Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge discussion
2019 Read Harder Challenge
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Task #19: A book of nonviolent true crime
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Lynn wrote: "Mieke wrote: "Would Truly Devious count for this challenge?"Hmmmm...I received a free copy of this as part of the Keep Turning Pages GR group when it was active. Read the first 25..."
Looks like it's a mystery (fiction), not a true crime book (nonfiction), so I don't think it would fit for this category.
Kate wrote: "Lynn wrote: "Mieke wrote: "Would Truly Devious count for this challenge?"Hmmmm...I received a free copy of this as part of the Keep Turning Pages GR group when it was active. Read..."
Ooooh yes in that way, that makes sense. I forgot that true crime is non-fiction. Then I'm going to look further :)
Kate wrote: "Lynn wrote: "Mieke wrote: "Would Truly Devious count for this challenge?"Hmmmm...I received a free copy of this as part of the Keep Turning Pages GR group when it was active. Read..."
Duh! Totally overlooked all that! Thanks for the clarification! :)
Karen wrote: "Nancy wrote: "I was cleaning out my email inbox and found a list of non-violent true crime that might be helpful to some. Here's the link: https://offtheshelf.com/2018/09/10-tr......"The SLA murdered a school board member, and in the bank robbery in which Hearst took part they shot two civilians. They later robbed a sporting goods store, and when an SLA member got caught shoplifting Hearst shot up the store. There was also a shootout with police when Hearst was captured. According to Hearst in addition to being kidnapped (a violent crime in and of itself) she was raped while in captivity. There is probably more but that is what I recall. Its a good book and a fascinating story, but very very violent.
Would The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women work for this category? I've always wanted to read this and I'm wondering if the scandal, corruption, and legal fallout would qualify this novel as true crime?
Emily wrote: "Would The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women work for this category? I've always wanted to read this and I'm wondering if the scandal, corruption, and legal fal..."I would! I'm trying to count American Overdose: The Opioid Tragedy in Three Acts for similar reasons.
Emily wrote: "Would The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women work for this category? I've always wanted to read this and I'm wondering if the scandal, corruption, and legal fal..."I agree that it would definitely count. And it is such a GREAT read! I read it last year for a book club.
Susanne wrote: "Megan wrote: "Susanne wrote: "Does anyone know any good YA/middle grade books or comics/graphic novels that would work for this task? That's my usual approach to tasks that I don't find very appeal..."Delayed response, but I can think of one graphic novel that *might* fit, The Impostor's Daughter: A True Memoir. I can't tell from the description if the dad is a con-man or if he is just telling stories to his daughter.
Did you find anything else? I am still struggling a bit with this category.
I'm reading The Feather Thief: Beauty, Obsession, and the Natural History Heist of the Century...
Emily wrote: "I just finished The Orchid Thief by Susan Orlean. A look into the bizarre world of orchid collecting. I learned quite a bit about orchids and Florida. I hope I can go to an orchid show some day. L..."
Ooooh that orchid book sounds interesting... I haven't completed this category yet so I will look into that one!
I just read Susan Orlean's "The Library Book". It is about the fire that engulfed the Los Angeles Public Library in 1986. It was a suspected arson, with a suspect, that remains unsolved. As much about architecture, library love, and investigative technique, I really enjoyed it. I'm in a small library but recognized some of the unique things about this workplace....
I read Susan Orlean for this one as well - The Orchid Thief: A True Story of Beauty and Obsession. I thought it was really interesting, though it did wander about a bit, could have used a bit more focus perhaps.
Octavia wrote: "I read Susan Orlean for this one as well - The Orchid Thief: A True Story of Beauty and Obsession. I thought it was really interesting, though it did wander about a bit, could have us..."I thought there was a shift in style about 1/2 way through. wandering makes more sense.
^Yeah, I recall a lengthy detour into real estate scams in Florida, which had nothing to do with anything. Just padding, really.
