Why hello there! I hope you’re well ❤️ I’ve been so excited to type out this post because it’s all about books that I’m yet to experience and THAT is just a magical feeling, especially since they all sound so good! I’ve never defined my choice in books by the colour of the authors skin, if I like the sound of it then I’ll do whatever it takes to read it but as good as that mindset is to have it can often blow up in my face because in following the hype in books (like I do – I want to stop that as much though) they often aren’t as diverse as they should be so I’m not picking from an equal or realistic pool.
It is ANNOYING to say the very least that great reads don’t get the recognition they deserve and that my “choice” is actually very limited by what is on the shelves in stores and many great books haven’t been given the opportunity to even be there 🤷 Things need to be equal in all aspects, including books! I went on a hunt for plots that pulled me in and basically added themselves to my TBR (I was going to call it my TBF&TD: to be found and tracked down but that’s far too long an abbreviation so you’ll get what you’re given! 😂 It’s proving a difficult task to find some of these books where I am with a lot sold out or not shipping but nothing stands in the way of me and a good book! Not for long anyway 😂📚).
These are a fairly new (one or two are yet to come out!) so I will have to wait around a bit, especially for those that are out of stock but I already have the ones that are available in my online basket 🤗. I’m starting to realize that not all of these are probably YA but for the purpose of this post they’ll have to be cause I’m not changing the name 🤷😂.
Before we get lost amongst all things bookish I first want to draw your attention to these resources on black lives matter where you can do many things to help as well as sign petitions & donate! Also check out Campaign Zero who outline solutions on what needs to be done in order to put an end to police brutality in America, it’s an interesting read and really gives an insight into something that needs to change.
More and more books are coming to my attention and adding themselves to my TBR so I know I’ll be annoyed with myself later on for not including them today but I’ve gotta settle down or else I’ll drive myself crazy. This is the loot that’s been on my mind and in no particular order too (my head is a very haphazard place 😂):
Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams ~
Queenie Jenkins is a twenty-five year-old Jamaican British woman living in London, straddling two cultures and slotting neatly into neither. She works at a national newspaper, where she’s constantly forced to compare herself to her white middle class peers. After a messy break up from her long-term white boyfriend, Queenie seeks comfort in all the wrong places…including several hazardous men who do a good job of occupying brain space and a bad job of affirming self-worth.
As Queenie careens from one questionable decision to another, she finds herself wondering, “What are you doing? Why are you doing it? Who do you want to be?”—all of the questions today’s woman must face in a world trying to answer them for her.
• I love the sound of this, the plot alone comes across as being down to earth and realistic so I can only imagine what the book is like 😮. This is probably the one that isn’t YA, I’m not really sure but regardless I want it and that’s all that matters! 😊😂 Queenie sounds so real and I can’t wait to get to know her more!
Buried beneath the Baobab tree by Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani
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Based on interviews with young women who were kidnapped by Boko Haram, this poignant novel by Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani tells the timely story of one girl who was taken from her home in Nigeria and her harrowing fight for survival.
On April 14, 2014, Boko Haram kidnapped 276 girls. Some managed to escape. Many are still missing. A new pair of shoes, a university degree, a husband—these are the things that a girl dreams of in a Nigerian village. A girl who works hard in school and to help her family. A girl with a future as bright as live coals in the dark. And with a government scholarship right around the corner, everyone—her mother, her five brothers, her best friend, her teachers—can see that these dreams aren’t too far out of reach. Even if the voices on Papa’s radio tell more fearful news than tales to tell by moonlight.
But the girl’s dreams turn to nightmares when her village is attacked by Boko Haram, a terrorist group, in the middle of the night. Kidnapped, she is taken with other girls and women into the forest where she is forced to follow her captors’ radical beliefs and watch as her best friend slowly accepts everything she’s been told. Still, the girl defends her existence. As impossible as escape may seem, her life—her future—is hers to fight for.
