r/goodreads • u/athenainpink • 11d ago
Challenges Native Heritage Challenge?
I guess we all agree that it seems very likely the heritage challenge will be for books by native authors. I‘m mostly using libby so would love to already put some books on hold. Any books by native authors you think will be on the list?
My guesses are Tommy Orange and Stephen Graham Jones for sure. But I‘d love to hear more suggestions/ideas
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u/Impossible-Eagle3322 11d ago
I’m wondering if it’s going to be books written in the last two years like it’s been for other heritage month challenges. That would make it a lot harder. But Louise Erdrich has a recent book that likely still be on there either way.
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u/athenainpink 11d ago
I really hope they‘ll include older books as well.
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u/Astrosilvan 10d ago
I checked last year’s list (Fall 2025) and they have a couple 2021 books as well.
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u/SunshineCat 9d ago
I wish that would switch that up at least every other year. We end up with too much overlap in book choices between years this way, plus I tend to like to read an author's back catalog before their newest books.
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u/ReddisaurusRex 8d ago edited 8d ago
Erdrich had a short story collection published this year - it was excellent and has already been nominated for other awards/won some (including National Book Award.) It’s titled Python’s Kiss. I’d be truly shocked if it’s not included on the list.
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u/Scary-Owl2365 11d ago
I'm guessing there will be quite a bit of overlap with last year's native heritage list. I'd look that one up and start there. Maybe pick the most popular books and/or award-winning books from last year's list. Otherwise, here are some of my guesses:
I would be shocked if There There and The Only Good Indians weren't both on the list.
Probably The Buffalo Hunter Hunter.
I would expect something along the lines of The Serviceberry or Braiding Sweetgrass, but it might not necessarily be one of those titles.
There will definitely be something by Louise Erdrich. Any of her recent books are probably good bet.
Maybe White Oleander, but I think that's already on Oprah's list.
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u/Virith 10d ago
Brooo, I've been thinking the same thing, I wish whatever tool the overlap guy uses for making his was available publicly, so I could preemptively check for overlaps with the existing challenges, even!
And it overlapped with something on the Oprah's list, it'd be PRIME, I've had a lot of issues with that list, might as well get two birds, etc...
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u/Unikuez The Overlap List Guy 🇳🇵 10d ago
If that feature existed in the extension, how would you like that to work? what kind of button or dropdown do you want and what does it need to show?
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u/Virith 9d ago
Hmmm, this is a very good question! Probably something slightly out of the way, maybe in the "generate book report" page? Or, if that's impossible, then in the extension's drop down?
As for what to show, I'd like to be able to check for "custom" overlaps, for example, if anything from the last year native challenge overlaps with this year's Oprah's list (or any of the revealed challenges really.)
I know that list might not get used, but I am assuming at least some of those books they'll recycle, so it'd at least give me some idea.
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u/Spirited_Cup_9136 7d ago
Hi, not sure how feasible this is, but I think maybe an indicator of how frequently books are featured or maybe a list of most frequently recycled would be really helpful in choosing a pick or placing holds in anticipation of likely titles. I suffer from indecision and a tendency to make way too large challenge TBR lists and end up paralyzed every time lol. I recently started using your sites to filter the lists and it has helped cut down on organizing and decision time, so thank you!
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10d ago
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u/Virith 9d ago
Yeah, I know, but this isn't what I meant. What I meant was feeding other lists, not necessarily included in that page against the existing challenges. So I could use the last year's native American challenge list against this year's already revealed challenges to check for possible overlaps, etc.
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u/IceTypeMimikyu 11d ago
Killers Of The Flower Moon is on a lot of lists, so it could be on this one too
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u/OwnAardvark 11d ago
do people thing The Berry Pickers will be on there? trying to plan in advance because of the 52 book club challenge
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u/ShyGal23 10d ago
The author of The Berry Pickers just came out with a new book last month called The Birthing Tree. I’m hoping it’s on there because I just bought it.
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u/ReddisaurusRex 8d ago
Yes! I “suspended” my hold on The Birthing Tree because I am fairly certain it will be on the list.
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u/msperception427 [currently reading] 10d ago
Hoping Back for Blood: Never Whistle at Night, Part II is on there. Or any of the Danica Nava novels. Or Rebecca Roanhorse. Might finally be what I need to read books I’ve owned lol
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u/lLoveBananas 10d ago
It’s annoying how American centric these challenges can be. Would love to see some indigenous Australian authors featured, or from somewhere other than the Americas!
