Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge discussion

Is anyone doing the bonus challenge (all the challenge with LGBTQ authors)? I want to, and have about half the list planned out, but was really surprised to not see this addressed on Book Riots recommended lists!

Yes!!! I'm going to try this too! Happy to compare lists!

Great! I’ll message you with what I have when I’m back at work tomorrow. Definitely struggling with some of them...

I’m trying to do all authors of color or Indigenous authors, with white queer authors where that’s not possible.

My bonus challenge is to choose from Young Adult or Juvenile titles that I can check out from my library system. I work for the library system and want to use the challenge to diversify my reading and increase my list to recommend to patrons.

I'd like to try to the bonus challenge as well - if any of you would be willing to share your lists or recommendations with me, I'd really appreciate it!

Audrey wrote: "My bonus challenge is to choose from Young Adult or Juvenile titles that I can check out from my library system. I work for the library system and want to use the challenge to diversify my reading ..."

I have a coworker who I believe is trying to do this as well!

Okay here's what I have so far:

- YA nonfiction book: A Quick & Easy Guide to They/Them Pronouns
- A mystery where the victim(s) is not a woman: The Talented Mr. Ripley
- A graphic memoir: Spinning
- A play by an author of color and/or a queer author: Slave Play
- An audiobook of poetry: Homie
- The LAST book in a series: A Conjuring of Light
- A book that takes place in a rural setting: The Whispers
- A debut novel by a queer author: Hurricane Season
- A memoir by someone from a religious tradition (or lack of religious tradition) that is not your own: Untamed
A romance starring a single parent: Daddy, Daddy and Me
- A doorstopper: A Gathering of Shadows
- A book by or about a refugee: The Clothesline Swing
- A middle grade book that doesn't take place in the US or UK: Hurricane Child


That's all I have so far. Some of them are super tough... I'd love to hear what other people are planning on reading for BR's bonus challenge, or their own bonus challenge!

One I can reccomend straight away is for the picture book one: The Boy & The Bindi by Vivek Shraya, a trans author. I don't know if the kid in the book is (I think so, though, haven't read it yet) but I know it's about an Indian/Indian Diaspora kid, so would still count as a human from a marginalised community. My choice for the Middle Grade is The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis, if you're looking to not double up. And I was thinking of Ripley for the mystery one, too. I'm considering something along the lines of Making Dragon Stew by Megan Derr for the cuisine one, as the general consensus seems to be that fantasy cuisines count... Considering Fingersmith for either the doorstopper (having already read and loved all of the ADSOM trilogy!) or the historical fiction not set in WWII. The Selected Works of Beth Brant are my option for the Indigenous Author prompt. Also, not entirely sure if it counts as horror, but it is about vampires... wondering about The Gilda Stories by Jewelle Gomez for the indie horror, as it was originally published by an indie press. I'm happy to post more if you want/as I come up with them

might be helpful:

https://queerbio.com/wiki/index.php?t...

I highly recommend The Priory of the Orange Tree for the doorstopper! Dragons, palace intrigue, strong female characters, LGBTQ author...

Mya wrote: "might be helpful:

https://queerbio.com/wiki/index.php?t..."

Thanks!

Julia wrote: "I highly recommend The Priory of the Orange Tree for the doorstopper! Dragons, palace intrigue, strong female characters, LGBTQ author..."

Oh, yes! Thanks! I forgot about that counting because I have it on kindle so I can't see it's size as easily, lol!

Another possibility is Hild, by out queer author Nicola Griffith. It’s both a doorstopper (560 p), and historical fiction set in 7th century Britain. It can be used to double dip if that’s your thing.

It’s based on Hilda of Whitby, a Christian saint, but I think it’s about her early life before becoming a nun and then an Abbess. It’s also been nominated for &/or won various awards, if anyone is doing a challenge where that’s a criterion.

Griffith apparently did a lot of research on Hilda prior to writing it and it sounds interesting.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hild_(n...

From Book Riot’s recommendations for a book about a natural disaster, the only author I can confirm as LGBTQIA with a short amount of research is Sonali Deraniyagala, who wrote Wave. She is currently married to a woman.

Other authors on the list might be among the BTQIA, but without an interview where they say so, or their inclusion on a list of such authors (for which I did not check), we don’t know. If anyone gets a chance to check against the database I linked to above, or knows a fiction author who qualifies, it would be appreciated!

Mya wrote: "Another possibility is Hild, by out queer author Nicola Griffith. It’s both a doorstopper (560 p), and historical fiction set in 7th century Britain. It can be used t..."

Oh, yes, I have that one too!

Mya wrote: "From Book Riot’s recommendations for a book about a natural disaster, the only author I can confirm as LGBTQIA with a short amount of research is Sonali Deraniyagala, who wrote [bo..."

Adding [book:On the Edge of Gone|22020598] to the disaster options. A meteor strike is a disaster, right? :)

In addition to being queer, Corinne Duyvis has ADD and autism, and the protagonist has autism, so this could double dip with task #21.

