Hiya everyone! Tuesday's always come around quick and this week's topic for TTT is a good'un! Books that celebrate diversity/diverse characters, I seem to find these books even more enjoyable. I mean it's because they're so diverse and different that I love them, they make me smile and they seem to be the books that have a greater understanding of the reader. So here are my choices...I probably got a bit carried away with these and some of you may not consider them diverse but there we go haha
One of my favourite books ever, and Levithan one of my favourite authors. This brings up the question I guess as to how to define love, is it between two people who are straight/gay/bisexual/transexual? Well to me and this book, love doesn't need to be defined to a certain type of person or limited as to how they look. We meet "A" who falls in love with Rhiannon a girl with a horrible boyfriend, but "A" not defined as a boy or girl brings much consideration to this novel. It's such a wonderful, comforting read.
I actually want to read this book at some point as Ness is such a brilliant author. This book explores the question as to whether there is an afterlife or not, is there actually anything after death? We meet Seth and he's currently dying and he wakes up in front of the house where his family used to live and from then on he is faced with powerful memories. Don't let this rather morbid topic deter you from reading this book, as it's so cleverly written I promise it won't disappoint!
Probably my favourite John Green novel, it's hilarious, cute and just pure brilliance I couldn't put it down and would happily read it again and again...
Two boys with the exact same name but leading very different lives. Everyone's favourite character the massive and fabulous Tiny Cooper, who embraces his sexuality and cracks you up each time he opens his mouth!
Don Tillman, one of my favourite characters ever. Don is very much the guy who likes everything just so, he has the same meals on the same night every week and with everyone he meets he calculates their BMI. Somewhat a little aggravating at times but this man has an absolute heart of gold, even if he does say before he thinks! Don is autistic and there are many moments where you want to laugh but you also realise that it's actually a bit serious too. Nonetheless, I loved this book and the character of Don is Sheldon Cooper's (The Big Bang Theory) twin in my eyes!
I think I could talk about this book all day long to be honest, this novel is a real heart-warmer! We meet Liesel Merminger and her adoptive family during the Second World War, who hide a Jewish man (Max) from being segregated into a concentration camp under Hitler's regime. Although Liesel doesn't understand why this is as he's just like anyone else, she knows she must keep Max a secret. Narrated by death, this really is a powerful book and it's so cleverly written!
I read this book a long while ago and it's a book I must re-read soon! It tells the dramatic and at times heartbreaking story of families who are striving towards a better life in one of the twenty-first century's great, unequal cities- Mumbai. It conveys the age of global change and inequality amongst the human race. It really is an eye-opening read and I recommend it to anyone!
One of my favourite reads of a country steeped in history. This book spans a period of over 40 years (1960s-2003) a time before and during the Taliban rule. It followers the relationship of Mariam and Laila, two Afghan women who lead different lives that soon become intertwined by one man they both share.
I'm returning to Levithan because he's brilliant, obviously. This book follows two boys who are going to break a Guinness World Record- can you guess what it is? These boys become the focal point in the lives of other boys who are dealing with languishing long-term relationships, coming out, gender identity, getting into a line of gay hookup sites.
It's a great read, what do you expect from a Levithan book?!
I'm sure many of you have read this book, and I guess I can't give too much away otherwise it spoils the whole book. Let's just say we meet Charlie, a freshman and he's not quite like everyone else around him, incredibly shy and intelligent. His new friends bring him out of his shell, all the while he's writing letters to someone of what has happened. A coming of age novel, a rollercoaster called growing up! A good book, but when you realise Charlie's demons its rather moving and you just want to give him a hug.
A classic from Rowell, Eleanor & Park. Two different teenagers who meet on a bus and discover they have a lot in common despite Eleanor being a large girl with bright red hair and living in a small house with her Mum, two younger siblings and a not so lovely step-dad. Scrimping and scraping for something to eat and hand me down clothes, Eleanor is unhappy...until she meets Park. Park a lanky boy that comes from a well to do family with everything he could wish for, but meeting Eleanor he see's what's on the inside rather than the out.
Hugely romantic, I couldn't put this down- Rowell is a brilliant novelist!
There we have it everyone, these are my top ten books that celebrate diversity/diverse characters. Tell me yours in the comments below and be sure to leave the link to your post, I love stopping by your blogs to see what you've picked. Have a great day :-)
