Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge discussion
2024 Read Harder Challenge
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Task 24: Pick a challenge from any of the previous years’ challenges to repeat
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20151. Read a book written by someone when they were under the age of 25.
2. Read a book written by someone when they were over the age of 65.
3. Read a collection of short stories.
4. Read a book published by an indie press.
5. Read a book by or about someone who identifies as LGBTQ.
6. Read a book by a person whose gender is different from your own.
7. Read a book that takes place in Asia.
8. Read a book by an author from Africa.
9. Read a book that is by or about someone from an indigenous culture (Native Americans, Aboriginals, etc.).
10. Read a microhistory.
11. Read a YA novel.
12. Read a sci-fi novel.
13. Read a romance novel.
14. Read a National Book Award, Man Booker Prize, or Pulitzer Prize Winner from the last decade.
15. Read a book that is a retelling of a classic story (fairy tale, Shakespearean play, classic novel, etc.).
16. Listen to an audiobook.
17. Read a collection of poetry.
18. Read a book that someone else has recommended to you.
19. Read a book that was originally published in another language.
20. Read a graphic novel, a graphic memoir, or a collection of comics of any kind.
21. Read a book that you would consider a guilty pleasure.
22. Read a book published before 1850.
23. Read a book published this year.
24. Read a self-improvement book.
20161. Read a horror book.
2. Read a nonfiction book about science.
3. Read a collection of essays.
4. Read a book out loud to someone else.
5. Read a middle grade novel.
6. Read a biography (not memoir or autobiography).
7. Read a dystopian or post-apocalyptic novel.
8. Read a book originally published in the decade you were born.
9. Listen to an audiobook that has won an Audie Award.
10. Read a book over 500 pages long.
11. Read a book under 100 pages.
12. Read a book by or about a person who identifies as transgender.
13. Read a book that is set in the Middle East.
14. Read a book that is by an author from Southeast Asia.
15. Read a book of historical fiction set before 1900.
16. Read the first book in a series by a person of color.
17. Read a non-superhero comic that debuted in the last three years.
18. Read a book that was adapted into a movie, then watch the movie.
19. Read a nonfiction book about feminism or dealing with feminist themes.
20. Read a book about religion (fiction or nonfiction).
21. Read a book about politics, in your country or another (fiction or nonfiction).
22. Read a food memoir.
23. Read a play.
24. Read a book with a main character that has a mental illness.
20171. Read a book about sports.
2. Read a debut novel.
3. Read a book about books.
4. Read a book set in Central or South America, written by a Central or South American author.
5. Read a book by an immigrant or with a central immigration narrative.
6. Read an all-ages comic.
7. Read a book published between 1900 and 1950.
8. Read a travel memoir.
9. Read a book you’ve read before.
10. Read a book that is set within 100 miles of your location.
11. Read a book that is set more than 5000 miles from your location.
12. Read a fantasy novel.
13. Read a nonfiction book about technology.
14. Read a book about war.
15. Read a YA or middle grade novel by an author who identifies as LGBTQ+.
16. Read a book that has been banned or frequently challenged in your country.
17. Read a classic by an author of color.
18. Read a superhero comic with a female lead.
19. Read a book in which a character of color goes on a spiritual journey.
20. Read an LGBTQ+ romance novel.
21. Read a book published by a micropress.
22. Read a collection of stories by a woman.
23. Read a collection of poetry in translation on a theme other than love.
24. Read a book wherein all point-of-view characters are people of color.
20181. Read a book published posthumously.
2. Read a book of true crime.
3. Read a classic of genre fiction (i.e., mystery, sci-fi/fantasy, romance).
4. Read a comic written and illustrated by the same person.
5. Read a book set in or about one of the five BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, or South Africa).
6. Read a book about nature.
7. Read a western.
8. Read a comic written or illustrated by a person of color.
9. Read a book of colonial or postcolonial literature.
10. Read a romance novel by or about a person of color.
11. Read a children’s classic published before 1980.
12. Read a celebrity memoir.
13. Read an Oprah Book Club selection.
14. Read a book of social science.
15. Read a one-sitting book.
16. Read the first book in a new-to-you YA or middle grade series.
17. Read a sci-fi novel with a female protagonist by a female author.
18. Read a comic that isn’t published by Marvel, DC, or Image.
19. Read a book of genre fiction in translation.
20. Read a book with a cover you hate.
21. Read a mystery by a person of color or LGBTQ+ author.
