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Concrete Rose

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Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas
Format: Audiobook
Who it’s for: Teens, Adults

Angie Thomas has taken up back to Garden Heights in Concrete Rose. Concrete Rose is the prequel to The Hate U Give in where we follow the life and growth of Maverick Carter. Maverick is a 17-year-old who is determined to take care of his family while his dad in prison. The only way Maverick thinks he can do this though is by dealing drugs. Maverick’s world turns upside when he discovers that he has a son – Seven. This book will entertain you and keep your attention. It also strongly highlights the struggles that young Black men face. They are constantly being judged as soft by their peers if not showing aggression or anger as a response. It’s difficult for Maverick to overcome his struggles and make the right decisions when the expectations of failure are so high. I listened to this book on audio and the narrator, Dion Graham does a great job with making you feel like he is having a conversation with you, versus only reading a book.

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The Black Kids by Christina Hammonds Reed

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The Black Kids by Christina Hammonds Reed
Format: Audiobook
Who it’s for: Teens, Adults

“The Black Kids” by Christina Hammonds Reed is a beautifully written, heart wrenching coming-of-age story that covers so many heavy topics. Though it occurs in 1992, the topics and life lessons learned are just as relevant almost 30 years later. In “The Black Kids”, Reed explores the trauma of growing up Black and interacting in predominantly white circles. Reed tackles the concept of respectability politics surrounding the African American community.

The Black Kids, in my opinion, perfectly captures many aspects of high school life. Most of us have experienced the awkward transition from childhood to adulthood and how that transition affects our long-standing friendships. Teenagers put up with a lot more from people we’ve known a long time versus those we just met and that wears down on one’s existence. The growing pains that Ashley, her friends and family members experience throughout the book allows you to relate to at least one of the characters in this book. This was great read and kept me intrigued as to what will happen next.

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Daisy Jones & The Six

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Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Format: Full cast digital audiobook
Who it’s for: Adults

“Daisy Jones & The Six” is a fictional story about a rock band in the mid-sixties-seventies. The audiobook includes a full cast ensemble and it did not disappoint. Taylor Jenkins Reid does a fantastic job of making the listener think they are reading non-fiction. The structure of this book is incredible. It is written in interview format, minus the questions. Each beloved character takes part talking about Daisy Jones and how she joins the rock band The Six. We get into the personal and professional lives of these characters, the rise and fall of the band, love, drug addiction, cheating, friendship and forgiveness. The book has an amazing but subtle twist that made me go search for her other books in our catalog.

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The Water Dancer

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The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Release Date: September 24th, 2019
Format: Audiobook
Who it’s for: Adults
The Water Dancer is truly a book like no other. Narrated by Joe Morton (a.k.a Papa Pope on the tv show “Scandal”), this book takes you on a fictional, yet relevant journey through Hiram’s life as a slave. Hiram is the enslaved son of a plantation owner who was gifted with the ability to remember everything, and with the ability of conduction. However, he can’t remember the most important thing in his life, his mother, who was sold to another slave owner when Hiram was nine years old. As Hiram grows up and serves his half-brother, one crash in the water changes his life and perspective as a slave, and as a man. Coates writing mixed with Morton’s narration creates emotions for the listener like no other. As Morton tells the story, you can hear the passion and determination of the characters in his voice! When listening to this book listeners will feel like a connection to the slaves who not only felt the physical pain of slavery, but the psychological pain as well. This audiobook kept my attention from beginning to end. I highly recommend it. Find it in the catalog.