Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge discussion
Tasks You'd Like to See in Future Years
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Ooh, this looks like fun. I always think it must be hard for the Book Riot people to narrow it down to 24 each year!*Read a biography or autobiography of a woman scientist.
*Read a book written by someone from the country your country last declared war on.
*Read a book you have been meaning to read for more than ten years.
*Read a fiction or non-fiction book set in Antarctica.
*Read a book about a hobby you have always wanted to try but never have.
*Read a book about wildlife conservation.
I haven’t participated until this year, but I skimmed through the tasks from previous years. Hopefully I don’t duplicate anything. *Read a book with a main character who loses a lot of money.
*Read a book about a fictional dictator.
*Read a book set in a place considered to be one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
*Read a book with a main character who is in psychotherapy.
*Read a book written by someone who became what you wanted to be when you were a child.
*Read a book with a character that gets struck by lightning.
Read a book about an art you/hobby you know little about. (ballet, opera, painting, digital drawing, ect.)
*Read a Boarding School book.*Read a book with "Gold" or "Golden" in the title. May be part of another word.
*Read a book about a horse.
*Read a book about Art - any medium, culture, time period.
*Read a book about an artist - Bio/Memoir, Critical, or Fiction.
*Read a book about a plague or a medical thriller.
*Read a NF History book from any year that won a major prize - the Bancroft, Wolfson, Pulitzer.
*Read a book translated from Korean.
*Book Riot picks a setting: Florida, Haiti, Paris, New Orleans, Shanghai, Iceland, Istanbul, etc.
*Flora or Fauna - Read a book about a single species/family of plants or animals.
I love seeing what people's ideas are. Some of my favorites so far:-short story collection by author of color
-book by author from the last country your country declared war on (Would this work for all countries?)
-about a hobby you haven't tried but want to
-about art or an artist
-by someone who became what you wanted to be as a kid
-set in one of the 7 Wonders of the World
The only idea I have so far:
-a book about an adult (maybe specify woman instead of adult) who does not have or plan to have children
-a book by an author who uses a pseudonym
A book set on each of the 6 inhabited continents. (that is 6 books right there)A book about a religion (or its adherents) not your own (as opposed to by an author of a religion not your own, this has to be about the religion)
A book by an old dead white guy
A book about women's rights or feminism published before 1969
A book that was made into a film (we may have done that one already)
A novel with a working class protagonist
A novel with a protagonist under the age of 18
A novel with a protagazit over the age of 60
A book about a recession or depression
This is a fun idea! This is only my second year participating in the challenge, so I don't know what has been done before.Here are some suggestions:
- Read a wordless book
- Read a novel set in San Francisco
- Read a book published in the decade in which you were born
I might pop back in if I think of more!
How about a book with a main character who is Jewish, and not set in WW2? I'm currently reading The Calculating Stars, and I realize that I don't remember the last time I read a book starring Jewish people that didn't take place during the Holocaust.
Read a book in translation from a country you'd like to visit.Read a book intranslation from a language that you have not read from before.
Read a book that won a literary price in a language that is not your first.
Read a book set in your country (city/state/provence) from a minority (or immigrant) perspective (that is not your own).
Another suggestion:- Read a book by or about someone who identifies as biracial
Read a book about by or about a homeless person who is not a refugee.A book about age discrimination, elder abuse, or mental health issues in the elderly, either fiction or non-fiction
A book from the perspective of a single BIPOC father
A romance novel written for the non-female reader that depicts a healthy relationship
A book from the perspective of a child in foster care
Oops—that should be “a book from the perspective of a child in foster care”
Read a book that was written during NaNoWriMoRead a book written the year you were born
Reread the book that made you fall in love with reading
Complete a creative prompt book (e.g. Wreck This Journal)
Read a book in the public domain
Read a book only available online
Read a book that was self-published
How fun! How about books-With a protagonist who has amnesia
-Set in the decade in which one of your parents was born
-Set underwater/about the underwater world
-With an African protagonist
-About the Silk Road (trading route)
-About a single food/spice
-About something missing
Here are my suggestions:Read a book with a cover that you love.
Read a book about a war.
Read a love story that does not involve heartbreak.
Read a nonfiction book about the brain.
Read a nonfiction book about sex.
Read a book about flowers.
Read a book about a person who is incarcerated.
Read a book about drugs.
Read a book written in verseRead a book about a relatively unknown historical figure or event
Read a book about history from the perspective of Indigenous Peoples'
Read a book with an intersex main character.
Read a comic about scienceReread a childhood favourite
Read a memoir by an ordinary person who was not famous before publishing that book
Read a book about a bookstore or library
Read the very first book listed on your Goodreads TBR listRead a young adult fantasy novel without a love triangle
Read a reimagining of a classic story
Read a story where the villain falls for the heroine but they're both females
Read a poetry book about healing from heartache/heartbreak
Read a nonfiction or autobiography about living in a third world country
Ooh! Read a book entering the public domain this year (for 2022, that would be books published in 1926). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1926_in...
