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Diverse Books/Authors
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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago
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My goal is to read 52 books this year and I want as few of them to be written by (or about) straight, able-bodied, white people as possible. Not because I have anything against them. I'm just trying to introduce some diversity into my book case.
My favourites so far:
Anything by Talia Hibbert
Sitting Pretty by Rebekah Taussig
The House in the Cerulean Sea and Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune
A Universe of Wishes edited by Dhonielle Clayton
Agnes Moor's Wild Knight by Alyssa Cole.
Hit me up with your recommendations, please!
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By *eliWoman
over a year ago
I'll know it when I find it. |
Lustre - Raven Leilani. It's just so so good (I identify a bit with the protagonist so possible bias).
We Should All Be Feminists - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Powerful, moving. You might find it utter tosh though.
Gods of Want - K-Ming Chang. Surreal anthology of beauty and weirdness. Truly amazing.
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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago
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"Lustre - Raven Leilani. It's just so so good (I identify a bit with the protagonist so possible bias).
We Should All Be Feminists - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Powerful, moving. You might find it utter tosh though.
Gods of Want - K-Ming Chang. Surreal anthology of beauty and weirdness. Truly amazing.
"
I like Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie so I really don't think I'd find it tosh. In fact, that sounds right up my street! I'll look the others up too! Thank you |
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By *eliWoman
over a year ago
I'll know it when I find it. |
"Lustre - Raven Leilani. It's just so so good (I identify a bit with the protagonist so possible bias).
We Should All Be Feminists - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Powerful, moving. You might find it utter tosh though.
Gods of Want - K-Ming Chang. Surreal anthology of beauty and weirdness. Truly amazing.
I like Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie so I really don't think I'd find it tosh. In fact, that sounds right up my street! I'll look the others up too! Thank you "
Oh brilliant! I wasn't sure, sometimes the recommendation goes down like a lead balloon. A really filled lead balloon. Feminism huh? :D
So other texts
Virginia Woolf's Orlando because classic queer text is a joy.
The Line of Beauty, Alan Hollinghurst, one day undoubtedly it will be regarded as a classic.
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The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne.
The fictional life story of a gay Irishman, from his time in his outcast, 16-year-old, unmarried mother's womb right up to his 65th birthday.
A brilliant doorstop of a book spanning seven decades of Irish and gay history, from the end of WW2 to the 2000s.
It is wonderfully written, frequently hilarious - and I mean laugh-out-loud-on-a-packed-Tube-train hilarious - sometimes harrowing, but always clever, engaging, and life-affirming. Read it once and it will stay with you forever.
I read it late last year and it instantly became one of my favourite books of all time. I cannot recommend it enough. |
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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago
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"Try
Girl, woman, other - Bernadine Evaristo
Girl - Edna O'brien
Becoming - Michelle O'bama
"
I've read Girl, Woman, Other and I forgot that Girl has been recommended to me by someone else. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"Try
Girl, woman, other - Bernadine Evaristo
Girl - Edna O'brien
Becoming - Michelle O'bama
I've read Girl, Woman, Other and I forgot that Girl has been recommended to me by someone else. "
Girl is a pretty hard read.. I started it, but haven't finished it yet |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"Try
Girl, woman, other - Bernadine Evaristo
Girl - Edna O'brien
Becoming - Michelle O'bama
Becoming was one of my favourite books I’ve read recently. "
Isn't she amazing.. I wish she had the desire to run for President |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne.
The fictional life story of a gay Irishman, from his time in his outcast, 16-year-old, unmarried mother's womb right up to his 65th birthday.
A brilliant doorstop of a book spanning seven decades of Irish and gay history, from the end of WW2 to the 2000s.
It is wonderfully written, frequently hilarious - and I mean laugh-out-loud-on-a-packed-Tube-train hilarious - sometimes harrowing, but always clever, engaging, and life-affirming. Read it once and it will stay with you forever.
I read it late last year and it instantly became one of my favourite books of all time. I cannot recommend it enough. "
Don't mean to hijack the thread but thanks for the recommendation just purchased |
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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago
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"The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne.
The fictional life story of a gay Irishman, from his time in his outcast, 16-year-old, unmarried mother's womb right up to his 65th birthday.
A brilliant doorstop of a book spanning seven decades of Irish and gay history, from the end of WW2 to the 2000s.
It is wonderfully written, frequently hilarious - and I mean laugh-out-loud-on-a-packed-Tube-train hilarious - sometimes harrowing, but always clever, engaging, and life-affirming. Read it once and it will stay with you forever.
I read it late last year and it instantly became one of my favourite books of all time. I cannot recommend it enough.
