February 2023 Reading Wrap Up


Reading Wrap ups

The thirteenth novel in Émile Zola’s great Rougon-Macquart sequence, Germinal expresses outrage at the exploitation of the many by the few, but also shows humanity’s capacity for compassion and hope. Etienne Lantier, an unemployed railway worker, is a clever but uneducated young man with a dangerous temper. Forced to take a back-breaking job at Le […]

July 26, 2023

My Normandy Book Club Final List 2023 – 2024


Book Club

I have loved reading for so long that it isn’t a surprise that I’m now running 2 book clubs – one here in Normandy where I live (It’s been going now for over 15 years) and the second one is  called the Read Soul Lit Book Club and it’s on its third year over on […]

July 20, 2023

Runwright Reads Summer Reading Challenge


Reading Challenges

I’ll be trying to participate in the Runwright Reads Summer Reading Challenge which is June 21 – September 23, 2023. Now I’m already participating in a few more reading challenges but if I could read at least 5 books to tick off five of these 14 prompts I’ll be thrilled. What I’m looking forward to […]

July 19, 2023

January 2023 Reading Wrap Up


Reading Wrap ups

  “An irresistible comic novel from the master storyteller Percival Everett, and an irreverent take on race, class, and identity in America I was, in life, to be a gambler, a risk-taker, a swashbuckler, a knight. I accepted, then and there, my place in the world. I was a fighter of windmills. I was a […]

July 17, 2023

My Top Books of 2022


Booktube Videos, My top books of 2022, Top Books of the Year

  “So begins Imbolo Mbue’s powerful second novel, How Beautiful We Were. Set in the fictional African village of Kosawa, it tells the story of a people living in fear amidst environmental degradation wrought by an American oil company. Pipeline spills have rendered farmlands infertile. Children are dying from drinking toxic water. Promises of clean-up […]

July 17, 2023

Reading in Caribbean Heritage Month


Uncategorized

June is Caribbean Heritage Month! I always get so excited about reading a huge stack of books by Caribbean authors but somehow about a week or two before I get anxious and torn over which books to put in my TBR stack of the month. As a habit I always put my planned reading for […]

June 11, 2023

The Classics Club Spin #33 lands on…


Classics Club Spin

The Classics Club announced #18 yesterday for its 33rd Classics Club Spin!  That means I’ll be reading Un Coeur Simple by Gustave Flaubert from my classics list. I’m really excited about that. Love that I’ll be reading another book in French and it’s only 69 pages!  If you haven’t heard of this French classic originally […]

March 20, 2023

The Classics Club Spin #33


Classics Club Spin

I’m back y’all and I plan on staying. I’m going to be participating in the next Classics Club Spin #33. What is the spin you might be asking yourself? write your blog post before Sunday, March 19, 2023, which is tomorrow In the post create a list of 20 classics of your choice that you […]

March 18, 2023

Kindred


Book Reviews

Kindred takes place in 1976 and in 1815.  Dana a young African-American woman periodically experiences dizziness and black outs which enable her to go back in time to 1815.  The experience of going back to the slave days is shocking and terrible for her in the beginning.  She is extremely distressed since she has no […]

February 15, 2022

Stella Prize 2021 Longlist Announcement


Uncategorized

I had the pleasure of watching the Stella Prize 2021 Longlist announcement  this morning on YouTube. It’s actually the first time I took the time to do that in a while. I don’t think I’ve followed any major literary prize closely since Bernadine Evaristo had to share The Booker Prize win with Margaret Atwood.  That […]

March 4, 2021

Read Soul Lit Photo Challenge – Day 8 & Day 9


ReadSoulLit

Day 8: Book with a View Head Off & Split is my Spotlight of the day. Yes! Yes! Wow this poetry collection by the talented Nikki Finney! This poetry collection is a moving read that takes you through African American culture and history. You’ll just want to keep rereading. As a matter of fact, I’m […]

February 9, 2021

Read Soul Lit Photo Challenge Day 6 and Day 7


ReadSoulLit

    Day 6: Plant and a BookI will always mention Bedrock Faith by Eric Charles May when some ask for recommendations of Black American authors. This book is so damn underrated! I hope one day Eric Charles May decides to release another book. I’d be the first one to purchase it.Bedrock faith has everything […]

February 8, 2021

OCM Bocas Prize 2020 Longlist


Literary Prizes

Scrolling through my Instagram feed this morning I came across the announcement of the OCM Bocas Prize 2020 Longlist (9 longlist nominees), which I hadn’t heard of this prize.  This OCM Bocas Prize was first launched in 2011 and it awards Caribbean authors who hold citizenship or were born in the Caribbean.  Each category will […]

March 17, 2020

My Thoughts on Women’s Prize 2020 Longlist


Literary Prizes

The Women’s Prize 2020 longlist was just announced very late in the evening few days ago.  I woke up to the news on Twitter the next day.  As disappointed as I was with the prize last year, you’re probably wondering what the heck am I doing on here posting about it this year.  I couldn’t […]

March 3, 2020

ReadSoulLit Photo Challenge – Day 23 & 24


ReadSoulLit

Day 23 – Eternally Classic  Phenomenal Woman Four Poems Celebrating Women is definitely eternally classic….. The video below is of Maya Angelou reciting Phenomenal Woman.  It’s hard to believe she isn’t here anymore.                                             […]

February 24, 2020

ReadSoulLit Photo Challenge – Day 21 & 22


ReadSoulLit

Day 21 –  December Wrap Up My December 2019 ended with a bang because I was lucky enough to read The Nickel Boys, Red at the Bone, and In West Mills. All three were five-star reads for me.  The Nickel Boys was saddening but a wonderfully told story shedding light on the horrors that took […]

