#DecolonizeBookshelves2022 Reading Progress

#DecolonizeBookshelves2022

One of the things I realized after concluding our #SurvivalStories2021 is that one year is not enough to help decolonize our bookshelves and our mindsets. Hence, inspired by the book below, we are devoting our 2022 to decolonizing our bookshelves.

Inspired by This Is The Canon: Decolonize Your Bookshelf In 50 Books (Amazon | Book Depository),I will do my best to feature at least 25 out of the 50 titles as found in this list, along with the stories of marginalized and indigenous communities whose existence were/are nearly wiped out by colonizers, tyrants, oppressors. Similar to last year, we hope to feature books that fit any of the following criteria:

  1. Postcolonial literature and/or [pre/post] revolutionary stories
  2. Stories by indigenous / first-nation peoples / people of colour
  3. Narratives of survival and healing, exile and migration, displacement and dispossession
  4. Books written or illustrated by people who have been colonized, oppressed, marginalized

Similar to what I have done for our #WomenReadWomen2019, I am devoting an entire page to document my progress throughout the year.

Please do take note that this list does not consist of all the books I read this year. To see that, please visit my Goodreads page. This table is meant to keep track of the books I featured here in GatheringBooks that fit our #DecolonizeBookshelves2022 reading theme.

I will constantly be updating this table throughout the year, as and when new books fall into my hands and featured here at GatheringBooks.

