Thank you to @goodreads and @grandcentralpub for the gifted copy. "When you hear these stories and think, None of these stories are okay, you are right. And when you hear these stories and think, Dang, that's hilarious, you are right. They're both." Going into this one, the word that comes to mind is AUDACITY. QOTD: What book do you associate with the word audacity? FEATURED BOOK: You'll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey: Crazy Stories About Racism Publication Date: January 12, 2021 SYNOPSIS: Writer and performer on Late Night with Seth Meyers Amber Ruffin writes with her sister Lacey Lamar with humor and heart to share absurd anecdotes about everyday experiences of racism. Now a writer and performer on Late Night with Seth Meyers and host of The Amber Ruffin Show, Amber Ruffin lives in New York, where she is no one's First Black Friend and everyone is, as she puts it, "stark raving normal." But Amber's sister Lacey? She's still living in their home state of Nebraska, and trust us, you'll never believe what happened to Lacey. From racist donut shops to strangers putting their whole hand in her hair, from being mistaken for a prostitute to being mistaken for Harriet Tubman, Lacey is a lightning rod for hilariously ridiculous yet all-too-real anecdotes. She's the perfect mix of polite, beautiful, petite, and Black that apparently makes people think "I can say whatever I want to this woman." And now, Amber and Lacey share these entertainingly horrifying stories through their laugh-out-loud sisterly banter. Painfully relatable or shockingly eye-opening (depending on how often you have personally been followed by security at department stores), this book tackles modern-day racism with the perfect balance of levity and gravity. #GCPCLUBCAR #nonfiction #books #shortstories #ReadBlackstories #goodreadsgiveawaywinner #reading #bookphotos #booksoutside #libros #bibliophile #bookstagram #bookrec #GrandCentralPublishing #bookish #bookdragon #BooksofIG #lights #HachetteGo #ILovebooks #nerd #Booksarelife #bookaddict #racism #yellowbooks #ownvoices #comedy #diversespines #ReadBlackauthors #You'llNeverBelieveWhatHappenedtoLacey (at The Shops at Atlas Park) https://www.instagram.com/p/CKfFaPPgGgf/?igshid=zuc0d7wrnna7

"Every single night I've prayed for God to make me beautiful--make me light. And every morning I wake up exactly the same." BOOK REVIEW: GENESIS BEGINS AGAIN RATING: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 Thank you to @authoraliciadwilliams for gifting a beautiful signed copy. Genesis Begins Again is moving, heartbreaking and gutwrenching. Genesis is a 13 year old who is carrying an unbearable weight of grief, self hate and pain caused by generational colorism, her father's alcoholism and gambling problem, unstable housing and evictions, bullying at school and family conflicts. Genesis equates all the pain in her life to her dark complexion and "black features." She secretly resorts to home remedies for lightening, bleaching cream and making a list of why people hate her. I loved that this story took us through Genesis' journey and we see her transform and finally come to a place where she could love herself as she is and find her voice by confronting her inner voices as well as her family. She channels her pain through singing after her teacher introduces her to Billie Holiday and Etta James. It was beautiful to see Genesis come into her own skin by being inquisitive and also by tapping into the good relationships and friendships she made at her latest school. By the end of the story I was feeling hopeful for her. I'm still thinking about her as I write this and she will stay with me. Although this was a middle grade read, this book is so necessary and tackles deep issues such as: ● colorism & racism ● poverty & disparities in education ● mental health & stigma ● the power of friendships ● effects of white beauty standards ● bullying ● teachers as support networks ● how trauma affects self esteem ● addiction Please get this books into schools everywhere because colorism is an issue that transcends many cultures. This book can literally save a life and spark some conversations. #blacklivesmatter #readblackstories #middlegradelit #colorism #racism #bookreview #alcoholism #bullying #bookdragon #bibliophile #bookish #elevatemelanatedvoices #books #booksarelife #bookphotos #trauma #genesisbeginsagain #aliciawilliams #representationmatters #ownvoices #weneeddiversebooks #bookrecs (at Bushwick) https://www.instagram.com/p/CJmaZ7lggHa/?igshid=1mie5dy3wckfi

