8: An "own voices" book

[MJ]

I am reading Shetani's Sister, and I hope it fits this prompt. It's street/urban lit, by an author who lived that life.

It's nothing like what I usually read, that's for sure.

[Christine]

The hate you Give by Angie Thomas. This was an astounding book and I loved it!

[Ashley]

I read On the Edge of Gone.

Which marginalized group is the focus/background of the book? Autistic children

Did you think it made a difference that the author is a member of the group?
Yes. This was about the girl's experiences in a situation and how things were harder for her because she is autistic. It would not have been the same if it was from a different perspective.

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

Alexx wrote: "What are you reading for this category?
I am reading The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Soon

Which marginalized group is the focus/background of the book?
There are two main charact..."

Great assessment! I loved this one, and I totally agree with your summary.

[Jennifer]

I read Love, Hate & Other Filters. This one was about a Muslim Indian-American girl. Pretty much I enjoyed it. I'm sure it helped being written by someone who is from this culture and understands it.

[Pamela, Arciform Mod]

June wrote: "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 a..."

I'm joining the Louise Erdrich group reading LaRose

[Sheri]

What are you reading for this category?

The Hate U Give

- Which marginalized group is the focus/background of the book?

African Americans

- Did you think it made a difference that the author is a member of the group?

Yes. It focuses on the aftermath of a police shooting, and how the community reacted, and how it affected the witness, the victim's family and everything that the media never really shows.

[Veronica]

- What are you reading for this category?
I read If I Was Your Girl
- Which marginalized group is the focus/background of the book?
Transgendered people
- Did you think it made a difference that the author is a member of the group?
I think it does matter, because the author is able to use her own experiences, thoughts, and feelings in Amanda and i think it gives the character more perspective about what it is like to be transgender.

[GailW]

What are you reading for this category?
I read Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah
- Which marginalized group is the focus/background of the book?
Mixed race child/young man in Africa
- Did you think it made a difference that the author is a member of the group?
In the case of this book in particular, absolutely. As an autobiography, he did a great job of combining his personal story with a history of the country that made his story, and that of his mother, even more poignant.

[Angie]

- What are you reading for this category? Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng
- Which marginalized group is the focus/background of the book? Asian-Americans
- Did you think it made a difference that the author is a member of the group? Yes. I've found that often, when people try to write a focused piece on a group they're not part of, it comes off as trying-too-hard or even as utter BS. Ng writes as someone knows the culture and treats that culture with respect.

[Pam]

- What are you reading for this category?
Ghost by Jason Reynolds
- 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. The voice felt authentic, although the slang seemed just a little dated. That's the risk of using slang, though. It's constantly changing.

[Rokkan]

I read The Poet X for this one, although more because it was picked for me in another group on Goodreads and just happened to fit. The protagonist is a Dominican-American female, and the novel revolves around her dealing with differences in how she and her twin brother are treated by their parents. I think the authors own experiences might have played a large part in how easily the words flowed off the pages, and that made a huge difference to the story.

[Stacey]

What are you reading for this category? Children of Paradise by Fred D'Aguiar.

Which marginalized group is the focus/background of the book? The group of over 900 people in Jonestown, Guyana that formed a part of the People's Temple cult, who were mainly African American.

Did you think it made a difference that the author is a member of the group? Actually, the author, who is Guyanese by birth, was not a member of the cult; however, he lived in Guyana as a young boy. This book is a "fictionalized reimagining of the massacre that occurred there", as told through the eyes of both human and non-human characters. Though he wasn't a part of the cult, his having lived in the country (along with the historical records of the event) does make D'Aguiar a credible storyteller.

[Karishma]

Will Six of Crows work?

I read that one of the MC's shares the same disability as the author.

[Melitta]

This Is Me: Loving the Person You Are Today by Chrissy Metz

[Sabrina]

I'm going to be reading The Hate U Give for this prompt. As many of you probably know, it focuses on the experience of a young African-American teenage girl.
I think it absolutely makes a difference that the author is African-American. No matter how much research an author does, there is nothing as authentic as personal experience, and that goes for any own voices book.

[Sofia]

What are you reading for this category?
I just read The Good Women of China: Hidden Voices by Xinran

Which marginalized group is the focus/background of the book?
Chinese women. This book is a compilation of stories that the chinese journalist Xinran gathered after eight years presenting a popular radio show between 1989 and 1997, where many women spoke of themselves and their lives. For the most part, the stories occur in the Mao Tse-tung, especially during this very dark period of Chinese history called Cultural Revolution (1966-1976).

Did you think it made a difference that the author is a member of the group?
Yes, because otherwise I don't think chinese women would share elements of horrible violence, sexual assault, and social suppression.

[Matthias]

What are you reading for this category?
Sula by Toni Morrison
- Which marginalized group is the focus/background of the book?
The focus is on African Americans in the South, in the 1920s to 1960s.
- Did you think it made a difference that the author is a member of the group?
Not necessarily, but Toni Morrison often writes with this vantage point.

[Alaina]

What are you reading for this category?
I read History Is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera

Which marginalized group is the focus/background of the book
Several characters in the novel are gay young men

Did you think it made a difference that the author is a member of the group?
I don't think so. I think anyone can relate to this book about grieving a lost loved one, regardless of sexual orientation

[Tracy]

So far we've only done the picture book version for this prompt and read Hush! A Thai Lullaby. The girls loved it. Its in verse with animal sound effects read by mom. And they thought it was funny that the mom didn't notice that the baby wasn't sleeping and running around the farm.

[Emma]

Optional questions:
- What are you reading for this category?

I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sanchez

- Which marginalized group is the focus/background of the book?

Immigrants, Hispanic communities, people with mental illnesses...there are a few here.

- Did you think it made a difference that the author is a member of the group?

Absolutely yes. This is a book that explores the breadth and complexity of a certain experience in a way that could have easily relied on stereotypes in the hands of an author from a different background.

[Pam]

For my 2nd challenge, I read The Poet X by
Elizabeth Acevedo
- I love this cover!

This is a really good book, with a moving story, and a very interesting poetry-style format! I didn't want to put it down and finished it in less than 1 day. It's a great selection for the 2019 National Book Award prompt, especially if you like YA.

- Which marginalized group is the focus/background of the book? Dominican Immigrants
- Did you think it made a difference that the author is a member of the group? Absolutely! The author is also a child of Dominican parents. The language and the family experience felt authentic!

[Evelyn]

What are you reading for this category?


- Which marginalized group is the focus/background of the book?
Asian-Americans

Did you think it made a difference that the author is a member of the group?
I think it made a difference if the author is a member of the group because the author can write about their experience.