Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge discussion

Watership Down by Richard Adams - Somehow I missed this one growing up and I'm looking forward to being traumatized. :)

Lauren wrote: "Watership Down by Richard Adams - Somehow I missed this one growing up and I'm looking forward to being traumatized. :)"

Haha, I'm planning on reading this one also. My 8 year old wanted to watch the Netflix adaptation the other night with her 6 year old sister because...cute bunnies!! She got a resounding "NO". I have to screen it first,I'm afraid it will be too upsetting for them. I heard especially the first episode is rough :/

I've borrowed Fox 8 by George Saunders from the library and intend to get around to it before it's due, but it's new, so checking it out again won't be easy.

Cora message #83 or so recommended the middle grade book Wishtree by Katherine Applegate. That is a really good book! It was one of my favorites in 2017. It's a story told by a tree.

Patrick wrote: "Cora wrote: "Wishtree is from the point of view of a tree. It is a middle grade book, so it is a very quick read."

Literally just finished reading this as well as ugly crying at it..."

YES!!! Loved this one !

I chose The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein. Finished it yesterday with 3.5 stars. It wasn’t nearly as sad as I thought it would be and recommend it to people who love dogs but are always apprehensive about reading dog stories because of emotions 😊

If I can steer anyone away from Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk: A Modest Bestiary- I love David Sedaris, but this was a total bomb for me when I read it years ago. I don't know if I was expecting something else because of his usually more personal writing, but I didn't think it was funny and I kind of glare at it petulantly every time I see it on a shelf.

The Bees, on the other hand, is fantastic. I describe as The Handmaid's Tale with, you know, bees and I think of it often and fondly. I'd also suggest Lives of the Monster Dogs, which fits for this category.

As for me, for this year, I think I'll read Fifteen Dogs.

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH would work for this category. I haven't read it in ages, debating on reading it again.

I just reread Mrs Frisbee and The Rats of NIMH and loved it. Remember loving it as a kid, too. I can't count it bc it was the last book that I read in 2018.

I would suggest the Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter series, by Susan Wittig Albert - the first book is The Tale of Hill Top Farm. Lots of animal POV included, and I think it would also work as a cozy mystery.

I'm not sure whether I think The Ship Who Sang would qualify as an inanimate object, since Helva is actually a human brain/body linked into the ship. She's inanimate, but I'm not sure I'd consider her an object as such. It's one of my favorite McCaffrey books, though.

I read "the Call of the Wild"
A classic although there were parts I wanted to stop reading....
Pupster is flaked out on the couch after snacking on kibble.
Hard to think she has much in common with Buck except being a dog....

I'm reading this one right now Kelly.

American Born Chinese: The POV alternates between a young boy & the Monkey King (an illustrious monkey from Chinese folklore)

Sweaterweather: & Other Short Stories: In this collection of short story comics, all characters are animals!

Cora wrote: "Wishtree is from the point of view of a tree. It is a middle grade book, so it is a very quick read."

I just picked up a copy of this after learning of it here. I recently read Barkskins by Annie Proulx and was hoping to continue the tree theme, but then wasn't sure if plants count as inanimate. Now I am thinking they can be, depending on which way you define the word. Thanks!

I’m really struggling with The Bees by Laline Paull. I know others loved it but I’m bored. I’m only on page 85 so hopefully it gets better.

I was dreading this task but I have just finished "Flush" by Virginia Woolf, which I enjoyed very much - quite funny and lighter than her usual stuff.

Ann wrote: "I just reread Mrs Frisbee and The Rats of NIMH and loved it. Remember loving it as a kid, too. I can't count it bc it was the last book that I read in 2018."

OMG I cried my eyes out reading that as a child! I went running to my Mum. I think her response was "you're crying because a RAT died?"*

*This isn't a spoiler - there are lots of rats in this!

I must admit that I had never heard of Flush before, but I think I now must read it, having already read several of the other titles here and REFUSING to read Watership Down (the animated movie traumatized me sufficiently in 4th grade.)

Finished The Call of the Wild by Jack London

My Review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I’ve just finished reading Redwall.
I’ve only been meaning to read it for 30 odd years.
It’s a little clunky and dated in places, but not a ba d read at all.
In all fairness it’s a standard plot - brave young hero from poor background goes on quest to find the special weapon to slay the big baddie and save everyone - just done with all the characters being small animals. That said the characteristics of many of the animals are translated well into personalities. Personally the sparrows are my favourite - quarrelling barbarian warriors fit the behaviour of the colony of sparrows in my neighbour’s tree perfectly.

I just finished The Poet's Dog. It's a children's/middle-grade book, but dang was that harsh on the feels.

