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Use this space to discuss books you’re reading or that might fit the 22nd Read Harder task. Sign up for our new Read Harder newsletter to get recommendations for each task delivered straight to your inbox! 

So many for this one! I want to read all of these -

Autumn in the Heavenly Kingdom: China, the West, and the Epic Story of the Taiping Civil War
On Juneteenth
The Approaching Storm: Roosevelt, Wilson, Addams, and Their Clash Over America's Future

I don't know much about the Japanese perspective. I once read it but I saw it with the perspective of someone who lives in the US so I didn't understand the premise of it at the time. Figured this would be a good way to try to look at it differently.

Hiroshima

I would love to incorporate this into some family history research, so I might pick a local history/Wisconsin history book from the library. Or I'll pick a book about Eastern Europe like The Reconstruction of Nations: Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania, Belarus, 1569-1999 because a lot of my family immigrated from the area.

I'm thinking An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

Margaret wrote: "I'm thinking An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz"

I've read this one and it's good. Very informative.



Rather than doing the Hiroshima one like I planned I'm going to read more LGBTQ+ material. I have several books that would work but the one that is currently standing out to me is David Bowie Made Me Gay: 100 Years of LGBT Music

I'm thinking I'll read something about Israel/Palestine from my TBR like Our American Israel: The Story of an Entangled Alliance, Drinking the Sea at Gaza: Days and Nights in a Land Under Siege, or The Way to the Spring: Life and Death in Palestine.

Or alternatively Gulag: A History.

I'm currently considering River of Shadows: Eadweard Muybridge and the Technological Wild West or The Hundred Years' War on Palestine: A History of Settler-Colonial Conquest and Resistance, 1917-2017 or Empress Dowager Cixi: The Concubine Who Launched Modern China, all of which I've been wanting to read for a while and are about areas of history in which I don't know as much as I'd like to.

I have no idea what to do for this challenge. I detested history in school and pretty much did a brain dump of it all, so I don't know anything about any period in history any more. LOL

Krista wrote: "I have no idea what to do for this challenge. I detested history in school and pretty much did a brain dump of it all, so I don't know anything about any period in history any more. LOL"

Then wouldn't that be the joy of things? The possibilities are endless :^D

I'm going with 1776 by David McCullough. I don't know much about the founding of the United States, and I'd like to chip away at that ignorance.

I've got a few ideas for this one:

A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier
Salt: A World History
Paper: Paging Through History

I find that graphic novels can be a good way to fill challenges I find a little less accessible. I think I'll read this one is about the cultural revolution in China.

Afropean: Notes from Black Europe by Johny Pitts is shelved as history so I feel it work for this challenge. It doesn't seem like it is about a specific period in history, but I'm still tempted to include it as my book for this challenge.

Margaret wrote: "I'm thinking An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz"

Sounds like a great pick!

I am planning on reading Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann.
It was recommended to me by a friend and it covers an interesting time of history and the development of the FBI.

I really suggest A Curious History of Sex, it doesn't read like history and it is truly hilarious!
I'm going to read Gay Voices of the Harlem Renaissance

Lisa wrote: "I am planning on reading Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann.
It was recommended to me by a friend and it covers ..."

This one is good. I've read it a couple of times. They're also releasing a movie of it sometime next year.

Krista wrote: "I have no idea what to do for this challenge. I detested history in school and pretty much did a brain dump of it all, so I don't know anything about any period in history any more. LOL"

You got this though!! So many possibilities. So, for example, do you really love a certain food group-- like Thai, Japanese, Italian, etc. Do you have a favorite fine artist-- like Rembrant or Monet? Do you have a special place you want to travel in your life time-- like idk volcanos in Iceland? Questions like that can lead you somewhere and then you would have an interest in the history. I am literally having to do the same thing, history reading is not my forte but I have been brainstorming tonight. Hope this helps! <3

Book Riot wrote: "Use this space to discuss books you’re reading or that might fit the 22nd Read Harder task. Sign up for our new Read Harder newsletter to get recommendations for each task delivered straight to you..."

I've already started The Secret History of the Mongol Queens: How the Daughters of Genghis Khan Rescued His Empire. I especially like the discussion of Genghis Khan's views of women, based on the indigenous views of masculine and feminine power in nature. Very fascinating.

Elizabeth wrote: "I would love to incorporate this into some family history research, so I might pick a local history/Wisconsin history book from the library. Or I'll pick a book about Eastern Europe like [book:The ..."

Oooh, this sounds interesting to me too. I also have Polish ancestry, and when I asked a family member who does a lot of genealogy if she had any info, she didn't have much because (I'm paraphrasing) "A lot of countries wanted a piece of Poland over the years."

Elizabeth wrote: "I would love to incorporate this into some family history research, so I might pick a local history/Wisconsin history book from the library. Or I'll pick a book about Eastern Europe like [book:The ..."



Ellen wrote: Oooh, this sounds interesting to me too. I also have Polish ancestry, and when I asked a family member who does a lot of genealogy if she had any info, she didn't have much because (I'm paraphrasing) "A lot of countries wanted a piece of Poland over the years."

I've always loved doing this. I come from a Native American background (Apache) and a Mexican/Spanish background (50% on both sides with my genetics) that I've always enjoyed finding out about this sort of thing.

Even though my family has always leaned more towards the Mexican side of things I've always leaned more towards the Native American aspect (mainly because I look more Apache than I do Mexican. Everyone in my family has the olive-toned skin that many Mexicans and Spaniards have whereas I have the darkest copper skin because of my Native American ancestry.)

