books about Black people – Equal Opportunity Reader

[REVIEW]A Treasury of African-American Christmas Stories, edited by Bettye Collier-Thomas

The classically styled Kindle cover of A Treasury fo African American Christmas Stories lays on a yellow cushion next to a bowl of salsa and a highball glass.

(Buy this book here.) While most Decembers I re-read Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, this year I had the good fortune to work on a stage production of Scrooge’s adventures as an audio describer(more info on what that means soon). That means I also had the bad fortune to hear, read, and see my favorite ChristmasContinue reading “[REVIEW]A Treasury of African-American Christmas Stories, edited by Bettye Collier-Thomas”

[REVIEW] A Fledgling Abiba, by Dilman Dila

The paperback cover of A Fledgling Abiba, which depicts a person surrounded by geometric patterns, is held up by a Black woman's hand in front of a handmade upcycled mural displayed in Roslindale Substation.

(Buy this book here.) Sometimes a writer has to work really hard to take the reader into another world, crafting and creating wonder out of both imagination and the collective fantastic. Other times all a writer has to do is write what is familiar to them for an unfamiliar audience. I think this novella actuallyContinue reading “[REVIEW] A Fledgling Abiba, by Dilman Dila”

[BOOKLIST] Complex Love; A Booklist of Diverse and Intersectional Romance Novels

Six hands, all belonging to different people, are placed on a pink background to form a heart shape.

Every year, Valentine’s Day rolls around, and every year, we all have to endure lists of monolithic romance novels about very boring people. Aside from the usual “hot blonde meets borderline emotionally abusive hockey player/CEO/pop star/cowboy/hometown hero” lists, there are also lists of Black romance, Asian romance, Latin romance, queer romance and all sorts ofContinue reading “[BOOKLIST] Complex Love; A Booklist of Diverse and Intersectional Romance Novels”

Last Week In Books: Yes, That’s My Real Voice

The face of writer Melissa A Watkins, surrounded by the crumpled pages of writing drafts and musical scores. The image is titled "Artist Portrait No. 25: Melissa Watkins"

Fellow readers! Didya miss me? Whether or not you did, here I am again with one of my intermittent news updates covering the world of diverse books and diverse readers. Let’s jump right in! See you next time I have a spare moment to do a round-up, beautiful people. If you want to buy someContinue reading “Last Week In Books: Yes, That’s My Real Voice”

[REVIEW] Razorblade Tears, by S.A. Cosby

The Kindle cover of Razorblade Tears, depicting two men in silhouette stumbling down a lonely dirt road somewhere in the South, is on a red lacquer coffee table. Flowers and votive candles are in the background.

[REVIEW] La Bastarda, By Trifonia Melibea Obono, translated by Lawrence Schimel

The simple, solid blue cover of La Bastarda is displayed on a tablet, held up against the twilight sky with the moon high and tiny above it.

(Buy this book here.) This is the first book by a woman from Equatorial Guinea ever translated into English. It follows Okomo, a orphaned teen living in her grandparents house in a traditional village. With her mother dead and her father absent, she only has her favorite uncle to turn to when she begins toContinue reading “[REVIEW] La Bastarda, By Trifonia Melibea Obono, translated by Lawrence Schimel”

[REVIEW] Repairing Play: A Black Phenomenology, by Aaron Trammell

A Black woman's hand(Mel's) holds the paperback of Black Play in front of a strongly patterned carpet in complimentary colors. The cover shows Black children running a footrace.

(Buy this book here) One person’s game can be another’s torment. Aaron Trammell is a professor of informatics and the editor of Analog Game Studies. He puts this background to good use in this book, analyzing what play really means in a racialized context and a racist society. He pulls from theory, philosophy, cultural wisdom,Continue reading “[REVIEW] Repairing Play: A Black Phenomenology, by Aaron Trammell”

[Review] Honey and Spice, by Bolu Babalola

The Kindle cover of Bolu Babalola's Honey and Spice, depicting two young Black lovers standing side by side, lays on a pink , red and white camouflage mat, surrounded by a fancy candle, a pink set of earbuds, and a tall pink cup with XOXO written on the side.

(Buy this cute book here.) This would make a really cute movie. Kiki Banjo hosts the hottest campus radio broadcast for Black students at a PWI. Malakai Korede is a transfer student and an up-and-coming filmmaker. Both of them are fit, fine, and have no time for relationships. But when professional opportunity comes knocking, theseContinue reading “[Review] Honey and Spice, by Bolu Babalola”

[REVIEW] How High The Moon, by Karyn Parsons

A young Ukrainian man in a Black sweater smiles down at the blue and gold cover of How High The Moon. Behind him are a world map, an orange map, and an open window looking out onto a public square.

(Buy this book.) I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned this before, but my current day job is in an ESL school. Perhaps this is a bit too on-brand, but I’m always telling my students that if they want a good English vocabulary, they need to read. Our school even has a little library that IContinue reading “[REVIEW] How High The Moon, by Karyn Parsons”

[REVIEW] The Weight of Blood, by Tiffany D Jackson

(Buy this book.) The blurbs call this a Black version of Stephen King’s Carrie, and they’re mostly right. The author set out to write this as an homage, only shifting the tone of the main character’s terror, not the source. Instead of sheltered, abused, religiously traumatized Carrie White, this book focuses on biracial (Black andContinue reading “[REVIEW] The Weight of Blood, by Tiffany D Jackson”