Books I Loved

Books about Girls

I want to share some books that I read growing up about real girls. These are books that I loved. These are books that were about life. I've loved these books because they made me laugh, they made me think about life, and they made me appreciate and celebrate myself and the people in my life. Sometimes they made me cry--these were my favorites. I think it's so important to have books that you love at every age. I've made a connection with the girls and women in these books. Because of these books, I'll always have a special place in my heart for reading and I'll always appreciate the way books can change your life.

These are all books I read and loved between the ages of 9 and 18.

• Imani All Mine by Connie Porter
• The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things by Carolyn Mackler
• Rhymes with Witches by Lauren Myracle
• The Skin I'm In by Sharon G. Flake
• Money Hungry by Sharon G. Flake
• Begging For Change by Sharon G. Flake
• Who am I Without Him? By Sharon G. Flake
• Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series by Ann Brashares
• The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kid
• Someone Like You by Sarah Dessen
• I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
• Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen
• Here's to You, Rachel Robinson by Judy Blume
• It's Not the End of the World by Judy Blume
• Just as Long as We're Together by Judy Blume
• Staring Sally J. Freedman as Herself by Judy Blume
• Deenie by Judy Blume
• Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume
• Blubber by Judy Blume
• Forever by Judy Blume
• Are You There God? It's Me Margaret by Judy Blume
• Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
• Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Bobbit
• Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
• The Color Purple by Alice Walker
• Chinese Cinderella by Adeline Yen Mah
• The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
• Sold by Patricia McCormick
• Angus, Thongs and Full Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison
• Fault Line by Janet Tashjian
• My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult 
• Meet Addy: An American Girl by Connie Porter

Books I Read: Imani All Mine

Imani All Mine by Connie Rose Porter has been one of my absolute favorite books since I first read it in the seventh grade. I loved and still love reading stories about black girls that feel authentic--stories that felt like they were about people I see in my own life. I had already loved reading and was always getting lost in books long before I read this book but this book holds a very special place in my heart because it took me on an emotional roller coaster. I'm a very emotional person. I feel emotions very intensely and this wonderful piece of literature had me sobbing uncontrollably in my room the morning I finished it when I was supposed to be getting ready for school. I had no idea that books could have that power over me. I fell in love.

I personally think it's a must read. Imani All Mine is a honest and real story that anyone can find themselves in. Imani All Mine tells the story of Tasha, a fourteen-year-old single mother. Throughout this book we see the various impacts of race, stigma, trauma, poverty, and faith on Tasha's life. I was excited to read this book again as a part of The Free Black Women's Library's 2017 Reading Challenge, a book from your childhood. I was really excited to read this book again as an adult and compare the experiences.

Reading it as an adult, what I find the most interesting about this book is Tasha's relationship with religion and Christianity. We're able to see what, I feel, is a very honest relationship with God. One that relies on faith and blessings but also openly questions how this religion can work in a world where horrible things happen to innocent people and where horrible people can be forgiven for the awful things that they have done. This is a challenge for a lot of people trying to maintain their faith when going through difficult times.

"God is a mystery to me."

Another really important part is the description of the way that memories of trauma not only live in our minds but throughout our entire bodies as well. When incredibly stressful or traumatizing events happen to people the impact that they have on their bodies can last for a long time after the initial event happens. In Tasha's world it would be expected to get over things quickly and move on with life but the body remembers.

"The places where there is memory in you. Underneath your tongue. The middle of your bones. The lonesome spaces deep inside."

I loved reading this book again! It definitely took me back to the seventh grade and I discovering some themes I didn't notice when I was 12. I was definitely moved to tears and uncontrollable sobbing again. I'm still so in love with this book. If you have not read this book yet, you definitely should.

Happy Reading! ♥

Welcome to 2014!

Happy New Year Everyone!
 

The first day of the new year is here. With 2013 ending with graduating from college, I really feel that this year is the beginning of a chapter in my life. I didn't really make any resolutions but there are many things that I want to try more of this year. I'm excited for this new chapter of life and I really like that it's kind of beginning as the new year begins. I'm still on the search for what's next in my life but with determination and hope I know I'm going somewhere and it's going to be great. I am black excellence!

This year I want to read more. I say this especially because I wasn't always able to read for fun while I was in school. I read a lot of great books that were assigned to me and I'm so glad that I was able to read so many great books but I have a very long list of books that I've wanted to read for a long time so I really want to put a dent into that list. I'm also looking for more books to put on the list. I can't wait to explore the book world again and not worry about how it will interfere with my schoolwork.

