Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge discussion

Renee wrote: Last year I used 1 book for 6 challenges

I just wanted to say first, holy cow! Hexagonal dipper!

A lot of these challenges are aligning with books I’ve been meaning to read. I’m going to read Kindred, which will count for #3 (read a genre classic) and #17 (scifi novel with female protagonist and a female author.) I know the story takes place over the woman’s life, so I wonder if I could use it for #23 (protagonist over 60.)

If not, I plan on using Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk for that.

My third year and I never double dip. but I sort of hate comic books, and with 3 prompts I decided to triple dip with Fairy Tales for Angry Little Girls. It will also work as a one sitting book (though I already did that one) and for the first in a YA series, so a x5 dip for those who are interested.

I know BookRiot keeps trying to promote it, but I just don’t read romance as a genre unless we are including Bronte or Austen. I need something I can double dip for #10.

The book Hope Beneath Our Feet: Restoring Our Place in the Natural World would count for an essay anthology (#22). It would also count for (#6) a book about nature. Also, on the back of the book it is listed as a book of social science (#14)!

I've only read a few of the essays and it's been a while, though, so I can't say whether or not I would recommend it.

Vanessa wrote: "I know BookRiot keeps trying to promote it, but I just don’t read romance as a genre unless we are including Bronte or Austen. I need something I can double dip for #10."

I haven't read it, but what about The Lotus Palace? It's set in China, so that satisfies the BRICS task. It's also a mystery as well as a romance, so it covers a mystery by a POC.

*deleted 2nd part* - never mind on that second suggestion, wasn't thinking clearly about the task!

The Lotus Palace is wonderful, but someone who doesn't like genre romance might prefer the second book, The Jade Temptress. It also has a better mystery.

Hmmm...I do like the description of the second book better. If my library has it, I’ll give it a whirl. Thanks all for the help!

I'm using Wild as a book about nature, and an oprah book club selection.

I'm using Boxers and Saints for 5 prompts, as Comic written and illustrated by the same person, a BRICS book, a comic written or illustrated by a POC, a book of colonial or post colonial literature (I think), a comic that isn't published by marvel, DC or image.

Using True Grit as a western and a book with a female protagonist over the age of 60 (stretches a bit, as it's told by her, but the action part is her younger self).

Wrinkle in Time as a classic of genre fiction, a children's classic published before 1980, the first book in a new to you YA series, a scifi novel with a female protagonist by a female author.

Vanessa asked I’m going to read Kindred, which will count for #3 (read a genre classic) and #17 (scifi novel with female protagonist and a female author.) I know the story takes place over the woman’s life, so I wonder if I could use it for #23 (protagonist over 60.)

Kindred doesn't work as #23, but as a heads up, it was republished last year as a graphic novel. Kindred: A Graphic Novel Adaptation is the book; I don't care for the illustrations, but that's part of the point, I think.

Look at Wild Seed also by Octavia E. Butler for #23.

The World Without Us would count as both (6) nature and (14) social science.

Starting The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest, using it for 1 book published posthumously, 19 genre fiction in translation. Could it also be 3 a classic of genre fiction? It has that feel

Book Riot's post with suggestions for the BRICS task includes the book The Woman Next Door by Yewande Omotoso. The protagonists are women in their 80s so this would also fit for task 23, a book with a female protagonist over 60. I am going to read this one for both I think.

Katharine wrote: "Agreed, I love finding books that double up on this challenge because I am also in two book groups and usually read about 52 books per year, so I am always a book or two short! I think A Wrinkle in..."

Thanks for the tip as A Wrinkle in Time was on my radar. I double dip wherever I can as well as I frequently get sidetracked with books that don't fit on the list. Hopefully this year I will get closer to finishing the challenge.

I started The Woman Next Door, last night for my “mature” female protagonist book. It’s good. I’ve been to Capetown, had to smile, I remember this place.

Dragon's Breath: and Other True Stories is a triple-dip for the comic tasks.

