Ya know, I probably could do more posts, but I promised myself that I wouldn’t pressure myself to create stuff if not sufficiently moved. So there you have it. Thanks for not judging me!

Reading continues! This summer’s reading list has been fairly Black and gay, which is no small task. Today’s post features two recent releases by Black gay authors, Michael Donkor and George M. Johnson.

I briefly mentioned Donkor’s novel Housegirl in a previous post. The story takes place between Kumasi (Ghana’s second largest city) and London, told through the eyes of a 17 year old housegirl who is sent to befriend and “straighten out” the daughter of her ma’am’s friend.

Donkor sprinkled in Twi, a Ghanaian mother tongue, with no explanation in the glossary. He leaves it to the reader to figure out the word based on the context. That’s kinda cool, kinda daring. Good overall read.

Drawn to the book by its glorious cover, I thought All Boys Aren’t Blue was going to have a different spirit and tone that it did, but it was still a compelling read. Not to mention that this “memoir-manifesto” highlighted experiences that resonated deeply for me–a cherished relationship with a grandmother, a love of track and field, and pledging Alpha Phi Alpha. Plus the whole Black queer thing! Good young adult fiction, especially for Generation Z.

(As a bonus, check out the artwork of ABAB cover artist Charly Palmer!)