Black Girl, Call Home a book of poems by Jasmine Mans is a personal journey through race, feminism, and sexuality. Jasmine Mans is a Black American poet whose debut book of poetry Chalk Outlines of Snow Angels was first published in 2012. In her latest collection of poems, Mans explores the relationship between her sexuality and race and how they were shaped by her relationship with her mother and the importance of home. You see that from the first poem in the collection “I Ain’t Gon’ Be Bald-Headed No More” where it touches about the importance of hair especially when it relates to Black females and how her mother was going to make her pretty by styling her hair, to the last poem “Brown Marks” which equates female stretch marks to a map home.
Poetry is my first love, but I usually disdain most modern poetry. I grew up reading Langston Hughes and Walt Whitman. And have always wondered what happens to a dream deferred. Modern poetry does nothing for me, but I can recognize when something is profound and well written. I have very little in common with Jasmine Mans other than both of us being born female and neither of us identifying as straight, but there were poems in this volume that spoke to me in ways that very few modern poems do. Her mother could have been my mother braiding my hair for the first day of school so that, in my mind, I could look pretty.
Her poems also touch on famous Black celebrities: Jay-Z, Kanye, Serena Williams, and Whitney Houston. There is also a tribute to Michelle Obama and how very important Barack Obama’s presidency was and not only because he was the first African-American president, but because his presidency shone a light on his family and it gave little black girls everywhere someone to look up to. Someone who looked like them was in the White House and maybe someday it could be them.
My favorite poems, probably because I can relate to them more, are “Dear Ex-Lover” and “Invite Me.” The first is a letter written to an ex detailing how she’ll get over her ex by marrying a man and having a daughter. And the line “If she ever falls in love with a woman; I’ll love bravery down her spine,” is still taking up space in my mind. It’s a beautiful poem about raising our daughters to be braver than we ever hoped to be when it comes down to holding on to love. “Invite Me” is about holding on to the person we love until we become one.
So, no this isn’t my favorite book of poetry that I own, but I will revisit some of these poems.
**A digital copy was provided free of charge from NetGalley in return of a review
Now that 2020, the year that sucked donkey balls, is finally, officially over we can all look forward to a better, healthier, and less orange turdy 2021. My reading goal for 2021 is to read at least one hundred books. I’m pretty sure that’s very possible; I had read almost sixty before I stopped giving a good fuck about anything last year in June. So, 100 in 2021 is more than doable. I also want to venture more out of my comfort genre of romance. This year I want to read more horror, thriller, fantasy and sci-fi, as well as a non-fiction book or two. I’ve read the preface of Obama’s Promised Land and now I can say that at least I’m trying. I’m going to try, TRY to actually complete a couple of challenges this year. The three I’m looking to complete are 2021 PopSugar Reading Challenge, The 52 Book Club Challenge, and Book Riot Read Harder Challenge.
This month I have twenty-four books in my TBR and I’m rather hopeful that I will get to all of them. I want to either finish or catch up to the series I had started last year and for one reason or another I have stopped. I am the absolute worst when it comes to actually sticking to a TBR since I tend to read whatever catches my fancy at that moment, but looking at the books on my list I’m pretty sure I can stick to it, mostly.
Land of Big Numbers by Te-Ping Chen – “Gripping and compassionate, Land of Big Numbers traces the journeys of the diverse and legion Chinese people, their history, their government, and how all of that has tumbled—messily, violently, but still beautifully—into the present.” I was lucky enough to get an E-ARC from NetGalley for this one. It’s set to be released on February 2.
Black Girl, Call Home by Jasmine Mans is a book of poems dealing with race, feminism, and queer identity. Poetry is my first love and I am really looking forward to this volume. I was lucky enough to get an E-ARC from NetGalley. It is set to be released on March 9.
Roommate by Sarina Bowen is an M/M romance about second chances and a room to rent. This is set to be released on January 12; I already have it on pre-order.
I want to catch up on the Giana Darling Fallen MC Series; I had read the first two books early in 2020 and then never got around to book 3 since then there have been two more books released. Good thing that all of these books are part of Kindle Unlimited.
Good Gone Bad romance between the daughter of the MC president and a police officer. Harleigh Rose was one of my favorite background characters of the first two books so I’m looking forward to her finding happiness with her cop.
After the Fall this is a continuation of the couple from book 1, King and Cress, the student and the teacher. I really loved them as a couple so I can’t wait to read more of their story.
Inked in Lies and Dead Man Walking I have not even read the blurbs on these two books. All I know is that Inked in Lies is Nova’s story and Dead Man Walking is about Priest; both characters are introduced in prior books and are members of the Fallen MC.
Another series I stopped reading was the Green Creek Series by TJ Klune, I was waiting for the series to be completed before I continued with it. I read the first two books in the series back to back and loved them. I can’t wait to get back to Green Creek.
Heartsong and Brothersong the first is the story of Kelly and is mate Robbie while the Brothersong is about Carter and his mate Gavin
Not My Romeo by Ilsa Madden-Mills which is a sports romance and a straight one at that I’m not sure why this is on my TBR but it’s on my Kindle and I remember wanting to read it. It is available through Kindle Unlimited(KU).
Bad Habits (Wages of Sin Book 1) by Neve Wilder and Onley James is an M/M romance about a hacker and a contract killer. Available in KU.
The Chase (Briar U Book 1) by Elle Kennedy is a romance about opposites attract set in the fictional Briar University. I like Elle Kennedy’s writing and when this popped up as free in Kindle I had to pick it up. And it would totally fulfill one of the prompts for the 52 books in 52 weeks challenge. Set in a school.
I started reading Sam Mariano’s Morelli Family Series about 5 days ago and in that time I have read the first 4 books. I’m going to continue the series and hope to finish it before the end of the month. Be forewarned this series is a dark romance, bad things happen. The main characters do bad things; no character in these books can be called heroes. This series is rife with trigger warnings so be forewarned. They are all found in Kindle Unlimited. The books I still need to read are:
Resisting Mateo Book 5 – There’s no blurb for this one but it must be read after the first four in order for it to make sense.
Last Words Book 7 – Technically the last book of the series. One could stop here and have read the complete series.
Entrapment Book 8 – A retelling of Book 1 but from the POV of the male lead. Also, includes deleted scenes from the other books.
Old Flame Book 9 – This is the book about Dante Morelli, the underboss of the Morelli criminal family.
After an almost five month hiatus from Cora Reilly’s Born in Blood Mafia chronicles, I’m ready to go back and finish the series. I had previously read the first three books. These are all found in Kindle Unlimited.
Bound by Temptation – Liliana and Romero’s story. I started reading this one when I finished book three but for some reason I only got a few pages in before I put it down and then forgot about it. I’m hoping this time around I’ll be able to finish.
Bound by Vengeance this is about a character named Growl, I have no clue. He wasn’t part of the first three books.
Bound by Love – goes back to the couple in book 1 Aria and Luca.
Bound by Blood is an anthology revisiting all the previous couples.
If time permits I also plan to read:
Risk Taker (Mixed Messages Book 3) by Lily Morton is an M/M romance. Best friends to lovers trope which I love almost as much as enemies to lover.
And because I’m a sucker for mass media and got totally sucked into Netflix’s Bridgerton series I plan to re-read Julia Quinn’s books that the series is based on starting with The Duke and I.
What are your reading goals for 2021? Do you make a TBR and stick to it or make one and forget about it until the end of the month?
Books and Dramas 