#read harder

[kestrellady]

Book Riot's 2024 Read Harder Challenge

Ongoing 20/24 Challenge Link

6th year with this "get out of your comfort zone" reading challenge. Full list under the cut.

1. Read a cozy fantasy book. The House Witch by Delemhach This is a sweet, cozy read about a young witch finding his place and coming into his power. I can tell this comes out of the fanfic community, but it's really a plus for this book. This is the first of a series, which just has volume numbers.

2. Read a YA book by a trans author. The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas I loved Cemetery Boys so of course I had to pick this one up for this challenge. This is a lush fantasy with a dark side and a sarcastic lovable protagonist. I loved the modern Aztec/Maya inspired setting and I'm excited to pick up the next one!

3. Read a middle grade horror novel. Stories to Keep You Alive Despite Vampires by Ben Acker I loved this collection of interconnected short stories. Some are funny, some genuinely scary, and they kind of circle so characters and stories keep coming back in new ways.

4. Read a history book by a BIPOC author. The Ocean of Churn by Sanjeev Sanyal This was an incredibly readable history of the Indian Ocean trade and its place in world history. I sometimes got a little confused with the names of people and places, but the author was great about pulling out the main points.

5. Read a sci-fi novella. The Mimicking of Known Successes by Malka Ann Older It's so refreshing to read a take on Holmes and Watson that actually gets the dynamic right! I had a bit of a tone mismatch because I initially expected a space western (and there's a bit of that) rather than a Holmsian mystery.

6. Read a middle grade book with an LGBTQIA main character. Dear Mothman by Robin Gow This is a really sweet and soft book about dealing with grief, and friendship, and identity, all told in verse.

7. Read an indie published collection of poetry by a BIPOC or queer author. You Are Here: Poetry in the Natural World, edited by Ada Limón This is actually a collection of poetry with each poem written by a different author, but almost all of them qualify for this prompt, so I think it works. The poems were all very different and there were at least a couple of them that really spoke to me, though I wish the author bios had included more than just where they went to school and the awards they'd won.

8. Read a book in translation from a country you’ve never visited. Lonely Castle in the Mirror by Mizuki Tsujimura This is a bit difficult, but ultimately kind and hopeful read about friendship and the effects of bullying. It reads more middle-grade than I had expected, but I can't tell if that's just the translation or not.

9. Read a book recommended by a librarian. Walking to Aldebaran by Adrian Tchaikovsky Recommended to me by the lovely @/elodieunderglass! This was, hoo boy. It was something. It's a horror novel! All of the signs were there for the twist! I was still surprised and horrified!

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 (SFF, horror, mystery, romance) by a disabled author. Fourth Wing by Rebeca Yarros This was another one of those booktok books that I was a little hesitant to get into, but certainly sounded like it was made for me and hoo boy was it. The main protagonist has major weakness in her joints and bones, which was really well woven into the plot.

13. Read a comic that has been banned. The Complete Maus by Art Spiegelman I have a really hard time with Holocaust literature, but this is one of the most accessible books I've read. Not necessarily because it's a comic, but because it's framed and paced so well that you can really feel for the people, but still get a chance to breathe and recover.

14. Read a book by an author with an upcoming event (virtual or in person) and then attend the event.

15. Read a YA nonfiction book. Photographic: The Life of Graciela Iturbide by Isabel Quintero and Zeke Peña I've been fascinated by Graciela Iturbide since I listened to a Duolingo Spanish podcast episode about her photographing Frida Kahlo's newly discovered bathroom. This was a very poetic, graphic novel overview of her life. It was told in first person and I wish it was a little more clear what was a quote and what wasn't.

16. Read a book based solely on the title. That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon by Kimberly Lemming This was a fun, raunchy, read with an interesting world and a very pragmatic heroine.

17. Read a book about media literacy. The Attention Merchants: The Epic Scramble to Get Inside Our Heads by Tim Wu This was a fascinating and infuriating read, about the century long quest for advertisers (and others) to profit off of people's attention. Published in 2016, so a little out of date now. I did a longer write up here.

