My WNDB Update for 2014
We Need Diverse Books began in reaction to a (completely non-diverse) YA panel that was planned for BEA back in May. You can find out more about the campaign here.
As a reader, I love reading books about people different from me, places I haven’t been, and experiences I haven’t had. So I was wondering how many books I’ve read in 2014 that feature, discuss, or highlight diversity of race, culture, religion, sexuality, and/or socio-economic status…
What’s “diverse” to me may not be to you, but here are some of my favorites of 2014:
by Nina LaCour
by Brandy Colbert
by Una LaMarche
by Atia Abawi
by Alaya Dawn Johnson
by Robin Talley
Edited by Stephanie Perkins
by Tess Sharpe
Have you read any of these? Any books you’d like to recommend I check out?
Lies We Tell Ourselves was amazing but a very tough emotional read! And My True Love Gave To Me is a fantastic collection of stories!! I highly recommend those!
I need to read Pointe soon, it's in my TBR pile!
Completely agree!
I haven't read any of those 🙁 but I do have Lies We Tell Ourselves and I need to buy My True Love Gave to Me!
Karen @ For What It's Worth
Hope you enjoy them both!
Sadly, I've not read any of these books. I did read my first lesbian relationship novel this year. I picked up another book of hers (Sarah Waters). So hopefully, I can at least have a couple on my read shelves before the year is out.
Well done, you!
I've only read one Sarah Waters — the Night Watch — but I was so impressed!
I look forward to picking up My True Love Gave to Me this Christmas! I love the UK edition 🙂
Will have to check it out — you guys always get better covers 🙁 Though the US one is pretty cute!
I want to read The Secret Sky and Far From You still. I'll have to look into the others 🙂
Let me know what you think!
I haven't read any of these but I have heard some great things about it. I love diverse things in YA lit and I will have to give them a try. Great post, Jen 🙂
Definitely try some of them!
I've only read Lies We Tell Ourselves! But I really liked that one. I definitely agree we need diverse books…*nods* I'm actually surprised it still isn't the "usual" thing to publish diverse books. Our planet is diverse…so shouldn't literature reflect that?! I think The Iron Trials was diverse, but it wasn't the best book I've read.
It was definitely an intense book!
Have you done reviews for any of these books? 🙂 I need to read more diverse books too, so I want to check them out!
Yes, I should have posted links but have been super-busy. Will get on that!
Haven't read Everything Leads to You yet but I do have a copy that I'm excited to read. I tend to comment when I notice the diversity in books but I haven't been a vocal enough advocate of getting those kinds of books published in the first place. Thanks for speaking out Jen!
I agree with you – I sort of expect every book to be diverse as our world is, and I also just want a book to be good — all these are both 🙂
I just got My True Love Gave to Me and I cannot wait until I can read Lies We Tell Ourselves because it sounds BRILLIANT. Two POVs? Yes please!
I think I'm going to do a Diverse Book Challenge next year, because I need more of them in my life. My favorite LGBTQ book is Boy Meets Boy though! 🙂
Amber Elise @ Du Livre
Lies We Tell Ourselves is such a powerful story. There was one plot reveal I wish had happened sooner (I talk about that under spoiler protection in my GR review) but I loved it!
So many books here you've listed that I really want to read! I've heard great things about Lies we Tell Ourselves and Far from you and everything leads to you. Thanks for listing them out Jen! More diversity is always a good thing.
My True Love Gave to Me was so great. Love it so much! I have the UK cover though and it's so much prettier!
Pointe sounds amazing.
Thanks so much for sharing!
http://toallthebooksivelovedbefore.wordpress.com/
Andreea
Haven't read much of them but I do need to.
I've read two out of the three and have the other two from the library.
Lies We Tell Ourselves was a really interesting LGBTQ Civil Rights movement fiction novel. I liked it a lot. The characters were all really believable and the individual scenes were all very well described (albeit very heartbreaking).
I reviewed it here: http://dancingthroughthepages.wordpress.com/2014/11/12/review-lies-we-tell-ourselves-robin-talley/
Everything Leads to You was good in the sense that it treats the relationship just like any other romance. It's has a unique protagonist and a really interesting story. It's kind of boring in some sections though 🙁
My review is here: http://dancingthroughthepages.wordpress.com/2014/09/29/everything-leads-to-you-nina-lacour/
I really want to read The Secret Sky though! I'm really interested to see how the author portrays the Middle Eastern setting.
I meant to say that I've read two out of the eight and have another two of them checked out from the library. I don't know what I was thinking when I wrote "two out of three".