2025 Reading Challenge discussion

I'd like to try all 26.

14/26

1. African (e.g, Ghanian, Nigerian) - Freshwater
2. Agnostic, Athiest, or Humanist
3. Asexual or Aromantic:
4. Asian (e.g., Hmong, Japanese) - Unmarriageable (Pakistan)
5. Bisexual or Pansexual: The Last Place You Look
6. Black (e.g. African-American, Black British): A Gathering of Old Men
7. Buddhist:
8. Christian-minority (i.e., Christian in a country in which it is not the most common religion):
9. Differently-Abled (e.g., Autistic, Deaf, Paraplegic): Song for a Whale
10. Gay Male or Lesbian Female: Fingersmith
On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous
11. Hindi
12. Immigrant: The Other Americans
13. Incarcerated or Institutionalized:
14. Indigenous (e.g., Aboriginal, Inuit, Mojave): Trail of Lightning; Love Medicine
15. Jewish: The Weight of Ink
16. Latin American (e.g., Mexican, Colombian-descent) - The House of Broken Angels
17. Living with a Mental Health or Cognitive Disability
18. Low-Income or Financially Insecure
19. Middle Eastern
20. Mixed Race or Multi-racial: Monument: Poems New and Selected
21. Muslim: The Bird King
22. Non-binary or Transgender: Freshwater
23. Oceanic (e.g., Papuan, Samoan) - (view spoiler)
24. Practitioner of a minor religion or another form of spirituality
25. Refugee, Migrant, or Asylum-Seeker: Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen
26. Survivor of Sexual Assault or Domestic Violence:

Thank you, Kristin! And thank you for creating this challenge.

What a brilliant challenge, Kristin!
Please sign me up for 20 books.

Progress: 60/30 books (24/24 tasks) (Completed 30 Sep 2019)

📗1. African (e.g, Ghanian, Nigerian): 3/5
West/Nigeria: ✔️My Sister, the Serial Killer (Oyinkan Braithwaite),✔️Half of a Yellow Sun (Chimananda Ngozi Adichie)
✔️West/Ghana: Homegoing (Yaa Gyasi)
✔️East/Tanzania: Gravel Heart (Abdulrazak Gurnah)

📗2. Agnostic, Atheist, or Humanist ✔️Atheist: The Stranger (Albert Camus)

📗3. Asexual or Aromantic: ✔️Let's Talk About Love (Claire Kann)

📗4. Asian : 12
SE Asia/Singapore: ✔️Soy Sauce for Beginners (Kirstin Chen)
*E Asia/Japan: ✔️Piercing, ✔️The Briefcase, ✔️Facing the Bridge, ✔️1Q84 #1 and ✔️1Q84 #2 (Murakami Haruki), ✔️Under the Midnight Sun (Keigo Higashino), ✔️The Lake(Banana Yoshimoto), ✔️The Bridegroom Was a Dog (Yoko Tawada), ✔️Penance (Kanae Minato)
*S. Asia/Pakistan: ✔️Before She Sleeps (Bina Shah)
*S. Asia//Bhutan: ✔️Folktales Of Bhutan (Kunzang Choden)
*E Asia/S. Korea: ✔️The Plotters (Un-Su Kim)

📗5. Bisexual or Pansexual: ✔️Tone of Voice (Kaia Sønderby)

📗6. Black (e.g. African-American, Black British): 7/7
✔️Parable of the Talents (Octavia E. Butler)
✔️Sugar (Bernice L. McFadden)
✔️Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race (Margot Lee Shetterly)
✔️A Raisin in the Sun (Lorraine Hansberry)
✔️This Bitter Earth (Bernice L. McFadden)
✔️Year of Yes (Shonda Rhimes)
✔️Becoming (Michelle Obama)

📗7. Buddhist ✔️The Pillow Book (Sei Shonagon)

❌8. Christian-minority: skipping this task

📗9. Differently-Abled (e.g., Autistic, Deaf, Paraplegic): 2
✔️Autism (sci-fi): Testing Pandora (Kaia Sønderby)
✔️Autism: Failure to Communicate (Kaia Sønderby)

📗10. Gay Male or Lesbian Female: 6
✔️Black Leopard, Red Wolf (Marlon James)
✔️Huntress (A. E. Radley)
✔️Carib/Jamaica: Here Comes the Sun (Nicole Y. Dennis-Benn)
✔️Gideon the Ninth (Tamsyn Muir)
✔️Red at the Bone
✔️In the Dream House

❌11. Hindu: Empire of Sand (Tasha Suri)

📗12. Immigrant: 3
✔️2nd gen: The Namesake (Jhumpa Lahiri)
✔️1st gen: L.A. Son: My Life, My City, My Food
✔️On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous (Ocean Vuong)

📗13. Incarcerated or Institutionalized:
✔️One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich: A Novel (Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn)

📗14. Indigenous (e.g., Aboriginal, Inuit, Mojave): 2
✔️Ojibwe: The Round House (Louise Erdrich)
✔️Ojibwe: LaRose (Louise Erdrich)
*Inuit: Split Tooth (Tanya Tagaq)

📗15. Jewish: ✔️The Ritual Bath (Faye Kellerman)

📗16. Latin American : 5
✔️Brazil: Atlantic Hotel (João Gilberto Noll)
✔️Carib/Jamaica, male: A Brief History of Seven Killings (Marlon James)
✔️Carib/Haiti: Krik? Krak! (Edwidge Danticat)
✔️Mexico: Signal to Noise (Silvia Moreno-Garcia)
✔️Mexico: Gods of Jade and Shadow

📗17. Living with a Mental Health or Cognitive Disability
✔️Heart Berries: A Memoir (Terese Marie Mailhot)

📗18. Low-Income or Financially Insecure: 2
✔️Memoir: Life in Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina (Misty Copeland)
✔️Memoir: Men We Reaped (Jesmyn Ward)

📗19. Middle Eastern
✔️Iran: The Last Days of Café Leila (Donia Bijan)

📗20. Mixed Race or Multi-racial
✔️The Plague of Doves (Louise Erdrich)
✔️Zainichi: Go (Kazuki Kaneshiro)
✔️Afro-Boricua: With the Fire on High (Elizabeth Acevedo)

📗21. Muslim: ✔️Xala (Ousmane Sembène)


📗22. Non-binary or Transgender:
✔️An Unkindness of Ghosts (Rivers Solomon)

📗23. Oceanic (e.g., Papuan, Samoan)
✔️Maori: Bulibasha: Mahana (Witi Ihimaera)

📗24. Practitioner of a minor religion
✔️Zoroastrianism: A Fine Balance (Rohinton Mistry)

📗25. Refugee, Migrant, or Asylum-Seeker
✔️VietnamEazy: A Novel About Mothers, Daughters and Food (Trami Nguyen Cron)

📗26. Survivor of Sexual Assault or Domestic Violence:
✔️Speak (Laurie Halse Anderson)

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

I'm going to aim for 13 to start.

