My February Wrap-Up – Celebrating Black History Month
Celebrating Black Authors for Black History Month!
Hi, all— this month I focused on reading only work by black authors. I have been making a conscious effort to diversify my reading, especially now that I’ve completed my degree in education. I’ve always had an issue with the overwhelming number of old, dead, white male authors we were asked to read throughout school, and a great part of my reading journey is finding books by diverse authors that I would teach in a classroom someday. My reading this month ranged from educational to narrative to poetry; hope you enjoy!
How to be an Antiracist- Ibram X. Kendi
It was only fitting that I begin this month with educational work. I listened to the audiobook version of this book, read by the author— which is, in my opinion, the best way to listen to an audiobook. Kendi explores the many racial norms of the United States and helps us begin the process of unlearning. He does this by first introducing each chapter with an anecdote from his life. This, to me, made each topic of each chapter simpler to understand; there are some really huge and deeply ingrained societal concepts in this book, and Kendi proves himself an effective educator chapter after chapter.
The Vanishing Half- Brit Bennett
I was such a fan of this novel that it got its very own review on the site right here. While this story begins with the lives of two twins, it branches into the interweaving stories of several characters. I loved this book because it felt like a time capsule not only for one time period, but for several different decades. This was a really cool look at how someone’s life could change depending on the opportunities they make for themselves.
Luster- Raven Leilani
It would be difficult to pick a favorite out of the books this month, but this would be up there. The narrative was so interesting and unique, truly unlike anything I’ve read before. Edie as a main character is cool, distant, and actually feels sort of detached at first. I thought this would turn me off to the narrative, but I actually grew to love the weird way this story was told. I have a more in-depth review of Luster here if you feel like checking it out.
We Will Be Shelter- Collection Edited by Andrea Gibson
We Will Be Shelter is a collection of about 150 different authors, ranging from pretty famous poets to first-time publishers. These poems are about, as the title suggests, survival. This concept is dressed as the survival of many things: of abuse, assault, of life as a minority or part of a marginalized group. I liked this work because it shows how perseverance is different for everyone; each person is simply doing their best to survive.
Don’t Call Us Dead- Danez Smith
February’s Poetry of the Month pick! I have a full review of this book up already, you can find it here! A genius collection of poems that will give you an entirely new perspective. I actually recommend anything Smith has ever written, any of his performances, and all of his tweets. I am a proponent of an immersive Danez Smith experience.
And that’s February, friends! I again apologize for my delayed posting, but I have a feeling my extremely, extremely limited readership will not mind. See you in the next wrap-up!
