The Book Vipers discussion

I have a few personal and group challenges for next year already. To read old and new classics, Nobel prize winners, plus several authors I enjoy - Bronte sisters, Orwell, Waugh and Woolf. I don't have a problem getting through classics but that invariably means reading a lot of books by dead white men. So for this group I thought I'd challenge myself to read something different. One is to read more books by non-white people and particularly books that tackle the issue of race. I also want to read some modern books, ones written in this century at least, as this is something I rarely do. I plan on completing 5 for each of these, I know a couple of titles I want to read, so I'll add them now and fill in the rest as I go.

I'm adding 2 more books, so that totals 12, one for each month!

Race
✓1. The Color Purple
✓2. The Autobiography of Malcolm X
✓3. Blackamoores: Africans in Tudor England, Their Presence, Status and Origins
4. Uncle Tom's Cabin
5. Revolutionary Suicide
✓6. Cry, the Beloved Country

21st Century
1. A Girl Is a Half-formed Thing
✓2. The Luminaries
3. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
4. The Orphan Master's Son
✓5. The Sense of an Ending
6. Half of a Yellow Sun

If anyone has recommendations that would be great too!

I can't help you with the race challenge, I have some Asian/African books on my list but I don't really know if they deal with race. It seems to be mainly American (and British?) thing... Though Nervous Conditions might interest you. Btw, did you know that both Dumas (and his son of course) and Pushkin had a black ancestor?

For the 21th century challenge I found There Were Many Horses to be quite interesting, it's a contemporary Brazilian "novel". Well written but very... different. And of course I have to recommend Purge, even if I am still gathering courage to actually read it myself. It has been awarded many times in different countries so it can't be that bad... I've seen the film with a friend, though, and we were speechless afterwards. Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKNpZ...

For Race, have you considered Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie?

To Kill A Mockingbird or I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings if you've not already read them

also, depending how broadly you're considering race...if you're willing to include Jewish writing on the Holocaust, then I highly recommend Charlotte Delbo "Auschwitz and After". I guarantee you will not regret it.

Snow flower and the secret fan by Lisa see is a great book if you want to read about other cultures

The son by Philip Meyer is also a great modern read

Tytti, thanks for the recommendation, I've added There were many Horses to my TBR. For race, I'm thinking broadly, not necessarily something that deals directly with this issue, but at least touches on it somewhat.

Charlotte wrote: "For Race, have you considered Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie?

To Kill A Mockingbird or I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings if you've not already read them"

I've read and loved all of these, thank you! I've actually added more Adichie to my TBR, but not specifically for this challenge. I'll have to give her other books a look again.

Seraphina, I'm going to look up those recommendations now, thanks!

Pink wrote: "For race, I'm thinking broadly, not necessarily something that deals directly with this issue, but at least touches on it somewhat."

Well, the first one is set in Rhodesia and written by a black woman, so...

I completely glossed over that one in your comment, sorry, I'll take a look now!

Nervous Conditions looks good! Thanks, this is exactly the sort of book I want to find. Something that isn't so well known and I probably wouldn't have found without your help!

This was on Open Book a few weeks ago:
Africa39: New Writing from Africa south of the Sahara and might be a good way of discovering new authors from Africa

Thanks Paul, this is just what I need :)

There is a load of good suggestions on here too:

https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/823

Updated, I've picked my choices for my two reading goals....but have added lots more to my TBR thanks to everyone's help!

What's on the list pink?

I've edited my first post for my final picks. Most of the suggestions above are also on my list now! For this challenge I decided to stick to books I've really been meaning to read for a while.

I read Uncle Tom's Cabin when I was about 12. I think I found it pretty boring but I had already decided to write a book report about it.

I like the history behind Uncle Tom's Cabin and the effect it had...I'll have to wait and see if I actually like the book or not!

"The Little Lady Who Started the Big War"... That's why I read it, too.

Some books for the race goal The Black Count: Glory, Revolution, Betrayal, and the Real Count of Monte Cristo, Dutchman & The Slave, Everything I Never Told You, I Write What I Like: Selected Writings, Black in Latin America, The African-American Century: How Black Americans Have Shaped Our Country, Tradition and the Black Atlantic: Critical Theory in the African Diaspora, Small Island, The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven, Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years. I can come up with more.

Thanks amber, I'll take a look at them all now!

Pink, I recently read The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother and loved it. The author is a black man and the highlight character was his Jewish mother Ruth McBride Jordan. you might want to check it out, best of luck with your challenge!

You're welcome Pink! I realized I should ask you if you're looking for fiction or non-fiction, and in the case of non-fiction academic or non-academic?
Few more ideas The Tempest Tales, Salvage the Bones, The Good Muslim, Men We Reaped: A Memoir, Stealing Buddha's Dinner, "Why Are All The Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?": A Psychologist Explains the Development of Racial Identity. Those fit race/non-white authors & 21st century. You, Abide with Me, Evenings at Five: A Novel and Five New Stories, Midnight Champagne, Baker Towers, Eva Moves the Furniture. 21st century books

Both! For this challenge I've stuck to mainly non fiction books that I've been meaning to read, but I like fiction choices too. I'll have a proper look at all your suggestions when I'm not on my phone, thank you :)

You're welcome! :)

I'm a little late to make a suggestion but if you haven't read it already, I recommend Cry, the Beloved Country which is about the racial inequalities in South Africa. A gem!

Catherine, not too late at all. I've set a defined list above, but I'd still like to add to these books, outside of the challenge. All your recommendations are welcome, thank you.

Thought I'd update the strange coincidence that I received a copy of Cry, the Beloved Country for Christmas. My ex bought me a selection of used Penguin Classics from a local second hand bookshop and this was one of them!

Ahh, I love little coincidences like that. It was obviously meant to be! Now let's hope you like it now!!

Found this list of African books Pink:

http://bookriot.com/2014/12/30/africa...

Thanks Paul, I remember seeing this list before, but couldn't remember where, now I've saved the page to favourites. I find African books the most difficult to find, as I don't know enough about them as they don't get much press, not compared to African American ones anyway.

You're welcome. Book Riot is a pretty good site for all things bookish

I agree Paul, I think I follow them on twitter, so that's probably where I originally saw the post, but I always forget to check out their actual website.

I get their emails every week, and follow them on FB too. Otherwise you always miss something

Oh, I might have to do that too..the emails, not Facebook as I don't use it. Do you know of any other good book blogs or sites?

I follow a few. I'll start a new thread at some point with them

That would be great Paul :)

I've finished my first challenge book, The Color Purple

When looking for countries, is might be useful: https://www.goodreads.com/places. Although it is easier when you just google for example 'books set in Africa on Goodreads' There is a list for almost everything on Goodreads.

http://www.africabookclub.com/
http://arablit.org/
Might be useful sites for the books you seek.

Found this one yesterday: http://idreambooks.com/

I also loved The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother a lot. It's a easy read - you can easily finish it in a few days.

Thanks for the links Danielle :)

I LOVED the colour of water, it was one of my favourites for 2014!

Feb goals -
The Luminaries
The Sense of and Ending

Feb goals complete - 2 books written in the 21st century.

Next month I'll read another book for my race challenge.

Finally read another book for this challenge, Cry, the Beloved Country for a book that deals with race issues.

Well done Pink. What did you think of Cry?

I liked it, but I didn't seem to have the emotional connection that I was expecting.

Well done Pink. Apart from on the travel I am not doing great so far. Keep being distracted by other books