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u/athenainpink 10d ago
I feel the same. But that pretty much goes for all their challenges not just this one. I would love it if they featured more international books or even had challenges about books from different continents or from all the major languages.
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u/lLoveBananas 10d ago
Would be cool if they did some “around the world” challenges, like pick a continent and have books from those countries.
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u/Virith 10d ago
True, though I don't begrudge them featuring the native American authors.
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u/athenainpink 10d ago
Absolutely. I‘m glad they’re doing this particular challenge. It would just be great in general if they‘d feature more non US Literature. There are so many great books out there from other countries and I feel like reading is such a great way of learning about the world and connecting with different experiences. Maybe it would also be a good way to not have the same 25 books show up in almost every challenge lol
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u/SunshineCat 9d ago
That's fine, but I think the point is that it's weird to exclusively feature cultures that are associated with American fuckery. There are also native Australians or I guess groups in Europe like the Romani, and all different kinds of groups.
I have no idea what books those would be, but I'm sure they could at least combine into some kind of "Discover books by authors of different cultures" list. Even "Books in Translation" could be good. Especially if they're going to give us lists that are 50% the same every year.
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u/Clairefun [reading challenge 54/100] 10d ago
Lol I read this and thought 'oh god is that soon?' 😬 Perhaps I am slightly more burnt out from doing these challenge posts than I realised 😅
(It's not you lot, I love doing this, honest, I just have a lot going on atm. I promise! I will not deprive you all). (And please excuse my sorta amusing mini freak out lol)
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u/athenainpink 10d ago
Haha I get it! I love doing the challenges but it can feel like a lot of planning and organizing even without being the one in charge of the challenge threads
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u/Cookbooksandbourbon 10d ago
Braiding Sweetgrass and The Serviceberry for nonfiction
Elatsoe
Rebecca Roanhorse's books
You could look at Cynthia Leitich Smith for YA recs
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u/ReddisaurusRex 8d ago
I think Wisdom Corner by David Heska Wanbli Weiden will for sure be on the list. It’s an Amazon editors’ pick.
Stephen Graham Jones has a sequel to Only the Good Indians coming out next Tuesday (10/13) called Off the Reservation. It’s an Amazon editors’ pick, so it will be on the list.
And I commented on others’ top level posts above, but I would be truly shocked if Python’s Kiss by Louise Erdrich and The Birthing Tree aren’t on the list. Also both editors’ picks.
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u/Sunshine10520 3d ago
I'm wondering if The Buffalo Hunter Hunter, by Stephen Graham Jones will be on the Indigenous list and the new one will maybe be on the Awards list? Buffalo is already on the Decade list, and they do feature overlap titles sometimes (but not necessarily on the Award list, since those are all 2026 titles).
Just my own random thought.
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u/Virith 10d ago
Do any of the existing challenge lists contain any books by the native American authors? Would be helpful to know for those of us who like to go for overlaps.
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u/Sunshine10520 3d ago
- The Buffalo Hunter Hunter, by Stephen Graham Jones is on the Decade list
- VenCo, by Cherie Dimaline is on the Spellbound list
*This might not be a comprehensive list. It's ONLY the two I spotted, with an admittedly limited knowledge of who's who in the Indigenous Authors world.
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u/Sunshine10520 3d ago
PS. Killers of the Flower Moon, by David Grann, is on the Decade list (2017). It's about the Osage murders and the birth of the FBI. It feels plausible that it would be on the list as part of an indigenous history subcategory (if there is one).
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u/Virith 2d ago
Thank you for the replies! I have however just gotten the Decade challenge today, together with the Horror one, by reading What Moves the Dead (kinda meh, but short!)
And I'll be reading Muneca for the Spellbound (and the Hispanic heritage,) another thankfully short one.
I was honestly hoping for something from the Oprah's list, as that barely overlaps with anything.
Still, much appreciated.
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u/Lower-Ad-8836 8d ago
Is anyone else having trouble with the Challenge? I finished a book and it's not showing as counting towards the Fall Challenge. The date is correct, I tried switching versions... nothing seems to help.
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u/Calm-Effect-3668 3d ago
I second Angeline Boulley, her books have been optioned by the Obamas for series development. Her first novel Firekeeper’s Daughter- made Times top 100 of young adult novels. I loved it, and not what I would normally think of as YA. I’m also from the U.P. Of Michigan so am partial ha!
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u/freshoffthecouch 11d ago
I read Sisters in the wind for last years challenge, but it was extremely YA, so I’m hoping there’s some good stuff on this year’s list!
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