Introductions: Who are you and what about this challenge caught you eye?

[Alayna]

Hello everyone! I'm Alayna. I joined this group for last year's challenge, but I joined way late and did not finish; wasn't even close T_T. Not this year, though! I'm getting a head start with this one. I was drawn to this challenge because of the variety. I am very fond of my fantasy and ya novels, but I really want to explore other genres. The only problem with that is choosing where to start, which is where this list comes in. Good luck with this year's challenge everyone!

[Livia]

Hey there, I'm Livia, a longtime Book Riot reader from Italy. I've been meaning to join the 2015 challenge last year but stuff kept getting in the way and in the end I just couldn't focus enough to try. This year is a different story, though, or at least this is what I'm going for :)
I don't usually do reading challenges, I feel too much the pressure to complete them and my interests in books change so quickly that I (sadly) get bored of any kind of reading plan very easily. That's why I feel that the Read Harder challenge would be good for me: the selection of tasks is varied and each task could be interpreted in very different ways depending on the reader, and all of them go in the direction of reading more widely (and diversely), which is my main goal for 2016 :)
Since many of the tasks are about genres that I've been meaning to try for ages, I've already got many possible books in my tbr or in my wish list, but there are also some tasks that right now really scare me (mostly, the food memoir, lol).
It's great to meet you all and good luck with the challenge!

[Sarah]

Hi, I'm Sarah. I came across this because another pal blogged about it and she and I are now going to be writing letters this year about the books we've read.
I've already set myself some serious reading challenges - I'm hoping to get through 150 books this year, at least 1/2 of those to be by women and at least 1/3 by POC. This challenge will also force me to read the massive stack of non-fiction I have :)

[Maria U.]

Hi, I'm Maria, and I'm from Sweden. I'm in this challenge because I want to read from different genres than my original go-to-favorites (horror, YA, drama and thriller). This is gonna be very interesting!

[Ashley]

Livia wrote: "Hey there, I'm Livia, a longtime Book Riot reader from Italy. I've been meaning to join the 2015 challenge last year but stuff kept getting in the way and in the end I just couldn't focus enough to..."

Hi Livia! I'm right there with you about the food memoir - this will definitely be outside my usual fare! I, too, am using the ReadHarder challenge to help me tackle my insane TBR list. Sometimes I can't decide what to read because I have so many things I'm trying to get into; at least this challenge will give us some direction! Happy reading to you from the States!

[Jacqueline]

Hi, I'm Jackie from NJ, US. I came across this when looking for reading challenges, so that I can expand my reading across different genres. I usually ready mysteries, with the occasional Science Fiction or Science book. I'm looking forward to the 2016 challenge!

[Mercedes]

Hi, I'm Mercedes and I'm in Portland, OR. I came across this on the BookRiot site and thought I would give it a try - it seems like it's enough books to be a challenge for me, but not too many that it leaves me feeling overwhelmed (like the 50+ book challenge I tried to take on last year).

[Dani]

Cheal wrote: "I'm Cheal and I don't read enough. I have shelves full of books and a kindle with loads of titles on it as well and I never actually take the time to read. I love to read. I don't know why it's so ..."

I definitely know what that is like. Even though I like reading, I go through periods where it is much easier to just veg out in front of the TV rather than pick up a book. I'm going through a prolific reading period now, but I still only read on breaks during my workday; once I get off work, I gravitate back to TV. Here's hoping the challenge pushes both of us to exercise those reading muscles!

[Jenni]

I'm Jenni, and I'm a children's librarian in California. I read a ton of books every year, regardless of whichever challenge/goal I follow, so I wanted something to direct my recreational reading beyond the latest YA or middle grade book.

[James]

Hey - I'm James from Kent in the UK. This will be my first BR read Harder challenge. I've been following BR on Twitter for a while, but only noticed the 2015 challenge towards the end of last year.

I tend to read a lot of the same genres - so hopefully this will be the perfect way to expand my bookshelf. The only challenge is to not choose authors or genres that I would normally read for some of the challenges!

[Emma]

Hello! I'm Emma from Western NY. I absolutely love BR, and was thrilled when they did a challenge last year. I loved that some of the categories pushed me out of my reading comfort zone. This year's challenge looks to be the same in that respect.

