Words Between Worlds discussion

I've always read diverse books. From Toni Morrison and Amy Tan, I got a taste of it, but it wasn't until I read Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi that I started to fall deeply in love with diverse reads.

The book showed me a world where Africans and African Americans suffered from the slave trades. Not only did they lose part of their culture, but they also lost their families, their people, their sense of heritage and ethnicity. Being Korean American, I don't think I would be able to survive with my deep culture of traditions and my background's history. I couldn't imagine how people could strip that away from a person and cause them to start over with nothing but what they know as a slave.

It opened my eyes to the African Americans who talk about how cultural appropriation is not okay. When you lose everything and you had to build it back from the beginning, of course you're going to be fiercely protective of that culture. Of course you will want to share it with people, but you also want them to learn why this is important to that marginalized group. It made me see how a huge point in history is still rippling through time and still affecting people daily.

After I read this, I couldn't stop. I needed more marginalized voices and hear their stories. I wanted to learn so badly about how other people lived their lives. I always thought of myself as a person who lived in a bubble and sometimes we need to break that bubble to build empathy for our brothers and sisters.

Simone wrote: "I've always read diverse books. From Toni Morrison and Amy Tan, I got a taste of it, but it wasn't until I read Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi that I started to fall deeply in love with div..."

Thank you so much for sharing Simone! Homegoing was such a powerful book. It's the reason WHY I plucked out Pachinko once I was done with Honegoing. I wanted to read more about my ancestors and their history. Thank you!

I grew up in a really small white town. Though I have great memories, I always felt a bit out of place. Having a heart-condition didn't help. Therefore, I became an avid reader, always curled up in the corner with a book. Though I was a reader, I seldom felt connected to the characters. It wasn't until I read the Baby Sitters Club series where I felt as if I could actually relate to a few of them. Though I took away many great lessons from the series, the most important lesson was that it was OKAY to be different. But I was also frustrated. I felt as if I was underrepresented because I was different. So, I've always gravitated towards books by the underrepresented.

The book that captured me at an older age was Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Americanah. I was FASCINATED with the story of a non-American black's journey in America. I learned of the differences between non-American blacks vs. American blacks.. The cultural/identity crisis the protagonist faced while she tried to find the happy medium between both countries- US and Nigeria, was something I could relate to. Even more, it was OK to talk about both the good and the bad we experience as well as the perceptions other ethnicity have of each other. I was also relieve that the author did point out an obvious fact that I feel as if many fear and fail to mention, whites do NOT understand what it's like to be a minority.

After reading , I thirsted for more books about those that are underrepresented. To learn of their stories. Because we all have a voice. And we have every right to be heard.

When I initially started reading 24/7, I was in middle school. I read whatever I could get my hands on. But at the time 99% of my reading was Paranormal/Romance YA book. For many years, that was the bulk of what I read. I always thought I was a diverse reader but it wasn't until I got in to high school that I realized there was so much more out there.
Then later on when I joined Bookstagram, I had another wake up call. The sheer amount of different books out there is just mind-blowing. Although my reading experience has expanded greatly, I'm still missing out on a lot. Lately I've been diving into Asian American Literature and I have fallen in love with almost every single book I've read, I've also discovered a new favorite author of mine. I hope this book club with help me diversify my reading even more.

Diana wrote: "I grew up in a really small white town. Though I have great memories, I always felt a bit out of place. Having a heart-condition didn't help. Therefore, I became an avid reader, always curled up in..."

Thank you for sharing! I indeed used to read more YA/ Romance :) I'm so glad you enjoy reading Asian-American Lit. It means a lot to your fellow Asian friend. I love Amy Tan and Lisa See so much! We hope Free Food for Millionaires will give readers some perspective of the Korean culture & traditions! Thanks for reading with us! :)

Hi everyone! My name is Matoula and i am from Athens, Greece. I found out about this group from Instagram, because i follow owlslibrary (Diana, i think?)
I decided to follow this group despite the fact that i will not always be able to read the books along with you. Most of the diverse books i come across on Instagram are not translated in greek, and while i don't mind reading in english, it's usually hard (or quite expensive) to get them. However, i am interested in reading your comments, so i can read more diverse myself. I will try to keep away from spoilers. :)
Diversity may have a different meaning for me, because of my background. Greek society is consisted by 90% of, well, greeks and by that, i mean that throughout my childhood it was very rare to even see non-caucasians in Greece. The last years, of course, this has changed, but you have to imagine a country where even "foreigners" were caucasian, like people from other countries of the Balkans. Lately, there are quite many middleeasterns and africans.
Last summer i read Homegoing which was the book of the year for me, and i decided to take up more. I am currently reading Pachinko and i'm ecxited.
Your next month's read sounds interesting (and quite to the point) for me and i will try to get it on time.
Looking forward to our discussions!

