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black-is-beautiful18 · 10 months

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I don’t know why we have to keep saying this but if you are a white author it is not a good idea to take someone else’s trauma and write a book about it. My main example of this will always be Handmaid’s Tale. Yes all women experience misogyny and often throughout history do not have autonomy over their bodies and have to fight for it. However, when you use the lived experiences of Black and Brown women, which historically have been treated much worse and still have to fight harder than white women, and then apply them to ALL women then yes you are going to get side eyed and maybe even told off depending on the person. This goes for any genre of book really but especially fantasy. I know we like to come up with interesting stories but when you as a white person think you have a right to include things like residential schools and the erasure of culture in your book about dragon colonizers…Let’s go back to the drawing board babes. Like it’s good you did research but let’s think. Not only are you actively taking part in taking away the voices of Black and Brown ppl by doing this but you are also profiting off of it. If you want to talk about oppressive systems so badly write the book from the POV of those that benefit from said systems. The reason why books with fantasy racism wind up getting bashed is cuz of this very thing. Taking things that you have not experienced and stamping them on elves, dragons, orcs, etc will rightfully get criticized by those who actually do have those experiences.

#writing #white authors #black and brown authors #indigenous authors #fantasy #diversity in books #books #reading #bookish thoughts #the handmaid’s tale #unique writes

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ya-world-challenge · 2 years

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New Releases in September 2022 for the YA World Challenge

Wow, it’s nearly September! Crazy.

So this month I decided to dig deeper and get some indie and non-US published titles on the list. I also displayed all the covers (except a few late additions*). Too much information or is it good like that?

(*oops, the late additions became more than a few! I wonder if the post is too long.)

What’s your favorite cover? Personally, I can’t help loving Last of the Talons, plus The Sacrifice cover is kind of awesome, and Rust in the Root has a great kind of elegance to it.

[P.S. Links support Bookshop.org and independent bookshops!]

🇦🇶 Antarctica

It Looks Like Us - Alison Ames

🇦🇺 Australia

The Bookseller’s Apprentice - Amelia Mellor

Beyond all Boundaries book 3: Interdimensional Worlds - Lyn Willmott

🇨🇦 Canada

This House is not a Home - Katłıà

🇨🇳 China

Foul Lady Fortune - Chloe Gong

🇨🇴 Columbia

Meet Me Halfway - Anika Fajardo

🇨🇺 Cuba

The Bluest Sky - Christina Diaz Gonzalez

🇩🇪 Germany

The Gingerbread Witch - Alexandra Overy

🇬🇭 Ghana

Serwa Boateng's Guide to Vampire Hunting - Roseanne A. Brown

🇬🇷 Greece

Blood of Troy - Claire M. Andrews

God’s Grace by Katie Cherry

Ithaca by Claire North

🇮🇳 India

Starlet Rivals - Puneet Bhandal

🇮🇩 Indonesia

Well, That Was Unexpected - Jesse Q. Sutanto

🇮🇪 Ireland

The Lost Girl King - Catherine Doyle

🇮🇹 Italy

Kingdom of the Feared - Kerri Maniscalco

🇯🇵 Japan

Ichiro and the Great Mountain - W. Nikola-Lisa

🇯🇵 🇺🇸 Japanese-American

Sweet and Sour - Debbi Michiko Florence

🇰🇷 Korea

Last of the Talons - Sophie Kim

🇰🇷🇺🇸 Korean-American

Seoulmates - Susan Lee

🇲🇽 Mexico

The Sunbearer Trials - Aiden Thomas

🇵🇸 Palestine

They Called Me a Lioness: A Palestinian Girl’s Fight for Freedom - Ahed Tamimi, Dena Takruri

🇵🇭 Philippines

The Sacrifice - Rin Chupeco

Adrift - Tanya Guerrero

🇷🇺 Russia

Bone Weaver - Aden Polydoros

Black Bird, Blue Road - Sofia Pasternack (Kazakhstan?)

