Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge discussion

Use this space to discuss books you're reading or that might fit the 22nd Read Harder task.

I am planning to read A Stash of One's Own which is essays on yarn stashes of some of the famous designers in the knitting community.

Can anyone recommend a book of essays about TV shows or books or something like that?

I found one that sounds promising: Marvel's Black Widow from Spy to Superhero: Essays on an Avenger with a Very Specific Skill Set

I'm planning on reading either Seven Seasons of Buffy: Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers Discuss Their Favorite Television Show or Mind-Rain: Your Favorite Authors on Scott Westerfeld's Uglies Series.

Does anyone know if Lydia Davis' book, The Collected Stories, would count for this category? Hoping so.

Isn’t it only an anthology if it contain works from multiple different authors?

Amber wrote: "Isn’t it only an anthology if it contain works from multiple different authors?"

According to dictionary.com:

anthology

noun, plural anthologies.

1. a book or other collection of selected writings by various authors, usually in the same literary form, of the same period, or on the same subject:
an anthology of Elizabethan drama; an anthology of modern philosophy.
2. a collection of selected writings by one author.

http://www.dictionary.com/browse/anth...

Some possibilities I’m considering: We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy, The Fire Next Time (though I think includes just 2 essays?), We Are Never Meeting In Real Life, Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader, One Day We'll All Be Dead and None of This Will Matter...

Will The Opposite of Loneliness: Essays and Stories work for this?

Cassandra wrote: "Will The Opposite of Loneliness: Essays and Stories work for this?"

It isn’t strictly essays, but does include several, so I would say yes, but it is your call. There are a few short stories included as well, if I remember correctly.

I'm planning on reading Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader.

Sarah wrote: "Cassandra wrote: "Will The Opposite of Loneliness: Essays and Stories work for this?"

It isn’t strictly essays, but does include several, so I would say yes, but it is your call. T..."


Thank you. It’s been on my TBR list for a little while but wasn’t sure if it met the requirements of the prompt.

I am not a fan of essays, so I was surprised to realize that I already own a couple books that may qualify for this prompt. Bad Feminist, The Fire This Time: A New Generation Speaks about Race, & Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?.

Anything from Stephen Jay Gould Reflections in Natural History Series, should fit this category.

Nearly everything listed here is not an anthology but rather a collection. A book of essays is not necessarily an anthology, an anthology is a survey of things selected (by someone besides the author) from various collections or publications. It can be by one author, or there can be another unifying theme. I am reading The Best American Essays 1998

Bonnie wrote: "Nearly everything listed here is not an anthology but rather a collection. A book of essays is not necessarily an anthology, an anthology is a survey of things selected (by someone besides the auth..."

Depends on how Book Riot is defining anthology...it would appear it has more than one definition and they haven’t specified if they intended a broad or narrow reading of the term.

anthology
/ænˈθɒlədʒɪ/
noun (pl) -gies
1.
a collection of literary passages or works, esp poems, by various authors
2.
any printed collection of literary pieces, songs, works of art, etc

http://www.dictionary.com/browse/anth...

Sarah wrote: "Bonnie wrote: "Nearly everything listed here is not an anthology but rather a collection. A book of essays is not necessarily an anthology, an anthology is a survey of things selected (by someone b..."

You are right. I am going with what I learned in school. We need an independent panel of English professors!

We are defining anthology as a collection featuring multiple authors. So many of these listed would not count.

Daph wrote: "I found one that sounds promising: Marvel's Black Widow from Spy to Superhero: Essays on an Avenger with a Very Specific Skill Set"

An anthology is multiple authors. Unfortunately this one will not count.

Rachel wrote: "We are defining anthology as a collection featuring multiple authors. So many of these listed would not count."

Too bad! I'm having a very hard time finding a multiple-author essay collection on a topic I'm interested in, so I saw the broader definition involving any essay collection and was glad to have something I wanted to read. Will have to keep looking.

Edit: after some digging, My Bookstore: Writers Celebrate Their Favorite Places to Browse, Read, and Shop looks like a good possibility! And it includes several bookstores I'm familiar with, so it will be a fun read.

I just happened to pick up Radical Hope: Letters of Love and Dissent in Dangerous Times from the new books display at my school's library, and realized when I got home that it will fit for this somewhat difficult prompt! And a plus - reading it around my parents house over the holidays will probably send my dad into a tizzy.

Chrissy wrote: "I just happened to pick up Radical Hope: Letters of Love and Dissent in Dangerous Times from the new books display at my school's library, and realized when I got home that it will ..."

Thank you for this one. I think it will be just the ticket to start off the new year, especially given a difficult 2017.

Chrissy wrote: "I just happened to pick up Radical Hope: Letters of Love and Dissent in Dangerous Times from the new books display at my school's library, and realized when I got home that it will ..."

