Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge discussion

Mindy wrote: "Hi, I'm Mindy. I started this back in January but just found this forum. I'm at least halfway through the list - listening to audio books two hours a day on my commute to and from work has helped i..."

So glad you have joined us.

Hello, I'm Margaret. I'm a professor at a seminary in Austin; my field is NT. I do a lot of work-related reading but have dropped off on my reading for pleasure. I suspect some of my challenge books will come from work. I'm currently reading Cuba: A New History by Richard Gott. That's both a work-related book (I'm taking students to Cuba this Spring Break) and a book on personal interest.

I like the ethos of this group, at least as it is laid out in the description. I'm hoping to stick around.

Hi, everyone! I'm Elizabeth, AKA nevillegirl. I'm a sophomore double-majoring in English & creative writing and journalism at the University of Iowa, although I am originally from Indiana. This is my first year doing #ReadHarder and I'm so excited for it! 2014 was a GREAT year for me, reading-wise, but the last 2? Not so much. So I want to get back on track in 2017! Let's hope this gives me the motivation to Get Things Done and read despite my depression.

Hi everyone, I'm Jennifer. I love to read and saw a link to this challenge in one of my facebook groups. I thought it would be fun to try and a nice way to read in some areas that I normally avoid.

Greetings,
I've decided to attempt this challenge because last year was a tough reading year for me. I just couldn't seem to gather the motivation to read. I'd have short bursts where I flew through books and then months without picking up so much as a magazine. So challenging myself with new topics and finally getting through some of the stuff on my personal bookshelves will be great motivation. Good luck to all.

Hello everyone, I'm Joanna from Switzerland and decided to join this challenge because all the ones in German just seemed boring to me. This one is more challenging than those and also helps to read new genres.

One of my GR friends joined this group so I thought I would. Also, I find challenges are a good way of cleaning up my backlist and adding diversity to my reading.

Hi, I'm Edie from Nashville. My daughter-in-law told me about this challenge in September last year. I finished it with Lab Girl on December 30. I like the diverse selection of books it encouraged me to read, so I am in for another year.

Hello all. This is my second BR reading challenge. And I have to say, these tasks were harder to find books for than last year.

Hi. I am a newbie this year, I have followed Book Riot for a long, long time but I never felt like I could complete a challenge while I was in school. I graduated last year, and now I read a lot more for pleasure. Through tracking all of my reading through Goodreads for the past few years, I have seen that I tend to gravitate towards a certain type of book, so there isn't much diversity at all in my reading life, though I would like to be a little more diverse. This challenge seems like a good way to push me towards broadening my horizons. Good luck to everyone!

Hi, I am Tytti from Finland. I moderate another group here that takes part in a similiar challenge, so I probably won't even try to complete this one but I might still track down how many tasks I could fill and I am interested to see what others are reading. Some of them also seem to be a bit more difficult for a person in another country/culture.

Welcome all! Happy reading!

I'm Ellyn, and I decided to do the Read Harder Challenge this year because I was a voracious reader when I was in grade school and high school, but now that I've graduated college I find that I don't read much anymore.

I work in a middle school and high school, and I want to set a good example for my students, most of whom are struggling readers and say they "hate reading". So I'm hoping that this challenge can help me show them that there are a ton of really good books out there, if only they expand their horizons and try something new.

My name is Elyse, I'm 30, from New Hampshire. I've loved reading since the beginning and average 150 books (audio, physical, electronic, you name it) a year. I've just joined the challenge this year. I've been on the Book Riot email list for about 6 months (gosh they've added so much to my TBR!) and thought I'd try my hand at this year's challenge. I feel confident on most of the tasks and will double-dip first, then later in the year diversify with books that may embody the task better. :)

Could this thread be placed on the 2017 challenge so it's easier for people to find and participate in? :)

Hi I'm Tanelle. I've always been an avid reader and find that I stick to my usual genres. I've been trying to expand and read outside them and this group came up a lot last year on the Popsugar challenge group so I thought I would attempt it this year. I've been working my way through it these past few months but this is my first post. I'm struggling with filling the prompts; I guess that's why they call it "Read Harder".

