Hi guys! It's Ana and today I bring a new idea. I will ask other book lovers for a top 5 books they think I have to read and my first guest is the amazing Filipe from the booktube channel Filipe Heath (link), don't forget to visit his channel 😍
I want to share some links where you can help changing the world:
Stream this video to raise money for the BLM movement (don't skip the ads):
Hello everyone. Firstly, thank you so much Ana for inviting me to write in your corner of the internet. I have not written a blog post in English in a couple of years so this is going to be fun considering my journey on the book community started with my blog called Book Wormy Boy back in 2013 (do not try and look it up, I deleted it out of the face of earth).
Ana invited me to write a blog post recommending her five books that I think she will enjoy reading. As always, I will be promoting marginalized authors and books that I think can truly impact our lives as readers. Let us get started!
The first book I am recommending is Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam of the Exonerated Five who became a prison reform activist. This is a YA novel in verse and you will read it in one day for sure because it is truly hard to put it down once you start reading. This book talks about a 16-year-old boy, Amal, who is an artist, and we follow his life until he is wrongfully incarcerated.
Ibi Zoboi said in an interview: “So in that sense, for many people around the world, being here is the American dream. But once we are here and can start to connect the dots that make up the racial injustices in this country, we realize that it can be a nightmare for some. And while there can be individual successes, what do those successes mean when there are constant injustices?”. This sums up the intention behind this story.
Furia by Yamile Saied Méndez is my second recommendation because it is important to read #ownvoices stories. This is a fast-paced novel that focuses essentially on fighting for basic human rights and the exploration of how a teen girl is treated by the people that are supposed to take care of her but in the end, they end up not believing in her power. Camila’s strength and self-love is what made me instantly fall in love with this book and I cant wait to read more by this author. I genuinely think that everyone needs to pick this up especially because the community needs to read more latinx authors.
Be Dazzled by Ryan La Sala is marketed as Project Runway goes to Comic Con in an epic queer love story about creativity, passion, and finding the courage to be your most authentic self. As Ana & everyone online knows, I am not afraid to be myself. I am 22 & very gay and I am extremely proud of that. I had to fight a lot to be where I am today because no one can tell me what I can or cannot do with my life. I genuinely believe that books play a big part in my self-acceptance and self-expression & Be Dazzled is one of them.
Books like these remind that I should never stop being who I truly want to be because only that will bring me true happiness. The writing is exquisite, and you will fall in love with the characters in the first pages. I read this back in January and I still think about it at least once a week, that means it stick with me.
Get A Life Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert is one of the funniest books I have ever read. It needs to be made into a tv show & that is exactly why I am recommending it. I think everyone should meet Chloe Brown because she is a chronically ill computer geek with a list. This story will follow her trying to complete it and it is hilarious.
Our love interest is incredibly complex and the romance they build together is gorgeous to read about. Chronically ill people deserve to be in a relationship too and we need more representation. We also get to meet Chloe’s sisters who now have their own books so if you love Chloe Brown you have two more to pick up.
Lastly, I will be recommending The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta. This novel in verse talks about a boy who is figuring out who he is as a mixed-race gay teen. As the story progresses, later in life when he is at university, he finds his interest in becoming a drag artist, The Black Flamingo. This story is truly touching and makes you understand that being yourself and embracing your individuality is your biggest weapon in this society. If you decide to pick up any of these books, this one is a good one to start with.
Thank you so much Ana for inviting me to write a blog post. This made me reminisce the good old days in this community and I am grateful that you gave me a chance to write my thoughts down on (virtual) paper for you. Happy reading!
Thank you Filipe for making this amazing list and go subscribe his channel 😍
You can follow Filipe:
Instagram: @filipeheath
Twitter: @filipeheath
Youtube: Filipe Heath
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Facebook: @memyselfandbooks
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Goodreads: me-myself-and-books
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Scribd: https://www.scribd.com/g/7yfj2c
I loved Get a Life Chloe Brown! It is so good!
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to read it!
DeleteLoved this post by Filipe, his recommendations are amazing!! Get a Life, Chloe Brown is a great, great book, and the one following it as well. I'm so excited to read Act Your Age, Eve Brown!
ReplyDelete