8. A comic written or illustrated by a person of color: Black Panther: A Nation Under Our Feet, Book 1 or Monstress, Vol. 2: The Blood
9. A book of colonial or postcolonial literature: The Map of Love or A Passage to India
10. A romance novel by or about a person of color: When Dimple Met Rishi or The Wedding Date
11. A children's classic published before 1980: The Last Unicorn or A Wizard of Earthsea
12. A celebrity memoir: Wishful Drinking or This Is Just My Face: Try Not to Stare
13. An Oprah Book Club selection: Paradise or Middlesex
14. A book of social science: Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed or Everybody Lies: Big Data, New Data, and What the Internet Can Tell Us About Who We Really Are
15. A one-sitting book: Tribes or Top Girls (I figured a play was a good bet for this category)
16. The first book in a new-to-you YA or middle grade series: Six of Crows or The Queen of the Tearling
17. A sci-fi novel with a female protagonist by a female author: Dawn or Planetfall
18. A comic that isn't published by Marvel, DC, or Image: Giant Days, Vol. 2 or Lady Killer, Vol. 2
19. A book of genre fiction in translation: The Ice Princess or Six Four
20. A book with a cover you hate: My Brilliant Friend or The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August
21. A mystery by a person of color or LGBTQ+ author: Devil in a Blue Dress or Bluebird, Bluebird
22. An essay anthology: Women on Ice: Feminist Responses to the Tonya Harding/Nancy Kerrigan Spectacle or Goodbye to All That: Writers on Loving and Leaving New York
23. A book with a female protagonist over the age of 60: In the Midst of Winter or The Elegance of the Hedgehog
24. An assigned book you hated (or never finished): A Separate Peace or Heart of Darkness
0/241. A book published posthumously Northanger Abbey
2. A book of true crimeShadow Hills
3. A classic of genre fiction (i.e. mystery, sci fi/fantasy, romance)One with You
4. A comic written and illustrated by the same person Tangles: A Story About Alzheimer's, My Mother, and Me
5. A book set in or about one of the five BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, or South Africa) Falling Leaves: The Memoir of an Unwanted Chinese Daughter
6. A book about nature The Golden Spruce: A True Story of Myth, Madness, and Greed
7. A western The Hell Bent Kid: A Novel
8. A comic written or illustrated by a person of color Saints
9. A book of colonial or postcolonial literature Tyrant Banderas
10. A romance novel by or about a person of color The Wedding Date
11. A children’s classic published before 1980 The Secret Garden
12. A celebrity memoir There Is No F*cking Secret: Letters from a Badass Bitch
13. An Oprah Book Club selection The Road
14. A book of social science Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging
15. A one-sitting book Traffick
1.) The first book in a new-to-you YA or middle grade series Cinder
17. A sci fi novel with a female protagonist by a female author Cinder
18. A comic that isn’t published by Marvel, DC, or Image Nimona
19. A book of genre fiction in translation Kaytek the Wizard
20. A book with a cover you hate Tyrant Banderas
21. A mystery by a person of color or LGBTQ+ author The Interpreter
22. An essay anthology Be There Now: Travel Stories from Around the World
23. A book with a female protagonist over the age of 60 What Was She Thinking? Notes on a Scandal
24. An assigned book you hated (or never finished) Room
I like this list! Nimona is a great choice for the comic, have you read it yet? Linzie wrote: "0/24
1. A book published posthumously Northanger Abbey
2. A book of true crimeShadow Hills
3. A classic of genre fiction (i.e. mystery, sci fi/fantasy, romance)[book:O..."
I only made it 9 books into the 2017 list so I'm hoping to do better this year! 4/24
X 1) A book published posthumously: The Trial by Franz Kafka
X2) A book of true crime: Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders by Vincent Bugliosi
X3) A classic of genre fiction (i.e. mystery, sci fi/fantasy, romance): Presumed Innocent by Scott Turow
X4) A comic written and illustrated by the same person: Nimona by Noelle Stevenson
5) A book set in or about one of the five BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, or South Africa): Narcopolois by Jeet Thayil
6) A book about nature
7) A western
8) A comic written or illustrated by a person of color
9) A book of colonial or postcolonial literature
10) A romance novel by or about a person of color
11) A children’s classic published before 1980
12) A celebrity memoir
13) An Oprah Book Club selection
14) A book of social science
15) A one-sitting book
16) The first book in a new-to-you YA or middle grade series
17) A sci fi novel with a female protagonist by a female author
18) A comic that isn’t published by Marvel, DC, or Image
19) A book of genre fiction in translation
20) A book with a cover you hate
21) A mystery by a person of color or LGBTQ+ author
22) An essay anthology
23) A book with a female protagonist over the age of 60
24) An assigned book you hated (or never finished)
Psyched!!!! Maybe this year I will finish the challenge!! The hardest for me will be romance. I really dislike romance books. But OK here I go, my tentative list.1. A book published posthumously: The Pale King by David Foster Wallace or The Trial by Kafka
2. A book of true crime - The Professor and the Madman
3. A classic of genre fiction (i.e. mystery, sci fi/fantasy, romance) The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Universe or Fahrenheit 451 or Frankenstein
4. A comic written and illustrated by the same person - Your Black Friend, by Ben Passmore
5. A book set in or about one of the BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, or South Africa) - Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie or A Gentleman n Moscow by Amor Fowles
6. A book about nature: The Hidden Life of Trees
7. A western - News of the World or something by Cormac McCarthy, like Blood Meridien or the second in the border trilogy
8. A comic written or illustrated by a person of color: Your Black Friend
9. A book of colonial or postcolonial literature: Midnight's Children
10. A romance novel by or about a person of color - The Lover, Marguerite Duras, or How Stella Got her Groove Back or someone suggested Like Water for Chocolate, yes! Thank you!
11. A children’s classic published before 1980 - A Wrinkle in Time
12. A celebrity memoir - M Train by Patti Smith, Chronicles by Bob Dylan or What Happened
13. An Oprah Book Club selection - One Hundred Years of Solitude
14. A book of social science - No Matter How Loud I Shout or would Between the World and Me count?
15. A one-sitting book - Your Black Friend
16. The first book in a new-to-you YA or middle grade series: Divergent
17. A sci fi novel with a female protagonist by a female author - Divergent or A Wrinkle in Time
18. A comic that isn’t published by Marvel, DC, or Image: Your Back Friend
19. A book of genre fiction in translation - One Hundred Years of Solitude
20. A book with a cover you hate: 2nd Elena Ferrante, The Story of a new Name
21. A mystery by a person of color or LGBTQ+ author - Devil in a Blue Dress
22. An essay anthology - Best American Essays or one I have for a class I took, or The Art of the Personal Essay edited by Philip Lopate or something by Granta
23. A book with a female protagonist over the age of 60 - Olive Kittredge or What Happened
24. An assigned book you hated (or never finished) the anthology of essays a teacher assigned and I never finished, or As I Lay Dying (hated that book) or Moby Dick. Yes possibly Moby Dick; don't judge me, never could finish that book.
