#booksarefun

“All literature may be protest, but not all protest is literature.”’ “If we cannot understand ourselves, we will not be able to understand anything” This might be the second nonfiction book I’ll actually complete. @thebookjoint_ #booksaremyfriends #booksarecool #booksarefun #booksarethebest #bookreviewer #bookrecommendation #bookishfeature #bookishglee #bookbloggers #bookbloggerlife #readingislife #readingismagic #readingislit #readingisawesome #bookreviewersofinstagram #mybookfeatures #bookreview #readingcommunity #bookishpost #bookishlife #jamesbaldwin #readersgonnaread #readerslife #readingaddict #readingcommunity https://www.instagram.com/p/CqaeouTrVXQ/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

“There were times when he did hear echoes, but always they were couched in tones which, living as a Negro, he could not answer or accept without losing face with the world which had first evoked in him the song of manhood” “Never had he had the chance to live out the consequences of his actions; never had his will been so free as in this night and day of fear and murder and flight” This phenomenal novel by the late Richard Wright had me going at page one. The story is a slow burn that features Bigger Thomas, a young black man who kills a white girl in panic. Bigger as a character did a full three sixty with me. From the beginning, his lack of accountability and insensitivity was a setup for a deeper, more contradictory inner mindset of a black man who feels as though his life has already ended. Realistic and profoundly sad, this book was like a somber cello playing at dusk. The writing was remarkable-lush and careful. I could tell that Wright really wanted to paint a bittersweet picture for Bigger and his relationships with his family, girlfriend, and the white family he worked for. There was one part of the book where it gets heavy handed on explaining the roots of prejudice in America which I couldn’t read through in one sitting, but it remained a keystone for the book. I recommend this book highly if you want to read about a black man feeling alive in the midst of committing murder, a black man feeling powerful in choosing something that’s solely his in a world that charts his end. @thebookjoint_ #booksaremyfriends #booksarecool #booksarefun #booksarethebest #bookreviewer #bookrecommendation #bookishfeature #bookishglee #bookbloggers #bookbloggerlife #readingislife #readingismagic #readingislit #readingisawesome #bookreviewersofinstagram #mybookfeatures #bookreview #readingcommunity #bookaddict #booknerdigan #bookishpost #bookishlife #bookishphotography #readingaddict #bookishglee #bookishcommunity https://www.instagram.com/p/CqRdTrzL4vc/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

“Everywhere I look, it’s acceptable for white, cis guys to paint their nails…But if a black or brown boy does it, we’re being a word I refuse to use, but have heard enough times to hate and fear it all the same” “Eventually, we sit on the ground. Together, we say goodbye to what was. Maybe we say hello to what could be too.” “Something about the look in Luca’s eyes, the way his fingers brush against mine as we both move for the door, feels like he’s the one person left who won’t let me down tonight” @wintersjulian offers remarkable insight of black queer life and heavy expectations that colored kids are burdened with. I loved Theo so much (his awkwardness and his dream for a fairytale prom. It’s very refreshing to read a black queer boy wanting this “feminine” wish. Aside from his romance with Luca, Theo’s budding friendships with River, Makayla, and Aleah were cute, tense, and nerdy. Total Breakfast Club action. I loved minority characters taking up this whole story-aside from Makayla who’s white. Like the TNT group, I dare you to read this book-a book that’ll paint your heart in a rainbow in showing what a friend is, how you can do better by the people you love, and exploring an alter egos that we hide from the world. 🌈 @thebookjoint_ #booksaremyfriends #booksarecool #booksarefun #booksarethebest #bookreviewer #bookrecommendation #bookishfeature #bookishglee #bookbloggers #bookbloggerlife #readingislife #readingismagic #readingislit #readingisawesome #bookreviewersofinstagram #mybookfeatures #bookreview #readingcommunity #bookishpost #bookishlife #bookishcommunity #bookishglee #readingaddict #readingcommunity #readersgonnaread #avidreader https://www.instagram.com/p/Cp9OpjPgXkd/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

“I might mimic a passion that I do not feel, but I cannot mimic one that burns me like fire” “I represent to you all the sins you have never” “There was something tragic in a friendship so coloured by romance, something infinitely tragic in a romance that was at once so passionate and so sterile First time reading Oscar Wilde and I was moderately pleased. A philosophical story that doesn’t have much in narrative, but makes up for in revealing contradictory nature of human nature as well as showing the hidden agenda between male friends. Among Lord Henry, Basil Hallward, and Dorian Gray, they exchange bittersweet truths about art and love and living the life that you want. Of course, some of their statements were dated (some of them being sexist when speaking about women) and there were a few references to Jews and Negroes that were offensive and fetishized. However, there’re discussions on the importance of art and how putting to much of yourself into something can reveal something monstrous; the struggle of beauty vs intelligence; and the romanization of tragedies. Dorian’s lack of accountabiltiy and cowardice fought against his desperation to conceal what “sinful nature” he harbored-that was done well. I felt for Basil and Lord Henry was a walking contradiction that I just adored. Apart from a section that could’ve been easily summarized, I enjoyed this very much. Wilde definitely was brave in writing this tale of secret affairs during his time. #booksaremyfriends #booksarecool #booksarefun #booksarethebest #bookreviewer #bookrecommendation #bookishfeature #bookishglee #bookbloggers #bookbloggerlife #readingislife #readingismagic #readingislit #readingisawesome #bookreviewersofinstagram #mybookfeatures #bookreview #readingcommunity #bookaddicted #bookrecs #bookpic #oscarwildequotes #readersgonnaread #readerlife #avidreader https://www.instagram.com/p/CnQH-U0rvBv/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

