25.8 - Catherine T's task: Diverse Reading

[Meghan]

Would Téa Obreht work?

From her bio:
Téa Obreht was born in 1985 in the former Yugoslavia, and spent her childhood in Cyprus and Egypt before eventually immigrating to the United States in 1997.

[Megan]

If the book is in translation, does the translator need to be ethnically diverse? Or is just the original author okay?

For example, The Gift

[Cat]

Meghanly wrote: "Would Téa Obreht work?

From her bio:
Téa Obreht was born in 1985 in the former Yugoslavia, and spent her childhood in Cyprus and Egypt before eventually immigrating to the Unite..."

sorry, no. European (white) ethnic origins are not permitted

[Nicole]

I looked at Middle East and noticed you didn't have Turkey but does it still count? Thanks!

[Cat]

Nicole wrote: "I looked at Middle East and noticed you didn't have Turkey but does it still count? Thanks!"

knew there were countries missing. I will get Turkey added to the Middle-Eastern grouping

[Cat]

Megan wrote: "If the book is in translation, does the translator need to be ethnically diverse? Or is just the original author okay?

For example, The Gift"

In order to facilitate this task, translators are not considered to be a dual / ghost author, so do not have to be ethnically diverse too.

[BellaGBear]

Hey, so this two would be good if I understand correctly:
Long Walk to Freedom
Battle Royale

[Cat]

Bellagbear wrote: "Hey, so this two would be good if I understand correctly:
Long Walk to Freedom
Battle Royale"

Absolutely, assuming both books are new to you, and one of the authors is new to you

[Nicole]

I was inundated with recommendations from my friends! I haven't checked to make sure they all qualify, but this list might be useful to those still searching:

http://blavity.com/22-books-by-black-...

I was wondering if I can get the following two approved:

Zenzele: A Letter for My Daughter
The Women of Brewster Place

[Cat]

Nicole wrote: "I was inundated with recommendations from my friends! I haven't checked to make sure they all qualify, but this list might be useful to those still searching:

http://blavity.com/22-books-by-black-..."

approved. and thanks for the link!

[JennRenee, Moderator]

these two I would like to use...The Girl from the Well phillipines author and
Written in the Stars this one shows on amazon that she is pakistani american. http://www.amazon.com/Aisha-Saeed/e/B...

[Donna Jo]

Catherine wrote: "Nicole wrote: "I was inundated with recommendations from my friends! I haven't checked to make sure they all qualify, but this list might be useful to those still searching:

http://blavity.com/22-..."

Thanks for this list. It helped enormously.

[Cat]

JennRenee wrote: "these two I would like to use...The Girl from the Well phillipines author and
Written in the Stars this one shows on amazon that she is pakistani american. http://w..."

both work (subject to the new-to-you qualifiers applying :-) )

[Melanie]

Great!

I would like to do:

Book 1: Monkey Beach by Eden Robinson. She is new to me and is a member of the Haisla and Heiltsuk First Nations (BC, Canada).

Book 2: Mr. Fox by Helen Oyeyemi. She is new to me and has already been approved as a British author but born in Nigeria.

[Cat]

Melanie wrote: "Great!

I would like to do:

Book 1: Monkey Beach by Eden Robinson. She is new to me and is a member of the Haisla and Heiltsuk First Nations (BC, Canada).

Book 2: ..."

perfect. enjoy!

[MJ]

Can I suggest N.K. Jemisin for anyone still looking for suggestions? She's an African American woman who writes high fantasy that's not inspired by your typical medieval Europe sources. And she has several books, so if you like her style you've got a good amount to read :-)

[Nikki]

Just wondering if Albert Camus would work. Hes from Algeria (Africa) but your approval for Africa seems to be based on skin colour and I don't think he's black. Thanks

(they refer to him as french-algerian because Algeria was a French Colony while Camus was alive)

[Cat]

Nikki wrote: "Just wondering if Albert Camus would work. Hes from Algeria (Africa) but your approval for Africa seems to be based on skin colour and I don't think he's black. Thanks

(they refer ..."

as per the task rules, Albert Camus does NOT qualify, not being black
" ** African - authors who have origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa."

[Teri-K]

I've checked the lists and it looks like authors from Cuba and Israel won't work. Is that right? Cuba isn't on the lists of Caribbean Basin countries I googled. But I wanted to double check.

[Cat]

Teri-k wrote: "I've checked the lists and it looks like authors from Cuba and Israel won't work. Is that right? Cuba isn't on the lists of Caribbean Basin countries I googled. But I wanted to double check."

Trusty wikipedia has Cuba on the list: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caribbe...

Israel, sadly, not on the list. An oversight only, but the task is now set in stone, so I can't let them in. sorry!

[Catie]

Catherine wrote: "Teri-k wrote: "I've checked the lists and it looks like authors from Cuba and Israel won't work. Is that right? Cuba isn't on the lists of Caribbean Basin countries I googled. But I wanted to doubl..."

Does Israel not come under the heading of "middle east"? In post 49 you said Lebanon was acceptable, as it's in the middle east...

[Teri-K]

Catherine wrote: "Trusty wikipedia has Cuba on the list: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caribbe...
"

Awesome! It seemed to me that Cuba should work, but like I said the two lists I checked on Caribbean Basin countries left it off. For political reasons, I think.

I can live with one in and one out. :)

Thanks.

