In 2021, we took on a personal reading challenge

No Cis Het Straight White Male Authors

None. Zero. Removed from the TBR. Struck from Library holds. Not because the books were automatically 'bad', but the majority of our reading was this demographic. (Full Disclosure - We are AFAB White) The 2020 George Floyd Protests threw into stark relief that White People needed to change in ALL areas for Global Majority folk.

Our niche was reading. Time to work.

WHY THIS?

Publishing is SO WHITE. Even if you focus on Queer books like us? Same problem.

This spills out and taints everyone's view. Shit you can't even SEE until you force yourself to LOOK. (Racism in OUR beloved gradeschool books? Yes.)

So began our year of Reading Better. We sought diverse authors. All genres on the table. We discovered incredible stories - Black, Queer, Native, and a myriad of other terms we hadn't even CONSIDERED. Just a few more added were Trans, Disabled, and Asexual. These books wrenched open new windows in reality. Pushed what we expected from Horror, Fantasy, and Memoir. We kept a list for our records. Delighted in watching it grow new categories and names.

Four years later that list thrives.

To bury the lead: Our project never stopped. It turned into Open Cover Books. SOURCES Lee and Low Diversity Baseline Study 2019 "Innocence Betrayed: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and the Deep Roots of White Supremacy" by Donald Yacovone

Gentle Readers, we are, of course, a RESPONSIBLE business! We would ABSOLUTELY NOT suggest some VERY HEAVY Queer Books to throw at bigots! That would be irresponsible! In fact, here is a list of such books. So you can be sure to NOT do that. Safety first!

The Song of Achilles - Madeline Miller
Weight: 1.28 lbs
(a basketball)
Definitely do not throw at:
Fascists with weak ankles

James Baldwin: Early Novels & Stories - James Baldwin
Weight: 1.39 lbs
(a bottle of ketchup)
Definitely do not throw at:
Homophobes

The Picture of Dorian Gray- Oscar Wilde
Weight: 1.45 lb
(A high-heeled shoe)
Definitely do not throw at:
Republicans whinging about drag queens

My Favorite Thing is Monsters - Emil Ferris
Weight: 3.1 lbs
(A steam iron)
Definitely do not throw at:
Anti-Vaxxers

Heartstopper Collection #1-4 box set - Alice Osman
Weight: 7.05 lbs
(A Persian cat)
Definitely do not throw at:
Transphobes deadnaming children