Here are all the books I’ve read so far this year!
P.S. I read pretty much everything. On this list, you’ll find (in all genres) children’s, middle grade, young adult, adult, classic, comic, poetry, and non-fiction books.
Truly Devious By Maureen Johnson
This is a young adult mystery novel following crime-infatuated Stevie Bell at her first year in Ellingham Academy, an all-exclusive school in Vermont. It’s a cozy mystery flipping between an old murder and new. Both are tangled. Both are connected. Maybe. Possibly. You’ll find out…
I loved Truly Devious! It was slow-to-unwind, easy-going, and thickly atmospheric. And Stevie is just the most precious little character (I don’t know what this says about me, but I found her deeply morbid obsession with murder adorable).
The parallel storylines were woven beautifully. I never felt like I was taken out of the story, more like I had a giant magnifying glass and was peering at the scenes from different lenses.
Technically, I’m giving this book 4.5 stars. Here’s why:
- The romance. The romance in this book felt uncomfortable, weird, and forced. The two characters plugged together did not have a healthy relationship, but what bothered me more is that they didn’t seem to be moving toward one (or making an effort to). Maybe all of that changes in the next two books (in that case, scratch this portion).
- The cliffhanger. I love cliffhangers, but this one left me without the same satisfying hum that most books with a cliffhanger do. I need SOME closure (it’s just torture otherwise).
![5 Ways For Non-Black POC And White Travel Bloggers To Be Better Allies: • • • 👉🏽Visit and support Black-owned businesses and restaurants not just on your next trip but every trip you take. And include your favorite Black-owned businesses and restaurants in your travel guides. “If you’re not actively making an effort to include, you might accidentally exclude.” - Anonymous • • 👉🏽Look into the tour companies/hotels you promote. Do they hire BIPOC? If yes, how do they treat BIPOC? Do as much research as you can. Email them if you need to (sometimes, they aren’t going to respond. Sometimes, there isn’t going to be that much information. But it’s important to try). • • 👉🏽Try not to use the word minority in your blog posts (there are times when it is appropriate but it isn’t always). Over the years, the word has unfairly developed a negative connotation. It implies being lesser-than (and not numerically). And no person is lesser than (or greater than) another person because of the color of their skin. Don’t just use a word because of its surface-level definition. Understand its meaning, nuances, and cultural context. Be more aware of your language. • • 👉🏽Change how you approach stock photos. If you’re looking for a stock photo of a girl traveling on Unsplash, also look up “Black girl travel” and include it in your post. This is a way to not only be more genuinely inclusive but it also increases awareness. I saw a Facebook post by Raciana Brown that mentioned nappy (same style of licensing as Unsplash) and BlackIllustrations as well (thank you Raciana. We will be using these resources as well from now on). • • 👉🏽Follow Black creators. There are so many amazing and inspiring accounts out there. I personally love @theartisangeek (non-travel but books) @feedthemalik (so many great food recommendations) @packslight (funded travel opportunities) amongst many others. • • • P.S. I’m a non-Black POC. I don’t know what it is like to be Black. I will never understand what it is like to be Black. But I see you. I hear you. I stand with you. Black Lives Matter. • • • [contd in the comments below]](https://i0.wp.com/www.passporttoeden.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed/img/placeholder.png)