Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge discussion

I've been Googling reading challenges for 2020 and keep finding an image for Reader Harder 2020. However, the Book Riot page says "Not found." and today I saw this on You Tube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9Okt...

Anyone know when the list will be on the site?

They usually don't post the challenge until mid December, but it looks like they are getting prepared and based on the YouTube link it says it won't be going live for 24 hours. I'd say we'll know anywhere from December 4 to December 16.

If you go to their website, they have the 2020 challenge posted. Just google Book Riot Read Harder 2020 challenge.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9Okt... premiers in 22 hours!

Frozen wrote: "If you go to their website, they have the 2020 challenge posted. Just google Book Riot Read Harder 2020 challenge."

Looks like the realized it was live and took the page down. DRAT!

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

2020 will be the first time in 5 years I won't be participating in the Read Harder challenge. I'm probably not going to finish 2019. I'm challenge weary and don't feel like being so specific in my reading searches next year. I have a few challenges for guidance in case I get stuck, but I'm going to go my own way for a change and get to all those books I have on my TBR that have come from prior reading challenges. Maybe I'll be back in 2021.

It's online now! Today will be my first year I'm joining this challenge. Normally I do the popsugar reading challenge, but this year I'm gonna try to do both.

Martha wrote: "2020 will be the first time in 5 years I won't be participating in the Read Harder challenge. I'm probably not going to finish 2019. I'm challenge weary and don't feel like being so specific in my ..."

I'm doing fewer challenges in 2020 as well. I'm finally realizing that I rarely follow up with the ones that have quarterly or monthly check-ins or want participants to post links to reviews, and then I get to feeling all guilty. So I'm going to drop those in the name of mental health.

I have the list printed and ready. I have like 4 challenges left for 2019 and I might actually finish it! I told myself that if I didn't finish 2019, I'd do 2020. But I actually like most of 2020's challenges so I still might do it or just get some inspiration from it.

Martha wrote: "2020 will be the first time in 5 years I won't be participating in the Read Harder challenge. I'm probably not going to finish 2019. I'm challenge weary and don't feel like being so specific in my ..."

Tanvi wrote: "https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/..."

Completely understandable! I took a break this year after doing Read Harder and Popsuger in 2018. It was great to just read whatever captured my interest. After reading the list 2020, I'm really looking forward to this. The break was just what I needed!

I am super excited!!! Most of these 2020 challenges are right up my alley. There is really only one that I am not looking forward to and that is the horror one. Not a genre I read or particularly appreciate. If anyone has any good suggestions for "a horror book published by an indie press," I would be all ears!

Emerging wrote: "I am super excited!!! Most of these 2020 challenges are right up my alley. There is really only one that I am not looking forward to and that is the horror one. Not a genre I read or particularly a..."

Oh yeah - I hate horror. Thrillers can be ok, if they are mostly suspense rather than violence, so that will be a hunt.

Emerging Writer, I had a horror challenge a few years ago and read a Goosebumps book. They're pre-teen level, I think.

Emerging wrote: "I am super excited!!! Most of these 2020 challenges are right up my alley. There is really only one that I am not looking forward to and that is the horror one. Not a genre I read or particularly a..."

I am doing Sawkill Girls by Claire Legrand

Teresa wrote: "Emerging Writer, I had a horror challenge a few years ago and read a Goosebumps book. They're pre-teen level, I think."

It has to be an indie press, though. I think Goosebumps are Scholastic books so that might not work.

Ah, ok thanks. I haven't looked at the list yet. I don't do horror, books or movies, so that was my compromise.

Amy wrote: "Teresa wrote: "Emerging Writer, I had a horror challenge a few years ago and read a Goosebumps book. They're pre-teen level, I think."

It has to be an indie press, though. I think Goosebumps are S..."

Maybe this is a good place to start the hunt https://litreactor.com/columns/11-of-...

Any idea when we'll get a "2020 Read Harder Plans" discussion thread?

