Reading the Rainbow: Diversify Your Bookshelf
- Victor Castillo
- Jun 17, 2024
- 3 min read
If you're a book lover seeking a new adventure, then look no further than the Rainbow Reading Challenge! Picture this: a literary journey where each color of the rainbow leads you to a different world, a new perspective, and a fresh story waiting to be explored. From the fiery reds of passionate romances to the serene blues of tranquil landscapes and the mysterious purples of fantastical realms, there's a book for every shade.
Whether you're an avid reader looking to revitalize your bookshelf or a newbie eager to dive into the vast ocean of stories, the Rainbow Reading Challenge offers a fun and engaging way to dive into the vibrant world of reading. Get ready to immerse yourself in a kaleidoscope of genres, themes, and emotions as we explore the titles below.
For those unfamiliar with the Rainbow Reading Challenge, it is one of the more straightforward reading challenges in circulation. To undertake the challenge, you must list out all of the colors (you may do as many or as little as you like). For most, the rainbow is a great starting point: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, and Violet/Purple. If you like, you can also add Indigo. Of course, no one likes a quick challenge, so other colors are commonly added, such as Pink, Brown, White, Black, Lilac, and many more. The important thing to remember is that you must find a book for each color. There are two ways to participate: the first is to match the color of the book cover (or the greater part of the book cover) to each color, and the second is to find a book that contains the name of the color in the title. Regardless of how you challenge yourself or how many colors you include, the point of the challenge is to have fun, expand your reading horizons, and add a flood of colors to your bookshelves.
Below, we have included our Rainbow Reading Challenge with each color we have chosen—20 total—and the books we have selected for each. However, in honor of Pride Month and our LGBTQIA+ genre of the month, we have taken it a step further and challenged ourselves to not only match the colors to each book cover, but we have matched a Pride Flag to each color and selected a book that not only has a matching cover to the selected color but also features the sexuality or gender identity selected for the color. We have tried to include as many as possible and ensure each is correctly represented by the books chosen. We hope that anyone looking to follow along with this challenge will see themselves represented in one of the colors of our rainbow!
Disclaimer: This blog post discusses books that may contain sensitive material, including themes such as violence, mental health issues, and other potentially triggering subjects. Reader discretion is advised. Please use your judgment and conduct further research if you have specific concerns.
RED | ORANGE |
ALLY | LESBIAN |
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An ally is an individual who supports equal rights, gender equality, and LGBTQ+ social movements, challenging discrimination and advocating against homophobia, biphobia, and transphobia. | Lesbianism is a sexual or romantic orientation characterized by a woman's attraction to other women, although some individuals opt for terms like "gay" or "gay woman" for self-identification. |
Mind the Inclusion Gap by Suzy Levy | Ophelia After All by Racquel Marie |
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This book explores why change isn't happening rapidly, offering insights and practical guidance for those seeking to move beyond mere allyship to actively promote diversity and inclusion. | Ophelia Rojas, known for her many boy crushes, faces a personal crisis as she develops feelings for Talia Sanchez, forcing her to reconsider her identity amidst the chaos of high school and friendships. |
GOLD | YELLOW |
INTERSEX | NON-BINARY |
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Intersex individuals differ from binary male or female norms, with variations in hormones, chromosomes, reproductive organs, or secondary sex traits, which may be evident at birth or later in life. | Non-binary individuals do not exclusively identify as "man" or "woman" and may exhibit a blend of masculine, feminine, both, or neither gender traits. |
Golden Boy by Abigail Tarttelin | They/Them/Their by Eris Young |
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The Walker family excels at hiding secrets from both the world and each other until Max's secret is revealed in this gripping novel about a family and identity crisis, featuring a unique coming-of-age journey. | An insightful exploration of living outside the gender binary, drawing on personal experiences, interviews, and research to share common challenges and offer guidance to support nonbinary individuals. |
LIME | GREEN |
AGENDER | POLYSEXUAL |
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Agender is a gender identity characterized by not identifying with any gender, feeling gender-neutral, lacking a sense of gender, rejecting the concept of gender, or finding gender personally irrelevant. | Polysexuality is the sexual attraction to various, but not necessarily all, genders, with polysexual individuals experiencing attraction to multiple genders and potentially having preferences among them. |
A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers | Their Best Friend by J. Cartwright (18+) |
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Tea Monk Sibling Dex and robot Mosscap explore the moon Panga to understand humanity's needs, learning and questioning the value of wanting more in a world where people have what they desire. | After Mark confesses his romantic feelings for their best friend Jason to his wife Claire, the couple must navigate their mutual attraction to Jason and decide whether to pursue a deeper relationship. |
AQUA | TEAL |
ABROGENDER | PANSEXUAL |
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Abrogender is a fluid and dynamic gender identity characterized by rapid changes or constant discovery of various gender aspects, occurring unpredictably and without a set pattern. | Pansexuality is a sexual orientation characterized by attraction to all genders, encompassing physical, romantic, and emotional attraction, or being capable of attraction regardless of gender identity. |
Mask of Shadows by Linsey Miller** | We Are the Ants by Shaun David Hutchinson |
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In a bid for revenge and a new life, gender-fluid thief Sallot Leon competes to join The Left Hand, the Queen's assassins, facing perilous trials and a budding romance with scribe Elise, with the end goal of survival. | Henry Denton, facing an ultimatum from aliens predicting the end of the world in 144 days, grapples with personal turmoil and debates whether to save humanity or let the world and his pain be destroyed. |
BLUE | NAVY |
GENDERFLUID | GAY |