I want to write more because I can and it means a lot to me.

I want to hold on to positivity and reject negativity to the best of my ability.

Most importantly, I want to dream more. I want to focus on my dreams and my visions. I'm probably going to make a vision board this year. I've always thought they were pretty cool and I think it will really help me focus on my goals this year.

I sincerely hope that 2014 is good to you. I hope you get what you want from this year. All my good thoughts and wishes go out to you for this year.

---

Here's a quote :) ♥

"The future is simply infinite possibility waiting to happen. What it waits on is human imagination to crystallize its possibility."

-Leland Kaiser

Harry Potter Experience

I remember watching Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone for the first time with my mom. She kept rewinding the part when Hagrid knocks down the door and says, "Sorry about that." Everything from that point forward was just amazing to a 9-year-old me. I remember falling in love with all the magic. Platform 93/4, the beautiful train, the chocolate frog, the sorting hat, the great feast, Fluffy...I could go on for ages.

Harry Potter and Goblet of Fire is my favorite movie because that is when I fell in love with Ron Weasley/Rupert Grint but Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is and always will be my go to happy movie. It's the moment I fell in love with golden trio as they're now called. It's the moment that I understood how special and beautiful and freaking awesome it is to stand up against something bigger than yourself. I understand that more now because I'm older but it was always clear that there was something incredibly special about these movies and about Harry, Ron, and Hermione and Hogwarts.

After seeing Chamber of Secrets, I started reading the books. I started with Prisoner of Azkaban then read the first two and then I read the rest of them in order from Goblet of Fire. I already loved reading but I was never in love with a series like this before. I loved finishing one book and wondering what would happen next. It kept my love of reading alive. I still really love reading. Whenever I get the chance, I read my favorite chapter of the whole series, The Prince's Tale in Deathly Hallows. It never gets old. It never stops being beautiful. It reminds me that people are more than what you see. That is something we forget far too often.

I've learned a lot from the series. I've learned a lot from the books, movies, and characters.

• It's okay to stand up for what you believe in
• It's okay to fight against something bigger than yourself.
• People are different but that's not a reason to hate them.
• Love conquers all
• Love is there even when you don't realize it.
• Magic is love and love is real
• We can stand up to what we're afraid of whether it be spiders or hate
• Never judge a book by it's cover because people are more than what we see.
• When you believe in yourself, you can do a lot of great things.
  
• It's okay to be yourself
• It's not good to have too much power and then use it for bad. You never win that way.
• I am a Free Elf. We are all Free Elves.
  

I think the most important thing to me is that it's okay to stand up and fight against something bigger than yourself. If I think back now, that's what pulled me in. These were little kids, only 11, who knew the importance of right from wrong and did everything in their power to make things right and win the good fight. We're stronger than we think and if we have this courage and bravery, who knows what great things we can accomplish for the good fight.

Harry Potter has been really special to me for more than half of my life now. I wouldn't change it at all. It's a part of who I am. I'm a proud Potterhead. Years 1 to 7 are done on paper and on the big screen but it's not over. It will always be a special part of me. I am sad that there are no more movies or books but it will live on. Like J.K. Rowling said, "Hogwarts will always be there to welcome you home." I will never forget the love and the magic. When something is this wonderful, it's legacy lives on forever. Happy Birthday J.K. Rowling. Thank you for everything. "All was well. "

Books of 2014

I love books! At the beginning of 2014 I made a goal to read more. That was going well and I was reading for pleasure and loving it. Then I started grad school and reading for fun took a back seat but I'm so glad I got to read each and everyone of these books this year. Here is the list with links to my blog posts about them:

• For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When The Rainbow is Enuf by Ntozake Shange
• Mom and Me and Mom by Maya Angelou
• Sister Citizen by Melissa Harris-Perry
• The Other Side of Paradise by Staceyann Chin
• Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer
• On The Come Up by Hannah Weyer
• Things I Should Have Told My Daughter by Pearl Cleage

books♥

I love Books!
They are so exciting and wonderful.
I always save recommended book titles.
I just have to find a bunch of free time so I can read them all.
At the moment, I read Chemistry in my free time.
It's not that I hate chemistry, it's just that I don't love it the same way.
I can go to different worlds in my chemistry book.
Reading introduces me to so many different things.
I'm not a child anymore but my imagination is still at work.
I read to make my heart happy.
It never fails.

