Diversity In Reading

This is a New Addition to my blog. I believe that there is value in being different. I want to highlight authors that I have enjoyed that may not always be recognized because of their differences. These will be authors that are people of color or characters of color (though not all books with characters of color will be included).  Though I read everything, I believe that authors who are people of color do not always get the attention that they need. In response to an article posted by NPR , one of the questions that I asked was "What are you going to do about it?" This is what I am going to do to promote change and diversity in reading.  If there is a review, you can click on the link to go to it.

Octavia Butler (June 22, 1947 to February 24, 2006)

I start with her because she changed how I viewed Science Fiction so much. She has inspired me to find my voice and my own place in the land of science fiction and fantasy. I still remember reading Kindred for the very first time, as well re-reading it two more times and passing it along to everyone I could think of. It is sad that she is no longer with us, but her work lives on. Not only did she contribute to science fiction  she also wrote a lot that deals with racial and gender issues. I never had the opportunity to tell her personally, but I will show my thanks by honoring her memory. 

Wild Seed by Octavia Butler- You can find my review here. Okay I could go on and on about Ms. Butler, but the truth is she is one of my go-to authors. I am never disappointed with anything she writes - no matter how many times I read it. She has inspired as well as other readers, and have influenced the writing of the next generation.

Redemption in Indigo by Karen Lord- I haven't posted the review for this so I don't want to give too much away. This is her debut book and I must have it for my own collection. I was not able to immediately read  her second book, The Best of All Possible Worlds, but I'm excited about it.  Yes, she is one that you should definitely pick up one of her titles.

Echo by Alicia Wright Brewster- You can find my review here.  I really enjoyed this title and I totally recommend this to, well to everyone.  I can't even begin to list all of the things that I liked about this story -great characters, great pacing, and a story that made you want more. Yes there needs to be more written by Brewster-immediately. I received this title for review and was pleasantly surprised.

Phoebe Pope and the Year of the Four by Nya Jade-You can find my review here. This was another review book that was a great surprise.  Another book that had characters that I loved, a story that kept me glued to my seat, making me want to lose this world for that one. Oh yes, you need to read this. Oh yes, Ms. Jade needs to write more -right now.

Daughter of the Sword by Steve Bein- I didn't actually write a review of this book, it was one that I picked up because it had been on my radar. Honestly, it was a break from reading for review. This story took place in Tokyo, Japan. I cannot vouch the accuracy of the culture since I am not Japanese and I have never been to Japan. But it was a nice glimpse into another culture that I probably would not experience any other way. And guess what? Book 2 is due out in October. I'm excited!

Glitch by Heather Anastasiu and Override-You can find my review here. And here. While I can't say that I like Glitch, I will say that it earned bonus points by having a diverse cast of characters. Override continued the diversity and was much more enjoyable.