Around the Year in 52 Books discussion
Progress Posts 2017
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8: A book written by a person of color
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- What are you reading this week? Homegoing
- Who is the book's author? Yaa Gyasi
- Do you read many books by people of color?
I am this year - undertaking Read Harder as well, and in researching some of the categories there I came up with a huge list of books I'd like to read.
- Is it important to you to read diversely?
It has become important to - I am studying sociology and want to understand different cultures and communities more thoroughly.
- Is adding diversity to your reading one of the reasons you participate in the ATY Challenge?
Yes!
What are you reading this week?World After (Penryn & the End of Days #2)
Who is the book's author?
Susan Ee
Do you read many books by people of color?
I don't really know. Of course some names are tell-tale, but otherwise I don't keep track of whether the author is POC or not.
Is it important to you to read diversely?
Yes, but not necessarily just POC-author-wise. I think it's important to be open-minded to different cultures/subjects/genres.
Is adding diversity to your reading one of the reasons you participate in the ATY Challenge?
Absolutely.
- What are you reading this week? The Hundred Penny Box- Who is the book's author?Sharon Bell Mathis
- Do you read many books by people of color? It all depends
- Is it important to you to read diversely? To be honest it makes no difference
- Is adding diversity to your reading one of the reasons you participate in the ATY Challenge? NO
- What are you reading this week?Sofia Khan Is Not Obliged
- Who is the book's author?
Ayisha Malik
- Do you read many books by people of color?
Not as many as I would like to.
- Is it important to you to read diversely?
Yes, and not only when it comes to people of color. Diversity is also neurodiversity, sexual orientation and disability for example.
- Is adding diversity to your reading one of the reasons you participate in the ATY Challenge?
Not really, I have only used books of my owned TBR for this challenge, though a few have been gifted to me this year.
What are you reading this week?The Bees
Who is the book's author?
Laline Paull
Do you read many books by people of color?
To be honest, I'm not really sure. With a few exceptions, I don't always note who the author is, or their background/race.
Is it important to you to read diversely?
Diversity in general is a good & important thing, definitely. It does not factor into my choice of reading, however. A cover usually grabs my attention, and then I read the synopsis and either want to try it or not. I don't look to see who the author is.
Is adding diversity to your reading one of the reasons you participate in the ATY Challenge?
No, I joined as a way to keep myself motivated to read in 2017 as I "fell off the bandwagon" in 2015/2016.
- What are you reading this week?Zone One
- Who is the book's author?
Colson Whitehead
- Do you read many books by people of color?
I honestly don't know. When I read books in English, white authors are much more prevalent than authors of color. However when I read in Spanish I look for Spanish names, so I get a different cultural view.
- Is it important to you to read diversely?
Yes, though I enjoy fantasy, so you get a ton of diversity as there's different species, plots, and settings.
- Is adding diversity to your reading one of the reasons you participate in the ATY Challenge?
Yes, I also want to make sure that I actually read my very large TBR list.
- What are you reading this week?
- Who is the book's author?
Angie Thomas
- Do you read many books by people of color?
I don't pay attention to the authors. If the book is interesting I will read it.
- Is it important to you to read diversely? No. I read for enjoyment and to escape my real world. It doesn't matter to me if it is diverse or not. I just want to be entertained!
- Is adding diversity to your reading one of the reasons you participate in the ATY Challenge? Yes this challenge gets me to read books I wouldn't normally pick up and to read outside my comfort zone.
What are you reading this week?The Ice Cream Girls
Who is the book's author?Dorothy Koomson
Do you read many books by people of colour? I don't pay any attention to the colour of the author
Is it important to you to read diversely? I think I do read diversely. I read what I want , when I want. My reading covers most genres, except romance. I can't stand the "He looked in her eyes and she looked in his eyes " type of books
Is adding diversity to your reading one of the reasons you participate in the ATY Challenge? No. I take part in the challenge to work through my TBR list. The challenge gives me a plan.
What are you reading this week? The Street of a Thousand Blossoms
- Who is the book's author? Gail Tsukiyama
- Do you read many books by people of color? Only because I read a lot. It is not something I do intentionally.
- Is it important to you to read diversely? Yes. It has helped open my eyes to the world around me.
- Is adding diversity to your reading one of the reasons you participate in the ATY Challenge? Yes. Participating in a reading challenge requires you to branch out and expand your horizons.
