Libby's Bookshelf

  HOMECOMING by LUAN GOLDIE What I loved about this book: - it spanned 20 years so you get a good feel for all the characters. - Kenya. I don’t think I’ve read about Kenya before so it was nice to have some new descriptions. - mystery. This is not something I always enjoy in a novel because I’m very impatient, but I found it kept me hooked. - the writer. I enjoyed Nightingale Point so I was looking forward to something else from Goldie. What I didn’t like about this book: - Yvonne - Emma - Lewis - all the extra characters For me it’s very important to connect with the characters. I normally find it intriguing if I don’t like a character, but in this case I didn’t care about the characters. I’m sorry to say that this was not a great reading experience for me but I did get some enjoyment out of it, so no regrets and I would still be willing to read other world by Goldie. What did you think of this?

  THE GRAVITY OF US by PHIL STAMPER Pretty much all I need to hear to know that I’m going to love a book are the words: queer love story. I do wish I’d listened a bit harder because this one is also about space travel - not the most interesting topic in the world (or out of it) for me. Regardless of that, I did enjoy this book. It’s lighthearted and young but it still managed to cover some serious issues including mental health. I appreciated the honesty of the characters and the cute love story and this is definitely a book I would be happy to recommend to any of my teenage students, but for me it was a little too spacey and a little too young. It’s not this wonderful book’s fault; I’m just not the target audience! I still love Leon, though ❤️

  LIKE A LOVE STORY by ABDI NAZEMIAN This novel follows the points of view of three teenagers in the late 1980s in New York during the AIDS crisis. One is openly gay, the other is also gay and is from Iran and is struggling with his sexuality and the other is a young and beautiful girl with a gay uncle who has AIDS. The story is centred around activism and protests and fighting against the homophobic system and disgusting pharmaceutical companies that sell medicines for people with AIDS at impossible prices. The president, Reagan, didn’t even speak the word AIDS out loud even though it was killing one person every twelve seconds. Throughout this heartbreaking story, I could feel the author’s hope. There were strong themes of love and friendship that stitched my broken heart together again. There is still a lot to be done and the final chapter and the author’s note at the end prove that we must continue to educate ourselves and continue to fight for the rights of LGBTQ+ people. Be m...

  PATSY by NICOLE DENNIS-BENN In Jamaica, Patsy dreams of more. She lives with her God-worshipping mother and her five year old daughter. Her best friend - maybe even girlfriend - left for America a few years ago and all Patsy dreams of is being with her there. That is how this beautifully devastating novel opens. There are many themes explored in this book including mother and daughter relationships, immigration, poverty, the American dream, gender and sexual identity and more I’ve probably missed, but what stood out to me was the repetition of past mistakes. It’s like the writer was saying if we ignore our feelings or smother them with some obsession then they won’t go away or be forgotten, they’ll be passed down from one generation to the next. From mother to daughter to daughter to daughter to daughter... So it has to stop somewhere. Someone has to acknowledge these mistakes or feelings and talk about it; get it out in the open. I think it’s quite a subtle thing and something t...

  CAMP by L. C. ROSEN What a perfect way to end Pride Month! This book was pure delight and a joy; a gorgeous camp love story (and that means camp in both senses of the word). I’ve seen a lot of these summer camps in American movies and I’ve always thought that it looked like great fun and a great setting for a book, especially if there are some hot people around. And who doesn’t love the idea of a summer romance? Well this book takes summer camp and makes it camp! It’s summer camp for LGBTQ+ teenagers and it’s saucy! I love how the writer made us feel like we’d known these characters forever. I love how invested I became in their stories. At times I thought the sex scenes were quite graphic for a YA book but then I realised how great it was that Rosen was teaching young, gay people about sex - something that isn’t taught properly in schools to LGBTQ+ children. And something that we don’t see often enough in mainstream media. Well I think it’s hot and I want more of it. Reading LGB...

  ANOTHER BROOKLYN by JACQUELINE WOODSON I read this book in the space of a few hours and as soon as I finished I turned back to the first page again. I didn’t read it all again - just that first page and it worked. It’s a cyclical book. It doesn’t need to be read in any particular order. Memories manifest in any way they want to. This book is a series of memories told from the point of view of August; a teenager growing up in Brooklyn in the 1970s. She states early on in the book that life would have been different if she’d known about jazz, but all she knew of was the top 40 (white artists mostly). And “it never quite figured us out.” I found that one statement to be huge! It’s a 170 page novel, but that statement to me felt bigger than the messages I’ve taken from 1000 page novels. If we can’t see ourselves represented, how can we see ourselves at all? My own white privilege means that this is something I rarely have to think about, but this book helped me to understand how that...

  THE THING AROUND YOUR NECK by CHIMAMANDA NGOZI ADICHIE A book of short stories, predominantly about Nigeria, written by the queen herself Ms Adichie. Have I mentioned that I love her and everything she does?! These stories are effortless. They are poignant and compelling but never rushed or superfluous. Every word and every point she makes is clear and relevant. Ghosts, Jumping Monkey Hill and The American Embassy are my favourites but they’re all fantastic actually. Issues on race and long lasting effects of colonisation and sexism and war are particularly prevalent in this collection of stories. But what I love most about Nigerian Literature and Adichie novels, is that I always walk away with a taste of peppery stew on my tongue and the feeling of the hot sun on my face and a pounding anger at the patriarchy and those bastard colonisers.

