(You can read them year round. Wow, imagine that!)
Memoir
Punch Me Up To The Gods by Brian Broome
tw/content warning: slurs, homophobia, racism, physical abuse, addiction, sexual content
This one is pretty fresh in my mind. Brian Broome is open and honest about how he has lead life as a Black gay man. He has shared how he has questioned and been questioned on what makes a man a man. And he has answered and been told that he was far from one. Why? Because he couldn't do this, and wanted to do that. Because he is this and not that. There are expectations placed on a Black boy and he has been told he did not live up to them. This memoir is about some of the lives he has lead as he tried to just be what he is, and what he was expected to be as a Black boy raised in Christian household in the days before today with our very see through gay bars.
My opinions : tough read because of the things brought up. But, not necessarily in a "bad" way. I found myself angry with everyone from Broome to his parents to the world. I kept putting it down and taking a breath. I wanted to hold him. I wanted to slap him. I understood so many parts but know I will never get all of it. It was truthful, and interesting. And I appreciate it. Some funny parts, mainly somber....I guess that's why it was harder for me to read it? I don't wanna keep this going for so long, so let's move on. Maybe I'll do a full review soon. Because I have so much to say ugh!
Thriller
When No One Is Watching by Alyssa Cole
Sydney Green is from Brooklyn and loves her neighborhood. But, it's going through some...changes (*cough* gentrification *cough*). She decides to take her rightfully unpleasant feelings and focus that into creating her own walking tour. She finds someone she was not expecting---her new unlikely assistant named Theo. They go down a history rabbit hole and find things that unnerve them. Maybe the new neighbors and new condos and push into...newness...is more deadly than what meets the eye. Maybe her old neighbors didn't just choose to up and leave for the suburbs. Maybe they go somewhere else. Sydney and Theo must try to trust themselves and each other (should they?) to find out before they decide to "move to the suburbs" themselves.
My opinions: I actually haven't finished this one. I got it a while ago (when it first came out because I was the one who had to put them on the shelves.I was mad excited), read some, watched others talk about it on Tik Tok and clocked out the world for a bit. I'm sorry. My TBR is ridiculous. But, I did like it so far. What I got so far: Black woman who is living with her ex (ouch. felt) and her ex is a white woman who says racist crap & is annoying (side eyes both her and Sydney). I kinda put it down because she excused her ex when she said something. Don't worry this isn't a spoiler for real.
YA-romance/fiction
You Should See ME In A Crown by Leah Johnson
Liz Lighty is an insecure senior in high school. She sees herself as too Black, too poor and not at all cool enough to stand out in her small Midwestern town in Illinois. Campbell, Illinois is a town that's full of people with money and big personalities that's all about prom, but she has a plan that'll get her outta there. Then plan: Attend Pennington College, play in their world famous orchestra, and become a doctor. No sweat right?
Actually major sweat because that plan starts falling apart when she learns the financial aid that she was counting on falls through. Liz is reminded of something that can still get her to college though. Her school's scholarship for prom king and queen. Problem (besides the ones noted like "too Black, too poor...": she has a huge fear of the spotlight. But, she's willing to do anything to get out of her town and into Pennington College.
Luckily, there's a new girl named Mack who's just as funny, smart and an outsider as Liz is. Getting a great new crush/friend may be the only good thing in Liz's life at the moment ...except she's also running for prom queen. Is her falling for Mack going to be her downfall, or will it help her dreams come true?
My opinions: I like the cover...yup. Okay, I haven't read this one completely because I went on a nonfiction binge. Excuses excuses. So far, so cute.
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