**A Year of Black History Month Recommendations**

As I sit down to write this article, I am filled with excitement and gratitude for the opportunity to share my thoughts on the books that have captivated me over the past year. As a reader, I'm always on the lookout for stories that showcase diverse voices and experiences, and Black History Month has been a wonderful reminder of the importance of celebrating and amplifying these stories.

**Children of Blood and Bone**

One of my favorite books from this year's recommendations is "Children of Blood and Bone" by Tomi Adeyemi. I have to admit, I was skeptical at first - as someone who considers fantasy to be one of their favorite genres, I can get overwhelmed with epic fantasy series that promise the world but often deliver disappointing characters and plotlines. However, "Children of Blood and Bone" surprised me in every way possible. With its richly detailed world-building and complex characters, this book drew me in from the very first page and refused to let go. The author's writing style is effortless and engaging, making it easy to become invested in the lives of her characters. I particularly loved the story of Zuko and Katara - their forbidden love was a highlight of the series for me, and I adored how Adeyemi subverted traditional fantasy tropes to create something truly unique.

**Finding Yvonne**

Another book that I thoroughly enjoyed is "Finding Yvonne" by Brandi Colbert. I have to admit, I had some different expectations going into this book - I knew it dealt with teen pregnancy, but I thought it would be the main plot of the story. Instead, the author masterfully weaves together a narrative that explores themes of identity, family dynamics, and finding one's passion in life. Yvonne, the protagonist, is a complex and relatable character who struggled to find her place in the world - I couldn't help but root for her as she navigated the challenges of high school and adolescence. What struck me most about this book was its portrayal of black girls' experiences with music and art - it's not often that we see these stories told with such nuance and accuracy.

**A Year of Black Book Tubers**

As I reflect on my reading journey over the past year, I'm reminded of the importance of community and connection. The world of booktubing has been a source of inspiration and support for me, and I'm so grateful to have discovered the work of talented creators like Hanna from A Clockwork Reader. Her passion for "Children of Blood and Bone" was contagious - she's one of those readers who can make you feel seen and heard, even when you're not sure if you'll love a book. If you're looking for recommendations or just want to connect with fellow readers, I highly recommend checking out the work of these talented creators.

**Conclusion**

As Black History Month comes to a close, I'm grateful for the opportunity to share my thoughts on the books that have enriched my reading experience this year. Whether it's "Children of Blood and Bone" or "Finding Yvonne", each book has left an indelible mark on my heart. To all the authors who have poured their love and creativity into these stories, I offer my sincerest gratitude - thank you for sharing your voices with the world. And to my readers, I hope that these recommendations have been helpful in finding new books to add to your shelves. Until next year's Black History Month celebration, stay bookish!

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enhey what's up hello my name is Emma and today I'm going to be giving you guys some recommendations for Black History Month last year I also made a recommendations video talking about some my favorite books by black authors about black main characters so if you want to check out that video for like double the recommendations it's in the description below and before we jump into this video I would just like to once again make it very clear that I'm aware that as a white woman I don't have the ability to provide the most authentic review of the black experience because I've never lived it so if you would like to discover more black creators who would be able to do that for you in addition to just making really dope content all the time I've linked some of my absolute favorite black book tubers in the description down below please go check them out support them show them some love because that's really what Black History Month is all about and also we should be supporting black creators all year round so now you have the tools to go forth and do so additionally this video does contain a paid promotion with Disney Book Group for the release of the everlasting rose by Daniel Clayton which is the sequel to the bells I'm super pumped to be working with them because I actually included the bells on my recommendations list last year because it was a fantasy novel I really enjoyed and if you check out last year's video I do actually have a clip of Daniel Clayton talking about the bells that I think is pretty cool and like one of my favorite parts of the video so go check the video out and then we can continue here the everlasting Rose comes out on at March 5th and it is the sequel to the bells which is a young adult novel that takes place in a fantastical New Orleans where the people of Orleans are born gray and Damned and only the bells are able to restore them to a place of beauty camellia is a bell but she wants to be the favored - the most revered Belle there is in the kingdom but when she arrives at court she finds out that her powers and her abilities are actually much more