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Nonfiction

December Reading Wrap Up

January 10, 2021      milelongtbr      8 Comments

Hi, friends!

I’m a little bit late getting my monthly wrap-up posted for December, largely because I read 14 books making it one of my biggest reading months ever.

These were all enjoyable reads, but for this post, I’m breaking them down into books I loved and books I liked. Let’s get started!


Books I Loved


1. Be Dazzled by Ryan La Sala

First, we have this Queer YA romance. I’m so glad  I read this book in the final days of 2020- it immediately slid in to take a spot as one of my 5 Favorite YA reads of the year. 

This book is an absolutely delightful YA read. I love the characters Raffy and Luca and their journey as they navigate first loves and coming out, as well as how to really show up for each other.

The premise of the Cosplay competition a’ la Project Runway was so much fun, and I absolutely loved it even though I’ve never been to a Comic-Con. 

Many thanks to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the advance copy.


2. Little Cruelties by Liz Nugent

Next up is this multigenerational family drama. Little Cruelties is a completely engrossing read. I couldn’t put the book down as I tried to find out what would happen next to the Drumm brothers.

This book is dark and twisted, the Drumms are anything but a happy family, and their continual betrayals and cruelties to each other are awful yet in families things are often more complex than they appear.

Read this if you like reading about dysfunctional families or enjoyed Ask Again, Yes.

Many thanks to Scout Press and NetGalley for the advance copy.


3. The Rib King by Ladee Hubbard

The Rib King is a riveting work of literary historical fiction centering around black employees in a white household struggling to maintain their affluent lifestyle. The characters in this book are so complex and fascinating- they are ones that will stay with you long after finishing the book.

The author has seamlessly woven the history of the time and commentary on a number of social issues such as race and class disparities into a fascinating narrative. Despite the story being set 100 years ago, the issues raised are still relevant today, making this an especially important read.

Many thanks to Amistad and NetGalley for the advance copy.


4. The Truths We Hold by Kamala Harris

Hearing the story of our soon-to-be Madame Vice President in her own words was nothing short of inspiring, and reading this book left me confident in her leadership.

This book tells Harris’ story of being raised by a single mother who challenged her and taught her to believe in herself in her abilities. It goes on to talk about her early career in politics and the policies she believes in the most.

So much of Kamala’s appeal is in her relatability and insistence that government must work for everyone- even those in the most marginalized groups, and this book shows both her heart and struggle which is why she is a fantastic leader.


5. The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams

I’ve seen a lot of buzz about these books and finially decided to see what the hype is about. Well, it lived up to it, guys!

With his marriage on the line Minor League Baseball player Gavin joins the Bromance Book Club – a gathering of guys who read romance novels in an attempt to keep the ladies in their lives happy.

This book is funny, sweet, and steamy and easily became one of my favorite romances of the year. Now I just need to get a hold of the rest of the series!


6. After All I’ve Done by Mina Hardy

“She’s lost her best friend, her husband–and possibly, her mind.”

After All I’ve Done a delightfully twisted domestic suspense/thriller with multiple POVs, and the ultimate unreliable narrator- one dealing with memory loss. I did figure out a couple of the surprises relatively early on in the book, but there were a lot that I didn’t guess, some that were absolutely shocking.

This was an enjoyable psychological thriller and I look forward to reading more from the author.

I loved the multiple narrators for the alternating points of view and thought they each brought something unique and exciting to the story. Highly recommend the audio.

Many thanks to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the advance copy.


7. The Mystery of Mrs. Christie by Marie Benedict

I’ve been an Agatha Christie fan for about 20 years- I couldn’t have been more than ten years old when my mother first gave me a copy of And Then There Were None. In the years since then I’ve reread that favorite many times and regularly read other titles by the author.

This book imagines what may have happened surrounding the author’s mysterious 11-day disappearance in 1926. There are a number of details about Christie’s life as well as a book within a book, making this the perfect read for fans of her work.


8. Dear Child by Romy Hausmann

Hausmann has given us a complex and well written psychological thriller. There are so many twists, yet the story is never hard to follow.

This is an impressive debut and I look forward to reading more from the author, though I did feel the ending was a little rushed, especially in comparison to the depth earlier in the book. Still an enjoyable standout thriller.


Many thanks to Flatiron Books and NetGalley for the advance copy.


Books I Enjoyed


9. Dear Emmie Blue by Lia Louis

Dear Emmie Blue is such a charming and heartfelt read! It has such a lightness, just like Emmie’s balloon and there are so many good and kind characters that it warms my heart.

Much more than a romance novel, this is a story of unexpected things giving us far more than the plans we have in mind.

Many thanks to Emily Bestler Books and NetGalley for the advance copy.


10. The Perfect Guests by Emma Rous

After enjoying Rous’s debut novel The Au Pair I was eager to read more from her.

The Perfect Guests is a gothic thriller full of suspense, family drama, and multiple timelines. I love the “Clue” and Agatha Christie vibes, as the guests are summoned to a dinner party at Raven Hall, a long abanonded mansion, for a game.

Sadie is desperate, so she accepts the job acting as a guest in a murder mystery . But could it be too good to be true? She soon learns of a tragedy that occured there years ago, when the previous owners lived there. But is something sinister still inhabiting Raven Hall?

I had some suspicions that ended up being correct, but there were so many twists that therer were still a ton of surprises in store. I love how everything connected, albiet in a very tangled way.

Many thanks to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the advance copy.


11. The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins

 

The Wife Upstairs is Jane Eyre reimagined as a modern gothic thriller set in Alabama, where Jane meets recently widowed Eddie Rochester.

Jane sets her sights on him, but she may be in for more than she’d realize as it becomes clear he’s not just mysterious- he’s hiding something. I loved all the twists and how Hawkings pays homage to the Bronte classic throughout the novel while giving readers a new book.

It’s a suspenseful and twisted book full of surprises, and I think Jane Eyre fans will appreciate it and thriller and domestic suspense readers will love the book as well.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the advance copy.