Jamie wrote: "I've been Googling reading challenges for 2020 and keep finding an image for Reader Harder 2020. However, the Book Riot page says "Not found." and today I saw this on You Tube:
https://www.youtube...."

It is there now. I just printed it.

Emerging wrote: "I am super excited!!! Most of these 2020 challenges are right up my alley. There is really only one that I am not looking forward to and that is the horror one. Not a genre I read or particularly a..."

I'm joining for the first time in this challenge, and the horror prompt is also one that is a problem for me. Luckily I follow the SFF180 channel on Youtube, and Thomas likes to read horror too, and reviews some books. A few he reviewed this year seemed interesting, so I have them on my to-check list. 2 are from Word Horde and 1 from Broken River Books, as far as I can tell they should fit the prompt.

A Hawk in the Woods
A Spectral Hue

Coyote Songs

Black Spring by Alison Croggon from Walker Publishing

I also hate Horror -- but this squeaks into category and I might be able to tolerate it as it is a riff on the Brontes.

Sigh...I like these prompts better than I thought I would. I may make this a summer reading challenge. Cuisine is hard because I'm eating for health these days rather than adventure, but I'll wait to see what is recommended by Book Riot, or I'll skip that one.

Amy wrote: "Frozen wrote: "If you go to their website, they have the 2020 challenge posted. Just google Book Riot Read Harder 2020 challenge."

Looks like the realized it was live and took the page down. DRAT!"

I found a pdf. Heres the link. Happy reading everyone!
https://bookriot.com/wp-content/uploa...

If Subterranean Press is considered an Indie Publisher, Mira Grant would be a great option for the horror prompt:
Kingdom of Needle and Bone is not a blood and guts kind of horror novel. It's also only 128 pages. The eBook is $4.99 if your library doesn't have it.

I also liked In the Shadow of Spindrift House , Final Girls , and Rolling in the Deep

I fizzled out of the 2019 Challenge. Going to give this one a try.

Kathryn wrote: "I fizzled out of the 2019 Challenge. Going to give this one a try."

yes same here! Trying to pick as many books as possible that were already on my TBR list!

Martha wrote: "2020 will be the first time in 5 years I won't be participating in the Read Harder challenge. I'm probably not going to finish 2019. I'm challenge weary and don't feel like being so specific in my ..."

I agree Martha; this will be my first year not participating. The categories are getting WAY too specific for my enjoyment.

Pauline wrote: "Martha wrote: "2020 will be the first time in 5 years I won't be participating in the Read Harder challenge. I'm probably not going to finish 2019. I'm challenge weary and don't feel like being so ..."

That's how I felt last year, and didn't finish 2019 because of it...but I think this list is a bit more manageable than last year - hope you can find something you like!

Yay, it's up! I've been waiting for this; I love these challenges. And I simply adore horror, so that's a fun easy one for me.

I'm drawing a complete blank on #12, the religious memoir, though. I might have to wait and see the suggestions for that one.

Hello, #12 you gould try The Return Of The Prodigal Son by Henri Nouwen

Educated by Tara Westover would probably be good for religious memoir too. I haven’t finished it yet, though, so I could be off base.

For the religious memoir prompt: Unorthodox: The Scandalous Rejection of My Hasidic Roots and All Who Go Do Not Return came to my mind - Hasidic Judaism and this: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/3...

Martha wrote: "2020 will be the first time in 5 years I won't be participating in the Read Harder challenge. I'm probably not going to finish 2019. I'm challenge weary and don't feel like being so specific in my ..."

To be honest, I didn't really try this year, but a couple of times I pulled up the list and figured out how many I actually read books that matched, and it was almost half.

I plan to do the same this year, using the list as a prompt when I am not sure of what to read next, but not actively working to complete the challenge.

If anyone is looking for a suggestion for 24 Read a book in any genre by a Native, First Nations, or Indigenous author, I highly recommend Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice. What if civilisation comes to an end (possibly), and a northern Ontario reservation doesn't even notice at first.

