Guess what?! It’s been one year!

I’m one year old! It’s been a great first year here at Brown Books & Green Tea. Lately, things have been rather quiet while I get used to my new work schedule. For those of you who don’t know, I actually started this blog in the midst of unemployment, as a way to keep myself sharp during my job hunt. One year later, and my life seems to have done a complete 180. I’m employed at a job I love (so far), I’m in a fantastic apartment, and there are so many other things on the horizon. It’s great! Moving forward,…

What got me thinking in July

It’s been a while since I’ve done one of these posts, which is a shame. I love keeping everyone abreast of the things that I’ve been reading around the web, because it gives you a bit of insight into the person I am outside of my book reviewing.  I’m starting with this because July 10th was Bahamian Independence Day, meaning big celebrations in my house. However, the link isn’t about our Independence Day– instead, it’s about the travel warning that urges young male citizens to “exercise extreme caution” around American police. If nothing else, that article sets the tone for the…

#Diversebookbloggers Feature #4: Read Diverse Books

This week, I’m so excited to feature another of my favorite bloggers out there– Nazahet from Read Diverse Books! For those who don’t know, he was a pivotal part of the Diverse Book Bloggers hashtag, so I knew I had to speak with him sooner rather than later. Enjoy! Tell us about yourself/your blog! Do you have a specific focus? Hello! My name is Nazahet Hernandez, but you can call me Naz. I’m a 20-something Latino living in Texas. Being Mexican-born but raised in the U.S. has given me a complicated dual identity that is often not represented in any media…

Modern Romance: Exhibit A in why I hope I’m never single again

The title of this review is exactly how I felt about this book as a whole– dear God, I hope my current relationship is forever. Mainly because I need his wages to cover the cable bill, but also because I’m not sure I’d fit in today’s text-heavy dating scene. A primer on contemporary dating trends, Modern Romance is filled to the brim with actual data. Popular dating site Match allowed their research team (headed by co-author Eric Klinenberg of New York University) access to their data, providing a trove of information to bolster their online dating theories. Additionally, there were multigenerational…

#Diversebookbloggers Feature

Time for another feature here on Brown Books and Green Tea! Remember, we’re here every first and third Tuesday, so check in if you’re interested in discovering some great new bloggers! This week, meet Amber, who is the blogger over at YA Indulgences. Tell us about yourself/your blog, YA Indulgences! Why have you chosen to focus on Young Adult literature? Hi! I’m so happy to be featured this week. I created my blog almost two years ago. I thought about starting a book blog for a couple years, let the idea go, then discovered “BookTube,” where people discuss books on Youtube. Finally,…

Something new: blogger features!

  After the #diversebookbloggers conversation on Twitter, I wanted to take the time to spotlight some of the fantastic bloggers who also are a part of the effort to diversify book blogging! I’ve gotten a ton of support so far, and have decided to spotlight Bina, the fantastic mind behind If You Can Read This. 1) Tell us about yourself/your blog! If you focus on a certain type of lit, let us know why! Over the last 8 years or so, I’ve been on quite a journey from reading and blogging mostly about escapist mysteries to radical anti-racist texts and…

#DiverseBookBloggers, and why we’re necessary

Last Thursday, multicultural, LGBTQIA+ and differently abled bloggers converged for an epic discussion on the state of diversity in book blogging. Started by Nazahet (the blogger behind @_diversereads) and others, the #diversebookbloggers chat sought to unify book bloggers internationally. Unexpectedly, the turnout was great, with people checking in from Singapore, Germany, Australia, and other corners of the world. With questions like “What can diverse book bloggers contribute to the book blogging community that other’s can’t?” bloggers were able to get to the heart of representation issues in the blogging community, and how this has larger ramifications on the industry at…

Finding diversity on Audible

I’m extremely new to audiobooks, with my only prior experience being the short stories listed in my “Audio Gems in The New Yorker” post from last month. That said, I was interested to explore something new, and got a discounted subscription to Audible on Livingsocial. My first (very successful) listen was The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, but I knew that for my next one, I’d want it to pick something both more recent and more in line for a blog dedicated to diverse lit. I’m reading A Little Life right now, which is extremely interesting, and will no doubt…

Warsan Shire: Beyond Lemonade

I have my mother’s mouth and my father’s eyes; on my face they are still together. Warsan Shire, Teaching My Mother How to Give Birth Beyoncé’s Lemonade release has left a wealth of conversation in its wake: conversations about black womanhood, spousal infidelity, Beyoncé’s involvement in Black Lives Matter.  The music was great, as was the Daughters of the Dusk- esque imagery, punctuated by some of the most significant black women of the moment. Everything, down to the costuming and makeup, seemed to have meaning. 

Instead of reading, I watched Confirmation. It was worth it.

I’ve been a little bit slow with books this week. I’ve finished Baldwin’s The Fire Next Time, but still haven’t finished The Association of Small Bombs. I was set to do so tonight, but there’s a good reason why I haven’t. Confirmation. For those unaware, Anita Hill was a law professor who accused then Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment in the workplace. The film, starring Kerry Washington, dissects the case from beginning to end, providing details that were unknown to many. The film is more unbiased than this post will be, humanizing Thomas while still leaving his character stoic…