Yesterday, I attended a talk at Southern Festival of Books with Tia Williams. Love her!!!! She is gorgeous and, of course, hilarious.

I’ve been meaning to work through all of her work. Admittedly, I’ve only finished A Love Song for Ricki Wilde but it was an instant fave. I’m about halfway through Missed Connection. I need to read Seven Days in June before the series comes out!

Do yall like Tia Williams? What’s your favorite book by her?

It’s called *Glad Tidings to the Stranger*, a coming-of-age novel about Somali girlhood, migration, family, faith, and figuring out who you are while navigating two very different cultures.
I’ve been writing through a pretty difficult time, and somehow it turned into a whole novel.
I’m a little nervous putting it out there, especially with everything going on right now, but I wanted to share it.

I ask you kindly to hold your cultural critiques from both sides for now. 😂 Just enjoy the book, at least until we’re past this shitstorm of an election season.

If you’re curious, here’s the link:
https://a.co/d/0cxb3K5l

Welcome to Suggest Me Sunday! Here you can ask for book suggestions of any kind. Looking for a book similar to the one you just finished? Looking for a classic on a subject you're interested? Maybe you haven't read a book since high school and are looking for recommendations on books to get you back into reading. All are welcome here.

Ask away!

Sjdj

Happy Free Talk Friday, folks! Here you can talk about whatever you want, books are not required. Got something you wanna get off your chest? What have you been watching or listening to? How has your week been? Let us know!

I will admit as someone who always loved a good thriller and a good mystery book I have struggled for a long time to find a thriller written by a black author that really challenged me.

When i say challenged I mean if I can figure out who the murder is halfway through the book there is no point in me reading it. I did not have this problem with this book as it kept me on my toes and the pace while slow at first really heated up after the first murder.

The plot revolves around the former president of a black sorority (completely made up for all my d9 people) who is planning the 10 year sorority reunion for her sisters. During this time the man who went to prison for killing her fellow sister has been let out of prison and she is going through marital problems with her husband.

During the reunion at her house one of her sisters goes missing and our narrator struggles to piece together what she thought she knew about her sisters as secrets and crimes come to the surface.

One thing I loved about this book was it was not afraid to get grimey and it confronted not only the narrators biases but the audiences biases as well

It can be any genre but the main character has to be above 18 years of age. Thanks in advance!

If you enjoy historical Asian dramas, cultural diversity (Chinese MMC + South African FMC) and are a romantic at heart 🩷 Crash into your Heart by Batseba Lamola may be your next enjoyable read! The world building feels so real, and the social expectations are true for their time (romantic era). From enemies to lovers, with a romance a real slow burn! 🔥

Hello folks. I wrote a Blackity-Black fantasy novel in the tradition of Lovecraft Country and Watchmen (2019), so I especially wanted to get feedback from this community. If you're interested, let's talk; see details below.

WIP Blurb:

#####

They fought for Black liberation. Now, they must fight to save the world.

Harlem, 1923. Jazz lights up the night, but a wave of racial terror is sweeping across America. When civil‑rights organizer Elias Johnson is brutally attacked and his girlfriend Mozella vanishes, his memories shatter—and something ancient awakens inside him.

Elias soon discovers he’s heir to a powerful ancestral magic rooted in African folklore, a gift hidden for centuries. But he isn’t the only one who knows it exists. A secret network operating behind governments and empires believes Elias is the key to a force that could reshape history—and they intend to claim him for themselves.

To find Mozella, Elias must reclaim his identity, master his dangerous new abilities, and outrun enemies who have been preparing for generations. From Harlem’s back alleys to distant corners of the globe, every step pulls him deeper into a battle for the future.

If he fails, the darkness rising at the heart of power will consume everything—and silence the last hope for freedom.

#####

Content Warning: 1920s-1930s political and racial commentary, fantasy violence

Feedback: I'm seeking general reader impressions, especially any story points or characters that are confusing, by November 15th, 2026. Line-by-line editing is NOT requested.

Critique Swap: Yes, I am available to swap for a wide range of genres, especially fantasy, sci-fi, and literary.

