With all that has been coming to light lately with other races, I have been trying to read more about what it means to be Anti-Racist and an ally. I never really realized how much white privilege there is out there and how much of it I had benefited from until I started doing more of a deep dive into reading about racism. This is a short book and is a relatively quick read – which I liked. Everything was broke down into small, easy to digest sections to make me think and figure out ways to react. I am honestly not sure I will every fully be Anti-Racist, but that doesn’t mean I won’t continue to work towards it and continue trying to make progress. I also liked that the end of the book had a list of other related books to read. With this one being so short, if I wanted to take a deeper look into other similar topics, I have a list of them all right at my fingertips.
I received a free e-copy of this book in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.
About the Book
Join the fight for racially marginalized people with this pocket-sized guide filled with practical insights from one of the leading voices of the movement for equality and founder of the @officialmillennialblack Instagram.
As the tragic murder of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter movement has demonstrated, not being racist is not enough. To fulfill the American ideal, to ensure that all people are equal, you must be actively anti-racist.
In this essential guide, Sophie Williams, goes beyond her popular Instagram @officialmillennialblack, providing sharp, simple, and insightful steps anyone can take to be a better ally in the fight against racism. While the book’s focus is on race, it also touches on sexism, classism, ableism, oppression, and white supremacy.
Written in her iconic Instagram style, this pocket-sized guide is a crucial starting point for every anti-racist ally, covering complex topics at the heart of anti-racist principles. Whether you are just finding your voice, have made a start but aren’t sure what to do next, or want a fresh viewpoint, Anti-Racist Ally introduces and explains the language of change and shows you how to challenge the system, beginning with yourself. Sophie reminds you that this is a learning process, which means facing difficult truths, becoming uncomfortable, and working through the embarrassment and discomfort.
The fight for justice isn’t easy there aren’t any shortcuts or quick wins. But together, anti-racist allies can use their power to truly change the world and lives.
I knew Michelle Buteau from her cohosting VH1 Morning Buzz with Nick Lachey and thought she was pretty funny, so I wanted to check out her book. It was kind of what I expected – a lot of pop culture references – most of which I got even though I am under 38 😉 It was definitely interesting to hear about her life growing up and being light skinned. Her Dad is from Haiti and her Mom is from Jamaica.
The book seemed to bounce around a bit on the timeline which confused me at times and I also could have gone without her reminding us about how big her tits were every other chapter (despite having gotten a reduction.) But Michelle is funny and that came through for sure when reading this – it was easy to hear her voice coming through as I read along. Though a comedian, she did touch on some tougher topics like 9/11/01 and dealing with IVF and miscarriages and I thought she wrote about these topics well. That may be why she was considering journalism before she went into comedy. She has a skill for both.
I received a free e-copy of this book in order to write this review, I was not otherwise compensated.
About the Book
From the stand-up comedian, actress, and host beloved for her cheeky swagger, unique voice, and unapologetic frankness comes a book of comedic essays for fans of Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me by Mindy Kaling and We’re Going to Need More Wine by Gabrielle Union.
If you’ve watched television or movies in the past year, you’ve seen Michelle Buteau. With scene-stealing roles in Always Be My Maybe, First Wives Club, Someone Great, Russian Doll, and Tales of the City; a reality TV show and breakthrough stand-up specials, including her headlining show Welcome to Buteaupia on Netflix, and two podcasts (Late Night Whenever and Adulting), Michelle’s star is on the rise. You’d be forgiven for thinking the road to success—or adulthood or financial stability or self-acceptance or marriage or motherhood—has been easy; but you’d be wrong.
Now, in Survival of the Thickest, Michelle reflects on growing up Caribbean, Catholic, and thick in New Jersey, going to college in Miami (where everyone smells like pineapple), her many friendship and dating disasters, working as a newsroom editor during 9/11, getting started in standup opening for male strippers, marrying into her husband’s Dutch family, IVF and surrogacy, motherhood, chosen family, and what it feels like to have a full heart, tight jeans, and stardom finally in her grasp.
