2026 Read Harder – 1. A Microhistory (30 books)

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Task 1: Read a microhistory

A list of recommendations for Book Riot's 2026 Read Harder Challenge. Feel free to add recommendations.

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1	Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach 4.06 avg rating — 243,911 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
1	Rats: Observations on the History & Habitat of the City's Most Unwanted Inhabitants by Robert Sullivan 3.71 avg rating — 4,599 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
1	The Notebook: A History of Thinking on Paper by Roland Allen (Goodreads Author) 4.31 avg rating — 2,171 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
4	The Secret Lives of Color by Kassia St. Clair 3.99 avg rating — 22,526 ratings score: 99, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
4	Cat Tales: A History by Jerry D. Moore 3.46 avg rating — 54 ratings score: 99, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
4	A Place For Everything: The Curious History of Alphabetical Order by Judith Flanders (Goodreads Author) 3.47 avg rating — 1,041 ratings score: 99, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
7	Curious Coffins and Riveting Rituals: Death Practices Around the World by YY Liak 4.07 avg rating — 89 ratings score: 98, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
7	Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law by Mary Roach 3.84 avg rating — 30,839 ratings score: 98, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
9	Butts: A Backstory by Heather Radke 3.73 avg rating — 9,886 ratings score: 97, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
10	The Big Necessity: The Unmentionable World of Human Waste and Why It Matters by Rose George (Goodreads Author) 4.02 avg rating — 2,638 ratings score: 96, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
11	Just My Type: A Book About Fonts by Simon Garfield 3.95 avg rating — 61,950 ratings score: 95, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
12	Rabid: A Cultural History of the World's Most Diabolical Virus by Bill Wasik (Goodreads Author) 3.71 avg rating — 12,911 ratings score: 94, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
13	Blood: The Science, Medicine, and Mythology of Menstruation by Jennifer Gunter 4.16 avg rating — 3,462 ratings score: 93, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
14	Gods, Wasps and Stranglers: The Secret History and Redemptive Future of Fig Trees by Mike Shanahan (Goodreads Author) 4.11 avg rating — 591 ratings score: 92, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
15	A Short History of Spaghetti with Tomato Sauce by Massimo Montanari 3.78 avg rating — 477 ratings score: 91, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
16	Dancing in the Streets: A History of Collective Joy by Barbara Ehrenreich 3.85 avg rating — 1,587 ratings score: 90, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
17	Poison: The History of Potions, Powders and Murderous Practitioners by Ben Hubbard (Goodreads Author) 4.19 avg rating — 1,017 ratings score: 89, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
18	Shady Characters: The Secret Life of Punctuation, Symbols & Other Typographical Marks by Keith Houston (Goodreads Author) 3.96 avg rating — 2,200 ratings score: 88, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
19	The Week: A History of the Unnatural Rhythms That Made Us Who We Are by David M. Henkin 3.14 avg rating — 204 ratings score: 87, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
20	Beaverland: How One Weird Rodent Made America by Leila Philip 3.74 avg rating — 2,548 ratings score: 86, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
21	Oak: The Frame of Civilization by William Bryant Logan 3.96 avg rating — 445 ratings score: 85, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
22	The Bookshop: A History of the American Bookstore by Evan Friss (Goodreads Author) 3.90 avg rating — 11,242 ratings score: 84, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
23	Everything Is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection by John Green (Goodreads Author) 4.33 avg rating — 247,660 ratings score: 83, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
24	The Sweetness of Venus: A History of the Clitoris by Sarah Chadwick (Goodreads Author) 4.55 avg rating — 137 ratings score: 82, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
25	After Work: The Politics of Free Time by Helen Hester 3.94 avg rating — 584 ratings score: 81, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
26	The Joy of Sweat: The Strange Science of Perspiration by Sarah Everts 3.82 avg rating — 1,211 ratings score: 80, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
27	Buzz: A Stimulating History of the Sex Toy by Hallie Lieberman (Goodreads Author) 3.82 avg rating — 483 ratings score: 79, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
28	Buzz: The Nature and Necessity of Bees by Thor Hanson (Goodreads Author) 4.21 avg rating — 2,108 ratings score: 78, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
29	Holy Sh*t: A Brief History of Swearing by Melissa Mohr (Goodreads Author) 3.87 avg rating — 2,328 ratings score: 77, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
30	Bunk: The Rise of Hoaxes, Humbug, Plagiarists, Phonies, Post-Facts, and Fake News by Kevin Young 3.18 avg rating — 1,088 ratings score: 76, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars