Book Reviews
Support your local library or minority-owned bookstore!
on DEIB
Title: The Will to Change: Men, Masculinity, and Love
bell hooks writes nothing but hits!! She makes insightful connections between men, their behavior, and how the patriarchy has influenced it. It’s a must-read over and over again!
Title: Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know About the People We Don’t Know
As an introvert, I was interested in this book because I thought it was a self-help guide to talking to strangers. However, I was presented with something more surprising: an explanation of why we look at things differently and the underlying issues surrounding those reasons.
Title: White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard For White People To Talk About Racism
White fragility from the perspective of a white woman. Say less!
Title: Weapons of Math Destruction: How Big Data Increases Inequality and Threatens Democracy
Don’t be threatened by the title. Cathy breaks very high-level concepts into digestible bites.
Title: Allies and Advocates: Creating an Inclusive and Equitable Culture
Many books give information on what you did wrong; Amber offers solutions.
Title: Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning An Asian American Reckoning
This is more a memoir than a book on diversity, but it gives you a glance into the life of an Asian American woman.
Title: For Brown Girls with Sharp Edges and Tender Hearts
One of the few books I’ve read from a POC that isn’t a black woman. I appreciate how she speaks about her experiences. At one point, though, it just seems like a rant; however, it holds one of my favorite quotes of all time, “I have all the white people I need.”
on leadership
Title: Dare to Lead
Brené continues to astonish me with her brilliance. Sometimes you just need the same information told to you in a different way for it to make sense. Brené makes it make sense
Title: How to be Perfect: The Correct Answer to Every Moral Question
If you liked The Good Place (tv show), then you will love this book! The Creator of the show wrote this book. He discuss many different ethical philosophies. It’s smart and funny.
Title: The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters How We Meet and Why It Matters
This book helps to explain how to make any gathering–meeting, party, book club, etc–meaningful.
Title: The Big Nine: How the Tech Titans & Their Thinking Machines Could Warp Humanity
The end of this book scared me in a way that I started to make changes in my daily life to ensure my world doesn’t succumb to the inevitable.
Title: Atomic Habits
I really thought this book was going to say all the same things that other books mention about habits, but it’s definitely a fresh look on it.
on finance
Title: I Will Teach You to Be Rich: No Guilt. No Excuses. Just a 6-Week Program That Works
This book changed my life! Literally! It changed how I approach money and forced me to think about what my “rich life” truly is. If you haven’t watched his Netflix series, check it out.
Title: The Black Agenda: Bold Solutions for a Broken System
I love the format of this book. She opted to have a series of essays curated to acknowledge how different systems affect the Black community. She outsourced the expertise to Black leaders in the field to present a view otherwise overlooked.
Title: We Should All Be Millionaires
I would recommend this book for any woman. Even if you don’t want to be (or think you can’t be) a millionaire. There is solid advice that is useful just for living a balanced life.
Title: The Whiteness of Wealth
Although I don’t entirely agree with some parts of this book, it didn’t discount the brilliance and information that I received from this author.
Title: Build the Damn Thing: How to Start a Successful Business If You’re Not a Rich White Guy
This book lays out many key steps if you are trying to start a business that flourishes into something bigger. If you want to stay small, there are some nuggets here for you as well.
other
Title: Maame
The book absolutely floored me! I finished it in a day, but it’s one part, “I have no life,” and two parts, “That good!”. I’m glad this book was released when it was because BAY-BEE two years ago! I could not handle the things in it. I felt it to the core of my being. Jessica George talks about grief from an honest perspective.
Title: all about love
I knew this was a banger after reading the INTRO. I highly recommend men and women alike sit down with this one. I was afraid that it would be too intellectual and poetic and that I would get lost in the sauce. (I mean it’s bell freakin’ hooks!) But when I tell you this book is everything! It’s everything!
Title: Honey & Spice (A Novel)
This book reminded me of what the beginning stages of love feel like. I listened to the audiobook, which added to the value of this book. I’ll leave you with two words: Chapter Seven!
Title: Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow
Believe the hype! I was so beautifully adn skillfully structured. I adore how it’s about a programmer! I haven’t read any books where the leading woman is technical.
Title: Parable of the Sowers
Brilliant beyond her time! Since 2020, this book has been rising in popularity because of its eerie visualization of 2023 and beyond. **chefs kiss**
Title: Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches
My regret is that I learned about Audre Lorde’s work later in life. However, I have my best years ahead of me to let her works resionate through my spirit.
Title: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo (A Novel)
This book was a recommendation from a woman I shared a table with at a coffee shop. She was reeling about the book; I had to read it. And boy, oh boy! I’m glad I did! It is glorious. (I do need a part 2, though. Just saying!)
Title: There, There (A Novel)
I’d never read a book by a Native before, so I was excited when this was available. Native life depicted by a Native opened up a world I was unfamiliar with. I’m interested in learning more about Native culture.
Books in the queue
Listed in no particular order of importance.
- How Can I Get Through to You? by Terrence Real
- Not Without Laughter by Langston Hughes
- Maud Martha by Gwendolyn Brooks
- Wretched of the Earth by Frantz Fanon
- Women, Race, and Class by Angela Y. Davis
- On Beauty by Zadie Smith
- The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
- Black on Black by Daniel Black
- The Case for Cancel Culture by Ernest Owens
- Yaffa and Fatima by Fawzia Gilani-Williams
- Me and White Supremacy by Layla F. Saad
- Bamboozled By Jesus by Yvonne Orji
- The Light We Carry by Michelle Obama
- Finding Me by Viola Davis
- The 1619 Project by Nicole Hannah-Jones
- Rest is Resistance: A Manifesto by Tricia Hersey
- Every Day Is for the Thief by Teju Cole
Other Books I've Read
This used to be a pretty list that would flow with the website, but it started to get hard to maintain.
Not a complete list (no one has time for that!)