Wow! So many books read in July! We had some fantasy, poetry, rom-coms and YA book! Let’s talk about what you read! Have you read any of these books? #booksky #Blackbooksky #bluesky

🎧|4✨ This book was less of a “who done it” and more of a “who knows” psychological thriller! This couple has done something REALLY BAD, and someone knows and is ready to tell. The question is, who is this someone? Excellent audiobook narration! #booksky #bluesky

4.25✨ When Forty Blooms was the most perfect rom-com! Simone is 40, recently divorced, to co-parent a teenage son with her ex, run a business & wanting to experience all life has for her. But, is she moving forward or is the past calling to her. 🎧|🌶️🌶️🌶️/5 #blackbooksky #📚💙

2.75✨ Sanctuary was a spicy novella that moved at a very fast pace. Unfortunately, there was so much story packed into so few pages that I never really connected with the characters or the plot, but that could simply come down to personal preference. Version: 🎧 Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5 #blackbooksky #💙📚

🎧|4.5✨ A beautiful story about two children who form a deep and unforgettable friendship. Nearly 50 years later, it’s still powerful. Today's children are missing stories that don't shy away from difficult emotions but instead help young readers understand and navigate them with compassion. #📚💙

🎧|5✨An amazing poet, author and human being and this book of poetry gives nothing less than amazing! She talk about justice, growth and her disdain for the current person in the highest US office (which I completely agree with). She also loved the art of Tupac! #blackbooksky #📚💙

5✨ 🎧 Between the World and Me is a powerful, beautifully written letter from Ta-Nehisi Coates to his son exploring racism in America through personal experience and history. Thought-provoking, moving, and essential reading for understanding America's past and present. #blackbooksky #booksky

🎧4.75✨ A beautiful second-chance romance. I loved the childhood friends-to-lovers foundation, especially because it’s not just a love story, it’s one where life, timing, and everything else keep pushing them apart. Character development was great! Great book! Spice: 🌶️🌶️.5/5 #📚💙 #blackbooksky

2.75✨🎧 Yesteryear had a fun premise, a trad-wife influencer forced to live real frontier life, but it never delivered. The satire lacked humor and depth, major topics were only surface-level, & I couldn't suspend my disbelief. I finished it, but that's about the nicest thing I can say. #booksky

4✨ The Summer Girlfriend is a sweet summer romance with the fake dating trope done right! Noelle agrees to pose as Jeremiah's girlfriend for his family, and the chemistry is undeniable. Predictable? Yes. Adorable? Absolutely. A warm, feel-good read. 🎧 Audiobook | 🌶️/5 #blackbooksky #💙📚

4.5✨ A washed-up Black country artist gets one last shot at redemption while confronting his past. More than a romance, it's a powerful look at the barriers Black country artists face. Fans of Cowboy Carter - it’s for you. 🎧| 🌶️🌶️/5 #💙📚 #Blackbooksky

5✨ Baldwin is one of my favorite nonfiction writers, so I was thrilled to discover this fiction gem. It follows a man engaged to be married who falls into a passionate relationship with Giovanni. The exploration of love, identity & impossible choices is unforgettable. #blackbooksky #💙📚

3.75✨ Sasha meets a "too good to be true" man on a flight, but they never exchange names. She enlists a former PI to help, & sparks fly. I saw where the story was headed early, but it's a cute read-perfect for a plane ride. Just get your seatmate's name first. 😉 🎧 | Spice: 🌶️🌶️.5/5 #blackbooksky #📚💙

5✨ TJ Klune does it again! A week later, I’m still thinking about this book. Don & Rodney set off across the U.S. as the world nears its end, searching for something unknown until a heartbreaking final reveal. Funny, emotional, shocking, and unforgettable. Phenomenal! 🎧 🌶️.5/5 #booksky

5✨|🎧Not the political history of Juneteenth I expected. It felt more like sitting on the porch with grandma, hearing stories, wisdom, and life lessons. She shares her faith, perseverance, & journey to make Juneteenth a holiday. A bit preachy, but full of heartfelt advice. #blackbooksky #booksky