12. Too Much and Never Enough by Mary L. Trump

This book by Mary L. Trump, the President’s niece reveals Trump family history that lead to him becoming the man he is. There are also a number of details of the questionable choices and actions he’s made over the decades.

The author is a psychologist, so this adds another level of insight to her revelations. Many parts of the books are hard to read. Still, Mary L. Trump’s insight is something that is worth being shared and I’m glad I read this book for deeper understanding.


13. In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren

This cute Christmas romance was a fun read for the holidays!

Mae gets stuck reliving her Christmas holiday after an accident sends her back to the past. The Groundhog Day vibes were fun, though I was honestly expecting more of an emotional punch with this one.

Still, it’s a fun ride as Mae realizes that this may just be an opportunity for her to save her annual holiday spot and reveal her feelings for her longtime crush.


14. The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley

Finally, we have this chilling wintery thriller by Lucy Foley. A group of friends goes away to celebrate the new year, but one of them doesn’t make it home.

With close quarters, no outside access to their remote location, and enough tension that anyone could have a motive it’s clear that one in the group is a killer.

This book had a lot of tension and I loved the atmosphere and messy character relationships, though the book wasn’t quite as shocking as I’d hoped. Still, it’s a fast and readable thriller- perfect for snowy days!


There you have it, friends!

One of my best reading months ever to wrap up the wild year that was 2020.

Have you read any of these titles? If not, I hope you’ve at least found one to add to your own TBR!

Tell me one of your favorite December 2020 reads in the comments!

Nonfiction November: 5 Titles on my TBR

October 26, 2020      milelongtbr      Leave a Comment

Nonfiction November 2020

Hi, readers! November is around the corner, meaning it’s time for one of my favorite reading challenges- Nonfiction November. 

This is a great way to read out of your comfort zone if nonfiction doesn’t featured on your TBR throughout the year. If you do like to incorporate nonfiction titles, this is a great way to read more of them and branch out to different subgenres.

I feel like nonfiction often gets a bad rap because people think the reading can be dry and boring, but if you choose the right title for you it can be anything but that. 

Reading nonfiction offers an opportunity to learn something new. It lets us see something from a new perspective, and gain a deeper understanding of subjects.

From memoirs to true crime, here is a list of five titles on my Nonfiction November TBR to inspire you when in making your own. 

Memoirs for Nonfiction November


You Belong: A Call for Connection

First on my list is You Belong, part memoir, part self-development. Sebene Selassie, “Nerdy Black Immigrant Tomboy Buddhist Weirdo” may seem like an outsider, but this book is a deeply personal account of how connected we all are.

This message is needed now more than ever, and Selassie’s experiences and stories work to show us embracing connectivity is an important part of feeling at peace in uncertain times.


Apple

Apple is a unique YA novel in verse, a format I’m loving lately. Gansworth turns a racial slur on its head and uses it to reclaim and reaffirm his identity. This is a great crossover between Nonfiction November and Native American History Month, which also falls in November.

I look forward to reading this lyrical and intimate account from this own-voice author.


Nonfiction November for Animal Lovers


Tales from Beyond the Pawprint

This book will touch the heart of anyone who has ever loved an animal, and is especially soothing to those grieving the loss of a beloved pet.

The book was inspired by Micky Golden Moore’s loss of her own pets and the lack of recourses and understanding she found when dealing with her grief. She used that experience to create the Beyond The Paw Print group. It offers support to those who lose their pet. This book tells the story of 22 group members’ life with their furry friends  ― “from first hello through goodbye.” It’s complete with beautiful portraits of the pets and comprehensive lists of resources for those who need them.

I lost one of my cats in May of this year, and am finding comfort in reading the stories in this book. I look forward to finishing it in November.


Nonfiction November for Bibliophiles


Furious Hours

This book tells a fascinating true crime story alongside the narrative of  Pulitzer Prize winning author Harper Lee, who researched the case. She planned to write a true crime book about it, inspired by friend Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood. It would have been a great follow-up to To Kill a Mockingbird, but never completed the project.

Lee was an enigma in her life. She never published another book and stayed out of the spotlight, so this book has been on the TBRs of those who love American Literature and True Crime alike.


The Polysyllabic Spree 

Finally, we have The Polysyllabic Spree. The subtitle “A Hilarious and True Account of One Man’s Struggle with the Monthly Tide of the Books He’s Bought and the Books He’s Been Meaning to Read” should give you a good idea of why this one has secured a spot on my TBR. It’s essentially an analog book blog, a bookstagram before bookstagram was a thing. 

This is sure to be a fun and relatable read for bibliophiles! I can’t wait to read Hornby’s essay collection.


There you have it, friends!

I hope these 8 nonfiction titles have inspired you in deciding what books to read for Nonfiction November.

Be sure to check back next week for a list of my all-time favorite nonfiction titles for more ideas! 

What are you reading for Nonfiction November? Do any of these titles make your list?

I’d love to hear what you’re reading.

Fast Five Friday – Lightning Round Reviews

August 14, 2020      milelongtbr      Leave a Comment

What do these five books have in common? They’ve all been sitting in my “To Be Reviewed” pile for too long! So, today I’m doing “Lightning Round Reviews” and giving my take on each title in one short paragraph.

Let’s go!


1. 📚 I’D RATHER BE READING

This book spoke to my bibliophile soul. I’m a longtime fan of @annebogel and loved her musings on life as a reader. I also appreciate that she too struggles to write reviews at times and discuss what exactly she enjoys about a book. Reading this was so comforting and felt like a chat with one of my best bookish friend who gets all the #bookwormproblems we face. 

I gave this book four stars.


2. 🏨GIRL, INTERRUPTED –

I read this for my nonfiction pick in May for Mental Health Awareness Month. It was troubling to hear Kaysen’s account of the mental healthcare system in the 1960s. Still, it was insightful and an important reminder that having these conversations and shedding light on mental healthcare will help normalize and make care more accessible to those who need it. 

I gave this book four stars.

3. 📝THE ROXY LETTERS-

I liked the idea of the book more than I actually liked it. Told entirely in letters, this follows Roxy, a bit of a hot mess as she tries to get it together. There were some funny parts, but Roxy’s immaturity and poor choices made it hard to really enjoy. 

