Author: Katisha Smith

[2/24] Read This Book: THE WEDDING DATE by Jasmine Guillory

Post author By Katisha Smith
Post date February 23, 2021

Sponsored by Saga Press, publisher of THE RUSSIAN CAGE.

Charlaine Harris, the New York Times bestselling author of the Sookie Stackhouse novels, is back with an all-new alternate history thriller, The Russian Cage (on sale Feb. 23). This new book in her Gunnie Rose series gives readers everything they adore from Charlaine Harris—romance, thrills, supernatural—and takes Lizbeth Rose, her “sharp-as-nails, can-do heroine,” on a new adventure from the American west to the Holy Russian Empire.

Welcome to Read This Book, the newsletter where I recommend a book you should add to your TBR, STAT! I stan variety in all things, and my book recommendations will be no exception. These must-read books will span genres and age groups. There will be new releases, oldie but goldies from the backlist, and the classics you may have missed in high school. Oh my! If you’re ready to diversify your books, then LEGGO!!

Did you know February is National Wedding Month? Although the most popular months for weddings are June, August, and September, most proposals occur between Christmas and New Year’s Day, which leads to February becoming the most popular time for wedding planning. Also, thanks to Valentine’s Day, February 14th is a popular day for both proposals and weddings.

The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory

Drew Nicols is still sans a plus one for his ex-girlfriend’s wedding where he also happens to be a groomsman. Then, on a chance encounter in an elevator, he finds the perfect solution in Alexa Monroe who agrees to be Drew’s wedding date for the weekend. Following the wedding, they both go their separate ways. Drew returns to his life as a pediatric surgeon in Los Angeles, and Alexa heads back to Berkeley where she works as the mayor’s chief of staff. However, after having more fun than they both expected, Drew and Alexa can’t stop thinking of one another.

The Wedding Date was one of the first books I read during the first big COVID-19 quarantine. This delightful rom-com helped take my mind off of the uncertainty and panic I was feeling during that time. Like all of the romantic comedies I’ve read recently, I had a hard time putting down this book, and I finished it in almost record time. If you are looking for the standard rom-com fare with the cute boy meets girl meet cute, then this book is a must-read for you, too.

I instantly loved Alexa and Drew’s connection. Even though the agreement was just the one date, I knew there would be more to this love story. Plus, I just wanted these two kids to work out as soon as they were flirting in the elevator. Since this is a literary rom-com, I was sure Alexa and Drew would be together in the end, but there were plenty of expected (and a few unexpected) bumps along the way. By the time I finished The Wedding Date, I knew I wanted to read more of Jasmine Guillory. With a debut novel that checks all of my romantic comedy boxes, I became an instant fan, so be prepared for more Guillory reading recommendations in the future!

Until next time bookish friends,

Katisha

Find more of me on Book Riot.

Find more books by subscribing to Book Riot Newsletters.

Read This Book

[2/22] Read This Book: LITTLE LEADERS: BOLD WOMEN IN BLACK HISTORY by Vashti Harrison

Post author By Katisha Smith
Post date February 22, 2021

Sponsored by Crimson Lake Road by Victor Methos.

Sometimes death imitates art. When a killer inspired by a series of grisly paintings terrorizes a rural community outside of Las Vegas, retiring prosecutor Jessica Yardley is the only one who can catch him. But in order to track him down, she’ll need to turn to her ex-husband… a serial killer, who’s now on death row. By the time Jessica realizes that pursuing this case is a deadly mistake, it’s too late to turn back. Can she catch the killer, or will she become his next masterpiece?

It’s the last week of Black History Month and the perfect time to share another must-read children’s book that will delight readers of all ages. Well, I have found a book that is both beautiful and informative.

Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History by Vashti Harrison

Featuring 40 trailblazing Black women in American history, Little Leaders shares their stories of breaking boundaries and achieving despite adversity. Along with adorable illustrations, both iconic and lesser-known figures in Black History from abolitionist Sojourner Truth to filmmaker Julie Dash, are immortalized for their bold actions and contributions. Although the leaders in this book are little, their big actions are sure to inspire future generations.

Even though Harrison highlighted 40 amazing Black women, she ended the book with a few honorable mentions of several trailblazing Black American women including Madam C.J. Walker, the first woman in America to become a self-made millionaire, Dorothy Height who played a pivotal (yet often overlooked) role in the Civil Rights Movement, and the Willams sisters who transformed modern day tennis.