I'm Bill, and I really wanted to explore different types of reading this year. One of my friends and colleagues said I was spending too much time reading unpleasant dystopian or post-apocalypse science fiction, leaving me unable to give him good book recommendations :)

I actually found the "Read Harder" challenge as a challenge in the habit-tracking-as-game website, Habitica. Someone created it as a to-do list challenge there; I looked it up and decided to take the challenge. To further expand my reading, I've chosen not to "double-dip" and instead to read a unique book for each category, although I may interpret some of them more loosely than others. (For example, I may read a book that focuses on fencing for the "Sports" category, which not everyone might agree with.)

My name is Ijeoma and I am from the DMV area...I work in law enforcement, but at night, I love to read and I love to write. I consider myself an avid reader. I will read anything that seems interesting. This challenge caught my eye as I realized, some of the tasks would require that I come out of my comfort zone. I am definitely game for it.

Hi, I'm Beth,53,librarian. I read a lot , and like the challenge. Some of the categories are going to be difficult for me.( war) Last year I found reading 100 books a little more difficult than I expected, so I decided that while I have the same number goal as last year- I needed a reason to limit some of my other activities ( like facebook) . I'm glad I saw this book group here, because finding a book in some categories will be interesting. (micro press) . I have no idea how this will go, I am trying not to let the challenge be the point of reading, but more the reason to stretch the reading and chose reading over some of the other activities

Hello everyone, I'm Marie.

I love the BookRiot podcast and their focus on diverse reading. After a few months of listening, it occurred to me to look at the books on my "to read" shelf. I discovered that I was choosing very few books by women or POC. It's funny how, if you don't pay attention, that just happens. :/

I made a commitment to read more widely, and have loved some of the books I've picked up that I might not have read otherwise. I've made February "read POC authors month," March "read women authors month," and April "read poetry month." The Read Harder challenge seemed like another way to stretch myself.

Hi everyone!

My name is Ariel, I'm 25 years old and am a library secretary at a local high school. I had seen the Read Harder challenge before, but had never participated for a lot of different reasons. I have my own TBR shelf to get through, I was previously working fast food so my schedule was never consistent and didn't leave a lot of free reading time, etc. But I decided now that I have a steady schedule, I finally had time to tackle this reading challenge. I'm definitely enjoying it so far, I have picked up books I never would have otherwise, such as The Blind Side. I'm super excited to see where the rest of these challenges take me!

Hi, I'm Jen! I'm a 21 year old student. This is the first year I participate in any reading challenge (except for the goodreads goal challenge). I was curious and thought that this may be a good way to finally red some of the books I've had on my TBR for a while now. It also is a good way to read on some topics and genres I would normally not be drown to and I think will help me be more organized and persistent with my reading habits.

Hi, I am Bonnie. I am an Executive Director in higher education administration and a reader (sometimes not in that order.) This is my 3rd year doing this challenge, and I love that it takes me out of my regular genres. I generally read a lot of literary fiction (much of it by written by Jewish men -- Philip Roth always and 4 eva!). I also read a fair amount of memoir, nonfiction work focused on issues of social justice, and I have a secret love for trashy romance. I like that this competition makes me read in a more intentional way. Because of the Book Riot challenge I have read a number of books I have liked a lot and which I don't think I would have otherwise picked up. I like that it is only a 24 book challenge since I like to read what I like to read, and not always be guided by the challenge categories. So far this year I have read 17 books, but only 8 are challenge books. Its a great balance. I would be pretty happy if they dumped the comic/graphic challenges, but otherwise it has been fun.

Hi, My name is Tillie. I am retired from a career in special education. I am 65. I have been reading since I was a child. This is my third year Reading Harder. I like being pushed to try different genre, authors and styles of writing. I like literary fiction and the classics. Long and shortlisted Man-Bookers and Pulitzers. Lately I have been reading whatever my teen grandkids are reading for their English classes. Something to talk about with them! This challenge is a great way to find new reads.

Hi, my name is Susan. I'm a lawyer for the federal government and I love reading. When my last child left for college, I decided to ramp up my reading and last year's challenge was a way to do it. Mostly I read nonfiction--biography, history, art and architecture. When reading fiction, I read mysteries, literary fiction and the classics--but the challenge last year forced me beyond my usual reading genres. I read Stephen King for the first time, and Philip K. Dick, and a graphic novel. I love the Book Riot podcasts too--they also make me think beyond my usual choices, particularly in choosing books by POC--I discovered Angela Flournoy and Brit Bennett thanks to BR. This year I joined with others who love reading and books in San Diego for a Read Harder Challenge book club in San Diego. It is great to exchange ideas with the group, especially those who read genres I don't usually read.