I’d probably skip this one. I gave it three stars.


4. 📚BY THE BOOK-

Such a cute read!  This YA book is filled with quirky characters, myriad literary references, and plenty of moments that will make you laugh as Mary Porter-Malcom learns that books don’t hold the answer to everything in life- some things she’ll have to experience for herself. 

This book is a delightful read for bibliophiles. I gave it four stars.

While I didn’t review this book on Instagram, I did feature it in my June Reading Wrap Up, where you can read more about the plot and my thoughts.

5. 🎤ON THE COME UP-

I adored this book! This was my introduction to Angie Thomas and I absolutely loved her storytelling and characters. I also appreciate the very important themes getting discussed in YA novels. Looking forward to THUG, whuch I’ve heard fantastic things about as well.  I listened on audio with Libro.FM and Bhani Turpin, one of my favorite narrators did such a fantastic job bringing it to life, especially the rap scenes. 

I gave On The Come Up five stars and recommend it to teens and adults alike!


Do you struggle to keep up with reviewing what you read, or are you good about getting them written and posted? This is a great way to play catch-up on books and get that other TBR pile under control!

June Reading Wrap-up

June 30, 2020      milelongtbr      1 Comment

june stack @milelongtbr

June ended up being a pretty good reading month for me, especially because when the month started I’d been in a bit of a slump.

I ended up reading 9 books, though I included Jane Eyre on my wrap-up stack because I’ll be finishing it soon and it’s my classic book pick for the month.

Of the 9 books I finished, so many of them I absolutely loved, and while a few of them I struggled to give some of them a starred rating, they were all four and five star reads for me.

My June reading goals took a dramatic shift, because while I initially thought this would be the month of the thriller for me, I didn’t finish a single one. Instead, I reassessed my reading, prioritized books by BIPOC authors, LGBTQ perspectives, and I unexpectedly fell in love with YA again. It had been a year since I’ve read a YA book, and I read three this month!

Despite my reading plans changing, I’m very happy with everything I’ve read and several of the titles have the potential to change ratings and earn my “all the stars” rating.

June Five-Star Reads

Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender

This book spoke to my heart more than I could ever have anticipated and also helped rekindle my love for the YA genre.

You can’t help but love Felix and root for him as he tries to navigate high school, his future, and figuring out who he is. And as a trans-boy none of that comes easily.

This is my first time reading a book from a trans perspective and as much as I loved the character, voice, and story, this book will forever stand out to me for the insight it provides about identity, marginalization, and how much the same we all are, despite our differences.


I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness by Austin Channing Brown


I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness is a powerful book that explores author  Austin Channing Brown’s experiences with racial inequality.
⁣
⁣ From her upbringing in a white neighborhood in Ohio to her career working in predominantly white offices she’s dealt with it all; microaggressions from “nice” white people, discrimination, being the target of racial slurs, and looks of disbelief that she is, in fact, the person in charge.
⁣
⁣While I classify the book as a memoir, this isn’t merely a personal account of one Black woman. That’s not to say that all Black stories are the same, but rather that  Brown has done a phenomenal job of discussing the broader scope of how these experiences are shared in the Black community, and examining why these problems exist & why they’re harmful.
⁣
⁣This book reaffirms so much of what we’ve been hearing over the past month about structural racism,  white fragility, & social justice. ⁣It’s a must-read for these times and those working to be a better antiracist ally. Check out my full review of I’m Still Here.


Beartown by Fredrik Backman

Beartown was one of those books I knew I was going to love, but put off actually reading for way too long.

Well, luckily I recommended it to a friend, which gave me the motivation to finally take it off my TBR.

Leave it to Fredrick Backman to give us characters that take up your heart, and a story that utterly destroys it.

This small hockey town will never be the same after what happens, and neither will I. Backman’s simple prose cuts right to the core and the book made me feel the full spectrum of emotions in such a visceral way. I look forward to reading more in this series.


On the Come Up by Angie Thomas

Despite reading nothing but rave reviews about On The Come Up, I didn’t think it would be a book that interested me. I haven’t been reading much YA, I’m not especially a fan of rap music… blah, blah.

Well, I’m happy to say I could not have been more wrong. I absolutely adored this book, especially listening to the rap parts on audiobook.

On The Come Up has so much to say, and the message is especially relevant to the conversations about white privilege as Bri is profiled and mistreated by the security officers at her school.

This book is funny and full of heart as much as it is hard truths. I loved the characters Thomas gave us and especially that Bri is more focused on pursuing her passion than she is on boys. I’m looking forward to reading more from her.


⁣


The Last Train to Key West

I am a huge fan of Chanel Cleeton, so it should come as little surprise that I loved The Last Train to Key West and binged it in under 12 hours.


Cleeton has quickly become one of my favorite writers in the historical fiction genre, so I couldn’t wait to get my hands on The Last Train to Key West and see what her latest adventure has in store for us.


As a Florida girl, I loved that Cleeton explored a little-known part of our state’s- and country’s history in the book. She brings us to the Great Depression Era and the Labor Day Hurricane that devastated the Keys in 1935, while the three women are under pressure from both natural and other destructive forces in their lives.


The Half Sister by Sandie Jones

“It’s funny what we thought the other one had.”

The Half Sister by Sandie Jones is a gripping domestic suspense novel perfect for fans of her earlier books and those who enjoy fast-paced novels exploring the dark secrets and inner workings of families.

Kate and Lauren have never been the closest sisters, but the months after their fathers’ death has only brought them further apart. Then one day a young woman shows up with the news that they share the same father, something confirmed by an online DNA test, and these four women; Lauren, Kate, their mother Rose, and half-sister Jess try to make sense of the man they knew and find the truth.

But with each of them guarding secrets from one another, will they ever find out what really happened? Or will they end up destroying each other in the process?

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press; Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for the advance copy.


June Four-Star Reads

The Boyfriend Project by Farrah Rochan

A strong lead, supportive female friendships, and plenty of steam… what more could you ask for from a contemporary romance?

