Watch Us Rise -Renee Watson + Ellen Hagan

My family knows when I'm reading an especially spectacular book. How? Because I don't do anything but read, I don't say anything but how much I like the book, and I don't take very long to finish it. Watch Us Rise was the first book that did this for me in a very long time.…

On the Come Up ~Angie Thomas

"Who are you? of the millions and billions of people in the world, you're the only person who can answer that. Not people online, or at your school. I can't even answer that. You're the only one who can say who you are with authority. So who are you?" On the Come Up is the…

I’m Still Here -Austin Channing Brown

Per my mom's suggestion, when I read certain books I keep a pad of sticky notes inside to mark special quotes and passages. Austin Channing Brown's I'm Still Here held dozens of sticky notes peeking out from both ends: a testament to gorgeous prose holding deep thoughts. The rest of the title is "Black Dignity…

What I Read in January

Does it feel like January lasted forever to anyone else? Even though I didn't set a reading goal for 2019 I still wanted to read more and rekindle the part of me that got lost in books when I was younger. I read a good amount of books in January that I wanted to share…

Down and Across by Arvin Ahmad

I was pacing the shelves in my library a few weeks ago, ecstatic to find myself completely alone in the YA section, when I stumbled upon Down and Across. I'd seen this book on a list of YA books by authors of color, and now it's blue-green spine was staring back at me. I decided…

Am I a Stereotypical Bookworm?

A few months ago, Cait from Paper Fury wrote a blog post that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. She examined 10 bookworm stereotypes and noted whether she identified with them. I was inspired to do the same thing, so let's see how stereotypical I really am! 1. BOOKWORMS WEAR GLASSES. True, I do wear glasses, all…

Author’s Notes & Aux Cords: Animal Farm

So, I'm back with another Author's Notes & Aux Cords because they're just so much fun to write! If you missed my first one check it out here. And, you know the drill: beware of spoilers! Today's book is Animal Farm by George Orwell, hands-down my favorite required reading for my British Literature course of…

This or That {Book Edition}

Hello guys! I was checking my email when I saw this post by Paper Fury and since hers was so good, I decided to jump in. So, here are my picks for these Bookish This or That Tag questions. 1. SERIES OR STANDALONE Standalone. When I was younger I used to be obsessed with series,…

Author’s Notes & Aux Cords: This Side of Home

Music and books are two of my favorite things, so when I had the idea to combine them I couldn't wait. This series is where I create playlists of songs that remind me of or match with my favorite books. First up is This Side of Home by Renee Watson. If you want more general…

What Went Down March + Mixtape

Hi! I'm late but I'm here. I can't believe that we're now in the second quarter of 2018. Let's see what happened in March! Food   We ate at Puckett's and I had some bomb chicken and waffles. I think that's the only noteworthy food experience.   Fashion Seoul Fashion Week happened and there'll be…