Page 21) A book published posthumously
The Third Policeman
2) A book of true crime
My Friend Dahmer
3) A classic of genre fiction (i.e. mystery, sci fi/fantasy, romance)
The Greek Coffin Mystery
4) A comic written and illustrated by the same person
My Favorite Thing Is Monsters, Vol. 1
5) A book set in or about one of the five BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, or South Africa)
Flood of Fire
6) A book about nature
Lab Girl
7) A western
Three-Ten to Yuma and Other Stories
8) A comic written or illustrated by a person of color
Ms. Marvel, Vol. 1: No Normal
9) A book of colonial or postcolonial literature
The Sympathizer
10) A romance novel by or about a person of color
Glutton for Pleasure
11) A children’s classic published before 1980
Five Children and It
12) A celebrity memoir
The Princess Diarist
13) An Oprah Book Club selection
Great Expectations
14) A book of social science
The Price of Inequality: How Today's Divided Society Endangers Our Future
15) A one-sitting book
All the Dirty Parts
16) The first book in a new-to-you YA or middle grade series
Mortal Engines
17) A sci fi novel with a female protagonist by a female author
Ancillary Sword
18) A comic that isn’t published by Marvel, DC, or Image
Lumberjanes, Vol. 1: Beware the Kitten Holy
19) A book of genre fiction in translation
Faithless
20) A book with a cover you hate
Purity
21) A mystery by a person of color or LGBTQ+ author
The Shadow of the Wind
22) An essay anthology
Slouching Towards Bethlehem
23) A book with a female protagonist over the age of 60
Ancillary Sword
24) An assigned book you hated (or never finished)
Ethan Frome
24/24 Done! June 19, 2018✅1) A book published posthumously
Lady Susan by Jane Austen
✅2) A book of true crime
Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann
✅3) A classic of genre fiction (i.e. mystery, sci fi/fantasy, romance)
The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
✅4) A comic written and illustrated by the same person
Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel
✅5) A book set in or about one of the five BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, or South Africa)
The Tiger Queens: The Women of Genghis Khan by Stephanie Thornton
✅6) A book about nature
A Monk and Two Peas by Robin Marantz Henig
✅7) A western
My Ántonia by Willa Cather
✅8) A comic written or illustrated by a person of color
Chicken with Plums by Marjane Satrapi
✅9) A book of colonial or postcolonial literature
Dubliners by James Joyce
✅10) A romance novel by or about a person of color
Secrets and Lies by Selena Montgomery
Author Selena's alter ego is Stacey Abrams. She is a lawyer, a GA State Representative and is running for Governor in 2018
✅11) A children’s classic published before 1980
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
✅12) A celebrity memoir
Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah
✅13) An Oprah Book Club selection
Tara Road by Maeve Binchy
✅14) A book of social science
The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women by Kate Moore
✅15) A one-sitting book
Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote
✅16) The first book in a new-to-you YA or middle grade series
Inspector Flytrap by Tom Angleberger
✅17) A sci fi novel with a female protagonist by a female author
Doomsday Book by Connie Willis
✅18) A comic that isn’t published by Marvel, DC, or Image
Scott Pilgrim, Volume 2: Scott Pilgrim vs. The World by Bryan Lee O'Malley
✅19) A book of genre fiction in translation
Nightblind by Ragnar Jónasson
✅20) A book with a cover you hate
Origin by Dan Brown
✅21) A mystery by a person of color or LGBTQ+ author
The Widows of Malabar Hill by Sujata Massey
✅22) An essay anthology
Nasty Women: Feminism, Resistance, and Revolution in Trump's America by Samhita Mukhopadhyay
✅23) A book with a female protagonist over the age of 60
The Falcon at the Portal by Elizabeth Peters
✅24) An assigned book you hated (or never finished)
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
My Tentative list:Kim’s 2018 Read Harder Challenge Book Selections
1. A book published posthumously. Look at the Birdie by Kurt Vonnegut
2. A book of true crime. Scholes of the Yard: The Casebook of a Scotland Yard Detective 1888 to 1924 by GS Burroughs
3. A classic of genre fiction (i.e. mystery, sci fi/fantasy, romance). Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
4. A comic written and illustrated by the same person. Unicorn on a Roll (#2 Phoebe and her Unicorn) by Dana Simpson
5. A book set in or about one of the five BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, or South Africa). The river of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's darkest journey by Candice Millard
6. A book about nature. In the Shadow of Man by Jane Goodall
7. A western. Western Star by Craig Johnson
8. A comic written or illustrated by a person of color. Battle Royale by Koushun Takami and Masayuki Taguchi
9. A book of colonial or postcolonial literature. Nervous Conditions by Tsitsi Dangarembga
10. A romance novel by or about a person of color. Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel
11. A children’s classic published before 1980. The 21 Balloons by by William Pene Du Bois
12. A celebrity memoir. In Such Good Company by Carol Burnett
13. An Oprah Book Club selection. The Book of Ruth by Jane Hamilton
14. A book of social science. Verbal Behavior by B.F. Skinner
15. A one sitting book. HELP! A Bear is Eating Me! By Mykle Hansen
16. The first book in a new-to-you YA or middle grade series. The Ever After (aka Maybird #1) by Jodi Lynn Anderson OR
Dark Lord of Derkholm (Derkholm #1) by Diana Wynne Jones
17. A sci fi novel with a female protagonist by a female author. The Country of Ice Cream Start by Sandra Newman
18. A comic that isn’t published by Marvel, DC, or Image. Ichi the killer Hideo Yamamoto
19. A book of genre fiction in translation. The Snowman by Joe Nesbo
20. A book with a cover you hate. Haunted by Chuck Palahniuk
21. A mystery by a person of color or LGBTQ+ author. The Bone Garden by Tess Gerritsen
22. An essay anthology. Sex, Art, and American Culture by Camille Paglia
23. A book with a female protagonist over the age of 60. The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood
24. An assigned book you hated (or never finished) Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
Jamie wrote: "I like this list! Nimona is a great choice for the comic, have you read it yet? No I have not read Nimona yet! Glad to hear it is a good read for you!!
Linzie wrote: "0/24
1. A book published posthumously Northanger Abbey
2. A book of true crime[book:Sh..."
1) A book published posthumously2) A book of true crime
3) A classic of genre fiction (i.e. mystery, sci fi/fantasy, romance)
4) A comic written and illustrated by the same person
5) A book set in or about one of the five BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, or South Africa)
6) A book about nature
7) A western
8) A comic written or illustrated by a person of color
9) A book of colonial or postcolonial literature
10) A romance novel by or about a person of color
11) A children’s classic published before 1980
12) A celebrity memoir
13) An Oprah Book Club selection
14) A book of social science
15) A one-sitting book
16) The first book in a new-to-you YA or middle grade series
17) A sci fi novel with a female protagonist by a female author
18) A comic that isn’t published by Marvel, DC, or Image
19) A book of genre fiction in translation
20) A book with a cover you hate
21) A mystery by a person of color or LGBTQ+ author
22) An essay anthology
23) A book with a female protagonist over the age of 60
24) An assigned book you hated (or never finished)
Kristen wrote: "Trying to tend to my ever-growing to-read list while also hitting some literature I feel like I should have already read.1) A book published posthumously: Maurice
Oh, I forgot Maurice was published posthumously! And, apparently, I also forgot to put it on the to-read list. Fixed!
Planned so far:Classic genre: The Left Hand of Darkness
Western: Riders of the Purple Sage
Classic children's book: The Phantom Tollbooth
Celebrity Memoir: Not My Father's Son
First book in Middle Grade series: The Name of This Book is a Secret
Book about Nature: Forest Forensics
True Crime: Adnan's Story
Assigned book that I hated: Billy Budd, or Return of the Native, or Chaucer's Troilus and Cressida.
All titles subject to change, of course!
Syd's First Read Harder Attempt1) A book published posthumously
2) A book of true crime:
UPDATE changed to: Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann
3) A classic of genre fiction (i.e. mystery, sci fi/fantasy, romance)
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
4) A comic written and illustrated by the same person
Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel
5) A book set in or about one of the five BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, or South Africa)
City of Thieves by David Benioff
6) A book about nature
Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil DeGrasse-Tyson
7) A western
The Ox-Bow Incident by Walter Van Tilburg Clark
8) A comic written or illustrated by a person of color
Death Note Box Set by Tsugumi Ohba
9) A book of colonial or postcolonial literature
The Crucible by Arthur Miller
10) A romance novel by or about a person of color
Behind the Bars by Brittainy C. Cherry
11) A children’s classic published before 1980
12) A celebrity memoir
Yes Please by Amy Poehler
13) An Oprah Book Club selection
14) A book of social science
The INFJ Handbook: A guide to and for the rarest Myers-Briggs personality type by Marissa Baker
15) A one-sitting book
Fierce Kingdom by Gin Phillips
16) The first book in a new-to-you YA or middle grade series
The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
17) A sci fi novel with a female protagonist by a female author
The Power by Naomi Alderman
18) A comic that isn’t published by Marvel, DC, or Image
Death Note Box Set by Tsugumi Ohba
19) A book of genre fiction in translation
20) A book with a cover you hate
When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon
21) A mystery by a person of color or LGBTQ+ author
The Lost Ones by Sheena Kamal
22) An essay anthology
Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls by David Sedaris
23) A book with a female protagonist over the age of 60
American Elsewhere by Robert Jackson Bennett
24) An assigned book you hated (or never finished)
Peace Like a River by Lief Enger
✔️1) A book published posthumously Bog Child✔️2) A book of true crime The Midnight Assassin: Panic, Scandal, and the Hunt for America's First Serial Killer
✔️3) A classic of genre fiction (i.e. mystery, sci fi/fantasy, romance)
Lord of Scoundrels
✔️4) A comic written and illustrated by the same person Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic
✔️5) A book set in or about one of the five BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, or South Africa) The Bear and the Nightingale
✔️6) A book about nature The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating
✔️7) A western Tempest
✔️8) A comic written or illustrated by a person of color March: Book One
✔️9) A book of colonial or postcolonial literature--
Bog Child
✔️10) A romance novel by or about a person of color: The Suffragette Scandal
✔️11) A children’s classic published before 1980 The Little Prince
✔️12) A celebrity memoir The Princess Diarist
✔️13) An Oprah Book Club selection Great Expectations
✔️14) A book of social science So You've Been Publicly Shamed
✔️15) A one-sitting book How to Walk Away
✔️16) The first book in a new-to-you YA or middle grade series Daughter of Smoke & Bone
✔️17) A sci fi novel with a female protagonist by a female author Cinder
✔️18) A comic that isn’t published by Marvel, DC, or Image Help Us! Great Warrior
✔️19) A book of genre fiction in translation The Little Prince
✔️20) A book with a cover you hate Riveted
✔️21) A mystery by a person of color or LGBTQ+ author Murder in G Major
✔️22) An essay anthology The Displaced: Refugee Writers on Refugee Lives
✔️23) A book with a female protagonist over the age of 60 The Summer Book
✔️24) An assigned book you hated (or never finished) The Old Man and the Sea by Hemingway
Finished 12/22/2018!!
