Book Riot’s 2022 Read Harder Challenge
Tell TBR about your reading likes AND dislikes and what you’re looking for, and sit back while your Bibliologist handpicks recommendations just for you. TBR offers plans to receive hardcover books in the mail or recommendations by email, so there’s an option for every budget. Give your Bibliologist feedback, update your requests to stay in line with your reading goals and expanding horizons, and basically have your own personal book concierge. TBR is also available as a gift! Just select the plan you want to give, and you can schedule the gift to be delivered any day you want! Visit mytbr.co to sign up today or to start your holiday shopping.
The year is quickly drawing to a close and you know what that means: time to announce our next Read Harder Challenge! Read Harder 2022 will be our eighth year hosting the challenge, a set of 24 tasks that invite readers to expand their worldview through books. If you’re a Read Harder alum, welcome back! If this is your first time participating in the challenge, we’re so glad you’re here.
Just as in years past, the 24 tasks (an average of two per month) will encourage you to explore settings, characters, formats, genres, and perspectives you might not otherwise have tried. You may read one book per task, or do some multi-tasking by counting one book for multiple tasks. It’s all fine! The point of the challenge is to push yourself to expand your horizons and break out of your comfortable reading bubble. Hold yourself accountable, share your insights, and of course: enjoy the discovery of some rad reads!
We’ve rounded up another great mix of tasks for you this year. You’ll read a queer retelling of a classic, a book by a disabled author, a romance with a protagonist over 40, an anthology featuring diverse voices, and more. Need suggestions? We’ve gotcha covered: sign up for our new Read Harder newsletter to get recommendations for each task delivered straight to your inbox.
But wait! There’s more! If you want to join a community of fellow challenge participants, share your challenge progress, and get even more suggestions for tasks, check out the Read Harder Challenge Goodreads group. It’s a great place to hang out, discuss the challenge, and exchange recs and reviews for titles that fit the tasks. You can also use the #ReadHarder hashtag all over social media and join in on the discussion there.
Click here for a downloadable and editable PDF of the 2022 Read Harder Challenge tasks.
- Read a biography of an author you admire.
- Read a book set in a bookstore.
- Read any book from the Women’s Prize shortlist/longlist/winner list.
- Read a book in any genre by a POC that’s about joy and not trauma.
- Read an anthology featuring diverse voices.
- Read a nonfiction YA comic.
- Read a romance where at least one of the protagonists is over 40.
- Read a classic written by a POC.
- Read the book that’s been on your TBR the longest.
- Read a political thriller by a marginalized author (BIPOC, or LGBTQIA+).
- Read a book with an asexual and/or aromantic main character.
- Read an entire poetry collection.
- Read an adventure story by a BIPOC author.
- Read a book whose movie or TV adaptation you’ve seen (but haven’t read the book).
- Read a new-to-you literary magazine (print or digital).
- Read a book recommended by a friend with different reading tastes.
- Read a memoir written by someone who is trans or nonbinary.
- Read a “Best _ Writing of the year” book for a topic and year of your choice.
- Read a horror novel by a BIPOC author.
- Read an award-winning book from the year you were born.
- Read a queer retelling of a classic of the canon, fairytale, folklore, or myth.
- Read a history about a period you know little about.
- Read a book by a disabled author.
- Pick a challenge from any of the previous years’ challenges to repeat!
We hope you enjoy completing this challenge as much as we do putting it together. Go forth and discover! And get ready to Read Harder.