Don't mean to hijack the thread but thanks for the recommendation just purchased "
You're not hijacking! It's what the thread is for  |
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"Don't mean to hijack the thread but thanks for the recommendation just purchased "
You will love it, hopefully. It's a very Irish book, and if you read the speech parts in an Irish voice the real brilliance of the humour comes through. My favourite line, from Mary-Margaret Muffet, the main character's girlfriend (yes, he's gay. It's a long story):
"I always think the great thing about the civil service is that you can go in there at 20 years of age, spend every day of your life behind one desk and before you know it you're an old man and it's all behind you and the only thing left to do is die. There must be great security in that."*
*For anyone who's ever been a civil servant. If I still was I'd print that out and put it above my desk. |
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So, I'd go with...
The Line of Beauty, Alan Hollinghurst. It does feature a lot of white, middle-class privilege, but also a story of being gay in the 80s, and also just one of my all-time favourite books.
White Teeth, Zadie Smith. Bit predictable maybe, but great tale of the immigrant experience.
Half a Life, V S Naipaul (as above!)
The Buddha of Suburbia, Hanif Kureishi. Another of my all-time favourites, about a mixed-heritage guy growing up in South London. Can't think why I like it so much!  |
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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago
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Thanks for the recommendations everyone.
Looks like they have The Line of Beauty at the library so I've reserved it. Result! Going to work through the rest too. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"Don't mean to hijack the thread but thanks for the recommendation just purchased
You will love it, hopefully. It's a very Irish book, and if you read the speech parts in an Irish voice the real brilliance of the humour comes through. My favourite line, from Mary-Margaret Muffet, the main character's girlfriend (yes, he's gay. It's a long story):
"I always think the great thing about the civil service is that you can go in there at 20 years of age, spend every day of your life behind one desk and before you know it you're an old man and it's all behind you and the only thing left to do is die. There must be great security in that."*
*For anyone who's ever been a civil servant. If I still was I'd print that out and put it above my desk."
Am loving it and very hard to put down
Some of the bits in it are so true to life its scary |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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Try look into anything by Sidney Sheldon
Nothing lasts forever
Windmills of the gods
If tomorrow comes
Highly recommend them spent many afternoons re reading them |
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By *hoirCouple
over a year ago
Clacton/Bury St. Edmunds |
"Try
Girl, woman, other - Bernadine Evaristo
Girl - Edna O'brien
Becoming - Michelle O'bama
"
Michelle Obama used a ghostwriter (Barack said so) so that could still be a white male writer.
C |
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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago
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"Try
Girl, woman, other - Bernadine Evaristo
Girl - Edna O'brien
Becoming - Michelle O'bama
Michelle Obama used a ghostwriter (Barack said so) so that could still be a white male writer.
C"
Hmmm, interesting point. I think I'd still count it though as it's about her. |
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Zadie Smith has written some great books spanning time, race and continents. White Teeth is fantastic but so too are On Beauty and Swing Time.
Frankissstein by Jeannette Winterson has a trans protagonist but might be a bit metafictional for some tastes. Some fascinating ideas in there though. |
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"Am loving it and very hard to put down
Some of the bits in it are so true to life its scary "
Glad you're enjoying it (The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne).
It is so good that I'd defy anyone not to love it. So many great characters: Mary-Margaret Muffet, The Averys, Mr Denby-Denby. Wait until you meet Dr Dourish!
I recommend it to everyone I know. It's just one of the most heartbreaking, heartwarming and funniest books that I've ever read. |
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Anything by Toni Morrison- My favourites are The Bluest Eye and Beloved. In her own words she wanted to write about black people for black people. A beautiful writer.
Haruki Murakami is brilliant and very obscure. My favourite there is The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle. His books are very dream-like, full of beautiful descriptions of food and very striking images.
Arundhati Roy- The God of Small Things and Isabel Allende- The House of the Spirits. Both brilliant but very different family sagas. One set in the middle-east, and one in latin America. Both very colourful, lots of strong characters and with very political undertones at times. Also some magical realism there.
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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I’ve said so many times on here but Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson is one of the best books I’ve read. A gorgeous love story about two Black Londoners that considers the way that race impacts us and intersects with masculinity at points I think.
Also now reading NW by Zadie Smith. I’ve heard mixed things about her but seems great.  |
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"I’ve said so many times on here but Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson is one of the best books I’ve read. A gorgeous love story about two Black Londoners that considers the way that race impacts us and intersects with masculinity at points I think.
Also now reading NW by Zadie Smith. I’ve heard mixed things about her but seems great. "
I haven't read a lot but I really liked White Teeth and On Beauty. |
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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago
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"I’ve said so many times on here but Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson is one of the best books I’ve read. A gorgeous love story about two Black Londoners that considers the way that race impacts us and intersects with masculinity at points I think.
Also now reading NW by Zadie Smith. I’ve heard mixed things about her but seems great. "
I've ordered Open Water from WOB. Thank you for the recommendation! |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"I’ve said so many times on here but Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson is one of the best books I’ve read. A gorgeous love story about two Black Londoners that considers the way that race impacts us and intersects with masculinity at points I think.