0/13

1. African (e.g, Ghanian, Nigerian)
2. Agnostic, Athiest, or Humanist
3. Asexual or Aromantic
4. Asian (e.g., Hmong, Japanese)
5. Bisexual or Pansexual
6. Black (e.g. African-American, Black British)
7. Buddhist
8. Christian-minority (i.e., Christian in a country in which it is not the most common religion)
9. Differently-Abled (e.g., Autistic, Deaf, Paraplegic)
10. Gay Male or Lesbian Female
11. Hindu
12. Immigrant
13. Incarcerated or Institutionalized
14. Indigenous (e.g., Aboriginal, Inuit, Mojave)
15. Jewish
16. Latin American (e.g., Mexican, Colombian-descent)
17. Living with a Mental Health or Cognitive Disability
18. Low-Income or Financially Insecure
19. Middle Eastern
20. Mixed Race or Multi-racial
21. Muslim
22. Non-binary or Transgender
23. Oceanic (e.g., Papuan, Samoan)
24. Practitioner of a minor religion or another form of spirituality
25. Refugee, Migrant, or Asylum-Seeker
26. Survivor of Sexual Assault or Domestic Violence

I was excited to see this one it will get me out of my mystery books in 2019 please sign me up for 20 and thanks for leading

Blagica wrote: "I was excited to see this one it will get me out of my mystery books in 2019 please sign me up for 20 and thanks for leading"

Blagica, I'm also a huge fan of mysteries, too!
Have you read Out by Natsuo Kirino?

In my post, I've marked the mystery books I'll be reading, in case you're interested. Only three, though. :(
Looking forward to learning what you find as well. :D

Kristin wrote: "Martha wrote: "Thank you, Kristin! And thank you for creating this challenge."

My pleasure. I have been trying to read more diversely the last few years and it has been a real joy to do so. I feel..."

I've been trying to do that, too, Kristin. This is the first challenge exclusive to "own voices" that I've seen.

Hi Kristin!

I'm going to sign up for 15 to start, and may raise my number as the year goes on!

Please put me down for 12.

12/12

Read a book featuring a protagonist who identifies as _____ by an author who is also _____.
[X] 2. Agnostic, Athiest, or Humanist: The Quiet American by Graham Greene
[X] 4. Asian: Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
[X] 6. Black: The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
[X] 7. Buddhist: The Third Rule Of Ten
[X] 10. Gay Male or Lesbian Female: Less by Andrew Sean Greer
[X] 14. Indigenous (e.g., Aboriginal, Inuit, Mojave): There There by Tommy Orange
[X] 15. Jewish: We Were the Lucky Ones
[X] 18. Low-Income or Financially Insecure: Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata
[X] 19. Middle Eastern: Three Daughters of Eve by Elif Shafak. As Turkey is Asia West, it is included here per the challenge rules.
[X] 21. Muslim: The Last Days of Café Leila by Donia Bijan
[X] 22. Non-binary or Transgender: George by Alex Gino. "Alex Gino identifies as
Genderqueer, also known as non-binary...who express a gender identity that is not exclusively masculine or feminine‍...or either." The character in the book was written as transgender. (Wikipedia)
[X] 26. Survivor of Sexual Assault or Domestic Violence: Educated by Tara Westover

Completed challenge October 2019

Kristin, I have two questions about the range of #ownvoices.

Question 1:
I have this book from Prime First Reads: The Warner Boys: Our Family’s Story of Autism and Hope.
It is written by the parents who raised autistic twins, though the parents themselves are not autistic.
Would that make this book not "own voices"?

I already have another book for the differently-abled prompt, but I just wanted to ask for future reference.

Question 2:
This is quite similar to the first question.
If the son of Cuban immigrants writes a book with Cuban immigrants as its protagonists, is that not an own-voices creation because the author is American-born?
Here, I'm thinking of The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love (Oscar Hijuelos)

I'm in for 10.

I’m in for 20!

1. African (e.g, Ghanian, Nigerian) - Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi - completed April 2019
2. Agnostic, Athiest, or Humanist - Heretics Anonymous by Katie Henry - completed September 2019
3. Asexual or Aromantic - City of Strife by Claudie Arseneault - completed October 2019
4. Asian (e.g., Hmong, Japanese) - Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan - completed June 2019
5. Bisexual or Pansexual - The Lady's Guide to Celestial Mechanics by Olivia Waite - completed September 2019
6. Black (e.g. African-American, Black British) - An American Marriage by Tayari Jones - completed March 2019
7. Buddhist - The Book of Joy by Dalai Lama XIV and Archbishop Desmond Tutu - completed December 2019
8. Christian-minority (i.e., Christian in a country in which it is not the most common religion) - Dangerous Territory: My Misguided Quest to Save the World by Amy Peterson - completed December 2019
9. Differently-Abled (e.g., Autistic, Deaf, Paraplegic) - The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang - completed July 2019
10. Gay Male or Lesbian Female - The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne - completed January 2019
11. Hindu - Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri - completed September 2019
12. Immigrant - The Field Guide to the North American Teenager by Ben Phillipe - completed May 2019
13. Incarcerated or Institutionalized - Night by Elie Wiesel - completed February 2019
14. Indigenous (e.g., Aboriginal, Inuit, Mojave) - LaRose by Louise Erdrich - completed December 2019
15. Jewish
16. Latin American (e.g., Mexican, Colombian-descent)
17. Living with a Mental Health or Cognitive Disability - The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls by Anissa Gray - completed October 2019
18. Low-Income or Financially Insecure - Between a Heart and a Rock Place: A Memoir by Pat Benatar - completed June 2019
19. Middle Eastern - The Favored Daughter: One Woman's Fight to Lead Afghanistan into the Future by Fawzia Koofi - completed June 2019
20. Mixed Race or Multi-racial - The Cooking Gene: A Journey Through African American Culinary History in the Old South by Michael W. Twitty - completed February 2019
21. Muslim
22. Non-binary or Transgender - Long Black Veil by Jennifer Finney Boylan - completed April 2019
23. Oceanic (e.g., Papuan, Samoan) - Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty - completed September 2019
24. Practitioner of a minor religion or another form of spirituality
25. Refugee, Migrant, or Asylum-Seeker - Homes: A Refugee Story by Abu Bakr al Rabeeah - completed April 2019
26. Survivor of Sexual Assault or Domestic Violence - Educated by Tara Westover - completed January 2019

22/20 - challenge completed!

Kristin wrote: "I would encourage you to try to find books that are true #ownvoices books - books that are written by an author who is autistic or an immigrant, for example, featuring a character that is also autistic or an immigrant or a nonfiction about their own life or about that experience in general..."