• This sounds very interesting and I feel like I’d come away having learnt something with a new perspective on life. It sounds scary and upsetting but I want to gain an insight into what another walk of life would go through and that is what I intend to do!
Children of blood and bone by Tomi Adeyemi
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Zélie Adebola remembers when the soil of Orïsha hummed with magic. Burners ignited flames, Tiders beckoned waves, and Zélie’s Reaper mother summoned forth souls. But everything changed the night magic disappeared. Under the orders of a ruthless king, maji were killed, leaving Zélie without a mother and her people without hope.
Now Zélie has one chance to bring back magic and strike against the monarchy. With the help of a rogue princess, Zélie must outwit and outrun the crown prince, who is hell-bent on eradicating magic for good. Danger lurks in Orïsha, where snow leoponaires prowl and vengeful spirits wait in the waters. Yet the greatest danger may be Zélie herself as she struggles to control her powers and her growing feelings for an enemy.
• I’ve wanted this for so long! (It’s one of those books I cheated and read the first chapter online so that’s probably why I feel like I NEED it in my life 😏). That sole chapter had me wanting more but I had to stop as me and reading off a screen for too long are two things that don’t go together well 🤕 The sooner I have the book version of it the better! 😅
A blade so black by L.L McKinney
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The first time the Nightmares came, it nearly cost Alice her life. Now she’s trained to battle monstrous creatures in the dark dream realm known as Wonderland with magic weapons and hardcore fighting skills. Yet even warriors have a curfew.
Life in real-world Atlanta isn’t always so simple, as Alice juggles an overprotective mom, a high-maintenance best friend, and a slipping GPA. Keeping the Nightmares at bay is turning into a full-time job. But when Alice’s handsome and mysterious mentor is poisoned, she has to find the antidote by venturing deeper into Wonderland than she’s ever gone before. And she’ll need to use everything she’s learned in both worlds to keep from losing her head . . . literally.
• I’ve read a retelling of Alice in Wonderland before but I can’t for the life of me remember what it was called (it involved zombies, does that click with anyone?). I can’t wait to see this take on it and I’m obsessed with the idea that she lives in two worlds! Maybe us bloggers could relate in being a part of this as it often feels like this place is a separate entity 😵 We be living in two worlds as well….but without those monstrous creatures, Alice can keep them 👍😬😂.
Monster by Walter Dean Myers
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a 1999 novel about Steve Harmon, a sixteen-year-old boy on trial for his alleged complicity in a robbery-turned-murder. Steve is accused of participating in a deadly drugstore robbery. While in prison awaiting trial, he decides to document his experience as a screenplay.
• A lot of graphic novels have come to my attention lately (of course I want them all 😊) and I feel like I will soon be adding quite a few of them to my collection including this! It’s not everyday where I read something from the perspective of someone who is supposedly in the wrong so Monster sounds really interesting to me (it almost reminds me of the Ear Hustle podcast which I like to listen to as I’m highly interested in other walks of life). Hopefully I’ll be able to find it as so far everywhere I’ve looked that ships to where I live is sold out which must mean it’s good!
Piecing me together by Renée Watson
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A timely and powerful story about a teen girl from a poor neighborhood striving for success. Jade believes she must get out of her neighborhood if she’s ever going to succeed. Her mother says she has to take every opportunity. She has. She accepted a scholarship to a mostly-white private school and even Saturday morning test prep opportunities. But some opportunities feel more demeaning than helpful. Like an invitation to join Women to Women, a mentorship program for “at-risk” girls. Except really, it’s for black girls. From “bad” neighborhoods.
But Jade doesn’t need support. And just because her mentor is black doesn’t mean she understands Jade. And maybe there are some things Jade could show these successful women about the real world and finding ways to make a real difference. Friendships, race, privilege, identity—this compelling and thoughtful story explores the issues young women face.
