Geekiary’s #WeNeedMoreDiverseBooks Wattpad Recommendations

Jamie Sugah’s Recs

Division of the Marked
By: marchmccarron

Summary: Every year, 50 children are marked. They join a superhuman society of scholars and martial artists. But this year, only 49 are found. As time passes, more and more children disappear. 

Yarrow and Bray meet upon their marking and feel uniquely connected. However, a decade long separation renders them rivals. Can they overcome their differences to unravel the mystery that threatens their kind?

A fantasy tale full of action, mystery, and romance!

Why I’m Reccing This: This is one of the first things I found on Wattpad that I absolutely devoured. I read the entire thing in a day and can’t wait to start the sequel. This is a story about magic – but not magic the way we know it – and intrigue. It features a diverse cast of characters of all different races and orientations, and the world-building is fantastic. The relationships are varied and complex. The mystery will draw you in completely – what is happening to the missing children? Who is responsible? How high up does the conspiracy go? You won’t be able to put it down!

Men in Tights
By: tasting_stars

Summary: It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s…some doofus dressed in spandex.    

The only attention Abby Hamilton enjoys is a standing ovation after a Morriston High School musical. With a father who runs one of America’s most beloved cities and a vigilante brother with thousands of screaming fans, Abby never cared for following their footsteps and becoming a public figure. But when havoc is wrecked on Abby’s hometown, a new superdork becomes her personal stalker, and feelings arise for a mysterious stranger, Abby Hamilton is about to step into an entirely new kind of spotlight.
   
When it comes to fighting crime, there is only one rule: Trust no one.

Why I’m Reccing This: Okay, so there are some problematic elements to this story (namely the fact that Iron Phantom keeps just showing up in Abby’s room – at least she acknowledges that this is creepy) but I had so much fun reading it that I was able to forgive them. In a world where superheroes are pretty commonplace, what happens when the sister of a superhero falls for a “supervillain”? Chaos ensues! This is a light, fun, romantic read with a mystery that needs solving. Who is the Iron Phantom? What’s going on with those “emotion detection” chips? Are the supers of Morriston in danger? Read and find out!

Born of Shadow
By: SarahBensonBooks

Summary: On her seventeenth birthday, Kami receives a mysterious artifact and a ticket to visit her estranged grandparents in Egypt. When she arrives, no one is there to meet her. Alone and in an unfamiliar country, she discovers their disappearance is only part of a greater threat.

Whispers of strange creatures made of a shadowy substance can be heard among the nomads of the desert. A new queen has quietly come to power, given strength by a powerful evil, unleashed when she opens an ancient jar. She won’t stop until she finds the remains of Alexander the Great, convinced that his remains hold the secret to her becoming a god. Kami must rely on a band of misfit friends she makes along the way to save her grandparents and stop the queen. But does the handsome boy she just met have the answers, or is he part of the reason for her grandparents’ disappearance?

Born of Shadow is the first book in the Shadow Wars Series.

Why I’m Reccing This: This story combines two of my favorite topics: history and fantasy. Set primarily in Egypt, this story is chock-full of Egyptian history and mythology, with a diverse cast of characters and a mystery that will keep you on the edge of your seat. All of the characters sound mostly American even though only half of them are, and the relationship between Kami and Liam is a little too “insta-love” for my tastes, but it’s a really fascinating story.

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Jamie Lynn Lano’s Recs

Starstruck
Author: YurikoHime

Summary: It’s a story that we’ve all heard before: Random teenager accidentally helps a celebrity without knowing who he/she is, and said celebrity begins a whirlwind romance with them. This one, though, has a twist that’s been long in coming; both partners are girls. 17-year old Dulce’s mom is a celebrity makeup artist, and one day after dropping off tools at her mother’s workplace, she stops downstairs to get coffee. It’s there that she sees a gorgeous girl in a ponytail and Ray-bans end up with coffee running down her white shirt. Dulce goes to help her clean up and offers her a spare shirt from her car. Little did she know that this wasn’t going to be the end of their relationship, at all.

Why I’m Reccing This: I loved seeing a really classic trope in the girl-meets-girl form! It was a breath of fresh air. I also love long stories with clear endings, and this didn’t disappoint at all. Everyone who likes contemporary girl-meets-girl should read this!

Capture This
Author: DiamondQuill

Summary: Rose is an up-and-coming photographer newly assigned to a snotty fashion model’s campaign. Alex is her name, and Alex has lived a life that most people can only dream of, filled with champagne and caviar, parties and an endless parade of boys. Through the ups and downs of the girls and their tumultuous relationship, we see how two girls that are nothing alike can still love each other, and how no matter how much money we have, it doesn’t mean that we’ll ever be happy.

Why I’m Reccing This: Opposites Attract. Isn’t this how it usually works in real life, too? This is more than a story about love, though; it’s a story about life, and happiness, and what it means to have one but not the other. I love the dichotomy of it all, and the ending felt very appropriate.

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Undie’s Recs

Twenty For a Dozen
By: BehindTheNiqab

Summary: When birthday planner Kira Joy volunteers at a kissing booth to support her brother’s high school prom, she is paid a dozen hundred dollars by a very handsome stranger. In return, Kira takes business graduate West Moreno, the man who has never celebrated a birthday, on a life rediscovery trip.

