Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge discussion

Use this space to discuss books you're reading or that might fit the 6th Read Harder task.

Single Asian Female

Fences or The Piano Lesson by August Wilson. (There is also a new Picture Book about the author that might fit task #18 -- Feed Your Mind: A Story of August Wilson by Jen Bryant.

Also a possibility: Ruined by Lynn Nottage.

probably going the obvious route and picking up either A Streetcar Named Desire or The Glass Menagerie

I have seen The Importance of Being Earnest on stage and screen at least a dozen times, but have never read it. I think I might just do that.

Karen wrote: "Fences or The Piano Lesson by August Wilson. (There is also a new Picture Book about the author that might fit task #18 -- Free Your Mind.

Also a possibi..."

I love August Wilson, heart and soul!

Try For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow Is Enuf by Ntozake Shange

I have Honour Beat out of the library right now, but I'm likely going to read it before January starts, so I probably won't be counting it.

Unless my reading schedule doesn't go as planned, I'm most likely going to read Straight White Men, which I'm on the waitlist for at the library already.

I always ask the theatre department at my college for recommendations for the play prompts. This year they gave me The Laramie Project by Moisés Kaufman

I think I’m leaning toward August Wilson or Ntozake Shange.

The Plays of Georgia Douglas Johnson: From the New Negro Renaissance to the Civil Rights Movement

For French speakers amongst you I've previously read Papa doit manger - not yet been translated into English I don't believe

Another I would recommend is Hedwig and the Angry Inch

I'm leaning towards The Laramie Project as it fits both AOC & Queer

Hello everyone! Our rec post for this task is live. https://bookriot.com/2019/12/11/best-...

I will be reading "A Raisin in the Sun" by Lorraine Hansbury.

I'm going with Fences. I wanted to start at the beginning of the Century Cycle, but my library doesn't have the first play. This works anyway because I read a fair number of student essays about Fences and it would behoove me to have a fair working knowledge of it.

Bonnie G. wrote: "I have seen The Importance of Being Earnest on stage and screen at least a dozen times, but have never read it. I think I might just do that."

One of my ABSOLUTE favorites. Now I want to watch the movie again because it was so delightful.

If anyone is interested in an Australian play, I recommend Black is the New White by Nakkiah Lui - it's a funny and scathing look at family and race.

Going to read a play from 9 Plays by Black Women.

Going with either Slave Play or The Inheritance

I'm finally going to read Angels in America for this task. If I have extra time I may also read The Laramie Project because that one's been on my TBR list for a while too.

Jessica wrote: "Going with either Slave Play or The Inheritance"

I just saw Slave Play last month, and I think it would be fascinating to read. It certainly is unlike most of what I have seen, and I spend a pretty fair amount of time at the theater.

Also, years ago I saw all three parts of Angels in America over two days (the Kennedy Center staged it) and it was exhausting, gutting, and absolutely stunning. I bet it will make for a great read.

I think I'm going to read M. Butterfly. I saw the play many years ago and I ended up buying the play, but never reading it.

Lindsey wrote: "If anyone is interested in an Australian play, I recommend Black is the New White by Nakkiah Lui - it's a funny and scathing look at family and race."

I have chosen this and was coming in to recommend it. It would also be a fit for category no 24 (Nakkiah Lui is an Australian Indigenous author).

Going with The Thanksgiving Play for this one. Sounds like a good read for all Americans.

Some great small press plays that I recommend - The Last Thing I'll Ever Write or Your Healing is Killing Me

I'll be reading play(s) by Cherríe Moraga, most likely from Watsonville/Circle in the Dirt: Watsonville: Some Place Not Here and Circle in the Dirt: El Pueblo de East Palo Alto

I'm thinking I might sort-of-rebel, and try to go to a performance of a play by someone queer/a POC. The Gift by Janice Okoh is looking promising. It feels like it is a) possible for me (I'm lucky in where I live!) and b) gets the spirit of the prompt even more than reading a play would.

Though Your Heading is Killing Me looks amazing too. I'm definitely finding too many things I want to read for some of the prompts this year.

I've posted some of these suggestions on the Indigenous list, but these would fit here, too, and especially if you are double-dipping: For comedic plays by Indigenous writers, try Indigenous Canadian playwright Drew Hayden Taylor, and Indigenous and queer Canadian writer Tomson Highway.

The White Card: A Play by Claudia Rankine

Hi friends - If reading plays (especially newer, self/and unpublished plays) is something you are interested in, consider taking a look at the New Play Exchange (https://newplayexchange.org/). For $10/year, readers have access to thousands of plays.

ProfBen10 wrote: "I will be reading "A Raisin in the Sun" by Lorraine Hansbury."

My choice as well.

Tamara wrote: "I've posted some of these suggestions on the Indigenous list, but these would fit here, too, and especially if you are double-dipping: For comedic plays by Indigenous writers, try Indigenous Canadi..."

Thank you, Tamara! I found one of Highway’s plays at my library to read when I get to this prompt.

Is a Jewish author, considered an author of color?

no

Renee wrote: "Is a Jewish author, considered an author of color?"

Renee, there are Jewish authors of color (examples below), but being Jewish is in itself not sufficient to be an author of color. Jewish people have and do experience threat and oppression, and some of it is similar to the threat and oppression experienced by authors of color, but there are also a lot of differences.


https://www.jweekly.com/2019/03/29/9-...

I’m reading Women’s Minyan, and it is compelling, difficult to put and wondered about counting it for this challenge.

Anything by Dominique Morriseau - especially "Skeleton Crew" and "Pipeline"
If you go with "Pipeline" you might consider a book of Gwendolyn Brooks poetry for your audio poetry book. They are terrific companions!

I'll be reading Dutchman & The Slave by Amiri Baraka.

I finished this task today and read A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry. I know that others have mentioned this one, but now that I have read it I can highly recommend it. Thoroughly enjoyable and an important work. It was also a very quick read for me.

Ava wrote: "I'm finally going to read Angels in America for this task. If I have extra time I may also read The Laramie Project because that one's been on my TBR list for a while too."

I saw The Laramie Project performed and it was incredibly moving and just amazing.

My favorite used bookstore has a used copy of The Laramie Project in stock for $3.99. I'll purchase it this weekend. I saw a performance of this years ago and it was just as wonderful as Ashley said it was! :)

I'm reading For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When The Rainbow Is Enuf by Ntozake Shange.

I recently finished A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry for this prompt.

Megan wrote: "I recently finished A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry for this prompt."
So good!

Choir Boy by Tarell Alvin McCraney. It was nominated for 4 Tonys and won 1 (+ the "Special Award") in 2019.

I wanted to read something from a Canadian indigenous author for this, because I want to throw as much support and awareness their way as I can. Here's a great list I found: https://www.playwrightscanada.com/Sub...
I actually really want to grab this one: This Is How We Got Here. It was nominated for the Governor General's Award for English Drama in 2018.

i'm really struggling with this task, it's definitely the hardest part of the read harder challenge .. i just don't like reading plays and i don't have access to a lot of them..

Esther wrote: "i'm really struggling with this task, it's definitely the hardest part of the read harder challenge .. i just don't like reading plays and i don't have access to a lot of them.."
The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde is hilarious and available on the free Serial Reader app, if that helps at all.