Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man by Emmanuel Acho: This book was incredible and a must-read! I already loved his viral Youtube videos and this book is just as amazing. Highly recommend for continued learning on addressing (and dismantling) systemic racism and white supremacy - within ourselves, among our personal circles and within our broader world.
The Groom Will Keep His Name by Matt Ortile: This is an incredible collection of essays about a queer, immigrant experience in America - tackling the author’s Fillipino identity and heritage, racism, sex and queer expression, and what it means to have two homes an ocean apart. The essays are witty, funny, heart-breaking, educational and eye-opening. Totally recommend!
Morning in the Burned House by Margaret Atwood: I’m a huge fan of everything Margaret Atwood has ever written (The Handmaid’s Tale, The Blind Assassin, Alias Grace…) but her poetry has always been a favorite. This collection is heart-achingly brilliant and one of my favorites.
A Map to the Next World by Joy Harjo: A former Poet Laureate, this collection of Joy Harjo’s poems and stories is incredible, moving, hypnotizing and inspirational.
I’m a huge fan of Alyssa Cole’s romances and have heard amazing things about her award-winning Loyal League books. I grabbed the first and the second in this series and I’m really looking forward to it. Click the picture for the Amazon page!
Blurb:
A former slave finds danger, intrigue, and passion undercover as a spy in first of this Civil War–era romance series from an award-winning author.
Elle Burns is a former slave with a passion for justice and an eidetic memory. Trading in her life of freedom in Massachusetts, she returns to the indignity of slavery in the South—to spy for the Union Army.
Malcolm McCall is a detective for Pinkerton’s Secret Service. Subterfuge is his calling, but he’s facing his deadliest mission yet—risking his life to infiltrate a Rebel enclave in Virginia.
Two undercover agents who share a common cause—and an undeniable attraction—Malcolm and Elle join forces when they discover a plot that could turn the tide of the war in the Confederacy’s favor. Caught in a tightening web of wartime intrigue, and fighting a fiery and forbidden love, Malcolm and Elle must make their boldest move to preserve the Union at any cost—even if it means losing each other. . .