The Great Godden by Meg Rosoff Well, I guess you could say I’m a little bit excited! I’ve been on Bookstagram for a year now and I’ve just been accepted on to my first ever  @tandemcollectiveuk  readalong. I’ve been sent a book by  @bloomsburypublishing  and goodies from  @cartwright_butler  These biscuits are seriously divine! Meg Rosoff is an auto-buy author for me. She’s been one of my favourites since I was a teenager and that is why I cannot wait to read this book. It has also been compared to Bonjour Tristesse which is a book that I adore. *EDIT on 19/7* I’ve now finished the book and I am torn. I think this book is clever in many ways - especially its portrayal of gender and family relationships and mystery. However, there were some elements that I felt could have been drawn out further. I think I would have adored this book had it been longer. I wanted more! As it stands, I enjoyed reading the book and the process of stopping and answering the promp...

  THAT REMINDS ME by DEREK OWUSU A poetic, lyrical coming of age novel that deals with race, mother son relationships, foster care, mental illness and more. It is written as a series of memories and it is up to the reader to decipher the poetic language. There were times when I didn’t know exactly what was going on, but I decided to trust the writer and simply enjoy his beautiful words and they led the way. This year’s winner of the Desmond Elliot Prize and highly recommended by  @bookbuddyreads ; of course I was going to read it!

  THE PRIVATE JOYS OF NNENNA MALONEY Wow. Where to begin? This novel is outstanding. Nnenna is a 16 year old girl who doesn’t know who her father is - all she knows is that he is from Nigeria. Her white, British mother can’t bring herself to talk about him. Her mother’s friend is gay but struggles to love and accept himself because his church taught him that he was an abomination. Her boyfriend isn’t that into her and she’s not sure if that bothers her. She loves French and wants to study in Paris when she’s older but the thought terrifies her mother. Her mother had a tough life and is struggling to move past it. Weaving between all these characters and their lives are their relationships with one another. They are defined by a withholding of the truth; true feelings, true emotions, because, for various reasons, these characters don’t know how to be honest. With themselves or others. A lot of this book rang true for me when it came to ideas about mental health and being true to one...

  SUCH A FUN AGE by KILEY REID Booker Prize Longlist  #1 I chose this book based on its popularity and not because I knew anything about it. Normally I’d caution against this - being a sheep and all, but this Bookstagram community is one that is rarely wrong and this book delivered! A black babysitter, her three friends, her rich white boss who is desperate to prove that she is a black ally, an enchanting little girl, a white man who only befriends and dates black people... That’s the line-up. What could possibly go wrong?! This book is not only completely readable thanks to Reid’s professionalism as a writer, it is also a powerful political piece. It brings up issues of racism that may not initially seem to be acts of racism such as the fetishisation of black people. Or the selfish need to prove that you are a black ally because of the way it will make you look and feel and not because it’s simply the right thing to do. ***SPOILER*** Sometimes you don’t have to choose between...

  PET by AKWAEKE EMEZI This YA novel is extremely clever and emotionally intelligent. In a world where there are no monsters, where people are safe and happy, we meet Jam and her family and her best friend Redemption. They’re too young to know what life was like when monsters walked the earth. For them, everything has always been rosy. Monsters are a thing of the past. Or are they? I thought this book was absolute genius. I really felt like I was reading something special. The characters all had brilliant names and personalities, especially Pet! I loved the fact that Jam was trans and it was no big deal. When being called a little boy, she responded by screaming “GIRL!” And her father’s response was, “Sorry. We didn’t know.” I love that. That’s a utopia. I highly recommend this to anyone - even if you don’t normally enjoy YA.

  HELLO MUM by BERNARDINE EVARISTO My only EVARISTO novel is GWO, and I knew that needed to change, so when I saw this book for £1.99 I jumped at the chance to experience more from this wonderful writer. She delivered yet again. This novella is a letter from JJ to his mum. In the letter he attempts to outline to his mother what life is like for him growing up as a black teenager on a council estate in London surrounded by gangs, judgmental “geriatrics”, the Fedz (who have searched him four times for no reason) and his little sister Shontelle, who he loves very much. JJ is trying to explain how these circumstances led up to a certain event in his life - the event is not revealed until the end of the novella but it is fairly obvious (intentionally so) what is going to happen. JJ’s voice is so strong and alive. He’s a sweet young boy who gets mixed up with the wrong crowd and the readers sees it all unfolding like a tragic event that you hope will play out differently even though you ...

