Bibliophile Files

Hello lovelies! 

Life at that moment has been.. so-so so (sorry for the use of so much so's ) updating the blog has been on the back burner for a bit.

In the midst of my so-so ness, I've been reading. Reading is my favorite hobby and I needed an escape.

I especially love Caribbean based literature and these two books were a wonderful addition to my collection.

The Other Side of Paradise by Staceyann Chin & The Same Earth by Kei Miller.

First of all I must say I loved these books. Both set in Jamaica, both telling tales of women who belong yet feel as if they don't belong. Two totally different tales, one a memoir, the other fiction told by a man but they still seem cut from the same cloth.

Staceyann Chin is a renowned performance poet in the LGBT community and a fellow naturalista. Born in Jamaica, Staceyann chronicles her childhood in the country &the hardships she faced growing up. The book also touches on the backlash she faced concerning her sexuality. 

I can't relate to the sexuality part but there were moments in the book that I could relate. It is a good read.. I finished the book in a matter of hours.  I did expect a bit more when it came to the parts about her and her sexuality. That part was addressed more so to the end and it felt a bit cut & paste to me but aside from that; great book. 

I purchased the Kindle edition (you don't need a Kindle for though. I sent mine to the Kindle app on my iPhone.) Just hit up Amazon for the e-book or actual hardcopy.

The Same Earth I bought after seeing suggested readings on Amazon. I went searching to buy a copy of For Colored Girls Who Considered Suicide When The Rainbow Wasn't Enuff.

You're probably thinking "Errr are you going through some things Cinni?"

And the answer is no but I love the poems and I just felt that I needed to own a copy. Thanks to that yearning, I got introduced to this book. The author went to my uni as well! I was so proud :)

The setting moves from the rural areas of Jamaica to Manchester, England back to Jamaica with an array of colorful characters along the way. The story has a magical atmosphere to it as well which adds to the page turning goodness.

I recommend these books to all you ladies (& gents) out there!

So snag a copy of one or both, make some tea and settle in for a good read.

What good books have you read lately? Would you buy any of these?

Also if anyone is interested, I would love to start an online book club. So hit up in the comment section. Would love to hear from you guys :)