May 14, 2020 | Book Geek Shelf Talkers
By Princess Haley I thought it would be Toni, or Zora, or Maya who would comfort my soul and give me the courage to continue during my bout with “Covidity.” Instead, I was greeted with the spirit of a new-to-me ancestral writer who gave permission to tie a blue ribbon...May 11, 2020 | Book Geek Shelf Talkers
By Carolyn Holbrook On March 20, toward the end of Women’s History Month, Netflix premiered Self Made, a four-part mini series inspired by the life of Madam C.J. Walker, America’s first woman millionaire. It is so uncommon for historical television dramas to center...May 7, 2020 | Book Geek Shelf Talkers
By John Boyt It’s generally comforting to me to have a President who read books. It’s also been rewarding as it turns out he has good taste. Over the years, I have been turning to books that Barack Obama has recommended. One such selection, Téa Obreht’s Inland (Random...May 4, 2020 | Book Geek Shelf Talkers
By Jacob Jurss I love libraries. The pandemic has brought this into stark relief. While an introvert, libraries have always provided a safe place for me to sit, think, and engage in my community. Of course, there are the books whose pages have allowed me to time...May 1, 2020 | Book Geek Shelf Talkers
By Anita Chikkatur Ross Gay was interviewed on an episode of This American Life that explored the concept of delight (Episode 692, “The Show of Delights”). After listening to this piece with guest host Bim Adewunmi, who noted that Gay’s book inspired the episode, I...Apr 27, 2020 | Book Geek Shelf Talkers
By Aaron Hokanson E.J. Koh’s book The Magical Language of Others (Tin House Books, 2019), is a memoir about what it means to be someone’s child, to have descended from a place and people. It is an exploration of love and belonging. It is about the distance—of time, an...