2024 challenge?

[Ketutar]

Heather wrote: "The idea isn't that the reading itself is supposed to be "challenging" in the sense of difficult. The point is to expand your reading horizons, read outside of the things you'd normally read, experience something new, and learn to appreciate other ways of reading. There are some phenomenal children's picture books out there."

Of course, there are. But mocking someone because they have grown way beyond children's and YA books isn't... hmm... how to put it... nice. Or smart, kind, generous... or right.

This reading challenge is like going back to eating macaroni and cheese, and Zach finds it laugh-worthy when people express their opinion on macaroni and cheese not being challenging - or especially good, either. Sure, it was great when one was 12, but one isn't 12 any longer, one is more than three times 12, and would appreciate something like for example Ethiopian food.

Reading children's picture books might be entertaining and interesting, even delightful, but it is not challenging, or expanding one's reading experience. This is supposed to be "read HARDER". Most of the prompts are "read softer".

[Ketutar]

Heather wrote: "Right? And everyone who is complaining seems to be forgetting that you don't actually have to participate. Like you can just ... opt out. And not spend energy complaining about something that people love, that hurts noone, and that aims to do something good by expanding horizons."

I don't think anyone has forgotten they don't have to participate. Most of the people complaining express regret for not wanting to participate. Saying "I don't like this" doesn't hurt anyone either.

[Ketutar]

Zach wrote: "Just a reminder the challenge as stated by Book Riot isn't about pushing more "challenging" topics or themes, but the challenge is designed to "invite readers to explore settings, characters, formats, genres, and perspectives that might be outside of their reading norms". <-- Taken right from their yearly posts. I also think part of their aim is to encourage less thinking that X genre is easy, or X format isn't worthy of my time because of its intended audience age. It's also to broaden the range of author backgrounds that are being picked up and read.

It sounds like middle grade, YA, and even picture books fall into this 'outside the norm' category for a number of people here. This is probably why they've included multiple prompts in those categories this year. That format is still being published year after year and likely has a number of interesting books and authors that could be appealing to a wider swathe of the reading public if they would give them a chance. Drawing attention to those authors and those books has to be part of the rationale here for including those prompts. If nothing else a prompt like that can be a quick and easy way to get you to read something you wouldn't of otherwise touched and then you can move on and read something else or participate in a different challenge that is tailored to your specific genres and interests."

So, not responding to my question? :-D

Zach, there is a clear difference between something being "outside their reading norms" because they don't like it, and because they haven't read it. Of course, not everything in one genre, format, or whatever is the same, it's not like if you have read one picture book you have read all of them, and it takes just a couple of minutes to read a picture book. You can do it standing in a bookshop or a library, no problem. But why would one do that? Just to read a picture book? Maybe there is a valid reason why some settings, characters, formats, genres, and perspectives are outside someone's reading norms. Maybe it isn't something to laugh about, Zach.

Children's books are being published year after year, because there are millions of children out there who read these books. I'm sure that there is enough target audience so that people like Amber, Nancy, and Ron don't need to read them (and be mocked for not wanting to). And, sure, they might be interesting and appealing, but I seriously don't see how they would expand someone's reading horizons.

What's wrong with Nancy's list? "My read harder goals would include literary fiction, nonfiction, and topics or themes such as climate change, science, and artificial intelligence. social commentary, culture, colonialism, migration, immigration, and ethical dilemmas. I also try to read books from all over the world, in every continent."

Why wouldn't a challenge named "read HARDER" actually be HARDER and not just "wider"? Do you seriously think that list "invites readers to explore settings, characters, formats, genres, and perspectives that might be outside of their reading norms"?

Also, you might want to go back and read the comments you found so laughable and see that they all said that they won't be doing this challenge this year. They are already moving on to something that challenges them. What do you think THAT does to the "Read Harder" challenge? How many do you think they will reach when people find their prompts boring, uninteresting, and unchallenging? Might be that it takes 10 minutes to read a picture book, but why do it just to do some challenge you aren't really even interested in?

I seriously don't see what you are laughing at. Frankly, you don't sound like you are laughing anymore. Maybe it wasn't that smart to laugh in the first place.

[Zach]

It sounds like for some folks reading YA, middle grade and comics are outside their reading norm. So, yes.

Still - lol'ing.

[Zach]

Ketutar wrote: "Zach wrote: "Just a reminder the challenge as stated by Book Riot isn't about pushing more "challenging" topics or themes, but the challenge is designed to "invite readers to explore settings, char..."

Maybe you missed the bit where the point of the read harder challenge is not to actually read more difficult texts. I understand how the title of the challenge by Book Riot is confusing in that way. However, and you also quoted this above, the stated purpose of the challenge is to "invite readers to explore formats, genres, and perspectives that might go beyond their reading comfort zones". So, again, the picture book is a format that is outside the norm and comfort zone for a lot of folks. Especially those sticking their noses up in the air at "mac and cheese". They might just be missing the most mind-bending mac and cheese they've ever tried because they're unwilling to stretch a little.

I have no issue with people bowing out of the challenge because they don't like it. However, I have to laugh at the criticism because its missing the mark. I think that there could be some warranted consideration of what the actual goals for this reading challenge are rather than you know deriding certain formats and genres as simply juvenile and therefore unworthy of time.

Book Riot has created bookish space on the internet that values all formats and genres and types of authors. It doesn't look down on genre fiction or middle grade or even picture books as "less than". I love that about them and this challenge is part of that experience.

[Cynthia]

Zach wrote: "It sounds like middle grade, YA, and even picture books fall into this 'outside the norm' category for a number of people here. This is probably why they've included multiple prompts in those categories this year..."

I'm really looking forward to the prompts that involve middle-grade and picture books. As an aspiring youth librarian, this is an area in which I try especially to stay current so I appreciate their being given recognition through Book Riot Read Harder prompts.