BookRiot 2017 Read Harder Challenge

This blog has been rather quiet for the past year. I'd like to write a proper update before 2017 comes to a close. I have so much to share--travels, trials, and triumphs. But for now, I want to share my experience participating in BookRiot's Read Harder Challenge. 

This is the first year that I've participated in a reading challenge with specific prompts. I've read more this year than ever before (which is saying a lot) and I appreciated having a bit of guidance to not only read harder, but to read smarter as well. I didn't jump into the challenge until about halfway through the year and was very pleased to find that I had already checked off quite a few categories on the list. Challenging myself and reading outside of my comfort zone has been a breath of fresh air. 

So without further ado, here's what I read for the 2017 Read Harder Challenge!

All cover images via Goodreads.

Read a book about sports.
My Cubs: A Love Story, by Scott Simon

Read a debut novel.
The Hate U Give, by Angie Thomas

Read a book about books.
The Night Bookmobile, by Audrey Niffenegger

Read a book set in Central or South America, written by a Central or South American author.

One Hundred Years of Solitude, by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Read a book by an immigrant or with a central immigration narrative.
The Book of Unknown Americans, by Cristina Henriquez

Read an all-ages comic.

Lumberjanes Vol. 5, by Noelle Stevenson

Read a book published between 1900 and 1950.
Anne of the Island, by L.M. Montgomery

Read a travel memoir. Assassination Vacation, by Sarah Vowell

Read a book you’ve read before.
Bucky F*cking Dent, by David Duchovny

Read a book that is set within 100 miles of your location.
Station Eleven, by Emily St. John Mandel

Read a book that is set more than 5000 miles from your location.
A Long Way from Home, by Saroo Brierley

Read a fantasy novel.
Norse Mythology, by Neil Gaiman

Read a nonfiction book about technology.
Girl Code, by Andrea Gonzales & Sophie Houser

Read a book about war. A Train in Winter, by Caroline Moorehead

Read a YA or middle grade novel by an author who identifies as LGBTQ+.
George, by Alex Gino

Read a book that has been banned or frequently challenged in your country.
The Color Purple, by Alice Walker

Read a classic by an author of color.
Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston

Read a superhero comic with a female lead.
Ms. Marvel, by G. Willow Wilson

Read a book in which a character of color goes on a spiritual journey.
X: A Novel, by Ilyasah Shabazz

Read an LGBTQ+ romance novel. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, by Benjamin Alire Saenz

Read a book published by a micropress.
Tales from Out There: The Barkley Marathons, the World's Toughest Trail Race, by Frozen Ed Furtaw

Read a collection of stories by a woman.
Difficult Women, by Roxane Gay

Read a collection of poetry in translation on a theme other than love.

Weweni: Poems in Anishinaabemowin & English, by Margaret Noodin

Read a book wherein all point-of-view characters are people of color.
The Mothers, by Brit Bennett

I'm already looking forward to the prompts for 2018!