2025 & 2026 Reading Challenge discussion

CELEBRATING DIVERSITY
Duration: April 1 – June 30, 2022

Rather than reading diverse authors like in our Diversity In Reading yearly challenge, in this quarterly challenge, we will seek diverse representation among the characters, titles and text of our books.

You may want to read about people similar to yourself, or learn about traditions in your ancestors' homelands. Alternately, you might wish to learn about all sorts of people and traditions and places which are unfamiliar. Choose one or a few, or mix it up as you want. It's your celebration!

The suggestions below are guidelines, not prompts. Each book may only count once, even if contains multiple types of representation. To join, let the challenge leader know how many diverse books you plan to read this quarter.

Read books which include:
▪ A festival, holiday or celebration specific to a certain location, religion, culture or cause
▪ A "foreign" food in the title or cover, such as enchiladas, crepes, ziti, etc., regardless of setting
▪ A loanword in the title or text, such as cafe (French), key (Spanish), glitch (Yiddish), school (Dutch), etc.

Read books with characters who have:
▪ A physical disability or impairment
▪ A mental or emotional disorder
▪ A neurodivergent condition

Read books featuring a variety of:
▪ Sexualities
▪ Genders
▪ Races (including multi-racial or mixed heritage)
▪ Aboriginal, Native and Indigenous peoples
▪ Religions
▪ Geographic locations

If you are new to our group and/or our group challenges, please take a moment to check out the Yearly, Quarterly, Monthly Challenges - Start Here thread for more information on how our challenges are run.

Thanks to Carmen, who will lead us in this celebration of diverse people, places and cultures!

Hola, lovely people! 👋
Considered as a fundamental part of the cultural heritage of the countries, the diversity of cultures refers to coexistence and interaction in harmony and mutual respect between several cultures that coincide in the same place and time. A concept of culture that refers to the way of life, traditions, language, beliefs, gastronomy, etc. that characterize a group of people. According to UNESCO, “cultural diversity is as necessary for mankind as biodiversity is for nature.”

And for you, what does cultural diversity mean? How does it influence your day to day? How do you think you contribute to spreading it?

Take advantage of the opportunity that this magnificent challenge offers to improve your level of "diversity" by celebrating and sharing your experience with us. I'm looking forward to celebrating diversity with you all! Let me know how many books you'll be reading or the level of expertise you want to achieve!

⚀Novice: 1-5 books
⚁Advanced beginner: 6-10 books
⚂Competent: 11-15 books
⚃Proficient: 16-20 books
⚄Expert: 21-25 books
⚅Master: >25 books

“It is time for parents to teach young people early on that in diversity there is beauty and there is strength.”
― Maya Angelou

🥻🌈🥐🍭🥨🏳️‍🌈🤠🍕🌈🌯🍭🧆🧕🏳️‍🌈🥘🌈🍜👨‍🦯🍭🍣🏳️‍🌈🥠🌈👘
➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖
Updating your progress
When posting your progress, please include your original (sign-up) message number plus the current progress using the format below:

Update to msg #xx: books read/books pledged

If you decide to drop out of the challenge, please don’t delete your original sign-up post. Just update and let me know. Thanks!
➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖

📜Participants (24)
✔Almeta msg #19
AnneMarie msg #35 0/5
✔AurorainBookland msg #21
✔Carmen msg #3
✔Christene Paula msg #24
Cindy III msg #28 0/5
✔Courtney msg #23
✔Janine msg #42
✔Julia msg #111
✔Karin msg #201
✔Kristina msg #57
✔Lindsey msg #34
✔Lynn msg #14
✔Marcia msg #72
✔Megan msg #4
✔Mindy msg #16
✔oshizu msg #9
✔Rachel msg #18
✔Saha msg #7
✔Sarah msg #13
✔Sunny msg #5
Suzanne msg #46 0/9
✔TerryJane msg #11
✔Theresa msg #6

🙌Celebrants (4)
⚁Julia msg #111 8/10
⚂Lynn msg #14 14/20
⚀Marcia msg #72 2/5
⚀Rachel msg #18 3/10


🏆Qualified (17)
🏳️‍🌈Almeta msg #19 62/45⚅
🏳️‍🌈AurorainBookland msg #21 3/3⚀
🏳️‍🌈Carmen msg #3 59/55 ⚅
🏳️‍🌈Courtney msg #23 12/5⚂
🏳️‍🌈Christene Paula msg #24 15/15⚂
🏳️‍🌈Janine msg #42 11/9⚂
🏳️‍🌈Karin msg #20120/20⚃
🏳️‍🌈Kristina msg #57 17/16⚃
🏳️‍🌈Lindsey msg #34 20/20⚃
🏳️‍🌈Megan msg #4 19/15 ⚃
🏳️‍🌈Mindy msg #16 10/10⚁
🏳️‍🌈oshizu msg #9 43/40⚅
🏳️‍🌈Saha msg #7 9/9⚁
🏳️‍🌈Sarah msg #13 5/5⚀
🏳️‍🌈Sunny msg #5 3/3⚀
🏳️‍🌈TerryJane msg #11 64/30⚅
🏳️‍🌈Theresa msg #6 10/4⚁

📚Books pledged: 368
📗Books read: 407

PROGRESS: 59/55


Read books which include:
▪ A festival, holiday or celebration specific to a certain location, religion, culture or cause:
⊙THANKSGIVING (Canada - 2nd Monday in October): Still Life✔
⊙MIDSUMMER EVE (Finland): The Summer Book✔
⊙APRIL'S FOOL (England): Hand in Glove✔
⊙MUMMIFICATION/BURIAL (Egypt): Death Comes as the End✔
⊙CHRISTMAS (California): Deck the Hallways✔
⊙GUY FAWKES' NIGHT (England): Plain Murder✔
▪Folk costume in the title or cover
Kilt Dead✔
▪ A "foreign" food in the title or cover, such as enchiladas, crepes, ziti, etc., regardless of setting
Croissants✔
Murder and Marinara✔
▪ A loanword in the title or text, such as cafe (French), key (Spanish), glitch (Yiddish), school (Dutch), etc.
⊙FRENCH:
Page: A Page of Murder✔
Bullet: Buy a Bullet✔
⊙ITALIAN:
Stilettos: Sexy in Stilettos✔
Vendetta: Vendetta✔
Fiasco: The Wedding Gift (Series: Four Weddings and a Fiasco)✔
⊙DUTCH:
Waffles: Murder with Fried Chicken and Waffles✔
⊙PORTUGUESE:
Labradors: Libraries and Labradors✔
Read books with characters who have:
▪ A physical disability or impairment
⊙BLINDNESS/WALKING DISABILITY:
Heidi✔
⊙LAMENESS:
The Girl Who Knew Too Much✔
⊙PARAPLEGIA:
The Investigation✔