Eujean2 wrote: "Susanne wrote: "Megan wrote: "Susanne wrote: "Does anyone know any good YA/middle grade books or comics/graphic novels that would work for this task? That's my usual approach to tasks that I don't ..."Thank you for the suggestion! I haven't found any graphic novels that are nonviolent and true crime, but for YA, there were some suggestions:
Allison suggested Tricky Vic: The Impossibly True Story of the Man Who Sold the Eiffel Tower, and Nancy suggested Spies of Mississippi: The True Story of the Spy Network that Tried to Destroy the Civil Rights Movement and Dark Game: True Spy Stories from Invisible Ink to CIA Moles. (Thanks to both of you!!!)
However, I still do not know what to read, maybe I'll borrow some books from my library and see which one I like best. :)
I'm going to read either Shadows in the Vineyard: The True Story of the Plot to Poison the World's Greatest Wine or The Billionaire's Vinegar: The Mystery of the World's Most Expensive Bottle of Wine, both books recommended to me.
I read Bad Blood for this challenge. I really liked it and thought the author does a good job of keeping the details of the topic in a good place for people who don't know anything about medicine and for those who are scientists.
The Spy Who Couldn't Spell: A Dyslexic Traitor, an Unbreakable Code, and the FBI's Hunt for America's Stolen Secrets is a great choice for this category. Extremely serious on one hand (espionage!) but also funny at the same time (this was a very incompetent spy).
I’m echoing the others who read The Feather Thief: Beauty, Obsession, and the Natural History Heist of the Century. I just finished it and it was perfect for this challenge. This is a great category and it reminded me that Murder isn’t the only example of true crime!
I'm thinking of reading Gray Day (My Undercover Mission to Expose America's First Cyber Spy) by Eric O'Neill. The actual act of cyber spying is non-violent but usually (not always) leads to very violent acts down the line, so does this count?
Amanda wrote: "I'm thinking of reading Gray Day (My Undercover Mission to Expose America's First Cyber Spy) by Eric O'Neill. The actual act of cyber spying is non-violent but usually (not always) leads to very ..."
In the book description, it doesn't mention any kind of violent crime, so I'd say it would work. Any crime could potentially lead to violence, so there's no point in dismissing something because it *might* lead to violence eventually, IMO.
I just listened to American Fire: Love, Arson, and Life in a Vanishing Land. It was pretty good and the arsons were non-violent. The purposely targeted abandoned or empty structures, and nobody was ever hurt.
Aly wrote: "I just listened to American Fire: Love, Arson, and Life in a Vanishing Land. It was pretty good and the arsons were non-violent. The purposely targeted abandoned or empty structures..."If I hadn't read this last year, it would have absolutely worked! SUCH a good work.
Finished American Fire: Love, Arson, and Life in a Vanishing Land
by Monica HesseMy Review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Nancy wrote: "I was cleaning out my email inbox and found a list of non-violent true crime that might be helpful to some. Here's the link: https://offtheshelf.com/2018/09/10-tr......"Thanks for that link! i finally found a book about Phil Champagne that my library has a copy of! (They don't tend to buy Burt Barer books but he "wrote the book" on Phil Champagne.)
I read Bad Blood and The Library Book this year. LOVED Bad Blood, which really surprised me. Found The Library Book to be interesting IF the author had kept her own personal history out of it, and made it in to 3 different books. I'd have read a book about the history of the LA County system, or the LA fire, but the other stuff just made the book way too long and disjointed.
Would Sweet and Low count for this challenge?
Breanna wrote: "Would Sweet and Low count for this challenge?"dunno never heard of it.
Hi Breanna. Who's the author of "Sweet and Low?"
There is no crime in Sweet and Low, but its a wonderful read.
I need a little help. Without ruining the book, would “The Heist” by Jeff Diamant count as a nonviolent true crime novel? I was reading the description and it sounds interesting, but the description mentions a hit man, so I wasn’t sure if this book ultimately count as nonviolent or not.
I wonder if Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy would count for this...it seems like the spies mostly used non violent methods for obtaining information.
Here's another book that looks interesting and fits this prompt.After Life: My Journey from Incarceration to Freedom
Right now I'm reading Why They Do It: Inside the Mind of the White Collar Criminal. It's pretty interesting and it also qualifies under Task #17, a Business Book. Another that I'm picking up from the library tomorrow looks really interesting and qualifies as non-violent crime: The Last Job -- The Bad Grandpas and the Hatton Garden Heist. It's about a 2015 jewelry heist where most of the thieves were in their 60s or 70s.
