I’m taking on the Book Riot Read Harder this year. I’ve tried in the past, but each time I’ve tried, I’ve found myself feeling too pressured to read certain books over others. I don’t know what clicked this year, when I realized that the point of those categories was to stretch myself in ways that could still work for my reading life: I don’t have to read something in a completely different genre or category to find a book within, say, YA or adult nonfiction, that perfectly meets the goals of the category. It’s a stretch beyond the comfort zone, without feeling like I need to read for the person I think I should be, rather than the person I am.

For those unfamiliar with the Read Harder challenge, the goal is to read one book from twenty-four different prompts throughout the year. The idea is that you’d read two books a month to fit the challenge. You can, of course, do it however it works best for you, but when you break it down to two books per month, it feels super manageable.

One of the things that’s made this work well for me this year, aside from a shift in my thinking, is that the spreadsheet I like to use to track my reading includes a space for tracking titles which might fit the challenge categories. This means every time I finish a book, I’m able to flip through the tasks and see if it fits. I’ve found myself naturally picking up some books that fit, without ever once wondering if it would fit a specific prompt. That makes the challenge even more enjoyable for me, since it’s nice to see that I’m able to naturally pick up books that hover just beyond my normal reading diet.

The year is more than half over, and I thought it would be worthwhile to not only see where I was in terms of progress, but to also consider and solicit ideas for the remaining categories.

Completed Tasks

 

A book published posthumously

I picked up I’ll Be Gone In The Dark by Michelle McNamara for this one, and I listened to it on audio. This was right before an arrest was made, so seeing that hit the news after reading the book made the experience that much better.

An engaging and engrossing exploration of the Golden State Killer, and further, an engaging and engrossing exploration of putting together an investigation of a crime pieced together in part by the author and the notes she left upon her untimely death.

The book and the story of the book sell.

The audiobook was great, and the introduction by Gillian Flynn a nice touch. I’m a fan of journalistic true crime, a la In Cold Blood by Truman Capote, so this one scratched that itch nicely.

 

A book of true crime

Another one I did on audio, and this time it was You All Grow Up and Leave Me by Piper Weiss. An absorbing memoir/true crime read about Piper Weiss’s life intersecting with Gary Wilensky. Wilensky earned her trust, as well as her family’s, but it was through this grooming behavior that allowed him to then pursue further attempts at relationships with his young clients. His attempts to capture and seduce one of his students went terribly wrong, which led Wilensky to end his life, and Weiss’s book is an attempt to not only explore who he was and what drew him to behave this way, but it’s also a look at how being a teenage girl is a land mine of men like Wilensky. Weiss is privileged and well-off in Manhattan, with access to so much, yet a man like him was able to gain her trust, her parents trust, and the trust of so many others like her.

This is an exploration of why not her, and yet, why her at the same time. It’s a book about the way adults groom and earn the trust of young victims, about the ways that those advances can be brushed aside and ignored.

It’s hard to say much more. Weiss is, by all accounts, as average as someone with her status could be, and her experiences with Wilensky are as a victim without being “the” victim. In a lot of ways, this makes her story relatable and something so many women will identify with.

The audiobook for this was great. Brittany Pressley gives a great performance and offers up just enough intonation to give more depth to the book itself — her voice sounds like a teen girl, on the cusp of adulthood, and here, it works perfectly.

 

A comic written and illustrated by the same person

I’ve actually read a number of titles that fit this task, but the one I logged was Thornhill by Pam Smy. Jane Eyre The Secret Garden set in 1982 and 2017. It’s creepy, delicious modern-set gothic horror. The art is fantastic, the story completely engrossing, and a super fast read.

Ghosts! Dolls! An old as hell creepy abandoned house! There’s so much to love. All the trope-y goodness.

 

A book set in or about one of the five BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, or South Africa)

I counted Girls Burn Brighter by Shaboa Rao for this one, and I wrote more in-depth about this excellent adult fiction title with tremendous teen appeal earlier this summer.

This is about friendship: the fierce, fiery kind of friendship that exists between two girls who understand their place in the world as girls, their place in society as girls in India of a lower class, their place in society as girls who can only rely and depend upon one another. Savitha and Poornima only spend a small portion of the book together, but it’s the spark between them that keeps them connected through tragic event after tragic event.

What I loved most is what they carried of one another inside them. Poornima saw Savitha as the brave, self-assured girl, but in the end, Poornima pulls that same energy to find Savitha again, who has found herself in a situation not unlike the one Poornima was in during her marriage. Lost. Adrift. Alone.