Little Leaders has plenty of familiar faces like Harriet Tubman, Ella Fitzgerald, Oprah, and Octavia Butler. What I enjoyed most (besides the heart-warming illustrations) was being able to learn more about some familiar faces as well as discovering trailblazers from all facets of American culture, like Rebecca Crumpler who was the first Black American woman to become a physician or Alice Ball who developed the most effective treatment of leprosy in the 20th century. You may know Misty Copeland, but do you know Raven Wilkinson? She was the first Black woman to be a full-time dancer in a major classical ballet company. Wilkinson even danced until the age of 50, which is almost unheard of in the world of dance!

Reading this book delighted the little Black girl in me. It’s a book I wished was available when I was a kid. I can’t imagine the bigger dreams I could have dreamed after reading about these women who looked like me. Little Leaders is essential reading for young Black girls. It will show them anything is possible for them. It is also essential reading for everyone else. It is time for all of these women to become household names.

Until next time bookish friends,

Katisha

Find more of me on Book Riot.

Find more books by subscribing to Book Riot Newsletters.

Read This Book

[2/17] Read This Book: LOVE by Toni Morrison

Post author By Katisha Smith
Post date February 16, 2021

Sponsored by Let's Get Back to the Party by Zak Salih.

Estranged childhood friends Sebastian and Oscar reunite at a wedding. Both are gay, and after more than a decade, the two couldn’t be more different. Newly single, all Sebastian wants is to settle down. But for Oscar, outraged by what he sees as the death of gay culture, settling down isn’t peace, it’s surrender. While they struggle to find their place in a rapidly changing world, each is drawn into a cross-generational friendship that treads the line between envy and obsession. And as they collide again and again, both men must reckon not just with one another but with themselves.

Tomorrow is Toni Morrison Day when we will celebrate the birth of literary titan Toni Morrison. Proving that publishing a book is not just for young people, Morrison’s first book The Bluest Eye was released in 1970. Instead of suffering the sophomore slump, Toni Morrison published Sula followed by Song of Solomon, which garnered critical acclaim and won the National Book Critics Circle Award. In 1988, Morrison won the Nobel Prize in Literature for Beloved. Today’s recommendation is one of the books Morrison published later in her career.

Love by Toni Morrison

In life, Bill Cosey enjoyed the affections of many women. In death, his hold on these women: wife, mistress, daughter, granddaughter, employee, may be even stronger. Three generations of women in a fading beach town attempt to stake their claims on both the memory of Bill Cosey as well as his estate using anything and everything at their disposal including outright violence.

The best part of reading Toni Morrison is always the way she has with words. No one does words the way Toni Morrison does words. Also like many of Morrison’s works, Love focuses on the many facets of relationships between Black women while highlighting how their intersections of race and gender influence their lives and the lives of those around them. Also similar to Morrison’s other works, Love uses non-linear storytelling while also blending narration from both the living and dead. What I enjoyed most about this story is I didn’t always know who was currently telling me their side of the story. Sometimes I could glean the narrator from the context clues, but I wasn’t always certain. No matter the narrator, there was an interesting story to tell about the lives of the many women in Bill Cosey’s life. There was also an American history lesson elegantly weaved throughout by Morrison.

When I read a Toni Morrison book, I never feel like I’m fully comprehending the entire story. Most of the time, it never really clicks for me until the end. However, I always enjoy every step of the journey. If that’s one of the reasons you also gravitate to Toni Morrison, then don’t hesitate to read Love. If you don’t tend to gravitate toward Toni Morrison, Love could definitely serve as your introduction.

Until next time bookish friends,

Katisha

Find more of me on Book Riot.

Find more books by subscribing to Book Riot Newsletters.

Read This Book

[2/15] Read This Book: BARACK OBAMA: THE COMIC BOOK BIOGRAPHY by Jeff Mariotte

Post author By Katisha Smith
Post date February 15, 2021

Sponsored by Red Press and Humanitarian Photographer Babita Patel.