dangerous and powerful than she ever realized so she's a lot of difficult decisions to make in terms of protecting herself and her sisters or doing the Queen's bidding and saving the princess I really enjoyed the Belle's it has a very decadent gorgeous writing style it's a fun story with diverse characters like what more could you want so definitely if you have not checked out the bells yet you definitely should and then you can pick up the sequel to the everlasting Rose which comes out very soon I'm sorry I know this videos really long but we finally made it to the recommendations a portion of this video now the majority of recommendations in this video are contemporaries because like what can I say I just really love young adult contemporaries about marginalised teens but I understand not everyone loves contemporary and it's also really important for us to boost science fiction fantasy novels that have a diverse cast because there just are not enough of them so I just wanted to like quickly mention a few that I would really recommend if that's more your genre the diviners renegades ace of shades six of crows passenger and the fourth book in the lunar Chronicles series are all books that have a main character who is black so if you guys are interested in more science fiction fantasy with black main characters I'd highly recommend all of these but I'm just like not dedicating this video to them and again the bells and the everlasting Rose also go under that category alright we're finally at like the real recommendations part of this video I'm sorry I just had a lot to say but the first book I really want to recommend to you guys for Black History Month is pride by a visa boy pride is a modern Pride and Prejudice retelling that follows a girl named Zuri who is Haitian and Dominican living in Brooklyn during a time where judge or occasion is weighing really heavily on her because she's someone who has a ton of pride from Brooklyn but things get shaken up on Zuri's block when a rich black family called the Darcys moving across the street from her I really loved pride I just read it this month I listen to the audiobook non-stop for like two days and I'm genuinely surprised with how much I enjoyed it as someone who's never read Pride and Prejudice so I can't exactly attest to how accurate of a retelling it is or how close it is there anything of that sort but by itself on its own it was really great pride is equal parts a cute fluffy love story while also dealing with some intense topics such as again gentrification racial tensions and even classism and how that varies among different races pride doesn't necessarily have my favorite cast of characters I've ever read like I was thoroughly annoyed with Zuri and Darius and like everyone throughout most of the novel but there's so many elements that are very charming about it I love the big family dynamic in this story it was super fun to read about and that's always an element I enjoy in books I surprisingly really loved the inclusion of poetry in the story I had no idea going into this book that Zuri was a poet and there was gonna be poetry in this book and as someone who didn't love poetry like I really really enjoyed it in this book Ibiza boy has just like a beautiful poet's voice and it really shined through in this novel combined with Zuri's passion it was just so great it was a super fun and addictive fast-paced read Ibiza boy is just such a talented author like I believe American Street wine like a National Book Award or it was at least nominated let me check I feel like I'd be doing if he's a boy disservice she's a National Book Award finalist I have not read American Street yet but I'm so excited to and I can't wait to just read everything she puts out she's super talented the main reason I picked up pride is because I got to see a busy boy at Epic Greed's Day last year I will leave a link to my vlog of that day if you want to check it out cuz I have some cool footage from her but I'm just hearing her speak and what an elegant woman she is as well as like seeing the cover design of this book the whole process and how like it now mirrors a lot of classic Brooklyn architecture it was just a really cool experience and made the book very memorable for me so I loved it if you are interested you should definitely check it out the next book I'd like to recommend to you is the Sun is also a star by Nicola Yoon I don't know why I didn't include this book last year because I read it many years ago but now is it's time to shine the Sun is also a star is a novel that takes place over the course of just one day our first main character's name is Natasha it in 12 hours she is being deported back to Jamaica after spending the entirety of her life in America where that is really her home but she is being forced out of there because of her immigration status and our second main character's name is Daniel who is like the perfect Korean son he always gets good grades and he always lives up to his parents expectations but when faced with his future he's starting to question if that's what he really wants for his life so yes this is a love story that runs its complete course over justy span a few hours and you would think this would be like the worst case of insta-love in the entirety of why a publishing but you would be so wrong because it is incredible and definitely does not read like an insta love story at all which makes it so unique Nicola you and has such an easygoing lovable writing style and one thing that particularly stands out to me the Sun is also a star is that