 

A book about nature

I listened to the audiobook for an Alex Award winning book called The Wasp That Brainwashed The Caterpillar by Matt Simon. It’d been on my to-read since it was named an award winner, and during the weeks I was cleaning my house to prepare for the move, this one was one I devoured on audio. 

If you love the bizarre adaptations of nature, then this is the book for you. I happen to be someone who digs these weird facts and stories, and this book was a DELIGHT to listen to. At times on audio, the jokes didn’t seem to deliver as well as they would in print, but in addition to being really interesting, this has a lot of humor packed in what can sometimes be downright horrifying for humans to think about.

 

A western

One of my favorite YA books this year was the title perfect for this task: Devils Unto Dust by Emma Berquist. Set in west Texas in 1877, the story follows Willie (real name: Daisy, but that’s too dainty for her) as she has to find her father, as he’s stolen a load of money from McAlister. McAlister promises revenge if that money is not returned.

The thing is: no one steps out of Glory alone. Outside of the gates are the shakes. The shakes are hungry, vicious, and will turn you into one of them in an instant. Willie has little money, but needs to hire herself a hunter to help her track down her father in another town. Enter the Garrett brothers.

Willie leaves behind her brother and twin brother and sister as she goes, but not for long. Micah can’t stand the idea of her venturing alone, even with the hunters, and he, along with neighbor Sam, catch up with the crew on the journey.

Enter the shakes.

Berquist’s first novel is the perfect blend of western and horror. The pitch “True Grit” meets “28 Days Later” is absolutely spot on. From page one, I was riveted and loved the entire arc of Willie’s story and character. The exploration of grief and guilt is thoughtful and thought-provoking, particularly as Willie sees herself to blame for a lot of the mess that occurs. Saying more would be a spoiler, of course.

The writing is pitch perfect, with descriptions of desolation in the desert palpable. Every minute I was not reading this, I was thinking about it and thinking about Willie.

Bonus: there is not a romance in this book. Sure, there’s a kinship that emerges between Sam and Willie at the end, but we know nothing more will be coming of it.

And then there’s what happens when they find Pa and ask him what happened to that money. And what happens when they return to Glory to face McAlister again.

Mega appeal to fans of westerns, of zombie stories, and to books that are fast paced and action-packed (but without making your head spin). The 500 pages speed by, and it’s a stand alone, perfectly contained read.

 

A comic written or drawn by a person of color

I chose one that had a person of color who did both (which would also fit the task “a comic written and drawn by the same person”). Jen Wang’s The Prince and the Dressmaker was one of my favorite comics in a long time. Perfect and sweet with outstanding art.

Didn’t even end up putting the bookmark on a page because I read it cover to cover in one big, quick gulp.

 

A romance novel by or about a person of color

Jasmine Guillory’s The Wedding Date did both. I gulped this one down while on a trip out to Boise earlier this year, and I discovered the joy of reading a romance novel while enjoying an adult beverage by myself at the hotel bar. It’s a lovely, flirty, and fun read that plays with the fake relationship trope (which I’ve come to discover is one I like quite a lot). The publicist for this book just sent along Guillory’s next book, The Proposal, and I can’t wait to read it.

 

An Oprah Book Club selection

I used to devour the Oprah Book Club books as a teenager. They were such a nice way to ease into different types of adult literature beyond the classics. For this  task, I went with her most recent pick, The Sun Does Shine by Anthony Ray Hinton.

What makes this book less brutal to read is knowing that Ray walks out of prison and away from the death sentence he was handed as an innocent man.

What makes this book more brutal to read is knowing there are many other Rays sitting on death row who may never see that fate.

I’ve always been fascinated with prison stories — fiction and nonfiction. I’m firmly against the death penalty, and believe that we have the means as human beings to do better when it comes to criminal justice and rehabilitation. Ray’s story isn’t about crime and punishment, though. He was an innocent man who, prior to being framed for murders he didn’t commit, made some sophomoric mistakes that he has no problem owning up to. Those mistakes were borne not from evil but from desperation and from his own background growing up poor, black, and outside Birmingham. It was those very things that led to his wrongful conviction.

Ray is an unbelievably positive human throughout his story. He waited 30 years for justice, and despite the fact nothing was ever expected of him on death row, he didn’t sit and wait for the inevitable. He not only fought for his innocence, but he made his life and the lives of those around him better. He began a book club with fellow inmates that helped give them all something to look forward to, a way to pass time that allowed camaraderie in what is otherwise a lonely place. He kept faith, over and over again, despite the fact he saw the cards stacked against him.

We’re lucky he can tell this story. But what a damn shame he has to.

