Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge discussion

Use this space to discuss books you're reading or that might fit the 9th Read Harder task.

A Better Man and The Bridgertons: Happily Ever After are both on my TBR, so one of those should do it.

The Mirror & the Light by Hilary Mantel - the final installment of the Cromwell books.

I'm going for The Private Patient for mine. I've not actually read any others from the series, but someone recommended it and it fit quite nicely in this slot!

Does this have to be the very last book in a series or can it be the last book that is currently out but there is a plan for more?

Karen wrote: "The Mirror & the Light by Hilary Mantel - the final installment of the Cromwell books."

I have that as my historical fiction option, but its a twofer!

Tiffany wrote: "Does this have to be the very last book in a series or can it be the last book that is currently out but there is a plan for more?"

I would take it to be the last book that is currently out, as that was how I was planning on interpreting it!

Sammy Keyes and the Kiss Goodbye

How rude, I just finished the last book in a series I had started literally minutes before I decided to check if the read harder challenge had been posted. Now I need to find something else lol

Rachael wrote: "Tiffany wrote: "Does this have to be the very last book in a series or can it be the last book that is currently out but there is a plan for more?"

I would take it to be the last book that is curr..."

I'm so grateful for you defining this! I was only thinking of the last one to be published in a series! But this makes much more sense! ;)

The King of Crows, the last book in The Diviners series by Libba Bray, is coming out in February. I believe it would also work for task 16 (a doorstopper over 500 pages, published after 1950, and written by a woman)—Goodreads says it's 560 pages long.

That's it! This is the year I finally finish the Sookie Stackhouse books. Of course...that means I have to read Deadlocked AND the actual final book in the series, Dead Ever After.

I'm hoping to read Clockwork Princess, but that means I'll have to read Clockwork Prince before that!

Going to use this task to finish Maya Banks’ Breathless trilogy.

I think the final Inspector Montalbano by Andrea Camilleri is due to be published in English in 2020 so I'll probably go with that.

What happens if you THINK it's the last book and then they write another one though??

I'm going to read The Toll

Hi everyone! Our rec post for this task is up now for your viewing pleasure. https://bookriot.com/2019/12/16/serie...

From the BR rec post, it looks like they're really looking for the final book of a series. I'm usually a stickler for reading the whole series, but there looked to be some stand alone books that could work.

Meddling and Murder is likely the way I'll go, although if I read The Fifth Season for the Climate Change prompt and like it, I may go for the rest of the trilogy, including The Stone Sky...

I read Jose Saramago's Blindness this year and fell in love with his style, so I'm quite happy to go with the sequel Seeing.

I plan to read, at long last, Maus for the graphic book, and since there's a book 1 and book 2, I'll just read both. You could also do this with another book series, Persepolis, which as an added bonus, could double into the non-WW2 challenge, also.

I have read all but the last installment in three series, so any or all of these could work for me:

That Hideous Strength, by C.S. Lewis (Last volume of the Space Trilogy)

House of Glass, by Pramoedya Ananta Toer (Last volume of the Buru Quartet)

Lightbringer, by Claire Legrand (Last volume of the Empirium Trilogy—this won’t be published until October!)

Any recommendations for books that fit this task that are not mysteries or fantasies?

Tamara wrote: "I plan to read, at long last, Maus for the graphic book, and since there's a book 1 and book 2, I'll just read both. You could also do this with another book series, Persepolis, which as an added b..."

Persepolis is a good idea! I wouldn't count it for the non-WWII task, though, since it's a memoir rather than historical fiction.

Tammy wrote: I wouldn't count it for the non-WWII task, though, since it's a memoir rather than historical fiction."

Ah, right. I must have I misread that task.

Sara Tellman wrote: "Any recommendations for books that fit this task that are not mysteries or fantasies?"

Sara,

I scanned your favorite titles. Two possibilities I saw are:
- The Girl with No Shadow, by Joanne Harris

- She Got Up Off the Couch: And Other Heroic Acts from Mooreland, Indiana, by Haven Kimmel

Both are the second, and last, titles in a series, or otherwise connected works. :)

I’m wondering if this could double dip with the YA nonfiction challenge. There are series out there of “how to” books, or series of history, natural history, and science. But I don’t know what they are. Any suggestions?

I need some light reading so I’m choosing The Christmas Boutique by Jennifer Chiaverini.

Can I reread Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows? It's been a while.

Summer by Ali Smith is due out in July.

Sara Tellman wrote: "Any recommendations for books that fit this task that are not mysteries or fantasies?"

The third (and final) book in Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall series is coming out in March, The Mirror & the Light

Ms.Davies wrote: "What happens if you THINK it's the last book and then they write another one though??

