hi y'all! does anyone want to do a buddy read on this quest for december or jan?

here are the ones i want to read up next if u would like to join me (or we can pick smth else!)

ones i've put on hold at my library: the year of blue water the undressing

others i wanna read for the quest: calling a wolf a wolf call me ishmael tonight you better be lightning obit time is a mother eye level life on mars the ninjas ariel bright dead things a fortune for your disaster american sonnets for my past and future assassin

We're very excited to announce our next Special Event Readalong, Mardi Gras + Carnival! This will run from January 15 - February 15.

This round's selections center stories from Afro-Caribbean + Black New Orleans culture. Check out the Special Events page (in the More tab on the app, or click the purple banner on the Discuss page on web).

The Ballad of Perilous Graves by Alex Jennings: An imaginative New Orleans Urban Fantasy exploring the music and magic of NOLA (New Orleans, Louisiana).

Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson: A touching Caribbean-American contemporary fiction exploring family secrets and the weight of the past. Series adaptation on Hulu!

You Made A Fool of Death with Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi: An funny + tender upmarket romance (warning: explicit 🌶️) exploring Afro-Carribean culture and healing trauma though love.

The Yellow House by Sarah M. Broom: A lyrical + politically sharp memoir chronicling 100 years of love, resilience, and class in NOLA. A clear-eyed account of Black New Orleans, up through the devastating events of Hurricane Katrina.

What's a Special Event? Each quarter, we run a short 1 month readalong showcasing diverse voices in literature. Read one of the selections and comment or post in the forum during the Readalong to earn a special badge. Unlike the Seasonal Readalongs, you do not earn a special badge for reading all the selections.

Excited to see the discussions for this event!

Happy Reading, Jennifer & Lucy

”Tarot cards for divination were likely a European invention with some Mamluk influences, not a practice of the pharaohs. But here she was in an Englishman’s suit.”

this is a some line but i want to touch on it because it’s a phenomenon across societies that i find so interesting—how cultures borrow and develop different practices which then get furthered borrow and adapted to other cultures. i think the city of Cairo itself in this novel is a perfect example of this concept, with the more ancient Egyptian religion/mythology blending with the modern Cairene culture. the city as a setting is so alive and i think it’s because Clark is meshing so many different cultures together and giving each their own space while also creating a cohesive city!