Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly meme hosted by Rukky @ Eternity Books and Dani @ Literary Lion. Today’s topic is Diversity in Books.
Note: POV stands for Point of View
What do you think is the meaning of diverse? Who do you think is qualified to write a diverse book?
What makes a book diverse is entirely subjective. It depends on each reader’s background and experiences, but personally, I count a book as diverse when atleast one of the central characters is BIPOC or LGBTQ+, if it includes representations of different religions and cultures, or if it discusses topics like mental health or disabilities. The question of who exactly is qualified to write a diverse book is a long standing debate that I’ve never been able to make up my mind about. But in my opinion, diverse books tend to work best when an author has some experience to draw upon, which is why I usually enjoy #ownvoices books so much.
How do you find diverse books to read?
Goodreads and social media mostly. The bookish community always has great recommendations, and though I’m usually wary of books that are overly hyped, I trust the hype when it comes to diverse and #ownvoices books.
What are some diverse topics/POVs that you specifically look for when you’re finding books and why? How do you decide if a diverse topic/POV is done well?
It might sound odd, but I don’t really have any specific topics that I look for, though I do enjoy learning more about different cultures. It’s also nice to see a book address more than one diverse topic. Apart from that, all I look for is that it is well written and appropriately portrayed. As long as diversity is not added solely for the purpose of diversity, but rather as a natural part of the story, I count it as well done.
What do you think makes a book diverse? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Worlds Unlike Our Own 
Diversity is so important and at the same time, it’s such a delicate topic in the book community. I feel whatever opinion you may have there will always be someone disagreeing with you or ready to judge you…
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I agree, it’s a never ending debate and you have to choose your words so carefully when addressing this topic.
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I totally agree on your definition of what makes a book diverse – I think I’d say the same about the representation from a variety of different backgrounds, whether that’s culture, religious, sexual… Really interesting read, thank you!
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Thanks for reading!
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We agree with your definition. It’s important to get representation from many different backgrounds.
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Absolutely! Diverse books make for such interesting reads and there’s always something to learn from them.
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The worst thing is when diversity is just put in for the “token diversity”. I agree that other than that, as long as it’s there, it’s good diversity! Thanks for the post.
Here are my own comments:
https://downtherabbitholeblog.com/2021/03/19/lets-talk-bookish-diversity-in-books/
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Agreed, token diversity can make a book feel really forced and take all the enjoyment out of it. Thanks for reading!
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Interesting discussion. I agree with a lot of what you’ve said!
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Thanks for reading!
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