Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge discussion

Have you completed the challenge? Congratulations! Please consider this your invitation to look back over what you read for it and let us know…

• What was the last book you read for the challenge, and when did you finish it?
• What was your favorite prompt?
• What was your favorite book?
• Was there a book you particularly liked that you wouldn't have picked up, were it not for the challenge?
• What off-the-beaten-path book would you particularly recommend?

OK, I guess I’ll be the overachiever and go first (I know finishing in May is kind of ridiculous), but I’d love to hear what others have done with the challenge this year!

Last book you read: All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys' Soccer Team by Christina Soontornvat on May 27, to fulfill “Read a YA nonfiction book.” A finalist for the Young Adult Library Services’ award for nonfiction, this book is clearly meant to be accessible to middle grade kids as well as teenagers, but the material is so riveting—and Soontornvat does such a great job of providing context, cultural, geological, and otherwise—that any even (ahem) forty-forty-year-old readers can enjoy it!

Favorite prompt: “Read a history book by a BIPOC author.” I always appreciate the push to read nonfiction as it’s not the first thing I reach for when left to my own devices. Feeling slightly intimidated, I tackled The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration by Isabel Wilkerson and was blown away by how readable and compelling it was, not at all the dry, dense tome I had expected. I learned so much, but it wasn’t drudgery at all.

Favorite book: I think I might have had the most fun with What an Owl Knows: The New Science of the World's Most Enigmatic Birds by Jennifer Ackerman. (For “Pick a challenge from any of the previous years’ challenges,” I went with 2018’s “Read a book about nature.”) Owls are amazing birds, and Ackerman’s book is packed with amazing stuff on everything from ornithological research on owl behavior to ethnographic studies of owl lore. My husband was subjected to owl trivia for at least a week!

Book you particularly liked that you wouldn’t otherwise have picked up: I was certain that Five Little Indians by Michelle Good was going to be overwhelmingly depressing, given the subject matter (survivors of a Canadian Indian residential school), so I’d avoided reading it, despite all the acclaim. Anyway, I finally gave it a shot for “Read a historical fiction book by an Indigenous author,” and, yes, parts of it are very upsetting, appropriately so. But Good’s emphasis is ultimately less on trauma and despair than on resilience and healing. The novel leaves you with a feeling of warmth and hope, and with incredible respect for the people who have worked to rebuild communities the government tried to dismantle. I’m so glad I read it.

Off-the-beaten-path book you would particularly recommend: Legendary Children: The First Decade of RuPaul’s Drag Race and the Last Century of Queer Life by Tom Fitzgerald and Lorenzo Marquez (“Read a book about drag or queer artistry”). The authors had the inspired idea of using Drag Race as a jumping-off point to explore decades of drag (broadly defined) and its place in queer American history. This was fascinating and inspiring, the kind of history that makes you want to dive down a dozen different rabbit holes as you read.

My Read Harder 2024 shelf

Nice!!!

1. What was the last book you read for the challenge, and when did you finish it?
8/9/2024
Task #10: Read a historical fiction book by an Indigenous author.
10.3: When a Ghost Talks, Listen by Tim Tingle https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...

2. What was your favorite prompt?
Either Task #3: Read a middle grade horror novel OR Task #5: Read a sci-fi novella

3. What was your favorite book?
Slow River by Nicola Griffith https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1... which I read for Task #12: Read a genre book (SFF, horror, mystery, romance) by a disabled author and was an additional entry for Task #24: Pick a challenge from any of the previous years’ challenges to repeat! of which I chose 4 previous tasks, but this one satisfied 2023's Task #23: Read a book you know nothing about based solely on the cover, which is why I first looked at reading this book.

