Recs if you like I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (Maya Angelou's Autobiography, #1)...

I've seen so many people say they don't read classics as they aren't diverse, and I wanted to give some suggestions that are.

This is a list of classics written by authors who are not Straight, Cis, White, and Men as the title suggests. I am also aiming to include a variety of cultures and regions in this list. If your looking for something more focused (e.g. diverse US classics) check out the lists I posted in the comments.

Suggestions are more than welcome!

Are you currently not crying to the point of vomiting, but you want to be? Need to conduct a science experiment to find out if you are in fact the ugliest crier in all of Pagebound? Well, do I have the list for you! Brought to you by the fine, very sad, folks of Pagebound! These books have been frequently suggested or upvoted in PB club posts about sad books! Suggestions in any genre, and extra tissues, are welcome!

Based on the list/book published in 2006, general editor Peter Boxall.

Bibliophilia at its best - books about books, readers, libraries, bookstores!

this is your reminder to read books by Black authors all month, all year, every year— not just during Black History Month. it’s crucially important to be able to diversify your reading and your bookshelves. expand your mind, your perspectives, your knowledge, and your taste. if you don’t know where to start, here are some recommendations!

Classic books by U.S. BIPOC/fem/LGBTQIA Authors. Inspired by my post in US classic lit quest, I wanted a place to share all the wonderful recommendations by the PB community from the forum! 'Classic' refers to enduring, high-quality works that have stood the test of time, featuring universal themes, memorable characters, and artistic merit that remain relevant and insightful about the human condition across generations, often studied for their cultural significance and literary excellence.

If we are going to do Qwordy's the Hardest Reading Challenge You'll Ever Do 3.0 - we should probably get some Pagebound badges along the way! I'm specifically going to be adding books from Quests and readalongs that go past the July start date and match at least one of these title prompts: Periodic Table, Familial Terms, Rainbow of Words (also Joseph's coat), Numerical Titles, Titular Counting 5+, Pun in the Title, and First & Last Name in the Title. Recommendations welcome!

Books in this list are in at least two quests. Thus helping to earn more badges. Books will span different genres. Once I scan through all the quests, I plan to further organize the list. I am thinking of creating a seperate list and moving the books with three or more quests to the new list and keeping the two badge books in this list. Are there other ways you would organize a list this big?

audiobooks where the narrator is the author! any book goes, no matter the genre. there may be multiple versions of the audiobook, but at least one version has the author as narrator. please suggest more in the comments!

novels, poetry, literary criticism, and history books by Black authors referenced in Farah Jasmine Griffin’s Read Until You Understand; The Profound Wisdom of Black Life and Literature — forming a type of Black literary canon

Penguin asked its readers in 2022 for the must-read classics. This is that list!

Memoirs where the audiobook is narrated by the author

Feminine rage, female empowerment, emotional validation. Women supporting women. Men being men. Feminism. Feminist reads.

a list of books to educate yourself on social and political topics

Not an expert here at all, but these are some of the books we have been reading in my anti-racism book club or shared by other anti-racism book clubs! Please feel free to share more!

A collection of books that are banned or challenged. Dive into these controversial works and explore what has been pushed for you to not discover.

TW: SA

Nonfiction books with personal narratives about survivorhood.

I believe you. You are not alone.

This list highlights the influential books that have been banned, censored, or widely discouraged at various times and places due to their provocative ideas, controversial content, or challenges to authority. These stories preserve critical thinking, protect intellectual freedom, and remind us why questioning dominant narratives is essential now more than ever.