So we’re halfway through 2016. How’s your book reading going?

I’m on a ridiculous pace: 104 books so far this year. Of course I read a lot. If this pace continues, I’ll beat my record of 203 books in 2014. But I don’t really care about that. While I like to talk about the numbers because they’re shocking, I’m not in it to set records. I’m in it to read good books.

I also track the racial and gender diversity in my books. So far this year I’m at 52% racial diversity (books written by or featuring main characters of color) and 54% female authors. Last year, my most diverse year to date, I managed 54% POC and 56% women.

So I’m on track there, which is encouraging. Seeking out diverse books isn’t always easy, but I’m starting to see it pay dividends as I try to understand the world around me and help my kids navigate it.

But enough about numbers. Let’s talk books.

Favorite Fiction Books So Far This Year:

• Freeman by Leonard Pitts Jr.
• Copper Sun by Sharon Draper
• Spirit Car: Journey to a Dakota Past by Diane Wilson
• Carry On by Rainbow Rowell
• Pictures of Hollis Woods by Patricia Reilly Giff
• Roots by Alex Haley
• Frindle by Andrew Clements

Favorite Nonfiction Books So Far This Year:

• Take This Bread: A Radical Conversion by Sara Miles
• Fight Like a Girl: 50 Feminists Who Changed the World by Laura Barcella
• Night Driving: A Story of Faith in the Dark by Addie Zierman
• Why Are All The Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?: A Psychologist Explains the Development of Racial Identity by Beverly Daniel Tatum
• Trouble I’ve Seen: Changing the Way the Church Views Racism by Drew G.I. Hart

I’ve got about 25 library books sitting in my to-read stack, so I’m excited to discover some more great books in 2016.