Hey Bookish Peeps! This week has been crazy and it isn’t even over! I don’t know how it is wherever you are in the world but it’s been pretty bananas in New York. I was really excited for this week with so many amazing books coming out and the launches of some anticipated reads along with my birthday (I’m even more of a grown ass woman y’all *shocked face*).
Each day, there has been notifications of cancellations of conferences, launch events and school visits; and if the event wasn’t cancelled, live signings weren’t/aren’t being done (This was done at The Strand and I was not happy about it, to say the least but I digress). This hurts both readers and authors. As a reader, I feel robbed of an experience to meet beloved authors, something that I look forward to and it’s the little adult social interaction that I get in a week (as awkward as I can be). I’m not an author but as someone who works on a per-hour basis, it has an impact to not do what both fulfills and pays the bills (oh shit, that rhymed).
So, in the midst of this crisis/chaos, what can we do to support each other? Of course, follow all the things that you can that is being advised but I’m speaking on a more emotional level as well as financial.
- Reach out to each other via social media or if you have direct contact information. It’s important to still maintain some human interaction for the sake of sanity.
- Read other blogs or watch other vlogs and leave positive comments. The world is looking like a hellafied dumpster fire right now so we need more positivity. Like our kindergarten teachers used to say “If you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say it at all”, so keep that ish to yo’self-write it in your diary or whatever because at this point in time, no one got time for toxicity.
- If the person has any sort of store, purchase something and/or share it to help bring in some business for them.
- Be kind to yourself, if you feel yourself sinking from a lack of human interaction (I feel this at times), please take a break to breathe, read a page from the book you are reading, listen to your favorite song, watch a funny video, call your therapist or beloved person; anything that would lift your Spirit.
- Buy books by your favorite authors, especially if they have books that recently came out or are coming out. They show up for us by writing these books and we should show up for them by purchasing them. If you already have their book, gift a copy to someone who you think would love it as well.
- If an author posts that they are signing books at a store, please order from that store. Likely this whole situation is affecting your local Indie stores too.
- If you aren’t in a place to financially support, talk up their books, post about them, write positive reviews on social media & book websites. Every effort truly counts.
- Sending encouraging words to the authors could also be nice as well, especially if they are working on a new book. We can all use good vibes and virtual hugs.
Here are some books that either have come out or will be coming out.
- The Only Black Girls In Town by Brandy Colbert
- When You Were Everything by Ashley Woodfolk
- A Phoenix First Must Burn Edited by Patrice Caldwell
- We Unleash The Merciless Storm by Tehlor Kay Meija (Sequel to We Set The Dark On Fire)
- Of Curses And Kisses by Sandhya Menon
- Wicked As You Wish by Rin Chupeco
- Deathless Divide by Justina Ireland (Sequel to Dread Nation)
- Stamped by Jason Reynolds & Ibram X. Kendi
- Black Girl Unlimited by Echo Brown
- Woke: A Young Poet’s Call To Justice by Mahogany L. Browne with Elizabeth Acevedo and Olivia Gatwood
- Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko-April 2020 (I will be writing a reaction to this book because it’s fucking amazing)
- Incendiary by Zoraida Cordova-April 2020
- Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know by Samira Ahmed-April 2020
These are just a few books that I could think of that recently came out or will be released next month. There are so many books coming out this year so if your TBR isn’t already redonkulous (like my mine is) then it is about to be! As Russell Simmons (I believe) would say “Take care of yourself and each other” in all this craziness.
Feel free to find me on Instagram @bookishgirlmagic or Twitter @bookishgrlmagic! Sending big bookish love yall’s way!
Bookish Girl Magic 