24/24✅1) A book published posthumously - A Death in the Family
✅2) A book of true crime - American Heiress: The Wild Saga of the Kidnapping, Crimes and Trial of Patty Hearst
✅3) A classic of genre fiction (i.e. mystery, sci fi/fantasy, romance) - Foundation
✅4) A comic written and illustrated by the same person - Nimona
✅5) A book set in or about one of the five BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, or South Africa) - The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane
✅6) A book about nature - Mother Nature Is Trying to Kill You: A Lively Tour Through the Dark Side of the Natural World
✅7) A western - News of the World
✅8) A comic written or illustrated by a person of color - March: Book One
✅9) A book of colonial or postcolonial literature - Heart of Darkness
✅10) A romance novel by or about a person of color - Everything, Everything
✅11) A children’s classic published before 1980 - Bridge to Terabithia
✅12) A celebrity memoir - Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography
✅13) An Oprah Book Club selection - The Underground Railroad
✅14) A book of social science - Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis
✅15) A one-sitting book - The War Bride's Scrapbook
✅16) The first book in a new-to-you YA or middle grade series - Dorothy Must Die
✅17) A sci fi novel with a female protagonist by a female author - Blackout
✅18) A comic that isn’t published by Marvel, DC, or Image - Imagine Wanting Only This
✅19) A book of genre fiction in translation - The Metamorphosis
✅20) A book with a cover you hate - Dreadful Young Ladies and Other Stories
✅21) A mystery by a person of color or LGBTQ+ author - A Study in Scarlet Women
✅22) An essay anthology - This I Believe: The Personal Philosophies of Remarkable Men and Women
✅23) A book with a female protagonist over the age of 60 - Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk
✅24) An assigned book you hated (or never finished) - If on a Winter's Night a Traveler
So excited! I'm technically on my last book for the 2017 challenge, so why not kick-start the 2018 list. All entries authored by a queer / woman / person of color as much as possible. Also, this may belong in another thread, but if task #19 means what I think it means (a book of genre fiction translated into English?) - Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro would not work as it was first written in English. He is a Japanese-British author ... I sense the name is throwing people off.
1. A book published posthumously
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
Ariel by Sylvia Plath
2. A book of true crime
Mindhunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit by John E. Douglas
Looking for recs by POC!
3. A classic of genre fiction (i.e. mystery, sci fi/fantasy, romance)
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
4. A comic written and illustrated by the same person
Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened by Allie Brosh
5. A book set in or about one of the five BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, or South Africa)
Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah
6. A book about nature
Would LOVE to read something like Rahawa Haile's Going It Alone
7. A western
Kingsway West by Greg Pak
Wake of Vultures by Lila Bowen
All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy
Looking for recs by POC! Would dearly love to read a western with a Chinese main character (I know Kingsway West is like comic #4 on this list).
8. A comic written or illustrated by a person of color
Boxers by Gene Luen Yang
9. A book of colonial or postcolonial literature
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez
10. A romance novel by or about a person of color
The Duchess War by Courtney Milan
11, A children’s classic published before 1980
A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. LeGuin
12. A celebrity memoir
We're Going to Need More Wine: Stories by Gabrielle Union
Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah
The Princess Diarist by Carrie Fisher
The Last Black Unicorn by Tiffany Haddish
You Can't Touch My Hair: And Other Things I Still Have to Explain by Phoebe Robinson
Where Am I Now? by Mara Wilson
The Awkward Thoughts of W. Kamau Bell: Tales of a 6' 4", African American, Heterosexual, Cisgender, Left-Leaning, Asthmatic, Black and Proud Blerd, Mama's Boy, Dad, and Stand-Up Comedian by W. Kamau Bell
HM. This one will be difficult.
13. An Oprah Book Club selection
Sula by Toni Morrison
14. A book of social science
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander
15. A one-sitting book
We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche
Electric Arches by Eve Ewing
A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
16. The first book in a new-to-you YA or middle grade series
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
17. A sci fi novel with a female protagonist by a female author
Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor
Provenance by Ann Leckie
Dawn by Octavia Butler
The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood
18. A comic that isn’t published by Marvel, DC, or Image
your name., Vol. 1 by Shinkai Makoto
Everyone's a Aliebn When Ur a Aliebn Too by Jomny Sun
19. A book of genre fiction in translation
The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin & Ken Liu
20. A book with a cover you hate
Call Me by Your Name by André Aciman
21. A mystery by a person of color or LGBTQ+ author
The Interpreter by Suki Kim
22. An essay anthology
Period: Twelve Voices Tell the Bloody Truth by Arisleyda Dilone, Ann Friedman, Madame Gandhi, Santina Muha, Ingrid Nilsen, Wiley Reading, Ashley Reese, Kylyssa Shay, Aminatou Sow, Emma Straub, Jennifer Weiss-Wolf, and Elizabeth Yuko
23. A book with a female protagonist over the age of 60
The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood
24. An assigned book you hated (or never finished)
Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison (high school! just never finished!)
+ starting to accumulate books I've already read but recommend for this challenge at my listography.
