#ReadDiversely2015 Challenge
It’s definitely happening this year!
In early 2014, there was a campaign, #WeNeedDiverseBooks.
When I first bumped into the idea of reading diversely, to be honest, I felt guilty. I know the kind of books I like to read. Most of them, well, it’s a no-brainer kind of books which is sad. Everyday there are tons of books published all over the world.
Most books I read are romance novels, written by female and American writers. Not very diverse, is it? The percentage of books I read by a male author, is close to 10% or even zero in a year. Unless, I get hold of a new book by John Grisham and Dan Brown, then I’ll be reading it. I’ve read Neil Gaiman’s book this year so that at least count. But then, these male authors are American and English authors. What about male authors from other parts of the world? From Germany, Iceland, Dutch authors, from Australia or Asian authors? What about male and female authors of color? Have you read Maya Angelou’s works? Who else have you read by authors of color?
We need diversity. It’s a way for us to know what and how other countries tell their stories. It’s also a way to support writers from all over the world to keep on writing. There is an audience for every book that is published. Maybe this year, aside from writing book reviews and making some sort of recommendation, I could write about the background or a short profile of the book author.
This year I vow to be smart about the books I purchase so I am able to read diversely. Will I ever stop reading romance novels? Probably not. LOL!
Would you like to join the challenge, too? Let’s make our own campaign, #ReadDiversely2015 , or better yet, join the most popular that is already happening out there.
In early 2014, there was a campaign, #WeNeedDiverseBooks.
When I first bumped into the idea of reading diversely, to be honest, I felt guilty. I know the kind of books I like to read. Most of them, well, it’s a no-brainer kind of books which is sad. Everyday there are tons of books published all over the world.
Most books I read are romance novels, written by female and American writers. Not very diverse, is it? The percentage of books I read by a male author, is close to 10% or even zero in a year. Unless, I get hold of a new book by John Grisham and Dan Brown, then I’ll be reading it. I’ve read Neil Gaiman’s book this year so that at least count. But then, these male authors are American and English authors. What about male authors from other parts of the world? From Germany, Iceland, Dutch authors, from Australia or Asian authors? What about male and female authors of color? Have you read Maya Angelou’s works? Who else have you read by authors of color?
We need diversity. It’s a way for us to know what and how other countries tell their stories. It’s also a way to support writers from all over the world to keep on writing. There is an audience for every book that is published. Maybe this year, aside from writing book reviews and making some sort of recommendation, I could write about the background or a short profile of the book author.
This year I vow to be smart about the books I purchase so I am able to read diversely. Will I ever stop reading romance novels? Probably not. LOL!
Would you like to join the challenge, too? Let’s make our own campaign, #ReadDiversely2015 , or better yet, join the most popular that is already happening out there.
6 comments
I try to read diversely but to be honest it's not my number one priority or anything. 0.0 And aaaalso I never actually thought about the AUTHOR being diverse! Gosh! GOOD POINT. Although I read a lot of Aussie authors seeing I am Aussie myself. ;-) So that's easy for me. But true! I want to read more translated books! This is an awesome challenge and I want to do more of it too!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by @ Paper Fury!
Hi Cait, thanks for leaving a comment. I appreciate it very much since my blog is new and all. Yes, the Author's background was one of the talking points by some book bloggers I follow. Good to know you are into reading diversely already. I am subscribed to your blog, too. So, I'll be on it frequently. Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteThis is a good idea. Looking at the books I've read just in the last month-ish, I see a lot of old white dudes. I can do better than that.
ReplyDeleteReading diversely doesn't have to mean not reading romance! You could seek out more romance that centers on characters of color and/or by authors of color. Or romance with gay or lesbian couples. Or romance centered on characters with disabilities, or by authors with disabilities. We need diverse books in ALL genres! My addiction is sci fi/fantasy: I do read some fiction outside scifi/fantasy, especially if it is diverse in some way (I particularly seek out characters with disabilities by authors who either share the disability experience or else have really done their homework very well, including working with beta readers who share the disability represented in the book). But I also particularly seek out diverse sci fi fantasy.
ReplyDeleteI on the other see a lot of white female writers. LOL! Have fun discovering new reads!
ReplyDeleteThose are good points. I just really need to read more of other genre in general.
ReplyDelete