“My grandfather went to Sing Sing. My father, my brother went to Sing Sing. I went to Sing Sing.” Poor schools. Violent neighborhoods. Easy drugs. No jobs. No support. No options. In disadvantaged communities of urban America, the cradle-to-prison pipeline locks young men out of opportunity long before it locks them up. Meet 15 men doing something about it; men who got an education inside Sing Sing Prison, and used it to break out of the cycle. Today, they’re role models in their communities, and put a human face on how to end the epidemic of mass incarceration in America.

Today is Presidents’ Day, originally established in 1885 in recognition of George Washington’s birthday. The holiday eventually grew to also be associated with Abraham Lincoln’s birthday. Now, it’s recognized as a celebration of all of America’s presidents, both past and present. For Presidents’ Day 2021, I’m celebrating my favorite president, the 44th President, Barack Obama.

Barack Obama: The Comic Book Biography by Jeff Mariotte, Illustrated by Tom Morgan, Len O’Grady, and John Hunt

Follow Barack Obama in comic book form from his childhood through the first 100 days of his administration after becoming the 44th President of the United States of America. This best-selling comic book documents how Barack Obama became a media sensation through his election on November 4th, 2008, inauguration, and first 100 days in office with bias.

It’s pretty cool to read about a monumental moment in history when you actually lived through the events. That is often how I felt while reading the parts about Barack Obama’s historical 2008 presidential run. The entire book wasn’t a trip down memory lane since I haven’t read any of Obama’s memoirs, so the beginning about Obama’s childhood was enlightening and showed how young Barry was an outsider looking for where he belonged. Learning about all the bumps Obama experienced as a teen and young adult makes his accomplishment of becoming not only president, but America’s first president who wasn’t an old white man all the more astonishing.

The best part of this comic book was getting to experience some of Barack Obama’s best speeches, like the one from the 2004 Democratic Convention that put Barack Obama on the map, as well as his inauguration speech that made everyone feel hope in the air and that anything was possible. The worst part of this book for me were the illustrations. Barack Obama was hit and miss, but those Michelle Obama renditions were no bueno. The ones of Joe Biden were not much better. Despite those gripes, this book is still worth reading for anyone who wants to take a stroll down memory lane or a comic book fan looking for an engaging historical read.

Until next time bookish friends,

Katisha

Find more of me on Book Riot.

Find more books by subscribing to Book Riot Newsletters.

Read This Book

[2/10] Read This Book: THE COLOR PURPLE by Alice Walker

Post author By Katisha Smith
Post date February 9, 2021

Sponsored by Ridgerunner by Gil Adamson (House of Anansi).

After nearly twenty years, the notorious thief, known as the Ridgerunner, has returned. November 1917. William Moreland is in mid-flight. Moving through the Rocky Mountains and across the border to Montana, the solitary drifter, impoverished in means and aged beyond his years, is also a widower and a father. And he is determined to steal enough money to secure his son’s future. Part literary Western and part historical mystery, Ridgerunner is the follow-up to Gil Adamson’s award-winning and critically acclaimed novel The Outlander.

Yesterday the literary world celebrated Alice Walker’s 77th birthday! Here’s to many, many more. Ms. Walker is a poet, novelist, social activist, and blogger. She coined the word “womanist” and helped revive the life and works of Zora Neale Hurston and returned the once forgotten Harlem Renaissance titan into the forefront of American culture and literature. However, she is likely best known for her National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning book The Color Purple.

The Color Purple by Alice Walker

Mostly set in rural Georgia, The Color Purple focuses on Southern life during the 1930s for several African American women. Sisters Nettie and Celie are separated as girls but stay connected despite time, distance, and silence through letters.

Despite having book nerd status, my first experience with the story from The Color Purple was through the adaptation starring Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey. I absolutely loved it from the first time I watched it as a kid even though I didn’t fully understand all the dynamics at play. I didn’t actually read The Color Purple until my late 20s / early 30s. I’m both glad and disappointed about waiting that long to read this book. Reading it later in life allowed me to better understand those dynamics of race, gender, and sexuality present in the movie that my kid brain just couldn’t comprehend. However, waiting so long denied me the pleasure of reading such a rich and compelling story centered around Black women.

If you have never read The Color Purple, then I implore you to add the book to the top of your reading pile. The violence against women may make you hesitant, but procrastination means missing out on a powerful story about family, sisterhood, and the resilience of Black women in America.

Until next time bookish friends,

Katisha

Find more of me on Book Riot.

