Rae's Reads and Reviews

This blog is meant to show how easy it is to add diverse reads to your TBR. These seven books are not only diverse, but they are also great shows of representation. If you’d like to learn more about the difference between diversity and representation, make sure to check out this post by The Black Lit Queen.

This Side of Home by Renee Watson

If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you already know how much I love This Side of Home. I’ve been talking about it ever since I read it two years ago. I recently picked up Piecing Me Together and it did not disappoint. The full review will be up this Friday.

The reason I loved this book so much is that reading this was one of the first times I felt truly represented in YA.

The Boy in the Black Suit by Jason Reynolds

After reading All-American Boys for The Battle of the Books in high school (Yes, I’ve always been a book nerd), I knew I needed to check out more works from Jason Reynolds.

I knew I liked his writing, but The Boy in the Black Suit made me love it. I’ve said this a million and one times before, and I’ll say it again: Jason Reynolds is like the Walter Dean Myers of this generation.

Dear Haiti, Love Alaine by Maika Moulite and Maritza Moulite

Last year, I was so excited to read American Street by Ibi Zoboi. It was going to be my first YA novel with a Haitian lead, how rare. The story also claimed to be centered around issues of deportation and the culture clash that the main character would face.

Then, I read the story and I was utterly disappointed. I had such high hopes and I wanted that feeling of representation, but American Street fell so flat for me.

I’m hoping that things will be better with Dear Haiti, Love Alaine. I love stories set in the Caribbean, so having one set in my own family’s country would be fun to read. Especially as someone who’s grown up in the US but still has strong ties to the culture.

I haven’t actually read this one yet, but I follow the co-authors on my bookstragram and I’ve heard nothing but raving reviews for Dear Haiti, Love Alaine.

With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo

With the Fire on High is one of my most anticipated reads for the second half of this year. The Poet X was actually the first book I read this year. I’ve listened to her poetry before and I love her writing style. I’m excited to see how she takes on prose.

Dear Martin by Nic Stone

Dear Martin was my second read of 2019. It is such a well told, gripping story. What I especially love about it is that it’s its own kind of story. It’s not a repeat of every other police brutality story.

Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

Nicola Yoon was another author that really surprised me. I read Everything, Everything as another Battle of the Books challenge in high school. It was a great story. Something I liked about it was that it was an interracial love story without the emphasis being on the fact that they were different races. The premise of the story was very different from anything I’d read before.

I also enjoyed The Sun is Also a Star. I know it’s a total cliche for a book blogger to say this, but… The book was so much better than the movie.

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

This list wouldn’t be complete without having added this soon to be classic. The Hate U Give should definitely be added to school reading lists all over the US. The movie was actually really good, it took a different turn from the book but I loved it.

What would you add to this list?

How do you find diverse reads?

What are you currently reading?

Let me know in the comments, let’s chat!