Definitely plan to double dip, especially for those challenges that I’m less enthusiastic about, like comics

I'll be reading Sailor Moon, Vol. 1 for #8. It would also count for #4 and #18, as would many other manga's. This one in particular could also count for #16. I wonder if it could also be used for #17 and #19, what are your opinions on this?

I am definitely not a double dipper, but I have a second challenge that I am trying to fill as much as possible with books from this challenge.

The pairings I've come up with so far are:

Western/Book with a green cover: River of Teeth
Celebrity Memoir/Book by an author of color: We're Going to Need More Wine: Stories
Genre fiction in translation/Book set in a non-English speaking country: The Queue
True Crime/Book about a topic that makes me uncomfortable: At the Dark End of the Street: Black Women, Rape, and Resistance--A New History of the Civil Rights Movement from Rosa Parks to the Rise of Black Power
Comic written/illustrated by a POC/Book with a color in the title: Black Panther: A Nation Under Our Feet, Book 3

I'm doing three+ challenges this year so double(/triple/quadruple) dipping as much as I can, both within and across the challenges!

In this challenge I have three:

The Opposite of Loneliness: Essays and Stories for both a Book Published Posthumously and an Essay Anthology (albeit a loose one)

Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity for both a Book set in a BRICS country and a work of Colonial or Post-Colonial literature

El amor en los tiempos del cólera for both A romance novel by or about a person of color and Oprah Book Club

A Wrinkle in Time satisfies # 11, 16, and 17 for me! As the daughter of a librarian I’m not sure how I made it into my 30’s without reading this book.

I don't plan to double dip within one challenge. But i am doing 2. So if it fits a category for both challenges, I'll double that way.

Amanda wrote: "A Wrinkle in Time satisfies # 11, 16, and 17 for me! As the daughter of a librarian I’m not sure how I made it into my 30’s without reading this book."

Personally, I say that it also satisfies #3 - classic of genre fiction. I'm using it for 3, 11, and 17.

Eva wrote: "I'll be reading Sailor Moon, Vol. 1 for #8. It would also count for #4 and #18, as would many other manga's. This one in particular could also count for #16. I wonder if it could also..."

I definitely think it satisfies 16, 17, and 19! I did a manga series for 8, 15, 16, and 18. If they wanted a novel, versus manga, they should've said so. :)

Elise wrote: "Eva wrote: "I'll be reading Sailor Moon, Vol. 1 for #8. It would also count for #4 and #18, as would many other manga's. This one in particular could also count for #16. I wonder if i..."

Oh, right, it also works for #15. I'm not planning on using it for all these challenges, but wow, a seven-way double dipper! :)

I think I've found another hexagonal dipper for this year, which is a really quick read too! It's about 60 pages, so that's one task per 10 pages....

"Tintin in Tibet" would count as #11 a children's classic published before 1980, #18 a comic not published by Marvel/DC, #4 a comic written and illustrated by the same person, #15 a one-sitting read, #5 a BRICS book (partly set in China) and #19 genre fiction in translation (it features a Yeti and levitating monks, which I call fantasy!)

"Tintin in the Land of the Soviets" would satisfy #16 too, but is slightly longer. If you think that's genre fiction as well (I think that may be pushing it!) that would make a 7 dipper, provided you can read it in one sitting.

I'm keeping them in reserve for the end of the year when I realise I've got 5 tasks left to go.....

I’m impressed! That’s the spirit! Now on to finding a western, mystery, romance assigned book you hated, with a cover you hate by a person of color or lgbtq+ that was published posthumously!

I just finished reading "The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating" in one sitting, I was expecting to use it as my nature book and discovered that it can also be used for a one sitting book for the challenge.

Renee wrote: "I’m impressed! That’s the spirit! Now on to finding a western, mystery, romance assigned book you hated, with a cover you hate by a person of color or lgbtq+ that was published posthumously!"