24/24[X] 1) A book published posthumously
The Love of the Last Tycoon
[X] 2) A book of true crime
Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI
[X] 3) A classic of genre fiction (i.e. mystery, sci fi/fantasy, romance)
The Wind in the Willows
[X] 4) A comic written and illustrated by the same person
Boxers
[X] 5) A book set in or about one of the five BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, or South Africa)
The Leavers
[X] 6) A book about nature
The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating
[X] 7) A western
No Country for Old Men
[X] 8) A comic written or illustrated by a person of color
The Prince and the Dressmaker
[X] 9) A book of colonial or postcolonial literature
The Book of Night Women
[X] 10) A romance novel by or about a person of color
The Wedding Date
[X] 11) A children’s classic published before 1980
A Wrinkle in Time
[X] 12) A celebrity memoir
Talking as Fast as I Can: From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls, and Everything in Between
[X] 13) An Oprah Book Club selection
The Underground Railroad
[X] 14) A book of social science
Outliers: The Story of Success
[X] 15) A one-sitting book
The Wide Window
[X] 16) The first book in a new-to-you YA or middle grade series
Hex Hall
[X] 17) A sci fi novel with a female protagonist by a female author
The Handmaid's Tale
[X] 18) A comic that isn’t published by Marvel, DC, or Image
Giant Days, Vol. 5
[X] 19) A book of genre fiction in translation
A Wild Ride Through the Night
[X] 20) A book with a cover you hate
Calypso
[X] 21) A mystery by a person of color or LGBTQ+ author
Devils in Daylight
[X] 22) An essay anthology
Me Talk Pretty One Day
[X] 23) A book with a female protagonist over the age of 60
What Was She Thinking? Notes on a Scandal
[X] 24) An assigned book you hated (or never finished)
Tenth of December
Completed Reading Order:
Finished!!1) A book published posthumously: The Shepherd's Crown (Aug)
2) A book of true crime: Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI (July)
3) A classic of genre fiction They Do It with Mirrors (Mar)
4) A comic written and illustrated by the same person: Invisible Emmie (Jan)
5) A book set in or about one of the five BRICS countries: The Girl in the Tower (Sept)
6) A book about nature: Astrophysics for People in a Hurry (Apr)
7) A western: Prairie Fires: The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder (May)
8) A comic written or illustrated by a person of color: March: Book One (Jan)
9) A book of colonial or postcolonial literature: Homegoing (Jul)
10) A romance novel by or about a person of color: Snow Falling (Jan)
11) A children’s classic published before 1980: The Long Winter (June)
12) A celebrity memoir: Talking as Fast as I Can: From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls, and Everything in Between (Jan)
13) An Oprah Book Club selection: The Underground Railroad (Jan)
14) A book of social science: Foundations of Library and Information Science (Mar)
15) A one-sitting book: Orbiting Jupiter (Jan)
16) The first book in a new-to-you YA or middle grade series: Aru Shah and the End of Time (Jan)
17) A scifi novel with a female protagonist by a female author: Parable of the Sower (Sept)
18) A comic that isn’t published by Marvel, DC, or Image: Lumberjanes, Vol. 7: A Bird's-Eye View (Jan)
19) A book of genre fiction in translation: Journey to the Centre of the Earth (Aug)
20) A book with a cover you hate: Drone Academy (Feb)
21) A mystery by a person of color or LGBTQ+ author: The Intuitionist (Sept)
22) An essay anthology: American Like Me: Reflections on Life Between Cultures (Oct)
23) A book with a female protagonist over the age of 60: Nemesis (Apr) - Miss Marple
24) An Assigned Book You Never Finished: Their Eyes Were Watching God (June)
13/241) A book published posthumously -- The Love of the Last Tycoon by F. Scott Fitzgerald
-- Finished 1/4/18 -- ***2) A book of true crime -- Shot in the Heart by Mikal Gilmore
-- Finished 1/11/18 -- ****3) A classic of genre fiction -- The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett
-- Finished 2/2/18 -- ****4) A comic written and illustrated by the same person -- Lena Finkle's Magic Barrel by Anya Ulinich
-- Finished 2/24/18 -- ****5) A book set in or about one of the five BRICS countries -- Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See
-- Finished 3/12/18 -- *****6) A book about nature -- Trace: Memory, History, Race and the American Land by Lauret Savoy
-- Finished 8/6/18 -- ****7) A western -- Blood Meridian, or the Evening Redness in the West by Cormac McCarthy
-- Finished 6/24/18 -- ****8) A comic written or illustrated by a person of color -- The Best We Could Do by Thi Bui
-- Finished 4/9/18 -- *****9) A book of colonial or postcolonial literature -- Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
-- Finished 7/3/18 -- *****10) A romance novel by or about a person of color -- Trade Me by Courtney Milan
(I hope the book isn't as painful as the search process -- hard to find something that wasn't nauseating, long and that my library had) -- Finished 4/3/18 -- ***11) A children’s classic published before 1980 -- Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
-- Finished 6/6/24/18 -- *****12) A celebrity memoir -- Mister Jelly Roll: The Fortunes of Jelly Roll Morton, New Orleans Creole and "Inventor of Jazz" by Alan Lomax
13) An Oprah Book Club selection -- House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus III
14) A book of social science -- Ramp Hollow: The Ordeal of Appalachia by Steven Stoll
15) A one-sitting book -- Lord of the Flies by William Golding
-- Finished 9/22/18 -- **16) The first book in a new-to-you YA or middle grade series -- I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter
-- On deck
17) A sci fi novel with a female protagonist by a female author -- The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
-- On deck
18) A comic that isn’t published by Marvel, DC, or Image -- Blue is the Warmest Color by Julie Maroh
-- Finished 7/26/18 -- *****19) A book of genre fiction in translation -- Phantom by Jo Nesbø
-- On deck
20) A book with a cover you hate -- Bossypants by Tina Fey
-- On deck
21) A mystery by a person of color or LGBTQ+ author-- Out by Natsuo Kirino
-- On deck
22) An essay anthology -- Why We Don't Suck: And How All of Us Need to Stop Being Such Partisan Little Bitches by Denis Leary
23) A book with a female protagonist over the age of 60 -- Memento Mori by Muriel Spark
-- Finished 8/14/18 -- **24) An assigned book you hated (or never finished) -- A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain
First year I'm doing this, and I'm so excited!0/24
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1) A book published posthumously
2) A book of true crime
The Fact of a Body: A Murder and a Memoir
3) A classic of genre fiction (i.e. mystery, sci fi/fantasy, romance)
4) A comic written and illustrated by the same person
5) A book set in or about one of the five BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, or South Africa)
6) A book about nature
7) A western
8) A comic written or illustrated by a person of color
Forget Sorrow: An Ancestral Tale
9) A book of colonial or postcolonial literature
10) A romance novel by or about a person of color
11) A children’s classic published before 1980
12) A celebrity memoir
13) An Oprah Book Club selection
14) A book of social science
Delusions of Gender: How Our Minds, Society, and Neurosexism Create Difference
15) A one-sitting book
16) The first book in a new-to-you YA or middle grade series
17) A sci fi novel with a female protagonist by a female author
18) A comic that isn’t published by Marvel, DC, or Image
19) A book of genre fiction in translation
20) A book with a cover you hate
21) A mystery by a person of color or LGBTQ+ author
22) An essay anthology
23) A book with a female protagonist over the age of 60
24) An assigned book you hated (or never finished)
My plans are as follows:1. A book published posthumously: Northanger Abbey
2. A book of true crime: Mindhunter/ My Friend Dahmer/ The Devil in the White City
3. A classic of genre fiction (i.e. mystery, sci fi/fantasy, romance): A Wrinkle in Time/ The Chronicles of Narnia
4. A comic written and illustrated by the same person: Fun Home
5. A book set in or about one of the five BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, or South Africa): The namesake/ La Edad de Hierro (J.M. Coetzee)
6. A book about nature: The Origin of Species
7. A western: My Ántonia/ Riders of the Purple Sage
8. A comic written or illustrated by a person of color: Genius
9. A book of colonial or postcolonial literature: Cien Años de Soledad
10. A romance novel by or about a person of color: Taming the Wolf (Maureen Smith)
11. A children’s classic published before 1980: La Señorita Nelson ha Desaparecido (Mrs. Nelson is Missing)
12. A celebrity memoir: Promise Me, Dad
13. An Oprah Book Club selection: The Pillars of the Earth
14. A book of social science: Sapiens
15. A one-sitting book: The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
16. The first book in a new-to-you YA or middle grade series: Clockwork Angel
17. A sci fi novel with a female protagonist by a female author: Heartless
18. A comic that isn’t published by Marvel, DC, or Image: Adulthood is a Myth
19. A book of genre fiction in translation: Viaje al Centro de la Tierra (Spanish Edition of Journey to the Center of the Earth)- Original in French
20. A book with a cover you hate: The Advocate’s Betrayal
21. A mystery by a person of color or LGBTQ+ author: Cat on the Scent
22. An essay anthology: Examen de mi Padre/ Selected Essays of T.S. Eliot
23. A book with a female protagonist over the age of 60: The Joy Luck Club
24. An assigned book you hated (or never finished): El Ingenioso Hidalgo Don Quijote de la Mancha (Never finished)
Here’s my plan so far. Titles I select must be available from the library (preferably as ebooks). I also have two book clubs, so I hope I manage to get some overlap with this list!1 - A book published posthumously: TBD
2 - A book of true crime: The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher: A Shocking Murder and the Undoing of a Great Victorian Detective Kate Summerscale. [OR] The Man Who Loved Books Too Much: The True Story of a Thief, a Detective, and a World of Literary Obsession Allison Bartlett. [OR] The Napoleon of Crime: The Life and Times of Adam Worth, Master Thief Ben Macintyre.
3 - A classic of genre fiction (i.e. mystery, sci fi/fantasy, romance): Stranger in a Strange Land Robert Heinlein.
