repeatbeatpoet's reviews
157 reviews

adventurous informative reflective fast-paced

4.0

excellent collation of African & African-descended people writing on their experiences in Britain, going back to the mid 1700s. Features expected names in well-chosen excerpts (W.E.B DuBois on London in 1911 at a conference, Oludah Equiano etc), and many names initially unknown to me.

Audiobook also read fantastically, bringing these voices and stories back to life.

Parable of the Talents by Octavia E. Butler

Go to review page

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Super dope filling out of the story continuing from the previous book in the series. World building, plot, character development, themes, prose, all top tier. Loved it

Improvised Explosive Device by Arji Manuelpillai

Go to review page

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny informative tense fast-paced

4.0

this is a serious, persistently human, and properly grounded poetry collection exploring extremism, hate crime, violence, and the affect of terrorism on the mass world, and the individual experience. It's gritty, gallows-humour funny, but utterly beautiful in the way it values humanity.

Pair with 'Four Lions' and Riz Ahmed's Englandistan, Muneera Pilgrim's poetry.

Fave poems -
Portrait Of A Man In A Suicide Vest
Rapid Eye Movement
Methods Of Fitting In
Way Back
If You Don't Like It, Leave
This Is Not An IED (after Danez Smith)

Ella Jenkins' This Is Rhythm by Ella Jenkins

Go to review page

funny informative inspiring fast-paced

3.75

solid nursery-age introductory music/poetry book to rhythm and instruments written by iconic First Lady of Children's Music and Folk Song, Ella Jenkins. Covers how to play simple metric patterns, instruments like congas/bongos, simple bells, shakers, etc. Includes a couple rudimentary songs with musical and rhythmic notation too

"Rhythm is something we share in common, you and I
with all the plants and animals and people in the world,
and with the stars and moon and sun, and all the whole
vast wonderful universe beyond this wonderful earth
which is our home"

- a lovely quote from Langston Hughes that ends the book too

Quiet by Victoria Adukwei Bulley

Go to review page

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious medium-paced

4.25

Africa State of Mind: Contemporary Photography Reimagines a Continent by Ekow Eshun

Go to review page

adventurous informative inspiring fast-paced

4.25

In Search of Equilibrium by Theresa Lola

Go to review page

challenging emotional mysterious reflective sad fast-paced

3.5