4. Was there a book you particularly liked that you wouldn't have picked up, were it not for the challenge?
Task#4: Read a history book by a BIPOC author - The Rediscovery of America: Native Peoples and the Unmaking of U.S. History by Ned Blackhawk https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
Task #15: Read a YA nonfiction book.
15.1. Accountable: The True Story of a Racist Social Media Account and the Teenagers Whose Lives It Changed by Dashka Slater https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
15.2. My Body My Choice: The Fight for Abortion Rights by Robin Stevenson https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...
15.3. They Called Themselves the K.k.k.: The Birth of an American Terrorist Group by Susan Campbell Bartoletti https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
15.4. Very, Very, Very Dreadful: The Influenza Pandemic of 1918 by Albert Marrin https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...

5. What off-the-beaten-path book would you particularly recommend?
Task #17: Read a book about media literacy
17.2. An Illustrated Book of Bad Arguments by Ali Almossawi, Alejandro Giraldo (Illustrator) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
Task #18: Read a book about drag or queer artistry.
Life as a Unicorn: A Journey from Shame to Pride and Everything in Between by Amrou Al-Kadhi https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...

BOOK RIOT READ HARDER CHALLENGE 2024 TASKS:
1. Read a cozy fantasy book.
1.1. A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...
1.2. The Gnomobile by Upton Sinclair https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6...
2. Read a YA book by a trans author.
2.1. Dreadnought by April Daniels https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...
3. Read a middle grade horror novel.
3.1. Nightmare Island by Shakirah Bourne https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...
4. Read a history book by a BIPOC author.
4.1. Accountable: The True Story of a Racist Social Media Account and the Teenagers Whose Lives It Changed by Dashka Slater https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
4.2. The Rediscovery of America: Native Peoples and the Unmaking of U.S. History by Ned Blackhawk https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
5. Read a sci-fi novella.
5.1. Arboreality by Rebecca Campbell https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6...
5.2. Tentacle by Rita Indiana, Achy Obejas (Translator) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...
5.3. The Time Machine by H.G. Wells https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8...
6. Read a middle grade book with an LGBTQIA main character.
6.1. Séance Tea Party by Reimena Yee https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...
7. Read an indie published collection of poetry by a BIPOC or queer author.
7.1. Don't Call Us Dead by Danez Smith https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...
7.2. I Am the Rage by Martina McGowan https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...
8. Read a book in translation from a country you’ve never visited.
8.1. Hakumei & Mikochi: Tiny Little Life in the Woods, Vol. 1 by Takuto Kashiki, Taylor Engel (Translator) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...
8.2. Minor Detail by Adania Shibli https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...
8.3. Tentacle by Rita Indiana, Achy Obejas (Translator) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...
8.4. What You Are Looking For Is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama, Alison Watts (Translator) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
9. Read a book recommended by a librarian.
9.1. The Artivist by Nikkolas Smith https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6...
9.2. Minor Detail by Adania Shibli https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...
9.3. Monica by Daniel Clowes https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
9.4. Ra Pu Zel and the Stinky Tofu by Ying Chang Compestine https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
9.5. Very Good Hats by Emma Straub & Blanca Gómez (Illustrator) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6...
9.6. What You Are Looking For Is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama, Alison Watts (Translator) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
10. Read a historical fiction book by an Indigenous author.
10.1. A Girl Called Echo Omnibus by Katherena Vermette https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
10.2. How I Became a Ghost by Tim Tingle https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
10.3. When a Ghost Talks, Listen by Tim Tingle https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...
11. Read a picture book published in the last five years.
11.1. The Artivist by Nikkolas Smith https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6...
11.2. Ra Pu Zel and the Stinky Tofu by Ying Chang Compestine https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
11.3. Very Good Hats by Emma Straub & Blanca Gómez (Illustrator) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6...
12. Read a genre book (SFF, horror, mystery, romance) by a disabled author.
12.1. Slow River by Nicola Griffith https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
13. Read a comic that has been banned.
