#jason woodson

[illusivesoulgaming]

Some Cold War memes

[ackb]

2022 Reading Challenge Report

Creating this spread in my journal has become a highlight of my year. Past efforts are here: 2019, 2020, 2021. Each year I spend a little more time on my mini cover drawings and each year I'm a little happier with how they turned out.

My reading goal for the year was 100 books and I barely made it: 101. I had to really book it to reach my goal (heh, see what I did there)

Some years it's sort of hard to pick my "Best Books", but this year it was relatively easy. Eight books in particular really stood out. I could have just left it at eight, but there were two additional authors that I came across this year that I read several books by and am quite sure I will continue gobbling up their oeuvres as long as I can. (I've never in my life seen that word as a plural—can that be right?) So as a 9th pick, I just named them both: Ashley Herring Blake and Alexis Hall. I read several of Blake's books this year that would have absolutely changed my life if they'd been around when I was a kid/teen and Hall is here because literally everything he writes is fucking hilarious.

The full list with metrics are after the jump:

My top 8 and other stand outs are in bold below

Non-Fiction (23)

Star Child: A Biographical Constellation of Octavia Estelle Butler, Ibi Zoboi

How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America, Kiese Laymon

(gn) The Drawing Lesson, Mark Crilley

The Art of Visual Notetaking: An Interactive Guide to Visual Communication and Sketchnoting, Emily Mills

(gn) Windows on the World, Robert Mailer Anderson, Jon Sack, Zack Anderson

All Boys Aren't Blue, George M. Johnson

Black Widow: A Sad-Funny Journey Through Grief for People Who Normally Avoid Books with Words Like "Journey" in the Title, Leslie Gray Streeter

(gn) WE HEREBY REFUSE: Japanese American Resistance to Wartime Incarceration, Frank Abe, Tamiko Nimura, Matt Sasaki (Illustrator), Ross Ishikawa (Illustrator)

(gn) Wake: The Hidden History of Women-Led Slave Revolts, Rebecca Hall, Hugo Martinez (Illustrator)

(gn) Kid Gloves: Nine Months of Careful Chaos, Lucy Knisley

(gn) Foundations of Chinese Civilization: The Yellow Emperor to the Han Dynasty, Jing Liu

Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company that Addicted America, Beth Macy

Unbound: My Story of Liberation and the Birth of the Me Too Movement, Tarana Burke

(gn) Go to Sleep (I Miss You): Cartoons from the Fog of New Parenthood, Lucy Knisley

Notes on Grief, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

(gn) The Black Panther Party: A Graphic Novel History, David F. Walker, Marcus Kwame Anderson (Illustrations)

BLUU Notes: An Anthology of Love, Justice, and Liberation, Takiyah Nur Amin, Mykal Slack, eds.

(gn) Passport, Sophia Glock

Revolution in Our Time: The Black Panther Party's Promise to the People, Kekla Magoon

(pb) Nicky & Vera: A Quiet Hero of the Holocaust and the Children He Rescued, Peter Sís

Refugee High: Coming of Age in America, Elly Fishman

(pb) Afghan Dreams: Young Voices of Afghanistan, Tony O'Brien, Mike Sullivan

(pb) Wishes, Mượn Thị Văn, Victo Ngai (Illustrator)

Fiction (59)

Red at the Bone, Jacqueline Woodson

American Street, Ibi Zoboi

Husband Material, Alexis Hall

Rise to the Sun, Leah Johnson

(gn) The Last Session, vol. 1, Jasmine Walls, Dozerdraws (Illustrations)

The Galaxy, and the Ground Within, Becky Chambers

(gn) The Montague Twins: The Devil's Music, Nathan Page, Drew Shannon (Illustrations)

Record of a Spaceborn Few, Becky Chambers

Something Fabulous, Alexis Hall

Honey Girl, Morgan Rogers

(gn) Fantasmas, Raina Telgemeier

Purple Hibiscus, Chimamanda Ngoni Adichie

The Violence, Delilah S. Dawson

(gn) Coven, Jennifer Dugan, Kit Seaton (Illustrations)

Children of God, Mary Doria Russell (re-read)

Boyfriend Material, Alexis Hall

Skye Falling, Mia McKenzie

Liar & Spy, Rebecca Stead

The Sparrow, Mary Doria Russell (re-read)

