Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge discussion

Personally I realize I’m in the minority, but I love using 1 book for multiple challenges.
Last year I used 1 book for 6 challenges ( a new personal best) , so I’m interested in what books those of you who double/triple dip are going to use. In my humble opinion it’s a higher level reading skill, to liners no one book to multiple challenges. So come on share!!!

I’m thinking of using one of the comic books as a one sitting book. I am totally open to double dipping!

Last year, I did my best not to double dip, but this year I plan to double dip as much as possible. I'm starting a Ph.D. program in the fall, so - basically - if I don't double dip, I can't imagine I'll be able to finish.

Some plans already:
- The Poisonwood Bible qualifies both for Postcolonial, and Oprah Book Club
- Basically any book cover could be one that you hate, so that's an easy double-dip.
- I imagine that Classic Genre Fiction + Genre Fiction in Translation + Mystery by PoC/LGBTQ would also be a natural fit.

Yay! Thanks for starting this thread, Rene. Last year, The Joy Luck Club covered 4 categories. Would love to discover more double-plus dippers for this year's challenge.
Still researching my 2018 list.

I think we double dippers need to stick together! And this is not the only book challenge I’m doing!

Renee wrote: "Personally I realize I’m in the minority, but I love using 1 book for multiple challenges.
Last year I used 1 book for 6 challenges ( a new personal best) , so I’m interested in what books those of..."

I did that last year with my popsugar, since I started it in June ( so much stuff happened, I just forgot). I think Grave Mercy covered 4 prompts. I could have pushed it to 5, but wasn't keen on using it for espionage.

I usually have multiple challenges going, so I love a good double or triple dip. ;-)

I give myself a weird rule where I can (and will try to) double dip over multiple challenges, but not for categories in the same challenge. But I do like the game of finding a book that works for multiple tasks - so fun!

I just realized my book for the “assigned but never finished” task (The Bluest Eye) will also work for the Oprah book club task!

I'm definitely gonna double dip as much as I can.

I chose Flawed for #16 (first book in new-to-you YS series) and #17 (sci-fi - female protagonist/female author).

Comics can certainly be double dipped as well.

Yeah, that’s also a toughie to choose between multiple books for a challenge. I’m on my 3rd post Christmas book (we had a long drive yesterday).

Also the last part of my original post should read “to link one book to multiple challenges.”

Really keen on this idea as thought I would try a second challenge.

Boxers and Saints by Gene Luen Yang covers all of the comic challenges plus the BRICS country challenge, so that’s a quadruple dip! As a comics disliker I have no qualms about knocking all those out in a single pass.

Parable of the Sower fits numbers : 3, 14, 17,

Katrisa wrote: "I give myself a weird rule where I can (and will try to) double dip over multiple challenges, but not for categories in the same challenge. But I do like the game of finding a book that works for m..."
Not a weird rule! It's what I do as well. No double dipping within a challenge, but across challenges it is fine. I do try to minimize double dipping, but there is no way I could complete multiple challenges without it.

Agreed, I love finding books that double up on this challenge because I am also in two book groups and usually read about 52 books per year, so I am always a book or two short! I think A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeleine L'Engle would count for four categories: #3 Classic genre sci-fi, #11 Children's classic before 1980, #16 first book in a middle grade series, AND #17 sci-fi book with woman protagonist by a woman author.

Elise wrote: "Last year, I did my best not to double dip, but this year I plan to double dip as much as possible. I'm starting a Ph.D. program in the fall, so - basically - if I don't double dip, I can't imagine..."

I'm planning the same two categories for The Poisonwood Bible. I feel like the length of the book makes that justifiable! :)

Totally double dip. I think it is sort of a challenge in itself to find something that ticks multiple boxes

I am trying to do this and the popsugar challenge and am also in a book club so I've been seriously considering double dipping. But I feel really conflicted about it. I like the idea of using one book for a category in each challenge but not for multiple categories within the same challenge.

I'm using Remnant Population by Elizabeth Moon for #17 & #23.