What are you reading this week?Battle Royale
Who is the book's author?
Koushun Takami
Do you read many books by people of color?
Honestly, I really don't pay attention to the color or the author, if the book sounds interesting I read it.
Is it important to you to read diversely?
I try my best to as diversely as possible. Which is one reason I am keeping track of the different genres I am reading this year. Next year I think I will also keep track of the authors nationality/skin color just to see how many I read.
Is adding diversity to your reading one of the reasons you participate in the ATY Challenge?
That's part of the reason, the other part is being able to discuss books I read with others that have read them.
- What are you reading this week?Bed & Breakfast Bedlam
- Who is the book's author?
Abby L. Vandiver
- Do you read many books by people of color?
I've never really noticed. I pick books based on the description. Many times, I don't even look to see who the author is
- Is it important to you to read diversely?
I try to read diversely but it's not as important as the book's content
- Is adding diversity to your reading one of the reasons you participate in the ATY Challenge?
I am participating in the challenge to read books outside the genres I usually read from
- What are you reading this week?The Sun Is Also a Star
- Who is the book's author?
Nicola Yoon
- Do you read many books by people of color?
I read whatever catches my attention, irrespective of the colour of the author.
- Is it important to you to read diversely?
Yes. You don't learn if you read only what you know.
- Is adding diversity to your reading one of the reasons you participate in the ATY Challenge?
No. I just thought the challenge would be fun.
What are you reading this week?Milk and Honey
Who is the book's author?
Rupi Kaur
Do you read many books by people of color?
Not as much as I would like but that could be because I tend not to know anything about an author before going into a book, I just choose a book by whether it's synopsis interests me.
Is it important to you to read diversely?
Yes, I think so. I think it's the only way to really learn and build empathy.
Is adding diversity to your reading one of the reasons you participate in the ATY Challenge?
No, I decided to do this for the fun of meeting goals and discussing books. Although, a by product of doing this challenge has been to mix up my reading a little.
What are you reading this week?History Is All You Left Me
Who is the book's author?
Adam Silvera
Do you read many books by people of colour?
I barely notice authors but I'm going to hazard a guess at probably not.
Edit: I checked my shelves for this year (about 3) and my favourites (2) so no, I don't read a lot of POC authors. I would like to read some more, but since I tend to only read books that interest me and white authors are more widely advertised, there's probably going to be an imbalance unless I specifically seek out books by POC.
Is it important to you to read diversely?
Sort of?? I mean, I don't just want to read books about white Americans, but I'm more concerned with good plots and characters than with the races and genders and whathaveyou of the people in the book. I'm not going to read a book just because it has diverse characters but I will read a diverse book if I think I'll enjoy it, if that makes sense.
Is adding diversity to your reading one of the reasons you participate in the ATY Challenge?
Nah, not really.
- What are you reading this week?The Mothers
- Who is the book's author?
Brit Bennet
- Do you read many books by people of color?
Absolutely!
- Is it important to you to read diversely?
It is so important to me to make sure that the books I read expose me to perspectives I don't have access to every day
- Is adding diversity to your reading one of the reasons you participate in the ATY Challenge?
Yep. I am also taking on a personal challenge to read not read books by white men for the next year, and documenting in my blog here: https://readingdiverselyayearofnotrea...
Q: What are you reading this week?A: The Reason I Jump: The Inner Voice of a Thirteen-Year-Old Boy with Autism
Q: Who is the book's author?
A: Naoki Higashida
Q: Do you read many books by people of color?
A: No, I usually don't.
Q: Is it important to you to read diversely?
A: I don't think so. I just like to have fun, and I just read the name of the author, but I don't care if the author is black, blue or yellow.
Q: Is adding diversity to your reading one of the reasons you participate in the ATY Challenge?
A: I don't think so.
As Tracy said before "I participate in this challenge in order to try and fit the books I already own into the list and read off of my already too large TBR. This challenge makes reading my older books fun." :D Thanks, Tracy!!!
Progress Post:- What are you reading this week?
Redemption in Indigo- Who is the book's author?
Karen Lord
- Do you read many books by people of color?
I don't really pay attention to what race the person who wrote the book is, i look for interesting stories.
- Is it important to you to read diversely?
I would say yes, I am fascinated and enjoy reading about other cultures and regions of the world.
- Is adding diversity to your reading one of the reasons you participate in the ATY Challenge?
