Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge discussion

Hi everyone!

I'm really behind on this challenge but still going for it. . . and I need suggestions! Rather than trying to wade through all the category threads, I thought I'd ask you all for some specific recommendations.

In particular, I'm looking for short, graphic, or children's books to fill my last categories. I had some books picked out already, but I'm afraid a lot of them are so long that I won't be able to finish them in time. Any ideas would be most welcome!

My last categories are:
- Horror
- Biography
- Middle East setting
- Southeast Asian author
- Religion
- Politics
- Food memoir
- First in a series by a person of color

Thanks in advance and best of luck to everyone still reading for the challenge!

For Horror, I suggest any of the Goosebumps books, like One Day at Horrorland. Biography Swan: The Life and Dance of Anna Pavlova.

For biography Jonah Winters does picture book biographys: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... and some might count toward Politics as well.

I did a picture book for my biography. I chose I Dissent: Ruth Bader Ginsburg Makes Her Mark. It was really good! I also chose fiction for politics because politics stress me out, so I read The Hopefuls Also, I don't know if you listen to audiobooks often, but that's how I've gotten a lot of my books accomplished this year and it may help you out with the time crunch. The audio for An Ember in the Ashes has really great narration and is the first in a series by a person of color.

First in a series by a person of color March: Book One

Politics The War Prayer or The US Constitution.

Southeast Asian author Inside Out & Back Again

For the first book in a series by a person of color, Through the Eyes of the Eagle is part one of a series of four picture books by a Native American. It can be downloaded as a PDF or an eBook and read in about five minutes.

For politics I read Common Sense, which is a little over 60 pages and available online.

March: Book One fills the category for politics and also for a first in a series by a person of color, and it is one of the best books I have read this year

I've been reading some shorter books to finish up my list too.

For religion, I just finished The Screwtape Letters. It's quite short and I enjoyed it a great deal.

Coraline is a children's book that would count as horror.

Relish: My Life in the Kitchen is a comic that fits the food category.

Words in the Dust was a pretty quick read, at 286 pages. It's set in the Middle East.

Middle East setting The Queue
Food memoir 32 Yolks
First in a series by a person of color - if you like sci-fi/fantasy try author NK Jemisin . she has 3 series and i think has won 2 nebulas

oops just read you need short - 32 yolks would still work. others might want to leave for 2017!

Wow, thanks for the suggestions, everyone! For anyone interested, I think I've decided on the following choices (but if you have other suggestions, feel free to add!):

Horror: Bird Box or, if I get really pressed for time, The Grownup
Biography: Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, or Andre the Giant: Life and Legend
Middle East setting: Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood
Southeast Asian author: Kampung Boy
Religion: The Screwtape Letters
Politics: Common Sense
Food memoir: Relish: My Life in the Kitchen
First in a series by a person of color: March: Book One

I was about to suggest Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood for the Middle East setting and now I see that you picked it. It's a really fast read and a very good book too.

For religion you could also read Letter to a Christian Nation. It's a short book.

Leah wrote: "Wow, thanks for the suggestions, everyone! For anyone interested, I think I've decided on the following choices (but if you have other suggestions, feel free to add!):

Horror: [book:Bird Box|18498..."

I read Bird Box for my Horror category, as well, this year, and it was quite good! I particularly recommend listening to the audiobook, since the characters spend much of the book blindfolded and experience the world through sound, so it can help you feel more immersed. And of course, if you're pressed for time, you can listen to the audiobook at 1.5 speed! haha

The Screwtape Letters is also excellent.

I like your choices - good luck.

Politics - V for Vendetta (this is what I read as well!)
Horror - Through the Woods (I read this earlier this year and really enjoyed it)

I was going to say Persepolis as well. I'm doing the 2015 challenge at the moment, and read this for the graphic novel category. It's a short read, and I really enjoyed it!

For politics, you might also try The Best Laid Plans. It's a humour novel, also very fast and easy to read. The background is Canadian federal politics, but I think the themes and the story are universal enough that lots of people could get into it.

Ha! I was going to recommend Persepolis and Notorious RBG for graphic-nonsuperhero Middle East and biography, respectively. Others beat me to it and glad to hear great minds think alike. Notorious RBG is good as an audiobook as well. I have heard that A Hobbit, a Wardrobe, and a Great War: How J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis Rediscovered Faith, Friendship, and Heroism in the Cataclysm of 1914-18 is also great and it would count for biography and religion.

Does anyone know if Bookriot will be doing a read harder challenge for 2017 and when that will come out? I want to tell my husband which books to get me for Christmas.

Melanie wrote: "Does anyone know if Bookriot will be doing a read harder challenge for 2017 and when that will come out? I want to tell my husband which books to get me for Christmas. "

The last two years they announced the challenge and released the list of categories on December 15. I will be very surprised if they don't continue with a third challenge.

Thanks for letting me know! :)