Octavia wrote: "Yay, it's up! I've been waiting for this; I love these challenges. And I simply adore horror, so that's a fun easy one for me.

I'm drawing a complete blank on #12, the religious memoir, though. I ..."

I recommend Outlaw Christian: Finding Authentic Faith by Breaking the 'rules' and Accidental Saints: Finding God in All the Wrong People as well as Lovesong: Becoming a Jew.

Octavia wrote: "Yay, it's up! I've been waiting for this; I love these challenges. And I simply adore horror, so that's a fun easy one for me.

I'm drawing a complete blank on #12, the religious memoir, though. I ..."
I'd recommend Unfollow by Megan Phelps Roper. She grew up in the Westboro Baptist Church and ultimately left. It was interesting.

Lianne wrote: "Martha wrote: "2020 will be the first time in 5 years I won't be participating in the Read Harder challenge. I'm probably not going to finish 2019. I'm challenge weary and don't feel like being so ..."

I print them out every year with the intention of trying to complete them and then...my reading attention wanders elsewhere. I don't think there's anything wrong with that or warrants any sort of stress. I interpret the challenge to be encouragement to expand my reading into underrepresented authors/topics...not as a "do this or fail" sort of thing.

That being said...there's this book bingo thing that I ran across on instagram that does tend to bring out the competitive in me. :)

Lianne wrote: "If anyone is looking for a suggestion for 24 Read a book in any genre by a Native, First Nations, or Indigenous author, I highly recommend Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Ric..."

Thank you very much for this recommendation. It was buried in my TBR list, so it's nice to have it pulled up to the top.

If you are into double dipping and are not a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, I suggest The World's Strongest Librarian: A Memoir of Tourette's, Faith, Strength, and the Power of Family by Josh Hanagarne. Josh Hanagarne talks about his relationship with the church and how he has dealt with Tourette's Syndrome.
This would work for both #12 A memoir by someone from a religious tradition that is not your own and #21 A main character or protagonist with a disability

Hi Everyone! I'm almost done the 2019 challenge and can't wait to get started on the 2020 challenge! I think I've got most of my list done except for three. I'm waiting on those to see what others are going to post. Happy reading!

Wow, so many suggestions for task 12, thank you very much! While they all look super interesting, I think I'm going to plump for Secret Ceremonies: A Mormon Woman's Intimate Diary of Marriage and Beyond by Deborah Laake, which has the shining quality of being available at the library.

There's nothing like randomly picking a book off a shelf.

Would Octavia E. Butler's "Fledgling" count for #2?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fledgli...

Patty wrote: "Would Octavia E. Butler's "Fledgling" count for #2?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fledgli..."

I just read that and I don't think it would. I don't think it's a retelling of anything. I could be wrong.

I'm definitely planning to try the bonus challenge of finding LGBT authors' works for all prompts!

Here to recommend Fran Ross's Oreo for prompt 2. It is probably my 2019 book of the year. It's clever and funny and subversive and I'm so distressed she never wrote another novel.

Stacy wrote: "Lianne wrote: "If anyone is looking for a suggestion for 24 Read a book in any genre by a Native, First Nations, or Indigenous author, I highly recommend Moon of the Crusted Snow by..."
I loved Moon of the crusted snow! Also, anything written by Richard Wagamese is incredible and would fit into this category.

Andrea wrote: "If you are into double dipping and are not a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, I suggest [book:The World's Strongest Librarian: A Memoir of Tourette's, Faith, Strength, and..."

That book does fit perfectly and was quite an enjoyable read, IMHO!

I struggled to find 'Read a middle grade book that doesn’t take place in the US or the UK'. Settled for White Bird

Would recommend Hitler's Canary for anyone who hasn't already read it

Octavia wrote: "Wow, so many suggestions for task 12, thank you very much! While they all look super interesting, I think I'm going to plump for [book:Secret Ceremonies: A Mormon Woman's Intimate Diary of Marriage..."

Library availability (or already sitting on my home bookshelves) is always a top priority for me.