A BookishRealm Disscussion: The Importance of Own Voices Books

Happy Thursday everyone! So this is something that is completely different than what I normally do. I have seen other bloggers do discussions, but I never thought of doing one myself; however, there have been a couple of topics on my mind that I've been interesting in discussing for a while. I'm thinking about doing one of these discussions once a month. The first topic that I would love to discuss is the importance of #ownvoices. It is a hastag that is readily used to promote the voices of marginalized characters written by authors who face the same marginalization as these characters. 

In my own experience, I always thought that it was important to read diversely, not only in subject matter, but also in genre, author, style of books, characters, etc. It wasn't until I ran across the term of #ownvoices that I truly realized how important it is to the book community. The term was coined by author Corrine Duyvis who explains #ownvoices as "diverse characters written by authors from that same diverse group." Although, this started in the realm of kidlit, Duyvis has encouraged both authors and readers to apply it to all genres of books. 

For me, the concept of #ownvoices gives books more authenticity. It's not saying that, for example, a white person could never write a book with a black main character; however, we should definitely acknowledge those books and authors that are writing and demonstrating the same experiences as their characters. With that being said here are 5 reasons to read #ownvoices books. After you'll find some #ownvoices books that I really enjoyed and loved. 

5 Reasons to Read #OwnVoices

1. #OwnVoices gives you the opportunity to experience a certain level of authenticity. 
2. They are worthy of our time as readers. 
3. They give voices to marginalized groups that often go unheard 
4. #OwnVoices books delve deeper into more complex/complicated issues. 
5. It's always beneficial to read about characters who are different from you in race, gender, sexuality, religion, ethnicity, etc. 

Here Are Some #OwnVoices Recommendations: 

Be sure to click on the picture for the link to goodreads!