Book Riot’s 2024 Read Harder Challenge
Last year was my first year participating in reading challenges, and they were a huge success. I didn’t complete every prompt, but they helped me read a lot more backlist titles than I would have on my own. I’m committing to Book Riot’s Read Harder Challenge again this year.
So far, I’ve completed 22 out of 24 prompts.
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1. Read a cozy fantasy.
The Baker and the Bard by Fern Haught
My thoughts: This sweet story follows two characters into the woods to find mushrooms for a special pastry where they meet a new friend who needs help. Filled with charming illustrations and gentle storytelling, this book definitely delivers cozy fantasy.
Published March 5, 2024 | My Review
3. Read a middle grade horror novel.
Darkness and Demon Song (Marius Grey #2) by M. R. Fournet
What you need to know: I love the dark world of New Orleans in this book with its monsters and carnivorous mermaids. Marius faces new challenges and risks to his family here that kept me turning the pages.
Published June 18, 2024 | My Review
4. Read a history book by a BIPOC author.
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
My thoughts: One of my goals for this year is to read some classic literature written by women and/or BIPOC, so this will be one on that list. It’s the first in a series of autobiographies that Angelou wrote, focusing on her life from the ages of three to sixteen. I think this is the first book I’ve read that talks about the experience of segregated life from a Black perspective. It’s haunting and beautiful.
Published April 21, 2009 (Orig. 1969) | My Review to Come
5. Read a sci-fi novella.
6. Read a middle grade book with a queer main character.
Winnie Nash is Not Your Sunshine
My thoughts: This fun summer story explores bottled-up anxiety and anger. It highlights new friendships and an unexpected connection with a grandparent. Brilliant emotional depth by one of my favorite authors.
Published April 2, 2024 | My Review
7. Read an indie collection of poetry.
Black Girl You Are Atlas by Renée Watson and Ekua Holmes
What you need to know: The collage illustrations in this book are incredible alongside the thoughtful poetry that celebrates home, girlhood, and growing into your power.
Published February 13, 2024 | My Review to Come
8. Read a book translated from a country you’ve never visited.
Layers: A Memoir by Pénélope Bagieu and translated by Montana Kane
What you need to know: The author expertly captures being awkward and the transition from childhood to adulthood. I laughed and cried. I will be reading more by this author.
Published June 4, 2024 | My Review to Come
9. Read a book recommended by a librarian.
10. Read a historical fiction book by an Indigenous author.
11. Read a picture book published in the last five years.
12. Read a genre book by a disabled author.
Conditions of a Heart by Bethany Mangle
My thoughts: I wasn’t familiar with Ehlers Danlos syndrome, but this book communicated Brynn’s experience, showing what it might be like for someone with this disability. I loved how she grew throughout the book and how her relationships with her friends and family members changed as she updated how she thought of herself and her life.
Published February 20, 2024 | My Review
13. Read a comic that’s been banned.
Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe
My thoughts: I’ve seen this graphic memoir on book ban lists a lot in the last few years, so I wanted to check it out. I think the author writes with so much courage and desperately needed frankness. These are topics that a lot of people have questions about and aren’t sure how to get answers. I really appreciated having a roadmap through someone’s personal experience that can help orient me as an ally to what those experiences might be like.
Published May 28, 2019 | My Review
15. Read a YA nonfiction book.
Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You: a Remix of Stamped From the Beginning by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi
My thoughts: I listened to this one as an audiobook, read by Jason Reynolds. It felt like having someone sit with you over coffee and explain the history of racism and how it has impacted American life and politics. It made me realize how little I’ve read of important Black writers like bell hooks and how little I know about the lives of people like Malcolm X and Angela Davis. Something I’d like to change.
Published March 10, 2020 | My Review
16. Read a book solely based on the title.
Killers of the Flower Moon: Adapted for Young Readers: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann
My thoughts: This book blew me away. I did not know about the Osage murders, or really, nearly enough about the egregious prejudice that led to them. My mouth literally dropped open so many times reading this book. It’s a must-read.
Published November 16, 2021 | My Review
17. Read a book about media literacy.
True or False by Cindy L. Otis
What you need to know: This book offers information on periods in which fake news ran rampant and what caused a scaling back of sensationalist reporting. Otis also relates techniques to use to determine whether a website or social media post is from a reliable source. A great resource.
Published July 28, 2020 | My Review to Come
18. Read a book about drag or queer artistry.
19. Read a romance with Neurodivergent Characters
20. Read a book about books (fiction or nonfiction).
Why We Read: On Bookworms, Libraries, and Just One More Chapter Before Lights Out
What you need to know: This was a funny, heartfelt book that’s part memoir, part celebration of the impact that books and stories have on our lives.
Published February 6, 2024 | My Review to Come
21. Read a Book that Went Under the Radar in 2023
22. Read a manga or manhwa
23. Read a “howdunit” or “whydunit” mystery.
The Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher
My thoughts: I’m not 100% sure I understand the prompt, but there was some “whydunit” energy in this novel. This is such a fun middle grade fantasy story. I think fans of HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON will enjoy the quirky voice of the narrator and the playfulness of the tale. This is the first book I’ve read by T. Kingfisher, and it’s an absolute win for me.
Published July 21, 2020 | My Review
24. Pick a past challenge to repeat: read a completed webcomic.
2024 Read Harder Challenge Prompts
- Read a cozy fantasy book.
- 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 a queer main character.
- Read an indie collection of poetry with a BIPOC/queer author.
- Read a book translated from a country you’ve never visited.
- Read a book recommended by a librarian.
- Read a historical novel by an indigenous author.
- Read a picture book published in the last five years.
- Read a genre book by a disabled author.
- Read a comic that has been banned.
- Read a book by an author with an upcoming event (IRL 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 “howdunit” or “whydunit” mystery.
- Pick a past challenge to repeat: read a completed webcomic.