Not only is the book a fun read, it also explores some important and relevant themes like the discrimination faced by black women in the workplace and the pressure society places on women to be with a man.

This book had great character development! I loved seeing Samiah and Daniel come together and look forward to reading the next books in this series.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Forever Publishing for the advance copy. Check out my full review of The Boyfriend Project here.


Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall

Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall is a fun, flirty romance about Luc, a man finding himself in a bit of a mess. Though only peripherally famous- his parents were rock stars decades ago- the paparazzi still to catch him at his worst moments, much to the dismay of his job at a charity where he’s expected to appear to have it together for the donors he’s courting. To improve his image and keep his job, Luc needs the right man on his arm- so he sets out to find someone to be photographed with and take to his work fundraising event as his “boyfriend.”

The only person he can find is Oliver- the last person on earth he wants to spend time with. The complete opposite of Luc, Oliver has it all together. A rising career as a lawyer, a perfect body, a socially conscious world-view. They reluctantly begin “dating” but realize they may enjoy spending time with each other more than either of them realized.

While this book initially appears light and fun, there is some great character development here as Luc and Oliver both come to realize things about themselves that’s more than you’d expect from the average romance novel. There’s also the discussion of the homophobia and mistreatment the men are subject to in their personal and professional lives, making this a book.

While you’ll enjoy the fake-dating trope, British humor, and witty banter, this book has a lot more substance and is definitely one to read and think about.

Many thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley for the advance copy.


By the Book by Amanda Sellet

By the Book by Amanda Sellet is a charming modern retelling of Persuasion, and the YA book is sure to be enjoyed by teen and adult readers alike.

Mary Porter-Malcolm lives her life by the book, always looking to classic literature to find answers about life. While this is something many bookworms can relate to, she finds that her books don’t all translate well to public high school, and when she finds herself after a career at a smaller school. She’s got a lot to learn if she’s going to make it through high school in one piece. and with the new group of friends she sets out to learn about normal teenage experiences while introducing the girls to the lessons she’s learned from her beloved books. Some things, though, you just have to experience for yourself. The book is filled with quirky characters, myriad literary references, and plenty of moments that will make you laugh.

Many thanks to HMH Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for the advance copy.


Well, there you have it: my June Reading Wrap-up! I loved each of these books, and if any of the titles sound interesting to you definitely add it to your summer TBR!

Go check me out on Instagram to hear more about what I’m reading!

Book Review: I’m Still Here by Austin Channing Brown

June 25, 2020      milelongtbr      1 Comment

I'm Still Here Review

I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness is a powerful book that explores author  Austin Channing Brown’s experiences with racial inequality. From her upbringing in a white neighborhood in Ohio to her career working in predominantly white offices, she’s dealt with it all; microaggressions from well-meaning “nice” white people, discrimination, being the target of racial slurs and looks of disbelief that she is, in fact, the person in charge. 

Hell, she’s even met with looks of disbelief that her name is, in fact, Austin Channing Brown.

Now, I’m all for androgynous names for girls. But the fact that her parents christened their baby Austin because it’s a white man’s name, so that later in life she, as a black woman, could get a seat at the table because she hadn’t already been discriminated against by someone who only read her name on a job application should speak multitudes about just how far we are from eradicating racism in this country.  

If you can’t believe people have to worry about such a thing-YOU NEED THIS BOOK. 

If you think that racism is a thing of the past -YOU NEED THIS BOOK. 

If you think that racists are only the overt white supremacists -YOU NEED THIS BOOK. 

If you are working to become a better antiracist ally -YOU NEED THIS BOOK. 

If you ARE NOT working to become a better antiracist ally- YOU REALLY NEED THIS BOOK!



While I primarily classify I’m Still Here as a memoir, (some chapters read more like essays) this is not merely a personal account of one Black woman.

That’s not to say that all Black stories are the same, but rather that  Brown does a phenomenal job of discussing the broader scope of how these experiences are shared in the Black community, and examining why these problems exist and why they’re so harmful. 

And that the racial inequality ingrained in our society creates a similar set of challenges for marginalized individuals, regardless of whether they live across the street or across the country from each other.

To say this is a powerful read is an understatement.

It’s even more powerful listening to it as an audiobook, where Austin Channing Brown tells her story in her own voice. I love listening to self-narrating memoirs and I’m Still Here is a fantastic one to experience this way. She brings emotion and rawness to her story and it only makes what she has to say pack that much more of a punch.

Brown discusses her earliest encounters with racism and how it’s impacted her education, career, and family life.

The chapters that stood out most to me were the ones that followed her experience in education, from early school days through college. Particularly, the whitewashed history that was taught and Brown frequently called out and how from a young age Brown had to actively seek out and be her own advocate for finding representation in literature.

While I think it’s commendable that Brown took her education into her own hands, this is yet another failing of our system. This should not be the case and diversity in school reading lists should be the norm rather than the exception.

The one thing that concerned me going into this book is the fact that I have a strong preference to not read books that have religious overtones.

While it’s evident that the author’s faith is important to her, the religious discussion did not dominate the conversation or come off as if she were trying to preach to anyone.

If this is something you tend to avoid as well, I’d still recommend going in with an open mind and giving it a read. I’ve seen this book categorized with religious nonfiction, and while Brown certainly discusses her experiences with religion, I’m Still Here is an antiracism book. The religious aspect is examined through the lens of racial inequality and I feel could be useful and appreciated regardless of your personal affiliation as a reader.


Takeaway:

I’m so glad that Reese Witherspoon selected it as one of June’s RBC books. Without her recommendation, I (and I’m sure many other readers) would likely not have chosen or even discovered it. If you’re looking for another summer read, go check out my review of her other June Book Club pick, Lucy Foley’s The Guest List.

I’m Still Here reaffirms so much of what we’ve been hearing over the past month about structural racism,  white fragility, & social justice. 

But let’s be real. 

This book was published two years ago.

These messages are not new. The need for change did not arise when George Floyd was murdered a month ago. 