13.1. Assassination Classroom, Vol. 1 by Yūsei Matsui https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
14. Read a book by an author with an upcoming event (virtual or in person) and then attend the event.
14.1. The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...
15. Read a YA nonfiction book.
15.1. Accountable: The True Story of a Racist Social Media Account and the Teenagers Whose Lives It Changed by Dashka Slater https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
15.2. My Body My Choice: The Fight for Abortion Rights by Robin Stevenson https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...
15.3. They Called Themselves the K.k.k.: The Birth of an American Terrorist Group by Susan Campbell Bartoletti https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
15.4. Very, Very, Very Dreadful: The Influenza Pandemic of 1918 by Albert Marrin https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...
16. Read a book based solely on the title.
16.1. Arboreality by Rebecca Campbell https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6...
16.2. The Archive of Feelings by Peter Stamm; Michael Hofmann (Translator) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
17. Read a book about media literacy.
17.1. Algorithms of Oppression: How Search Engines Reinforce Racism by Safiya Umoja Noble https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...
17.2. An Illustrated Book of Bad Arguments by Ali Almossawi, Alejandro Giraldo (Illustrator) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
17.3. An Illustrated Book of Loaded Language: Learn to Hear What’s Left Unsaid by Ali Almossawi , Alejandro Giraldo (Illustrations) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...
17.4. The Death of Expertise: The Campaign Against Established Knowledge and Why It Matters by Thomas M. Nichols https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...
17.5. Factfulness: Ten Reasons We're Wrong About the World – and Why Things Are Better Than You Think by Hans Rosling, Ola Rosling & Anna Rosling Rönnlund https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...
18. Read a book about drag or queer artistry.
18.1. Life as a Unicorn: A Journey from Shame to Pride and Everything in Between by Amrou Al-Kadhi https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...
19. Read a romance with neurodivergent characters.
19.1. Cleat Cute by Meryl Wilsner https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
20. Read a book about books (fiction or nonfiction).
20.1. The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6...
20.2. What You Are Looking For Is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama, Alison Watts (Translator) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
20.3. Why We Read: On Bookworms, Libraries, and Just One More Page Before Lights Out, Library Edition by Shannon Reed https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
21. Read a book that went under the radar in 2023.
21.1. Mister Lullaby by J.H. Marker https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
21.2. Penance by Eliza Clark https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
22. Read a manga or manhwa.
22.1. Hakumei & Mikochi: Tiny Little Life in the Woods, Vol. 1 by Takuto Kashiki, Taylor Engel (Translator) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...
23. Read a howdunit or whydunit mystery.
23.1. A Death in Door County by Annelise Ryan https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
23.2. The Family Chao by Lan Samantha Chang https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6...
23.3. First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
23.4. The Fury by Alex Michaelides https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
23.5. My Murder by Katie William https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
23.6. Penance by Eliza Clark https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
23.7. Titanium Noir by Nick Harkaway https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
23.8. West Heart Kill by Dann McDorman https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
24. Pick a challenge from any of the previous years’ challenges to repeat!
24.1. 2017 Task #8: Read a travel memoir.
24.1.1. Apple of My Eye by Helene Hanff https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
24.2. 2020 Task #9: The LAST book in a series
24.2.1. Waverider (Amulet #9) by Kazu Kibuishi https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
24.3. 2022 Task #5: Read an anthology featuring diverse voices.
24.3.1. Never Whistle at Night: An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology, edited by Shane Hawk https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
24.4. 2023 Task #23: Read a book you know nothing about based solely on the cover.
24.4.1. Mister Lullaby by J.H. Marker https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
24.4.2. Slow River by Nicola Griffith https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

Wow, Daniel, you don't do anything by half!

I especially wish I'd had your list when I was trying to find a book about media literacy.

My Book Riot Read Harder Challenge 2024

1. Last book read and when finished? The manga book - DEATH NOTE, VOLUME ONE by Tsugumi Ohba/Takeshi Obata/Pookie Rolf (translator), completed today, October 1.

2. Favorite prompt? A “howdunit” or “whydunit” mystery. Clever. I used SAVAGE RIVER by Morgan Greene for this which a got as an ARC.

