Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge discussion
2018 Read Harder Challenge
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Task #10: A romance novel by or about a person of color
Catherine wrote: "Would Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet count as a romance novel? What makes something romance vs a story with a romance?"The genre romance definition requires that there be an HEA. That can be hard to know if you're not going for something that is technically outside of the genre, but has a central romance. It sounds like an intriguing book though!
for anyone seeking non-straight romance, I'd recommend K J Charles' m/m romance An Unseen Attraction. One of the leads is a man of colour. There's also a fun mystery plot in this book, though the relationship between the leads is really the heart of the story.I'd love to see any more recs for non-straight romance!
Calico wrote: "for anyone seeking non-straight romance, I'd recommend K J Charles' m/m romance An Unseen Attraction. One of the leads is a man of colour. There's also a fun mystery plot in this book, though the r..."There are two stories featuring queer POC in Hamilton's Battalion: A Trio of Romances. One is m/m, the other is f/f. Both are also by POC.
Thanks willaful, this looks like a good read!
Robin wrote: "Any thoughts on “The Wedding Date?” Features an interracial couple."I just finished The Wedding Date and loved it!
I'm tossing up between A Princess in Theory and An Extraordinary Union for this one, both by Alyssa Cole. I periodically dip in and out of romance, and *tend* to prefer historical, but the "Nigerian Prince" thing in A Princess in Theory is drawing me in! Anyone have any opinion over which is "better" (subjective, I know)?
A Princess in Theory isn't out yet, so I don't know! It sounds fun though. An Extraordinary Union is extremely good. You could always read both. :-)
willaful wrote: "A Princess in Theory isn't out yet, so I don't know! It sounds fun though. An Extraordinary Union is extremely good. You could always read both. :-)"Ohh I didn't notice that - it's pretty soon though. Yeah, maybe I'll start with An Extraordinary Union (as it's more my usual preference anyway) and then if I enjoy it I can do A Princess in Theory later :)
I finished The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory today. It was cute and realistic. They felt and acted like people you could know. I liked it.
Jen wrote: "willaful wrote: "A Princess in Theory isn't out yet, so I don't know! It sounds fun though. An Extraordinary Union is extremely good. You could always read both. :-)..."I just finished An Extraordinary Union and while romances are not my thing I really liked it. Well written with appealing likable main characters.
Do you think a graphic novel would count for this task? I want to read Bingo Love, it's romance and by a person of color.
Elise wrote: "Does anyone have a queer book that qualifies in this category? I'm not a fan of the romance genre, but I can tolerate LGBTQ romance a lot more than straight.Ideally, I'd like to double-dip with b..."
I read Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin and couldn't have been more blown away. Highly recommend it.
I managed to get Sylvia Day’s A Passion for Him from my local library, and I am fairly certain it works for this task. Can anyone recommend it?
Kimberley wrote: "I managed to get Sylvia Day’s A Passion for Him from my local library, and I am fairly certain it works for this task. Can anyone recommend it?"Her work would generally be classified as erotica romance or "romantica," I think. I never much cared for it, but she is popular in the genre.
Both by and about POC: A Princess in Theory by Alyssa Cole. Little orphan girl grows up dreaming she's really a princess, only to find out when she grows up that it's true.
Blindingly predictable, but the fact that our heroine is an African American in STEM (budding epidemiologist) is a nice touch, as is the way in which the author plays with the 'Nigerian prince' email scam. Not *bad* at all; just a quick, entertaining read.
(view spoiler)
Robin wrote: "Any thoughts on “The Wedding Date?” Features an interracial couple."I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I highly recommend!
Does anyone have a suggestion for a POC romance novel that's also queer? I don't think I'd survive reading another cishet romance novel.
Elin wrote: "Does anyone have a suggestion for a POC romance novel that's also queer? I don't think I'd survive reading another cishet romance novel." Let's Talk About Love looks good.
Elin, I mentioned a few upthread. Down by Contact is pretty good. If you want f/f, Treasure is often recommended.
Let me start by saying I don’t read romance novels. I don’t. Having said that I found an enjoyable book to fulfill this challenge. It’s YA, it’s girl in a bubble meets the boy next door. The emphasis was on this girl’s first romantic experience. Couple of good twists I didn’t see coming. The book is Eveything Everything by Nicola Yoon, who was born in Jamaica (the island) of African ancestry. Her main character is Japanese/African. It’s not a bodice ripper, it’s about first love, I really really enjoyed it.
