#Faith Callender

[curryvillain]

Get Ready For Crop Over With @FaithCallender's "Honestly"

It’s a new day, and there are new vibes to enjoy! For Bajan Artist Faith Callender, she wants to have fun, and make beautiful things happen this year. Getting ready for the 2023 Crop Over season, she kicks things off with the new single, “Honestly“. Produced by Barry Hill for Dreadhawk Productions, Faith Callender is here for a good time, for a long time. She’s not about postponing the vibes, she…

[heavenlymorals]

Biblical References in Both RDR games.

I love biblical references so much. When it comes to literature, it's probably my favorite type of symbolism. Like I genuinely get so happy when I connect things to the Bible which is what I'm going to do right now 😊😊 I also like the way that religion is incorporated into RDR as a whole, including the main characters' reaction to it.

So yup, here are just a few references or connections that I was able to make in no particular order.

Also, some of these are complete reaches and I'm aware of that, but fuck it, it's my blog and I do what I want 💪🏼

- The character and tragedy of Issac. In the Bible, Issac is the child of Abraham who is asked to be sacrificed by God by his father as a test of faith. God eventually intervenes to save Issac because he only wanted to test Abraham's faith. Dutch is shown as a God-like figure to the gang, as their devotion is to him. Arthur, indirectly, sacrifices Issac by not being there and by following what Dutch wanted. Arthur, Issac, and Dutch are parallels to Abraham, Issac, and God.

- Leviticus is the book that comes after the book of Exodus. After the gang's escape or exodus from Blackwater after the Blackwater massacre, they are met by Leviticus Cornwall, who becomes the next obstacle for the gang. After the gang's exodus, they get in trouble with Leviticus.

- The image of the deer and a mountain. Psalm 18:32-34 in the Bible says, "It is God who arms me with strength, and makes my way blameless? He makes my feet like deers' feet, and sets me upon my high places." In Arthur's condemnation of Dutch, Micah, and their evil, he becomes steady in his identity and beliefs, like a deer's feet on a mountain, which is where he dies in the end. W symbolism.

- The mission "Sodom? Back to Gomorrah." In the Bible, Sodom and Gomorrah were two cities that were so morally depraved and evil that God decided to destroy the both of them, saying that if there was even one good person in those cities, he'd spare them, but there weren't. In those missions, you also do two evil acts, going from one and then BACK to the other. You rob the bank and then go BACK to collect the debt from Edith Downes. So you finish one evil deed and to straight to the next. This can also show how morally bankrupt Arthur's apathy made him at this point in the game.

- Micah's guns say "Vengeance is hereby mine." This could be a reference to Roman's 12:19 "vengeance is mine sayeth the Lord." Micah's violent nature makes him take his anger out on the world.

- "Your father is seduced by him with the forked tongue. It's no use hoping." The blind prophet to Arthur. Pretty straight forward symbolism, it's a nod to the snake that seduced Eve, just like how Micah manipulates Dutch.

- Dutch walking away from Arthur when he dies and though he realizes his wrong doing and feels shame, his pride forbids him from apologizing or saying he was wrong. This can be a parallel to how Adam and Eve run away from God when they feel shame over believing in the snake, but their pride won't allow them to apologize to God, hence damning them like how Micah damned Dutch.

- There were twelve ACTIVE gang members before the Blackwater massacre. When I mean active, I mean gang members who are canonically consistent (so not uncle, Swanson, Strauss, or the girls) on going on jobs for the gang. Micah, Bill, Javier, John, Hosea, Arthur, Charles, Sean, Lenny, Josiah, Mac and Davey Callender. Christ had 12 disciples and Dutch is portrayed as a savior to the gang, or a Christ like figure. And would you look at that, there is a traitor in both groups of twelve (Micah and Judas).

- Both John and Arthur's graves have scripture from Jesus's sermon on the mountain (Matthew 5:1-12). John's is blessed are the peacemakers and Arthur's is blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.

- The go back for the money ending. If you go back for the money and have low honor, you'll see that the camp is engulfed in flames as you try to get the money. The fight with Micah is brutal and you die faced down in the dark. This death is an allegory for going to either hell and purgatory as you choose a final evil act of leaving your brother to possibly die just so you can get money as an act of revenge. If you have high honor, you are still surrounded by flames, but you still have a chance at heaven given that you die facing up seeing the light one final time.

- The help John ending has similar connotations. If you have low honor, you die by gunshot and are shrouded in darkness, which can symbolize the absence of God's light and how Arthur's final act couldn't absolve the lack of guilt he feels for the rest of the actions that he KNOWS are evil (click here for a my interpretation of Arthur's morality). In high honor, though, you get to crawl to the mountain side and see the rising sun, symbolizing heaven, warmth, and a new purity.

- In low honor, the coyote goes down to a dark cave, representing damnation and the rejection of holy light. In high honor, the deer steps into a heavenly field of light. Love that so much to be honest.

- Just the very Catholic vibe of Arthur's redemption. Doing good deeds, feeling guilt, all that.

- John's new life is basically this: "Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need." -Ephesians 4:28. John gives up his old life to be an honest laborer, a rancher, and a proper man.

- The Strange Man in RDR rides on a donkey, which is pretty interesting because Jesus Christ also made his grand entry on a donkey.

- Just the Strange Man in general to be honest. Some say he's God, others say he's the Devil, and others say he's Cain from the Bible, which is my personal favorite theory but whatever.

- Dutch's horse could be a reference to Revelations 6:8- "And I looked, and behold, a pale horse! And its rider's name was Death, and Hades followed him." Dutch's rash actions caused the death of the gang and RDR's incarnate of Hades or Hell was Micah, following him. Dutch is the only one, canonically, to have a pale horse.

- "Am I prepared for eternal damnation? Am I passed any kind of saving? Or is that just fairy tales?" Arthur in his journal. I love this line so much because of its very agnostic nature whilst still showing the Christian mindset of 1899 America. This line also shows that Arthur is canonically agnostic which is a yippee from me because it's like the only thing me and this man have in common lmao 😭

- "Bad news awaits you, sir. Sadly, sooner than you think. But beyond the news, paradise awaits. Paradise.." Blind Man Cassidy to Arthur. Sorry but I just love that. High honor Arthur lived such an awful life but he still has a chance at paradise and heaven? Love that so much.

- God (pun intended), I love biblical symbolism. Couldn't you tell?

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

💙💜💖 Young Adult Books to Read During Bisexuality Visibility Month

I don't know if you've noticed, bookish bats, but a MEGATON of bi books have come out (hehe) this year! While there's not enough time in the day to read them all, they do deserve to shine all year round. As it's Bisexuality Visibility Month, I wanted to create a series of guides for bi books to spread the love. Here are a few Young Adult books featuring bi characters to add to your ever-growing TBR!

