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thekhw's reviews
86 reviews
All About Love: New Visions by bell hooks
4.0
I read All About Love by Bell Hooks a year ago and can honestly say it was life-changing. This book was gifted to me by a friend when I needed it the most.
Bell Hooks discusses everything about love. From discussing how love and abuse cannot coexist to parenting to how to love in an almost loveless society. This book is essential reading. However, it’s not perfect.
My main critique for this book would be how God-heavy the last few chapters get and are almost redundant. This book has a solid and fantastic start, and the end just started to lose me a tad.
Bell Hooks discusses everything about love. From discussing how love and abuse cannot coexist to parenting to how to love in an almost loveless society. This book is essential reading. However, it’s not perfect.
My main critique for this book would be how God-heavy the last few chapters get and are almost redundant. This book has a solid and fantastic start, and the end just started to lose me a tad.
The Deep by Rivers Solomon
4.0
The Deep— I do not know how to describe this book. This novella is unique, and I remember exactly how I felt while reading it and after the fact. I have never read anything like this, and I don’t mean that in a negative sense. This small book comes with a pretty significant impact.
This book centers on water-dwelling creatures descended from pregnant enslaved people thrown onboard. It’s a reimagining of the future from the scars of the past—an incredible story about collective memory, trauma, and community. I won’t say much about the plot because I genuinely feel like this is something to experience firsthand.
I highly recommend this book.
This book centers on water-dwelling creatures descended from pregnant enslaved people thrown onboard. It’s a reimagining of the future from the scars of the past—an incredible story about collective memory, trauma, and community. I won’t say much about the plot because I genuinely feel like this is something to experience firsthand.
I highly recommend this book.
The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James
5.0
I’ve been into thriller books this year and wanted to give The Book of Cold Cases a chance because I’ve seen good reviews, and it sounded like true crime meets the fiction book world, aka something right up my alley. This read certainly lived up to the hype and my expectations.
The Book of Cold Cases focuses on a recently divorced receptionist who runs a true-crime website at night. After encountering the town’s infamous Lady Killer, she offers her an interview to learn more about her version of the events that unfolded decades prior. To her surprise, The Lady Killer grants the interview.
This book was gripping from start to finish and packed with quite a few twists and mysteries. There was also a paranormal element that I had not been expecting that certainly creeped me out, which added to the thrill of the book, of course. The author tastefully writes from two points of view and bounces between decades to help give the readers background and context leading up to the big reveal.
The Book of Cold Cases was a great thriller, and I’m excited to read more books by Simone St. James.
The Book of Cold Cases focuses on a recently divorced receptionist who runs a true-crime website at night. After encountering the town’s infamous Lady Killer, she offers her an interview to learn more about her version of the events that unfolded decades prior. To her surprise, The Lady Killer grants the interview.
This book was gripping from start to finish and packed with quite a few twists and mysteries. There was also a paranormal element that I had not been expecting that certainly creeped me out, which added to the thrill of the book, of course. The author tastefully writes from two points of view and bounces between decades to help give the readers background and context leading up to the big reveal.
The Book of Cold Cases was a great thriller, and I’m excited to read more books by Simone St. James.
Black Buck by Mateo Askaripour
4.0
If you enjoyed the film Sorry to Bother You, Black Buck might be the read for you. Sidebar: Sorry to Bother You is a fantastic film recommended for those who have not seen it.
Back to the review, Black Buck is the satirical debut novel written by Mateo Askaripour that depicts the state of the relationship between the U.S. corporate world and race.
The main character, Darren, is a barista in a Manhattan Starbucks with impressive persuasion skills to make any customer change their order to his recommendation. This skill catches the attention of a businessman who works upstairs and convinces Darren to join his all-white sales team. Thus, he quickly changes his entire personality and identity to fit his new role and becomes unrecognizable to those who know him best.
This book was funny and, at times, challenging to read but having seen films like Sorry to Bother You and The Wolf of Wall Street, it was pretty easy to tell the direction the book would take. That kept me from giving it five stars, but it is a worthwhile read that will make you smile as much as it will make you frown.
Back to the review, Black Buck is the satirical debut novel written by Mateo Askaripour that depicts the state of the relationship between the U.S. corporate world and race.
The main character, Darren, is a barista in a Manhattan Starbucks with impressive persuasion skills to make any customer change their order to his recommendation. This skill catches the attention of a businessman who works upstairs and convinces Darren to join his all-white sales team. Thus, he quickly changes his entire personality and identity to fit his new role and becomes unrecognizable to those who know him best.
This book was funny and, at times, challenging to read but having seen films like Sorry to Bother You and The Wolf of Wall Street, it was pretty easy to tell the direction the book would take. That kept me from giving it five stars, but it is a worthwhile read that will make you smile as much as it will make you frown.
Cinderella Is Dead by Kalynn Bayron
3.0
Cinderella is Dead— this book was not what I expected it to be at all, and I mean that in a good way. This story takes place in a nightmarish Cinderella dystopian society of sorts.
*** Spoilers Below ***
I loved the author’s retelling of the story of Cinderella. In this book, Cinderella’s story was a jumble of lies that had been romanticized and used to uphold the patriarchy. Women and girls are treated as property and are subject to a slew of rules that strip them of free will, including being forced to attend an annual ball where any man can choose them as a wife. Anyone not selected will be forfeited and vanish.
