Literary Exploration discussion

For people doing the hard challenge, to discuss progress and planned books.

Hard Challenge

Adventure
Auto-Biography/Biography
Chick-Lit
Classics
Drama
Fantasy
Graphic Novels
Historical Fiction
Horror
Humour
Literary Fiction
Magical Realism
Mystery
Non Fiction
Paranormal
Philosophical
Poetry
Pulp – (Hard-Boiled or Noir)
Romance
Science Fiction
Steampunk
Thriller
Victorian
Young Adult

I'm so glad this is back, I love this challenge!
In 2015 I tried the Easy Challenge and it went very smoothly, in 2016 I want to try the Hard Challenge instead.
I will list my books here as I read them:

Hard Challenge

Adventure - The Call of the Wild (read 29 Mar)
Auto-Biography/Biography - The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope (read 10 Mar)
Chick-Lit - Remember Me? (read 18 Apr)
Classics - Tess of the D'Urbervilles (read 3 Jan)
Drama - Phèdre (read 21 Feb)
Fantasy - A Game of Thrones (read 12 Feb)
Graphic Novels
Historical Fiction - The Harmony Silk Factory (read 7 Mar)
Horror - Der Golem (The Golem) (read 5 Apr)
Humour - Practical Demonkeeping (read 4 Jan)
Literary Fiction - Stoner (read 13 Jan)
Magical Realism
Mystery - The Moonstone (read 18 Jan)
Non Fiction - Brain over Binge (read 20 Mar)
Paranormal
Philosophical
Poetry - Il paradiso brucia e altre poesie (read 21 Feb)
Pulp – (Hard-Boiled or Noir)
Romance - Northanger Abbey (read 9 Jan)
Science Fiction - Stazione undici (Station Eleven) (read 6 Jan)
Steampunk
Thriller
Victorian - Villette (read 1 Feb)
Young Adult - Messenger (read 14 Feb)

Going for the Hard Challenge for 2016. I completed the insane challenge in 2015 but think I will not stretch quite that far this year.

Hard Challenge

Adventure Swallows and Amazons 2/2/16 ****
Auto-Biography/Biography Empty Mansions: The Mysterious Life of Huguette Clark and the Spending of a Great American Fortune 11/30/16 ****
Chick-Lit Summer Island 11//16 ****
Classics A Farewell to Arms 2/11/16/****
Drama The Comedy of Errors 9/18/16 ****
Fantasy Artemis Fowl 4/29/16 **
Graphic Novels Fables, Vol. 3: Storybook Love 6/29/16 ***
Historical Fiction Death Comes for the Archbishop 3/28/16 ****
Horror Fear 12/4/16 ****
Humour Mort 7/6/16 ***
Literary Fiction The Assistant 1/7/16 ****
Magical Realism Song of Solomon 5/31/16 ***
Mystery Behind the Scenes at the Museum6/28/16 ****
Non Fiction Astoria: John Jacob Astor and Thomas Jefferson's Lost Pacific Empire: A Story of Wealth, Ambition, and Survival 4/24/16 *****
Paranormal Blood Bound 8/26/16 ****
PhilosophicalCandide 2/29/16 ***
Poetry Where the Sidewalk Ends 4/6/16 ****
Pulp – (Hard-Boiled or Noir) Double Indemnity 1/25/16 ****
Romance Atonement 4/5/16 ****
Science Fiction The Moon is a Harsh Mistress 1/22/16 ****
Steampunk From the Earth to the Moon 1/28/16 ***
Thriller Flowers in the Attic 6/21/16 **
Victorian Jude the Obscure 8/11/16 *****
Young Adult Goodnight Mister Tom 1/1/16 ****

My 2016 easy challenge finished

Classics Lord of the Flies
Fantasy Dragonflight
Graphic Novels Bedlam, Vol. 1
Historical Fiction The Scarlet Letter
Horror The Key to Midnight dean koontz
Literary Fiction Slaughterhouse-Five
Mystery The Big Four
Non Fiction The stuarts by john miller
Romance Outlander
Science Fiction Rendezvous with Rama
Thriller Angels & Demons
Young Adult Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

HARD CHALLENGE FINISHED
Adventure Foxglove Summer
Auto-Biography/Bio
graphy Boy: Tales of Childhood
Chick-Lit The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic
Drama Macbeth
Humour Equal Rites
Magical Realism Garden Spells
Paranormal Dead in the Family
Philosophical The Prince
Poetry Poems of Edgar Allan Poe
Pulp – (Hard-Boiled or Noir) Without Fail
Steampunk Soulless
Victorian Changeless