💙 Going Bicoastal by Dahlia Adler 💜 If You Still Recognize Me by Cynthia So 💖 Hani and Ishu’s Guide to Fake Dating by Adiba Jaigirdar 💙 Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston 💜 Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli 💖 Then Everything Happens at Once by M.E. Girard 💙 Faith: Taking Flight by Julie Murphy 💜 The Girl Next Door by Cecilia Vinesse 💖 Radio Silence by Alice Oseman 💙 Autoboyography by Christina Lauren 💜 This is Kind of an Epic Love Story by Kacen Callender 💖 They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera 💙 Cool for the Summer by Dahlia Adler 💜 You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson 💖 You Don’t Live Here by Robyn Schneider 💙 Some Girls Do by Jennifer Dugan 💜 Miss Meteor by Tehlor-Kay Mejia & Anna-Marie McLemore 💖 We Are Totally Normal by Naomi Kanakia 💙 Let’s Talk About Love by Claire Kann (asexual & biromantic) 💜 The Disasters by M.K. England 💖 If This Gets Out by Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich 💙 Last Chance Dance by Lakita Wilson 💜 The Kindred by Alechia Dow 💖 Crumbs by Danie Stirling 💙 Ophelia After All by Racquel Marie 💜 Felix Ever After by Kacen Callendar 💖 Perfect on Paper by Sophia Gonzales 💙 When We Were Magic by Sarah Gailey 💜 Flowerheart by Catherine Bakewell 💖 Crownchasers by Rebecca Coffindaffer 💙 Let’s Call it a Doomsday by Katie Henry 💜 Ghost Wood Song by Erica Waters 💖 The Luis Ortega Survival Club by Sonora Reyes 💙 Epically Earnest by Molly Horan 💜 Heartstopper by Alice Oseman 💖 Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli 💙 Running With Lions by Julian Winters 💜 I'll Be the One by Lyla Lee 💖 Verona Comics by Jennifer Dugan 💙 Not Your Sidekick by C.B. Lee 💜 Flips the Script by Lyla Lee 💖 The Girls I've Been by Tess Sharpe

[richincolor]

Trans YA Books for Your 2023 TBR Pile

The last time there was a big B&N sale, I knew I had to stock up on some YA books -- and as I was sifting through my frankly absurdly long to-be-read list, I realized that there were more than a few YA books centering trans and BIPOC characters. I was so excited by this, and hope there are even more books centering BIPOC trans characters in 2024. For now, here are 5 trans YA books -- available now! -- that you should bump up to the very top of your TBR:

Venom & Vow by Anna-Marie McLemore and Elliott McLemore Keep your enemy closer. Cade McKenna is a transgender prince who’s doubling for his brother. Valencia Palafox is a young dama attending the future queen of Eliana. Gael Palma is the infamous boy assassin Cade has vowed to protect. Patrick McKenna is the reluctant heir to a kingdom, and the prince Gael has vowed to destroy.

Cade doesn’t know that Gael and Valencia are the same person. Valencia doesn’t know that every time she thinks she’s fighting Patrick, she’s fighting Cade. And when Cade and Valencia blame each other for a devastating enchantment that takes both their families, neither of them realizes that they have far more dangerous enemies.

Lark & Kasim Start a Revolution by Kacen Callender From National Book Award–winner Kacen Callender, a contemporary YA that follows Lark's journey to speak the truth and discover how their own self-love can be a revolution

Lark Winters wants to be a writer, and for now that means posting on their social media accounts––anything to build their platform. When former best friend Kasim accidentally posts a thread on Lark's Twitter declaring his love for a secret, unrequited crush, Lark's tweets are suddenly the talk of the school—and beyond. To protect Kasim, Lark decides to take the fall, pretending they accidentally posted the thread in reference to another classmate. It seems like a great idea: Lark gets closer to their crush, Kasim keeps his privacy, and Lark's social media stats explode. But living a lie takes a toll—as does the judgment of thousands of Internet strangers. Lark tries their best to be perfect at all costs, but nothing seems good enough for the anonymous hordes––or for Kasim, who is growing closer to Lark, just like it used to be between them . . . In the end, Lark must embrace their right to their messy emotions and learn how to be in love.

Self-Made Boys: A Great Gatsby Remix by Anna-Marie McLemore Stonewall Honor recipient and two-time National Book Award Longlist selectee Anna-Marie McLemore weaves an intoxicating tale of glamor and heartbreak in Self-Made Boys: A Great Gatsby Remix, part of the Remixed Classics series.

New York City, 1922. Nicolás Caraveo, a 17-year-old transgender boy from Minnesota, has no interest in the city’s glamor. Going to New York is all about establishing himself as a young professional, which could set up his future—and his life as a man—and benefit his family.

Nick rents a small house in West Egg from his 18-year-old cousin, Daisy Fabrega, who lives in fashionable East Egg near her wealthy fiancé, Tom—and Nick is shocked to find that his cousin now goes by Daisy Fay, has erased all signs of her Latina heritage, and now passes seamlessly as white. Nick’s neighbor in West Egg is a mysterious young man named Jay Gatsby, whose castle-like mansion is the stage for parties so extravagant that they both dazzle and terrify Nick. At one of these parties, Nick learns that the spectacle is all for the benefit of impressing a girl from Jay’s past—Daisy. And he learns something else: Jay is also transgender.

As Nick is pulled deeper into the glittery culture of decadence, he spends more time with Jay, aiming to help his new friend reconnect with his lost love. But Nick's feelings grow more complicated when he finds himself falling hard for Jay's openness, idealism, and unfounded faith in the American Dream.

The Wicked Bargain by Gabe Cole Novoa El Diablo is in the details in this Latinx pirate fantasy starring a transmasculine nonbinary teen with a mission of revenge, redemption, and revolution.

On Mar León-de la Rosa's 16th birthday, el Diablo comes calling. Mar is a transmasculine nonbinary teen pirate hiding a magical ability to manipulate fire and ice. But their magic isn't enough to reverse a wicked bargain made by their father and now el Diablo has come to collect his payment: the soul of Mar's father and the entire crew of their ship.

When Mar is miraculously rescued by the sole remaining pirate crew in the Caribbean, el Diablo returns to give them a choice: give up your soul to save your father by the Harvest Moon or never see him again. The task is impossible--Mar refuses to make a bargain and there's no way their magic is any match for el Diablo. Then, Mar finds the most unlikely allies: Bas, an infuriatingly arrogant and handsome pirate -- and the captain's son; and Dami, a genderfluid demonio whose motives are never quite clear. For the first time in their life, Mar may have the courage to use their magic. It could be their only redemption -- or it could mean certain death.

Transmogrify!: 14 Fantastical Tales of Trans Magic edited by g. haron davis Transness is as varied and colorful as magic can be. In Transmogrify!, you’ll embark on fourteen different adventures alongside unforgettable characters who embody many different genders and expressions and experiences—because magic is for everyone, and that is cause for celebration.

Featuring stories from: AR Capetta and Cory McCarthy g. haron davis Mason Deaver Jonathan Lenore Kastin Emery Lee Saundra Mitchell Cam Montgomery Ash Nouveau Sonora Reyes Renee Reynolds Dove Salvatierra Ayida Shonibar Francesca Tacchi Nik Traxler

[socaprince]

SOCA THERAPY - JULY 7, 2024

Soca Therapy Playlist Sunday July 7th 2024 Making You Wine From 6-9pm on Flow 98.7fm Toronto