3.5✨ Beach Thriller An author returns to her hometown to overcome a writing slump, but old memories, a runaway, and a lurking threat pull her into something much darker. Very Slow start, but once the story found its footing 👍🏾. 🎧|🌪️🌪️🌪️/5 Thanks to NetGalley for ALC. #booksky

4.75⭐️ Rebel King picks up right after the cliffhanger and never slows down. Emotional, intense, and packed with high-stakes political drama. The romance is still powerful, but the focus on power and influence makes this one shine. It may even surpass book one. 🎧 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5 #booksky #blackbooksky

3✨ Made it about 75% through due to missing chapters, but I don't think the ending would have changed my opinion. Good narrators, but felt rushed and scattered. The multiple POVs made it hard to connect with the characters, & the frequent group texts became distracting. ARC 🎧 Spice: 🌶️🌶️/5 #booksky

3.75✨ A solid read! I loved seeing a Black cowboy MC in a romance, a fresh perspective that kept me engaged. Pacing worked well, but the ending felt rushed & some side plots needed more depth. Still, the characters and romance made it an enjoyable read. 🎧 |🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5 #booksky #Blackbooksky

5✨ Score by Kennedy Ryan wrecked me. Verity (screenwriter) & Monk (musician) work on a film about Deesi Blue from the Harlem Renaissance, blending past & present. Emotional, raw story of love, trust, pain, mental health & healing. I learned so much. 🎧 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5 #booksky #blackbooksky

4.25✨ Loving this series by Questlove & S.A. Cosby! Time for a Change is action-packed, emotional, and full of twists as Rahim & Kasia travel through time to save the world. A little confusing at times with all the timelines, but that cliffhanger has me ready for book 3 ASAP! 🎧 #blackbooksky 📚💙

4.5✨ Kennedy Ryan delivers again with Maxim & Lennix: a sweeping romance layered with heartbreak, activism, and Indigenous issues, including missing Indigenous women and land rights. Emotional, eye-opening, and that cliffhanger? Absolutely brutal! 🎧| Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5 #booksky #Blackbooksky

Fantasy isn’t really my genre, so I don’t feel it’s fair to rate it, but I appreciated what the author was trying to do. We follow fallen hero Flynn as he pieces together his past with the help of new friends. Fantasy fans will find this an easy read. I’m interested to see how the author grows. 📚💙

3.5✨ The book focuses more on Yolande’s relationship with jazz musician Jimmy Lunceford than her wedding to Countee Cullen. The love story was compelling, but the pacing dragged and it felt overly detailed. Thanks NetGalley for the ALC. #booksky #Blackbooksky

3.75✨ Aaron & Paige’s marriage is struggling & he turns to colleague Cara until she vanishes after the affair is exposed, making him the main suspect. Super twisty with constant reveals that kept me hooked, though a bit confusing at times. Still a wild ride! 📚💙 #Blackbooksky #booksky

4.5✨ Medusa at 17, a mortal among immortal sisters, is chosen by Athena to be a priestess; we follow her path into the “monster”. Slow burn (dragged at times) with a rushed end, still hooked. YA with familiar figures + heavy themes (check TW). 🎧 Spice: .5🌶️/5 #💙📚 #blackbooksky

4✨ Tiffany Cross shares her unjust MSNBC firing, experience as a Black woman in media, and a post-career relationship, weaving in stats on systemic disparities and uplifting & supportive notes to Black women. 🎧 ALC via NetGalley & Hachette Audio. Opinions my own. #booksky #Blackbooksky

5✨ A masterpiece. Vernice & Annie, two motherless friends, grow up together then take separate but connected paths. Annie searches for her mother, Vernice heads to Spelman. Heartbreak, love, and deep friendship set against the Civil Rights Movement. I wanted one more chapter. 🎧 #Blackbooksky #📚💙

3.75✨ On Rotation blends hospital life with romance. Angie starts rotations, meets Ricky, who’s taken. Is he her person? Too much miscommunication for me, but strong insight into med training + racism in healthcare. 🎧 Spice: 🌶️/5 #booksky #blackbooksky #Bluesky

5✨ I’m not sure that I can share words that will do justice to the work of Dr. Angelou. She is the most prolific poet of our time. Read this book. Actually, listen to the audiobook because she reads it. While you are at it, read her other books as well. You won’t regret it. #booksky #Blackbooksky