Tag: literature

• I’m Not Reading Anymore

  …and it’s not because I no longer like books. This week, I found myself wondering if I was morphing into a version of myself that doesn’t enjoy reading as much as I used to. I’ve had the most difficult time sitting still to read this year. Instead, I find myself opting for visual stories—TV, movies,…

  Christine

  October 10, 2023

  Personal

  books, fiction, literature, reading

• Book 2 is Drafted, and I Missed a Deadline (kind of)

  I finished working with my Beta Reader a couple of months ago, and it was such a great experience to have someone who didn’t know me personally or as a writer read my second book and totally get what I was going for. Actually, she found themes I hadn’t noticed or intentionally set. Maybe I…

  Christine

  August 15, 2023

  Book Talk, Update

  Black authors, book 2, books, fiction, literature, short story, short story collection, writing

• Safiya Sinclair: How to Say Babylon

  Can I tell you a secret? I scrolled through all 2,189 posts on Safiya Sinclair’s IG page, seeking a glimpse of the people whose trauma I’d just peered into. Sinclair’s memoir was fantastic. Other adjectives include… Magnificent. Heartbreaking. Terrifying. Pitiful. Enraging. Hopeful. Loving. Honest. Critical. Poetic. The imagery is vivid and the language is musical…

  Christine

  July 18, 2023

  Book Talk

  Black authors, book review, books, How to Say Babylon, literature, reading, Safiya Sinclair

• New Books!

  I went on a “moms walk” the Friday before Mother’s Day with my mom and two of her friends. Basically, a selection of the historic downtown shops were participating in a Mother’s Day giveaway. We, as the participants, had to go to each store on the paper map we were given and get a stamp…

  Christine

  June 27, 2023

  Book Talk

  Black authors, books, Creep, How to Say Babylon, literature, Myriam Gurba, reading, Safiya Sinclair, summer reading

• Tips for a Productive Writing Session and Why I Still Don’t Have a Writing Routine

  I’ve tried. Really, I have. I’ve tried getting up early, staying up late, blocking out a day during the week; but no matter what I try, I cannot maintain a consistent writing routine. But who says I need one? There are a lot of voices in the world telling us what we need to be…

  Christine

  June 20, 2023

  Personal, Projects/Work, Related Things, Writing Journal

  Black authors, Black books, Black writer, books, fiction, literature, Personal, selfpublishing, short story, writing

• Book 2 Update

  Just a note: I’ve decided to try something different with this book, and I’ll let you know what it is later. Update: I am going into self-edits. It feels exciting and also overwhelming. The main story in Book 2 is one I started as a novel with parallel storylines that intersect at the end but…

  Christine

  May 9, 2023

  Projects/Work, Short Stories, Update

  Black authors, Black books, Black stories, Black writers, book 2, books, fiction, literature, short story, writing

• Crying in a Country… or Something Like That

  Y’all! So, I’m reading this book, right? And, while I am interested to find out how the story plays out, I can’t help but think I totally understand why this was only $4 at Books-A-Million. Actually, it was $3.97. Cheapest book I’ve ever purchased from a big book store. First of all, it can be…

  Christine

  May 2, 2023

  Book Talk, Review

  book review, books, literature, reading

• Creating Space for Writing

  I was exhausted after I self-published my first book last year. At the time, I didn’t think it was taking a lot out of me, but there was a lot of other intense things happening in my personal life and all of it just kind of wore me out. I thought I would spend a…

  Christine

  November 30, 2022

  Book Talk, Personal, Writing Journal

  Black authors, Black writers, books, fiction, literature, Personal, reading, selfpublishing, short story, writing, writing break

• Some Books Need to Be Read in Print and Are We Over Newsletters Yet?

  If you look at my reading list, you’ll notice I’ve been “reading” Pleasure Activism for months. I put “reading” in quotes because I stopped actively reading the book months ago (clearly, because it’s the end of October and I haven’t finished it yet). Unlike some other books I have struggled to get through, Pleasure Activism…

  Christine

  October 27, 2022

  Book Talk, Projects/Work

  books, literature, newsletters, Personal, Pleasure Activism, reading, VA, virtual assistant, writing

• Marie Benedict & Victoria Christopher Murray: The Personal Librarian

  First, have you seen a picture of Belle da Costa Greene (Belle Marion Greener)? If not, take a look. Now, I don’t know about you, but I can immediately tell she is a Black woman. When I see pictures of Black people who passed as white in the early 1900s, I am amazed by the…

  Christine

  June 28, 2022

  Book Talk, Review

  book review, books, historical fiction, literature, reading, The Personal Librarian