Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge discussion

This thread is for dropping ideas, questions, resources, comments, and discussion about Task 3: Read a Collection of Essays

A few ideas to get you started:

http://bookriot.com/2014/05/08/explor...

http://bookriot.com/2012/02/09/an-eas...

I am planning on Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris.

I am planning on reading Men Explain Things to Me

I'm reading two collections of essays for other challenges this year, so I'll count whichever I end up reading first: China in Ten Words by Yu Hua and In Other Worlds: SF and the Human Imagination by Margaret Atwood.

I will either read Consider the Lobster and Other Essays or if I run out of time A Room of One's Own which counts as a nonfiction book on feminism...

I'm considering either The Empathy Exams: Essays or Letter to a Future Lover: Marginalia, Errata, Secrets, Inscriptions, and Other Ephemera Found in Libraries.

Tatiana wrote: "I will either read Consider the Lobster and Other Essays or if I run out of time A Room of One's Own which counts as a nonfiction book on feminism..."

I'm also planning on Consider the Lobster! It's gotten such good reviews.

I would finish Essays of E.B. White for this category, but will instead apply The Accidental Masterpiece, which is also on my To-Read shelf.

Allie wrote: "Tatiana wrote: "I will either read Consider the Lobster and Other Essays or if I run out of time A Room of One's Own which counts as a nonfiction book on feminism..."

I'm ..."

Yeah, me too on Consider the Lobster and Other Essays - is that generally considered the best DFW collection to go for ? I have never read him.

I am going to read .

Bea wrote: "I am planning on Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris."

Oh! I own this one, so I think I'll read it as well. Thanks for the inspiration!

My choice for this topic is You Don't Have to Like Me by Alida Nugent.

I went to my city's Read Harder book group this past week, and one of the participants there recommended This is the Story of a Happy Marriage so I bought that.

Also you cannot go wrong with the Empathy Exams, already mentioned above.

Based on the 2015 challenge (translated category) I've currently reading The Seven Good Years; It would count in the essay category as well as the Middle East category as well.

I'm planning on reading Death by Black Hole: And Other Cosmic Quandaries, which I've had on my to-read list for ages.

Karin wrote: "I went to my city's Read Harder book group this past week, and one of the participants there recommended This is the Story of a Happy Marriage so I bought that.

Also you cannot go ..."

I found Happy Marriage to be a great read, hope you enjoy it.

I'm going with Things No One Will Tell Fat Girls: A Handbook for Unapologetic Living by Jes Baker.

One Dear Mr. You by Mary Louise-Parker be considered essays?

Rayna wrote: "One Dear Mr. You by Mary Louise-Parker be considered essays?"

I think so.

Rainey wrote: "I am planning on reading Men Explain Things to Me"

That's on my shortlist too :)

Once again I have several books I'm torn between
Men explain things to me, empathy exams, slouching towards Bethlehem, Joan didion or some Nora ephron essays

I am going to read The Opposite of Loneliness by Marina Keegan.

Kelly wrote: "I am going to read The Opposite of Loneliness by Marina Keegan."

Me too, Kelly! I've had it for a while and want to read more of the books I already have as part of the challenge. :)

Kelly wrote: "I am going to read The Opposite of Loneliness by Marina Keegan."

I absolutely loved this book! Fantastic choice :)

Slouching Towards Betlehem by Joan Didion.

I'm going to read "Selfish, Shallow & Self-Absorbed: 16 writers on the decision not to have kids, edited by Meghan Daum... It's one of my book club choices for next year, so two birds, one stone....

Planning to read Love and Other Ways of Dying: Essays

Newcomer to the challenge. I decided to join because I've read 112 books this year but tend to stick to 2 or 3 genres. I'd like to expand this year.
For this challenge, I plan to read Bad Feminist by Roxanne Gay.

Going to be reading The Carnivore's Manifesto: Eating Well, Eating Responsibly, and Eating Meat :)

I will probably read How to Be a Woman.