• This sounds like a story that should be placed on a pedestal as it’s not one you hear of often and when stuff like that comes along, you know you should listen 🙌. I’m hopeful that this will be one of those books where I revisit the beginning after I finish it and so much has happened/changed since that starting point 😍 But I shouldn’t get ahead of myself, I’ll read it first! 😂
Let me hear a rhyme by Tiffany D. Jackson
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Biggie Smalls was right. Things done changed. But that doesn’t mean that Quadir and Jarrell are okay letting their best friend Steph’s tracks lie forgotten in his bedroom after he’s killed—not when his beats could turn any Bed-Stuy corner into a celebration, not after years of having each other’s backs.
Enlisting the help of Steph’s younger sister, Jasmine, Quadir and Jarrell come up with a plan to promote Steph’s music under a new rap name: The Architect. Soon, everyone in Brooklyn is dancing to Steph’s voice. But then his mixtape catches the attention of a hotheaded music rep and—with just hours on the clock—the trio must race to prove Steph’s talent from beyond the grave.
Now, as the pressure—and danger—of keeping their secret grows, Quadir, Jarrell, and Jasmine are forced to confront the truth about what happened to Steph. Only each has something to hide. And with everything riding on Steph’s fame, together they need to decide what they stand for before they lose everything they’ve worked so hard to hold on to—including each other.
• Now this is what I want to read the most! If I’m being totally honest it was the cover that initially got me and then I read the summary and I was instantly hooked. It has a nostalgic air to it and sounds like a tale of friendship + maybe trying to make the loss of a loved one be remembered and heard. I will go out of my way to get this book! 🔥
Opposite of always by Justin A. Reynolds
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Is a bittersweet fantasy tale about a teen caught in a loop in time between the day he meets his girlfriend and the day she dies a few months later. Jack doesn’t travel through time deliberately. He just keeps finding himself at the party where they met, again and again.
• I think this is a highly popular theme for some movies but I haven’t actually read a book that follows that plot twist yet (or maybe I have and my mind has forced me to forget it?? You never can tell. I don’t even trust myself by the sound of it 😂). I get the feeling that this one is going to be a real tear-jerker but it’s been so long since a book made me cry that I’m actually gonna travel in that direction (as long as it’s more so tears of happiness in the end I’ll be okay 🤞😂).
A song below water by Bethany C. Morrow
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Tavia is already at odds with the world, forced to keep her siren identity under wraps in a society that wants to keep her kind under lock and key. Never mind she’s also stuck in Portland, Oregon, a city with only a handful of black folk and even fewer of those with magical powers. At least she has her bestie Effie by her side as they tackle high school drama, family secrets, and unrequited crushes.
But everything changes in the aftermath of a siren murder trial that rocks the nation; the girls’ favorite Internet fashion icon reveals she’s also a siren, and the news rips through their community. Tensions escalate when Effie starts being haunted by demons from her past, and Tavia accidentally lets out her magical voice during a police stop. No secret seems safe anymore—soon Portland won’t be either.
• I’m so incredibly excited to get my hands on this book! 😆 Reviews have been popping up all over the blogosphere but I’ve been trying my best to steer clear of spoilers as I know that if I can just hold out for the real deal it’ll be amazing! The cover was what drew me in first but from snippets that I have already heard, what’s within those pages does not disappoint either! 🌊
When the ground is hard by Malla Nunn
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In this stunning and heartrending tale set in a Swaziland boarding school, two girls of different castes bond over a shared copy of Jane Eyre. Adele Joubert loves being one of the popular girls at Keziah Christian Academy. She knows the upcoming semester at school is going to be great with her best friend Delia at her side. Then Delia dumps her for a new girl with more money, and Adele is forced to share a room with Lottie, the school pariah, who doesn’t pray and defies teachers’ orders.
But as they share a copy of Jane Eyre, Lottie’s gruff exterior and honesty grow on Adele, and Lottie learns to be a little sweeter. Together, they take on bullies and protect each other from the vindictive and prejudiced teachers. Then a boy goes missing on campus and Adele and Lottie must rely on each other to solve the mystery and maybe learn the true meaning of friendship.