February 22, 2020

ReadSoulLit Photo Challenge – Days 19 & 20


ReadSoulLit

  Day 19 – Celebrate Good Times I can’t think of a better way to celebrate good times other than with friend, family, great food and drink. So this cookbook Jubilee: Recipes from two centuries of African American Cooking by Toni Tipton–Martin came immediately to mind. I have a thing for cookbooks. I can read […]

February 20, 2020

ReadSoulLit Photo Challenge – Day 17 & 18


Uncategorized

  Day 17 – A 2010s Classic I couldn’t resist choosing Lighthead by Terrance Hayes. This was the first collection I read. Y him which wasn’t suggested to me by Danielle from Dani! Dany! Danie! On Instagram. I was not disappointed. His poetry is meaningful, intentional, and creative. I know poetry can often times turn […]

February 18, 2020

ReadSoulLit Photo Challenge – Day 15 & 16


ReadSoulLit

Day 15 – Cuz This Is Thriller!  Thrillers aren’t the genre I go to the most but they are starting to be the ones that I go to to decompress from all of the serious reads I pick up.  I chose Blanche Cleans Up (The Blanche White series #3) by Barbara Neely and A Little […]

February 16, 2020

ReadSoulLit Photo Challenge – Day 13 & 14


ReadSoulLit

Day 13 – Biography or Memoir I chose the memoir by Michaela De Prince called Taking Flight: From War Orphan to Star Ballerina.  After hearing her story on television many years ago, I was motivated to read her story.  I haven’t yet read this one but I have a feeling it’s going to be very […]

February 14, 2020

ReadSoulLit Photo Challenge – Day 11 & 12


ReadSoulLit

Day 11 – 2020 Newbie As every year there are so many new releases and new authors appearing on the scene and 2020 is no different.  I decided to go with Stateway’s Garden by Jasmon Drain, gifted to me by Penguin Random House.  This debut work is a memoir of connected short stories that take […]

February 12, 2020

ReadSoulLit Photo Challenge – Day 9 & 10


ReadSoulLit

Day 9 – Word Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates was the best representation of Word.  This letter written from a black father to his black son is a poignant must-read from Coates.  It was recommended by Toni Morrison, who deemed it to be required reading.  I hadn’t realized but apparently Coates is […]

February 10, 2020

Read Soul Lit Photo Challenge – Day 7 & 8


ReadSoulLit

Day 7 – Current Read My current reads are keeping me glued to the pages.  The Last Thing You Surrender by Leonard Pitts, Jr is the Read Soul Lit 2020 Read Along pick.  It is captivating everybody.  So glad to discover another interesting black American writer that I hadn’t read before.  I’ll definitely be combing the rest […]

February 8, 2020

ReadSoulLit Photo Challenge – Day 5 & 6


ReadSoulLit

Day 5 – It’s a family affair!   I have quite a few possibilities on my shelves with this theme but the book that came to my mind first was The Darkest Child by Delores Phillips.  Now to be honest, this book has been sitting on my shelves for over 2 years. Why? Because I’m […]

February 6, 2020

ReadSoulLit Photo Challenge – Day 3 & 4


ReadSoulLit

Day 3 – Roots and Books made me start looking deeply into my shelves.  Having started this year with the powerful memoir, Heavy by Kiese Laymon.  I felt like roots had to be taken figuratively and literally.  Combing my shelves I fell upon How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America.  I forgot I […]

February 4, 2020

ReadSoulLit Photo Challenge 2020: Day 1 & 2


ReadSoulLit

Black History Month is finally here and has taken off with a blast!  Here’s where the photo challenge is at the moment for me: Day 1: ReadSoulLit TBR I’m a Booktube Prize judge this year and will be judging the first round which is happening this month.  This won’t deter me from picking up these […]

February 2, 2020

ReadSoulLit 2020


ReadSoulLit

Black History month is nearing and I’m writing today to let you know about what I have planned to celebrate it literarily.  Of course I’ll be hosting the 2020 #ReadSoulLit Photo Challenge over on Instagram.  Get your books and picture ideas ready.  This is one of the best moments to get book recommendations of black […]

January 18, 2020

Overview: My reading in 2019


Uncategorized

Quote:  “A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies…. The man who never reads only lives one.”                                                                            […]

January 1, 2020

24 Books to Christmas – Day 24


24 Books to Christmas, ReadSoulLit

Today’s my last day of recommendations before Christmas and for the year 2019!  Bravo! If you’ve stuck with me until the end.  I really appreciate it.  My last recommendation is another really big favorite and it’s by one of my favorite authors too.  I’m going to be talking briefly about Krik? Krak! by Edwidge Danticat. […]

December 24, 2019

24 Books to Christmas – Day 23


24 Books to Christmas

It’s day 23 and we’re almost at the end of my 24 days of recommendations before.  Today I’ve decided to talk about Guy Delisle’s graphic novel Jerusalem:  Chronicles from the Holy City.  Now this was the first graphic novel I read by Guy Delisle.  His wife works for Médecins Sans Frontière, so they were sent […]

December 23, 2019

24 Books to Christmas – Day 22


24 Books to Christmas

I fell upon The White Tiger in 2008 when it won the Booker Prize.   Of all the books on that shortlist, it stuck out to me the most.  I really enjoy reading about Indian culture.  I feel like with every book I read I learn something new about their culture.  That’s really stimulating. This […]

December 22, 2019