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2010-2019 English Fiction

Dear Martin

Summary:

Justyce McAllister is a high-achieving student with plans to attend an Ivy League school, but none of it matters as he is put into handcuffs by a police officer. Although he has moved away from his rough neighborhood, he still faces criticism from former peers and new classmates. Seeking guidance from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s teachings, Justyce begins writing a journal addressed to him to seek answers. One day, while driving with his friend Manny, they draw the ire of an off-duty white cop, leading to an argument and gunshots being fired, putting Justyce and Manny in danger. As a result, Justyce becomes the target of criticism in the media.

Year of Release: 2017

Author(s): Nic Stone

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ISBN: 978-1101939529

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2010-2019 English Fiction Novel

Wonder

Summary:

Auggie Pullman was born with a severe facial abnormality that has prevented him from attending a regular school. However, in 5th grade, he finally starts attending Beecher Prep, hoping to be treated like any other child. Unfortunately, his new classmates are unable to look beyond his extraordinary face, leaving Auggie feeling ostracized. The story is initially told from Auggie’s perspective but later includes the viewpoints of his classmates, sister, her boyfriend, and others. These various perspectives come together to depict a community grappling with differences and encourage readers of all ages to contemplate the true meaning of empathy, acceptance, friendship, and kindness. Auggie is a timeless hero who demonstrates that standing out is inevitable when you were born to be unique.

Year of Release: 2012

Author(s): R.J. Palacio

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ISBN: 9780375869020

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2010-2019 English Fiction LGBTQI* Novel

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda

Summary:

Simon Spier, a 16-year-old who hasn’t fully disclosed his homosexuality, would rather keep his personal issues separate from his involvement in the school musical. However, his hidden identity is now in danger of being exposed after an email containing confidential information is discovered by the wrong person. Simon is presently facing blackmail and must act as wingman for class clown Martin, or else his sexual orientation will become public knowledge. Even more concerning is the fact that the privacy of the boy he has been communicating with under the alias Blue is also at risk of being compromised.

Year of Release: 2015

Author(s): Becky Albertalli

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ISBN: 9780062348678

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2010-2019 English Non-fiction

All You Can Ever Know: A memoir of adoption

Summary:

Nicole Chung was born prematurely to Korean parents and put up for adoption. She was raised by a white family in Oregon and was told a comforting story about her adoption as a child. She believed her biological parents had made a sacrifice to give her a better life and that feeling out of place was her destiny as a transracial adoptee. However, as she grew older and faced discrimination her adoptive family didn’t see, and explored her identity as an Asian American and writer, she began to question if the story she had been told was entirely true.

Year of Release: 2018

Author(s): Nicole Chung

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ISBN: 9781911590309

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2010-2019 English LGBTQI* Non-fiction

How to Write an Autobiographical Novel

Summary:

“How to Write an Autobiographical Novel” is a collection of essays where the author explores the intersection of life, literature, and politics, and how reading and writing fiction have impacted him. Through the essays, he reflects on his journey from being a student to a teacher, a reader to a writer, and grapples with his multiple identities as a gay man, a Korean American, an artist, an activist, a son, a lover, and a friend. The essays cover significant events in his life, including his father’s death, the AIDS crisis, 9/11, and the election of Donald Trump, as well as his work experiences that supported his writing.

Year of Release: 2018

Author(s): Alexander Chee

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ISBN: 9781328764522

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2020-today English Non-fiction

You Sound Like a White Girl: The Case for Rejecting Assimilation

Summary:

In “You Sound Like a White Girl,” Julissa explores the idea of assimilation and how it doesn’t lead to belonging. She argues that assimilation is a constantly moving target designed to keep Black and brown Americans and immigrants chasing racist American ideals. Julissa explains how the demands of assimilation leave people in a state of purgatory, unable to secure power and belonging within whiteness or find it in their own cultures. Instead, she promotes celebrating uniqueness and reclaiming identity as the key to true belonging and a beautiful America.