▪ A mental or emotional disorder:
⊙ ANTISOCIAL PERSONALITY DISORDER (ASPD) (Italy):
The Talented Mr. Ripley✔
⊙ PSYCHOPATHY/CONDUCT DISORDER (USA):
The Girl Next Door✔
⊙ DEPRESSION/ADDICTIONS (USA):
The Most Fun We Ever Had✔
⊙ SOMNAMBULISM:
The Ivory Dagger✔
⊙ DISSOCIATIVE IDENTITY DISORDER (DID):
The Scarred Woman✔
▪ A neurodivergent condition
⊙ Autism spectrum disorder (ASD):
The Escape Room✔
The Bride Test✔
⊙ Intellectual disability:
Dead Water✔
Los aires difíciles✔
Read books featuring a variety of:
▪ Sexualities
⊙POLYAMORY, HOMOSEXUALITY, BISEXUALITY (Spain): Malena es un nombre de tango✔
⊙LESBIAN/GAY (Japan):
Real World✔
▪ Genders:
⊙CISGENDER/QUEER:
We Are Watching Eliza Bright✔
▪ Races (including multi-racial or mixed heritage)
⊙MULTI-RACIAL: Sultry in Stilettos✔
⊙MIXED HERITAGE:
Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World✔
The Disciple of Las Vegas✔
The Secret History of the Mongol Queens: How the Daughters of Genghis Khan Rescued His Empire✔
▪ Aboriginal, Native and Indigenous peoples
⊙TAHITIANS: Breadfruit✔
▪ Religions
⊙CATHOLICS/HUGUENOTS (France): Los tres mosqueteros✔
⊙CHURCH OF ENGLAND/ENGLISH DISSENTERS: Felix Holt, the Radical✔
⊙JEWS/CHRISTIANS
Compromising Positions✔
▪ Social status
⊙CASTE SYSTEM IN INDIAN DIASPORA (Mauritius): Blue Bay Palace✔
▪ Families
⊙SINGLE PARENT/ADOPTED CHILD (England): Silas Marner✔
⊙POLYGAMY/CHILD MARRIAGE (Nigeria): The Girl with the Louding Voice✔
▪ Geographic locations:
⊙NEW YORK: New York, Actually✔
⊙DENMARK/SWEDEN: The Man Who Smiled✔ (Translated)
⊙OREGON: Pages and Pyrenees✔
⊙ROME: The Imperfectionists✔
⊙ENGLAND: Anna, Where Are You?✔
⊙FLORIDA: Dead Air✔
⊙MOROCCO: Destination Unknown✔
⊙MUNICH: Street of the Five Moons✔
⊙BALKANS: S.: A Novel about the Balkans✔
⊙ESTONIA: When the Doves Disappeared✔
⊙CLIPPERTON ISLAND: La isla de la pasión: Una Novela✔
⊙CAMBODIA: The Road of Lost Innocence: The True Story of a Cambodian Heroine✔
⊙GREECE: The Messenger of Athens✔
⊙SOUTH ISLAND: A Madness of Sunshine✔
⊙NERHERLANDS: The Dinner Club✔
⊙RIO DE JANEIRO: The Silence of the Rain✔
⊙IRELAND: The Amersham Rubies✔

I'm in for 15!

1. Bisexual and Lesbian - Written in the Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur - completed April 2022
2. African-American and Black Seminole - Topaz by Beverly Jenkins - completed April 2022
3. Nigerian-American - Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor - completed April 2022
4. Viking - The Far Traveler: Voyages of a Viking Woman by Nancy Marie Brown - completed April 2022
5. Mexican - The Hacienda by Isabel Canas - completed April 2022
6. Jewish - True Pretenses by Rose Lerner - completed April 2022
7. Scottish - The Highland Fling by Meghan Quinn - completed April 2022
8. Chinese-American - Portrait of a Thief by Grace D. Li - completed April 2022
9. Australian - The Lost Man by Jane Harper - completed April 2022
10. Mexican-American - All the Crooked Saints by Maggie Stiefvater - completed May 2022
11. Deaf, German - Horrific Sufferings of the Mind-Reading Monster Hercules Barefoot: His Wonderful Love and His Terrible Hatred by Carl-Johan Vallgren, translated by Veronica and Paul Britton-Austin - completed May 2022
12. Portuguese - The Summer Wives by Beatriz Williams - completed May 2022
13. English and Scottish - Marry Me, If You Dare by Alyssa Clarke - completed May 2022
14. African-American, enslaved, survivor of abuse - Yellow Wife by Sadeqa Johnson - completed May 2022
15. African-American, Trans - The Ballad of Perilous Graves by Alex Jennings - completed May 2022
16. African-American and formerly enslaved and refugee - Through the Storm by Beverly Jenkins - completed May 2022
17. Bisexual - Hang the Moon by Alexandria Bellefleur - completed June 2022
18. African-American, bisexual, lesbian, Chinese-American, Native American, Japanese-American, Mexican-American, Indian-American - The Vintage Book of American Women Writers edited by Elaine Showalter - completed June 2022
19. African-American - The Taming of Jessi Rose by Beverly Jenkins - completed June 2022

19/15 - challenge completed!

🥻🌈🥐🍭🥨🏳️‍🌈🤠🍕🌈🌯🍭🧆🧕🏳️‍🌈🥘🌈🍜👨‍🦯🍭🍣🏳️‍🌈🥠🌈👘

Progress:3/3

I'm joining. My goal is 4 books. Progress: 10/4

Multicultural romance
✔An Acquired Taste--audiobook version-- (May 23)

Character Who Is Bipolar
✔Before She Knew Him (Apr. 7)

Set In Ireland
✔Blessed Are the Cheesemakers (June 25)

Set In Scotland
✔Bone Deep (June 12)

Set In Chile
✔How to Order the Universe (June 5)

Set in Paris, France
✔Perestroika in Paris (June 10)

Set In Canada
✔The River (June 8)

Characters From South Sudan
✔Sooley (May 7)

Female Firefighter
✔Things You Save in a Fire (May 13)

Character With Autism (Apr. 27)
✔You Lucky Dog

Let's aim for 9 and hope for more!

