"Wash Day Diaries" is a graphic novel that consists of five interconnected stories involving four friends (Kim, Nisha, Davene, and Cookie as they navigate life in the Bronx.

This graphic novel is important in that it shows the often unknown experience of "wash days" which refers to the days taken by black women to wash, condition, dry and nourish their hair. I really felt seen in this graphic novel since I have worn my hair in the various ways shown by the characters including in braids, wearing a wig, and currently wearing my hair in a natural hairstyle.

Although each character had her own separate story, I enjoyed how the Rowser connected the five stories and how Smith brought the characters to life by drawing women with curvy bodies, different skin tones, and various hairstyles. Representation matters and this graphic novel was wonderful in how it presents the relationships between black women and their hair as well as their friendships, romantic relationships and family relationships.

I liked that the novel tackled the often overlooked topic of depression among black women and also realistically addressed the stigma faced in the black community regarding getting help for mental health issues such as therapy or medication. Despite the depression experienced by one of the characters, she is able to get the helps she needs then show up to support her friend at her event.

Overall, this was a fun, quick read that showed the power of being your authentic self, enduring friendships, and how important it is to have a strong support system in ones life during good and bad times.

“The Hill We Climb” is a written version of the powerful poem read by Amanda Gorman at the 2021 presidential inauguration of President Joe Biden. Following a foreword by Oprah Winfrey, the poetry is presented in full over several pages.

By spreading the poem over several pages, it makes the the words and imagery carry heavier weight. To me, the main themes of this poem are they that the American people are resilient and despite setbacks, we are capable of surviving, rebuilding and coming back bruised but stronger. As someone who has written poetry and has loved reading poetry for many years, this book and this poem provides encouragement as well as hope for the future.

If you're not a Ronda Rousey fan before reading this book, you definitely will be after you've it. How she has managed to succeed despite facing personal tragedy will inspire you to strive to achieve your own personal goals. I liked that the chapters in this bio was short and it was written in a very conversational format so the reader feels like they're actually talking to Ronda. Definitely a must read for MMA fans, women or anyone in general.

A book presenting an unconventional approach to taking charge of one's health through nutrition therapy. I do agree that it can be possible to change your health for the better by eating less processed foods but I feel the book should provide a step by step method to doing this which won't traumatize those who are meat eaters.

Short funny yet sad book featuring dinosaurs, dodo birds, clowns, pirates, trees, island castaways and even a cassette tape lamenting over the loss of their friends.

This graphic novel focuses on Kentucky police officer Rick Graves and the grim reality he faces after waking up from a coma to discover a world taken over by zombies. After Rick escapes from the hospital, he runs home to find his wife Lori and seven year old son Carl. Unfortunately, his home has been overrun with dead zombies and he flees to Atlanta where he thinks Lori and Carl May have went to be with family.

Rick eventually makes it to Atlanta but finds it full of zombies ready to kill him. Luckily, he is saved by Glen and is lead away from the city to a camp of survivors. Upon arriving at the camp, Rick is happily reunited with Lori and Carl. Rick gets acquainted with the other survivors and life appears to be going well.

As time progresses, friction begins to occur between Rick and his friend Shane. When Rick suggests to Shane that the camp move elsewhere, Shane becomes extremely agitated. Unbeknownst to Rick, Shane is furious that Rick survived the zombie outbreak and ruined his plans to start a new life with Lori and Carl.

While I’ve never watched this TV show, this graphic novel has presented a good enough case for me to check out at least on episode.

Although the topic of student loan debt is offer a subject many shy away from, Michael Arceneaux uses this book as both a cautionary tale as well as a exploration of how student loan debt has effected all facets of his life.

The book consists of essays divided into fifteen chapters. I will admit that I consumed this book by listening to the audiobook and can’t recommend this method enough in that for me, there is a certain experience the reader gets when listening to an author read their own words.

Chapter one begins with Arceneaux recounting his high school and college experiences. Although he entered college with the goal of getting a college degree and being able to support himself, due to massive student loan debt, this has led to stress and making life choices based on the likelihood of being able to pay off the debt.

