Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge discussion

Use this space to discuss books you're reading or that might fit the 1st Read Harder task. Sign up for our new Read Harder newsletter to get recommendations for each task delivered straight to your inbox! https://bookriot.com/newsletter/read-...

I'm thinking about Future Feeling by Joss Lake.

Oh boy, a chance to recommend Light from Uncommon Stars again! (this book would also work for the Ignyte awards prompt)
Other good picks:
Boys Run the Riot, Vol. 1 (which could double for the manga prompt)
Hell Followed With Us (fair warning: the body horror is sort of intense)
Phoenix Extravagant

Highly recommend Detransition Baby by Torrey Peters

An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon Ford those into Sci Fi.

Wrath Goddess Sing by Maya Deane (hist fic, myth, alt ending)?

Charlie Jane Anders has a YA sci-fi series that would fit here. Starts with Victories Greater Than Death, and book 3 in the series comes out in spring 2023.

I'm planning on going with an obscure steampunk book that I found on this list:
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...

Girl in the Gears

Regan wrote: "Oh boy, a chance to recommend Light from Uncommon Stars again! (this book would also work for the Ignyte awards prompt)
Other good picks:
Boys Run the Riot, Vol. 1 ..."
I'm debating between "An Unkindness of Ghosts" and "Hell Followed With Us." At least there's a little time to decide.

I'm planning on reading either something romance by Austin Chant or E.E. Ottoman. I have a couple books from both on my tbr.

I found these and think they count, but am happy to hear otherwise from anyone who has read them.

The Death of Vivek Oji
Dreadnought
Cemetery Boys

I have three E.E. Ottoman books lined up and ready to go at the drop of a hat, and I'm hyped to have an excuse to binge them. That said, I'm hoping to read more LGBTQ+ lit overall this upcoming year, so I'm hoping to read several things that fit this task.

Highly highly highly recommend All The Light We Cannot See! A heartwarming middlegrade about a young transboy and his discovery of his identity with the help of the ghost of his gay uncle

I have some some recommendations for folks who like adult romance!
Confessions of the Fox by Jordy Rosenburg (personally did not like this one but if you like historical romance combined with meta commentary on the nature of history and a piss kink, this is the book for you).
The Story of a Hundred Promises by Neil Cochrane
Both are transmasc representative and written by trans masculine authors.

I just read Dreadnought and really enjoyed it. I may read the sequel, Sovereign, for this prompt. If I can manage to wait that long!

Seconding the recommendations here for Light from Uncommon Stars. A truly unique book.

i came across this buzzfeed article that has some great books coming out in 2023


https://www.buzzfeed.com/jayhogan/tra...

For a previous Read Harder Challenge I read Tranny: Confessions of Punk rock's Most Infamous Anarchist Sellout and really enjoyed it. It's a memoir by a Transperson about their experience - I think it fits the spirit of the prompt. Tranny: Confessions of Punk Rock's Most Infamous Anarchist Sellout

I think I'll finally read Nevada by Imogen Binnie. A coming of age, trans+, punk, road trip novel? Sign me up.

I'm going to read Wrath Goddess Sing which is a trans iliad retelling and was one of my most anticipated that I didn't get to

I’m deciding between Nevada and Detransition, Baby

Starting Detransition, Baby today!

Detransition, Baby has been on my To Read list for a while. I think I'll read it for this prompt.

I highly recommend Birthday by Meredith Russo. I read it last year and adored it. In fact I thin i’ll read it again this year.

I feel uncomfortable with the risk that this type of prompt poses to authors. It’s great for promoting their work, and presumably these books open minds. But it might come at a cost to the authors’ privacy and safety.

Having said that, I read three books that fit (I think). I liked The Deep by Rivers Solomon, and The Thirty Names of Night by Zeyn Joukhadar. The YA book, Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender didn’t work for me. YA is hit or miss with me.

maitreya wrote: "Starting Detransition, Baby today!"

Finished this. Onto challenge #2.

Amelia wrote: "Highly highly highly recommend All The Light We Cannot See! A heartwarming middlegrade about a young transboy and his discovery of his identity with the help of the ghost of his gay uncle" Who is the author of this book? I guess you are not referring to Anthony Doerrs novel.