9/9

Read books which include:
✅A festival, holiday or celebration specific to a certain location, religion, culture or cause - Winterset Hollow
✅A "foreign" food in the title or cover, such as enchiladas, crepes, ziti, etc., regardless of setting - Legends & Lattes
✅A loanword in the title or text, such as cafe (French), key (Spanish), glitch (Yiddish), school (Dutch), etc. - The Thursday Murder Club

Read books with characters who have:
▪ A physical disability or impairment
✅ A mental or emotional disorder - The Great Alone
✅ ▪ A neurodivergent condition - The Killer of Little Shepherds: A True Crime Story and the Birth of Forensic Science

Read books featuring a variety of:
✅ Sexualities - Welcome to Night Vale
✅ Genders - Little Women
✅ Races (including multi-racial or mixed heritage) Under the Whispering Door
▪ Aboriginal, Native and Indigenous peoples
▪ Religions
✅Geographic locations - The Kite Runner

WELCOME/BIENVENIDAS!!!

It's a pleasure to be here again with you all! 🤗
Let's enjoy this celebration! 💃

“I think... if it is true that
there are as many minds as there
are heads, then there are as many
kinds of love as there are hearts.”
― Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina

Lol, Carmen, you added tiers! You know I can't resist tiers!
But I don't read as much as I used to, so.....please sign me up for 18 books to start.

Progress: 43/40

April
✔️1. Europe (Poland, etc.): Flights (#wit, Polish)
✔️2. Europe (England): Murder at the Royal Botanic Gardens
✔️3. Mixed heritage (Kekkon-Espenian): Jade Legacy
✔️4. Ethnicity (African-American): When No One Is Watching (#ownvoices)
✔️5. Sexuality (Non-binary): Gender Queer (#ownvoices)
✔️6. Ethnicity (African-American): Attorney-Client Privilege (#ownvoices)
✔️7. Asia (India): Midnight at Malabar House (#ownvoices)
✔️8. Americas (Canada): The Brutal Telling (#ownvoices)
✔️9. Sexuality (trans): Confessions of the Fox (#ownvoices)

May
✔️10. Faith (Inquisition): The Swerve: How the World Became Modern
✔️11. Sexuality (gay): The Long Call
✔️12. Health (Addiction): Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty
✔️13. Europe (England): Case Histories (#ownvoices)
✔️14. Ethnicity (African-American): Lawful Deception (#ownvoices)
✔️15. Europe (Scotland): Outlander
✔️16. Asia (Singapore): Aunty Lee's Deadly Specials (#ownvoices)
✔️17. Asia (Japan): Where the Wild Ladies Are (#wit)
✔️18. Europe (Norway): Viking Private Investigation: Season One
✔️19. Indigenous: Trail of Lightning
✔️20. Americas (Argentina): Little Eyes (#wit)
✔️21. Ethnicity (African-American): Their Eyes Were Watching God (#ownvoices)
✔️22. Ethnicity (African-American): Murder in G Major
✔️23. Faith (Benedictine monk): The Rose Rent
✔️24. Africa (S. Africa): Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood (#ownvoices)
✔️25. Sexuality (lesbian): A Desolation Called Peace (#ownvoices)

June
✔️26. Disability (missing leg): The Cuckoo's Calling
✔️27. Neurodiversity (autism): Miracle Creek
✔️28. Africa (Egypt): The Red Tent
✔️29. Sexuality (bisexual0: Tomboyland: Essays (#ownvoices)
✔️30. Americas (Argentina): The Dangers of Smoking in Bed: Stories (#wit)
✔️31. Sexuality (trans author): Pet
✔️32. Sexuality (nonbinary intersex): The Deep
✔️33. Ethnicity (indigenous): Black Sun (#ownvoices)
✔️34. Europe (France): La Maison de Claudine (#wit)
✔️35. Ethnicity (Indigenous): Fevered Star (#ownvoices)
✔️36. Asia (Japan0 The Cat Who Saved Books (#ownvoices)
✔️37. Asia (Japan): Kamusari Tales Told at Night (#wit)
✔️38. Asia (Singapore): The Betel Nut Tree Mystery (#ownvoices)
✔️39. Sexuality (bi): River of Teeth
✔️40: Ethnicity (African-American): The Ballad of Black Tom (#ownvoices)
✔️41. Ethnicity (African-American): The Quarter Storm
✔️42. Asia (Shanghai): Inspector Chen and Me: A Collection of Inspector Chen Stories (#ownvoices)
✔️43. Asia (India): The Dying Day (#ownvoices)

My planning post

oshizu wrote: "Lol, Carmen, you added tiers! You know I can't resist tiers!
But I don't read as much as I used to, so.....please sign me up for 18 books to start..."
I love tempting you to participate, oshizu! Welcome! 🤗
I hope you earn your "proficient" badge without breaking a sweat 😅

“Read. Read. Read. Just don't read one type of book. Read different books by various authors so that you develop different style.”
― R.L. Stine

🪔 CELEBRATING DIVERSITY - Q2 Quarterly Challenge
Duration: April 1 - June 30, 2022
Progress: 64/30 -- COMPLETE

Message #11

▪ Festival, holiday or celebration
🪔 Once Upon a Quinceañera - Latino celebration of entering womanhood
🪔 A Holly Jolly Diwali - Diwali (India setting, Sikh and Hindu characters)
🪔 The Matzah Ball - Hannukah (Jewish culture and characters)
🪔 Beautiful Ruins - Edinburgh Fringe Festival (also Italy, Scotland)
🪔 Once Upon an Eid - Eid
🪔 Passover Haggadah: A Messianic Celebration - Messianic Passover