As the book progresses, Arceneaux takes the reader on a journey of looking for consistent work to pay off his debt, the frustration he faces as an independent contractor and the temporary relief from paying his loans on time only to be replaced by stress and anxiety due to unpredictable payment from his freelance work.

This book really resonated with me since I also have student loan debt and also share his feelings of relief when paying my loan monthly. Just like the author, I took have student loan debt anxiety however my anxiety comes from the worry that they public service loan forgiveness program I am participating in could be stopped by the current president of the United States.

Out of all the essays in this book, my favorite essay/chapter was chapter 13 entitled “mama’s boy” which serves as a love letter to his mother. Within this chapter, Arceneaux speaks of the unspoken tenderness he shared with his mom as well as acceptance for the way in which she showed love towards her children.

What I liked most about this book is that Arceneaux presents his story honesty and owns up to his life choices. I also appreciated that his story doesn’t have a happy ending and it’s a work in progress. While the topic of student loan debt is a heavy matter, Arceneaux interjects humor through his essay and manages to ends the book on a high note by joking dispelling the myth that millennials have ruined everything as well as giving the reader advice to forgive themselves for the student loan debt they have incurred because they were making the best choice they could at the time. Lastly, he ends by giving the reader permission to be responsible and pay on student loan debt but don’t allow the debt to stunt your personal and professional growth.

“Winnie-the-Pooh” is a childhood classic novel yet it ranks high on the list of all time book challenge list due to religious group due to the animals being in the same level as Christopher Robin as well as the perspective that talking animals are an abomination.

The book consists of ten chapters that are individual stories of things that happen in the hundred acre woos which is where they all live. In the first story, the reader is introduced to Pooh who’s in the search for honey.

As the book progresses, the reader is introduced to Pooh’s friends Piglet, Owl. Rabbit., and Eeyore as they go though various adventures including hunting for a Woozle, helping Eeyore celebrate his birthday, taking a trip to the North Pole just to name a few examples.

The stories presented are entertaining as a well as timeless. Through reading about the experiences of Pooh and his friends, this provides a wonderful trip down memory lane.

Like that this book can be read all at once or in spurts as needed. Author provide one hundred strategies that the reader can utilize immediately in order to create a less stressful life. I found myself highlighting several strategies and plan to start using them as soon as possible. I also liked that the author not only empowers the reader and to use the book’s strategies, he also recommends the reader to cut themselves some slack if they regress since any changes one makes in life requires an adjustment period. This was a enjoyable book that I’d recommend to anyone looking for strategies to cope with stress or feeling as thought they are constantly rushing through their life.

Graphic novel about the a plague which kills all men except Yorick Brown and his pet monkey Ampersand. In this volume, Brown is accompanied by 2 women, agent 335 and Dr. Allison Man. As they ride a train to San Francisco to determine if Man’s daughter embryonic cells are still in tact for comparison. On their way to California, the train is boarded by a Russian soldier named Natalya. Natalya shares with Agent 335 that she was sent from Russia to intercept an incoming space shuttle which contain threes astronauts, one female and two males.

Natalya joins the group and they continue with the journey. Meanwhile unbeknownst to them, an Israeli platoon is on the hunt for Yorick at the direction of an unknown leader who is eventually revealed to be the President of the United States who is also Yorick’s mother.

Yorick and the gang arrive at a secret containment bunker then shortly thereafter, the space shuttle arrives. Unfortunately, the shuttle crash lands, one astronaut escapes then the shuttle explodes.

A secondary story line involves a all female acting troupe who go to different towns performing plays since dependable electricity is unavailable. The novel ends with Yorick and his team storming into town to retrieve Ampersand who ran away as the acting troupe performs a play about the last man alive.

This was an entertaining graphic novel which presents an interesting perspective of a world run by women. What I liked most about this book is that if showed all emotions of women from caring and nurturing to ruthless and manipulative.