# Author / Illustrator # Book Title # Country # Language
(Bilingual / Translated from)
1 Margarita Engle 1 Light For All 1 US 1 English (neither translated nor bilingual)
Raul Colon
2 Yuyi Morales 2 Bright Star 2 English / Spanish (bilingual)
3 Hilda Eunice Burgos – born and raised in US (parents’ ethnic background: Dominican Republic) 3 The Cot In The Living Room English (with a few Spanish words)
4 Debbi Michiko Florence (Japanese-American) 4 Niki Nakayama: A Chef’s Tale In 13 Bites English (with a few Japanese words)
Jamie Michalak
Yuko Jones (born and raised in Japan, now based in US)
5 Amanda Gorman (POC) 5 Change Sings: A Children’s Anthem English (neither translated nor bilingual)
Loren Long
6 Lucky Diaz (POC) 6 Paletero Man English (with a few Spanish words)
Micah Player
7 David Bowles (POC) 7 My Two Border Towns
8 Traci N. Todd (POC) 8 Nina English (neither translated nor bilingual)
Christian Robinson (POC)
9 C. G. Esperanza (Afro Puerto Rican) 9 Boogie Boogie Y’all
10 10 Soul Food Sunday
Winsome Bingham (POC)
Nez Riaz (Pakistani – Palestinian based in Boston) My Name Is Bana English (with Arabic words)
11 Aimee Reid 11 Welcome Home
12 Amyra Leon (POC) 12 Freedom, We Sing English (neither translated nor bilingual)
Molly Mendoza (Mexican-Irish-American)
13 Rose Ann Tahe (Native American) 13 First Laugh, Welcome Baby! English (neither translated nor bilingual)
Nancy Bo Flood
Jonathan Nelson (Native American)
14 Megan Maynor 14 A House For Every Bird
Kaylani Juanita (POC)
15 Eva Chen (POC) 15 I Am Golden
Sophie Diao (POC)
16 Leo Espinosa (POC) 16 The World Belonged To Us
17 Jacqueline Woodson (POC)
17 The Year We Learned To Fly
18 Ibram X. Kendi (POC) 18 AntiRacist Baby
Ashley Lukashevsky (POC)
19 Chelsea Johnson (POC) 19 IntersectionAllies
LaToya Council (POC)
Carolyn Choi (POC)
Ashley Seil Smith
20 Paul Beatty (POC) 20 The Sellout
21 Helena Ku Rhee (POC) 21 The Paper Kingdom
Pascal Campion
22 M. O. Yuksel (Uzbek origin, born in Turkey, based in US) 22 One Wish: Fatima Al-Fihri And The World’s Oldest University
23 Alice B. McGinty 23 The Water Lady: How Darlene Arviso Helps a Thirsty Navajo Nation English with a few Navajo words
Shonto Begay (Native American)
24 Sarvinder Naberhaus (POC) 24 Blue Sky White Stars English (neither translated nor bilingual)
Kadir Nelson (POC)
25 Sandra Cisneros (POC) 25 Woman Hollering Creek And Other Stories English (with a few Spanish words)
26 Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow (POC) 26 Abdul’s Story English (neither translated nor bilingual)
Tiffany Rose (POC)
27 Alice Faye Duncan (POC) 27 Opal Lee And What It Means To Be Free
Keturah A. Bobo (POC)
28 Brittany J. Thurman (POC) 28 Fly
29 Chris Sasaki (POC) 29 Sakamoto’s Swim Club
30 Helena Ku Rhee (POC) 30 Rosa’s Song
Angela Burke Kunkel 31 Digging For Words: José Alberto Gutiérrez and the Library He Built
31 Kelly Starling Lyons (POC) 32 Going Down Home With Daddy
Daniel Minter (POC)
32 Leah Henderson (POC) 33 Daddy Speaks Love
E. B. Lewis (POC)
33 Maggie Tokuda-Hall (POC) 34 Love In The Library
Yas Imamura (POC)
34 Carole Boston Weatherford (POC) 35 Dreams For A Daughter
Brian Pinkney (POC)
35 NoNieqa Ramos (POC) 36 Your Mama English (with a few Spanish words)
Jacqueline Alcantara (POC)
36 Stacey Abrams (POC) 37 Stacey’s Extraordinary Words English (neither translated nor bilingual)
Kitt Thomas (POC)
Dave Keane Treasure Box
Ammi-Joan Paquette All From A Walnut
37 John Parra (POC) 38 Growing An Artist English (with a few Spanish words)
38 Lois-Ann Yamanaka (POC) 39 Snow Angel Sand Angel English (with a few words from Hawaiian language)
Ashley Lukashevksy (POC)
39 Michaela Goade (of Tlingit descent, First Nations) 40 Encounter English (neither translated nor bilingual)
40 James Yang 41 A Boy Named Isamu
41 Tricia Elam Walker (POC) 42 Nana Akua Goes To School English – with Adinkra symbols and some words in Twi, a Ghanaian language