▪ Loanword in the title or text
🪔 Pete the Cat Checks Out the Library - check (Persian to English)
🪔 Pushing Up Daisies - push (German to English)
🪔 Berry Murderous - murder (French to English)
🪔 Orange Juiced - orange (Arabic to English)
🪔 Hibiscus Homicide - homicide (French to English)
🪔 Pieces of Her - piece (French to English)
🪔 Authority - authority (French to English); also immigrant MC with Hispanic/South American Indian heritage
🪔 A Good Girl's Guide to Murder - guide (French to English)
🪔 Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats - practical (French to English)
🪔 Hawkeye: Kate Bishop, Vol. 1: Anchor Points - point (French to English)
🪔 The Woman They Could Not Silence: One Woman, Her Incredible Fight for Freedom, and the Men Who Tried to Make Her Disappear - silence (French to English)
🪔 The Professor's House - profess (French to English)
🪔 The Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum - perfect (French to English)
🪔 The Castle of Crossed Destinies - castle (French to English)

▪ Physical disability or impairment
🪔 Princess Academy - Esa has no use of her left arm
🪔 So Lucky - multiple sclerosis (plus lesbian)
🪔 Poker Face - amputee

▪ A mental or emotional disorder
🪔 Grace, Grits and Ghosts: Southern Short Stories - agoraphobia
🪔 When We Believed in Mermaids - addiction and abuse (also set in New Zealand)
🪔 The Library of Lost Things - compulsive shopping/hoarding disorder; post-concussive syndrome; Cuban-Mexican heritage; loanword - library (French to English);
🪔 Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things - severe anxiety disorder, moderate clinical depression, mild self-harm issues, impulse control disorder; avoidance personality disorder; depersonalization disorder; obsessive compulsive disorder; trichotillomania; dermatillomania; agoraphobia; acute social anxiety disorder AKA anthropophobia; also rheumatoid arthritis and autoimmune issues

▪ Neurodivergent condition
🪔 The Bookwanderers - Dyslexia

▪ Sexuality
🪔 We Are Watching Eliza Bright - Sixterhood collective is women, trans and queer

▪ Gender
🪔 Light from Uncommon Stars - MC is Trans (also queer, Asian and abused)
🪔 Even If We Break - two trans characters, one of whom is physically disabled, (plus another character with autism)

▪ Race
🪔 Why Not Me? - Asian Indian heritage
🪔 Instructions for Dancing - Black
🪔 Fifty Words for Rain - biracial Japanese/Black MC, also set primarily in Japan
🪔 Higher Is Waiting - Black
🪔 Stalking Jack the Ripper - Biracial MC (Asian Indian/White); also set in England
🪔 A Deadly Inside Scoop - Black MC (female MBA business owner)
🪔 When No One Is Watching - Black MC

▪ Aboriginal, Native and Indigenous peoples
🪔 Future Home of the Living God - Native American

▪ Religions
🪔 Father Gilbert Mysteries - Anglican
🪔 Angels & Demons - Catholic
🪔 The Bronze Bow - Jewish
🪔 A Gilded Cage - Druid

▪ Geographic locations
🪔 The Lost Book of the Grail - England (also Anglican/Catholic events such as Feast of Corpus Christi)
🪔 Shadow of Night - England
🪔 Deathbed of Roses - New Zealand
🪔 Keeping Mums - New Zealand
🪔 The Book of Magic - France/England
🪔 An Enemy of the People - Norway
🪔 The Art of War - China
🪔 America Is Immigrants - Mini-bios of immigrants from 193 UN nations plus 5+ others
🪔 The Bridge of San Luis Rey - Peru
🪔 Zorba the Greek - Greece
🪔 Doctor Zhivago - Russia
🪔 The Shipping News - Canada
🪔 The Tale of Genji - Japan
🪔 Matilda - United Kingdom
🪔 The Prince and the Pauper - United Kingdom
🪔 Mermaid of Venice - Italy and Greece
🪔 The Elegance of the Hedgehog - France
🪔 Pierre and Jean - France
🪔 Hiroshima - Japan
🪔 Five Days in Paris- France
🪔 The Destruction of Pompeii, AD 79 - Italy

TerryJane wrote: "I'm in for at least 30, Carmen, based on books I've planned so far for the other Q2 and the April challenges. I'm likely to find more diverse books for May and June. We shall see!

🪔 CELEBRATING D..."

Welcome, TerryJane! 🤗
Of course, you aim to expert level! 😉
Enjoy your reads!

“Christian, Jew, Muslim, shaman, Zoroastrian, stone, ground, mountain, river, each has a secret way of being with the mystery, unique and not to be judged”
― Jalal ad-Din Rumi

Sign me up for 5 books

5/5-COMPLETED

✅Character with anorexia: Good Enough: A Novel(20/4/22)

✅Character in a wheelchair: Dancing with Daddy(4/4/22)

✅Characters who are lesbians: One Last Stop(26/4/22)

✅Female Detective: An Unsuitable Job for a Woman(22/4/22)

✅Book set in South Africa: Dance With A Poor Man's Daughter(5/5/22)

CELEBRATING DIVERSITY
Duration: April 1 – June 30, 2022

Since this is a whole three months, I'll set an initial goal of 10 books. I assume I'll read more than that, but I'll start with what I think will be a super-easily-attainable goal!! 😁

10/10 as of April 12! Goal raised to 20!
20/20 as of April 30!
Goal raised to 30!
25/30 as of May 15!

These are not meant as specific prompts...

Read books which include:
▪ A festival, holiday or celebration specific to a certain location, religion, culture or cause
▪ A "foreign" food in the title or cover, such as enchiladas, crepes, ziti, etc., regardless of setting
▪ A loanword in the title or text, such as cafe (French), key (Spanish), glitch (Yiddish), school (Dutch), etc.

Read books with characters who have:
▪ A physical disability or impairment
▪ A mental or emotional disorder
▪ A neurodivergent condition

Read books featuring a variety of:
▪ Sexualities
▪ Genders
▪ Races (including multi-racial or mixed heritage)
▪ Aboriginal, Native and Indigenous peoples
▪ ReligionsAndrea Penrose
▪ Geographic locations

🌷1. Dear Enemy (Daddy-Long-Legs #2) by Jean Webster
Diverse gender roles and diversity among the characters' SES
April 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

🌷2. The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See
A matrifocal society rather than a patriarchal society.
April 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

🌷3. Murder at the Royal Botanic Gardens (Wrexford & Sloane #5) by Andrea Penrose
Diverse gender roles and diversity among the characters' social standing and roles
April 7 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

🌷4. Writers & Lovers by Lily King
Diversity among the characters' financial status and gender roles
April 9 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

🌷5. All Systems Red (Murderbot Diaries #1) by Martha Wells
Diversity among gender roles, sexual orientation, human/robotic construct.
April 10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