My name is Traci and I am an adult services librarian at a public library in Vermont. I have always been an avid reader and really wanted to read some books that would challenge me and push me to read deeper. I love to read cozy mysteries and it has been fun to read so many different book. Thanks for providing this challenge and structure.

My name is Andy and I'm an English adjunct professor, although at the moment I'm on leave in Montreal where my wife got a great job. You can imagine I read quite a bit, but when I saw this challenge, I was struck by what a deep rut my reading habits were in. I stuck to the same genres--classics, mysteries, fantasy, scifi--and very seldom read outside of that. This seemed like an excellent opportunity to step out of my comfort zone and read things I'm usually closed off to. For example, right now I'm reading Charles Darwin's The Origin of Species. Obviously, it's a book I knew about and have even argued about, so I thought the "Read a Banned or Challenged Book" challenge came up, I thought this was a perfect opportunity. I am a big believer in this challenge because it is far too easy for me to stick to the familiar and miss out on so many learning and growth opportunities. Hell, miss out on fun.

My name is Anna and I'm an elementary teacher. I recently completed a MS and have time to read again and I'm so excited to work on the challenge this year!

My name is Rita, I'm an app developer/wannabe writer living in the mountains of Colorado. Nice to meet everyone!

I guess this challenge caught my eye because I love the hell out of reading challenges. Back in 2016, I did the Diversity Bingo, and a month of female authors only, then a month of only Latino authors, then a month of only Black authors.

This year, I'm also doing fun bingo challenges like Dystopia Bingo, and Story Tropes Bingo (my favorite so far is Sci-fi bingo). I'm oddly addicted to reading challenges and bingos, especially anything that has to do with literary tropes.

I'm Allie, I work in marketing, and I'm a Texpat living in SW Virginia. This is my second year doing Read Harder (I didn't finish last year), and I enjoy that these challenges push me out of my comfort zone without absorbing ALL my reading time. I love literary fiction, but I've found that I arbitrarily decide that I won't enjoy certain genres/authors/types of books (usually based on a single past experience), and this challenges some of those notions and makes me reconsider. I also love that it has me looking more and more at diverse authors, characters and styles. (I am glad it challenges us to choose poetry, graphic novels, translations and the like on occasion, as those are not things I would typically think to grab on my own.)

I'm Catherine and I'm a Clinical Librarian in Melbourne Australia. I started doing book challenges because I was stuck in a rut and didn't know how to get out. My rut was UK crime fiction and although I still love this genre, I want to experience more. A friend of mine in the US told me about this challenge and I thought it was interesting and decided to jump in. What's not to love about challenging yourself?

I'm Laura and I'm a pediatric pharmacist in Cleveland, OH. I actually first saw this challenge on Wordpress, when someone I follow did an update on how she was doing on the challenge. I thought it looked interesting, so I decided to join! I'm also doing the 2017 Historical Fiction Challenge, led by another blogger, since that is my favorite genre.

I am Kaitlynn, I'm a 32 year old cosmetics manager at a drug store, and readaholic. I select the majority of my books at random, but this challenge appealed to me as a way to expand my horizons even more. Also, i really like checklists!

Laura wrote: "I'm Laura and I'm a pediatric pharmacist in Cleveland, OH. I actually first saw this challenge on Wordpress, when someone I follow did an update on how she was doing on the challenge. I thought it ..."

I am very interested in the historical fiction challenge you mention. Can you tell me how to find the challenge?

Diane wrote: "Laura wrote: "I'm Laura and I'm a pediatric pharmacist in Cleveland, OH. I actually first saw this challenge on Wordpress, when someone I follow did an update on how she was doing on the challenge...."

Here you go, Diane: http://www.passagestothepast.com/2016... It looks like a lot of fun. There aren't any specific challenges, so to speak, it's just a goal based on the number of books you read! And you don't have to have a blog to participate or anything.

Hi, I'm Jeza. I was looking for a challenge because I honestly don't read much and I wanted an incentive.

Jeza wrote: "Hi, I'm Jeza. I was looking for a challenge because I honestly don't read much and I wanted an incentive."

Hi, Jeza! Hopefully this will work out for you. It has for me in the past. :)

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Hello, everyone. I'm Ana from the Philippines and I love reading, but there are so many books and so little time! And I waste even more time by being uncertain of what to read. Having a reading challenge will make choosing a bit easier, and that's why I'm joining.