I listened to the podcast about the art theft at the Gardner Museum and will probably read "The Gardner Heist; a true story of the world's largest unsolved art theft".
Do y’all think this counts for this prompt?The Perfect Horse:
In the chaotic last days of the war, a small troop of battle-weary American soldiers captures a German spy and makes an astonishing find—his briefcase is empty but for photos of beautiful white horses that have been stolen and kept on a secret farm behind enemy lines. Hitler has stockpiled the world’s finest purebreds in order to breed the perfect military machine—an equine master race. But with the starving Russian army closing in, the animals are in imminent danger of being slaughtered for food.
With only hours to spare, one of the U.S. Army’s last great cavalrymen, Colonel Hank Reed, makes a bold decision—with General George Patton’s blessing—to mount a covert rescue operation. Racing against time, Reed’s small but determined force of soldiers, aided by several turncoat Germans, steals across enemy lines in a last-ditch effort to save the horses.
Pulling together this multistranded story, Elizabeth Letts introduces us to an unforgettable cast of characters: Alois Podhajsky, director of the famed Spanish Riding School of Vienna, a former Olympic medalist who is forced to flee the bomb-ravaged Austrian capital with his entire stable in tow; Gustav Rau, Hitler’s imperious chief of horse breeding, a proponent of eugenics who dreams of genetically engineering the perfect warhorse for Germany; and Tom Stewart, a senator’s son who makes a daring moonlight ride on a white stallion to secure the farm’s surrender.
A compelling account for animal lovers and World War II buffs alike, The Perfect Horse tells for the first time the full story of these events. Elizabeth Letts’s exhilarating tale of behind-enemy-lines adventure, courage, and sacrifice brings to life one of the most inspiring chapters in the annals of human valor.
Or this one?A Spy Among Friends
Kim Philby was a talented spy who led Britain’s counterintelligence against the Soviet Union — while he secretly worked for the enemy, betrayed his friends, and left devastation in his wake.
Heather wrote: "Can someone remind me how to do the html? (I should remember)...anyway, I've picked Can you Ever Forgive Me? Memoirs of a Literary Forger by Lee Israel.This one was hard."
I want to thank you for this suggestion! I started The Feather Thief: Beauty, Obsession, and the Natural History Heist of the Century twice and had trouble getting into it, for some reason. I am now zooming through Israel's memoir. I really appreciate you mentioning it! Enjoying the read.
I just finished The Feather Thief:Beauty,Obsession,&the Natural Heist of the Century by Kirk Wallace Johnson. Very good book. I gave it 4 stars. I like natural history books. I never thought much about feathers being used in flys till now.
Kara wrote: "Or this one?A Spy Among Friends
Kim Philby was a talented spy who led Britain’s counterintelligence against the Soviet Union — while he secretly worked for the enemy, betrayed his friends, and l..."
Many people were murdered due to Philby's treachery so, while the book is interesting, I don't think it fits this task.
I found a copy of Never Caught: The Washingtons' Relentless Pursuit of Their Runaway Slave, Ona Judge. It's hard to think of a more nonviolent criminal than a runaway slave!
Genie wrote: The Carreyou book was really good- and it would count for a business book too..."
Thanks for the tip to read Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup, everyone! I was really enthralled by this incredible story, especially when journalist/author John Carreyrou started getting involved!
“The Feather Thief” by Kirk Wallace Johnson was great!
I just finished Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup by John Carreyrou for this prompt.
Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup (other topics)Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup (other topics)
The Library Book (other topics)
Never Caught: The Washingtons' Relentless Pursuit of Their Runaway Slave, Ona Judge (other topics)
The Feather Thief: Beauty, Obsession, and the Natural History Heist of the Century (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
John Carreyrou (other topics)Monica Hesse (other topics)
Jeffrey Toobin (other topics)
Clifford Stoll (other topics)
John Berendt (other topics)
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Hmmmm...I received a free copy of this as part of the Keep Turning Pages GR group when it was active. Read the first 25 pages and was freaked out...so I stopped and haven't picked it up since. However, I would be willing to give it another go if it fits this prompt... Thanks for mentioning it!