LOL well, I like a challenge! Sadly the only assigned books I didn't finish were from school and I think the only LGBT writers we studied were Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon and they're not known for their Westerns! Unless you count the Western Front!

Judith wrote: "I think I've found another hexagonal dipper for this year, which is a really quick read too! It's about 60 pages, so that's one task per 10 pages....

"Tintin in Tibet" would count as #11 a childre..."

Herge had staff for the Tintin comics so it doesn't count for challenge 4 unfortunately! I was going to use Tintin too, maybe for another challenge.

I am reading Case Closed, Vol. 1 for tasks 19 and 21, but it would also work for 4, 8, 15, and 18, so that's another one that can cover 6 categories.

I knocked out three double dips this month:

The Best We Could Do for #4 (comic written/illustrated by the same person), #8 (comic written or illustrated by a POC), and #18 (comic not published by Marvel, DC, or Image). I think you could also make a case for this memoir as colonial/postcolonial literature (challenge #9) as parts of the book deal with life in colonized/occupied Vietnam, but I plan to read something else for #9.

The Little Prince for #11 (children's classic) and #15 (one-sitting book)

The Devotion of Suspect X for #19 (genre fiction in translation) and #21 (mystery by a POC or LGBTQ+ author)

I just thought of another double dipper! I am going to read Blue Is the Warmest Color for the romance prompt and the prompt for a comic not published by Marvel, Image or DC.

Yrinsyde wrote: "Herge had staff for the Tintin comics so it doesn't count for challenge 4 unfortunately! I was going to use Tintin too, maybe for another challenge."

Darn - forgot that! OK, so Tintin in Tibet only counts for 5 (although it does depend how strict you're being / desperate you are to finish - he drew SOME of it!).

However, Tintin in the Land of the Soviets still would do 7, because it pre-dates the staff and was completely drawn by Herge, provided you can read it in one sitting (#4, #5, #11, #15, #16, #18, #19). And if you think #19 could include action/adventure as a genre.

Another triple dip for anyone interested, especially for those that don't like comics. Here's one that fits all three categories:

Usagi Yojimbo, Vol. 1: The Ronin
"the epic saga of Miyamoto Usagi, a samurai rabbit living in late-sixteenth and early-seventeenth-century Japan"

4. A comic written and illustrated by the same person (Stan Sakai)
8. A comic written or illustrated by a person of color (yup)
18. A comic that isn’t published by Marvel, DC, or Image (Dark Horse)

ETA: My husband may own every Usagi comic published at this point. And my 9 year old son is addicted to them as well. I'm going to read my first one for #8.

Krista wrote: "Another triple dip for anyone interested, especially for those that don't like comics. Here's one that fits all three categories:

Usagi Yojimbo, Vol. 1: The Ronin
"the epic saga of ..."

Thank you for suggesting this! I went with Usagi Yojimbo: Yokai and it was a fun read! Also something to read in one sitting, so 4 tasks done!

I am not a double dipper, but Gratitude works for book published posthumously and one sitting book.

I love you, you double dippers!
I just finished another book
Could be a triple dipper
Dead Mountain, by Donnie Eichar.
Takes place in Soviet Union/Russia
Is a true crime that had been unsolved
It’s about hikers and their strange demise in the Ural Mountains Nature Challenge.
Fast read, there is a theory that makes sense as to what happened.

Bingo Love by Tee Franklin would work for a few different categories:
Comic written/drawn by POC, romance by/about POC, female protagonist over 60, and one-sitting book depending on your speed. It had been published through a kickstarter and would have worked for non-DC/Marvel/Image, but I see that it was picked up by Image so we'll have to settle for 4 prompts instead of 5 ;)

Vanessa wrote: "I know BookRiot keeps trying to promote it, but I just don’t read romance as a genre unless we are including Bronte or Austen. I need something I can double dip for #10."

Topaz by Beverly Jenkins is a Western and a Romance by AND about a person of color. And I didn't hate it, even though I was dreading both of those categories.

