Gaia

Can the James Baldwin Typebot Tell Us the Meaning of Life?

I understand that literature-as-inspiration is lucrative, but a James Baldwin as spirit guru, a Baldwin whose mission is to equally uplift anyone and everyone — a Baldwin who never challenges you — is not really Baldwin at all any more. (And this distortion goes well beyond this one project.)

1 Tote Bag Kiss Me Maybe by @gabbywritesalot An ARC of Heartsick by @kristinaforest_ The Ghosts of Gwendolyn Montgomery by @clarenceahaynes 1 personal library kit 1 pen from @tinyrepbooks 1 Books Are Forever sticker

Giveaway of all the items pictured are live on my Instagram now! If you don't win this, no worries, there will be more to come. You can enter until July 11th. Good luck!

www.instagram.com/readbygaia

BOOKCON IS BACK
April 2026 Javits Center, NYC
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Unreliable narrator tote bag Fight evil read books tote bag 2 polaroid photos

💙📚 Exciting news coming tomorrow!

"When there was controversy about ‘Renaissance’ and “Break My Soul” being in the dance categories and ultimately winning, they immediately created a Best Dance Pop Recording category the very next year,” the executive explained.

Mmmhmm.👁🔁

Would recommend for anyone looking for more stories about and by disabled people, lovers of dark humor, and memoirs in essay or journal entry form.

I did listen to the audiobook (the library had it readily available) and Art Malik’s narration was absolutely wonderful. I highly recommend both the physical and the audio versions of this memoir.

Society is not built with this reality in mind, so memoirs like these are incredible reminders that we should all be pushing for accessibility and a disability inclusive culture.

Because Kureishi became paralysed from a fall the book also serves as a great reminder that we are all temporarily abled. An accident can happen to anyone, and if you are lucky enough to live long enough you will need some sort of accommodations.

Kureishi makes incredible commentary on ableism, racism, and politics and how all of the above affect each other.
I’ve been living with disabilities for most of my life and found this point of view from someone who has to grapple with it suddenly at the age of 68 extremely valuable.

Beginning from the fall that leaves him paralysed, Shattered includes diary entries from his time hospitalized in Rome. Shattered is an impactful work from someone who has to grapple with a sudden and unexpected disability.

Shattered by Hanif Kureishi

💙📚 Shattered by Hanif Kureishi
Thank you @eccobooks.bsky.social for the free copy! Hanif Kureishi is an acclaimed author & playwright, but this memoir was my first experience with his writing.

These are absolutely gorgeous!

Have you read any of these? Did you love them or were they not for you?

My only regret from The Daevabad Trilogy is that I will never be able to read it for the first time ever again. It was glorious!

I love everything that I've read by Baldwin so far. The Amen Corner took me by surprise. I don't usually like to read plays but it was incredible from start to finish. The Fire Next Time was life changing. It put into words feelings I've always had & couldn't express on my own

Pachinko has been on my shelf for years and I'm so happy I finally got to it. I finished it weeks ago and am still crying over it.

Q1 2025 Favorites The City of Brass the Kingdom of Copper The Empire of Gold The Fire Next Time Coming Home A Psalm for the Wild Built One Day Everyone Will Have Been Against This The Amen Corner Sunrise of the Reaping Rise of The Red Blade Mrs Wiggins Pachinko

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Here are all my Q1 favorites! I am obsessed with all of these books. I still need to put up full length reviews for most of these, but I'll highlight some in this thread.

I’d love to know how your first quarter went. Did you set any goals and are making good progress? What are your favorite books so far?

Since this is the end of Q1, I might as well share how I’m doing with my yearly goals.
#1 - Read 100 audio hours ✅
#2 - Read 20,000 pages ❌
#3 - Keep NetGalley ratio high ✅
#4 - Read 40 owned books ❌
#5 - Read more non fiction ❌
#7 - Read book mail soon after arriving ❌
#8 - Write more reviews ❌

I’m still trying to read physical and audio everyday but haven’t hit 100 percent for both yet. Out of the 31 days in March I read audio for 27 days (87%) and physical for 30 days (97%). Almost there!

I received 6 ARCs in March and I still have to read all of them. I’ve been better at requesting less because I’m trying to read what I have already, but I ruined my goal with a visit to the @sagapressbooks.bsky.social office 😅

I’m still using audiobooks from the library or Libro.FM to help me get through the physical copies faster and aid with retention. The library saved me $20.98 in March! I did purchase 3 books, but it only cost me $7.68!

March Wrap Up

7 books read 2157 pages 79 hours 4.4 average rating Shortest book - I who have never known men Longest book - the fury of the gods

Page count pie chart

Star rating bar graph

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I really need time to slow down a bit. I just did a wrap up, and here I am doing another one for March. I read 7 books that month and had an average rating of 4.4 stars. I own all of the books except for two, so I’m making good progress on my physical TBR.

Now streaming!

Let’s talk about this Nintendo Switch 2 Direct….

twitch.tv/heyjiikae

A purple background with four book covers and short summaries of upcoming YA releases by Black authors. Solo Stan by Talia Tucker, a YA Romance with Bi rep in which two concertgoers spend an unforgettable night together after their show is abruptly cancelled. If We Were A Movie by Zakia N. Jamal, a YA Romance with Sapphic rep in which a high school student has to work with her academic rival to save their town's beloved Black-owned movie theatre. The Corruption of Hollis Brown by K. Ancrum, a YA Romantic thriller with Achillean rep in which a teen unknowingly makes a deal at a crossroads and gets possessed. Somadina by Akwaeke Emezi, a YA Fantasy in which a young girl goes looking for her missing twin in a magical forest.

A purple background with four book covers and short summaries of upcoming Adult releases by Black authors. Just Our Luck by Denise Williams, an Adult Romance in which after going viral because of a misconstrued romantic grand gesture, Sybil and Kieran decide to fake date to help Kieran's donut shop. Flirting Lessons by Jasmine Guillory, an Adult Romance with Sapphic rep which follows the developing relationship between 30-year-old, newly single Avery and resident heartbreaker Taylor who offers her flirting lessons. No Ordinary Love by Myah Ariel, an Adult Romance which follows the PR relationship between a pop star in the middle of divorcing her producer, and a pro baseball player with a bad boy reputation. Our Vicious Oaths by N.E. Davenport an Adult Dark Romantasy with an enemies-to-lovers romance in which two Black Fae rival courts make an alliance to take down a despot.

Forgot to share my posts for BHM here but if you’re looking for YA or Adult books by Black authors releasing this year, here are some recs!!
📚💙 #Booksky 📚🌶️ #BlackBooksky #QueerBooksky

Trans Rights Readathon TBR March 21st - March 31st

Day 2 of #transrightsreadathon: I finished Across a Field of Starlight! Trying to finish Fierce Femmes tonight! #booksky #diversebooksky #blackbooksky

THE GREENE SISTERS SERIES; @BOOKISH_AFROLATINA. The books by Kristina Forest float over pink-tinted bookshelves: The Partner Plot [left], The Love Lyric [right], The Neighbor Favor [center].

To help with your sanity, maybe step away from the news (and social media) to enjoy this Black Romance series. Follow this thread for my reviews, if you think you'll be interested!
#Booksky #BlackBooksky #StressRelief

📚🪐 We found that boy Twee-lek and Twy-lek are acceptable pronunciations, depending on what size of Ryloth you're on

#booksky 💙📚