It’s been a few weeks since I sent my last newsletter on my Portugal recommendations, and I think that stems from being a social butterfly for much of August. While I’m always kind of a social butterfly, I was outside dilly-dallying quite a bit in August, and when I wasn’t, I was… overthinking. While I am always working on my overthinking, sometimes my mind and my thoughts get in my way.
I wrote a whole newsletter about how one of the themes in Tolani Akinola’s debut novel, Leave Your Mess at Home, made me think of a theme in Rapsody’s new album, God Gotta Afro & Gold Hoops, which I love, by the way, and also some of the other books that live within the album. It was a good newsletter, but I overthought it and never sent it (but please read the book and listen to the album).
I say all this to say: if you suffer from overthinking or being a perfectionist like me, take a chill pill and just do the things. While this sounds like a public service announcement or something, I’m serious; just be like Nike and do it (this was corny, but it’s always my go-to).
Anyway, for this week’s newsletter, I wanted to share a few of the things from the month of August that I loved, and a few things I’m looking forward to in the month of September.
Let’s start with August loves:
📚 Leave Your Mess at Home by Tolani Akinola
I loved this book so much. If you’ve been reading this newsletter for a while, you know that as of June, I was attempting to not buy any new books and instead make my way through my library of owned books. Well, I say it in the past tense because I kind of failed, but in the words of my dad, “If that’s your only vice, you’re doing good,” so there’s that. However, among the books I own, one I purchased was Leave Your Mess at Home. Inspired by my friends who were reading, and by Bosola Olabisi’s review, I read the book and loved it.
The book follows four siblings: Ola, Sola, Anjola, and Karen, and the messiness of both their family life and their individual relationships. Sola comes home to Chicago for the first time in ten years to rebuild her life after a public breakup (she’s an influencer). Her return pulls her three siblings into orbit, too. Anjola is in love with her best friend who just got engaged. Karen, the youngest, is figuring out her sexuality and learning who she is. Ola, the older brother, looks to have everything together but with a baby on the way, he’s questioning everything from his marriage to how to raise a Black son in this country.
The family comes together on Thanksgiving and all the secrets the family have been hiding, comes to the surface. This is when the real story happens, and what comes next is a story of grief, forgiveness, resentment, and the slow work of finding your way back to the people you love.
📚 Dèy by Edwidge Danticat
This was such a good book, and at this point, anything Edwidge writes I will read. The book follows Magnolia, who is a Haitian American real estate agent based in Miami who survives a mall shooting by hiding in a restaurant with strangers. When she goes home, she doesn’t tell anyone about what happened but she can’t unsee what she witnessed that day. The book explores her relationship with her daughter, the relationship with her partner, and asks the question is home where you’re born or where you die? And does love actually protect us or just make the stakes higher.
🎧 Rapsody’s new album God Gotta Afro & Gold Hoops
Rapsody is one of my favorite artists, and this album speaks to exactly why. She never, ever, ever lets me down. In an interview with The Breakfast Club, Rapsody shared that she wrote the album like a book that got banned and was found again generations later by someone who needed it.
There are many songs I love on the album, including the title track, of course, “Free Yo’ Mind,” “No Way Never Break,” “OMG! (Love to Sun Ra),” Black Love,” featuring Malice, “Black is Beautiful,”“You! (DJ Whoo Kid Joint) and “Pretty Bird/Way U R.” I must say, listening to this album, I like the way it makes me feel. Powerful. Black and proud. Please listen to it and let me know your thoughts.
Also listen to her new interview on the Dissect podcast. I enjoyed hearing her talk more about the album and highlight some of the influences throughout it.
When I wrote about my anticipation for this album, I knew in my heart it would be good, and I’m happy to say it delivered. This album is a fun listen and will make you dance from the very beginning. My favorite songs on the album are “Natural,” “Reflection,” “Come Back To Me,” and “Romeo II (ft. Bas).” Please listen to it and let me know your thoughts. I’m also very excited to go see them on our tour.