Diana wrote: "I grew up in a really small white town. Though I have great memories, I always felt a bit out of place. Having a heart-condition didn't help. Therefore, I became an avid reader, always curled up in..."

Love it! Thank you so much for sharing. I know exactly how that feels and it's tough. Growing up on Long Island amongst a very prominent Jewish community, I was very out of place in many different ways. I totally feel you!

Ashley wrote: "When I initially started reading 24/7, I was in middle school. I read whatever I could get my hands on. But at the time 99% of my reading was Paranormal/Romance YA book. For many years, that was th..."

What are some of your favorite books? Who are some of your favorite authors so far?

Mat C wrote: "Hi everyone! My name is Matoula and i am from Athens, Greece. I found out about this group from Instagram, because i follow owlslibrary (Diana, i think?)
I decided to follow this group despite the ..."

Thanks so much for sharing! I think a lot of countries outside of the US understands the lack of diversity in their own world. I know that in Korea, while there are many ex-patriots living there, it's still very nationalist. Koreans stick with Koreans, if that makes sense. While you may think that Greece is just a white country, it does have a deep set of roots that brought so many innovative ideas that are still practiced today. Even though Greece is predominantly white, I feel that the culture is deep and rich enough to be deserving of a diverse read! Also, I don't think I've read a lot of stories about Greek people and the most that I know is what I've seen in films. I'd love to hear any recommendations (even if they are in Greek)!

Simone wrote: "Ashley wrote: "When I initially started reading 24/7, I was in middle school. I read whatever I could get my hands on. But at the time 99% of my reading was Paranormal/Romance YA book. For many yea..."

So far I have utterly fallen in love with Celeste Ng. I've read both of her books, actually I read them back to back. And I hope to reread them soon because I enjoyed them so much!
I just finished "I Have the Right to Destroy Myself" by Young-Ha Kim today and I'm still, for the most part, gathering my thoughts on it. It was an odd read for me. Then when I was in Jr. High I read Snow Flower and the Secret Fan and I enjoyed it a lot. But because I was 13/14 at the time I don't think I gave the book the kind of attention it deserved. And now I plan on starting Pachinko tomorrow!

Oh my god! this is exactly why I was even more in love with Pachinko. Over the past few months, I was completely in love with books written by African and African-American authors and surprisingly I found them all so relatable. Then I wanted books by Asian authors, actually more of Korean authors.

I love learning about other cultures through books. I am glad we started this book club. I have not read many books by turkish, indian, or east european authors before so I do hope we will read those and give spotlight to the books that need to be heard.

Simone wrote: "Mat C wrote: "Hi everyone! My name is Matoula and i am from Athens, Greece. I found out about this group from Instagram, because i follow owlslibrary (Diana, i think?)
I decided to follow this grou..."

Well, Simone, thank you for taking the time to reply to me. :)
You said you know things about greeks mostly from movies and i just had a mental image of my family compared to the cast of My Big Fat Greek Wedding... While, sadly, there is some resemblance, there's much more to greeks and their complex history, as there must me more than all the stereotypes we come across for every people.
If you would like some recommendations, you could maybe start with Middlesex. Its story begins in Asia minor with the greek ancestors of the main character and then the setting moves to America.
There's also a british writer, Victoria Hislop that has written some books about Greece and i can say that her research is quite established. The Island is set in the island of Crete and The Thread in the city of Thessaloniki.
A more classic choice would be Nikos Kazantzakis' Christ Recrucified and Alexandros Papadiamantis' The Murderess.
And last but surely not least, my favorite book from last year, not translated in english (i will let EVERYONE know when it is), a collection of short stories Γκιακ. This is a translation of its preview: The heroes of these stories, soldiers who fought the Asia Minor campaign, are confronted with the roles imposed by the traditional rules and the experience of war. They collide, subjugate, live in secret or leave. Giak is the blood, the kinship bond and the law of blood that shines their lives. With a rough spoken word, his stories narrate the loss of orientation, their inability to reconcile the codes of tradition with their feelings and conscience.

