This was such a wild story filled with so many twists and turns!!! After the first few chapters I had an idea of what direction the book was headed but I was partially off course. I love how the author changed up the narrative halfway through which made things even more intense.

We’re given a dual POV from two women Tasha Jenkins and Madison Gingell after one fateful encounter upends both their lives. Tasha and Madison may have very different everyday realities, but what they have in common is abusive marriages they need out of. Both women have experienced some sort of abandonment, neglect, trauma, or loss. They want to help each other, but they have very different ideas of what that means . . .

I found this book to be a smooth and fast-paced reading experience. From the beginning we’re thrown into a mix of chaos and watch as the truth begins to unravel. As the narrative unfolds from both our MC’s POV we given different assumptions about who these women are. While it may seem as though Tasha and Madison will work together to escape their marriages a few chapters in there’s a sudden shift in the plot.

I appreciate the author going into detail and giving a back story on both Tasha and Madison. It allowed us to see how both women ended up in their situations. While Madison’s background may have been the most traumatic she turns out to be the craziest of the two.

The character development was outstanding Madison was hilarious to me. I sympathized a lot with Tasha and her situation. Hated Kordell the most and Phillip was right behind him. Tasha’s son had me yelling at the pages like boy stay in a child’s place tf.

This book was great and had me on edge. I definitely recommend paying attention to the details or you might miss something. We’re given a steady flow of events with the perfect balance of twists, turns, and action. It does contain intense trigger warnings involving sexual assault and domestic violence. But overall it was well worth the read!!!

Rating 4.5/5⭐️

As we all know bell hooks was a prolific, trailblazing author, feminist, social activist, cultural critic, and professor. She used her pen name to center attention on her ideas and to honor her courageous great-grandmother, Bell Blair Hooks.

With unflinching dedication to her work for the feminist and anti-racist movements. This collection of 7 interviews, stretches from early in her career until her last interview, we watch hooks discuss feminism, the complexity of rap music and masculinity, her relationship to Buddhism, the “politic of domination,” sexuality, and love and the importance of communication across cultural borders.

Whether she was sparking controversy on campuses or facing criticism from contemporaries, hooks relentlessly challenged herself and those around her, inserted herself into the tensions of the cultural moment, and anchored herself with love.

I’ve never personally read much of bell hooks work. I started All About Love awhile ago and never finished it. But I can tell from her interviews that her writing is not only personal and thought-provoking but she’s very honest. We experience the brilliance she’s presented in our community and now I see why so many people cling to her books and theories.

I don’t think the book does hooks justice with only a couple interviews compiled into a few pages. But I did enjoy Mikki Kendall’s introduction of the author and how she’s impacted her life and the life of other women.

Overall, this collection was decent again probably does no justice compared to her actual books but she does go into depth on why she mentioned certain things in them. I enjoyed her outspokenness and how unapologetic she was about her stance towards feminism and black women in general. Special thanks to @MelvilleHouse for my gifted copy!!!

Rating: 4/5⭐️

This was a great YA novel layered with some heavy elements involving police brutality, covid-19, false accusations, harassment, abuse, injustice, and black boyhood. When I say I devoured this audiobook I ordered a physical copy just to put on my shelf cause why not!!!

From the beginning I was immediately immersed into the story. The title and the cover of the book itself is what initially attracted me to it. Then once I understood the backstory behind the title I thought it was very creative.

The novel follows Andre Jackson a wrongfully accused teen desperate to recclaim both his innocence and his first love. When he’s released from juvie it doesn’t really feel like he’s going home. The neighborhood he’s from in Portland, Oregon is rapidly gentrifying, and COVID-19 shuts down school before he can return. But that’s the least of his worries Andre’s suspicions about his arrest for a crime he didn’t commit taints his friendships and nearly erases his entire life. But that doesn’t stop him from looking for Eric the so called friend he believes is behind his arrest. Andre didn’t realize searching for the truth would be a dangerous game.

The plot was very intense and fascinating with the many twists and turns I wasn't really expecting. Johnson’s writing style not only brought the characters to life but the settings backdrop with covid and mentions of real life events that involved police brutality provides a unique atmosphere to the novel. It was fast-paced, action-packed, and filled with so much mystery and suspense. I was on the edge of my seat almost the entire time especially when Mr.Whittaker started acting weird and followed Andre.

Overall, the book was amazing from the vividness and it being so authentic and relatable. The dialogue was very realistic, the character development was great. I also liked how Johnson maintained the suspense surrounding Eric until the end. Definitely recommend y’all read this one!!!