the book isn't only told from Natasha and Daniel's perspectives all throughout the story there are these seemingly insignificant characters that either have one appearance or multiple but we see the story through their eyes and it was just really refreshing I read so few books like this but I really enjoyed it overall the Sun is also a star is just remarkable it has well-developed characters the right amount of conflict and romance and just so much to love about it the movie for this book is also coming out very soon I don't exactly know the date but the trailer looks amazing and I know it's going to be great so if you haven't read this one is also a star yet it's the perfect time because the movie is coming out the next book on my recommendations list for Black History Month is a Monday's not coming by Tiffany D Jackson this is another one that I just read this past February and absolutely flew through like this is a pretty like hefty contemporary novel for young adult fiction and I also flew through it in like two or three days it was that good this story follows a black girl named Claudia who was a best friend named Monday goes missing and no one seems to care they stops coming to school and no one is concerned Monday's mother doesn't offer any information about Monday's whereabouts and just no one seems to take Claudia's concerns seriously about how her best friend has disappeared without a trace oh my gosh this book is so heart wrenching like I finished it maybe like a week or two ago and I am still being hit hard by it firstly it is a beautiful story of a platonic friendship between two girls in their teens the relationship between Monday and Claudia that is revealed through like flashbacks in like a before section of the book was just so heartwarming and just gave me all the friendship feels after someone who loves friendships in books this is when you absolutely need to put on your radar but also this book deals with of course some really intense topics when I met Tiffany D Jackson at the launch from undies not coming she talked a lot about how this book was inspired by the true events of a black young girls who have gone missing all throughout the country and haven't been found and no one is really looking for them so it just takes a true reality of our lives and turns it into fiction that I think is really consumable for readers in a word I just checked it it is but yeah it's still a very gritty intense book like if you're looking for something light read the Sun is also a star but if you want your heart ripped out of your chest read Monday's not coming one thing I didn't like about Monday's not coming is the time line and the time jumps throughout this story it's not chronological whatsoever and it's constantly jumping between before after one year before the before or like one week after the after it was really bizarre and I don't think it contributed to a story telling it all but it didn't change the fact that like it was still easy to make sense of in my head it just wasn't pleasant to read also there's one plot twist that I just personally didn't love but overall my name is not coming was a spectacular read it's a total whirlwind of emotions like one moment you'll be super in your fields about friendship reading about the strong deep connection that Claudia and Monday have and the next you'll be like wow everything sucks life is so unfair there's so much injustice in this world and I just I had to subject myself to this because it's real great book highly recommend the next book on this list is the only single author on this list who is not black the author is Puerto Rican but the story itself is so important that like I couldn't not talk about it especially because it's so underrated and I want more people to read it but that is anger is a gift by Merck Oshiro our main character's name is moss he is a black teen that deals with anxiety and panic attacks and he's currently still dealing with the after-effects of his father's murder which was unjust during a protest masses high school does not receive the appropriate funds to create a supportive and healthy environment for its students the infrastructure is crumbling and they have just installed metal detectors at a on-site police presence at all times Moss and his friends are tired of being treated more like criminals and students at their own school so they decide that was time to take things into their own hands even if they don't feel as powerful as the people they're going up against I love me some teen activism books I adore stories of young people who find an issue they're incredibly passionate about and use that passion to empower others and really create change in their communities if you're someone who really loves books like that like the hey you give and dear Martin Tyler Johnson was here or even not specific black stories like Moxie and the know where girls anger as a gift has to be next on your list something really notable about a year's gift it is quite possibly the most diverse young adult book I have ever read Moss is also gay and the boy he begins dating in this story is Hispanic as well as an undocumented immigrant and just all of the side characters and mosses friends throughout the story are different variations of people of color with different sexualities genders there's non-binary folk there's disabled folk there's just like a lot of rich culture in this story that does reflect the colorful society that we do live in today yes these characters are of course more than these specific identities that they have they have