18. Read a book about drag or queer artistry. Hi Honey, I'm Homo! by Matt Baume This was a relatively short, very readable tour through queer depictions on TV sitcomes and the way those depictions reflect and shape attitudes toward queer people in real life. (I'm not totally happy with this book for this prompt, so I might replace it if I read something else before the end of the year.)

19. Read a romance with neurodivergent characters. Viscount in Love by Eloisa James The heroine in this historical romance is dyslexic and deals with a lot of prejudice and self-doubt because of it. I love Eloisa's romances because the people act like real people.

20. Read a book about books (fiction or nonfiction). The Sinister Booksellers of Bath by Garth Nix This is a sequel to The Left-Handed Booksellers of London and takes place just a few months after that book. I love the way it delves into English folklore and the ways the characters grapple with being not quite human.

21. Read a book that went under the radar in 2023. The Hanging City by Charlie N. Holmberg This book had some really amazing worldbuilding that suffered a bit because the focus was so thoroughly on the narrator. I felt like most of the rest of the characters weren't really fleshed out, including the love interest. This was good, but I really expected to like it more than I did.

22. Read a manga or manhwa. In/Spectre Vol. 18 by Chashiba Katase This series is weird and I love it. It's largely mysteries where the protagonist already knows what happened and has to convince other people that it didn't happen the way it actually did. This volume wraps up a longer storyline and I loved the twists and turns and return of a side character.

23. Read a “howdunit” or “whydunit” mystery. Miraculous Mysteries edited by Martin Edwards I really enjoyed this collection of locked room murders and impossible crimes. Some of the stories definitely show their age, so be prepared for some casual racism and misogyny, but most of the stories were interesting and several were very surprising!

24. Pick a challenge from any of the previous years’ challenges to repeat!

[shamelessislamreligionhorse]

[sparkleofstardust]

in light of the recent news that Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has been found dead after a helicopter crash you might be wondering 'who the hell is this guy and why are so many people celebrating his death??' and i'm here to answer that!

to fully understand what's going on we need to look into Iran's history: when the Iranian revolution in 1979 happened the authoritarian king who was ruling at that time was overthrown, but the ensuing power vacuum lead to the islamic regime seizing power and establishing Iran as an islamic republic

the following years were incredibly cruel to the Iranian people; thousands of people (especially minorities) have been protesting against the strict islamic regime leading to many being jailed, tortured and executed.

and this is where Raisi played a big part: in 1988 he was part of a committee that ordered the execution of thousands of political prisoners who were protesting the islamic regime, earning himself the title of "the butcher of tehran"

do not be fooled by what the state media wants you to believe, the Iranian people are celebrating his death. he was a cruel mass murderer who has destroyed the lives of thousands of people, his death should be used as a time to mourn for all the suffering he has caused, and bring new attention to the political prisoners still being held in Iranian prisions today

because sadly the fight is far from over. many of you have probably heard of the murder of Mahsa Jina Amini back in 2022, causing a new wave of nationwide protests and establishing the "woman, life, freedom" movement. the regime has gotten increasingly cruel in their treatment of the Iranian people, especially women, but the people of Iran are not deterred and keep fighting for a free Iran.

if you want to know how you can help, please keep talking about us. the one thing the regime hates is international attention, and in the past it has been proven that international pressure has stopped the regime from executing various political prisoners. people like Toomaj Salehi are under imminent threat of execution and spreading their names could save their lives. so whether you share social media posts or talk to your family and friends about what is happening in Iran, anything helps 🙏🏼

jin, jiyan, azadi ✌🏼

[jadenvargen]

free online james baldwin stories, essays, videos, and other resources

**edit

James baldwin online archive with his articles and photo archives.

---NOVELS---

Giovanni's room"When David meets the sensual Giovanni in a bohemian bar, he is swept into a passionate love affair. But his girlfriend's return to Paris destroys everything. Unable to admit to the truth, David pretends the liaison never happened - while Giovanni's life descends into tragedy. This book introduces love's fascinating possibilities and extremities."