may 13th's reasons to smile

• I listened to tons of old songs on youtube today. Like all of bow wow's old songs and I knew all the words! It was so fun. Some of these songs, I can't even remember why they were so popular, like that song Laffy Taffy. I just had a lot of fun. Oh those songs bring me back to the good old days when I was 8-13. I kind of miss those days.
• AP tests are over. We don't do much in my classes but I enjoy talking and watching movies and reading books.
• Jonas live chat today. I love those boys. they make me smile. :)
• I realized again, how much I want to travel. If I could I'd get on a plane tomorrow and just pick a country out of a hat and try to go there.
• sweet tea =]
• Reservations Blues, the book my AP Lit class is reading, is getting really interesting. I love traveling through books, it's cheap and you can travel through time too. awesome!
• my friends and their smiles, always make me smile
• it's thursday! and tomorrow is relay for life! I love relay for life.

The Waiting Room

"I think Mother Nature has a cure for most everything...'cept human nature..."

So this week, I had to read a play called The Waiting Room. I had to read it as part of my women's study class, the female experience in America. I just finished the play. It wasn't too long, only about 75 pages but it carries a phenomenal impact. I mean, I am so excited that I had the chance to read the book. I learned so many things that I kind of already knew. It's like I gained a new persepctive on things that I though I had an awesome perspective on already. Also, I totally cried. I love books and movies that make me cry. To me, that means they hit a special place deep inside of me. Which I think is awesome it's crazy sometimes to think that books are so powerful. they don't have arms or legs and they don't have brains or anything but they have the power to reach into and sometimes just become apart of you and I think that's so marvelous.

In the play, there were a lot of instant favorite lines for me. Lines that I read, and I was just like, wow....this needs to be shared asap! So that's what I'm going to do. I hope everyone could get the chance to read this play and see it, hopefully, like I saw it.

Sold

This is the last book I finished. It's called Sold. It's about young girls in Nepal and India who get sold into the sex slave trade. I couldn't put it down. The main character's name is Lakshmi. I love that name, it's so pretty. Anyway, I was amazed by Lakshmi's innocence. It was so tragic how someone so innocent gets trapped into a situation like that.
The author, Patricia McCormick traveled to Nepal and India to interview girls who had the same fate and are currently trying to save other girls from ending up just like that. I highly recommend this book. Its really good. It gives me hope. It doesn't rain forever. =] ♥

off to read more books....who knows where my books are going to take me next :)

Day 24

What You're Reading

YOU DON’T EVEN KNOW ME: SHORT STORIES AND POEMS ABOUT BOYS 

by Sharon G. Flake.

Sharon G. Flake does a phenomenal job of telling the complex and honest stories of young urban life. I've been reading her books since I was in middle school and I've always been able to relate to her characters. One of my favorite books is another collection of her short stories and poems called Who Am I Without Him about girls and their relationships with the boys and men in their lives. When I moved after middle school I had to put the book in storage but as soon as I got my nook, I made sure I bought Who Am I Without Him so that I could read the stories whenever. After downloading it, this book popped up and I knew that this author would not let me down so I bought this one as well and I know now that I made a great decision in doing so. 

What I really enjoy about this book is that it's real. It doesn't just tell the story of one kind of young black male thug because that's not real. This world and the people in it, especially young men, are a lot more complex than that and this book does a great job at telling some of their stories. As I was reading one of the stories, I thought about Jordan Davis and Trayvon Martin and I realize that it is so important that these stories be heard. Check it out! I know it's available at Barnes and Noble!

Mockingjay

“What I need is the dandelion in the spring. The bright yellow that means rebirth instead of destruction. The promise that life can go on, no matter how bad our losses. That it can be good again”

I just finished reading a book called Mockingjay. It's the last book in a the Hunger Games series. Read these books! They are amazing. I feel a bit empty now that I've finished them all but I was so into them that I was neglecting my studies and I'm aiming for straight A's this semester so that was no good. However, if you have the time, I recommend you read these books. What I like is that they reflect passion and determination but nothing is portrayed as perfect because that's the truth of life. It can be hard and also beautiful but it's never "perfect."

If you're reading this, I want you to remember that you are alive and you are beautiful.

Must Read

My favorite thing about books is the way they make you feel when you read them. I love that you can dive into a whole new world. I love how books can change your life. I love when I can really connect to the characters. I love laughing with them and crying with them and being happy with them. That's the sign of a great book, when you open it and you're instantly a part of their world. This is that book! 