"Our lives begin to end when we become silent about things that matter."- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr The clock is ticking. Now is the time for less talking and more walking. More action. More digging deep. More finding motivation. More humanity. No more excuses. Get out there and vote! Who are you speaking for today? If you need a reason to vote: 🗳 Black lives still matter 🗳 Brown kids don't belong in cages 🗳 Education not segregation 🗳 End school to prison pipeline 🗳 No one is illegal on stolen land 🗳 No taxation w/o representation 🇵🇷 🗳 LGBTQIA+ are humans too 🗳 Fair and equal pay for everyone 🗳 Rehabilitation not Mass incarceration 🗳 Women are entitled to agency over their own bodies and health 🗳 Healthcare is a human right 🗳 Climate change is real 🗳 Defund and retrain the police 🗳 200,000+ Americans are dead 👟👟 SYNOPSIS 👟👟 In the stunning and hard-hitting sequel to the New York Times bestseller Dear Martin, incarcerated teen Quan writes letters to Justyce about his experiences in the American prison system. Shortly after teenager Quan enters a not guilty plea for the shooting death of a police officer, he is placed in a holding cell to await trial. Through a series of flashbacks and letters to Justyce, the protagonist of Dear Martin, Quan's story unravels. From a troubled childhood and bad timing to a coerced confession and prejudiced police work, Nic Stone's newest novel takes an unflinching look at the flawed practices and ideologies that discriminate against African American boys and minorities in the American justice system. #votingmatters #vote2020 #votenow #blacklivesmatter #readBlackstories #nicstone #dearjustyce #ownvoices #supportBlackbooks #bookdragon #supportBlackauthors #bookstagram #booksandsneakers #booksarelife #bookworm #bookphotos #booknerd #useyourvoice #exerciseyourrights (at Bushwick) https://www.instagram.com/p/CG8Y6SIgGcA/?igshid=gtdpxeprked

I'm highlighting some recently released books today on this rainy Friday. Epic Reads is proud of their recent books published celebrating Black! Boy! Joy! and they want to share them with you. Here are three books that are giving us cause to celebrate during this joyfilled campaign: 🙆🏿‍♂️ Early Departures by Justin A. Reynolds 🙆🏿‍♂️ Charming as a Verb by Ben Phillipe 🙆🏿‍♂️ Not so Pure and Simple by Lamar Giles I'm excited to read all of them and share them with others. Black males are portrayed in negative ways in media and it is crucial for us to break the stereotypes and spread stories that show black males in all their glory. Young, black boys need to be able to see themselves represented doing ordinary things and navigating life and finding love their own sense of happiness in the process. If these aren't on your radar, be sure to pick them up sooner rather than later. For more information please visit the landing page so you can learn more about these wonderful books and their fantastic authors. Here is the https://go.epicreads.com/blackboyjoy/. You can also find in it through my bio page. QOTD: What are some other Black! Boy! Joy! stories you read recently? #blacklivesmatter #blackboyjoy #readblackstories #diversestories #readersforequality #epicreads #weneeddiversebooks #bookstagram #earlydepartures #charmingasaverb #notsopureandsimple #readyalit #diversifyyourfeed #YAfiction #yabooks #bookdragon #bookish (at Bushwick) https://www.instagram.com/p/CGa6SkGAx3V/?igshid=kzddlhqds3f8

