#readcarribbean

The Haitian Readathon ends tomorrow. Today I am featuring One of the Good Ones written by the powerhouse sister team of Mika and Maritza Moulite. This beautiful book released January 5th. Check out the synopsis below. QOTD: What writing duo do you recommend? 🇭🇹🇭🇹SYNOPSIS🇭🇹🇭🇹 The Hate U Give meets Get Out in this honest and powerful exploration of prejudice in the stunning novel from sister-writer duo Maika and Maritza Moulite, authors of Dear Haiti, Love Alaine. ISN'T BEING HUMAN ENOUGH? When teen social activist and history buff Kezi Smith is killed under mysterious circumstances after attending a social justice rally, her devastated sister Happi and their family are left reeling in the aftermath. As Kezi becomes another immortalized victim in the fight against police brutality, Happi begins to question the idealized way her sister is remembered. Perfect. Angelic. One of the good ones. Even as the phrase rings wrong in her mind—why are only certain people deemed worthy to be missed?—Happi and her sister Genny embark on a journey to honor Kezi in their own way, using an heirloom copy of The Negro Motorist Green Book as their guide. But there's a twist to Kezi's story that no one could've ever expected—one that will change everything all over again. #TheHaitianReadathon #Haitianbook #readcarribbean #ownvoices #books #BlackYAstories #BookFeature #BlackLivesMatter #MaikaMoulite #OneoftheGoodOnes #InkyardPress #MaritzaMoulite #Bookstagram #Bookphotos #Bibliophile #YABooks #elevatemelanatedvoices #Reading #weneeddiversebooks #Ilovebooks #booksarelife #readingiscool #bookworm #booknerd #readBlack #diversespines #hardcoverbooks #sisterhood #YAfan #YAreader (at Bushwick) https://www.instagram.com/p/CKC5JXEAQzy/?igshid=mdb058zaqj9g

Day 16 of #DecolonizeDecember photo challenge hosted by Alejandro @decolonizeliterature Today's prompt: A book about BIPOC joy Feature: Merci Suarez Switches Gears Genre: Middle Grade Choosing a book to feature today really made me reflect on the importance of BIPOC stories of joy. Publishing only seems to be interested in promoting trauma stories, immigration stories and racism. They ignore our daily existence and erase our moments of happiness in ordinary life. By relegating our identities to trauma, they never have to acknowledge our humanity. They never have to accept that our lives matter, that we have our own dreams and that we deserve equal opportunities. Promoting our stories is a necessity and tearing down the systems that block us from telling our stories is a priority. SYNOPSIS: Thoughtful, strong-willed sixth-grader Merci Suarez navigates difficult changes with friends, family, and everyone in between in a resonant new novel from Meg Medina. Merci Suarez knew that sixth grade would be different, but she had no idea just how different. For starters, Merci has never been like the other kids at her private school in Florida, because she and her older brother, Roli, are scholarship students. They don’t have a big house or a fancy boat, and they have to do extra community service to make up for their free tuition. So when bossy Edna Santos sets her sights on the new boy who happens to be Merci’s school-assigned Sunshine Buddy, Merci becomes the target of Edna’s jealousy. Things aren't going well at home, either: Merci’s grandfather and most trusted ally, Lolo, has been acting strangely lately — forgetting important things, falling from his bike, and getting angry over nothing. No one in her family will tell Merci what's going on, so she’s left to her own worries, while also feeling all on her own at school. In a coming-of-age tale full of humor and wisdom, award-winning author Meg Medina gets to the heart of the confusion and constant change that defines middle school — and the steadfast connection that defines family. #WeLoveMGLit #LatinxMGbooks #readcarribbean #readLatinx #read #bookstagram #bookdragon #books #snowday #bibliophile #ownvoices (at Bushwick) https://www.instagram.com/p/CI4X6GFAsQj/?igshid=4kgck8euvghg