Hard Challenge

Adventure - The Great Zoo of China by Matthew Reilly read 2/2/16. Rated 3 stars.
Auto-Biography/Biography - The Pope and Mussolini: The Secret History of Pius XI and the Rise of Fascism in Europe by David I. Kertzer read 2/28/16. Rated 4 stars.
Chick-Lit - Life After Life by Kate Atkinson read 3/11/16. Rated 4 stars.
Classics - Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier read 4/23/16. Rated 4 stars.
Drama
Fantasy - Two Years Eight Months and Twenty-Eight Nights by Salman Rushdie. Read 2/1/16. Rated 3 stars.
Graphic Novels
Historical Fiction - The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult. Read 1/20/16. Rated 5 stars.
Horror - Slade House by David Mitchell read 3/1/16. Rated 5 stars.
Humour
Literary Fiction - Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee read 1/10/16. Rated 3 stars.
Magical Realism - Bellefleur by Joyce Carol Oates read 6/2/16. Rated 4 stars.
Mystery - Abandon by Blake Crouch read 3/27/16. Rated 4 stars.
Non Fiction - Thunderstruck by Erik Larson read 4/15/16. Rated 4 stars.
Paranormal - A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay. Read 3/13/16. Rated 4 stars.
Philosophical - The End of Days by Jenny Erpenbeck read 4/2/16. Rated 2 stars.
Poetry
Pulp – (Hard-Boiled or Noir)
Romance - The Aviator's Wife by Melanie Benjamin. Read 2/7/16. Rated 3 1/2 stars.
Science Fiction - The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell
Steampunk
Thriller - The Cobra Event by Richard Preston read 1/3/16. Rated 4 stars.
Victorian - Villette by Charlotte Brontë read 2/21/16. Rated 4 stars.
Young Adult - To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee re-read 1/10/16. Rated 5 stars.

Adventure - An Embarrassment of Mangoes: A Caribbean Interlude by Ann Vanderhoof 1/4/16
Auto-Biography/Biography - Bossypants by Tina Fey 8/23/16
Chick-Lit - Eight Hundred Grapes by Laura Dave 6/20/16
Classics - The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving 6/5/16
Drama - The Crucible by Arthur Miller 11/5/16
Fantasy - Beastly by Alex Flinn 1/1/16
Graphic Novels - Chew, Vol. 1: Taster's Choice by John Layman 7/18/16
Historical Fiction - The Book Thief by Markus Zusak 3/10/16
Horror - Fiend by Peter Stenson 12/4/16
Humor - A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman 7/10/16
Literary Fiction - The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen 2/3/16
Magical Realism - One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcí­a Márquez or IQ84,#1 by Haruki Murakami
Mystery - Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter 6/14/16
Non Fiction - F*ck Feelings: One Shrink's Practical Advice for Managing All Life's Impossible Problems by Michael I. Bennett
Paranormal - A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
Philosophical - The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera orThe Stranger by Albert Camus or Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger
Poetry - Sailing Alone Around the Room: New and Selected Poems by Billy Collins 9/27/16
Pulp – (Hard-Boiled or Noir) - Braineater Jones by Stephen Kozeniewski
Romance - Nobody But You by Jill Shalvis 6/19/16
Science Fiction - A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess 4/6/16
Steampunk - Clockwork Angels by Kevin J. Anderson 12/29/16
Thriller - Lightning by Dean Koontz 5/29/16
Victorian - The Warden by Anthony Trollope
Young Adult - Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell 5/31/16

I'll try this level this year. I'll list as I read.
19/24
Hard Challenge

Adventure : The Chronicles of Narnia
Auto-Biography/Biography- I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings 17/1/16
Chick-Lit- Crazy Rich Asians 24/3/2016
Classics:A Room with a View September 15
Drama: A Raisin in the Sun September 8
Fantasy- Snow Like Ashes- January 2016
Graphic Novels: Black Jack Ketchum
Historical Fiction- Between Shades of Gray 3/1/2016
Horror- The Green Mile April 2016
Humour: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian 11/6/2016
Literary Fiction - The Narrow Road to the Deep North 27/5/16
Magical Realism- Beloved March 2016
Mystery: Stone and Spark July 18
Non Fiction - Marriage Covenant: The Biblical Secret for a Love That Lasts 9/1/2016
Paranormal- Afterworlds Feb 2016
Philosophical: The Problem of Pain 6October
Poetry
Pulp – (Hard-Boiled or Noir)
Romance
Science Fiction- Flowers for Algernon25 /1/16
Steampunk
Thriller- The Night Manager May 2016
Victorian: The Tenant of Wildfell Hall 20/11/16
Young Adult: Monster August 20

A quick question: Is Flowers for Algernon more science fiction than philosophical? It is on the list of popular philosophical books but those lists tend to be inaccurate sometimes?

June wrote: "A quick question: Is Flowers for Algernon more science fiction than philosophical? It is on the list of popular philosophical books but those lists tend to be inaccurate sometimes?"
When it spans two categories, I tend to place it in the harder to fill category.

I completed the hard challenge today.

Janet wrote: "I completed the hard challenge today."

Congrats Janet !

I think it is difficult to read so many different genres. I only did the easy challenge,but it was still tough fitting in some that I never read (i.e. graphic novel).

Thanks Franky. Last year I did the insane challenge. That one was really tough.