3. Favorite book? Oh, a tie. The book about books, PAPERBACK CRUSH by Gabrielle Moss, a book by an author with an upcoming event/attend the event, OCEAN STATE by Stewart O’Nan and GENDER QUEER by Main Kobabe. But I had several that I rated highly and I’m not normally given to giving high ratings so I found some good ones!

4. Book I particularly liked that I wouldn’t have picked up were it not for the challenge? Definitely A HOUSE IN THE CERULEAN SEA by T.J. Klune. Fantasy is not my thing but this was lovely.

5. What off the beaten path book you particularly recommend? My go to answer for this was always WHO HAVE NEVER KNOWN MEN by Jacqueline Hardman, but suddenly the book is everywhere. Now I will go with the children’s books, the Betsy-Tracy series by Maud Hart Lovelace. Not enough people know about these wonderful books.

Oh, and all my books:

1. Cozy fantasy book - A HOUSE IN THE CERULEAN SEA by T.J. Klune
2. YA book by a trans author - IF I WAS YOUR GIRL by Meredith Russo
3. Middle grade horror novel - THE HALLOWEEN MOON by Joseph Fink
4. History book by a BIPOC author - THE EMPEROR OF ALL MALADIES by Siddhartha Mukharjee
5. A scifi novella - ALL SYSTEMS RED by Martha Wells
6. A middle grade book w an LGBTQIA main character- TOO BRIGHT TO SEE by Kyle Lerkoff
7. An indie published collection of poetry by a BIPOCor queer author - THERE ARE TRANS PEOPLE HERE by H. Melt
8. A book in translation from a country you have never visited - BUTTER by Asiko Yuzuki, translated from the Japanese by Holly Burton
9. A book recommended by a librarian- THE THURSDAY MURDER CLUB by Richard Osman
10. A historical fiction book by an Indigenous author - MURDER ON THE RED RIVER by Marcie R. Kendon
11. A picture book published in the last five years - MITHMAN’s happy cryptic HALL

Sorry, I’m doing this on n my phone, and the page doesn’t scroll down for some reason!

11. Con’t. MOTHMAN’S HAPPY CRYPTID HALLOWEEN by Andrew Shaffer
12. A genre book (SFF, horror, mystery, romance) by a disabled author - BURY YOUR GAYS by Chuck Tingle
13. A comic that has been banned - GENDER QUEER by Main Kobabe
14. A book by an author with an upcoming event then attend event - OCEAN STATE by Stewart O’Nan
15. A YA non-fiction book - HEY, KIDDO by Jarrett Krosoczka
16. A book based solely on the title - PROM MOM by Laura Lippman
17. A book about media literacy - YELLOWFACE by R.F. Kuang
18. A book about drag or queer artistry - IT CAME FROM THE CLOSET by Joe Valleu, editor
19. A romance with neurodivergent characters- WHEN MY HEART JOINS THE THOUSANDS by A.J. Steiger
20. A book about books - PAPERBACK CRUSH by Gabrielle Moss

Good Lord, sorry again, 20 should be PAPERBACK CRUSH. Dont know what happened!

21. A book that went under the radar in 2023 - THE COUNTRY OF THE BLIND by Andrew Leland
22. A manga or manwha- DEATH NOTE, VOLUME 1 by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata, translated by Pookie Rolf
23. A “howdunit” or “whydunit” - SAVAGE RIVER by Morgan Greene
24. Challenge from previous five years- THE BETWEEN - Tananarive Due

• What was the last book you read for the challenge, and when did you finish it? Yellowface for prompt # 17 Read a book about media literacy. 10/4/2024
• What was your favorite prompt? #14 Read a book by an author with an upcoming event. I read The Winged Tiara
• What was your favorite book? The Housekeeper and the Professor. Prompt # 8 Read a book in translation from a country you've never visited.
• Was there a book you particularly liked that you wouldn't have picked up, were it not for the challenge? To Anyone Who Ever Asks: The Life, Music, and Mystery of Connie Converse
• What off-the-beaten-path book would you particularly recommend? To Anyone Who Ever Asks: The Life, Music, and Mystery of Connie Converse

• What was the last book you read for the challenge, and when did you finish it?
This Place: 150 Years Retold for Task #4 A history book by a BIPOC author, finished 10/27.