🎧 Alabama Shakes’ new album is I Must Be Dreaming
One of my most anticipated albums of the summer, along with Rapsody’s, was also Alabama Shakes album. It’s been 11 years since they released an album together, and while I love Brittany Howard’s solo music, I enjoy hearing her with bandmates Heath Fogg and Zac Cockrell. I will say, this is a good listen, but I will say I agree with some of the commentary I’ve seen online about the album. Feedback has been that the album is good and pleasant, but somewhat lackluster after such a long hiatus, so I’d give it a 7.5/10, which is still pretty high, I think. With that, my favorite songs on the album are “I Feel Hope Coming,” which I LOVE, “Friends,” “Easy,” “How Love’s Supposed To Go,” and “Another Time.”
Brittany was on the Wild Card podcast with Rachel Martin, and I loved the conversation. Truthfully, I would love to be friends with her and just vibe out with her.
Looking forward to September:
Here’s a list of a few of the things I’m looking forward to. Two have already been released since I’m sending this once the month has already started.
📚 The Disappearers by Marlon James (Out now)
I really wanted to read this book, and I must say I was dedicated to reading it. I went to three bookstores to find this book, and ended up finding it at a cute and quaint indie bookstore near me. Critics are saying that this is the book of the decade. I started reading the book on Friday and know that it will take me a little bit of time to get through it, but so far, I’m enjoying the writing. I’m both listening and reading in print doing Spotify’s Page Match. Here’s a quick synopsis of the book:
In 1988, eight men in Kingston, Jamaica, begin rehearsals for a play. Though strangers to one another, they share an inescapable truth: All of them are gay. And they live in a world that refuses to accept them. One night the men are savagely beaten, and one of them is killed. As their bodies heal, the survivors begin to face the hatred and contempt that the violence laid bare. Some try to ignore what happened. Others double down on retribution. Some disappear completely. In this spellbinding novel, Marlon James has written a propulsive crime story that is also a deeply human account of connection and acceptance. Full of fascinating characters, biting humor, and unapologetic sex, The Disappearers is both a thrilling page-turner and a finely etched portrait of queer life.
📚 Desperate Bodies by Lydia Mathis (Out 9/15)
Well, I have read this book already, and it gave me so many emotions, including pissing me off, making me laugh, and making me want to cry. This book is a collection of short stories that explore the everyday lives of Black women and girls. Here is a synopsis of the book:
Desperate Bodies depicts the fragility, strength, and unruliness of Black women and girls’ bodies and the power in being honest about their desires. In unflinching prose, Mathis takes a frank and determined look at what it means to be subjected to imbalances of power through the perspectives of young girls and adult women. With surprising turns and a touch of the supernatural, these stories refuse to look away from the most honest, raw moments of womanhood.
The book is said to be for readers of Deesha Philyaw, which leads into the next book….
📚 The True Confessions of First Lady Freeman by Deesha Philyaw (Out 9/29)
I just finished this book, and honey, let me tell you, you definitely have to read this book. If you’ve read her previous short story collection, The Secret Lives of Church Ladies, you’re going to want to read this. This book is both funny and heartbreaking at the same time. Here’s the synopsis:
From the moment Scharisse Freeman ditched her humble roots and married a megachurch pastor fifteen years her senior, she’s been labeled too brash and too “of the world” by church folks who grudgingly accepted her into their fold, and too holy by her estranged childhood bestie Petra. Schar doesn’t have many allies, but that hasn’t stopped her from building an enviable business empire spanning books to clothing to branded products, and living the comfortable life her husband’s power affords her.
On the eve of her 40th birthday, Schar gets the final bit of validation she’s always dreamt of: a coveted invitation to participate in the First Lady USA pageant. This is her chance to be accepted by the other pastors’ wives—First Ladies—who are “like Jesus’ disciples if they had been a group of mean girls.” Finally, blissfully, the ice between Schar and the other First Ladies begins to thaw. But as the pageant nears, a sensational scandal breaks with Schar at its center, and her carefully curated life implodes. Schar faces down shame and terrible secrets from her childhood and is reminded that in the eyes of the church, optics can matter more than the truth.
Very, very good read.
These are the things I am looking forward to this month, and I think you should add them to your list.
I’ll be back next week with a very good fun conversation.