Those with privilege have been complicit too long & it’s beyond time to listen up to Black stories and speak out against social injustice.

“Doing nothing is no longer an option for me.”

 

Luckily for us, Austin Channing Brown is still here, and so is her book. 

I’m Still Here is without a doubt a five-star book. Whether you’re just starting to do the work or looking for more books to add to your antiracist TBR, this is bound to be one of the most important books you’ll read this year.

Go order your own copy of I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made For Whiteness from your favorite Black-owned book store or consider an audiobook to hear Brown tell her story in her own voice.

New Poetry and Memoirs by BIPOC

June 7, 2020      milelongtbr      Leave a Comment

Upcoming poetry, biographies, and memoirs from BIPOC authors.

I’ve seen many wonderful reading lists pop up around the internet with memoirs and other nonfiction by Black writers, but I wanted to extend this to highlight upcoming releases of fiction by BIPOC authors.

With so many of us committing to to diversifying our reading in light of current events, it’s important to remember to keep reading from BIOPC authors even when it’s not “trendy.”

Keeping up with upcoming book releases can be a great way to do that Whether you’re looking for books to keep your teens busy this summer or want to get lost in a good read yourself, this is the perfect list.

Since poetry, biographies, and memoirs are all such personal stories that they’re a great way to better understand what life is like for these BIPOC authors.

This list features 12 books from BIPOC authors in memoirs, biographies, and poetry. They’re all are set to be published in the next few months and are currently available to read now or request on NetGalley.

If you have already bought and read other recommended titles by BIPOC authors, are on a tight budget, or simply want to help amplify BIPOC writers by supporting their emerging titles, this can be a fantastic way to get more relevant titles to read.

I have listed the publisher and scheduled U.S. publication date with each title, but please bear in mind that these may vary based on your country and that COVID-19 has impacted a number of publication dates, so these are subject to change.

Unlike most of my recommendations, the books on this list are not all ones which I have read personally, but am suggesting for those trying to find new and diverse fiction by BIPOC.

They all sound like great choices, and if you aren’t approved through NetGalley I’d consider preordering a physical copy from a Black-owned bookstore.

BIPOC Biographies & Memoirs: 

Aftershocks by Nadia Owusu 

BIPOC MEMOIR BY NADIA OWUSU

This book is scheduled to be published on 12 January 2021 by Simon & Schuester. 

NetGalley Description:

This poetic, genre-bending work—blending memoir with cultural history—from Whiting Award winner Nadia Owusu grapples with the fault lines of identity, the meaning of home, black womanhood, and the ripple effects, both personal and generational, of emotional trauma.

Nadia Owusu grew up all over the world—from Rome and London to Dar-es-Salaam and Kampala. When her mother abandoned her when she was two years old, the rejection caused Nadia to be confused about her identity. Even after her father died when she was thirteen and she was raised by her stepmother, she was unable to come to terms with who she was since she still felt motherless and alone.

When Nadia went to university in America when she was eighteen she still felt as if she had so many competing personas that she couldn’t keep track of them all without cracking under the pressure of trying to hold herself together. A powerful coming-of-age story that explores timely and universal themes of identity, Aftershocks follows Nadia’s life as she hauls herself out of the wreckage and begins to understand that the only ground firm enough to count on is the one she writes into existence.


My Time to Speak : Reclaiming Ancestry and Confronting Race by Ilia Calederon

BIPOC memoir by ILIA CALDERON

This book is scheduled to be published on 05 August 2020 by Atria Books. 

NetGalley Description: 

An inspiring, timely, and conversation-starting memoir from the barrier-breaking and Emmy Award–winning journalist Ilia Calderón—the first Afro-Latina to anchor a high-profile newscast for a major Hispanic broadcast network in the United States—about following your dreams, overcoming prejudice, and embracing your identity.

As a child, Ilia Calderón felt like a typical girl from Colombia. In Chocó, the Afro-Latino province where she grew up, your skin could be any shade and you’d still be considered blood. Race was a non-issue, and Ilia didn’t think much about it—until she left her community to attend high school and college in Medellín. For the first time, she became familiar with horrifying racial slurs thrown at her both inside and outside of the classroom.

From that point on, she resolved to become “deaf” to racism, determined to overcome it in every way she could, even when she was told time and time again that prominent castings weren’t “for people like you.” When a twist of fate presented her the opportunity of a lifetime at Telemundo in Miami, she was excited to start a new life, and identity, in the United States, where racial boundaries, she believed, had long since dissolved and equality was the rule.

Instead, in her new life as an American, she faced a new type of racial discrimination, as an immigrant women of color speaking to the increasingly marginalized Latinx community in Spanish.

Now, Ilia draws back the curtain on the ups and downs of her remarkable life and career. From personal inner struggles to professional issues—such as being directly threatened by a Ku Klux Klan member after an interview—she discusses how she built a new identity in the United States in the midst of racially charged violence and political polarization. Along the way, she’ll show how she’s overcome fear and confronted hate head on, and the inspirational philosophy that has always propelled her forward.


The Butterfly Effect : How Kendrick Lamar Ignited the Soul of Black America by Marcus J. Moore

This book is scheduled to be published on 13 October 2020 by Atril Books. 

NetGalley Description:

This first cultural biography of rap superstar and “master of storytelling” (The New Yorker) Kendrick Lamar explores his meteoric rise to fame and his profound impact on a racially fraught America—perfect for fans of Zack O’Malley Greenburg’s Empire State of Mind.

Kendrick Lamar is at the top of his game.

The thirteen-time Grammy Award­–winning rapper is just in his early thirties, but he’s already won the Pulitzer Prize for Music, produced and curated the soundtrack of the megahit film Black Panther, and has been named one of Time’s 100 Influential People. But what’s even more striking about the Compton-born lyricist and performer is how he’s established himself as a formidable adversary of oppression and force for change. Through his confessional poetics, his politically charged anthems, and his radical performances, Lamar has become a beacon of light for countless people.