Kristin, thank you so much for your very clear and detailed explanation.
I was looking through my Prime-related free reads and wondering how any of them (e.g., The Warner Boys) might fit, besides the ethnicity or regional prompts.

As for The Mambo Kings, I moved it to the Latin American prompt. I will be counting authors in the regional categories who were born in that region or whose parents where.

Nonetheless, I feel that the immigrant experience is one form of serious displacement while the experience of the children of immigrants can be just as jarring because of the multiple sets of social expectations they struggle to fulfill. (But I moved I'm Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter back to the Latin American prompt.)

Next, I hope there will a Read Globally or Identities challenge to further motivate us to read the books we choose. :D

Kristin wrote: "Welcome to the challenge, Joe & Megan! I'm thrilled that have the two of you joining us. Megan, I always enjoy reading your reviews of books and I think I will especially enjoy reading those of the..."

Thanks, Kristin! This challenge matches a personal challenge of mine for next year, so it's perfect!

Kristin wrote: "Oshizu, what about reading two books for the immigrant prompt? Read one read by an immigrant, and one by the child of an immigrant. There are also categories that are not included, but if you feel ..."

Genius idea, Kristin! I've split the Immigrant prompt into 1st and 2nd generation immigrants. :D

I’m in, and I am going to see if I can do the whole list.

✔️1. African The City Always Wins April 20, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
2. Agnostic, Athiest, or Humanist
3. Asexual or Aromantic
✔️4. Asian Out February 2, ⭐️⭐️⭐️
✔️5. Bisexual or Pansexual Autoboyography March 31, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
✔️6. Black Dear Martin February 20, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
7. Buddhist
8. Christian-minority
9. Differently-Abled
✔️10. Gay Male or Lesbian Female They Both Die at the End June 28, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
✔️11. Hindu Ghachar Ghochar ⭐️⭐️⭐️
✔️12. Immigrant Miracle Creek May 29, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
✔️13. Incarcerated or Institutionalized Prison Noir ⭐️⭐️⭐️
✔️14. Indigenous Welcome to Your Authentic Indian Experience January 1, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
✔️15. Jewish If Not Now, When? January 16, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
✔️16. Latin American The House of Broken Angels
17. Living with a Mental Health or Cognitive Disability
18. Low-Income or Financially Insecure
✔️19. Middle Eastern The City of Brass January 26, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
20. Mixed Race or Multi-racial
✔️21. Muslim Song of a Captive Bird March 24, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
✔️22. Non-binary or Transgender Freshwater July 3, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
✔️23. Oceanic The Whale Rider August 9, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
24. Practitioner of a minor religion or another form of spirituality
25. Refugee, Migrant, or Asylum-Seeker
✔️26. Survivor of Sexual Assault Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body September 21, ⭐️⭐️⭐️

I'll join.

In for 26, with the full expectation of not managing that many. The fun is in diversifying the authors I read though.


Own Voices 2019
14/26 (plus 4 bonuses)

✔ 1. African
- ✔ Eastern Africa - Kintu by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi
- [B] Central or Middle Africa
- [C] Northern Africa
- [D] Southern Africa
- ✔ Western Africa - My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
[ ] 2. Agnostic, Athiest, or Humanist
[ ] 3. Asexual or Aromantic
✔ 4. Asian
- [A] Central Asia
- ✔ Eastern Asia- Please Look After Mother by Kyung-Sook Shin
- [C] Northern Asia
- ✔ Southern Asia - A Case of Exploding Mangoes by Mohammed Hanif
- ✔ Southeast Asia The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng
✔ 5. Bisexual - Disobedience by Naomi Alderman
✔ 6. Black - Women, Race, & Class by Angela Y. Davis (NF)
✔ 7. Buddhist - Island of a Thousand Mirrors by Nayomi Munaweera
[ ] 8. Christian-minority (i.e., Christian in a country in which it is not the most common religion)
[ ] 9. Differently-Abled (e.g., Autistic, Deaf, Paraplegic)
[ ] 10. Gay Male or Lesbian Female
[ ] 11. Hindu
[ ] 12. Immigrant
[ ] 13. Incarcerated or Institutionalized
✔ 14. Indigenous - Monkey Beach by Eden Robinson
✔ 15. Jewish - Khirbet Khizeh by S. Yizhar
✔ 16. Latin American
- ✔ Mexico - Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
- [B] Carribean
- [C] Central America
- ✔ South America - Mouthful of Birds by Samanta Schweblin
[ ] 17. Living with a Mental Health or Cognitive Disability
✔ 18. Low-Income or Financially Insecure - The Salt Path by Raynor Winn (memoir)
✔ 19. Middle Eastern - The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
✔ 20. Mixed Race or Multi-racial - Natives: Race and Class in the Ruins of Empire by Akala (memoir/social-political history)
✔ 21. Muslim - So Long a Letter by Mariama Bâ
[ ] 22. Non-binary or Transgender
✔ 23. Oceanic
- ✔ Australasia - The Lost Man by Jane Harper
- [B] Melanesia
- [C] Micronesia
- [D] Polynesia
[ ] 24. Practitioner of a minor religion or another form of spirituality
[ ] 25. Refugee, Migrant, or Asylum-Seeker
✔ 26. Survivor of Domestic Violence - Educated by Tara Westover (memoir)

I'm going for 20.

I am down for all 26.

I think I'll start by aiming for 10 c:

Wow this is a challenge! I'll try for 26 completed /26
African (e.g, Ghanian, Nigerian). Small Country
2. Agnostic, Athiest, or Humanist. The Outrun: A Memoir
3. Asexual or Aromantic
4. Asian (e.g., Hmong, Japanese) The Sari Shop
5. Bisexual or Pansexual
6. Black (e.g. African-American, Black British) The Life and Rhymes of Benjamin Zephaniah: The Autobiography
7. Buddhist
8. Christian-minority (i.e., Christian in a country in which it is not the most common religion)
9. Differently-Abled (e.g., Autistic, Deaf, Paraplegic)
10. Gay Male or Lesbian Female
11. Hindu
12. Immigrant
13. Incarcerated or Institutionalized
14. Indigenous (e.g., Aboriginal, Inuit, Mojave)
15. Jewish The Liar
16. Latin American (e.g., Mexican, Colombian-descent)
17. Living with a Mental Health or Cognitive Disability
18. Low-Income or Financially Insecure Lowborn: Growing Up, Getting Away and Returning to Britain’s Poorest Towns
19. Middle Eastern
20. Mixed Race or Multi-racial
21. Muslim Salt Houses
22. Non-binary or Transgender
23. Oceanic (e.g., Papuan, Samoan)
24. Practitioner of a minor religion or another form of spirituality
25. Refugee, Migrant, or Asylum-Seeker
26. Survivor of Sexual Assault or Domestic Violence Educated

So happy this is a challenge. I will try for all 26.