Dutty Dancing (Dr. Jay Plate) - Hypa 4000 Ting Go Nice Again (TW Edit) - Wetty Beatz Crocodile - Problem Child Jab Story - Slatta Hurricane - Red Scorpion Hurricane - Skinny Fabulous x Lyrikal Tornado (Riddim Master Road Intro) - Ricardo Drue Chopping The Line - Jab King I Am Grenadian (Clean) - Muddy x Squeeze Head x Brain Not From Here - Lavaman x Travis World Addicted - Jab King x Travis World Hotspot - Lyrikal x Travis World The Feeling - Runi J x Travis World Jab Man - Slatta x Travis World Explore (Radio) - V'ghn x Travis World Jab Jab Festival - Pumpa x Travis World Stagga Dance - Lil Natty & Thunda x Muddy Energy Killers - Kerwin DuBois Smooth Ride - Farmer Nappy Best Ride - Coopa Dan x Dj Spider When Last (BD Certified Anthem Edit) - GBM Nutron x Jus Jay Junction - Coutain x Tano Tack Back - Kes x Tano A Little Jam - Problem Child Cyah Hear Yuh - Patrice Roberts Cyah Hear Yuh (Dr. Jay Plate) - Patrice Roberts BYE x2 - Saddis x Jus Jay Bare Good Vibes - Shal Marshall Happy Place - Lyrikal Happy Song - College Boy Jesse Birthday Bashment Freestyle - Lil Rick Ba Ba Ben (Wine & Bend Pt 2) - DJ Cheem Gimme Ah Bligh - Iwer George Water - Iwer George In The Water - Suhrawh x Chow Minister All Posse - Roses Crew feat. Fireman Hooper

TOP 7 COUNTDOWN - Powered By The Soca Source Top Songs in SVG on Apple Music

7. Start - Dat-C DQ x Skinny Fabulous 6. Slip In - Geo 5. Like Never Before - Problem Child 4. Next # In Line - Added Rankin 3. Blessed - Kennie Montana 2. BOTS (Battle Of The Sexes) - Problem Child 1. Carnival Jumbie - Problem Child

Starta Pack - Tionne Hernandez Pampalam - Faith Callender Safe Space - Rae x Fryktion Anxiety - Patrice Roberts Best Self - Nailah Blackman x Lyrikal Shake The Place - Machel Montano x Destra Heaven - Nadia Batson x Kees My Land - Kes The Band x Nadia Batson In the Meantime - Alison Hinds Mash It Up - Burning Flames feat. Onika Bostic Expose (Precision Road Mix) - El-A-Kru feat. Tizzy DJ Needle - Horizon feat Candy Hoyte Jammers - TC De River - Blue Ventures feat Sanell Dempster Let IT Rain (Riddim Master Edit) - Empress x Soca Villain x Psycho Pulourie Doubles - Rikki Jai Disk La Reye - Ban Biyo Zouk La Se Sel Medikaman - Kassav Sexy Chocolate Girls (Remix) - Farm P x Kerwin Du Bois

PAN MOMENTS DNA - BP Renegades

TANTY TUNES Calypso Music - Charlie's Roots feat. David Rudder

Soul Of Calypso - Machel Montano Bruk Time - Grabba Bend - Nessa Preppy The A List - Pumpa Stick On - Lyrikal How Ah Livin - Farmer Nappy Where I Am - Freetown Collective Like Ah Boss (Ryan Sayeed's Typical Intro) - Machel Montano Anything - Buffy Put Your Hand On You Head (And Wine) - Sound Revolution feat. Derrick Seales Dis Is How - Crazy Blow Way - Kindred Rollin' - Homefront Famalay (Scratch Master Road Mix) - Machel Montano x Skinny Fabulous x Bunji Garlin Jumbo Jet - Bunji Garlin Party Bad - Mr. Legz x Mr. Killa Rum Sweet - Problem Child Weh Yuh Want (Soca Baby) (Clean) - Prezzi Don Welcome Back - Imani Ray

NORTHERN PRESCRIPTION Delilah (Clean) - Ka$h

Night & Day - Th3rd x JMTB Cut Me Loose - Kes x Travis World

Follow Dr. Jay @socaprince​ and @socatherapy

“Like” Dr. Jay on http://facebook.com/DrJayOnline

[izatrini]

Alison Hinds, Faith Callender up for Caribbean Music Awards | Loop Barbados - Loop News Barbados

Alison Hinds, Faith Callender up for Caribbean Music Awards | Loop Barbados  Loop News Barbados http://dlvr.it/T7kS3Z

[miuimusic]

Faith Callender

[thatmexisaurusrex]

Just Some Queer Books I Love

Just some queer books I love:

Date Me, Bryson Keller by Kevin van Whye

In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan

The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo

Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust

Once Upon a Princess by Clare Lydon Harper Bliss

The Perfect Assassin by K.A. Doore

The Lady's Guide to Celestial Mechanics by Olivia Waite

Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas

Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers

Amberlough by Lara Elena Donnelly

Something to Talk About by Meryl Wilsner

She Drives Me Crazy by Kelly Quindlen

May the Best Man Win by Z.R. Ellor

One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston

Pet by Akwaeke Emezi

Six Angry Girls by Adrienne Kisner

The Henna Wars by Adiba Jaigirdar

The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang

The Falling in Love Montage by Ciara Smyth

Burn Our Bodies Down by Rory Powers

Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender

Not Your Sidekick by C.B. Lee

Perfect Rhythm by Jae

The Boy in the Red Dress by Kristen Lambert

Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Cordova

The Care and Feeding of Waspish Widows by Olivia Waite

I'll Be the One by Lyla Lee

Snapdragon by Kat leyh

Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire

Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo

Rock and Riot by Chelsey Ferundi

Upright Women Wanted by Sarah Gailey

The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water by Zen Cho

Of Fire and Stars by Audrey Colthurst

Escaping Exodus by Nicky Drayden

In the Vanisher's Palace by Aliette de Bodard

The Deep by Rivers Solomon

The Night by May Archer

How to Find a Princess by Alyssa Cole

Conventionally Yours by Annabeth Albert

Her Royal Highness by Rachel Hawkins

The State of Us by Shaun David Hutchinson

This is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone

Spell Hacker by M.K. England

This Coven Won't Break by Isabel Sterling

Legendborn by Tracy Deonn

The Sound of Stars by Alechia Dow

Bonds of Brass by Emily Skrutskie

Faith: Taking Flight by Julie Murphy

Hot Dog Girl by Jennifer Dugan

Hani and Ishu's Guide to Fake Dating by Adiba Jaigirdar

Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall

Court of Lions by Somaiya Doud

A Little Light Mischief by Cat Sebastian

The Afterward by E.K. Johnston

A Study in Honor by Claire O'Dell

Beetle & the Hollowbones by Aliza Layne

You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson

Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron

Once Ghosted, Twice Shy by Alyssa Cole

The Disasters by M.K. England

Scorpio Hates Virgo by Anyta Sunday

The Stars and the Blackness Between Them by Junauda Petrus

Once & Future by A.R. Capetta

Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan

We Set the Dark on Fire by Tehlor Kay Mejia

A Phoenix Must Burn edited by Patrice Caldwell

Crier's War by Nina Varela

[parrishfangs]

the drowning faith - r.f. kuang (the poppy war 2.5) // the heartless divine - varsha ravi // felix ever after - kacen callender // tian guan ci fu - mo xiang tong xiu

[pseudonova]

zutara fam, i am so fuckin proud of us.

i know these past couple months have been an absolutely wild time for a:tla fans and zutara fans specifically, and there’s been so much negativity happening, but this has also really reignited my love for the show and the characters more than anything else. there has been such a lovely explosion of fanworks and creativity and it’s been AMAZING to see. we’ve got the first ever official zutara zine coming out - an incredible collaboration of 30+ artists, writers, and more!! zutara shippers have gone on to become new york times bestselling authors (tomi adeyemi, kacen callender, roshani chokshi - seriously like the faces of new diverse YA, it’s mind blowing!) we have the THIRTEENTH ANNUAL ZUTARA WEEK happening this month - THIRTEENTH!!!! an event that zutara INVENTED and is now ubiquitous across fandoms!! the amount of passion and love and creativity this community has after so many years continues to blow my mind.

all this is to say is that i know it’s tough to take the high road, but just think of how much more we could do if we stop wasting time arguing with bad faith shippers and toxic twitter stans and pour that into things like zutara week. i’ve been making a conscious effort to do that and seriously, i’ve felt so rejuvenated and excited about all my zk week works. i’m not going to stop calling out the overt racism and misogyny in the fandom (homophobe katara memes, katara & azula hate, suki erasure, the overwhelming disrespect woc zutara fans have been facing recently) but the frivolous stuff meant to cause drama - the mistagged posts and whatever - i promise if you ignore it your fandom experience gets SO much better. i have so much love for y’all, zutara fam - this is by far the most supportive and loving fandom i’ve ever been in - and i can’t wait for 15 more years of love 💙❤️

[starlightcleric]

Tag Game

Tagged by @adraveins and @risualto. Thank you!