I got overly ecxited, i know, but it was worth it. :)

Hi! I am so excited to join this group! ♥

I've always aimed to read diverse books, but in particular I have really enjoyed "The Road to Memphis", anything by Maya Angelou, Rupi Kaur, a Finnish novel called "Aavikon tyttäret", and plenty others!

I found about this bookclub from Instagram, and I am looking forward to find some new book suggestions and reader friends!

I would love to read "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan" by Lisa See and "I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter" by Erika L. Sánchez.

Cheers! ♥

Mat C wrote: "Hi everyone! My name is Matoula and i am from Athens, Greece. I found out about this group from Instagram, because i follow owlslibrary (Diana, i think?)
I decided to follow this group despite the ..."

Hello Matoula! Welcome :) I LOVED Homegoing so much too. It completely changed my life.

That's really interesting about Greece. Korea was a little bit like that too, though I'm sure it's different. The "foreigners" in Korea were also of Asian descent, mostly Southeast Asian and Chinese and Filipino. So, it was interesting to see the dynamic. I'm so curious to read of Greece. I'll have to pick up Middlesex And I love your enthusiasm! This is the right place for it :)

Vera wrote: "Hi! I am so excited to join this group! ♥

I've always aimed to read diverse books, but in particular I have really enjoyed "The Road to Memphis", anything by Maya Angelou, Rupi Kaur, a Finnish no..."

WELCOME Vera! Snow Flower and the Secret Fan & I'm Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter are both absolutely amazing books. I'd love to reread them with the group too! You have great taste in books. I've been thinking about Lisa See a lot as Chinese New Year approaches. Thanks for the reminder!

Haley wrote: "Oh my god! this is exactly why I was even more in love with Pachinko. Over the past few months, I was completely in love with books written by African and African-American authors and surprisingly ..."

YES <3 I felt the same way Haley! I read Americanah and though by a Nigerian author, there were so many elements I could relate to. Then, I read Homegoing and it inspired me to want to find out more about my own ancestors and Korea's history. I love how books can do that.

Hi everyone! I'm so excited to be joining you all. I grew up in a very small town in Atlantic Canada, with zero diversity whatsoever. Reading was one way for me to learn about other cultures and groups that I didn't see represented in my life, and certainly didn't see represented in the media at the time.

I think my introduction to reading diversely was The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns. I realized just how little I really knew about other countries' and cultures' histories, geopolitics, economies, etc. I became absolutely fascinated with learning more about the world, and reading was a huge part of that. Since then, I've read so many favourites that have taught me so much, but I especially love the ones that teach me about real world events; some of my favourites include Half of a Yellow Sun, Do Not Say We Have Nothing, and Prisoner of Tehran.

I'm really looking forward to learning more through this group!

Ashley wrote: "Simone wrote: "Ashley wrote: "When I initially started reading 24/7, I was in middle school. I read whatever I could get my hands on. But at the time 99% of my reading was Paranormal/Romance YA boo..."

OMG YES! I loved Celeste Ng's book! I actually didn't read Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, but I did watch the movie. The feet binding will forever haunt me.

Mat C wrote: "Simone wrote: "Mat C wrote: "Hi everyone! My name is Matoula and i am from Athens, Greece. I found out about this group from Instagram, because i follow owlslibrary (Diana, i think?)
I decided to f..."

How did I totally space and forget that I did read Middlesex and I loved that book! Also, I would love that book you suggested! I can't wait to see what it's about when it's translated to English!

Desiree wrote: "Hi everyone! I'm so excited to be joining you all. I grew up in a very small town in Atlantic Canada, with zero diversity whatsoever. Reading was one way for me to learn about other cultures and gr..."

The Kite Runner is a solid choice! I absolutely loved that novel (and wow, I guess my diverse reading journey began much earlier).

Thanks so much for sharing, Desiree! Welcome to the group!

