#DiverseReadingGoals 2016

Kayla Whaley audited of her diverse reading in 2015, and has made made goals for 2016 based on the results. She created the #DiverseReadingGoals hashtag on Twitter, and has inspired me to be more intentional in the diverse books I read in 2016, but to also keep proper track of what I'm reading. This is where I'll keep track of the diverse books I read this year.

My diverse reading goals for 2016 are:

• To read more novels with disabled characters.
• To read more novels with characters who have chronic illnesses.
• To read more novels with POC characters.
• To read more novels with characters who identify as the lesser represented LGBTQ identities, I.E. asexual, bisexual, pansexual characters.
• To read more novels with intersectional characters.
• To read more #ownvoices novels.

Below are the books I've read. Some books might fall into several sections due to intersectional characters, multiple diverse main characters, and #ownvoices authors.

Mishma of Chasing Faerytales and Shelly of Read.Sleep.Repeat are hosting the
2016 Diverse Books Reading Challenge. The aim is to challenge yourself to read diverse books - no levels or points. As I'm already tracking my progress of diverse reading in 2016 here, I'm linking to the challenge here.

Characters

LGBTQ:

This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp - Autumn (Queer) & Sylv (Queer)
This Song Is (Not) For You by Laura Nowlin - Tom (Asexual)
Changers: Drew by T. Cooper & Allison Glock-Cooper - Drew (Trans themes/Bisexual)
When Everything Feels Like the Movies by Raziel Reid - Jude (Gay)
Seven Ways We Lie by Riley Redgate - Lucas (Pansexual) & Valentine (Asexual & Aromantic, though not mentioned on page)
You Know We Well by Nina LaCour & David Levithan - Mark (Gay) & Kate (Lesbian)
Cherry by Lindsey Rosin - Emma (No label given)
Run by Kody Keplinger - Bo (Bisexual)
Tell Me Again How a Crush Should Feel by Sara Farizan - Leila (Lesbian)
Highly Illogical Behaviour by John Corey Whaley - Solomon (Gay)
As I Descended by Robin Talley - Maria (Bisexual), Lily (Queer), Brandon (Gay) and Mateo (Gay)
The Steep & Thorny Way by Cat Winters - Joe (Gay)
If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo - Amanda (Trans)

Polyamory:

This Song Is (Not) For You by Laura Nowlin

Mental Health:
The List by Siobhan Vivian - Bridget (eating disorder)
Winter by Marissa Meyer - Winter (a hallucinatory mental illness)
Under Rose Tainted Skies by Louise Gornall - Norah (agoraphobia, OCD, and depression)
Holding Up the Universe by Jennifer Niven - Libby (anxiety and eating disorder)
Highly Illogical Behaviour by John Corey Whaley - Solomon (Anxiety and Agoraphobia)

POC:

This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp - Sylv (Latina) & Tomás (Latino)
The Weight of Feathers by Anna-Marie McLemore - Lace (Latina)
The Girl From Everywhere by Heidi Heilig - Nix (Hapa/Biracial - half-Chinese, half-white)
The Forbidden Wish by Jessica Khoury - All (Persian / Middle Eastern)
Winter by Marissa Meyer - Winter (dark skinned, ethnicity not given)
Seven Ways We Lie by Riley Redgate - Matt (Biracial - half-Mexican, half-American)
The Smell of Other People's Houses by Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock - Dora (Inupiaq (a member of a group of Eskimos inhabiting northern Alaska))
The Wrath & the Dawn by Renée Ahdieh - All (Persian / Middle Eastern)
Holding Up the Universe by Jennifer Niven - Jack (Biracial - half-African-American, half American)
The Rose & the Dagger by Renée Ahdieh - All (Persian / Middle Eastern)
Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton - All (Middle Eastern / South Asian)
Tell Me Again How a Crush Should Feel by Sara Farizan - Leila (Iranian American)
As I Descended by Robin Talley - Maria (Latina) & Mateo (Latino)
The Steep & Thorny Way by Cat Winters - Hanalee (Biracial - half-white, half-African American)

Disability:

The Summer I Found You by Jolene Perry - Aidan (Amputee)
Me Before You by Jojo Moyes - Will (Quadriplegic)
Holding Up the Universe by Jennifer Niven - Jack (Prosopagnosia)
Run by Kody Keplinger - Agnes (Legally-blind)
As I Descended by Robin Talley - Lily (injured in car crash, uses crutches to get around)
Bone Gap by Laura Ruby - Finn (Prosopagnosia)

Chronic Illness/Disease:

The Summer I Found You by Jolene Perry - Kate (Diabetes)

Faith:

Playing With Matches by Suri Rosen - Numerous (Jewish)

Class:


Intersectional:

This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp - Sylv (Queer, Latina)
Tell Me Again How a Crush Should Feel by Sara Farizan - Leila (Iranian American, Lesbian)
Highly Illogical Behaviour by John Corey Whaley - Solomon (Anxiety and Agoraphobia, Gay)
As I Descended by Robin Talley - Maria (Bisexual, Latina), Lily (Queer, disabled) & Mateo (Gay, Latino)

Authors

LGBTQ:

This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp - Queer/ace.
When Everything Feels Like the Movies by Raziel Reid - Gay.
You Know Me Well by Nina LaCour & David Levithan - Levithan - Gay.
You Know Me Well by Nina LaCour & David Levithan - LaCour - Lesbian.
Highly Illogical Behaviour by John Corey Whaley - Gay.
Run by Kody Keplinger - Queer (bi-romantic, ace-spectrum).
Seven Ways We Lie by Riley Redgate - Bisexual.
Tell Me Again How a Crush Should Feel by Sara Farizan - Lesbian.
The Girl From Everywhere by Heidi Heilig - Pansexual, "not cis" (link goes to Heidi Heilig's Twitter account, see Twitter bio).
The Weight of Feathers by Anna-Marie McLemore - Queer.
As I Descended by Robin Talley - Queer.
If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo - Trans.
The Twelve Days of Dash & Lily by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan - Levithan: Gay.

Polyamorous:


Mental Health:

Under Rose Tainted Skies by Louise Gornall - Agoraphobia and OCD.
Holding Up the Universe by Jennifer Niven - Anxiety.
Highly Illogical Behaviour by John Corey Whaley - Anxiety.
Run by Kody Keplinger - Anxiety.
The Girl From Everywhere by Heidi Heilig - Bipolar.

POC:

The Forbidden Wish by Jessica Khoury - Biracial; half-Syrian, half-Scottish.
Drown by Esther Dalseno - Biracial; half-Malaysian, half-Italian.
Seven Ways We Lie by Riley Redgate - Biracial; half-Chinese, half-Irish
The Wrath & the Dawn by Renée Ahdieh - "Mother is of East Asian descent,"
The Rose & the Dagger by Renée Ahdieh - "Mother is of East Asian descent,"
Tell Me Again How a Crush Should Feel by Sara Farizan - Iranian American.
The Girl From Everywhere by Heidi Heilig - Hapa/Biracial - half-Chinese, half-white.
The Weight of Feathers by Anna-Marie McLemore - Latina.

Disability:

This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp - Neurodivergent, physically disabled.
Run by Kody Keplinger - Legally-blind.

Chronic Illness:


Faith:

Playing With Matches by Suri Rosen - Jewish.

Class:


Intersectional:

This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp - Neurodivergent, physically disabled, queer/ace.
The Weight of Feathers by Anna-Marie McLemore - Queer, Latina.
The Girl From Everywhere by Heidi Heilig - Bipolar, biracial, pansexual, "not cis" (link goes to Heidi Heilig's Twitter account, see Twitter bio).
Tell Me Again How a Crush Should Feel by Sara Farizan - Iranian American, lesbian.
Seven Ways We Lie by Riley Redgate - Biracial - half-Chinese, half-Irish, bisexual.
Run by Kody Keplinger - Legally-blind, queer (bi-romantic, ace-spectrum), anxiety.
Highly Illogical Behaviour by John Corey Whaley - Anxiety, Gay.

#OwnVoices

(authors of marginalised groups writing about the same marginalised groups)
LGBTQ:

This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp - Queer.
When Everything Feels Like the Movies by Raziel Reid - Gay.
You Know Me Well by Nina LaCour & David Levithan - Levithan - Gay.
You Know Me Well by Nina LaCour & David Levithan - LaCour - Lesbian.
Tell Me Again How a Crush Should Feel by Sara Farizan - Lesbian.
Highly Illogical Behaviour by John Corey Whaley - Gay.
As I Descended by Robin Talley - Queer.
If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo - Trans.

Polyamorous:


Mental Health:

Under Rose Tainted Skies by Louise Gornall - Agoraphobia and OCD.
Holding Up the Universe by Jennifer Niven - Anxiety.
Highly Illogical Behaviour by John Corey Whaley - Anxiety.

POC:

The Weight of Feathers by Anna-Maria McLemore - Latina.
The Girl From Everywhere by Heidi Heilig - Hapa/Biracial - half-Chinese, half-white.
Tell Me Again How a Crush Should Feel by Sara Farizan - Iranian American.

Disability:
Run by Kody Keplinger - Legally-blind.

Chronic Illness:


Faith:

Playing With Matches by Suri Rosen - Jewish.

Class:


Intersectional:

Tell Me Again How a Crush Should Feel by Sara Farizan - Iranian American, Lesbian.
Highly Illogical Behaviour by John Corey Whaley - Anxiety, Gay.