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Genderfluid individuals have a fluctuating gender identity that can vary over time, allowing them to identify as any gender or combination of genders, with pronouns and expressions shifting accordingly. | Gay men are individuals primarily or exclusively attracted to men, though the term can be used by people of any gender attracted to their own gender or sex. |
Both Can Be True by Jules Machias | They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera |
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Ash and Daniel initially unite to rescue a dog but ultimately find solace in each other as they navigate their own struggles with identity and acceptance, complicating their burgeoning feelings for one another. | After receiving a call from Death-Cast informing them of their impending deaths, strangers Mateo and Rufus utilize the Last Friend app to embark on a single-day adventure before the end finds them. |
PURPLE | LILAC |
BISEXUAL | GENDERQUEER |
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Bisexuality encompasses attraction to multiple genders and/or sexes, with the attraction being sexual, romantic, and/or emotional, not limited to the gender binary, and allowing for variations over time. | Genderqueer is a gender identity that falls outside the traditional male/female binary, encompassing a spectrum between or beyond these categories, challenging and queering conventional notions of gender. |
Cool for the Summer by Dahlia Adler | Beyond the Gender Binary by Alok Vaid-Menon |
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Lara, fixated on Chase Harding, finds her world turned upside down when memories of a past summer with Jasmine resurface, forcing her to confront her desires and seemingly perfect life. | Spoken word poet Alok Vaid-Menon advocates for a nuanced understanding of gender, drawing from personal experiences to illustrate its fluid and limitless nature, urging society to embrace inclusivity. |
FUCHSIA | PINK |
BIGENDER | TRANSGENDER |
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Bigender is a gender identity characterized by the experience of two genders, which can be any combination of binary or non-binary genders, with the possibility of simultaneous or alternating experiences. | Transgender, or trans, refers to individuals whose gender identity diverges from their assigned gender at birth, typically determined by external genitalia, with gender identity often developing later in life. |
Somebody Told Me by Mia Siegert | Meet Cute Diary by Emery Lee |
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Aleks/Alexis scapes trauma by moving with their uncle, a Catholic priest, finding solace in anonymously helping those they hear confess in the confessional until one revelation forces them to confront their past. | Noah Ramirez's facade as a romance expert on his blog is shattered when exposed as fiction, leading him to navigate the complexities of love and authenticity with the help of a fake dating arrangement. |
WINE | BROWN |
OMNISEXUAL | QUEER POC |
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Omnisexuality encompasses attraction to individuals of all sexes and gender identities, with gender influencing one's attraction, though attraction can differ depending on gender or sex. | Queer People of Color is a subcategory of the Queer community which represents the intersectionality of the fight for queer and racial equality, and honors all of those who have fought for both. |
Benoit by R.J. Scott & V.L. Locey (18+) | Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas |
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Senior year brings both opportunity and challenge for Benoit as he aims to impress professional scouts, but his focus is shattered by a stalker threatening his life and his burgeoning attraction to Ethan. | After summoning a ghost, Yadriel finds himself bound to Julian Diaz, as they work to uncover the truth behind Julian's death and form an bond that challenges Yadriel's perceptions of life and death. |
WHITE | SILVER |
ASEXUAL | DEMIGENDER |
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Asexual individuals do not experience sexual attraction, and while they may engage in sexual activities for various reasons, asexuality is recognized as a sexual orientation, not a behavior or choice. | Demigender encompasses non-binary identities that feel a partial connection to a specific gender, regardless of assigned gender at birth, and individuals may identify as another gender simultaneously. |
Let's Talk About Love by Claire Kann | Court of the Undying Seasons by A.M. Strickland |
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Alice, intent on a summer of TV marathons and minimal adulting, but her resolve is tested when she meets Takumi, sparking unexpected romantic feelings and forcing her to confront a love she never anticipated. | In the midst of her transformation into a vampire, Fin grapples with her evolving identity, thirst for vengeance over her mother's death, and the dangerous world she's been thrust into. |
GRAY | BLACK |
DEMISEXUAL | POLYAMORY |
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Demisexual individuals experience sexual attraction exclusively after forming an emotional connection or bond with someone, which can manifest through friendship or romance. | Polyamory encompasses relationships where one or more participants are involved romantically or sexually with more than one individual, where all participants consent and are aware of the situation. |
A Lifetime Kissing You by Riley Hart (18+) | A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson (18+) |
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Charles, who feels unfulfilled, and Brian, who has spent his life in love with his deceased brother's wife, discover unexpected intimacy in each other, leading them to confront truths long ignored. | Constanta, saved from death and transformed into a bride for Dracula, navigates a web of passion, deceit, and dark secrets, ultimately facing a choice between her freedom and love. |
End of the Rainbow
We hope anyone who has made it this far, or at the very least skimmed through to the end, has found at least one book on our list that you can connect with. We must make a note regarding our selection for the color Aqua, A Mask of Shadows, which is intended to combine with the Abrogender gender identity. Abrogender is a relatively new term, and because of its unique characteristics, we could not find a book that addressed it in fiction or nonfiction. That being said, as Abrogender is closely related and shares distinct similarities with the Genderfluid identity, we have selected a book with a character that falls into this category to provide at least a partial view into the reality of Abrogender individuals.
Our hope is that this challenge provides you with not only a fun and unique way to challenge your reading, but adds a plethora of color and diversity to your shelves. While we note that our list is structured according to the parameters we have set for ourselves, we hope it resonates with some of you. Whether you attempt to complete our Rainbow Reading Challenge above, create your own, or follow along with someone else's, the important thing to remember is to have FUN!
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