Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge discussion

Share and discuss book ideas for
Task 1: Read a 2025 release by a BIPOC author.

I'm going to read the fourth book in the Cash Blackbear series by Marcie R Rendon. I have it on pre-order for March.

I'm planning to read Glory Daze: A Glory Broussard Mystery by Danielle Arceneaux, the second in the Glory Broussard Mystery series.

I'm not entirely sure about this one yet, since I only have a few 2025 releases on my radar right now (it's funny, I have as many 2026 anticipated reads that would fit this task as I do 2025). I'm definitely considering The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones and They Bloom at Night by Trang Thanh Tran.

The second book in the Vera Wong series by Jesse Q Sutano comes out in April!

The Library at Hellebore
Kirby's Lessons for Falling
Sucker Punch: Essays
Dream Count
The Dream Hotel

At this point, I’m planning on The Baby Dragon Café

I'm thinking about Death of the Author or Dream Count.

I'm doing Death of the Author!

I'm going to read Just Our Luck.

"Water Moon" By Samantha Sotto Yombao

I've asked my local library to purchase Melaleuca by Angie Faye Martin, an Australian First Nations author. It will be released middle of 2025.

I'm gonna read Oathbound. It's coming out in March! hehe

I created a Listopia for this prompt: (I'm trying to create one for every prompt)

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

I'm reading Good Dirt by Charmaine Wilkerson for this one.

K, your list is a boon! Thank you for making it.

I'm looking forward to I Got Abducted by Aliens and Now I'm Trapped in a Rom-Com

I think I'm going to read The Buffalo Hunter Hunter for this one.

I'm keeping this fairly open and will keep an eye out for local (Australian) releases throughout the year, but there are a few authors I like with new books coming out.

Somadina by Akwaeke Emezi

Katabasis by R. F. Kuang

Also definitely planning on reading One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This by Omar El Akkad.

Ooh looks like there will be a new Ocean Vuong too: The Emperor of Gladness

I did IMMACULATE CONCEPTION by Ling Ling Huang

Harlem Rhapsody

I just finished (S)Kin and it was amazing! I also realized it works for this prompt.

I read A History of the World in Six Plagues: How Contagion, Class, and Captivity Shaped Us, from Cholera to COVID-19 by Edna Bonhomme - 5/1/25.

I ended up reading They Bloom At Night by Nhi Do. It was a really enjoyable YA dark horror novel with some scifi elements. Would recommend!

I still want to read The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones though.

I read Death of the Author Nnedi Okorafor

I'm going to read Jacinta Price's autobiography, published this year. Price is an Australian Aboriginal politician.

I read King of Ashes

Blob, Maggie Su

Elizabeth wrote: "I ended up reading They Bloom At Night by Nhi Do. It was a really enjoyable YA dark horror novel with some scifi elements. Would recommend!"

Wanted to clarify that I meant that Nhi Do was the narrator of the audiobook and the author is Trang Thanh Tran, missed a few words in my post.

I read Homeseeking by Karissa Chen. I absolutely loved it! One of the best books I’ve read this year.