Definitely, this has challenged me to read books that i probably never would have been exposed to. This category especially taught me that I really enjoy fables.
The Vegetarian
Han KangDo you read many books by people of colour? Ive read more recently than I have in the past few years, but I wouldn't usually pick a book just because of the ethnicity/gender/sexuality etc of the author but more because the story/subject interested me (see answer below)
Is adding diversity one of your reason for taking part in this challenge? Yes and No! I started doing reading challenges to broaden my reading choices generally as I was in a reading 'rut'. Looking back I used to read more diversely so I'm glad to get back to it.
What are you reading this week?We Should All Be Feminists
Who is the book's author? Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Do you read many books by people of color? yes
Is it important to you to read diversely? yes
Is adding diversity to your reading one of the reasons you participate in the ATY Challenge? yes
What are you reading this week?I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
Who is the book's author?
Maya Angelou
Do you read many books by people of color?
I would have to say no. I don't usually pick a book because of its author, (unless its one of my favorite authors), I pick most of my books because they sound interesting to read.
Is it important to you to read diversely?
I do enjoy reading and learning about other cultures so I would say yes it is.
Is adding diversity to your reading one of the reasons you participate in the ATY Challenge?
I would say just trying out other book genres then I normally read was part of the reason I joined this group.
- What are you reading this week?Queen Sugar
- Who is the book's author? Natalie Baszile
- Do you read many books by people of color? I've read a fair amount I think.
- Is it important to you to read diversely? Yes, but I also just want to read a good book. So whoever writes a good book, no matter their skin color, I'll try to read it.
- Is adding diversity to your reading one of the reasons you participate in the ATY Challenge?
I just signed up because I like challenges but this is a great plus!
What are you reading this week? The Hate U GiveWho is the book's author? Angie Thomas
Do you read many books by people of color? Probably not as many as I should have by now.
Is it important to you to read diversely? Yes. I think it's important to read perspectives different than your own, and reading diverse/ownvoices is a good way of doing that for me.
Is adding diversity to your reading one of the reasons you participate in the ATY Challenge?
Yup! I find reading challenges often bring me out of my comfort zone and get me to read authors/genres I wouldn't normally read, and that includes diverse reads as well.
What are you reading this week? Everything, EverythingWho is the book's author? Nicola Yoon
Do you read many books by people of color? Because Japanese are included and I am a fan of manga, which is japanese comic, the answer is absolutely YES.
Is it important to you to read diversely? I never thought about it, I usually just read the books I am interested in, but now I think I should try to read more diversely.
Is adding diversity to your reading one of the reasons you participate in the ATY Challenge? No, but it's working in that way :)
- What are you reading this week?Americanah
- Who is the book's author?
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
- Do you read many books by people of color?
Not really. Mostly I don't pick my books because of the author.
- Is it important to you to read diversely?
It's not very important for me. But I try to broaden my horizon constantly.
- Is adding diversity to your reading one of the reasons you participate in the ATY Challenge?
Not really.
What are you reading this week?
Who is the book's author?
Lawrence Hill
Do you read many books by people of color?
I don't really pay attention to that. I just read what sounds good to me.
Is it important to you to read diversely?
I read from just about every genre, so I do enjoy diversity in my reading.
Is adding diversity to your reading one of the reasons you participate in the ATY Challenge?
Not really. I just do it for the fun. And the challenge! The fact that it does lead to diversity is just a perk.
- What are you reading this week?Americanah
- Who is the book's author?
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
- Do you read many books by people of color?
A fair amount.
- Is it important to you to read diversely?
Yes, it is.
- Is adding diversity to your reading one of the reasons you participate in the ATY Challenge?
Nope.
What are you reading this week?White Teeth, by Zadie Smith
Who is the book's author?
Zadie Smith
Do you read many books by people of color?
I read diversely from a number of cultures and countries, but I don't specifically seek out authors of colour.
Is it important to you to read diversely? Yes, absolutely, it opens your eyes to so many experiences and perspectives.
Is adding diversity to your reading one of the reasons you participate in the ATY Challenge? Not really, I would read diversely regardless. I participate in the challenge because it's so much fun (and to get rid of my massive TBR pile!).
What are you reading this week? I read World After (Penryn & the End of Days #2) by Susan Ee
Do you read many books by people of color?
I tend to concentrate on the characters being diverse rather than the authors, but this is certainly going to be something I'm going to work on in the future.
