Two memoirs I read and enjoyed.

I’ve been a huge fan of Jemele Hill for a long time. I love her candor and the unique lens she brings to professional sports. I found her memoir engaging and illuminating. It was really interesting to read about her path to journalism and the people that helped her. She wrote with clarity and empathy about her childhood and her family. It was a very enjoyable read and my respect for her only grew.

I actually ended up listening to SOMEBODY’S DAUGHTER on audio, read by the author herself, and I honestly think it was the way to enjoy it. She explores her complicated relationship with her mother and grandmother. I think this was billed incorrectly though. While yes, she of course discusses her father’s conviction and prison sentence, she is still very much the center of the story. It is a coming-of-age book that oddly made me feel seen in my own way although our experiences in life aren’t that similar. I admire Ford for sharing her story, and I’m thankful her story is out in the world.

I never really gravitated towards #memoirs before #bookstagram, but I find myself drawn to them more and more. There is something about reading them that makes me feel less alone on this earth. And I have so much respect for artists willing to put it all out on the table.

[ID: The two memoirs Uphill and Somebody’s Daughter rest on a wooden bannister outside. There are some potted plants blurry in the background on a brick floor.]

#Memoirs #ReadBooksByBlackWomen #BlackWomenAuthors #NonFiction #BooksBooksBooks #bookstagram

Synopsis from storygraph: In this gripping, horror-laced debut, a young Cree woman’s dreams lead her on a perilous journey of self-discovery that ultimately forces her to confront the toll of a legacy of violence on her family, her community and the land they call home.

[ID: I am holding the novel Bad Cree by Jessica Johns with tree branches in the background]

#BadCree #Novels #Thrillers #HorrorNovels #DebutAuthors #Bookstagram #ReadMoreBooks #2023Releases #Fiction #BooksAboutGrief #Bookstagrammer #ILoveReading #alwaysreading

Spring break mode activate. Currently reading Fevered Star the sequel to Black Sun. [ID: The book Fevered Star is held up with the Pacific Ocean in the background.] #beachreading #springbreak #alwaysreading #bookstagram #teacheronspringbreak

[spoilerish review] I was so excited to read Fevered Star after rereading Black Sun but then sadly the wind got taken out of my sails. I was really expecting a lot more and this sequel just did not live up to my expectations. I’m left wondering if the publishing house forced a trilogy because I really think this novel could’ve been condensed into a tighter 100 pages. It was a ton of plot and very little character development, which usually I can be okay with but as @becksisreading pointed out it really felt like the whole novel just had all our favorite characters traveling somewhere with no action scenes to propel it forward or add some tension. I was ultimately bored. Still, I love Xiala and I’d like to see where this is all going. I’ll still check out the third book and I’m optimistic Roanhorse can pull it off. #feveredstar #fantasy #trilogy #sequel #secondbook #sff #bookstagram #booksbooksbooks #bookstagrammer #alwaysreading #readersofinstagram

Last day of vacation. Soaking it all in and ready for the last nine weeks before summer break. Hope all my educator friends found rest and relaxation before we head into the final countdown. #poolsidereading #springbreak #bookstagram #booksbooksbooks #teacheronbreak

There’s a lot I really liked about Home Fire. I thought it was sharply written and Kamila Shamsie knows how to write my favorite kind of prose: incisive and observant without being too flowery. I also loved that this is a retelling of Antigone, after reading the synopsis of that one online it’s pretty faithful beat for beat! Overall I thought it was an interesting novel that explores grief, extremism, the ills of Islamophobia, and how so called Western Civilization props itself up by tearing other cultures down (get in line with white supremacy or get out). But still, this didn’t emotionally resonate with me the way I was expecting it too. And the more I think about it I think it’s because of how it is told through different characters points of views. I do wish we only heard from the three siblings. Their stories were the ones I felt the most attracted too, I was especially drawn to Isma, but only the first section was dedicated to her perspective. I know this was a #bookstagramdarling when it came out so I’m glad I finally got around to it. [ID: my left hand holds up the novel Home Fire, the background is a cloudy sky and a flat ocean] #booksbooksbooks #bookstagram #homefire #fiction #lovereading #backlist #backlistbooks #awardwinningbooks