I was eager to read The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong, but it left me a bit underwhelmed. Still, Hai and Grazina‘s friendship moved me—themes of chosen family, survival, and authenticity stood out, even when the story felt distant and hard to follow.
Full review here: https://www.instagram.com/p/DQciXXoEgTX/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==

Finally picked up Flirting Lessons by Jasmine Guillory—because who can resist a queer love story? After some heavy reads, this was the perfect light, heartfelt escape. I loved the character growth, real reflection, and how it avoided stereotypes. Sweet, genuine, and exactly the cozy read I needed.
Read full review:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DPxierClLIJ/?igsh=bTNwaGNxZXZ6dmp2
3/5⭐️

Unapologetic reminded me that Black queer women are the blueprint. I felt seen, held, and called to action. This book isn‘t just theory—it‘s a lived mandate for liberation, organizing, and reimagining our future. Tender, powerful, and necessary. I took my time with it, and it was worth every page.
Full review: https://www.instagram.com/p/DO9SiLFkgJE/?igsh=aDVpcGV1ZGIwa2Jw

The second book surprised me with its slower, more grounded pace compared to the whirlwind of the first. Tabby felt more fleshed out, showing quiet growth and complexity. I want her to be more assertive, but that‘s part of her journey. What struck me most is how Allen reminds us that Black women — even in fiction — are allowed to evolve, hesitate, and change their minds.
Full review: https://www.instagram.com/p/DOuEXxCkg4n/?igsh=Z2N2eGU1Zmt3Y2Rj

Loved the era, but the plot dragged and left too much unexplained. Characters lacked depth, and the ending felt unresolved. Some vivid scenes, but overall it didn‘t land for me. If you're into historical fiction and don't mind ambiguity, give it a shot—otherwise, skip it.

Full review is: https://www.instagram.com/p/DOeWVd7Eo2B/?igsh=dGlkcTkyZHV2bDJq

The Girl with the Louding Voice, is a powerful story centering women‘s bodies, girls‘ autonomy, and the longing for freedom. Adunni‘s fight for education and freedom is both heartbreaking and inspiring—she refuses to let a harsh world strip away her light. Rooted in community and her mother's wisdom, she uses her voice to rise above silence and patriarchy.
Full link here: https://www.instagram.com/p/ DNwj6QW0trf/?igsh=MW00bWM5aTNjNXRieQ==

I‘m kicking myself for finding The Story Hour so late—it‘s superb. I hesitated at first, but the friendship between Lakshmi, a quirky immigrant, and Maggie, an educated psychologist, gripped my heart. Both are lonely, yearning, yet gifted. I wasn‘t expecting the twist—it showed Umrigar‘s skill. It‘s beautiful, raw, and deeply human.
Full review: https://www.instagram.com/p/DNSC11zunP6/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==

When Sydney discovers her aunt Carol‘s photo and diary, she reopens a six‑decade‑old silence. As someone from North Carolina now in California, I felt her emotional journey deeply. Berry balances suspense and heartbreak with compassion, weaving themes of loss, resilience, and overlooked Black girls. This debut stayed with me long after the final page.

Full review here: https://www.instagram.com/p/DNCqFcEu1my/?igsh=MXF0aGszMXhqdHR6eg==

As a longtime Brendan Slocumb fan, The Dark Maestro exceeded expectations. Curtis‘s journey—a story of choices, consequences, and redemption—deeply resonated with me, especially as someone impacted by parental decisions. Hip‑hop references and a North Carolina setting made it feel personal and authentic. A captivating, emotional read.
Full review: https://www.instagram.com/p/DMTi5Sqhjpm/?igsh=MTJhM3JrbTIwd3c4Yw==

A Sky Full of Elephants by Cebo Campbell imagines Black life beyond whiteness—grappling with identity, power, and liberation. Lyrical, bold, and deeply moving, it made me reflect on what it means to fully bloom as a Black girl, and how we reclaim space, joy, and self. A powerful read.
Full review: https://www.instagram.com/p/DLWSkdex08G/?igsh=MXE1Znp5MWNwMnlrcQ==

Queer & Christian by Brandan Robertson surprised me in the best way. It‘s heartfelt, accessible, and rooted in love. Brandan invites us to see Scripture and ourselves with fresh eyes. This isn‘t just for queer folks—it‘s for anyone longing for faith that includes and affirms. I‘m so grateful I read it. Full review: https://www.instagram.com/p/DLQeX61TcBi/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==

“Conviction” reshaped my view of Thurgood Marshall, revealing his early NAACP work and the deep injustices he fought. W.D. Lyons‘ story is heartbreaking—a stark reminder of systemic racism. This book shook me, challenged my idealism, and reminded me why staying awake to injustice, no matter how painful, is essential. It‘s powerful, urgent, and unforgettable.
Full review: https://www.instagram.com/p/DLBXu4IybxQ/?igsh=MWF5YnFnaThteTVmMQ==

Someday, Maybe gave me peace with the unanswered "why" of death. This story reminded me of just how deeply loss impacts us all. Eve‘s journey is raw, loud in its silence, and beautifully human. Her grief isn‘t rushed—she makes space for anger, joy, and transformation. She doesn‘t return to who she was but steps into her “maybes.”
Full review at: https://www.instagram.com/bookedbeyondmeasure?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D&utm_sour...

I picked up The God of the Woods expecting a thriller, but it‘s more of a slow-burn mystery about family secrets, privilege, and class. Set in a 1970s summer camp, the story follows 13-year-old Barbara Van Laar‘s disappearance—echoing her brother‘s vanishing 14 years earlier. Moore‘s multi-perspective, multi-timeline narrative kept me hooked. It‘s thoughtful, atmospheric, and surprisingly gripping.