their own individual motivations and personalities that are described in the story but it is really important to note when we have a cast that is this diverse because young adult like most can't relate personally the writing of angers gift is not my favorite in the entire world I just felt like it could have been condensed like again this is a pretty big young adult contemporary novel and I think that it was just a little too wordy for my taste but overall this story is what really draws me to this novel as I said this book has a lot of teen activism it focuses on things like racism police brutality there's a lot of violence in this book like it's not an issue the book to read by any means but throughout all of the harsh emotional events that occurred throughout the story there is this theme of taking the anger you feel out the world and transforming it into something good and that like it's valuable that you feel this and it can mean something in living the life that you want to lead and that's something that I thought was really powerful and something that a lot of teens need to hear so I greatly enjoyed this book if you're into all the things I talked about I definitely recommend you pick this one up the next book I'd like to recommend to you guys is actually a fantasy novel and I'm sure you can see what it is but it is children upload and boon by Tomy Eddy I mean I did briefly touch on children abundant bone in last year's video I hadn't read it at that point but it was going to my next read and the book was coming out in like a few weeks so I really wanted to let people know about it but I have read it now and I really enjoyed it so I can give you like an official Emma books endorsed recommendation the children a blonde a bone is a West African inspired fantasy novel that takes place in the fantasy land of or in the past history mage I who are people with magic and were able to manipulate elements were killed by the king and greatly oppressed and since magic has now just disappeared without a trace their children known as the diviners are still dealing with a lot of repercussions from the kingdom my main character's name is Zhi Li and she is a young girl given the opportunity to bring magic back to her people so she teams up with her brother as well as the princess who has recently run away from the castle and they set off through orisha looking for these magical objects to bring magic back while the prince of the kingdom is hot on their tails and intent on eradicating magic forever listen children I'm gonna vote was so good it absolutely lives up to all of the hype surrounding this book before its release and now that it has been out in the world the world and history of arisia is so intricate and well-developed I loved the magic system it was super fun to read about and I also thoroughly enjoyed a lot of the characters that we get their perspective from in this story there are so many scenes in this book that are entertaining intense action-packed suspenseful like this is a fantasy novel that will have you on the edge of your seat because there's so much to get through and all of it is fantastic I haven't personally watched all about vert or the last airbender but this book is so frequently compared to it and like people who are really big fans like Hanna from a clockwork reader always say this is like the Katara Zuko love story that everyone wanted so do with that information as you will so yeah children oh bloody bone was amazing although I'm someone who considers fantasy to be one of my favorite genres I'm always a little weary with like super high epic fantasy it's really difficult for me to commit to a new series with a new author I don't previously love but children of London bone really surprised me so like a recommendation for a super high fantasy novel means a lot coming from me so you should definitely read it if you have not already and the final book on my list of Black History Month recommendations is finding Yvonne by a brandy at Kolbert I read Randy Colbert its first book little in Lion and I recommended it in last year's video and then I just read finding him on this past month and I loved it just as much her main character's name is Yvonne and she is a black girl living in Angeles approaching the end of her high school career Iman has spent most of her life relentlessly playing her violin it is something that has always brought her joy and comfort but as she is getting to the point where she might need to start making decisions about her future if she wants to go to a music conservatory or not she starts to question if her love for her violin is enough finding Iman is the book that really surprised me I already knew that I enjoyed brandi Colburn's writing style I think she has a great teen voice which is like really important when you're writing Rea books but she also makes her characters like more mature and self-aware and so I really enjoy reading like the internal thinking of her characters because it's just always so insightful but I had some different expectations going into this book I knew that finding Iman dealt with teen pregnancy but I thought that was like the main plot of the story and it's actually not I thoroughly enjoyed the pregnancy plotline I thought it was handled perfectly and it is like a very important story for people to hear but I thought it was going to be like the main plot and she was actually not introduced until much later in this story which left room for a lot of other things to get developed that I wasn't expecting and that made me enjoy the book