#afro tbr

[peaceloverobbie]

📚 Preview Exposing Lesser Demons 💔 😈 💙 on GoodReads.com

About the author

[haveyoureadthistransbook]

Black on Both Sides: A Racial History of Trans Identity by C. Riley Snorton

goodreads

The story of Christine Jorgensen, America’s first prominent transsexual, famously narrated trans embodiment in the postwar era. Her celebrity, however, has obscured other mid-century trans narratives—ones lived by African Americans such as Lucy Hicks Anderson and James McHarris. Their erasure from trans history masks the profound ways race has figured prominently in the construction and representation of transgender subjects. In Black on Both Sides, C. Riley Snorton identifies multiple intersections between blackness and transness from the mid-nineteenth century to present-day anti-black and anti-trans legislation and violence.

Drawing on a deep and varied archive of materials—early sexological texts, fugitive slave narratives, Afro-modernist literature, sensationalist journalism, Hollywood films—Snorton attends to how slavery and the production of racialized gender provided the foundations for an understanding of gender as mutable. In tracing the twinned genealogies of blackness and transness, Snorton follows multiple trajectories, from the medical experiments conducted on enslaved black women by J. Marion Sims, the “father of American gynecology,” to the negation of blackness that makes transnormativity possible.

Revealing instances of personal sovereignty among blacks living in the antebellum North that were mapped in terms of “cross dressing” and canonical black literary works that express black men’s access to the “female within,” Black on Both Sides concludes with a reading of the fate of Phillip DeVine, who was murdered alongside Brandon Teena in 1993, a fact omitted from the film Boys Don’t Cry out of narrative convenience. Reconstructing these theoretical and historical trajectories furthers our imaginative capacities to conceive more livable black and trans worlds.

Mod opinion: I haven't read this book yet, but it sounds very interesting and is on my tbr.

[thelivebookproject]

Reading Wrap Up | October - December 2023 + 2023 Recap

One more year has gone by, I almost can't believe it and yet it's already time to review how the year was.

[Jan-March] [April-June] [July-Sept]

Code: books read in English are in black, books read in Spanish in red, books read in French in blue & books read in Portuguese in purple.

OCTOBER (3)

West With the Night - Beryl Markham -> 4/5

Desencajada - Margaryta Yakovenko -> 3/5

Death and the Penguin - Andrey Kurkov, trad. George Bird -> 2.5/5

My favourite was definitely Markham's: as a British woman in colonised Kenya, I was wary of starting her memoir, but it actually was a really pleasant surprise. Her love for the country where she grew up in was palpable with each description of the land and the sky, and her life as a rancher, horse trainer, and chartered pilot was fascinating and full of adventures. Desencajada was a good insight into the life of a second-generation immigrant, but it was too similar to Supersaurio (by Maryam El Mehdati), which I read earlier in the year, to offer anything different. Kurkov's book was curious, but not enough for me to really recommend it.

NOVEMBER (4)

O Alquimista - Paulo Coelho -> 2/5

The Intimacy Experiment (The Shameless Series #2) - Rosie Danan -> 4/5

Greek Mythology: The Gods, Goddesses, and Heroes Handbook: From Aphrodite to Zeus, a Profile of Who's Who in Greek Mythology - Liv Albert (ilustrado por Sara Richard) -> 3/5

The Housekeeper and the Professor - Yoko Ogawa, trad. Stephen Synder -> 3/5

Coelho's was for a book club and it was as simple and as bland as I expected, but it was my first ever book read in Portuguese so yay for a landmark! Rosie Danan's was great, and I actually added her new book to my TBR because in just two books she's become a trusted author for romance.

DICIEMBRE (7)

A Viagem do Elefante - José Saramago -> 3.5/5

Infocracy: Digitalisation and the Crisis of Democracy - Byung-Chul Han, trad. Daniel Steuer -> 4/5

My Roommate is a Vampire - Jenna Levine -> 2.5/5

Demigods & Magicians (Percy Jackson + The Kane Chronicles) - Rick Riordan -> 3/5

In Bed with the Stablemaster (The Rogue Files #6.5) - Sophie Jordan -> 2.5/5

¿Para qué sirve realmente la ética? - Adela Cortina -> 2/5

Le Testament Français - Andreï Makine -> 2/5

December was very good in terms of numbers but not in terms of quality. Infocracy was super interesting and I do really recommend it as a good intro treatise on contemporary debates about democracy and information. Saramago's was also fun if a little overlong, and as usual Riordan is a good comfort read. But the rest of them? I've already forgot what they were about, definitely meh.

As usual, if you want to have a chat about anything I read just send me a message!

Yearly Recap

[Hello 2023 post]

Reading (at least) 55 books [59/55]

12 books in French [4/12]

12 books in Spanish [12/12] [Plus several books translated into Spanish!]

12 non-fiction books [11/12] [So close and yet so far...]

12 LGBTQ+ books [3/12]

12 books by European writers (excluding British ones) [10/12]

12 books by African/Afro-Caribbean writers [1/12]

12 books by Asian writers [3/12]

4 books by writers from Oceania (Australia, New Zealand, etc.) [1/4]

4 books by Latin American writers [4/4]

Okay, so I didn't do THAT great in my goals, actually. A couple of them were reeeeeally close, but some others were so far away it's actually a little embarrassing. But oh well, we live and we learn, and we try again...

I'm actually fairly happy with how my reading year went, even if I didn't manage to read one single 5-star book in the whole year (something to improve for next year for sure!). I think that after a couple of years of stallment and block, I'm really getting my groove back and I'm really excited for what the new year will bring! I have also been curating my TBR this past month to make sure everything on it brings me joy, and now all of my picks excite me. I can't wait to get to them in 2024; you can follow my reading adventures over in GoodReads if you want to take a look at my shelves :)

I hope you all close out 2023 in style and have a wonderful start to 2024. May it bring happy adventures and many good books!

