Task #1: An epistolary novel or collection of letters

[Milena]

I am currently reading Meet Me at the Museum, and realized it fits this task. It's very sweet so far, and looks to be pretty short. The audiobook is only 6.5 hours.

[Melissa]

P.S. I Miss You is a really great middle-grade novel which would fit this prompt as well.

(Also another rec for both 84, Charing Cross Road and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society)

[Henriette]

I think I’m gonna go with The Sorrows of young Werther by Goethe.

[Stina]

I'm trying to finish Frankenstein this year, but if I fail, I guess it will work for this. Otherwise, maybe I will finally get around to reading 84, Charing Cross Road.

[Rachel]

Natix wrote: "I was just gifted House of Leaves which has been on my TBR list forever. Leafing through I though it seems like it might count. Does anyone know if it would?"

No it wouldn't count for this. Not a book of letters more like a dissertation like thing with notes attached. But it is an amazing book.

[Sarah Ruth]

I had no idea The Handmaid's Tale would count for this. I am watching the series and recently picked up the book to read eventually. So it's just sitting on a bookshelf... but I found The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society in one of these threads and I am now so excited to read that one that I don't want to switch.

[Brandyn]

I started Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life from Dear Sugar a couple months ago, but didn't finish before it was due back at the library. I think I'll finish it for this prompt.

[Megan]

Megan wrote: " wrote: "I plan to use 84, Charing Cross Road for this task."

I’m using 84 Charing Cross as well."

When I received my used copy of 84, Charing Cross, there were Chinese notations and synonyms above different words. Cool!

[Susanne]

Hope wrote: "So The Perks of Being a Wallflower would work??"

Yes!

[Ady]

I think The Martian would work here too. Another one that I read and loved that could work for this challenge is The Book of Strange New Things

I am thinking of going with The White Tiger for this one because I have it on my Kindle and have never read it. It has been on my TBR list for a long time. I am also looking at The Screwtape Letters though. If the library has it, I might go for this one instead...

[Andy]

I'll be reading To My Trans Sisters for this challenge. I coincidentally ordered it from my library before the 2019 list got published and got it a few days ago, I just have to wait to start reading it in the New Year so it counts =D

[Bobby]

These aren’t novels, but I’m thinking of reading either Ovid's Heroines, as translated by Clare Pollard, or Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam.

[Kim]

Freedom and Necessity would work for this and also alternate history.

Hm. I think it's probably been long enough since I read it and it's not one I've read enough time to have memorized that I might be able to use it for one or the other. I usually try not to use re-reads for challenges, but I really kind of want to read it now that I've thought of it.

[Sara]

Serendipity wrote: "I'm probably going to read Jane Austen's Lady Susan. I just finished Last Christmas In Paris which would be a great pick. Its more WW1 than Christmassy."

I'm going to be reading Lady Susan, too! Super excited for this prompt. I'm a big Jane Austen fan and have been meaning to read this book for a while now!

[Kdmorton]

I think I'm going to go with Attachments by Rainbow Rowell, which I've been meaning to read forever. Some other suggestions:

P.S. Longer Letter Later (great middle grade oldie but goodie)
Between the World and Me (long letter from Coates to his son)
Of the 27 books in the Holy Bible: New International Version New Testament, 21 are epistles

Happy reading!

[Ashley]

I am thinking The Letters of Vincent van Gogh for this one.

[ekr]

I loved Dear Committee Members, and I also recommend A History of the African-American People Proposed by Strom Thurmond.

The title of the latter horrifies everyone, but it's written from the perspective of a black ghost-writer hired to write this doomed "history," which was schemed up by a loose-cannon working in Strom Thurmond's office. It spirals out from there, but it's hilarious. Parts of it intersect with writer Percival Everett's own biography, like his speech against the Confederate flag flying atop the South Carolina statehouse.

[Michele]

I enjoyed Les Liaisons dangereuses by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...). Great movie too.