I read extensively, several hundred books/novellas/graphic novels/manga per year. Fantasy (and its various sub-genres) and romance tend to be what I lean towards, though I also enjoy non-fiction. I'll read a little bit of anything if it looks interesting.

[Gail]

Hi I'm Gail and from Missouri. A friend shared this challenge with me and I decided it would be a great thing to do this year. I read A LOT and I read everything.

[Bess]

I'm Bess, a 5th grade teacher from the Bronx, NY. I am always looking for new challenges and ways to push myself as a reader (as I tell my students they should). This list is perfect. The NY Public Library has some recommendations for each category, and so far I have been thrilled with the two books I've read (Slade House and Wonderstruck), neither of which would have crossed my reading path otherwise.

[Leanne]

Hey I'm Leanne. I found Book Riot about a year and a half ago and absolutely adore you guys. I meant to do the challenge last year but was having a bit of a crisis but this year I really want to expand my reading horizons and try new things. Also I totally trust you guys after you sent "The Fishermen" in the summer box and that was the best book I read of last year

[Jamie]

I'm Jamie, an 8th grade English teacher from Sioux Falls, South Dakota. I've always been a big reader, but was in a reading slump most of the last year. I'm looking forward to getting back to it this year, and am going to try this challenge with my husband.

[Ashwise]

Hi my name is Ash and Im a social worker, I joined because I wanted to make my reading challenge more fun, currently Im doing a Tolkien challenge as well. A member in another group Im in mentioned the reading challenge and I was just browsing through the groups when I saw it.

[Cristina]

Ashwise wrote: "Hi my name is Ash and Im a social worker, I joined because I wanted to make my reading challenge more fun, currently Im doing a Tolkien challenge as well. A member in another group Im in mentioned ..."
Ash, a Tolkien challenge? What does that entail? Sounds interesting!!

[Katie]

Hi everyone, I'm Katie! I just found this challenge and decided immediately to go for it. I tend to read a lot of the same genre and many of the categories on the challenge list are not things I would pick out. I thought it would be good for me to read some new genres, even if I have to struggle to get through some of them. I guess it wouldn't be called a challenge if it was supposed to be easy, huh?

[Aisha]

Hey everyone! Im Aisha, 25 from NY. I discovered the awesomeness of BookRiot last year from one of the Booktubers i follow (possibly Rincey?) This year I was watching my fav booktubers (Books Beauty Amerie) and she mentioned the 2016 Read harder challenge. I knew of the 2015 Challenge but only found out about it in August. I thought this would be such a great wau to read book that i would not normally pick up. And I am extremely excited! Hopefully I will have time to read all the books on the list as well as the books on my own 2016 TBR list.

[Aisha]

Ashwise wrote: "Hi my name is Ash and Im a social worker, I joined because I wanted to make my reading challenge more fun, currently Im doing a Tolkien challenge as well. A member in another group Im in mentioned ..."

That's so great! One of my goals in 2016 is to read the LOTR trilogy and the Hobbit since (I am ashamed to say) I have never read Tolkein.

[Courtney]

Hi! I'm Courtney and I'm a public librarian in McMinnville, Oregon. I read constantly, but I've never done a challenge or even really kept track of my reading. I love Book Riot, and I love Panels too - I'm going to participate in both Read Harder challenges this year.

I love finding book recommendations on the discussion boards, so my TBR pile is getting pretty scary. I can handle it, though - I am a librarian, after all. :)

[Tonia]

I'm Tonia in Uvalde, Texas. I like to read but I need a motivation to read something besides mystery and science fiction novels. So this challenge is great for me. I've already read my book of essay (W.E.B. Du Bois' Souls of Black Folk) and my religious book (Exposed / Book One: God the Father by Mark Bellm.) I'm getting ready to read my Science book (Altered Genes, Twisted Truth by Steven M. Druker).

[Angela]

Hello! I'm Angela, a retired teacher, and I live in Luton, England. I've been a fairly active member of Goodreads for several years and have taken part in challenges before, but for the past couple of years, my reading has been fairly random.
I came across this challenge on Facebook and decided to have a try, using mainly books that I already own. I read most genres, but it's been fun trying to find titles which fit in with the various parts of the challenge.
Happy reading :)

[Rabbit {Paint me like one of your 19th century gothic heroines!}]

Hi I'm Krystle aka Rabbit. I'm 26 years old and live in California.

