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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deep condition is Elle Jeffries’ debut novel, and her future is very bright if this is any indication. This is a story about a woman struggling to come into her own, and find her own voice, in the midst of dealing with significant personal trauma. The way she attempts to do this is through writing. Our narrator says, “Writing can heal” (pg.154), and this story is an example.
Read MoreThis is a book that I had been wanting to pick up for a few months now, and it was also super great to purchase it from one of my new favorite local book stores. It’s a a cozy little spot complete with a resident cat, and every time I go there it lifts my spirit. I feel at home. So there were already great vibes surrounding this title before I even opened it to read. But when I did… I was wrapped into a complicated and intimate portrayal of a marriage that was full of unexpected surprises. Sorry folks — spoilers ahead.
Read MoreYou should read this book (and give it to the children in your life to read!) because it opens your eyes to what Black imagination looks like. We should have the space to imagine ourselves in every way possible. Science fiction is not a genre reserved for people who do not look like us; I’ve never considered any of the faeries or wizards I’ve read about in my youth could have been Black like me. In Children of Blood and Bone, Tomi Adeyemi reminds us that we can be anything.
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