Find more books by subscribing to Book Riot Newsletters.

Read This Book

[2.8] Read This Book: JUST MERCY: A TRUE STORY OF THE FIGHT FOR JUSTICE by Bryan Stevenson

Post author By Katisha Smith
Post date February 8, 2021

Sponsored by This is Not the Jess Show by Anna Carey, published by Quirk Books.

The year is 1998 and like any other teenager Jess Flynn is just trying to survive high school. Between a crush on her childhood best friend, overprotective parents, and her sister’s worsening health, the only constant is her hometown of Swickley…until the day she discovers a mysterious device, causing her to question everything she’s ever known. As more cracks appear in Jess’s world, she faces a choice: can she live the rest of her life knowing it’s a lie or should she risk everything for the truth?

Tomorrow is Michael Bae Jordan’s birthday. Y’all know him. He’s Creed. He’s Killmonger. He’s People’s Sexiest Man Alive. He’s Lori Harvey’s latest boy toy. I’ve enjoy MBJ in everything from The Wire to Fantastic Four, but his recent role in Just Mercy as Bryan Stevenson is still top of mind and is as relevant as ever.

Just Mercy (Adapted for Young Adults): A True Story for the Fight for Justice by Bryan Stevenson

Lawyer and social justice advocate Bryan Stevenson offers a glimpse into the lives of the wrongfully imprisoned and his efforts to free them from an unjust judicial system. Stevenson works to protect the basic human rights of America’s most vulnerable population–the poor, the disabled, and the marginalized. This adaption of the critically-acclaimed bestselling memoir for young readers is a call to action and compassion in the pursuit of justice.

Proceeds from the book go toward charity to help in Bryan Stevenson’s work.

In this era where we increasingly hear phrases like “Black Lives Matter (too)” and “Defund the Police,” it is essential to see how our broken justice system and America’s original sin of slavery brought us to this place. Just Mercy does just that by highlighting some factors that led to the United States being the leader in the mass incarceration of its citizens. We spent decades executing adults (and even children) for their convicted crimes at an alarming rate. We spent decades sentencing children to die in prison for crimes they committed. Bryan Stevenson along with the other dedicated lawyers at the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI) worked tirelessly to right those wrongs for as many death-row inmates as possible. Just Mercy shares the successes and failures of that journey.

Although this book is adapted for teen readers, I can easily see adults devouring it. The words are simplified for younger readers, but the story is still powerful. I didn’t bawl my eyes out, but I was constantly on the verge of tears. Of course, there was rage at the mind-boggling injustice ingrained within America’s justice system, but there was also joy when the EJI was able to give clients some long overdue justice.

Just Mercy was named one of the best kids books to read during Black History Month by USA Today, and Kirkus Reviews called it required reading. I couldn’t agree more.

Until next time bookish friends,

Katisha

Find more of me on Book Riot.

Find more books by subscribing to Book Riot Newsletters.

Read This Book

[2/3] Read This Book: AN AMERICAN MARRIAGE by Tayari Jones

Post author By Katisha Smith
Post date February 2, 2021

Sponsored by HarperCollins Children's Books.

A boy, a magical tiger, an outlaw dragon, and a mischievous monkey carry the fate of the world on their shoulders in this new edition of The Tiger’s Apprentice from two-time Newbery Honor-winning author Laurence Yep! This action-packed fantasy reveals a hidden world within our own where animals take human form, where friendship is the final weapon in the battle between good and evil, and where a young boy is responsible for saving the world he knows . . . and the one he is just discovering.

One of the best parts of reading The Women of Brewster Place was reading the foreword written by one Tayari Jones. After I read that foreword, I knew it was time for me to stop procrastinating and start reading Jones’ most recently published book that has been collecting dust on my bookshelf.

An American Marriage by Tayari Jones

Newlyweds, Celestial and Roy, are the embodiment of the American Dream. As they settle into the routine of married life, their world is torn apart when Roy is arrested and sentenced to 12 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. While Roy is away, Celestial finds comfort in Andre, her childhood friend who was also the best man at Roy and Celestial’s wedding. The longer Roy is away, the harder it is for Celestial to hold on to their love. When Roy’s conviction is suddenly overturned after five years, he is ready to resume the life he once had with Celestial.