So I've always been fascinated by Native American history in general. Slowly I've started to learn about the Mexican part of things just to round out both halves of my family.

There's not much to go on in terms of where my family is from as far as literature but when I do find something I tend to treasure it deeply.

Just recently my sister-in-law's mom gave me a book about where I'm from so it's certainly going to help fill in a lot of blanks in terms of the area I live in that I don't know much about.

I'm planning to read Girly Drinks: A World History of Women and Alcohol - I bought it some time ago and have been meaning to read it. Looks like a fun trip through history!

I started reading Peter the Great: His Life and World by Robert K. Massie for last year's challenge (Read a book with a cover you don't like), but did not finish, so I may count it for this challenge.

If you didn’t like and/or do well in history in school, I recommend trying a microhistory. A bunch of the titles already mentioned here count, and bookriot has a really good list from a few years ago that it’s not letting me link right now, but you can also just google for microhistory + some general subject you’re interested in to find stuff. Most if not all of the books I’m considering using for this prompt are microhistories I already own but haven’t read yet.

I would highly recommend Sarah Vowell. She writes about history like no other - very humorous but well-researched! Last year I read Unfamiliar Fishes, which is about Hawaiian history. It was excellent.

Cay wrote: "I have the book, Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland by, Patrick Radden Keefe. Would this qualify as a microhistory at least? I had never heard that term until I read..."

I would definitely count that for this prompt. I don't think it counts as a microhistory, but it should count as a history about something you know little about.

I'm reading Four Lost Cities: A Secret History of the Urban Age, about Çatalhöyük (Turkey), Pompeii (Italy), Angkor (Cambodia), and Cahokia (US).

I love uncommon history periods and microhistories, so I've got some to recommend!

- The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York is one of my absolute favorites
- The Rape of Europa: The Fate of Europe's Treasures in the Third Reich and the Second World War is great if you love art but don't know much about the notorious WWII Nazi art thefts
- City of Light, City of Poison: Murder, Magic, and the First Police Chief of Paris - 17th century France had some wild stories going on
- When Broken Glass Floats: Growing Up Under the Khmer Rouge
- Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland - mentioned earlier in this thread, it's amazing (and it's the reason I'm reading A Secret History of the IRA: Gerry Adams and the Thirty Year War this year)
- The Ghost Map: The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic—and How It Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World - warning for a lot of disgusting bodily description if you're squeamish
- The Wordy Shipmates and honestly any of Sarah Vowell's other history books are great

Kelly wrote: "I find that graphic novels can be a good way to fill challenges I find a little less accessible.

There's a lot of great history graphic novels out there honestly! I'm about to read Boxers and Saints about the Boxer Rebellion.

I picked The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl by Timothy Egan

Sarah wrote: "I'm planning to read Girly Drinks: A World History of Women and Alcohol - I bought it some time ago and have been meaning to read it. Looks like a fun trip through history!"

Oh I adore this suggestion!

I read Four Lost Cities: A Secret History of the Urban Age, about Çatalhöyük (Turkey), Pompeii (Italy), Angkor (Cambodia), and Cahokia (US).

Sarah wrote: "I'm planning to read Girly Drinks: A World History of Women and Alcohol - I bought it some time ago and have been meaning to read it. Looks like a fun trip through history!"
I've got this now from the library-- great idea!

I just read Pawpaw: In Search of America's Forgotten Fruit, by Andrew Moore. It includes a good amount of history, especially in the 3rd section, so I think it would count if you aren't strict about it being primarily a history book.

I'm currently making my way through The Romanovs: 1613-1918 by Simon Sebag Montefiore - very big book!! I studied Soviet history in high school but never knew much about earlier Russian history, and in particular have loved reading about the Napoleonic Wars so far (never learned about it due to growing up in Australia).

In terms of other 'lesser known' histories, I would also recommend The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold - mainly about the lives of women and working class folks in Victorian England, including how London got to be the city it is today. Super fascinating.

Is everyone taking this to mean Non-fiction history? Or do you think historical fiction counts?

I'm going with historical fiction.

Whitney wrote: "Is everyone taking this to mean Non-fiction history? Or do you think historical fiction counts?"

"A history" means nonfiction. The term is widely used. That said, it is for you to say what works for you.

I'm going to be reading Lusitania: An Epic Tragedy.

Beth wrote: "Kelly wrote: "I find that graphic novels can be a good way to fill challenges I find a little less accessible.

There's a lot of great history graphic novels out there honestly! I'm about to read [..."

I loved that series and learned a lot!

What are you about to read? It got cut off.

I read Black Wave by Kim Ghattas, which is about the Middle East. That might seem easy but it's recent history that I don't remember so well because it focuses on 1979 as the tipping point, the year I was born, and goes through the 80s when I was so young I only remember names of actors but not their roles. By the 90s I remember most of the war news but not what was going on in surrounding countries. The last 20 years briefly covered in this book was not new to me but it did return to the lives of specific people affected by what happened in the 80s and 90s.

It was a great read, reminded me of the headlines we covered in current events in 5th and 6th grade and different perspective from the international news stories of later years.

Definitely recommend if you're interested in foreign affairs.

Im not a huge history person, but I read a few that read like novels:

The boysThe Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics

American Sherlock: Murder, Forensics, and the Birth of American CSI

The Woman Who Smashed Codes: A True Story of Love, Spies, and the Unlikely Heroine who Outwitted America's Enemies

The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America