Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge discussion

Use this space to discuss books you're reading or that might fit the 7th Read Harder task.

Milkman

Remembered by Yvonne Battle-Felton

and I am definitely reading Hilary Mantel's final Cromwell novel The Mirror & the Light -- it also fits Last Book in a Series and probably Doorstopper, too.

What Is Visible by Kimberly Elkins - double dip for Task 21 -- protagonist with a disability.

Thinking Curious Toys or The Secrets We Kept but the third in the Wolf Hall trilogy is due out this year, so if it comes out I will be reading that.

Death Comes as the End by Agatha Christie for me - I always manage to slot at least one of hers in, there are so many I haven't read yet!

I'm thinking of "The Queen of the Night"
by Alexander Chee

Bitter Orange by Claire Fuller
Jazz by Toni Morrison
The Birchbark House by Louise Erdrich

Tanvi wrote: "Milkman"

Milkman is excellent. I also highly recommend A Gentleman in Moscow

The Last Days of Night

Caleb’s Crossing by Geraldine Brooks is excellent!

The Gaslight Mystery series (Victoria Thompson) - early 1900s
Molly Murphy mysteries (Rhys Bowen) — early 1900s
Her Royal Spyness mysteries (Rhys Bowen) — 1930s
Early novels in the Maisie Dobbs series — 1920s-30s

I'm finally going to read Pachinko!

Veronica wrote: "I'm finally going to read Pachinko!"

Its very good, and also a door-stopper I do believe!

Bonnie G. wrote: "Veronica wrote: "I'm finally going to read Pachinko!"

Its very good, and also a door-stopper I do believe!"

496 pages, so just under, but I've got another one I'm super excited about for that task.

Right now I have A Murderous Relation penciled in. The first is A Curious Beginning and is a Victorian era mystery series.

I'm also considering A Night Divided about 1980s Berlin. I read The Girl with the Red Balloon about the same era and really enjoyed it.

Would Escape from Baghdad! be considered a historical fiction?

Does anyone have recommendations for one set during the Salem Witch Trials?

@Abbie I'm just gonna throw this out there and let the sighs fall where they may . . . The Crucible

Historical fiction is not my thing at all, but I found a book I think I'll enjoy. I'm reading Dreamland Burning for this task.

I think I am going to go with Feast Your Eyes. It was the rare historical fiction already on my TBR.

I'm either reading Jazz x Toni Morrison or Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald x Therese Fowler.

That reminds me that Beloved would also work. And apparently, despite also thinking that I'm not that into historical fiction, I read a fair bit, especially about slavery days, so here are some other options for those interested in that time period:

Roots: The Saga of an American Family by Alex Haley
The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates (not as good as The Underground Railroad, in my opinon)
Wild Seed and Kindred by Octavia Butler
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
Palm Trees in the Snow by Luz Gabas (also a movie on Netflix; has a bit of romance but deals with the Spanish colonization of Equatorial Guinea in the mid-20th century; at 700+ pages, it's also a door-stopper)

Not slavery but still good reads:
Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders (audio book highly recommended)
Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allende

Hi everyone! Our rec post for this task is up now. https://bookriot.com/2019/12/12/histo...

“A Brief History of Seven Killings,” Marlon James

The following are all good historicals I have read recently by female authors. I rarely read WWII.

The Paragon Hotel by Lyndsay Faye
The Green Phoenix: A Novel of the Woman Who Re-Made Asia, Empress Xiaozhuang by Alice Poon
Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin
Tonic and Balm by Stephanie Allen
Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys
Viking: The Green Land by Katie Aiken Ritter

On my list of possible reads...

Pachinko
The Widows of Malabar Hill
A Gentleman in Moscow
A Brief History of Seven Killings
The Nickel Boys

Other possible books that I've read:

Gods of Jade and Shadow
The Parisian

Mysteries:
The Frangipani Tree Mystery
Shadows of Tokyo
Girl Waits with Gun
The Coronation: A Fandorin Mystery

Espionage/spy stories:
Sweet Tooth
Safe Houses
Who Is Vera Kelly?
The Sympathizer

I read The Dark Frigate by Charles Boardman Hawes.

