Books by Africans – Equal Opportunity Reader

[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”

[LAST WEEK IN BOOKS] All Black Everything

This week I feel like doing an all-Black, all-excellent diverse book news update. Y’all down? There we have it, fellow readers; an all-Black-everything book news update. If you are interested in finding diverse books by Black authors to read, click on the links above or check out the following booklists from the Equal Opportunity Bookshop;Continue reading “[LAST WEEK IN BOOKS] All Black Everything”

[REVIEW] Like A Mule Bringing Ice Cream To The Sun, by Sarah Ladipo Manyika

From left to right; A dish containing red rice and a lightly fried egg. A dusty rose tote bag with a checkerboard lining laying on its side, full of handbag junk. A black tablet is propped up in the open mouth of the bag, displaying the vivid yellow, pink and blue cover of Like A Mule Bringing Ice Cream To The Sun.

(Buy it on Bookshop) It’s rare that I can summarize a book with only one word, but for this one it’s easy–“delightful”. Morayo Da Silva is an almost-75 year old Nigerian woman living in San Francisco. She’s funny, well-traveled, cosmopolitan, active, and young at heart. She was a college professor, a writer, a polyglot whoContinue reading “[REVIEW] Like A Mule Bringing Ice Cream To The Sun, by Sarah Ladipo Manyika”

[BOOKLIST] Earth Is Ghetto: A Booklist Where Aliens Land Everywhere

Yellow brick wall with red mosaic "Space Invaders"-style alien in top right corner.

“Earth is ghetto / I want to leave / Can you beam me up / I’m out on the street by the corner store / You know the one on 15th…“ I’m sure many of you have heard the viral song by Aliah Sheffield by now–it’s the toast of TikTok. If not, take a moment andContinue reading “[BOOKLIST] Earth Is Ghetto: A Booklist Where Aliens Land Everywhere”

[I’m A Writer] Black In Asia, A Spill Stories Anthology

(Check out this anthology HERE.) So this is a little different than the usual fare around here, if only because I’m in the book that this post is about. Yes, that’s me staring at you from the photo above, and the book I’m holding has a little story to it that I’d like to elaborateContinue reading “[I’m A Writer] Black In Asia, A Spill Stories Anthology”

[REVIEW] A Good African Story: How A Small Company Built A Global Coffee Brand, Andrew Rugasira

(Buy it HERE.) As an American who travels a lot, I’ve learned not to be surprised by finding random brands from my homeland, but I am still startled by what I sometimes find. (Randy’s Donuts in Korea? Hubba Bubba in Indonesia? Ok then…) I live in an Asian country obsessed with foreign brands despite itself,Continue reading “[REVIEW] A Good African Story: How A Small Company Built A Global Coffee Brand, Andrew Rugasira”

[REVIEW] The Hundred Wells of Salaga, Ayesha Haruna Attah

⭐⭐⭐⭐(4/5) ⠀ (Buy it HERE.)⠀ ⠀⠀💧Wow, where do I even begin? I don’t think I’ve ever read anything quite like this before, even though all of the elements of it are familiar. There’s a misfit princess, warring nations, a beautiful foreign slave girl, and strange visitors from a faraway land. Characters struggle with unrequited love,Continue reading “[REVIEW] The Hundred Wells of Salaga, Ayesha Haruna Attah”

Becoming Him by Landa Mabenge

(Buy it HERE.) “I have spent most of my life adrift in hollow silos, a bee whirling around in an empty can.” Landa Mabenge is a very interesting person. He grew up in an abusive home and struggled through alcoholism, poor mental health, and bad relationships as a young adult in addition to struggling toContinue reading “Becoming Him by Landa Mabenge”