Friday Finds: Championing Diversity. Plus Book Blogger Hop

I like being part of the weekly  Book Blogger Hop meme, hosted by Billy @ Ramblings of a Coffee Addict, so I’m doing it again today. You can read my answer to this week’s question at the bottom of this post.

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou reviewed by Amy’s Bookshelf

Amy Buckle is a fellow British book blogger and, like most of us, has been an avid reader for a very long time. 😉 I love her scoring system out of ten and the way she writes her reviews. She uses her blog as a way to express her opinions about the novels she reads; ranging from old classics to contemporary works of fiction to non-fiction. She also writes posts about book-related topics too. Amy really enjoyed this inspiring memoir, saying: “I’m so glad I finally read this book and I look forward to reading the other volumes too. It’s so important that we immerse ourselves in stories and experiences from everyone, including and especially those with different experiences from our own. Angelou bravely and defiantly depicts her childhood as one with heart-breaking pain, but also as one in which she begins to learn how to find her feet in the world. This certainly wasn’t an easy read, but it was an important one, and one I think everyone should pick up!“

Paranormal Romance Guild recommends Poisoned Primrose by Dahlia Donovan

Yes, yes OK, I know I said no paranormal romance book reviews but the Paranormal Romance Guild are a group who actually read other genres too, so shush and let me continue. 😉 Each review has a different feel to it due to the variety of reviewers on staff. Therefore, you’re bound to find something to tickle your literary taste buds. Linda Tonis loved the protagonist in this cozy mystery (a woman (39), asexual, biromantic, and autistic) highly recommends this book, saying: “I loved this book because Motts was such an amazing character. Watching how she always tried to talk herself into accepting things and worked at keeping her panic controlled was wonderful. I highly recommend this book. It is a mystery and a character study of a woman with problems who refuses to give in to them.”

You Asked For Perfect by Laura Silverman reviewed by Books in Her Eyes

Sionna is a twentysomething book blogger who created her blog to review books. I love that I can feel her reading excitement in her posts. She give recommendations, and (occasionally) talks about video games. Sionna seems to read anything. However, she loves Sci-fi/Fantasy (leaning heavily on the fantasy), Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Young & New Adult, Comics/Graphic Novels/Manga, & Mystery novels. Sionna was pleasantly surprised by this young adult read dealing with mental health, saying: “This is a slice-of-life book, character-driven and it might not seem like there is much of a plot. It works though, and flows so well. So, if you are looking for a character focused contemporary book with lots of positive diversity which doesn’t focus on the romance, this is a book I’d recommend to you.“

 Literary Titan raved about A little bit EXTRAORDINARY by Esther Robinson

If you don’t know, Literary Titan is a group of discerning reviewers that seem to find independently published works in every genre. They regularly post review and author interviews and have over 4,000 followers for their blog alone! You’re bound to find something that catches your eye. This reviewer really liked this children’s picture book rating it 5 stars, saying: “I recommend this book to parents, teachers, and even adults, like me, who don’t know much about Down’s syndrome. There are more than a dozen talking points provided at the end of the book. This really highlights the major benefit this book has; it begins a discussion. Whether you know someone with Down’s syndrome or not I highly recommend reading this with your child so that you are both knowledgeable and ready to accept anyone for who they are.l.“

In The Vanishers’ Palace by Aliette de Bodard reviewed by Narrates

Tessa Hastjarjanto is a Dutch/Indonesian writer from the Netherlands. She writes speculative fiction, and blogs about books, fountain pens, and writing. She champions the value of diversity in the publishing industry and in the world. Tessa reads a range of fiction genres including; fantasy, thrillers and science fiction, in both contemporary and historical settings. I love visiting her blog and enjoy reading Tessa’s thoughts. Tessa gave this LGBTQ+ Beauty and the Beast re-telling fantasy 5 stars, saying: “De Bodard always amazes me with how well she integrates Viet culture into her stories. So far I’ve only read parts of The House of Shattered Wings and The Tea Master and the Detective (amazing Sherlock-inspired sci-fi story!), but the love she puts in them is clear. Her research is thorough and she wants correct translations for Viet words. De Bodard is excellent in creating a new world based on existing cultures and places without disregarding their importance.“

Now on to the Book Blogger Hop (BBH) meme.

BBH was originally created by Jennifer @ Crazy-For-Books in March 2010 but ended on 31 December 2012. With Jennifer’s permission, Billy @ Ramblings of a Coffee Addict relaunched the hop on 15 February 2013.

Each week the hop starts on a Friday and ends the following Thursday. There’s a weekly prompt featuring a book related question. The hop’s purpose is to give bloggers a chance to follow other blogs and learn about new books. But also to befriend other bloggers and receive new followers to your own blog. Easy!