Repost from Medium.com/RebelWomenlitLet’s be honest 2017 was a rough year for almost everything except books. While our lives may not have gone according to plan, and we may not have hit our Goodreads target we have been able to read some amazing books this year. Here are some of the Rebel Women Lit readers’ favourite books:
Kristina Neil
This year I was introduced to so many amazing books by RWL and the great women of the group that I wouldn’t normally see or know about and they’ve all taken up an important space in my heart and consciousness.
Nicole Dennis-Benn’s Here Comes The Sun is what I’d say is an “authentic” look at Jamaica and its people. She explores the hard subjects of generational abuse, sexual violence, mother-daughter relationship dynamics, the system and cycle of poverty and the several ways Jamaicans try to climb out of it, homophobia and just so much more. I loved this book because Nicole unfolds these themes through the lenses/experiences of some of Jamaica’s most disenfranchised voices; queer, poor, women and girls. It’s not a “happy” book but I’m glad that it’s not because, much like the lived realities of many Jamaicans, we’re all still trying to fight the system, fight for our right to exist and heal from years of abuse.
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi — not just one of the best books I’ve read this year but perhaps one of the books I’ve ever read. Tracing the lineage of two Ghanaian sisters separated at birth, Gyasi gave us a history lesson that most of us would not have learned in school; what West Africa was before settler colonialism, the system of slavery and its longstanding effects. This book was heavy for me and had me experiencing the gamut of my emotions. I left it feeling connected to a history I knew existed in my bones and yet disconnected from the history I was denied of. I think every black person, especially of the diaspora should get a hold of this.
Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi. Now, this book will officially be published in February 2018, but I received an advanced reader’s copy and it’s the best gift of the year. What a book lol. I feel like I say this with all of my favourites for the year…but I have never read anything like this! Akwaeke talks about mental illness (more specifically, multiple personality disorder) and the complexities of living with it and navigating relationships, dealing with and healing from traumatic experiences as well as spirituality in a raw, unfiltered way. I felt all of Ada’s and the other voices’ feelings and emotions. And the gyal just can write good yah man lol.
Kaymara Barrett
My favourites books in 2017 were all by debut authors, and interestingly, examined aspects of mental health within the black community.
An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon blew me away. While I was initially drawn to the cover, the story definitely lived up to the expectation, and reminded me that sometimes it’s 100% okay to judge a book by the cover. Honestly, I’m currently at the point where it’s my go to recommendation whenever someone asks for a good book. Solomon’s debut is easy to recommend because it’s the kind of story that we don’t often find in fiction: SFF with a black, queer, disabled, intersex woman. Think about it, can you name a single book that has this kind of representation? Not only that, but there is also non-binary, asexual, schizoaffective disorder, PTSD, and ADHD representation. Is this book in your shopping cart yet? No? I’ll wait because it seriously needs to be.
An Unkindness of Ghosts is intricately layered and nuances regarding friendship, self-actualization, race, class, religion and gender are expertly woven within the storyline. At no point does the represenation feels like box-ticking, and readers are treated to a story that feels intimate and extremely memorable. In fact, I know I wanted to re-read even before finishing. This novel is definitely the type that keeps giving with each read with readers discovering elements of foreshadowing and increasing character development.
World building is by far the most stand-out element of the book. The world-building shines through, so much so that one finds themselves being fully immersed in this novel quite quickly. The world of the spaceship Matilda is The setting of the book definitely creates a level of cohesion, and it is difficult to image the story in any other setting. The care and detail to world-building is most noticeable in the description of the ship’s wings and the decks.
The pacing was also one of the book’s stand-out elements. There wasn’t much of a lull in any of the sections. The major plot developments occurred at the right times and tied in well with the rest of the story. This was further enhanced by the structure of the novel. While Aster is the main character, each section of the book presents insight into her interactions with key supporting characters who also important parts of Aster’s life. Moreover, each characters is fully drawn, and carries a distinct personality that readers can easily connect with. I can’t recommend this book enough, but I highly recommend it for fans of Octavia Butler, Karen Lord, Nalo Hopkinson and Nnedi Okorafor.
Bone by Yrsa Daley-Ward was another book recommended by a friend. I think the running suggestions here are (a) my friends have excellent tastes in books and (b) trust your friends. Daley-Ward is an LGBTQ activist of Jamaican and Nigerian descent *waves tiny Jamaican flag* While this description may seem irrelevant for some readers, I actively look out for works by Jamaican women as I beleive we have stories to tell and man, does
Daley-Ward tell a story.
Bone is one of the few poetry collections that I connect with. There were times when I had to put the book down and take a break….it was too relatable, too real. It felt like someone had reached into my mind, plucked out my feelings and adeptly put them into coherent words. Reading Bone is nothing short of a theraputic session with your best friend, it feels like that deep exhale you’ve been waiting to take, to finally feel understood by those closest to you. The collection feels truly personal not only to the writer, but the reader as well.
Another book I loved this year was Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi. Is this…Is this cheating? Technically, Freshwater doesn’t come out until 2018 but I need everyone to run to the nearest book retailer and pre-order this one. Freshwater actually ended up on my radar thanks to Kristina’s excitement about the book. I hadn’t heard of the book or author prior to her telling Rebel Women Lit how excited she was, and boy, am I glad she shared her story. I’ll be honest and admit that I haven’t finished Freshwater. I haven’t finished because I didn’t want the story to end. I have abotu 41 pages left and I actively refuse to continue. I don’t want to leave Emezi’s world. This is the first book I actively decided not to finish because it was too good. This has never happened before, not even with my all-time favourites.
This was largely the result of Emezi’s writing style which is extremely sophisticated and polished. Her work pulled me out of a major depressive episode and accompanying reading slump. I was quickly immersed in the world of Freshwater. I found myself wanting to rush home or skip work just to spend time reading this book. It’s one of my favourite feelings as a reader and I am extremely happy I found it in this book.
Jessica Lewis
Augustown by Kei Miller: An amazing novel surrounding a community not seen in the greatest light. I loved how Miller intertwined the characters’ lives so effortlessly while each going through individual journeys.
The Pain Tree by Olive Senior: Amazing collection of short stories that feature women in Jamaica of different backgrounds and facing diverse issues, which makes the women seem universally relatable. My favorite being ‘The Goodness of My Heart’, I really was struck by the ending.
The Brief Wonderous Life Of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz: My second read of Junot Diaz that has been on my shelf for a while, found a signed at Calabash Festival in Treasure Beach and I knew I had to have it. It was an eye opening read on DR history of the dictatorship that I wasn’t aware of and the generational experiences of families and growing up.