Our guest contributor and good friend, April, has participated in the Read Harder Challenge and has us convinced that we should try it too!
Read Harder Challenge 2019
Have you heard of the Read Harder Challenge?
Each year the organization called Book Riot challenges us to Read Harder. They put out a list of 24 tasks that are to be met by those interested within the year. Their goal is to help readers expand their worldview. Lists come out for each year in January.
Some examples from tasks this year:
An alternate history novel
A novel by a trans or non-binary author
A book by or about someone that identifies and neurodiverse
A historical romance by an AOC (author of color)
Our library and other libraries as well as individuals pick up the challenge to expand on what we like to read.
My name is April and this is my second year doing the read harder challenge. I am also a Yellow Dog supporter and fan. I’m loving doing this challenge because it guarantees that at the end of the year I will have read books that I normally would not read. It has also at least doubled the amount of books I read in a year. As a mom of three it’s nice to feel accomplished about something that’s totally just for me.
Yellow Dog Bookshop has helped with finding a few titles I needed to complete the challenge this year. One In particular was hard to find and not cheap but Yellow Dog found a copy (Whale Rider by Witi Ihimaera).
I also rely upon advice from DBRL’s Read Harder group. They have in person meetings and celebrations as well as a Facebook group to help you find the books you need and talk to other Read Harder participants.
My top 3 favorites I read for the challenge this year:
Incarnations by Susan Barker
My Brother’s Husband by Gengoroh Tagame
Bad Blood by John Carreyrou
Click the link to Book Riot Read Harder challenge for 2020.
And the pdf that you can download to make your list for 2020.
Here is a link to DBRL’s Read Harder Facebook group.
Let us know how your Read Challenge goes this year!