9/26 completed

1. African (e.g, Ghanian, Nigerian) - (view spoiler)
Aya by Marguerite Abouet (Ivory Coast)
2. Agnostic, Athiest, or Humanist
Small Gods by Terry Pratchett
3. Asexual or Aromantic
Bittersweet Symphony by Rebecca McNutt (asexual)
4. Asian (e.g., Hmong, Japanese) - (view spoiler)
American Panda by Gloria Chao finished 1/2/2019
5. Bisexual or Pansexual
A + E 4ever by I. Merey
6. Black (e.g. African-American, Black British)
The Hate U Give finished 2/20/2019
7. Buddhist
The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan finished 1/6/2019
8. Christian-minority (i.e., Christian in a country in which it is not the most common religion)
A Game for Swallows: To Die, to Leave, to Return by Zeina Abirached
9. Differently-Abled (e.g., Autistic, Deaf, Paraplegic)
El Deafo by Cece Bell
10. Gay Male or Lesbian Female
Wuvable Oaf by Ed Luce
11. Hindu
The Tiger at Midnight by Swati Teerdhala
12. Immigrant
American Street finished 2/14/2019
13. Incarcerated or Institutionalized
Cherry by Nico Walker finished 1/29/2019
14. Indigenous (e.g., Aboriginal, Inuit, Mojave)
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie finished 5/15/2019
15. Jewish
Toward A Hot Jew: Graphic Essays by Miriam Libicki
16. Latin American (e.g., Mexican, Colombian-descent) - (view spoiler)
The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende
17. Living with a Mental Health or Cognitive Disability
You Don't Know Me but You Don't Like Me: Phish, Insane Clown Posse, and My Misadventures with Two of Music's Most Maligned Tribes by Nathan Rabin
18. Low-Income or Financially Insecure
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
19. Middle Eastern
Exit West finished 2/15/2019
20. Mixed Race or Multi-racial
Skim by Mariko Tamaki
21. Muslim
Ms. Marvel, Vol. 1: No Normal by G. Willow Wilson finished 1/29/2019
22. Non-binary or Transgender
Kim & Kim Vol. 1 by Magdalene Visaggio
23. Oceanic (e.g., Papuan, Samoan) - (view spoiler)
Sister Heart by Sally Morgan
24. Practitioner of a minor religion or another form of spirituality
Witch: Unleashed. Untamed. Unapologetic. by Lisa Lister
25. Refugee, Migrant, or Asylum-Seeker
The Girl Who Smiled Beads: A Story of War and What Comes After by Clemantine Wamariya finished 3/3/20019
26. Survivor of Sexual Assault or Domestic Violence
Etched in Sand: A True Story of Five Siblings Who Survived an Unspeakable Childhood on Long Island by Regina Calcaterra

Own Voices Challenge

I will aim for 13 to start!

14/13: Challenge Complete!

1. African): My Sister, the Serial Killer (Nigerian)
2. Agnostic, Athiest, or Humanist
3. Asexual or Aromantic
4. Asian (e.g., Hmong, Japanese): Too Much Soul: The Journey of an Asian Southern Belle (Korean)
5. Bisexual or Pansexual
6. Black: Well, That Escalated Quickly: Memoirs and Mistakes of an Accidental Activist
7. Buddhist
8. Christian-minority:
9. Differently-Abled: Parkinson's Lite: the Laughable Side
10. Gay Male or Lesbian Female: Harry Clarke With Bonus Performance: Lillian (Playwright and Main Character)
11. Hindu: Not Quite Not White: Losing and Finding Race in America
12. Immigrant: Moments in Transition: Stories of Maya and Jeena
13. Incarcerated or Institutionalized
14. Indigenous:
15. Jewish: Overland: Remembering Southeast Asia
16. Latin American: The Murmur of Bees (Mexican)
17. Living with a Mental Health or Cognitive Disability: Falling with Wings: A Mother's Story
18. Low-Income or Financially Insecure
19. Middle Eastern: Here to Stay
20. Mixed Race or Multi-racial
21. Muslim: Mis(h)adra
22. Non-binary or Transgender: She Wants It: Desire, Power, and Toppling the Patriarchy
23. Oceanic (e.g., Papuan, Samoan)
24. Practitioner of a minor religion or another form of spirituality
25. Refugee, Migrant, or Asylum-Seeker
26. Survivor of Sexual Assault or Domestic Violence: In Pieces

I would like to join for 12.

10/12 Complete

Read a book featuring a protagonist who identifies as _____ by an author who is also _____.

1. African (e.g, Ghanian, Nigerian) - (view spoiler)
Homegoing
2. Agnostic, Athiest, or Humanist
3. Asexual or Aromantic
4. Asian (e.g., Hmong, Japanese) - (view spoiler)
5. Bisexual or Pansexual
6. Black (e.g. African-American, Black British)
7. Buddhist
8. Christian-minority (i.e., Christian in a country in which it is not the most common religion)
Playing Atari with Saddam Hussein
9. Differently-Abled (e.g., Autistic, Deaf, Paraplegic)
And the Mountains Echoed
10. Gay Male or Lesbian Female
11. Hindu
12. Immigrant
A Palace in the Old Village
13. Incarcerated or Institutionalized
The Diary of a Young Girl
14. Indigenous (e.g., Aboriginal, Inuit, Mojave)
15. Jewish
Identical Strangers: A Memoir of Twins Separated and Reunited
16. Latin American (e.g., Mexican, Colombian-descent) - (view spoiler)
17. Living with a Mental Health or Cognitive Disability
Cheer Up Love: Adventures in Depression with the Crab of Hate
My Thoughts Exactly
18. Low-Income or Financially Insecure
Lessons I've Learned
19. Middle Eastern
20. Mixed Race or Multi-racial
21. Muslim
22. Non-binary or Transgender
23. Oceanic (e.g., Papuan, Samoan) - (view spoiler)
24. Practitioner of a minor religion or another form of spirituality
25. Refugee, Migrant, or Asylum-Seeker
26. Survivor of Sexual Assault or Domestic Violence
3,096 Days

I'm really excited for this challenge. I'm aiming for 10 to begin with, maybe I can add more later in the year.