Written by veteran journalist and music critic Marcus J. Moore, this is the first biography of Kendrick Lamar. It’s the definitive account of his coming-of-age as an artist, his resurrection of two languishing genres (bebop and jazz), his profound impact on a racially fraught America, and his emergence as the bona fide King of Rap.

The Butterfly Effect is the extraordinary, triumphant story of a modern lyrical prophet and an American icon who has given hope to those buckling under the weight of systemic oppression, reminding everyone that through it all—“we gon’ be alright.”


The Dead Are Arising : The Life of Malcom X by Les Payne and Tamara Payne

This book is scheduled to be published on 29 Sep 2020 by W.W. Norton & Company.

NetGalley Description:

An epic biography of Malcolm X finally emerges, drawing on hundreds of hours of the author’s interviews, rewriting much of the known narrative.

Beginning in 1990 on a quest that would consume him for the rest of his life, the Pulitzer Prize–winning investigative journalist Les Payne started interviewing all living siblings of the Malcolm Little family, Nation of Islam figures, FBI moles and cops, and political leaders around the world. His goal was ambitious: to create a portrait of Malcolm X that would separate fact from fiction. Interweaving unknown details of Malcolm X’s life—from harrowing vignettes culled from his Depression-era Nebraska and Michigan youth; to his Massachusetts prison years and religious conversion; to his recruitment for Elijah Muhammad; and, finally, to a moment-by-moment retelling of the 1965 assassination—Payne has written a groundbreaking biography that brings to vivid life the story of one of the most politically relevant figures in twentieth-century American history.

Framed by essays from Tamara Payne, Payne’s daughter and primary researcher, who heroically completed the biography after her father’s death, The Dead Are Arising affirms the centrality of Malcolm X to the African American freedom struggle.

About the Author: Les Payne (1941-2018), born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, was a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist and a former editor at Newsday. A founder of the National Association of Black Journalists, Payne also wrote an award-winning syndicated column.

Tamara Payne served as Les Payne’s principal researcher. She lives in New York.


A Knock at Midnight : A Story of Hope, Justice and Freedom by Brittany K Barnett

BIPOC Memoir by Brittany K. Barnett

This book is scheduled to be published on 08 September 2020 by Crown Publishing.

NetGalley Description:

An urgent call to free those buried alive by America’s legal system, and an inspiring true story about unwavering belief in humanity—from a gifted young lawyer and important new voice in the movement to transform the system.

“An essential book for our time . . . Brittany K. Barnett is a star.”—Van Jones, author of Beyond the Messy Truth and host of The Van Jones Show

This book from Crown Publishing is scheduled to be released on 08 September 2020. 

Brittany K. Barnett was only a law student when she came across the case that would change her life forever—that of Sharanda Jones, single mother, business owner, and, like Brittany, Black daughter of the rural South. A victim of America’s devastating war on drugs, Sharanda had been torn away from her young daughter and was serving a life sentence without parole—for a first-time drug offense. In Sharanda, Brittany saw haunting echoes of her own life, both as the daughter of a formerly incarcerated mother and as the once-girlfriend of an abusive drug dealer. As she studied this case, a system came into focus: one where widespread racial injustice forms the core of America’s addiction to incarceration. Moved by Sharanda’s plight, Brittany set to work to gain her freedom.

This had never been the plan. Bright and ambitious, Brittany was a successful accountant on her way to a high-powered future in corporate law. But Sharanda’s case opened the door to a harrowing journey through the criminal justice system. By day she moved billion-dollar deals, and by night she worked pro bono to free clients in near-hopeless legal battles. Ultimately, her path transformed her understanding of injustice in the courts, of genius languishing behind bars, and the very definition of freedom itself.

Brittany’s riveting memoir is at once a coming-of-age story and a powerful evocation of what it takes to bring hope and justice to a system built to resist them both.


Memorial Drive: A Daughter’s Memoir by Natasha Trethewey 

BIPOC Memoir by BIPOC

This book is scheduled to be published on 28 July 2020 by HarperCollins Ecco. 

NetGalley Description:

A chillingly personal and exquisitely wrought memoir of a daughter reckoning with the brutal murder of her mother at the hands of her former stepfather, and the moving, intimate story of a poet coming into her own in the wake of a tragedy

At age nineteen, Natasha Trethewey had her world turned upside down when her former stepfather shot and killed her mother. Grieving and still new to adulthood, she confronted the twin pulls of life and death in the aftermath of unimaginable trauma and now explores the way this experience lastingly shaped the artist she became.

With penetrating insight and a searing voice that moves from the wrenching to the elegiac, Pulitzer Prize–winning poet Natasha Trethewey explores this profound experience of pain, loss, and grief as an entry point into understanding the tragic course of her mother’s life and the way her own life has been shaped by a legacy of fierce love and resilience. Moving through her mother’s history in the deeply segregated South and through her own girlhood as a “child of miscegenation” in Mississippi, Trethewey plumbs her sense of dislocation and displacement in the lead-up to the harrowing crime that took place on Memorial Drive in Atlanta in 1985.

Memorial Drive is a compelling and searching look at a shared human experience of sudden loss and absence but also a piercing glimpse at the enduring ripple effects of white racism and domestic abuse. Animated by unforgettable prose and inflected by a poet’s attention to language, this is a luminous, urgent, and visceral memoir from one of our most important contemporary writers and thinkers.


BIPOC Poetry

Finna by Nate Marshall 

This book is scheduled to be published on 11 August 2020 by One World Publishing. 

NetGalley Description:

Sharp, lyrical poems celebrating the Black vernacular—its influence on pop culture, its necessity for familial survival, its rite in storytelling and in creating the safety found only within its intimacy

Definition of finna, created by the author: fin·na /ˈfinə/ contraction: (1) going to; intending to [rooted in African American Vernacular English] (2) eye dialect spelling of “fixing to” (3) Black possibility; Black futurity; Blackness as tomorrow

These poems consider the brevity and disposability of Black lives and other oppressed people in our current era of emboldened white supremacy, and the use of the Black vernacular in America’s vast reserve of racial and gendered epithets. Finna explores the erasure of peoples in the American narrative; asks how gendered language can provoke violence; and finally, how the Black vernacular, expands our notions of possibility, giving us a new language of hope:

nothing about our people is romantic

& it shouldn’t be. our people deserve

poetry without meter. we deserve our

own jagged rhythm & our own uneven

walk towards sun. you make happening happen.

we happen to love. this is our greatest

Action.