I learned so much about myself and about the world when I read this book. I don't want to talk about the summary at all because when I do, people seem to become apprehensive to reading it. I want to check this book out the next time you see it. It's worth it.

Happy Holidays!

Twas the night before Christmas and Kiyanna was blogging
Everyone was awake and the house was quite noisy
I read books to the young ones
They lost interest quickly
Now I am sleepy
I'm also not a poet

-Kiyanna Shanay

I have something more important to tell you than that "poem."

On The Come Up by Hannah Weyer

"It came to her just before sleep, an idea crystallizing in the dark--how maybe the size of your world ain't what matter, whether it expand or shrink up or expand again. Hurdles to jump. You jump. Erase the lines, draw new ones. Chart a course and follow." (p290)

I recently finished reading On The Come Up by Hannah Weyer. I found out about this book when going through the Our Song tag on tumblr. This book is based on the life of Anna Simpson, one of the girls who stars in the film. Because I loved the movie, I had to make sure I found this book and I am so glad I did. This was a real page turner. I couldn't get enough of it. I really appreciated how honest and real this story came across. I also think that this is the first story I've read in a long time that really takes place in NYC and I especially loved that because I'm living in NYC again. I think that made it feel more real to me. I also loved any part of the book that was set while they were filming the movie. It felt like I was going behind the scenes of one of my favorite movies!

I loved reading this book early every morning during my commute to work. It was so easy to get lost in this book. I'm so glad I found it!

I recommend this for readers who:

• like to read biograhpies
• enjoy oral histories
• like stories that take place in urban settings
• want to read a story that takes place in NYC/Far Rockaway
• want to read a story about aspiring actresses/singers
• enjoy "coming of age" stories
• are interested in reading about teenage pregnancy/parenthood
• liked the movie "Our Song"
• are interested in reading LGBT stories
• love books you van get lost in

Because it is one of my favorite movies, here's the trailer for Our Song.

♥

Blessings from Poetry

In honor of Women's History Month, I would like to highlight these wonderful poets whose words truly keep me afloat by speaking to my soul. I've been so thankful for this poets and their work over the past year or so. I turn to their words to relieve stress, to find comfort, to cry, to laugh, to affirm myself, and to heal. I cherish these poets and these collections so much because they so beautifully articulate feelings of heartbreak and pain, childhood, our connections to our ancestors, relationships with ourselves and with others, and so much more. I've carried these books of poetry and prose and shared them to help others heal and be inspired as well.


Here are some beautiful words from these talented artists to help you get through this week. May they speak to you and guide you through anything you may be going through. Enjoy!

---


From Nectar by Upile Chisala

From Soft Magic by Upile Chisala

From Questions for Ada by Ijeoma Umebinyuo

From Nejma by Nayyirah Waheed

From Bone by Yrsa Daley-Ward

From Preparing My Daughter for Rain by Key Ballah

From Teaching My Mother How to Give Birth by Warsan Shire

From Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur

---

You deserve to have a good week. Take care of yourself.

because I believe too.

this is one of the most beautiful things I have ever read :)

Eight-year-old Virginia O'Hanlon wrote a letter to the editor of New York's Sun, and the quick response was printed as an unsigned editorial Sept. 21, 1897. The work of veteran newsman Francis Pharcellus Church has since become history's most reprinted newspaper editorial, appearing in part or whole in dozens of languages in books, movies, and other editorials, and on posters and stamps.

"DEAR EDITOR: I am 8 years old. "Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. "Papa says, 'If you see it in THE SUN it's so.' "Please tell me the truth; is there a Santa Claus?

"VIRGINIA O'HANLON."115 WEST NINETY-FIFTH STREET."

VIRGINIA, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except [what] they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or children's, are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.

Yes, VIRGINIA, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no VIRGINIAS. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.

Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies! You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if they did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.

You may tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, VIRGINIA, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.

No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

Last Night of September

It seems like this month came and went in a flash. I view September as a month of newness. School starts and the weather begins to change. As a student and someone who is very close to school age students I feel like this is kind of like a new year. You set new goals, you have new books to read and blank pages to fill, new teachers, and new classes. It's all very exciting. Everything is brand new and it's a sign of how far you've come.

I get excited when this time of year comes around. I love all the fall holidays, going back to school and watching students go back makes me very happy, and I'm so grateful for the cooler weather that's coming.

I started working towards my Masters degree this September and the nerves and excitement are still here. I haven't been in school since last December so this is a very interesting change for me. I'm still getting the hang of being back in school. A new month begins tomorrow so we'll see what October brings me. Every day brings its gifts and I hope that some of these October days can find me a cure for procrastination.

