#diversifyyourbookshelf

Do you think you would survive in a post-apocalyptic world?

If you’re longing for a book to immerse yourself in, that will give you something positive and beautiful to fill your brain and perhaps evolve your understanding of the natural world, look no further. I’ve been loving Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer, which I’m late to the party on but which has been like a breath of fresh air in the dead of winter. The subtitle describes what this book has to offer - Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants. Kimmerer is excellent at fusing her indigenous knowledge and scientific acumen to explain how plants function in concert with the rest of the natural world, and how their relationship of reciprocity illustrates the goal all people should be striving for in their relationships with the natural world and one another. Her evocative prose reframes biological processes into beautiful lessons guiding our own evolution and understanding. If you haven’t read this book yet, get it in your queue. It’s the perfect book to be reading as spring comes. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Note: I bought that braid of sweetgrass years ago before I understood its place as a sacred plant that you should get only from indigenous vendors. I love to smell it - it really is one of the most comforting scents, like a field of hay with just a hint of cinnamon or vanilla essence. And now that I’ve been reading this book I hear the lovely Anishinaabe word for sweetgrass - wiingaashk - in my head whenever I smell it. #books #bookstagram #indigenouswriters #indigenousauthors #braidingsweetgrass #plants #botany #nature #instabook #instabooks #bookrecommendations #booklover #currentlyreading #naturalscience #indigenousknowledge #reciprocity #sweetgrass #ecology #reading #diversifyyourbookshelf #readersofinstagram #readmorebooks https://www.instagram.com/p/CZMj0-QO3lR/?utm_medium=tumblr

TW for grooming, sexual assault/rape, pedophilia, and drug use.

I bought Into The Drowning Deep a few months ago, I'm looking forward to reading it very soon. It's definitely one of my many horror hopefuls of 2023! Last year I realized I loved going back to my horror roots. Don't be surprised if there's an influx of horror books in the next few months! What's a book you're looking forward to reading in 2023? Do you think you'll try a new genre or author? #happynewyear2023 #diversifyyourbookshelf #horrorreads #horrorbookstagram #bookishcommunity #bookishcanadians https://www.instagram.com/p/CnFNCkxrx8O/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

The 2022 longlist of @thediversebookawards were announced yesterday and there are a great selection of diverse reads for you to read! I had the privilege of being one of the judges (in the children’s category) to select the longlist and I am so excited to share this list with you. Head over to the link in my bio for a robust list of books that will not only #DiversifyYourBookshelf but give you something entertaining to read at the same time! #books #bookawards #bookstagram #ukyabooks #ukchildren #diversityinbooks #thediversebookawards #poetry #NovelsinVerse #yabooks #ukbooks #britishmysteries #britishbooks #booklovers #Bookworm #blogpost https://www.instagram.com/p/CgnM2Mir9fm/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Kat, we enjoyed Girl in Fire, too! Brittany Williams artwork was fyah! Reposted from @booksenvogue ⠀ 📚 Girl on Fire by Alicia Keys ⠀ Synopsis: Lolo Wright always thought she was just a regular fourteen-year-old dealing with regular family drama: her brother, James, is struggling with his studies; her dad’s business constantly teeters on the edge of trouble; and her mother . . . she left long ago. But then Lolo’s world explodes when a cop pulls a gun on James in a dangerous case of mistaken identities. Staring down the barrel, with no one else to help, Lolo discovers powers she never knew she had. Using only her mind, she literally throws the cop out of the way. Problem is that secrets like Lolo’s don’t stay a secret for long. Skin, a dangerous dealer with designs on taking over the neighborhood, hears of Lolo’s telekinetic abilities and decides that he needs her in his crew. Skin might not have Lolo’s powers, but he’s got nothing to lose and is willing to do whatever it takes to get what he wants. And what he wants is Lolo. Lolo’s not willing to let Skin use her to hurt the people—and neighborhood—that she loves. But it’s going to take a whole different kind of bravery to stand-up for what’s right, especially after Lolo’s mom returns suddenly and turns Lolo’s whole world upside-down. For too long, it’s true, Lolo’s had her head in the clouds, but this time, it’s on her . . . and she’s not backing down. ⠀ Girl on Fire is a young adult graphic novel about a girl who’s a flame. It’s the first-ever graphic novel from beloved GRAMMY® Award-winning artist Alicia Keys, co-written by Andrew Weiner and illustrated by Brittney Williams. ⠀ ⠀ ✨Thanks so much to @EpicReads and @aliciakeys for this #gifted copy! ⠀ ✨ I binged this book and loved it! I hope there is a sequel! I need more! ⠀ ⠀ 💋 xoxo, Kat ⠀ P.S. #DiversifyYourBookshelf 😁 It's #girlonfire by @aliciakeys #andrewweiner @inner_station & @b_willy_will #brittneywilliams ! Add this to your #tbr ! Thanks to #igreads and my desire to #ReadAllTheBooks my #TBRpile is taking over! ⠀ Sincerely yours, #BlackGirlReading 📚 #SistahScifi #BlackGraphicNovel #blacksuperheroes #BlackReadersMatter #BlackOwnedBookstore https://www.instagram.com/p/CgnHS9uPtho/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

