Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge discussion

When will the prompts for the 2019 challenge be released? I like to plan ahead...

Ann wrote: "When will the prompts for the 2019 challenge be released? I like to plan ahead..."

The last few years they've released the list on Dec. 15, so that'd be my guess. Not that I have it on my calendar or anything...... :)

I can't wait!!!!!!!

Anyone want to guess at next year's categories? What would you love to see?!

Personally I'm hoping for poetry of some kind (or at least a novel in verse). I wouldn't be surprised to see a book by/about an indigenous person or group, or a book with a transgender or gender-fluid MC. I'd also love to see some fiction set in the middle east.

Allie wrote: "Anyone want to guess at next year's categories? What would you love to see?!

Personally I'm hoping for poetry of some kind (or at least a novel in verse). I also wouldn't be surprised to see a boo..."

I think we had a poetry prompt; I read Rilke last year, and I never read poetry. I would love a prompt for a book on war written by a vet (its a favorite genre for me); A book set in a former soviet bloc country would be cool. I love the indigenous authors idea. I have been obsessed with Native American authors lately, and am reading a fantastic nonfiction book by and about American Indians (mostly Ojibwe, but not only.) I loved the western prompt this year (I never read in that genre, and loved it) so maybe other books about imperialist expansion other places in the world. Also a fan of more trans/gender fluid/gender creative authors. Books about the rise of fascist and other totalitarian regimes would be super helpful at the moment. And I wouldn't yell at a dead white male classics prompt either. I love reading broadly, but there is so much good literature to be read by dead white guys, we ought to remember that.

Bonnie wrote: "Allie wrote: "Anyone want to guess at next year's categories? What would you love to see?!

Personally I'm hoping for poetry of some kind (or at least a novel in verse). I also wouldn't be surprise..."

You're correct, I was wondering why I had so many poetry collections in my TBR! It was from 2017's challenge!

Allie wrote: "Bonnie wrote: "Allie wrote: "Anyone want to guess at next year's categories? What would you love to see?!

Personally I'm hoping for poetry of some kind (or at least a novel in verse). I also would..."

A novel in verse would be really great though, or maybe poetry from a particular century?

There are often prompts for film but think maybe a small screen adaptation or podcast companion would be s good prompt!

Allie wrote: "Anyone want to guess at next year's categories? What would you love to see?!

Personally I'm hoping for poetry of some kind (or at least a novel in verse). I wouldn't be surprised to see a book by/..."

Allie, I love all your suggestions. :)

Yeah, a prompt I'd really like to see (for any challenge, not just Read Harder), is a book adapted for a medium/format that's not film. The focus is always films, when there are so many adaptations coming out as TV series, plays, radio dramas, etc.

Mercedes wrote: "A book written by someone whose other book you have read didn't strike your fancy.

I've crossed many an author based on one bad read, and maybe that wasn't fair of me. Many of them deserve a secon..."

That is a great idea. I'm also guilty of writing off an author based on one book I didn't like, never to read anything else they've written.

A book taking place in and by an author from a country next door. Hi, neighbor!

A book written in or taking place in a prison or jail.

A setting not on Earth
A setting at sea

A biography or auto by/about someone of a race different from reader

A drama in verse.
A book of humor.
A book of historical fiction or nonfiction set in certain time period and/or a certain country/civilizaton.
A book based on or about mythology.
A mystery from the Golden Age of Detective Fiction.
A book of magical realism.
A book on art (fiction or nonfiction).
A self-help book.

A fun little experiment is to read a book in any two languages you know.
(ideally one of which is your native tongue or is the original text)

It’s interesting to see how a translated text adapts or creates a whole new experience.

I’m digging these ideas! Hopefully we’ll see some of them on the task list.
Here’s another one
A book that focuses on food but isn’t strictly a cook book; something like Like Water for Chocolate, or Big Night.

I would really love if the list came out slightly earlier. I have a tradition of getting my mom a book for every category on the list for the holidays. I wish I could have an extra week or two to pick and purchase the books.

Ariel wrote: "I would really love if the list came out slightly earlier. I have a tradition of getting my mom a book for every category on the list for the holidays. I wish I could have an extra week or two to pick and purchase the books..."

My jaw just hit the floor....Oh how I would love it if someone would buy me ALL of my challenge books for Christmas....It's not asking too much, I mean, I only put close to 400 choices on my lists 😂

Seriously though, this is the nicest gift I think I've ever heard of.

Allie wrote: "Anyone want to guess at next year's categories? What would you love to see?!

Personally I'm hoping for poetry of some kind (or at least a novel in verse). I wouldn't be surprised to see a book by/..."