[daughterofhecata]

I did both @batmanisagatewaydrug‘s and @macrolit‘s Reading Bingos this year - was aiming for blackouts on both, didn‘t manage it for macrolit’s, but I did get a couple bingos.

Titles for each under the cut, full reading list here.

batmanisagatewaydrug:

translated book: Jonathan L. Howard: Johannes Cabal #1. Seelenfänger. [org. title: Johannes Cabal the Necromancer]

graphic novel: Vincent Burmeister, David Schraven: Unter Krähen. Aus dem Inneren der Republik. [no english title]

nonfiction: Anna Mirga-Kruszelnicka, Jekatyerina Dunajeva: Re-Thinking Roma Resistance throughout History: Recounting Stories of Strength and Bravery.

sequel: Luke Arnold: Fetch Phillips Archives #3. One Foot in the Fade.

poetry collection: Rainer Maria Rilke: Gedichte [herausgegeben vom Hamburger Lesehefte Verlag]

published before 2010: Faye Kellerman: Die Schwingen des Todes [org. title: Stone Kiss]

memoir: Theodor Michael: Deutsch Sein und Schwarz Dazu. Erinnerungen eines Afro-Deutschen. [engl. title: Black German. An Afro-German Life in the Twentieth Century.]

oldest on TBR: Anne Frank: Tagebuch der Anne Frank. 14. Juni 1942 bis 1. August 1944. [org. title: Het Achterhuis/engl. title: The Diary of a Young Girl]

author from a different country: Alexander Wolkow: Zauberland-Reihe #1. Der Zauberer der Smaragdenstadt. [org. title: Волшебник изумрудного города/engl. title: The Wizard of the Emerald City]

romance: Iny Lorentz: Die Feuerbraut [no english title i could find]

essay collection: Scaachi Koul: One Day We‘ll All Be Dead And None Of This Will Matter.

fantasy: Austin Chant: Peter Darling

novella: Maria Konopnicka: Der Danziger Mendel [org. title: Mendel Gdański/no english title]

debut author: Xiran Jay Zhao: Iron Widow

ghosts or monsters: Jennifer Giesbrecht: The Monster of Elendhaven

short stories: Hendrik Buchna, Marco Sonnleitner, u.a.: Die Drei ??? und der Zeitgeist [no english title; collection of short stories in the german continuation of Robert Arthur’s Three Investigators stories]

banned book: Harper Lee: To Kill a Mockingbird

one word title: K. Ancrum: Darling

published before 2000: Josef Bor: Theresienstädter Requiem [org. title: Terezínské Rekviem/engl. title: The Terezín Requiem]

2022 release: Jonathan Kellerman: City of the Dead. An Alex Delaware Novel.

literary fiction: Sylvia Plath: The Bell Jar / Jack Kerouac: On The Road (I’m pretty sure at least one of them qualifies)

YA: Jonathan Stroud: Bartimäus #1. Das Amulett von Samarkand. [org. title: The Bartimaeus Trilogy #1. The Amulet of Samarkand.]

reread: Franz Kafka: Das Urteil [engl. title: The Judgement]

400+ pages: James Ellroy: L.A. Confidential. Stadt der Teufel. [org. title: L.A. Confidential]

macrolit:

Classic Author A/B/C: -

Gothic Fiction: -

Fan Fiction: [no specific work]

published between 1960-1990: Václav Havel: Vernissage [org. title: Vernisáž/engl. title: Unveilling]

Classic Author P/Q/R: Sylvia Plath: The Bell Jar

Biography or Non-Fiction: Justin Fenton: We Own This City. A True Story of Crime, Cops, and Corruption.

Classic Author S/T/U: -

Young Adult: Christina Henry: Lost Boy

Classic Author G/H/I: -

Detective, Horror or Suspense: Tess Gerritsen: Die Chirurgin. [org. title: The Surgeon]

Philosophy or Literary Criticism: Judith Butler: Gender Trouble. Feminism and the Subversion of Identity.

Classic Author M/N/O: -

Harlem Renaissance: -

Published between 1990-2022: Ocean Vuong: On Earth We‘re Briefly Gorgeous

Book of Short Stories:  Don Winslow: Broken

published between 1920-1960: Jerzy Andrzejewski: Warschauer Karwoche [org. title: Wielki tydzień/engl. title: Holy Week]

Classic Author D/E/F: Leslie Feinberg: Stone Butch Blues

Children‘s Literature: [any one of the twenty Three Investigator‘s books I read this year]

Poetry or Play: Bożena Keff: Ein Stück über Mutter und Vaterland [org. title: Utwór o Matce i Ojczyźnie/engl. title: A Piece about Mother and Fatherland]

Graphic Novel: Elfriede Jelinek, Nicolas Mahler: Der fremde! störenfried der ruhe eines sommerabends der ruhe eines friedhofs. [no english title]

Classic Author J/K/L: Jack Kerouac: On The Road

Essays or Satire: Scaachi Koul: One Day We‘ll All Be Dead And None Of This Will Matter.

Published before 1920: Maria Konopnicka: Der Danziger Mendel [org. title: Mendel Gdański/no english title]

Classic Author V/W/X/Y/Z: Jiří Weil: Leben mit dem Stern [org. title: Život s hvězdou/engl. title: Life With A Star]

[cocoawithbooks]

March Reading Goals Include Fantasy, Adventure and History

For my March Reading Goals, there is an interesting mix of fantasy, horror, adventure and reality on my TBR. Most of the books this month are recently or soon-to-be published. One book, The Afro-Indigenous History of the United States has been on my shelf for a while and I picked it as my #readmyshelf goal for this month. March Reading Goals List The Poisons We Drink by Bethany Baptiste Tender…

[caribeandthebooks]

January 2024 Reading Wrap-Up

I read 4 books and got 5 kindle challenge achievements this month!

