![]() I’m such a HP fan, that is HARRY POTTER fan! So, I’ve committed to rereading all of the Harry Potter books in 2020. Whenever I complete them all, I’ll visit the theme park in Florida (if this virus passes 🤞). Until then, I’ll start a little “What Am I Reading?” HP edition for updates on my progress. Therefore, y’all may get more than one book review at a time throughout the year. “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” is book one to J.K. Rowling’s series. I finished it back in January but had to make sure I wrote one of these for it since that’s kind of my thing now. “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” is an exciting read. If you are looking for something fast-paced but ever-changing throughout, go read “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.” The book follows a young boy named Harry Potter who experiences a major life change when a giant wizard takes him to an enchanted world of adventures. As he leaves behind his previous life with his nonmagical relatives, he becomes one of the greatest wizards in his new life. Some of the more prominent themes in this book are friendship, loyalty, integrity, self-assurance, growth and life lessons. I really want to dig deep but I hate a spoiler so I try to be as brief as I can be in my reviews. What I will say is I know I am a SUPER fan of this series for many reasons but one specific one is the relatable characters and the feeling of anything being possible in the real world. The turn of events in the Harry Potter series, I feel, is unmatched by any other book series I’ve read. If you’ve never read this series, check out an electronic copy through Nashville Public Library (www.library.nashville.org). Quarantine and HP, tonight! You won’t regret it! Until next time, go read! ☮️ + ☀️ Remember “What Am I Reading?” is devoted to literacy awareness. Encourage others to read. The world depends on it! Share what you’re reading with me in the comments below or tag me in your current reads on my socials @UrbanThreads615 everywhere. Let’s finish 2019 strong by reading. *If you need help learning to read, visit Nashville Adult Literacy Council (NALC) (http://nashvilleliteracy.org). They love teaching literacy. For more information, visit their homepage or office at Nashville Adult Literacy Council (http://nashvilleliteracy.org).*
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How are y’all holding up during this quarantine? I hope you’re taking this moment in time to do all of the things you say you never have time for during your regular week flow. I’ve been gardening, making videos, exercising and, you guessed it right, READING! I’ve been making my way through my new book purchases and some oldies I’ve had in my storage bins full of books. Just so you know, I will keep making these after every read this year because people are still recommending books to be and asking me, “What are you reading?” when I’m in public. I hope that you’ve been reading more, even if it’s about ‘ole corona in news articles. Practice safe distancing!
So today, I’m talking about a book I just finished two days ago called, “Coffee Will Make You Black” by April Sinclair. I picked this one up in February, didn’t start reading it until March. Being in-between jobs at the time that I checked it out, I had to postpone reading this one an entire month. Honestly, there’s a reason you age out of some books! This is one of those adult books. How did I end up with this one? I stumbled upon “Coffee Will Make You Black” in Inglewood Library while returning a checkout item. I didn’t plan on checking anything out that day but I ended up walking over to their wall of “Black History” picks. The title was catchy enough for me to pick it up BUT it was a huge disappointment. I would not recommend this book unless you are in middle school. Set in the late 50s to late 60s, I would say it is a great way for middle school aged students to learn about Black History moments back then. It will give those students a sense of what it was like for black entrepreneurs during the riots and everyday blacks attending school given the strained race relations with whites whom sometimes served as nurses and teachers at predominately black schools. Also, it offers great contrast about how the North offered a different, yet still limited, experience for blacks in American then. Even with all of those factors, I still did not like the book. I felt like I was reading something I would have appreciated a bit more ten years ago, maybe. I was reading Tolstoy and Walter Dean Myers back then so… Never one to lead with criticism only, there were some simple quotes I pulled from “Coffee Will Make You Black” that you may find some use in, as well. Favorite Quotes “Growing up reminded me a little bit of Hide and Go Seek. When it was your time to grow up, Nature said, ‘Here I come, ready or not.’ And Nature could always find you” (Sinclair 51). “We have an old Jamaican saying, ‘Every tub must sit upon its own bottom,’ Jean. You can’t go through life following behind other people; you have to have a mind of your own” (Sinclair 57). “‘I sho hope that Dr. King was right, chile.’ ‘What do you mean, Grandma?’ ‘He said he might not get there with us. But we as a people will get to the Promised Land.’” (Sinclair 145). “My yoga teacher says praying is talking to God but meditation is listening to God” (Sinclair 242). “She said some dude asked Michelangelo how he knew how to sculpt David…He just chipped away at everything that wasn’t David” (Sinclair 242). Until next time, go read! ☮️ + ☀️ Remember “What Am I Reading?” is devoted to literacy awareness. Encourage others to read. The world depends on it! Share what you’re reading with me in the comments below or tag me in your current reads on my socials @UrbanThreads615 everywhere. *If you need help learning to read, visit Nashville Adult Literacy Council (NALC) (http://nashvilleliteracy.org). They love teaching literacy. For more information, visit their homepage or office at Nashville Adult Literacy Council (http://nashvilleliteracy.org).*
YES, I still read young adult fiction at 25! I know some people may find that lame, but honestly, I’ll read anything published. During my teens, authors Dana Davidson, Sharon M. Draper and Walter Dean Myers got me through. Recently, I’ve added the following young adult authors to my list of favorites: Angie Thomas, Elizabeth Acevedo, Jason Reynolds, Kwame Alexander and Tiffany Jackson. Last year, I had the pleasure of meeting a few of them at Maplewood High School’s Project LIT Summit.
You should note that I don’t judge books by their covers. I rely on titles. However, this next one threw me for a loop when its title didn’t give me what I expected, and not in a bad way, either. I thought it was going to be a high school drama type of book. Oh boy, was I WRONG! In “With the Fire On High” by Elizabeth Acevedo, the main character is Emoni Santiago, a bi-racial, teenaged mother who has a passion for cooking. She takes old family recipes and puts her own spin on them. When eaten, her dishes transport people to their fondest memories. Mind you, she’s only a high school senior “burning” like so! It isn’t until her high school offers a culinary course when Santiago is granted an opportunity to travel abroad and study under professional chefs. After years of conditioning her mind to what is practical versus allowing herself to dream, she undergoes mentality shifts in order to pursue her aspiration of becoming a chef. It is not an easy task for her but she manages to resume her confidence in her capabilities and goes for it. The second she chooses to invest in herself by taking the culinary course and traveling abroad, her life changes for the better. It feels good to be reminded to keep dreaming. Sometimes, all it takes is for one thing to work out in your favor. That one thing can be an opportunity you planned to pass up out of doubt. We’ve all been there in our minds before, prioritizing bills and survival over dream chasing. But at some point, if what you want is out of reach, you have to sow seeds to manifest your dream into a reality. No matter your age, this book will renew the right spirit within you of trusting and believing in a higher plan and purpose over your life. If for no other reason, I still love reading young adult fiction for the simplicity that still exists in explaining the most complex issues life affords us in adulthood that we can no longer explain in simple terms. I’d suggest you break from the heavy autobiographies and pickup this one for laughs and simple one-liners you can still use to date. Below are my favorite lines from the book: Quotes from the Book “You’re the author of your own life story” (Acevedo 18). “And sometimes focusing on what you can control is the only way to lessen the pang in your chest when you think about the things you can’t” (Acevedo 28). “The world is a turntable that never stops spinning; as humans we merely chooses the tracks we want to sit out and the ones that inspire us to dance” (Acevedo 60). “I don’t reduce, homies. The whole of me is Black. The whole of me is whole” (Acevedo 70). “Where we come from leaves its fingerprints all over us, and if you know how to read the signs of a place, you know a little bit more who someone is” (Acevedo 87). “I look out the window at the clouds parting in the same way my bad mood is, sunlight peeking through both, and I know for a fact there’s more than one kind of magic in this world” (Acevedo 236). “I don’t know what I am going to be, or who I am not; my own desires are thickly layered like the food on my plate, but I know that one day soon I’ll be a grown-ass woman. So, I let myself enjoy the meal, the moment and my own company” (Acevedo 