Here are my suggestions:Read a book with a protagonist who is a vegetarian or vegan
Read a book with a bi/pan character
Read a book with an asexual character
Read an optimistic science fiction book set in the future
Read a hard science fiction book
Read a book about artificial intelligence (nonfiction or fiction)
Read a crime novel with a queer detective or a detective of color
Read a collection of letters by an person you admire
Read a nonfiction book about factory farming
Read a book that was read to you when you were a child
Read a book with a queer protagonist over the age of 60
Reread a book that you had to read for school
Read an autobiography or memoir by someone you disagree with on a topic that is important to you
Ask someone to buddy read a book of their choice with you
Read a classic you have not read before
Read a book about politics by an author who comes from a difficult political persuasionRead a book about a different religion than your own
Read a picture book with a Black main character
Read your favorite book from when you were 10
Read a book where all the main characters are women
Read a book with a trans character that doesn't focus on that character being trans
Read an adult novel where the main character is a child
Read a children's novel where the main character is an adult
Read a book about climate change
Elise wrote: "How about a book with a main character who is Jewish, and not set in WW2? I'm currently reading The Calculating Stars, and I realize that I don't remember the last time I read a book starring Jewis..."That is such a good point! And I love Kowal's writing! Especially the Lady Astronaut series!
Chun wrote: "How fun! How about books-With a protagonist who has amnesia
-Set in the decade in which one of your parents was born"
Since not everyone knows who their parents are or when they were born, perhaps reword:
Set in the decade in which one of your main cargivers was born.
I'd like to second "book about Jews/a Jewish person that is not about the Holocaust", especially if the author is Jewish but not Ashkenazi!
My suggestions:-A book about a witch
-A novel by an author from a country you'd like to visit
-A science or nature book by a local author
-A book about disinformation
-A book by a politician you disagree with
Ooo I love this! My suggestions are:- A book with a setting from where your grandparents are from
-A decolonial book
-A book about a civil war (not US)
- A book featuring a Southeast/Northeast Asian indigenous group
- A "ghost" book set in a culture not your own
- A novel where the setting is mostly night
- A nonfiction book about survival
I am all on board with a book about witches...More nonfiction science/tech and history.
A NF book about the History of Africa
A NF book about the History of China
A NF book about the History of Latin America
A NF book about the History of the Ancient World
This challenge does such a great job of helping readers stretch out and understand more about the complex world and is so needed in this time. Loved reading through the great suggestions.
I own waaay too many books, e-books and borrow more. I would like to be encouraged to read a book on my TBR mountain.
My one complaint with the BookRiot challenge has been that it seems to grow more and more ultra-specific, making it very difficult to find books that fit. I'd love some interesting prompts that can still fit a good number of books so that it's not a chore just to research a match for several of them. A prompt for ones from the TBR pile would be nice (not unlike the advanced prompts for Popsugar's challenge this year). I'd love to see more people encouraged to read plays, especially post-1980 works. And I second the book about witches!
Beth wrote: "My one complaint with the BookRiot challenge has been that it seems to grow more and more ultra-specific, making it very difficult to find books that fit. I'd love some interesting prompts that can..."I completely agree. The tasks used to be things like "Read a play". This year some of the tasks were so specific that I just threw up my hands. I want to stretch my reading, but I don't want to stretch it to the point of snapping, or feeling like I'm back in school being forced to read "important" books.
I agree! I dislike tasks that are too specific, they can be hard to find in libraries. Some ideas:
book with talking animal (as a character or protagonist)
book set in the future but not a dystopia (let's be a bit optimistic!)
book about eating or drinking (nonfic or fic)
book about colors or a color (can be about racial color, or microhistory about colors, or artists)
book about climate change (fic or nonfic)
book in which two characters are twins (it's year 2022!!)
book set in a place related to your ancestry or a place you feel affiliated to
book in which one of the characters wear mask
book featuring at least 3 generations of a family
book about farming or agriculture
book about a disease or pandemic
book about a natural disaster
a lesser known book by a famous author
book with a female superhero
Beth wrote: "My one complaint with the BookRiot challenge has been that it seems to grow more and more ultra-specific, making it very difficult to find books that fit. I'd love some interesting prompts that can..."Lianne wrote: "Beth wrote: "My one complaint with the BookRiot challenge has been that it seems to grow more and more ultra-specific, making it very difficult to find books that fit. I'd love some interesting pro..."
I agree that the Read Harder Challenge has become ultra-specific. I am doing several challenges this year and have finished one of them already (with 52 prompts), but have struggled with Read Harder to the point I may not participate in it next year. It also would help if whoever runs this put together listopias for the prompts.
Beth wrote: "My one complaint with the BookRiot challenge has been that it seems to grow more and more ultra-specific, making it very difficult to find books that fit. I'd love some interesting prompts that can..."Lianne wrote: "Beth wrote: "My one complaint with the BookRiot challenge has been that it seems to grow more and more ultra-specific, making it very difficult to find books that fit. I'd love some interesting pro..."
I agree that the Read Harder Challenge has become ultra-specific. I am doing several challenges this year and have finished one of them already (with 52 prompts), but have struggled with Read Harder to the point I may not participate in it next year. It also would help if whoever runs this put together listopias for the prompts.