Loved 'how to be a women'... So funny and touching...

I will probably do this one in my mother tongue, as we have zillions of essays collections whether historical, political, societal, or economical..i already have many of those on my shelf already..

Do you guys think Do Fish Drink Water? would count in this category?

My shortlist:
Men Explain Things to Me
A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again: Essays and Arguments
I Call Myself A Feminist: The View from Twenty-Five Women Under Thirty
Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader

I'm going old school with What Is Man? by Mark Twain.

I am planning to read Style and Idea: Selected Writings by Arnold Schoenberg, but the following titles I'm also considering:

A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again: Essays and Arguments by David Foster Wallace
Seven Types of Ambiguity by William Empson
Anatomy of Criticism: Four Essays by Northrop Frye
One Life at a Time, Please by Edward Abbey

I'm thinking about Magical Thinking by Augusten Burroughs for this task.

I have 2 in mind for this one:

Race-Ing Justice, En-Gendering Power: Essays on Anita Hill, Clarence Thomas, and the Construction of Social Reality

When and Where I Enter: The Impact of Black Women on Race and Sex in America

Looking forward to reading Bad Feminist.

I've had The Anthropology of Turquoise: Reflections on Desert, Sea, Stone, and Sky on my list since we visited Moab a couple years ago, I'm so glad I have a reason to prioritize reading it now!

I'm between three different collections. The first two are books I already own, Why Not Me? and Not That Kind of Girl: A Young Woman Tells You What She's "Learned". The third option would be The Opposite of Loneliness: Essays and Stories

I read Gratitude by Oliver Sacks for this category. It is a short read and very moving.
I will be celebrating my Erbium birthday next week. You have to read the book to find out what I am taking about unless,of course, you are a very smart scientist!

I'm going to read Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader.

Essays
I Was Told There'd Be Cake- by Sloane Crosley
My Generation - William Styron *
I Remember Nothing: and Other Reflections -by Nora Ephron

* I've seen Styron's book, Darkness Visited, coming up on the task to read a book by our about character with mental illness. This one is considered a classic. I've ready it many times and can recommend it to anyone interested in or touched by depression. So, everybody.

The Empathy Exams and Bad Feminist are both excellent if people are still deciding.

Planning on reading Pilgrim at Tinker Creek for this challenge. I read one of the essays for a college class awhile back and thought it was fantastic; I've been meaning to finish the whole collection since then.

Eva wrote: "I read Gratitude by Oliver Sacks for this category. It is a short read and very moving.
I will be celebrating my Erbium birthday next week. You have to read the book to find out what I am taking a..."

Well, I need to find out what that is! Thanks for the tip. I read the late Dr. Sacks' memoir, On the Move: A Life , this summer, and really liked the guy. Quite a life.

Bobby wrote: "I am planning to read Style and Idea: Selected Writings by Arnold Schoenberg, but the following titles I'm also considering:
[book:A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do..."

Thanks for the idea of Essays of DFW. I'd like to give it a try, since the only way I think I'd ever read Infinite Jest is if I were trapped on a desert island with that book and a volleyball. So, this book of essays may just give a glimpse into the mind of this might-be genius.

Meg121475 wrote: "Newcomer to the challenge. I decided to join because I've read 112 books this year but tend to stick to 2 or 3 genres. I'd like to expand this year.
For this challenge, I plan to read Bad Feminist..."

Hi. Welcome to the challenge. At the end of last year's challenge, I still didn't like Romance (except Jane Austin) or Sci-Fi (except the Martian). I generally checked out a few books on each task, so I wasn't stuck forcing myself to get through a particular genre. Also, you didn't ask, but get a couple of ones you're not that interested in out of the way, and you'll be on a roll. Surprised to find that I enjoyed MAUS, and might pick up another graphic novel. Good luck!

Yuska wrote: "Slouching Towards Betlehem by Joan Didion."

I have that book.
If it turns out you enjoy Didion's writing, you might try Salvadore. Great book and also great movie - for the task book/movie -compare.