🌷6. Johnny's in the Basement by Louis Sachar
Diversity in gender roles for adolescents (boys dancing, etc.)
April 10 ⭐

🌷7. Wayside School Is Falling Down (Wayside School #2) by Louis Sachar
Diversity in gender roles, acceptance of others' quirks
April 10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

🌷8. Artificial Condition (Murderbot Diaries #2) by Martha Wells
Diversity in personal and professional gender roles, human/robot construct
April 11 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

🌷9. Rogue Protocol (Murderbot Diaries #3) by Martha Wells
Diversity in personal and professional gender roles, sexual orientation, human/robot construct/AI
April 11 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

🌷10. Exit Strategy (Murderbot Diaries #4) by Martha Wells
Diversity in professional gender roles, human/robot construct
April 12 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

🌷11. Network Effect (Murderbot Diaries #5) by Martha Wells
Diversity in personal and professional gender roles, sexual orientation, human/robot construct/AI
April 14 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

🌷12. Fugitive Telemetry (Murderbot Diaries #6) by Martha Wells
Diversity in personal and professional gender roles, human/robot construct
April 14 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

🌷13. Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee by Casey Cep
Diversity in personal and professional gender roles, sexual orientation, asexuality
April 17 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

🌷14. London Bridges (Alex Cross #10) by James Patterson
Diversity in professional gender roles
April 19 ⭐⭐⭐

🌷15. A Good Girl's Guide to Murder (A Good Girl's Guide to Murder #2) by Holly Jackson
Diversity of ethnicity among main characters
April 20 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

🌷16. Finlay Donovan Is Killing It (Finlay Donovan #1) by Elle Cosimano
Diversity in family members = "found family"
April 23 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

🌷17. How Much of These Hills Is Gold by C Pam Zhang
Diversity in ethnicity and resulting prejudice in the western US mid-19th Century/Gold Rush
April 24 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

🌷18. Mary, Mary (Alex Cross #11) by James Patterson
Diversity in professional roles and higher education
April 26 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

🌷19. Mozart's Sister by Rita Charbonnier
Gender roles in mid-18th Century Europe
April 26 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

🌷20. Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family by Robert Kolker
Diversity in mental health diagnoses and treatments
April 30 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

🌷20. Rescuing Sprite: A Dog Lover's Story of Joy and Anguish by Mark R. Levin
Commonalities among people with diverse political perspectives
April 30 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

🌼21. The Long Call (Two Rivers #1) by Ann Cleeves
Diversity in marriage = LBGTQ+ couples and professional roles
May 3 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

🌼22. The Recovery Agent (Gabriela Rose #1) by Janet Evanovich
Diversity in professional roles and settings
May 7 ⭐⭐⭐

🌼23. The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro (Jackson Brodie #1) by Kate Atkinson
Very diverse/unique characters. Setting in another country, the UK. Author from another country, the UK
May 11 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

🌼25. Year of the Reaper by Makiia Lucier
Diverse gender roles (LGBTQ+) and diverse author, a Pacific Islander.
May 15 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Where the Wild Ladies Are by Aoko Matsuda and translated by Polly Barton
Diverse author from another country, Japan, and book is translated from Japanese.

The Poppy War (The Poppy War #1) by R.F. Kuang
Diverse author, from another country, China. Diversity in societal hierarchical roles.

The Right To Be Cold: One Woman's Story of Protecting Her Culture, the Arctic and the Whole Planet by Sheila Watt-Cloutier
Diverse author and diversity of catastrophic environmental changes as a result of climate change/toxic chemical usage that ultimately adversely affect everyone, but the native peoples of the north most intensely and destructively.

Sarah and Lynn: WELCOME!! 🤗

“Oh God, the terrible tyranny of the majority. We all have our harps to play. And it's up to you to know with which ear you'll listen.”
― Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451

Love this! I'll aim for 10!
Progress: 10/10!

1. The Sweetest Remedy - Main character, Hannah, is half Nigerian and most of the book is set in Nigeria learning about her culture.
2. Get a Life, Chloe Brown - Main character, Chloe, has fibromyalgia and deals with chronic pain on a daily basis.
3. What If It's Us - Main characters are two gay teenage boys in NYC. One is Jewish and one is Puerto Rican.
4. The Wedding Date - Main character is black and in an interracial relationship.
5. Arsenic and Adobo - Main character is Filipino.
6. 30 Things I Love about Myself - Main character is Indian and her brother has severe depression.
7. Back of Beyond - Main character is an alcoholic. Book set in Yellowstone, which was very interesting.
8. Wait for It - One of the main characters had a stroke and was relied on a wheelchair. Mental health conditions also addressed.
9. Eliza Starts a Rumor - Main character has agoraphobia.
10. So We Meet Again- Main character is Korean.

Welcome, Mindy! 🤗

“Somebody who only reads newspapers and at best books of contemporary authors looks to me like an extremely near-sighted person who scorns eyeglasses. He is completely dependent on the prejudices and fashions of his times, since he never gets to see or hear anything else.”
― Albert Einstein

CELEBRATING DIVERSITY
Duration: April 1 – June 30, 2022

I'm in

3 /10

1.Like a Sister By Kellye Garrett 4/11 5 stars
2. The After Party By A.C. Arthur 5/5 4.5 stars
3.Delilah Green Doesn't Care By Ashley Herring Blake 5/18 5 stars
4.
5.
6
7
8
9
10

CELEBRATING DIVERSITY
Duration: April 1 – June 30, 2022

This just happens to coincide with my yearly theme! I WANT IN FOR Expert: 45 books
Updating Almeta's Message 19
62/45

Read books which include:
▪ A festival, holiday or celebration specific to a certain location, religion, culture or cause

✔️The Matzah Ball: A Novel Hanukkah 23 Apr

▪ A "foreign" food in the title or cover, such as enchiladas, crepes, ziti, etc., regardless of setting
▪ A loanword in the title or text,.

