Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion
2020 Fall Challenge
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5. A book that includes Black joy.
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Get a Life, Chloe Brown
Take a Hint, Dani Brown
An Extraordinary Union
A Princess in Theory
A Duke by Default
Once Ghosted, Twice Shy
The Wedding Date
The Proposal
The Wedding Party
The Worst Best Man
Waiting to Exhale
Getting to Happy
I could keep going but I have to take my kids to marching band in ten minutes
Mod
Good question!
For me, a book with "Black joy" is a book with Black people who are not dealing with trauma, they are just proudly and happily going about their lives. They're not ashamed of being Black, they are not downtrodden, they are not dealing with oppression as main feature of the plot. Since romance novels give you a guaranteed HEA, that's where my mind went, but of course there are lots of other books with Black joy as well.
Hopefully someone more expert than I am can share their thoughts.
Nadine wrote: "Melissa wrote: "How are we defining black joy?"Good question!
For me, a book with "Black joy" is a book with Black people who are not dealing with trauma, they are just proudly and happily goi..."
You've mostly covered it! One of the organizations I'm part of hosts "Black Boy Joy" events which are amazing. There are too many sources of media, tv, books, etc. that focus on Black suffering, crime, etc. so it's great to create spaces for Black people to celebrate themselves and all the wonderful things they bring to the world.
Books that will work for this can include some tough stuff for the characters, since most stories have to include conflict of some sort, but as long as the focus isn't on Black suffering and the characters have joyful moments, hobbies, etc. it works. I've noticed "joy" being included in book descriptions lately, so that should help too.
I'm going with Slay, which sounds fun.
99 books sharing the joy, love and adventures of black liveshttps://www.goodreads.com/blog/show/1...
Hmmmm....I would even stick Hidden Figures here. One of the aspects of the book I just loved were the portrayals of the communities and families outside NASA. Definitely Black Joy.
Alicia wrote: "99 books sharing the joy, love and adventures of black liveshttps://www.goodreads.com/blog/show/1..."
Love this list - thanks for sharing!
Mod
https://www.goodreads.com/blog/show/1..."
I was just browsing that list, and I noticed a trend in the YA books of girls facing away from the viewer and looking back over their shoulder (and usually their right shoulder). What's up with that? I'm always fascinated by cover art trends.
actually, here's a non-YA book where she's looking over her (left) shoulder:
Mod
I would agree!
Mod
https://www.goodreads.com/blog/show/1..."
Great listing! Thanks!
Nadine wrote: "Alicia wrote: "99 books sharing the joy, love and adventures of black liveshttps://www.goodreads.com/blog/show/1..."
I was just browsi..."
Hmm that's a bit concerning. In the latin dance world, female artists are often photographed that way so that viewers can see their face and butt at the same time (yes, this is demeaning and some artists don't do it). I really hope that's not the same with these YA books... At least most of these aren't showing the full body, so maybe it's not related.
Mod
Same thing happens in comic books, so that was my first thought, but in most of the poses they aren't showing sexy butt, so I don't know.
What of the legion of books, especially historical fiction showing the back of women?On the flip side, there is the mandatory 6 pack abs naked male chesy on cowboy or special forces romances.
Alicia wrote: "99 books sharing the joy, love and adventures of black liveshttps://www.goodreads.com/blog/show/1..."
I'd be careful assuming all these count as black joy, War Girls is about child soldiers, The Belles is about slavery, The City We Became is about racism, etc. I don't think the list make has read all those books!
Mod
On the flip side, there is the mandatory 6 pack abs naked male chesy on cowboy or special forces romances."
TRUE. I guess there's just a general trend of showing women's backs. At first I didn't mind it so much, I figured it was allowing us to insert ourselves into the story (the woman is looking ahead at the same thing we are looking at). But it seems to happen on soooo many books. Even worse is when the woman is shown from the front, but ... only from the chin down. Where is her face??
I'm not any more thrilled with all the six-packs on contemporary romances. I've seen twitter threads complaining about that trend, too.
