A couple of months ago, a NetGalley email alerted me to some exciting "Read Now" books that were available. One in particular caught my eye:... Continue Reading →
The Scent of Burnt Flowers
Earlier this year, I was enchanted by the cover of Blitz Bazawule's debut novel, The Scent of Burnt Flowers. The summary was similarly intriguing, so... Continue Reading →
A Caribbean Heiress in Paris
June is Read Caribbean Month, and my first choice was the newly released A Caribbean Heiress in Paris by Adriana Herrera. I've been eagerly anticipating... Continue Reading →
By the Book
I've been growing more and more interested in Jasmine Guillory in the past year, and while I hadn't yet read any of her books, I... Continue Reading →
The Duke Makes Me Feel…
One of my most anticipated books this year is A Caribbean Heiress in Paris by Adriana Herrera, the first in her Las Léonas romance trilogy.... Continue Reading →
Business Not As Usual
One of my most anticipated romances this spring has been Business Not As Usual by Sharon C. Cooper. I hadn't read her before, but this... Continue Reading →
The Fugitives
I have NetGalley to thank for introducing me to The Fugitives by Jamal Mahjoub. While perusing the upcoming books, I discovered this novel about musicians... Continue Reading →
In Every Mirror She’s Black
One of the books I was most excited for in September was In Every Mirror She's Black by Lọlá Ákínmádé Åkerström. I was thrilled when... Continue Reading →
The Sweetest Remedy
Earlier this year, I loved Ties That Tether, the debut novel by Jane Igharo. Since then, I've been counting down the days to when her second... Continue Reading →
The Girl With Stars in Her Eyes
One of my most anticipated releases of May this year was The Girl With Stars in Her Eyes by Xio Axelrod. I was pleasantly surprised... Continue Reading →
Sweethand
Earlier this year, Sweethand by N. G. Peltier was one of my most anticipated books of March. Admittedly, it might be that adorable cover that... Continue Reading →
Love in Color: Mythical Tales from Around the World, Retold
One of my most anticipated books of 2020 was Love in Color: Mythical Tales from Around the World, Retold by Bolu Babalola. Although it did... Continue Reading →
Behold the Dreamers
Ever since it came out and I started seeing it in book stores, I knew I wanted to read Behold the Dreamers, the debut novel by Imbolo Mbue. But for whatever reason, it never felt like the right time, so it stayed on my to-buy list. Last fall, I discovered it was offered by Book... Continue Reading →
Black Buck
There's been a lot of buzz about a new book that just came out in early January, Black Buck, the the debut novel by Mateo Askaripour. I wasn't surprised to see it was a pick on Book of the Month, but I was excited to add it to my box. I'm not sure why I... Continue Reading →
Ties That Tether
Last fall, one of the books I was most looking forward to was Ties That Tether, the debut novel by Jane Igharo. So when it became one of the Book of the Month picks in October, I was thrilled. It's taken me a few months to finally sit down and read it, but once I... Continue Reading →
Such a Fun Age
I've been hearing great things about Such a Fun Age, the debut novel from Kiley Reid, since it came out nearly a year ago. So with that in mind, I was excited to choose it as my book club's December read. With themes of racism, white saviorism, and class struggles, it felt like a timely... Continue Reading →
Homegoing
A new book has been on my radar for the past few months: Transcendent Kingdom by Yaaa Gyasi. This upcoming release led me to want the author's first book, Homegoing, which was first published in 2016. While I thought about adding it to my bookshelves soon, fate stepped in to speed up the process: The... Continue Reading →
This is My America
For many years, I've watched in horror at how Black people are mistreated in America, especially in encounters with police and incarceration. I'm appalled that these injustices continue, but I'm happy there is at least a silver lining now as support for Black Lives Matter has grown over the past few months. It's also encouraging... Continue Reading →
With the Fire on High
I have a confession: In the first few years after I finished college, I thought I was too old for YA books. I thought I could only read about characters who were my age or older, and that reading YA books would make me look immature. This nonsense went on for several years before I... Continue Reading →
The Death of Vivek Oji
Some books hit you differently. That's absolutely true of Akwaeke Emezi's latest novel, The Death of Vivek Oji. Their third novel overall - and second for adults - it examines a complex character before and after their death, before and after loved ones really knew who they were. Queer, gender-nonconforming people in 1990s Nigeria take... Continue Reading →
The Vanishing Half
One of my most anticipated books for Spring 2020 was The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett. I was thrilled when it was a Book of the Month pick in June, and with the attention on #BlackLivesMatter and the need for antiracism gaining traction recently, now felt like the ideal time to read it. Summary The... Continue Reading →
Felix Ever After
A few weeks ago, I fell into a vortex of finding books to recommend to my younger sister. One of those was Felix Ever After, a YA book by Kacen Callender. But though I originally wanted to get the novel for my sister, the story looked too good for me to pass up. I ordered... Continue Reading →
The Girl with the Louding Voice
The Girl with the Louding Voice - the debut novel from Abi Daré - was one of my most anticipated books of winter 2020, and I was thrilled when it was a pick for Book of the Month in February. I just spent the last few days with it, and I can say it more... Continue Reading →
Queenie
Late last year, I picked up Candice Carty-Williams's debut novel, Queenie, from Book of the Month. I held off on reading it, waiting for the right time, and with all that's been happening these last few weeks, that time officially arrived. Queenie was more relevant than I'd even anticipated, and I encourage all of you... Continue Reading →