If nothing else convinces you to read this book, then just know I read most of it in one day. Every time I thought I would take a break, I had to read just one more chapter. What I enjoyed most about An American Marriage was how the entire situation was mostly spent in the grey. It is obvious Roy is innocent of his charges, so the grey area comes through the dynamics of Celestial and Roy’s marriage during Roy’s incarceration. Reading each of their sides of this love story, I went back and forth about whether Celestial or Roy was in the wrong. In the end, I realized they were in an impossible situation where no one was ever really wrong.

I also saw An American Marriage as an alternative version of If Beale Street Could Talk. I haven’t read the novel, but I saw the adaptation in theaters in the Before Times when we did those activities. The juxtaposition between the two couples was always in the back of my mind. While Fonny and Tish seemed to be brought closer, Celestial and Roy drifted apart. No one enters marriage thinking their spouse will one day be convicted of a crime they didn’t commit, but what would I do in that situation? Would I be like Celestial or Tish?

Until next time bookish friends,

Katisha

Find more of me on Book Riot.

Find more books by subscribing to Book Riot Newsletters.

Read This Book

Read This Book: I, TOO, AM AMERICA by Langston Hughes

Post author By Katisha Smith
Post date February 1, 2021

Sponsored by Tales of the Astonishing Black Spark from Lanternfish Press.

These are the Astonishing Tales of Man, It’s Like I Came Straight out of a Comic Book. When a bolt of lightning grants Donald McDougal superhuman abilities, he sees his new power as a ticket out of a dead-end job in his Ohio hometown—but the pursuit of superheroic fame comes with a price tag he may not be able to afford. This satirical debut grapples with issues of power, race, and privilege through darkly humorous social commentary.

Not only is today the first day of Black History Month, it is the birthday of Langston Hughes, one of America’s greatest and most celebrated poets. Hughes was a forefather of the Harlem Renaissance and was a pioneer of jazz poetry. Although Hughes is best known for his poetry, he also wrote short stories, plays, nonfiction, and even children’s books.

I, Too, Am America by Langston Hughes, Illustrated by Bryan Collier

As one of the most prominent and courageous voices of his time, Langston Hughes called for equality, which still rings true today. Hughes’ poetic wisdom merges beautifully with the visionary illustrations of Bryan Collier that will move and inspire readers of all ages and all races.

“I, Too, Sing America” is one of my favorite poems from Langston Hughes. The only ones I regard more highly are “Harlem,” whose words inspired A Raisin in the Sun, and “Dreams,” which is a poem my school president would frequently recite during speaking engagements. Each poem is short, but powerful. They speak to what it means to be Black and marginalized in America. Reading “I, Too” along with the beautiful illustrations and unique interpretation by Bryan Collier helped the poem bring me to tears once again. I expected nothing less since Collier is a recipient of both the Caldecott Medal and Coretta Scott King Award because this book is sure to engage young readers, and it portrays all the many facets of Black Americans.

Along with tears, there were also smiles because Collier’s illustrations show how far we have come from being enslaved people to being leaders of the Free World. In the end, the book left me with hope for a better and brighter future where our descendants are no longer regarded as second class citizens. I highly recommend visiting (or revisiting) the poems of Langston Hughes. The words he wrote last century still ring true today. Will they still ring true tomorrow?

Until next time bookish friends,

Katisha

Find more of me on Book Riot.

Find more books by subscribing to Book Riot Newsletters.

Read This Book

[1/27] Read This Book: MATILDA by Roald Dahl

Post author By Katisha Smith
Post date January 26, 2021

Sponsored by Katrine Engberg's THE BUTTERFLY HOUSE.

Copenhagen detectives Jeppe Kørner and Anette Werner return in Engberg’s second bone-chilling thriller… When three people are found drained of blood and floating in fountains around Copenhagen, Jeppe must investigate the murders solo, as his partner Anette is out on maternity leave. The victims all share connections to a now-closed teen therapeutic facility, The Butterfly House, which may have used some unorthodox practices on its young patients. Meanwhile, as the stakes rise, Anette starts investigating on her own, not completely fulfilled by her new role as mother. But is she leaving herself vulnerable to a killer?

