One of those gems I’m grateful I picked up. This is a collection of black women sharing their stories of finding authors who inspired them to become writers and finding works where they finally saw characters who looked like them.I loved reading these ladies’ stories. Highly recommend the audiobook if you can get your hands on it. Also throughout the book are recommendations so have a paper and pen handy.

✨ literary spark.This essay collection is pure gold, my reading friends. An anthology of works about books and reading by some of the most prominent Black female writers today, these essays divulge a vast array of texts that inspired and shaped each author..As a school librarian I have always firmly believed that there is no childhood canon that will reach all children, necessitating wide-ranging collections available to all. This book solidified that belief..We have no idea what work will conne...

3.25 StarsSeems appropriate that my first read of the year is #diversespines book of the month Well Read Black Girl by Glory Edim. I enjoyed this collection of essays that mirrored some of my own experiences growing up as a lover of books. I must say the two essays that stood out the most were Gabourey Sidibe’s “Gal: A Hard Row To Hoe” and N. K. Jemisin’s “Dreaming Awake.” They were both brutally honest and funny.

Thanks to #netgalley and #randomhousepublishing for giving me my first ARC, Well-Read Black Girl! This book is the epitome of why representation matters. Well-Read Black Girl is an anthology of essays by black women writers. All of the women represented in the book share a common love for reading at an early age, and the lack of representation in books with girls who look like them. Well-Read Black girl is very timely and necessary. Thanks to the wonderful women who contributed to this book and

UPDATE….Review soon -AMAZING… on sooooo many different levels. I’m late to discovering this WONDERFUL TINY POWERFUL of a book!!!I’d like to put it in the hands of every person I know —As well as - (my wish)… it would be chosen-as a top contender to read in schools -The value is endless ….New added review:I came back to update my review- share a few things…I’m failing at promising to keep these reviews short though - one day I might succeed….But… ….to the thousands of readers - of all colors - wh...

What a brilliant concept and gem of a book! A thoughtful partner gave Glory Edim a T-shirt for her birthday that said "Well Read Black Girl" and listed her favorite authors like Morrison, Walker, Angelou etc. The T-shirt garnered attention when lots of women wanted one too and it spawned a book club (Well Read Black Girl) in NYC. Edim (founder of said book club) poses a question: "When did you first see yourself in literature?"Thus are the ingredients of the book. Fifteen current Black female au...

I’ve always been a voracious reader. My mother used to read me bedtime stories at night and as soon as I learned how to read, more often than not you would find me with a book in my hands. There are two books that stand out that were an obvious reflection of me and my family: The People Could Fly by Virginia Hamilton and Pass It On: African American Poetry by Wade Hudson. Those two books had Black people on the covers, Black people on the pages and were about Black people. Those were the two boo...

Review to come.

I really loved this. I'm buying hardcopies for my daughter's.

I love every single thing about this book, from the book lists, to the personal stories, to the IRL book clubs. Glory you have created something wonderfully magical, a repository for everyone but especially for women of color to easily find ourselves and see reflections of ourselves in the written word.

I love reading books about reading. It’s always inspiring to hear about what books loomed large in a person’s life. And it’s doubly exciting when those looking back are authors giving insight to the texts that spurred them to write their own stories. I also genuinely respect the way women are able to connect with one another in a way men can’t, (won’t?). It’s really something to see. I’m envious.Glory Edim has created a phenomenon that started with conversations around a tee shirt she was wearin...

I wanted to re-read my galley again, which I took some time to do this weekend, before I wrote a review because I wanted to remember and savor all of the goodness of this anthology, which for Black women & girl readers is replete with testimony and witness, healing and recognition, a booklist to last you for a good long while and more than that, even. More maybe than I can express here, so I'll write more certainly as someone who has her own story of a life shaped by finding Black women writers

I’m so glad I finally picked this up from my bookshelf, because my reading slump was soooo deep! This collection has taken me out of my slump and imbibed me with new inspiration. This anthology is a wonderful ode to Black sisterhood and to reading. Each contributor’s take on reading/writing/existing as a Black woman in this world felt like journal entries laden with affirmations to the reader and themselves. To have so many established writers contributing in this collection is an honor I’m sure...

"Myths tell us what those like us have done, can do, should do. Without myths to lead the way, we hesitate to leap forward." ~N.K. Jemisen, Dreaming AwakeWe read for many reasons. We read to find adventure. We read to escape our problems. We read to learn about others. We read to learn new things. We read to be entertained. Perhaps most of all, we read to know we are not alone. A well-written book can show us who we are and can make us feel we belong. It was a joy to read Well-Read Black Girl: F...

I remember the time my teacher placed a copy of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings in my hands. I identified strongly with young Maya. Through her walk a sense of power was infused in me. I felt that I could endure. Just the idea that a little brown girl's voice held that much power. I remember shortly after that Dr. Angelou came to visit my local library. She towered over the patrons yet she always managed to embrace everyone at their own level. Even at that young age I understood that I was in th...

Glory Edim asked a handful of black women writers when they first saw themselves in literature, and this essay collection includes their answers. I listened to the audio which I would not recommend. It would have been great if the contributors had narrated their own essays, but they're all read by the editor, making some of it feel a bit repetitive an hard to separate out. Also it's much harder to mark up an audiobook and there's just no way to read this without adding to your TBR list! I've alr...

This book was inspiring. This book was hope. This book was encouragement down deep that I didn’t realize I needed. This book, a collection of essays, heart changing essays, written by various black women writers showed the importance of seeing ourselves in literature.“Reading allows us to witness ourselves. Being a reader is an incredible gift, providing me with a lens to interpret the world. Most important, it has invigorated my imagination and allowed me to choose which narratives I want to ce...

Being a reader is an incredible gift, providing me with a lens to interpret the world. Most important, it has invigorated my imagination and allowed me to choose which narratives I want to center and hold close. What a brilliant collection of essays by black women. I love books about books, readers and writers and Well-Read Black Girl covered all three. I admire so many of the writers who contributed to this collection, it is no wonder I devoured this book because I wanted to know more about

Beautiful. There's magic in finding yourself. There's something powerful about seeing your face in the stories around you on television, in film, in the media, in books, etc. It's a privilege that's not generally afforded to people of colour, but we're snatching it left, right and center. We're telling our own stories and there are so many OGs/legends who shared their/our stories for our pleasure, so that we could have a place. They carved out a space for us, the Toni Morrisons, the Nikki Giovan...

This book perfectly captures what it feels like to be a black girl that loves books and the difference they can make in your life...I can’t wait for everyone to experience this one!!!