Stay tuned for a new review each month!

September ‘20
The Vanishing Half

To read Brit Bennett is to slip into the minds of incredibly nuanced, delicate people as she meticulously and gently unspools their secrets, fears, desires and dreams in front of you. Her work is also almost impossible not to devour in one sitting, not just because of her wonderful plotting and twists, but the depth of her scenes and the humanity seeping in every part of her work.

October ‘20 The Ballad of Black Tom

The end of October only means one thing. Its Spooky Season. What better way to keep the spirit alive than curl up with a mug of hot apple cider and a good horror novel? When Shaunice first asked me to be part of this series that’s exactly what I expected to do when we decided I would read The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle.

November ‘20 Sulwe

I loved this story, Sulwe was born very dark like midnight. All the other family members were very light, which made Sulwe feel bad about herself. The kids at school were not nice to her because she was dark, but they loved her sister .

December ‘20 A Promised Land

Saturated with incredible descriptiveness of key characters both before and after his ascension to the highest office in the land, Obama offers measured perspective on difficult decisions made during his presidency and offered some tough lessons in politicking that urges readers to face the reality that ethical causalities succumb to personal suasion of elected officials in a representative democracy.

March ‘21 All About Love

This Women’s History month I decided to explore the writing of feminist theorist Bell Hooks. Bell Hooks is an author that, unfortunately, only came across my radar recently. So when I finally made it to my local bookstore, I picked up the first book of Hooks’ that spoke to me; “All About Love: New Visions.” I had no idea what to expect, but after this 1st read, I knew this would be a book I would continually go back to for guidance.

January ‘21 Saturday AM

They have creators from multiple nations who all love the manga art format. They aspire to draw your worthy fandom the same way that the contemporary, well-known production houses do. And I think they hit the mark. I’d give three short examples to entice you all to give it a try.

April ‘21 All Boy’s Aren’t Blue

I can’t recall how I came across George Johnson’s All Boy’s Aren’t Blue. I think I saw a friend mention it on social media just after it was published. Needless to say, the book spoke profoundly to my experience as a Black gay cis-gender man. A saving grace and spiritual booster while engaging in the resurgence of a new intersectional social justice movement pushing against an administration actively perpetuating racism and dismantling LGBTQIA+ rights.

February ‘21 Pipeline

I had the pleasure of diving into Pipeline by Dominique Morrisseau with my high school students as a way to diversify the curriculum and introduce them to playwrights of color. The play deals heavily with the school-to-prison pipeline, and how the extensive and aggressive policies and procedures heavily enforced in a school setting sends children of color - specifically Black students - down a dark path, with no means of escape.