Book and a Beverage [144] – Naz from Read Diverse Books

Welcome back to BOOK AND A BEVERAGE!

In case you don’t know the deal about Book and a Beverage, it’s a very simple yet fun feature: We read books, we drink beverages, we take pictures of them and then I share your photos and a little about you to the blogging world!

Give a big welcome to Naz from Read Diverse Books!

Name & Blog Name: Hello! My name is Naz Hernandez and I lead the blog Read Diverse Books.
Tell us a little about your blog! The name of my blog says it all. My blog is committed to reviewing, discussing, and promoting books written by and about people of color and other marginalized voices.
What’s been your favorite post you’ve written so far? (Link us up!): Diversity Is Not A Trend – I wrote this post because I wanted to highlight the work other bloggers are doing every day to promote more diverse, multicultural reading habits. It turned out to be very popular!

Whatcha reading? The Association of Small Bombs by Karan Mahajan
Where did it come from? (Library, purchased, publisher, etc): I bought it at my local independent bookstore when the author did a book signing. We both live in Austin, TX!
Any special reason you chose to feature this book? I bought this book on release day and have been eager to read it for months, but my schedule didn’t allow me to read until very recently. It just happens to be the book I’m currently reading.
What’s important that we should know about this book? The Association of Small Bombs is relevant now more than ever. It is a nuanced and honest way of portraying controversial characters and covering controversial topics. As readers, rather than avoid complex issues such as terrorism, we should allow ourselves to read the kinds of stories that will expand our comfort zones and perspectives. Yes, I do recommend everyone read it because it’s one of the most unique and nuanced novels I’ve read in awhile.

Whatcha drinking? A good old fashioned Vanilla Chai Latte.
What’s your favorite thing to drink while reading? The most common drink I have next to me while reading is black coffee. I prefer to have as little sugar on my coffee as possible, and I don’t feel guilty when drinking my coffee black. But every once in awhile I indulge and get a sugary Starbucks drink.
Favorite beverage of all time. Go! In the summer, I love to sip of traditional Mexican horchata — it’s a delicious, creamy, sweet drink made of rice or almond milk and topped of with cinnamon and best served cold. It’s difficult to describe for those who have never tasted it, but I assure you it is sublime.

What are your top three books you would recommend to other people? What a cruel and difficult question! I will make it easier for myself and recommend my top 3 books that I’ve read in the past year.
The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henríquez
Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill
What’s your proudest blogging/reading/writing moment? When I wrote my very first popular/viral blog post: Why I No Longer Read Books Written Before The 20th Century. I had a relatively unknown and small blog before this post. It seems people are naturally drawn to opinionated topics such as this one. I was just being honest and it seems people responded very well to that.
Anything else you’d like to share? I joined the book blogging community a little over three months ago, and I just wanted to share that I am genuinely loving it and am having a blast! I enjoy reading other bloggers’ reviews and commenting on their discussion posts. I especially love to comment on other blogs – I might do it a little too often, actually. I hope no one thinks I’m annoying!
Thanks for having me, Brittany. I’m honored to be featured on your blog and look forward to becoming a regular reader of yours. Also, anyone who follows Read Diverse Books because of this post will get an immediate follow back. I can’t wait to read all your reviews!