books,
The bingo sheet contains 36 slots, so I figured if I read a minimum of 3 books towards the challenge a month, I'll be right on track!
To keep myself accountable and to share my selections, I thought I'd make a monthly #DB2017 post to show what I've been reading towards it. (I'm also adding these reads to my Goodreads shelf "Diversity Bingo 2017" if you'd like to view them there).
Here's what I read in January!
1) Square: Non-Western (Real World) Setting
Book: "The Undertaking of Lily Chen" by Danica Novgorodoff
Rating: 4.25/5
This graphic novel has some of the loveliest watercolor artwork, and it made the reading experience very enjoyable. Although I wasn't a huge fan of how the characters were drawn (think watercolor Tim Burton but with very gangly limbs) but they grew on me a little as the story went on. Novgorodoff's use of color to portray the time of day was particularly nice.
There were a couple parts of the story I think dragged a little bit (like the monk's temple) and I felt could have been more fulfilling.
Overall, it was a very entertaining tale, and I thoroughly enjoyed the folklore-feel of it. The story also prompted me to look more into the eastern tradition of "spirit marriages" like talked about in "Undertaking". It is a fascinating Chinese tradition and I really ended up learning some interesting history. If you read this, I would recommend doing a little research, too! It makes the story even better.
2) Square: Own Voices
Book: "More Happy Than Not" by Adam Silvera
Rating: 5/5
My Goodreads review for this is much longer (you can read it here) and I had a lot of emotions reading this! I listened to a little over half of this in audiobook format, and then read then remainder physically. This book is incredibly well written with a cast of characters who made me howl with laughter, cry nonstop, and gasp out loud. It has one of the most distinct voices I've read in YA literature, and I was super eager to read more of Silvera's books after this.
It's a mature read (includes themes of suicide, descriptions of suicide, teenage sex, drug use) and a little angsty at times. It's a very "meaty" read, however: the grit and roughness is balanced out by the eloquence with Silvera weaves a story of growing up, identity, friendship, and and loss.
3) Square: Visually Impaired MC
Book: "Not If I See You First" by Eric Lindstrom
Rating: 5/5 and I added it to my GR "Favorites" List
To my knowledge, this was the first book I read that had a visually impaired main character, and I was very interested to dive into this story. I had no idea it would so quickly become a favorite of mine! I absolutely loved this book! Parker, the main character, is a blind girl who has a set of rules by which she lives her life and holds others around her. She is also still quite reeling from the death of her dad, someone she was immensely close to.
The characters in "Not If I See You First" are so wonderfully created, each with a distinct voice and personality that really shines through, with some solid character development. It also has some fantastic female friendships, which I adored!
All in all, a moving, unique, and rereadable story that I would highly recommend.
4) Square: Practicing Jewish MC
Book: "How to Understand Israel in 60 Days or Less" by Sarah Glidden
Rating: 3.75/5
I have a weakness for non-fiction graphic novels, especially biographical and travel ones- and this book is both! Sarah Glidden tells her story of her Birthright Tour to Israel with an honest, questioning voice and a palate of dusky, desert colors. I felt very present throughout this- Glidden does a good job of pulling the reader right into Israel with her, and immersing them in the areas she travels to. Israel is a country I have always personally wanted to visit, particularly the city of Jerusalem, so I got a lot out of the travel parts.
My main con of this book is that I think someone reading it who had little or no knowledge of the current, or even recent history, in Israel might be a bit lost. I have a good grasp of the Israel/Palestine situation, but even then, I found myself having to look quite a bit of information up to understand parts of the book. There also is a bit of an ambiguous ending. To an extent, I understand this because the book is nonfiction, but I think it felt a bit unfinished.