There are hundreds of books that fit this criteria. Where to start, that's the question.

Thanks to previous commenters, I've been reminded that the final book in the Wolf Hall series is due out in March. I loved the first two (and the BBC miniseries with Mark Rylance) so this will likely be my pick for this category - plus last book in a series and doorstopper.

Just pulled The Paying Guests off my shelf, and it works for this and as a doorstopper.

Abbie wrote: "Does anyone have recommendations for one set during the Salem Witch Trials?"

Witches is amazing. Also A Break With Charity.

Soldier of the Great War by Mark Helprin would work for this one. It's my hubby's favorite book, so I'm reminded of it often. :)

Cane River by Lalita Tademy

Abbie wrote: "Does anyone have recommendations for one set during the Salem Witch Trials?"

Abbie, one I’m planning to read is I, Tituba, Black Witch of Salem by Maryse Condé

I just received The Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys. It takes place during the Spanish Civil War, so I think I'll use it for this prompt!

Before We Were Yours fits this category and is an amazing read.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...

I'd go with The Lost Girls of Paris for this task, it was part of last year GoodReads selection for Historical Fiction.

What about:
The Giver of Stars: A Novel by Jojo Moyes
It's set in Depression era, I believe. I haven't read it yet, but I think it fits this category?

@Clay - Pachinko is AMAZING.

Has anyone read The Glittering Hour? I think it starts in the 1920s, but might end closer to WWII. Do you think it still counts? If not, I'll probably read The Architect's Apprentice.

Here are a few I've read that would work for this task:

A Well-Behaved Woman: A Novel of the Vanderbilts
The Invention of Wings
Frog Music
Almost Famous Women: Stories

The Last Hundred Years trilogy begins in 1920 and follows an ever-growing family through 2020. The first book includes WWII, but Early Warning and Golden Age would work. If you double dip, you can also use Golden Age for the last book in a series.

Classics:
The Scarlet Letter (set in 1640s, published in 1850)
A Tale of Two Cities (set during French Revolution [late 1700s], published in 1859)

Historical Fantasy:
Fawkes
Romanov
Bitter Greens
The Ten Thousand Doors of January

I've had Fawkes and The Ten Thousand Doors of January in my TBR list, so this is perfect. I've also been curious about Romanov. Thanks @Jessica

I read Burial Rites by Hannah Kent, about the last execution in Iceland, about 1830, can count for, 10, &/or 11 as well

hi I'm currently reading great alone by Kristin Hannah and I'm wondering if this fits in this category

Love when I can pull books from my TBR for a challenge. Reading The Stationery Shop for this task.

Nikki wrote: "hi I'm currently reading great alone by Kristin Hannah and I'm wondering if this fits in this category"

Yes, it's considered historical fiction.

Stars of Alabama, by Sean Dietrich (Great Depression-era)

I can't recommend The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton enough, I just loved it. It is set in 1800s goldrush New Zealand, and it also counts as a doorstopper.

also seconding the Hannah Kent recommendation, Burial Rites is set in 1829 Iceland, and Good People in 1820s Ireland.

also Margaret Atwood's Alias Grace and Alexander Chee's The Queen of the Night

I'm currently reading The Poison Bed for this prompt. It takes place during the reign of James I. I'm enjoying it so far.

I'm really excited to read The Mirror & the Light by Hilary Mantel for this one. If you haven't read Wolf Hall or Bring Up the Bodies I would highly recommend them and Wolf Hall would also count as a door stopper.

Candace wrote: "Historical fiction is not my thing at all, but I found a book I think I'll enjoy. I'm reading Dreamland Burning for this task."

Yes! that was already on my list to read, thanks for reminding me.