A Psalm for the Wild Built, Becky Chambers

(gn) Oddball: Sarah Scribbles #4, Sarah Andersen

Girl Made of Stars, Ashley Herring Blake

Everything, Everything, Nicola Yoon

A Closed and Common Orbit, Becky Chambers

(gn) Slaughter House Five, Ryan North (adaptor), Kurt Vonnegut Jr., Albert Monteys (Illustrations)

Pretend I'm Dead, Jen Beagin

(gn) The Crossover, Kwame Alexander Dawud Anyabwile (Illustrations)

Don't Check Out This Book, Kate Klise, Sarah Klise (Illustrations)

Light From Uncommon Stars, Ryka Aoki

The Mighty Heart of Sunny St. James, Ashley Herring Blake

Hang the Moon, Alexandria Bellefleur

(gn) Alice in Leatherland, Iolanda Zanfardino, Elisa Romboli (Illustrator)

Ivy Aberdeen's Letter to the World, Ashley Herring Blake

Delilah Green Doesn't Care, Ashley Herring Blake

The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls, Anissa Gray

(gn) Across a Field of Starlight, Blue Delliquanti

Ain't Burned All the Bright, Jason Reynolds, Jason Griffin (Illustrator)

Count Your Lucky Stars, Alexandria Bellefleur

I Kissed Shara Wheeler, Casey McQuiston

(gn) The Bride Was a Boy, Chii, Beni Axia Conrad (Translator)

Payback's a Witch, Lana Harper

The School for Good Mothers, Jessamine Chan

(gn) The Sacrifice of Darkness, Roxane Gay, Tracy Lynne Oliver, Rebecca Kirby, James Fenner

Read Between the Lines, Rachel Lacey

The Ex-Girlfriend of My Ex-Girlfriend Is My Girlfriend: Advice on Queer Dating, Love, and Friendship, Maddy Court, Kelsey Wroten (Illustrations)

(gn) A Shadow in RiverClan, Erin Hunter

How to Find a Princess, Alyssa Cole

The Girl in the Well is Me, Karen Rivers

American Spy, Lauren Wilkinson

Stay With Me, Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀

(gn) Be Gay, Do Comics, Matt Bors, ed.

(gn) Cheer Up: Love and Pompoms, Crystal Frasier, Val Wise (Illustrator)

The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet, Becky Chambers

This Winter, Alice Oseman

The Bookish Life of Nina Hill, Abbi Waxman

(gn) Stone Fruit, Lee Lai

Heartstopper, vol. 4, Alice Oseman

(gn) Squad, Maggie Tokuda-Hall, Lisa Sterle (Illustrator)

(gn) Shadow Life, Hiromi Goto, Ann Xu (Illustrations)

Read with the kids and/or for Homeschool planning (19)

Front Desk, Kelly Yang

The Midwife's Apprentice, Karen Cushman

(pb) Blue: A History of the Color as Deep as the Sea and as Wide as the Sky, Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond, Daniel Minter (Illustrator)

The Wednesday Wars, Gary D. Schmidt

(gn) Twelfth Grade Night, Molly Horton Booth, Stephanie Kate Strohm, Jamie Green (Illustrator)

(gn) The History of Western Art in Comics Part One: From Prehistory to the Renaissance, Marion Augustin, Bruno Heitz (Illustrations)

(gn) Magical History Tour #4: The Crusades, Fabrice Erre, Sylvain Savoia (Illustrator)

A Year Down Yonder, Richard Peck (re-read)

A Long Way from Chicago, Richard Peck (re-read)

The Amber Spyglass, Philip Pullman (re-read)

The Night Diary, Veera Hiranandani

The Subtle Knife, Philip Pullman (re-read)

(pb) Prisoners of Geography, Children's Ed.: Our World Explained in 12 Simple Maps, Tim Marshall

The Great Brain at the Academy, John D. Fitzgerald

(pb) The 1619 Project: Born on the Water, Nikole Hannah-Jones, Renée Watson, Nikkolas Smith (Illustrator)

(pb) Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre, Carole Boston Weatherford, Floyd Cooper (Illustrator)

The Whale Rider, Witi Ihimaera

(pb) Mr. Watson's Chickens, Jarrett Dapier, Andrea Tsurumi (Illustrator)

The Golden Compass, Philip Pullman (re-read)

(gn) = graphic novel or graphic novel format (pb) = picture book

I read 101 books this year

Authors of color: 40 Black authors: 28 Cis-women, trans & nonbinary authors: 73 Graphic novels: 34 Queer characters: 47 (34 main characters) Audiobooks: 22 Picture books: 8

Read 25 Books by Black Women Authors: Only read 23

I think next year I won't do the Black Women Authors challenge. I hope I will still read as many or at least a significant number of books by Black women, and I think it's a really great idea. I'm going to resist doing it this year, though, because I noticed a crummy impulse in myself as I was keeping track of the books, like I was "getting credit" for reading books in this category and that feels kinda gross. We'll see how I do without striving for a cookie.

