Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge discussion

Use this space to discuss books you're reading or that might fit the 19th Read Harder task.

Refugee by Alan Gratz

Its crazy how many books i want to read that fit this prompt. I know I will end up reading more than one. Right now top picks are
The Sympathizer
Children of War
Lolita
Little Failure
Do Not Say We Have Nothing

Viet Thanh Nguyen would be a good pick for this.

My choice is The Girl Who Smiled Beads: A Story of War and What Comes After

Rachael wrote: "My choice is The Girl Who Smiled Beads: A Story of War and What Comes After"

That's what I'll be reading too.

A nonfiction book that fits this category is Outcasts United by Warren St John

A Hope More Powerful Than the Sea: One Refugee's Incredible Story of Love, Loss, and Survival

Looking at the definition of refugee, it seems I can pick Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West

I'm going to read Salt Houses, which is about a family that is displaced during the Six-Day War of 1967. I don't know anything about this event, so this will be a learning experience for me. I also recently read The Best We Could Do, which is a graphic memoir (completes two tasks!) about the author's family's escape from Vietnam in the 70s. It's an amazing and beautiful book, so I wanted suggest it for those still looking for ideas.

Julie wrote: "A nonfiction book that fits this category is Outcasts United by Warren St John"

Thanks for mentioning this. I own Outcasts United: A Refugee Team, an American Town and One Goal: A Coach, a Team, and the Game that Brought a Divided Town Together, but have yet to read either. Both are about refugees and soccer!

Lost Roses by Martha Hall Kelly would work. It is the prequel to The Lilac Girls and set in WW I

I strongly recommend Homes: A Refugee Story. This was one of my top reads of 2019 and is just so incredibly honest and timely.

Does anyone have any recs for a fiction book about a refugee? Thanks!

Veronica wrote: "I'm going to read Salt Houses, which is about a family that is displaced during the Six-Day War of 1967. I don't know anything about this event, so this will be a learning experienc..."

Yes, 'The Best We Could Do' was amazing! Highly recommend it.

Kayla wrote: "Does anyone have any recs for a fiction book about a refugee? Thanks!"

This isn't a personal rec because I haven't read it yet (although I'm planning to for this challenge), but it's been recommended to me: The Map of Salt and Stars. It's a dual-time line historical/contemporary fiction, where the modern character is a Syrian refugee.

Kayla wrote: "Does anyone have any recs for a fiction book about a refugee? Thanks!"

My selection, Salt Houses, is fiction, but I highly recommend Exit West. It has a little bit of magical realism, but it tackles the treatment of refugees head on.

Veronica wrote: "Kayla wrote: "Does anyone have any recs for a fiction book about a refugee? Thanks!"

My selection, Salt Houses, is fiction, but I highly recommend Exit West. It has..."

YESSS to Exit West. I love that book!

Lauconn wrote: "Kayla wrote: "Does anyone have any recs for a fiction book about a refugee? Thanks!"

This isn't a personal rec because I haven't read it yet (although I'm planning to for this challenge), but it's..."

I've read this and LOVED it!

Veronica wrote: "Kayla wrote: "Does anyone have any recs for a fiction book about a refugee? Thanks!"

My selection, Salt Houses, is fiction, but I highly recommend Exit West. It has..."

Exit West is on my list, perfect! Thank you!

The Grief Keeper is my pick.

Undecided on this one - either Americanah or Nomad: From Islam to America: A Personal Journey Through the Clash of Civilizations.

Some ideas:

The Happiest Refugee by Anh Do
No Friend But the Mountains: Writing from Manus Prison by Behrouz Bouchani

The Secret Purposes by David Baddiel will probably be my pick - I was just about to start it when I realised it would fit the prompt.

Anything by Judith Kerr would fit, particularly the When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit trilogy. Although as Kerr was a refugee, you could even count The Tiger Who Came to Tea!

One possibility already on my to-read list is:

Stepping Stones: A Refugee Family's Journey

Another book on my list is
Ru by Kim Thúy


The author was a refugee, and the book is about a refugee. It is fiction, for those seeking fiction, and has won several awards. The english version is a translation, the author is a Canadian woman of color, & it’s also possibly historical fiction, for those who do multiple challenges or double dip. :)

Mya wrote: "Another book on my list is
Ru by Kim Thúy


The author was a refugee, and the book is about a refugee. It is fiction, for those seeking ficti..."
I actually think all of the books Kim Thuy has had translated into English have been about refugees as she herself came to Canada from Vietnam as a refugee. All of her books would work for this task regardless since she is a refugee as well. I've only read Ru, so I can't speak fully for her other novels, but it is beautifully written and translated. It's also quite short for those looking for something shorter for a few of their tasks. I would say it's historical fiction, but it is mixed between past and present, so if you're looking for something entirely historical than it won't be for that task, but if you don't mind a mixture, then it'd work.