The Half-God of Rainfall by Inua Ellams

This book is scheduled to be published on 29 September 2020 by Fourth Estate Publishers. 

NetGalley Description:

From the award-winning poet and playwright behind Barber Shop Chronicles, The Half-God of Rainfall is an epic story and a lyrical exploration of pride, power and female revenge.

There is something about Demi. When this boy is angry, rain clouds gather. When he cries, rivers burst their banks and the first time he takes a shot on a basketball court, the deities of the land take note.

His mother, Modupe, looks on with a mixture of pride and worry. From close encounters, she knows Gods often act like men: the same fragile egos, the same unpredictable fury and the same sense of entitlement to the bodies of mortals.

She will sacrifice everything to protect her son, but she knows the Gods will one day tire of sports fans, their fickle allegiances and misdirected prayers. When that moment comes, it won’t matter how special he is. Only the women in Demi’s life, the mothers, daughters and Goddesses, will stand between him and a lightning bolt.

Somebody Give This Heart a Pen by Sophia Thakur

This book is set to be published on 08 September 2020 by Candlewick Press. 

NetGalley Description: 

In a powerful debut, rising star Sophia Thakur brings her spoken word performance to the page.

Be with yourself for a moment.

Be yourself for a moment.

Airplane mode everything but yourself for a moment.

From acclaimed performance poet Sophia Thakur comes a stirring collection of coming-of-age poems exploring issues of identity, difference, perseverance, relationships, fear, loss, and joy. From youth to school to family life to falling in love and falling back out again—the poems draw on the author’s experience as a young mixed-race woman trying to make sense of a lonely and complicated world. With a strong narrative voice and emotional empathy, this is poetry that will resonate with all young people, whatever their background and whatever their dreams.

Owed by Joshua Bennet

This book is scheduled to be published by Penguin Books on 01 September 2020. 

NetGalley Description:

From “one of the most impressive voices in poetry today” (Dissent magazine), a new collection that shines a light on forgotten or obscured parts of the past in order to reconstruct a deeper, truer vision of the present

Gregory Pardlo described Joshua Bennett’s first collection of poetry, The Sobbing School, as an “arresting debut” that was “abounding in tenderness and rich with character,” with a “virtuosic kind of code switching.” Bennett’s new collection, Owed, is a book with celebration at its center. Its primary concern is how we might mend the relationship between ourselves and the people, spaces, and objects we have been taught to think of as insignificant, as fundamentally unworthy of study, reflection, attention, or care. Spanning the spectrum of genre and form–from elegy and ode to origin myth–these poems elaborate an aesthetics of repair. What’s more, they ask that we turn to the songs and sites of the historically denigrated so that we might uncover a new way of being in the world together, one wherein we can truthfully reckon with the brutality of the past and thus imagine the possibilities of our shared, unpredictable present, anew.


Guillotine by Eduardo C. Corral

This book is scheduled to be published on  04 Aug 2020 by Graywolf Press

NetGalley Description:

The astonishing second collection by the author of Slow Lightning, winner of the Yale Younger Poets Prize

Through the voices of undocumented immigrants, border patrol agents, and scorned lovers, award-winning poet Eduardo C. Corral writes dramatic portraits of contradiction, survival, and a deeply human, relentless interiority in Guillotine. With extraordinary lyric imagination, these poems traverse desert landscapes cut through by migrants, the grief of loss, betrayal’s lingering scars, the border itself—great distances in which violence and yearning find roots. A harrowing second collection, Guillotine solidifies Corral’s place in the expanding ecosystem of American poetry.


Anodyne by Khadijah Queen

This book is scheduled to be published by Tin House on 18 Aug 2020.

NetGalley Description:

“I recommend this book to anyone who ever had a child or a parent, who ever had a body or loved, to anyone who was ever sick or tried to sleep a good night’s sleep, and failed, and tried again. . . . This is a powerful and dazzling collection, filled with wisdom and experience. Anyone who reads Anodyne will remember it for a long time.” – Ilya Kaminsky, author of Deaf Republic

“Khadijah Queen’s poems are fire and sacred song. From heart-stopping familial narratives—a son awash in sadness, an aging mother’s boulder-smiting love, a brother turned to dust by a bullet—to formal inventiveness and experimentation, this is writing that makes the hardship of being alive transcendent. These poems swirl the pain of our lives with a neon kind of sweetness. Queen’s writing endures the revolt of the body with verbal play and a powerful, radical vulnerability. Anodyne is urgent and fragile, manifesting the beautiful danger in being alive.” – Alex Lemon, author of Another Last Day and Feverland: A Memoir in Shards

“Anodyne captivates with poignant, resilient poems; ones that face toughness with lucidity: of losing family and facing landscapes full of “untended loveliness of the forsaken.” All of which builds an affective and luminous sense of record, of observing and perceiving. The poems speak to ‘How we fail is how we continue’ and construct insight with breathtaking momentum through frank, sonorous, and delicate diction; furthermore, the poems carry forth an analysis from the person to the systemic, recognizing and remembering ‘when pain was not to be seen or looked at,/but institutionalized. Invisible, unspoken,/transformed but not really transformed.’ The poems are full of a vital and recuperative prosody: erasures, odes, synesthetic centers; Queen’s commanding style: building the poetic edges that are laced with endeavors, hurdles, grace, and truth into an eye-wide and powerfully-deep poetry collection.” – Prageeta Sharma, author of Grief Sequence

“Khadijah Queen’s newest collection, Anodyne is a study of form & cavedwell, feminism as foresight, and archives the articulation of black excellence & resilience. This is the complexity fans of Queen’s work have grown because of. How she shapes each poem to the sound of a hand, photograph, fractured reflection and a throat. Anodyne as a noun is a painkilling medicine. These poems are a painkilling medicine. They provoke, incite and steer steady as scripture. Each meter is breath, each beat encourages reassessment by the reader unto themselves. Who we be beneath the dust & dust & fallen arches of our name? Many (re)discoveries are assured with the preciseness of Queen’s poetic legend. ” – Mahogany L. Browne, author of Woke Baby, Black Girl Magic, and co-editor of Black Girl Magic Anthology


Make Me Rain by Nikki Giovanni

This book is scheduled to be published HaperCollins Publishers , William Morrow on 20 Oct 2020.