Day 3 #DecolonizeDecember started by Alejandro of @decolonizeliterature Todays prompt: Underrated BIPOC author QOTD: What BIPOC author doesn't get the credit they deserve? My feature today is Puerto Rico's own Esmeralda Santiago. Not only are her books literary gold chock full of representation, the Puerto Rican migration experience and adolescent coming of age, but she has accomplished so much outside of the literary world. 🇵🇷 She graduated from Harvard University and Sarah Lawrence College after attending NYC's H.S. of Performing Arts. 🇵🇷 She has written for national newspapers and mass market magazines. 🇵🇷 She is active in advocating for public libraries. 🇵🇷 She has designed programs for adolescent services and founded a domestic violence shelter for women and their children. 🇵🇷 He holds 3 honorary doctorates from three colleges. 🇵🇷 She is a poet, editor, actress and novelist as well as documentarian. 🇵🇷 She is a stroke survivor and had to relearn how to read and speak in both English and Spanish. #readcarribbean #readlatinx #boricua #PuertoRicanbookstagrammer #book #ownvoices #dignidadliteraria #libros #bookdragon #bookworm #hotcocoa #bibliophile #esmeraldasantiago #PuertoRicanAuthors #boricuapride #throwbookthursday #backlistrecs #representationmatters #latinxbooks #diversespines #decolonizeyourfeed #weneeddiversebooks #readtolearn #bookishmugs #booksandmugs (at Bushwick) https://www.instagram.com/p/CIXFI0VgtMS/?igshid=1s5d3kpuiwmlx

"The spirits of this world --they don't stay with you for long" - Auntie Idris Words cannot express how much I loved King and the Dragonflies. This one made my heart swell and tears flow. What a beautiful story about grief, self-acceptance and belonging. Kacen Callender gave us another beautiful tale, this time, middle grade, about the human spirit and resilence after trauma. There was so much to love about this one. The character driven plot was this book's strength. Each character offered unique perspective, added depth and layers to the main plot and made me more invested in the story. Kacen did a fantastic job of showing the complexities of identity forming during the middle grade years, especially when they are in conflict with societal and familial cultures established already. The writing was poetic. The scenes by the bayou and the dragonflies were my favorites because of the visual imagery. Kacen Callender is now an auto-buy author for me. His work is so important and his voice is necessary. Here is a recap of this books' shining moments: 🦋 honest depiction of middle grade friendships 🐛 honors spiritual beliefs about death and death 🐜 shows how Jim Crow Era violence still exists, is passed on to white males and still haunts black males 🐞 shows how toxic masculinity can lead to violence and force boys to hide who they are 🐝 shows how grief transforms over time 🐌 depicts strong family ties in the black community 🕷 shows that you have to fight equally for all marginalized groups, not just the ones you identify with 🦆 shows that freedom comes from being your authentic self 🦗 shows how much insight youth have and how adults need to be open to listen more 🦎 shows that fear can keep you captive 🦟 shows that life is not promised and you should tell people how you feel 🦜 reminds us that loved ones who passed on will always remain with us in different ways I am so happy that this was the book selection for #WeLoveMGLit. This bookdragon rates it 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥. #readcarribbean #pridebook #lgbtqiabooks #welovemglit #ownvoices #weneeddiversebooks #diversereads #blacklivesmatter #supportblackauthors #kacencallender #bookdragon #kingandthedragonflies (at The Vessel) https://www.instagram.com/p/CFYA5vFAzv9/?igshid=1e454erhr9l2a

Cooking. Gardening. Taking a break. This is what I call multitasking. I really don't want this book to end. Never Look Back by Lilliam Rivera is giving me life. QOTD: What book did you read that you did not want to end because it was so good? #readcarribbean #readtoescapelife #readingisrelaxing #backyardreads #quarantinehobbies #bookstagram #bookishphotos #bookmark #books #bookdragon #bookworm #booknerd #readbooksoutside #readingiscool #readlatinxbooks #latinxreader #weneeddiversebooks #bibliophile #bookwormactivity #booksandplants #relaxandread #takeabreakandread #neverlookback #lilliamrivera #yalit (at Bushwick) https://www.instagram.com/p/CE5ImWNAhmT/?igshid=12cldttp6l7ab