Marielle wrote: "Amelia wrote: "Highly highly highly recommend All The Light We Cannot See! A heartwarming middlegrade about a young transboy and his discovery of his identity with the help of the ghost of his gay ..."

Yes, I was wondering about this, too. Maybe it was a typo/mistake?

Yes, that must be it. This kind of “typo” is a common problem on other message boards, but it’s rare here.

I’m thinking about Nevada by Imogen Binnie

Amelia wrote: "Highly highly highly recommend All The Light We Cannot See! A heartwarming middlegrade about a young transboy and his discovery of his identity with the help of the ghost of his gay uncle"

I think you mean Too Bright to See.

Karen wrote: "For a previous Read Harder Challenge I read Tranny: Confessions of Punk rock's Most Infamous Anarchist Sellout and really enjoyed it. It's a memoir by a Transperson about their experience - I think..."

This sounds REALLY good!

Karen wrote: "For a previous Read Harder Challenge I read Tranny: Confessions of Punk rock's Most Infamous Anarchist Sellout and really enjoyed it. It's a memoir by a Transperson about their experience - I think..."

Obviously it is up to each person to make the challenge what they want it to be, but this prompt specifically calls for a novel, not a memoir. There are about a million memoirs by trans people, but very few works of fiction, and I am confident the BR people are trying to encourage an increased readership for nonfiction work by trans people

If you like steamy BDSM romance, For the Love of April French is superb.

For this prompt, I’m reading Little Blue Encyclopedia (for Vivian) by Hazel Jane Plante. I’ve had this for a couple of years in my TBR pile. Perfect time to actually read it!

I'm going to read Cemetery Boys. I just downloaded it for my Kindle app. I was looking for it at the bookstore, but I couldn't find it.

I read Long Black Veil and it’d fit this prompt. I’m looking to see if anything else by the same author will work because I quite enjoyed the overall thriller/mystery vibe.

I'm always looking for more trans sapphic books, and plan to read one for this!

I always struggle with trans prompts because I typically read classics and I'm afraid fewer classics are accessible in this genre (obviously due to transphobia, etc. in publishing and elsewhere). I'm happy to search, though, because the other trans prompts from previous years have made me a smarter and better person.

I was able to find a list by a journalist from the Paris Review for compiling a trans literary canon.

https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2...

I'm going to read "Paul Takes the Form of a Mortal Girl."

I’m trying to read down my unread shelf, so I’m going to change the prompt from novel to memoir and read SHE’S NOT THERE by Jennifer-Finney-Boylan,

I'm thinking Kim & Kim Vol. 1, its been on my tbr for some time now.

I'm reading Cemetery Boys.

Dione wrote: "Regan wrote: "Oh boy, a chance to recommend Light from Uncommon Stars again! (this book would also work for the Ignyte awards prompt)
Other good picks:
[book:Boys Run the Riot, Vol..."

I shelved Light From Uncommon Stars for a different challenge a couple years ago and never got to it, maybe 2023 will be the year!

Last year I read Manhunt by Gretchen Felker-Martin and Tell Me I’m Worthless by Alison Rumfitt which would both fit for this if you like horror.

Oh wow first challenge of the year and it's the book I'm already reading (already rec'd above me) Tell Me I’m Worthless

I started listening to "Felix Ever After" for this prompt and so far I am really liking it! it is YA so you need to like the genre I guess. another possible one for me (if I have time to read another one for this prompt) is "Detransition, Baby".

Cemetery Boys has been on my shelf for a bit. Time to finally pick that one up.

Regan wrote: "Oh boy, a chance to recommend Light from Uncommon Stars again! (this book would also work for the Ignyte awards prompt)
Other good picks:
Boys Run the Riot, Vol. 1 ..."

I just finished A Light From Uncommon Stars (read in a week) and LOVED IT. Probably one of the best books I've read in ten years.

Stephanie wrote: "Cemetery Boys has been on my shelf for a bit. Time to finally pick that one up."

I read this last year and it was really fun. I enjoyed it as an audiobook

I might go for Her Majesty's Royal Coven by Juno Dawson.

Just making sure non-binary count for this as well? I'm trying to read what's available at my local library, and they have Lakelore by Anna-Marie McLemore.