I’ve always loved books. As a matter of fact, when I was a teen I authored a teenage series. Think, The Babysitters Club meets 90210. I wanted to create a set of teenage stories centered around Black characters opposed to the characters I constantly saw on TV and read about in books. With that said, my love for storytelling started at a young age. As life started to life as life does, I didn’t get to read for pleasure as I would have liked. In 2022, I set a goal to read at least one book per month and I proudly surpassed that goal. So naturally, as an overachiever does, I challenged myself to read 24 books this year. I sadly must admit, I am pretty far behind, BUT there is time to catch up!
For some reason, I have been pulled to the Black Romance genre. I’ve never been a romance book kind of woman, but it’s refreshing to read about Black women finding the love they deserve and getting their happily ever after.
Below are the books I’ve read in the first quarter of 2023.
Although Wahala isn’t a romance book, It does follow the lives of Nigerian women navigating life in the UK. It wasn’t my favorite read but it was entertaining.
Honey & Spice is a great reminder of what love is like as a young adult. Not quite knowing how to navigate your true feelings without losing the person you want to become.
Before I Let Go was a story closer to the real lives of people and couples in my age range. It touches on love, loss, grief, healing and friendship in a beautiful way.
Jasmine Guillory is a master of romance writing. I love her storytelling, however, I wish that she would give her Black female leads, Black partners.
Both books by Tia Williams were amazing reads! As with all of the other books, the women find love in the end, but not without trials. The Perfect Find is set to become a movie on Netflix and I can’t wait!
If you haven’t read any of the books above, let me know which one you choose to read next. If you have, what were your thoughts?
Also, remember to shop your local black owned bookstore when purchasing books. I’ve linked Marcus Books for you. Marcus Books is located in Oakland, CA and was the first black owned book store in the nation.
Happy Reading!
xoxo,
Starr