Ever received a book and you literally happy squealed? I've been saying I wanted to start reading some rom-coms and when I saw this one was coming out, my little Puerto Rican heart melted. I wanted to read this one because from the synopsis alone, I knew I would find so many parts of myself within the pages. Growing up latinx you are exposed to so many standards of beauty and femininity. I never saw myself on telenovelas and when I did they were always in subservient roles. I'm curious to see what representation looks like in this book and what nostalgia will be evoked. Thank you so much for sharing the love @melannrosenthal 🤗🤗. QOTD: What BIPOC rom com do you recommend? #representationmatters #latinxreader #readlatinxstories #ownvoicesbooks #readcarribbean #dignidadliteraria #booksandflowers #bookstagram #bookphotos #booksandgardens #takebooksoutside #bookwormforlife #youhadmeathola #alexisdaria #book #latinx #romcom #diversespines #bookdragon #booklover #bibliophile (at Bushwick) https://www.instagram.com/p/CECcBVPgRmu/?igshid=ln1boz0lhm54

Watching the sunset and reading a book is where you will find me. Isn't this a vision of beauty? Thanks for the giveaway win @irishgirliereads. I have been wanting to read this one for so long. QOTD: What time of day do you get the most reading done? Do you enjoy indoor or outdoor reading? ***SYNOPSIS (GOODREADS)*** The beautiful island of Barbados, world-renowned for white sand beaches and tranquil blue seas, became the scene of an international crime in 1967. Forty years after Susan Taylor’s whistle-blowing novel, ‘The Unspeakable Truth’ became the most famous novel by any Caribbean author, she reaches out to a young writer to write her biography. Lia Davis has no idea why Susan would choose her, but there's more to Susan's story than meets the eye. The Girl with the Hazel Eyes will show you just why there is trouble in paradise. #readcarribbean #giveawaywinner #booksandsunsets #booksinthepark #readtoescapelife #readingisrelaxing #booksbooksbooks #bookstagram #blacklivesmatter #readblackstories #readdifferentgenres #caribbeanlit #bookdragon #bookworm #booknerd #bibliophile #bookaddict #bookphoto #thegirlwiththehazeleyes #bajanbook #goodreadswithaview #ownvoices (at Grover Cleveland Park) https://www.instagram.com/p/CD44L7Yg8q3/?igshid=3yksrs8t7oxt

It's Day 30 of @prettylittlebookshelf #BlackResilienceBookstaTour and today's prompt is Favorite Black Author. Anyone who has ever had a conversation with me knows that I absolutely fan girl for Edwidge Danticat. She paints magical pictures with words and she tackles Haitian history and gives voice to Haitian people and uplifts their culture like no other. I had the pleasure of meeting her at Brooklyn Book Festival and watched her on panels and I can only describe her presence as heaven on earth. If you have not ever read her work, what are you waiting for? I've included a brief summary of her achievements from her website below: Edwidge Danticat is the author of several books, including Breath, Eyes, Memory, an Oprah Book Club selection, Krik? Krak!, a National Book Award finalist, The Farming of Bones, The Dew Breaker, Create Dangerously, Claire of the Sea Light, and Everything Inside. She is also the editor of The Butterfly's Way: Voices from the Haitian Dyaspora in the United States,  Best American Essays 2011,  Haiti Noir and Haiti Noir 2. She  has written seven books for  children and young adults, Anacaona, Behind the Mountains, Eight Days, The Last Mapou, Mama's Nightingale, Untwine, My Mommy Medicine, as well as a travel narrative, After the Dance. Her memoir, Brother, I'm Dying, was a 2007 finalist for the National Book Award and a  2008 winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award for autobiography.  She is a 2009 MacArthur fellow, a 2018 Ford Foundation “The Art of Change” fellow, and the winner of the 2018 Neustadt International Prize and the 2019 St. Louis Literary Award.  #readcarribbean #readHaitianstories #blacklivesmatter #readblackbooks #decolonizeyourshelves #readdiverse #Haitianauthors #supportblackbooks #blackresiliancebookstatour #books #bookstack #booksbooksbooks #bookdragon #bookworm #booknerd #booksandflowers #booksinnature #Istanedwidgedanticat #bookphotos #bookstagram #booksarelifegiving (at Bushwick) https://www.instagram.com/p/CDSX-RCg7xL/?igshid=1y15961klkx3d