• What was your favorite prompt? Task #5 A Sci-Fi Novella

• What was your favorite book? Murderbot Diaries!

• Was there a book you particularly liked that you wouldn't have picked up, were it not for the challenge? Oh, so many, Murderbot Diaries for a start. I'd seen All Systems Red advertised all over Goodreads but it just didn't really strike my interest, but I read the first one for Task #5 and immediately read all of them. Also Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk for Task #16 A book chosen solely for the title, and The Majesties by Tiffany Tsao for Task #23 A 'howdunit' or 'whydunit' mystery.

• What off-the-beaten-path book would you particularly recommend? Besides the ones from the previous question I would also recommend:
Vita Nostra by Marina Dyachenko for Task #8 A book in translation from a country you've never visited
The Ninth Metal by Benjamin Percy for Task #9 A book recommended by a librarian
So Let Them Burn by Kamilah Cole for Task #14 A book by an author with an upcoming event, then attend the event
It Came from the Closet: Queer Reflections on Horror by Joe Vallese for Task #18 A book about drag or queer artistry

Just finished. I read some very good books this year, and some that just checked boxes.

Among the best were two books by a poet, Ron Mohring, who was a close friend in the 1990s, but with whom I hadn't kept in touch. Both The Boy Who Reads in the Trees and Relative Hearts were terrific, and they made me regret having fallen out of touch.

I liked Wandering Stars all right, but I didn't think it was nearly so well-written as There There.

Kaveh Akbar's Martyr! was outstanding. I recommended it to a bunch of friends.

Oh, and I read Parasol Against the Axe, by Helen Oyeyemi. I had read Peaces last year, and now I know I need to read everything she writes. So weird and good.

On the down side, it looks like manga is not going to be a genre for me. Fortunately, I picked my book up from a nearby Little Free Library and was able to release it back into the wild.

• What was the last book you read for the challenge, and when did you finish it? Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender, finished 10/23.
• What was your favorite prompt? SciFi Novella. It's been awhile since I read any and I'd forgotten how fun I find short well-executed imaginative fiction.
• What was your favorite book? The Route of Ice and Salt, To Be Taught, If Fortunate, Too Bright to See, Maud's Line are the standouts
• Was there a book you particularly liked that you wouldn't have picked up, were it not for the challenge? While The Address Book: What Street Addresses Reveal About Identity, Race, Wealth, and Power has been on my TBR for a bit, I was really happy to finally have an impetus to read it and it might be my favorite nonfiction of the year. I hadn't heard of nor would have chosen Dread Nation for my TBR but I really enjoyed it even if it didn't actually satisfy the prompt 😂
• What off-the-beaten-path book would you particularly recommend? Uzumaki. I don't particularly like manga/graphic fiction/anime, etc but I kind of loved this one. It's definitely not for everyone but it's mesmerizing.

Reading List: because of the way I started queueing up books, I ended up reading multiples for many of the prompts. I also tend to read straight through series if I enjoy the 1st enough.
1) Read a cozy fantasy book. Legends & Lattes + Bookshops & Bonedust

2) Read a YA book by a trans author.  Felix Ever After + Cemetery Boys
Also accidentally read and enjoyed Pet + Bitter (Akwaeke Emezi ids as ENBY not trans) + The Disasters (M.K. England ids as agender not trans)

3) Read a middle grade horror novel. City of Ghosts + Tunnel of Bones + Bridge of Souls  + Spirit Hunters + Camp Scare
Accidentally read and enjoyed Dread Nation (not middle grade)

