Writers: Do You Have a Reading Habit or a Reading Hobby?
Do you have a reading hobby or a reading habit? If you want to improve your craft as a writer, then you need to be reading with purpose and intention. Learn the steps you need to take to cultivate a sustainable reading habit that will make you a better writer.
Are Colored Television and Yellowface Trying to Tell BIPoC Writers Something about the Perils of Publishing?
Danzy Senna’s new novel, Colored Television, offers a darkly comic send-up of the writing life. But it also seems to be in conversation with R.F. Kuang’s, Yellowface. What cautionary tales are these two books sharing with BIPOC writers?
Yellowface by R.F. Kuang, Should be Required Reading for BIPoC Authors
"Yellowface" by R.F. Kuang may read like the Real Housewives of the Publishing World, but it should be required reading for all BIPoC writers who want to make it in the publishing world. Call it a comedy or a tragedy, there are lessons to be learned in the pages of this delicious page-turner.
BIPOC Book News: Viola Davis Dips Her Toes in the Book World, The Asian-American Lit Fest is Back & New Books for “Colored Girls”
It’s time for another installment of BIPOC book news. This week we’re covering Viola Davis’ entry into the publishing world, the revival of an Asian American literature festival, and new books by Black women.
Five Awesome Books by Asian-American Women, I Think You Might Like
May is AAPI Heritage month, the perfect time to highlight some of the best Asian-American authors writing today. If you’re looking for drama, fiction, nonfiction, memoir, YA, Kid Lit, or even picture books, these women are writing it all.
Black Librarians are Superheroes: From Spider-Woman to Mychal Threets
In honor of National Librarian Appreciation Day, check out these four Black librarians whose work merits special recognition, from a Marvel superhero, to the hero who decolonized the Dewey Decimal system. These Black librarians deserve all the praise.
BIPOC Book News: Willow Smith is a “Novelist,” Tabitha Brown Shouts Out Her Ghostwriter, & A Black-Owned Bookstore Can’t Breathe
This week’s installment of BIPOC book news includes updates about Willow Smith and her first novel, Tabitha Brown and her literary angel, and a Black-owned children’s bookstore that can’t breathe because of death threats.
An Honest Review of Ours by Phillip B. Williams
An honest review of Ours by Phillip B. Williams. Heralded as one of the most anticipated books of 2024, Ours definitely lives up to the hype, with satisfying revisionist history and witchy vibes, but it’s not going to be for everyone.
A Brilliant List of BIPOC Book Festivals
What are the best book festivals to attend for BIPOC authors and the readers who love them in 2024? Check out our international list of BIPOC book festivals where the focus is on BIPOC authors, and add these to your literary tourism stops this year.
From Philly to Paris: Jeannine Cook Brings A Brilliant New Bookstore to the City of Lights
Josephine’s Bookshop is a new Pop-Up bookstore in Paris. Founded by Philadelphia bookseller, Jeannine Cook, the bookshop pays homage to the incomparable Black American entertainer, expat and spy, Josephine Baker.
Podcast Ep#13:Why Self-Publishing Can Be a Revolutionary Act with Dr. Yaba Blay
On podcast episode 13, learn how Dr. Yaba Blay saw her book, One Drop: Shifting the Lens on Race go from a self-publishing triumph, to getting picked up by a major publisher seven years later to triumph once again.
Podcast Ep#12: “Best of …Author Interviews:” Lauren Francis-Sharma
Welcome to our “Best of ..Author Interviews” summer podcast series. Our first episode of the series is with Lauren Francis-Sharma, author of Book of the Little Axe.
Literary Madrid: In Search of Langston Hughes and A New English-Language Bookstore
Madrid is a literary city. On a recent trip I discovered two amazing literary destinations; the new Secret Kingdoms bookstore and the palace where Langston Hughes lived while covering the Spanish Civil War!
Support AAPI Children’s Authors for AAPI Heritage Month
May is AAPI Heritage month, the perfect time to highlight and celebrate AAPI children’s authors. Here’s how to find your favorite AAPI children’s authors.
The Best Bookstores to Find Books in English in Malaga City
Where do you find books in English in Malaga City? Sadly, there is no English-language bookstore in Malaga, but there are plenty of bookstores with a nice selection of books in English for adults and children. You just need to know where to look.
Five Black Poets to Read that Will Make You a Better Writer
Reading and writing poetry can help make you a better prose writer, but poetry can feel intimidating. Check out this list of award-winning, Black poets whose work is accessible and relatable, and start adding poetry to your writing routine.
Make Your February Super Black and Super #Lit with Books by Black Authors born in February
February is Black History Month and it’s the month when many amazing Black authors were born. Check out this list of Black authors born in February and make this month your Blackest and most #Lit month ever.
The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates: A Review
The Water Dancer is a stunning debut novel by journalist Ta-Nehisi Coates that brings magical realism to the antebellum south.
Becoming an Expat Meant Leaving My Books Behind
Moving to Spain was a dream come true, but I had to leave so many of my books behind. And now I’m going through the grieving process for the loss of my literary touchstones.
Five Memoirs by Black Women that Examine the Complexity of Black Life
Check out this list of memoirs by Black women that showcase the diversity and complexity of Black lives.