I guess you really don't read romance novels. :-) Very few come under the header "bodice ripper" any more. I'm glad you found one you enjoy!I'm not sure if anyone mentioned WOC in Romance? http://www.wocinromance.com/
They have a searchable database with many categories, including LGBTQ.
willaful wrote: "I guess you really don't read romance novels. :-) Very few come under the header "bodice ripper" any more. I'm glad you found one you enjoy!I'm not sure if anyone mentioned WOC in Romance? http:/..."
Thank you for your comment and the WOC in Romance link. I laughed at the bodice ripper comment too. Apparently someone has a stash of 80's romances they are still leafing through. (Disclaimer: Sweet Savage Love changed my life in 7th grade, and I still have a soft spot for a solid bodice ripper)
I enjoy kicking it old skool at times, too. But romance has so much more to offer now.
willaful wrote: "I enjoy kicking it old skool at times, too. But romance has so much more to offer now."Agreed! I am reading The Wedding Date right now for this prompt, and it is delightful!
I choose to read The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory for this challenge. This was a quick, fun read that reminded me of an R-rated Hallmark movie.
I'm reading The Handsome Devil by Fionn Jameson (Sth Korean author) (free Kindle book) about romance in a Tokyo publishing house - all the characters are Japanese so far. Found out that Japanese don't consider themselves POC so I'm reading this category as a written by or a character of non-European heritage.
Yrinsyde wrote: "I'm reading The Handsome Devil by Fionn Jameson (Sth Korean author) (free Kindle book) about romance in a Tokyo publishing house - all the characters are Japanese so far. Found out that Japanese do..."FYI, the Amazon page for Fionn Jameson lists her as being from California, which would make her an American (of whatever heritage), not S. Korean. I'm pointing this out because the concept that POC aren't American is used to justify a lot of hateful behavior in America. For example - we threw our citizens of Japanese descent into concentration camps & stole all their property.
I will be reading An American Marriage for the Oprah's Book Club Selection task. Would it work for this task as well?
Yara wrote: "I will be reading An American Marriage for the Oprah's Book Club Selection task. Would it work for this task as well?"Loved the book, it is not a romance, though it involves a relationship (actually more than one).
Yara wrote: "I will be reading An American Marriage for the Oprah's Book Club Selection task. Would it work for this task as well?"I haven't readAn American Marriage, but here's some information that may help you decide if it counts. Romance novels are usually defined by having a "happy ever after" ending that includes marriage. Books that focus on a woman & her relationship(s) but that don't end with a happy marriage are often considered "chick lit."
Mya wrote: "Yara wrote: "I will be reading An American Marriage for the Oprah's Book Club Selection task. Would it work for this task as well?"I haven't readAn American Marriage, but here's s..."
A lot of chick lit is romance, and both often have HEAs. Romances focus on a romance, which AAM does not. It focuses on a relationship and on the ways systemic criminalization of blackness erode family, and on class dynamics/divisions in the AA community.
Bonnie, Romances focus on a romance, which AAM does not. It focuses on a relationship and on the ways systemic criminalization of blackness erode family, and on class dynamics/divisions in the AA community.
That would be far more reality than is generally welcome in either romance or chick lit. (Also, your description interests me where the generic blurb didn't. Another title in my tbr pile!) :)
Mya wrote: "Bonnie, Romances focus on a romance, which AAM does not. It focuses on a relationship and on the ways systemic criminalization of blackness erode family, and on class dynamics/divisions in the AA..."
You won't be sorry Mya, its very good. It was a 4-star for me. If you are interested here is my review (which I think is a little more descriptive than the blurb and spoiler free) https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Mya wrote: Thanks Mya - she is a woman of mystery! Goodreads lists her as being born in Sth Korea and there is no info on her author page. Humans are hateful towards each other indeed. Look at what former Australian govts did to the indigenous peoples... Disgusting.
I've never read romance, but saw The Wedding Date recommended, and thoroughly enjoyed it. It was an easy read, and I liked the characters. I definitely recommend it too!