Mya wrote: "Another book on my list is
Ru by Kim Thúy


Great selection! I will choose this one too. I read/listened to Thúy's Vi this year and it was gorgeous. The audiobooks are narrated by Thúy, and her voice is lovely. Since her books are translations from the French (by Shiela Fischman, who is a superb translator btw), it's another layer of beauty to hear Thúy's actual voice.

I read Odessa, Odessa by Barbara Artson, a novel about the experiences of members of several generations of a Jewish family that fled Russia.

Am also considering Go, Went, Gone by Jenny Erpenbeck for this task.

Hello hello! Our rec post for this task is now live. https://bookriot.com/2020/01/07/refug...

I’m counting Persepolis.

I am reading (and absolutely loving) On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous which I had intended for the prompt debut by an LGBT+ author, but it absolutely fits for this prompt as well.

Would Olga Togarczuk's Flights fit this?

I read Sea Prayer by Khaled Hosseini for this category. Such a sad elegy.

Robin wrote: "Would Olga Togarczuk's Flights fit this?"

Are there Polish refugees? Immigrant's yes, but since WWII I am not sure if there have been refugees. I am curious. I own the book, so that would be good.

Kayla wrote: "Does anyone have any recs for a fiction book about a refugee? Thanks!"

American War It is about a future civil war in America. It is clearly meant as a way to say it could happen here to. A book I think bout quite often.

I just found Ru by Kim Thúy and also a book of poetry - Ink Knows No Borders: Poems of the Immigrant and Refugee Experience by Patrice Vecchione.

I just finished The Girl Who Smiled Beads: A Story of War and What Comes After by Clemantine Wamariya and I LOVED it. I highly recommend it for anyone still looking for a book to fulfill this task. 5 stars

For anyone looking to add some graphic novels to their challenge, I'm planning to read Illegal by Eoin Colfer (the author of Artemis Fowl).

Two books that fit this (and that I just accidentally came across when searching for another book) are: Butterfly: From Refugee to Olympian - My Story of Rescue, Hope, and Triumph and Solito, Solita: Crossing Borders with Youth Refugees from Central America.

On Earth we are Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong. Bonus points here.
the book is beyond beautiful, highly recommend if you are into gorgeous writing and discovering ourselves deeper as humans.

I actually didnt mean to put Ocean Vuong's book there but it definitely fits about a refugee story and is a double dipper for Task 11, debut novel.
would one get 4 points for this book, because it fits in 2 categories and a LGBTQ author? I'm into points!

Thoughts on American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins for this challenge? Sounds like it could fit but I haven’t read it and have seen very mixed reviews

Kaitlyn wrote: "Thoughts on American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins for this challenge? Sounds like it could fit but I haven’t read it and have seen very mixed reviews"

If you don't wish to read American Dirt, there are many alternatives. Here are a couple of links:
https://www.texasobserver.org/17-grea...
https://remezcla.com/lists/culture/am...

I have Other Words for Home on my original plan and I'm hoping to read it soon, but I came across The Unwanted: Stories of the Syrian Refugees in the new release section at the library and couldn't pass it up. Great little graphic novel.

Girl at War concerning the war in Yugoslavia is a work of fiction and absolutely fantastic.

I just finished Last Boat Out of Shanghai: The Epic Story of the Chinese Who Fled Mao's Revolution. Nonfiction. I would recommend it.

I listened to Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai and narrated by Doan Ly for this prompt.

My book club read Escaping Viet Nam: H'Yoanh's Story: A Memoir of Determination, Defiance, and Deliverance by Harriet Hill. The author teleconferenced into our meeting which offered additional insights to the life of H'Yoanh.

For this task, I read Exit West, which I overall liked. I enjoyed the variety of themes and ideas that Hamid employed, along with the overall journey that Nadia and Saeed went through. However, his writing style is one that didn't jibe with me; it felt very floaty with all of those running sentences and overexplaining the emotions to the point that I was never fully invested into the story. Still a novel I would recommend, though.