Books I've Recently Read #9
/Wow! I didn’t realize how long it had been since I had shared what I have been recently reading, so this is going to a long one! As usual, if you’d like to purchase through an Amazon link, you can click the title of the book. If you’d prefer to shop through Bookshop.org so you can support both AFB and your local independent bookstores, CLICK THIS LINK HERE, and you can view the entire list of books that are included in this post. Make sure you leave a comment telling me any great reads you’ve found recently. Happy reading!
The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates
I absolutely adored this story. Ta-Nehisi’s writing is magic and I loved the following the journey of Hiram Walker and his mysterious powers. Definitely recommend this one if you want a fictional read that has some magic to it.
Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
This is one of my favorite reads from 2020. It was written from such an interesting perspective. This BIPOC reading challenge has introduced me to some beautiful love stories from perspectives I never would have known. Add this one to your To Be Read list now.
Kindred by Octavia E. Butler
One of my other favorites from 2020, this story is so amazing. It involves time travel and a interracial relationship which makes for such an interesting story. I was sucked in the whole time. If you love Outlander books, you have to give this one a read.
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
This was my first time reading a book by Yaa Gyasi and she has quickly become an author, who’s books I will always add to my TBR list as she releases them. I loved how this story followed so many multi-generational families. The way it was all connected was amazing and I loved to see how it all came together at the end.
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
This might be the most popular book I read in 2020 and while I sometimes this may leave me feeling underwhelmed, I absolutely loved this book like the rest of the world. haha It is a quick and easy read that tells such an interesting story of twin sisters living separate lives. I personally love stories that follow a life long timeline so this one was really enjoyable to read.
The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory
Maybe it’s because I haven’t been reading any quick & light romance novels with this BIPOC reading challenge, but I found this one a predictable and quick read. If you like a quick ‘beach’ read, you’d probably really enjoy this one. I thought I would end up wanting to read the rest of the books in the series, but I find myself wanting to tackle so many other books instead. This could very well just be that my taste is changing as I’m getting older, however, so if you like this style of writing, check it out.
The Color Purple by Alice Walker
This book is a classic for a reason. It tells the very difficult story of Celie in the deep South. Her story is hard to read at times, but an important one to read as well. I definitely recommend adding it to your TBR list, if you’re someone like me, who is trying to accomplish reading a lot of classics. Let’s be real. They are classics for a reason!
The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Dare
I know I keep saying that many books were my favorites of 2020, but this story is also at the top. As a woman, I love reading about other women’s perspectives that are so different than my own. This book will make you feel grateful and proud to be a woman. I love how many strong female stories I have read with this BIPOC reading challenge.
Eat a Peach by David Chang
I love David’s show Ugly Delicious, so I was really excited to read this book. It gave me a very different view of him and I really enjoyed it. I personally loved how he shared his perspective on his mental health journey, and the difficulties of being in the restaurant industry.
The Beauty in Breaking by Michele Harper
Another strong female perspective, I personally loved this one because the author Michele is an emergency room physician, telling her story of being a black woman in a predominantly white, male field. The story takes place mostly, post-divorce and while it was a great story to read, it wasn’t necessarily the book I would recommend to read unless this feels like an an important story for you to read.
The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America by Richard Rothstein
Every couple of months I usually like to throw in a book that is meant to teach me some serious history about systemic racism and this one opened my eyes to SO MUCH. I cannot even begin to wrap my head about some of the information I learned about segregation in the U.S. I highly recommend this for everyone to read.
Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage by Haruki Murakami
I had been hearing a lot about Haruki Murakami and was excited to find this one at my thrift store, so I figured it was a sign to start reading some of his books. I absolutely adored this story. Murakami is such a unique writer. He really describes the scenes so well and helps you create such a great visual, as if you’re inside the story. This is definitely my favorite book my Murakami that I’ve read so far, but I’m excited to read some more this year.