🇬🇧 Scotland

Dìlseachd - A Stolen Crown - Cheyenne can Langevelde

🌏 Southeast Asia

Monsters Born and Made - Tanvi Berwah

Fall of the Iron Gods - Olivia Chadha

🇸🇾 Syria

As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow - Zoulfa Katouh

🇺🇦 Ukraine

Dogs of the Deadlands - Anthony McGowan

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

Felix Silver, Teaspoons & Witches - Harry Cook

The Secret in the Tower - Andrew Beattie

🇺🇸 United States

Self-Made Boys: A Great Gatsby Remix - Anna-Marie McLemore

Rust in the Root by Justina Ireland

Destination Unknown - Bill Konigsberg

🌍 West Africa

Soul of the Deep - Natasha Bowen

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selkies-world · 2 years

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Done a Top 10 List of LGBTQIA+ books to read - from Ancient Greece to government cover ups to the Antichrist, kidnapped princes & yakuza wars, there's something for everyone! Oh and there's a range of ethnicities, races & uh... species... for everyone to relate to, too

#selkie #words #selkie writes #medium #Top 10 List #lgbt #lgbtqia #lgbt books #books #bookworm #diversity #diversity in books

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cupofteajones · 2 years

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"I'm Glad I Don't Go There": 15 Must Read Dark Academia Books

“I’m Glad I Don’t Go There”: 15 Must Read Dark Academia Books

Most of us didn’t like going to school 5 days a week when we were younger. But what if we went to a school that dealt with witches, demons, treachery, deceit…and murder? Feel better about your school don’t you? In the spirit of Halloween only couple of days away, if you are looking for something spooky and haunting to read this weekend, here are some dark academia reads that will not only scare…

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yaworldchallenge · 2 years

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🇱🇾 Libya

Region: North Africa

The Shadows of Ghadames

Author: Joëlle Stolz

116 pages, published 2006

Original language: French

Native author? Author is French

Age: Middle Grade

Blurb:

This story about a Muslim girl bound by traditional Islamic customs but who yearns for something more explores women's rights, freedom, religion, and identity.

In the Libyan city of Ghadames, Malika watches her merchant father depart on one of his caravan expeditions. She too yearns to travel to distant cities, and longs to learn to read like her younger brother. But nearly 12 years old, and soon to be of marriagable age, Malika knows that--like all Muslim women--she must be content with a more secluded, more limited life. Then one night a stranger enters her home . . . someone who disrupts the traditional order of things--and who affects Malika in unexpected ways.

Other reps: #muslim

Genres: #coming of age #social issues #historical, medieval to 19th century

My thoughts:

A look at a young girl’s life in Libya in the 19th century.

Review to come.

Bookshop.org link | Kobo ebook

#libya #ya world challenge #diversity in books #reading challenge #middle grade books #the shadows of ghadames #Joëlle Stolz #muslim #coming of age #social issues #historical medieval to 19th century #north africa #africa

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biggest-gaudiest-patronuses · 5 months

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i will never understand why more people in their 80s don't commit felonies. you reach that age and surely there's something illegal you always wanted to do but didn't bc Consequences

dammit, GO FORTH GRANNIES!!! rob an armored car! hold up that bank! tunnel your way into fort knox! what are they gonna do, sentence you to 20 years? good fuckin luck with that

#mine would be a coordinated museum heist utilizing the lifetimes of experience and diverse expertise of my fellow nursing home residents #also there's Karl the orderly. his skill is he drives the shuttle van #technically he shouldn't be enabling us but he thinks it's a good enrichment activity #heck debra hasn't been this excited since her son flew in from australia.#plus Karl figures formulating an elaborate heist is better brain exercise than the puzzle books they keep in the resident lounge #all the sudokus are half finished anyway #update: upon consideration my second choice is just. MASSIVE credit card fraud.

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emeryleewho · 8 months

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I keep seeing posts talking about the WGA/Sag-Aftra strike, which yes, good, but in all this "support writers" sentiment I'm seeing no one talk about book writers, which I think is something people should know more about right now.

We are at an all-time high for book bans, namely targeting queer & PoC-authored books. This means that a lot of schools and libraries are no longer stocking diverse YA books, and if you're not in publishing, you may not realize this but school & libraries are by far one of the biggest markets for diverse YA books.

This means that in 2023, YA book sales are down. This is also in part because Barnes & Noble (the largest physical book retailer in the U.S.) is no longer really stocking YA hardcovers. This means that marginalized authors and debut authors are struggling to sell books.

But it's a LOT worse than that. In the past couple of years, marginalized authors are *really* struggling to get new book deals. Most books are acquired by a publisher about 2 years before they release to the public, so this isn't all that noticeable yet, but a LOT of marginalized authors I've spoken to (myself included) have been unable to sell a new YA book since 2020. So while I had a book out last year, even if I sell one right now, you won't see it until 2025-2026. That's three to four years without a new release or the income I get from publishing those books.