April Harrison (POC)
42 43 Shirley Chisholm Dared English (neither translated nor bilingual)
Alicia D. Williams (POC)
43 Ashima Shiraishi (POC) 44 How To Solve A Problem
Eileen Spinelli We’re Better Together
44 Mona Damluji (Iraqi-Lebanese-American / POC) 45 Together
45 James Baldwin 46 If Beale Street Could Talk
Pat Zietlow Miller See You Someday Soon
46 Ada Limon (Mexican American) 47 The Hurting Kind
47 Xelena Gonzalez (Native American / Latina) 48 All Around Us
Adriana M. Garcia (Native American/ Latina) 49 Where Wonder Grows
48 Sophia N. Lee (born in the Philippines – based in NY) 50 Holding On English with a few Filipino words
Isabel Roxas (born in the Philippines based in NY)
49 Sandra Neil Wallace (of Yugoslavian ethnicity) 51 The Teachers March! English (neither translated nor bilingual)
Rich Wallace
Charly Palmer (POC)
50 Michelle Lord 52 A Girl Called Genghis Khan
Shehzil Malik 2 Pakistan
51 Daniyal Mueenudin 53 In Other Rooms, Other Wonders
Mariam Quraishi (based in US, but grew up in Karachi) One Wish: Fatima Al-Fihri And The World’s Oldest University
52 Julie Flett 54 We All Play (kimêtawânaw) 3 Canada 3 English / Cree (bilingual)
Brittany Luby (of Anishinaabe descent, First Nations) Encounter English (neither translated nor bilingual)
53 Ellen Rooney 55 Grandmother School
Rina Singh (based in Canada) 4 India
Shahul Hameed (based in UAE) The Little Ghaf Tree English and Arabic
54 Naaz Khan (born in India, grew up in Saudi Arabia, based in US) 56 Room for Everyone English (with some Arabic and Swahili words)
Merce Lopez 5 Spain
55 Equipo Plantel (translated by Lawrence Schimel) 57 This Is A Dictatorship 4 Spanish (translated)
Mikel Casel
Gaby D’Alessandro (based in the US) The Cot In The Living Room 6 Dominican Republic English (with a few Spanish words)
56 Maryse Condé (translated by Richard Philcox) 58 I, Tituba, Black Witch Of Salem 7 Guadeloupe – France 5 French (translated)
Pascal Campion (French American) Rosa’s Song France English (neither translated nor bilingual)
57 Emmanuelle Tchoukriel 59 A Dream Of BIrds French (translated)
Shenaz Patel (translated by Edwige-Renée Dro) 8 Mauritius Island
58 Maria Dermoût (translated by Hans Koning) 60 The Ten Thousand Things 9 Netherlands 6 Dutch (translated)
Erika Meza (Mexican Migrant artist) My Two Border Towns 10 United Kingdom English (with a few Spanish words)
59 Omileye Achikeobi-Lewis (African-Caribbean) 61 My Heart Flies Open English (neither translated nor bilingual)
Julie Abery (lives in Switzerland) Sakamoto’s Swim Club
60 Bernardine Evaristo 62 The Emperor’s Babe
61 Bana Alabed (based in Turkey) 63 My Name Is Bana 11 Syria English (with Arabic words)
Rashin Kheiriyeh (based in US) First Laugh, Welcome Baby! 12 Iran English (neither translated nor bilingual)
62 Rahele Jomepour Bell (based in US) 64 The Treasure Box
63 Yuko Tsushima (translated by Geraldine Harcourt) 65 Territory Of Light 13 Japan 7 Japanese (translated)
64 Yasunari Kawabata (translated by Edward G. Seidensticker) 66 Thousand Cranes
65 Diana Ejaita (Nigerian/Italian based in Germany) 67 Olu and Greta 14 Nigeria English (neither translated nor bilingual)
66 Ekiuwa Aire (based in Canada) 68 Idia Of The Benin Kingdom 8 English (with some words/phrases from the Edo people)
67 Ekiuwa Aire (based in Canada) 69 Njinga of Ndongo and Matamba 7 English (with some Kimbundu words/ phrases – spoken by Ndongo people)
Natalia Popova (based in Thailand) 15 Russia
68 Ekaterina Trukhan 70 We’re Better Together English (neither translated nor bilingual)
69 Romana Romanyshyn 71 How War Changed Rondo 16 Ukraine 9 Ukrainian (translated)
Andriy Lesiv
Oksana Lushchevska (translator)
Alina Shabelnyk (Illustrator) Idia Of The Benin Kingdom English (with some words/phrases from the Edo people)