Go Tell It On The Mountain"(...)Baldwin's first major work, a semi-autobiographical novel that has established itself as an American classic. With lyrical precision, psychological directness, resonating symbolic power, and a rage that is at once unrelenting and compassionate, Baldwin chronicles a fourteen-year-old boy's discovery of the terms of his identity as the stepson of the minister of a storefront Pentecostal church in Harlem one Saturday in March of 1935. Baldwin's rendering of his protagonist's spiritual, sexual, and moral struggle of self-invention opened new possibilities in the American language and in the way Americans understand themselves."

+bonus: film adaptation on youtube. (if you’re a giancarlo esposito fan, you’ll be delighted to see him in an early preacher role)

Another Country and Going to Meet the Man Another country: "James Baldwin's masterly story of desire, hatred and violence opens with the unforgettable character of Rufus Scott, a scavenging Harlem jazz musician adrift in New York. Self-destructive, bad and brilliant, he draws us into a Bohemian underworld pulsing with heat, music and sex, where desperate and dangerous characters betray, love and test each other to the limit." Going to meet the Man: " collection of eight short stories by American writer James Baldwin. The book, dedicated "for Beauford Delaney", covers many topics related to anti-Black racism in American society, as well as African-American–Jewish relations, childhood, the creative process, criminal justice, drug addiction, family relationships, jazz, lynching, sexuality, and white supremacy."

Just Above My Head"Here, in a monumental saga of love and rage, Baldwin goes back to Harlem, to the church of his groundbreaking novel Go Tell It on the Mountain, to the homosexual passion of Giovanni's Room, and to the political fire that enflames his nonfiction work. Here, too, the story of gospel singer Arthur Hall and his family becomes both a journey into another country of the soul and senses--and a living contemporary history of black struggle in this land."

If Beale Street Could Talk"Told through the eyes of Tish, a nineteen-year-old girl, in love with Fonny, a young sculptor who is the father of her child, Baldwin's story mixes the sweet and the sad. Tish and Fonny have pledged to get married, but Fonny is falsely accused of a terrible crime and imprisoned. Their families set out to clear his name, and as they face an uncertain future, the young lovers experience a kaleidoscope of emotions-affection, despair, and hope. In a love story that evokes the blues, where passion and sadness are inevitably intertwined, Baldwin has created two characters so alive and profoundly realized that they are unforgettably ingrained in the American psyche."

also has a film adaptation by moonlight's barry jenkins

Tell Me How Long the Train's been gone At the height of his theatrical career, the actor Leo Proudhammer is nearly felled by a heart attack. As he hovers between life and death, Baldwin shows the choices that have made him enviably famous and terrifyingly vulnerable. For between Leo's childhood on the streets of Harlem and his arrival into the intoxicating world of the theater lies a wilderness of desire and loss, shame and rage. An adored older brother vanishes into prison. There are love affairs with a white woman and a younger black man, each of whom will make irresistible claims on Leo's loyalty. 

---ESSAYS---

Baldwin essay collection. Including most famously: notes of a native son, nobody knows my name, the fire next time, no name in the street, the devil finds work- baldwin on film

--DOCUMENTARIES--

Take this hammer, a tour of san Francisco.

Meeting the man

--DEBATES:--

Debate with Malcolm x, 1963 ( on integration, the nation of islam, and other topics. )

Debate with William Buckley, 1965. ( historic debate in america. )

Heavily moderated debate with Malcolm x, Charles Eric Lincoln, and Samuel Schyle 1961. (Primarily Malcolm X's debate on behalf of the nation of islam, with Baldwin giving occassional inputs.)

----

apart from themes obvious in the book's descriptions, a general heads up for themes of incest and sexual assault throughout his works.

[ehliena]

Gotta appreciate that the writers gave Cass this.

She's usually the least likely to have lines or speak which shows how terrible this was for her.

[i-like-forcefem]

I love the idea of calling new girlies “wet” instead of having precum so much

Who cares that you haven’t had bottom surgery yet??? You’re a girl who made a mess in her panties because she’s so so horny, and what do you call that?

That’s right a wet girl!!!