I would like to read more picture books in 2023, and maybe be a little choosier about the graphic novels I read. I really love graphic novels, but I read some clunkers this year. I was also pretty light on nonfiction and I'd like to read a little more this year. In any case, I know it will be another great year of reading! See you next year!

[aficionadoenthusiast]

Happy Black History Month!

Today is Feb. 1, which means for the US, it is the start of Black History Month.

I'm not going to pretend I know anything about what it's like to be Black in the US, but what I can do is give a brief summary of history.

About 250 years ago, the US became a country. Freedom was it's motto, but the majority of its population was forced to watch the freedom of the white man from afar.

Slaves were only counted as 3/5 of a person, and this was considered a courtesy because the South wanted more votes in Congress, but the North fought even the 3/5 Compromise since this would give the South more power in legislation.

It wasn't for another several decades that American slaves were finally given a chance at freedom, but first the then Republican Party had to fight the Mason-Dixon line, the 1850 Compromise, voter fraud, and so many other kinds of push back that the South receded and started a war before slaves were finally free.

But that's not the end of story. African-Americans were still exploited, lynched, harassed, and discriminated against, problems that are still not fixed.

After the Civil War came sharecropping, basically another form of slavery.

Next was Jim Crow.

Then Plessy v. Ferguson.

There were victories. The 13th Amendment officially outlawed slavery; the 14th gave all male citizens equal rights; and the 15th established franchise for all male citizens.

But they weren't perfect. Jim Crow laws did their best to keep Black people from voting, and Plessy v. Ferguson made sure segregation allowed equal rights to die.

Future laws would help, but nothing could stop racism from groups like the KKK from killing Black people practically unencumbered.

Thankfully, the Civil Rights Movement, led by Martin Luther King Jr., would ignite a fire in Black Americans and sympathizers that would result in several successful fights against segregation and the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Things would continue to improve as more and more people realized that racism is horrible and disgusting, but white privilege remains a problem to this day, most recently in George Floyd's death and several others like it.

Everyday, thousands of people turn to groups like BLM to fight for equal rights, and everyday, progress is made.

But equality will never be reached unless everyone works for it.

The road to equality is a marathon, and we're not finished.

Here are some resources for anyone who wants to learn about Black History:

https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/black-history-milestones

https://blacklivesmatter.com/

Here are some books and other media that highlight Black History and the Black Experience:

The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas as well as her other books (book)

The Field Guide to the North American Teenager by Ben Philippe as well as his other books (book)

To Kill a Mockingbird and Go Set a Watchmen by Harper Lee (book)

All American Boys by Brendan Kiely and Jason Reynolds (book)

42 starring Chadwick Boseman (film)

Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson as well as her other books (book)

Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly (book and movie)

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

Black Birds in the Sky by Brandy Colbert

"Letter from Birmingham Jail" by Martin Luther King Jr. (link)

This is a list of 50 books about race or feature Black protagonists

Here are some more obscure people who were active in Civil Rights:

Jesse Owens

Dred Scott

Bayard Rustin

Toussaint Louverture

Here's a list of 24

Thank you for reading, and please go advocate!

[lboogie1906]

RonReaco Lee (August 27, 1977) is a television and film actor known for his roles as Tyreke Scott on Sister, Sister, and as Jamal Woodson on Let’s Stay Together. He starred as Reggie Vaughn on Survivor’s Remorse.

He was born in Decatur, Illinois, and moved to Atlanta at age 9. He began his acting career in 1983 as the host of Kid’s Beat. His early work consisted of minor roles in films and television, but after being cast as a mute drummer in Glory, his career blossomed.

He began receiving many guest-starring roles on television shows such as In the Heat of the Night. He guest-starred in 413 Hope St. and Home Improvement. He guest-starred on Moesha as Tate in the episode “Let’s Talk About Sex.” He continued his long string of guest-starring roles on ER playing the character of Davis.