1. African - Nigeria; My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
2. Agnostic, Athiest, or Humanist
3. Asexual or Aromantic
4. Asian - Japan; Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata
China; China Rich Girlfriend by Kevin Kwan
5. Bisexual or Pansexual - Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay / Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body by Roxane Gay
6. Black I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
8. Christian-minority
9. Differently-Abled - The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang
10. Gay Male or Lesbian Female - We Are Okay by Nina LaCour
11. Hindu - Canada; The Arrangement by Sonya Lalli
12. Immigrant Persepolis, Volume 3 by Marjane Satrapi
13. Incarcerated or Institutionalized
14. Indigenous - Native-American; The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
15. Jewish
16. Latin American
17. Living with a Mental Health or Cognitive Disability
18. Low-Income or Financially Insecure
19. Middle Eastern Persepolis, Volume 1 by Marjane Satrapi
20. Mixed Race or Multi-racial - South Africa; Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
21. Muslim Persepolis, Volume 2 by Marjane Satrapi
22. Non-binary or Transgender
23. Oceanic - Australia; Ladies in Black41711797 by Madeleine St. John
24. Practitioner of a minor religion or another form of spirituality
25. Refugee, Migrant, or Asylum-Seeker
26. Survivor of Sexual Assault or Domestic Violence

Completed 10/10

Hi, this challenges sounds really interesting. I will set my goal to 10, but as year passes my read more :)

0/10

1. African (e.g, Ghanian, Nigerian) - (view spoiler)
2. Agnostic, Athiest, or Humanist
3. Asexual or Aromantic
4. Asian (e.g., Hmong, Japanese) - (view spoiler)
5. Bisexual or Pansexual
6. Black (e.g. African-American, Black British)
7. Buddhist
8. Christian-minority (i.e., Christian in a country in which it is not the most common religion)
9. Differently-Abled (e.g., Autistic, Deaf, Paraplegic)
10. Gay Male or Lesbian Female
11. Hindu
12. Immigrant
13. Incarcerated or Institutionalized
14. Indigenous (e.g., Aboriginal, Inuit, Mojave)
15. Jewish
16. Latin American (e.g., Mexican, Colombian-descent) - (view spoiler)
17. Living with a Mental Health or Cognitive Disability
18. Low-Income or Financially Insecure
19. Middle Eastern
20. Mixed Race or Multi-racial
21. Muslim
22. Non-binary or Transgender
23. Oceanic (e.g., Papuan, Samoan) - (view spoiler)
24. Practitioner of a minor religion or another form of spirituality
25. Refugee, Migrant, or Asylum-Seeker
26. Survivor of Sexual Assault or Domestic Violence

I'm planning on reading quite a few longer books next year so I wanted to see if I could find some graphic novels for this challenge and let me tell you, there are so many cute looking #ownvoices graphic novels.

What an exciting challenge. Please sign me up for 13.

Challenge completed 13/13.

✅1. African (e.g, Ghanian, Nigerian): The Famished Road
2. Agnostic, Atheist, or Humanist:
✅3. Asexual or Aromantic: The Bone People
✅4. Asian (e.g., Hmong, Japanese): The Hen Who Dreamed She Could Fly
5. Bisexual or Pansexual:
✅6. Black (e.g. African-American, Black British): Becoming
7. Buddhist: The Dalai Lama’s Book of Wisdom
✅8. Christian-minority: The God of Small Things
9. Differently-Abled (e.g., Autistic, Deaf, Paraplegic):
✅10. Gay Male or Lesbian Female: The Heart's Invisible Furies
✅11. Hindu: Interpreter of Maladies
12. Immigrant:
✅13. Incarcerated or Institutionalized: [book:One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich
✅14. Indigenous (e.g., Aboriginal, Inuit, Mojave): Ædnan (Sami)
✅15. Jewish: A Tale of Love and Darkness
16. Latin American (e.g., Mexican, Colombian-descent
17. Living with a Mental Health or Cognitive Disability
18. Low-Income or Financially Insecure:
✅19. Middle Eastern: How to Cure a Fanatic
20. Mixed Race or Multi-racial:
21. Muslim:
✅22. Non-binary or Transgender: The Autobiography of a Transgender Scientist
23. Oceanic (e.g., Papuan, Samoan
24. Practitioner of a minor religion or another form of spirituality
25. Refugee, Migrant, or Asylum-Seeker:
✅26. Survivor of Sexual Assault or Domestic Violence: The Last Girl: My Story of Captivity, and My Fight Against the Islamic State

Please count me in for 10 :)

#OwnVoices
Duration January 1, 2019 - December 31, 2019

1. African (e.g, Ghanian, Nigerian) -
2. Agnostic, Athiest, or Humanist -
3. Asexual or Aromantic
4. Asian (e.g., Hmong, Japanese) -
5. Bisexual or Pansexual -
6. Black (e.g. African-American, Black British) -
7. Buddhist
8. Christian-minority (i.e., Christian in a country in which it is not the most common religion)
9. Differently-Abled -
10. Gay Male or Lesbian Female -
11. Hindu
12. Immigrant
13. Incarcerated or Institutionalized
14. Indigenous (e.g., Aboriginal, Inuit, Mojave)
15. Jewish -
16. Latin American (e.g., Mexican, Colombian-descent)
17. Living with a Mental Health or Cognitive Disability
18. Low-Income or Financially Insecure
19. Middle Eastern
20. Mixed Race or Multi-racial -
21. Muslim
22. Non-binary or Transgender
23. Oceanic (e.g., Papuan, Samoan)
24. Practitioner of a minor religion or another form of spirituality
25. Refugee, Migrant, or Asylum-Seeker
26. Survivor of Sexual Assault or Domestic Violence -

10/10 - COMPLETED

I'm in for 10 :)

0/10

1. African (e.g, Ghanian, Nigerian)
2. Agnostic, Athiest, or Humanist
3. Asexual or Aromantic
4. Asian (e.g., Hmong, Japanese) - A River of Stars
5. Bisexual or Pansexual
6. Black (e.g. African-American, Black British)
7. Buddhist
8. Christian-minority (i.e., Christian in a country in which it is not the most common religion)
9. Differently-Abled (e.g., Autistic, Deaf, Paraplegic) - - The Kiss Quotient
10. Gay Male or Lesbian Female
11. Hindu
12. Immigrant
13. Incarcerated or Institutionalized
14. Indigenous (e.g., Aboriginal, Inuit, Mojave)
15. Jewish
16. Latin American (e.g., Mexican, Colombian-descent)
17. Living with a Mental Health or Cognitive Disability
18. Low-Income or Financially Insecure
19. Middle Eastern
20. Mixed Race or Multi-racial
21. Muslim
22. Non-binary or Transgender
23. Oceanic (e.g., Papuan, Samoan)
24. Practitioner of a minor religion or another form of spirituality
25. Refugee, Migrant, or Asylum-Seeker
26. Survivor of Sexual Assault or Domestic Violence

Rachel wrote: "Hi, this challenges sounds really interesting. I will set my goal to 10, but as year passes my read more :)

0/10

1. African (e.g, Ghanian, Nigerian) - (view spoiler)
2. Agnostic, Athiest, or Huma..."

I have decided that I'm not going to participate in this challenge. Maybe next round :)

Reading more diversely is always a personal challenge that I track outside of Goodreads. I am thrilled to see it is officially a challenge this year!! Count me in for all 26 categories.