 

A book of social science

I have so many titles to pick from for this task, in part because I read exclusively nonfiction on audio, and much of that nonfiction leans toward social science. But I noted Votes for Women by Winifred Conkling for this task. This is a compelling, engaging, and balanced look at the women’s suffrage movement which doesn’t shy away from the racist attitudes of some of the movement’s most well-known (and historically beloved) leaders. Complete with interesting images and great back matter, this is a book for readers looking for a solid history of the American push for the right for women to vote. I’ve read more than one book on this topic for young readers, but this is the first one I’ve read which doesn’t shy away from the ugly.

Hand to readers who love nonfiction, to budding feminists, and to any reader who needs a starter history of the women’s movement. Other reviews have noted this reads like a textbook, but I disagree. This is narrative nonfiction at its best; the challenge is that, with such a simultaneously broad and limited topic, the focus can dwell on certain aspects more than others, meaning some readers might not be as engaged with those aspects as others.

In terms of writing, I especially loved how this was bookended with the decision in Tennessee — the decision for ratification of women’s suffrage came down to a vote there, by a man influenced by his mother. Little page time is given to that, and instead, more time is spent showcasing what it was the women did to help get that man to that point.

 

A one-sitting book

This one could have worked for a number of books. I’m generally not a “read it in one sitting” kind of person, even for short books, but if I don’t have plans for the day and am really engrossed in what I’m reading — be it 100 or 500 pages long — I can do it. I used Blood Water Paint by Joy McCullough for this one. Perfect for fans of Ruta Sepetys, McCullough’s debut verse novel tells the story of Artemisia Gentileschi in the early 1600s. A young painter, apprenticed by her father — who was, of course, profiting from her work — she dreams of capturing the true essence of the women whose stories her deceased mother told her into her art. But when she is raped by a potential client, her life turns upside down and she turns to the strength of those women to find her voice and speak up and out about what happened to her.

Powerful, moving, and despite the setting, utterly contemporary, this is a book about women, about power, and about discovering the ways your voice, by virtue of being female, can change your life (for better or for worse). The writing is gorgeous and evocative, made more painful and raw by how this book could be set today and still resonate.

This was the second historical novel about women and power I’d read in a short time span — Circe by Madeline Miller being the other — which is far less about women’s place in history and much more about women’s place in contemporary society. For as much “progress” as we’ve made, we’ve barely moved.

 

A first book in a new-to-you YA or middle grade series

I picked up Somaiya Daud’s forthcoming Mirage for this one after seeing so much buzz about it, and I wasn’t disappointed. This one was well out of my normal reading area, and I’m really glad I pushed myself. Taken from her home which has been ravaged, Amani is pulled into the royal palace of the Vathek Empire. She’s nearly identical in appearance to the Princess, and her job will be to play the role of the Princess in situations where danger could arise. Amani doesn’t want that — she wants to be at home, with her family, dreaming, reading poetry, and in a place not dominated by a society like the Vathek’s. But she doesn’t get what she wants…..

She has to make what she wants to happen do just that.

A really lush fantasy about identity, about truth, and about trust. Who do you trust in a world where you have few you can depend on? And what happens when you’re torn away from them? Amani’s voice and determination propel her forward in this story and allow her to make decisions that put her life at risk for the betterment of her own people.

There’s a romance here, built perfectly within the narrative. It’s dangerous and forbidden but doesn’t detract Amani from her bigger goals and purposes.

 

A sci fi novel with a female protagonist by a female author

I thought this one might be tough, but then it turns out a book I’d picked up because it was by a YA author I love — Katie Williams — fit the task perfectly. Tell The Machine Goodnight is her first foray into adult fiction.

A smart, savvy, and funny novel about our culture’s obsession with technology and happiness. Pearl’s job is to run the Apricity, which doles out the steps one needs to take in order to become happy. Some of those steps are bizarre — wear a velvet suit, cut off the tip of your right index finger — while others are pretty benign — write poetry. Then there are those who get advice which is so startling, it comes without a real list of steps to take. Pearl’s son Rhett falls into this last category, and Pearl is dead set on figuring out how to make her son, who suffers from an eating disorder, to be happy.

Wrapped into this are the stories of other people in Pearl’s world, including her boss (who seems to get promotions and demotions left and right, as one does in Silicon Valley), her ex-husband (who she is still somewhat in a relationship with), and her ex-husband’s new wife (who harbors a pretty terrible secret she won’t tell the husband but we get to become privy to). The revolving voices can at times get a titch confusing, but there’s something somewhat logical in that confusion. This is, after all, a tale about how technology can mess with us when we become too dependent upon it.

At heart, it’s a book about what it means to be human, good, bad, pretty, and ugly. I devoured it in a single afternoon. It’s science fiction with a literary bent to it.