On top of that, Big 5 publishers have started closing imprints (namely their diverse imprints) and have started telling their marginalized YA authors to just go. I've had multiple authors tell me their publisher basically said, "eh, we don't care to put in the work for you anymore. You can just go somewhere else". Of the authors who *are* getting offered new contracts, we're being offered pay far below the cost of living and we're being handed contracts that split our payments 4 or 5 ways and require we sign over our work to be used to train AI so they can replace us a few years down the road.

Authors are freelancers who own our IPs, which means we can't unionize the way Hollywood writers can, and despite authors showing up in droves to support HarperCollins employees when they went on strike for fair wages, we're being hung out to dry when it comes to our own rights.

If you enjoy diverse books, especially diverse YA, please understand that many of the authors you loved over the past 3-5 years are being forced out of the industry. We're being exploited, and we have no way to defend ourselves. Our books sales are drying up thanks to anti-queer legislation, our rights are being eaten up by AI, and our publishers are degrading us while profiting of us and refusing to share those profits with us.

Within the publishing industry, we've all been watching this decline happen over the last decade, but outside of it, I know most people have no idea what's going on so please spread the word. And if you care about diverse books especially in YA, please support marginalized authors in any way you can. The industry needs to be reminded that it needs us before we're all eliminated from it.

#Books #diverse books #author #publishing #sag aftra #writers strike #writers #labor rights #workers rights #wga strike

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writingwithcolor · 6 months

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It wouldn’t be historically accurate for my story to include BIPOC!

This is an argument often made about European-style fantasy media like Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings, and Disney’s Frozen. Audiences, often white, assume that due to the majority-white setting, adding any visible number of BIPOC to the story would be unrealistic.

What these critics fail to realize is that BIPOC do in fact live, and have lived, in these settings, and records of BIPOC presence in places assumed to be majority-white have been buried, written out, or not taught due to white supremacist and/or colonial bias in the field of history. There are historical European settings that were far more diverse than is often portrayed. Consider:

The Moorish Empire exerted an extensive influence over life and culture in Southern Europe from Spain from 711 to 1492

The Ottomans were heavily involved in European affairs up until the treaty of Karlowitz in 1699, but still considered a part of Europe even through the 19th century

The sheer size of the Roman Empire ensured the continued movement of people from various backgrounds within the Mediterranean well until the end of the Byzantine Empire.

“Historical accuracy” should not be used as an excuse for media to be exclusively white in its casting. While there are places which are or were predominantly white, there will always be factors like global trade and immigration that bring multiculturalism to their doors.

And even if the presence of a certain demographic is unrealistic for a certain setting? Consider that we’ve accepted far worse inaccuracies in historical fiction in the name of artistic license. Consider that our understanding of human history is, and will always be, incomplete.

Further Reading:

Historically Diverse London, “Historical Accuracy,” and Creator Accountability

Making a Black Pride and Prejudice Resonate

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This Q&A is an excerpt from our General FAQ for Newcomers, which can be found in our new Masterpost of rules and FAQs. If you're new to Writing With Color and/or want more writing resources, check it out!

-Writing With Color

#writing with color #writeblr #representation #poc representation #history #historical fiction #historical accuracy #writing advice #writing tips #writers on tumblr #diverse books #diversity matters #faq

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black-is-beautiful18 · 7 months

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Best sellers list? White and full of books that apparently aren’t that good

White authors continuously overstepping as writers

Banned book lists full of white authors

Where’s Toni Morrison, Alice Walker, James Baldwin, Zora Neale Hurston??? Like come on y’all

#we can only repeat ourselves so many times #best sellers list #diversity in books #don’t make no sense #oh brother #unique writes

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thatchickmaya · 2 months

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My very first coloring book is finally ready! I'm so excited!! ✨😁✨

Available on ETSY

If this does well I'm considering taking model submissions for volume 2 in the summer.

#thatchickmaya #maya lee #body positive art #plus size art #body diversity #plus size friendly #body acceptance #fat art #fat positive #fat babe #coloring book #coloring #merch #etsyshop

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sapphicbookclub · 1 year

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23 sapphic books in 2023

Here’s a list of 2023 book releases with f/f pairings that you can add to your TBR and you can preorder now to support the authors!

