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Quiet times - an opportunity to catch up on reading and indulge in small frivolities

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

Richmond, UK

Chiswick, UK

Chelsea, UK

Bridport, UK

Norwich, UK

Lincoln, UK

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there really is nothing harder than matching the right book to “I don’t know, I think it’s blue?”

but if you have one or two more pieces of info, it’s actually pretty easy

if someone says they’ve forgotten most of the title, they remember at least 80%

if you review a book, it will sell better

when handselling, lateral thinking is a godsend

setting up display tables is basically Tetris

you will never be able to read everything

but people assume you have anyway

if you hand a man a book, he’s more likely to buy it

there are people in this world who think an interest in dinosaurs should stop at age 12

if a book is front-faced, you can look straight at it and not see it

the only time a movie cover really sells is if it’s half-price

if a book has two different covers or sizes, people will think the content is different too

if a customer likes you, you may just learn their life story

women will buy how-to books for pickup artists in self-defense

if someone asks for a book in the morning and you don’t have it, it’ll show up in the afternoon delivery

the UK gets all the best covers

there is an art to peeling stickers off books

that said, GooGone and lighter fluid will save your life

never underestimate the card section

there’s nothing like discovering a customer is a kindred reading spirit

there’s nothing like discovering a coworker is a kindred reading spirit

no music is acceptable to everyone

middle-aged women will make excuses for reading teen fiction; younger women own it

there is a certain type of cheerful drunk who wants to buy all the books

it is possible to create a really nice window display using only table cloths and cardboard (and books)

if you carry around stacks of books the length of your arm, people will look at you funny but it’s better than lifting weights

it also makes shelving go faster

if the local baristas know your whole staff on sight, they will occasionally show up with free samples (or coupons)

7.9.20✨

📚Have you read any of these books?👆🏻

For the Summer Reading Bingo Challenge 2020, square: feminism.

The book: Wordslut: A Feminist Guide to Taking Back the English Language, by Amanda Montell [Goodreads]

My thoughts: This book and I were destined to fit together since the beginning: linguistics + feminism + ENTERTAINING, funny prose??????? Sign me up.

So, that said: I loved Wordslut and will now proceed to recommend it to everyone until the day I die. Amanda does a great job of making linguistics accessible, so you don’t need to know anything at all to read this book, but if you already know something you won’t be bored at all. She educates but doesn’t patronize the reader, and is so nice and entertaining this was an absolute delight to read. Reading this felt like having a friend explain something they’re passionate about to you so you can both be passionate about it together. 

The themes she tackles are super interesting and varied (catcalling, queer slang, the hatred on teenage girls’ slang, and sexuality, among others), and I learnt a lot. She had some very spot-on ideas and sentences that made me want to scream YES, and if I liked to highlight my books, then this would be as yellow as the cover. Everything is quotable.

Overall, absolutely fantastic. I can’t wait to read more from her, because I feel so seen: nerdy, feminist things about words are my jam. We wordsluts have to stick together.

Books I read in May 2020

TOO MUCH AND NOT THE MOOD by Durga Chew-Bose

THE LIBRARY BOOK by Susan Orlean

ASTROPHYSICS FOR PEOPLE IN A HURRY by Neil deGrasse Tyson

NORMAL PEOPLE by Sally Rooney

I AM NOT YOUR PERFECT MEXICAN DAUGHTER by Erika L. Sánchez