A Book Club for Diversity (ABCD) discussion

Hello and welcome to ABCD, our new book club to encourage and support diversity, empathy and expansive world views through the written word. We will explore all manner of genre in this group, with the goal being to explore writers and subject matters from different perspectives (LGBTQ, diversity in race and ethnicity, diversity in socio economic status, different genders, etc.)

This group is welcome to all. We have only one real rule at this point, and that is to be kind and open minded. (Well, and no self-promo. This is a reading club.)

We want everyone to feel safe here as we read and grapple with different perspectives that will (hopefully) challenge and expand the way we think about the world.

To begin, let's all introduce ourselves, shall we? For those who don't know us, Karpov Kinrade is the fantasy/sci fi pen name for Lux and Dmytry Karpov-Kinrade. We are a married couple who cowrite together. I (Lux) am originally from Long Beach, California and now live in Northern California with Dmytry and our three daughters. He's originally from Ukraine, but immigrated to Canada as a child and is now in the US with us. We've been writing most of our lives, and began publishing fiction about 4 years ago. We are now full time authors.

We began this group as a response to the divisiveness and fear that the resent US election has highlighted in our world. We wanted to create something that could encourage unity, love, hope, respect for self and others, and empathy. This is our way of doing that, through books.

We look forward to getting to know you and reading books with you! We will be starting our first book no later than January, but likely in December. We're open to suggestions and discussions about the selection.

Since we write books under KK that are appropriate for most readers, we are considering keeping the official selections in this group appropriate for most readers as well. What do you all think about that? I know it limits some great reads, but perhaps we can have a 'further reading' section to share all manner of books we don't make part of our book a month selection? (With some kind of notice if a book is for mature readers.)

Let's here your thoughts. :)

~Lux and Dmytry KK

I'm Elizabeth Stufflebean. I am a single mother of two wonderful boys. I was born and raised in Missouri where I currently reside. I have my Bachelor's in Business administration and human resources.

I work in a publishing company and am currently writing my first novel. Really nervous about publishing but hoping to publish early next year.

I'm Jailene, I'm 24 and living in a veritable shoebox in the PNW with my husband and 3 (almost 4!) kids. Reading has always been a huge part of my life, a trait my mom says I get from my dad.

Right now I'm unemployed and taking a break from school (this pregnancy has kicked my butt, y'all) but once I'm back on my feet, my goal is to finish my Associate's and find work in a paralegal position. I love the idea of this group and I'm looking forward to seeing the suggestions and diversity :)

I'm Michelle, born and raised in Ohio farm country. I'm set to graduate with a BA in Cultural Anthropology in just a couple months and then I'll be off to law school for rape prosecution.
I read a lot, I write a bit and I delight in conversation that makes my brain work extra hard! It's lovely to meet you all!!

Hi! My name is Megan. I live in a small town in central NY. I'm a full time Beta Reader and a part time secretary. When I'm not reading I'm spending time with my kid and husband.

Reading is not only a passion for me, it's my escape. There's just something about escaping reality and joining another world. It's addicting.

I'm really excited to read some new, diverse books!

Hi all! My name is Evelyn, I am 42 yrs old and have been married for 4 years to wonderful man. I have lived in Southern California most of my life . I currently work in the corrections field working with male juvenile offenders. I have a bachelors degree in sociology, I love learning how society effects us and how we affect society. Reading has always been an escape and a passion for me. I love reading different books, learning new ideas .
I am really excited about this group

Is there a specific age limit as well?

Dalton wrote: "Is there a specific age limit as well?"

For the group? Or the books? Our thought is that it's open to everyone and the books will be at least YA and up appropriate. Not YA specifically, but not particularly inappropriate for younger teen readers.

I am 15, and i meant for the whole group i suppose.

There's no age limit. We want all ages, which is why we are going to keep the book selections appropriate for most readers. Of course, some subject matters might contain some mature themes and each book should be looked at individually before reading to make sure it's appropriate for you. But we will be encouraging our 14 yo daughter to join.

Hi, talk about diversity (in age), I am a 66 year old (but in my heart I am about 33), retired college professor. I have always been a huge reader and now I revel in being able to read as much as I want. Favorite categories are paranormal romances/fantasy, science fiction, and thrillers. I look forward to being active in our ABCD book group. I have 2 adult kids and 2 grandchildren and live in the fantastic city of Portland.