Today is one of my favorite days of the year because it’s National Chocolate Cake Day, and chocolate cake is one of my favorite desserts. Here in the States, the earliest chocolate cake recipe appeared around the mid 1800s. The first boxed cake mix was created in the 1920s, but everyone’s favorite cake mix from Betty Crocker wasn’t released until 1947. Although I bake a mean chocolate chip cookie, with cakes I don’t have the range. When I want chocolate cake, I turn to the experts and buy a slice. When it comes to the bookish world, chocolate cake makes me immediately think about Miss Trunchbull forcing Bruce Bogtrotter to eat an entire chocolate cake in Matilda.

Matilda by Roald Dahl

At the age of five, Matilda easily solves double digit multiplication problems and reads Charles Dickens. Even though she is a super nerd and the teacher’s pet, Matilda’s classmates love her. However, all is not good in Matilda’s world. Her parents are the most idiotic and self-centered people, and her school principal Miss “The” Trunchbull is a nightmare. Fortunately, Matilda has the inner resources to deal with these annoyances from her astonishing intelligence to an innate desire for revenge.

Every book lover should read Matilda because Matilda didn’t just love books, she devoured books. I don’t know about you, but I was reading Berenstain Bears and Dr. Seuss when I was five-years-old. At that same age, Matilda is throwing back novels by Charles Dickens and Charlotte Brontë. Seeing Matilda fall in love with books and reading is sure to reignite the bibliophile in you! Just remember this is a work of fiction or you might become jealous of a child prodigy who gets to spend all day in the library.

The absolute best part of Matilda was how there is a slightly dark and twisty nature to this children’s book. It’s not that there is something inappropriate for children in this book because there is not. It is the fact the book doesn’t talk down to them as readers. Matilda shows them life isn’t always sunshine and rainbows, and that is okay. The book also shows them how to use their talents and gifts to not only benefit themselves but to benefit those around them. All in all, reading Matilda can help us become better humans. Plus, it’s really funny and charming.

Until next time bookish friends,

Katisha

Find more of me on Book Riot.

Find more books by subscribing to Book Riot Newsletters.

Read This Book

Read This Book: THE WOMEN OF BREWSTER PLACE by Gloria Naylor

Post author By Katisha Smith
Post date January 25, 2021

Sponsored by You Have A Match by Emma Lord.

When Abby signs up for a DNA service, it’s mainly to give her friend and secret love interest, Leo, a nudge. But she shockingly discovers she’s a sister to shimmery-haired Instagram star Savannah Tully. It’s hard to believe they’re from the same planet, never mind the same parents. They make a plan to meet up at summer camp and figure out why Abby’s parents gave Savvy up for adoption. But things never go as planned, do they?

Born January 25, 1950, today would be Gloria Naylor’s 71st birthday. Naylor was born in New York City to sharecroppers who escaped the segregated South and migrated north to Harlem in search of better opportunities. She took to writing at an early age and kept notebooks full of short stories and poems. Although she initially majored in nursing while attending Brooklyn College, after reading The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison, Naylor changed her major to English and went on to earn an M.A. in African American Studies from Yale University. Her thesis eventually inspired her second book Linden Hills. However, Gloria Naylor is best known for her debut novel, The Women of Brewster Place.

The Women of Brewster Place by Gloria Naylor

This novel in seven stories explores how these women came to reside at Brewster Place. As these women forge lives in a bleak inner city neighborhood, their romances, friendships, hopes, and struggles show the inner working on what it means to be a Black woman in America.

The Women of Brewster Place won the 1983 National Book Award in the First Novel category and was adapted into a television miniseries of the same name by Oprah Winfrey.

I can easily say my reading life is better because of The Women of Brewster Place. It is always a pleasure to read stories centered around Black women, but along with the pleasure of seeing myself and my kin reflected in The Women of Brewster Place came the pain that often goes along with being a Black woman in America. Naylor masterfully shows what lies at the intersection of class, race, sexuality, and gender through the lives of Mattie, Etta, Theresa, and the other women of Brewster Place who represent the many Black women who continue to make a way out of no way in every redlined neighborhood across America.

Although The Women of Brewster Place is a must-read book, it is my duty to forewarn you. This probably won’t be a light beach read. The story includes violence and sexual assault against women, the death of a child, homophobia, and sporadic use of the n-word. Despite those warnings, this is a book you’ll want to add to that ever growing TBR.

Until next time bookish friends,

Katisha

Find more of me on Book Riot.

Find more books by subscribing to Book Riot Newsletters.