22. Read an essay anthology.
23. Read a book with a female protagonist over the age of 60.
24. Read an assigned book you hated (or never finished).
20191. An epistolary novel or collection of letters.
2. An alternate history novel.
3. A book by a woman and/or author of color that won a literary award in 2018.
4. A humor book.
5. A book by a journalist or about journalism.
6. A book by an author of color set in or about space.
7. An #ownvoices book set in Mexico or Central America.
8. An #ownvoices book set in Oceania.
9. A book published prior to January 1, 2019, with fewer than 100 reviews on Goodreads.
10. A translated book written by and/or translated by a woman.
11. A book of manga.
12. A book in which an animal or inanimate object is a point-of-view character.
13. A book by or about someone who identifies as neurodiverse.
14. A cozy mystery.
15. A book of mythology or folklore.
16. A historical romance by an author of color.
17. A business book.
18. A novel by a trans or nonbinary author.
19. A book of nonviolent true crime.
20. A book written in prison.
21. A comic by a LGBTQIA author.
22. A children’s or middle grade book (not YA) that has won a diversity award since 2009.
23. A self-published book.
24. A collection of poetry published since 2014.
20201. Read a YA nonfiction book.
2. Read a retelling of a classic of the canon, fairytale, or myth by an author of color.
3. Read a mystery where the victim(s) is not a woman.
4. Read a graphic memoir.
5. Read a book about a natural disaster.
6. Read a play by an author of color and/or queer author.
7. Read a historical fiction novel not set in World War II.
8. Listen to an audiobook of poetry.
9. Read the last book in a series.
10. Read a book that takes place in a rural setting.
11. Read a debut novel by a queer author.
12. Read a memoir by someone from a religious tradition (or lack of religious tradition) not your own.
13. Read a food book about a cuisine you’ve never tried before.
14. Read a romance starring a single parent.
15. Read a book about climate change.
16. Read a doorstopper (over 500 pages) published after 1950, written by a woman.
17. Read a sci-fi/fantasy novella (under 120 pages).
18. Read a picture book with a human main character from a marginalized community.
19. Read a book by or about a refugee.
20. Read a middle grade book that doesn’t take place in the US or the UK.
21. Read a book with a main character or protagonist with a disability (fiction or non).
22. Read a horror book published by an indie press.
23. Read an edition of a literary magazine (digital or printed).
24. Read a book in any genre by a Native, First Nations, or Indigenous author.
20211. A book you’ve been intimidated to read.
2. A nonfiction book about racism.
3. A non-European novel in translation.
4. An LGBTQ+ history book.
5. A genre novel by an Indigenous, First Nations, or Native American author.
6. A fanfic.
7. A fat-positive romance.
8. A romance by a trans or nonbinary author.
9. A middle grade mystery.
10. An SFF anthology edited by a person of color.
11. A food memoir by an author of color.
12. A work of investigative nonfiction by an author of color.
13. A book with a cover you don’t like.
14. A realistic YA book not set in the US, UK, or Canada.
15. A memoir by a Latinx author.
16. An own voices book about disability.
17. An own voices YA book with a Black main character that isn’t about Black pain.
18. A book by/about a non-Western world leader.
19. A historical fiction with a POC or LGBTQ+ protagonist.
20. A book of nature poems.
21. A children’s book that centers a disabled character but not their disability.
22. A book set in the Midwest.
23. A book that demystifies a common mental illness.
24. A book featuring a beloved pet where the pet doesn’t die.
20221. A biography of an author you admire.
2. A book set in a bookstore.
3. Any book from the Women’s Prize shortlist/longlist/winner list.
4. A book in any genre by a POC that’s about joy and not trauma.
5. An anthology featuring diverse voices.
6. A nonfiction YA comic.
7. A romance in which at least one of the protagonists is over 40.
8. A classic written by a POC.
9. The book that’s been on your TBR the longest.
10. A political thriller by a marginalized author (BIPOC or LGBTQIA+).
11. A book with an asexual or aromantic character.
12. A poetry collection.
13. An adventure story by a BIPOC author.
14. A book whose movie or TV adaptation you’ve seen.
15. A new-to-you literary magazine (print or digital).
16. A book recommended by a friend with different reading tastes.
17. A memoir written by someone who is trans or nonbinary.
18. A “Best _ Writing of the Year” book for a topic and year of your choice.
19. A horror novel by a BIPOC author.
20. An award-winning book from the year you were born.
21. A queer retelling of a classic of the canon, fairy tale, folklore, or myth.
22. A history about a period you know little about.
23. A book by a disabled author.
24. A challenge from any of the previous years’ challenges.
20231. Read a novel about a trans character by a trans author.
