Once again I’ll be participating in Book Riot’s Read Harder Challenge. I’ve set up my spreadsheet to track my selections. I’ve scoped out what is available through my library and started placing holds. I’ve shared the link with others and preached the power of reading outside one’s comfort zone.
Are you up to the challenge? Here’s what’s in store for 2017:
- Read a book about sports.
- Read a debut novel.
- Read a book about books.
- Read a book set in Central or South America, written by a Central or South American author.
- Read a book by an immigrant or with a central immigration narrative.
- Read an all-ages comic.
- Read a book published between 1900 and 1950.
- Read a travel memoir.
- Read a book you’ve read before.
- Read a book that is set within 100 miles of your location.
- Read a book that is set more than 5000 miles from your location.
- Read a fantasy novel.
- Read a nonfiction book about technology.
- Read a book about war.
- Read a YA or middle grade novel by an author who identifies as LGBTQ+.
- Read a book that has been banned or frequently challenged in your country.
- Read a classic by an author of color.
- Read a superhero comic with a female lead.
- Read a book in which a character of color goes on a spiritual journey
- Read an LGBTQ+ romance novel
- Read a book published by a micropress.
- Read a collection of stories by a woman.
- Read a collection of poetry in translation on a theme other than love.
- Read a book wherein all point-of-view characters are people of color.
Let me know in the comments if you’ll take the challenge. Have a recommendation for one of the tasks? Leave it in the comments. If you participate and review books, leave your links in the comments, too.
that cynking feeling 
I like that! It sounds like an interesting challenge. I love to read. This will give me a focus. Usually, I read favorite authors, recommendations from friends, from book reviews, or from books that look interesting at the library. I’ve never tried to find books that were written by specific types of people before. I’ll probably try this challenge.
What does #23 mean? A book of poems written in another language and translated into English? Or am I misunderstanding?
Thanks for sharing the challenge. Maybe I’ll share it on my blog too.
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Yes, I think you understand task 23. If you visit the Book Riot announcement page, they have links to suggested titles. Actually, it looks like the hyperlinks pasted in my post, too!
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Thanks. I checked their post and made one of my own. Thats the kind of challenge I like. Finding interesting new books to read is always something I like to do. 🙂
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I love the idea of a reading challenge more than I like actually doing them 🙂 What happens is that I hear about something I want to read, but it doesn’t fit any category, and then I start fretting. But I really like the creativity of these categories!
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I used to read!!! I was thinking how luxurious it would be to complete a novel not about adopting or parenting in 2017 – just one! But, this list, I’m at a loss for words! I would love to participate, but feel I would most likely fail, even just finding the books to read would probably not be feasible! Still, YES to #4 – I’ve been wanting to find a book to read in Spanish just to challenge myself. Some of the others (6, 13, 20, 23) would be much harder. Also, re-reading a book I’ve read before. For whatever reason I have never done that (other than the books I read to the children). I shall have to live vicariously through you as you embark on this literary endeavor!
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For a book about war I’d recommend:
‘Kingdom by the Sea’ by Robert Westall
This was published as a YA novel, but it’s a really good story that adults will like as well, one of the best books I read last year.
Another one is ‘Resistance’ by Agnes Humbert. A memoir by a French resistance member on how she survived a Nazi prison factory.
For a travel memoir, anything by J Maarten Troost, very funny books about his travels around the world.
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