Favorite color: Either purple or teal depending on how I’m feeling.

Favorite foods: Cantaloupe, peanut butter, most kinds of gravy

Song stuck in my head: “Forgiveness” by Patty Griffin

The last thing I googled: “emily dickinson poems blood.” Trying to find fic titles XD

Dream trip: I’m actually not much of a traveler. However, I do want to see New Orleans at some point in my life.

Time: 10 am ish

Tea or coffee: Tea!

Last show I watched: Uh, I don’t know. It might be as far back as when my husband and I were watching Stargate: Atlantis before it was taken off Netflix

Currently reading: Queen of the Conquered by Kacen Callender and Driving the Deep by Suzanne Palmer.

Currently watching: Nothing. I don’t watch TV really anymore.

Sweet, savory, spicy: Yes

Last song I listened to: “Moses” by Patty Griffin (Look I’ve just been listening to Living With Ghosts on repeat the last few days okay)

Last movie I watched: I don’t know. It might have been The Mummy (1999) way back when I canceled my tabletop session and we watched a movie instead, but I don’t remember if I’ve watched anything more recently than that.

Cravings: Yesterday I was really craving hashbrowns but I settled for waffle fries.

Hobbies: Knitting, reading, video games, sometimes writing :P

Feeling: I’m tired. I’m burnt out. I’m losing faith in humanity. I’m trying to recover and feeling guilty about the lack of energy I have and the lack of things I’m accomplishing. I’m hyperfixating on video games but it’s a different one every week so I’m not finishing anything. I want to create and maybe that’s a good sign.

It’s been so long since I was tagged in this I’ve lost track of where it’s made the rounds, so if you’d like to do it, please do so!

[bex-pendragon]

Bex’s Book Corner #5

[Titles left to right: This is Kind of an Epic Love Story by Kacen Callender, Mirage by Somaiya Daud, Becoming by Michelle Obama, The Wicked Will Rise by Danielle Paige, Fate of Flames by Sarah Raughley, The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, and Pride by Ibi Zoboi.]

Hello readers,

I have my roundup of books read in May pre-written and ready to go, but I want to talk about some other important books and authors first. I made a commitment to diversifying my reading list this year. I thought I was doing a good job until I updated the chart. Women writers are the majority, but I could be doing better when it comes to reading books by POC, especially Black writers. I’ve made some inroads this year: I’ve read books by LGBTQ+ authors, Muslim authors, Asian authors, Jewish authors, and Black authors. But white authors are still taking up the biggest chuck of the chart. I need to do better.

To that end, I want to take a look back at what I’ve done so far. I’ve compiled a list of books by Black writers that I’ve read in the last few years. I’ve also made a list Black writers I want to read in the future. It’s so important to amplify the voices of these amazing writers. They have so much to say. They’ve been saying it all along. We just need to put aside our privilege and listen.

If you’re looking for science fiction and fantasy books Black authors, Goodreads has a list of upcoming release for this year and into the future.

And don’t forget: it helps authors if you leave book reviews on all the major book selling outlets!

1. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

One of the most important works of YA literature on the market today. It’s been banned in various jurisdictions throughout the United States for things like “pervasive language” and “vulgarity��. Its heroine, Starr Carter, is a young black girl from a poor neighbourhood who attends an affluent/white high school. She and her friend, Khalil, are pulled over going home from a party one night. Khalil is shot by a white police officer. Starr is the only witness.

This isn’t even the first time she’s seen someone get shot. For a lot of readers, we have no conception of this kind of police brutality. We brush it off because it doesn’t happen in our neighbourhoods or our countries. But it does happen. It happens in Canada, where I’m from. It happens all over the world. We just aren’t forced to confront it with our own two eyes. It isn’t part of our everyday lives. But for Starr, it is. This is her reality. This is what we need to fight to change.

For further exploration: there is also an excellent film adaptation of The Hate U Give. It is available to stream on Crave, Hulu, Google Play, and Amazon Prime. Angie Thomas has also written another novel called On The Come Up about a young female rapper. Concrete Rose, the prequel to The Hate U Give, will be released in 2021.

2. Pride by Ibi Zoboi

I will never stop talking about how much I love this book. Pride is a contemporary retelling of Pride and Prejudice, starring an afro-latina as the Elizabeth Bennet character. Zuri Benitez loves her neighbourhood, her culture, and her family. But then the wealthy Darcy brothers move in across the street and everything changes. Darius Darcy is standoffish and uptight. Her sister Janae falls for Ainsley, the Bingley stand-in. But Pride goes beyond the roots of the text that inspired it. The Benitez’s neighbourhood is becoming gentrified. The girls are getting older – Janae is already in college and Zuri intends to follow.

Pride is as much a coming-of-age story as it is a romance. Yes, you get the back-and-forth banter of Zuri and Darius, but you also get to see Zuri’s horizons expand when she goes on a campus visit to her dream school. I’ve said this before, but I continue to be impressed by how effectively Ibi Zoboi has managed to re-contextualize one of my favourite books of all time. It’s a very faithful retelling/remix, but it also manages to be its own thing. You don’t need to know anything about Pride and Prejudice to appreciate it.

For further exploration: Ibi Zoboi is also the author of several other books, including: American Street and My Life as an Ice Cream Sandwich. She also edited the Black Enough anthology.

3. The Dorothy Must Die series by Danielle Paige

Another retelling! In this four-book series (in order: Dorothy Must Die, The Wicked Will Rise, Yellow Brick War, and The End of Oz) Danielle Paige does a deep dive into the Wonderful World of Oz. But she doesn’t just cover the familiar parts of the movie. The series features some deep cuts from the other, lesser-known books in L. Frank Baum’s Oz series.

In this version, Dorothy is recast as the villain. Amy Gumm, another girl from Kansas, is tasked with stopping her. I love that POC authors are tackling famously white stories and re-contextualizing them. I hope we see more of this in the future.

For further exploration: Danielle Paige has also written Stealing Snow (a Snow Queen retelling) and Mera: Tidebreaker.

4. Mirage by Somaiya Daud

Mirage is a Moroccan-inspired genre-blending sci-fi with fantasy elements and a compelling lead. A young woman named Amani is chosen as the stand-in for the hated princess of the brutal regime that conquered her planetary system. Forced into this new role, she is taken from her family. She must endure the taunts of Princess Maram, the deceiving opulence of the royal palace, and the court intrigue therein. She even has to fool Maram’s fiancé into thinking she’s the genuine article.