4) Read a history book by a BIPOC author. The Address Book: What Street Addresses Reveal About Identity, Race, Wealth, and Power + Medical Bondage: Race, Gender, and the Origins of American Gynecology

5) Read a sci-fi novella.  The Employees: A Workplace Novel of the 22nd Century + To Be Taught, If Fortunate + Feed Them Silence + Emergent Properties

6) Read a middle grade book with an LGBTQIA main character.  Too Bright to See + Star-Crossed

7) Read an indie published collection of poetry by a BIPOC or queer author. Salt + There Are Trans People Here

8) Read a book in translation from a country you’ve never visited. The Cost of Sugar (Suriname, translated from Dutch) + Silent Reading  默读 (China, translated from Mandarin) + Education by Stone: Selected Poems (Brazil, translated from Portuguese) + Wild Poppies (Jordan, translated from Arabic) + The Court Dancer (Korea, translated from Korean) +Tender is the Flesh (Argentinian, translated from Spanish) + The Patience Stone (Afghanistan, translated from Arabic)

9) Read a book recommended by a librarian. The Rabbit Factor + The Moose Paradox

10) Read a historical fiction book by an Indigenous author.Kiss of the Fur Queen + Maud's Line + Murder on the Red River + Girl Gone Missing + Sinister Graves

11) Read a picture book published in the last five years. We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga

12) Read a genre book (SFF, horror, mystery, romance) by a disabled author. Sorrowland

13) Read a comic that has been banned. reread: The Complete Maus

14) Read a book by an author with an upcoming event (virtual or in person) and then attend the event. Mickey7 + wrote 5 lesser known authors notes of appreciation

15) Read a YA nonfiction book. Flesh & Blood So Cheap: The Triangle Fire and Its Legacy

16) Read a book based solely on the title. The Route of Ice and Salt + Signs Preceding the End of the World

17) Read a book about media literacy. Conspirituality: How New Age Conspiracy Theories Became a Health Threat + Reality Bites Back: The Troubling Truth About Guilty Pleasure TV + The Death of Expertise: The Campaign Against Established Knowledge and Why It Matters

18) Read a book about drag or queer artistry. Unicorn: The Memoir of a Muslim Drag Queen

19) Read a romance with neurodivergent characters. The Heart Principle + The Charm Offensive + Act Your Age, Eve Brown + Eight Kinky Nights + Two Wrongs Make a Right

20) Read a book about books (fiction or nonfiction). The Book Eaters

21) Read a book that went under the radar in 2023. read: Liliana's Invincible Summer

22) Read a manga or manhwa. Uzumaki

23) Read a “howdunit” or “whydunit” mystery. Under Lock & Skeleton Key

24) Pick a challenge from any of the previous years’ challenges to repeat! 2017's Read a book by a̶n̶ i̶m̶m̶i̶g̶r̶a̶n̶t̶ or with a central immigration narrative: Where the Heart Is (Zimbabwe to UK) + Transit (Djibouti to France) + Blue Light Hours (Brazil to USA) + Banyan Moon (Vietnam to USA) + State of War: MS-13 and El Salvador's World of Violence (USA to El Salvador) + Días de Consuelo (Mexico to USA) + Tías and Primas: On Knowing and Loving the Women Who Raise Us (Nicaragua to USA)
which did make me realize how rarely I read immigration narratives not involving the USA or Europe!

Covers

• What was the last book you read for the challenge, and when did you finish it?
Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood, finished it 11/17/24

• What was your favorite prompt?
#21. Read a book that went under the radar in 2023, for which I read Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent

• What was your favorite book?
I had two actually: Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood and Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent

• Was there a book you particularly liked that you wouldn't have picked up, were it not for the challenge?
Again, have two here: Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood and Pet

• What off-the-beaten-path book would you particularly recommend?
Killer Underwear Invasion!: How to Spot Fake News, Disinformation & Conspiracy Theories

Finished before December for once!