Now lets look at the breakdown :)

Reading Challenge Progress: I committed to reading 30 books in 2024 so currently I'm ahead by 2 books!

Top Genre read in January 2024: Young Adult

My first read for the year was Gallant by V.E. Schwab. Rating: 3.5/5

This has been on my TBR since it came out and Kindle's New Year Challenge: Goodreads Choice Award coaxed it out of the TBR jar.

I really like Schwab's writing and this author is, if nothing else, consistent. Which means that the books always land at ~3/5 stars for me. Loved the premise but the story did not deliver how I wanted it to....which is on-brand for my experience with Schwab lol.

Since this was my first Kindle book for the year I unlocked the Bookish achievement in the New Year Kindle Challenge. Light work, no reaction.

My options for this award were to either read Gallant or Yellowface. Gallant has been on the TBR longer but Yellowface is a guaranteed read for me this year. So I went with Gallant for this challenge.

Book #2 was Interesting Stories for Curious People by Bill O'Neill. Rating: 1.5/5

This was my first pluck out of the TBR jar! This book left me with more questions than answers. At the end of many of the stories I thought "Why introduce me to a vibe you can't maintain?" . If you're into (mostly North American) trivia or play games that use that type of trivia this might be of interest to you. It would have been nice if there was a variety in countries and non-North American cultures represented here.

At least I got something out of that read. I unlocked the Bookworm achievement in the New Year Kindle Challenge once I completed my second Kindle book of the year.

Book #3 was Kindred by Octavia E. Butler. Rating: 4/5

This book was also plucked out of the TBR jar and it was a page-turner! I liked that the main character isn't JUST a black slave. I see enough Black struggle in the media that I usually stay away from it in recreational media that I consume. This book gave what I think is a pretty accurate depiction of how a black person who didn't grow up in slavery would behave if they were flung back into that time randomly. I feel like the Epilogue could have given me a bit more "where are they now" but I understood why it didn't. This one is going in my favourite reads and diverse read tags (as soon as it gets out of the queue)

I unlocked the Resolution Keeper achievement in the New Year Kindle Challenge while reading my third book of the year.

Book #4 was The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School by Sonara Reyes. Rating: 4.5/5

Lets get 1 thing straight and 2 things gay: I was WAITING for my TBR jar to give me one of my highly anticipated reads. I love a queer YA book, they are SO adorable (the ones I've read at least) and the fact that the author is also a Latina queer who went to Catholic School? Chef's Kiss! This was a fun read for me as I expected. As an Afro-Latina and a baby polyglot I liked that they didn't do that weird "here's a Spanish word just 'cause I can" thing. The way the parents handled the situation was sloppy and tbh needed MUCH more nuance. I also wish we got more from her brother's point of view but I enjoyed it all the same, difficult topics and all. This one is going in my favourite reads and diverse read tags (as soon as it gets out of the queue)

I unlocked the Bibliophile achievement in the New Year Kindle Challenge once I completed my third Kindle book of the year.

And that's it! If you stuck around for the whole thing, thank you so much! I try to keep my review's spoiler free - be the good you want to see in the world, right?

See you next month and Happy Reading!!

[thebookdragon217]

"But in reality, as our country is finally coming to understand, that level of wealth had the danger of leading to corruption, leading individuals to believe they can do anything and are exempt from the laws of our nation." Thank you @cocoachapters and @kensingtonbooks for the gifted copies. Check out my stories for a chance to win a copy. That Dangerous Energy by Aya DeLeon was a fast paced, crime novel that dealt with many contemporary and historical themes. I loved that it was female driven spy story that dealt with the climate crisis. DeLeon introduces the characters layer by layer and once the action kicks in, it's non-stop heart thumping until the end. DeLeon's writing is insightful and revelatory. The character development is strong and the fast-paced plot will keep you glued to the pages. The flashbacks to the main protagonist's family history added a nice touch to her personal growth story. I loved that this one was oozing with feminist energy throughout and showed how women can also be complicit in patriarchy and misogyny. It was interesting to see how DeLeon weaves identity and poverty into this story and shows how they affect choices women are forced to make. I highly recommend this one if you're interested in: 💥 Afro-Boricua authors or Afro-Latinx representation/identity 💥 climate crisis and activism 💥intersectional feminism 💥 crime fiction & spy stories 💥 the role of Black women in activist movements 💥 anti-racism work 💥 corruption of power 💥 female driven thrillers & suspense 💥 Brooklyn, NY flavor 💥 fast paced crime fiction with a noir feel #ThatDangerousEnergy #AyaDeLeon #bookrecommendations #bookworm #bookstagram #ReadPuertoRican #tbr #reading #AfroBoricua #books #AfroLatinx #20booksbyblackwomen #feminism #thrillers #noir #activism #climatechange #spystories #murals #Brooklyn #bookstagrammer #fiction #bookphotos #bookstagrampr #read #igreads #ReadCaribbean #crime https://www.instagram.com/p/CpvHUWPLuTQ/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[hollymbryan]

Blog Tour + #Review: NUBIA: THE AWAKENING by Omar Epps and Clarence A. Haynes! #tbrbeyondtours

Welcome to Book-Keeping and my stop on the TBR and Beyond Tours blog tour for the YA novel from acclaimed actor Omar Epps and author Clarence A. Haynes, Nubia: The Awakening! I’ve got all the book and author details below, along with my review.