Now she owes him twenty kisses and twenty birthdays, and he is hell-bent on getting them all. One by one, each kiss drives his presence deeper into Kira’s heart. The two set out to rediscover birthdays and fun, while learning that with age comes great responsibility – and a newer understanding of love.

Why I’m Reccing This: Super cute romance with a WOC in the lead. It’s rife with cliches but that’s what makes it so lovely. I mean it starts with a kissing booth and then there’s a forgotten past and all kinds of unnecessary pining. I know I’m not the only person that adores these cheesy romances so just buck up and admit it because “Twenty For a Dozen” is worth it.

The Aftermath of a Super Break-Up
By: words-

Summary: You think regular break-ups are hard, right?

Try a super one.

Why I’m Reccing This: I’m breaking a massive rule by reccing a WIP (work in progress) but this is story about a pansexual superhero whose girlfriend broke up with her because she wanted to be a villain (the girlfriend I mean not the superhero). What’s not to love?  It’s just so great that I want everyone to go read and comment so the author keeps writing it.

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Farid’s Recs

Garden of Edens
by wetcigarettes

Summary: This book is dedicated to every coloured girl that has ever felt insecure, inferior, unloved and or worthless. I hope that one day you find peace within yourself and reach the ends of your own rainbow.

Why I’m Reccing This: Even though this is a WIP (Work In Progress) I am reccing this because of how wonderfully the author paints a picture of a black girl who has had a lot to deal with in her life. I can’t even begin to explain how wonderfully the author describes Eden’s life. The opening chapters about Eden’s mother hating her because she’s too black skinned and then getting to know how abusive her father is will really make you feel for the main character. There is a lot of food for thought in almost every chapter and how people who are abused tend to accept it as a part of their lives. I’m looking forward to more chapters by the author and knowing what happens to Eden. She deserves a happy ending!

Mulatto (lyila)
by Missdouye

Summary: Mulatoo (Iyila) tells the story of a young slave girl during the era when slavery was at its highest peak in the American South – the year 1860, before Abraham Lincoln’s succession as president. Iyia was not just any slave but a mulatto, conceived through a brutal rape.

She gradually grows into a woman, passed on by different owners until she is finally sold to Mr John. What with Mr. John’s brutal son and his stupid daughter, the slaves are yet to see hell, until Gabriel – his first son – arrives from Oxford University with a degree in law.

The John’s mansion soon turns into a drama house, where opinions clash and feelings begin to emerge.

Why I’m Reccing This: With only four more chapters to go of this sixty part historical fiction story, it was the summary that made me interested to start reading it. One of the best things about this story is the author’s choice of words. A lot of times an exceptional story doesn’t have an impact because of an author’s inexperience with writing. However, that’s not the case here as the characters and the environment will feel as if they are springing up from the pages as you read. Mulatto is definitely not a story for the faint of heart as it talks about slavery. Iyila is a WOC main character who will make you feel for her and hope she deserves a good life in the end.

The Mark of Noba
by BlancaWesh/GL Thomas

Summary: Sterling Wayfairer has one goal for his senior year: make his mark. He’s been slipping into the background his whole high school career—distracted by his mother’s mental health, unsettled by the vivid dreams that haunt him at night, and overshadowed by the athletic accomplishments of his popular best friends. But this year is going to be different. He’s going to break a few rules, have some fun, and maybe even work up the nerve to ask his crush out on a date.

But things don’t go exactly as planned. Students are disappearing, Sterling starts losing time, and it all seems to center around Tetra, a girl no one else seems to notice but him. When he finally tracks her down for answers, they aren’t what he expects: He and Tetra hail from a world called Noba, and they’re being hunted by a Naga, a malevolent shapeshifter that’s marked them for destruction.

Tetra and Sterling have distinct abilities that can help them fight back, but their power depends heavily on the strength of their bond, a connection that transcends friendship, transcends romance. Years apart have left their bond weak. Jumpstarting it will require Sterling to open his heart and his mind and put his full trust in the mysterious Tetra.

If he doesn’t, neither of them will survive.

Why I’m Reccing This: The book is very diverse when it comes to the characters. The skin tones of the characters are well-stated and I don’t think any other reader can be confused about it when they start reading the story. A coding system has been used with respect to skin color, which you can get to know more about from the book’s glossary.

The main female character of the story is named Tetra. She is a dark skinned analytical young woman. It might be hard for readers to relate to her but that’s understandable considering she comes from another world. She doesn’t understand that it is considered rude to be honest all the time even when one doesn’t want to listen to the truth. Also she is pansexual and is confused by gender roles. I enjoyed her character as through her the story talks about sexuality and gender expectations. The Mark of Noba is a completed work so you’ll have to wait for a sequel after reading it, which I hope comes soon.

Author: Angel Wilson

Angel is the admin of The Geekiary and a geek culture commentator. They earned a BA in Film & Digital Media from UC Santa Cruz. They have contributed to various podcasts and webcasts including An Englishman in San Diego, Free to Be Radio, and Genre TV for All. They identify as queer.

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