HI there. I'm almost 35 and my husband and I have 6 kids between us. I am at home with the youngest now, she is almost a year old, but I used to work as a para for an elementary school. I live in WA now, but I am originally from CA.

Hi my name is Marissa I am 25. I work for the railroad. I live in Birmingham Alabama with my dog pickle. I love to read and crochet in my spare time. I am really excited the ABCD book group. I cannot wait to see what books and discussions this group has.

Karpov wrote: "There's no age limit. We want all ages, which is why we are going to keep the book selections appropriate for most readers. Of course, some subject matters might contain some mature themes and each..."

Thanks, and there is probably going to be more people joining as well. :)

Hi, my name is Dalton. I am a Sophmore in Highschool and I plan on going to college to get into the IT Department (Information Technology) I know a lot about computers, I created my own Website when I was 6. My mother doesn't even know how to change her profile picture on Facebook. So, I have to help her out on that, and other things. Most of the books I read are mostly Manga from Anime's but I am willing to look into different categories of books. :)

Dalton wrote: "Hi, my name is Dalton. I am a Sophmore in Highschool and I plan on going to college to get into the IT Department (Information Technology) I know a lot about computers, I created my own Website whe..."

Welcome! And very impressive computer skills. One of our daughters is a huge manga fan (dare I say addict?) so we are very familiar with manga and anime and love both ourselves! We hope you find some fun new reads in this group. Our girls will be joining us here as well.

Dalton wrote: "Hi, my name is Dalton. I am a Sophmore in Highschool and I plan on going to college to get into the IT Department (Information Technology) I know a lot about computers, I created my own Website whe..."

Also, regarding genre, we will be exploring a whole variety of books here, I think. We write fantasy and science fiction mostly, but in order to really embrace the theme of diversity we will be looking at fiction, memoirs, lit fic, genre fic, whatever we can find that will help us all expand our world views and learn about different life experiences that might be different than ours. I'm hoping it will be a fun exploration for everyone, even if the genre or book in a given month isn't always a favorite.

Having said that, it would be fun to also include some manga, since that could offer different ethnic/culture influences as well as expose many of us to new storytelling tropes. What are some of your favorite mangas?

Karpov wrote: "Dalton wrote: "Hi, my name is Dalton. I am a Sophmore in Highschool and I plan on going to college to get into the IT Department (Information Technology) I know a lot about computers, I created my ..."

A few of my favorite Manga/Anime's are Naruto and Full Metal Alchemist (FMA).

Hello,
I'm Denise I am 51... and of course I love reading...
as to my other hobbies I love to embroider... printed cross stitch and and regular embroidery are mt favorite patterns to work with, I collect Unicorns and Pegasus figurines and pictures with a passion.
My favorite genres are Supernatural, Paranormal, Fantasy, and a little romance thrown in the mix. I love a good Vampire story line along with Shifter and mages, Druids, etc...
I am also a mother of 2 kids.. my daughter is 19 and she loves to read and my son is 16 and he enjoys video games, reading on occasion, and playing the drums...

I love the age diversity we have in this group! I hope we can all engage in great discussions and learn from each other. :)

Hey everybody!
My name's Kel Carpenter and I recently published my first book, Heir of Shadows! I live in Atlanta GA with my boyfriend and dog, Harley. No she's not named after Harley Quinn *sigh*, she's two years old next month. I go to school full-time as a Chemistry student, part-time author, and part-time waitress. So very busy! I really look forward to this group though, I love learning about diversity especially from authors who're actually going are!
My favorite genre's are YA and New Adult. I love books that feature strong heroines, well thought out plots, diverse and complex characters, as well as believable writing! Being a paranormal fantasy writer that is my first love, but I'm open to a lot! So excited:)

Hi all. I'm Hayley Baxter and I live in a tiny village in Nottinghamshire UK. I hope its OK for a Brit to join. I ask 43 years old, a widow, and live with my cockapoo Rafferty and cats Jeremy Jones, Hugo Agogo and Bilbo Baggins. Diversity is a professional and personal concern for me. I have Multiple Sclerosis, Degenerative Disc Disease and Mixed Connective Tissue Disease. My late husband died from an aggressive form of Multiple Sclerosis. After 15 years in mental health I completed my counselling degree and now work with people coping with illness and disability.
My first degree is in English Literature so In also work as a writing therapist and currently write a program for recovery after diagnosis of a disability using creative writing. I have a feminist book club and another for disabled people at my workplace. I read everything from psychology and self-help to sci-fi and classics. I love the Brontes, but also Toni Morrison, Edwidge Danticat, Patrick Gale, Jodi Picoult and Alice Hoffman. Excited to discover new authors and meet you all!

