More Books We Like
- Books We Like by Madison Howell published 5/18/2023
Need a New Author?
Get printable versions of these lists by clicking on the list name.
Books We Like: Black History Month
Published 2/1/2021 by Jacquelyn White
It’s always a good time to learn more about past events that have shaped a whole race of people. From fiction to nonfiction, some really great books exploring the past have been published in the past few years. Here are a few of my favorites:
"When You Were Everything" by Ashley Woodfolk
It's been twenty-seven days since Cleo and Layla's friendship imploded. Nearly a month since Cleo realized they'll never be besties again. Now Cleo wants to erase every memory, good or bad, that tethers her to her ex-best friend. But pretending Layla doesn't exist isn't as easy as Cleo hoped, especially after she's assigned to be Layla's tutor.
I think it's safe to say that everyone has been there, you and your best friend are closer than close. The inside jokes that no one else could possibly get, the almost secret language you speak to each other, late nights spent planning your future, knowing it’s you and them against the world. And then something happens, maybe it’s quick maybe it’s slow and numerous. But the end is the same they’re no longer there by your side, no more inside jokes, if and when you speak to them it’s as if you are speaking two different languages. While reading this book it of course forced me to travel down memory lane and remember all those best friends forever that are lost to me but instead of sadness for the lost this book showed me how to be happy for the experience. And to cherish the friends I have now. If you a looking for a well-crafted story of resilience this is the one for you.
"The Voting Booth " by Brandy Colbert
Marva Sheridan believes political activism can make a difference. She's been helping to register voters all year, and she's been looking forward to the day when she can cast her first vote in an election. And then there’s Duke Crenshaw, for him voting isn't just a social obligation, it's a familial one; he wants to get it over with, but he knows how important it was to his late activist brother.
When Marva sees Duke turned away from their polling place, she takes it upon herself to make sure his vote is counted. And that's how their whirlwind day begins, rushing from precinct to precinct, cutting school, waiting in endless lines, turned away time and again, trying to do one simple thing: vote.
This book was so timely and of course, a given to include in my list this year. Over the course of a single day, these two teens encapsulate the struggle of voting in present-day America. Throughout their day we see them discuss race, privilege, and their different family dynamics.
"Legendborn " by Tracy Deonn
Wanting to escape her previous life after the accidental death of her mother, 16-year-old Bree enrolls in a program for high school students at the local university before her witness to a magical attack reveals her undiscovered powers as well as sinister truths about her mother’s death. To find answers, Bree infiltrates the Legendborn, a secret society (traditionally white and racist) descended from the Knights of the Round Table that hunts demons. When she learns that a war is brewing between the Legendborn and demonkind, she must decide how deep into the society she will plunge and if the Legendborn ’s war is hers to fight.
Not to give away spoilers but “I did not see that coming” literally flowed from my mouth more than once when reading this fantasy tale. Deonn takes the legend King Author and the Knights of the Round Table and crafts a whole new plausible reality. Representation of actualized, strong queer characters, textual conversations around emotional wellness and intergenerational trauma is organic, not forced. Well-crafted allusions to established legends and other literary works are delightful easter eggs.
"The Queen: The Forgotten Life Behind an American Myth " by Josh Levin
On the South Side of Chicago in 1974, Linda Taylor reported a phony burglary, concocting a lie about stolen furs and jewelry. The detective who checked it out soon discovered she was a welfare cheat who drove a Cadillac to collect ill-gotten government checks. And that was just the beginning: Taylor, it turned out, was also a kidnapper, and possibly a murderer. A desperately ill teacher, a combat-traumatized Marine, an elderly woman hungry for companionship; after Taylor came into their lives, all three ended up dead under suspicious circumstances. But nobody--not the journalists who touted her story, not the police, and not presidential candidate Ronald Reagan--seemed to care about anything but her welfare thievery.
While the stereotype of the welfare queen still remains, few know its origins. Growing up in the Jim Crow South, Taylor was made an outcast because of her color. As she rose to infamy, the press and politicians manipulated her image to demonize poor black women. Part social history, part true-crime investigation, Josh Levin's mesmerizing book, the product of six years of reporting and research, is a fascinating account of American racism and an expose of the "welfare queen" myth, one that fueled political debates that reverberate to this day. The Queen tells, for the first time, the fascinating story of what was done to Linda Taylor, what she did to others, and what was done in her name.