Imani, is a young black girl who is raised by nuns on a remote Northumbrian island. She grows up with strong feelings of displacement as she is cut off from her family, her heritage and her identity. At nineteen she answers a call that will take her away from her sheltered life at the nunnery to Accra following the death of her biological mother. Here she starts to understand and explore her identity and find her family.

The novel structure is rather non-linear as at times it skips between past and present and was a little difficult to initially follow. It also splits into three parts which covers Imani's time between Northumbria, Ghana and New York.

I have to say initially I was a little sceptical as to whether I was enjoying the book and wasn't sure I was going to like it. However, as the story developed and Imani went to Ghana, I became immersed in the story, her experiences and her struggles.

It's only by the end of the novel did many of the threads I struggled to understand initially really come together. This is as Imani herself really started to work out and deal with her own history of identity issues and conflict surrounding her blackness.

There was a lot to like about this novel and Imani's arc was very well done. It also raised some important questions surrounding race as it examined the impact on Imani's relationship with her blackness after being raised by white nuns.

My favourite parts of the book centered on Imani's time with her Aunt Esi and Maame Yaa. The bonds she built, the stories she learnt and the family she created.

Overall, I think this is a strong debut that has a lot to offer and one I'd definitely recommend.

Out in February, thanks to @sarabandbooks for the arc (ad-pr product).

Cruel Beauty sadly did not live up to the hype for me. Maybe it was a book case of its not me, its you, but something just did not click.

Cruel Beauty is supposed to be a Beauty and the Beast retelling, however, I did not really get the Beauty and the Beast vibe beyond a young girl being trapped in the house of a demon. The story itself is quite inventive as it draws demons, fairy-tales and Greek mythology to craft a world that is ruled by the demon of bargains, Ignifex. Nyx, the heroine of our tale is bargained away by her father to marry Ignifex. Nyx's mission with her marriage is to destroy Ignifex and save the world from his bargains.

Despite saying the world-building was quite inventive as it draws together, demons, fairy-tales and Greek mythology I found that it still fell a bit flat. The main story is set around the house that Ignifex occupies as it is a magical house. This felt like a very loose reference to the Beauty and the Beast retelling, as the Beast lives in an enchanted castle. Ignifex's house is full of locked doors, shades and shadows that want to eat you alive, dangers and the four hermetic hearts: earth, air, fire and water. Behind each door is an unknown mystery or danger and this was a fun concept. However, I wasn't immersed in the world like I hoped to be.

The most disappointing of all were the characters and the romance. Ignifex, Demon of Bargains was not as wicked or even as interesting as I may have liked. His counterpart Shade was even more lame as he could barely speak,

dragged Nyx to her near-death to help her understand

and just generally hovered around not doing a lot. This is why, I couldn't really fathom the romance that blossomed between Nyx and her captor. There seemed to be absolutely no ground for their relationship and she went from a mission of hating and wanting to kill him, to suddenly loving him. It all felt conveniently resolved with no real direction. For me, this was the biggest disappointment as Beauty and Beast (at least the Disney version) is all about the magic of the romance as the Beast comes to love Belle and he has redemption through this love. There didn't feel like a natural building of the relationship between Nyx and Ignifex, which is why this was a massive disappointment. I also didn't really feel like Ignifex gained real redemption by the end of the book.

Nyx herself was an okay heroine, and she seemed determined and spunky. However, again she wasn't very memorable and her relationships and characterisation felt off. Her relationship with her sister was the most confusing of all; her sister Astraia I didn't really like. She was a very weak character who was seemingly ignorant and happy-go-lucky before her sister was married off. Then suddenly she becomes obsessed with ending Ignifex and full of hatred and cruelty. It just didn't feel very realistic and natural.

The overall twist to the story at the end redeemed the story for me a little bit and made it feel more worthwhile investing the time to read. The book is fairly short and it was free through Kindle Unlimited, so I wasn't too put out by the fact that I didn't enjoy this one. After this though, I don't think I'll be in any rush to pick up another Rosamund Hodge book.

I liked what this book set out to do a lot, in fact, I loved its aim, it's challenge of societal norms.
I thought Anne Helen Petersen picked an interesting and diverse group of women to support her arguments, although arguably all of these women are successful and wealthy and I think the arguments pose limitations if one were to extend that outwards to women of poorer, less recognised backgrounds.
I didn't necessarily know straight up who all of these women were so that was a good learning curve.
However, the execution at times didn't nail it for me. It felt like too much of a literary review in places which wasn't quite what I'd expected or hoped for.

Bad Feminist had lots of great points for me, I will admit there were certain aspects I didn't like because I didn't follow the cultural reference and it felt very American-centric, which meant I didn't always follow certain trends that were relevant to America. However, Roxane Gay made many fantastic points, she had a fantastic section on women's bodies and contraception.

Overall, I really enjoyed this one and I think it has lots to offer.

Our humanity is worth a little discomfort, it's actually worth a lot of discomfort. But if you live in this system of White Supremacy you are either fighting the system, or you are complicit. There is no neutrality to be had towards systems of injustice--it is not something you can just opt out of. If you believe in justice and equality, we are in this together, whether you like me or not.