Year of Release: 2022

Author(s): Julissa Arce

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ISBN: 9781250787019

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2020-today English LGBTQI* Non-fiction

High-Risk Homosexual: A Memoir

Summary:

The first-ever memoir by Edgar Gomez explores his journey as a gay, Latinx man growing up. The book, called High-Risk Homosexual, begins in a highly anti-gay environment: his uncle’s cockfighting ring in Nicaragua, where he was sent at the young age of thirteen to learn how to be a man. The memoir chronicles Gomez’s experiences in the queer communities that helped him embrace his gay and Latinx identities, including the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, a drag queen convention in Los Angeles, and the medical facility where he was diagnosed as a “high-risk homosexual.”

With candor, wit, and shrewd observations about issues of racial, sexual, familial, and professional power dynamics, Gomez takes readers on a hard-won journey towards accepting and celebrating the parts of himself that he was taught to keep hidden. This memoir is an uplifting and inspiring reminder of the importance of carving out space for joy.

Year of Release: 2022

Author(s): Edgar Gomez

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ISBN: 9781593767051

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2010-2019 English Fiction LGBTQI* Novel

I was Born this Way

Summary:

Angel Rahimi’s entire focus in life is on The Ark, a highly popular teenage pop-rock band that has taken the world by storm. Her membership in The Ark’s fanbase has provided her with everything, including friendships, aspirations, and a sense of belonging.

Similarly, Jimmy Kaga-Ricci, The Ark’s lead singer, attributes his success and fulfillment to the band. Playing in a musical group has always been his lifelong dream. Unfortunately, his life has recently taken a turn for the worse, and his dreams seem to be falling apart.

Dreams have a tendency to collide with reality, and this is precisely what happens when Angel and Jimmy unexpectedly come together. As they confront the challenges of the real world, they will learn how strange and unpredictable life can be.

Year of Release: 2018

Author(s): Alice Oseman

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ISBN: 9780008244095

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2020-today English Non-fiction

Stamped (Racism, Antiracism and You)

Summary:

In the past, people have exploited race as a means of segregation and silence in order to obtain and hold power. This remarkable rendition of Dr. Ibram X. Kendi’s National Book Prize winner “Stamped from the Beginning” explores the background of racist beliefs in America and gives readers hope for an antiracist future. It guides you through the development of race from the past to the present and explains why racism still affects how we feel today. Furthermore, it shows that even if racist ideas have always been easy to create and propagate, they can also be refuted.

This book sheds light on the various insidious kinds of racist ideas as well as methods readers may recognize and eradicate racist thinking in their daily lives through a riveting, quick-paced, and invigorating tale written by acclaimed award-winner Jason Reynolds.

Year of Release: 2020

Author(s): Ibram X. Kendi & Jason Reynolds

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ISBN: 9780316453691

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2020-today English Fiction Novel

In Every Mirror She’s Black

Summary

As they establish their new lives in Stockholm’s most open society, ruled by its most private citizens, three Black women discover unexpected connections to the same powerful white man.

Jonny von Lundin, CEO of the largest marketing business in the country, recruits successful marketing professional Kemi Adeyemi from the United States to Sweden in order to assist in resolving a PR crisis regarding a racially tone-deaf campaign. Kemi’s action is a desperate attempt to recapture her social life as she’s a powerhouse at work but a failure in love.

Brittany-Rae Johnson, a former model turned flight attendant, is thrust into a world of riches, luxury, and privilege. A life she’s not certain she wants, as she becomes the target of Jonny’s pathological fixation after a chance encounter with him in business class on a flight to the United States.

Muna Saheed, a refugee who lost her entire family, struggling to prove her residence in Sweden, obtains a job cleaning the restrooms at Jonny’s workplace. However, above all, she is looking for a connection and a place to call home.

In Every Mirror She’s Black is a fast-paced, richly nuanced, yet approachable contemporary novel that is told from each of the perspectives of the three women. It touches on significant social issues like racism, classism, fetishization, and tokenism as well as what it means to be a Black woman navigating a white-dominated society.

Year of Release: 2021

Author(s): Lolá Ákínmádé Åkerström

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ISBN: 9781728240381

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