This prompt is super interesting to me as my daughter (9 but reads at a post high school level) reads animal POV books almost exclusively and is constantly begging me to help her find more. I’ll have to go through and see if any of the ones recommended here would be appropriate for her! I think she and I will read Watership Down together so I can meet this criteria.

Pax by Sara Pennypacker, The True Blue Scouts by Kathi Appelt

Read The Beesby Laline Paull for this. I really wanted to like this more than I did. I just couldn't get into it but I kept going since my husband liked it and we usually have similar tastes. It had its moments but I just found it a bit weird and I didn't connect with the main character - not sure why.

Mandy wrote: "Karen wrote: "For those of you who like audio books Delicious Foods by James Hannaham is THE BEST I've ever heard. The author narrates it and he's outstanding. (The inanimate object..."

I just picked this up at the library and I can't wait to crack it open! I'm reading the book, not listening to the audio.

Would Maus work for this prompt? I really want to read it this year & would like to find a prompt it fits.

Sherri wrote: "Would Maus work for this prompt? I really want to read it this year & would like to find a prompt it fits."

Based on the description, I’d say yes.

Sherri wrote: "Would Maus work for this prompt? I really want to read it this year & would like to find a prompt it fits."

This is an excellent idea, I have Maus II: A Survivor's Tale: And Here My Troubles Began from the library right now.

The Builders would count for this, for those who need something quick (it's a novella) and who think the description a grown-up Redwall meets heist story sounds intriguing.

The White Bone by Barbara Gowdy
Pax by Sara Pennypacker

Ann wrote: "I just reread Mrs Frisbee and The Rats of NIMH and loved it. Remember loving it as a kid, too. I can't count it bc it was the last book that I read in 2018."

Thanks--I loved this as a kid and forgot about it.

Lucia wrote: "Imma throw it back with the Magic Pudding by Norman Lindsay - Australian Children's classic, involves, you guessed it, a magic living pudding - and then throw it forward with Ancillary Justice by A..."

I absolutely love The Magic Pudding.

One book I am considering is The Traveling Cat Chronicles.

I just finished E.B White's "Trumpet of the Swan." Does that story count for this task?

Sure seems like it would to me.

I chose Fifteen Dogs by Andre Alexis. Good read.

Hey everyone! Our list of recommendations for this task is now posted: https://bookriot.com/2019/02/07/read-...

Take of the Monster Dogs!

I just finished Dean Koontz's "Ask Anna" - hilarious and SHORT!

Flush: A Biography by Virginia Woolf is a classic

Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant has multiple chapters narrated by animals AND has a neurodiverse character as well, if anyone wants to double dip. Also, who doesnt want to read about killer mermaids? :D

Katie wrote: "https://www.goodreads.com/series/4127...

The Mrs. Murphy books by Rita Mae Brown are "written" by Brown's cat, and the cats in the stories communicate with one another and help solve the ..."

Similarly, Carol Nelson Douglas wrote a series of cozy mysteries with Midnight Louis (a black cat) providing his point of view in some chapters.

Just began reading "The improbability of love" by Hannah Rothschild for my monthly book group. It has a painting (called "The improbability of love", duh) as a point-of-view character. Not far enough to rate.

I’ve had “My Cat Yugoslavia,” by Pajtim Statovci on my shelf since the 2017 Brooklyn Book Festival, and I think I’ll read it for this challenge.

I read The Call of the Wild by Jack London for this one. It's really well done but it's also kind of depressing. Poor dog.

I read Whisker of Evil by Rita Mae Brown. (Mrs Murphy #12)

Lauren wrote: "Watership Down by Richard Adams - Somehow I missed this one growing up and I'm looking forward to being traumatized. :)"

I don't know if I will ever be able to face that book again! Properly traumatised!

I just read Voices: The Final Hours of Joan of Arc for this one and it also works for task 24: a collection of poetry published since 2014. It was a really cool read!!

Shannon wrote: "I'm really looking forward to checking out The Old Drift by Namwali Serpell when it comes out. From what I understand so far, its far-reaching storylines that follow a Zambian famil..."
Shannon, have you read it yet? I'm only 50 pages in, and so far I love it! Also, yes, can confirm a swarm of mosquitoes is a POV character.

Chickadee wrote: "Stephanie wrote: "Oops... I was going to read this book: Rupetta

It's from the POV of a windup mechanical woman made in the renaissance era. However I just noticed it says "inanima..."

A closed and Common orbit is a peculiar idea! The character was a ship's AI, but gets a body in this book--so not really inanimate? Of course Book Riot always says it's up to how the reader interprets the prompts!

I'm sure it's been mentioned, but I just finished Animal Farm for this category. I cannot fathom why I never read this in school. Such a great book.

Heartbreaker