FYI Read Harder introduced me to reading challenges and I loved how it pushed me out of a reading rut and let me discover new authors. The past two years the challenge has morphed into prompts so specific that the options are limited and the fun of discovery is gone.
I disagree. The intentionality and specificity is what draws me to the challenge. I truly feel like I am being pushed beyond the bounds of what I would normally read and discovering facets of the reading world that are so often overlooked.
The new list is out! And it seems to have fewer ultra specific prompts than last year. I was also unsure about participating this year, after participating every previous year, but the prompts for this year seem pretty interesting and have gotten me excited again !
I don't super mind the prompts this year though I am going to have to figure out how to fit some of them into how picky I can be about my reading.
I agree that this year's prompts are an improvement over the last two years. They seem to have eased up a bit on the specificity (i.e. "a book with a blue-eyed protagonist born in Kansas who is adopted and vegan") and the ideas are exciting, not discouraging.
Read a book on ALA's Most Challenged book list from any year! Keeping up to date on those types of books is important, especially with the huge list of books that Texas is trying to ban.
- (Debut) novel published in 2020-presentTypically I read backlist but I've been prioritizing novels published during the pandemic because I assume they're missing out on a lot of foot traffic & tours.
- Book you own but have never read
We all have them.
- Book that is related in some way (theme, setting) to another on this list.
- Reread a childhood favorite
So this one could be an easy, cozy prompt, or could lead to some introspection. A lot about older books that you read as kid might stand out to you as an adult, either because they're problematic or else just read different with a new perspective.
A book with a fat main character who doesn't want to change their weight.A book that takes place during a pandemic.
A novel in verse.
A picture book that uplifts Black kids.
A book about girlhood.
Edie wrote: "Beth wrote: "My one complaint with the BookRiot challenge has been that it seems to grow more and more ultra-specific, making it very difficult to find books that fit. I'd love some interesting pro..."Would love to hear about the other book challenges you like!!
Read a book about music.Read a textbook or how-to book and do all the assignments.
Read a book in a foreign language (not a translation).
Read a book of philosophy.
Read an Oulipo book
Read a government document.
Read a book that was published posthumously.
Read a book that was left unfinished by the author.
Read an epic poem.
Read a family saga.
Read a library or bookstore staff recommendation.
Reread a book you read for school.
Read a book by a political or religious martyr.
Read a book of light verse.
Read a book by or about an explorer who is not from Europe or North America.
Read a book written in dialect.
Read a roman à clef.
Read the libretto to a musical or an opera.
Read a novel written in verse.
Read a nonfiction novel.
I love the above suggested idea of reading a book with a Jewish main character that is not about WW2/Holocaust! Or even to read a genre book (romance/sci-fi/mystery etc.) with a Jewish main character that is not about WW2/Holocaust.Other ideas:
Read a "hopepunk" book
Read a book set in the furthest place you (the reader) have ever been from home.
Do a buddy read - read a book in tandem with someone else
Read a book that started as fanfiction (this one may have been done already?)
I'm learning a lot from this thread - I didn't know about hopepunk and Ouilipo.Read a sci-fi comedy.
Read a lesser-known book from a popular author.
Read a book about music.
Read a book about religion or atheism.
Read a book that explores gender.
Read a fanfiction (that has NOT been published for profit) and write a comment to the author on what you liked.
Read a book about writers or writing.
Read a novel that is the only novel the author has published.
Read a self-help book written by a psychologist.
Read a survivalist story.
Read a fantasy book that isn't set in Europe or a European-like world.
Read and review a book in your TBR list with the fewest reviews/ratings.
I'm not sure how to word this, but... read a book by a writer who "didn't make it." Either they haven't published anything in the last ten years, or what they have published is "gig" work - introductions to anthologies, novelizations, franchise books - that sort of thing.
My Ideas: Read a book by a Deaf, Hard of Hearing, or Blind person (Or someone who has a significantly different sensory experience than you).
Read a novel set on an island nation that is not the UK.
Read something written in the 1900s.
Read something written in the 1800s.
Read something written in the 1700s.
Read something written in the 1600s or before.
Other people's prompts that I want to second:
Read a book written by someone from the country your country last declared war on.
A book about a religion (or its adherents) not your own (as opposed to by an author of a religion not your own, this has to be about the religion).
Read an autobiography or memoir by someone you disagree with on a topic that is important to you.
Marie wrote: "I'm learning a lot from this thread - I didn't know about hopepunk and Ouilipo.Read a sci-fi comedy.
Read a lesser-known book from a popular author.
Read a book about music.
Read a book about rel..."
Belatedly, Read a fanfic was a task in 2021
I would like to see more elderly protagonists in the challenges
Here are 8 that I came up with:
* Read a book by a Chinese author
* Read a fantasy novel with a female protagonist by a female author
* Read a short story collection by an author of color
* Read a play published since 2000
* Read a book about superheroes that isn't a comic, graphic novel, or manga
* Read a book that takes place during winter
* Read a book that takes place in the American Midwest
* Read a book that takes place over one day