4 - A comic written and illustrated by the same person: Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood Marjane Satrapi.
5 - A book set in or about one of the five BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, or South Africa): The White Tiger Aravind Adiga.
6 - A book about nature: Undaunted Courage: The Pioneering First Mission to Explore America's Wild Frontier Stephen Ambrose. [OR] Never Cry Wolf Farley Mowat. [OR] The Horse: The Epic History of Our Noble Companion Wendy Williams.
7 - A western: Riders of the Purple Sage Zane Grey.
8 - A comic written or illustrated by a person of color: Malice in Ovenland: Vol. 1 Micheline Hess.
9 - A book of colonial or postcolonial literature: Daughter of Empire: My Life as a Mountbatten Pamela Hicks.
10 - A romance novel by or about a person of color: Night Song Beverly Jenkins
11 - A children’s classic published before 1980: TBD
12 - A celebrity memoir: Just Kids Patti Smith.
13 - An Oprah Book Club selection: The Pillars of the Earth Ken Follet.
14 - A book of social science: Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies Jared Diamond.
15 - A one-sitting book: TBD
16 - The first book in a new-to-you YA or middle grade series: TBD
17 - A sci fi novel with a female protagonist by a female author: Parable of the Sower. Octavia Butler.
18 - A comic that isn’t published by Marvel, DC, or Image: The Only Living Boy #1: Prisoner of the Patchwork Planet David Gallaher & Steve Ellis.
19 - A book of genre fiction in translation: The Winter Queen Boris Akunin.
20 - A book with a cover you hate: TBD
21 - A mystery by a person of color or LGBTQ+ author: Aunty Lee's Delights Ovidia Yu.
22 - An essay anthology: Bad Feminist Roxane Gay.
23 - A book with a female protagonist over the age of 60: Like a Mule Bringing Ice Cream to the Sun Sarah Ladipo Manyika
24 - An assigned book you hated (or never finished): A Tale of Two Cities Charles Dickens. (hoping I can think of a shorter one!)
I'm going to attempt the challenge focusing on middle grade books. There are a few that might be hard to find so if anyone has suggestions or is also doing their challenge like this please let me know. I may need to dip into YA for some.1) A book published posthumously
The Purloining of Prince Oleomargarine by Mark Twain
2) A book of true crime
3) A classic of genre fiction (i.e. mystery, sci fi/fantasy, romance)
4) A comic written and illustrated by the same person
5) A book set in or about one of the five BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, or South Africa)
6) A book about nature
World Without Fish
7) A western
8) A comic written or illustrated by a person of color
9) A book of colonial or postcolonial literature
10) A romance novel by or about a person of color
11) A children’s classic published before 1980
12) A celebrity memoir
13) An Oprah Book Club selection
14) A book of social science
15) A one-sitting book
16) The first book in a new-to-you YA or middle grade series
17) A sci fi novel with a female protagonist by a female author
18) A comic that isn’t published by Marvel, DC, or Image
19) A book of genre fiction in translation
20) A book with a cover you hate
21) A mystery by a person of color or LGBTQ+ author
22) An essay anthology
23) A book with a female protagonist over the age of 60
24) An assigned book you hated (or never finished)
Here we go 2018! This will be my second year on this challenge and I'm so excited!8/24
1) A book published posthumously
2) A book of true crime
3) A classic of genre fiction (i.e. mystery, sci fi/fantasy, romance)
or Agatha Christie4) A comic written and illustrated by the same person
{Finished 1/13/18} 17) 5) A book set in or about one of the five BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, or South Africa)
The Bear and the Nightingale
6) A book about nature
{Finished 3/12/18} 17)7) A western
8) A comic written or illustrated by a person of color
9) A book of colonial or postcolonial literature
10) A romance novel by or about a person of color
Beverly Jenkins
{Finished 2/23/18} 17)11) A children’s classic published before 1980
{Finished 2/13/18} 17)12) A celebrity memoir
13) An Oprah Book Club selection
Behold the Dreamers
{Finished 3/10/18} 17)14) A book of social science
15) A one-sitting book
16) The first book in a new-to-you YA or middle grade series
{Finished 1/8/18} 17) A sci fi novel with a female protagonist by a female author
18) A comic that isn’t published by Marvel, DC, or Image
19) A book of genre fiction in translation
{Finished 1/18/18} 17) 20) A book with a cover you hate
Annihilation
21) A mystery by a person of color or LGBTQ+ author
22) An essay anthology
Scratch: Writers, Money, and the Art of Making a Living or A Woman Looking at Men Looking at Women: Essays on Art, Sex, and the Mind
{Finished 1/21/18} 17) 23) A book with a female protagonist over the age of 60
The Woman Next Door
24) An assigned book you hated (or never finished)
or
[2/24]1) A book published posthumously - Northanger Abbey
2) A book of true crime
3) A classic of genre fiction (i.e. mystery, sci fi/fantasy, romance) - And Then There Were None
4) A comic written and illustrated by the same person
5) A book set in or about one of the five BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, or South Africa) - The Girl in the Tower
6) A book about nature
7) A western
8) A comic written or illustrated by a person of color
9) A book of colonial or postcolonial literature
10) A romance novel by or about a person of color
11) A children’s classic published before 1980
12) A celebrity memoir
13) An Oprah Book Club selection
14) A book of social science
15)
16)
17) A sci fi novel with a female protagonist by a female author - Radiance
18) A comic that isn’t published by Marvel, DC, or Image
19) A book of genre fiction in translation - The Girl Who Played with Fire
20) A book with a cover you hate - The Picture of Dorian Gray
21) A mystery by a person of color or LGBTQ+ author -
Smaller and Smaller Circles
22) An essay anthology
23) A book with a female protagonist over the age of 60
24) An assigned book you hated (or never finished)
1) A book published posthumously - The Mystery of Edwin Drood2) A book of true crime - The Monster of Florence
3) A classic of genre fiction (i.e. mystery, sci fi/fantasy, romance) - The Mysterious Affair at Styles
4) A comic written and illustrated by the same person - Seconds
5) A book set in or about one of the five BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, or South Africa) - The Last Days of the Romanovs: Tragedy at Ekaterinburg
6) A book about nature - The Beak of the Finch: A Story of Evolution in Our Time
7) A western - Hondo
√8) A comic written or illustrated by a person of color - Pashmina
9) A book of colonial or postcolonial literature - Wide Sargasso Sea
10) A romance novel by or about a person of color - An Extraordinary Union
11) A children’s classic published before 1980 - Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens
12) A celebrity memoir - Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography
13) An Oprah Book Club selection - Love Warrior
14) A book of social science - Misbehaving: The Making of Behavioral Economics
15) A one-sitting book - Brown Girl Dreaming
16) The first book in a new-to-you YA or middle grade series - MiNRS
17) A sci fi novel with a female protagonist by a female author - A Discovery of Witches
√18) A comic that isn’t published by Marvel, DC, or Image - Lumberjanes, Vol. 1: Beware the Kitten Holy
19) A book of genre fiction in translation - The Bat
20) A book with a cover you hate
21) A mystery by a person of color or LGBTQ+ author - Hollywood Homicide
22) An essay anthology - How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America
23) A book with a female protagonist over the age of 60 - Like a Mule Bringing Ice Cream to the Sun
24) An assigned book you hated (or never finished) - The Great Gatsby
23/24[x] 1. A book published posthumously
[x] 2. A book of true crime
[x] 3. A classic of genre fiction (i.e. mystery, scifi/fantasy, romance)
[x] 4. A comic written and illustrated by the same person
[x] 5. A book set in or about one of the five BRICS countries Brazil, Russia, India, China, or South Africa)
[x] 6. A book about nature
[x] 7. A western
[x] 8. A comic written or illustrated by a person of color
[x] 9. A book of colonial or postcolonial literature
[x] 10. A romance novel by or about a person of color
[x] 11. A children’s classic published before 1980
[x] 12. A celebrity memoir
[x] 13. An Oprah Book Club selection
[x] 14. A book of social science
[x] 15. A one-sitting book
[x] 16. The first book in a new-to-you YA or middle grade series
[x] 17. A sci fi novel with a female protagonist by a female author
[x] 18. A comic that isn’t published by Marvel, DC, or Image
[x] 19. A book of genre fiction in translation
[x] 20. A book with a cover you hate
[x] 21. A mystery by a person of color or LGBTQ+ author
[ ] 22. An essay anthology
[x] 23. A book with a female protagonist over the age of 60
[x] 24. An assigned book you hated (or never finished)
I was so excited to see 2018's Read Harder challenge! With all respect to BookRiot staff, 2017's challenges were so specific and detailed and for me that was a detriment - I struggled to find books I was even remotely interested in for several tasks and abandoned the challenge very early on. I love that this year, the spirit of the challenge is kept intact (reading outside one's comfort zone) while allowing more flexibility so readers are likely to find something they'll WANT to read within each category!On to my plans!