[Donna Jo]

I'm wondering if Till the Well Runs Dry fits: It's set mostly in Trinidad and US. GR doesn't have much on the author, but here is a link:
http://www.victoriasanders.com/lauren...

[Cat]

Donna Jo wrote: "I'm wondering if Till the Well Runs Dry fits: It's set mostly in Trinidad and US. GR doesn't have much on the author, but here is a link:
http://www.victoriasanders.com/lauren......"

include that link when you post: approved

[Shan ~A~]

Was Nalini Singh ever given a yay or nay?
Saw someone ask in post 20, but I didn't see a reply.


Thanks!

[Cat]

Shan wrote: "Was Nalini Singh ever given a yay or nay?
Saw someone ask in post 20, but I didn't see a reply.


Thanks!"

Was a yay.

[Sarah]

I'm thinking about reading Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs for one of the two books (new to me book and author).

The GR bio says both her parents were mulatto slaves - mulatto is defined on wikipedia as:

A term originally used to refer to a person who is born from one black parent and one white parent; more broadly, it refers to a person of mixed white (European) and black (African) ancestry in any proportion

Will that work for African ancestry?

[Cat]

Sarah wrote: "I'm thinking about reading Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs for one of the two books (new to me book and author).

The GR bio says both her par..."

that'll work

[Sarah]

Thank you.

[Tara]

Looking for verification on what can be used to confirm author's ethnicity.

I'm hoping to use:
by Jenny Han
Per Wikipedia she is Korean American and

by Aziz Ansari
Per Wikipedia, "Aziz Ansari was born in Columbia, South Carolina, to a Tamil Muslim family from Tamil Nadu, India."

Do these two references work to establish ethnicity? Thank you in advance!

[Donna Jo]

Catherine T, thanks for this task. I loved the two books I read for this, plus discovered several others that would have worked.

[Cat]

Donna Jo wrote: "Catherine T, thanks for this task. I loved the two books I read for this, plus discovered several others that would have worked."

great! I am glad! I enjoyed mine too :)

[Cat]

Tara Jo wrote: "Looking for verification on what can be used to confirm author's ethnicity.

I'm hoping to use:
by Jenny Han
Per Wikipedia s..."

those references will work. Enjoy!

[Wanda]

I was wondering if this author would qualify-Mia Couto for Africa or even Latin America. His book that I have chosenConfession of the Lionessis set in Mozambique and the characters are all native Africans.

[Melissa]

Slowly working my way through Between the World and Me - amazing writing from Ta-Nehisi Coates. Definitely recommend if you're looking for something more essay-like to read.

[MiA]

Would these choices work for the task?

- A Hebrew Woman at Heart/في قلبي أنثى عبرية by Khoula Hamdi/خولة حمدي. The author is Tunisian and the book is set between Tunisia and Lebanon.

- Snowflower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See. The author is a Chinese-American and the book is set in China.

[Cat]

Marwa wrote: "Would these choices work for the task?

- A Hebrew Woman at Heart/في قلبي أنثى عبرية by Khoula Hamdi/خولة حمدي. The author is Tunisian and the book is set between T..."

Tunisia is in the Mahgreb, so both are OK - enjoy

[Cat]

Wanda wrote: "I was wondering if this author would qualify-Mia Couto for Africa or even Latin America. His book that I have chosenConfession of the Lionessis set in Mozambique and..."

Hi Wanda, sorry for overlooking you.
Looking into Mia Couto his origins are Portuguese, so despite his characters and Latin-American awards, he doesn't fit the categories and so isn't covered in the scope of the task :(

[Categories that might've applied, but don't, are defined as:
** African - authors who have origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa.
** Hispanic/Latin - authors who have origins of Hispanic/Latin heritage, defined as the the following regions: Mexico, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean Basin]

[Lagullande]

Hi Catherine

Please could you advise whether Keri Hulme (The Bone People) will work for this task? Her Wiki page says that she is of English, Scottish, and Māori (Kai Tahu) descent.

Many thanks.

[Cat]

Lagullande wrote: "Hi Catherine

Please could you advise whether Keri Hulme (The Bone People) will work for this task? Her Wiki page says that she is of English, Scottish, and Māori (Kai Tahu) descent.
..."

Include that line & quote when you post, and she's approved

[Book Concierge]

Catherine - I just realized you never responded to my question here: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

I'm finishing my current book ahead of schedule and could squeeze this one in before deadline if it works. (Or I could start a 500+ book for next season's challenge)

[Cat]

Book Concierge wrote: "Catherine - I just realized you never responded to my question here: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

I'm finishing my current book ..."

oops! sorry.

The links you sent don't make it clear that he's Mexican, but I found this article: http://www.villagevoice.com/arts/qand...
where he talks about "It brought on this kind of memory of my Latin roots, but more than anything it was my last name, Zambrano. I started seeing it everywhere in Spain, and I thought, “Are we Spanish? Are my ancestors from Spain?” My mother’s maiden name is Aguirre and that is also a Spanish name. So that got me really interested, and then it all made sense. I am kind of a light-skinned Mexican, but I am a full-blooded Mexican. Growing up, sometimes people would think I was Italian because my name was Mario. I would tell them “No, I am Mexican,” "

so happy to approve it - enjoy!

[Book Concierge]

Catherine wrote: "Book Concierge wrote: "Catherine - I just realized you never responded to my question here: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

I'm fin..."

Thanks for doing that extra research!
I also found a back-up book by an African American author (where there is NO question it fits the challenge)