• Honestly this sounds like it has a bit of everything and I’m all for that! Mystery, friendship, heartbreak (only just realized I put mystery before friendship, says a lot about what I want out of life 😐😬😂).
Watch us rise by Renée Watson and Ellen Hagan
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Is a call to action to teenage girls everywhere to stand up, speak their minds, and fight to make their voices heard. It tells the story of Jasmine and Chelsea, who start a women’s rights club at their high school and write blog posts that resonate with other students.
• I’m aware that Ellen isn’t a black author (correct me if I’m wrong) but I really wanted to include this here as well after discovering it on another list which focused on Renée’s participation in the novel. After reading the synopsis I’m READY to be inspired ✨. I’m also wondering if there’s more hidden plot-unmentionables about what stands in Jasmine and Chelsea’s way but I guess I’ll just have to wait and see 👀 (I actually held back on looking for a longer synopsis solely for this reason, I wanna be surprised! 😂).
With the fire on high by Elizabeth Acevedo
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With her daughter to care for and her abuela to help support, high school senior Emoni Santiago has to make the tough decisions, and do what must be done. The one place she can let her responsibilities go is in the kitchen, where she adds a little something magical to everything she cooks, turning her food into straight-up goodness.
Still, she knows she doesn’t have enough time for her school’s new culinary arts class, doesn’t have the money for the class’s trip to Spain and shouldn’t still be dreaming of someday working in a real kitchen. But even with all the rules she has for her life and all the rules everyone expects her to play by once Emoni starts cooking, her only real choice is to let her talent break free.
• This tale sounds like it will bring the reader on a journey (sign me up 💫😂). I can’t remember the last time I read a book that had cooking within it, I tried a bakery murder mystery novel once but didn’t really enjoy it as it seemed very closed in on one thing with no real character development. I have high hopes for this because judging by the plot, there’s a lot more too it and at stake for Emoni. Plus I’m looking forward to in-depth descriptions about the food she makes so that better be involved 😋😂
Oh my gods by Alexandra Sheppard
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She’s just moved in with her dorky dad and self-absorbed older siblings – who happen to be the ancient Greek gods, living incognito in London! Between keeping her family’s true identities secret, trying to impress her new friends, and meeting an actually cute boy, Helen’s stress levels are higher than Mount Olympus. She needs to rein in her chaotic family before they blow their cover AND her chances at a half-normal social life.
• I added this because it sounds easygoing but full of energy. It comes across as being a great evening read before I go to sleep and I’m running out of those so it’s a must! 🌙 I’d like to know how ancient Greek gods came to be living in London and also how they make it work + if they have otherworldly responsibilities whilst they live there (Clearly, I’m already invested in this one 😂).
Mondays not coming by Tiffany D. Jackson
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Monday Charles is missing, and only Claudia seems to notice. Claudia and Monday have always been inseparable—more sisters than friends. So when Monday doesn’t turn up for the first day of school, Claudia’s worried. When she doesn’t show for the second day, or second week, Claudia knows that something is wrong. Monday wouldn’t just leave her to endure tests and bullies alone. Not after last year’s rumors and not with her grades on the line. Now Claudia needs her best—and only—friend more than ever. But Monday’s mother refuses to give Claudia a straight answer, and Monday’s sister April is even less help.
As Claudia digs deeper into her friend’s disappearance, she discovers that no one seems to remember the last time they saw Monday. How can a teenage girl just vanish without anyone noticing that she’s gone?
• This has sold out on Easons 😭…which compels me to find it elsewhere so the search is not over! (The search is never over, I still have books on my wishlist from when I was a wee one….I should probably remove them but a wave of nostalgia always seems to find me at that point in time 😂). This sounds like a hard-hitting book and considering I haven’t been able to bring myself to read books of a similar theme in the past you might be asking why I’m planning on getting it. It’s on my TBR because I don’t want a story so important to go unheard so even if it takes me a while to feel ready to pick it up, I’m sure I will 👍.