70 Refiloe Moahloli 72 I Am You: A Book About Ubuntu 17 South Africa 10 English (with some words/ phrases from the Nguni languages of isiZulu and isiXhosa)
Zinelda McDonald
71 Eileen Chang (translated by Karen S. KIngsbury) 73 Love In A Fallen City 18 China 11 Chinese language (translated)
Yao Xiao (born in China but based in US) How To Solve A Problem English (neither translated nor bilingual)
Rafael Lopez (POC) The Year We Learned To Fly 19 Mexico
72 Frida Kahlo (memories written in a journal) 74 The Two Fridas Spanish (translated)
73 Nawal El Saadawi (translated by Sherif Hetata) 75 Woman At Point Zero 20 Egypt 12 Arabic (translated)
74 Jamaica Kincaid (Antiguan-American) 76 Annie John 21 Antigua English (neither translated nor bilingual)
75 Magda Szabo (translated by Len Rix) 77 Katalin Street 22 Hungary 13 Hungarian (translated)
76 Ang INK (Ilustrador ng Kabataan) and May Tobias Papa (text and translation) 78 Karapat Dapat 23 Philippines 14 Bilingual Filipino and English
77 Eugene Y. Evasco (translated by Yvette Fernandez) 79 Luntiang Kinabukasan: Ang Kuwento Ni Kiko Pangilinan
Ara Villena
78 Yvette Fernandez 80 Dancing Waters: The Story Of Leni Robredo English
Abi Goy
79 Agay Llanera 81 A Bridge For Silay
Ronson Culibrina
80 12 Filipino Artists and Graphic Designers via CANVAS 82 The Weight Of Words: An Alphabet Of Human Rights
81 Renz Baluyot 83 Silent Witnesses (Mga Tahimik Na Saksi): Stories From The Survivors Of Martial Law Bilingual Filipino and English
Gigo Alampay
82 84 #Youthink 15 Available in English and Cebuano
Liza Flores, Abi Goy, Frances Alvarez, and Jamie Bauza
83 Mon Sy 85 Kakatok-Katok Sa Bahay Ni Benok (Knocking On Benok’s House) Bilingual Filipino and English
Faye Abantao
84 Klaas Verplancke 86 The King’s Golden Beard 24 Belgium French
85 Leila Aboulela 87 Lyrics Alley 25 Sudan English (with some Arabic words)
86 Hanadi Al Fahim 88 The Little Ghaf Tree 26 United Arab Emirates English and Arabic
87 Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi 89 World Book Capital
Denise Damanti 27 Italy
88 Italo Calvino (translated by William Weaver) 90 Invisible Cities 16 Italian (translated)
89 Felicita Sala (immigrant story) 91 All From A Walnut English (neither translated nor bilingual)
Gianluca Foli (book about Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, translated by Simulingua, Inc.) The Two Fridas Spanish (translated)
90 Mariama Ba 92 So Long A Letter 28 Senegal French
91 José Jorge Letria (translated by Elisa Amado) 93 War 29 Portugal 17 Portuguese (translated)
André Letria
92 Ama Ata Aidoo 94 Our Sister Killjoy 30 Ghana English (neither translated nor bilingual)
93 Tsitsi Dangarembga 95 Nervous Conditions 31 Zimbabwe
94 Adam Goodes (Adnyamathanha and Narungga) 96 Somebody’s Land 32 Australia English with Adnyamathanha words
Ellie Laing
David Hardy (Barkindji)
97 Ceremony
95 Karen Wyld (Martu descent) 98 Heroes, Rebels, and Innovators: Inspiring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island People From History English (neither translated nor bilingual)
Jaelyn Biumaiwai (Mununjali and Fijian ancestry)
96 Tony Birch 99 The White Girl
97 Susan Abulhawa 100 Against The Loveless World 33 Palestine English with Arabic words
Anna Cunha Fly 34 Brazil English (neither translated nor bilingual)
98 101 A Story About Afiya
James Berry (lived in UK) 35 Jamaica
99 Olive Senior 102 Discerner Of Hearts And Other Stories
100 Paola Escobar Digging For Words: José Alberto Gutiérrez and the Library He Built 36 Colombia
Innosanto Nagara (based in USA) Together 37 Indonesia
101 Suzy Lee 103 See You Someday Soon 38 Korea
102 Gee-eun Lee (translated by. Sophie Bowman) 104 My GrandMom 18 Korean (translated)
103 Edwidge Danticat 105 Breath Eyes Memory 39 Haiti English (neither translated nor bilingual)
104 Ahlem Mosteghanemi (translated by Raphael Cohen) 106 The Bridges Of Constantine 40 Algeria Arabic