Hi. My name is Linda and I am 64, born and raised in Vermont, currently living in Northern Virginia, and have always enjoyed reading. I am retired but spent nearly 40 years working in graphics, printing, publishing and various related businesses.

My favorite genres would include paranormal romance, fantasy, science fiction, mysteries, suspense and thrillers. I am really looking forward to this group and trying something different with my favorite writing duo and new friends.

Bunny21 wrote: "Hi all. I'm Hayley Baxter and I live in a tiny village in Nottinghamshire UK. I hope its OK for a Brit to join. I ask 43 years old, a widow, and live with my cockapoo Rafferty and cats Jeremy Jones..."

Of course it's okay! We are hoping people from all over the world join! It's great to have you here. <3

Hi all, my name is Toya and I'm from Queens, NY. I work for the City of New York's Environmental Protection and have a make-up business on the side. I am a mother of a very theatrical 5 year old, a rescue Chihuahua and Kitty. I am an animal lover and animal rights activist. I don't know how but I manage to read about 2-3 books a week. I admit I cheat and do Audible a lot as I travel via bus and subway to work and need a distraction from the morning/evening drama that is rush hour.

Hi! I'm Rhiannon, I recently moved to Birmingham (in the UK). I enjoy reading sci-fi and other fiction but I also read a good deal of philosophy and theology for work. I've always been a big reader and my reading goal for 2017 is to diversify my reading, especially to include more authors of colour. Hopefully this group will help!

Hi, my name is Jenni and I'm 54. I was born in Nottingham, England but my parents moved us to Whyalla, South Australia when I was a child. I currently work part time in The Salvation Army Community Support Services as and Emergency Relief Interviewer. I am kept busy with my partner and very regular visits from some of my grandchildren. I am always reading and I am currently trying to adapt to Audible, so far I am not very impressed with it but it may just be the person that is reading the book I have got another 2 audible books to try to give it a fair go. I also enjoy tatting, which is new for me and knitting and crocheting. My main reading comes from the fantasy world in all its many forms although I do try to branch out into other areas.

My name is Diane and I am looking forward to this book club! I gave birth to triplet boys last year and cut back to working part time so I could spend more time with them, but I miss adult interaction!

I have a Master's in Library Information Studies and work as a reference librarian at a local university. Originally from Texas, I moved to Illinois two years ago after graduation with my wife when we received a job offer too good to turn down.

Hi! My name is Jessica and I am 28. Not too much to share, other than I really want to expand my book list to include much, much more diversity from author to subject matter. I'm really excited to get going! :)

Diane wrote: "My name is Diane and I am looking forward to this book club! I gave birth to triplet boys last year and cut back to working part time so I could spend more time with them, but I miss adult interact..."

You have your hands full! Welcome to the group. :)

Jenni wrote: "Hi, my name is Jenni and I'm 54. I was born in Nottingham, England but my parents moved us to Whyalla, South Australia when I was a child. I currently work part time in The Salvation Army Community..."

We are fantasy authors, so that's our favorite too! Not all the books in this group will be fantasy since we want to expand our horizon, but the January selection is fantasy! :)

Hi, I'm Joan, I live basically in a bubble (suburban Long Island, New Yor) but I love reading books that introduce me to new places, people, and ideas.

How about a thread to comment on other things that interest you, such as: other books you are reading, t.v. & movies you've seen or might see, stuff you are doing, etc. I'll set the thread up in the welcome folder; feel free to delete if you don't like the idea.

Hello! My name is Fredrika, I'm 21 years old and I live in a small city in Sweden. I'm currently in between jobs and I plan to study psychology or graphic design/IT. I have always been reading and I really want to discover some more diverse books and hopefully get to know some people. :)

Fredrika wrote: "Hello! My name is Fredrika, I'm 21 years old and I live in a small city in Sweden. I'm currently in between jobs and I plan to study psychology or graphic design/IT. I have always been reading and ..."

Welcome Fredrika. I've read two books with this group, Akata Witch and Negroland: A Memoir. I look forward to discussing the next book with you.

Hasa book been chosen for March?
If not, I suggest:
Motherland
Flygirl
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian