Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge discussion

Any good ones you can recommend please?

I think I will go with The Man Without a Face: The Unlikely Rise of Vladimir Putin which has been on the TRR list for a while.

I might try Long Walk to Freedom for this one

Empress by Shan Sa is on my TBR so I think I'll tackle that one. It's historical fiction based on the only female monarch in the history of China. Since nothing in the prompt says it has to be nonfiction, I'm going to assume this works!

I’m going to break my ‘diverse authors’ rule just for this prompt, and go with The Modi Effect - Inside Narendra Modi's Campaign To Transform India, as I already own it and the author is a BBC journalist, so he probably knows what he’s talking about wrt Modi. A few years old now, but still worth a try.

The Babur Nama by Zahirud-din Muhammad Babur -- hardcover edition of the first autobiography in Islamic literature: the colorful memoirs of Babur, founder and first emperor of the Mughal dynasty - read about this new edition recently.

Bonnie G. wrote: "I think I will go with The Man Without a Face: The Unlikely Rise of Vladimir Putin which has been on the TRR list for a while."

Thanks for suggesting! I will read this one :)

Ooh, I have the perfect book in mind as it's been on my TBR since I saw the author talking about it on The Daily Show a few years back.

Madame President: The Extraordinary Journey of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf by Helene Cooper

"The harrowing, but triumphant story of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, leader of the Liberian women’s movement, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, and the first democratically elected female president in African history."

I think I'm gonna go with Princess Masako: Prisoner of the Chrysanthemum Throne by Ben Hills for this one

At what point in history does world leader start to apply? I have a biography of Empress Cixi of China, but I don't know if that's too early for world leader to apply?

Doing The Woman Who Would Be King: Hatshepsut's Rise to Power in Ancient Egypt by Kara Cooney. Super excited for this one!

Jenny wrote: "At what point in history does world leader start to apply? I have a biography of Empress Cixi of China, but I don't know if that's too early for world leader to apply?"

I think that would work fine. The task doesn't specify a time period and I would call Empress Cixi a world leader. I'm reading about an ancient Egyptian queen.

I'm not sure what I will be reading, but highly recommend Nicholas and Alexandra for this prompt.

Really excited to read King of Kings: The Triumph and Tragedy of Haile Selassie I ... I think it fits the category and it's a person/area I really want to know more about.

Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff looks interesting

I knew I wanted a woman world leader so I am going with Madame President: The Extraordinary Journey of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.

Do y'all think Po'Pay: Leader of the First American Revolution would count for this? I'm not sure if he counts as a world leader...

Mandi wrote: "Ooh, I have the perfect book in mind as it's been on my TBR since I saw the author talking about it on The Daily Show a few years back.

Madame President: The Extraordinary Journey of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
Thank you for this prompt, this book seems really good and I'd love to read about a FEMALE leader in a book written by a FEMALE author. It'll definitely be my choice!!

Katie wrote: "I knew I wanted a woman world leader so I am going with Madame President: The Extraordinary Journey of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
[bookcover:Madame President: The Extraordinary Journey ..."

Thank you for this prompt, this book seems really good and I'd love to read about a FEMALE leader in a book written by a FEMALE author. It'll definitely be my choice!!

Kelsey wrote: "Really excited to read King of Kings: The Triumph and Tragedy of Haile Selassie I ... I think it fits the category and it's a person/area I really want to know more about."

I'm reading this one too! I find Ethiopia fascinating and then there's the whole Rastafarian angle as well.

For those considering fiction, there is a historical fiction series by Chinese author, Weina Dai Randel, about Empress Wu Zetian, China's only female emperor - The Moon in the Palace and The Empress of Bright Moon.

Is the Dalai Lama considered a world leader? He has written many books and there have been many more written about him

I would definitely call the Dalai Lama a world leader. When he shows up anywhere he is greeted by Kings, Queens, Presidents and PMs and he has a significant impact on policy and politics around the globe.

Amanda wrote: "Is the Dalai Lama considered a world leader? He has written many books and there have been many more written about him"

Great idea! I think I'll check out The Art of Happiness

Amy J. wrote: "Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff looks interesting"

Me, too! I own this and keep wanting to read it... :) Thanks for the suggestion!

Amy J. wrote: "Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff looks interesting"

I might give this one another try. I started it for a book club, but it's pretty dry.