  TRICK MIRROR by JIA TOLENTINO #trickmirrorreadalong  with  @tandemcollectiveuk  book published by  @4thestatebooks   #gifted In this non-fiction, semi-autobiographical book there are nine essays that discuss and interrogate modern life. The essays range from the dangers of the internet and social media, rape culture on American College campuses and beyond, scams (including Amazon's ethics and Donald Trump's presidency), marriage and many, many more.  As a millennial, and someone who is the same age as the author, I felt that pretty much all of this applied to me. The parts that did not apply (America, being a POC) were enlightening and thought-provoking.  Since reading this book,  I have become one of those people who talks about what I'm reading constantly. I have decided to boycott Amazon and think very carefully about where I spend my money. I have also become newly aware about rape culture and the importance of teaching young people (an...

  THE WOMEN OF BREWSTER PLACE by GLORIA NAYLOR This book was originally published in the 80s, but Fox, Finch and Tepper (a publishing company from  @mrbsemporium ) have repackaged and republished it and I couldn’t be happier that they did. I was treating myself to books on payday when I saw this on display in Mr B’s. I bought it for the cover alone, but let me tell you that the content is just as good! It’s a story about women from different walks of life and the place that unites them; Brewster Place, which is a run-down old building with holes in the walls and poor heating. These women are all interesting and extraordinary in their own ways and I enjoyed reading each of their stories. I found many similarities with Girl, Woman, Other, in fact. There’s the woman who is a obsessed with babies, but not so much with children. There’s the idealist woman who wants to work hard to bring about change. There’s the lesbian couple who cannot find acceptance. And there are many more. I ...

  GO TELL IT ON THE MOUNTAIN by JAMES BALDWIN Obviously James Baldwin is one of the greatest writers of all time so I don’t need to preach about his masterful use of language and pacing and characterisation (although I just have 🤣) but I do want to tell you that even if you are an atheist - as I am - you can still take something from this novel. Yes, there were some dense passages on nothing more than the bible and God, and yes, these were a little tedious at times, but the bigger picture here is this family; John’s family, and how they came to be who and where they are now. I loved how Baldwin took us effortlessly from past to present in order to explore how these characters became what they are in the present day. I felt unsure and disconcerted while reading this because I was thinking about myself and my own life instead of just reading the words Baldwin had given me. I was constantly thinking about this poor young boy who is gay but will never get acceptance for that. And his ...

  I AM NOT YOUR PERFECT MEXICAN DAUGHTER by ERIKA L. SANCHEZ If you want an  #ownvoices  YA novel that is brutally honest about the shittiness of being a teenager, or being the daughter of Mexican immigrants, of having the “perfect” Mexican sister who also happens to be dead, then you’ve come to the right Instagram square. Julia is very opinionated and she doesn’t hold back. She’s extremely smart but that doesn’t mean she’s polite. She’s often in trouble at school for her bad attitude and she’s not afraid to offend her traditional Mexican relatives if they talk shit about her. This book is one of those that has you laughing and crying at the same time. It deals with serious issues like death and depression and wealth inequality and racism and parent/child relationships and crossing the Mexican/American border. All of this is covered sensitively but also with humour, culminating in the most perfect teenage angst I have ever seen recorded in a novel. Something I value above...

  BECOMING by MICHELLE OBAMA I’ve been listening to this sensational autobiography on Audible off and on for the last few months. I hardly think I need to write a full summary and review of this book since I’m sure you’ve all heard of it and probably even read it. What I will say is that Michelle Obama deserves all the praise she gets. She’s a woman who cares deeply about others and works to make life better for those less fortunate. She’s an inspiration to me and throughout the whole final section I was thinking that I must focus on helping as many people as I can for the rest of my life. I know she doesn’t want to be president ever, but America is lucky to have her in their past and as a current resident.

  ARIEL by SYLVIA PLATH I suppose the fact we all know about Plath is that she killed herself by sticking her head in an oven. I don’t know about you, but whenever I was told that as a young teenager (by teachers or parents) I would laugh. Is it the thought of someone sticking their head in an oven or the idea of a human small enough to fit inside the oven or is it an awkward laugh because the situation is so upsetting? I’ve never really thought about it until now. Now that I’ve read this collection of poems, I know there is nothing funny whatsoever about the way or the fact that Plath died. She was a woman suffering from depression at a time when it was hardly considered a real illness (most people still don’t understand it now). These poems shine a light on some of her thoughts and feelings about life and death. It seems she almost looks at death in awe - as something she aspires to. Maybe I read it this way because I knew the circumstances of her death. Maybe you could find thes...

 CITIZEN: AN AMERICAN LYRIC by CLAUDIA RANKINE “I feel most colored when I am thrown against a sharp white background.” This book is categorised as a collection of poems but to me it transcends genre. It is a collection of observations; some in the form of actual works of art, photographs, and digital prints. Some is in the form of facts. And some is in the form of language manipulation; poetry. Within these pages is exasperation and disappointment at the treatment received by this narrator - who is black - and by other black people, some in the public eye by choice, like Serena Williams, and some in the public eye because of police brutality. What Rankine documents here are heartbreaking accounts of her daily life. How people will move away from her, second guess her ability and intelligence and generally say offensive and stupid shit. At the beginning of this collection, I was horrified to read of this treatment in more plain terms, and as the book progresses, it becomes more and...