Happy Land by Dolen Perkins-Valdez is powerful and moving. Set in North Carolina (my home state🙌🏾) it blends a real 1870s Black utopia with a modern story of legacy and land. The characters—especially the women—are rich, flawed, and deeply human. Themes of generational memory, identity, and the power of dreaming shine through. Beautifully written and unforgettable. 5⭐️
Full review: https://www.instagram.com/bookedbeyondmeasure

The book was entertaining for me. It took a while to pick up and while I was able to follow, it seemed to be so much and a lot of a lot was going on.

I absolutely love this book. It took me a little bit to get through because life was life-ing, but it was worth it. I love how unapologetically Judge Brown Jackson is about her about her family her decisions just overall she stands 10 toes down and it is very evident in this book. Great read!

Chile…I won‘t ready…#thatsitthatsall

Demi is that chick! This is the second book of this series and it did not disappoint! This book was well written and pulled me in swiftly just like the first book! The fighting scenes were written so well that it made me feel like I was right there and I loved the way that the author detailed them. The different dynamics and motives behind the characters were plot twists that made me cuss!🤣. The way the story ended made me both happy and sad.

Journeying with Esperanza for the year that we get to be with her and her family on Mango Street, is a balm to witness her own coming to herself as she remembers that as much as she wants to leave and never return to this neighborhood, she will return to help the people she has left behind. “They will not know I have gone away to come back. For the ones I left behind. For the ones who cannot out.” She realizes her responsibility to her community.

The invitation to come back home to myself/ourselves is something that I think we should explore as it more than needed, like never before, especially after this week.

I now know what all the hype was about! This is my first read by Ryan and let me tell you -this book has everything! Realness! Drama! Best friends! The “grown up” scenes had me blushing 🤣 I appreciated the theme of mental unwellness and the way that life can impact our mental capacity, regardless of age, gender, socioeconomic status etc. The subject is not discussed enough, especially in Black communities and amongst Black men. Excellent read. ✨

🥲 As someone who was raised as a practicing Muslim, reading this brought back so many warm and delightful memories. I was intrigued about how this love story was going to play out and appreciated the modern day spin while bringing in real issues that impact people regardless of faith paths. The author was dynamic in her challenges to check our own biases when it comes to people who believe and are different from us.

This book was beautiful to read for me. It was an emotional and reflective book. This book was deeply nuanced, and I appreciate the complexity that emerged from the story. It was really beautiful and it kept me intrigued. This book highlights not only the desire to belong to community but to belong to oneself.
“Two streams came together and formed a mighty river.”

Excellent! Just enough suspense for my scary little heart! A real page turner and the character development was on point. I loved this book!

This book was given to me in one of those free boxes and has set on my shelves for years. In effort to declutter, I decided to pick it up and give it a go.
I enjoyed the book overall and it promotes the themes of trust, love, forgiveness, evasiveness, and compassion. It pushed me as the reader to look and see what it takes to fix a wrong and to ask if it‘s ultimately worth fixing.

This book had me in a grip!! Damn! It was good and a page turner for real!

I enjoyed reading this book. It‘s filled with lots of historical data and facts which, I appreciated. I appreciated the humanity that was continually lifted up for both Myrlie and Medgar. I got to learn so much about them through the lens of reading and storytelling. I think that this allowed for us to fall in love with both of M&M♥️. It was really tender, focused on their humanity, and spoke about them at their core.

Fantasy isn‘t normally my go to and I surprisingly enjoyed reading this. TBH, I purchased it because the cover is stunning 🤩

I appreciated the parallels in this story that were unfolded and are experiencing in real time with pivotal social justice layers like anti-blackness, patriarchy, tyranny, and genocide, just to name a few.
It was action packed and held my attention. The twists in the story were so unexpected and it kept me on my toes!

𝙄𝙩‘𝙨 𝙨𝙪𝙘𝙝 𝙖 𝙜𝙞𝙛𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙙 “𝙅𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝘼𝙨 𝙄 𝘼𝙢” 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙪𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧. 𝙄 𝙛𝙚𝙡𝙩 𝙖 𝙙𝙚𝙚𝙥 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙣𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙖𝙣 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙘𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙖𝙡 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚. She 𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙛𝙪𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙬𝙨 𝙪𝙨 to 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙖𝙛𝙖𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠.

This book was enjoyable. The way that Slocumb describes the impact of music and its importance on the characters, it‘s what kept me drawn in. It‘s was looks I could also feel the rhythms in the story. There were good twist to the story. I would have liked a little bit more discovery/ or a deeper dive behind the motives of some of the folks as to a why —or perhaps I would have liked to have it spelled out rather than insinuated.
A great read for me

The beautiful offerings and the lessons that are shared by the author go hand in hand as she shares exactly what we can learn from the marine mammals perspective is a cause for pause and apply. I could see myself throughout the book. I recommend this book because it challenges us to see the way that marine mammals are nudging us to join together and learn from and with it.

This book was everything and then some. It gave me the laughs and the big chuckles. It brought up many themes and social issues like the drug epidemic, men being able to openly express themselves, the validity of true connection and someone pouring into lives, the prison /judicial system and its‘ hyper focus on Black men. Lastly, it just left me with the fact that more than anything love and ease are all just what they wanted and needed

Heartbreaking and warming and informative! Deeply valuable

Amazing!

Insightful

Always a favorite!

Very helpful

Loved it!

Very good!

Informative

I enjoyed this book a lot and the many interesting themes that were present like “passing” not just in the racial/colorism context but in gender presentation too. There were layers upon layers to this book and I want a part two🤣

Loved!

One of my favorites!

I wanted to like this book a lot. It took a while to pick up.