Such a captivating novel with a complex premise. A Black woman finds an abandoned white baby, sending her on a collision course with her past, her family, and a birth mother who doesn’t want to be found. I really enjoyed the book from beginning to end. The situation Cinnamon was put into was unimaginable yet she found a way to navigate through the chaos. The book really posed the question of what would you do if you were placed in this same situation and following through with it could result in your life being turned upside down.

One of the major themes that stood out in the novel surrounds mothering a child of a different race and the disparities it may cause that person when attempting to foster the child. Both authors managed to create the most realistic interactions amongst the characters. I loved how layered the book was especially when it came to the tension and controversy surrounding the baby.

Cinnamon was put into a tough spot and her marriage was on the line because of it. Yet she still chose the baby over it. I wouldn’t know what to do if I were in her shoes. I did feel her husband was a bit unreasonable but I understood why. Her friend Lucia was outta line PERIODT. Then Daisy was wrong for putting Cinnamon in that predicament. She could’ve gone to her face to face instead of just leaving the baby because anything could’ve happened.

Overall, loved the book definitely recommend it’s worth a read. There weren’t a lot of chapters but the few we have are lengthy. The writing is immersive and vivid, very engaging the further you get into the novel. The authors did a really good job portraying a real-life situation with realistic emotions. It kind of made me feel some type of way seeing how everyone was acting toward Cinnamon especially the people that should’ve been on her side. Special thanks to the author and @atriabooks for my gifted copy!!!

This book was really a lot to take in!!! It’s very informative and thought-provoking doesn’t quite read like a typical nonfiction which is why I think I enjoyed most of it. Throughout the book we get a lot of history, personal experiences, and encounters from those during the pre and post apartheid era. It’s mainly told from the perspective of three characters Dipuo, her daughter Malaika, and Christo who was one of the last white South Africans drafted to fight for the apartheid regime.

I found it quite interesting that the author chose to go in depth on how the apartheid systemically hindered the development of blacks in South Africa. The personal stories of the 3 MC’s were the highlight of the book. A lot of their POVs centered around apartheid seemed to anchor a lot of trauma, anger, jealousy, resentment, or guilt.

The experiences during Apartheid were quite different for Dipuo and Malaika than it had been for Christo. I realized the main issue was that Black South Africans were upset at how little progress the country made when it came to the inequalities shared between those who were black opposed to those who were white. They claimed an end to white supremacy yet white privilege was still very prevalent. At one point the author made comparisons of racism in the US to what they’ve experienced in South Africa. Her discussion on the similarities could’ve gone in depth a little more.

Overall, I actually learned a lot while reading this it wasn’t something I could just breeze through. I’d recommend to someone who wants to learn a little more about South Africa’s history. It’s very complex and could have been a few chapters shorter in some parts the author rambles a bit. This wasn’t a book full of happy stories either so be prepared it’s heavy on the suffering. Special thanks to the author & @simonbooks for my gifted copy!!!

If you’re looking for the next good book you found it!!! I loooooved this story so much it was an interesting experience watching Soila’s journey to independence and the various challenges she faced while living in the United States. It was bold and beautifully-written, the beginning has a slow build but the deeper you get into the novel the more connected you become with the MC.

It follows Soila a young Kenyan woman from Nairobi who lived a sheltered life and was raised by a stern and dictative Catholic mother along with her aunts and grandmother. Soila always longed for independence and freedom after years of dealing with her mothers strong beliefs and controlling ways. When she finally made it to New York Soila realized the US was not all it claimed to be and begins to challenge all her beliefs about race, love, and family.

The author did a great job getting the reader emotionally invested in Soila’s life. Most of the book I sympathized with her character and found that she self-sabotaged a lot because of her mother’s behavior. So many times I wished she would finally stand up to her mother and do what was best for her own life. I really wanted her to tell her mother what Father Emmanuel did just so she would shut tf up. When her mother was diagnosed with early Alzheimer’s I hated watching Soila break off her engagement and move back to Kenya to care for her. Not because I didn’t like her mother because I didn’t lol but I felt Soila finally found happiness yet she still chose her mother over it.

Overall, the book was amazing it provided a fascinating exploration of finding independence and the cultural differences between countries. A few family secrets are also revealed and there are a few trigger warnings surrounding sexual assault, suicide, and abortions. The flow and atmosphere of the book also meshed well with the character development. Special thanks to the author & @thedialpress for my gifted copy!!!

This was a pretty decent collection of poems some are like mini short stories, memories, or personal experiences from the authors life. It focuses on themes of identity, culture, home, and belonging. A few of the poems were very relatable and I loved the emotional depth and honesty shown throughout.

Favorite poems:
* Who Am I
* On Colorism
* Hecha Complete
* Future is a Space
* Dance With Me

The author begins by pointing out that Afro-Latina is not a word recognized by the dictionary. But the dictionary is far from a record of the truth. What does it mean, then, to tend to your own words and your own record—to build upon the legacies of your ancestors?