Amani is a multifaceted character who dreams of adventure and wants to become more than she is. Even though she is wrenched away from all she holds dear, she finds herself stepping into her new role as if she was born to play it. The story takes her on an epic journey that will leave readers wanting more.

For further exploration: the sequel to Mirage, titled Court of Lions, is due out August 2020.

5. Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeymi

Zelie’s world is one of oppression: years ago, everyone who possessed magic (including her beloved mother) were hunted down and killed by a brutal tyrant. Magic disappears overnight: surpressed by the king’s regime. Now Zelie’s caste are the lowest of the low, left to fend for themselves in a world where they are not welcome.

Zelie sets out on a quest to restore magic, with the help of rebel princess Amari (Amari has an amazing story arc!) But they are being hunted by the king’s son – a young man tasked with stamping out the last of the maji. Their story becomes a race against time across the land of Orisha.

For further exploration: the sequel, Children of Vice and Vengeance, came out in 2019. There will also be a third book to round out the trilogy.

6. This is Kind of an Epic Love Story by Kacen Callender

Nathan Bird has a habit of falling in love with his best friends.

It happened with his childhood friend Oliver. It happened with his high school best friend Florence. And now that Oliver is back in town, it’s about to happen again.

But Nathan doesn’t believe in happily-ever-afters. His parents had their happy ending until his father died. He scared Oliver off all those years ago when his feelings became more than platonic. To Nathan, happy endings are the stuff of movies. An aspiring screenwriter, Nathan learns a lot about love and finishing what you start in this coming-of-age story.

For further exploration: Kacen Callender has written several books for children and young adults. They are also the author of Felix Ever After, King and the Dragonflies, Hurricane Child, Queen of the Conquered, and the upcoming sequel King of the Rising.

7. Becoming by Michelle Obama

This must-read memoir explores Michelle Obama’s life – from childhood to present – and the notion of becoming. Early on, she posits that asking children “what do you want to be when you grow up” is “useless”: “As if growing up is finite. As if at some point you become something and that’s the end.” That’s the thing about becoming: it’s a lifelong process. We have an opportunity in our lives today to become: to keep learning, to evolve, to change for the better. To be more mindful of others. To use inclusive language. To be aware of our own privilege. To know when to amplify marginalized voices and when to let people speak for themselves.

It’s amazing and disheartening to know that Michelle Obama is just old enough to remember the race wars of the 1960’s and to see that we haven’t made enough progress. It’s 2020 and we’re still fighting. She saw the best and worst of America during her husband’s campaign.

There are other things too. Like how her mother had to pull her out of the classroom and into a more advanced class during her elementary school years. Of seeing her childhood neighbourhood become poorer. The phenomenon of “white flight” where many of her classmates’ families relocated to wealthier/whiter suburbs. Of being one of the only Black students at Harvard.

All of these things shaped the woman Michelle Obama has become. And will continue to become.

For further exploration: there is also a Netflix documentary about the press tour for Becoming.

8. Fate of Flames by Sarah Raughley

Pacific Rim meets Sailor Moon. The world is protected by the Effigies: four elemental young women who have the power to fight the Phantoms. At the beginning of the book, the last fire effigy has died, and her ability passes to a new girl, Maia. In this world, the Effigies are like celebrities. They are admired and revered, but they don’t always see eye-to-eye. Maia admired the effigies until she became one of them. Turns out, saving the world is easier said than done.

When a new enemy emerges – someone who also has the power to subdue and control the monstrous Phantoms – the girls must come together for the fight of their lives.

For further exploration: Fate of Flames is the first book in the Effigies trilogy. Books two and three are titled Siege of Shadows and Legacy of Light. Sarah Raughley also has a new book, The Bones of Ruin, due to be released in 2021.

[socaprince]

SOCA THERAPY - NOVEMBER 10, 2024

Soca Therapy Playlist

Sunday November 10th 2024

Making You Wine from 6-9pm on Flow 98.7fm Toronto

Cause It (Dr. Jay Plate) - Zan

Own It - Imani Ray

In A Mess - Problem Child

Is Mas - Patrice Roberts

Feting Family - Shal Marshall

Feelings - Preedy

In Meh Space - Nadia Batson

One Two Step - Ziggy Ranking

Disco - Lucrativ feat. Lord Nelson

Whole Day - Machel Montano

D Soca Band - GBM Nutron

Choose One - Farmer Nappy

Big People Party - Farmer Nappy

How Ah Livin - Farmer Nappy

Thankful - Farmer Nappy

Where I Am - Freetown Collective

I Got U (Quixx Edit) - Ricardo Drue

Pop A Bottle - Machel Montano

Cooler Fete - Nadia Batson

In Trouble - Farmer Nappy x Alison Hinds

Looking For It - Patrice Roberts

Throwback - Viking Ding Ding

Nah Missing Me - Edwin Yearwood

Passion - Militant

TOP 7 COUNTDOWN - Powered By The Soca Source

Top Songs Streamed In Belize on Apple Music (on November 8th 2024)

7. DNA - Mical Teja

6. Fast Wine - Machel Montano

5. Big Bad Soca - Bunji Garlin

4. Splinters - Shal Marshall

3. The A List - Pumpa

2. Ring Finger (Radio Edit) - Lady Lava

1. Artform (Radio Edit) - Coutain x Dwala

Blessing Me - Jimmy October x Coutain

Miss Continental - Nailah Blackman x DJ Obi

Bless Me - GBM Nutron

Best In A While - Nadia Batson

Need It (Riddim Master Intro) - Claudette Peters

Nat U - Claudette Peters

Kings And Queens - Ricardo Drue x Claudette Peters 

Go So - Ricardo Drue x Claudette Peters

Carnival Jumbie - Problem Child

Carry It - Bunji Garlin

Pan & Soca (Road Mix) - Bunji Garlin

PAN MOMENTS

(1981 T&T Panorama Champions) Unknown Band - Trinidad All Stars

TANTY TUNE

(1981 T&T Road March) Ethel - Blue Boy

(1981 Antigua Road March) Up & Jumpin - Redding

Obeah Wedding (Tabanca Edit) - Mighty Sparrow

Tabanca - Mical Teja

One Of A Kind - Aaron Duncan

Aye Gyal - Hey Choppi x Chalmer John

One Piece - GBM Nutron x Tano

Tremble It (Dr. Jay Plate) - Destra

Wave (Road Mix) - Fay Ann Lyons

Swing - Nadia Batson

Anxiety - Patrice Roberts

Starta Pack - Tionne Hernandez

Pampalam - Faith Callender

Sugar - Square One feat. Alison Hinds

Sound Check - Mad Skull x Wetty Beatz

Someone Else (Radio Edit) - Litleboy x Quan x Trilla G

You Alone - Imani Ray x Preedy 

NORTHERN PRESCRIPTION

Parang Here To Stay - June Smith

Bonnie & Clyde - Destra

It's Carnival - Destra x Machel Montano

Follow Dr. Jay @socaprince​ and @socatherapy

“Like” Dr. Jay on http://facebook.com/DrJayOnline

[izatrini]

Alison Hinds, Faith Callender up for Caribbean Music Awards | Loop Barbados - Loop News Barbados

Alison Hinds, Faith Callender up for Caribbean Music Awards | Loop Barbados  Loop News Barbados http://dlvr.it/T3s8FP

[miuimusic]

Faith Callender

[whatisthiswitchcraft]

books I read in 2019 (not including rereads, favorites are bolded!)