Also now reading NW by Zadie Smith. I’ve heard mixed things about her but seems great.
I haven't read a lot but I really liked White Teeth and On Beauty. "
White teeth is my next read I hope |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"I’ve said so many times on here but Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson is one of the best books I’ve read. A gorgeous love story about two Black Londoners that considers the way that race impacts us and intersects with masculinity at points I think.
Also now reading NW by Zadie Smith. I’ve heard mixed things about her but seems great.
I've ordered Open Water from WOB. Thank you for the recommendation! "
Omg YES! Do tell what you think |
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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago
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"I’ve said so many times on here but Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson is one of the best books I’ve read. A gorgeous love story about two Black Londoners that considers the way that race impacts us and intersects with masculinity at points I think.
Also now reading NW by Zadie Smith. I’ve heard mixed things about her but seems great.
I've ordered Open Water from WOB. Thank you for the recommendation!
Omg YES! Do tell what you think "
Will do! |
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The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett is fabulous. I'd also recommend Kindred by Octavia Butler (although it's a hard read content wise). Born a Crime by Trevor Noah is also wonderful and very funny in parts. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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Historically I've found myself reading mostly straight white men so over the last couple of years I've made an effort to read more widely and found that at the moment the most interesting fiction is being written by writers of colour / women / LGBT writers. Recently I've mostly reading books by women - one of the best was Luster by Raven Leilani which I suspect will appeal to a lot of people on Fab |
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By *eliWoman
over a year ago
I'll know it when I find it. |
"Historically I've found myself reading mostly straight white men so over the last couple of years I've made an effort to read more widely and found that at the moment the most interesting fiction is being written by writers of colour / women / LGBT writers. Recently I've mostly reading books by women - one of the best was Luster by Raven Leilani which I suspect will appeal to a lot of people on Fab "
Ah I mentioned Luster! Isn't it utterly fantastic? Raw, unashamedly attuned with all the follies of human nature, the need we have for attention and to be desired. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"Historically I've found myself reading mostly straight white men so over the last couple of years I've made an effort to read more widely and found that at the moment the most interesting fiction is being written by writers of colour / women / LGBT writers. Recently I've mostly reading books by women - one of the best was Luster by Raven Leilani which I suspect will appeal to a lot of people on Fab
Ah I mentioned Luster! Isn't it utterly fantastic? Raw, unashamedly attuned with all the follies of human nature, the need we have for attention and to be desired."
Yes it was! I love books that are raw and honest, especially about sexuality, and that don't judge people for their desires and complexities. Have you read any other novels like it that you can recommend? |
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By *eliWoman
over a year ago
I'll know it when I find it. |
"Historically I've found myself reading mostly straight white men so over the last couple of years I've made an effort to read more widely and found that at the moment the most interesting fiction is being written by writers of colour / women / LGBT writers. Recently I've mostly reading books by women - one of the best was Luster by Raven Leilani which I suspect will appeal to a lot of people on Fab
Ah I mentioned Luster! Isn't it utterly fantastic? Raw, unashamedly attuned with all the follies of human nature, the need we have for attention and to be desired.
Yes it was! I love books that are raw and honest, especially about sexuality, and that don't judge people for their desires and complexities. Have you read any other novels like it that you can recommend? "
In a similar vein, the whole exploring, discovering, embracing complexity - Adèle by Leila Slimani. Not quite as good but maybe it's because I couldn't identify with the protagonist in the same way. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"Historically I've found myself reading mostly straight white men so over the last couple of years I've made an effort to read more widely and found that at the moment the most interesting fiction is being written by writers of colour / women / LGBT writers. Recently I've mostly reading books by women - one of the best was Luster by Raven Leilani which I suspect will appeal to a lot of people on Fab
Ah I mentioned Luster! Isn't it utterly fantastic? Raw, unashamedly attuned with all the follies of human nature, the need we have for attention and to be desired.
Yes it was! I love books that are raw and honest, especially about sexuality, and that don't judge people for their desires and complexities. Have you read any other novels like it that you can recommend?
In a similar vein, the whole exploring, discovering, embracing complexity - Adèle by Leila Slimani. Not quite as good but maybe it's because I couldn't identify with the protagonist in the same way."
I've not heard of that one, I'll look out for it. What was it about the Luster protagonist that you identified with so much? |
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"Historically I've found myself reading mostly straight white men so over the last couple of years I've made an effort to read more widely and found that at the moment the most interesting fiction is being written by writers of colour / women / LGBT writers. Recently I've mostly reading books by women - one of the best was Luster by Raven Leilani which I suspect will appeal to a lot of people on Fab "
I have just seen that on Vinted selling from £2
Love buying and selling my books on there . |
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