One of the Reasons I Stopped Going To Your Book Club is that there is no diversity in the books chosen … “diversity in the true sense of the word is what really sparks those fantastic discussions at book clubs. What is more fascinating than discussing how different we all are?” So, as a follow up to that article, here are 4 Reading Recommendations To Add Diversity to Your Book Club Reads.
Parable of the Talents (Earthseed #2), Octavia Butler
This is bound to spark a lot of debate with the similarities of the dystopian times mentioned in the book – and the fears many people have as we change presidency in the U.S. It’s the 2nd book in the Earthseed series, but you don’t need to read the 1st one to follow along.
Convinced that her community should colonize the stars, Lauren and her followers make preparations. But the collapse of society and rise of fanatics result in Lauren’s followers being enslaved, and her daughter stolen from her. Now, Lauren must fight back to save the new world order.
[Buy Parable of the Talents @ Amazon]
Mr. Loverman, Bernadine Evaristo
Just read the summary and then be prepared for rich descriptions, to both love and hate Barry and to get a ton of feels from this book. It perfectly captures an element of the Caribbean lifestyle that many may not be familiar with and is sure to generate lots of discussion.
Seventy-four years old, Antiguan born and bred, flamboyant Hackney personality Barry is known for his dapper taste and fondness for retro suits. He is a husband, father and grandfather. And for the past sixty years, he has been in a relationship with his childhood friend and soulmate, Morris.
The Marriage Bureau for Rich People, Farahad Zama
This is a light, fun, interesting book about a process that many of us don’t know much about – arranged marriages.
What does an Indian man with a wealth of common sense do when his retirement becomes too monotonous for him to stand? Open a marriage bureau of course!
[Buy The Marriage Bureau for Rich People @ Amazon]
Ghost Summer, Tananarive Due
Because most book clubs tend to stick to literary fiction, branch out with a book of short stories.
In her debut collection of short fiction, Due takes us to Gracetown, a small Florida town that has both literal and figurative ghost; into future scenarios that seem all too real; and provides empathetic portraits of those whose lives are touched by Otherness.
Have you read any of these books? Which book would you add to the list?
// Comments //
Maureen
Great choices! The Illegal by Lawrence Hill is a great book.
Holly @ Nut Free Nerd
Ooh Parable of the Talents sounds really good! I love a good sci-fi/dystopian novel, so I’ll definitely have to check it out.
Sarah's Book Shelves
That Marriage Bureau book sounds fascinating!
Tanya Patrice
It’s such a fun read!