The Book Riot 2015 Read Harder Challenge

I just now came across this challenge and want to do it now, too. I like the ones with different categories and I know a lot of these categories will overlap with those in my other challenges.  Some stuff I've already read fits the categories for this one as well. Sign up at Book Riot.

 

Whatever your preference for reading challenges, we here at the Riot enjoy the odd challenge. We’ve written before about the benefits of a reading challenge; they can stretch your reading, whether the intention is to push you to read more of your TBR, more classics, more backlist, more new releases, or just to read more. Or even if the intention is to read less.

January 1st brings with it both an abundance of challenges for the new year and an abundance of resolutions. These are often connected for readers, many of whom – Rioters included – make reading resolutions. As many of us here resolve to read more diversely, in any number of ways, we thought it would be a good idea to come up with our own reading challenge for 2015 to help you stretch your reading limits.

I’ve included 24 tasks, averaging out to two per month, that will hopefully inspire you to pick up books that represent experiences and places and cultures that might be different from your own. We encourage you to push yourself, to take advantage of this challenge as a way to explore topics or formats or genres that you otherwise wouldn’t try. But this isn’t a test. No one is keeping score and there are no points to post. We like books because they allow us to see the world from a new perspective, and sometimes we all need help to even know which perspectives to try out. That’s what this is – a perspective shift – but one for which you’ll only be accountable to yourself.

Where applicable, I’ve linked to previous Book Riot posts, to Goodreads lists, or other resources that might help you find books to fit the tasks.*

We hope this challenge will help you not only to read more, but to Read Harder.

We’ll be checking in here on the Riot periodically throughout the year, but we’ll also be talking about this challenge on social media with the hashtag #ReadHarder. Share your books, share your challenge plan, share your recommendations.

1.  A book written by someone when they were under the age of 25:  The DUFF--Kody Keplinger

2.  A book written by someone when they were over the age of 65:  A Year Down Yonder--Richard Peck

3.  A collection of short stories (either by one person or an anthology by many people):
Summer Days--Lisa Jackson

4.  A book published by an indie press:  The Yellow-Lighted Bookshop--Lewis Buzbee (Graywolf Press)

5.  A book by or about someone who identifies as LGBTQ:  Choose Your Own Autobiography--Neil Patrick Harris

6.  A book by a person whose gender is different from your own:  The Watsons Go to Birmingham-1963--Christopher Paul Curtis

7.  A book that takes place in Asia:  The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul--Deborah Rodriguez

8. A book by an author from Africa:  The Company You Keep--Neil Gordon (South Africa)

9. A book that is by or about someone from an indigenous culture(Native Americans, Aboriginals, etc.):  The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian--Sherman Alexie

10.  A microhistory:  For God, Country and Coca-Cola--Mark Pendergrast

11.  A YA novel:  Redeemed--P.C. Cast

12.  A sci-fi novel:   The Martian--Andy Weir

13.  A romance novel:  All He Ever Wanted--Anita Shreve

14.  A National Book Award, Man Booker Prize or Pulitzer Prize winner from the last decade:  Life of Pi--Yann Martel (Man Booker Prize)

15. A book that is a retelling of a classic story (fairytale, Shakespearian play, classic novel, etc.):    Ruby's Slippers--Leanna Ellis

16.  An audiobook:  Jewels--Danielle Steel

17.  A collection of poetry:  Best American Poetry 1997--James Tate (ed.)

18.  A book that someone else has recommended to you:  This Present Darkness--Frank E. Peretti

19.  A book that was originally published in another language:  Like Water for Chocolate--Laura Esquivel

20.  A graphic novel, a graphic memoir or a collection of comics of any kind:  Peach Girl Volume 1--Miwa Ueda

21.  A book that you would consider a guilty pleasure (Read, and then realize that good entertainment is nothing to feel guilty over):  A Salty Piece of Land--Jimmy Buffett

22.  A book published before 1850:  Pride and Prejudice--Jane Austen

23.  A book published this year:  The Girl on the Train--Paula Hawkins

24.  A self-improvement book (can be traditionally or non-traditionally considered “self-improvement”):  A Woman's Worth--Marianne Williamson

Challenge Completed on September 15