I'd love all of these prompts, but especially the poetry. I was able to go to the Congressional Book Festival and there's actually a new book of poetry by current Native poets that I've got on my TBR :)

How about a book about a different kind of spirituality/religion from your own (or by a person of that faith) that isn't explicitly negative.
So, not books with titles such as, "Why Christianity Is Stupid" or "Islam Is For Losers."

Also, I was an Eng. major in college and one of my favorite classes was "Literature and Medicine." One of the reasons is that it took us across genres (poetry, bio, memoir, fiction, etc.) and a wide range of authors like Audre Lorde, Oliver Sacks, Adrienne Rich, Molière, and more.

What is the title?

Erica wrote: "How about a book about a different kind of spirituality/religion from your own (or by a person of that faith) that isn't explicitly negative.
So, not books with titles such as, "Why Christianity Is..."

Love the Literature and Medicine idea.

There will be something that has to do w/ LGBTQIA,
I think a book from a non human perspective would be interesting, survival book. Yes I will be double dipping, triple dipping,

Preeti wrote: "Allie wrote: "Anyone want to guess at next year's categories? What would you love to see?!

Personally I'm hoping for poetry of some kind (or at least a novel in verse). I wouldn't be surprised to ..."

Yes, would also love to know the title of the Native poets book!


Erica wrote: "Also, I was an Eng. major in college and one of my favorite classes was "Literature and Medicine.""

Oooh, that's an interesting idea. I'm a little bit of a hypochondriac, but I looked up some of those authors and medicine expands way beyond what I thought it might, so I could probably handle something along those lines!

a classic children's novel
a book that takes place in a country you've visited or want to visit
a microhistory (I know this was done several years ago but there are so many good ones)
a book about a pet or pets
a science or science fiction book about Mars (or the moon)

I'm getting burned out on challenge categories. They're all beginning to sound alike. One thing Book Riot did this year that I loved was the DIY reading challenge and the Fall Reading Challenge which was inspired by creating reading experiences. I'd be up for more of the same for 2019.

https://bookriot.com/2017/12/11/diy-r...

Martha wrote: "I'm getting burned out on challenge categories. They're all beginning to sound alike. One thing Book Riot did this year that I loved was the DIY reading challenge and the Fall Reading Challenge whi..."

Thanks for sharing that. I know what you mean about getting burned out. I was quite sad that I didn't manage to complete my Challenge in 2017 because I had a newborn who took all my attention (still have books on my TBR shelf tagged with the categories, so we live in hope). Didn't even look at the 2018 version for the same reason, but I'd like to get back into it in 2019. Here's hoping they come up with some exciting categories.

Ms. wrote: "Martha wrote: "I'm getting burned out on challenge categories. They're all beginning to sound alike. One thing Book Riot did this year that I loved was the DIY reading challenge and the Fall Readin..."

They're usually pretty original. I may just be too saturated in challenges. They're so much fun but my reading list has exploded and I need to get some balance back in my reading life. That's why I loved the Fall challenge - it was more about creating a comfortable reading life (create a book nook, get a comfortable blanket or throw, make your seasonal reading list, etc).

I'm trying to curb my competitive spirit when it comes to these reading challenges. I know it's not like I'm being graded, and I'm only really competing with myself, but once I mentally commit to these challenges, I feel compelled to complete them. It's been both satisfying and exhausting.

Now I've stumbled upon that really terrific list of DIYs from the article Martha shared, and I have to groan. Even though it starts off by telling me not to fret, they're so imaginative and interesting that I want to do a lot of them, so I'm low-key stressing out, haha. And the official BR challenges haven't even come out yet!

Martha wrote: "I'm getting burned out on challenge categories. They're all beginning to sound alike. One thing Book Riot did this year that I loved was the DIY reading challenge and the Fall Reading Challenge whi..."
Love that list of ideas for a DIY challenge! 2017 was the first year I tried the Read Harder challenge; I didn't complete it but I did fairly well. This year, however, life got in the way and I only ended up reading a few of the books I'd flagged for challenge categories.

Next year I'm going to do a middle grade reading challenge/book club with my 4th grader. She needs encouragement to read more, and to branch out in her reading, so I thought it'd be a fun thing to do together. There are no set categories, but we'll take turns choosing the books. I'm hoping I can use this to get her to try some books I know she'd love but that she's resisted because she's stubborn and doesn't want to read anything I suggest. We'll see how it goes.

My children were the same way about my reading suggestions. Anne Bogel wrote that her children started reading books she thought they would like when the books were put in a visible and accessible area of the house. She didn't say anything, just made them visible. I wish I'd done something like that. Two of my three children ended up being readers. The mother-daughter book club sounds like fun. Good luck!

Ava wrote: "Martha wrote: "I'm getting burned out on challenge categories. They're all beginning to sound alike. One thing Book Riot did this year that I loved was the DIY reading challenge and the Fall Readin..."

