“Better Late Than Never” should really be my site’s tagline, tbh, but here’s my TBR for this year’s Diverse-A-Thon (I literally picked the three shortest diverse reads in my keep because that’s the only way I’ll make it through the week). In case you’re wondering what all of the hubbub is about, Diverse-a-Thon is a week-long event that seeks to celebrate the diversity in books. Not to mention it’s my favorite type of readathon/challenge– virtually stress-free! (I say “virtually” because we all know I’m putting that pressure on myself to finish up all of these books whether I like it or not.)
There are also daily Twitter chats, so don’t forget to follow the DiverseAThon account and use the super special hashtag #DiverseAThon!
** I’m also making a separate goal to actually work on the reviews to my latest diverse reads whenever I get too burnt out from reading… because I already know that will happen. **
My Diverse-A-Thon TBR:
The Abyss Surrounds Us by Emily Skrutskie
page count: 273
For Cassandra Leung, bossing around sea monsters is just the family business. She’s been a Reckoner trainer-in-training ever since she could walk, raising the genetically-engineered beasts to defend ships as they cross the pirate-infested NeoPacific. But when the pirate queen Santa Elena swoops in on Cas’s first solo mission and snatches her from the bloodstained decks, Cas’s dream of being a full-time trainer seems dead in the water.
There’s no time to mourn. Waiting for her on the pirate ship is an unhatched Reckoner pup. Santa Elena wants to take back the seas with a monster of her own, and she needs a proper trainer to do it. She orders Cas to raise the pup, make sure he imprints on her ship, and, when the time comes, teach him to fight for the pirates. If Cas fails, her blood will be the next to paint the sea.
But Cas has fought pirates her entire life. And she’s not about to stop.
I may or may not be cheating (This is where I pause for everyone to catch on to the fact that I will go down in the books as the Resident Rulebreaker), but I started this book some time last week. However, I never got anywhere with it, so I shoved it to the side until yesterday so that I could make a conscious effort to finish the damn thing this week.
Needless to say, I’m not so sure I’m going to be singing this book’s praises like everyone else. F/F romance, Chinese-American MC, and pirates, tho
Every Heart a Doorway by Seannan McGuire
page count: 169
Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children
No Solicitations
No Visitors
No GuestsChildren have always disappeared under the right conditions; slipping through the shadows under a bed or at the back of a wardrobe, tumbling down rabbit holes and into old wells, and emerging somewhere… else.
But magical lands have little need for used-up miracle children.
Nancy tumbled once, but now she’s back. The things she’s experienced… they change a person. The children under Miss West’s care understand all too well. And each of them is seeking a way back to their own fantasy world.
But Nancy’s arrival marks a change at the Home. There’s a darkness just around each corner, and when tragedy strikes, it’s up to Nancy and her new-found schoolmates to get to the heart of the matter.
No matter the cost.
There’s ace rep. Need I say more? (Let’s be clear: Even if I needed to say more, I wouldn’t know what to say because I know absolutely nothing about this book other than I finally get to see ace rep on the page.)
Long Macchiatos and Monsters by Alison Evans
page count: 44 
Jalen, lover of B-grade sci-fi movies, meets the far-too-handsome P in a cafe while deciding whether or not to skip uni again. When P invites them along to a double feature of Robot Monster and Cat Women of the Moon, Jalen can hardly believe that hot boys like bad sci-fi, too. But as their relationship progresses, Jalen realizes P leaves him wondering if they’re on the same page about what dating means, and if that’s what they’re doing.
This is a reread because I want to give it a proper review but can’t seem to make sense of the notes I took when I read it (I also think I lost half the notes because that’s my life). Trans and non-binary (pretty sure) characters and visible disability rep.
If you want to join but need a few recommendations to get you on your way, I highly recommend checking out Naz’s Ultimate Diverse Reading List. With over 300 book recs, you can’t go wrong!
Backlist Babe 
YAY! I’ve been looking for a read-a-thon. I haven’t done any this year and are looking to change it! Maybe I’ll participate next time, right now I have a TON of blogging to catch up on.
-Jared
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I highly recommend it! I managed to feel so accomplished by choosing all short books since I finished them all (Cheater to the max!). I know what you mean about catching up on blogging because SAME. Hope you get all caught up, though!
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I’m so sad that I missed this! How were the books you read?
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Oh no! It was surprisingly motivating for me to set a goal because I usually don’t stick to those… But I thought the books were well enough.
The short story I read–Long Macchiatos and Monsters– actually got a higher rating from me after reading it this second time around. Every Heart a Doorway stole the show for me which was surprising because I had some high expectations for that one, and it didn’t completely let me down.
Unfortunately, I didn’t like The Abyss Surrounds Us nearly as much as literally ANYONE in the book community. Whoops. Perhaps the sequel will be better???
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I’ll definitely check them out!
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Oh, I didn’t know Every Heart a Doorway was so short. That’s genuinely disappointing; I was anticipating spending hours and hours FINALLY reveling in ace rep in a fantasy novel. Oh, well; hopefully its length doesn’t make it feel underdeveloped (the way I thought The Abyss Surrounds Us was).
And, quick question: when you say “(I literally picked the three shortest diverse reads in my keep because that’s the only way I’ll make it through the week),” are you referring to your home as your keep, or are you using “keep” in another way there? Because if the former, you’re seriously the best, and if the latter, it’s one in the morning and I don’t even know.
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How did I never respond to this? I am, like, a C+ friend.
Every Heart Was a Doorway was such a mixed bad. I did feel the shortness and thought it could do with some more explanation about how the world works, but it didn’t greatly hinder it in my opinion. Then again, short books are the best books (thanks, short attention span. what would I ever do without you?)
I was definitely referring to my home… because it is my right as a book dragon, and you’re probably the only one who will not judge me for such a thing.
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Haha, I’m tempted to join late too! Every Heart a Doorway looks really interesting – I keep thinking of it like a diverse Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, for some reason. I hope you enjoy!
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I, obviously, encourage lateness c: So far, I’ve heard nothing but good things about Every Heart, so I’m hoping that rings true once I finally get around to it. I still haven’t read Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children [/always behind the times], but it is somewhere on my list of things to read before I die mostly because it looks like the kind of dark tale I would love (based primarily on book cover alone).
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