About the Book

title: Nubia: The Awakening authors: Omar Epps and Clarence A. Haynes publisher: Delacorte Press release date: 8 November 2022

From beloved actor and producer Omar Epps and writer Clarence A. Haynes comes the biggest epic fantasy of the year. A powerful saga of three teens, the children of refugees from a fallen African utopia, who must navigate their newfound powers in a climate-ravaged New York City. Perfect for fans of Black Panther and Children of Blood and Bone. For Zuberi, Uzochi, and Lencho, Nubia is a mystery. Before they were born, a massive storm destroyed their ancestral homeland, forcing their families to flee across the ocean to New York City. Nubia, a utopic island nation off the coast of West Africa, was no more, and their parents’ sorrow was too deep for them to share much of their history beyond the folklore. But New York, ravaged by climate change and class division, is far from a safe haven for refugees, and Nubians live as outcasts, struggling to survive in the constantly flooding lower half of Manhattan, while the rich thrive in the tech-driven sky city known as the Up High. To many, being Nubian means you’re fated for a life plagued by difficulties and disrespect. But Zuberi, Uzochi, and Lencho are beginning to feel there might be more. Something within them is changing, giving each of them extraordinary powers. Extraordinary and terrifying powers that seem to be tied to the secrets their parents have kept from them. And there are people Up High watching, eager to do anything they can to become even more powerful than they already are. Now Zuberi, Uzochi, and Lencho will be faced with the choice–do they use their inheritance to lift their people, or to leave them behind. The fate of their city, and their people, hangs in the balance. 

Content Warning: Violence, death, domestic abuse, brief mention of sexual assault

Add to Goodreads: Nubia: The Awakening Purchase the Book: Amazon | B&N | TBD | Indigo | Indiebound

About the Authors

Actor and producer Omar Epps was first introduced to audiences as Q in Ernest Dickerson’s cult classic Juice, opposite Tupac Shakur. He has gone on to star in the beloved romance Love & Basketball, as Dr. Eric Foreman in the massively popular TV show House, as Jeff Cole in In Too Deep, as Isaac Johnson in Shooter, as Darnell in This Is Us, and in many many more television shows and major motion pictures. His self-published memoir is From Fatherless to Fatherhood. Nubia: The Awakening is his first novel.

Connect with Omar: Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | IMDB

Clarence A. Haynes has worked as an editor for a variety of publishers that include Penguin Random House and Amazon Publishing as well as Legacy Lit, an imprint of Hachette Book Group. He has edited top-selling fiction titles like The Hundredth Queen, Scarlet Odyssey, Legacy of Lies, These Toxic Things, and The Washington Post and Amazon Charts bestseller The Vine Witch, along with its two sequels. He is also the author of the nonfiction work The Legacy of Jim Crow, published as part of Penguin Workshop’s True History series.

Connect with Clarence: Instagram | Goodreads | Facebook

My 3-Star Review

I’ve been so excited for Nubia: The Awakening since I first heard about it. I’m a huge fan of Omar Epps and was excited to see what he and Clarence Haynes had come up with in this afro-futurist YA novel. While I enjoyed it, it was definitely a case of wanting to love it more than I actually did.

This novel deals with some important societal topics: racism, classism, climate change, oligarchy, and over-policing. It was interesting to see these dealt with in a near-future society. In a lot of ways, on the surface this book reminded me of Ballad & Dagger by Daniel Jose Older: near-future or alternate timeline NYC, refugees from an African or Afro-Caribbean island that no longer exists, parents who refuse to talk about where they came from, and teens discovering they have magical powers connected to that disappeared home. Unfortunately, in this book the pacing was off in a way I find hard to describe, and it’s still unclear exactly what these magical powers are. I liked the MCs, though, and the way the novel alternated between the three POVs of Zuberi, Lencho, and Uzochi. I’m hoping the second book will explain and expound on what the teens can and/or should do with their newly-found powers.

Rating: 3 stars

**Disclosure: I received an eARC of this book for purposes of this blog tour. This review is voluntary on my part and reflects my honest rating and review of the book.

[keirawritesandsmiles]

Hi love, do you have a spring TBR?

Hi there <3

Yes I have ! It seems long and heavy, but I read whenever I can and I read 2 hours per day (minimum). There is a lot of afro-fantasy because I need to read those with the eyes of an author (my story is swahili and bantu-inspired and I am interested to see how other african authors took inspiration from their cultures).

Finding Me by Viola Davis (non-fiction)

I Wish I Knew This Earlier by Toni Tone (non-fiction)

Can't Hurt Me by David Goggins (non-fiction)

Sacred Woman by Queen Afua (non-fiction)

Greenlights by Mattew McConaughey (non-fiction)

The Land of Stories by Chris Colfer (fiction)

The Wildwood Chronicles by Colin Meloy (fiction)

Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko (fiction)

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi (fiction)

Sweethand by N.G Peltier (fiction)

Make A Scene by Mimi Grace (fiction)

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett (fiction)

Daughters of Nri by Reni K Amayo (fiction)

Legendborn by Tracy Deonn (fiction)

The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna (fiction)

[lifeinpoetry]

hey! do you have any recommendations for poetry by latinx writers?