NetGalley Description:

One of America’s most celebrated poets challenges us with this powerful and deeply personal collection of verse that speaks to the injustices of society while illuminating the depths of her own heart.For more than thirty years, Nikki Giovanni’s poetry has inspired, enlightened, and dazzled readers. As sharp and outspoken as ever, this artist long hailed as a healer and a sage returns with this profound book of poetry in which she continues to call attention to injustice and give readers an unfiltered look into the most private parts of herself.

In Make Me Rain, she celebrates her loved ones and unapologetically declares her pride in her black heritage, while exploring the enduring impact of the twin sins of racism and white nationalism. Giovanni reaffirms her place as a uniquely vibrant and relevant American voice with poems such as “I Come from Athletes” and “Rainy Days”—calling out segregation and Donald Trump; as well as “Unloved (for Aunt Cleota)” and “”When I Could No Longer”—her personal elegy for the relatives who saved her from an abusive home life. 

Stirring, provocative, and resonant, the poems in Make Me Rain pierce the heart and nourish the soul. 


The books on this list are a great starting point for upcoming poetry collections, biographies, and memoirs by BIPOC authors.

Please keep publication dates in mind as reading and posting timely and constructive reviews to retail sites is a great way to amplify BIPOC voices.

And, of course, also consider requesting your local library buy these books, purchasing a copy for family or friends (preferably from a Black-owned bookstore), posting honest favorable reviews to retailer sites, and searching for backlist titles by one of these authors.

Start reading these works by BIPOC authors and stay tuned for more upcoming own voice titles in nonfiction.

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I’m Danielle and I have a mile long TBR!

You can usually find me surrounded by books and cats, listening to an audiobook and designing something cute.

I love making new bookish friends and am so glad you’re here!

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milelongtbr

The bookish advent calendar is here! This amazing The bookish advent calendar is here! 
This amazing holiday gift for bibliophiles is the perfect way to treat your self or your #bookishbesties💕 to an amazing holiday season 
 
There's a mix of holiday items and shop favorites that can be enjoyed all year, and there are a number of items exclusive to the calendar. It's filled with all kinds of bookish goodies!

They're on sale and quantities are limited, so get yours now! SHOP @milelongtbrboutique link in bio!
Just a little shelfie for you today. These shelve Just a little shelfie for you today.

These shelves sure have filled out since I last posted them. Pretty accurate, my tbr is pulling up and I'm making almost no progress in it!

Miss ya, bookstagram! 💛
Happy Caturday from sweet Scribbles! I absolutely Happy Caturday from sweet Scribbles! I absolutely love it when she sits like this.. too cute ! 😻

After finishing a book last night I have a question for y'all... do you prefer a book ending that neatly ties everything up, or an ending that leaves you wanting more because it ends in the midst of things? 

The book I was reading ended mid conversation... and I think that was a very powerful (and mildly infuriating) choice, but it worked!
Really, this pic is for the flowers, but I also lo Really, this pic is for the flowers, but I also loved Good Company by @cynthiadsweeney which I read last year. Her characters and their messy and real relationships stay in my mind long after I finish reading.
I took no vacation photos from this trip, but here I took no vacation photos from this trip, but here's an obligatory plane photo from the trip home. 

What's the best part about coming home from vacation for you? Im looking forward to my bed and seeing the cats!
✨Book recommendations needed! ✨ I'm looking f ✨Book recommendations needed! ✨

I'm looking for something very specific, and am hoping you awesome Bookstagram folks can help.

If my library haul doesn't give it away, I'm looking for literary fiction. Two of these titles I've read and loved (Silver Sparrow and Good Company) -the rest were titles that called to me, but not exactly what I was looking for. 

I've already gone through the blacklists of these two authors, plus Lily King,  Emily St John Mandel. Books with stories like This is Where I Leave You, The Sweeney Sisters.

Specifically, I'm looking for something:

💛written and set in the set in 21st century (this is most important to me-most of what I've been able to find is period and I need contemporary) 

💛 Preferably set in US/Canada

💛 Priority to female authors 

💛Dealing with dysfunctional family; themes of blood, home, self-discovery

💛Angsty adult characters 

💛 Full of beautiful writing 

💛 Setting that becomes central to story, esp. a small town or family home

💛Nothing too genre; speculative/scifi, romance, whatever. Looking for pure lit fic or contemporary fiction with literary bend. 

It's a long shot and I know I'm being picky, but if you can recommend something close to the above, I'd be eternally grateful! 💛
Don't think I could have fit another book in this Don't think I could have fit another book in this tote if i tried! 😂

I've been enjoying flipping through what I checked out during my latest library haul, but I couldn't resist snapping a pic before taking them out of the bag. Especially not when everything was so coordinated and the lighting was perfection.

I'm trying to get back into this Bookstagram thing- I've missed y'all too much!
On Wednesday we... A. Wear pink B. Read Toni C. S On Wednesday we...

A. Wear pink
B. Read Toni
C. Smash the Patriarchy
D. All of the Above

D 💯
When in doubt... I took a couple intentional phot When in doubt...

I took a couple intentional photos of my library trip this afternoon, but decided I liked this accidental one I must have accidentally snapped while putting my phone in my pocket best.

I hadn't been to the library in far too long and left with a full tote of books I probably won't read. So I guess you could say it was a good day! 

How's your week so far? 💛
Neera is my little shadow today while I'm getting Neera is my little shadow today while I'm getting some reading done in my the pool.

What are you reading today? I'm enjoying The Paris Apartment!
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