On The Edge Of Gone is one of the best books I read last year.

Teresa wrote: "On The Edge Of Gone is one of the best books I read last year."

You are the second person to tell me that today! It was already on my tbr list. I clearly need to read it. :)

For a memoir from a different religious tradition that meets the bonus challenge, I’m leaning towards How We Fight For Our Lives by Saeed Jones


From an interview with NPR:
“He grew up black and gay and Buddhist in suburban Texas.”

Other possibilities:

Mama's Boy: A Story from Our Americas, by Dustin Lance Black
(white, Mormon, gay man)

Teaching the Cat to Sit: A Memoir, by Michelle Theall
(white, Catholic, queer woman)

Boy Erased: A Memoir of Identity, Faith, and Family
(white, Baptist, gay man)

Buffering: Unshared Tales of a Life Fully Loaded, by Hannah Hart
(white, one parent a Jehovah’s Witness, gay woman)

Fire Shut Up in My Bones, by columnist Charles M. Blow
(gay Black man who has apparently belonged to various denominations of christianity)

I haven’t read any of these but am pulling them from lists of queer memoirs and cross-checking against specific mentions of religion. I hope these are helpful.

Mya wrote: "From Book Riot’s recommendations for a book about a natural disaster, the only author I can confirm as LGBTQIA with a short amount of research is Sonali Deraniyagala, who wrote [bo..."

Yellow House by Sarah Broom

the single parent romance is challenging to find for me

Jenny wrote: "the single parent romance is challenging to find for me"


For single parent romance by a queer author, Mackie mentioned Daddy, Daddy and Me, by Sean Michael. Skimming his books there are several more about single dads, such as Daddy Needs a Date.

I have Starting from Scratch, by Georgia Beers.

I think some others have been mentioned on the discussion page for that category.n

(As an aside, my library doesn’t have much in the way of Sean Michael’s books, but they do have the Georgia Beers. Ymmv.)

Jenny wrote: "the single parent romance is challenging to find for me"

Some additional titles:

Popcorn Love

Flaunt

Mya wrote: "For a memoir from a different religious tradition that meets the bonus challenge, I’m leaning towards How We Fight For Our Lives by Saeed Jones
[bookcover:How We Fi..."

I'm going to read We have always been here by Samra Habib, which has just come into the library for me!

Mya wrote: "Jenny wrote: "the single parent romance is challenging to find for me"


For single parent romance by a queer author, Mackie mentioned Daddy, Daddy and Me, by [author:Sean Michael|4..."

Oh yeah I think I might actually go with Starting from Scratch!

Jenny wrote: "Julia wrote: "I highly recommend The Priory of the Orange Tree for the doorstopper! Dragons, palace intrigue, strong female characters, LGBTQ author..."

Oh, yes! Thanks! I forgot a..."

This was what I was going to read originally...but I can't for the life of me confirm that the author is queer. I've read through loads of her tweets and interviews...

Mackie wrote: "This was what I was going to read originally...but I can't for the life of me confirm that the author is queer. I've read through loads of her tweets and interviews..."

I’m not seeing anything, either. I did find a tweet that might indicate she’s NOT lgbtqia. If you read the whole thread she talks about how an author’s sexuality and their character’s sexuality get lumped together, and shows an image of Priory listed as lesbian fiction. But as I haven’t read the book, could she mean it the other way?


https://twitter.com/say_shannon/statu...

I read a lot of mysteries, enough that I am doing various challenges because I got bored with the readily available offerings. I am swamped with other books right now, but in a couple weeks I will be reading Snare, by Lilja Sigurðardóttir.

It took some digging because much of the information about her is in Icelandic, but I found a piece in English that confirms she is either bisexual or a lesbian. What I don’t yet know is who dies in the book, which is the criterion for the initial read harder challenge. :)

If Snare kills off the wrong characters I have a bunch of other queer mystery authors lined up that I was going to read anyway, so I should be able to offer suggestions in a few months if anyone wants them.

Interestingly, Lilja Sigurðardóttir is also a playwright, but unfortunately I don’t think any of her plays have been translated into English. It would be kinda cool to be able to compare works in different genres by the same author.

re: Samantha Shannon, I found this link: https://sshannonauthor.tumblr.com/pos...

I highly recommend her books even if it turns out she's not LGBTQ.

I read The Beverly Malibu by Katherine V Forrest last year and that's a great mystery by and LGBTQ author where no women are victims

Julia wrote: "re: Samantha Shannon, I found this link: https://sshannonauthor.tumblr.com/pos...

I highly recommend her books even if it turns out she's not..."

Thank you for this! She just seems very private, which is absolutely her right (and what makes the bonus challenge...challenging).

Two additional options for YA nonfiction by a queer author:

How I Resist: Activism and Hope for a New Generation has contributions by many authors, including some who are lgbtq.

The Letter Q: Queer Writers' Notes to their Younger Selves is entirely by queer authors

My local library has both titles shelved as teen nonfiction.

Thanks for making this thread, I have had a hard time finding books!