Around the Year in 52 Books discussion
Weekly Topics 2018
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8: An "own voices" book
Does anyone know why Everything, Everything is considered same voice?
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I'm not sure that Everything, Everything is. The Sun Is Also a Star is "own voice" because it's about immigrant teens and Nicola Yoon is Jamaican American.
^Nicola is the daughter of Jamaican immigrants. I'd count it.
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Is that a requirement for "own voices"? Not just diversity with the author, but characters who represent that diversity?
" The #OwnVoices movement originated as a hashtag, started by Corinne Duyvis. Duyvis is an own voices author of OTHERBOUND and THE EDGE OF GONE. Duyvis started the hashtag with children’s literature in mind, but the hashtag has expanded by its users to include all literature or publishing. The hashtag #OwnVoices is meant to showcase works that are created by authors/illustrators who share the identity of their characters, such as a book with a d/Deaf protagonist written by a d/Deaf author."from THIS ARTICLE
Emily wrote: "Do you know how Everything, Everything would fit though? I don’t remember race being an issue in that book. Definitely in The Sun is Also a Star though.Is that a requirement for "own voices"? Not..."
Just the author matching the character albeit via race, ethnicity, mental illness, etc. If they'd be considered a marginalized group member, the book would count.
Laura wrote: "An own voice novel is a book about marginalized protagonists (by ethnic group, religion, sexual orientation, mental illness, etc) written by an author who shares that same identity. -------------..."
I think Laura's definition in the first post sums it up nicely.
Would a book written by someone telling their story of being healthy to disabled and living life to the fullest fit this category? Im looking at Stand Tough
by B. Neil Brown
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I'm reading the Book of the Month for this week:The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
I've heard that the book is excellent so I'm excited to read it.
Kathy wrote: "I'm reading the Book of the Month for this week:The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
I've heard that the book is excellent so I'm excited to read it."
I hope you enjoy it, Kathy! It was one of my favorite reads from last year.
I read Love, Hate & Other Filters by Samira Ahmed for this category and enjoyed it. I thought the author's perspective and experiences really brought a lot of life to the characters and story.
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I'm read the first two of the Aya series and really liked them! I've been on the first place of the hold at the library for the 3rd book for two months now, I hope the person who had it before didn't lose it because I'm not sure my library would purchase it again! O_o
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I'm not sure my library has the rest of the series, but it might be a while before I get around to them, so maybe by then? Fingers crossed!
- What are you reading for this category? We Are Okay by Nina LaCour
- Which marginalized group is the focus/background of the book?
LGBT
- Did you think it made a difference that the author is a member of the group?
Most likely
American Street is so good, Chrissy. I hope you enjoy it!
I am slogging thru The Heart of Everything That Is: The Untold Story of Red Cloud, An American Legend because I need to read it for book club this year sometime. But it is definitely a one chapter a day book. In a way I am learning a lot and enjoying it. It is not written completely by a Native American, but the research was done by the family of Red Cloud and the peoples of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. It definitely shows an opposing look at Red Cloud. Nice change in viewpoint. I already read Esperanza Rising with Grands and we all loved it. Very inspiring and educational. One of these should fill the prompt.
All these books your having to slog through .... ugh 😑
- What are you reading for this category?I read George by Alex Gino
- Which marginalized group is the focus/background of the book?
Transgender people
- Did you think it made a difference that the author is a member of the group?
I definitely think having grown up feeling that your body doesn't match your identity would make a huge difference in the storytelling. I have not read any books about transgender people by non-transgender authors, so I can't say for sure, but I would think it would have to make a huge difference.
- What are you reading for this category?The Plague of Doves by Louise Erdrich
- Which marginalized group is the focus/background of the book?
Native Americans
- Did you think it made a difference that the author is a member of the group?
I haven’t started reading it yet, but will update later in the week.
I'm reading The Sun is also a Star by Nicola Yoon. The marginalized group is Jamaican Americans and probably also Korean Americans but the author is Jamaican herself. I think it made a difference that the author is Jamaican because I believe that only people who experience what it's like to be part of a certain group can really tell the story of what it's like. I'm really enjoying the book so far
I am reading We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy by Ta-Nehisi Coates
This book discusses Black American life and the Obama presidency. It would definitely lack any authenticity and authority if it weren't written by a member of that group.
I just read
! A quick read. My sister recommended it to me as my newborn niece has moderate hearing loss. The author is roughly the same age as I am so some of the references were great!
- What are you reading for this category? The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas- Which marginalized group is the focus/background of the book? African American
- Did you think it made a difference that the author is a member of the group? Yes
I picked American Street for this category. Ibi Zoboi is a Haitian immigrant writing about the experiences of a Haitian immigrant in Detroit. I started it this morning because I was waiting to finish last week's book, The Mysteries of Udolpho, but decided to read both simultaneously so that I did not fall behind.