Great suggestion! Adding this to my TBR.

I want to read Heating & Cooling: 52 Micro-Memoirs or We Are Never Meeting In Real Life for this task.

Elizabeth wrote: "I'm planning on reading either Seven Seasons of Buffy: Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers Discuss Their Favorite Television Show or [book:Mind-Rain: Your Favorite Authors on Scott West..."

I was always a fan of Buffy, that's definitely my pick.

Rachel wrote: "We are defining anthology as a collection featuring multiple authors. So many of these listed would not count."

Do you have a list for this task?

Satrina wrote: "Rachel wrote: "We are defining anthology as a collection featuring multiple authors. So many of these listed would not count."

Do you have a list for this task?"

You can work backward and see where these essays were anthologized http://lithub.com/the-most-anthologiz....

Please tell me I can read Rogues for this one!

Saluka wrote: "Please tell me I can read Rogues for this one!"

Rogues in a short story anthology, not an essay anthology.

Bonnie wrote: "Saluka wrote: "Please tell me I can read Rogues for this one!"

Rogues in a short story anthology, not an essay anthology."

Ok, thanks. Think I'll read Nature, Love, Medicine: Essays on Healing in Wilderness instead.

Saluka wrote: "Bonnie wrote: "Saluka wrote: "Please tell me I can read Rogues for this one!"

Rogues in a short story anthology, not an essay anthology."

Ok, thanks. Think I'll read [book:Nature,..."

Sounds great!

Sarah wrote: "Cassandra wrote: "Will The Opposite of Loneliness: Essays and Stories work for this?"

It isn’t strictly essays, but does include several, so I would say yes, but it is your call. T..."

It would definitely work for the "published posthumously" task.

I'm going to read Not That Bad: Dispatches from Rape Culture for this challenge, it isn't out yet, but I'll just save this prompt for a bit later in the year.

Anna wrote: "Sarah wrote: "Cassandra wrote: "Will The Opposite of Loneliness: Essays and Stories work for this?"

It isn’t strictly essays, but does include several, so I would say yes, but it i..."

I thought about using it for that prompt but really want to read Ariel too

A Passion for Books: A Book Lover's Treasury of Stories, Essays, Humor, Love and Lists on Collecting, Reading, Borrowing, Lending, Caring for, and Appreciating Books

Endless Feasts: Sixty Years of Writing from Gourmet
Her Fork in the Road: Women Celebrate Food and Travel are all already books I own, but haven't read.

I found this one difficult to find (library access, interest, and to be an actual anthology). My picks Nasty Women: Feminism, Resistance, and Revolution in Trump's America or The Fire This Time: A New Generation Speaks about Race.

Amber wrote: "I'm going to read Not That Bad: Dispatches from Rape Culture for this challenge, it isn't out yet, but I'll just save this prompt for a bit later in the year."

I hadn't even heard of this somehow and now I'm so excited for it!

Amber wrote: "I'm going to read Not That Bad: Dispatches from Rape Culture for this challenge, it isn't out yet, but I'll just save this prompt for a bit later in the year."

I was thinking the same thing!

For anyone interested in, or curious about, flash essays:
In Short: A Collection of Brief Creative Nonfiction

Short Takes: Brief Encounters with Contemporary Nonfiction

Brief Encounters: A Collection of Contemporary Nonfiction

We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy

I had been planning on reading Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches or Women, Race, and Class, but they're both single author, so I'll need to rethink my plans. Possibly I'll read The Fire This Time: A New Generation Speaks about Race or Nasty Women: Feminism, Resistance, and Revolution in Trump's America. The Word: Black Writers Talk About the Transformative Power of Reading and Writing also looks interesting.

For anthologies featuring multiple authors that I've already read,
I recommend Invisible: Personal Essays on Representation in SF/F and its sequel Invisible 2: Personal Essays on Representation in SF/F, which I liked even better than the first. They're really great looks the importance of representation in sci fi/fantasy. If anyone here is in the TESOL field, Color, Race, and English Language Teaching: Shades of Meaning is also amazing.

I'll be reading What We Do Now: Standing Up For Your Values in Trump's America for this task!

Another recommendation might be Courage Is Contagious: And Other Reasons to Be Grateful for Michelle Obama.

The Good Immigrant may also work for this one!

Nasty Women: Feminism, Resistance, and Revolution in Trump's America was an excellent collection of essays.

I'm thinking of Selfish, Shallow, and Self-Absorbed: Sixteen Writers on The Decision Not To Have Kids for this one

Ex libris is not an anthology, it's a collection. Anthologies are selected, not created by the author.

I might give something by Meghan Daum a go for this one!

Where The Roses Smell The Best by students at Roosevelt high school.