He guest-starred in Boston Public. He was seen in All About the Andersons and in The Shield, as well as the award-winning Monk. He received a recurring role as wheelchair user Todd in Committed. He recurred as Chris on Girlfriends. He appeared as David on Worst Week and played the role of Jason, Emily’s husband, on Motherhood.

For his work on Survivor’s Remorse, he received two NAACP Image Award nominations for Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series. He portrayed Gary, an unfaithful teacher cheating on his wife, in First Wives Club. He recurred on Queens as the husband of Eve’s character. He appeared as Chester Sayers in Paris. Lee next played Omar in The Return of Swamp Thing. He appeared as Chester Sayers in Paris Trout.

He took on a major role as Perry in the film How I Spent My Summer Vacation. He appeared in Fire & Ice. He acted in Jacked Up. He portrayed Ben in Killer Diller.

He co-starred as Reggie in Guess Who. He played the character of Blaine in Americanizing Shelley. He portrayed Chuck, a lawyer, in Madea Goes to Jail. He appeared as a drug dealer in Coffee & Kareem.

He now plays Miles in a play about HIV/AIDS called What You Don’t Know Can Kill You. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

[soldier-requests]

Hello! I'm looking for some masculine name ideas for a Sniper-kin ; if you want to experiment with making it earth/forest/canine themed that'd be really swag

hello!! wasn’t too sure about how masc some of these names feel, but i hope you find something you like regardless!

there's not as much as i normally end up doing, but it's still quite the list so i put them under the cut 👍.

acacia

acacius

ace

ackley

acorn

affie

alaska

alfie

alpine

arbor

arc

archer

archie

arctic

aries

arthur

artus

ash

asher

ashford

ashton

aster

atlas

august

augustin(e)

augustus

avens

avery

bandit

baron

basil

bass

basset

bay

bear

beaumont

beck

beetle

ben

bengal

benji

benny

bentley

benton

berry

birch

birk

blackjack

blaze

blue

blume

bo, boe

bolt

bone

boomer

borage

border

boxer

bracker

bracket

bramble

briar

brick

brin

brock

bryce

bryn

buck

bud

bull

burr

bush

busher

bushie, bushy

butch

buzz

caelum, caylum

callum

cane, kane

canid

canine

canyon

cas

casey

caspian

cedar

cerberus

charcoal

charlie

cheddar

chen

chez

chow

cider

ciel

cinder

citrine

citron

citrus

clay

clement

cliff

cloud

coal

coast

cobalt

cobolt

cocoa

collie

colt

columbine

columbo

columbus

conan

cooper

copper

cove

coy

coyote

crane

crimson

crispin

crow

curry

cyan

cypress

dagwood

dak

dakota, dakoda

dale

dane

dante

darrah

darren

darrow

david

dawson

deacon

dean

declan

den

denis, denys

deniz

denver

derry

dhole

digger

dill

dingo

dipper

douglas

drake

duff(y)

duke

dulce

dune

dusk

dust

dustin

dusty

dutch

dutchen

east

eden

elvis

elwood

emerald

emerson

emery

everest

everett

evergreen

falcon

fallon

fang

farley

fennec

fennel

fergus

fews

fin, finn

finch

finley, finnley

fir

firth

fish

fisher

flax

flint

florence

florent

flynn

ford

forest

forester

frank

frankie

franklin

fraser, frazier, frasier, frazer

frost

gale(n)

gardner

gene

genesis

ginger

goldie

grain

grey, gray

grove(s)

hades

harvest

hawk(e)

hazel

heath

hercules

hive

holland

hound

hugo

hum

hummer

hunt

hunter

huntie, hunty

jack

jackal

jackie, jacky

jason

jasper

jay

jett

joey

jove

july

june

juniper

juno

jupiter

kai

kale

kestrel

kip

kippy, kippie

koa

koi

lake

lark

leo

loch

locust

lodge

lotis

lotus

lucky

lumen

lupin(e)

lupis

mace

magnus

mane(d)

mango

march

marley

marlow

marsh

marshal(l)

matchbox

maverick

max

meek

meer

merlin

mickey

mint(y)

mob(y)

moose

morgan

morris

moses

moss

mossy, mossie

nash

nasher

nicholas

noble

norman

north

nox

oak

oakie

odie

odin

oleander

olive(r)

olivier

ollie

oto

otter

otto

ottoman

packet(t)

pear

percival

percy

perry

perseus

picard

pickle

pine

pongo

prairie

prince

red, redd

reed, reid

ren

rhodes

rhody

ridge

rock(e)

