Reads + Repeats 04
what i'm reading and what's on repeat
Hello and happy New Year! I hope you all had a lovely holiday season and that your 2023 is off to a great start. Since this is the very first Reads + Repeats of the year, it felt fitting to have a theme of “Introductions”. Album openers and the first line/paragraph/scene of a book set the tone for what’s to come. This list includes books and albums that have introductions I really enjoy and appreciate!
All the books listed in this Reads + Repeats (and previous posts) are linked to It’s Lit storefront on bookshop.org. So if you buy any of the books talked about, a portion of your purchase goes to supporting this publication :)
Again, happy New Year, I’m excited to see where It’s Lit goes in 2023!
The Reads
The Salt Eaters by Toni Cade Bambara
The Salt Eaters opening line, “‘Are you sure, sweetheart, that you want to be well?’”, reads like Bambara asking you that question across time and space. The book is complex and requires all of your focus but I promise it’s so worth the read (and rereads). It’s a book I would recommend to all the Black women in my life.
Perfect if you’re looking for: a nonlinear story, something experimental, a novel by a Black woman writer, a story told from multiple characters’ POV, a political novel that deals with mental health
We Cast a Shadow by Maurice Carlos Ruffin
Fans of Donald Glover’s Atlanta (rip, gonna miss it) would enjoy this book. The story follows an unnamed Black lawyer who would do anything for his son to have an easier time in life than he did. If you enjoy satire and the absurd, and are looking for a longer book to read, then We Cast a Shadow is the novel for you. It’s opening paragraph is one of my favorites, and immediately had me hooked!
Perfect if you’re looking for: satire, a novel to read after Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man, something funny but slightly heartbreaking, a story about family and familial love (particularly fathers and sons), a longer novel
Vagabonds! by Eloghosa Osunde
It’s hard to describe Vagabonds! because I’ve never read another book quite like it. Osunde opens her novel with several definitions of the word ‘vagabond’, and the stories that follow center the lives of these Nigerian vagabonds, of those living on the margins of society in someway or another. There’s magic and love and gods and chaos. I can’t recommend Vagabonds! enough.
Perfect if you’re looking for: a cast of interesting characters, mythology in the modern world, a story set in Nigeria, something humorous, short stories that are linked, queer literature
“WE CAN BE” by Sonia Sanchez
Technically…this isn’t an introduction. “WE CAN BE” is a poem that was included in Sonia Sanchez’s (out-of-print) collection It’s A New Day: Poems for Young Brothas and Sistuhs. With that being said, WE CAN BE has this achingly optimistic quality that reminds me of how hopeful beginnings can be.
The Repeats
“SOS” - SZA
I really try to use Reads + Repeats to talk about musicians that aren’t mainstream (not because I don’t listen to popular musicians but because I think it’s important to spotlight lesser-known artists who are also making amazing music) but not including SZA on this list would’ve been disingenuous. I’ve played SOS everyday since it dropped and its opening track of the same name is one of my favorites. SZA rapping (!!) “damn right I’m the one” and “I just want what’s mine” embodies the energy I want to have this year: boldly claiming what’s mine and taking it!
An Orange Colored Day - Arima Ederra
Arima Ederra has angelic, ethereal, and sometimes jazzy vocals that make An Orange Colored Day a delight to listen to. Like any good album opener, “Letters from the Imaginary” gives you a taste what Ederra is capable of and transports you into her dreamy sonic world.
Balance - Children of Zeus
I love an album that takes you on a journey and Balance does that, opening with “Sunrise” and ending with “Sunset”. If you enjoy soul and hip-hop then Children of Zeus are the artists for you. The soul/hip-hop duo hails from Manchester and both of their albums ( Travel Light and Balance ) are phenomenal. I find myself replaying “Sunrise” over and over again because 1) I wish it was longer and 2) Tyler Daley’s vocals are gripping and earnest. I highly highly recommend checking out this album!
“Wonderland” - Brandon Banks
“Wonderland” is the opening track on Brandon Banks EP Natural Progressions. The track is lyrical and introspective, and I find myself playing it a lot at night when I’m writing.
That’s all I have for January’s Reads & Repeats! I’d love to know what you’re reading and listening to to start off your year :)
Thanks for reading and talk soon,
-Yeaye
I love the praise you're giving the SOS title track. A lot of people weren't feeling her rapping but for someone we go to for singing, I thought she did it her way and made it work! The book you compared to Atlanta has my interest for sure as I think that show is EASILY top 2 for modern shows.
Since 2020 when it dropped, I like to listen to "One More Year" by Tame Impala as my last song on December 31 and/or my first song on January 1. "Flowers" by AKTHESAVIOR is def still a motivational track I've got in my rotation and of course my favorites from the Metro Boomin album, Drake x 21's album, SAULT's album 11 and Monophonics' album Sage Motel.
I'm currently obsessed with a song called "Uptown" by The Chamber Brothers - specifically the version on the Summer of Soul soundtrack. An awesome bass line is gonna pull me in every time lol. I love his lyrics about just the happenings in Harlem and I'm not from New York but he painted an excellent picture with his lyrics and energy.