Hearing More Voices

Reading is an important thing in my life.  Not only is it one of the few things I do for fun, and a necessary recharge for this introvert who is constantly swimming in extroverted settings, but it is a vital source of information for growing and sharpening and challenging myself.

So I'm ashamed to say that it is only since very recently that I have put real effort into diversifying the voices I am taking in through the pages of the books I read.  Here, for example, is the breakdown of books I read in 2013, less than five years ago (partials represent co-authors who I split 50/50):

White men - 42.5
White women - 5
Men of color - 2.5
Women of color - 0


Ugh ugh ugh.  So far in 2018, I'm doing much better:

White men - 6
White women - 6.5
Men of color - 4.5
Women of color - 8

By the way, here's another way of parsing my reading lists, which is by type and topic.  First, 2013:

37 non-fiction (non-biographical)
8 biographies, autobiographies, memoirs, or fictional stories focused on white men
3 biographies or autobiographies, memoirs, or fictional stories focused on men of color
2 biographies or autobiographies, memoirs, or fictional stories focused on white women
0 biographies or autobiographies, memoirs, or fictional stories focused on women of color

Now 2018 (I'm counting Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's book about his relationship with Coach John Wooden as 50/50):

10 non-fiction (non-biographical)
1.5 biographies, autobiographies, memoirs, or fictional stories focused on white men
5.5 biographies or autobiographies, memoirs, or fictional stories focused on men of color
2 biographies or autobiographies, memoirs, or fictional stories focused on white women
6 biographies or autobiographies, memoirs, or fictional stories focused on women of color

As always, I welcome your recommendations.