✔️Doppelgänger [German] "A doppelgänger, Gerhardt, in its truest definition is an evil apparition of similar appearance, a spirit, a ghost" 7 May
✔️Mea Culpa [Latin] True Story: Murder, Memoir, Mea Culpa 12 Apr
✔️Alter Ego [Latin] Just Breathe 28 Apr
“Sheri was her alter ego in Sarah’s comic strip”
✔️Modus Operandi [Latin] The Face Of Deception 2 May
chapter 18 "his pattern, his methods, his friends, his Modus Operandi"
✔️Taco [Spanish] Midnight Snacks are Murder 4 May
Chapter 1 “Stress like this is why I had Taco and Tater Tots on speed dial.”
✔️Hoi Polloi [Greek] The Frangipani Tree Mystery 28 May
"All the hoi polloi whispering about me! "
✔️aficionado [Spanish] Existence 18 May
page 172 "the zep mechanic or else a dirigible aficionado"
✔️aficionados [Spanish] Sideways 22 Jun
Page 317 "was suffocatingly jam-packed with wine aficionados"
✔️Quid pro quo [Latin] Wild Women and the Blues 9 Jun
Page 23 "Tell me about him. Tell me everything, that's the only way you'll hear my story. Damn, quid pro quo?
✔️Bric-a-brac [French] No Regrets, Coyote 27 May
Page 54 "cluttered with vintage bricabrac. You live with a cat."
✔️portmanteau[French] Blood Meridian, Evening Redness in the West 8 May
Page 310 "carried a powderhorn and flask and his portmanteau "
✔️Nouveau riche [French] Belgravia 15 Apr
Page 31 “housing the nouveau riche of nineteenth century England
✔️Samurai [Japanese] Cloud of Sparrows 29 May
Page 10 "Loyalty was the most fundamental of samurai virtues"
✔️Kitsch [Yiddish] A Crossworder's Delight 26 May Page 11
“Mitch's kitsch!” Morgan was grumbling... a common expression of his,"
✔️Ménage à Trois (French) The Omnivore's Dilemma 17 May
Page 28 "corn is the product of this intricate Ménage à Trois"
✔️Faux pas [French] Private Life 8 Jun Page 173
“something about the book, he saw now, that was a kind of faux pas”
✔️souvenir (Old French) Bridge of Scarlet Leaves 16 Jun
Page 288 "the GIs were ignorantly pilfering them for souvenirs"
✔️Prima donna [Italian] Diablo Mesa 4 Apr
Page 287 “On occasion, Antonelli had gone full prima donna”
✔️sauerkraut (German) Sauerkraut 8 Jun
✔️Kiosk (Turkish) The Enchantress of Florence 28 Jun
Chapter 15 "small wooden pleasure pavilions called kiosk"
✔️brouhaha (French) Playing for Pizza 5 Jun
Page 245 "but the brouhaha went on for minutes"
✔️Yacht (Dutch) To Have and Have Not 20 Jun
Page 160 "everyone sleeps soundly on the yacht"
✔️bungalow (India) The Quiche and the Dead 6 Jun
" the Craftsman style bungalow painted moss green"
✔️Smorgasbord (Scandinavian) The Particulars of Peter 20 Jun
Page 26 “a buffet of breeds, a Smorgasbord strains”
✔️sauna (Scandinavian) Bath Haus 10 Jun
Page 2 “Steam from saunas and showers and whirlpool pipes”
✔️ delicatessen (German) Cookin' the Books 30 Jun
Page 1 "the building was repurposed as a delicatessen"

Read books with characters who have:
▪ A physical disability or impairment
▪ A mental or emotional disorder
▪ A neurodivergent condition

✔️Migrations emotional disorder 29 Jun
✔️Weather addiction/obsession 28 Jun
✔️Tides bulimia nervosa 1 Jun
✔️Everything, Everything 6 Jun
Severe Combined Immunity Deficiency (SCID) (Bubble Baby Disease)
✔️The Swimmers dementia 19 May
✔️Heart Berries bipolar II disorder/PTSD 8 Jun

Read books featuring a variety of:
▪ Sexualities

✔️On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous LGBT 28 Apr
✔️Not Your Sidekick LGBT 17 Jun

▪ Genders
▪ Races (including multi-racial or mixed heritage)

✔️Girl Gurl Grrrl Black Experience 1 May
✔️Brown Girls daughters of immigrant families 29 May
✔️The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea Chinese Folklore 26 Apr
✔️A Magic Steeped in Poison Chinese mythology 7 Jun
✔️Descendant of the Crane Chinese Folklore 6 May
✔️Daughter of the Moon Goddess Chinese Folklore 11 Jun
✔️A Thousand Steps into Night Japanese mythology 13 Jun

▪ Aboriginal, Native and Indigenous peoples

✔️We Had a Little Real Estate Problem First Nation 14 Apr
✔️Ill Wind Anasazi 20 Apr
✔️LaRose Ojibwe 23 May
✔️There There First Nation 14 May
✔️Where the Dead Sit Talking First Nation 17 May
✔️Noopiming: The Cure for White Ladies Anishinaabe 18 Apr
✔️Pushing the Bear: A Novel of the Trail of Tears Cherokee 5 May
✔️Rez Dogs Wabanaki 15 May
✔️The Dark Wind Navajo 22 Apr
✔️Race to the Sun Navajo 20 Apr
✔️If I Ever Get Out of Here Tuscarora 11 May
✔️Sabrina & Corina: Stories Latinas of indigenous ancestry 29 Apr
✔️Code Talker Navajo 18 May
✔️Home Remedies Chinese immigrants 16 Apr
✔️A Ghost in the Throat Feminism 3 May
✔️How I Became a Ghost Choctaw 12 Ju
✔️As Long as Grass Grows: The Indigenous Fight for Environmental Justice, from Colonization to Standing Rock Indigenous environmental activists 17 Jun
✔️Love After the End "Two-Spirit and queer Indigenous" 27 Jun
✔️An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States 11 jun

▪ Religions

✔️Fall from Pride Amish setting cultural 10 May

▪

@carmen — I’M LOVING THE QUOTES YOU’RE ADDING TO THE WELCOMES! for now i’m just snatching up the books listed for my massive ‘to read’ list. B)

Please sign me up for 3 books

April

representation Asian Claudia Kishi is one of the main characters

May

June

Updated Msg #5

I've decided to opt out of this one. I suddenly have too many other things going on this month.

Love this! I am in!

Will read 5 books within the challenge - not sure what yet but excited to choose!