If it makes you happy by Claire Kann
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High school finally behind her, Winnie is all set to attend college in the fall. But first she’s spending her summer days working at her granny’s diner and begins spending her midnights with Dallas—the boy she loves to hate and hates that she likes. Winnie lives in Misty Haven, a small town where secrets are impossible to keep—like when Winnie allegedly snaps on Dr. Skinner, which results in everyone feeling compelled to give her weight loss advice for her own good. Because they care that’s she’s “too fat.”
Winnie dreams of someday inheriting the diner—but it’ll go away if they can’t make money, and fast. Winnie has a solution—win a televised cooking competition and make bank. But Granny doesn’t want her to enter—so Winnie has to find a way around her formidable grandmother. Can she come out on top?
• This comes across as a feel-good read and I don’t even know Winnie yet but I’m already rooting for her! (I get so invested in books before I even have let alone read them 😂). I’ll often unintentionally just pick a load of fantasy books so a more believable theme would be nice to follow and I reckon this’d be a great one to sit in the garden with on a sunny day as well (I haven’t forgotten that Summer reading goal! Well I did for a split second but I have time to recoup now that I’ve remembered 😌😂).
Black girl unlimited by Echo Brown
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Echo Brown is a wizard from the East Side, where apartments are small and parents suffer addictions to the white rocks. Yet there is magic . . . everywhere. New portals begin to open when Echo transfers to the rich school on the West Side, and an insightful teacher becomes a pivotal mentor. Each day, Echo travels between two worlds, leaving her brothers, her friends, and a piece of herself behind on the East Side. There are dangers to leaving behind the place that made you. Echo soon realizes there is pain flowing through everyone around her, and a black veil of depression threatens to undo everything she’s worked for.
• This explores depression, poverty and racism amongst other things. I love the air of mystery that synopsis holds and it sounds like something that fully captivates a reader which its the experience I tend to go for 😂. It sounds like Echo goes on a journey and I’d love to bear witness to that! ✨ (Imagine if you could slip into a book and help a character make the right decision or maybe throw in a plot twist so that it took them longer to reach their final destination which would be good if it was a book I didn’t want to end! But yeah, to all intents and purposes they’d think I was on their side 😏😂).
Cinderella is dead by Kalynn Bayron
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Girls team up to overthrow the kingdom in this unique and powerful retelling of Cinderella. It’s 200 years after Cinderella found her prince, but the fairy tale is over. Teen girls are now required to appear at the Annual Ball, where the men of the kingdom select wives based on a girl’s display of finery. If a suitable match is not found, the girls not chosen are never heard from again.
Sixteen-year-old Sophia would much rather marry Erin, her childhood best friend, than parade in front of suitors. At the ball, Sophia makes the desperate decision to flee, and finds herself hiding in Cinderella’s mausoleum. There, she meets Constance, the last known descendant of Cinderella and her step sisters. Together they vow to bring down the king once and for all–and in the process, they learn that there’s more to Cinderella’s story than they ever knew . . .
• I only just realized this hasn’t even been released yet and now I’m at a loss….What will I do with my life until then?! 😕 I’m just joking, it comes out on the 6th so I’ll survive, I’ve gotten this far 😂. It sounds INCREDIBLE and the site that I’m going to buy it on (Easons) currently has a sale on so everything seems to be in my favour in terms of welcoming it to my collection 🤗. I know I’ll love it and I hope I’m not jinxing the situation by saying that but some books you just know it’s meant to be! 💫
I think it’s this lot that will encourage me to finally press purchase on my order! I truly do need to put a lid on it and just go ahead with all that I’ve chosen but you can never have too many books right? (I feel more valid in saying that since I recently had a clear out and the free space is tempting to say the very least 😂🙌).
Thank you for reading! 😉 Have you crossed paths with any of the books mentioned above? Did you like it/them? I also wanna hear your recommendations as I’d love to be in the know about more fantastic reads! 📚 Let me know in the comments below and I hope you have a brilliant day! ❤️
Elsie LMC 
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