rocky, rockie

roman

ronat

rook

root

rory

rover

rudy

rune

russel

salmon

samsun, samson

scruff

scruffy, scruffie

silver

silvester

skylark

smokey

sol

solei(l)

solomon

sorrel

south

spade

sparrow

spot

spruce

stag

sterling

stone

sun

sunray

talon

tawny

terran

terro

terry, terrie

theo

thistle

thor

thyme

titan

toms

trip

tunnel

turtle

velvet

vulp

vulpes

wade

wane

warbler

wax

waxer

weaver

wells

west

whistler

winston

wolf(e)

wood

woodrow

woodson

woody, woodie

york

zeus

[insidethestardc]

Cowboys rebound in 2005 with winning record After a major step backward the year before, Dallas went to work on getting back to a winning record. Despite losing the team’s all-time leading tackler in Darren Woodson, the Cowboys improved the ... #DallasCowboys

[foreverlostinliterature]

2/5 Book Deals

Good morning and happy Friday, everyone! It has been a hot minute since I’ve had a chance to share some books on sale, but I’m back and ready to share some awesome books. :) I started my final semester of grad school a couple weeks ago and it’s been crazy, but I’m hoping things will start to mellow out a little bit in the coming weeks, haha (she says knowing they won’t). How are you all doing!? I hope you’re all happy (or at least working towards that and finding joy wherever you can!) and staying safe. :) Anything new and exciting going on? Or anything not exciting? Feel free to let me know!

There’s a huge mix of books on sale, from nonfiction to fiction to a smattering of fantasy (actually, I think there’s only like one true fantasy on this list!? who am I?) and all that jazz, so be sure to have a look if you’re in need of some new reading material! 

I hope you all have a fantastic day and weekend--happy reading! :D

Today’s Deals:

Black Girl in Love (with Herself) by Trey Anthony - https://amzn.to/3rrbP3u

A Drop of Midnight: A Memoir by Jason Diakite - https://amzn.to/3pSgXNN

Halsey Street by Naima Coster - https://amzn.to/3awT1Je

Emergency Skin by N.K. Jemisin - https://amzn.to/2MZ1DAk

The Warner Boys: Our Family's Story of Autism by Ann & Curt Warner - https://amzn.to/2O5UH4N

Before Her by Jacqueline Woodson - https://amzn.to/3rsFE3M

A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah -https://amzn.to/3oSelOu

The Blood of Emmett Till by Timothy B. Tyson - https://amzn.to/39SKEbM

Lila by Naima Coster - https://amzn.to/3pRUn7X

Return to the Enchanted Island by Johary Ravaloson - https://amzn.to/3cH3oNi

Killing Commendatore by Haruki Murakami - https://amzn.to/3jk2irY

The Magicians by Lev Grossman - https://amzn.to/3pRXtZn

Invisible: How Young Women with Serious Health Issues Navigate Work, Relationships, and the Pressure to Seem Just Fine by Michele Lent Hirsch - https://amzn.to/2MWbV43

Devil in the Grove: Thurgood Marshall, the Groveland Boys, and the Dawn of a New America Kindle Edition by Gilbert King - https://amzn.to/3tyqTye

The Lost Daughter by Gill Paul - https://amzn.to/3rtINQu

The Girl in the Mirror by Rose Carlyle - https://amzn.to/3aANwJE

Zero Zone by Scott O'Connor - https://amzn.to/36Lkp58

The Silent Treatment by Abbie Greaves  - https://amzn.to/3rmgWSv

Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West by Dee Brown - https://amzn.to/39RSPVH

Paper Wife by Laila Ibrahim - https://amzn.to/39PRK0x

The Best American Noir of the Century edited by James Ellroy & Otto Penzler - https://amzn.to/3rnH6nQ

NOTE:  I am categorizing these book deals posts under the tag #bookdeals, so if you don’t want to see them then just block that tag and you should be good. I am an Amazon affiliate in addition to a Book Depository affiliate and will receive a small (but very much needed!)  commission on any purchase made through these links.

