hillysreads's Reviews (381)

“Segregationist are haters. Like, real haters. People who hate you for not being like them. Assimilationists are people who like you, but only with quotation marks. Like...”like” you. Meaning, they “like” you because you’re like them. And then there are antiracists. They love you because you’re like you.”

Stamped explains how there were leaders throughout history in this country who were either segregationist, assimilationist, or antiracist and how their decisions and actions impacted the that way this country was built. I love how the authors made note at the very beginning that this is not a history book, this book helps us understand how we all got to this point, today. This book is all about race and systematic racism and oppression in America. It’s a simple yet brief breakdown of America’s racist history, starting from the time when the white men came upon the shores of this land.

I love how there are breaks aka “pauses” throughout the book to just stop

I read this book years ago when I was in school; to reread this again especially for veterans day, just reminds me how much we do not appreciate our vets and all they have sacrificed for this country.

Tim O'Brien's book is considered fictional military/war short stories told from O'Brien's perspective. It's supposed to be a fictional war story but I truly believe there is much truth to these stories; as O'Brien explains throughout the book. We will never truly know what really happens to the soldiers who fight in combat, they truly don't know themselves what their true experiences are at times because it all happens so quickly. O'Brien does a spectacular job executing the plot in this novel, the true soldier's story that we will never truly know but there will always be some truth behind the fictional story.

The emotional rawness throughout the book hits you to the core, helps you understand - just a smidgen - combat veterans. I see why this book is read in schools across America, it is an important book that everyone should read at least once. This book gets all the stars!

Azere is a Nigerian woman who has been living in Canada since her childhood. Her Nigerian culture is important to her and her family, especially her mother. Her mother is determined to see Azere married ASAP, so she continuously sets Azere up on blind dates - with Nigerian men. It is important to Azere’s parents to preserve their Nigerian culture and Azere’s mother wants her to marry a Nigerian man. But every man Azere has gone out on a date with, didn’t go too well.

But one night, Azere meets a man named Rafael, who is white. They hit it off immediately and Azere ends up having a one-night stand with Rafael. But that one-night stand turns into something serious and Azere is left questioning her identity.

Ties that Tether is so romantic and filled with family drama - expected & unexpected drama! The characters were written beautifully and they were relatable. The romance and sexiness was

Casiopea is pretty much a maid to her grandfather during the Jazz Age in Mexico. She finds a chest in her grandfather's room one day and decides to open it only to find out it’s the skeleton of a Mayan god. She cut her hand on one of his bones and he comes to life with the touch of her blood. He is eager to get revenge against his brother who put him in the chest and takes Casiopea on a wild journey through Mexico and SW America to find pieces of himself so he can be whole again. ✨

What I liked about Gods of Jade and Shadow is the detailed writing, as you all know, I love when the author has descriptive writing and Silvia Moreno-Garica does that perfectly. She wrote this book as classic folklore which I enjoyed. I also loved the Jazz Age-era atmosphere of the book! That time always fascinated me; the fashion was on point!

In the first 150 pages of Hum If You Don’t Know The Words, I struggled to get through. I kept wondering when something was going to happen to make it interesting. I ended up getting the audiobook to listen to while I read and it helped. About halfway through the book, the pace picked up a bit. I liked how the chapters switched from Beauty to Robin. I loved the passion, love, and wisdom that came through Beauty’s words. Robin’s character grew so much throughout the book; this little girl went through A LOT - she even had to take care of her irresponsible sister, Edith, who was her caretaker after Robin’s parents died. Edith started to down-spiral after her sister’s death leaving Robin to pretty much be on her own.

I wanted the book to have more chapters with Beauty, I related to her character so much more. I wanted to know more about her story and her daughter. There were times where Robin made me so angry, but then I had to remind myself that she is a child and of course children will act like children lol. Robin was a very interesting character though, she took some time to figure out but I loved it when her character came together; it was quite moving.

You Had Me At Hola was such a cute and adorable book, I enjoyed reading it

Epic. Wonderful. Cultural. Bold. Complex! Are the perfect words to describe this book, Black Sun has a cliffhanger ending that leaves you wanting and needing the next book ASAP. The book starts strong with a dramatic scene and a bold and intense character, it sucks you in right away. But then the book slows down a bit, the author focuses on BEAUTIFUL world-building. She creates this environment that is so realistic, it felt like I was transported right into the book! The last chuck of the book happens so quickly, I had to go back and re-read the last few chapters because I read it way too quickly! I was anxious to see what happened. The characters are diverse and wildly intriguing, each has a distinct personality. The characters change with each chapter; I loved reading the chapters of Xiala and Serapio (my favorite characters). Xiala is so sassy, I loved her attitude and her sense of humor! Serapio is a very intense character, he was so serious in which I loved!

Parable of the Sower was such an interesting and great read! The weird thing about it is that its set in 2025 which is 4 years from now. Octavia Butler creates this apocalyptic world where there is nothing but chaos, people are on drugs, disease is running rapid, the country is on fire. She creates this strong black female character that is determined to save the world. Lauren creates Earthseed, a new revolutionary concept which may save humankind. The beginning of the book is an introduction to the characters and the crazy world they live in. Lauren lives in this enclosed community, they work together to protect one another from the dangerous people. One day their community is attacked and Lauren's family is killed and she is set to survive with a handful of other survivors. They are looking for another place to live and settle down, to build up Earthseed.

I loved the quotes at the beginning of each chapter, Octavia creates this new concept that is quite interesting to read about. I would love to see this series be made into a movie/tv show! I'm not sure why this has not happened yet! I'm excited to read the next book in the series to find out what Lauren and her group will face next and how they will save humankind from destruction, disease, and war.