With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo You already know I’m a sucker for a good YA novel. Elizabeth Acevedo first came on my radar with the major success of her previous book, The Poet X, which blew up on #BookTwitter. Since then, she has literally sky rocketed to the top of the New…
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The Rib by Vanessa Bryant If you are looking for a read that will help you feel seen and supported through your season of transition and change — this is it. Vanessa Byrant happens to be a friend of mine; we go to the same church. When I heard she had published a book, I…
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I recently listed to an episode of one of my favorite podcasts, Still Processing, in which the hosts Jenna Wortham and Wesley Morris drew parallels between Jordan Peele’s newest thriller, Us, and Beloved. I was so intrigued by the connection they make between the characters Red in the film and Beloved in the text that I decided to explore them further here. So I hope you’ve seen the movie too!
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In Thick, Cottom writes on the Black woman’s body — how it is judged by our own, by others and the life or death outcomes of that judging. She reminds readers to “Trust Black Women,” and of the consequences of stripping Black girls of their girlhood. She discusses the heirarchy of Blackness in how one is deemed more or less acceptable based on being “black-black” or “worthy black” ethnic black.
Read MoreWhat does it mean when the only space that you’ve ever been able to claim as your own is invaded with people who don’t look like you, think like you, or care to understand your experiences and perspective? Get this book for your younger loved ones and tell them that you see them and care. In Pride, Zoboi does just that.
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I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter was a really fantastic and captivating book, and one that I’m excited to have you share with your friends and family. You should read this book if you want to create space for young Mexican women to share their stories and to become a more emphathetic global citizen.
Read MoreElle Jeffries is a 2015 graduate of The Ohio State University. She received her Master’s in Education from the University of Maryland – College Park and has lived in the DC area for the last four years. She is the phenomenal author of deep condition and was recently kind enough to chat with me about the making of her debut novel. Keep reading for some spectacular insights on her personal story, how deep condition came to be, why she writes under a pseudonym, and her aspirations for the novel moving forward. Grab a snack and a cup of tea and check it out.
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