So You Want to Talk About Race is a great book for everyone to read if you're committed to being anti-racist and want to learn about race and racism. If you are white this will make you examine your own perspectives, think on your actions and viewpoints and think about the privilege you have because of your skin colour. This book isn't just for white people though as Ijeoma addresses Black people and PoC and the experiences of racism they may have experienced and offers support, guidance and more. This is a book for everyone as we all have to engage in the conversations about race and being anti-racist.

Some great points she makes that I will be taking from this:
>Actively listen to what people are telling you.
>Be prepared to be uncomfortable.
>Set your intentions aside.
>Racism is not about an individual so watch how many times you say I and me.
>Google is a great tool to do your own research.
>When you start to feel defensive, stop and ask yourself why.
>Write down a list of your privileges and think about how they have impacted on your understanding of the world. Do NOT write down your disadvantages, this is about understanding how your privileges have guided your world view.

There is so much within the pages of this book that Ijeoma articulates with care and consideration, with poignancy and with righteous anger and pain. This book made me think a lot and contemplate a lot and at times it can be uncomfortable, but that is okay and should be expected. Although the book is USA centric in terms of discussions on race, inequalities in systems there are still many concepts that are globally applicable. This book is great to read alongside Reni Eddo-Lodge's [b:Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race|33606119|Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race|Reni Eddo-Lodge|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1497293578l/33606119._SY75_.jpg|54425062] which focuses on racism and colonial history within the UK. The books are important ones that discuss race and anti-racist actions.

I urge you all to read this.

There are so many tales missing in the world; consequently we need more storytellers to tell them. No one woman can speak for all Muslim women - for that rich and varied tapestry of experiences, practice, belief and way of being. We need as many stories and storytellers as there are people, a greater cacophony of diverse voices and views, and listeners who welcome them.

It's Not About the Burqa is hands-down one of the most thought-provoking and powerful pieces of non-fiction I've ever read. For those not aware, the book is a collection of essays written by Muslim women who talk about their lives, their identity, their faith, their family, societal pressures and many other things. The women who contributed to the book are from a variety of different backgrounds covering many different nationalities (and many being of dual heritage as they were born and raised in different places), different career paths, family structures and this really reflects the diversity of the Muslim community.

This book made me question my own views, question society and look at any biases I may have had without even realising. I cannot begin to unpick the whole of this book or begin to explain the stories these women tell in any coherent way that can offer true justice to their words and voices. On that basis, I encourage you that if you only read one or two non-fiction books this year you make it one of them. However, there were three messages of this book that stood out to me and that I think are important points to think about.

The first point that felt so poignant was that these women have been identified based on their faith alone. They are perceived as Muslim women first and foremost; there is no concern for their personality, their intelligence, their humour, their kindness, their talents or their life experiences. These women have been reduced to a faceless image of a woman in a burqa because that is all that is associated with women who are Muslim. The world has become blind to the talents of these women. As somebody that doesn't follow a religion, but one who entirely respects and at times envies the faith and relationship people develop with their God, I have never experienced being reduced to my faith. I have been privileged to not experience that, but it made me feel such pain that these women would not be given an opportunity because of their faith. That they were regarded or dismissed as being oppressed or unintelligent because of their faith. We have judged these women before they have been able to share their story and that is unforgiveable.

The second point that is highly connected with how these women are identified is how much these women have struggled and in many circumstances been ostracised because of their faith. They have been branded terrorist and outcasts for the actions of a minority in the Muslim community. It feels so important that we do not ignore and do not allow this behaviour to continue. It feels particularly relevant in the UK as Islamphobia is on the rise following the Brexit vote and the fact that our Prime Minister has been openly racist and Islamaphobic comparing Muslim women to letterboxes. How we can allow ourselves to be governed and led by a man that is allowed to behave in this manner without retribution is a sign of how far from equality and acceptance society is. These women talk about how the Quran gives equal rights to women, how women have rights to divorce and Islam makes that much easier for women than men. The story of Khadija, who is known to Muslims as the Mother of Believers and the Prophet's first wife was a powerful one. She was a successful businesswoman and one of the wealthiest merchants in Mecca. She was celebrated for her wealth, for her talent and she was not reliant on a man. This story is a triumph in female rights and independence and shows how Islam as a religion is not about the oppression of women.

Despite this, the most inspiring part of this book was the strength and resilience these women showed. These women are shining role models, not just to young Muslim women but for all women. These women care so deeply, they are passionate about their rights, about equality, about success. They are working to make a difference as they work to change laws, work in academia, become lawyers and engineers, raises awareness about mental health, publish books and articles as journalists and writers. These women are so much more than their faith, but it is their relationship with their faith that is so strong and beautiful to read about. Their faith has helped them through difficult times, although at times its clear they felt it caused difficulties for them too. However, the fact that these women have triumphed and become such shining symbols of female strength in the face of even greater adversity and oppression is so inspiring, and so, so moving.

I cannot begin to share how much this book has made me think, feel and want to scream in anger for these women. It was an absolutely beautiful and thought-provoking read and every one of these women is an absolute inspiration.

Disclaimer: Arc provided via NetGalley.