I read a lot and fairly widely - I definitely gravitate toward YA and fantasy (and YA fantasy), but I have books of all different genres on my shelves - but I think this'll give me a little more direction when choosing books and push me to read things that maybe I've been putting off or things that I keep thinking "I should really read something like that" but haven't done it yet.

Although a nonfiction book on technology...I dunno about that.

~is an old granny who still uses a flip phone~

Then again, I guess you could use a broad definition of both "nonfiction" and "technology." I'm obviously not going to sit down and read an instructions manual for a Smart Phone. But my boyfriend just finished a book about the design of everyday things, so that sort of thing might be more interesting.

Hi, my name is Jill and I live in California. I love reading challenges. I like the way they broaden the scope of my reading life. Sometimes the prompts I think I am going to hate turn out to be some of the best books. I have participated in the Popsugar challenge for the last three years and this year I also did the Around the Year in 52 Books challenge and also Modern Mrs, Darcy's challenge. I have finished all three with a month left in the year so I want to challenge myself even further in 2018 and this looks like the perfect challenge to add to the mix! I can't wait to see the tasks for the 2018 challenge. Happy reading everyone!

My name is Cara. I just came across the Book Riot Reader Harder Challenge today. I like that this challenge will take me outside of my comfort zone and push me to read across more genres.

Hello, Michelle from Southern California here. I've always been a reader and I'm hoping this challenge will help me branch out into some subjects/genres I don't normally read. I'm a Public Librarian in a large urban system and I think this will help my readers' advisory skills. Also, I have a brand new Passion Planner that I taped the list into. Found the challenge as a Facebook post from Book Riot.

Hello, I'm Heather. I first heard about this challenge in a very general sense towards the beginning of this year. And more in detail at Thanksgiving when a friend was telling me about completing the 2017 challenge. I've been waiting for the 2018 tasks to be announced so that I could start planning! I'm a grants manager at a biomedical research non profit and most of my reading happens during the 90 minutes I spend on the train commuting each day. I'm looking forward to reading books that I wouldn't generally gravitate towards and I'm hoping to get involved in a few lively discussion boards.

I'm Deb, aka the otherdeb. I love reading and want to vary my reading more, so this struck me as a great way to read outside my comfort zone (which is a pretty big comfort zone but, still, it could use expanding). I will be doing my usual Goodreads reading challenge this year - I'm upping my game to aim for 250 books instead of 200. Can't wait to see what new treasures both challenges will bring me in 2018!

Hey everyone, I’m Kat. Saw this challenge in the Newsletter and want to read outside of my comfort zone next year. New books new authors new genres, sounds like a good plan to me. Greetings from Germany

Hi I’m Chavelli, I’m have to read so much serious stuff for work so books are my catharsis! I’m in my early 30s and work for the government as a senior policy advisor. I love good literature and am unforgiving in my high expectations! So this challenge to read harder still really appealed to me! Hope to get to know some of you and your reading habits better!

Hello, I'm Kerri. Every year I set a reading goal. Year before last, it was to read at least 26 books by foreign authors; this year, it was to read at least 12 non-fiction books (I don't like reading non-fiction). This year, I thought it would be fun to try a reading challenge!

I am Karen, retired and taking care of grandchildren right now. I saw the challenge recently when my daughter and daughter in law posted the 2018 list on Facebook. I read almost exclusively in the mystery type genre so I thought I should try some different books this year. I will be looking at lots of the suggested books in some of the categories that are not familiar to me. I have requested a couple books from the library that will get me started so I am set to be on the way in January.

Hi! I'm Erica. I used the 2017 read harder challenge as a guide to read more this year, and hope to get closer to finishing the 2018 challenge. I like that this challenge encourages me to branch out, while also giving me guidelines. It's nice to have books to look for at the library rather than wandering and seeing what I find.

Hi. I'm Tina. I am a children's librarian in NJ. I am trying to stretch myself and read out of my comfort zone.

Hi, I’m Vickey and this is my first-ever reading I I’m retired and spent many years reading material related to work. Since retirement three years ago, I’ve settled into a safe comfort zone of reading anthologies of short stories and essays. Now’s the time to explore other types of books. I’m excited by what I see on the 2018
challenge list. I look forward to jumping in!