Goal: 13/26

1. African
* Stay with Me, Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀
2. Agnostic, Athiest, or Humanist
3. Asexual or Aromantic
4. Asian
* The Farm, Joanne Ramos
5. Bisexual or Pansexual
* When They Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir, Patrisse Khan-Cullors
6. Black
* American Spy, Lauren Wilkinson
7. Buddhist
8. Christian-minority
* Ants Among Elephants: An Untouchable Family and the Making of Modern India, Sujatha Gidla
* Biography about a Christian family in predominately Hindu India
9. Differently-Abled
10. Gay Male or Lesbian Female
11. Hindu
12. Immigrant
13. Incarcerated or Institutionalized
* The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row, Anthony Ray Hinton
14. Indigenous
15. Jewish
* The Plot Against America
16. Latin American
17. Living with a Mental Health or Cognitive Disability
18. Low-Income or Financially Insecure
* On the Way Home, Laura Ingalls Wilder
19. Middle Eastern
20. Mixed Race or Multi-racial
* Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood, Trevor Noah
* Black African/White German
21. Muslim
* A Place for Us, Fatima Farheen Mirza
22. Non-binary or Transgender
* An Unkindness of Ghosts, Rivers Solomon
23. Oceanic
24. Practitioner of a minor religion or another form of spirituality
25. Refugee, Migrant, or Asylum-Seeker
* The Girl Who Smiled Beads: A Story of War and What Comes After, Clemantine Wamariya
* Refugee/immigrant from Rwanda
26. Survivor of Sexual Assault or Domestic Violence
* Educated, Tara Westover

I'll try 10

4. Asian/South - Separate Journeys: Short Stories by Contemporary Indian Women

I like the idea of this challenge I will start at 10 books and if I complete those I may increase my number.

Indigenous (Native-American)
Indian Horse by Richard Wagamese

African-American
The Color Purple by Alice Walker. (Read February)

Lesbian Woman
The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth ( Read Sep/Oct)

Differently-Abled (Autistic)
The Reason I Jump: The Inner Voice of a Thirteen-Year-Old Boy with Autism by Naoki Higashida. (Read April)

Asia (Southern Asia, Pakistan)
I Am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban by Malala Yousafzai

Survivor of Sexual Assault or (Domestic Violence)
Let Me Love You Through It: The Inspiring True Stories of Victims, Becoming Survivors of Domestic Violence by Amberlee Hoagland

or

A memoir of Hope: Leaving Dorian by Linda Dynel

Living with a Mental Health or (Cognitive Disability)
Not So Different: What You Really Want to Ask About Having a Disability by Shane Burcaw

Mixed Race or Multi-racial
Passing by Nella Larsen

Non-Binary or (Transgender)
If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo

Agnostic, Athiest, or (Humanist)
The God Argument: The Case against Religion and for Humanism by A.C. Grayling


3/10

I would like to see how many of these I can read.


1. African (e.g, Ghanian, Nigerian) - (view spoiler)
-Abandoned Baobab: The Autobiography of a Senegalese Woman
2. Agnostic, Athiest, or Humanist
-The Shark God: Encounters with Ghosts and Ancestors in the South Pacific
3. Asexual or Aromantic
- The Invisible Orientation: An Introduction to Asexuality
4. Asian (e.g., Hmong, Japanese) - The Question of Red
5. Bisexual or Pansexual
6. Black (e.g. African-American, Black British)
7. Buddhist- My Master's Robe: Memories of a Novice Monk
8. Christian-minority (i.e., Christian in a country in which it is not the most common religion)
9. Differently-Abled (e.g., Autistic, Deaf, Paraplegic)
10. Gay Male or Lesbian Female- Gaysia: Adventures in the Queer East
11. Hindu- Arresting God in Kathmandu
12. Immigrant- A Thousand Wings
13. Incarcerated or Institutionalized- The Men with the Pink Triangle: The True Life-and-Death Story of Homosexuals in the Nazi Death Camps
14. Indigenous (e.g., Aboriginal, Inuit, Mojave)
15. Jewish
16. Latin American (e.g., Mexican, Colombian-descent) - (view spoiler)
- The House of the Spirits
17. Living with a Mental Health or Cognitive Disability
-The Collected Schizophrenias: Essays
18. Low-Income or Financially Insecure
- At the Bottom: A Woman's Life in Central America
19. Middle Eastern- The Sand Fish: A Novel from Dubai
20. Mixed Race or Multi-racial
21. Muslim- Sultana's Dream
22. Non-binary or Transgender
23. Oceanic (e.g., Papuan, Samoan) -The Uncle's Story
24. Practitioner of a minor religion or another form of spirituality
25. Refugee, Migrant, or Asylum-Seeker
-The Dead Eye and the Deep Blue Sea: The World of Slavery at Sea-A Graphic Memoir
26. Survivor of Sexual Assault or Domestic Violence

16/26

I would like to participate. I'm going to shoot for all 26. Thank you.

Liz

Let's try for 10.

So far: 11/10 completed.

✔ 1. African (e.g, Ghanian, Nigerian) - (view spoiler) De tuin van verloren zielen (Somalian)
2. Agnostic, Athiest, or Humanist
3. Asexual or Aromantic
✔ 4. Asian (e.g., Hmong, Japanese) - (view spoiler) American Born Chinese
5. Bisexual or Pansexual
✔ 6. Black (e.g. African-American, Black British) Het gym
7. Buddhist
8. Christian-minority (i.e., Christian in a country in which it is not the most common religion)
9. Differently-Abled (e.g., Autistic, Deaf, Paraplegic)
✔ 10. Gay Male or Lesbian Female Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic
11. Hindu
12. Immigrant
13. Incarcerated or Institutionalized
✔ 14. Indigenous (e.g., Aboriginal, Inuit, Mojave) Toekomstig huis van de levende god
✔ 15. Jewish Het bittere kruid
16. Latin American (e.g., Mexican, Colombian-descent) - (view spoiler)
✔ 17. Living with a Mental Health or Cognitive Disability De magiër - Memoires van een dwaas
✔ 18. Low-Income or Financially Insecure Het boek van Emma
✔ 19. Middle Eastern De kaart van zout en sterren
20. Mixed Race or Multi-racial
21. Muslim
22. Non-binary or Transgender
23. Oceanic (e.g., Papuan, Samoan) - (view spoiler)
24. Practitioner of a minor religion or another form of spirituality
✔ 25. Refugee, Migrant, or Asylum-Seeker Hoe ik talent voor het leven kreeg
26. Survivor of Sexual Assault or Domestic Violence

✔ 27. Living with obesity Knap voor een dik meisje*

*I'm taking the liberty of adding this as a seperate category, since this book doesn't really fall into any of the existing categories (it has a littele bit of several categories, though) but deserves to be in this challenge.

