It is a brand new year full of hopes, dreams, and, hopefully positive, surprises. I am sure it will come as no surprise, however, that I am doing Book Riot’s Read Harder Challenge again this year.
If you missed last year’s reading challenge, click here to see each of the challenges and the chosen books for each.
Once again, there are many different options for reading challenges. You do not have to pick Book Riot’s. You can pick The Princeton Book Review‘s or POPSUGAR’s or go with a random one you found on Pinterest. Or, just to be wild this year, you can go without a challenge and fly by the seat of your pants, hoping you are wearing good underwear in case you crash.
Reading challenges help to push my TBR lists to find new authors and subgenres that I may not have found on my own. It’s like having a super well-read friend without having to accidentally discover someone who thinks the Eragon movie was better than the book. Without further ado, let’s check out this year’s challenges, and see my picks for each.
#1: Read a cozy fantasy book.
When I think of cozy fantasy, I think of fantasy that is just plain fun. The kind of fantasy that you can read aloud without having to hide your grandmas.
Click here to check out this review!
#2: Read a YA book by a trans author.
There is not a single thing I did not love about this book. It kept the spirit of the original story but adapted it in a way that feels wholly original.
Click here to check out this review!
#3: Read a middle grade horror novel.
Coraline is one of those stories that freaks you out no matter how old you are. It has combinations of the most common fears: spiders, rats, the dark, old people, etc.
Click here to check out this review!
#4 Read a history book by a BIPOC author
Hidden histories are both a terrible and fascinating thing. They are the histories of those who did not write the history books. They are the stories of those who are often left out of the historical record all together.
Click here to check out this review!
#5 Read a sci-fi novella.
There is just something about time travel that brings out the nerd within.
Click here to check out this review!
#6 Read a middle grade book with an LGBTQIA main character.
“It’s hard to be yourself before you know who that is”. I imagine it’s even harder when you are being plagued by a ghost.
Click here to check out this review!
#7 Read an indie published collection of poetry by a BIPOC or queer author.
The one thing that poetry in all of its forms has in common is the feeling that it invokes. Poetry makes you feel something. Whether you understand the purpose of the poem or whether you are the audience that connects with it in the strongest way, it still invokes feelings.
Click here to check out this review!
#8 Read a book in translation from a country you’ve never visited.
There is something in Valeria’s story that is in all women, in all of us. The world decides a lot of her actions. In many stories, this dynamic can make the main character seem weak. But here, it serves to highlight the injustices in a world that often does not let women be the architects of their own lives.
Click here to check out this review!
#9 Read a book recommended by a librarian.
After a discussion on female authors and their effect on early American literature, this book was recommended to me.
Click here to check out this review!
#10 Read a historical fiction book by an Indigenous author.
Maud is a headstrong, fun-loving eighteen year old and provides a great window into life on these allotments in Eastern Oklahoma in 1928. You follow her and her family as they attempt to hold on to aspects of a culture that many are trying to take from them.
Click here to check out this review!
#11 Read a picture book published in the last five years.
The illustrations in this book are absolutely gorgeous. And it helps to teach your kids to be grateful as well as giving them insight into Chinese culture. It may even leave you craving a salad.
Click here to check out this review!
#12 Read a genre book (SFF, horror, mystery, romance) by a disabled author.
The character of Hild is a strong-willed woman who finds her place in a world where strong-willed women have to lead more from the shadows than the stage.
Click here to check out this review!
#13 Read a comic that has been banned.
Persepolis is a well-written and beautifully drawn window into the history and culture of Iran. The author provides a front row seat to her family’s struggle to survive and adapt to the changing world around them.
Click here to check out this review!
#14 Read a book by an author with an upcoming event (virtual or in person) and then attend the event.
Now, I read a lot of weird books, but this is definitely one of the weirder books that I have read.
Click here to check out this review!
#15 Read a YA nonfiction book.
This book follows Dmitri Shostakovich, the composer of the Leningrad Symphony, also known as Symphony No. 7. This symphony was broadcast throughout Leningrad, and they even used loud speakers to ensure the Germans heard it as well. It has become a symbol of resistance to fascism and totalitarianism as well as speaking to the strength of will and human spirit of the people of Leningrad.
Click here to check out this review!
#16 Read a book based solely on the title.
This book is equal parts fascinating and terrifying. The clinical tales described within tell us of patients the author has encountered as a neurologist. And I am learning so much. I think?
Click here to check out this review!
#17 Read a book about media literacy.
Here is another topic I feel woefully ignorant about, but that’s what these challenges are for.
Review coming soon… November 28, 2024
#18 Read a book about drag or queer artistry.
A collection of photographs and lots of short pieces of advice and witticisms, this book is a fun read from one of the most, if not the most, famous drag queen: RuPaul.
Review coming soon… December 12, 2024
#19 Read a romance with neurodivergent characters.
The romance was heartfelt with plenty of steam. The stakes were heavy. The conflict felt genuine and resolved in a very satisfying manner.
Click here to check out this review!
#20 Read a book about books (fiction or nonfiction).
This book, the entire series actually, is a perfect blend of sweet romance and humor. The books read by the men in The Bromance Book Club teach them about themselves and how to be better boyfriends and husbands.
Click here to check out this review!
#21 Read a book that went under the radar in 2023.
I am surprised I haven’t heard of this book. Although considering the rock I live under has not been remodelled recently, that isn’t saying much.
Review coming soon… December 26, 2024
#22 Read a manga or manhwa.
Both the manga and the anime are beautifully done. The art is great. The characters all have depth. I genuinely care about every single one of these characters. Considering there are 12 Sohma family members that can turn into animals, two female best friends, a grandfather, coworkers, and more, this is an impressive feat.
Click here to check out this review!
#23 Read a howdunit or whydunit mystery.
This is apparently the classic howdunit. Which is a thing that exists. That I am excited to read about.
Review coming soon… November 19, 2024
#24 Pick a challenge from any of the previous years’ challenges to repeat!
For this, I picked “Read a biography”, a challenge from 2016. Even though it’s a biography of four different women, it still counts.
Review coming soon… December 12, 2024
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