I have a huge tbr and way too much books in my bookshelf so this year I want to clear 1/2 of my bookshelf as a goal. Any progress is good progress, even if I don't achieve my goal. :D

[Christine]

Hi, I'm Christine. I live in Illinois where I am a former editor, now freelance writer. I love books, and the companionship of other people who read (so many of my friends don't). My other great loves are art and travel. I tend to read a lot of mystery books since I am a reviewer for a website that covers that genre, so I am looking to really expand my horizons this year.

[Lillian]

Hi, my name is Lillian. I am from Michigan's Upper Peninsula. I have been reading for as long as I can remember. I visit libraries and book stores everywhere I travel. I follow Book Riot, always looking for a new book. Last year's challenge really opened me up to trying new genres. So on to 2016.

[Heather]

Hey, my name's Heather. I'm a senior in college at APSU in TN. I saw this challenge on pinterest, after completing the goodreads book challenge for 2015 I wanted something that made me dig deeper and this looked perfect! I am a mom of a three year old so finding the time to read is a challenge in itself. I wish we had more groups here locally! fun of a small town. Happy reading yall:)

[Jenifer]

Hi there, I'm Jenifer. -waves- I'm working on my BA in Creative Writing and live in the Pacific Northwest just south of Seattle, WA with my husband and cat. This challenge caught my eye because I frequent Book Riot and many of the tasks I do naturally within my normal reading habits. Nice to meet you all! ^_^

[Melissa]

Hello! I'm melissa. I read a lot. I'm working on keeping my nieces and nephews literate so I read a lot of children's books. I usually have a dozen books or so in progress. A friend introduced me to this challenge (thank you Chad). In order to keep it straight in my head, I think I am going to force myself to do it in order and not count books that are in progress that coincidentally fit into the categories. It should make things interesting for me! So I'm off to find a good horror!

[April]

Hi, I'm April. I've followed Book Riot for a while but this is the first time I've joined a reading challenge. Every year, I start out with good intentions of reading ALL THE BOOKS, but I'm so overwhelmed by all of the choices that I end up slacking off. I thought a reading challenge would be a fun way to stay on track with my reading goals, maybe help me make some decisions about what to read. I checked out a few different challenges, some of which I may try too, but this one seemed best suited to my personal tastes.

[Lydia]

I'm Lydia. Like others have posted, I look forward to a flexible challenge that is based on exploration and trying new things, rather than quantity alone. This group has already been a fantastic resource for ideas!

[Lashanda]

My name is Lashanda. I'm a medical technologist who LOVES to read. I joined this challenge to pretty much read even more books. I love the tasks.

[Ravenness]

My name is Tara and I am from upstate NY. This is my first Read Harder challenge. I have been following Book Riot for over a year and decided to try the Read Harder to challenge myself to read more diversely this year. I wanted to force myself out of my comfort zone and it has been a lot of fun so far !

[Megan]

I'm Megan. I decided to join because it's been a long time since I have really enjoyed reading, and been able to focus on it. I thought this would be a great way to get some of the books I have had sitting on my shelves read, and to discover some new genres and authors.

[Spynonu]

Sara wrote: "Hi I'm Sara! I have just started listening to Book Riot podcast and i love the idea of a reading challenge. I have never done a reading challenge before and this looked like an excellent way to start."

There is a podcast?!! So glad you posted about it because I didn't know!

[Tracy]

My name is Tracy and I live in NY. Last year I started the challenge, and loved microhistories so much that I got sidetracked and never returned to the challenge. I love to read but feel like I was in a rut because I read very few books that were outside my usual genres. This year, I spent the better part of New Year's Eve and Day choosing my books for the challenge (while supervising my daughter and her best friend's sleepover). It was great fun to choose the books and I've already made a few changes but I hope that having a road map helps me finish. There are some great tasks and I look forward to all of them. I wanted to expose myself to new authors and genres and I know this will do it. I have finished seven tasks so far. A few have been books I would otherwise not have read which I think will be the main benefit of this challenge.

[Kate]

Hi, my name's Kate and as a high school history and geography teacher I often box myself in with my reading choices. I am always encourage ing my students to be open to new ideas. I hope this challenge will pull me into some uncharted territory while still finding enough to satisfy my desired genres.