[Emma]

I'm trying to decide between The Incarnations and Bats of the Republic: An Illuminated Novel.

Also, here's a list of 100 epistolary novels: https://bookriot.com/2016/08/24/100-e...

[Aspasia]

I second Ella Minnow Pea. I read it earlier this year for a book club and it's hilarious, yet thought provoking at the same time.

[Whitney]

Natix wrote: "I was just gifted House of Leaves which has been on my TBR list forever. Leafing through I though it seems like it might count. Does anyone know if it would?"

I would say it counts, it consists of a manuscript, footnotes, letters, et. al. And Wikipedia counts it in their list of epistolary novels.

A few others I would recommend:
The White Tiger, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, and, for those looking for something a little lighter but very fun, The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13 3/4.

I'm planing to read Demon Theory by Stephen Graham Jones

[Alexandra]

Stine wrote: "My favorite book EVER fits in this category, the beautiful The Perks of Being a Wallflower

For me, this is a must-read, AND a re-read."

Same!!! my fave

[Kelly]

Ariel wrote: "Going to go with a classic for this one: Pamela; or, Virtue Rewarded The audiobook is 22 hours, which is a little intimidating, so we'll see how it goes."

omg yassssssss

[Athenameilahn]

I would say yes. In order to be epistolary I'm not sure it has to be more than one letter, technically.

[Athenameilahn]

I'm teaching this one this coming semester so I'm rereading it. So Long a Letter by Mariama Bâ (Une si longue lettre). I'm also reading An American Marriage by Tayari Jones which is also epistolary in much of it (so far, I'm about 1/2way done).

[May]

I've decided to read Dangerous Liaisons for this challenge. Afterwards, I might seek out the film?

[Doris]

Does Postcards from the Edge count for this? From the sample I've downloaded, it appears to.

[Lucia]

Just a note that I am keeping a list of all recommended books for each ReadHarder challenge so you can see them all together n stuff c:

https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...

[Riah]

I'm going to read either Ella Minnow Pea: A Novel in Letters or The Color Purple for this.

If anyone is still looking for a book, From A to X: A Story in Letters is one of my very, very favorite books.

[Emily]

Natix wrote: "I was just gifted House of Leaves which has been on my TBR list forever. Leafing through I though it seems like it might count. Does anyone know if it would?"

House of Leaves is mentioned on this Book Riot list of "100 Must-Read Epistolary Novels From the Past and Present," so I think you're in the clear!

https://bookriot.com/2016/08/24/100-e...

[Emily]

Not sure if anyone has mentioned this one yet, but I'm planning to read Attachments!

[Yuna]

Frankie wrote: "Would Illuminae work for this category?"


I would think so. The entire trilogy is composed of various forms of documents, of which letters are a part. Read the trilogy last year and definitely think Illuminae is the best. The page count is somewhat misleading because it being an epistolary novel drives the page count up while the word count is more "average" novel amount.

[Emily]

I’ve got Dear Ijeawele, or a Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions on my TBR list for this challenge

[Ashlin]

My little goth heart has never read Dracula ! Going to go with that 💋🌹🧛🏻‍♂️

[Gabriele]

I was thinking of reading We Need to Talk About Kevin for this one. Please correct me if I'm wrong in assuming that it is an epistolary novel. I've checked and it supposedly consists of letters. Thanks!

[Lauraellen]

I am planning to go with A Tale for the Time Being but for anyone looking for a really charming YA, I super recommend Feeling Sorry for Celia by Jaclyn Moriarty, it is so good!

[Karin]

Emma wrote: "I'm trying to decide between The Incarnations and Bats of the Republic: An Illuminated Novel.

Also, here's a list of 100 epistolary novels: https://bookriot.com/201..."

Ah, Bats of the Republic! That's been sitting on my bookshelf TBR since the original Book Riot Live!