Erika wrote: "I'm reading The Sun is also a Star by Nicola Yoon. The marginalized group is Jamaican Americans and probably also Korean Americans but the author is Jamaican herself. I think it made a difference t..."I’ve just started this book tonight for this prompt. Hoping it’s good. I loved the prologue about the Carl Sagan quote!! So that’s a good start lol
Would 'A Picture of Dorian Gray' fit this prompt?
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The Sun is Also a Star is a GREAT book for this topic!
Trying to decide would Aristotle and Dante work for this week
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I haven't read Dorian Gray, so I don't know if the main character is gay, but if he is, then you could use it, right? Since Oscar Wilde was gay?
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe would work because the author is gay and the main characters in the novel are gay (I think? I haven't read it yet.)
Edit: Assuming you meant Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe and not the authors Aristotle and Dante lol
I have just read Ten Days in a Mad-House by [author:Nellie Bly|4372012]
Nellie Bly was a journalist, who in 1887, had herself committed to the Mad House (lunatic asylum on Blackwell Island, America’s first municipal mental hospital) where she was treated as a lunatic , to expose the terrible conditions of the patients there
Which marginalized group is the focus/background of the book?
The mentally disturbed at that moment in time.
I'm currently reading Love Medicine which focuses on the Native American. Louise Erdrich like quite a few of the female characters is mixed. It helps to hear as an authentic a story as possible with the many nuances that an outsider may miss. Other options I have are : Stay with Me, The God of Small Things
Personally, I think the idea of “own voices” is to listen to a marginalized person share their experience through a fictional character. Dorian Gray isn’t about the experience of being gay in Victorian England, in my opinion, and Nellie Bly wasn’t mentally ill. But your challenge isn’t my challenge!
Chrissy wrote: "Personally, I think the idea of “own voices” is to listen to a marginalized person share their experience through a fictional character. Dorian Gray isn’t about the experience of being gay in Victo..."*an own voice novel is a book about marginalised protagonists (by ethnic group, religion, sexual orientation, mental illness, etc) written by an author who shares that same identity.
Nellie Bly shared the identity and conditions of the mentally ill for 10 days
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(I haven't read the book, but based on what I know about it...)
It was an artificial identity... that's like if I went live in the "ghetto" to see the living conditions of poor, marginalized people for 10 days and wrote about it. I'm not saying it wasn't a good book or a valid perspective, but I'd be hesitant to call it "own voices" unless she was legit locked up for having a real mental illness (not just doing it for the story).
It's totally your challenge and your call! I just wouldn't count it for my own challenge.
I'm having trouble deciding on a book. My short list includes The Kite Runner, Legend, Ms. Marvel, The Wrath and the Dawn. I've seen on at least two listopia's, that Six of Crows is an own voice? Can anyone confirm if this would fulfill the prompt? Thanks
I'm quite confused by this prompt. I thought The picture of Dorian Grey was about him being gay. I think I'm picking one of these books or just doing a wild card for this prompt. Thank you to those explaining it to me. https://modernmrsdarcy.com/own-voices...
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Emily wrote: "Jill wrote: "Chrissy wrote: "Personally, I think the idea of “own voices” is to listen to a marginalized person share their experience through a fictional character. Dorian Gray isn’t about the exp..."oh well If something else comes up I may change it.
She did share the the position of being a sane woman being committed to a lunatic asylum, as were a lot of the other women in there. They were declared insane for various reasons , some were physically ill and some were just unable to speak English. Others were a burden to their families . Accordingly they did after a time lose their sanity
If you went to live in a getto with other non- coloured people ( i'm assuming you are not a person of colour), then if you wrote a fictional book about your experience , would that not be an own voices book?
I have read Letters from Burma by Aung San Suu Kyi, who spent years under house arrest for her relentless efforts to restore democracy to her country.
I guess the book I am slogging thru is not LITERALLY a "voices" book. The Heart of Everything That Is: The Untold Story of Red Cloud, An American Legend But according to the afterword etc... the book was written based on dictated stories written by Red Cloud himself and some by his relatives. There are portions that sound written by the white author and I am liking the contrast.
For this category I read I Am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban which is a memoir by Malala Yousafzai a school girl and campaigner for girls' education from the Pashtun community of Pakistan who was living with her family in the Swat valley when she was shot by the Taliban. She is now studying in the UK.
Around the Year in 52 Books
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American Panda (other topics)The Poet X (other topics)
Hush! A Thai Lullaby (other topics)
History Is All You Left Me (other topics)
Sula (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Elizabeth Acevedo (other topics)Adam Silvera (other topics)
Toni Morrison (other topics)
Fred D'Aguiar (other topics)
Jason Reynolds (other topics)
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Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen.
Which marginalized group is the focus/background of the book?
The mentally ill. The author was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder.
Did you think it made a difference that the author is a member of the group?
Definitely, it made her voice very authentic.