[afroeditions]

[heleneaquilladefensesquad]

happy book birthday to “How I Resist: Activism and Hope for the Next Generation”, a compilation of essays edited by Maureen Johnson🎉

[yoyo12x13]

UFC Fight Night results, analysis — No coach, no problem for Mike Perry LAS VEGAS -- Mike Perry wasn't trolling after all. True to his word, Perry went into Saturday's welterweight contest against…

[journalonline24]

Dustin Poirier defeats Dan Hooker by unanimous decision in Fight of the Year candidate LAS VEGAS -- Mike Perry wasn't trolling after all. True to his word, Perry went into Saturday's welterweight contest against…

[truessences]

Check out this list I made featuring YA books written by black authors featuring black characters!

[ginnyweaslays]

80 Young Adult Books by Black Authors

Supporting Black authors is something that I definitely need to start doing more, so I’ve compiled a list of 80 YA books by Black authors. I’m putting the ones that I’ve read at the top in bold, and the rest will be books that I have looked up and have put on my list to read. I can’t do much to change what’s going on in our world right now, but I can do my part to support the Black community in any way that I can. These are in no particular order and please feel free to add more!

On The Come Up by Angie Thomas

With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo

The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

Calling My Name by Liara Tamani

Dear Martin by Nic Stone

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds

The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon

Let’s Talk About Love by Claire Kann

Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo

Allegedly by Tiffany D. Jackson

Odd One Out by Nic Stone

Jackpot by Nic Stone

Dear Justyce by Nic Stone - coming out 9/29/20

Children of Virtue and Vengeance by Tomi Adeyemi

Oh My Gods by Alexandra Sheppard

Black Enough: Stories of Being Young and Black in America edited by Ibi Zoboi

Love Me or Miss Me: Hot Girl, Bad Boy by Dream Jordan

Spin by Lamar Giles

Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James

Watch Us Rise by Renee Watson and Ellen Hagan

Opposite of Always by Justin A. Reynolds

The Belles Series by Dhonielle Clayton

The Weight of the Stars by K. Ancrum

Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams

Let Me Hear a Rhyme by Tiffany D. Jackson

The Voice in My Head by Dana L. Davis

I Wanna Be Where You Are by Kristina Forest

The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta

The Evolution of Birdie Randolph by Brandy Colbert

Dear Haiti, Love Alaine by Maika and Maritza Moulite

Kingdom of Souls by Rena Barron

A Blade So Black by L.L. McKinney

A Dream So Dark by L.L. McKinney

Full Disclosure by Camryn Garrett

The Forgotten Girl by India Hill Brown

Tyler Johnson Was Here by Jay Coles

Piecing Me Together by Renee Watson

Solo by Kwame Alexander

A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morrow

By Any Means Necessary by Candid Montgomery

War Girls by Tochi Onyebuchi

Light It Up by Kekla Magoon

Who Put This Song On? by Morgan Parker

Monday’s Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson

Finding Yvonne by Brandy Colbert

Learning to Breathe by Janice Lynn Mather

I am Alfonso Jones by Tony Medina

The Stars Beneath Our Feet by David Barclay Moore

Ghost by Jason Reynolds

X: A Novel by Ilyasah Shabazz

The Boy in the Black Suit by Jason Reynolds

How It Went Down by Kekla Magoon

Dread Nation by Justina Ireland

Deathless Divide by Justina Ireland

Not So Pure and Simple by Lamar Giles

The Field Guide to the North American Teenager by Ben Philippe

Monster by Walter Dean Myers

Pride by Ibi Zoboi

Opposite Of Always by Justin A. Reynolds

Buried Beneath The Baobab Tree by Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani

The Effigies Series by Sarah Raughley

Well-Read Black Girl: Finding Our Stories, Discovering Ourselves by Glory Edim

Such A Fun Age by Kiley Reid

I Almost Forgot About You by Terry McMillan

Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

What Is Not Yours Is Not Yours by Helen Oyeyemi

A Phoenix First Must Burn: Sixteen Stories of Black Girl Magic, Resistance, and Hope edited by Patrice Caldwell

This Is My America by Kim Johnson

Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam

If You Come Softly by Jacqueline Woodson

Nightmare of the Clans by Pamela E. Cash

Black Boy, White School by Brian F. Walker

Behind You by Jacqueline Woodson

Hush by Jacqueline Woodson

Tiffany Sly Lives Here Now by Dana L. Davis

Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson

[clonerightsagenda]

#recently read 11/21

Now We Will Be Happy by Amina Gautier. Sometimes interconnected short stories featuring Puerto Ricans on the island and on the mainland.

No Gods, No Monsters by Cadwell Turnbull. A video of a police shooting reveals that people with magical abilities have been living among us. But as more reveal themselves and society reacts, one question arises: what’s driving them out of the shadows?

