Trinity's Reading List
I have loved reading since I was able to read. I loved exploring new worlds and new people. My favorite authors are usually very good at unveiling mysteries and developing complex characters so much so that it takes only the loudest of noises to break my from their trance. It is always hard finding new and entertaining books so I wanted to share some of my all time favorite books. I have made a vow to consciously read books by Black women about Black women that does not rely on stereotypes or hate of the Black community. I am very picky about what I read so this can be difficult but I would be more than honored to share this journey.
*Expect minimal spoilers unless explicitly stated*
Finding Me by Viola Davis (A Memoir)
I love this memoir. I learned so much about Viola that I ignorantly never thought of. I always saw Miss Davis as a strong, incredibly talented woman who broke barriers in Hollywood. I saw her as a person who was sooo talented that the white supremacists who run the world had to award her. But reading her book I was correct and wrong. She was strong and talented but she didn’t always see herself as that. Reading about her childhood, I learned about Black history and her history. She’s been through so much but even though our stories diverge at places, I felt grounded and human knowing that one of the people I looked up to for years still goes through similar things and feels similar feelings as me. It was encouraging since she had such good advise even though I do not plan on being an actor any time soon. Her story about finding a husband is so funny but I can relate (God please hear my cries lol). I also really appreciated her feelings on therapy and how it is really a tool to help us. Five stars out of five! I think everyone should read this not just Black women or aspiring actors, EVERYONE!
FIVE STARS OUTTA FIVE ★★★★★
My Sister the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
This is a thriller book not so much of a mystery. I enjoyed it and I want a sequel because I am not satisfied with the ending. I wonder if it is a commentary on enablers but with the humanizing of the sister at the end, I am not so sure. In this book, we follow Korede who is helping to look out for her younger sister, Ayoola who is everything Korede is (thinks she is) not. But Ayoola has a habit of killing and Korede helps her by cleaning up her messes. Ayoola comes off as an aloof asshole and does not care about her sister’s feelings as much as Korede cares for her. I think Korede enables her sister out of a pressure from their mother and herself to protect her but as adults, we have consequences to face for our actions. I couldnt relate to Korede but I felt bad for her. She overthinks things as we all do but I wish she had a backbone when it came to her sister. Thats why I want a sequel because I felt like the next couple weeks could be a repeat of the same cycle or something new could happen. And we never really got an answer as to why Ayoola keeps killing these men because we don’t really believe all her stories. Could it be magical? Could it be hereditary? Could it just be she is a serial killer at heart? We’ll never know. Lets hope we get a sequel.
Overall, a good, quick summer read.
★★★★☆
The Monsters We Defy by Leslye Penelope
First of all, I love this book! Its very Black and healthy! No babymommas and other stereotypes. I love how it is a period piece that doesn’t focus on trauma and racism even though we all know it exists. The story follows a young woman (20s ish) by the name of Clara who can speak to spirits. I know a lot of Black people are skeptical when it comes to hoodoo and such but this is like a thriller/action/heist with a spiritual element which I enjoyed. I am not a fan of romance novels or romance plots but I found myself wooing and aww-ing at the few romance beats in this work. They were cute and I can’t even lie. I also appreciated the representation. I envisioned everyone as dark skinned Black except for the character with albinism, who I loved by the way. I also love the set up for the plot and how the other protagonists were introduced by their background stories as well. I really enjoyed all the characters in the book. It’s very hard for me to find books by Black people about Black people in a non stereotype, not weird and not about bashing the Black community. I had so much fun reading this book that I had to limit myself to one chapter per day so I could enjoy it until I found another acceptable book. And we got a piece of media where Black people get a happy ending and I am so grateful for that. We are not just trauma and racism and pain but we are strength and we deserve joy in our Blackness. I also try to find books that are about young women because I am a young woman in my twenties but a lot of young woman books are about finding love (boring) or about a white man (wtf) and the teen books are simpler than I prefer and its hard for me to follow the protagonists and feel for their struggles because I have been there and done that.
So I am eternally grateful I found this novel.
Unfortunately none of the other novels by Leslye Penelope have caught my eye since I am not into book not all about all Black people and I am not into romance novels but if you are, definitely check them out.
I can’t wait until I get to recommend this book to my cousins and my kids. I think its an incredible read. I am so glad I ran across it and hopefully one day I forget it and can return to it as a new reader.