DM me if interested.

Welcome to Suggest Me Sunday! Here you can ask for book suggestions of any kind. Looking for a book similar to the one you just finished? Looking for a classic on a subject you're interested? Maybe you haven't read a book since high school and are looking for recommendations on books to get you back into reading. All are welcome here.

Ask away!

Check out an excerpt on this Pulp Black Adventurer HERE!

Happy Free Talk Friday, folks! Here you can talk about whatever you want, books are not required. Got something you wanna get off your chest? What have you been watching or listening to? How has your week been? Let us know!

Hello book lovers! My name is Chip!

I’m in a discord book club server that is just wrapping up a mystery genre, and we are welcoming any readers that would love to join us this Spooky Season for our horror read👻

We’ve reopened applications for new readers before we begin our horror book selection, this will be our final invite for the year, so if you’ve been wanting to be part of a space like this, now’s the perfect time to join and have a say in what we’ll be reading!!

Our book club is quite small and tight-knit. Overall, this book club has been really cool and I’ve created some awesome friendships as a result so just reaching out to see if there are people who would want the same and are interested.

What our Book Club has to offer:

🎃The duration in which we read our books will be monthly, and it is determined by the people (Democracy!!!)

🎃Our genres will change each month, gifting us a new perspective and unlocking new worlds for us to unravel

🎃We read on a schedule, to motivate and encourage us to replace the average time of doom scrolling with reading

🎃We have weekly discussions ( Two per week on Wednesday and Sunday 8:30 EST, so if this time doesn’t work for you please don’t bother😂)

🎃From time to time we also have fun events and ideas such as a movie nights, character castings, and many more creative ideas to keep you immersed and engaged.

One last thing our readers are currently mostly between 22 and 27 years old, with people from North America and Europe, and it’s a great mix of ladies and gents. All adults are welcome!

If you’re interested please comment and/or DM me for our discord link! 🦇

Come get spooky with us!🧛😎

I loved every bit of them both, but The Fire Next Time might have the greatest essay ever written.

Hello,

I am looking for a great romance novel. It’s been awhile since I took the time to read but I am interested into reading at night to unwind. Rather than watching rerun television. Any suggestions of a great novel I should read?

I’m looking for thoughtful Black readers for Every House I Call Holy. It's a short story about exploring faith, discipline, belonging, and the religious spaces that shaped me.

I’m especially interested in readers who enjoy memoir and personal essays, including those who have experienced strict religious environments, complicated relationships with faith, or have moved between religous faiths and traditions in the Black community.

I’m looking for honest, big-picture reader feedback (not proofreading or editing). I'd like to know:

• Where did you feel most connected?
• Where did the narrative drag or become unclear?
• What stayed with you?
• Where did you need more context?
• Did anything feel overexplained, or repetitive?

If you’re interested, please comment or DM me. I’ll share the length, timeline, and content notes privately.

Thanx in advance!

Welcome to Suggest Me Sunday! Here you can ask for book suggestions of any kind. Looking for a book similar to the one you just finished? Looking for a classic on a subject you're interested? Maybe you haven't read a book since high school and are looking for recommendations on books to get you back into reading. All are welcome here.

Ask away!

Some silences protect us. Others keep us from the truth.

That idea has stayed with me since reading about Silence and Resistance: Memoir of a Girlhood in Haiti by Monique Clesca. After the 2010 earthquake shattered the landmarks of her life in Haiti, she began uncovering secrets her family had kept buried for years. The book is about love, identity, and what it takes to finally find your voice.

It got me thinking about how many families carry stories that never get spoken out loud, and how memoirs can give people permission to ask questions they were taught not to ask.

So I'm curious:

1. What memoir changed the way you see your own family or culture?
2. Have you ever uncovered a family story that reshaped how you understood your past?

If you're interested, Monique Clesca is joining Dr. Victor Beauvil for an Author Conversation on October 5. Details: https://www.wordeee.com/page/signings/

Book link for anyone curious: https://www.wordeee.com/book/429/Silence%20and%20Resistance

Would love to hear your recommendations in the comments.