Starting tomorrow (or whenever you're ready!), we're going to be reading diverse, and we would love for you to join us!

We're kind of letting you define 'diverse' for yourself a little bit, but here's a few ideas: LGBTQ+, mental health, people of colour, diverse backgrounds... There's a lot of cool stuff out there that's actually realistic and doesn't just talk about white, straight, cis-gender characters so I know I for one am really excited about reading more of them.

The idea to having this Readathon came from June being Pride month, and from supporting #buydiversebooks which was absolutely fantastic (thank you so much to Kate Brauning and everyone who got involved!) You can check out the post about it here - there are also some good links included that could help you find new diverse reads! (scroll all the way to the bottom of the page for the links.)

the Rules Anyone with a blog, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr… can take part. Use the banner above and write an entry post for the #AZDiverse Readathon. (or tweet your list, post it on instagram, whatever you'd like!) Readathon will start on June 30 and end on July 5, 2016. You must choose a diverse book to read during the readathon. You can choose to have your readers vote for the books you will read for the readathon OR you can list books that you want to read. Leave your link in the linky below! Tag your posts and updates with #AZDiverse Sit back, relax, and READ ON!

Dahlia Adler has an awesome resource for finding good represantion LGBT lit on her website, so you might like to use that as a potential starting point.

What I'm Reading This Week:

 

I'm planning to reread Carry On because I finally read Fangirl! And I'll read as many others as I can, one of the books in the pic, or a Dahlia Adler book. What should I read first?

You can find Ezrah's post here, go take a look at what she's planning to read!

Are you planning on reading during the next week? Make it diverse! ;) Do you have any recommendations? Do you fancy taking part? (There might be some giveaway action coming soon - just putting that out there...)

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Kate and Mark have sat next to each other in calculus all year, but the first time they actually talk is when they run into each other during a night out in the city.  Mark is in love with his best friend Ryan, and Kate has just escaped her friends, afraid to meet the girl she is in love with even though they have never spoken or met before. This chance meeting between Mark and Kate brings them closer than they would ever have thought. ✱ Pages: 256 (hardcover) ✱ Publication date: 7 June 2016 ✱ Provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review ✱ Amazon UK | Amazon US

I've heard David Levithan's name so many times but never read his work before, so when I came across You Know Me Well (co-authored with Nina Lacour!), I was really interested. The title is lovely, and the premise made me think. How well do we know ourselves? How well do our friends and our family know us? What about complete strangers?

The story starts during Pride, and the events unfold over a week, from the initial meeting between Kate and Mark, until the end of their high school careers. Alternating between the points-of-view of Mark and Kate, it's a look at two teenagers on the brink of adulthood, trying to be true to themselves, trying to hold on to old friendships, and trying to navigate the paths of first love. You feel the uncertainty, the pain, the joy along with the characters. 

I loved Kate and Mark, they are wonderful and real, and they have their own issues, and they feel really strongly about friendship and just being there. So yep, I really, really loved them both, so much. There was something very realistic about this book to me, and I'm so happy I got to read it, and to share the journey Kate and Mark were on.

Another thing I love, is the depiction of the LGBT community in You Know Me Well - especially when it comes to teenagers finding somewhere they belong, with people they feel won't judge them. I think it's really important to discuss these topics, in YA literature especially, so I genuinely appreciate what the authors are doing here. This book could be a really important one for teens dealing with coming out, identity, and acceptance from other people.

First loves, friendships, the end of high school, the dreaded future - something we've all gone through.You Know Me Well is delightful, refreshing, and full of feeling.

Have you read David Levithan before? This was my first! Do you have other books in mind that touch upon LGBT themes?

Hello lovelies! It's April already and I have no idea how that happened. To wrap up the month, I've picked five of my favourite reads from the past month, so you can check them out if you're looking for something to read (because aren't we all?)! I realised that I read quite a few 5-star books this month, so obviously I've had a pretty good reading month! :)

A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab.   I've talked about my love for A Darker Shade of Magic and it's sequel AGOS so much on here, but I seriously love the world (fantasy setting with four alternate Londons) and I'm already missing the characters! Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton.   Another book I absolutely devoured! With influences from Middle Eastern and Persian mythology, and the feel of a Western to it, you could say this one is something slightly different! A YA fantasy with wonderful story-telling, a badass gunslinger heroine, and a plot that just keeps moving. Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye.    A twist on Jane Eyre, where our protagonist starts killing people (for some pretty legit reasons). This is just delightful and you should definitely read it because of the charming characters, the wonderful writing, and the great way Jane Eyre is used as an inspiration while still making the story entirely its own. You Know Me Well by Nina LaCour and David Levithan.   This one isn't set for publication until June so my review is scheduled until the end of May - but you should already add it to your list of awesome summer releases! This book focuses on LGBT themes when you're already out - so it's a bit of a different take on the other LGBT books in the YA genre. You Know Me Well focuses on growing up, on friendships, and on finding love. I really only wished it was a tiny bit longer :) All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven.   I'm doing a discussion post related to this later in April but for now: this book just broke me. Another YA pick for my list, but this one deals with mental health, and I just think it has a lot of important things to say about how we as a society try to 'handle' this, especially in teenagers. I love this book although I spent a fair while just crying afterwards. A week later I'm still at the point where every time I think about it, this happens: There are so many I'm too embarrassed to get a photo of them all... So here's all the most of the books with white covers I got this month! This wine I'm currently drinking. Once Upon A Time! My bestie was over for a visit a week ago, so we watched a dozen episodes to catch up on the new season. Things are getting so intense!

In other exciting news, I hosted an impromptu Read-A-Thon in March! I'm really excited to do another one at the end of April - maybe another one that includes a writing component since some of us are doing Camp NaNo. If you're interested in hosting it with me (or in hosting a later one, even), let me know!

How was March for you? Did you read any books you'd recommend me? Have we read any of the same books? Is there anything you're absolutely obsessed with at the moment?