Sophia recognizes how screwed up society is. She doesn’t dream of being selected at the ball. In fact, she dreams of living a life with her childhood best friend, Erin. Unfortunately, Erin decides to participate in the annual tradition instead of running away with her.
Sophia runs from the ball and hides, and from there, the story takes off. We learn more about Cinderella and her family from her last living descendent, Constance who joins Sophia on the quest to destroy the patriarchy. They also receive some help from the infamous Fairy Godmother.
To summarize the ending, the kingdom and the king are defeated, and a new order begins to take the place of the old one. A few wrongs are corrected, and Cinderella’s real story is revealed.
Why did I give this one a 3.8? It was somewhat predictable at times. I also wanted to know more about the Fairy Godmother and what led to the King becoming the way he was. The ending felt rushed. I loved this story but also had some outstanding questions when I finished it.
*** Spoilers Below ***
I loved the author’s retelling of the story of Cinderella. In this book, Cinderella’s story was a jumble of lies that had been romanticized and used to uphold the patriarchy. Women and girls are treated as property and are subject to a slew of rules that strip them of free will, including being forced to attend an annual ball where any man can choose them as a wife. Anyone not selected will be forfeited and vanish.
Sophia recognizes how screwed up society is. She doesn’t dream of being selected at the ball. In fact, she dreams of living a life with her childhood best friend, Erin. Unfortunately, Erin decides to participate in the annual tradition instead of running away with her.
Sophia runs from the ball and hides, and from there, the story takes off. We learn more about Cinderella and her family from her last living descendent, Constance who joins Sophia on the quest to destroy the patriarchy. They also receive some help from the infamous Fairy Godmother.
To summarize the ending, the kingdom and the king are defeated, and a new order begins to take the place of the old one. A few wrongs are corrected, and Cinderella’s real story is revealed.
Why did I give this one a 3.8? It was somewhat predictable at times. I also wanted to know more about the Fairy Godmother and what led to the King becoming the way he was. The ending felt rushed. I loved this story but also had some outstanding questions when I finished it.
Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
5.0
This debut novel by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé was the first book I read this year. It’s easily one of the top five books I’ve ever read and I could hardly put it down. This novel features dual POV between the main characters, Devon and Chiamaka, who have made it as the only two Black kids in an all white private school without incident…until their senior year. Packed with so many twists and turns, clue after clue and mystery after mystery, just when you think you have it figured out? Another curveball.
The way the main characters navigate their Blackness and sexuality in an all white space, while also learning to trust each other, is wonderfully written and I felt so many emotions while reading this book.
This book? A must read, without a doubt and without question
The way the main characters navigate their Blackness and sexuality in an all white space, while also learning to trust each other, is wonderfully written and I felt so many emotions while reading this book.
This book? A must read, without a doubt and without question
Seven Days in June by Tia Williams
3.0
Let me preference this by saying that I am not a big fan of romance books, which could explain my rating. However, I decided to try this one because I heard good things. With that said, here comes my somewhat unpopular opinion.
Seven Days in June was quite an interesting read. It centers around two characters, Eva and Shane, who spent a week in June together 15 years ago and, for 15 years, never got over that one singular week. They both move on and grow up to become famous authors who reconnect at a literature event.
Here’s my issue, I know this is a romance book, but there’s nothing romantic about what we learned about that one week in June 15 years ago. It just was not “love,” and both characters were pretty disturbed in different ways and became codependent quickly. Again, absolutely nothing about it was romantic.
It wasn’t super horrible. There were a lot of references to pop culture that was cringe at times. You can also tell when an author is writing with a film or tv show in mind, and that book was this one.
Overall, the writing was excellent, but the story was just not. I didn’t feel the same appreciation others may have about this particular read.
Seven Days in June was quite an interesting read. It centers around two characters, Eva and Shane, who spent a week in June together 15 years ago and, for 15 years, never got over that one singular week. They both move on and grow up to become famous authors who reconnect at a literature event.
Here’s my issue, I know this is a romance book, but there’s nothing romantic about what we learned about that one week in June 15 years ago. It just was not “love,” and both characters were pretty disturbed in different ways and became codependent quickly. Again, absolutely nothing about it was romantic.
It wasn’t super horrible. There were a lot of references to pop culture that was cringe at times. You can also tell when an author is writing with a film or tv show in mind, and that book was this one.
Overall, the writing was excellent, but the story was just not. I didn’t feel the same appreciation others may have about this particular read.
All Boys Aren't Blue by George M. Johnson
4.0
All Boy’s Aren’t Blue was the first memoir I’ve read, and I was not disappointed. Georgie M. Johnson writes about being black and queer and his journey to self-acceptance. Though I have a few critiques, I will reserve them and instead strongly encourage you to give this book a read for yourself.
It was an honest and enjoyable read, giving my friends and me a few things to discuss. I look forward to checking out Johnson’s other book, “We Are Not Broken.”
It was an honest and enjoyable read, giving my friends and me a few things to discuss. I look forward to checking out Johnson’s other book, “We Are Not Broken.”