Is it important to you to read diversely?
Absolutely.
Is adding diversity to your reading one of the reasons you participate in the ATY Challenge?
Not really, I actually tried to do that even before I joined.
- What are you reading this week? We Are Never Meeting In Real Life- Who is the book's author? Samantha Irby
- Do you read many books by people of color? I don't pay that much attention.
- Is it important to you to read diversely? Sure. It's good to open your mind to others' worldview and experiences.
- Is adding diversity to your reading one of the reasons you participate in the ATY Challenge? Not really. I joined because I like challenges to give my reading focus.
What are you reading this week?I read Knife Edge
Who is the book's author?
Malorie Blackman
Do you read many books by people of color?
I wouldn't necessarily say many, but I definitely read some. I honestly don't pay much attention to who the author is when I pick up a book unless it's one of my favourites, and with my readings challenges, there are many cases where I just know the author's name and nothing else about them.
Is it important to you to read diversely?
Yes, but it is not necessarily a primary motivator. I also think it is more important to have a diverse range of stories, and not necessarily just diverse characters. For example, even stories that feature "diverse" characters are not very diverse to me if they all tell the exact same story or offer the same perspective (ie. if all books I read from an LGBT perspective told the same "coming out was difficult" plot). I think it's very important to read diversely to get a wide range of perspectives.
Is adding diversity to your reading one of the reasons you participate in the ATY Challenge?
No, I participate in the challenge to read more in general. I don't really make a conscious effort to read more diversely, but it does seem to happen naturally in the process as I discover more books.
What are you reading this week?Warriors Don't Cry: A Searing Memoir of the Battle to Integrate Little Rock's Central High
Who is the book's author?
Melba Pattillo Beals
Do you read many books by people of color?
Quite honestly, I've never really paid attention to this statistic in my reading before this challenge. Looking back though, it seems like not many.
Is it important to you to read diversely?
As I grow older it is becoming somewhat more important, but I think interest in the book itself (subject, plot, etc.) will always take priority to me over who the author is.
Is adding diversity to your reading one of the reasons you participate in the ATY Challenge?
Not particularly. I joined the challenge primarily to motivate myself to read more in general, and to whittle away at my multiple "to read" lists.
- What are you reading this week?The Sellout
- Who is the book's author?
Paul Beatty
- Do you read many books by people of color?
It isn't something I normally think about. I read the back or the flap of the book and if it sounds good I check it out. I would say that the majority of the books I've read in my were probably by white males.
- Is it important to you to read diversely? Certainly. I like to keep an open mind and learn about things from new perspectives, and I sure am glad I found this book.
- Is adding diversity to your reading one of the reasons you participate in the ATY Challenge? I wouldn't say so. I love to read and I love making lists!
What are you reading this week? CeremonyWho is the book's author? Leslie Marmon Silko
Do you read many books by people of color? I like reading books from all over the world that represent all kinds of people and many interesting topics, so yes, I do.
Is it important to you to read diversely? Yes, very. Otherwise, it's all too boring if it's a steady diet of the same thing. And what's the point of that? Variety is the spice of life!
Is adding diversity to your reading one of the reasons you participate in the ATY Challenge? Yes, so that I make myself read about things and people that I might not get the chance to do on my own. I love exploring my fellow Goodreaders' book lists for that reason as well.
Around the Year in 52 Books
Books mentioned in this topic
Ceremony (other topics)Warriors Don't Cry: A Searing Memoir of the Battle to Integrate Little Rock's Central High (other topics)
Knife Edge (other topics)
We Are Never Meeting in Real Life. (other topics)
World After (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Leslie Marmon Silko (other topics)Melba Pattillo Beals (other topics)
Malorie Blackman (other topics)
Samantha Irby (other topics)
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (other topics)
More...
- Who is the book's author? Margot Lee Shetterly
- Do you read many books by people of color? Yes I read a fair amount I don't always really look into the background of the authors but I like to pick books about diverse topics fiction and nonfiction. And I like picking books about different cultures than my own.
- Is it important to you to read diversely? Yes not only important but more interesting!
- Is adding diversity to your reading one of the reasons you participate in the ATY Challenge? Not really I read a lot of different cultures but this ATY challenge has pushed me to read a few genres that I am not usually don't read. The jury is still out if I will enjoy reading outside my comfort zone or not!