[valtsv]

grabbing myself by the scruff of the neck and forcing myself to at least skim read a longform post or piece of text that i just scrolled past despite thinking it sounded interesting because it's "too long" i will NOT contribute to my own attention deficiency and limit my general knowledge and critical thinking skills by needing information spoonfed to me in bitesize pieces to be able to digest it i will NOT

[new-revenant]

Twenty something year old Danny becomes a preschool teacher to a class of young meta and liminal kids, he helps to keep the kids calm when they discover their abilities and is genuinely one of the better teachers at the school. He's also a part time member of the Justice League. He's in the middle of a meeting when he gets a call from a freaked out substitute teacher saying one of the kids is stuck halfway through the wall and doesn't know what to do. Danny excuses himself and explains that one of his kids is having a small problem and he'll be right back and then leaves not realizing the chaos he left behind in his wake as the Justice League believe that Phantom has multiple kids and is a single father

I love teacher!Danny AUs, they are always so wacky and fun. And this seems so sweet! I love misunderstanding plots where the misunderstanding is something super simple. And plots where characters think someone is talking about their children children, when they’re actually talking about their students or something. Basically I love this prompt <3

So the JL know Danny is Phantom and stuff, probably are also away that’s he’s a ghost. Danny says that one of his kids is stuck in a wall at school and the substitute teacher is freaking out, so he’s gotta go real quick. Once he leaves one of the members(I’m thinking Flash because…I like him)is like, “Soo…wanna bet on how many kids he has? I’m guessing three-no-four.” The meeting quickly devolves into this conversation, until Batman or someone else steers it back.

After the meeting, rumors spread through the JL about Danny’s kids, and many bets are made. It takes them a while for everyone to figure out that Danny is just a teacher and not a father. Some figure it out faster than others though, but they think it would be funnier if they go along with the father Danny idea. Batman definitely knows what’s going on, he should know what Danny’s job is at the very least. He does consider the fact that maybe he might be a father, but that thought is short lived.

[kidokear]

Perceptor has two (2) modes when it come to Brainstorm. XD

I've been craving Simpatico lately, and I needed a break from a full illustration. ^-^

[arcanegifs]

ARCANE LEAGUE OF LEGENDS: Season 1 ↳ Vi + Looking at 🧁

[sandeewithtwoe]

Headcanon that nobody can understand what Fatal is saying because of his stuttering and glitched text

Core Frisk belongs to DokuDoki

Fatal and Patch belong to Xedramon

Transcript:

Core: … And that’s basically what the Omega Timeline is! Any question?

Core: Yes, Geno?

Fatal: (jumbled text) Yes uh I understand killing is forbidden but

Fatal: (jumbled text) copies of codes technically not alive, so not killing, right? Can I still do it?

Core: …

Core: I’m not going to lie, Geno. I literally have no idea what you just said

[kestrellady]

Book Riot's 2023 Read Harder Challenge

Challenge Link

COMPLETE 24/24

My 5th year working on this "get out of your comfort zone" reading challenge.

Full list below the cut.

1. Read a novel about a trans character written by a trans author. Phoenix Extravagant by Yoon Ha Lee I loved the world building in this book and the realities of living in a horrible situation such that you can't always think about how horrible the situation is. It ended on a bit of a cliffhanger, but I can't tell if that was on purpose or a set up for a second book.

2. Read one of your favorite author’s favorite books. Frederica by Georgette Heyer I saw someone say that Naomi Novik mentioned this as a favorite and I can see why! It's clever and hilarious in the best Georgette Heyer way. The last chunk had me in stitches!

3. Read a book about activism. Between the World an Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates This is a very personal book, told as a series of letters from the author to his son, about growing up Black and the generational differences he sees between his and his son's generation, about what he's learned about the world, and what he's had to un-learn to love his son better.

4. Read a book that’s been challenged recently in your school district/library OR read one of the most-challenged/banned books of the year by a queer and/or BIPOC author. How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi This book definitely deserves all the hype. It's very readable and the way it's organized, paralleling the author's own life and journey, makes it very accessible and relatively nonthreatening. I think a lot of people who've bought into the panic would be very surprised by the actual content.

5. Read a completed webcomic. Crumbs by Danie Stirling This was a super cute graphic novel about figuring out what you want from life and learning to tell the difference between what you want for yourself and what the people around you want for you.