 

A comic that isn’t published by Marvel, DC, or Image

My local library puts its new comics in a space on the new books shelf, which I absolutely love. It’s given me more opportunities to pick up comics when I might otherwise forget how much I enjoy them. That said, the one I wrote down for this task was Imagine Wanting Only This by Kristen Radtke and I remember nothing about it. I should have maybe put New Shoes by Sara Varon here instead. My notes from Goodreads call Radtke’s book a quick read and worthwhile, but uneven and at times, a stretch (which, fairly, she explains away a bit as her grasping to understand everything and pretending even when she doesn’t).

 

An essay anthology

I could have noted so many for this one, as essay anthologies are something I gravitate toward in my reading life. It’s weird whenever I see people say anthologies aren’t popular or ask “who reads them?” The answer is me! It’s not just that I like them from the writing standpoint. I also love seeing how they’re constructed, what all they accomplish, and whether or not they’re successful. I also just like reading well-thought pieces from people who are passionate about something. For this task, I hit the jackpot with They Can’t Kill Us Until They Kill Us by Hanif Abdurraqib.

An outstanding collection of essays about music, race, and life in contemporary America. Hanif is a black Muslim who grew up in Columbus, Ohio, and his writing on being who he is in that Midwest space is out of this world good.

All of the essays have a connection to pop culture, and most to music, and it doesn’t matter whether you know or like any of the thematic threadings of the pieces. They’re about much, much more.

(And that Carly Rae Jepson piece!)

Those who love and laud Roxane Gay would do really well to pick this up, too.

For a little taste of what made this collection so grand, I have to share the link to one of Abdurraqib’s pieces in the New York Times about why Alanis Morissette’s Jagged Little Pill is the album American needs right now.

 

Outstanding Tasks

If you have any great recommendations for these categories beyond what I’ve noted as possibilities, let me know! Nine tasks in a little over four months is easy enough, and given how much I am reading with the inclusion of audiobooks in my daily life, I feel this is totally doable.

 

A classic of genre fiction

I’d really like to read a classic contemporary romance for this one, but I am a little unsure what that might be. I’m not too worried about finding one in time, though, since I also know there’s a whole swath of amazing horror classics to enjoy, too. I’m toying with picking up a Shirley Jackson or maybe another Stephen King read (after It last year, I might go for something a lot shorter, though!)

 

A book of colonial or postcolonial literature

This is a tough one, but a title on my radar for audio is A Moonless, Starless Sky: Ordinary Men and Women Fighting Extremism in Africa by Alexis Okeowo. Are there any really solid YA titles that might fit here? I’d love to hear any ideas.

 

A children’s classic published before 1980

My summer reading goal includes a full read of Anne of Green Gables by LM Montgomery, so as soon as I start on that, I know this will be an easy task to tick off.

 

A celebrity memoir

I’m kind of surprised this one is still left. When I was taking stock of my progress on the challenge, I immediately went and put Retta’s So Close To Being The Sh*t, Y’all Don’t Even Know on hold at the library.

 

A book of genre fiction in translation

I picked one up on my last library trip on a lark, and I think it’ll fit the challenge perfectly. Fever Dream by Samantha Schweblin and translated by Megan McDowell is a horror novel translated from Spanish.

 

A book with a cover you hate

Honestly, this one will be easy when I go through my bookshelves. There are a lot of covers I just plain dislike among them. I’m curious: what might you choose for this task? What book covers are just not working for you?

 

A mystery by a person of color or LGBTQ+ Author

I guess technically I have accomplished this already a few times this year looking at my list, but I want to go into the book with one of these things at the forefront of my mind (in other words, I know White Rabbit by Caleb Roehrig fits, but I didn’t go into the book knowing Roehrig identifies as gay — I looked it up afterward). On my library checkout list right now is Sherri L. Smith’s Pasadena, which I have been wanting to read for a long time and know will work perfectly here.

 

A book with a female protagonist over the age of 60

This task is one I sort of suspect will be the last one I do. When you read a lot of YA, finding a book where the protagonist is over 60 ends up being nearly impossible. Any suggestions of adult fiction or nonfiction I might enjoy? I wonder if a memoir would work well here.

 

An assigned book you hated (or never finished)

So many options for this one. I’ve been assigned Virginia Woolf a few times and never read it. I’ve also been assigned a few other titles I didn’t bother with or that I just plain didn’t like. I’m a nerd who has kept track of every book read since high school, so I need to peruse that list and go with something that conjures up immediate disgust.

 

 

Are you taking part in the Read Harder Challenge this year? I’d love to hear how you’re doing!