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Book 9
Jambalaya - The Natural Women’s Book by Luisah Teish
✨a book based in spirituality, religion or sacred ideology✨
“Somehow I knew that there was much more going on than was apparent on the surface. My existence and that of the things going on around me caused me to question everything, always looking for the deeper meanings.” It’s been a minute since I’ve posted the books that I’m reading for The Free Black Women’s Library Reading Challenge. We are #reading 26 #books of different genres and categories by #BlackWomen this year. I had to take it way back for the #spirituality category and dive into this gorgeous classic from Madame Luisah who offers a very personal detailed exploration and guidebook on prayers, charms, rituals, and sacred practices. ✨✨💫💫⚡️⚡️
✨📚
The 2018 Free Black Women’s Library Reading Challenge
The brilliance, imagination and creativity of Black women is as expansive as the sky, join book lovers from all over the world in fun exploration of Black women’s literature all year long by participating in The Free Black Women’s Library Reading Challenge for 2018.
Our goal is to read for at least one to three hours every day, so that by the end of the year we have read at least 20 very different books by Black women, if not more!! :)
Books can be read in any order.
Share your books and opinions via social media (w/a photo of the book) using some or all of the following hashtags to connect to others taking part in the challenge. Feel free to create your own rating system and definitely let us know about the books you’ve enjoyed!!
#TFBWL2018 #TFBWLReadingChallenge #FreeBlackWomensLibrary #BlackWomanBibliophile #BooksbyBlackWomen
Please tag The Free Black Women’s Library in all your posts & stay tuned for more info!!
Happy New Year and Happy Reading!! ——- Away We Go!!
A vintage Black Feminist/Womanist Text (published before 1999)
A contemporary Black Feminist/Womanist text (published between now & 1999)
An LGBTQ book: fiction, poetry or short story collection
An LGBTQ book: non fiction, memoir, autobiography, collection of essays
A book by a revolutionary/freedom fighter/political organizer or abolitionist
A book on self care, lifestyle strategy or personal development
A book on beauty, hair, fashion or style
A romance or erotica novel
A book that centers friendship between women
A YA novel
Any book by Toni Morrison
Any book by Alice Walker
Any book by Zora Neale Hurston
Any book by Octavia Butler
Any book by a Caribbean author
Any book by an African author
An Afro-futurist novel (science fiction, speculative, fantasy)
A book on health & healing (mental, emotional, physical)
A book on spirituality, religion or sacred ideology
A book that takes place in your hometown
A book with a one word title
A book with a name in the title
An book that came out in the past year
A book recommended by someone you love, trust or respect
A book that is or became a play or film
An urban fiction story
A memoir or autobiography
A book where characters speak Patois, Creole, Geechee, Black vernacular/slang, non standard English
A book from your childhood, a classic or award winner
A banned book
Blessings and Happy Wednesday BBS!! Thank you so much to all the lovely people who stopped by The Free Black Women’s Library this past Sunday!! Appreciate the beauty and brilliance you bring.
We had a good and sweet time talking about the book FRESHWATER by Akwaeke Emezi (@azemezi) trading books by Black women, connecting with each other and hanging out in the space.
Next month we’ll be chatting about the amazing memoir WHEN THEY CALL YOU A TERRORIST : a Black Lives Matter Memoir by Patrisse Khan-Cullors (@osopepatrisse) and Asha Bandele (@ashabandele713)
Join us on Sunday, April 29th, at 1p. 521 Halsey Street. See you then!! ✌🏾📚💕☺️
I am extremely excited about the first Free Black Women’s Library session of the year!! 🙌🏾💕🙌🏾💕🙌🏾
The library is celebrating the release of MFON Women Photographers of the African Diaspora, Sunday January 28th at 521A Halsey Street, Brooklyn from noon to 5!!
The library now has over 900 books written by Black women in its collection.
Come through to engage in conversation around the significance and importance of this gorgeous and brilliant new book, Check out the collection and/or trade books with the library.
All are welcome!!📚⭐️📚⭐️📚
My book 6 for The Free Black Women’s Library Reading Challenge, “When they call you a terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir” written by @osopepatrisse and @ashabandele713 has shifted everything in my bones, muscles and blood. Its just so so good. It’s a brave and beautiful offering and I found myself in so much of its words. I also found strength, vulnerability, power, love, organizing strategy, Black history and Black culture, also the criminalization of Black bodies, also how poverty is violent, also mental health struggles, also the possibilities of reproductive justice and relationship accountability. It is dense and beautiful and important. I loved it so much! It reminds me of how I felt when I first read Assata. Motivated, inspired and ready to learn more.
Save the date, The Free Black Women’s Library session is set for Sunday, April 29 and we will be discussing this amazing book!! 521 Halsey Street in Bedstuy, Brooklyn.
Stay tuned for more info!!
Blessings and Happy Wednesday BBS!! Thank you so much to all the lovely people who stopped by The Free Black Women’s Library this past Sunday!! Appreciate the beauty and brilliance you bring.
We had a good and sweet time talking about the book FRESHWATER by Akwaeke Emezi (@azemezi) trading books by Black women, connecting with each other and hanging out in the space.
Next month we’ll be chatting about the amazing memoir WHEN THEY CALL YOU A TERRORIST : a Black Lives Matter Memoir by Patrisse Khan-Cullors (@osopepatrisse) and Asha Bandele (@ashabandele713)
Join us on Sunday, April 29th, at 1p. 521 Halsey Street. See you then!! ✌🏾📚💕☺️
The last Free Black Women’s Library session was so beautiful it felt epic!!
So many wonderful people came through, over a hundred books were traded and it was so busy I wasn’t able to get photos of every trade and/or beautiful moment, this amazing turnout in addition to the beautiful story telling workshop made it a very special day. Great exploration of “Sweat” by Zora Neale Hurston and “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid.
also got some great footage and interviews for the TFBWL documentary.
Thank you so much to everyone that came out!! Stay tuned for details on the next happening next month in Bedstuy.
Special shout out of love and gratitude to Anais,Taylor and Rachel of the Studio Museum for all the amazing support
Full house of awesome people for at last night’s art opening!! Tons of beauty & sweetness in the room, feeling grateful & tired. I snapped a few pics in between the 🍾😬🍾
The exhibit “The Archive of Affect” is up until April 16 feel free to stop by and trade good books written by Black women with the library, Wednesdays through Sundays from noon to six. All genres accepted!! And save the date for a special event happening on Sunday, April 2nd from noon to 6. Thanks!! 💕📚💕✨☺️


Last year the folks from @bust_magazine reached out to me asking for a list of 5 books and as you see I had to be a little contrary and give them 6.
I also turned it into a mini writing assignment for myself and wrote out the reasons why I chose each one, I named it 5 Books for Bust and shared it on my Patreon.
Click www.Patreon.com/TFBWL to join
I also spent a couple months looking out for it, and then promptly forgot out about it because LIFE.
They shared my list yesterday 🎉 - “Righteous Recommendations from Olaronke Akinmowo”
it’s a cute teeny tiny feature, linked on my Twitter 📝
But more importantly, I noticed that we can have some serious Word Play, and craft sentences and stories with their titles.
For instance -
⭐️Black futures are filled with thick riotous girls, church ladies and sister outsiders who live secret lives with the stars and the Blackness between them.⭐️
♥️🌹📚♥️🌹