My son is dyslexic so he resisted reading. He is 19 now, but after he was diagnosed when he was 8 we started an Ethan-Mommy book club. We would read the same book, I created a list of questions to go with it, and once a month go to a cool restaurant to discuss it. We tried to match the cuisine to the book when possible. He loved it. We did it until he was 15! He is still a reader, so I declare it a success.

Makhloufian wrote: "A fun little experiment is to read a book in any two languages you know.
(ideally one of which is your native tongue or is the original text)

It’s interesting to see how a translated text adapts o..."

Ooooh, I love the idea of this. I could read some Latin texts or French ones!

Melody wrote: "I'm trying to curb my competitive spirit when it comes to these reading challenges. I know it's not like I'm being graded, and I'm only really competing with myself, but once I mentally commit to t..."

Yes, identify with your statement about your competitive spirit. The planning is what I'm most attracted to but like you I need to stop feeling so compelled to finish.

I'm with you guys the DIY list has really piqued my interest.

Erica wrote: "Also, I was an Eng. major in college and one of my favorite classes was "Literature and Medicine.""

Oooh, that's an interesting idea. I'm a little bit of a hypochondriac, but I looked up some of those authors and medicine expands way beyond what I thought it might, so I could probably handle something along those lines!

Yes, that's what I appreciated about the course so much. It approached the broad topic in so many different ways.

Martha wrote: "I'm getting burned out on challenge categories. They're all beginning to sound alike. One thing Book Riot did this year that I loved was the DIY reading challenge and the Fall Reading Challenge whi..."

This would be my first year doing this, partly because there's a lot of hard stuff in life and even the merely abstract idea of "reading hard/er" hasn't been particularly attractive to me. And I feel like I've read a lot of non-mainstream authors/genres in my day. But this year, I decided to check out the challenge because there's a lot of room for expansion of my reading life—and as I look at the past categories there are many that it wouldn't have occurred to me to read. I agree that a lot of them seem to blend together though...I'm planning on approaching it as less of a challenge or task than as a way to guide my reading this year.

If this is your first year I would think the Read Harder Challenge would appear very attractive. Read Harder has always stood out to me as the most innovative and broad-reaching challenge of the year. I've noticed that some people who are beginning with Read Harder also go back to earlier years and do those challenges too. At any rate, the sky's the limit! Have fun!

I have never finished a read harder challenge. But I use them every year to try and broaden or focus some of my reading - but -- I keep the challenges visable - with the thought of one day finishing them ...

I am often short one to three books, this year it's colonial and BRIC books.

For next year, maybe a book on survival, how to or biography or plain novel.

I am gonna try to read at least 50% of books I already have this year so might struggle with any other challeneges

Pixelina wrote: "I am often short one to three books, this year it's colonial and BRIC books.

For next year, maybe a book on survival, how to or biography or plain novel.

I am gonna try to read at least 50% of b..."

Pixelina -

If you decide you want to cross off the tasks BRIC books, Pashmina is a graphic novel that takes place in both the US & India. It's fairly short, 160 pages, but since it's mostly illustration they go quickly. It can be a one-sitting read, & it also fulfills most or all of the tasks involving comics/graphic novels.

My library had it as an ebook & a print edition.

Heya! Sorry for delay. I didn’t see the comments asking for the title! The poetry book is ‘New Poets of Native Nations’ edited by Heid E. Erdrich.

I definitely wish they would post it earlier, like December 1st would be great. This year was my first experience with reading challenges, doing both Book Riot and Popsugar's challenges. I finished Book Riot in July, and Popsugar in September, so I'm adding Around The Year to my challenges for 2019. I've got all my books/options picked out for Popsugar and ATY and am feeling desperate to get my books picked out for Book Riot!

I was wrong in comment #2, I saw on Twitter that BR is actually releasing the list on Dec. 12!

Becky wrote: "I definitely wish they would post it earlier, like December 1st would be great. This year was my first experience with reading challenges, doing both Book Riot and Popsugar's challenges. I finished..."

Those are the three challenges I did this year.... plus another 52 book challenge I didn't like all that well. Like you, I finished Read Harder in mid-year. ATY was done in August. I have one book to go for Popsugar (which is waiting for me at the library)... and 2 books to go in the challenge I will be replacing with some other challenge. One thing I like about ATY is that the participants vote to select the categories for the next year throughout the year and so you know what most of the categories will be long before the list is complete in November.

I didn't start this year's challenge until something in February and right now I'm three books behind. Maybe getting the prompts in December will help me next year.

I'm so glad to hear this news!

I am so excited the list will be released 12/12.

Sherri wrote: "I am so excited the list will be released 12/12."

Can. Not. Wait.

I put the date in my calendar 😀.

Sherri wrote: "I am so excited the list will be released 12/12."

Wow, really? Nice! I thought it was always on the 15th.