Black Girl You Are Atlas

Not only is the poetry moving and heavy, the accompanying illustrations are fantastic. This poetry collection is a wonderful celebration and reflection of Black girlhood. Renee celebrates the highs and lows of her childhood while simultaneously expounding on the experience as a whole. A true delight, I devoured this collection in one sitting. 

Kitchen Confidential

I'm sad I waited until after his death to read this wonderful culinary memoir. I was hooked from page one, this was an amazing and impossible to put down book. Bourdain pulls back the curtain on what is really happening in kitchens and it's fascinating, scary, and very exciting. It's not all fun and games, it takes dedication, thick skin (physically and emotionally), endurance, and skill. Filled not only with his journey into the culinary belly of the world, this memoir also dishes on what days to order meats and seafoods, how to tell if a restaurant deserves your business and many other useful tidbits that I would never have known in a million years. He is also very real about his vices, addictions, and drugs found in virtually all restaurants of the world. Superbly written, witty, and engaging this memoir is not just for foodies, it's for everyone. Sad we lost such a great personality, but his voice will live on through his books and on his shows.

A Love Song for Ricki Wilde

I don't know what I was expecting based off the cover - but this book was so good! I love the cover, I just don't know if it fits the book. Ricki Wilde has never lived up to her family's expectations. They own one of the largest funeral home corporations in the US. Fired as a receptionist, Ricki decides to pack up her life in Atlanta and move to Harlem to open a flower shop. She's done trying to placate her family, she's going to live authentically from now on. She moves in the first floor of a gorgeous old brownstone, putting her business in the front and her living spaces in the back. Her elderly landlady lives above and soon becomes like the grandma she never had. When she runs into a mysterious man one night, life as she knows it is about to change. Ezra Walker has been around the block a time or two. All his life he's dreamt of a woman who will change that life. When he meets Ricki he is certain she is the one, but if she is, time is running out. Lyrical, funny, and romantic (with a few good steamy scenes to boot!). This is a romance for the ages!

The Song of Sourwood Mountain

Sweet, wholesome, and uplifting; this historical inspirational romance is heavy on the historical drama and light on the romance. Within the span of a week Mira Dean has lost her teaching position, her lodging, and committed to marrying a man she barely knows to be a preacher's wife and teacher in the Kentucky hills. Mira prays on it and feel that the Lord is calling her to take a leap of faith and to help the children who have never had a school or a teacher. She fervently hope that she will learn to love the stranger she married as well. When she arrives in Sourwood she finds herself instantly falling in love the community and their strange ways. A 10 year old orphan named Ada June also takes a spot in her heart and vice versa. When one door closes, another one opens. 

Being Reflected Upon

Famed poet, Alice Notley, pens a memoir in verse; primarily reflecting on the last two decades of her life. Being Reflected Upon is a memoir, in the vaguest sense of the definition - but being as it's written by a poet, it works quite well. Notley reflects upon her breast cancer diagnosis, years spent living in Paris, reminisces of her youth and much more. It's not at all linear and told in a stream of conscious way - but for poetry it works. Narrated by the poet herself, this poetry effuses authenticity and introspection. Fans of Alice Notley's work will love this, those unfamiliar with her work may be inspired to read her earlier collections. Heartfelt and affecting, Notley's poetry leaps from the page and straight into the imagination. 

Dungeons and Drama

This was such a cute and nerdy romcom for teens. I am clearly not in that demographic, but this was so sweet and wholesome. I loved it. Once I started reading it I couldn't put it down. Riley loves acting and singing so much that she risks the wrath of her mother to steal her car and drive her and her best friend two hours away to see a musical. Her parents freak out and as a punishment she has to work at her dad's game store for a few months. It's the worst punishment she could think of. She has to hang out with nerds?! She ends up on the wrong foot with Nathan, an employee and classmate - but before long the two of them hammer out an arrangement, a fake dating situation. What could possibly go wrong. Cute, wholesome, nerdy, and so much fun!

Age of Cage

Endlessly entertaining - I learned so much about my man Nic Cage. I was hoping for a little more info about his personal life, but aside from his early childhood and family ties - The Age of Cage is really just a look at my mans filmography. Which is still super interesting. There were so many films I didn't know about or had forgotten. The Age of Cage really hones in on Nic's acting chops, personal thoughts on movies, inside info about roles turned down or looked over, and so much more. This book got me inspired to start at the beginning of the list and work my way through all the movies. So far I am two in and I know it's going to take me some time but I don't care. This book has got me inspired. Perfect for fans of Nic Cage!

You'll Think of Me

A sweet inspirational romance featuring a single mother and second chances. When Brooklyn finds out that her estranged husband has died and left her and her daughter his parents homestead in Idaho - she is conflicted. She hadn't seen her husband since she told him she was pregnant with their child. She is elated that her daughter can have a home though. It answered one of her prayers because renting in Reno was getting expensive and she needed someone to watch her daughter. She moves back to her hometown only to discover that her new neighbor was her husband's best friend. The two weren't friendly in high school, can they be friends now? And is he only being friendly so he can buy some acreage off her? A wholesome inspirational romance without too much drama. 

A Psalm for the Wild-Built

A sweet cozy sci-fi that was wholesome and reflective and just a treat. Sibling Dex is at a crossroads. They have everything they could possibly want and need. but waking up each morning is a slog. They feel unfulfilled. Dex decides to leave his monastery and go out into the wilds and be a tea monk - hoping to find more fulfillment there. They never expect that they will run into a robot. Humans haven't seen robots in centuries and Dex is the first human to have the honor. What develops between Dex and Speckled Mosscap is a genuine curiosity and adventure. Short and sweet and wholesome. I'll have to read more in this series!

Just for the Summer

Abby Jimenez is amazing. Somehow her books keep getting better and better. How is it possible?! Just for the Summer was so good. I didn't expect to feel all the feelings and start crying during it - but boy oh boy I was in for a treat. This book was soo good. These characters will stick with me and boy I wish they were real. Abby knows how to write real and flawed people. They are aren't two dimensional - they are wonderful. In Just for the Summer Emma and Justin meet through a Reddit thread. They are both convinced they have a curse. A curse that all their exes find "The One" after they break up. They decide to meet up in real life. Emma and her best friend Maddy travel all over the United States as travel nurses. They take turns picking locations. Emma decides to pick Minnesota so she can meet the Reddit guy. Initially they decide to meet so they can break each other's curses - but it quickly turns into so much more. They both have some heavy baggage and Abby deals with that brilliantly. Wonderful, emotional read!

Living Resistance

Radically different from any other "self-help" guide I've ever read and all the better for it. Kaitlin writes about connecting to ourselves, our earth, each other, our ancestors, and to spirituality. Each section has personal experiences as well as a few tips and a few prompts. You can enact as little or as much as you want and compared to other guides - there is no pressure. I wish I would have savored this book a little longer rather than rushing through reading it. I'll definitely turn back to the text for refreshers and inspiration. No matter your ethnicity or spirituality this book is an important and empowering read.