BLM, Pride month TBR & some thoughts.

Hello friends,

Before I start, I want to talk a bit about the black lives matter protests currently going on in the United States in wake of the murder of George Floyd. It is easy to ignore a movement going on in another part of the world just because you think it does not affect you. But that is not true. Oppression, systematic discrimination, police brutality etc exists everywhere. It does in my country and it does in yours. If it is not racism, it is casteism. If it is not casteism it is Islamophobia. My point is that the context might be different but we are all fighting for a change that is desperately needed. The least we can do is show solidarity, contribute and educate ourselves. Having said that, I’m glad to see so many of my American friends using their voice and platform to speak against racism and encouraging others to join the protests and donate for the cause. I’d like to draw attention to some posts made by people from my book blog community. I highly appreciate their effort and I encourage you to check it out.

1. Black lives matter by Jade M. Wong.
2. 15 books by black authors releasing in June 2020 by Fanna
3. Selling art online to support black lives matter by Carly books
4. A letter to white people who are scared to speak up about racism by Nikki

Pride Month TBR  + Some other books 💛

1. The song of Achilles by Madeline Miller : So fun story, I recently finished reading the Iliad. I gave it 3/5 stars. Although the last 4-5 books were the parts I enjoyed a lot, it felt flat and boring in some places, but I guess that’s an irrelevant criticism considering that the text is from 8th century BC. I’m not a huge fan of Achilles but I’m really excited to see how the author handles his character in this retelling. I’ve heard nothing but good things about it as well. I’m also aware that this might emotionally wreck me (I mean, I can guess how this ends) Ah, bring it on.
2. Call me by your name by Andre Aciman : No, I have not watched the movie either. People often comment that the writing in this is really beautiful, and I am a sucker for good prose. So I wanted to read the book first and that is definitely happening this month. Let me know your thoughts on this one!
3. The Henna Wars by Adiba Jaigirdar : This is a 2020 release and people have been raving about it all over twitter and goodreads. And what’s not to rave about? f/f romance between two brown girls? This sounds hella cute and my desi heart is very happy. I have really high expectations. But I’m 97 percent sure I’m going to love it. Cannot wait to pick it up.
4. The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo : I’m not a great fan of slam poetry but I am a fan of important stories. And this sounds like one. It talks about religion, feminism and the challenges faced by a young girl in Harlem. It sounds great. I’m probably picking this up for my next read.
5. Dear Martin by Nic Stone : Dear Martin sounds like the kind of book everyone should be picking up, especially right now. It deals with racism and police brutality and I’ve heard it being described as a must read numerous times. This book is written in a letter format as well. I usually dont like that but I’m really curious to see how it is done in this one.
6. So you want to talk about race by Ijeoma Olou : I don’t think I need to explain why is this on my TBR. I, like many of us, am guilty of not educating myself enough on this. I’m hoping to correct that and this book sounds like a great start. It was recommended uncountable times. Of course I’d love more non-fiction recs, so let me know your favorites.

Some thoughts  💛

May was not a greatest month. I didn’t blog, read very little and was mostly annoyed at the whole world. I even did a social media detox for two-three weeks. So there is that. Lockdown is easing off in my country now but the cases are only increasing day by day. We have approx 8,000 new cases everyday. I think the world is at a really low point right now. And I hope that in these tough times books are bringing you the greatest of comfort.

Please feel free to share your Pride month tbr (if you’ve made one) I’d love to go through your picks. Also do link below posts about the BLM movement if you’ve written any. Take care of your mental health and have a great month ahead.