FIVE STARS OUTTA FIVE ★★★★★
Sugar by Bernice L. McFadden
Sugar is a book that was very interesting to me. It follows a sex worker named Sugar who was abandoned by her mother and was taken care of by prostitutes. She meets a woman who become close even though they have different outlooks on life. I was expecting both of them to teach one another something about other walks of life which they did a little bit but it seemed that Sugar helped awaken a part of the woman who she put away after a tragedy of the family. There was a few good moments of commentary on the judgmental and gossip-y nature of the Black church and how people perceive sex workers and how sex workers perceive the world and the men who live double lives. Sugar's perspective was very interesting yet sad but understandable. We are our nature, nurture and choices.
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It was a decent novel with a little too much trauma for me. I may just be tired out but I really do not want to read any more books where its only about trauma. I get it, we go through trauma personally and as a community in this sick, sick world but we are much more than trauma. In my mind, if we cannot get safety and peace in reality, why can't we make it for ourselves in fiction? I just think there should be more of a balance but the novel has a good but kinda weird twist at the end. I bought the sequel book but I am not sure if I am going to read it or not. I am curious to see where Sugar will go but I am not interested enough to go on that journey.
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★★★☆☆
Dead Dead Girls (A Harlem Renaissance Mystery ) by Nekesa Afia
Dead Dead Girls is a fairly new release from Nekesa Afia. It is the first release of a series which excites me to how the story will continue. The story of Dead Dead Girls hits a little too close to home. It follows a young Black woman during the Harlem Renaissance. Through some odd circumstances the woman, Louise, is involved in a mystery murder case of Black girls. She wants to help with the case because she knows no one else cares.
It is an adult fiction book but it is a really easy read and can sometimes come off as teen fiction. The atmosphere and swerving of the story is great but it does come to an abrupt halt. I am not sure if its because the pacing near the last few chapters was sped up compare to the rest of the book or if I spend too much time watching mysteries. The culprit is a typical villain and once found out spills their cliche reasonings to the protagonist. The end climax is also sped through but I really enjoyed the novel until the last few chapters. I really enjoyed the characters especially the main character, Louise. Her troubles with her family were interesting and I wish we got more time to build that out more and get a resolution. I think this is a good read but it might be a little boring and typical if you are older than 25.
★★★★☆
The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris
The Other Black Girl was a pretty good book. I loved the mystery of it all. There were a few other perspectives outside of the main character, Nella. At first I was hesitant because reading books about Black people fighting each other for seats at someone else's table did not sit well with me but after finishing it, it became so much more. I do not relate to Nella enough to feel bad for her but I did enjoy following her as she unraveled a history of the only other Black girl at her office. I did not like one section where Nella was upset that people called her white and she blamed it on
her AP classes being only white people. It sounded very anti-Black for her to say that because she was "advanced" she didn't feel Black. Other than that and the abrupt yet surprising conclusion, I enjoyed the ride. I think this novel really speaks to how Black people are sometimes forced to assimilate to make money and get by on small 'wins' or take huge risks by fighting the oppression head on. It also speaks to diversity programs that only allow a few Black people to work and never any Black leaders in the company. It was a bit sad to read as i am just now entering the workforce but overall, very solid read with enough mystery to please my picky self.
★★★☆☆
Girl Gurl Grrrl by Kenya Hunt
Girl Gurl Grrl is a collection of essays about various topics.I really enjoyed this book. I really enjoyed this book because it covered a lot of topics that I've always wanted to talk about but I lack a strong community of Black women who think similarly. I would recommend anyone Black read this book. I think Kenya Hunt does a wonderful job of exploring Black womanhood in general while also showing a personal testimony to the topics she covers. I love when Black people are allowed to be human, strong and vulnerable and Hunt captures that. It made me feel seen and heard because we are all figuring life out and we are all battling oppression. Chapter 20, "Bad Bitches" is one of my favorite chapter. For a while now, I've felt that women calling themselves bad bitches has been used against us but she creates a feeling of community in a single chapter and even defines bad bitches before she goes in. This book was so fun to read, funny at times and very affirming for women like me and not like me.
★★★★★
The Mothers by Brit Bennett
The Mothers by Brit Bennett was one of my favorite novels. It is one of the few books that have a character almost similar to me. The novel follows Nadia, a girl who finally leaves her hometown but comes back because of a family emergency. Nadia is a peculiar character and very interesting to read about. She gains a new outlook on life after leaving her hometown and she can be relatable to a lot of Black college students. There are a few other main characters who are also interesting including a football player pastor's son and a dedicated, born again high school girl with a dark past. It sounds corny because I am describing it but it is far from a love story which makes me beyond happy. This book really explored Black motherhood and motherhood broadly. I loved reading about how the different mothering strategies and choices can manifest differently in their children, for better or for worse. There were also themes of internalization, gossip and secrecy that were very intriguing. I also like that there really isn't an answer on how to be a mother or how to handle other choices these characters make because life is really about finding yourself and making choices and decisions you can live with.
★★★★★
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