So my diverse bookish journey started when I was young. I don't even remember the name of the book, just that it was about a Native American women in pioneer times. It was the first time I read something with a non-white character, and I couldn't get enough! In High School, I discovered Toni Morrison and Alice Walker, and for the first time, felt a sort of kinship. I knew that my experience was no where near that of an African-American woman, but it was so refreshing to read something that was not white! In college, I discovered Sandra Cisneros and almost cried. House on Mango Street changed me, and helped me realize I could see myself in books.

I love reading diverse books because I not only feel that I can relate to them, but I also learn so much! I'm especially interested in any books that discuss being a POC in a white society. Celeste Ng does a really good job of writing that experience, as does Chimamanda Ngozie Adichie.

I couldn't tell you when the journey started exactly, but I have always read diverse books. I wanted to find people like me in stories. I sought and at first, my mother sought representation for my culture (she was a librarian at a school). I have over time grown to appreciate many different cultures in books. Like others, I have enjoyed Alice Walker, Maya Angelou, Lisa See, Kevin Kwan, Terri McMillian, Brit Bennett, and on and on...

I enjoy seeing the world through many different people eyes. Even beyond the diversity is the gender and location that makes a difference in the story.

Miriam wrote: "So my diverse bookish journey started when I was young. I don't even remember the name of the book, just that it was about a Native American women in pioneer times. It was the first time I read som..."

I totally feel you! As I look back at some of the books I read as a kid, I do remember there were some diverse novels in there. I guess for me I wasn't actively seeking them out and either they were assigned in class or someone told me that it was good without thinking about the diversity it presents.

Welcome to the group!

Simone wrote: "I've always read diverse books. From Toni Morrison and Amy Tan, I got a taste of it, but it wasn't until I read Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi that I started to fall deeply in love with div..."

Thanks for sharing! I'm a little late to the party here, but I wanted to contribute my story as well! I find it absolutely fascinating to hear about everyone's story and how they came across diverse authors for the first time or what inspired them to seek out those voices.

I honestly don't know if I can pinpoint the exact start of my journey, but I can definitely recall when I started to seek out diverse voices intentionally. I think this started in university (where I was studying English literature) and was exposed to literature classes that actually focused on or included marginalized voices (I found that my high school English classes really lacked in representation). I was always drawn to Indigenous voices (I'm from Canada!) and their stories considering how for many years in my country their voices were continuously oppressed. But it wasn't until near the end of my degree (and going into my Masters) that I took it more seriously, in terms of applying it to my thesis and class projects. I preferred my academic writing to also be personal where I can include my voice, identity, and family history in some way. My mother is from Thailand, so I'm half Thai and half Canadian, so I've always been interested in her immigrant experience but I've also taken interest in what it means to be a first generation Canadian (or a child of immigrant parents) and what it means to be mixed. So because of my personal background, I've always gravitated towards Asian voices or mixed race voices, but I would really like to expand my readership to more voices, not just those that relate to myself. And this is also why I wanted to join this book club! :)

Simone wrote: "I've always read diverse books. From Toni Morrison and Amy Tan, I got a taste of it, but it wasn't until I read Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi that I started to fall deeply in love with div..."

Hello! I'm also a bit late to the party, but I just found out of this group today from instagram. I'm Mariel, and I'm from the Dominican Republic (Bokx reader on instagram). All my life I mostly read books from out of my country, from South America, from the States, from Europe and then also from the rest of the world. You would say that all South American culture is the same, but we have different things to learn from each other as well as different past. Even if similar.

Different from what I read, my culture is very mixed. The whole history of the Dominican Republic is a mixture of Spain colonists, African slaves, and aborigines (who sadly in this country the ones that didn't mix didn't survive). So our culture is very tri-continental. Not counting the migrations from Lebanon, China, Germany, Italy, etc. that arrived to our country in the 20th century and we just kept on adapting cultural things. Sorry for the history lesson.
I have always been interested in different cultures. But recent reads of different cultures have been Trevor Noah's Born a Crime. Great memoir, fantastic! He's from South Africa. Alessandro Baricco from Italy. All the Swedish noir books, starting with Stieg Larsson. Elif Shafak from Turkey, and well so on and on. Recently been falling in love with Japanese literature as well, I'm reading Hiromi Kawakami (Strange weather in Tokyo in the english translation).
Recently I've been thinking on reading more and more of culture as different from mine as possible. Because I absolutely love the differences and in the end, you see that we as humans have the same struggles. So glad I found this group!