Tag: Black Girls Read

Bookish

Do I Only Read When I’m Depressed?

India
I haven’t been reading a lot lately, which isn’t a bad thing, but it is different. If you follow me on Instagram (if you don’t you should just click here!) you would have seen a post about me talking about feeling more happy. I have noticed that with that light feeling that I’ve had, I haven’t wanted to sit in my bed all day with the windows closed and read my books. Now I haven’t given up reading at all, I just have not sequestered myself to the pillows. Who knows it might just be because I haven’t started a book in awhile that has excited me. As I looked into why I haven’t been crushing my reading goals lately, I really had to look into myself and my own moods and see what was going on.
The conclusion in my own non scientific experiment was that I was not feeling the depression that was weighing me down in so many things. Now I want to be out and moving around and taking more pictures of books than I want to read them. I still have the desire to read them, but I don’t have the desire to sit still, so I need to use some of those audible credits it sounds like. As I was finding this out about my myself I then started to look at the book community.
A lot of the book community contains people who have titled themselves as introverts, which is fine, and that’s why they enjoy reading so much, but also why they love the book community. It gives them a place to socialize without having to socialize. Basically socializing on their own terms. There has also been a lot of discussion and talks about mental health going on in the book community as of late, which I think is fantastic, but they’re more discussions of people saying that they have a mental health issue and bringing light to that. Other than a chemical imbalance that some people face with their mental health, I want to explore what other reasons why a lot of book people feel down. For me, it was a birth control that spun my mental health all out of wack. If I was titling myself I would call myself an extroverted introvert. I can make conversation with anyone at any time and it doesn’t bother me at all, but I also need that space to be away from people some time.
I also wanted to explore the thought of reading for escapism. I know that I have said that in videos and looking back at that, I’m not even sure if that’s what I really meant to say. I always meant reading for escapism in terms of escaping to some place new, and now I think the new word I was trying to come up with is exploring. I feel like I read to explore new places, but not necessarily to escape from the place I’m at. I love where I’m at in life even with all of the mixed feelings and emotions, but it took time to get there. Sometimes I fear for the book community and the fact that too many people are escaping from life and not dealing with life, but everyone has their journey to get to where they need to be.
So my questions starts to become, do I only read when I’m depressed and how do I read in the same volume when I’m happy?  Or do I need to change my expectations of myself and not put reading pressure on myself. These are some of the questions that I have and I don’t know any of the answers. I know that I need to take it a day at a time and still continue to read what I enjoy and have fun with it. Do you find your mood determines your reading? Until next time,
Keep turning the Pages
India
Coffee Break

The Booktube Boyfriend Tag!

India

So, I made Eric be in a video with me….

I might have bribed him to do it…

I’m pretty sure he loves me … hahahah

No, I’m just kidding I know he loves because he was willing to do this fun and exciting video with me to see how much he knows about Booktube and what I do over here.

Of course a lot of the pictures you see of me on social media have been taken by him, as he so graciously becomes my photographer for however many photos that I need. Trust me no grumbling there – read lots of grumbling and India we don’t have time for this -and he takes as many pictures that I need.

Here’s the two of us together! Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram where you get to see more of our Swirly Relationship. The video is here and down below! If you have any questions for us leave them below! Until next time!

Keep Turning the Pages

India

Book Reviews

Three Dark Crowns, Kendare Blake

India
There is only room for one Queen in the isle of Fennbirn, but there are three queens who are trying to be the strongest they can to take the throne. When the time comes it is going to be up to the all three queens to try and defeat the other in order to be called the true Queen. Each generation there are triplets that are born in the hopes that one of them will become the next true Queen. They grow up together for a few years and then are separated to go to their prospective part of the kingdom where they can learn how to grow the unique gifts that they were born with. Mirabella is an elementalist who can control the weather with a fierce energy and bring flames and lightening down on whomever gets in her way. Arsinoe is a naturalist who is said to be able to bloom flowers and help trees to grow, as well as have a familiar, or an animal, who she is said to be able to communicate with. Finally there is Katharine who is a poisoner, which makes her immune to all of the deadliest poisons to where she can even eat a whole feast of them.
I genuinely enjoyed this book. Once I finally got into it I could not put it down. There is a lot of world building in the beginning and with the fact that there are three queens, you have to see each of their worlds. There are a lot of characters in the book, which sometimes gets confusing, but as you keep reading they start to really set themselves apart. I love the different ways these queens grew up, and I was also glad to know that they all knew what happened for them to become the queen instead of the finding out on their 16th birthday. I would definitely recommend this book. It’s kind of in the dark fantasy realm. It’s not a typical princess book by any means, and that’s what I loved about it. Until next time,
Keep Turning the Pages
India
Bookish

1000 Subscriber Giveaway!!

India
1000 Subscriber Giveaway Items!
Thank you thank you thank you!!!!
I don’t know how many times I can say thank you for all of your support and subscribing to my ever changing and growing channel. I still want to do more be more and create more and knowing that I have the support and am still making friends in the community, which really keeps me going. My interests change and stay the same, and I’m trying to bring you all along on all of my changes. Sometimes it is hard to bring you into my life because I don’t know how much you want to see, but let’s be honest when I’m on social media I want to see it all. The dirty, the gritty, the expensive, the cheap, the happy, and the exciting. I’m going to try and bring you more!
For right now, I wanted to bring you a giveaway! It’s going to be a good one!
First let’s start with some bookish merch.
Let’s start with the small stuff. I’ve got a lot of magnetic bookmarks, and so I’m giving away these fantastic “Where the Wild Things Are” bookmarks.
We’ve got a pencil pouch with a quote from William Shakespeare, “Virtuous and fair, royal and gracious”
And a beautiful cream and gold pillow case
Now for the actual book related stuff. I’ve been working on myself lately and loving myself, so I’m giving away a signed copy of Puddin’ by Julie Murphy
And for a little added bonus I’m giving away this Kelly Moore bag, The Riva! It is great for mirrorless cameras and small cameras or a DSLR with a lens attached.
You can find the link for the giveaway here! Good luck! Make sure to check out the video for the rules of entry! Until next time,
Keep Turning the Pages
India
Book Reviews

Anything For Your Love, Amore

India
Anything For Love follows an up and coming lawyer, Alexander Love, who has everything he currently wants, a job he loves and a family who loves him and whom he loves back. If you don’t want to read past here this review is up on my Youtube Channel here and it is down below, but let’s keep going with this review! After having his heart broken by his high school girlfriend he never thought that he would want to be in another serious relationship again. Then in walks his cousin, Ami, with the most beautiful woman he has ever seen, Jada Whitman, and is instantly drawn to her. Jada is a producer from California who has come to visit with Ami for a vacation, but even with the certainty of her going back they end up seeing where this relationship can go. With both of their pasts coming up to bite them they find a way through it. I don’t want to give a lot of it away because it is good. A little confusing to read, but it is good.
The story was good…the writing not so much. I hated that instead of giving the characters their own chapter, like a lot of romance novels do, the point of view was switching from chapter to chapter. I felt like there was a better way to write it than to jump around and I could even write it so that the point of was seen from the original character at hand. I enjoyed the family aspect of the main character and seeing a black character have a strong family background with no dysfunctional parents or relatives. I enjoyed seeing all of the success of the family and how they supported one another. I did also enjoy the twist we got there at the end of the story that made it so much more interesting than a wealthy black man meets the love of his life. I’m trying to take out my automatic praising for a healthy black family life for an unbiased opinion of this book and it’s hard. I don’t think that it is a go out and get it right now kind of book, but it is a good read. A review is also up on my Youtube channel! Until next time,
Keep turning the Pages
India