I had to put this song here because it makes me so happy. So in case you needed to dance your way out of September, here's the perfect jam for you!



Be well♥

Vision Binder

I made a vision binder to put some of my goals and inspirations in one place. My inspiration for my vision binder was a vision board. I've wanted to make a vision board for a long time but I've just never had the space or materials that I wanted for the vision board that I was envisioning. I happened to see this beautiful binder in Target and stood in front of it for a few minutes because I know I didn't need it but I wanted it so I just needed to give it a purpose before I bought it.

I wanted to make sure that my vision binder was a true reflection of me. I've been working on it for about a month and the cool thing about it is that I can keep adding as I go along. It's kind of structured. I put pages as they fit into categories I made but there isn't a table of contents or anything.

The first section is where I put inspirational quotes that I love, affirmations, pictures of people who inspire me, and general self-care reminders. This section really makes me smile. It really brightens my spirits and reminds me to protect my spirit. The next section is my travel section. In that section I have pictures of places that I WILL travel to. I also have pictures of things to do while traveling like skiing, boat rides, and what landmarks I really want to see. The section after that focuses on body health. I have a few recipes and workout routines. I also made sure to put reminders to drink water and nourish my hair as well as my body. The last section I like to call "Motivation & Me." In this section, I put my goals, I put reminders of who I am and what my life journey means to me. I made sure to include pictures of my accomplishments and some of the moments in my life that really push me forward. I have a picture of me working on a campaign and I have a picture from the day I graduated. I also have a long lists of the books I'll be reading in the future and a few magazine articles that really inspired me. This section keeps me focused on my long term life goals. This section motivates me to stick to my goals and to remain true to myself.

My goal is to have a few quiet minutes to myself every day to look through the binder as a form of daily motivation and inspiration. Unfortunately it doesn't happen every day but I do really love looking through it. It's hard work that reminds me of all the hard work and beautiful results that I've already accomplished and all the hard work and beautiful results that my future holds.


Here's what it looks like!

The Lorax

While babysitting this weekend, I made the wonderful decision to watch The Lorax. I had wanted to see it for a long time and I'm so glad it finally started streaming on Netflix. The kids and I loved it so much. I'm a big fan of Dr. Seuss's children's books. I think that they send some great messages. The Lorax teaches kids to be kind to the environment. It also teaches children to stand up for what they believe in and to speak for those who don't have a voice of their own--like the trees. If you see something bad, change it! I also really enjoy how it shows that everything in our world is connected. The small things really do matter! Don't forget that! You have no idea how much something you do today can impact the world you'll live in tomorrow. Check out the trailer for The Lorax. It's streaming on netflix and it's available on DVD!

breathe easy

Whoa. I think that sums up my Fall semester. I thought it was going to kill me but look at me. I'm here. I survived chemistry and I did better than I thought. My final grade was a "B" which is what I was fighting for so I'm really happy about it. I had a B+ before the final exam but apparently, a B+ just was not meant to be. I'm okay with that. That class was pretty hard. Thank God for the grading scale!

While up super late studying for my Female Experience in America class, I found this wonderful line in one of the books that I found very interesting:

"...girls who hate their bodies do not make good decisions about partners, or about the kind of sexual activity that is in their best interest. Because they want to be wanted so much, they are susceptible to manipulation, to flattery, even to abuse. It [body angst] makes the worst forms of sexual flattery acceptable, which explains why some girls feel ambivalent about sexual harassment and do not know how to respond."

-Joan Jacobs Brumberg's The Body Project

This is so true! Body hate is our biggest enemy and it is hurting us physically and mentally. Why do we do it so often. I do it too sometimes but it makes me sick when I hear people go on and on about how much they hate their bodies, failing to find a single good thing about it.

I admit that I do need to treat my body a lot better but there are still things that I love about it.

My body is the only one I'll ever have.

I need to listen to it a lot more and understand it when it is trying to tell me something.

My body has been with me since day 1, it's always with me which is why I should probably begin to be a better friend to it.

I love my smile because it is my connection to the past.

I love my eyes because I share them with my beautiful family. Beautiful big tired eyes :)

I love my short fingers because how else would I be able to wear all the cute little rings that I love

I love my mind, most of the time, because it's pretty darn powerful....blessing and a curse.

I think I could on especially after I start to listen to my body more and treat it better.

Body love is possible. I can do it and I thought it was going to be hard...like Chemistry, but I survived.