274). “We look beautiful and hood and excited to see the world, and none of us are hiding from this world seeing us. All of us shining despite what it took us to earn our way here” (Acevedo 278). “And I tell myself the same thing: forward is the only direction to go in, turning back around is for the birds” (Acevedo 372). “It’s infused with the people I come from. But it’s also a way for me to look forward: to watch the recipes that from my roots transform, grow, and feed the hungriest places inside of me” (Acevedo 382). “And like a map I’ve been following without knowing the exact destination, I know now I’ve been equipping myself with tools from the journey to help me survive when I arrive” (Acevedo 382). Until next time, go read! ☮️ + ☀️ Remember “What Am I Reading?” is devoted to literacy awareness. Encourage others to read. The world depends on it! Share what you’re reading with me in the comments below or tag me in your current reads on my socials @UrbanThreads615 everywhere. Let’s finish 2019 strong by reading. *If you need help learning to read, visit Nashville Adult Literacy Council (NALC). They love teaching literacy. For more information, visit their homepage or office at Nashville Adult Literacy Council.*
Since my rule is I’ll write a book review to each book I complete this year, it’s taking me longer than usual to complete them. Lately, I’ve been reading more articles than books. I’m making sure that changes this fall. 70 degrees and sunshine calls for an occasional date with a hammock and book! Who agrees?
This next one is from a man I enjoyed seeing on the “Close Up” stage during the 2019 Country Music Association (CMA) Festival. I’m talking about the CEO of Franklin Entertainment, an award-winning producer, a preacher, motivator, soul mate of the acting goddess Megan Good and best-selling author Devon Franklin. *No, this is not a review of his latest, “The Truth About Me.” I plan to read that one soon, though.* This review goes to one of his earlier publications titled “The Success Commandments: Master the Ten Spiritual Principles to Achieve Your Destiny.” First off let me start by talking about the riveting introduction he gives in his book. It is an entire word, y’all. I reread it! So much of his introduction feels very personal to me. I related to his burning desire to be something bigger than his circumstance or himself. When that type of feeling hits you, it is unexplainable. He opens by sharing his personal experience with spiritual validation from God as it pertained to starting his company, Franklin Entertainment, when he did. He talks about the employment battle all creatives face when they are striving to be the best creative they can be but compromising for financial stability in an unrelated, full-time job. It’s hard for creatives to part from steady cash flow in exchange for freelance work that is solely dependent on others’ investment in their artistry. Give this a like if you are a creative that knows the grind is real! Secondly, Franklin talks about creatives that never leave their jobs or environment out of fear. Because of this, Franklin encourages leaving financial security. He believes personal fulfillment is required to live your calling. I couldn’t agree more. No monetary gain is more important than self-satisfaction. But we all need money, so where’s the compromise expected? When do we stay? When do we leave? How do we know when is the right time to pursue our interest? Franklin has the breakdown on all of this in “The Success Commandments: Master the Ten Spiritual Principles to Achieve Your Destiny.” Without giving too much away, I've highlighted my favorite parts of the book. Highlights from the Book
“The Success Commandments: Master the Ten Spiritual Principles to Achieve Your Destiny” was my first Devon Franklin read but it WILL NOT be my last. This book has moved in a way no other book has. At this point in my life, I’m looking for the “real” in everything so I couldn’t have read this at a better time. It was encouraging, uplifting, inspiring and so much more than I thought I’d get in an Amazon purchase. I highly recommend this book as it now holds a special place in my bookworm heart! Until next time, go read! ☮️ + ☀️ Remember “What Am I Reading?” is devoted to literacy awareness. Encourage others to read. The world depends on it! Share what you’re reading with me in the comments below or tag me in your reading posts on my socials @UrbanThreads615 everywhere. Let’s finish 2019 strong by reading. *If you need help learning to read, visit Nashville Adult Literacy Council (NALC). They love teaching literacy. For more information, visit their homepage or office at Nashville Adult Literacy Council.*
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Tranyce BryantCreator of everything you see on here. Archives
April 2020
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