Finished this little gem yesterday and let me tell you, Dr. Daniel Black is simply amazing with his story telling. I’ve never felt so many emotions from reading one book. I felt so close to so many of the characters. From their successes, failures, ridicule and hardships….each moment was heartfelt. It took me a long while to read it because I could only take the book in small increments. I definitely give it a 5 ⭐️ rating. Add this to your list of must reads!!
Tag: reading
February 2018 Book Club Book of the Month: The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
As a Pulitzer Prize Winner, National Book Award Winner, a New York Times bestseller and an Oprah‘s book club selection (among many other awards), The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead is our February Book Club Book of the Month.
Description:
Cora is a young slave on a cotton plantation in Georgia. An outcast even among her fellow Africans, she is on the cusp of womanhood—where greater pain awaits. And so when Caesar, a slave who has recently arrived from Virginia, urges her to join him on the Underground Railroad, she seizes the opportunity and escapes with him. In Colson Whitehead’s ingenious conception, the Underground Railroad is no mere metaphor: engineers and conductors operate a secret network of actual tracks and tunnels beneath the Southern soil. Cora embarks on a harrowing flight from one state to the next, encountering, like Gulliver, strange yet familiar iterations of her own world at each stop. As Whitehead brilliantly re-creates the terrors of the antebellum era, he weaves in the saga of our nation, from the brutal abduction of Africans to the unfulfilled promises of the present day. The Underground Railroad is both the gripping tale of one woman’s will to escape the horrors of bondage—and a powerful meditation on the history we all share.
Super excited to dig into this one!!
Embracing My Blackness
I know…..such an odd title but this has been a bit of a struggle for most of my life. No one is to blame. I had a great upbringing and wouldn’t change a thing about it, however…when you grow up in the suburbs and play softball, you tend to be surrounded by mostly white people. Before growing up in Atlanta, I was raised in south Florida. I remember it being a culture shock when I first moved to Atlanta and being surrounded by successful black people left and right, driving nice cars and being well dressed. I’d never seen this in Florida growing up in Ft. Lauderdale and being in Miami. Black people either drove hoopties and looked much like Trick Daddy or they were middle class but not flashy with their money and cars. Moving here I got my first taste of “I can make it”.
Even though I was in Atlanta….I still lived in the suburbs and played softball. Two factors that kept me in familiar surroundings. On top of this, softball paid my way through college (Santa Fe College in Gainesville, Florida and the College of Charleston in Charleston, SC) and if I wanted to have a chance at bringing home some championships and hardware (which I did)…a mostly white school was the place to go for this particular sport. Again, not complaining. I wouldn’t have changed a thing.
So that leads me to where I am today. We have the Black Lives Matter movement and so many other movements seeking justice for victims, and equality for minorities. Things that bring awareness to black people and our experiences. This got me to thinking.Because I didn’t “grow up black” or attend an HBCU…..I feel I am strongly lacking in the knowledge of our culture and I’m hungry to learn more about my people and where I come from. Because of this, the Book Girl Magic book club was created. I wanted a book club that focused on books by African Americans or are based on African American characters. Outside of that, I’m also going to read more autobiographies about important people of our culture, past and present and books that have had major impact (fiction or non-fiction) on our culture as well.
I’m starting with The Autobiography of Malcolm X: As Told to Alex Haley to jump start my mission, but I’m also looking for recommendations from you. What books do you feel are must reads for black people?
January 2018 Book of the Month
This book has been all the rave this year and it was only right that we kick off 2018 with #THUG….The Hate U Give.
The Hate U Give is a young adult novel by Angie Thomas, that follows a protagonist drawn to activism after she witnesses the police shooting of her unarmed friend.
Description: Starr Carter, a 16-year-old black high school student who witnesses a white police officer shooting her unarmed best friend Khalil. Starr Carter moves between her two worlds: the poor black neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school that she and her brothers attend. The balance of these two worlds collapse when she sees her childhood friend die at the hands of a cop. Everyone wants to know what took place that night and the only person who can answer that is Starr. But the problem is that what Starr says might endanger her life and her home. She must fight for what she believes in despite the given consequences.
Looking forward to digging into to this highly recommended read.
Review: We’re Going to Need More Wine by Gabrielle
I gave this book a 5 ⭐️ rating! Nothing short of amazing from beginning to end. The entire time that I read the book, I felt like I was talking to my big sister. I’ve always been a huge Gabrielle Union fan, so this book for me was the icing on the cake. Every question or thought I’ve had of her from a fans perspective was touched at some point in this book.
I love how real and raw Gabby kept it. Leaving no stones unturned…no matter how much slack she might get in returned. She was extremely vulnerable and that’s really what I like to see from celebrities when they write their own memoirs. This essentially took me to another level of fandom. I wanted to experience most of what she talked about for the first time or all over again if I’d previously done it. And even if I didn’t want to experience it again, I could relate to her many memories. From reading Judy Blume books (and yes, I did purchase ‘Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret.’ to reread and unleash the inner teen in me), to reminiscing on the days of perming my hair (good ‘ol creamy crack) and having a burnt scalp, to my days as an athlete, divorce woes and simply just having the freedom to love myself in the skin that I’m in.