even more Bruce Lee Yvonne's story of figuring out what she's passionate about and coming to terms with her current relationship with her music was really enjoyable like I was a band geek when I was in elementary school so I can relate to a lot of what she was saying and I just thought the whole storyline about a girl like figuring out what is important to her what is she capable of and what does she want to try and like actually do with her life instead of it being determined by her past was so enjoyable I also loved the family dynamics in this story as it was pretty unconventional and not what you typically read about nya essentially Yvonne's mom left when she was younger and she's like still dealing with the effects of that but she's also living with her father currently who's kind of absent from her life like he's a super successful chef and he like provides for her but she doesn't have a great relationship with him and watching that develop along the course of the story was super super fulfilling there is also like a little love triangle in this book which honestly frustrated me a little bit and I wasn't too happy with you on her part of the story but overall like the point of the love triangle is not as much about the romance and its really focused on like how Yvonne interprets every what's going on in her life and her relationship with different people and it took like a different take on love triangles which I really enjoyed finding Yvonne is just one of those books that I'm genuinely happy I read I had such a great time listening to the audiobook of this story getting to know Yvonne and just watching her grow as a character it was really really enjoyable so if you're looking for like a short sweet read that also deals with things like race and teen pregnancy highly highly recommend so that concludes this year's Black History Month recommendations I really hope you guys enjoyed in the comments below I would love to know if you have any thoughts on the books that I mentioned in this video or if you have any additional recommendations for me to continue reading throughout the year I would really appreciate it and again don't forget to check out all the black book tubers that I left in the description of this video and send them some love but that is it for this video thank you guys so much for watching and I will see you soon for a new one bye oh my god I just hit my lighthey what's up hello my name is Emma and today I'm going to be giving you guys some recommendations for Black History Month last year I also made a recommendations video talking about some my favorite books by black authors about black main characters so if you want to check out that video for like double the recommendations it's in the description below and before we jump into this video I would just like to once again make it very clear that I'm aware that as a white woman I don't have the ability to provide the most authentic review of the black experience because I've never lived it so if you would like to discover more black creators who would be able to do that for you in addition to just making really dope content all the time I've linked some of my absolute favorite black book tubers in the description down below please go check them out support them show them some love because that's really what Black History Month is all about and also we should be supporting black creators all year round so now you have the tools to go forth and do so additionally this video does contain a paid promotion with Disney Book Group for the release of the everlasting rose by Daniel Clayton which is the sequel to the bells I'm super pumped to be working with them because I actually included the bells on my recommendations list last year because it was a fantasy novel I really enjoyed and if you check out last year's video I do actually have a clip of Daniel Clayton talking about the bells that I think is pretty cool and like one of my favorite parts of the video so go check the video out and then we can continue here the everlasting Rose comes out on at March 5th and it is the sequel to the bells which is a young adult novel that takes place in a fantastical New Orleans where the people of Orleans are born gray and Damned and only the bells are able to restore them to a place of beauty camellia is a bell but she wants to be the favored - the most revered Belle there is in the kingdom but when she arrives at court she finds out that her powers and her abilities are actually much more dangerous and powerful than she ever realized so she's a lot of difficult decisions to make in terms of protecting herself and her sisters or doing the Queen's bidding and saving the princess I really enjoyed the Belle's it has a very decadent gorgeous writing style it's a fun story with diverse characters like what more could you want so definitely if you have not checked out the bells yet you definitely should and then you can pick up the sequel to the everlasting Rose which comes out very soon I'm sorry I know this videos really long but we finally made it to the recommendations a portion of this video now the majority of recommendations in this video are contemporaries because like what can I say I just really love young adult contemporaries about marginalised teens but I understand not everyone loves contemporary and it's also really important for us to boost science fiction fantasy novels that have a diverse cast because there just are not enough of them so I just wanted to like quickly mention a few that I would really recommend if that's more your genre the