Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Books That Celebrate Diverse Characters

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme, created by The Broke and the Bookish. This week’s theme is diversity, so I’ll be featuring 10 books that celebrate diverse characters.

1. Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli: This is probably my favourite LGBTQ book of the year. It’s adorable and just the ultimate feel-good read.

2. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz: Another one of my favourite LGBTQ books. This is a coming of age story, set in the 1980s, featuring two Mexican-American boys and their families. See my full review here.

3. The Flywheel by Erin Gough: This book features a lesbian relationship, which I don’t think we see enough of in YA. It is also set in Sydney, Australia (where I’m from) and that makes it even more unique to me. Full review here.

4. To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han: Lara-Jean, the main character in this book is a Korean-American. We definitely don’t see enough Asian protagonists in YA books. This is the first book in a duology and both books are amazing. To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before review. PS. I Still Love You review.

5. Me Before You by Jojo Moyes: This book is about a quadriplegic and his carer. It was an emotional experience, reading about disability and its effects on everyone involved, but completely worth it. Review here.

6. The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton: Set in 17th century Amsterdam, this book features a gay character and a dark-skinned character, both shunned by society.

7. The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh: A re-telling of One Thousand and One Nights, this story features Arabic culture throughout the book that is very interesting to read about. Full review here.

8. The Summer of Chasing Mermaids by Sarah Ockler: This is a re-telling of The Little Mermaid. Elyse, the protagonist, is from Trinidad and Tobago and the story makes frequent references to the culture of the islands. I have written a review.

9. More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera: This is a recently released LGBTQ book (with some sci-fi elements) that I’m  currently reading.

10. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare (and any of the other books set in the Shadowhunter world): Almost every book by Cassandra Clare features a diverse character. The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices have such unique characters. I really applaud Cassie Clare on how well she is able to incorporate current issues of society into her books.