Worst genre for a guy for this challenge. Seriously, I'll read books with female protagonists and I will read books about people with color and have read many books of the sort, but forcing me to read some sappy romance novel? Girls have no problem getting into this challenge, but this one is something I can't see myself as a guy finishing. I can do all but this single one. Any recommendations for a guy that aren't some boring sappy steamy romance novel that would work for the requirements of this challenge? Really not wanting to do this one.
Alyssa Cole has written two very good historical romances that take place during the Civil War. I’m reading one for this prompt. You should also search for an article called I Read a Bunch of Romance Novels and You should Too on the Book Smugglers Website. In addition to being written by a man who found out he enjoys romance novels GASP and why, it also mentions several novels that could fit this prompt as well.
You might try When Dimple Met Rishi. It's a YA book, so it reads really fast, but I didn't find it all gushy.
Brian wrote: "Worst genre for a guy for this challenge. Seriously, I'll read books with female protagonists and I will read books about people with color and have read many books of the sort, but forcing me to r..."Brian - what sort of books do you normally enjoy?
Here's the article that Melissa mentions. (I haven't read Zen Cho yet - I didn't know her books came close to being romances - I thought they were SF/F. But I adore Courtney Milan. She has series set both modern day & historically. She is a total nerd, & while there is sex in her books, there is also a lot of politics &/or science.)
https://www.thebooksmugglers.com/2015...
If you like military action/suspense, Suzanne Brockmanne is white, but she has protagonists of color a few of her books. She has two series based on various teams of Navy SEALs. If that sounds interesting, let me know & I will try to remember which titles have protagonists of color. I do remember that Harvard's Education qualifies. But it's one of her earlier books & so very much a romance, even if it's mostly told from the man's point of view.
Brian wrote: "Worst genre for a guy for this challenge. Seriously, I'll read books with female protagonists and I will read books about people with color and have read many books of the sort, but forcing me to r..."Aha! You have a lot of YA. Night Sky & Wild Sky include a protagonist of color in the ensemble (note that the author is white). If memory serves, he gets a larger role in the 2nd book, & some romance. And I recently read Labyrinth Lost, by Zoraida Córdova. It's YA fantasy, but there's a small thread of romance - an edge case. However, the author & most of the protagonists are POC.
Brian wrote: "Worst genre for a guy for this challenge. Seriously, I'll read books with female protagonists and I will read books about people with color and have read many books of the sort, but forcing me to r..."And maaaybe the point of having this particular prompt is to actually try a romance novel instead of just judging them from afar. You don't have to like romance novels, of course, but there are a lot of prejudgments in your post. Try to embrace the possibility that you'll be wrong about at least one of them!
Mya wrote: "Brian wrote: "Worst genre for a guy for this challenge. Seriously, I'll read books with female protagonists and I will read books about people with color and have read many books of the sort, but f..."That article is what led to me reading 8 Courtney Milan books in the span of 2 weeks! She's so wonderful (an a fantastic twitter follow).
For Brockmann's Troubleshooter Novels, Gone Too Far and Hot Pursuit both qualify as Alyssa is a protagonist of color.
Melissa wrote: "Mya wrote: "Brian wrote: "Worst genre for a guy for this challenge. Seriously, I'll read books with female protagonists and I will read books about people with color and have read many books of the..."And Into the Storm has Lindsey Fontaine, also a woman of color, as one of the major POV characters.
Side note that both Hot Pursuite & Into The Storm have some gruesome scenes in which women are captured & tortured. That's not usually a thing in her other books. :/
Mya wrote: "Melissa wrote: "Mya wrote: "Brian wrote: "Worst genre for a guy for this challenge. Seriously, I'll read books with female protagonists and I will read books about people with color and have read m..."This is making me realize I haven't read a Brockmann novel in a LONG time. I am going to try to fit one into the challenge.
Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
A Bollywood Affair (other topics)When Dimple Met Rishi (other topics)
To All the Boys I've Loved Before (other topics)
A Bollywood Affair (other topics)
A Bollywood Affair (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Sandhya Menon (other topics)Ibi Zoboi (other topics)
Piper Huguley (other topics)
Sandhya Menon (other topics)
Piper Huguley (other topics)
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In a romance the romantic relationship is central -- the story is about the relationship. I haven't read the book, so I can't say for sure about that one.