Love in Lockdown took me a few tries to really get into – it got off to a bit of a slow start and being set in lockdown had me wondering if it might be “too soon” to read such a book since we are STILL in a lockdown of sorts nearly a year later… For the most part, this book focuses on Sophia and Jack – he lives above her and they “meet” when they go outside to clap outside each evening to support the frontline workers. There are quite a few sub characters in the book too – many of which they know from the courtyard of the apartments as well as Jack’s brother and wife who have a baby during the pandemic and Sophia’s parents and sister – who has a pandemic Zoom wedding! Of course there’s your nosy neighbor and your lonely older man neighbor as well who work their way into some of the plot lines. Since Jack isn’t really able to leave the house, Sophia offers to do shopping for him and they end up trying to figure out the best way they can use what they’ve got and what they know to help our their neighbors as well. Since Jack is always home, he takes up chatting to some of the neighbors on the phone so they won’t feel so lonely. It’s all very sweet – but the title of the book makes you think someone is going to fall in love – and it took quite a bit for anything to really develop on that front. Things seemed to take off a bit more when I was about halfway through the book – I would have liked it to have picked up a bit sooner – as I said I had started and stopped it a couple of times because it never really “grabbed” me, but in the end it was very sweet.
I received a free e-copy of this book in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.
About the Book
A joyful love story set against the backdrop of lockdown – perfect for fans of The Flatshare
What if you met the right person at the wrong time?
Sophia is afraid lockdown will put her life on pause – just as she was she was going to put herself out there and meet someone. When the first clap for the keyworkers rings out around her courtyard, she’s moved to tears for all kinds of reasons.
Jack is used to living life to the fullest, and is going stir-crazy after just days isolating. Until that night he hears a woman crying from the balcony beneath his. He strikes up a conversation with the stranger and puts a smile back on her face.
Soon their balcony meetings are the highlight of Jack and Sophia’s days. But even as they grow closer together, they’re always kept apart.
Can they fall in love during a lockdown?
The book explains how we feat change because it is the road to the unknown. The unknown is perceived as dangerous and scary. But what if we change our perception of the unknown? What if instead of thinking of it as scary – we think of it as a new opportunity? An adventure that is waiting for us? What if life is our greatest adventure to be experienced? I feel like this for me, is easier said than done, but is definitely something I should keep in the back of my mind – if I think of everything as an adventure, maybe I’d be more likely to dive right in rather than my usual reaction to tiptoe in very slowly and scared, unable and unwilling to accept the change that may be happening.
Another great tip in the book is to question EVERYTHING. This will help you learn and also help give you confidence in situations, especially when it is so easy to fall out of balance. 2020 had a lot of unknowns for everyone, everywhere. For some, it was easy to get used to this uncertainty and unpredictability. Just because you don’t know where you are headed isn’t a bad thing. Be curious. Be courageous. Say F*ck it and venture into the unknown. It is waiting for you.
I received a free e-copy of this book from Reedsy Discovery in order to write this review.
About the Book
At a certain point in your journey, you may not know where you’re headed but you become more curious and courageous to experience life and all it has to offer. Your heart knows when you’re ready to take the first few steps. And once you do, nothing will ever be the same. No one can do this work for you; it’s your job to become fully aware that you are standing at a juncture of possibilities. Are you entertaining thoughts about a healthier direction in your life? Are you ready to experiment and try things on to see what actually fits you?
This isn’t just another self-help book, spiritual book, or memoir-it’s an experience, beyond categories and labels. This book is for anyone who is ready to question everything, and simply say f*ck it-or whatever words you choose to use-when something in life no longer serves you. Are you ready to discover the wonder of you (Book 1, for the Soul), trek into the unknown (Book 2, for the Adventurer), and trust your heart (Book 3, for the Health Conscious)?
“Too often we are led to make style choices, especially hair choices, out of fear. Fear that we won’t look attractive enough, professional enough, young or old enough, feminine enough. Feat that it will look like we ‘re putting in too much effort or not enough.” Starts The Breakup Hair Handbook after telling you to GO FOR IT if you want to change up your look after a breakup. The book pushes the fact that YOU belong to YOU. So do what you want and try not to worry about what anyone else thinks. Once that is out of the way, it’s all about choosing what cut you want and what color you want! In addition to great illustrations of hair styles there’s also all sorts of tips and tricks throughout the book – quizzes for if you should get back together with your ex, mixtapes, and ways to heal from your grief. I’ve never had a breakup (you kind of need to find someone willing to date you first, and that’s where I seem to be stuck) but a lot of it is relevant to just regular day to day life too. You can get to know yourself better even without a breakup as a catalyst.
I received a free e-copy of this book in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.
About the Book
A funny, lighthearted guide to heartbreak hairdos, and a supportive companion for anyone navigating the end of a relationship.
The Breakup Hair Handbook is part style guide, part catharsis, and part smash-the-patriarchy style manifesto. With quirky illustrations and empowering heart-healing activities, this book will inspire readers to work through their heartbreak and embrace their own unique style. Laid out as a catalogue of haircuts, The Breakup Hair Handbook encourages readers to choose a style that speaks to them, celebrates the power of women, and promotes self-expression.
About Me
Hi, I'm Katie! This is my blog.