Book Riot’s Read Harder Challenge is one of the most diverse, eye-opening and fun annual reading challenges out there. They always manage to come up with prompts I never would have thought of, they cover a huge variety of themes and genres, and they make it so you feel like you’ve really accomplished something important if you check off even half of their list. This year they even have authors contributing some of the prompts just in case you weren’t already impressed enough.
I’ve never checked off every item on their list, and being nearly 6 months behind this year, I don’t stand a chance. But I feel like the point isn’t to cross off everything, but to expand your reading horizons and encourage yourself to pick up books you might not have otherwise. So here we go!
- Read a book about sports.
Read a debut novel. The Bean Trees – Barbara KingsolverRead a book about books. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society – Mary Ann Shaffer- Read a book set in Central or South America, written by a Central or South American author.
Read a book by an immigrant or with a central immigration narrative. Americanah – Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie- Read an all-ages comic.
- Read a book published between 1900 and 1950.
- Read a travel memoir.
Read a book you’ve read before. Pigs In Heaven – Barbara Kingsolver- Read a book that is set within 100 miles of your location.
Read a book that is set more than 5000 miles from your location. Love, Nina – Nina Stibbe- Read a fantasy novel.
- Read a nonfiction book about technology.
Read a book about war.Coventry – Helen Humphreys- Read a YA or middle grade novel by an author who identifies as LGBTQ+.
- Read a book that has been banned or recently challenged in your country.
- Read a classic by an author of colour.
- Read a superhero comic with a female lead.
- Read a book in which a character of colour goes on a spiritual journey. (From Daniel José Older)
- Read an LGBTQ+ romance novel. (From Sarah MacLean)
- Read a book published by a micropress. (From Roxanne Gay)
- Read a collection of stories by a woman. (From Celeste Ng)
- Read a collection of poetry in translation on a theme other than love. (From Ausma Zehanat Khan)
- Read a book wherein all point-of-view characters are people of colour. (From Jacqueline Koyanagi)
If you want to find out more about Book Riot or this challenge (or to see more info about the authors who contributed prompts), click here to visit the original challenge post.