Some books just take your breath away! They make you want to stop and bask in their beauty. QOTD: What book leaves you breathless? ***SYNOPSIS (GOODREADS): Dear Martin meets Just Mercy in this unflinching yet uplifting YA novel that explores the racist injustices in the American justice system. Every week, seventeen-year-old Tracy Beaumont writes letters to Innocence X, asking the organization to help her father, an innocent Black man on death row. After seven years, Tracy is running out of time—her dad has only 267 days left. Then the unthinkable happens. The police arrive in the night, and Tracy’s older brother, Jamal, goes from being a bright, promising track star to a “thug” on the run, accused of killing a white girl. Determined to save her brother, Tracy investigates what really happened between Jamal and Angela down at the Pike. But will Tracy and her family survive the uncovering of the skeletons of their Texas town’s racist history that still haunt the present? Fans of Nic Stone and Jason Reynolds won’t want to miss this provocative and gripping debut. #readblackstories #blacklivesmatter #weneeddiversebooks #ownvoices #readersforequality #bookstagram #decolonizeyourshelf #bookdragon #booksandsunsets #booksonhighline #readbooksoutside #booksarelife #bibliophile #booklover #bookaddict #bookcoverlove #readgoodbooks #sunshine #highline #bookphoto #amplifymelanatedvoices #booklove #booksbooksbooks #bookishthings #getunderlined #readYAbooks #yalit (at The High Line) https://www.instagram.com/p/CD2UwZlAHP8/?igshid=eu9dt7l7mlr9

I'm hoping this will be my next read. I've been waiting for this debut and my pre-order was delayed. Anyone else reading this in August? If so, what are your thoughts so far? ***SYNOPSIS (Goodreads): Los Angeles, 1992 Ashley Bennett and her friends are living the charmed life. It’s the end of senior year and they’re spending more time at the beach than in the classroom. They can already feel the sunny days and endless possibilities of summer. Everything changes one afternoon in April, when four LAPD officers are acquitted after beating a black man named Rodney King half to death. Suddenly, Ashley’s not just one of the girls. She’s one of the black kids. As violent protests engulf LA and the city burns, Ashley tries to continue on as if life were normal. Even as her self-destructive sister gets dangerously involved in the riots. Even as the model black family façade her wealthy and prominent parents have built starts to crumble. Even as her best friends help spread a rumor that could completely derail the future of her classmate and fellow black kid, LaShawn Johnson. With her world splintering around her, Ashley, along with the rest of LA, is left to question who is the us? And who is the them? #blacklivesmatter #readblackstories #amplifymelanatedvoices #books #booksandflowers #bookstagram #weneeddiversebooks #ownvoices #diversifyyourreading #bookworm #decolonizeyourshelves #booknerd #booksarelife #booksteachlessons #readersforequality #readdifferent (at The High Line) https://www.instagram.com/p/CDxKHa3gjc_/?igshid=8s67w714ep7t

"The mind works such that we see and perceive new things always through the lens of what we have already seen". In Memorial Drive, Natasha Trethewey reckons with her mother's murder at the hands of her stepfather. She revisits her memories and recalls events in order to make sense of the tragedy. She relives pivotal moments and relies on the psychology of her mind during those times to analyze and move towards acceptance of what happened to her mother. She comes to terms with her guilt and silence as a child forced to bear so much trauma and pain. She propels herself back in time to walk through not only her own story but her mother's to gain clarity about her life. Her writing is exquisite and it is obvious that she was born to be a poet. The prose pulls at your heart strings and you feel her emotions on a visceral level. I was emotionally destroyed by the end of it but it left me with a deeper understanding of trauma and the after effects. What I also appreciated about the author's story was that is was also a story of identity and search for belonging. The author is biracial and her parents were married illegally during the era of miscegenation laws. She talks extensively throughout the story about growing up during segregation and racism and how she was taught to act when navigating through both worlds that make up her identity. Her mother's love was the constant through her journey to make her mark in the world. When her mother is killed, the author begins to question if she could have prevented it in some way. She recalls her many anxieties and premonitions as a child and recounts how intuitive children can be when in contact with trauma and a sense of danger. She also illuminates how difficult it is to trust your own instincts and speak out when you are young. Natasha's story will stay with me for a long time to come because her emotions were so raw yet insightful. It will challenge me not to discount my trauma and emotions in my own life. This bookdragon rates it 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥. #blacklivesmatter #blackresilence #readblackstories #supportblackart #weneeddiversebooks #blackmemoir #bookstagram #readbooksinthepark #takebooksoutside #bookishphotos #reading (at Juniper Valley Park) https://www.instagram.com/p/CDrzvjogy6o/?igshid=17a12k53xp879