"Once you learn to read, you will forever be free."
— Frederick Douglass
Welcome to my world of books
Books have always been my passport to new worlds and perspectives. Through reading, I’ve explored lives I’ll never live, places I may never visit, and ideas that challenge the way I see the world. Each story or piece of knowledge has a way of expanding my thinking and sparking my imagination. As I continue my journey of self-discovery through travel, books are my constant companions, enriching my understanding of the world and myself. I’m excited to share my favorite reads with you and hear about the ones that have impacted you.
The Housemaid
Freida McFadden
My next read...
Every day I clean the Winchesters’ beautiful house top to bottom. I collect their daughter from school. And I cook a delicious meal for the whole family before heading up to eat alone in my tiny room on the top floor.
I try to ignore how Nina makes a mess just to watch me clean it up. How she tells strange lies about her own daughter. And how her husband Andrew seems more broken every day. But as I look into Andrew’s handsome brown eyes, so full of pain, it’s hard not to imagine what it would be like to live Nina’s life. The walk-in closet, the fancy car, the perfect husband.
I only try on one of Nina’s pristine white dresses once. Just to see what it’s like. But she soon finds out… and by the time I realize my attic bedroom door only locks from the outside, it’s far too late.
But I reassure myself: the Winchesters don’t know who I really am.
They don’t know what I’m capable of…
Review coming late January 2025!
Black Girls Must Be Magic
Jayne Allen
Read: January 2025
This is the second book in the trilogy. I read the first one and I might end up reading the third just because.
Overall, I enjoyed it, it’s a good story about a young, black, professional woman in television navigating a new season in her life - she’s pregnant.
She decided to use a sperm donor so that she could have her first child solo. But the father of her child turns out to be not so anonymous.
While she’s dealing with the newness of her first pregnancy, she’s also having to deal with friendships, relationships and the complexities that come with not just being a black woman but being a black woman in TV.
Here are my main thoughts:
Tabby, the main character, puts a lot of pressure on herself. A lot of it comes from her profession, but I also think she feels pressure from her mom and her mom’s circle.
Black women are always under scrutiny just for being ourselves and it’s sad how much Tabby suppressed who she is just to appease [white] society.
Black women need to choose ourselves more often.
I found it interesting that the best advice about self love and life came from a senior white woman and not the women in her circle and community.
Read it for yourself: Buy here!
Affiliate disclosure: The link above is an affiliate link to Amazon.com. If you decide to purchase a paperback/hardcover, I will receive a small commission.
3.5/5
Recommend a Book
Do you have a book you think I’d love or one that profoundly changed your perspective? I’d love to hear about it! Use the form below to share your recommendations with me.