My September and October 2017 Reading

My September 2017 reading is introduced to you by Russian Bear!

Sandhya Menon “When Dimple Met Rishi” [India, USA]

Agatha Christie “The Murder of Roger Ackroyd” (Hercule Poirot #4) [UK]

Lisa See “Snow Flower and the Secret Fan” [USA]

Short story:

Kameron Hurley “Tumbledown” [USA]

When Dimple Met Rishi

My International Pride [Daily Photo #797]

It's that time of the year when I read only LGBTQIA books, so I'm going to show you some of what I've prepared for this June's reading. Happy Pride! \^u^/

My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness by Nagata Kabi, translated by Jocelyne Allen

[Japan]

“The heart-rending autobiographical manga that’s taken the internet by storm!

My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness is an honest and heartfelt look at one young woman’s exploration of her sexuality, mental well-being, and growing up in our modern age. Told using expressive artwork that invokes both laughter and tears, this moving and highly entertaining single volume depicts not only the artist’s burgeoning sexuality, but many other personal aspects of her life that will resonate with readers.”

The Black Tides of Heaven by JY Yang

[Singapore]

My July and August 2017 Reading

My July 2017 (yes… I'm slow ^^;;;) reading is introduced to you by The Pink One!

Agatha Christie “Why Didn't They Ask Evans?” [UK]

Chigusa Kawai “La Esperança, Vol. 1-2” translated by Suvi Mäkelä [Japan]

Sarah Waters “Fingersmith” [UK]

“Love Beyond Body, Space, and Time: An Indigenous LGBT Sci-Fi Anthology” [USA, Canada]

A novelette free online:

JY Yang “Waiting on a Bright Moon” [Singapore]

Why Didn't They Ask Evans?

New Books and Pride Month [Daily Photo #428]

Happy Pride Month everyone! I begin it nicely prepared. I have a huge list of books and short stories that have LGBTQIA characters so I have a lot to choose from, and I already started reading two novels for this Pride. But first…

~~~Dun dun dun~~~

New books arrived! Look at the precious:

The Seafarer's Kiss by Julia Ember

Love Beyond Body, Space, and Time: An Indigenous LGBT Sci-Fi Anthology

Their arrival was like a balm for my broken heart (Netflix cancelled Sense8 and I just… It feels like I've lost a family, not just another cool show. Sniiiiiiiff). It definitely cheered me up! So please, writers, keep writing books with LGBTQIA characters, we need you! ^u^

My June Reading: LGBT stories

My June reading is brought to you by Valkopentu! Since June is Pride Month, all the books have LGBT characters. As a bonus, most books also have ethnically diverse characters.

• Takako Shimura “Wandering Son” vol.1-3 [Japan] 
• Elizabeth Bear “Karen Memory” [USA] 
• Malinda Lo “Adaptation” [China, USA] 
• Noelle Stevenson,  Grace Ellis, Shannon Watters “Lumberjanes, Vol. 1: Beware the Kitten Holy” [USA] 
• Marja Björk “Poika” [Finland] 
• Sarah Diemer “The Dark Wife” [USA] 

2014 Africa Reading Challenge

Last year I decided that reading books from the same countries over and over again is boring. I want to know more about this planet and people that live here. And books are always my favourite way to learn. Plus, they are fun! 

2014 was the year I started reading African literature. I'm embarrassed to say this - after all, I've always been a bookworm reading almost anything that came my way - but somehow there never were any books by local African authors. I did read many stories about African nature written by Western travellers and scientists, like Gorillas in the Mist by Dian Fossey (set in Rwanda) and Born Free by Joy Adamson (set in Kenya). Yet I didn't even know any names of African writers!

June Reading: LGBTQ

Because June was LGBTQ Pride Month, I only read books with queer characters. Here they are:

Wolf Kankare “Miska Pähkinä” (transgender)

Дарья Вильке «Шутовской колпак» (gay)

Arthur Conan Doyle “The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes” (asexual, aromantic)

Caitlín R. Kiernan “The Drowning Girl” (lesbian, transgender)

Joana Estrela “Propaganda” (everyone? ^^ you can get this comic book here, read a review here)

Alaya Dawn Johnson “The Summer Prince” (bisexual, polyamorous)

Julie Maroh “Blue is the Warmest Color” (lesbian, gay)

Laura Lam “Pantomime” (intersexual, bisexual, gay)

Watched in June: 

We Need Diverse Books Campaign

Last year I decided to read more diverse books. I realized that most of the books I read were written by and about straight white males. I am a feminist and I love learning about this world and people from different cultures, but you wouldn't be able to tell it by looking at my bookshelves: J.R.R. Tolkien, Terry Pratchett, Dan Simmons, Ivan Yefremov, all great authors, but so monochrome in a way...

“An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.”

- Martin Luther King, Jr.

I started searching for stories written by / about women, people of colour, LGBT folks, and discovered so many lovely authors I never heard of before! Octavia Butler, N.K. Jemisin, Malinda Lo, Margaret Atwood, to name a few. How could I miss them? And how many more books to read! This world is so colourful and beautiful, and it's time to enjoy it fully through the books.