This book was EVERYTHING! It brought me so much joy. Not to mention, Gabrielle/NY and Company also picked up an image of mine last week. Having my photography published means more to me than Gabrielle will ever know. So for many reasons (and personal joys), this book touched me. Thank you Gabrielle for sharing your life with us. Your story is much needed in this world!
Please make sure to pick up your copy ASAP. You can do so here.
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Reading Tips for the Busy Adult
Don’t get overwhelmed with your reading. Especially for those who are just diving into reading for the first time and/or have busy schedules like myself. I wanted to give you some tips on things that can make your reading experiences better. Many of you may not know this, but my love for reading is still fairly new. I only became a reader last year. Here are some things that have helped me along my journey:
• Audiobooks books of possible (check out Playster for unlimited audiobooks for $14.99 a month vs. Audibles 1 credit per month for the same price)
• Carve out 30-60 minutes a day dedicated to just reading (you have 30/31 (sometimes 28/29) days in a month. Pace yourself). Use an app like 30/30 to help you keep on track.
• If you have a hard time focusing on one book, read two at a time so that you can switch things up depending on your mood. This may not be for everyone but it’s helped me at times.
• Only read books that interest you. If you don’t like the book, don’t kill yourself trying to read it. STOP. You can either pick it up later or never again. Either works. lol
• Find a happy place to read. For me it’s usually the comfort of my bed, but lately with Christmas around the corner, I enjoy reading in front of my lit tree and fireplace.
• Lastly…..Relax. Let your mind escape and truly enjoy the book. Leave all stresses, kids, work, family and what tomorrow brings at the door. Be in the moment and be one with the book.
What helps you stay focused when reading a book?
Book Girl Magic is Published on New York & Company
When you ask, He delivers. Words cannot express the feelings stirring inside of me right now to see my work published on this magnitude (over 1M likes) and to have OUR group nationally recognized. There’s no doubt in my mind that God’s hands are all over Book Girl Magic!!
#Blessed Matthew 7:7
Review: The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl by Issa Rae
I was super excited to dive into this book because Issa Rae has become one of my favorite television actresses over the past year or so. Her personality is so contagious so I just KNEW her book was going to bring me the same joy.
I’m rating this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 stars). Only because there were a few down moments in the book and I wished it had gone into detail on her success from her web series to her HBO hot show. Maybe that will be covered in her next book. Overall it was a great read. I found myself even laughing out loud a few times throughout. She’s funny and of course awkward, but aren’t we all? I especially related to her on many parts of her journey because Issa is a year younger than myself. A lot of the timeframes and references to music brought me back to the same places in my life.
Definitely a feel good type of book. I enjoyed how raw she was, her awkwardness, the occasional curse word and her ability to embrace it all.
December 2017 Book of the Month
We’re Going to Need More Wine: Stories That Are Funny, Complicated, and True by Gabrielle Union
Especially excited to dive into December’s book in the coming days so go ahead and start making your purchases. This will be the last memoir that we read for a while as I put together the 2018 list of reads for us.
Description:
In the spirit of Amy Poehler’s Yes Please, Lena Dunham’s Not That Kind of Girl, and Roxane Gay’s Bad Feminist, a powerful collection of essays about gender, sexuality, race, beauty, Hollywood, and what it means to be a modern woman.
‘She’s Gotta Have It’
Taking a break from reading and decided to check out the new Spike Lee Netflix series ‘She’s Gotta Have It’. This is a must see series, especially as a single woman.
Summary: Nola’s story is simple enough: She is trying to do exactly what she wants, exactly when she wants. She wants to date three men at the same time, but in their own ways, Greer (Cleo Anthony), Jaime (Lyriq Beats), and Mars (Anthony Ramos) hold her back. (And though their mannered, stereotypical poses are sometimes irritating, it’s even less interesting when they’re given backstory; only Nola, and her gravitational pull, really feel vital to the plot.) The bewitching thing about “She’s Gotta Have It” — show and film — is how simple Nola’s desire ought to be, and yet how complex and even dangerous it becomes. Even in the show’s richly evoked modern Brooklyn, arguably one of the most progressive spaces in the world, Nola’s life in the city is a frustrating maze of obstacles and barriers.
I love everything about Nola Darling. How she’s fighting for her identity and the right to just simply be. Be a single woman making her own choices and living the life of her wildest dreams. It resonates with who I am today. I’m no longer seek the approval of others (especially from men), as I’ve done for so many years and my focus is building my dreams and my very own empire. Free flowing, artistic, good vibes and lots of sex explains Nola Darling in a nutshell. Oh. sand let’s add won’t put up with any bullshit to the list. It’s truly empowering to watch.
Check out the series for yourself. I promise that you won’t be disappointed.
Book Girl Magic 