Wild Seed by Octavia Butler: genre classic, sci fi by and about female, female protagonist over 60. Perhaps fits colonial / post colonial, as well.

Kristin wrote: "Although I'm not currently planning to double-dip, several of my selections could be used that way (and so I plan to focus on reading those first, so that if I fall behind, I'll have more categories covered than planned)."


Kristin, I like your thinking! I planned my reading list for this challenge so that some of the titles could do double duty. After reading your comment I changed the priority of when I want to try to tackle them.

Not that my plans will stay in place. I'm too impulsive in my reading choices for that to happen. :)

Kristin wrote: "Although I'm not currently planning to double-dip, several of my selections could be used that way (and so I plan to focus on reading those first, so that if I fall behind, I'll have more categorie..."
Thanks for the help, I'll be reading Nimona for #4 and #18!

I just finished Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon. I read it in one sitting, (even though I have accomplished that task frequently) also works for #10, romance novel by or about a person of color. Yoon is of Jamaican descent & her main character is of African and Japanese descent. I dislike romance, but this book is different, it’s girl in a bubble meets the boy next door. The emphasis was on the developing relationship as opposed to bodice ripping. I very much enjoyed it

Just finished The Summer Book, by Tove Jansson. It's a lovely little book of vignettes set on an island off of Finland, very spare. There's a bit of sadness woven into it, but lots of beauty & some humor, too.

I'm currently using it for #6 - a book about nature. It would also work for #23 - a book with a female protagonist over the age of 60 (the grandmother is in her mid-80s), & can be #15 - a one-sitting book.

And while unlike most of Jansson's work it's not *specifically* a children's book, the other protagonist is a young girl & many children would love it. That would take care of #11 - a children's classic published before 1980. And if you consider children's books to be genre fiction, then it's also #19 - a work of genre fiction in translation.

So depending on how much you want to stretch definitions, it's a triple- or quintuple-dipper! :)

Rachel wrote: "Okay I was thinking of
Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic for

4) A comic written and illustrated by the same person
21) A mystery by a person of color or LGBTQ+ author

It's not a trad..."


I wouldn't count it as a mystery, but it does count as a celebrity memoir! Alison Bechdel was famous long ago in the queer community, & has been famous not-quite-as-long in SF/F/ literary circles for "the Bechdel test."

:)

A wrinkle in time counts for:
Children’s classic published before 1980
Genre classic
Sci-fi with a female protagonist

Dear Double Dippers,

Last night I couldn’t sleep, so I roamed around this site looking for solutions to my reading quandaries, comics ugh. Yokai by Usagi Yojimbo, solved that problem. Then I’ve been stuck on essay anthology and posthumously published. Nothing was really floating my boat. Brain flash, A LowCountry Heart by Pat Conroy gets both of those done. I’m a Pat Conroy fan, ever since, The Water is Wide aka Conrack. I only have 5 challenges left to
finish. I’m now searching for : a classic of genre fiction in translation by a person of color with a cover I dislike AND I started it but never finished. I need more Dr Pepper.

Never finished,

There are 7 tasks that I haven't read or decided on yet. Most of them, I'm not looking forward to. If I can double dip them into 3 or 4 books, I'll be very happy

So far, I'm considering The Poisonwood Bible, A Fine Balance, or Cry, the Beloved Country for post-colonial Oprah book.
Also, I saw Topaz as a suggestion for a western romance up here.

Any other suggestion for these categories? Any post-colonial Oprah which is also a romance? Any other poc western romances?

On the non-fiction side, I'm hoping to find an essay anthology for either social sciences or nature. I saw Hope Beneath Our Feet: Restoring Our Place in the Natural World suggested for all three, but I was mostly hoping to find something I can borrow the audiobook or listen online. As a PhD student, most of the time I can read, is spent on papers, and most of my "reading" time is during commute.

Fyi, Cry, the Beloved Country also counts for the BRICS category in addition to Oprah and post/colonial