The year has begun. We will have a new president in two weeks. The Southern Poverty Law Center is gathering data that shows an initial increase in hate crimes and hate speech, followed by a slow down.

Twitter is … well … Twitter but more so these days.

I still haven’t figured out Instagram or Tumblr. They make me feel old.

And so, 6 days into 2017 and people are wondering what can be done to make things better, more civil and less frightening. Well, I am all about DOING. So, I have a small project I think you can help with. I might be biased, but I think we should be doing more reading. Reading outside ourselves. Reading good, authentic representations of people, places, and histories that have NOTHING to do with us or our lived lives. And so thanks to a bunch of people who contributed (link if you want to add to the list) I have a pretty good start on a list of books written by authors that come from marginalized communities.

These marginalized authors are writing books – good books and great books – that are not getting enough attention.

I want readers to amplify the voices of these authors who are members of marginalized communities because books are being written by actual marginalized people with great characters, authentic settings, and solid story telling.

How can I help? What can you do?

Well, I am glad you asked.

As a member of Reading America you can do two things.

A) Read these books.
Get the book from the library. If they are not in your libraries holdings, ask for them.
Or purchase the books, direct from the publisher or a local bookseller.

B) After reading, write a review and add your voice to amplify these authors. You can help create buzz and excitement around their works. You can change the direction of publishing (maybe) and prove that White, straight, able America can read and enjoy literature that does not center White, straight, able America. Give it a shot.

How do I do that?

Again, thanks for asking.

1. Read a book that is on this list (it is a vetted list that is growing)
2. Write a positive review (don’t panic, I’ll help with this bit)
3. Upload your review up on Goodreads or Amazon or both.
4. Repeat

But, how can I write a review? I’ve never done that? It makes me nervous and I avoid things that make me nervous. 

Don’t panic Reading America! I’ve got a book review starter kit here for you. You can copy and paste this (fill in the blanks) and then BA-BAM! Review written!

I read — BOOK TITLE — by — AUTHOR — and absolutely loved it. << Write something specific that you loved about the book: Characters, Voice, Plot line, Setting work here>> This is the first book by this author that I have read, and I am glad I stepped out of my usual comfort zone! I highly recommend this book for — NAME SOME SORT OF HUMAN BEING WHO MIGHT ALSO LIKE THE BOOK — and plan on reading — TITLE — next!

Here is what I wrote for March, Book 1, on Goodreads using this template.

I read March, Book 1 by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin and Nate Powell and absolutely loved it. I was completely blown away by the powerful black and white illustrations and the intricate ways the text and illustrations work together. This is the book first in this series that I have read, and I am glad I stepped out of my usual comfort zone! I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to know more about the beginnings of the civil rights movement in America and plan on reading March, Book 2 next!

Thats it. Read, write a little, post it and read some more.