What was the last book you read for the challenge, and when did you finish it?
Danse Macabre by Stephen King, finished on 11/14

What was your favorite prompt?
A book about books

What was your favorite book?
Glitter and Concrete: A Cultural History of Drag in New York City

Was there a book you particularly liked that you wouldn't have picked up, were it not for the challenge?
The same, Glitter and Concrete: A Cultural History of Drag in New York City. I lucked out this year as a lot of the books I read already fit into the prompts.

What off-the-beaten-path book would you particularly recommend?
The Very Persistent Gappers of Frip

Last Book: The 57 Bus by Dashka Slater
Favorite Prompt: Read a book based solely on the title
Book I liked that I probably wouldn't have picked up: Spy x Family
Off the beaten path book: The Witching Year by Diana Helmuth

Read a cozy fantasy book: Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree
Read a book about books: The Library Book by Susan Orlean
Read a book about drag or queer artistry: The Art of Drag by Jake Hall
Read a book about media literacy: Cultish by Amanda Montell
Read a book based solely on the title: Build Your House Around My Body by Violet Kupersmith
Read a book by an author with an upcoming event (and go to the event): My Murder by Katie Williams
Read a book in translation from a country you've never visited: The Vegetarian by Han Kang
Read a book recommended by library staff: Night Film by Marisha Pessl
Read a book that went under the radar in 2023: The Witching Year by Diana Helmuth
Read a comic that has been banned: They Called Us Enemy by George Takei
Read a genre book by a disabled author: Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
Read a historical fiction book by an Indigenous author: The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters
Read a history book by a BIPOC author: Caste: The Origins of Our Discontent by Isabel Wilkerson
Read a howdunit or whydunit mystery: The Secret History by Donna Tartt
Read a manga or manhwa: Spy X Family by Tatsuya Endo
Read a middle grade book with an LGBTQIA+ main character: Just Lizzie by Karen Wilfred
Read a middle grade horror novel: Riley's Ghost by John David Anderson
Read an indie published collection by a BIPOC or queer author: Where Hope Comes From by Nikita Gill
Read a picture book published in the last five years: Knight Owl by Christopher Denise
Read a romance with neurodivergent characters: Alone with You in the Ether by Olivie Blake
Read a sci-fi novella: This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone
Read a YA book by a trans author: Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender
Read a YA nonfiction book: The 57 Bus by Dashka Slater
Pick a challenge from a previous year: Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer

What was the last book you read for the challenge, and when did you finish it? - Mermaid Forest by Rumiko Takahashi for #22. Read a manga or manwha on November 2nd.

What was your favorite prompt? - #14. Read a book by an author with an upcoming event (virtual or in person) and then attend the event for which I read Roaming by Mariko and Jillian Tamaki, the former of whom spoke at the LA Times Festival of Books.

What was your favorite book? - This World Is Not Yours by Kemi Ashing-Giwa for #5. Read a sci-fi novella.

Was there a book you particularly liked that you wouldn't have picked up, were it not for the challenge? - A Magical Girl Retires by Park Seolyeon, translated by Anton Hur for #8. Read a book in translation from a country you’ve never visited.

What off-the-beaten-path book would you particularly recommend? - A Long Stretch of Bad Days by Mindy McGinnis, which I funnily enough read for #21. Read a book that went under the radar in 2023.

I’m still 4 short of finishing, but at least I’ve finally finished all of the previous years’ (apostrophe position used advisedly) challenges apart from one 2022 straggler.
I *might* be able to do a couple more by the end of the month, but I have a couple of other challenges and book group books to deal with.
I have to say that this is the year I’ve least enjoyed, both in terms of the prompts and the books read.

Last book - The mystery of the yellow room for the “howdunit” prompt.

Best prompt - Book recommended by a librarian. My friend Nicola from High Wycombe suggested Beartown. Not the best book I’ve ever read, but some decent writing and tricky subject matter sensitively handled.

Best book - Stalingrad by Vasily Grossman for the “use a previous year’s prompt”. This was my second go at it and thoroughly enjoyed it. Edged out Howard’s End Is On The Landing by Susan Hill.