Mod
Those are books I would never pickup, let alone read. They denote a certain type of romance novel I do not enjoy... :) One time when I allow cover images to determine my interest...or lack thereof.
Lynn wrote: "Those are books I would never pickup, let alone read. They denote a certain type of romance novel I do not enjoy... :) One time when I allow cover images to determine my interest...or lack thereof."I thought that way for a long time.
As long as the cover is not so ugly I barely can stand to look at it or so beautiful I wish it won't change ever I stopped to really care about them because some of he books get new covers so often and I expect by now the next time I'll look at my ebook cover it will be very likely a different one anyway.
In the beginning of this cover change game a few years ago I was really upset since I can remember the book covers much better than titles or authors (I read many indi books) and suddeny I couldn't find the books I was looking for anymore or even bought one or two books twice because they not only changed the cover but the ASIN as well.
Mod
That is so true. Cover images can change. Fortunately, I typically remember title and author, but not cover image so much.
Mod
Getting to Happy"
Oh, my! I had forgotten about Terry McMillan! How could I? And I have never read WtE but loved the movie, so I will add that to my listing for this challenge prompt! Thanks for reminding me! :)
Mod
I read it and I thought it was very good. It has some Black joy, and some oppression. It fits the prompt.
Nadine wrote: "Sandra wrote: "Has anyone read The Vanishing Half ? Does it have Black joy?"I read it and I thought it was very good. It has some Black joy, and some oppression. It fits the prompt."
Thank you!
I'm going to go with Slay by Britney Morris.You Should See Me in a Crown also looks cute.
I'm trying to think if I have ever read any books about Black joy, and I'm seeing why there really needs to be more books about Black joy. I did read Full Disclosure mentioned above, but it reads like a brochure about people with an HIV positive status. It's important info but not written well, imo.
I read Calling My Name, it was a coming of age story of a young Black girl in Texas. There was some stuff about race relations but they were more incidental to being set in America and weren't the focus of the book. Most of it was about her relationship to her body and her family, friends, boyfriend etc. Written in a lyrical style that was kind of interesting. I liked it overall.
Finished 11/18/20 Fall Challenge - PopSugar FB Group
10/10
1. Book with a cover with orange and brown (The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman) 29/9/20 The Rules of Magic
2. A book that has been on your shelf since last fall (A Keeper by Graham Norton) 11/18/20 A Keeper
3. A book by an indigenous author (There, There by Tommy Orange) 11/16/20 There There
4. A book that includes someone falling (The Lying Game by Ruth Ware - Isa and Freya fall into the water) 10/3/20 The Lying Game
5. A book that includes black joy (From Scratch by Tembi Locke) 24/9/20 From Scratch: A Memoir of Love, Sicily, and Finding Home
6. A book with a strong friendship (The Alice Network by Kate Quinn) 27/9/20 The Alice Network
7. A book that was published in October or November - (The Proposal by Jasmine Guillory - published 30 Oct 2018) 23/09/20
The Proposal
8. A book with a title that includes the letters F-A-L-L (Feels Like Family - Sweet Magnolias #3 by Sheryl Woods) 10/20/20 Feels Like Family
9. A book about or takes place somewhere you are unlikely to ever visit A Pale View of Hills by Kuzuo Ishiguro - Nagasaki 10/5/20
A Pale View of Hills
10. A book about or involving nature (The Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christy Lefteri). Nuri is a beekeeper who chose this profession because of his need to be outside with nature, instead enclosed in a dark tailor shop - as his father is. His wife Afta is an artist who paints flowers and nature. Through out the book the desert, the water, the climate, etc. are very important. 10/14/20 The Beekeeper of Aleppo
Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
What I Know for Sure (other topics)The Lying Game (other topics)
The Rules of Magic (other topics)
There There (other topics)
The Rules of Magic (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Oprah Winfrey (other topics)Zora Neale Hurston (other topics)
You Should See Me in a Crown
Children of Blood and Bone
What others?