Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge discussion

Use this space to discuss books you're reading or that might fit the nineteenth Read Harder task, from Daniel José Older, author of Salsa Nocturna, the Bone Street Rumba urban fantasy series, and YA novel Shadowshaper.

Would Life of Pi count for this?

I'm struggling with wrapping my head around what counts as a Spiritual Journey.....

The main character in Life of Pi certainly goes on a spiritual journey. I think it should count. It's also one of my favorite reads.

Book Riot wrote: "Use this space to discuss books you're reading or that might fit the nineteenth Read Harder task, from Daniel José Older, author of Salsa Nocturna, the Bone Street Rumba urban fantasy series, and Y..."

Yes, this would definitely count.

Maybe Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Cordova.

Labyrinth Lost

I'm thinking of Siddartha by Herman Hesse or Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko.

This is going to be a hard one for me. As an atheist with a kind of naturally snarky personality and take on the world, I hear "spiritual journey" and my eyes reflexively start rolling. On the other hand, I did like Life of Pi quite a bit, so perhaps there is hope for me!

SibylM wrote: "This is going to be a hard one for me. As an atheist with a kind of naturally snarky personality and take on the world, I hear "spiritual journey" and my eyes reflexively start rolling. On the othe..."

I'm with you! I'm all for reading differing perspectives, but I feel like this category would leave me feeling "Okay, that was nice", but I'll be wishing I had taken the time to read something more engaging. Perhaps there's something out there that will be pleasantly surprising.

Do you think If the Oceans Were Ink: An Unlikely Friendship and a Journey to the Heart of the Quran would count?

Veronica wrote: "SibylM wrote: "This is going to be a hard one for me. As an atheist with a kind of naturally snarky personality and take on the world, I hear "spiritual journey" and my eyes reflexively start rolli..."

After reading the description, I think it would. It sounds great. Thanks for the suggestion.

SibylM wrote: "This is going to be a hard one for me. As an atheist with a kind of naturally snarky personality and take on the world, I hear "spiritual journey" and my eyes reflexively start rolling. On the othe..."

Spirituality is not always the same as religion. I would argue that The Motorcycle Diaries: Notes on a Latin American Journey fits this challenge.

I might read Nomad: From Islam to America: A Personal Journey Through the Clash of Civilizations or The Gospel According to Jesus Christ. For anyone who hasn't read it, I think that The Autobiography of Malcolm X would qualify.

I'm considering The Color Purple. I feel it will fulfill multiple challenges :
9-book read before
16 challenged or banned
17 classic by author of color
19 Spiritual journey
20 LGBTQ+ romance
24 all pov characters persons of color
Am I wrong?

SibylM wrote: "This is going to be a hard one for me. As an atheist with a kind of naturally snarky personality and take on the world, I hear "spiritual journey" and my eyes reflexively start rolling. On the othe..."

I thought this one would be really hard, too, so I googled earlier today & found a Goodreads list with ideas. Some were Eat, Pray, Love; Life of Pi; and The Alchemist. I loved Life of Pi. For some reason I have an aversion to ever reading Eat, Pray, Love. I'm thinking of using The Alchemist, which I can also count for the re-read category.

I don't think the main character in Eat Pray Love is a POC anyway...

I also thought about The Alchemist. Some books that might fit this category are:
The Orenda
Three Day Road
Deep River
Soul Mountain
The Moor's Account
The Kindness of Enemies

I really enjoyed Medicine Walk by Richard Wagamese. The main character is tasked with bringing his estranged father to be buried in following Native American tradition. It might be enjoyable for those who are looking for a less overtly spiritual journey since the crux of the book is really about the father/son relationship.

Would Shadowshaper count? It's a book club pick sometime next year.

I'm thinking of re-reading Helene Wecker's "The Golem and the Jinni" for this one. Two mythical creatures (the Jinni I would think fits the description of a person of color?) meet in 1900s NYC, both out of place, searching for meaning in the world and themselves... counts as a spiritual journey in my mind!

An Australian option perhaps is Follow the Rabbit-Proof Fence by Doris Pilkington the book the film "Rabbit-Proof Fence" was based on.

I am struggling a little to differentiate a "spiritual journey" from just a regular journey ...

Some great suggestions here! I was definitely struggling with ideas for this one! I was thinking of finally dusting off Rushdie's The Satanic Verses?

Renee wrote: "I'm considering The Color Purple. I feel it will fulfill multiple challenges :
9-book read before
16 challenged or banned
17 classic by author of color
19 Spiritual journey
20 LGBTQ+ romance
24 all..."

I think you are on to something! For me, it is also a reread though from a very long time ago,

Anyone have a suggestion for someone who really, really hates spiritual journey books? Detested Life of Pi and Eat Pray Love with a burning passion.

Selena wrote: "Anyone have a suggestion for someone who really, really hates spiritual journey books? Detested Life of Pi and Eat Pray Love with a burning passion."

Also not a fan of either book (though I liked the Eat section in Eat Pray Love) and I could not even finish Tuesdays with Morrie. It made me feel unhealthily ragey. I think I am using The Motorcycle Diaries: Notes on a Latin American Journey but I may opt for Lovesong: Becoming a Jew. I would also argue what is spiritual to one person is not to another so things like Flaming Iguanas: An Illustrated All-Girl Road Novel Thing and Reservation Blues could work too. (I believe in God and practice my religion, but music and literature are pretty holy to me.) ETA: I forgot Blue Highways which has been sitting on my TBR shelf for years!

Soscha wrote: "Maybe Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Cordova.

Labyrinth Lost"

I liked this one. Maybe I read this.

How about Boxers & Saints?

