Black books – Big Black Trans and Beautiful

Queenie : Black British woman gone mad

Queenie by Candice Carty Williams is a riot of a read. It is at once humorous and sad as fuck in many ways. I’d wanted to read it for so long. It’s the first book I read that spoke in the voice of a Black woman from England. I found there to be so manyContinue reading “Queenie : Black British woman gone mad”

The Farming Of Bones, a review

The Farming of the Bones by Edwidge Danticat broke my heart as a read.Haiti and Haitian culture has always fascinated me. I have also had at times extensive interest in the DR as well. The book is told through the view of a young Haitian woman living in the Domincan Republic during the 1937 ParsleyContinue reading “The Farming Of Bones, a review”

B-Boy Blues: Banjee love in the 90s

There are very few books or authors that have ever addressed love between two Black men. But of the few that do exist , none stand out more than the B-Boy Blues series written by James Earl Hardy. It follows the romance of Mitchell “Little Bit ” and Raheim ” Pooquie” and takes place overContinue reading “B-Boy Blues: Banjee love in the 90s”

Leslie

Leslie by Omar Tyree is one of my favorite books. It combines so many elements; drama, murder, action and a heaping dose of commentary on Black social conditions in America. It reads as almost like a movie ,it’s that visually descriptive. I can smell, see and taste the characters and the settings. Set in oneContinue reading “Leslie”

Mama

Terry McMillan is one of my favorite authors. I’m not one for favorites, usually liking a variety of anything. But Ms. McMillan stands out for honing a very distinctive Black woman sound to her words. Her characters are usually strong, impressive Black women who stick to their guns; good, bad or indifferent. The heroine ofContinue reading “Mama”

Mama Black Widow

One of my favorite books is a sordid drama not for those interested in feel good themes. Mama Black Widow by Iceberg Slim (1969)is the tale of drag queen Otis Tilson and his family’s struggles in Mississippi and Chicago over the span of 40 years or so. The book at surface reads as a badContinue reading “Mama Black Widow”

Sula

Sula by Toni Morrison is one of my favorite books. I have a penchant and compassion for the bad ones. I don’t look to the Mother Theresas for inspiration as much as I look for the Sulas. Sula as the bad assed heroine of this novel moves about with a no fucks given attitude thatContinue reading “Sula”