CHALLENGE COMPLETED 12/27/18!
[✔️] 1. A book published posthumously - I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer
[✔️] 2. A book of true crime - The Stranger Beside Me
[✔️] 3. A classic of genre fiction (i.e. mystery, scifi/fantasy, romance) - The Haunting of Hill House
[✔️] 4. A comic written and illustrated by the same person - My Friend Dahmer
[✔️] 5. A book set in or about one of the five BRICS countries Brazil, Russia, India, China, or South Africa) - Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
[✔️] 6. A book about nature - The Triumph of Seeds: How Grains, Nuts, Kernels, Pulses, and Pips Conquered the Plant Kingdom and Shaped Human History
[✔️] 7. A western - Lonesome Dove
[✔️] 8. A comic written or illustrated by a person of color - Boxers & Saints
[✔️] 9. A book of colonial or postcolonial literature - Homegoing
[✔️] 10. A romance novel by or about a person of color - A Princess in Theory
[✔️] 11. A children’s classic published before 1980 - The Wind in the Willows
[✔️] 12. A celebrity memoir - We're Going to Need More Wine: Stories
[✔️] 13. An Oprah Book Club selection - One Hundred Years of Solitude
[✔️] 14. A book of social science - Text Me When You Get Home: The Evolution and Triumph of Modern Female Friendship
[✔️] 15. A one-sitting book - Hello, Universe
[✔️] 16. The first book in a new-to-you YA or middle grade series - Babysitting Nightmares: The Shadow Hand
[✔️] 17. A sci fi novel with a female protagonist by a female author - The City of Ember
[✔️] 18. A comic that isn’t published by Marvel, DC, or Image - Hey, Kiddo
[✔️] 19. A book of genre fiction in translation - The Devotion of Suspect X
[✔️] 20. A book with a cover you hate - The Strange Fascinations of Noah Hypnotik
[✔️] 21. A mystery by a person of color or LGBTQ+ author - The Devotion of Suspect X; if I end up with the time I'll use Bluebird, Bluebird rather than double-dipping
[✔️] 22. An essay anthology - Scratch: Writers, Money, and the Art of Making a Living
[✔️] 23. A book with a female protagonist over the age of 60 - Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk
[✔️] 24. An assigned book you hated (or never finished) - The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making
x1) A book published posthumously: A Moveable Feastx2) A book of true crime: Under the Banner of Heaven - Jon Krakauer
x 3) A classic of genre fiction (i.e. mystery, sci fi/fantasy, romance): The Color of Magic
x 4) A comic written and illustrated by the same person: Nimona
x 5) A book set in or about one of the five BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, or South Africa): Cry the Beloved Country - Alan Patton
x6) A book about nature: A Walk in the Woods
x7) A western: Peace Like a River
x 8) A comic written or illustrated by a person of color: Black Panther: A Nation Under Our Feet, Book 1
x 9) A book of colonial or postcolonial literature: Wide Sargasso Sea - Jean Rhys
x10) A romance novel by or about a person of color: An Extraordinary Union
x11) A children’s classic published before 1980: The Little Prince
x12) A celebrity memoir: Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood
x13) An Oprah Book Club selection: Behold the Dreamers
x 14) A book of social science: A Dreadful Deceit: The Myth of Race from the Colonial Era to Obama's America
x 15) Ten Arguments For Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now
x 16) The first book in a new-to-you YA or middle grade series: Scythe
x 17)A sci fi novel with a female protagonist by a female author A Wrinkle in Time
x 18) A comic that isn’t published by Marvel, DC, or Image The Prince and the Dressmaker
x 19) A book of genre fiction in translation: The Three-Body Problem
x20) A book with a cover you hate: Fear: Trump in the White House - Bob Woodward
x 21) A mystery by a person of color or LGBTQ+ author: Mycroft Holmes
x 22) An essay anthology: Not That Bad: Dispatches from Rape Culture
x 23) A book with a female protagonist over the age of 60: Olive Kitterege - Elizabeth Strout
x 24) An assigned book you hated (or never finished): Ethan Frome
24/24
Tricia wrote: "I'm going to attempt the challenge focusing on middle grade books. There are a few that might be hard to find so if anyone has suggestions or is also doing their challenge like this please let me k..."A Few Suggestions:
3) A classic of genre fiction (i.e. mystery, sci fi/fantasy, romance) ANY Nancy Drew book
4) A comic written and illustrated by the same person Phoebe and Her Unicorn by Dana Simpson (would also count for #18 if you’re double dipping)
9) A book of colonial or postcolonial literature The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
11) A children’s classic published before 1980 A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
15) A one-sitting book Any Sweet Valley High Book
16) The first book in a new-to-you YA or middle grade series Maybird and The Ever After by Jodi Lynn Anderson or The Sisters Grimm by Michael Buckley or Warriors #1 or Seekers #1 both series by Erin Hunter
18) You could read Phoebe and her Unicorn #2 :Unicorn on a Roll (if you like the first one)
I used to teach Middle School and my daughter and I are both voracious readers so I can probably suggest some more M.G. and also YA books if you need. Good Luck!
Kim wrote: "Tricia wrote: "I'm going to attempt the challenge focusing on middle grade books. There are a few that might be hard to find so if anyone has suggestions or is also doing their challenge like this ..."Thank you so much! This is very helpful. Don't know why I didn't think of Nancy Drew - great suggestion!
I read "A Wrinkle in Time" for last year's challenge of a fantasy novel. #11 might be a little hard for me, since I've read so many of the older "classics."
Thanks again! I may reach out once I get going.
Ann wrote: "The plan, based on books in my to-read list thus far for 2018 (Can you tell I'm excited?):[] 1. A book published posthumously -The Opposite of Loneliness: Essays and Stories
or -..."