Hell of a Book by Jason Mott. A Black author on a book tour is visited by a Black child no one else can see in a story about family, grief, police violence, and self-love.

We Had a Little Real Estate Problem by Kliph Nesteroff. An exploration of Native comedy and comedians in the United States and Canada.

Another Brooklyn by Jacqueline Woodson. A woman is haunted by the memories of her family and her three childhood friends growing up in 70s Brooklyn.

The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones. Four Blackfeet men are hunted by the vengeful spirit of an elk they killed 10 years ago. Horror, warning for violence, gore, and human and animal death.

Warmth: Coming of Age at the End of Our World by Daniel Sherrell. A memoir about living with climate change written as a letter from the writer to a child he can’t decide if he ought to ever have. 

Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law by Mary Roach. It’s a Mary Roach book; what else needs to be said. Get ready for bear bandits, professional tree exploders, and The Chicken Gun. 

[nanowrimo]

With you in solidarity.

Hi writers,

The past many days have seen extraordinary protests across the United States and around the world in support of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, David McAtee, and so many more unarmed Black Americans who are killed by police officers, without immediate and meaningful justice.

We've sent a couple of messages that have included anti-racist books and reading lists and suggested organizations that could use your donations right now. We'll include a few more links below.

We've gotten some questions from writers in our community who ask why we're getting involved here, even in our small way.

We're involved because we love and care about Black people.

We're involved because we want to help remove all obstacles to writing creatively, meaningfully, and joyfully. Time, money, and energy are obstacles for all writers that we talk about all the time, and white supremacy, racism, and bigotry make these obstacles loom even larger.

We're involved because we feel a responsibility to challenge our own assumptions and learn more about white supremacy culture and anti-Blackness in the United States, past and present, so that we can avoid further contributing to those legacies.

Our mission statement includes the goal to create a better, more creative world. Thank you for bringing all of your imagination, perseverance, and empathy as we work together to try to do that. We love you very much.

—The NaNoWriMo Staff

Resources

If you're able, you could donate to the Black Visions Collective, or the Louisville Community Bail Fund. Reclaim the Block, a Minneapolis-based community organization, is maintaining a list of organizations in Minneapolis you may want to support here. Autostraddle also has a list of bail funds by state, or you can make a donation to be split across 70+ bail funds here.

A group of authors, including many who have participated in or partnered with NaNoWriMo over the years, is holding a virtual #KidLit Rally for Black Lives on Thursday, June 4, at 7 PM ET. The rally will be led by Jason Reynolds, Kwame Alexander, and Jacqueline Woodson.

The End of Policing is a book about the history of modern policing, how it currently functions, and potential alternatives to help create safe and just communities. It's being offered for free as an ebook by Verso Books.

Here's a list of books you can buy to learn more about racism. If you buy here, Bookshop will donate additional funds to the Brooklyn Community Bail Fund, the Minnesota Freedom Fund, and the family of George Floyd.

One of our Wrimos, Rachel Werner, reached out to share that she's offering a class this June called "Reading—and Writing—Diverse KidLit & YA" if you're interested.

We've loved working with many writing-related organizations led and staffed by Black people and other people of color. Check out We Need Diverse Books, POC in Publishing, and Writing With Color.

If you're a parent, here's are some suggestions and books to start conversations with your children around race and protest. Here's another great list of children's books from EmbraceRace. The Brown Bookshelf has also kicked off their summer reading initiative, Generations Book Club.

[quietya]

Black Lives Matter: A Reading List

On this blog, we believe Black Lives Matter. I’ve been quiet here because I’ve just been absorbing and listening and loud on other platforms. But I wanted to take the time and share some books by Black authors that may not be on your radar, books besides The Hate U Give and Dear Martin and Children of Blood and Bone (though I hope you’re reading those too, you’ve probably heard of them at this point). It also won’t just be books about Black pain because Black people have a huge range of experiences and they all deserve to be heard.

All the links in this post will go to Mahogany Books, a Black owned bookstore in Washington, D.C. that does ship. If I can’t find it on their website, the link will go to Semicolon Bookstore, another Black owned indie bookstore, this one located in Chicago’s, Bookshop page. Please note that many books are currently backordered because there’s a huge rush on books by Black authors (especially anti-racist books) right now and there was already a paper shortage and delays in printing because of COVID-19. If that’s the case, check your local library’s digital resources or check other bookstores since they all have varying stock.

