Thank you to Archipelago and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader's Copy!

Now available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Indie Bookstore.

We rarely get to see Rwanda in the aftermath of the mass killing of the Tutsi people, the destruction and the rebuilding of the nation. Emotional, memorable and haunting, Scholastique Mukasonga's Igifu is a collection of stories about postwar Rwanda. Struggling to survive in the aftermath of a genocide, Mukasonga's characters are as strong as they are fragile. With courage and bravery, the women do what they must to survive and find beauty in the struggle of being alive.

Thank you Atria Books and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader's Copy!

Now available.

Up close and personal, "Once I Was You" is an unflinching look into award winning first generation Mexican American journalist Maria Hinojosa's journey in the United States. Starting with being screened out for potential measles and being heroically protected by her mother, Hinojosa has had to navigate notions of white American supremacy in the classroom, relationships and in the newsroom. As she grows up, Hinojosa becomes more and more aware of the structural inequities that drive immigration policy in the United States. Unflinchingly brave, she presents a case that highlights one of the chief contradictions of the Democratic party - that however progressive it may seem at the moment, Clinton and Obama have led some of the most regressive national crime policies that criminalized undocumented immigrants. Such policies laid the foundation for the current state of ICE today.

Yet for all its political analysis, this is a memoir at heart and the best moments come when we see Hinojosa grappling by herself to come to an understanding of what it means to be a Latinx woman, a daughter, a wife, a mother in the United States today. These are the moments where we see her vulnerability and humanity at its best and these are the moments where we feel most connected and most emotional. A well balanced, informative and poignant read!

Thank you to the Roaring Lion Newcastle and NetGalley for the Reader's Copy!

Now available.

There is a certain urgency to Tolu' A. Akinyemi's words in "Never PLay Games with the Devil", a rush to pen his immediate thoughts in a world that might not let him live for much longer. This collection is effective, simple with its language but deep with the implications, deep with its connection to Nigeria and the West, with its push for the ever greater hustle. However, as a reader, I wish there was more variety in the topics presented, maybe a variation in style. It seems like a collection better suited to spoken word than the written form perhaps.

Thank you to Troubador Publishing and NetGalley for the Reader's Copy!

Now available.

I wanted to like this book a great deal. After all, a prostitution house, a strong female protagonist, 1940s old school Dehli style?? It seemed like a perfect mix. Alas, I was gravely disappointed by this novel. Focusing primarily on upper middle class educated Rani as she navigates life in Dehli including her father's declining health, marries into Harish Hope and is chased by many eligible bachelors through the streets of Dehli.

Maybe it's because I'm a first generation Bangladeshi but to me, the character of Rani fell short of any expectations. Rani's main character trait is her attractiveness to men. Her thoughts and actions are filtered through the many male leads in the story. Above all, she longs to escape to England of all places. In the penultimate scene, she is finally able to abandon all of her duties and leave with a British missionary priest.

Overall, a disappointing read.

Thank you to Metropolitan Books and NetGalley for the Reader's Copy!

Now available.

Akin to other books like "Why do all the Black Children Sit Together" or "Savage Inequalities", Elliott Currie's "A Peculiar Indifference" explores the racist history of violence in America. In particular, the book focuses on the early criminalization of Black youth and the later effects this has on their schooling, livelihood and life expectancy. Currie weaves together interviews, landmark studies and common cultural stereotypes. It is an important and timely read.

I must admit that the last time I read about romanticism was in an SAT passage almost a decade ago. However, the proposition of Matt Sandler's "The Black Romantic Revolution" seemed almost too good to pass up. After all, Black writers, especially Black writers during America's Independence War and its bloody aftermath, are often ignored in favor of heavy hitters like Wordsworth or Byron. Much to my surprise, I enjoyed "The Black Romantic Revolution" much more than I expected to.

It's an entertaining, informative and important historical and cultural analysis of Black history, relating the past work of the Black Romantics like Harper, Horton and Whitman to modern day Black resistance movements. As I read, I began to recognize some of the root ideas in Black feminism, in Black feminist thinkers like Audre Lorde. Overall, a good read!

Thank you to Andrews McMeel Publishing and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader's Copy!

Available Nov 3rd 2020

Similar to works by Rupi Kaur or Yesika Salgado, Lang Leav's "September Love" builds a rich interior world and focuses on love, loss, and self-forgiveness. In spare, direct language, Leav shares wisdom from all her years. Overall, a solid read.

Thank you to Xlibris and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader's Copy!

Now available.

Precise yet horrifying, Eugene DeFriest Betit's Collective Amnesia sets out to answer the question - why did the Nazis look up to America as a leader in racial subjugation and how does that narrative play a role today? Starting with the history of American plantations, Betit casts an unflinching gaze into the deep, bloody history of American racial politics. Most of the information is known, but it sits differently when presented in such a rapid fire manner. While the information presented was clear, I didn't enjoy Betit's writing style, finding it a bit dry and pompous which is a personal preference. Overall, an informative read.

Thank you to Quarto Publishing Group and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader's Copy!

Now available.

By turns emotive, seductive and elusive, Rumi's love poems or ghazals have long been used in different forms to create a sense of romance between two partners. This collection, skillfully translated by Nader Kalili, is no different. I spent a wonderful afternoon just reading and reflecting on the words, the intricate structures and just gazing at the beautiful illustrations that accompany the text. A great time!

Thank you to Scribner and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader's Copy!

Available Nov 10 2020

Honestly, this collection was just fun to read. That's really all I have to say. From Mona Awad's chilling tale of plastic surgery gone wrong in "A Blue Sky Like This" to Margaret Atwood's hilarious alien comic in "Impatient Griselda" to the emotional connection between a New York City taxi driver and his nephew in Dinaw Mengestu's "How We Used to Play", The NYT's The Decameron Project is a richly textured, multifaceted collection that offers a kaleidoscopic view into the current pandemic. Some stories are available online in the New York Times Magazine, but it's a different experience reading the stories together and realizing the vast impact of the pandemic on all aspects of life.