I've always been a strict one book for one task on this challenge but I'm planning on a little double dipping this year. While I love the challenge it was taking away from the limited amount of reading time I find myself with these days. Life's too short to confine yourself to Read Harder Challenge categories.

So far I'm planning these:

I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer for #1 and 2.

Silver on the Road for #7 and 16

Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood for #5 and 12

A Fine Balance works for three of the categories! Colonial/post, Oprah book club, and BRICS.

True crime and social science are good double-dipping categories, if your crime has some social commentary to it.

The Eternaut by Héctor Germán Oesterheld works as:
A comic that isn’t published by Marvel, DC, or Image
A book of genre fiction in translation
A classic of genre fiction (It's a SF story that's iconic in its home country)

I've read my first book of the year and it is good for 3 tasks! The Liminal Wood by Anne Szabla:

Task 4 A comic written and illustrated by the same person
Task 15 A one-sitting book
Task 18 A comic that isn't published by Marvel, DC or Image

And it's a lovely series - highly recommended.

For those complaining about comics being on the list, here is one graphic novel that fits all three requirements: The Best We Could Do by Thi Bui. I'm only using it in one category because I'm a huge graphic novel fan, but I had seen many people complaining. this is listed as one of the top comcis on 2017 and I'm excited to read it!

Nimona by Noelle Stevenson can work for #4 (Comic written and illustrated by the same person), #15 (A one sitting book), and #18 (A comic not published by Marvel, DC, or Image). It depends on what you can consider a "one-sitting" book, but for me most graphic novels are one-sitters.

The book I'm using for 'A book of colonial or postcolonial literature' is Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity' which also fits into A book set in the BRICS countries

I'm doing several reading challenges this year so will be doubke dipping both within challenges and across them!

I'm considering using Frankenstein to count as my #3 and #24 since I've never read it.

I'm going to read The Young Elites by Marie Lu for both 16 and 17...the first book in a new-to-me YA series and a sci-fi book with a female protagonist by a female author.

Katrisa wrote: "I give myself a weird rule where I can (and will try to) double dip over multiple challenges, but not for categories in the same challenge. But I do like the game of finding a book that works for m..."

I'm like that too. Like, a true crime book is also on the Popsugar Challenge, so if I were also trying that one again this year, I'd count the book I'm currently reading for the true crime slot in both challenges, but I wouldn't use a book for two tasks within the same challenge (like, any manga could count for all three of the comics categories but I would only count one once, if I read one)

Kitrina wrote: "For those complaining about comics being on the list, here is one graphic novel that fits all three requirements: The Best We Could Do by Thi Bui...."

Ooooh, would this count as celebrity memoir, too? :-)

My triple dipper is A Fine Balance. It fits #5, #9, and #13.

Thanks Kitrina. I’m not a graphic novel fan so will check that out.

Pashmina works for comic written and illustrated by the same person, comic written and illustrated by POC, comic that isn't Marvel, DC, or Image, and possibly also a one-sitting book.

Your Black Friend works for comic written and illustrated by the same person, a comic written or illustrated by a person of color, a one sitting book and a comic that isn’t published by Marvel, DC or Image. I am finally going to finish a Read Harder challenge!

I've decided I'm cool with double-dipping for myself, since the theme is "read harder" not "read more." But that also means I need to make a genuine effort to find books that aren't easy choices.

Oh, I love all the suggestions that have been posted here. I am also doing more than one challenge and belong to three monthly book clubs, so I am in the "read harder not necessarily more" group.

I'm thinking that in order to finish this challenge I am probably going to have to have books that fill more than one category.

Katrisa wrote: "I give myself a weird rule where I can (and will try to) double dip over multiple challenges, but not for categories in the same challenge. But I do like the game of finding a book that works for m..."

I do something similar. I will always think of Read Harder as my main and first love challenge. No double dipping allowed for me. But in 2017 I also did a second challenge - Around the World in 52 Books. I DID double dip between the two challenges and within the Around the World. In fact I had one book that met 6 or 7 tasks in 2017. I'm planning on doing the same for 2018, with the same for my "personal rules".