6. Finish a book you’ve DNFed (did not finish). Wild Women and the Blues by Denny S. Bryce I dnf'd this book at about 25% a couple years ago, mainly because I just couldn't get into it. This still isn't quite my thing, but I did feel like it got more interesting as it went along and there was a neat twist at the end.

7. Listen to an audiobook performed by a person of color of a book written by an author of color. How We Get Free: Black Feminism and the Combahee River Collective, edited by Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, narrated by Lisa Reneé Pitts This includes the statement from the Combahee River Collective, as well as some interviews with the founders and others reflecting on the Collective and it's impact today. The narrator did a great job reflecting each interviewee's voice.

8. Read a graphic novel/comic/manga if you haven’t before; or read one that is a different genre than you normally read. The Sandman Vol. 1 by Neil Gaiman I read lots of manga and I've been getting into comics, but this was my first foray into DC. The volume I read had the first three Sandman arcs and I definitely want to keep reading, though I might not watch the Netflix series.

9. Read an independently published book by a BIPOC author. Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer This is an incredibly beautiful book of essays looking at nature through both the scientific and indigenous lenses and finding the places they overlap and complement and how listening to nature can help us move to a better future.

10. Read a book you know nothing about based solely on the cover. The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected on Water by Zen Cho This was a short read about a group of bandits contractors trying to deliver some religious relics to a prospective buyer... and dealing with the nun they accidentally picked up on the way. The world building is lush and evocative and I really enjoyed it!

11. Read a cookbook cover to cover. The Sad Bastard Cookbook by Rachel A. Rosen, Zilla Novikov with Marten Norr (Illustrator) This is a fantastic (and funny!) little cookbook of meals you can make from stuff in your cabinets when you have no energy to cook. I'm already looking forward to adding some of these to my cooking rotation. And it's available online for free!

12. Read a nonfiction book about BIPOC and/or queer history. The 1619 Project created and edited by Nikole Hannah-Jones This is the book form of the New York Times Sunday edition from 2019 that commemorated the first arrival of enslaved people in the British American colonies, expanded and updated/revised. It was a good balance between longer essays that take you step by step through American history with shorter essays that focus in tighter on particular moments and topics. A must read to really understand why the US is the way it is.

13. Read an author local to you. The Eye of the Mammoth: Selected Essays, by Stephen Harrigan I actually got to meet Harrigan when he came to one of my undergrad classes and he talked about one of the essays included in this collection. This collection spans 30+ years of his writings, with many of the essays focusing on Texas and nature. I think I would have like to see a year for each essay, since it was sometimes difficult to pin down when he was writing.

14. Read a book with under 500 Goodreads ratings. The Holver Alley Crew by Marshall Ryan Maresca This is the first book in the third of the set of interconnected Maradaine series. It took a little longer for me to get into than the other books, probably because the cast is a lot bigger, but was still a fun read.

15. Read a historical fiction book set in an Eastern country. The Makioka Sisters by Jun'ichirō Tanizaki A family trying to marry off the two youngest sisters in 1930s Japan. Largely slice of life, but with a fairly abrupt, slightly odd ending. (Also, I don't really like this prompt. What's "Eastern country" supposed to be? If you mean Asian, say Asian.)

16. Read a romance with bisexual representation. A Restless Truth by Freya Marske (The Last Binding #2) This was such a fun murder mystery on a cruise ship with magic. I loved the first book and was looking forward to this one and it did not disappoint!

17. Read a YA book by an Indigenous author. Harvest House by Cynthia Leitich Smith A spooky mystery with a great twist at the end. I really liked all the references and homages to other works, mostly horror, but also Rain is Not My Indian Name, which I loved as a kid and didn't realize was by the same author.

18. Read a comic or graphic novel that features disability representation. Monstress, Vol. 7: Devourer by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda This is a fantastic dark epic fantasy series. It's got gods and monsters and politics and a disabled main character doing her best to save the world rather than destroy it.

19. Read a nonfiction book about intersectional feminism. Feminism is for Everybody by bell hooks A short, easy to read primer on the history, goals, and struggles of the feminist movement. bell hooks is one of the must read authors for anyone interested in the subject.

