Living Black History Month

“No one really needs my blurb to help sell this book, but I wanted to give it anyway, especially for the audiobook, narrated by Barack Obama himself. If you want to know his incredible knowledge and wisdom that guided him through major decisions, and also hear him drop a few F-bombs, you need to listen to this fantastically written book. ”

“Everything has two histories. Especially the South. In "Legendborn," we discover at least one more history to learn about - that of the Arthurian Legend. A fantasy/mystery mashup set on a southern college campus would have easily drew me in on its own. Add in the premise that Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table has secretly existed for the last 15 generations as a secret society to fight demons made it even more enticing. What made this truly magical is how Deonn gives us even greater depth with her #ownvoices authorship by also deftly highlighting how the modern day Black experience is still haunted by the lingering legacy of slavery in the South. She gives this experience voice through Breonna’s experiences of microagressions and blatant racism and more poignant observations such as the contrast of how easily the Southern whites can proudly trace their roots and family tree instead of the disruption and loss of lineage created by slavery for Black families. Grief tied more immediately to the recent death of her mother as well as these encounters of inter-generational trauma are addressed well throughout the story lines. A stellar sense of place exists with rich descriptions of southern culture, North Carolina and UNC Chapel Hill that could have only been created through deep personal experience. I loved that she created the implication that UNC was created and exists to be the stronghold and legacy of the Roundtable with us Onceborns not having the slightest clue. I immensely enjoyed the audiobook narration as it pulled the emotion and tension directly off the page in a wonderfully immersive way.”

“This book was fun! As a reference point, I would say it's a Spy Kids/Men in Black/Percy Jackson/Harry Potter hybrid but honestly, it's in a class all of it's own. Amari was a wonderful main character. She is super smart and caring and despite the absolute terribleness of her peers, prevails by learning to trust herself and use her talents to stand out. There was lots of blatant and unpunished racism, classism, and and brutal meanness coming from the majority of Amari's classmates, both in the non-supernatural world and in the Bureau. On their first day, all trainees have to touch a magical orb and one of their already present abilities gets magnified and becomes a special ability (ie general luckiness becomes unnatural/always happens luckiness). When Amari is bestowed with an illegal ability, she becomes the target of both racism and a form of intense otherism in the supernatural world. I also loved her friendship with Elsie, who was the last of weredragons (like werewolves but for dragons!) and suffered her own share of bullies and otherism for being a bit dorky and for not having shifted to her dragon form yet. The audiobook edition of this novel was well done. Imani Parks gives a perfect voice to Amari and the other young main characters. This is a great read for juvenile readers (anywhere from advanced an advance 8/9 years to teens) and is fun and exciting for adults as well so would also be a great read-aloud book for guardians with younger readers. I would recommend for avid Percy Jackson and Harry Potter fans, those that enjoy spy or adventure books, and even those who enjoy fairy tale epics.”

“Having grown up in a Mississippi Southern Baptist church, it wasn't until I was a teenager that I saw the secret double lives of some of us. Rebelling against the submit to authority messages on Saturday night, but sitting pious and submissive come Sunday morning services was de rigueur. Deesha Philyaw's book The Secret Lives of Church Ladies gives voice to secret lives that I know for sure are lived and true. The need for acceptance, for absolution, for grace is ever-present in familiar relationships as well as those in the church. These short stories are divine.”

“My heart ached as the teenaged protagonist Claudia struggled to make sense of why her best friend Monday is simply gone. As Claudia reaches out to peers and adults again and again, you can feel her frustration with things out of her control. The actor on the audio book was a perfect choice to narrate. The book serves as an important reminder that some adolescents are dealing with chronic or extreme circumstances that have lasting impact.”

“Among the multi-faceted array of antiracist literature newly published in the last two years, Ibram X. Kendi’s How To Be an Antiracist stands alone as a definitive source of history and socio-political critique, while offering a new paradigm of thought aimed at paving the way for correcting centuries of social injustice. Hearing this visionary and transformative work in Kendi’s own voice will no doubt bring it all straight into your heart, humanizing his ideas, and firmly setting you on your own path to doing the work of becoming an antiracist.”