Science Fiction / Fantasy books:

The Daughters of Izdihar by Hadeer Elsbai

A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon

The Water Outlaws by S.L. Huang

Ravensong by Cayla Fay

The Valkyrie by Kate Heartfield

The Mimicking of Known Successes by Malka Ann Older

Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh

Lucha of the Night Forest Tehlor by Kay Mejia

The Sun and the Void by Gabriela Romero-Lacruz

The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich by Deya Muniz

Juniper Harvey and the Vanishing Kingdom by Nina Varela

Contemporary romance books:

Life is Strange: Steph’s Story by Rosiee Thor

Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli

Out of Character by Jenna Miller

What a Desi Girl Wants by Sabina Khan

The Dos and Donuts of Love by Adiba Jaigirdar

The Girl Next Door by Cecilia Vinesse

Girls Like Girls by Hayley Kiyoko

Mimosa by Archie Bongiovanni

The Rules of Us by Jennifer Nissley

Sorry, Bro by Taleen Voskuni

If Tomorrow Doesn't Come by Jen St. Jude

The Fiancée Farce by Alexandria Bellefleur

May 2023 bring you even more sapphicness and books! 🎆🎇

#sapphic books #lgbt books #queer books #diverse books #lgbtq books #sbl

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readerupdated · 5 months

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Do you ever get discouraged and need to remind yourself of the good things in life? One brilliant illustration can change your mood instantly and help stay focused and motivated for a long time.

Meet Elise Gravel. She is known for her vibrant illustrations, and their positive messages about friendship, creativity, empathy, and tolerance.

(via Discover the positive side of life through illustrations by Elise Gravel)

#positive #positive quotes #illustration #cartoon #comic #comic books #reading #education #learning #tolerance #diversity #bright colors #reader updated

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cupofteajones · 2 years

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Books to Read This Month: October Edition

My favorite time of the year has finally arrived! No, it’s not Christmas…the Halloween season is upon us. If you are a fan of spooky reads like me than will love this month. This October is jampacked with thrilling and mysterious stories that will have your heart racing, spine tingling and leave you regretting turning off the lamp on your nightstand. Not a fan of horror stories? Don’t worry! On…

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polaraffect · 1 year

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y'all remember when book fairs used to have those "banned books" display sections that advertised books based on that fact that they had been banned in schools in the past and everyone went "haha wow, it's crazy that they banned books like this! what a wacky thing to do!" haha........ yeah....... who would even do that......

#damien.txt #honestly i would prefer to go back to ppl using it as a marketing strategy than it just. happening! in my state!#i'm so tired fr morality wars make me want to curl up in a ball & choke #yeah sure the books are indoctrinating your child. the exact same way YOU. the parent. are indoctrinating them.#sorry it's from a different viewpoint i forgot that we're all trying for a homogenized society here. land of the free and all that.#just generally speaking the shit that is getting passed in my state.... truly beyond belief.#shoutout to the diversity programs that are fully just. getting defunded! by state law! how haha funny of them.#please get me out of here i'm desperate #us politics #politics

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yvesdot · 7 months

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SOMETHING'S NOT RIGHT IS OUT!

“A quietly fantastical wonderland of creatures, queerness, and possibility.” — Max Franciscovich @goose-books, author of Night Shift

The debut collection returns in a special fifth anniversary edition, repackaged with three new short stories, a new cover, and additional bonus content! A vampire is forced into a compromising situation; a father fears his child's growing plant collection; the undead go to high school; a butcher contemplates whether or not she can be loved. In a captivating debut, yves. opens the door to our world, slightly askew—where the crows work for witches and telephone booths serve as secret channels for prophecy; where a diverse cast of monsters and humans alike are forced to contend with what the world believes is right.

Thank you to everyone who made my weird uncategorizable "Lemony Snicket meets Carmen Maria Machado" speculative fiction an instant bestseller! If you’ve ever felt like a monster, this book is for you.

PRESS: KZSC interview | Santa Cruz Sentinel interview

EXCERPTED SHORT STORIES

BUY NOW!

signed paperback | paperback & ebook (amazon) | ebook (itch.io)

& at all major retailers!

Thank you so much for reading this post about my book. I hope you will share it, and this image of my beautiful black cat, Andy, widely. To queer weird fiction and indie pub! To you, Dear Reader, with love.

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gabibookworm · 2 months

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Here are some fiction books by Palestinian authors about Palestinian characters that I've read and enjoyed! Whether it's about living under the occupation or teenage diaspora falling in love, it's important to support Palestinian authors and read their stories, especially as attempts at censorship increase Let me know if you have any recs for me to add to my tbr!

#booklr #books #diverse books #ya books #bookworm #ya romance #womens fiction #poetry #palestinian books

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