Down the Rabbit Hole

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

Good morning friends! I hope this Tuesday finds you all well and that spring is coming around the corner for everyone.

I am excited to share today’s TTT topic, which was rather hard at first to think on the spot. I want to first say that I don’t think any of these book titles are necessarily ha-ha kind of funny. It is not my intention to make fun of any of these titles because that is not the point being made here, and I’m sure the authors are proud of their work, title and all. Instead, I have chosen to list titles that are unique and fun for various reasons that make me smile.

Let me know if any of these titles put a smile on your face too!

1. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

When I first saw this title at the time it came out, I was thinking “what kind of a book is this?”. And later realizing what it is all about, I’d say there’s nothing more unique than this novel in title and content (did you see those photos inside??).

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musings, recommendations

Celebrating Asian Authors

March 22, 2021March 28, 2021 Andge @ Down the Rabbit Hole

Hey everyone! If you have been following the news these last several days, or even just looked around on social media, you may have caught up with what’s been going on in America regarding racist and totally abhorrent acts against Asians. Unfortunately, this isn’t something found in America alone either.

As Fives and I are both Asian ourselves, I can personally say it’s been hard looking at video clips of elderly abuse or verbal slurs used against people who were just minding their own business and going about their day. I see in them my grandparents, my mother and father, my friends, myself.

So we are here today to uplift our own voices and celebrate Asian authors and their stories. Because we have important things to say, and these words have just as much value and place in this society as anyone else’s. Hopefully this is the time for people to learn more about the experiences that make us who we are.

I have listed below Asian authors I have read and/or want to read, and a few of their titles including the most recent one published. If you have any other Asian authors I have missed (this is by no means a comprehensive list), please share with us and everyone else so we can continue to support and uplift one another.

Would you celebrate with us today?

YA authors

Joan He

Marie Lu

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discussion

Let’s Talk Bookish – Diversity in Books

March 19, 2021March 19, 2021 Fives @ Down The Rabbit Hole

Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly meme, hosted by Rukky @ Eternity Books & Dani @ Literary Lion, where they discuss certain topics, share their opinions, and spread the love by visiting each others’ posts.

POV = point of view

Today’s Prompt: What do you think is the meaning of diverse? Who do you think is qualified to write a diverse book? How do you find diverse books to read? What are some diverse topics/POVs that you specifically look for when you’re finding books and why? How do you decide if a diverse topic/POV is done well?

This is such a relevant topic in today’s scene, and something I have been thinking about more and more lately. I didn’t used to reach out and search for diversity in books, but after having read some suggestions from friends, I definitely keep an eye out for them now. For me, the meaning of diverse (in books) is to have diverse characters where appropriate: people of various genders, race, sexual orientation, etc. as long as it makes sense in the story.

Another meaning of diverse is to have different kinds of authors represented in market. As an Asian person, I feel called to read books by other Asian authors, like Celeste Ng, the author of Little Fires Everywhere. Often, such authors will write from the perspective of their diverse upbringing, and it is always refreshing to see new perspectives and ideas being introduced into the book world.

With the proper research, almost anyone can write a diverse book. But of course, those most qualified are often the people write about their own backgrounds. I find that for historical fictions, and other research-heavy genres, good research is often enough to write a good diverse book. However, when it comes to specific perspectives based on the experiences of minority people (e.g. Punching the Air), I find that this is best left to those who actually have personal experience(s) with the issue.

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