291 ratings | 102 reviews | avg rating:4.55

Lily’s Year In Books

Lily’s 2020 Year in Books

Take a look at Lily’s Year in Books. The long, the short—it’s all here.

See Lily’s 2020 Year in Books

Lily’s Bookshelves

read (336)
currently-reading (3)
to-read (516)
a-comeback-to-it-read (4)
a-slow-read (1)
accessible-but-literary (4)
ambitious (1)
an-enjoyable-surprise (4)
coming-of-age-story (2)
current-and-on-point (1)
See all bookshelves »

Lily’s Friends (235)

mina reads™️

1,035 books | 3,025 friends

Tammy

791 books | 47 friends

L.S. Bergman

713 books | 149 friends

Angel

233 books | 210 friends

Tonya Lampley

82 books | 108 friends

The CurvyJones

1,615 books | 138 friends

martha fountain

845 books | 46 friends

Tucora

45 books | 132 friends

More friends…

Lily Java

Goodreads Author

Born

in New York

February 19

Website

http://www.lilyjava.com

Twitter

lilyjavawrites

Genre

African American Literary, Women's Fiction, Suspense

Influences

life, love, laughter, & nature

Member Since

November 2013

edit data

Lily is a freelance writer, blogger, and novelist who writes fiction in numerous genres. When she isn't writing, Lily raises money for arts and cultural organizations or plans special events in iconic landmarks throughout her beloved hometown: New York City. A resident of Brooklyn, Lily is a true ambivert, who enjoys solitude just as much as she likes meeting and talking with other passionate readers and writers. 
"I think every story is a love story of some kind. The whys and wherefores are usually as interesting as who or what you love, but you only know that if you delve deep. So in life, in love, and most definitely on the page, that's how I like to do it." --Lily ...more

Learn more
Ask the Author

To ask Lily Java questions, please sign up.

Combine Editions
Lily Java’s books

Average rating: 4.43 · 438 ratings · 100 reviews · 7 distinct works • Similar authors

	Blackbirds 4.40 avg rating — 82 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Ethan's Choice: Blank Pages I 4.68 avg rating — 34 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Serena's Vow: Blank Pages II 4.70 avg rating — 33 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Prelude For Tomorrow (Flawed Spirit Series Book 1) 4.38 avg rating — 21 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Sticky Moon 4.33 avg rating — 33 ratings — published 2014 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Because My Heart Said So by Nia Forrester (Goodreads Author), Jacinta Howard (Goodreads Author), Lily Java (Goodreads Author) 4.40 avg rating — 220 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Women: Withstanding All Anthology by Xyla Turner (Goodreads Author), Nia Forrester (Goodreads Author), Nako (Goodreads Author) 4.26 avg rating — 19 ratings — published 2016 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Lily Java…

94 posts
Lily Java's Blog

Researching Safety by the Numbers

My late husband didn’t like cars so even though we traveled extensively, we never drove anywhere. I learned how to drive and probably could have made more of an effort to, but I had at least two good reasons for not doing it. One, I live in New York City where you honest to goodness don’t need a car. I mean like, at all. Two, if I had a car, I might just disappear.

That sounds a little mysterious d

Upcoming Events

No scheduled events. Add an event.

Lily is Currently Reading

Lily Java is currently reading

Lovecraft Country

by Matt Ruff (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Aug 06, 2020 01:25PM

Lily Java is currently reading

The Overstory

by Richard Powers

bookshelves: currently-reading

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Apr 22, 2020 10:10PM

Lily Java is currently reading

Underground Airlines

by Ben H. Winters (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Mar 08, 2020 11:52AM

rss
Lily’s Recent Updates

Lily Java is now friends with Tucora
Jan 01, 2021 01:20PM · like
Lily Java liked martha fountain's review of Ethan's Choice: Blank Pages I (Blackbirds): "I need to properly give this phenomenal writer her due through this review. Lily Java is a literary fiction writer who weaves intimate and authentic stories. What I really appreciate about Lily's delivery in this particular book was her ability to ca" Read more of this review »
Oct 02, 2020 06:48AM · see review
Lily Java liked David Antrobus's review of Beloved: "Perhaps it's taken me this long and in this later stage of my life for me to finally get around to reading Beloved because I might have missed so much had I attempted it earlier. That's my only excuse for not having read Toni Morrison until now. Perh" Read more of this review »
Sep 25, 2020 05:10PM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Beloved by Toni Morrison. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Beloved by Toni Morrison <iframe id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Lily Java made a comment on Jacinta Howard’s status in Negroes with Guns " You might be interested in the film about Deacons for Defense a Black militia in '64 Louisiana who probably got their inspiration from this guy. Free ...more "
Aug 13, 2020 05:42PM
Lily Java liked Jacinta’s status update Jacinta Howard is currently reading Negroes with Guns
Aug 13, 2020 05:39PM
Lily Java wants to read Praise Song for the Butterflies by Bernice L. McFadden (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Aug 08, 2020 01:47PM · like
Lily Java wants to read Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Aug 08, 2020 01:47PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur <iframe id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Lily Java wants to read Paradise by Toni Morrison	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Aug 08, 2020 01:46PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Paradise by Toni Morrison. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Paradise by Toni Morrison <iframe id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Lily Java wants to read The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World by Dalai Lama XIV	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Aug 08, 2020 01:44PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Book of Joy by Dalai Lama XIV. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Book of Joy by Dalai Lama XIV <iframe id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Lily Java wants to read Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson (Goodreads Author) Goodreads Choice Awards Nominee in Best History & Biography	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Aug 08, 2020 01:44PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Caste by Isabel Wilkerson. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Caste by Isabel Wilkerson <iframe id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

More of Lily's books…

Lily’s Quotes

“If you are silent about your pain, they’ll kill you and say you enjoyed it.”
― Zora Neale Hurston

tags: pain, voice

797 likes

“I believe in kindness. Also in mischief. Also in singing, especially when singing is not necessarily prescribed.”
― Mary Oliver

1220 likes

“We tell ourselves stories in order to live...We look for the sermon in the suicide, for the social or moral lesson in the murder of five. We interpret what we see, select the most workable of the multiple choices. We live entirely, especially if we are writers, by the imposition of a narrative line upon disparate images, by the "ideas" with which we have learned to freeze the shifting phantasmagoria which is our actual experience.”
― Joan Didion, The White Album

443 likes

“Sometimes, I feel discriminated against, but it does not make me angry. It merely astonishes me. How can any deny themselves the pleasure of my company? It’s beyond me.”
― ZORA NEALE HURSTON

tags: discrimination, humor, self-assurance, self-worth

929 likes

“I write entirely to find out what I'm thinking, what I'm looking at, what I see and what it means. What I want and what I fear.”
― Joan Didion

tags: writing

625 likes

More of Lily’s quotes…