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thekhw's reviews
86 reviews
One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus
4.0
One of Us is Lying follows five high school students at Bayview High that come together after school for detention. However, by the end of detention, one of the five is dead and it wasn’t an accident.
This book was engaging and it definitely kept my attention. It is also a pretty quick read. The book has been adapted for a TV show on the Peacock streaming service and thankfully the TV adaptation cleans up quite a bit of the problematic aspects of the book and makes a number of minor changes.
The biggest issue I had with this book is its harmful portrayal of mental health and I’m glad the TV show addresses this.
This book was engaging and it definitely kept my attention. It is also a pretty quick read. The book has been adapted for a TV show on the Peacock streaming service and thankfully the TV adaptation cleans up quite a bit of the problematic aspects of the book and makes a number of minor changes.
The biggest issue I had with this book is its harmful portrayal of mental health and I’m glad the TV show addresses this.
Assata: An Autobiography by Assata Shakur
5.0
I was always been interested in learning more about the life of Assata Shakur and finally had the chance to give this book a read. Her story is simply captivating and the book, even more so. The writing style was quite unique and this is hands down one of the best autobiographies I've read. It made me admire her more.
The Speeches of Fannie Lou Hamer: To Tell It Like It Is by Fannie Lou Hamer
5.0
I’ve always been aware of who Fannie Lou Hamer was. I’ve heard bits and pieces of interviews and speeches she’s given, as well as certain parts of her life. The Speeches of Fannie Lou Hamer was a gift I received this past Christmas and it was the first book I read this year.
This book made me a Fannie Lou Hamer super fan! Reading about her life and the things she endured and the things that were important to her in her own words was so inspiring. The editors also did a nice job at provided context before each speech.
My only critique is that I wanted more. However, the book specifically focused on speeches and not necessarily interviews so.
This book made me a Fannie Lou Hamer super fan! Reading about her life and the things she endured and the things that were important to her in her own words was so inspiring. The editors also did a nice job at provided context before each speech.
My only critique is that I wanted more. However, the book specifically focused on speeches and not necessarily interviews so.
Lead from the Outside: How to Build Your Future and Make Real Change by Stacey Abrams
5.0
Spoiler alert: I've been an admirer of Stacey Abrams for years...which is amplified by the fact that we are both Spelman College alums. Anywho, Lead from the Outside is one of the first books I read when I got back into reading for leisure and as a young Black woman working in politics, it was a necessary read. This book is deeply insightful and inspiring. Highly recommended for all of the young politicos, especially those of us of color.
Legendborn by Tracy Deonn
5.0
I recommended the “Children of Blood and Bone” series to a friend and they recommended the Legendborn series to me. Great exchange of book recommendations.
Legendborn follows 16 year old Bree to UNC-Chapel Hill for a residential program for promising high schoolers. On her first night, Bree witnesses a magical attack and it all just starts to spin and spiral from there…but in a sort of good way.
This book started off a little slow for me. I was probably coming down from the high of reading another great book or was pushing myself through a reading slump or….the book just had a slow start. I’m not 100% sure which. However, at some point the book picks up and I was….obsessed. The action, the story, and the mystery made this one page turner (at some point). The love triangle that unfolded also added an extra layer of entertainment for me. Who doesn’t love the bad boy?*
I’m usually good at predicting the big plot twist at the end of a book but….I definitely did not predict the plot twist this book ended with. It was a welcome plot twist but I’m sure my jaw literally dropped. Great read.
*Bad boys are better left to fictional stories.
Legendborn follows 16 year old Bree to UNC-Chapel Hill for a residential program for promising high schoolers. On her first night, Bree witnesses a magical attack and it all just starts to spin and spiral from there…but in a sort of good way.
This book started off a little slow for me. I was probably coming down from the high of reading another great book or was pushing myself through a reading slump or….the book just had a slow start. I’m not 100% sure which. However, at some point the book picks up and I was….obsessed. The action, the story, and the mystery made this one page turner (at some point). The love triangle that unfolded also added an extra layer of entertainment for me. Who doesn’t love the bad boy?*
I’m usually good at predicting the big plot twist at the end of a book but….I definitely did not predict the plot twist this book ended with. It was a welcome plot twist but I’m sure my jaw literally dropped. Great read.
*Bad boys are better left to fictional stories.
The Evidence of Things Not Seen by James Baldwin
5.0
The Evidence of Things Not Seen by James Baldwin discusses and responds to the Atlanta Child Murders and the seemingly flawed conviction of Wayne Williams, a Black man who was believed to be guilty of all murders. Baldwin offered a lot of thoughts on Atlanta’s Black administration, racial prejudice, race relations, and more.
This is a lengthy and densely written essay but definitely worth the read. Baldwin was simply brilliant.
This is a lengthy and densely written essay but definitely worth the read. Baldwin was simply brilliant.
Wake: The Hidden History of Women-Led Slave Revolts by Rebecca Hall
4.0
Wake: The Hidden History of Women-Led Slave Revolts is a graphic novel that details Dr. Rebecca Hall’s journey to uncover the truth about women-led slave revolts. Dr. Hall searched through court records and other documents to learn more information about this topic.
The choice to make this a graphic novel is one of the aspects I really enjoyed about reading this piece. I also enjoyed reading about the journey Dr. Hall went on to dive into this topic in pursuit of her PhD.
With that being said, my main critique of this piece is that I expected to learn more about women-led slave revolts. However, it mostly just documented the journey to uncover the truth…and not a lot was uncovered, at least not in this piece. However, that is to no fault of Dr. Hall. As she details, it was and is difficult to get access to certain records, like from insurance companies that built their wealth providing insurance to slavers to cover any potential loss of “property.”
I would still recommend this read because it was an easy one but also because it made me think about a topic that I never considered before.
The choice to make this a graphic novel is one of the aspects I really enjoyed about reading this piece. I also enjoyed reading about the journey Dr. Hall went on to dive into this topic in pursuit of her PhD.
With that being said, my main critique of this piece is that I expected to learn more about women-led slave revolts. However, it mostly just documented the journey to uncover the truth…and not a lot was uncovered, at least not in this piece. However, that is to no fault of Dr. Hall. As she details, it was and is difficult to get access to certain records, like from insurance companies that built their wealth providing insurance to slavers to cover any potential loss of “property.”
I would still recommend this read because it was an easy one but also because it made me think about a topic that I never considered before.
The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
4.0
I am 100% not a huge fan of romance reads, however, The Love Hypothesis won me over and I completely understand the hype around it. I think I read this one in like 48 hours. It was a cute love story and it had my attention from start to finish.
The hopeless romantic that lives deep inside of me was pleased and now we are in search of similar reads.
The hopeless romantic that lives deep inside of me was pleased and now we are in search of similar reads.