You've given me some good ideas. And I start planning now as well. :)
Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge2018 Read Harder Challenge > 2018 Read Harder Challenge plans
January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2018
Completed 1/24
1) A book published posthumously
2) A book of true crime
3) A classic of genre fiction (i.e. mystery, sci fi/fantasy, romance)
4) A comic written and illustrated by the same person
5) A book set in or about one of the five BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, or South Africa)
6) A book about nature
7) A western
8) A comic written or illustrated by a person of color
9) A book of colonial or postcolonial literature
10) A romance novel by or about a person of color
11) A children’s classic published before 1980
12) A celebrity memoir
13) An Oprah Book Club selection
14) A book of social science
√ 15) A one-sitting book The Other Einstein by Marie Benedict READ 1/8/2018
16) The first book in a new-to-you YA or middle grade series
17) A sci fi novel with a female protagonist by a female author
18) A comic that isn’t published by Marvel, DC, or Image
19) A book of genre fiction in translation
20) A book with a cover you hate
21) A mystery by a person of color or LGBTQ+ author
22) An essay anthology
23) A book with a female protagonist over the age of 60
24) An assigned book you hated (or never finished)
Finished this year for the first time so joining for my second year. (24/24) DONE!1) A book published posthumously - The Trial- 9/12/18-**
2) A book of true crime - The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America - 8/17/18-****
3) A classic of genre fiction (i.e. mystery, sci fi/fantasy, romance) -Whose Body? - 3/11/18 -***
4) A comic written and illustrated by the same person - The Complete Persepolis- 1/17/18 - *****
5) A book set in or about one of the five BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, or South Africa) - The Widows of Malabar Hill - 2/4/18 - ***
6) A book about nature -Grass, Soil, Hope: A Journey Through Carbon Country - 5/11/18-***
7) A western - News of the World - 1/4/18-****
8) A comic written or illustrated by a person of color - The Outside Circle: A Graphic Novel - 1/18/18 - ****
9) A book of colonial or postcolonial literature - The Sea Is Ours: Tales from Steampunk Southeast Asia - 8/16/18-****
10) A romance novel by or about a person of color - An Extraordinary Union - 4/28/18-****
11) A children’s classic published before 1980 Comet in Moominland - 5/13/18-***
12) A celebrity memoir - Let's Pretend This Never Happened: A Mostly True Memoir - 3/3/17 - ****
13) An Oprah Book Club selection - Night - 4/7/18-****
14) A book of social science - Making Disasters: Climate Change, Neoliberal Governance, and Livelihood Insecurity on the Mongolian Steppe - 5/1/18-*****
15) A one-sitting book - The Black Tides of Heaven - 1/12/18 - ****
16) The first book in a new-to-you YA or middle grade series - Kat, Incorrigible - 1/4/18 -****
17) A sci fi novel with a female protagonist by a female author - Provenance - 1/2/18 - *****
18) A comic that isn’t published by Marvel, DC, or Image - Lumberjanes, Vol. 3: A Terrible Plan - 1/17/18 - ****
19) A book of genre fiction in translation - Frontier - 5/5/17-***
20) A book with a cover you hate - The Yellow Eyes of Crocodiles - 1/22/18 - ***
21) A mystery by a person of color or LGBTQ+ author - Bluebird, Bluebird - 3/5/18 - ***
22) An essay anthology - Rereadings: Seventeen writers revisit books they love - 4/8/17-***
23) A book with a female protagonist over the age of 60 - Aunty Lee's Delights - 4/28/18 - ***
24) An assigned book you hated (or never finished) - The Catcher in the Rye - 9/15/18-***
1) A book published posthumously The Opposite of Loneliness: Essays and Stories by Marina Keegan - Jan. 12th2) A book of true crime Lucky by Alice Sebold - Oct. 10th
3) A classic of genre fiction (i.e. mystery, sci fi/fantasy, romance) Rebecca by du Maurier Daphne - June 16th
4) A comic written and illustrated by the same person Roughneck by Jeff Lemire - Jan. 6th
5) A book set in or about one of the five BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, or South Africa) Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah - Aug. 31st
6) A book about nature The Botany of Desire: A Plant's-Eye View of the World by Michael Pollan - Dec. 11th
7) A western Six-Gun Snow White by Catherynne M. Valente
8) A comic written or illustrated by a person of color Black Panther: World of Wakanda by Roxane Gay - Jan. 14th
9) A book of colonial or postcolonial literature Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - Dec. 7th
10) A romance novel by or about a person of color When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon - Jan. 29th
11) A children’s classic published before 1980 Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers - April 9th
12) A celebrity memoir I Don't Know What You Know Me From: Confessions of a Co-Star by Judy Greer - Feb. 26th
13) An Oprah Book Club selection Where the Heart Is by Billie Letts - Nov. 14th
14) A book of social science Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging by Sebastian Junger - Oct. 27th
15) A one-sitting book Peachy Flippin' Keen by Molly Harper - Aug. 6th
16) The first book in a new-to-you YA or middle grade series Shadow of The Fox by Julie Kagawa - July 5th
17) A sci fi novel with a female protagonist by a female author Warcross by Marie Lu - Dec. 4th
18) A comic that isn’t published by Marvel, DC, or Image Spell on Wheels, Vol. 1 by Kate Leth - Jan. 12th
19) A book of genre fiction in translation Thursday Night Widows by Claudia Piñeiro - Aug. 27th
20) A book with a cover you hate Priestdaddy: A Memoir by Patricia Lockwood - April 13th
21) A mystery by a person of color or LGBTQ+ author Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke - Oct. 12th
22) An essay anthology Nasty Women: Feminism, Resistance, and Revolution in Trump's America - Nov. 21st
23) A book with a female protagonist over the age of 60 Britt-Marie Was Here by Fredrik Backman - Mar. 26th
24) An assigned book you hated (or never finished) Hard Times by Charles Dickens - Dec. 19th
Completed:
Do we have to wait until Jan 1 to start?
Candace wrote: "Do we have to wait until Jan 1 to start?"I think we're supposed to wait. Personally I am going to begin reading Anna Karenina this week to get a head start, but I'll make sure I won't finish it until 2018 so it counts. So I guess you can get a little wiggle room if you wish by doing something similar
Thought I'd list out my suggestions for the next year. I made a shelf, but it's hard to tell what book meets what challenge item, so here's my list. :) 1. A book published posthumously: The Complete Stories, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, or Billions & Billions: Thoughts on Life and Death at the Brink of the Millennium
2. A book of true crime: The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America - meant to read it last year for my set-within-100-miles item, but didn't. On the list again. :)
3. A classic of genre fiction: Murder on the Orient Express
4. A comic written and illustrated by the same person: Everyone's a Aliebn When Ur a Aliebn Too - I'm kind of substituting graphic novels for comics for a couple of these; I don't feel like I know the comics world very well
5. A book set in or about one of the five BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, or South Africa): The Ghost Bride, I've owned this book for years but haven't read it yet. Or A Gentleman in Moscow.
6. A book about nature: The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative or A Walk in the Woods or The World Without Us
7. A western: Brokeback Mountain or Blood Meridian, or the Evening Redness in the West or Lonesome Dove
8. A comic written or illustrated by a person of color: Black Panther #1 - already reserved at the library.
9. A book of colonial or postcolonial literature: The God of Small Things
10. A romance novel by or about a person of color: The Japanese Lover or My Accidental Jihad, though Ghost Bride would work for this one as well
11. A children’s classic published before 1980: A Wrinkle in Time or The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, neither of which I've read somehow
12. A celebrity memoir: Wishful Drinking
13. An Oprah Book Club selection: The Underground Railroad
14. A book of social science: Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis or god is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything
15. A one-sitting book: March: Book One
16. The first book in a new-to-you YA or middle grade series: Cinder? The Golden Compass? A Wrinkle in Time?
17. A sci fi novel with a female protagonist by a female author: The Fifth Season
18. A comic that isn’t published by Marvel, DC, or Image: The One Hundred Nights of Hero - again, graphic novel vs. comic, idk
19. A book of genre fiction in translation: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo would be an easy selection here. Maybe will have to continue the series if I also use this as my posthumous book.
20. A book with a cover you hate: The Great Gatsby! Priestdaddy: A Memoir is another contender.
21. A mystery by a person of color or LGBTQ+ author: The Interpreter or Black Water Rising
22. An essay anthology: Consider the Lobster and Other Essays or I Feel Bad about My Neck: And Other Thoughts on Being a Woman. Billions & Billions: Thoughts on Life and Death at the Brink of the Millennium could also work.
23. A book with a female protagonist over the age of 60: Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk has been on my list for a while. The Japanese Lover could also work.
24. An assigned book you hated (or never finished): This one was tough for me; I can't really think of any. Probably The Great Gatsby, which I've never been assigned but probably should have been?
Amber wrote: "Candace wrote: "Do we have to wait until Jan 1 to start?"I think we're supposed to wait. Personally I am going to begin reading Anna Karenina this week to get a head start, but I'll make sure I w..."
Thanks! I'm really excited about it and just finished my other book.
FINISHED 24/24 - on August 14.Finished this challenge the past two years. Looking forward to the 2018 Challenge.
X 1) A book published posthumously When Breath Becomes Air
X 2) A book of true crime Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI
X 3) A classic of genre fiction (i.e. mystery, sci fi/fantasy, romance) The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula Le Guin
X 4) A comic written and illustrated by the same person - Fun Home by Alison Bechdel
X5) A book set in or about one of the five BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, or South Africa) American Drifter
X 6) A book about nature The Home Place: Memoirs of a Colored Man's Love Affair with Nature by J. Drew Lanham
X 7) A western The Ballad of Black Bart by Loren D. Estleman
X 8) A comic written or illustrated by a person of color Pashmina by Nidhi Chanani
X 9) A book of colonial or postcolonial literature Island Beneath the Sea by Isabel Allende
X 10) A romance novel by or about a person of color When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon
X 11) A children’s classic published before 1980 by Lucy Mabel Montgomery
X12) A celebrity memoir Bossy Pants
X 13) An Oprah Book Club selection The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
X 14) A book of social science For White Folks Who Teach in the Hood
X15) A one-sitting book The Reptile Room #2
X 16) The first book in a new-to-you YA or middle grade series The Bad Beginning #1 by Lemony Snicket
X 17) A sci fi novel with a female protagonist by a female author Six Wakes
X18) A comic that isn’t published by Marvel, DC, or Image Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
X 19) A book of genre fiction in translation The Bat by Jo Nesbo
X 20) A book with a cover you hate The Vine that Ate the South by J.D. Wilkes
X 21) A mystery by a person of color or LGBTQ+ author Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke
X 22) An essay anthology The Best American Essays 2005 edited by Susan Orlean
X 23) A book with a female protagonist over the age of 60 The Little Old Lady Who Struck Lucky Again!