I'm going to read The Toll"

That's what I'm reading for this challenge. Even if he does announce a fourth book, everyone I know is referring to this as the final book in the trilogy, so it is the last book available in the series for 2020. :-)

I read Jo's Boys by Louisa May Alcott and all I have to say is there's a reason the first book is so beloved while the latter two aren't so much.

Sara Tellman wrote: "Any recommendations for books that fit this task that are not mysteries or fantasies?"
There's about a bajillion romances, but if that's not your jam either, I've read historical series that would qualify by:
Larry McMurtry
Christian Jacq
Philippa Gregory
Marek Halter

Some other options are L M Montgomery's Emily or Anne series, the Scarlet Pimpernel books by Emmuska Orczy, a bunch of different options from Alexander McCall Smith.

Also, both Arrow of God by Chinua Achebe, Teacher Man by Frank McCourt would work.

Lastly, I haven't read them, and I don't know if there are more planned, but I love Jason Reynolds, and he has the series that begins with Ghost.

I may read the last of Elena Ferrante's Neapolitan Quartet, The Story of the Lost Child. The series follows the lives of two women living in a poor neighborhood in post war Naples.

I read the first three of The Giver Quartet by Lois Lowry and I, well, I tossed in the towel after book three for my own reasons. But I think this is a pretty good reason to finish the last one.
Son by Lois Lowry

I'm not sure I'm capable of reading the last in a series without reading the previous books in the series so looking for a short series where I can count the others. The Tommy and Tuppance books maybe as I have actually read the middle book in the series so I'm down to just a few left... And the pop sugar 20 prompts can knock out a few (they are in their 20s in the first book, the second is published in 29 and probably set in the 20s, the third book I've read, the 4th book (and all the others is written by somebody who has well under 20 books in her collection (and has more than 20 characters in the title) and the final.

Or the xeogenisis/Lilth's brood series that I started last year only 2 more to go on that I'd just have to find a spot for Adulthood Rights but then Octavia Butler is certainly a woman of color which I think is also a pop sugar prompt.

One of those two series for me, probably.

Adding Amanda Lovelace The Mermaid's Voice Returns in This One is the last in a series and her two other books of poetry in this series The Princess Saves Herself in This One and The Witch Doesn't Burn in This One are all complied together in an audio edition entitled Women Are Some Kind of Magic: The Amanda Lovelace Audio Collection which would take care of Read an audiobook of poetry.

I am reading Supernova by Marissa Meyers. So excited for this prompt! I have thoroughly enjoyed the renegades trilogy.

Brandy wrote: "I'm not sure I'm capable of reading the last in a series without reading the previous books in the series so looking for a short series where I can count the others. The Tommy and Tuppance books ma..."

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

This is a trilogy that's very short. The first two would qualify for the Science Fiction novella written by a POC, too! (Third in the series is a bit longer, but not long. It's good!

I’m planning on reading MaddAddam by Margaret Atwood for this prompt. I feel like some other good options for this prompt would be something by Agatha Christie as I feel like you can skip around in her Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot series without necessarily reading in order.

Patty wrote: "Brandy wrote: "I'm not sure I'm capable of reading the last in a series without reading the previous books in the series so looking for a short series where I can count the others. The Tommy and Tu..."

I LOVE the Binti series. But sadly I've read it. But, yo, so much love for this series.

Hello! I just read The Queen of Nothing (The Folk of the Air book 3) which is the final book in the series. It was a fun trilogy. It was very creative! I recommend it if you like short fantasy.

I’ll be reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. When the book was published I didn’t get a chance to read it and ended up watching the movie first and listening to the audio book later.

OR I could re-read Steven Erikson’s, The Crippled God. Choices...choices.

Trying to decide between The Neapolitan Novels, the Jackson Brodie books by Kate Atkinson (Big Sky is the most recent one in the series), and the seasonal quartet by Ali Smith (Summer comes out this year - already preordered by my darling husband for Christmas). Any recommendations? I have all three series but haven't started any of them.

Sarah wrote: "Trying to decide between The Neapolitan Novels, the Jackson Brodie books by Kate Atkinson (Big Sky is the most recent one in the series), and the seasonal quartet by..."

All worthy choices, but I will say I if you enjoy the Jackson Brodie series, Big Sky was my very favorite among them. A joy to read.

I'm getting close to the end of my re-read of The Wheel of Time so A Memory of Light by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson will be my choice for this one.

I read The Sinister Mystery of the Mesmerizing Girl, the last of the Extraordinary Adventures of the Athena Club series. If the author ever publishes more in the series, I'll happily read them.

The Testaments by Margaret Atwood. does it count if it's a sequel that was published 40 yrs later?

How long does the series have to be? Would three be too short?

Jenny wrote: "How long does the series have to be? Would three be too short?"
I'm no expert, but I'd say any collection of books more than one counts as a series. I would consider 2 books a series.