2. Read one of your favorite author’s favorite books.
3. Read a book about activism.
4. Read a book that’s been challenged recently in your school district/library.
5. Read a completed webcomic.
6. Finish a book you DNF’d.
7. Listen to an audiobook performed by a person of color written by an author of color.
8. Read a graphic novel/comic/manga in a different genre than you usually read.
9. Read an independently published book by a BIPOC author.
10. Read a book you know nothing about based solely on the cover.
11. Read a cookbook cover to cover.
12. Read a nonfiction book about BIPOC and/or queer history.
13. Read an author local to you.
14. Read a book with under 500 Goodreads ratings.
15. Read a historical fiction book set in an Eastern country.
16. Read a romance with bisexual representation.
17. Read a YA book by an Indigenous author.
18. Read a comic or graphic novel that features disability representation.
19. Read a nonfiction book about intersectional feminism.
20. Read a book of poetry by a BIPOC or queer author.
21. Read a book of short stories.
22. Read any book from the Ignyte awards shortlist/longlist/winner list.
23. Read a social horror, mystery, or thriller novel.
24. Pick a challenge from any of the previous years’ challenges to repeat.
Ron wrote: "Going with 2020 'natural disasters'."Same. I want to read Fire Weather: A True Story from a Hotter World.
I think I'm going to do something for 2017's "Read a book that is set more than 5000 miles from your location." I'm trying to read stuff in a wider variety of settings, and more stuff in translation, so this should help.
Natural disaster. The Fires by Sigriour.
doing #15 of 2019 with The Gospel of Loki
Doing 2021 #3 A non-European novel in translation as a double-dipper with 2024 #8 Read a book in translation from a country you've never visited - The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle,
Elizabeth wrote: "I think I'm going to do something for 2017's "Read a book that is set more than 5000 miles from your location." I'm trying to read stuff in a wider variety of settings, and more stuff in translatio..."Like I had planned, I went for something from 2017's "Read a book that is set more than 5000 miles from your location." I read Little White Duck: A Childhood in China by Na Liu, which is a graphic memoir about the author's childhood in 1970s Wuhan, which is more than 7k miles from where I am in Canada.
I love historic fiction. So I chose from 2023 to read a historical fiction set in an Eastern country. I read Lady Tan’s Circle of Women, based on a real 15th century Chinese woman who became a doctor. Her book originally published in the 1400’s describing some of her patients medical care is still available.
I do one for each year (and it's set for that prompt in subsequent years). In January, I knocked out all but 2019 and 2021.2015 - An audiobook - Notes on an Execution
2016 - Read a book of historical fiction set before 1900 - Miss Eliza's English Kitchen
2017 - Read a fantasy novel - Red Hood
2018 - A classic of genre fiction - The Tell-Tale Heart & The Black Cat
2020 - Read a book that takes place in a rural setting - Patience and Not-Forsaken
2022 - Read a book recommended by a friend with different reading tastes - I'm Just A Person
2023 - Read an entire poetry collection - the sun and her flowers
I don't do the challenge every year, so I decided to limit my picks for this task to the years I've attempted the challenge (2015, 2018, and 2021) and went with a 2015 task: 21. Read a book that you would consider a guilty pleasure.I had a hard time picking a book in 2015 because I don't really have guilty pleasures, but ended up deciding that trivia/factoid books are probably the closest to what I'd consider a guilty pleasure. In 2015 I read The Book of Totally Useless Information and this year I read True Facts that Sound Like Bulls#*t: 500 Insane-But-True Facts That Will Shock And Impress Your Friends
I'm going with repeating the 2022 challenge to read something by a disabled author. Back then, I read Paradise Lost by blind author John Milton; this year, I'll go with Girl at War by deaf author Sara Nović.
I had to read Justin Torres' Blackouts for something else, so I went with 2015 # 14. Read a National Book Award, Man Booker Prize, or Pulitzer Prize Winner from the last decade.
I can't remember what year it was, but I went with "read a microhistory" and read How Iceland Changed the World: The Big History of a Small Island.
I am reading Men Without Women by Haruki Murakami, a short story collection (2023)
Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
The Sixth Man (other topics)How Iceland Changed the World: The Big History of a Small Island (other topics)
Blackouts (other topics)
True Facts that Sound Like Bulls#*t: 500 Insane-But-True Facts That Will Shock And Impress Your Friends (other topics)
The Book of Totally Useless Information (other topics)
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(Previous challenge lists are posted below.)