Book that I wouldn’t have picked up if hadn’t been for the challenge : Customs by Solmaz Sharif. I’m not nearly clever enough to read poetry properly, but I enjoyed this collection quite a bit.

Off the beaten track book I would recommend : I don’t think I read anything too unusual, but How The One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House was brutal but brilliant.

Yay - finished yesterday. Last book was #19 "The Bride Test" by Helen Hoang.

Favourite prompt - #24 because I love looking back at previous years. I completed a prompt I'd not completed previously (a book about politics) with "Everywoman" by Jess Phillips which I was reading with my book group.

Favourite book was my last but one - #17 a book about media literacy. I read "Invisible Women" by Caroline Criado Perez. Maybe a slight stretch, but I thought it fitted.

Wouldn't have picked up "Legends and Lattes" by Travis Baldree for #1 cosy fantasy, as it's a genre I usually avoid, but it was quite fun.

Off the beaten path book - "The Imaginary Lives of James Poneke" by Tina Makereti for #10 historical fiction by an indigenous author (she is Maori), also has LGBT+ themes.

Just finished up today! I had been putting off the middle grade and picture books, knowing I could finish them quickly.

Favorite prompt: a "howdunit"/"whydunit" mystery
Favorite book: The Sentence by Louise Erdrich
Wouldn't have picked up: Conspirituality by Derek Beres, Matthew Remski, and Julian Walker, which was perfectly timed with my reading of Caste by Isabel Wilkerson. There were overlaps in the themes and history that I was not expecting and deepened my understanding of the material.
Off-the-beaten-path recommendation: A River in Darkness by Mizuki Tsujimura. I tend to read a book about North Korea every few years, and I'm always left feeling grateful for the freedoms and abundance I'm privileged to have.

1. Read a cozy fantasy book: Somewhere Beyond the Sea by TJ Klune
2. Read a YA book by a trans author: Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender
3. Read a middle grade horror novel: Too Bright to See by Kyle Lukoff
4. Read a history book by a BIPOC author: Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson
5. Read a sci-fi novella: This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar, Max Gladstone
6. Read a middle grade book with an LGBTQIA main character: double-dipped with #3
7. Read an indie published collection of poetry by a BIPOC or queer author: Bluets by Maggie Nelson
8. Read a book in translation from a country you’ve never visited: A River in Darkness: One Man's Escape from North Korea by Masaji Ishikawa
9. Read a book recommended by a librarian: Liberation Day by George Saunders
10. Read a historical fiction book by an Indigenous author: The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters
11. Read a picture book published in the last five years: The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy
12. Read a genre book (SFF, horror, mystery, romance) by a disabled author: Witchmark by C.L. Polk
13. Read a comic that has been banned: The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang
14. Read a book by an author with an upcoming event (virtual or in person) and then attend the event: Love, Lists, and Fancy Ships by Sarah Grunder Ruiz
15. Read a YA nonfiction book: They Called Us Enemy by George Takei
16. Read a book based solely on the title: Bimboland by Erin Taylor.
17. Read a book about media literacy: Conspirituality: How New Age Conspiracy Theories Became a Health Threat by Derek Beres, Matthew Remski, and Julian Walker
18. Read a book about drag or queer artistry: The House of Hidden Meanings by RuPaul
19. Read a romance with neurodivergent characters: Last Call at the Local by Sarah Grunder Ruiz
20. Read a book about books (fiction or nonfiction): The Sentence by Louise Erdrich
21. Read a book that went under the radar in 2023: Thin Skin: Essays by Jenn Shapland
22. Read a manga or manhwa: Lonely Castle in the Mirror, Vol. 1 by Mizuki Tsujimura
23. Read a “howdunit” or “whydunit” mystery: The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton
24. Pick a challenge from any of the previous years’ challenges to repeat! (2017) #22 Read a collection of stories by a woman: Festival Days by Jo Ann Beard