Krisha wrote: "I've always been a strict one book for one task on this challenge but I'm planning on a little double dipping this year. While I love the challenge it was taking away from the limited amount of rea..."

I'm also reading Born a Crime. Doesn't it also qualify as post-colonial (#9)?

Thank you all for your comments. I haven't ever double dipped, but I only do one challenge. However, I had not thought about the double challenge of double dipping. It sounds like fun, to see how many categories one book can answer. Thanks for the explanation.

Cry, The Beloved Country by Alan Patton is an Oprah pick set in South Africa and it is apparently colonial (it came up in that thread). May triple dip with that one, though I was thinking of reading East of Eden this year anyway, which is another Oprah book.

I’m gonna read CRY THE BELOVED COUNTRY, for challenges 5 (BRICS) 9, colonial/post colonial, 13 Oprah book Club, and maybe 24. An added bonus, I already own it!

Joanne wrote: "Cry, The Beloved Country by Alan Patton is an Oprah pick set in South Africa and it is apparently colonial (it came up in that thread). May triple dip with that one, though I was thinking of readin..."

Renee wrote: "I’m gonna read CRY THE BELOVED COUNTRY, for challenges 5 (BRICS) 9, colonial/post colonial, 13 Oprah book Club, and maybe 24. An added bonus, I already own it!"

I'm so glad this was mentioned. I could count this one as an assigned book I didn't finish! I was struggling with that one.

It was a good story as I recall, but it was just a supplemental thing and it eventually fell into the "never finished" pile...I still have my copy somewhere, but it's also available from my library.

I am not a double dipper, but thought I'd help out those that are...

The Girl With the Dragon tattoo could count for 2, possibly 3.

Posthumous
Genre fiction
Genre fiction - translated

My mother has decided to join me in this challenge. She's not sure how much reading she'll be able to do, but WANTS to read more. I think she's going to allow herself to double dip.

A Wrinkle in Time
3. A classic of genre fiction (i.e. mystery, sci fi/fantasy, romance)
11. A children’s classic published before 1980
17. A sci fi novel with a female protagonist by a female author

Okay I was thinking of
Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic for

4) A comic written and illustrated by the same person
21) A mystery by a person of color or LGBTQ+ author

It's not a traditional mystery but the good reads description has the word mystery in it!

Although I'm not currently planning to double-dip, several of my selections could be used that way (and so I plan to focus on reading those first, so that if I fall behind, I'll have more categories covered than planned).

Persuasion by Jane Austen as (1) posthumous and (3) classic genre

Nimona by Noelle Stevenson as (4) comic written/illustrated same and (18) independent comic publisher

Dragon Teeth by Michael Crichton as (1) posthumous and (7) western

The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi as (4) comic written/illustrated, (8) comic by PoC [Iranian], (18) independent comic publisher

The Little Prince by Antoine De Saint-Exupery as (11) children's classic pre-1980 and (15) one-sitting; potentially (19) [French] but not sure if fits "genre fiction"

Pashmina by Nidhi Chanani as (4) comic written/illustrated, (8) comic by PoC [Indian], and (18) independent comic publisher

Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier as (16) first book new-to-you YA/Middle, (17) sci-fi female x2, and (19) genre fiction translation [German]

Kristin wrote: "Although I'm not currently planning to double-dip, several of my selections could be used that way (and so I plan to focus on reading those first, so that if I fall behind, I'll have more categorie..."

Iranians are the original Caucasians (people of the Caucuses) so it is real a stretch to call them POC,

I'll be reading a Wrinkle In Time (which someone already mentioned). It covers 3, 11, 17, and for me 24 (as I did not like it as a kid).

I will also be reading The Measure of a Man by Sidney Poitier (12, 13).

There is also 2666 by Roberto Bolaño (1, 21, and maybe 19?)

Rainey wrote: "Parable of the Sower fits numbers : 3, 14, 17,"

Just finished that one!