By Willow Symonds
Staff Writer
Diversify Your Bookshelf introduces readers to books written from marginalized perspectives, including racial minorities, LGBTQ+ people, disabled individuals, and more. These books come in all genres and targeted age groups, so there’s something for everyone.
Babel, or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History by R.F. Kuang (2022)
Genre: Historical Fantasy
Award-winning author of “The Poppy Wars” trilogy followed with “Babel, or the Necessity of Violence,” a stand-alone epic. It’s the 1820s and 1830s, and Great Britain dominates the silver-working industry, a magical and lucrative way to keep entire countries running. How did they accomplish this? Through studying languages – specifically, foreign languages and their English translations. To Chinese immigrant Robin Swift, Babel, the Oxford school of languages, seems like a dream come true: he makes the friends he never had and receives an education unavailable to most minorities. But he discovers Babel may be hiding something much darker, something that’s affected him and his home country personally: imperialism. The Hermes Society is willing to do something about it, but what is Robin willing to do?
“Babel, or the Necessity of Violence” combines a unique magic system and historical academia into an unforgettable journey through injustice, tragedy, and revolution.
It Ain’t So Awful, Falafel by Firoozeh Dumas (2016)
Genre: Middle Grade Historical Fiction
For eleven-year-old Zomorod (or Cindy, as she insists), this current move isn’t her first time being the new kid on the block. The Yousefzadeh family has moved from Iran to Compton, California, back to Iran, back to Compton, and now to Newport Beach. But this is the late 1970s, so Cindy’s neighbors and classmates don’t understand what to make of her family, who already have odd habits unrelated to being foreigners. Cindy tries to fit in as easily as possible… then her old country makes the news for what modern audiences know as the Iran hostage crisis. Will the friends Cindy’s made stay on her side against prejudice?
“It Ain’t So Awful, Falafel” aims for a tween audience experiencing the same chapters of their life as Cindy, but readers of any age can enjoy the humor, heart, and timeless themes in this book.
Not My Problem by Ciara Smyth (2021)
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary; LGBTQ+
Aideen Cleary, a secondary school student in Northern Ireland, has many problems she can’t fix. At home, she has to manage her mother’s drinking habit. At school, her best (and only) friend grows more distant. She’s also running out of fake illnesses to skip PE. What Aideen doesn’t expect is to find her one-sided enemy – class president Meabh Kowalska – throwing a fit in the girls locker room. Because Meabh admits to feeling unable to handle her academic and sport-filled life, Aideen sarcastically proposes to push Meabh down the stairs, which would clear yoga and gymnastics from her schedule. They go through with this plan, but another problem arises: chatterbox Kavi Thakrar witnesses Aideen’s dastardly deed… and recruits her into solving other people’s problems.
“Not My Problem” is laugh-out-loud funny with a fast-paced story, leaving readers turning the pages without stopping and growing attached to memorable characters.
