First things first, happy new year! I can't believe it's already 2017 - this past year sure has flown by! Here's to what will hopefully be a fantastic 2017!
Anyway, this year I resolve to complete Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge, which sounds like it will be an excellent way to challenge myself to read more widely and broadly. This year there are twenty-four tasks to complete over the course of the year. You're allowed to read one book to complete multiple tasks, or read one book per task. In order to get the most out of this challenge, I will be reading one book per task. Here's the list of the challenge tasks and my proposed reading list:
January:
1. Read a book about sports.
2. Read a debut novel.
February:
3. Read a book about books.
4. Read a book set in Central or South America, written by a Central or South American author.
March:
5. Read a book by an immigrant or with a central immigration narrative.
6. Read an all-ages comic.
April:
7. Read a book published between 1900 and 1950.
My choice - The Three Taps by Ronald A. Knox - I've picked up quite a few older mystery books recently at antique shops, yard sales, etc. and this story from 1927 particularly stood out to me. Mine doesn't have a dust jacket, but it after flipping through it I noticed that the subtitle is "A Detective Story Without A Moral" - that sounds right up my alley. Plus, I didn't realize right away that the "taps" are referring to gas jets from old-fashioned gas lights - so that plus seeing what the dust jacket looked like really upped my interest.
8. Read a travel memoir.
May:
9. Read a book you’ve read before.
My choice - Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass #1) by Sarah J. Maas - I read this way back in 2014 and somehow I never got around to the sequels right after. I plan to remedy that this year, so I'll definitely be rereading book one to refresh my memory. Here's my original review, if you're interested.
10. Read a book that is set within 100 miles of your location.
June:
11. Read a book that is set more than 5000 miles from your location.
12. Read a fantasy novel.
July:
13. Read a nonfiction book about technology.
14. Read a book about war.
August:
15. Read a YA or middle grade novel by an author who identifies as LGBTQ+.
16. Read a book that has been banned or frequently challenged in your country.
September:
17. Read a classic by an author of color.
18. Read a superhero comic with a female lead.
October:
19. Read a book in which a character of color goes on a spiritual journey (From Daniel José Older, author of Salsa Nocturna, the Bone Street Rumba urban fantasy series, and YA novel Shadowshaper)
My choice - Labyrinth Lost (Brooklyn Brujas #1) by Zoraida Cordova - I'm really excited for this fantasy adventure novel featuring Latinx culture.
20. Read an LGBTQ+ romance novel (From Sarah MacLean, author of ten bestselling historical romance novels).
November:
21. Read a book published by a micropress. (From Roxane Gay, bestselling author of Ayiti, An Untamed State, Bad Feminist, Marvel’s World of Wakanda, and the forthcoming Hunger and Difficult Women)
My choice - Warhead by Ricardo Delgado - This is put out by Reliquary Press and is described as a neo-noir for fans of Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler, so it sounds like it could be right up my alley.
22. Read a collection of stories by a woman. (From Celeste Ng, author Everything I Never Told You and the forthcoming Little Fires Everywhere)
December:
23. Read a collection of poetry in translation on a theme other than love. (From Ausma Zehanat Khan, author of the Esa Khattak/Rachel Getty mystery series, including The Unquiet Dead, The Language of Secrets, and the forthcoming Among the Ruins)
My choice - Stolen Air: Selected Poems of Osip Mandelstam by Osib Mandelstam, translated by Christian Wiman - I've never read Mandelstam before, but he's a major Russian poet of the twentieth century who was a political nonconformist who opposed Stalin's totalitarian government.
24. Read a book wherein all point-of-view characters are people of color. (From Jacqueline Koyanagi, author of sci-fi novel Ascension)
My choice - One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia - I've been meaning to read this middle-grade historical fiction novel for quite a while, so what better time than for this challenge.
If you've made it this far, congratulations! Are you planning on tackling Book Riot's 2017 Read Harder Challenge, too? If so, I'd love to know what books you plan on picking up for it!
Good luck with this challenge!! Sounds like a lot of fun!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Stormi! I think it will be great!
DeleteThis looks like an awesome challenge, Lauren! Every time I come across that Rainbow Boys cover, I let out squeal. I really loved White Collar and miss it so much. I'm sure you'll enjoy Labyrinth Lost, it has similar elements to Shadowshaper, which I know you enjoyed. Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteThanks Alicia! :)
DeleteWow. Even making the list is a hard task. I am very impressed by your selections. Good luck with the challenge.
ReplyDeleteIt was time consuming but I think I've got a good line up! :)
DeleteThis sounds like a fun challenge.
ReplyDeleteI think so. Thanks for stopping by, Marie!
DeleteGood luck with this challenge!!
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Thanks very much!
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