“I mean, who gets it this bad for their best friend, after one stupid kiss? It’s positively Shakespearean; the real Hamlet’s got nothing on me” “Maybe it started then, soft and secret. Maybe it was later, after lying dormant like the flu...there’s not always a clear beginning, especially for the things that end us” This slow burn of a story and it’s main character Henry Hamlet captured my heart whole heartedly. He perfectly captured the fear of falling in love with his best friend Len. The flurry off questions that assaulted his brain (Was he always gay? When did he fall in love with Len exactly?) were both realistic and frightful in a way that made Henry relatable. I loved how Len was very blasé about their friendship turned more, but I did feel like he could’ve understood Henry a little more for the latter overanalyzed everything while Len didn’t do it enough. I absolutely adored Henry’s family, especially his Gran who was a free spirit. His dad is a close second, with him being an artist and showing a sensitive side that I found endearing. I wish I saw more of Ham and Henry’s dynamic because they were cute together. Hamlet worried about the future and what he wants to do with his life (and who he wants to spend it with), but to paraphrase Martin, we’re all icebergs. There’s more underneath the surface that has yet to be explored. Thank you @rhiannon_wilde #booksaremyfriends #booksarecool #booksarefun #booksarethebest #bookreviewer #bookrecommendation #bookishfeature #bookishglee #bookbloggers #bookbloggerlife #readingislife #readingismagic #readingislit #readingisawesome #bookreviewersofinstagram #mybookfeatures #bookreview #readingcommunity #bookaddicted #bookaddict #readerforlife #readerlife #readergram #romancereader https://www.instagram.com/p/CnHwdVHryFF/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Falling in love with Henry’s messy heart more and more. ❤️ #booksaremyfriends #booksarecool #booksarefun #booksarethebest #bookreviewer #bookrecommendation #bookishfeature #bookishglee #bookbloggers #bookbloggerlife #readingislife #readingismagic #readingislit #readingisawesome #bookreviewersofinstagram #mybookfeatures #bookreview #readingcommunity #ilovebooks📚 #readingaddict https://www.instagram.com/p/CnEAcU9OWm4/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

A very Jordan Peele-esque novel if I ever read one. A “porter” was a new term for me and I’m glad it was showed through sleep deprived black man Baxter. The story wasn’t as much horrific as it was mildly eerie with Baxter losing his grip on reality as he tends to the rich white guests of the fastest locomotive ever. As Baxter made beds, dusted, swept, and polished I felt how tired he was, ready to collapse on himself. It’s also very apparent of how ghost like, inhuman like he is when viewed by the trains all white passengers-only spoken to when the guests need anything. Baxter was subjugated to racism as well as objectification. I’m just glad that he had other black porters to share the experience with. Being a black gay man in the 20s was suicide in itself and I’m glad Baxter found some relief in Edwin Drew and the Doctor. I only wished that the story fleshed them out farther because when Baxter and his lovers were hidden among the shadows, I wanted it to surpass eroticism, though that part was equally exciting. The story was fast paced and although I was captivated by Baxter’s frustration to save for dentistry school and cleaning up after the guests, I only wished he conversed more with the people who did pay attention to him and recognized him as human. Not an extraordinary novel, but entertaining and delightfully weird. Thank you @suzettemayr #booksaremyfriends #booksarecool #booksarefun #booksarethebest #bookreviewer #bookrecommendation #bookishfeature #bookishglee #bookbloggers #bookbloggerlife #readingislife #readingismagic #readingislit #readingisawesome #bookreviewersofinstagram #mybookfeatures #bookreview #readingcommunity https://www.instagram.com/p/CnCoG5kL74k/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

“For a moment I could imagine what it would be like o be a ghost-to walk forever through a silence deeper than silence, to apprehend but never quite reach the lights of home” “We needed all three points of the triangle. We needed mild manners, perversity, and a voice of righteousness” “I never expected anything like this to happen…as long as I know you, I can’t seem to fall in love with anybody else” This character study of a novel that explores coming of age and the trenches and high points of adulthood was a slow burn that told many truths in discovering oneself and other people. Even Alice’s and Clare’s chapters were troubled in a simplistic, but frightening way that aging adults could relate to. I could mostly relate to Jonathan who seemed lost in living a life that didn’t feel like his. He was immature at times , but his disconnectedness spoke volumes for certain people who simply exist instead of living. I adored Bobby and his softness, how he had simple tastes and didn’t seek after wealth. This isn’t necessarily a gay love story, though Jonathan and Bobby do share brief moments during their adolescence. It’s more so about people who either want to settle into the life they made for themselves or salvage what they can and create a new one before it’s too late. #booksaremyfriends #booksarecool #booksarefun #booksarethebest #bookreviewer #bookrecommendation #bookishfeature #bookishglee #bookbloggers #bookbloggerlife #readingislife #readingismagic #readingislit #readingisawesome #bookreviewersofinstagram #mybookfeatures #bookreview #readingcommunity #bookgeek https://www.instagram.com/p/Cm9FnfILxMK/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=