MoonGirlReads: Diverse YA Reading List

About the Folio

I love sharing great books on TikTok as @moongirlreads. And over hundreds(!?) of posts, I’ve noticed a theme: my favorite books focus on strong, diverse WOC navigating a world that doesn’t seem built for them. My picks here are all YA, but there’s a lot of diversity within that genre: from modern day New York, to San Francisco in the ’50s, to a fantasy set in a dystopia known as the Martial Empire, there’s a story here for everyone.

Book selections

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LeVar Burton curates

The Power of Storytelling

The iconic actor (and reader) LeVar Burton shares the powerful books he considers must-reads.

Katherine May curates

Winter Reading

Katherine May, the author of “Wintering” shares books to help you through the winters of your life.

Paulo Coelho curates

The Quest for Purpose

Paulo Coelho shares books that can help you find meaning in your life’s journey.

Carol Fulp curates

Success Through Diversity

Carol Fulp shares three books that demonstrate how leaders can harness diversity and inclusion for greater success.

Malinda Lo curates

Malinda Lo’s Reading List

National Book Award winner Malinda Lo shares three books that inspired her book “Last Night at the Telegraph Club.”

Adam Grant curates

Creativity in Crisis

Adam Grant shares the books that help him tap creative resilience in challenging times.

Sean Astin curates

A Journey of Adventure

The actor Sean Astin shares his favorite stories of self discovery, from underdogs to adventurers.

Yolk

By Mary H. K. Choi

Selected by Selene VelezThis book is an intriguing story about the strained relationship between two young Korean sisters, a relationship that’s put to the test in life or death circumstances. But wow. It’s that, and so much more. Mary H.K. Choi does a fantastic job of portraying the harmful effects of Eurocentric beauty standards on women of color, specifically East Asian women, in her book (which has beautiful cover art, I have to say). She manages to incorporate being a young, Gen-Z woman living in New York city with Korean culture and the intersectional struggles WOC face in a way that’s both seamless and leaves you in a deep, mildly existential-crisis(ish?) state. Actually, maybe that’s just me. Nonetheless, if you’re looking for a deep and complex read, this is the book for you.

Selene Velez

MoonGirlReads

MoonGirlReads: Diverse YA

Curated by Selene Velez