Come Close - Sappho

Shanghai Baby - Wei Hui

Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair - Pablo Neruda

Bad Feminist: Essays - Roxane Gay

The Mother of Black Hollywood: A Memoir - Jenifer Lewis

Sula - Toni Morrison

Reinventing the Enemy’s Language: Contemporary Native Women’s Writings of North America - ed. Joy Harjo and Gloria Bird

How to Write an Autobiographical Novel - Alexander Chee

Night Sky With Exit Wounds - Ocean Vuong

If They Come For Us - Fatimah Asghar

Heart Berries: A Memoir - Terese Marie Mailhot

Less - Andrew Sean Greer

The Astonishing Color of After - Emily X.R. Pan

Goodbye, Vitamin - Rachel Khong

Darius the Great is Not Okay - Adib Khorram

Exit West - Mohsin Hamid

Homegirls and Handgrenades - Sonia Sanchez

Heavy: An American Memoir - Keise Laymon

All You Can Ever Know - Nicole Chung

Unaccustomed Earth - Jhumpa Lahiri

The Wife Between Us - Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen

The Way You Make Me Feel - Maureen Goo

A Very Large Expanse of Sea - Tahereh Mafi

Water By the Spoonful - Quiara Alegría Hudes

I Can’t Date Jesus: Love, Sex, Family, Race, and Other Reasons I’ve Put My Faith in Beyoncé - Michael Arceneaux

Bury It - Sam Sax

White Dancing Elephants - Chaya Bhuvaneswar

Pulp - Robin Talley

Shit is Real - Aisha Franz

Silencer - Marcus Wicker

Forget Sorrow: An Ancestral Tale - Belle Yang

Bestiary: Poems - Donika Kelly

Monster Portraits - Sofia Samatar

No Matter the Wreckage - Sarah Kay

Violet Energy Ingots - Hoa Nguyen

Olio - Tyehimba Jess

The Kane Chronicles: The Serpent’s Shadow - Rick Riordan

There Are More Beautiful Things Than Beyoncé - Morgan Parker

Nylon Road: A Graphic Memoir of Coming of Age in Iran - Parsua Bashi

The Wedding Date - Jasmine Guillory

Fruit of the Drunken Tree - Ingrid Rojas Contreras

An American Marriage - Tayari Jones

Family Trust - Kathy Wang

Not That Bad: Dispatches from Rape Culture - ed. Roxane Gay

Little & Lion - Brandy Colbert

A Girl Like That - Tanaz Bhathena

Suicide Club: A Novel About Living - Rachel Heng

The Disturbed Girl’s Dictionary - NoNieqa Ramos

My Old Faithful: Stories - Yang Huang

Crazy Rich Asians - Kevin Kwan

Girls Burn Brighter - Shobha Rao

Moon of the Crusted Snow - Waubgeshig Rice

Kingdom Animalia - Aracelis Girmay

Happiness - Aminatta Forna

Devotions - Mary Oliver

The Proposal - Jasmine Guillory

The Kiss Quotient - Helen Hoang

When Katie Met Cassidy - Camille Perri

Heads of the Colored People - Nafissa Thompson-Spires

Friday Black: Stories - Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

The Word is Murder - Anthony Horowitz

Miles from Nowhere - Nami Mun

The Lost Ones - Sheena Kamal

All the Names They Used for God - Anjali Sachdeva

Confessions of the Fox - Jordy Rosenberg

Love, Loss, and What We Ate: A Memoir - Padma Lakshmi

On the Come Up - Angie Thomas

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society - Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

The Love & Lies of Rukhsana Ali - Sabina Khan

See What I Have Done - Sarah Schmitt

Convenience Store Woman - Sayaka Murata

I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter - Erika Sánchez

For Today I Am A Boy - Kim Fu

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo - Taylor Jenkins Reid

Conflict Resolution for Holy Beings - Joy Harjo

They Can’t Kill Us Until They Kill Us - Hanif Abdurraqib

Mongrels - Stephen Graham Jones

If Beale Street Could Talk - James Baldwin

Death of Innocence: The Story of the Hate Crime that Changed America - Mamie Till-Mobley and Christopher Benson

The Gilded Wolves - Roshani Chokshi

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before - Jenny Han

The Perfect Nanny - Leila Slimani, translated by Sam Taylor

The Travelling Cat Chronicles - Hiro Arikawa, translated by Philip Gabriel

Things We Lost in the Fire - Mariana Enríquez, translated by Megan McDowell

Sunburn - Laura Lippman

The House of Impossible Beauties - Joseph Cassara

Freshwater - Akwaeke Emezi

A Private Life - Chen Ran, translated by John Howard-Gibbon

Invisible: The Forgotten Story of the Black Woman Lawyer Who Took Down America’s Most Powerful Mobster - Stephen L. Carter

Undead Girl Gang - Lily Anderson

They Both Die at the End - Adam Silvera

The Friend - Sigrid Nunez

Severance - Ling Ma

Tiny Crimes: Very Short Tales of Mystery & Murder - ed. Licoln Michel and Nadxieli Nieto

Mapping the Interior - Stephen Graham Jones

Give Me Some Truth - Eric Gansworth

How to Love a Jamaican - Alexia Arthurs

All of This is True - Lygia Day Peñaflor

Swimmer Among the Stars - Kanishk Tharoor

The Wicked + the Divine, Vol. 7: Mothering Invention - Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie

This is Kind of an Epic Love Story - Kheryn Callender

Gingerbread - Helen Oyeyemi

Where the Dead Sit Talking - Brandon Hobson

The Ensemble - Aja Gabel

My Education - Susan Choi

More Happy than Not - Adam Silvera

Nobody Cares: Essays - Anne T. Donahue

Kiss and Tell: A Romantic Résumé, Ages 0 to 22 - Marinaomi

Oculus: Poems - Sally Wen Mao

Let’s Talk About Love - Claire Kann

History is All You Left Me - Adam Silvera

Opposite of Always - Justin A. Reynolds

The Crown Ain’t Worth Much - Hanif Abdurraqib

The Weight of Our Sky - Hanna Alkaf

If You See Me, Don’t Say Hi - Neel Patel

Girls of Paper and Fire - Natasha Ngan

What if It’s Us - Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera

The Map of Salt and Stars - Jennifer Zeynab Joukhadar

October Mourning: A Song for Matthew Shepard - Lesléa Newman

The Big Smoke - Adrian Matejka

Dissolve - Sherwin Bitsui

The Woman Next Door - Yewande Omotoso

The Refugees - Viet Thanh Nguyen

White Tears - Hari Kunzru

Electric Arches - Eve Ewing

The Black Maria - Aracelis Girmay

Bloodchild and Other Stories - Octavia Butler

Soft Science - Franny Choi

The White Card - Claudia Rankine

Mad Honey Symposium - Sally Wen Mao

The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls - Anissa Gray

Next: New Poems - Lucille Clifton

The Marvelous Arithmetics of Distance: Poems 1987-1992 - Audre Lorde

Quilting the Black-Eyed Pea: Poems and Not Quite Poems - Nikki Giovanni

The Arab of the Future - Riad Sattouf

Ghosts in the Schoolyard: Racism and School Closings on Chicago’s South Side - Eve L. Ewing