Non-Fiction

We Are Not Yet Equal by Carol Anderson and Tonya Bolden Say Her Name by Zetta Elliott This Book is Anti-Racist by Tiffany Jewell and Aurelia Durand All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson Stamped by Ibram X. Kendi and Jason Reynolds Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson

Contemporary and Historical

Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo Solo by Kwame Alexander and Mary Rand Hess The Wicker King by K. Ancrum Inventing Victoria by Tonya Bolden Saving Savannah by Tonya Bolden Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender This is Kind of an Epic Love Story by Kacen Callender Finding Yvonne by Brandy Colbert Little and Lion by Brandy Colbert Pointe by Brandy Colbert The Revolution of Birdie Randolph by Brandy Colbert The Voting Booth by Brandy Colbert Tyler Johnson Was Here by Jay Coles Tiffany Sly Lives Here Now by Dana L. Davis The Voice in My Head by Dana L. Davis When the Stars Lead to You by Ronni Davis I Wanna Be Where You Are by Kristina Forest Now That I’ve Found You by Kristina Forest Full Disclosure by Camryn Garrett Endangered by Lamar Giles Fake ID by Lamar Giles Not So Pure and Simple by Lamar Giles Overturned by Lamar Giles Spin by Lamar Giles A Love Hate Thing by Whitney D. Grandison Allegedly by Tiffany D. Jackson Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson Let Me Hear a Rhyme by Tiffany D. Jackson Monday’s Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson This is My America by Kim Johnson You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson I’m Not Dying with You Tonight by Kim Jones and Gilly Segal If It Makes You Happy by Claire Kann Let’s Talk About Love by Claire Kann 37 Things I Love (In No Particular Order) by Kekla Magoon How It Went Down by Kekla Magoon Light It Up by Kekla Magoon By Any Means Necessary by Candice Montgomery Home and Away by Candice Montgomery Slay by Brittney Morris Dear Haiti, Love Alaine by Maika Moulite and Maritza Moulite Who Put This Song On? by Morgan Parker The Field Guide to the North American Teenager by Ben Philippe Girls Like Us by Randi Pink Sorry Not Sorry by Jaime Reed All-American Boys by Jason Reynolds The Boy in the Black Suit by Jason Reynolds For Every One by Jason Reynolds Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds Look Both Ways by Jason Reynolds When I Was the Greatest by Jason Reynolds Opposite of Always by Justin A. Reynolds Truly Madly Royally by Debbie Rigaud The Blossom and the Firefly by Sherri L. Smith Flygirl by Sherri L. Smith Jackpot by Nic Stone Odd One Out by Nic Stone All the Things We Never Knew by Liara Tamani Calling My Name by Liara Tamani On the Come Up by Angie Thomas Piecing Me Together by Renee Watson This Side of Home by Renee Watson Watch Us Rise by Renee Watson and Ellen Hagan The Beauty That Remains by Ashley Woodfolk When You Were Everything by Ashley Woodfolk If You Come Softly by Jacqueline Woodson The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon American Street by Ibi Zoboi Black Enough edited by Ibi Zoboi Pride by Ibi Zoboii

Sci-Fi and Fantasy Daughters of Nri by Reni K. Amayo The Weight of the Stars by K. Ancrum Kingdom of Souls by Rena Barron Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron Black Girl Unlimited by Echo Brown A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Roseanne A. Brown A Phoenix First Must Burn edited by Patrice Caldwell The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton Mirage by Somaiya Daud The Good Luck Girls by Charlotte Nicole Davis The Sound of Stars by Alechia Dow Pet by Akwaeke Emezi Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko Dread Nation by Justina Ireland Love is the Drug by Alaya Dawn Johnson The Summer Prince by Alaya Dawn Johnson A River of Royal Blood by Amanda Joy A Blade So Black by L.L. McKinney Agnes at the End of the World by Kelly McWilliams The Black Veins by Ashia Monet A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morrow Akata Witch by Nendi Okorafor Shadowshaper by Danielle Jose Older Beasts Made of Night by Tochi Onyebuchi War Girls by Tochi Onyebuchi Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige Orleans by Sherri L. Smith Given by Nandi Taylor

This isn’t a complete list and I probably missed a bunch - especially since this list is very focused on mainstream publishing. I also added a few books that aren’t out yet, but are coming out this summer. But this is a starting place for whatever kind of YA book you want to read.