Book Riot’s annual Read Harder Challenge is an epic reading adventure that is presented to readers at the beginning of each new year. I love that their prompts are always varied, always interesting, and always inclusive.
I have trouble sticking to any enforced reading list, so I don’t usually actually attempt to meet each of the prompts on any reading challenge, but I love to share them, spread the word, and use their prompts as ideas of types of reading experiences I’d like to have. Here is this year’s list:
- Read a cozy fantasy book. Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree
- Read a YA book by a trans author.
- Read a middle grade horror novel.
- Read a history book by a BIPOC author.
- Read a Sci-Fi novella.
- Read a middle grade book with an LGBTQIA main character.
- Read an indie published collection of poetry by a BIPOC or queer author.
- Read a book in translation from a country you’ve never visited.
- Read a book recommended by a librarian.
- Read a historical fiction book by an Indigenous author.
- Read a picture book published in the last five years. I’m sure I’ve read a bunch of these, but don’t remember which ones!
- Read a genre book (SFF, horror, mystery, romance) by a disabled author.
- Read a comic that has been banned.
- Read a book by an author with an upcoming event (in person or virtual) and then attend the event.
- Read a YA nonfiction book.
- Read a book based solely on the title.
- Read a book about media literacy.
- Read a book about drag or queer artistry.
- Read a romance with neurodivergent characters.
- Read a book about books (fiction or nonfiction).
- Read a book that went under the radar in 2023.
- Read a manga or manhwa.
- Read a “whodunit” or “whydunit” mystery. Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister
- Pick a challenge from any of the previous years’ challenges to repeat!
I’ll try to update this as I begin my reading journey if any of the books I read fit the challenges. At the very least, there are a few in here I’m intrigued to research!
What about you guys? Do you participate in any reading challenges? Which is your favourite? Of these challenges, which are you most excited to complete or attempt?
I tried the PopSugar Reading Challenge one year and it was fun but I much prefer the approach of following a challenge very loosely because it does get stressful otherwise
I absolutely, 100% will not complete this. Likely I won’t even come back to this post to update it. I do, however, enjoy seeing what the new challenge prompts are each year – especially for this one! They often come up with things I didn’t even know were… a thing! I sometimes enjoy dipping in and out, but you’re right – way too stressful to stick to!
When I first started blogging I signed up for several year-long challenges like this one and found myself completely stress out by them. I also found my heart wasn’t in it because I was reading books I didn’t really want to read just to fulfill some check on the page. Now I only do challenges I create myself, like The Nation Book Award challenge to read at least two of the winners or finalists each year, or short-term one like Nonfiction November. Those I can handle. That said, I do wish you luck on this one. It has some very intriguing prompts.
Yeah, I’ve never stuck to one. The only structured reading I can stick to is judging a prize or reading for reviews that I’ve committed to. That’s it. But I do find the prompts wonderfully diverse and interesting – they don’t do the obvious much, and there’s so much I didn’t even know was a *thing* so I learn something each year. I won’t stick to it. I won’t even try. But I might hit one or two or discover a new type of reading experience, and that’s enough for me! But I totally feel you. I hate feeling trapped into my reading, and inevitably as soon as I feel that I’ll just stop reading. We live in the time of Netflix, it’s not like there’s nothing else to do! So I’m completely with you and also applaud your realistic approach to your reading!