I'm looking forwards to continuing #DiversityBingo2017 and have already began reading my picks for February. It so exciting to see this community of readers coming together to participate in some a great challenge! If anyone wants to recommend a book to me for this, let me know! :)
Diversity Bingo 2017: January Update
At the end of 2016, I came across the #DiversityBingo2017 hashtag on Twitter and was immediately excited about it! I consider myself a fairly well-read person, and I read a fairly broad array of books- fantasy, biography, classic literature, YA, etc, but this seemed liked a real chance to make a point of reading book with and written by a truly diverse cast of people.The bingo sheet contains 36 slots, so I figured if I read a minimum of 3 books towards the challenge a month, I'll be right on track!
Here's what I read in January!
Book: "The Undertaking of Lily Chen" by Danica Novgorodoff
Rating: 4.25/5
This graphic novel has some of the loveliest watercolor artwork, and it made the reading experience very enjoyable. Although I wasn't a huge fan of how the characters were drawn (think watercolor Tim Burton but with very gangly limbs) but they grew on me a little as the story went on. Novgorodoff's use of color to portray the time of day was particularly nice.
There were a couple parts of the story I think dragged a little bit (like the monk's temple) and I felt could have been more fulfilling.
Overall, it was a very entertaining tale, and I thoroughly enjoyed the folklore-feel of it. The story also prompted me to look more into the eastern tradition of "spirit marriages" like talked about in "Undertaking". It is a fascinating Chinese tradition and I really ended up learning some interesting history. If you read this, I would recommend doing a little research, too! It makes the story even better.
2) Square: Own Voices
Book: "More Happy Than Not" by Adam Silvera
Rating: 5/5
My Goodreads review for this is much longer (you can read it here) and I had a lot of emotions reading this! I listened to a little over half of this in audiobook format, and then read then remainder physically. This book is incredibly well written with a cast of characters who made me howl with laughter, cry nonstop, and gasp out loud. It has one of the most distinct voices I've read in YA literature, and I was super eager to read more of Silvera's books after this.
It's a mature read (includes themes of suicide, descriptions of suicide, teenage sex, drug use) and a little angsty at times. It's a very "meaty" read, however: the grit and roughness is balanced out by the eloquence with Silvera weaves a story of growing up, identity, friendship, and and loss.
Book: "Not If I See You First" by Eric Lindstrom
Rating: 5/5 and I added it to my GR "Favorites" List
To my knowledge, this was the first book I read that had a visually impaired main character, and I was very interested to dive into this story. I had no idea it would so quickly become a favorite of mine! I absolutely loved this book! Parker, the main character, is a blind girl who has a set of rules by which she lives her life and holds others around her. She is also still quite reeling from the death of her dad, someone she was immensely close to.
The characters in "Not If I See You First" are so wonderfully created, each with a distinct voice and personality that really shines through, with some solid character development. It also has some fantastic female friendships, which I adored!
All in all, a moving, unique, and rereadable story that I would highly recommend.
4) Square: Practicing Jewish MC
Book: "How to Understand Israel in 60 Days or Less" by Sarah Glidden
I have a weakness for non-fiction graphic novels, especially biographical and travel ones- and this book is both! Sarah Glidden tells her story of her Birthright Tour to Israel with an honest, questioning voice and a palate of dusky, desert colors. I felt very present throughout this- Glidden does a good job of pulling the reader right into Israel with her, and immersing them in the areas she travels to. Israel is a country I have always personally wanted to visit, particularly the city of Jerusalem, so I got a lot out of the travel parts.
My main con of this book is that I think someone reading it who had little or no knowledge of the current, or even recent history, in Israel might be a bit lost. I have a good grasp of the Israel/Palestine situation, but even then, I found myself having to look quite a bit of information up to understand parts of the book. There also is a bit of an ambiguous ending. To an extent, I understand this because the book is nonfiction, but I think it felt a bit unfinished.
I'm looking forwards to continuing #DiversityBingo2017 and have already began reading my picks for February. It so exciting to see this community of readers coming together to participate in some a great challenge! If anyone wants to recommend a book to me for this, let me know! :)
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