10 Books to Diversify Your Reading Challenge

Sometimes, I'll look at the books I'm reading and think Wow! These are really bland! Not in content (I've personally never found a book I didn't enjoy reading) but rather, in diversity. It's just not realistic in today's world to have a book that's only cisgender, white, straight, or able-bodied.

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'Surviving and Thriving with an Invisible Chronic Illness': Ilana Jacqueline

Most self-help books I read involving chronic illness aren't actually written by chronically ill people or even doctors who treat us. Thus, much of the language within these self-help books is condescending and frustrated, often suggesting things like eating healthy or yoga to cure or beat a chronic illness. Ilana, a chronic illness patient herself, wrote Surviving and Thriving with an Invisible Chronic Illness with the idea in mind that chronic illnesses are just that: chronic. She wrote this knowing it wasn't curable, and sometimes, it's just not feasible to eat a salad. Rather, her book focuses on self-love, self-care, and being your own advocate while staying ahead of your symptoms. Jacqueline's book is realistic and gentle, showing her understanding of what it's like being a chronic illness patient.

Genre: Nonfiction, Self-help

Diversity: Disability, female author

Release Year: 2018

Buy Surviving and Thriving With a Chronic Illness here

'Purple Hibiscus': Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Adichie is a captivating author who has also written Half a Yellow Sun, We Should All Be Feminists and many other books. Purple Hibiscus is about 600 pages long, and every page is worth it. Adichie captivates the reader through literary elements and discussing the war-torn Nigeria the narrator, a 15-year-old girl, and her family lives in. She narrates the story of living under her father's abuse, her falling in love with a Nigerian priest, and her relationship with Catholicism and colonialism. I don't want to give away too much, but it's a heart-wrenching novel that I recommend to everyone looking for a good book to read.

Genre: Nonfiction

Diversity: Black, female, Abuse

Release Year: 2003

Buy Purple Hibiscus here

'Simon vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda': Becky Albertalli

You may have heard of the movie Love, Simon, but did you know there was a book first? The book, Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda is just as cute, interesting, and gay as the movie. You learn more about Simon and his feelings, and get a more in-depth look at him and his feelings about his sexuality.

Genre: Young Adult Fiction

Diversity: LGBTQ+, Gay narrator, Female author

Release year: 2015

Buy Love, Simon here

'If I Was Your Girl': Meredith Russo

There are very few books about the trans experience, especially young trans girls. Most books that focus on trans women tend to focus on fetishizing older trans women or treat them as horrific. Russo doesn't do this, however. If I Was Your Girl explores Amanda's first love and dealing with the cost of transphobia at her new school. This book is a Stonewall Book award winner and for a very good reason. This novel treats the trans experience with dignity and is through Amanda's eyes, nobody else's. It is heartfelt and feels true-to-life.

Genre: Young Adult Nonfiction

Diversity: LGBTQ, Trans female narrator, Female author

Release Year: 2016

Buy If I Was Your Girl here

'Depression and Other Magic Tricks': Sabrina Benaim

Depression and Other Magic Tricks is a Button Poetry collection of poems. It's one of those books I approached tentatively—how would Benaim's poetry translate off-stage? The answer is, brilliantly. Her poetry flows just as wonderfully and effortlessly on paper as it does on stage and captures her mental health story elegantly. It's a quick read, but one you'll be thinking about for a long time.

Genre: Poetry, Young Adult Nonfiction

Diversity: Mental health, female author

Release Year: 2017

Buy Depression and Other Magic Tricks here

'Annie on My Mind': Nancy Garden

Annie on My Mind is an LGBTQ+ classic. It gives lesbian teens the easy-to-digest heartthrob story their straight counterparts had hundreds of. That being said, it is perfect for adult readers also with the themes of love and acceptance that many adults still find difficult to grasp.

Genre: Young Adult Fiction

Diversity: Lesbian Narrator, Female writer

Release Year: 2007

Buy Annie on my Mindhere

'Dragonslippers: This is What an Abusive Relationship Looks Like': Rosalind B. Penfold

This book, recommended to me by my friend, is absolutely amazing. It's Rosalind's story of her abusive relationship as a young woman, and so much of it touched my heart as a fellow abuse survivor. It feels textbook in its portrayal of abuse, but that's not bad—if anything, that makes it feel so much more real.

Genre: Comic Book, Autobiography

Diversity: Abuse, PTSD, Female writer

Release Year: 2006

Buy Dragonslippershere

'Turtles All the Way Down': John Green

Green is known for his diversity in his books, but featuring mental health in his latest book, Turtles All the Way Down brought the focus into the spotlight. Green took from his own experiences with OCD to write the mystery novel. It's thrilling and real in its depiction.

Genre: Mystery, Young Adult Fiction

Diversity: Female narrator, Mental Health

Release Year: 2017

Buy Turtles All the Way Down here

'Beautiful Music for Ugly Children': Kirstin Cronn-Mills

Beautiful Music for Ugly Children is another book that has received the Stonewall Book Award, and for a very good reason. It's sharp and grungy, it's about a guy who's cool and uncool at the same time. Gabe lives two lives—he's the radio host of 90.3 KZUK and he's transgender, not out at school until outed. It's about Gabe's journey in high school and his life, both his "side a"—Elizabeth, and his "side b"—Gabe.

Genre: Young Adult Fiction

Diversity: Transgender Narrator, Female author

Release Year: 2012

Buy Beautiful Music for Ugly Children here

'The Alchemist': Paulo Coelho

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho was a book I picked up for English class the summer of my senior year of high school and I have carried it with me since. It's a quick, poolside read, perfect for the summer, yet is fable-like and magical.

Genre: Fantasy, Self Help

Diversity: Religious diversity, Cross-cultural references

Release Year: 2014

Buy The Alchemist here