This is fantastic, thank you Kristin! So excited to see what books everyone explores.

I’d like to start with 15 and then go from there.

12/15

1. African Americanah
2. Asian The Ghost Bride
3. Bisexual Bad Feminist
4. Black The Mothers
5. Incarcerated In the Place of Justice: A Story of Punishment and Deliverance
6. Middle Eastern The Map of Salt and Stars
7. Gender non-conforming Freshwater
8. Muslim If They Come for Us
9. Low-income Men We Reaped
10. Poly/bi-sexual The Ethical Slut: A Practical Guide to Polyamory, Open Relationships, and Other Freedoms in Sexand Love
11. Survivor of Sexual Assault I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
12. Buddhist The Face: A Time Code

Love this challenge! Speaks to me and the work I do. In for all 26

0/X Tasks Complete

Read a book featuring a protagonist who identifies as _____ by an author who is also _____.

1. African (e.g, Ghanian, Nigerian) - (view spoiler)
2. Agnostic, Athiest, or Humanist
3. Asexual or Aromantic
4. Asian (e.g., Hmong, Japanese) - (view spoiler)
5. Bisexual or Pansexual
6. Black (e.g. African-American, Black British)
7. Buddhist
8. Christian-minority (i.e., Christian in a country in which it is not the most common religion)
9. Differently-Abled (e.g., Autistic, Deaf, Paraplegic)
10. Gay Male or Lesbian Female
11. Hindu
12. Immigrant
13. Incarcerated or Institutionalized
14. Indigenous (e.g., Aboriginal, Inuit, Mojave)
15. Jewish
16. Latin American (e.g., Mexican, Colombian-descent) - (view spoiler)
17. Living with a Mental Health or Cognitive Disability
18. Low-Income or Financially Insecure
19. Middle Eastern
20. Mixed Race or Multi-racial
21. Muslim
22. Non-binary or Transgender
23. Oceanic (e.g., Papuan, Samoan) - (view spoiler)
24. Practitioner of a minor religion or another form of spirituality
25. Refugee, Migrant, or Asylum-Seeker
26. Survivor of Sexual Assault or Domestic Violence

I'll go in for 15 to start

I'm in for 26

26/26

1. African -
1d Southern African A Short History of South Africa by Gail Nattrass
1e Western African The Half-God of Rainfall by Inua Ellams
2. Agnostic, Athiest, or Humanist Candide by Voltaire
3. Asexual or Aromantic Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life by Richard Rohr
4. Asian -
4b - East Asian: Marilyn and Me by Ji-min Lee
4d - South Asia: Gun Island by Amitav Ghosh
4e - Southeast Asia: Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan
5. Bisexual or Pansexual
6. Black - Vegas, Baby by Theodora Taylor
7. Buddhist
8. Christian-minority (i.e., Christian in a country in which it is not the most common religion) Hope Has Wings: The Mission Aviation Story
9. Differently-Abled The World I Fell Out Of by Melanie Reid
10. Gay Male or Lesbian Female Alan Turing: The Enigma by Andrew Hodges
11. Hindu Straight Outta Crawley: Memoirs of a Distinctly Average Human Being by Romesh Ranganathan
12. Immigrant Gun Island by Amitav Ghosh
13. Incarcerated or Institutionalized The Sins of the Father by Jeffrey Archer
14. Indigenous The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom by Miguel Ruiz
15. Jewish When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit by Judith Kerr
16. Latin American (e.g., Mexican, Colombian-descent)
16c - Central America House of Beauty by Melba Escobar (Colombia, but close to central)
16d - South America Maya's Notebook by Isabel Allende (Chile)
17. Living with a Mental Health or Cognitive Disability A Mindfulness Guide for the Frazzled by Ruby Wax
18. Low-Income or Financially Insecure The Salt Path by Raynor Winn
19. Middle Eastern The Histories by Herodotus
20. Mixed Race or Multi-racial Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie
21. Muslim How to Lose a Country: The 7 Steps from Democracy to Dictatorship by Ece Temelkuran
22. Non-binary or Transgender
23. Oceanic (e.g., Papuan, Samoan) -
24. Practitioner of a minor religion or another form of spirituality America Before: The Key to Earth's Lost Civilization by Graham Hancock
25. Refugee, Migrant, or Asylum-Seeker The Girl with Seven Names: A North Korean Defector’s Story by Hyeonseo Lee
26. Survivor of Sexual Assault or Domestic Violence Notes to Self: Essays by Emilie Pine

6/26 Tasks Complete

Read a book featuring a protagonist who identifies as _____ by an author who is also _____.

1. African (e.g, Ghanian, Nigerian) - (view spoiler) - Blackass by A. Igoni Barrett 01/06/19
2. Agnostic, Athiest, or Humanist - Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand 20/09/19
3. Asexual or Aromantic
4. Asian (e.g., Hmong, Japanese) - (view spoiler)
Shadow of The Fox by Julie Kagawa 23/01/19
5. Bisexual or Pansexual
6. Black (e.g. African-American, Black British)
7. Buddhist
8. Christian-minority (i.e., Christian in a country in which it is not the most common religion)
9. Differently-Abled (e.g., Autistic, Deaf, Paraplegic)
10. Gay Male or Lesbian Female - The Well of Loneliness by Radclyffe Hall 19/11/19
11. Hindu
12. Immigrant
13. Incarcerated or Institutionalized
14. Indigenous (e.g., Aboriginal, Inuit, Mojave)
15. Jewish
16. Latin American (e.g., Mexican, Colombian-descent) - (view spoiler)
Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez 10/02/19
17. Living with a Mental Health or Cognitive Disability
18. Low-Income or Financially Insecure
19. Middle Eastern - The Enchantress of Florence by Salman Rushdie 14/08/19
20. Mixed Race or Multi-racial
21. Muslim -
22. Non-binary or Transgender
23. Oceanic (e.g., Papuan, Samoan) - (view spoiler)
24. Practitioner of a minor religion or another form of spirituality
25. Refugee, Migrant, or Asylum-Seeker
26. Survivor of Sexual Assault or Domestic Violence

Recommendation - Go Deeper: Globally, women and genderqueer members experience more discrimination and disenfranchisement than cis-male members. For example, many religions are experienced differently by male and female members with women often being even more marginalized. We encourage you to read multiple perspectives. Additionally, there are also major differences among different continental regions. Click on the "spoiler" above to expand each continent into smaller regions. Read a book from each region. There are many other individuals who experience discrimination not listed and you are encouraged to read books by these indivduals as well.

I'm in for 12.

