Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish (click the link to visit them) who pick a different topic each week.
This week the topic is: Ten Books That Celebrate Diversity/Diverse Characters (example: features minority/religious minority, socioeconomic diversity, disabled MC, neurotypical character, LGBTQ etc etc.)
When I first saw the topic for this week, I thought I’d find it hard to narrow it down to just 10 books, but when I came to pick them, I realised I didn’t have as many in the ‘already read’ column as I thought. I totally need to diversify!!
I’ve therefore split my list into my favorite 5 books which celebrate diversity and 5 on my TBR list.
My Top 5 Favourite Books Which Celebrate Diversity
1. Aristotle & Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe ~ Benjamin Alire Sáenz: This book celebrates love and friendship in the most beautiful of ways. It explores not just sexuality but identity and race too. Read it. <3"><3"><3
2. Noughts & Crosses ~ Malorie Blackman: A book about prejudice where the dark-skinned are the ruling class and the light-skinned are on the bottom rung of society.
3. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time ~ Mark Haddon: A witty, realistic insight into living with Asperger’s Syndrome.
4. The Lunar Chronicles ~ Marissa Meyer: Cyborgs like Cinder are second-class citizens in New Beijing. I love everything about this series!
5. She is Not Invisible ~ Marcus Sedgwick: This book explores people’s preconceptions about blindness. Laurel is blind, not stupid, and she’s definitely not invisible!
Top 5 Books on my TBR List Which Celebrate Diversity
1. Golden Boy ~ Abigail Tarttelin: I’ve heard mixed reviews regarding this book about Intersex, but I really want to read it.
2. 5 to 1 ~ Holly Bodger: Bringing a whole new meaning to arranged marriages, this book sounds epic. ‘In the year 2054, after decades of gender selection, India now has a ratio of five boys for every girl, making women an incredibly valuable commodity. Tired of marrying off their daughters to the highest bidder and determined to finally make marriage fair, the women who form the country of Koyanagar have instituted a series of tests so that every boy has the chance to win a wife.’
3. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian ~ Sherman Alexie: This has been hovering at the top of my wishlist for years! I don’t think I’ve read any YA focussed on being a Native American before.
4.Luna ~ Julie Ann Peters: By night Liam transforms himself into Luna. His story his told through the eyes of his sister.
5. Grasshopper Jungle ~ Andrew Smith: This book has been described to me as ‘a completely batshit coming of age story that will change your life – with giant praying mantises’. The protagonist is Polish and struggling with his sexuality despite being in love with his girlfriend.
Leave a link to your post and I’ll come visit. Looking forward to seeing what everyone chose this week!