Gruel - Bunkong Tuon

Marriage of a Thousand Lies - SJ Sindu

Parable of the Sower - Octavia Butler

Good Night, Willie Lee, I’ll See You in the Morning - Alice Walker

That Kind of Mother - Rumaan Alam

Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows - Balli Kaur Jaswal

Hera Lindsay Bird - Hera Lindsay Bird

Queenie - Candice Carty-Williams

And Still I Rise - Maya Angelou

The Man Who Shot Out My Eye Is Dead - Chanelle Benz

Everyone Knows You Go Home - Natalia Sylvester

Naming Our Destiny: New and Selected Poems - June Jordan

The 100* Best African American Poems (*But I Cheated) - ed. Nikki Giovanni

The Haunting of Tram Car 015 - P. Djèlí Clark

Bury My Clothes - Roger Bonair-Agard

Selected Poems - Langston Hughes

Their Eyes Were Watching God - Zora Neale Hurston

Sonata Mulattica - Rita Dove

Winnie - Gwendolyn Brooks

Bicycles: Love Poems - Nikki Giovanni

The Black God’s Drums -  P. Djèlí Clark

Kid Gloves: Nine Months of Careful Chaos - Lucy Knisley

Annie Allen - Gwendolyn Brooks

Parable of the Talents  - Octavia Butler

After Disasters - Viet Dinh

Passing for Human: A Graphic Memoir - Liana Finck

Teeth - Aracelis Girmay

A Surprised Queenhood in the New Black Sun: The Life & Legacy of Gwendolyn Brooks - Angela Jackson

Peluda - Melissa Lozada-Oliva

A Map to the Next World - Joy Harjo

Magical Negro - Morgan Parker

Corpse Whale - dg nanouk okpik

Hawkeye: Volume 1 - Matt Fraction

Cenzontle - Marcelo Hernandez Castillo

Don’t Let Me Be Lonely: An American Lyric - Claudia Rankine

Selected Poems - Gwendolyn Brooks

She Had Some Horses - Joy Harjo

The BreakBeat Poets: New American Poetry in the Age of Hip-Hope - ed. Kevin Coval, Quraysh Ali Lansana, and Nate Marshall

Beyond Uhura: Star Trek and Other Memories - Nichelle Nichols

The Past and Other Things that Should Stay Buried - Shaun David Hutchinson

Difficult Women - Roxane Gay

The Woman Who Fell From the Sky - Joy Harjo

The Collected Schizophrenias: Essays - Esmé Weijun Wang

Go Ahead in the Rain: Notes to A Tribe Called Quest - Hanif Abdurraqib

The Frolic of the Beasts - Yukio Mishima

Hawkeye Omnibus - Matt Fraction

Good Talk: A Memoir in Conversations - Mira Jacob

Karamo: My Story of Embracing Purpose, Healing, and Hope - Karamo Brown

Tipping the Velvet - Sarah Waters

When My Brother Was an Aztec - Natalie Diaz

Toxic Flora: Poems - Kimiko Hahn

Virgin - Analicia Sotelo

Easy Prey - Catherine Lo

Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me - Mariko Tamaki and Rosemary Valero-O’Connell

Saints and Misfits - S.K. Ali

Intercepted - Alexa Martin

Love from A to Z - S.K. Ali

Gemini - Sonya Mukherjee

The Atlas of Reds and Blues - Devi S. Laskar

My Brother’s Husband Vol. II - Gengoroh Tagame

Black Queer Hoe - Britteney Black Rose Kapri

Internment - Samira Ahmed

Dothead: Poems - Amit Majmudar

With the Fire On High - Elizabeth Acevedo

Sabrina & Corina: Stories - Kali Fajardo-Anstine

Milk and Filth - Carmen Giménez Smith

The Key to Happily Ever After - Tif Marcelo

If You’re Out There - Katy Loutzenhiser

Farewell to Manzanar - Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston

New Poets of Native Nations - ed. Heid E. Erdrich

Bodymap: Poems - Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha

Wolf by Wolf - Ryan Graudin

Tell Me How It Ends - Valeria Luiselli

Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood - Trevor Noah

Down and Across - Arvin Ahmadi

The Tradition - Jericho Brown

About Betty’s Boob - Vero Cazot and Julie Rocheleau

Fake It Till You Break It - Jenn P. Nguyen

Storm of Locusts - Rebecca Roanhorse

Silver Sparrow - Tayari Jones

Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors - Sonali Dev

Mongrel: Essays, Diatribes, Pranks - Justin Chin

When I Grow Up I Want To Be a List of Further Possibilities - Chen Chen

The New Testament - Jericho Brown

Fumbled - Alexa Martin

If It Makes You Happy - Claire Kann

Brave Face - Shaun David Hutchinson

Words in Deep Blue - Cath Crowley

Lost Children Archive - Valeria Luiselli

Care Work: Dreaming Disability Justice - Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha

We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy - Ta-Nehisi Coates

Anger is a Gift - Mark Oshiro

The Bride Test - Helen Hoang

Not Your Backup - C.B. Lee

Prelude to Bruise - Saeed Jones

The Night Wanderer: A Graphic Novel - Drew Hayden Taylor and Michael Wyatt

Naturally Tan - Tan France

Bloom - Kevin Panetta and Savanna Ganucheau

Like a Love Story - Abdi Nazemian

I’m Afraid of Men - Vivek Shraya

Juliet Takes a Breath - Gabby Rivera

On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous - Ocean Vuong

Let Me Hear a Rhyme - Tiffany D. Jackson

I Wanna Be Where You Are - Kristina Forest

Hurricane Season - Nicole Melleby

Split Tooth - Tanya Tagaq

Hungry Hearts: 13 Tales of Love and Food - ed. Elsie Chapman and Caroline Tung Richmond

The Night Tiger - Yangsze Choo

Long Live the Tribe of Fatherless Girls - T Kira Madden

Miracle Creek - Angie Kim

Ayesha at Last - Uzma Jalaluddin

Shout - Laurie Halse Anderson

The Breakbeat Poets Vol. 3: Halal if You Hear Me - ed. Fatimah Asghar and Safia Elhillo

The Tenth Muse - Catherine Chung

This Place: 150 Years Retold - various authors

Kings, Queens, and In-Betweens - Tanya Boteju

Midnight Chicken (& Other Recipes Worth Living For) - Ella Risbridger

Library of Small Catastrophes - Alison C. Rollins

Natalie Tan’s Book of Luck and Fortune - Roselle Lim

No Ashes in the Fire: Coming of Age Black and Free in America - Darnell L. Moore

The Book of Delights - Ross Gay

The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle - Stuart Turton

Speak No Evil - Uzodinma Iweala

How We Fight White Supremacy - Akiba Solomon and Kenrya Rankin

A Love Story Starring My Dead Best Friend - Emily Horner

Here and Now and Then - Mike Chen 

The Ghost Bride - Yangsze Choo

Red White and Royal Blue - Casey McQuiston

Becoming - Michelle Obama

The Wedding Party - Jasmine Guillory

Magic for Liars - Sarah Gailey

I’ll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman’s Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer - Michelle McNamara

Brain Fever - Kimiko Hahn

Life on Mars - Tracy K. Smith

Notebooks of a Chile Verde Smuggler - Juan Felipe Herrera

Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude - Ross Gay

Tentacle - Rita Indiana

Hapa Tales and Other Lies: A Memoir About the Mixed Race Hawai’i That I Never Knew - Sharon Chang

Loose Woman - Sandra Cisneros

Duende - Tracy K. Smith

Mostly Dead Things - Kristen Arnett

1919 - Eve L. Ewing

Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race - Reni Eddo-Lodge

Negroland - Margo Jefferson

For Black Girls Like Me - Mariama J. Lockington

Super Extra Grande - Yoss

Home Remedies - Xuan Juliana Wang

You Can’t Touch My Hair: And Other Things I Still Have to Explain - Phoebe Robinson

