nkeshyy's reviews
52 reviews

Beloved by Toni Morrison

dark emotional mysterious tense

Haunting. Bold. Powerful, and important. One of those books you shouldn't die before you've read. Speak to your God, and visit a library. 

The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

dark emotional sad tense

Pecola, my dear? I am so sorry for all of it. 

Crimes of Passion by Jack Harbon

adventurous funny hopeful lighthearted

Two true crime podcasters have to put their differences aside and work together in this rivals-to-lovers gay comedy. The writing is fun. The characters so relatable, you can't help but root for them. And the sex? Lord! 

What A Shame by Abigail Bergstrom

dark emotional reflective sad

This weirdly coincided with a time when I was dealing with my own grief, so that theme caught me off-guard. Loved the writing. It's visceral and poetic. I internalised quite a bit, LOL. 

Wearing My Mother's Heart by Sophia Thakur

Family, motherhood, womanhood, and how we relate these to who we are and the work we make are the major themes in this collection. It's powerful and human, inviting and honest. I appreciate this very much. 

Love in Colour: Mythical Tales from Around the World, Retold by Bolu Babalola

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

Bolu Babalola will always have my heart for gifting us with this. What a beautyful body of work, my God! 

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

I was SCREAMING the entire time. What an enthralling and sickening book. Rebecca Kuang manages to create a character so irredeemable, events so entertaining while raising awareness, and putting the reader at the centre of it all to judge. Wild! 

The Thing with Zola by Zibu Sithole

Every once in a while, you read a South African novel and be so thoroughly entertained, you can vividly imagine it being turned into a film or a television series. These books were that for me. 

Simplexity by Kiley Reid

Kiley Reid writes well-meaning vvhite people doing well-meaning vvhite people shit so beautyfully. I was rolling my eyes, cackling and clapping in shock the entire time. It's very short, but very engaging. Recommend it. 

Nectar by Upile Chisala

"Damn it! 
Who else has to justify loving 
themselves like this? 
Who else has to fight for the right
to call themselves a 
blessing?"

This felt like a hug. The entire collection literally said, "I love you," and I felt it.