Alysia's Diversity on the Shelf Challenge is back! This is another one that was easy to choose as one of my five challenges for the year. I consider myself an eclectic reader and read a great variety of genres, but I also want to make sure my reading selections include authors and characters from all different backgrounds. I think reading is a great way to broaden one's horizons and see the world from another person's perspective, so choosing more diverse books is an important part of that.
I am open to discovering new authors and titles, but will start off the year with a list of the books I already own that qualify for this challenge. Just acquiring more diverse books is not enough, it's time to read them! I am going to officially sign up for the 2nd Shelf which is 7-12 books, and I have way more than that to choose from!
Classics/Modern Classics
Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe
Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston
Memories of My Melancholy Whores, by Gabriel García Márquez
Chronicle of a Death Foretold, by Gabriel García Márquez
Of Love and Other Demons, by Gabriel García Márquez
One Hundred Years of Solitude, by Gabriel García Márquez
Love in the Time of Cholera, by Gabriel García Márquez
Collected Stories, by Gabriel García Márquez
The House of the Spirits, by Isabel Allende
The Stories of Eva Luna, by Isabel Allende
Eva Luna, by Isabel Allende
The House on Mango Street, by Sandra Cisneros (re-read)
Contemporary
Maya's Notebook, by Isabel Allende
Daughter of Fortune, by Isabel Allende
The House Girl, by Tara Conklin
The Story of Beautiful Girl, by Rachel Simon
The Kitchen House, by Kathleen Grissom
Wench, by Dolen Perkins-Valdez
The Wedding Gift, by Marlen Suyapa Bodden
The Secret Life of Bees, by Sue Monk Kidd
Happiness, Like Water, by Chinelo Okparanta
Americanah, by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Rizzoli & Isles series, by Tess Gerritsen
American Gods, by Neil Gaiman
The Golem and the Jinni, by Helene Wecker
Young Adult
Summer series, by Jenny Han
Non-Fiction
The Color of Water, by James McBride
Primary Lessons, by Sarah Bracey White
Decoded, by Jay-Z
I just now signed up for this one. I've already joined several challenges. Some I did this year and some that are new to me. I am waiting to see if some of the ones I did this year will be offered again. And there are some I am trying to decide on doing. I already know the Hot Listens Audiobook signups will be starting next Wednesday.
ReplyDeleteThat's great! I'm trying to rein myself in a bit this year, but this is one I definitely can't pass up. I'm considering an audiobook challenge for one of my final selections and know the blog for the one I joined last year is now defunct, so I'll have to keep Hot Listens in mind if I do decide on an audio challenge :)
DeleteI saw that you'd written about that blog being deleted. I did that audio challenge in 2013, but saw the Hot Listens one on A Novel Challenge first last year, so I immediately signed up for that one. The site is www.hotlistens com.
DeleteI I have a similar problem with a romance challenge I did this year. The blog hosting the romance challenge has been deleted, so I'm hoping there will be a similar challenge somewhere else.
Thanks for the info!
DeleteWelcome back Christine. So glad your join in again. There will be a giveaway soon for the 2014 participants so don't forget to check back. Love your list. I love your list and I have to get to a few of them too. Good Luck!! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Alysia! Giveaways are always fun :)
DeleteAnother good challenge! Both Americanah & The Golem Djinni are excellent, but I think the latter is historical fiction?
ReplyDeleteYes, I believe it is with a bit of magic (?) thrown in. Not necessarily being familiar with all the content of books I haven't read, I spotted it ona Goodreads list naming books with diverse main characters -- and since I have a copy, onto the list it went!
DeleteThis sounds like a good challenge too, added it to my maybe list.
ReplyDeleteIt was great it 2014 -- Alysia is a great host posting all kinds of information about diverse books, hosting giveaways for participants, & she's super-organized about it -- I highly recommend :)
DeleteThe Golem and the Jinni, by Helene Wecker was a personal favorite of mine by the way
ReplyDeleteIt's been on my TBR way too long, especially considering I actually pre-ordered it -- I have got to read it in 2015!
DeleteThat looks like a great challenge! I have already signed up for a couple of challenges or I would do this one. I am constantly trying to read a diverse range of authors. Sometimes I succeed and sometimes I don't.
ReplyDeleteIt's SO easy to get carried away on the challenges, I know! I think this is something a lot of readers struggle with -- I'm hoping the challenge will help keep me on track this year.
DeleteI'm totally grabbing a few books from your booklist ! I have Tara Conklin's book so I will read that one too ! The Golem and The Jinni was one of my favorite reads of 2014.
ReplyDeleteI hope you get to read some of them! That book has been popping up everywhere lately it seems -- I have really got to bump it to the top of the list :)
DeleteWhat a great list of books! The House on Mango Street will probably be my first book for this challenge since it's the January selection for my real life book club.
ReplyDeleteThanks! I've been wanting to re-read that one for a long time -- enjoy!
DeleteI'm so happy to be included on your "to-be-read" list! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteSarah Bracey White, "Primary Lessons."
www.onmymind.org
You're most welcome! I've been meaning to read it since receiving it as a gift from my aunt -- 2015 will be the year!
DeleteThanks for stopping by :)