Maybe it's a little stretch (a book about the diets of multiple world leaders), but I think I might go with How to Feed a Dictator: Saddam Hussein, Idi Amin, Enver Hoxha, Fidel Castro, and Pol Pot Through the Eyes of Their Cooks by Witold Szablowski and translated from Polish by Antonia Lloyd-Jones.

Eric wrote: "Maybe it's a little stretch (a book about the diets of multiple world leaders), but I think I might go with [book: How to Feed a Dictator: Saddam Hussein, Idi Amin, Enver Hoxha, Fidel Castro, and P..."

I was looking at that too and thought maybe it was a bit attenuated, but i can certainly make the argument in its favor. Either way I plan to read this, even if I don't count it.

I read The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World last year and would highly recommend it. It's left me curious to know more about the Dalai Lama. Options I'm looking at include: His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, His Holiness: The Fourteenth Dalai Lama and The Dalai Lama: An Extraordinary Life

Tanvi wrote: "I’m going to break my ‘diverse authors’ rule just for this prompt, and go with The Modi Effect - Inside Narendra Modi's Campaign To Transform India, as I already own it and the auth..."

Thank you for this suggestion! I'm completing the challenge with all LGBTQ authors, and this book fulfills that requirement. I was having a hard time finding a book that worked.

This one is driving me crazy, I normally would never read a biography and even after hours of searching I can't find anything that looks good to me

Does Nelson Mandela’s Long Walk to Freedom work for this prompt? I believe he was the South African political leader?

Thanks for the recommendations featuring female leaders! I’m disappointed that there are none in Bookriot’s list.

This has been on my tbr for a little bit so I'll most likely be choosing it for this prompt. Empress Dowager Cixi: The Concubine Who Launched Modern China

I am trying to do the double challenge and choose LGBTQ authors - does someone have a recommendation?

Natasha wrote: "I am trying to do the double challenge and choose LGBTQ authors - does someone have a recommendation?"

Binyavanga Wainaina was a Kenyan writer who was also a noteworthy gay rights activists. He has a memoir! https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9...

Any thoughts on whether or not Unbowed by Wangari Maathai would work? She's the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize, and though she may have been more of an African leader than world leader, I'd love an excuse to count this!

I will probably read Quotations from Chairman Mao Tse-Tung or The Marcos Dynasty, by Sterling Seagrave.

Tammy wrote: "Any thoughts on whether or not Unbowed by Wangari Maathai would work? She's the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize, and though she may have been more of ..."

It doesn't appear like it would count. "World leader" in this instance is referring to presidents, prime ministers, and monarchs.

So, there's not explicitly a non-fiction requirement here. So...any fictional world leaders? Perhaps something from sci-fi/fantasy?

Sandy wrote: "This has been on my tbr for a little bit so I'll most likely be choosing it for this prompt. Empress Dowager Cixi: The Concubine Who Launched Modern China"

Just finished this one, an excellent recommendation!

I wonder if I Am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban would work for this one? She isn't a world leader in the traditional, elected sense. Thoughts?

I looked for books I hadn't already read and could get from my library and am pleasantly surprised to find these two books and . I also found , but I think reading it would just make me too angry.

I wasn't thinking of counting An Unquenchable Thirst: A Memoir for this, but it might work. It's the memoir of a former nun with Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity, so you do learn quite a bit about Mother Teresa (a world leader, I'd say). The author, Mary Johnson, has a considerable amount of contact with MT throughout her 20 years with the order.

This task is a harder one for me. What do you all think of counting Mother Teresa as a world leader (regardless of whether you'd count this book or not)? Thanks.

Also, here's the link to Book Riot's list of book ideas for this. I think it may have gotten deleted from this discussion list?
https://bookriot.com/read-harder-2021...

Tammy wrote: "Any thoughts on whether or not Unbowed by Wangari Maathai would work? She's the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize, and though she may have been more of ..."

I'm using that as my book for this prompt. I don't think a world leader needs to specifically be the head of a country.

Tammy wrote: "Also, here's the link to Book Riot's list of book ideas for this. I think it may have gotten deleted from this discussion list?
https://bookriot.com/read-harder-2021......"

Okay, thanks Dana. :)

I just realized that Black Spartacus: The Epic Life of Toussaint Louverture which I recently read, will work for this prompt.

I read When Women Ruled the World: Six Queens of Egypt for this prompt.

Amanda wrote: "Is the Dalai Lama considered a world leader? He has written many books and there have been many more written about him"

Religious leader is a bit of a gray area, but given that the Dalai Lama is also leader of the Nepalese government in exile I would say that it definitely counts.