7/12

1. African (e.g, Ghanian, Nigerian)
A. Eastern Africa
Black Mamba Boy

B. Central or Middle Africa
Behold the Dreamers - Completed 4/21/19

C. Northern Africa

D. Southern Africa
When Rain Clouds Gather

E. Western Africa
Purple Hibiscus
Under the Udala Trees

2. Agnostic, Athiest, or Humanist
The Bad Beginning
An Absolutely Remarkable Thing

3. Asexual or Aromantic

4. Asian (e.g., Hmong, Japanese)
A. Central Asia

B. Eastern Asia
Pachinko

C. Northern Asia

D. Southern Asia

E. Southeast Asia
Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows - Completed 5/28/19

5. Bisexual or Pansexual
My Favorite Thing Is Monsters, Vol. 1

6. Black (e.g. African-American, Black British)
Well-Read Black Girl: Finding Our Stories, Discovering Ourselves - Completed 5/25/19

7. Buddhist

8. Christian-minority (i.e., Christian in a country in which it is not the most common religion)

9. Differently-Abled (e.g., Autistic, Deaf, Paraplegic)
The Bride Test - Completed 5/22/19

10. Gay Male or Lesbian Female
We Are Okay
My Ántonia
Fingersmith
Dry
The Fact of a Body: A Murder and a Memoir

11. Hindu

12. Immigrant
American Like Me: Reflections on Life Between Cultures - Completed 1/2/19

13. Incarcerated or Institutionalized

14. Indigenous (e.g., Aboriginal, Inuit, Mojave)
There There

15. Jewish

16. Latin American (e.g., Mexican, Colombian-descent)
I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter

17. Living with a Mental Health or Cognitive Disability

18. Low-Income or Financially Insecure

19. Middle Eastern
American War
Salt Houses

20. Mixed Race or Multi-racial

21. Muslim
A Very Large Expanse of Sea - Completed 4/16/19

22. Non-binary or Transgender

23. Oceanic (e.g., Papuan, Samoan)

24. Practitioner of a minor religion or another form of spirituality

25. Refugee, Migrant, or Asylum-Seeker
A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier
The Sympathizer
Refuge

26. Survivor of Sexual Assault or Domestic Violence
Goodbye, Sweet Girl: A Story of Domestic Violence and Survival - Completed 4/9/19

I am going to going to try for 20

20/20-Challenge Completed

1. African (e.g, Ghanian, Nigerian):The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives(21/11/19)
2. Agnostic, Athiest, or Humanist:Good Omens(24/11/19)
3. Asexual or Aromantic:Jughead (2015-) #1 (Jughead(10/11/19)
4. Asian (e.g., Hmong, Japanese):Crazy Rich Asians(16/2/19)
5. Bisexual or Pansexual:Red, White & Royal Blue(23/11/19)
6. Black (e.g. African-American, Black British):The Color Purple(21/3/19)
7. Buddhist: Buddhism in a Nutshell(10/11/19)
9. Differently-Abled (e.g., Autistic, Deaf, Paraplegic):Unbroken: 13 Stories Starring Disabled Teens(15/3/19)
10. Gay Male or Lesbian Female:Dare Truth or Promise(1/7/19)
12. Immigrant:The Quiet American(20/4/19)
13. Incarcerated or Institutionalized:Les Misérables(26/10/19)
15. Jewish:The Diary of a Young Girl(11/11/19)
16. Latin American (e.g., Mexican, Colombian-descent):The House on Mango Street(21/11/19)
17. Living with a Mental Health or Cognitive Disability:The Perks of Being a Wallflower(14/5/19)
19. Middle Eastern:I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and was Shot by the Taliban(6/4/19)
20. Mixed Race or Multi-racial:To All the Boys I've Loved Before(16/11/19)
21. Muslim:Laughing All the Way to the Mosque: The Misadventures of a Muslim Woman(16/6/19)
22. Non-binary or Transgender:The Danish Girl(4/6/19)
25. Refugee, Migrant, or Asylum-Seeker:Inside Out & Back Again(21/11/19)
26. Survivor of Sexual Assault or Domestic Violence:Backseat Saints(23/11/19)

@Kristin
Another question about this challenge...

I asked to sign up for 20, but is it my choice whether to either complete 20 different tasks or read 20 books for this challenge?

Hi! I'll try for all 26.

0/26

1. African (e.g, Ghanian, Nigerian)
2. Agnostic, Athiest, or Humanist
3. Asexual or Aromantic
4. Asian (e.g., Hmong, Japanese)
5. Bisexual or Pansexual
6. Black (e.g. African-American, Black British)
7. Buddhist
8. Christian-minority (i.e., Christian in a country in which it is not the most common religion)
9. Differently-Abled (e.g., Autistic, Deaf, Paraplegic)
10. Gay Male or Lesbian Female
11. Hindu
12. Immigrant
13. Incarcerated or Institutionalized
14. Indigenous (e.g., Aboriginal, Inuit, Mojave)
15. Jewish
16. Latin American (e.g., Mexican, Colombian-descent)
17. Living with a Mental Health or Cognitive Disability
18. Low-Income or Financially Insecure
19. Middle Eastern
20. Mixed Race or Multi-racial
21. Muslim
22. Non-binary or Transgender
23. Oceanic (e.g., Papuan, Samoan)
24. Practitioner of a minor religion or another form of spirituality
25. Refugee, Migrant, or Asylum-Seeker
26. Survivor of Sexual Assault or Domestic Violence

So I clocked up my first book in this challenge by accident - I was reading a romance book where the heroine was Black and thought "I wonder if this author is Black also?" some quick googling and bingo - first book done!

However, then I realised that in the biography of the author in the book, her race isn't mentioned, and the author's picture on Goodreads is a logo not a picture of herself. So I started to feel a bit queasy at cyber-stalking this author to tick off items on this list. I also felt that there's also something icky and wrong about choosing an author (or frankly anyone - lawyer/accountant/server in a fast food chain) based on their race, sexuality or religion. That led to me thinking that the premise of this challenge is a bit off.

In the book itself, the Black characters weren't any more / less developed and well-written than the characters of other races, nor do I think that the heroine was intended to be a representative of her ethnicity. Thinking about my favourite authors, I don't think that Agatha Christie's background makes Miss Marple provide more insight into the life of an English woman than Hercule Poirot provides into the life of a Belgian man.

I suppose my point is that whilst it's certainly a good thing to read books from a diverse set of authors with a diverse set of characters, the actual fact that a Muslim is writing fiction about a Muslim character doesn't mean that they are writing about their own experience. You are not really hearing the author's "own voice" through that specific character any more than you are hearing that author's voice through all the other characters they have created.

I'm therefore going to change how I do this challenge and only count autobiographies or where the author is a prominent activist for their identity and the character seems to be a representation of the author in the story.

Thanks @Kristin and thank you for organising this challenge. It's really helpful to recognise and broaden the diversity of books we're all reading.

Got my first one (although it was a shot story):
Welcome to Your Authentic Indian Experience for indigenous, updated post #31, 1/26 complete.