I’ve made three lists here to give a full range of what’s out there and they've been merged into Poetry Collections by Latinx Writers: New in 2020 & 2021 &  Poetry Collections by Latinx Writers: 2019 & Earlier on Bookshop if you’re so inclined. Hopefully at least one of these interests you. ❤️

Poetry Collections by Latinx Writers: 2019 & Before (Ones I’ve Read & Enjoyed)

Slow Lightning by Eduardo C. Corral

Beastgirl & Other Origin Myths by Elizabeth Acevedo

Loose Woman: Poems by Sandra Cisneros

The Carrying: Poems by Ada Limón

Citizen Illegal by José Olivarez

Lessons on Expulsion: Poems by Erika L. Sánchez

peluda by Melissa Lozada-Oliva

My Wicked Wicked Ways by Sandra Cisneros

lo terciario / the tertiary by Raquel Salas Rivera

Teeth Never Sleep: Poems by Ángel García

Lima :: Limón by Natalie Scenters-Zapico

while they sleep (under the bed is another country) by Raquel Salas Rivera

Sharks in the Rivers by Ada Limón

A Tongue in the Mouth of the Dying by Laurie Ann Guerrero

blud by Rachel McKibbens

Virgin: Poems by Analicia Sotelo

The Glimmering Room by Cynthia Cruz

Unaccompanied by Javier Zamora

The Black Maria by Aracelis Girmay

Girl with Death Mask by Jennifer Givhan

Cenzontle by Marcelo Hernandez Castillo

Brother Bullet: Poems by Casandra López

The Inheritance of Haunting by Heidi Andrea Restrepo Rhodes

Milk and Filth by Carmen Giménez Smith

Corazón by Yesika Salgado

Refuse: Poems by Julian Randall

Ordinary Beast by Nicole Sealey

Cuicacalli / House of Song by ire'ne lara silva

Tracing the Horse by Diana Marie Delgado

With the River on Our Face by Emmy Pérez

Museum of the Americas by J. Michael Martinez

Paraíso: Poems by Jacob Shores-Argüello

Gold That Frames the Mirror by Brandon Melendez

Miami Century Fox by Legna Rodríguez Iglesias

Of Form & Gather by Felicia Zamora

Palm Frond with Its Throat Cut by Vickie Vértiz

Elegía/elegy by Raquel Salas Rivera

The Crazy Bunch by Willie Perdomo

Colonize Me by Benjamín Naka-Hasebe Kingsley

Poetry Collections by Latinx Writers: 2019 & Before (TBR)

Of Darkness and Tumbling by Mónica Gomery

Preparing the Body by Norma Liliana Valdez

Ugly Music by Diannely Antigua

Ceremony of Sand by Rodney Gomez

Stereo. Island. Mosaic. by Vincent Toro

Other Musics: New Latina Poetry ed. Cynthia Cruz

Meditación Fronteriza: Poems of Love, Life, and Labor by Norma Elia Cantú

Beast Meridian by Vanessa Angélica Villarreal

You Ask Me To Talk About The Interior by Carolina Ebeid

YOU DA ONE by Jennif(f)er Tamayo

These Days Of Candy by Manuel Paul Lopez

Unpeopled Eden by Rigoberto González

Advantages of Being Evergreen by Oliver Baez Bendorf

Each and Her by Valerie Martínez

Skins of Columbus by Edgar Garcia

When I Walk Through That Door, I Am: An Immigrant Mother's Quest by Jimmy Santiago Baca

Landscape with Headless Mama: Poems by Jennifer Givhan

Solecism by Rosebud Ben-Oni

Heart Like A Window, Mouth Like A Cliff by Sara Borjas

Scar on / Scar Off by Jennifer Maritza McCauley

¡Manteca!: An Anthology of Afro-Latin@ Poets ed. Melissa Castillo-Garsow

Grenade in Mouth: Some Poems of Miyo Vestrini by Miyo Vestrini

How to Pull Apart the Earth by Karla Cordero

All My Heroes Are Broke by Ariel Francisco

black / Maybe by Roberto Carlos Garcia

Blood Sugar Canto by ire'ne lara silva

The Book of What Remains by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

The Black Flower and Other Zapotec Poems by Natalia Toledo

Forgive the Body This Failure by Blas Falconer

Tijuana Book of the Dead by Luis Alberto Urrea

FUEGO by Leslie Contreras Schwartz

Puerto Rico en Mi Corazón ed. Carina del Valle Schorske

Dirt and Honey by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland

Cruel Futures by Carmen Giménez Smith

The Real Horse: Poems by Farid Matuk

A Song of Dismantling: Poems by Fernando Pérez

Arsonist by Joaquín Zihuatanejo

Comfort Measures Only: New and Selected Poems, 1994–2016 by Rafael Campo

Poetry Collections by Latinx Writers: 2020 & 2021

Postcolonial Love Poem: Poems by Natalie Diaz

Thresholes by Lara Mimosa Montes

Catrachos: Poems by Roy G. Guzmán

Repetition Nineteen by Mónica de la Torre

Like Bismuth When I Enter by Carlos Lara

The Breakbeat Poets Vol. 4: LatiNext ed. Felicia Chavez

Guillotine: Poems by Eduardo C. Corral

Migratory Sound: Poems by Sara Lupita Olivares

Thrown in the Throat by Benjamin Garcia

Not Go Away Is My Name by Alberto Ríos

Guidebooks for the Dead by Cynthia Cruz

Geographic Tongue by Rodney Gomez

Tertulia by Vincent Toro

Borderland Apocrypha by Anthony Cody

Every Day We Get More Illegal by Juan Felipe Herrera

Body of Render by Felicia Zamora

La Belle Ajar by Adrian Ernesto Cepeda

Feel Puma: Poems by Ray Gonzalez

On This Side of the Desert by Alfredo Aguilar

In Bloom by Esteban Rodriguez

An Incomplete List of Names: Poems by Michael Torres

Who Speaks for Us Here by Leslie Contreras Schwartz

The Fire Eater: Poems by Jose Hernandez Diaz

After Rubén by Francisco Aragón

[djblendsky]