Jenni wrote: "I'm thinking of re-reading Helene Wecker's "The Golem and the Jinni" for this one. Two mythical creatures (the Jinni I would think fits the description of a person of color?) meet in 1900s NYC, bot..."

I've had this on my TBR since it came out - I hope the assessment is "it counts"!

It might be a long shot but how about 'Kafka on the shore' by Murakami. Not quite sure though but it kinda fits.

I am pondering a collection of myths/stories about Inanna. If a god of color can be considered a person of a color. (The spiritual journey is fairly literal)

Mary wrote: "Jenni wrote: "I'm thinking of re-reading Helene Wecker's "The Golem and the Jinni" for this one. Two mythical creatures (the Jinni I would think fits the description of a person of color?) meet in ..."

I don't know if this one counts or not, but it's a really great book!

I've got Sky Burial: An Epic Love Story of Tibet on my list for another challenge. It looks like it'll tie into this as well.

How about The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran? I thought about doing The Alchemist, but I read that several years ago & didn't care for it, so the thought of re-reading it is not appealing.

Could I justify reading A Brief History of Seven Killings to fulfill this category? I started it once when it came out, and I feel like it could. This could be a good excuse to go back and actually read it.

I want to recommend Cotton By Wilson for this task. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2... I read it before I got on Goodreads. It has stuck with me for about ten years. I think it would be considered a spiritual journey, but not religious. It is a remarkable, but overlooked novel.

I'm going to read 'The God of little Things' for this.I might not fit perfectly but I'm not big on the whole self-help thing and really not the one for let's find jesus. Eat Pray Love or Wild doesn't work either. So I think I stick with The God of little Things for this prompt.

Has anyone read Birdie? I think it fits this category and I'll be reading it for another challenge.

Caitlin wrote: "Has anyone read Birdie? I think it fits this category and I'll be reading it for another challenge."

Yes Loved it. It would Count for this Category.

Another great one is Medicine Walk by Richard Wagamese.

Rainey wrote: "Caitlin wrote: "Has anyone read Birdie? I think it fits this category and I'll be reading it for another challenge."

Yes Loved it. It would Count for this Category.

Another great one is [book:Me..."

Perfect! Thanks for the Rec too, It also looks fantastic

Kate wrote: "I really enjoyed Medicine Walk by Richard Wagamese. The main character is tasked with bringing his estranged father to be buried in following Native American tradition. It might be enjoyable for th..."

I'm so glad you mentioned this one. I was having trouble coming up with a book. Wagamese would be a great read :D

I feel Ike The Motorcycle Diaries fits a buch of categories: this one, travel memoir, South or Central American author.

Most of Maya Angelou's books fit the category and I always find her writing wise and elegant. A Song Flung to Heaven is on my current to read list.

My thought here was The Law of Love by Laura Esquivel. This is the description from Publisher's Weekly.

" Composed in a tantalizing style of New Age-sci-fi-magical realism, the tale is set in the year 2200, when astroanalyst Azucena Martinez, who lives in Mexico City, has been permitted at last to meet her twin soul, Rodrigo Sanchez, the man with whom she is to experience the ecstasy of perfect romantic union. And not a moment too soon; not only is Azucena terribly lonely, but she has finally paid off all the karmic debts accumulated in her 14,000 past lives. Alas for her, Rodrigo is not as karmically pure, and the day after their night of bliss, he is framed for murder and deported to the penal planet of Korma. As it turns out, this is all part of a divine plan: Azucena's quest to be reunited with her lover sets in motion a chain of events that will lead to the restoration of the law of Love on planet Earth. Esquivel punctuates her narrative with full-color "graphic novel" segments (by Spanish artist Miguelanxo Prado). The book also includes an 11-track CD of Puccini arias that figure in the plot and some remarkable Mexican "danzones," billed in the text as "Intervals for Dancing." In Azucena, Esquivel has created a delightfully feisty, unpretentious character; it is the reader's loss that neither she nor Rodrigo are ever fully developed, and that their love story is repeatedly upstaged by a fantastical setting and long-winded metaphysical discourse."

I feel like American Born Chinese would probably count for this, even though it is a graphic novel. Might be a good pick for anyone who doesn't want a full novel in this category.

I'm thinking about The Underground Railroad for this one. I think my problem with this category is that unless a book has a very overt religious theme (which tends not to appeal to me) it can be hard to know whether a spiritual journey is involved before you've read the book.

Has anyone read LaRose by Louise Erdrich?

It's one I've been wanting to read for awhile and I *think* it might qualify?

Oh I've been meaning to read LaRose too- would be great if that would work for this!

Amy wrote: "I'm thinking about The Underground Railroad for this one. I think my problem with this category is that unless a book has a very overt religious theme (which tends not to appeal to me) it can be ha..."

I was thinking of using this book for this challenge as well. Can anyone who's read the book confirm whether you think this would work?

Would Lion (aka A Long Way Home) qualify? The film is on my list, and I think reading the book it was adapted from could be interesting.

Melissa wrote: "Amy wrote: "I'm thinking about The Underground Railroad for this one. I think my problem with this category is that unless a book has a very overt religious theme (which tends not to appeal to me) ..."

I would say no for Underground Railroad. It is an amazing book, dazzling, my favorite fiction read for 2016, but the journey is not a spiritual one, it is flight for a person for whom there is really nowhere to flee. I am thinking of Blue Highways for this, and I recommended The Motorcycle Diaries up at the top. I think both fit the bill without being overtly religious. I also recommend Walking the Bible: A Journey by Land Through the Five Books of Moses which is about religions as an academic pursuit, but not about finding God.

Moshi Moshi, by Banana Yoshimoto sounds like a spiritual journey book of sorts. Maybe spiritual relocation? I guess I will have to read it and find out.