Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo was a joy to read and one of my absolute favorites this year. This is a book I read right after finishing Communion: The Female Search For Love by bell hooks. Communion is a nonfiction book focusing on women, love, and patriarchy; it’s profound. Reading Communion before reading Girl,…
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As soon as I saw this book’s beautiful cover and read the blurb, I knew I wanted to read Yinka, where is your huzband by Lizzie Damiola Blackburn. Luckily, I had won the book in an Instagram giveaway at the beginning of the year. So, I finally started it last month, and while it took a…
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Majestic May.Mental Health Awareness Month.Month of celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage.Moody Spring Weather.Meaningful New Books to Read.Mastering New Goals. These are my hopefuls for May: Communion: The Female Search For Love by bell hooks Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson Happy reading! What are you reading this month?
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Recently, I read Monster in the Middle by Tiphanie Yanique for book club. The novel centers on Fly, a Black-American man, and Stella, a Caribbean woman, who meet in New York City in the present time. It spans several decades, and its characters travel across the continental United States, to the Virgin Islands, and Ghana.…
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If someone stopped me on the street and asked me to use a few words to express what it means to be a Black woman in the United States, I would say pure exhaustion, frustration, and rare moments of exhilaration. Why these particular terms? Because no matter how astute, accomplished, attentive or agreeable you are,…
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The premise of the novel Open Water sounds like a must-read. A beautiful love story with a male protagonist? Yes, yes! Set in the United Kingdom and written by a black male? Hmm, intriguing. Even the book cover is enticing, so how can I pass on this book? Read below to find out! The novel…
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Freshwater was the first book I read by Akwaeke Emezi, and I thought it was masterfully crafted and haunting. It demonstrates the struggles of mental health, sexuality, and spirituality. The story was original, creative, and challenged me because of its complexity. Since I tend to gravitate to deep and intense reads, I felt future books by…
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Breathe. Pause. Reflect. Three things I learned during the quarantine – amongst other things. I spent countless hours ruminating and embracing the uncomfortable, reminiscing on my rough and curvy path, which from the outside appeared to be smooth and linear—pondering my future and goals. What were my goals? I was no longer sure. This realization…
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How would you feel if you were gingerly walking your path at the age of 11, and then your closest confidant suddenly vanishes? You knew that the end was near in the back of your head, you even prayed for it, but the loss is still startling. The only other person you can receive support…
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“Ayoola summons me with these words –Korede, I killed him. I had hoped I would never hear those words again”. The first two lines of the debut novel by Oyainkan Braithwaite are direct and set the stage to this dark and gripping story. Mine initial thought, when I read these lines were: WHAT? The second…
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Bookish Naija Gal 