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➥ Contact: dj.blendsky@outlook.com Demo: dj.blendsky@outlook.be

____________________________________

🔊 Tracklist:

1. Lil Nas X - MONTERO (Patrick Dyco Remix) 2. Kris Kross Amsterdam ft. Shaggy & Conor Maynard - Early In The Morning (Da Phonk Club Edit) 3. Major Lazer x J Balvin x El Alfa - Qué Calor (Shad Remix) 4. POST MALONE - WOW (SQRTL SQUAD REMIX) 5. Julian Kid Vs David Guetta - High Sexy Bitch (Miami Rockets H4CKED) 6. ENDOR X FISHER - LOSING PUMP IT UP (Naitek & Kent Edit) 7. Lil Nas X - Old Town Road (Guztav & Siëma Afro Remix) 8. Kygo x Whitney Houston - Higher Love (SDC 'Higher' Mashup) 9. Sico Vox & LPACA - Push The Feeling On x Hotel Room (Sico Vox & LPACA Afro Edit) 10. Guru Josh Project - Infinity 2021 (Patrick Dyco Remix) 11. ATB feat. Topic x A7S - Your Love (9PM) (Tiësto Extended Remix) 12. Avicii - Levels + Wake Me Up (Nick Havsen & TBR Festival Mix) 13. Bob Sinclar - Rock This Party 2015 (Paolo Ortelli & Luke Degree Remix) 14. W&W - Comin' To Getcha (Extended Mix) 15. Carnage - WDYW (FS Green Remix) 16. Quintino - The Drill 17. Speedy J - Pullover (SDC 'Whoomp There It Is' Mashup) 18. Husman & Saberz vs. Dynoro & Gigi D’Agostino - In My Quarantine (DJ BLENDSKY MASHUP) bit.ly/3kIud7E 19. Bonka vs. Papa Roach - Bang Boom Last Resort (DJ BLENDSKY MASHUP) bit.ly/3kIud7E 20. Hardwell x Alan Walker vs 4B & Yookie - Faded Spaceman Whistle (JLENS Smashup) 21. Lil Jon x Styles&Complete vs Gammer & 4B - The Fuccboi Drop (JLENS Edit)

#Tomorrowland #Tomorrowland2021 #Pioneerxdjrx2 #DJBLENDSKY

[peaceloverobbie]

🤯The Author Who "Fixed It" !!!🏳️‍🌈😤🙌🏽

[richincolor]

New Releases

It's a pretty exciting week in YA! Grown, Legendborn, Furia, and Each of Us a Desert are just a few of the books launching tomorrow. What's on your TBR pile this week? Share with us!

Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson

Award-winning author Tiffany D. Jackson delivers another riveting, ripped-from-the-headlines mystery that exposes horrific secrets hiding behind the limelight and embraces the power of a young woman’s voice.

When legendary R&B artist Korey Fields spots Enchanted Jones at an audition, her dreams of being a famous singer take flight. Until Enchanted wakes up with blood on her hands and zero memory of the previous night. Who killed Korey Fields?

Before there was a dead body, Enchanted’s dreams had turned into a nightmare. Because behind Korey’s charm and star power was a controlling dark side. Now he’s dead, the police are at the door, and all signs point to Enchanted. — Cover image and summary via Bookshop.org

Legendborn (Legendborn #1) by Tracy Deonn

After her mother dies in an accident, sixteen-year-old Bree Matthews wants nothing to do with her family memories or childhood home. A residential program for bright high schoolers at UNC-Chapel Hill seems like the perfect escape–until Bree witnesses a magical attack her very first night on campus.

A flying demon feeding on human energies. A secret society of so called “Legendborn” students that hunt the creatures down. And a mysterious teenage mage who calls himself a “Merlin” and who attempts–and fails–to wipe Bree’s memory of everything she saw.

The mage’s failure unlocks Bree’s own unique magic and a buried memory with a hidden connection: the night her mother died, another Merlin was at the hospital. Now that Bree knows there’s more to her mother’s death than what’s on the police report, she’ll do whatever it takes to find out the truth, even if that means infiltrating the Legendborn as one of their initiates. She recruits Nick, a self-exiled Legendborn with his own grudge against the group, and their reluctant partnership pulls them deeper into the society’s secrets–and closer to each other. But when the Legendborn reveal themselves as the descendants of King Arthur’s knights and explain that a magical war is coming, Bree has to decide how far she’ll go for the truth and whether she should use her magic to take the society down–or join the fight. — Cover image and summary via Bookshop.org

Furia by Yamile Saied Méndez

In Rosario, Argentina, Camila Hassan lives a double life. At home, she is a careful daughter, living within her mother’s narrow expectations, in her rising-soccer-star brother’s shadow, and under the abusive rule of her short-tempered father. On the field, she is La Furia, a powerhouse of skill and talent. When her team qualifies for the South American tournament, Camila gets the chance to see just how far those talents can take her. In her wildest dreams, she’d get an athletic scholarship to a North American university.

But the path ahead isn’t easy. Her parents don’t know about her passion. They wouldn’t allow a girl to play fútbol–and she needs their permission to go any farther. And the boy she once loved is back in town. Since he left, Diego has become an international star, playing in Italy for the renowned team Juventus. Camila doesn’t have time to be distracted by her feelings for him. Things aren’t the same as when he left: she has her own passions and ambitions now, and La Furia cannot be denied. As her life becomes more complicated, Camila is forced to face her secrets and make her way in a world with no place for the dreams and ambition of a girl like her.