[Chickadee]

I had to look up Epistolary and wikipedia states "An epistolary novel is a novel written as a series of documents. The usual form is letters, although diary entries, newspaper clippings and other documents are sometimes used"

By this definition, would Theft by Finding: Diaries 1977-2002 fall under this category?

[Kelly]

For those who are looking for romance titles that fit this prompt, check out:

Lady Susan, Jane Austen
Attachments, Rainbow Rowell
My Dearest Enemy, Connie Brockway
P.O. Box Love: A Novel of Letters, Paola Calvetti (also novel in translation by a woman author)
The Boy Next Door, Meg Cabot
Griffin & Sabine: An Extraordinary Correspondence, Nick Bantock
Almost Like Being in Love, Steve Kluger
Letters from Skye, Jessica Brockmole
Hidden Hearts, Olivia Dade

Also I ADORE Sorcery & Cecilia: Or, the Enchanted Chocolate Pot -it's such a splendid book in that "Fantasy of Manners" genre (similar to Sorceror to the Crown, Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, the Temeraire series, To Say Nothing of the Dog, etc.) So if that's one that has caught your eye for this challenge, enjoy it!

[Stephanie]

Kelly wrote: "For those who are looking for romance titles that fit this prompt, check out:

Lady Susan, Jane Austen
Attachments, Rainbow Rowell
My Dearest Enemy, Connie Brockway
P.O. Box Love: A Novel of Letter..."

Thank you--and Attachments is in 3 for $30 right now at Barnes and Noble

[Gretel]

Thinking of reading Ship of Theseus and House of Leaves.

[Amanda]

If you like YA, I highly recommend Feeling Sorry for Celia which is a very creative approach to the epistolary form, including traditional letters but also online chat transcripts, post-it notes, etc. I read it a long time ago, but it really inspired me to try the epistolary format in several creative writing classes.

[Karen]

One of my favorite epistolary novels ever is Regarding the Fountain. It's a middle grade book and a fast read, but so cleverly put together with many different types of documents and correspondence.

I believe House of Leaves would work well too - I recommend preparing multiple bookmarks/sticky notes for organization purposes!

And I second the recommendation(s) for Ella Minnow Pea - a beautifully written book with a unique concept.

[Tonya]

I think I’m going to try In the Country of Last Things by Paul Auster
This slim slice of dystopia follows Anna Blume as she sets out into a city in a state of collapse, reporting her picaresque experiences to a friend back home: scavenging has replaced the economy, public suicide is commonplace, corpses are requisitioned for fuel. The “last things” of the title are this world’s objects, which are slowly disappearing, taking with them the language that once described them, an amnesia against which Blume’s letter is an act of defiance.

[Judith]

I'm reading Dear Mr. Henshaw for this one. I read it almost 30 years ago, and I remember it being good.

[Octavia]

I've just finished reading The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis for this - it was pretty good.

Am quite pleased to have finished a task already - I've done the Read Harder challenge for the past two years and it's been a scramble at the end both times, so hopefully an early start will help with that!

[Tabby72]

I just finished reading the Griffin and Sabine trilogy (first three books) by Nick Bantock. I'd heard of them before but never picked them up and am so thrilled I did. Such beautiful art and writing, and the tactile experience of opening the letters was a real treat. I guess this is why the challenge is so good, I wouldn't have thought to read this series. I may try to pick up the next books in the series as well.

[Book Riot]

Hi everyone! Our rec post for this task is now up: https://bookriot.com/2019/01/03/read-...

[Kate]

Book Riot wrote: "Hi everyone! Our rec post for this task is now up: https://bookriot.com/2019/01/03/read-..."

Thanks for this - mostly because I had no idea about Alice Walker's recent comments. Yikes. Still planning to read The Color Purple for this category, but what a disappointment.

[Bonnie G.]

Alice Walker gets more foncerning if you dollow her backa but. She has been making antisemetic remarks in public for many years. I heard he (jewish) daughter talk about it many years back. I try to separate art from artist, but it is incredibly disappointing