CELEBRATING DIVERSITY
Duration: April 1 – June 30, 2022

Progress: 15/15

Read books which include:
▪ A festival, holiday or celebration specific to a certain location, religion, culture or cause
▪ A "foreign" food in the title or cover, such as enchiladas, crepes, ziti, etc., regardless of setting
▪ A loanword in the title or text, such as cafe (French), key (Spanish), glitch (Yiddish), school (Dutch), etc.
✔️ Evidence of the Affair
**Evidence from french word evidentia**

Read books with characters who have:
▪ A physical disability or impairment
▪ A mental or emotional disorder
✔️ She Is Me, Too
**Dissociative Identity Disorder**
✔️ Tell Me the Truth
**Obssesive Compulsive Disorder**
✔️ Heartstopper: Volume Three
✔️ Heartstopper: Volume Four
**Eating Disorder and Self Harm**
▪ A neurodivergent condition

Read books featuring a variety of:
▪ Sexualities
✔️ Aces Wild: A Heist
**Asexualities**
✔️ In the Shadow of a Wish
**sexualities**
✔️ The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
**LGBTQ+**
✔️Heartstopper: Volume One
✔️ Heartstopper: Volume Two
**LGBTQ+**
▪ Genders
✔️ My Mechanical Romance
**Gender Inequality**
▪ Races (including multi-racial or mixed heritage)
✔️ Legendborn
**Kinda feature Races**
▪ Aboriginal, Native and Indigenous peoples
▪ Religions
▪ Geographic locations
(JAPAN): ✔️ The Travelling Cat Chronicles
(SUNSHINE FALLS) ✔️ Book Lovers
✔️ The Book of Cold Cases

A big WELCOME to: Rachel, Almeta, AurorainBookland, Courtney, and Christene Paula!!!!! 🤗

@hannah, you're very welcome to join us whenever you want! 😉

@Sunny, sorry you decided to opt out. I remind you that this is a quarterly challenge, so you have until June 30. I'm going to count you in...maybe next month or the next you have more time 😊

“Highly sensitive people are too often perceived as weaklings or damaged goods. To feel intensely is not a symptom of weakness, it is the trademark of the truly alive and compassionate. It is not the empath who is broken, it is society that has become dysfunctional and emotionally disabled. There is no shame in expressing your authentic feelings. Those who are at times described as being a 'hot mess' or having 'too many issues' are the very fabric of what keeps the dream alive for a more caring, humane world. Never be ashamed to let your tears shine a light in this world.”
― Anthon St. Maarten

Almeta wrote: "CELEBRATING DIVERSITY
Duration: April 1 – June 30, 2022

This just happens to coincide with my yearly theme! I WANT IN FOR ⚄Expert: >20 books
0/20

These are not meant as specific prompts...

Read ..."
Hola, Almeta!👋
A little observation: you need to read at least 21 books for Expert level 😉

Update to msg #3

PROGRESS: 1/55

I started the celebration traveling to New York 🗽
New York, Actually (☆☆☆☆)

I will sign up for 1/5 books

CELEBRATING DIVERSITY
Duration: April 1 – June 30, 2022

1. Paperboy - Vince Vawter main character stutters 4/11 - 16

Rather than reading diverse authors like in our Diversity In Reading yearly challenge, in this quarterly challenge, we will seek diverse representation among the characters, titles and text of our books.

You may want to read about people similar to yourself, or learn about traditions in your ancestors' homelands. Alternately, you might wish to learn about all sorts of people and traditions and places which are unfamiliar. Choose one or a few, or mix it up as you want. It's your celebration!

The suggestions below are guidelines, not prompts. Each book may only count once, even if contains multiple types of representation. To join, let the challenge leader know how many diverse books you plan to read this quarter.

Read books which include:
▪ A festival, holiday or celebration specific to a certain location, religion, culture or cause
▪ A "foreign" food in the title or cover, such as enchiladas, crepes, ziti, etc., regardless of setting
▪ A loanword in the title or text, such as cafe (French), key (Spanish), glitch (Yiddish), school (Dutch), etc.

Read books with characters who have:
▪ A physical disability or impairment
▪ A mental or emotional disorder
▪ A neurodivergent condition

Read books featuring a variety of:
▪ Sexualities
▪ Genders
▪ Races (including multi-racial or mixed heritage)
▪ Aboriginal, Native and Indigenous peoples
▪ Religions
▪ Geographic locations

Carmen wrote: "Almeta wrote: "CELEBRATING DIVERSITY
Duration: April 1 – Jun......
Hola, Almeta!👋
A little observation: you need to read at least 21 books for Expert level 😉..."

Ah ha. I will change my message. Thanks.

@Carmen

Thanks for having my back. 😊 My brain has apparently gone on vacation when it comes to keeping up with my challenges. And not only that, I've just started a book that might fit the challenge. 😵

I will eventually report in with something.

Cindy III wrote: "I will sign up for 5 books

CELEBRATING DIVERSITY
Duration: April 1 – June 30, 2022

Rather than reading diverse authors like in our Diversity In Reading yearly challenge, in this quarterly challen..."

Welcome! 🤗

“It is never too late to give up your prejudices”
― Henry David Thoreau

Almeta wrote: "Carmen wrote: "Almeta wrote: "CELEBRATING DIVERSITY
Duration: April 1 – Jun......
Hola, Almeta!👋
A little observation: you need to read at least 21 books for Expert level 😉..."

Ah ha. I will chang..."
Goal updated! 👍

Sunny wrote: "@Carmen

Thanks for having my back. 😊 My brain has apparently gone on vacation when it comes to keeping up with my challenges. And not only that, I've just started a book that might fit the challen..."

My pleasure, Sunny!
It's easy to find books for this challenge, only with the "geographic locations" you have ample scope... 🤔 🌍🌎🌏

Quarterly Challenge

Duration: April 1 - June 30, 2022



In this quarterly challenge, we will seek diverse representation among the characters, titles and text of our books. You may want to read about people similar to yourself, or learn about traditions in your ancestors' homelands. Alternately, you might wish to learn about all sorts of people and traditions and places which are unfamiliar. Choose one or a few, or mix it up as you want. It's your celebration!