Filled with authentic details and the textures of day-to-day life in Argentina, heart-soaring romance, and breathless action on the pitch, Furia is the story of a girl’s journey to make her life her own. — Cover image and summary via Bookshop.org

Each of Us a Desert by Mark Oshiro

Xochitl is destined to wander the desert alone, speaking her troubled village’s stories into its arid winds. Her only companions are the blessed stars above and enigmatic lines of poetry magically strewn across dusty dunes. Her one desire: to share her heart with a kindred spirit. One night, Xo’s wish is granted–in the form of Emilia, the cold and beautiful daughter of the town’s murderous conqueror. But when the two set out on a magical journey across the desert, they find their hearts could be a match… if only they can survive the nightmare-like terrors that arise when the sun goes down. — Cover image and summary via Bookshop.org

K-Pop Confidential by Stephan Lee

Candace Park knows a lot about playing a role. For most of her life, she’s been playing the role of the quiet Korean girl who takes all AP classes and plays a classical instrument, keeping her dreams of stardom-and her obsession with SLK, K-pop’s top boyband-to herself. She doesn’t see how a regular girl like her could possibly become one of those K-pop goddesses she sees on YouTube. Even though she can sing. Like, really sing. So when Candace secretly enters a global audition held by SLK’s music label, the last thing she expects is to actually get a coveted spot in their trainee program. And convincing her strict parents to let her to go is all but impossible … although it’s nothing compared to what comes next.

Under the strict supervision of her instructors at the label’s headquarters in Seoul, Candace must perfect her performance skills to within an inch of her life, learn to speak Korean fluently, and navigate the complex hierarchies of her fellow trainees, all while following the strict rules of the industry. Rule number one? NO DATING, which becomes impossible to follow when she meets a dreamy boy trainee. And in the all-out battle to debut, Candace is in danger of planting herself in the middle of a scandal lighting up the K-pop fandom around the world. If she doesn’t have what it takes to become a perfect, hair-flipping K-pop idol, what will that mean for her family, who have sacrificed everything to give her the chance? And is a spot in the most hyped K-pop girl group of all time really worth risking her friendships, her future, and everything she believes in? — Cover image and summary via Bookshop.org

God Loves Hair: 10th Anniversary Edition by Vivek Shraya illustrated by Juliana Neufeld

God Loves Hair is a collection of short stories that follows a tender, intelligent, and curious child as they navigate the complex realms of gender creativity, queerness, brownness, religion, and belonging. This tenth-anniversary edition includes a foreword by award-winning YA writer Cherie Dimaline (The Marrow Thieves), as well as additional a new preface, story, and illustrations.

Told with the poignant insight and honesty that only the voice of a young mind can convey, God Loves Hair is a moving and ultimately joyous portrait of the resiliency of youth. — Cover image and summary via Goodreads

Never Look Back by Lilliam Rivera

Featuring contemporary Afro-Latinx characters, acclaimed author Lilliam Rivera blends a touch of magical realism into a timely story about cultural identity, overcoming trauma, and the power of first love. Eury comes to the Bronx as a girl haunted. Haunted by losing everything in Hurricane Maria--and by an evil spirit, Ato. She fully expects the tragedy that befell her and her family in Puerto Rico to catch up with her in New York. Yet, for a time, she can almost set this fear aside, because there's this boy . . . Pheus is a golden-voiced, bachata-singing charmer, ready to spend the summer on the beach with his friends, serenading his on-again, off-again flame. That changes when he meets Eury. All he wants is to put a smile on her face and fight off her demons. But some dangers are too powerful for even the strongest love, and as the world threatens to tear them apart, Eury and Pheus must fight for each other and their lives. This Own Voices retelling of the Greek myth Orpheus and Eurydice is perfect for fans of Ibi Zoboi's Pride and Daniel José Older's Shadowshaper.

[ashlightgrayson]

I've admired @paoramos for a long time & I'm so happy that I was able to get a copy of her book. It seems that my bookstore got it on the shelves early, so I picked it up two days ago. I read the first page and was immediately able to relate to her experience as a Latinx person who doesn't feel like they fit in any one "box" of societal labels, but rather multiple. I still see a lot of discourse on the internet about how "if you're white passing you're just white" and for a lot of Latinx people it's so much more complicated than that. You're white until you speak English in the U.S. and you have an accent. You're white until you are seen out with your family and everyone is a different skin tone, from darkest to lightest. You're white until your hair grows out into an Afro because you have black descent. You're white until someone catches you speaking Spanish, and then you become "other". You're white until you remember that during the Civil rights movement in places like Miami there were signs not just prohibiting black people from entering white spaces but also Cubans and other Latinx people, because white Latinos are never quite "white" enough. This Latinx identity becomes even more complicated when you take sexuality & nationality into consideration. I am American, Honduran and Cuban the same way Paola has a triple nationality because fo her parents and where she was born. I'm pushing this to the top of my TBR because it just drives so close to home right now and even from the first page I can tell how well written it is. #latinxauthors #latino #latina #latinas #latinos #latinx #reading #books #bibliophile #race #latinxidentity #racialidentity #nonfiction #latinxstories #latinxstoriesmatter https://www.instagram.com/p/CGfNeXEAyXe/?igshid=1ndumndf6urx

[lair-of-books]

Hey Bookworms! It’s Saturday morning when I’m writing this post to go up on Sunday. TBH I had no intentions of making this “Official” I kind of always participate on the low 😂🙈 which is probably because of how high I set the standard for myself & don’t always meet it 🤷🏻‍♀️ This time, I wanted a bit of accountability. These are just the books I’ll be reading during Contemporary-A-Thon, my actual September TBR is dreadful & scares me putting on paper so that’ll just stay in my head 😂 This readathon is run by some truly fantastic Booktubers I adore to pieces & you should definitely consider checking out:

Julie @PagesandPens

Chelsea @ChelseaDollingReads

Natasha @MyReadingIsOdd

The Challenges:

1. Read a contemporary with orange on the cover

2. Read a dark/spooky contemporary

3. Read a diverse contemporary

4. Read a contemporary in a non-traditional format

5. Read a contemporary that has your initials somewhere on the cover

6. Read a contemporary from a new to you author

7. Read a contemporary that is a 5 star prediction

  Read a contemporary with orange on the cover  What If It’s Us by Becky Albertalli & Adam Silvera Not only is my MOST anticipated Contemporary book of 2018! 😱 One of my top 3 fave authors co-wrote this book! If you’ve been following my blog for some time now, you probably know how much I LOVE Adam Silvera’s books! They always leave me wrecked yet I keep returning for more tear jerking reads. I also think this will be a 5 star read & it also fits the diverse read category as well.

🌟Bonus🌟 One of the MC’s  is Puerto-Rican & therefore this book aligns with Latinx (I sure did change it to be more inclusive) Heritage Month (9/15/2018-10/15/2018) 🖤

Read a dark/spooky contemporary  Sadie by Courtney Summers which I’ve been trying my hardest not to start before the readathon! this book legit checks off so many of my boxes & appeals to my love of Podcasts. It’s been a while since I discovered Serial & the Adnan Syed case, but my time listening/obsessing over each episode is still fresh in my memory. I’ve had a couple of book blogging buddies tell me there is now a podcast to go along with the book & GAHHH! I’m so ready! I have this book in physical format & then used 1 of my Audible credits for the audiobook after hearing some AMAZING things about the narration.

Read a diverse contemporary  The Proposal by Jasmine Guillory  is sort of a companion novel to The Wedding Date (My review) published earlier this year. Carlos, one of the side characters who starred in The Wedding Date had me wishing so hard for a character swap #jussayin 😂 he was way nicer & just all around chivalrous which is something rare. Carlos also IMO has excellent taste in foods 😉

🌟Bonus🌟 Carlos is a Latino Doctor which means this book also book aligns with Latinx (I sure did change it to be more inclusive) Heritage Month (9/15/2018-10/15/2018)

Read a contemporary in a non-traditional format  Blue is The Warmest Color by Julie Maroh is a graphic novel I’ve been meaning to get to since 2017 & never got around to it. I’ve heard it’s best to go into it blind but that it for sure is a tear jerker starring a F/F romance. STOKED to finally have no excuse to not get to this one. I also just found out a movie exists for this story (IMDB) 🖤

Read a contemporary that has your initials somewhere on the cover  The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid & no a longer title I could not find 😂 truth be told, I’ve been DYING to read this for so long. My initials are simple, ‘LB’ or my unmarried initials ‘LL’ can both be found in this title. I’m possibly even more excited to read this one than What If It’s Us. All great books but this is one I’ve owned for so long with the knowledge it’s going to be a 5 star read & that once I read it I won’t be able to experience it for the first time again…anyone else do this? procrastinate with nooks you know will be your next obsession? 😩😂

🌟Bonus🌟  MC is a Cuban bi-sexual woman which makes this one perfect for Latinx (I sure did change it to be more inclusive) Heritage Month (9/15/2018-10/15/2018)

Read a contemporary from a new to you author  Flight or Fight by Samantha Young which I’ll be buddy reading with Melanie from Meltotheany (we’re also BR The Proposal). I admittedly don’t know much about this one other than it’s a cute hate to love contemporary everyone has been buzzing about. This will be my first Samantha Young read & I’m hoping to find a new fave author 🖤

Read a contemporary that is a 5 star prediction  Pride by Ibi Zoboi is one I’ve been highly anticipating! After reading American Street & the short story written by Ibi Zoboi in the YA anthology Meet Cute, I can’t help but want to read everything this author writes. The fact that it takes place in my home city of Brooklyn & that it’s a Pride & Prejudice REMIX (not a retelling 😂) has me HYPED!

🌟Bonus🌟  The MC Zuri Benitez is Afro-Latina….we don’t have no where near enough Afro-Latinx MC’s in our books, so happy to be reading this one for Latinx (I sure did change it to be more inclusive) Heritage Month (9/15/2018-10/15/2018) 🖤

Contemporary-A-Thon takes place from 9/17-9/23, all info to participate can also be found in the Booktube channels listed above. If you are participating in the readathon or just happen to have ready any of the titles I’ll be reading, drop me some luv in the comments down below 🖤

FOLLOW LAIR OF BOOKS ON…

Instagram: @LairOfBooks

Twitter: @LairOfBooks

Goodreads: LairOfBook

    The One Where I Try To Read All The Books… Hey Bookworms! It's Saturday morning when I'm writing this post to go up on Sunday. TBH I had no intentions of making this "Official" I kind of always participate on the low 😂🙈 which is probably because of how high I set the standard for myself & don't always meet it 🤷🏻‍♀️ This time, I wanted a bit of accountability.

[fictionfans]

I’m so excited to read Afro Puffs Are the Antennae of the Universe by @zzclaybourne I found his pitch for it on Twitter (“4 women accidentally create an AI goddess then destroy capitalism w/ the help of a telepathic octopus”) and how could I resist that???? (Spoiler alert: I couldn’t) Now that I have this in my possession it might have to skip to the top of my tbr list 😅 . . . #amreading #bookrecommendations #books #podcast #bookpodcast #goodreads #bibliophile #sff #fiction #booknerd #bookworm #literature #booklover #bookstagram #bookpic #fictionfans #fictionfanspodcast https://www.instagram.com/p/CLe6PH4M2j6/?igshid=10ahhlfv1cbt5