7 Books to Diversify Your Reading List

There are myriad ways to diversify your reading. Some people concentrate on books written by people of color; others diversify by topic, looking for stories that offer a perspective different from their own. Still others look for books in translation, which expand their horizons beyond the English-speaking world. No matter how you define diversity, you’ll find a book or two from the seven novels featured today to add to your reading list. Note too that most of these books were published by small presses, which generally champion diverse voices.

• As Lie Is to Grin by Simeon Marsalis (Catapult, Oct. 10): A young black man tries to find his place at a predominately white New England university and in America in general, while hiding his true story from his girlfriend back in his native New York City. Diversity themes: author of color, the African American experience
• A Duplicate Daughter by Randy Nelson (Harvard Square Editions, Oct. 31): A baby is rescued by a poor man after a 1936 earthquake in Mexico only to be re-rescued 12 years later by a wealthy family, leading everyone to question the girl’s true place. Diversity themes: Latin America, social justice
• The Floating World by C. Morgan Bast (Algonquin, Oct. 17): This much-praised novel follows a mixed-race New Orleans family from preparations for and recovery from Hurricane Katrina. Diversity themes: race, mental health.
• The Invisible Life of Euridice Gusmao by Martha Batalha (Oneworld Publications, Oct. 10): In the 1940s, a young Rio de Janeiro woman marries under family pressure, putting her dreams aside until her estranged sister reenters her life and changes everything. Diversity themes: translated from Portuguese, set in Brazil
• This Is How It Begins by Joan Dempsey (She Writes Press, Oct. 3): Contemporary discrimination against gay teachers, rekindles an elderly art professor’s strong feelings of social justice, exposing her secret past as a member of the Nazi resistance. Diversity themes: LGBTQ, Jewish
• Three Floors Up by Eshkol Nevo (Other Press, Oct. 10): The daily lives of three families residing in the same Tel Aviv apartment building provide a cross-sectional look at contemporary middle-class Israel, while exploring the more universal theme of how little we know the people around us. Diversity themes: translated from Hebrew, set in Israel
• The Vineyard by María Dueñas (Atria, Oct. 3):This saga, set in the mid-1800s, takes readers from Mexico to Cuba, to Spain, as the Larrea family tries to rebuild their fortune and escape scandal. Diversity themes: Spanish-speaking world, slavery

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Travel the World in 5 Books

Now that we're in the second half of August, everyone is busy, busy, busy. If you aren't gearing up for the solar eclipse, then you're likely getting ready for school to start. Or maybe you're taking that one last summer vacation before fall. No matter what your plans for the last days of summer, there's always time to travel the world through the pages of a good book. Here are five novels that are each set in a different country. Settle into your favorite reading spot and prepare to be transported across the border.

• Stay with Me by Aybami Adebayo (Knopf, August 22): Set in Nigeria. This is the story of a marriage that must walk the line that separates the modern world from tradition and cultural expectations. Genre: literary fiction. First line: "I must leave this city today and come to you."
• Living the Dream by Lauren Berry (Henry Holt, August 15): Set in England. This is the story of two friends who are in the post-university limbo years of still trying to find that elusive path to who they want to be when they grow up. Genre: contemporary women's fiction. First line: "The third floor of the Soho office block smelled of instant coffee and disappointment."
• Montpelier Parade by Karl Geary (Catapult, August 22): Set in Ireland. This is the story of a lonely teenage boy feeling confined by his circumstances and the older, well-off woman he falls in love with. Genre: coming of age. First line: " 'The world's a frightening place.' "
• The Bettencourt Affair by Tom Sancton (Dutton, August 8): Set in France. This is the true story of one of the biggest scandals of recent years, involving the 93-year-old heir to the l'Oreal fortune and her family's not-so-buried secrets. Genre: biography. First line: "She's the world's richest woman, worth $36 billion at last count, but no one could envy her."
• Leona: The Die Is Cast by Jenny Rogneby (Other Press, August 1): Set in Sweden. This is the story of a troubled violent crimes detective and her most recent case: a bank robbery that is said to have been committed by a naked, bloody seven-year-old girl. Genre: crime fiction. First line: "No one had noticed her yet."

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5 Books to Put on Your Wish List (BookExpo 2017: Part 1)

As many of you know, I was in New York last week to attend this year's Book Expo (formally known as BEA) to learn about all the new and exciting books that will soon be in the stores and libraries and in your hands and on your wish lists.

I walked the convention floor many times over looking for both the hot titles everyone wants as well as the lesser-know books that you might well miss. Instead of my usual coverage of panels and events, this year I'm going to write a series of three or four roundup posts that highlight some of the books I'm most excited about.

Pay attention to the publishers and the publishing dates: one of the following is available right now, but the others won't come out until fall. It's never too early to preorder or to get on that library waiting list, right?

• The End of the World Running Club by Adrian Walker (Sourcebooks, September): Who doesn't love a good dystopian novel, especially one that involves family and the burning need to find each other across a great distance in a world turned upside down. This story takes place in the UK, after an asteroid makes a direct hit with earth. Our hero is about to be tested both physically and mentally.
• The Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding by Alexandra Bracken (Disney Hyperion, September): I kind of feel I need not say much more than urban fantasy, middle grade, and Alexandra Bracken! This start of a new series introduces us to demons and a troubled family. There are bad guys and good guys and few curses. The novel is set in Salem, MA, so can I expect witches too?
• As Lie Is to Grin by Simeon Marsalis (Catapult, October): I'm not really sure what to expect from this novel, but I think it is going to offer a mix of perspectives on modern-day life as a young (adult) black America. Old and new collide as history is rewritten, or at least filtered, by what one finds on the Internet. I met the author, who was warm and friendly; I wish him all the best with his debut novel. 
• The World of Laura Ingalls Wilder by Marta McDowell (Timber Press, September): There were several Laura Ingalls Wilder books and totes at BEA this year, and I was happy I was able to get a copy of this beautifully illustrated book that enriches the Little House world by focusing on the natural landscape that called to Pa and informed Laura's writing. I've already preordered a finished copy.
• Grocery by Michael Ruhlman (Abrams, May): I can't wait to start reading this well-researched (and well edited) look at the rise of the American grocery store, with its standardized layout, and how it reflects the country's culture, economics, and eating patterns. Ruhlman did more than an armchair investigation; he traveled the country, meeting people and even gaining firsthand experience as a supermarket bagger. 

Up next will be a few of the books I discovered from some smaller presses, and I'll finish with one or two posts from the big four publishers.

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