An Anonymous Girl - Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen

The Abundance - Amit Majmudar

I Shall Not Be Moved - Maya Angelou

Helium - Rudy Francisco

Teaching My Mother to Give Birth - Warsan Shire

Tomie - Junji Ito

Everything’s Trash, But It’s Okay - Phoebe Robinson

This Time Will Be Different - Misa Sugiura

Junji Ito’s Cat Diary: Yon & Mu - Junji Ito

Stag’s Leap - Sharon Olds

Black Card - Chris L. Terry

It’s Not Like It’s A Secret - Misa Sugiura

Washington Black - Esi Edugyan

From Here To Eternity: Traveling the World to Find the Good Death - Caitlin Doughty

I’m Telling the Truth, But I’m Lying: Essays - Bassey Ikpi

A House of My Own: Stories from my Life - Sandra Cisneros

The Terrible - Yrsa Daley-Ward

The Black Tides of Heaven - JY Yang

The Red Threads of Fortune - JY Yang

Little Fish - Casey Plett

Trick Mirror: Reflections on Self-Delusion - Jia Tolentino

The Black Condition ft. Narcissus - Jayy Dodd

The Goldfinch - Donna Tartt

Dealing in Dreams - Lilliam Rivera

The Tiger Flu - Larissa Lai

The Island of Sea Women - Lisa See

America is Not the Heart - Elaine Castillo

Feel Free - Zadie Smith

Walking on the Ceiling - Aysegul Savas

My Time Among the Whites: Notes from an Unfinished Education - Jennine Capo Crucet

The Unpassing - Chia-Chia Lin

Maurice - E.M. Forster

Permanent Record - Mary H.K. Choi

The Downstairs Girl - Stacey Lee

Red Dust Road: An Autobiographical Journey - Jackie Kay

The Ungrateful Refugee: What Immigrants Never Tell You - Dina Nayeri

I Married My Best Friend to Shut My Parents Up - Naoko Kodama

Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI - David Grann

Ordinary Light - Tracy K. Smith

Cantoras - Carolina De Robertis

Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness - Susannah Cahalan

How to Be Remy Cameron - Julian Winters

The Marriage Clock - Zara Raheem

Moon: Letters, Maps, Poems - Jennifer S. Cheng

Where Reasons End - Yiyun Li

Pet - Akwaeke Emezi

Meddling Kids - Edgar Cantero

A Lucky Man - Jamel Brinkley

Maiden, Mother, Crone: Fantastical Trans Femmes - ed. Gwen Benaway

What is Obscenity? The Story of a Good for Nothing Artist and her Pussy - Rokudenashiko

The Umbrella Academy Vol. III: Hotel Oblivion - Gerard Way

Who Put This Song On? - Morgan Parker

The Souls of Yellow Folk: Essays - Wesley Yang

Wave - Sonali Deraniyagala

Love War Stories - Ivelisse Rodriguez

Baby Teeth - Zoje Stage

A Fortune for Your Disaster - Hanif Abdurraqib

Eyes Bottle Dark with a Mouthful of Flowers - Jake Skeets

Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen - Jose Antonio Vargas

The Marrow Thieves - Cherie Dimaline

Polite Society - Mahesh Rao

Patron Saints of Nothing - Randy Ribay

The Body Papers: A Memoir - Grace Talusan

A Woman is No Man - Etaf Rum

Travelers - Helon Habila

Trust Exercise - Susan Choi

The Silent Patient - Alex Michaelides

The Intuitionist - Colson Whitehead

A People’s History of Heaven - Mathangi Subramanian

The Buddha of Suburbia - Hanif Kureishi

This is Paradise: Stories - Kristiana Kahakauwila

Brood - Kimiko Hahn

Don’t Look Now - Daphne du Maurier

How We Fight for Our Lives - Saeed Jones

I Hope You Get This Message - Farah Naz Rishi

Unmarriageable - Soniah Kamal

Bad Endings - Carleigh Baker

The Water Dancer - Ta-Nehisi Coates

The Lady from the Black Lagoon: Hollywood Monsters and the Lost Legacy of Milicent Patrick - Mallory O’Meara

Shapes of Native Nonficton: Collected Essays by Contemporary Writers - ed. Elissa Washuta and Theresa Warburton

Harley Quinn: Breaking Glass - Mariko Tamaki

Even the Saints Audition - Rachel Jackson

Slay - Britney Morris

#NotYourPrincess: Voices of Native American Women - ed. Lisa Charleyboy and Mary Beth Leatherdale

The Starlet and the Spy - Ji-min Lee

North of Dawn - Nuruddin Farah

Daisy Jones & The Six - Taylor Jenkins Reid

The Drowning Boy’s Guide to Water - Cameron Barnett

They Called Us Enemy - George Takei

Dear Girls: Intimate Tales, Untold Secrets, and Advice for Living Your Best Life - Ali Wong

The Right Swipe - Alisha Rai

Full Disclosure - Camryn Garrett

Searching for Sylvie Lee - Jean Kwok

Gideon the Ninth - Tasmyn Muir

Stubborn Archivist - Yara Rodrigues Fowler

The Wicked + the Divine, Vol. 8: Old is the New New - Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie

Never Grow Up - Jackie Chan

“All the Real Indians Died Off”: And 20 Other Myths About Native Americans - Roxanna Dunbar-Ortiz

In the Dream House - Carmen Maria Machado

Blame This on the Boogie - Rina Ayuyang

It - Stephen King

Sea Monsters - Chloe Aridjis

My Fate According to the Butterfly - Gail D. Villanueva

The Wicked + the Divine, Vol. 9: “Okay” - Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie

The Deep - Rivers Solomon

I Hope We Choose Love: A Trans Girl’s Notes from the End of the World - Kai Cheng Thom

Mooncakes - Suzanne Walker

BTTM FDRS - Ezra Claytan Daniels and Ben Passmore

Hot Comb - Ebony Flowers

Notes from a Young Black Chef - Kwame Onwuachi

Bunny - Mona Awad

The Twisted Ones - T. Kingfisher

Shuri, Vol. 1: The Search for Black Panther - Nnedi Okorafor

I Was Their American Dream: A Graphic Memoir - Malaka Gharib

Thick: And Other Essays - Tressie McMillan Cottom

Royal Holiday - Jasmine Guillory

Boxers - Gene Luen Yang

Saints - Gene Luen Yang

Fox 8 - George Saunders

The Memory Police - Yoko Ogawa

Last Day - Domenica Ruta

Wakanda Forever - Nnedi Okorafor

The Revisioners - Margaret Wilkerson Sexton

The Future of Another Timeline - Annalee Newitz

We Have Always Been Here: A Queer Muslim Memoir - Samra Habib

Somewhere in the Middle: A Journey to the Phillipines in Search of Roots, Belonging, and Identity - Deborah Francisco Douglas

Crier’s War - Nina Varela

Something in Between - Melissa de la Cruz

The Secrets We Kept - Lara Prescott

The Tao of Raven: An Alaska Native Memoir - Ernestine Hayes

One of Us is Lying - Karen M. McManus

Piecing Me Together - Renee Watson

Binti - Nnedi Okorafor

The Nickel Boys - Colson Whitehead

Recursion - Blake Crouch

Supper Club - Lara Williams