[Bingeing & Books]

Hi everyone! My name is Crystal and my friends and I started a virtual book club on Facebook about 5 years ago. The purpose of the club is for all of us to read books we would not normally read, and to expose ourselves to authors we are not familiar with. Each year we try to be creative and select books in a different manner. That is what caught my eye about the Read Harder Challenge. I am so excited about reading each book on our list for this challenge!

[Liz]

Like others on here, I tend to read the same genres -- mysteries, WWII fiction and non-fiction, bios. I like the idea of trying new genres.

[Liz]

Livia wrote: "Hey there, I'm Livia, a longtime Book Riot reader from Italy. I've been meaning to join the 2015 challenge last year but stuff kept getting in the way and in the end I just couldn't focus enough to..."

I just read the food memoir "How to Cook a Moose" by Kate Christensen. I really enjoyed it.

[Kathleen]

Hi, I'm Kathleen. I heard about the Read Harder Challenge at another group on Goodreads and thought it sounded interesting. Like a bunch of you I get stuck in certain genres and sometimes need a little encouragement to try something different. And finding the right book for each challenge is encouraging me to do a little searching beyond grabbing the next book on the shelf.

[Katie]

I'm Katie, from Wisconsin, living in Missouri now. I'm 24 and was a definite bookworm growing up. Since graduating college I have been looking for a way to break out of my reading rut that I've been stuck in when time was split between a full time job and school.
I bought myself a Kindle last year and that led me to Goodreads, which led me to discovering the world of reading challenges. A google search brought me to the Book Riot Read Harder Challenge, and much like other posters here I loved the variety. Filling in the list and adding to genres I enjoy reading is so motivating, and I find myself regaining that excitement I used to feel about books.

[Evyjo]

Hi everyone, I'm Evy and I've been a fan of bookriot's blog and podcast since day one. I didn't do the challenge last year because honestly it intimidated me. This year, 6 months in I've decided to join in on the fun, because it just seems like FUN. I will admit having a bit more time on my hands this year my reading game is pretty strong so that also has helped me break out of my bookworm burrow and get in on the challenge!

[Jaime]

Hi, I'm Jaime.

I read often growing up and lost my passion after college.

I want to read books I would not normally read. I love a good post apocalyptic story but I know I will be interested in something different once I try a few pieces.

[Rachel]

I'm Rachel, and I've only recently decided to take on the BookRiot challenges from this year and last year at the same time. I read a lot when I was younger but stopped while I was in post-secondary education since it was too much to manage with everything else. I've been using reading challenges to motivate myself to read more again, and really enjoying them. These challenges specifically caught my eye because the prompts are much more outside my comfort zone.

[Rachel Anne]

Hello, I'm Rachel from Delaware. I love to read but seem to always read the same types of books. I want to diversify my reading and I like to do reading challenges so this Read Harder Challenge looks like just the thing for me!

[Maureen]

This is my second year doing the challenge and as much as I hate to back down from a challenge, I have decided to let myself off the hook and back down a little bit. I do it as a means to read things I already own, but there are few things this year that just aren't booky enough for me. I don't want to read a comic book, or a middle grade novel or a book out loud (no grandkids LOL). I did everything last year, and I am going to read a play even though I don't own one already, but it just didn't fit as well for me this year. Oh, and I'm Maureen from New York, and I have a LOT of books.

[Tamara]

I'm Tamara and this is my 2nd year doing this challenge. I tend to use challenges to try something new and finally get to some of the books I own. The only thing I really dislike about this challenge is the audio book is still here. I loathe audio books. It does give me a chance to read books that my daughters have read and reading Screwtape Letters aloud to my 14 year old was a hoot.

[Maureen]

Tamara wrote: "I'm Tamara and this is my 2nd year doing this challenge. I tend to use challenges to try something new and finally get to some of the books I own. The only thing I really dislike about this challen..."

Ha! I did The Screwtape Letters too!

[Mindy]

Hi, I'm Mindy. I started this back in January but just found this forum. I'm at least halfway through the list - listening to audio books two hours a day on my commute to and from work has helped immensely. It's also a great way for me to make use of my commute time and not feel like it's wasted.

I decided to take on this challenge as a way to get out of my comfort zone - mostly nonfiction and history. I did read a lot of Stephen King and other fiction when I was younger, but have fallen far behind on those books. It's also helping me read some books that have been on my list for a while but that I just haven't gotten around to reading.