Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Challenge Accepted [Read Harder Challenge- My Recommendations]

How I Met Your Mother reference, anyone? 

After first hearing about it on Lisa's blog (and now seeing it on several others), I've decided I am going to participate in the Book Riot Read Harder Challenge this year. Basically, you read 24 books in 24 different categories. I figure it will be easy since many of the people I take book recommendations from will be doing it too :) Plus it might force me to read a few things that I wouldn't have before. I thought it would be fun to share some of the books I've already read that fit into the categories, in case you are looking for some ideas. Even if you aren't doing the challenge, who doesn't love a good book recommendation? 

I definitely don't have one for every category, but at the end of this year, I will! 

Book that takes place in Asia: Shanghai Girls, The Pearl that Broke It's Shell

A book that is by or about someone from an indigenous culture: Rabbit Proof Fence

 Rabbitproof

A young adult novel: Under the Blood Red Sun, Eleanor and Park, Divergent, Monster, Wonder (I could go on…)

WonderMonster

An audiobook: Yes Please (I actually read this but I think the audio book is the way to go for this one)

A collection of poetry: Brown Girl Dreaming (also could be an award winning book of the last decade)

Browngirl

A book that was originally published in another language: Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

A book that you would consider a guilty pleasure: Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (also it's young adult!)

Of course, you can use ALL of these books as a book someone has recommended to you. 

If you are participating in the challenge (or even if you are not), what are some books you either recommend or plan to read? Give me some ideas :) 

5 comments:

  1. I am participating in this challenge and so far I'm done two categories - audibook (yes please) and a book by or about someone who is LBGTQ (Untamed State by Roxane Gay - awesome awesome book!)

    I think I will read Wonder for my YA novel since you loved it so much!

    I have taken a page out of Lisa's book (no pun intended :) ) and have a big spreadsheet going to track all the books and also other possible choices for each category! I'm glad you're doing it too, it's a fun challenge that will really put me out of my comfort zone because I would never pick up a book of poetry or a book written before 1850 otherwise. Also my graphic novel is hyperbole and a half, I got that for Christmas two years ago and still haven't read it!

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  2. Yea! I am glad there is another person I know doing this! It will be fun to see what others read. I like this challenge because it's pushing me to read things I might not have otherwise. I pretty much have all my books picked out and like Amber said, they are in a spreadsheet. I can send it to you if you are curious about what I am reading for each category. Luckily my next 2 book club books count as one is a collection of short stories (Runaway by Alice Munro) and the other is a micro history (The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks). I read The Purple Hibiscus for the book written by an author from Africa category, and right now I'm reading "The Martian" (which I would recommend) for the Sci Fi category.

    Happy Reading!

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  3. young adult - the fault in our stars, looking for alaska
    another language - something by isabel allende
    guility pleasure - gretchen archer's double series..

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  4. So stoked you are participating in this! I think it's going to be such a fun challenge and it's definitely going to push me out of my reading comfort zone.

    I read Momo by Michael Ende for a book originally published in another language, and I'm currently reading The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton for a book written by someone under the age of 25. LOVED Momo, and I am really loving The Outsiders, too!

    I haven't decided on what books I want to read for each category, but some of the ones I'm thinking of are:

    Self help: Seven Habits of Highly Effective People
    A book by someone who is LBGTQ: Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris
    A book by someone over the age of 65: Home by Toni Morrison
    A collection of short stories: Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout
    Award-winning book from the last decade: Room by Emma Donoghue

    And like Lisa and Amber, I also have a spreadsheet. Multiples, actually, haha. One to keep a list of suggested books for each category and one to mark off which books I've actually read. It's such a fun challenge!

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  5. I love Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants so freakin' much. One of my favorite series.
    I just received a book via the Postal Book Club I'm in that was originally in Japanese so that takes care of the translation book. I am attempting this challenge, too. Will be interesting to see how far I get with it! I have created a shelf on goodreads for the books I intend to read (or have read) but it's a dynamic list; books will be changing, I suspect!

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