X 24) An assigned book you hated (or never finished) Miss Lonely Hearts/ The Day of the Locust
Sue wrote: "3 - something by Georgette Heyer..."Me too! And I'm going to try to use books I already own. That might be difficult for some ... Western? My husband might have something ...
Ellie wrote: "Thought I'd list out my suggestions for the next year. I made a shelf, but it's hard to tell what book meets what challenge item, so here's my list. :) 1. A book published posthumously: [book:The..."
My Accidental Jihad is not a novel, it is nonfiction, but you have a backup.
New to this challenge, but absolutely stoked to finally participate this year!Read: 12/24
★: 0/24
★★: 1/24
★★★: 5/24
★★★★: 2/24
★★★★★: 4/24
✔️
2) A book of true crime.
3) A classic of genre fiction (i.e. mystery, sci fi/fantasy, romance).
✔️
5) A book set in or about one of the five BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, or South Africa).
6) A book about nature.
✔️
✔️
9) A book of colonial or postcolonial literature.
10) A romance novel by or about a person of color.
✔️
12) A celebrity memoir.
13) An Oprah Book Club selection.
14) A book of social science.
✔️
✔️
✔️
✔️
19) A book of genre fiction in translation.
✔️
21) A mystery by a person of color or LGBTQ+ author.
✔️
23) A book with a female protagonist over the age of 60.
✔️
Read: 6/241) A book published posthumously The Opposite of Loneliness: Essays and Stories
2) A book of true crime Alligator Candy: A Memoir
3) A classic of genre fiction (i.e. mystery, sci fi/fantasy, romance)
4) A comic written and illustrated by the same person
5) A book set in or about one of the five BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, or South Africa)
6) A book about nature
7) A western True Grit
✔️ 8) A comic written or illustrated by a person of color = Check, Please! Year One (and year two!)
9) A book of colonial or postcolonial literature
10) A romance novel by or about a person of color
11) A children’s classic published before 1980 A Girl of the Limberlost or I Capture the Castle
12) A celebrity memoir Scrappy Little Nobody
✔️ 13) An Oprah Book Club selection = An American Marriage
✔️ 14) A book of social science = Bernie Sanders Guide to Political Revolution
✔️ 15) A one-sitting book = Dear Ijeawele, or a Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions
✔️ 16) The first book in a new-to-you YA or middle grade series = Furyborn
✔️ 17) A sci fi novel with a female protagonist by a female author = The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet
18) A comic that isn’t published by Marvel, DC, or Image
19) A book of genre fiction in translation
20) A book with a cover you hate
21) A mystery by a person of color or LGBTQ+ author
22) An essay anthology
23) A book with a female protagonist over the age of 60
24) An assigned book you hated (or never finished)
End Result: Books Read 18/24√ 1.
2. A book of true crime = Jane Doe January
√ 3.
√ 4.
√ 5.
√ 6.
√ 7.
√ 8.
√ 9.
√ 10.
11. A children’s classic published before 1980
√ 12.
√ 13.
√ 14.
√ 15.
√ 16.
17. A sci-fi novel with a female protagonist by a female author = The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet / Amatka
√ 18.
19. A book of genre fiction in translation = If on a Winter's Night a Traveler
√ 20.
21. A mystery by a person of color or LGBTQ+ author = Amateur City
√ 22.
√ 23.
24. An assigned book you hated (or never finished) = Into the Wild
Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
Hitting a Straight Lick with a Crooked Stick: Stories from the Harlem Renaissance (other topics)Persuasion (other topics)
Lies, Damned Lies, and History (other topics)
The Winds of War (other topics)
One Hundred Years of Solitude (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Zora Neale Hurston (other topics)Jodi Taylor (other topics)
Haruki Murakami (other topics)
Michelle Obama (other topics)
Edgar Cantero (other topics)
More...
Completed 24/24
✔️ 1) A book published posthumously
I'll read The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson later. I ended up reading Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen November 23 ★★★★
✔️ 2) A book of true crime
I'll read The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary by Simon Winchester later. I ended up reading In Cold Blood by Truman Capote May 19 ★★★★
✔️ 3) A classic of genre fiction (i.e. mystery, sci fi/fantasy, romance)
The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury Dec 11 ★★★★★
✔️ 4) A comic written and illustrated by the same person
Nimona by Noelle Stevenson Feb. 7 ★★★★★
✔️ 5) A book set in or about one of the five BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, or South Africa)
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See Aug. 14 ★★★
✔️ 6) A book about nature
A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson March 12 ★★★★
✔️ 7) A western
True Grit by Charles Portis Sept 2 ★★★★
✔️ 8) A comic written or illustrated by a person of color
Scott Pilgrim, Volume 1: Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life by Bryan Lee O'Malley or March: Book One by John Lewis Feb. 12 ★★★★
✔️ 9) A book of colonial or postcolonial literature
Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys Oct 6 ★★★★
✔️ 10) A romance novel by or about a person of color
Mi negro pasado by Laura Esquivel Jan. 17 ★★★
✔️ 11) A children’s classic published before 1980
I ended up reading A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle April 30 ★★★
I also read Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roal Dahl and I'll read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory later this year.
✔️ 12) A celebrity memoir
Yes Please by Amy Poehler Jan. 30 ★★★
✔️ 13) An Oprah Book Club selection
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens July 31 ★★★★
✔️ 14) A book of social science
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain Apr 22 ★★★★
✔️ 15) A one-sitting book
I'll read Animal Farm by George Orwell and The Great Gatsby F. Scott Fitzgerald later. I ended up reading Binti by Nnedi Okorafor May 26 ★★★★
✔️ 16) The first book in a new-to-you YA or middle grade series
Uglies by Scott Westerfeld or Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier or The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan or A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
I'll still read all those other books later but for now I ended up reading Legend by Marie Lu Feb. 28 ★★★★★
✔️ 17) A sci fi novel with a female protagonist by a female author
Kindred by Octavia E. Butler May 31 ★★★★★
✔️ 18) A comic that isn’t published by Marvel, DC, or Image
I'll read Locke & Key, Vol. 1: Welcome to Lovecraft by Joe Hill later but I ended up reading Lumberjanes, Vol. 7: A Bird's-Eye View by Shannon Watters April 8 ★★★★★
✔️ 19) A book of genre fiction in translation
La liga de los pelirrojos Red Headed by Arthur Conan Doyle October 21 ★★★★
✔️ 20) A book with a cover you hate
Brimstone and Marmalade by Aaron Corwin, it's not that I hate it but it really creeps me out. December 15 ★★★★★
✔️ 21) A mystery by a person of color or LGBTQ+ author
The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith if I manage to find it. Miss Moorthy Investigates by Ovidia Yu or Sex, Murder And A Double Latte by Kyra Davis were my other options but I ended up reading Goldie Vance Vol. 1 by Hope Larson November 15 ★★★★
✔️ 22) An essay anthology
I had these books - Dear Ijeawele, or a Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie or Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body or Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay or I Was Told There'd Be Cake by Sloane Crosley - picked for this task but Book Riot said they are considering an anthology as one by several authors so I have to find other book.
I'll read Luminescent Threads: Connections to Octavia E. Butler edited by Alexandra Pierce later. I ended up reading Dear John, I Love Jane: Women Write About Leaving Men for Women by Candace Walsh June 22 ★★★
✔️ 23) A book with a female protagonist over the age of 60
Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie - October 13 ★★★★
✔️ 24) An assigned book you hated (or never finished)
El Laberinto De La Soledad by Octavio Paz - December 29 ★
Read: 24/24 = 100%
★: 1/24
★★: 0/24
★★★: 5/24
★★★★: 12/24
★★★★★: 6/24