GOAL: 20/20

✘ 1. Roots -- Geographic Locations -- Ireland
✘ 2. CREMA -- sexualities -- LGBT
✘ 3. Lost On Planet Earth sexualities -- LGBT
✘ 4. Percy Jackson and the Stolen Chariot Greek Mythology
✘ 5. The Sea of Monsters: The Graphic Novel Greek Mythology
✘ 6. Identical Mental Health/Mental Illness
✘ 7. Rough Draft: A Memoir politics
✘ 8. Activist: A Story of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Shooting Social issues
✘ 9. Ten Days in a Mad-HouseMental Health/Mental Illness
✘ 10. The Titan's Curse Greek Mythology
✘ 11. Check, Please! Book 2: Sticks & Scones sexualities -- LGBT
✘ 12.The Lehman Trilogy politics
✘ 13. Greenlightsphilosophy
✘ 14. Tricks Mental Health/Mental Illness
✘ 15. The Tea Dragon Society sexualities -- LGBT
✘ 16. The Tea Dragon Festival sexualities -- LGBT
✘ 17. The Tea Dragon Tapestrysexualities -- LGBT
✘ 18. Cheer Up: Love and Pompomssexualities -- LGBT
✘ 19. The Unbreakable Boy: A Father's Fear, a Son's Courage, and a Story of Unconditional Love Neurodiversity
✘ 20. The Stonewall Riots: The History and Legacy of the Protests that Helped Spark the Modern Gay Rights Movement sexualities -- LGBT

I will sign up for 5 books.

Lindsey and AnneMarie: WELCOME!! 🤗

“Strength lies in differences, not in similarities”
― Stephen R. Covey

@Lindsey: I love your pinboard 😍

Update to msg #3

PROGRESS: 2/55

This time the celebration took me to Canada around Thanksgiving time 🇨🇦🦃
Still Life (☆☆☆☆)

Updated msg 4

Bisexual and Lesbian characters

Just completed Written in the Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur. This was an utter delight! I loved the characters, the setting, the plot - everything! The writing is straight-forward without gaping holes in either plot or dialogue. I loved the representation! And I actually cared enough about the characters to shed a few tears. Definitely worth reading! 5 stars

1/15

Megan wrote: "Updated msg 4

Bisexual and Lesbian characters

Just completed Written in the Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur. This was an utter delight! I loved the characters, the setting, the plo..."

Fantastic, Megan! It's wonderful when a book makes us tick in all the right places! ❤️

Update msg #24

Progress: 1/15

▪ A mental or emotional disorder
She Is Me, Too by T.M. Shivener
A must read if your into psychological thriller! The MC in this story is diagnose with "Dissociative Identity Disorder" or multiple personality. Its a bit dark so brace yourself and enjoy the book.

Christene Paula wrote: "Update msg #24

Progress: 1/15

▪ A mental or emotional disorder
She Is Me, Too by T.M. Shivener
A must read if your into psychological thriller! The MC in this st..." 👍
Thanks for the tip Christene! I added it to my TBR list 😅

Please sign me up for 9 books this quarter.

Welcome, Janine! 🤗

“All the diversity, all the charm, and all the beauty of life are made up of light and shade.”
― Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina

Carmen wrote: "I love tempting you to participate, oshizu! Welcome! 🤗
I hope you earn your "proficient" badge without breaking a sweat 😅
“Read. Read. Read. Just don't read one type of book. Read different books by various authors so that you develop different style.”
― R.L. Stine"
Carmen, I hope so, too!
In Q1, I tried to focus on reading non-fiction about nature and the envionment.
In Q2, my focus will be on diversity. <3
Thank you always for your encouragement and enthusiasm. 🧡

Update to msg #3

PROGRESS: 3/55

Midsummer Eve on an island in the Gulf of Finland 🌞🇫🇮
The Summer Book (☆☆☆☆☆)

Tove Jansson was born and died in Helsinki, Finland. As a Finnish citizen whose mother tongue was Swedish, she was part of the Swedish-speaking Finns minority. Thus, all her books were originally written in Swedish.

2022 Reading Challenge
Q2 - Celebrating Diversity
Duration: April 1 – June 30, 2022

Progress: 10 out of 10

Rather than reading diverse authors like in our Diversity In Reading yearly challenge, in this quarterly challenge, we will seek diverse representation among the characters, titles and text of our books.

You may want to read about people similar to yourself, or learn about traditions in your ancestors' homelands. Alternately, you might wish to learn about all sorts of people and traditions and places which are unfamiliar. Choose one or a few, or mix it up as you want. It's your celebration!

The suggestions below are guidelines, not prompts. Each book may only count once, even if contains multiple types of representation. To join, let the challenge leader know how many diverse books you plan to read this quarter.

Read books with characters who have:
▪ A neurodivergent condition
1. The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick - ***** - 6/15/2022 - 304 Pages
2. Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy - ***** - 6/11/2022 - 258 Pages - Mirror Touch Synesthesia
3. Our House Is on Fire: Scenes of a Family and a Planet in Crisis by Malena Ernman - *** - 8/22/2022 - 288 Pages - Aspergers, ADHD


Read books featuring a variety of:
▪ Sexualities
4. We Are Never Meeting in Real Life. by Samantha Irby - ***** - 5/15/2022 - 288 Pages
5. The Girl from the Sea by Molly Knox Ostertag - ***** - 5/17/2022 - 247 Pages
6. Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston - ***** - 6/17/2022 - 448 Pages
7. The Rainbow Comes and Goes: A Mother and Son on Life, Love, and Loss by Anderson Cooper - ***** - 6/11/2022 - 290 Pages


▪ Genders
8. A Queer and Pleasant Danger: The True Story of a Nice Jewish Boy Who Joins the Church of Scientology and Leaves Twelve Years Later to Become the Lovely Lady She is Today by Kate Bornstein - **** - 6/26/2022 - 258 Pages
9. Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult - ***** - 4/24/2023 - 464 Pages
10. As Nature Made Him: The Boy Who Was Raised as a Girl by John Colapinto - ***** - 10/11/2023 - 289 Pages

Welcome, Suzanne! 🤗

“Our ability to reach unity in diversity will be the beauty and the test of our civilization.”
― Mahatma Gandhi

Update to msg #3

PROGRESS: 4/55

Caste system in Indian diaspora (Mauritius) 🥻🇲🇺
Blue Bay Palace (☆☆☆)

Updated msg #9: 1/18

My first step!
✔️1. Globetrotting (Poland): Flights (#wit)

oshizu wrote: "Updated msg #9: 1/18

My first step!
✔️1. Globetrotting (Poland): Flights (#wit)"👍

Way to go, oshizu!