Love, Loss, and What We Ate: A Memoir by Padma Lakshmi
I was so excited to read this one because I have loved Top Chef for years and therefore, also loved Padma. However, I cannot say it loud enough. DO NOT waste your time with this book. I have never finished a memoir disliking the person more than I did before the book, but boy was this one awful. I feel like the only purpose of this book was to get back at her famous author ex-husband and say “I CAN WRITE A BOOK TOO”! There was nothing useful to take away from this book, which made me really sad.
Skincare: The Ultimate No-Nonsense Guide by Caroline Hirons
An exception to the BIPOC reading challenge rule, I read this one because it was released and I felt like I needed to check it out for ‘research’ purposes for AFB. haha I love Caroline Hirons. We have very similar opinions and taste when it comes to skincare and I absolutely loved this book. I think it’s perfect for someone who wants a great reference guide to read throughout their lifetime as their skin changes.
1Q84 by Haruki Murakami
I decided that 1Q84 was going to be the next book I tackled by Murakami and while I liked it a lot, I loved the previous one I read more. The story was awesome and again, his writing was so magical. He really dreams up these stories that are unlike anything you can ever think of. I just wish this one hadn’t been quite as long. I thought parts dragged out that could have been shortened a little bit, but overall a great adventure and I still highly recommend.
Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi
Another fantastic book by Yaa Gyasi. I absolutely loved this story that followed Gifty as she is studying neuroscience at Stanford School of Medicine. You learn the history of why she choose her specific field and the personal stories of her past. It is such a moving story for how short it is. It talks about mental health, addiction, and so many difficult and important topics. As I mentioned earlier, I love Gyasi’s writing and I will continue to read whatever she writes.
Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami
I was really surprised by this story. Yes again, Murakami has created a story unlike any other that transports you inside it. However, I thought that since it was the only Murakami book I had heard of before diving into his works, that it would be my favorite. I still love his other two I have read more. I am definitely going to continue reading the rest of his works, because his writing is amazing.
On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
This book is magic. I cried and was so emotional while reading it because it truly touched me. The book is a letter written from a son to his mother who cannot read. It explores race, immigration, trauma, addiction; so many painful and intense things. It’s a very important Vietnamese perspective to read and I loved every moment of reading it. Highly recommend.
How We Fight For Our Lives by Saeed Jones
This memoir really touched me as well. As a coming of the age story from Jones’ perspective of growing up black and gay in the South, his story is so important to hear. Because I am white and in love with a man, I will never know the perspective of a BIPOC or gay person, so I find these stories very critical and important to read, as I continue to be an ally for many of the people that I love.
Zikora by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
While this was a short story, I think it definitely could have been written into a longer novel. As someone in my 30’s who is hopefully approaching motherhood in the coming years, I love reading the perspectives of pregnancy and moms from all around the world. Hearing how trauma has affected them and what to choose for yourself and your baby going forward is something I love reading about so I enjoyed this one.
I Am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban by Malala Yousafzai
Mikey bought me this book last year, for our 4th anniversary (we only buy each other books for anniversaries and he has always carried a ‘badass female’ theme throughout his gifts for me). I had always wanted to read this one and the story was even better than I could have imagined. It makes you think about how out of your hands it is that you are born into whatever situation you are born into. We cannot choose where or how we are born, but we are in control of our destinies and it’s important to know what you stand for.
Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward
This book was completely different than I expected but I really liked the story. It takes place in the south in the days leading up to Hurricane Katrina. The story follows a young black girl, who realizes she is pregnant, and her very dysfunctional family as they prepare for a storm unlike anything they every expected.
The Color of Water: A Black Man’s Tribute to His White Mother by James McBride
I loved the premise of this story and the meaning behind James McBride writing it. I loved hearing the story of how his white Jewish mother came to be in her life. It was really important to James that this story and his mother’s story were shared and I loved reading about it. I really liked how each chapter alternated being told from his and her perspectives so you really got a full view of how she lived her life and raised so many wonderful and successful children, regardless of the difficulties thrown at her.
Have a great day!
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