Hey guys! We went MIA for a bit. Honestly, we don’t have any excuse and I think that’s okay. Life is a lot lately. We needed to just breathe! I think people need to stop apologizing for taking breaks. Anyway, I won’t say we’re back but I wanted to share the 8 books I read in June. Y’all know I’m always here with the book recs!
A lesson before dying – Ernest Gaines
I started this book in May but finished it in June. I posted a review on the blog last month. A lesson before dying is a deeply moving and important book considering what we are still battling with today. The injustice, the racism, the suffering! I highly recommend this one. It’s not a big book so you can actually finish it in a day or two.
She called me woman edited by Azeenarh Mohammed.
Here’s the thing about this book, I love that it exists. It’s great that we have books like this in Nigeria considering how homophobic Nigerians are. It’s amazing that we can read these women’s stories. I however struggled with the writing and I get why the editors did little to no editing but it was hard to read. It was hard not to judge some of these women by their problematic views. I still think it’s a book you should read.
She would be king by Wayétu Moore.
This was the BOTM, June for my book club (You can join here, if interested). All I’ll say is the average rating at the last book discussion was 4.5! We all loved it. It was a stunning debut by Wayétu who retells Liberia’s history in an exhilarating way! If you know nothing about Liberia, this will be a great place to start. It’ll leave you curious! It’s available on scribd.
Get a life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert
This was a much needed break from heavy books and it was the best decision I made. It’s the first book in the Brown sister’s series. As much as I pride myself in saying I read literally almost every genre, romance is not top on my list because I get bored easily but you see this one, I finished it and wanted more. I immediately got the next book in the series which brings me to the next book I read. I listened to the audiobook on Scribd. You can get two months free by signing up with this link.
Take a hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert
After reading the first book in the series, I was worried about this one because whew! the pressure! but you know what? Talia came through. This was even better than the first book, in my opinion. Light, steamy, fun and hilarious read with subtle infusion of serious issues like dealing with the loss of a loved one and mental illness. I loved the way the story was told and one thing i absolutely love about Talia’s books is the happy endings. Here for it!
Black enough -Edited by Ibi Zoboi
I randomly came across this book on scribd and quickly remembered that I read An American street by Ibi Zoboi and thought i’d give this a try. I listened to the audiobook and it was great. Like every collection of short stories, some were really great, others not so much. I did love that the stories were written by different Black authors and It made me discover some really good new authors.
The vanishing half by Brit Bennett
I read Brit Bennett’s debut novel years ago and I remember it being one of the best books i’ve ever read. When I found out she had a sophomore novel out soon, I was super excited. Brit is a fantastic story teller and in this book, she tells a story of two girls (a set of twins) born in a little town that has been curated to have only lightskinned people. Yes, you heard right. Stella and Desire watched white men kill their father and it was interesting that this event meant different things to them.
They knew they couldn’t spend their lives there and decided to run away. This book takes on a journey of their lives years and years to come. I almost couldn’t stand Stella but i somehow felt empathy for her. Brit’s characters were human and complex. I love a book that makes me wonder why the characters are the way they are.
Becoming – Michelle Obama.
This is my favorite non-fiction read so far this year. I absolutely love Michelle Obama and I’ve had this book for over a year. This book has been sitting on my shelf for over a year and I finally decided to read it. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Michelle’s life. From her growing up in southside chicago with her parents and brother to becoming a lawyer who worked at a reputable firm to meeting Barack to becoming the first lady of the United States of America. It was so inspiring to say the least. I really don’t have much to say other than to ask you to read this.
So, there you have it! The 8 books I read in June. I am so surprised I was able to read 8 books considering how short June felt.
I try not to plan my TBR list for the month because I never stick to it but I look forward to reading these books in July. Enjoy!
- TOSIN
