“Beauty is a kind of unrelenting cruelty. It takes the truth, hones it to a terrifying keenness, and uses it to slice us to the bone.” -Real Life, Brandon Taylor. ⠀
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This is a story of a Black, queer man from Alabama living in the Midwest trying to obtain his PhD. ⠀
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This book. Wow. It took sometime to get into bc of the scientific language (I think that was on purpose though to show the reader how mundane and difficult life a grad student can be) but Brandon Taylor’s writing made my heart swell and break into a thousand pieces over and over again. Just look at the sentence. This novel is truly a work of art. Brandon Taylor is a gifted writer. This is a debut novel so he is definitely one to watch.

#readdiversely #readdiverse #readdiversebooks #readblackstories #readersofinstagram #readersofig #ilovebooks #bookstagram #diversifyyourbookshelf

Boundless by Jillian Tamaki is a graphic novel filled with short stories.

I have never read a graphic novel like this one in more ways than one. The short story format was really cool. The stories were all so strange and cerebral. Some were actually quite funny. The one that sticks out the most was about a different Facebook where you have access to another version of yourself, living a different life in a parallel universe. I think about it a lot and the social commentary that surrounds it. Especially because the ending was so strange. ⠀
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I really liked this a lot. It definitely helped push me out of a reading slump since it wasn’t too heavy handed but it was just enough to stick. I also really loved the idea of short stories in this form. I’d like to see/read more of this. I’ll be on the lookout for this artist’s work in the future. ⠀
⠀#bookstagram #graphicnovels #jilliantamaki #boundless #ilovebooks #booksoutside #books #readmorewomen #readgraphicnovels #readmorebooks #bookstagrammer #drawnandquarterly #readmorecomics #booknerd #bookadict #supportart #diversifybookstagram

“There were many ways to be alienated from someone, few to actually belong”

This book is definitely worthy of the hype. I couldn’t put it down. The characters lodge themselves into your mind and don’t let go. Just like The Mothers, I’m sure I’ll think about this one often. I thought about these characters for many days after putting it down and I’m sure I will continue to think about them as time goes on. ⠀
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Brit Bennet’s writing really steals the show. There is something about how she writes that I can’t quite put my finger on. Her language flows off the page and it’s so gorgeous in its deceptive simplicity that you have to pay attention. Everything was so well crafted you get sucked right in. I can’t wait for her next book. ⠀
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Go to the next slide to get a short synopsis of the book. ⠀
#thevanishinghalf #britbennett #riverheadbooks #penguinrandomhouse #readblackwomen #readblackstories #diversebooks #diversifyyourbookshelf #contemporaryliterature #readblackbooks #supportblackauthors #bookstagram #books #booknerd #bookaholic

“When people looked at me and only saw a white person, I understood that being white wasn’t actually better, that I only coveted whiteness because of what I associated it with-wealth, education, and beauty. But for someone like me, whose whiteness was literally skin deep, who did not have any actual European ancestry, to be perceived as white could only mean whiteness is nothing more than illusion.”

This was an amazing story and one that is truly unique. Meredith Talusan tells her story with deep insight and no stone unturned. She grew as a young boy in rural Philippines. She was considered a “sun child,” or one with albinism and eventually came to graduate from Harvard. Because of this her perspective on whiteness and gender was incredibly interesting. Towards the end when she discusses her decision to transition I found her insights very profound. ⠀
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Pick this up especially if you love to read memoirs. I really enjoyed this one. #filipinobookstagrammer #asianamericanreaders #books #transmemoir #readlgbtqstories #supportlgbtqwriters #fairest #meredithtalusan #bookstagrammer #bookstagram #diversifybookstagram #diversifyyourbookshelf #ownvoices