I previously featured my #BlackHistoryMonth-themed #tbr shelf - now here are some personal favorites by Black authors that I have actually read. Ones I have physical copies of, that is. Needless to say, I can’t recommend these enough (especially the Baldwin): Bad Feminist - Roxane Gay Such a Fun Age - Kiley Reid Meaty - Samantha Irby We Should All Be Feminists - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Notes of a Native Son - James Baldwin Wow, No Thank You - Samantha Irby The Fire Next Time - James Baldwin So You Want to Talk About Race - Ijeoma Oluo The Cooking Gene- Michael W. Twitty Freedom is a Constant Struggle - Angela Y. Davis Sister Outsider - Audre Lorde I would add to these some I have either lent to others or have not acquired a physical copy of yet: Between the World and Me - Ta-Nehisi Coates Hood Feminism - Mikki Kendall Ain’t I a Woman - bell hooks The Prophets - Robert Jones Jr. We Are Never Meeting in Real Life - Samantha Irby Giovanni’s Room - James Baldwin Passing - Nella Larsen Begin Again - Eddie S. Glaude Stamped From the Beginning - Ibram X. Kendi What White People Can Do Next - Emma Dabiri The Tradition - Jericho Brown How Long Till Black Future Month? - N.K. Jemisin *Note - I HIGHLY recommend you seek out the audiobook for Nella Larsen’s Passing. Hearing it read by Tessa Thompson was an absolute treat. I could listen to her say anything and be transfixed, but the subtle beauty of her performance is just as perfect as in the Netflix production of the book she starred in. #blackauthors #books #diversifyyourbookshelf #goodreads #readthisbook #blackwriters #readersofinstagram #mybookshelf #shelfie #shelfiesunday #blm #bellhooks #angeladavis #jamesbaldwin #audrelorde #instabooks #bookstagram #bookrecommendations #bookrecs #favoritebooks #bookworm #readingisfundamental #readingislife #booklover https://www.instagram.com/p/CaNAbXKuFxH/?utm_medium=tumblr

In a world where the @nfl forces @kendricklamar to censor his lyrics and has ostracized @kaepernick7 for peaceful protests, where history curricula are being censored to appease proudly ignorant white parents, we are reminded how a white supremacist society privileges white feelings over Black lives. And that we need #JamesBaldwin’s words as much as ever. It really is tragic how evergreen Baldwin’s essays from the 1950s still are. This man with his writing and speeches took a scalpel to the tumor of white supremacy and laid the underbelly of the American psyche bare for all to see. I first heard his name in a Le Tigre song in 2015 or so, and ever since have resented not finding him earlier. If there were one change I could make to all school curricula, it would be to make his collection of essays Notes of a Native Son required reading. Hearing him speak will send chills down your spine as if you are finally receiving the language for something you’d suspected but never had the language for. Read these books - they are two of my favorites I’ve ever picked up and essential to understanding the mentality behind a white supremacist society. Watch @iamnotyournegro, one of the best documentaries I’ve ever experienced. And visit @retrosoul__ to experience more of the power of Baldwin’s speaking. You can’t not get chills watching him, and want to applaud. #blackhistorymonth #diversifyyourbookshelf #bookstagram #blackhistory #civilrights #blacklivesmatter #books #bookrecs #antiracistbookclub #antiracist #criticalracetheory #blackauthors #blackwriters #blacklgbt #favoritebooks #bookrecommendations #readthis #booklover #readersofinstagram #reading #mustread #iamnotyournegro #thefirenexttime https://www.instagram.com/p/CZ9tM5bulYa/?utm_medium=tumblr