20. Read a book of poetry by a BIPOC or queer author. An American Sunrise by Joy Harjo I really enjoyed this collection by an American Poet Laureate. These poems were interspersed with memories and histories of Harjo's Mvskoke people and often in conversation with other works.

21. Read a book of short stories. The Moon Over the Mountain and Other Stories by Atsushi Nakajima, Translated by Paul McCarthy and Nobuko Ochner A book of historical Chinese stories written by a Japanese author. Some of these I really enjoyed and some kind of meandered. I was glad I'd read an abridged Journey to the West and had that context.

22. Read any book from the Ignyte awards shortlist/longlist/winner list. Fireheart Tiger by Aliette de Bodard Short fantasy novelette about a spare princess trying to figure out her place at court after being returned from being a child hostage. The setting was really neat and I would have loved getting more of the politics of the world.

23. Read a social horror, mystery, or thriller novel. Lovecraft Country by Matt Ruff This is a novel made up of short stories with an overarching plot. It was so good! I think I'm missing a lot of the references, since I've never done a lot of classic sci-fi or horror, but it was still really good. Each short story focuses on a different character, so it was interesting to see all the different backstories and outlooks.

24. Pick a challenge from any of the previous years’ challenges to repeat! A General Theory of Oblivion by José Eduardo Agualusa I read this one for my reading around the world challenge, but I'm repurposing it here for the 2015 Read Harder prompt #19, a book originally written in another language.

[faintingviolet]

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry (CBR15 #6)

I’m nearly a decade late to The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin. It has been on my to read list since 2016 and got pushed to the top tier of the pile last year for the Read Harder challenge (as it does take place in a big way in a bookstore). Then I never got to it but seeing that there was a movie adaptation out I decided to get my proverbial act together and dig into the…

[melonisopod]

Lifetime Stew is so much darker in hindsight.

Sinclair and Don Quixote both get it, and it’s specifically *Lust*, not *Gluttony*, despite being food-themed. (Although Gluttony in Limbus terms is basically Greed, and Lust very broadly refers to “desire” for things that aren’t material).

So, Lifetime Stew is based on the fable of Stone Soup, wherein a man managed to feed his whole village by bringing each together with a different ingredient, to make a soup that would last forever. He just kept telling each person in the town square, “All it needs is one more ingredient,” and everyone just kept adding to it. Is the gist of it.

Sinclair and Don have voice lines that more or less imply the same thing - the Abnormality (Basilisoup) just wants everyone to try its delicious soup! Cute, silly concept, right?

So what do Sinclair and Don Quixote have in common?

(SPOILERS beyond this point! You’ve been warned)

In Canto 3, Sinclair recalls that once his mother, father, and sister all received full-body prosthetics, they no longer had a need to eat. The table was set and food was placed only for him. It’s one of the things he found so especially heartbreaking, that he was the only one left in his family who could still eat food. It’s such a core memory that it’s plastered on the window-wall of his cell for his base E.G.O., four roboticized humans sitting at the table, with no food present.

He desperately misses getting to share meals with his family.

And in La ManchaLand, the Bloodfiends have been starved of blood for the past 200 years, barely sustaining themselves on hemobars that don’t satisfy them. They can *live* without subsisting on human blood, but they’re utterly miserable doing so. The only one of the First Kindred’s clan who escaped such a fate was of course, Sancho, though she’d long forgotten she is a Bloodfiend, Faust says she still craves blood. She’d been in effect, the only Bloodfiend allowed to sate her cravings, while the rest of her kin starved. Being the only Bloodfiend able to escape their fate was so traumatic for Sancho that she wanted to forget everything about herself.

In other words, Basilisoup/Lifetime Stew is about “the joy of sharing a meal with family,” something both Sinclair and Don Quixote desperately wish for.

KIM JIHOON WHEN I FUCKING GET YOU

[canisalbus]

I tried to draw sheep Machete and goat Vasco (but I am not good at drawing goats, at all)

.

[incredubious]

another ole collection of one piece doodles...enjoy