She speaks on the identities and histories of the Dominican Republic and Haiti to celebrate and center the Black diasporic experience. Through the exploration of things like self-love, nationalism, displacement, generational trauma, and ancestral knowledge, this collection uproots stereotypes while creating a new joyous vision for Black identity and personhood.
 
Overall, I really enjoyed this collection. I’m a major fan of poetry and I found it so easy to connect with the author. We see her embrace her culture, what it means to be a black woman, and her quest to self-discovery and where she fits in the world. Throughout this collection the author reminds us why we need our roots, family, and traditions. Special thanks to the author & @tinybookreps for my gifted copy!!!

WOW what a book!!! It was so heartfelt, captivating, and beautifully-written. From the very beginning I was wrapped up in these characters and filled with so many emotions. Asha can write, write I’ve never loved and hated any characters as much as the family in this book.

The novel follows Tilla a young girl who has spent her entire life trying to make her father love her. But every six months, he leaves their family and returns to his true home: the island of Jamaica. When Tilla’s mother tells her she’ll be spending the summer on the island, Tilla dreads the idea of seeing him again, but longs to discover what life in Jamaica has always held for him. In an unexpected turn of events, Tilla is forced to face the storm that unravels in her own life as she learns about the dark secrets that lie beyond the veil of paradise all in the midst of an impending hurricane.

The family’s behavior was weird asf and I hated the way they treated Tilla. They literally made up in their minds who she was before she even arrived. I truly sympathized with her on so many levels when it came to her relationship with her father. He was beyond TRASH iykyk!!!

The character development was AMAZING she really brought them to life. The writing was so vivid and descriptive there were moments I’d be so heartbroken and others would have me angry ready to fight one of the characters. I was literally on an emotional rollercoaster reading this. Aunt Herma had to be the worse character of them all. Diana, Zory, Jahvan, and Tilla’s father were right behind her.

ANDRE is all I can say!!! Asha really had me in my feelings about everything involving his character.

Overall, the book was PERFECT will definitely pull at your heartstrings. The pacing was great and there was never a dull moment. A lot of trigger warnings surrounding physical and verbal abuse, sexual assault, colorism, abandonment, and death. The author did an amazing job incorporating so many elements into this book I highly recommend it’s a must read.

I wanted to love this book so much but it really didn’t exceed my expectations like I wanted. It was a decent novel but a tad too long for my liking. I think the multiple POVs and timeline jumps were a bit much and kind of took away from the book. The author would’ve pulled me in more had the story solely focused on Fletcher and Altovise rekindling and the reason she returned to Georgia.

There was a lot of family history woven throughout that I didn’t really find interesting but I get why it was important to the plot. At some points the story dragged and fell flat because again there was too much happening with the timeline transitions.

The character development was kind of iffy the present timeline characters were the only ones I remember vividly. I did enjoy the authors depiction of the black family it felt authentic. The book was also a decent blend of history and story telling but I had to use audio to push through. The biggest highlight involved Altovise confessing the real reason she returned to Georgia.

Overall, the book was okay it explores how kin pass down legacies of sorrow, joy, and strength. And it is a parable of how a glimmer of hope as small as a seed can ripple across generations. If you enjoy books about multigenerational family history then this may be for you. Special thanks to the author & @henryholtbooks for my finished copy!!!

Rating: 3.75/5⭐️

This was a really cute, well-written YA holiday romance with a Christmas theme. It gave Hallmark movie kind of vibes with a dash of relationship drama. The beginning was a slow-burn but as our MC’s grow closer the pacing gradually changes.

The novel follows Trey Anderson as he balances the pressures of school popularity and working at his family’s beloved local bookshop, Wonderland. Then there’s Ariel Spencer quirky and creative who needs tuition for the prestigious art program of her dreams, and an opening at Wonderland is the answer. When Trey and Ariel learn that Wonderland is on the brink of being shut down by a neighborhood gentrifier, they team up to stop the doors from closing before the Christmas Eve deadline and embark on a hate-to-love journey that will change them forever.

There wasn’t an instant connection between the two MC’s but I did enjoy the alternating perspectives and watching their chemistry build. Trey was in a relationship the majority of the book but I could tell the situation would eventually end. The drama involving Trey, Blair, and Ariel made the novel a little more appealing. Trey and Ariel were also the most layered but the side characters helped move the story forward.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. The plot was engaging, the bookstore, and Christmas setting added a cozy uniqueness to the storyline making this perfect for the holiday season. The song playlist with each chapter was a plus. Special thanks to @hearourvoicestours & @sohoteen for my gifted copy and being apart of this awesome tour!!!

Rating: 3.5/5⭐️