diviners renegades ace of shades six of crows passenger and the fourth book in the lunar Chronicles series are all books that have a main character who is black so if you guys are interested in more science fiction fantasy with black main characters I'd highly recommend all of these but I'm just like not dedicating this video to them and again the bells and the everlasting Rose also go under that category alright we're finally at like the real recommendations part of this video I'm sorry I just had a lot to say but the first book I really want to recommend to you guys for Black History Month is pride by a visa boy pride is a modern Pride and Prejudice retelling that follows a girl named Zuri who is Haitian and Dominican living in Brooklyn during a time where judge or occasion is weighing really heavily on her because she's someone who has a ton of pride from Brooklyn but things get shaken up on Zuri's block when a rich black family called the Darcys moving across the street from her I really loved pride I just read it this month I listen to the audiobook non-stop for like two days and I'm genuinely surprised with how much I enjoyed it as someone who's never read Pride and Prejudice so I can't exactly attest to how accurate of a retelling it is or how close it is there anything of that sort but by itself on its own it was really great pride is equal parts a cute fluffy love story while also dealing with some intense topics such as again gentrification racial tensions and even classism and how that varies among different races pride doesn't necessarily have my favorite cast of characters I've ever read like I was thoroughly annoyed with Zuri and Darius and like everyone throughout most of the novel but there's so many elements that are very charming about it I love the big family dynamic in this story it was super fun to read about and that's always an element I enjoy in books I surprisingly really loved the inclusion of poetry in the story I had no idea going into this book that Zuri was a poet and there was gonna be poetry in this book and as someone who didn't love poetry like I really really enjoyed it in this book Ibiza boy has just like a beautiful poet's voice and it really shined through in this novel combined with Zuri's passion it was just so great it was a super fun and addictive fast-paced read Ibiza boy is just such a talented author like I believe American Street wine like a National Book Award or it was at least nominated let me check I feel like I'd be doing if he's a boy disservice she's a National Book Award finalist I have not read American Street yet but I'm so excited to and I can't wait to just read everything she puts out she's super talented the main reason I picked up pride is because I got to see a busy boy at Epic Greed's Day last year I will leave a link to my vlog of that day if you want to check it out cuz I have some cool footage from her but I'm just hearing her speak and what an elegant woman she is as well as like seeing the cover design of this book the whole process and how like it now mirrors a lot of classic Brooklyn architecture it was just a really cool experience and made the book very memorable for me so I loved it if you are interested you should definitely check it out the next book I'd like to recommend to you is the Sun is also a star by Nicola Yoon I don't know why I didn't include this book last year because I read it many years ago but now is it's time to shine the Sun is also a star is a novel that takes place over the course of just one day our first main character's name is Natasha it in 12 hours she is being deported back to Jamaica after spending the entirety of her life in America where that is really her home but she is being forced out of there because of her immigration status and our second main character's name is Daniel who is like the perfect Korean son he always gets good grades and he always lives up to his parents expectations but when faced with his future he's starting to question if that's what he really wants for his life so yes this is a love story that runs its complete course over justy span a few hours and you would think this would be like the worst case of insta-love in the entirety of why a publishing but you would be so wrong because it is incredible and definitely does not read like an insta love story at all which makes it so unique Nicola you and has such an easygoing lovable writing style and one thing that particularly stands out to me the Sun is also a star is that the book isn't only told from Natasha and Daniel's perspectives all throughout the story there are these seemingly insignificant characters that either have one appearance or multiple but we see the story through their eyes and it was just really refreshing I read so few books like this but I really enjoyed it overall the Sun is also a star is just remarkable it has well-developed characters the right amount of conflict and romance and just so much to love about it the movie for this book is also coming out very soon I don't exactly know the date but the trailer looks amazing and I know it's going to be great so if you haven't read this one is also a star yet it's the perfect time because the movie is coming out the next book on my recommendations list for Black History Month is a Monday's not coming by Tiffany D Jackson this is another one that I just read this past February and absolutely flew through like this is a pretty like hefty contemporary novel for young adult fiction and I also flew through it in like two or three days it was that good this story follows a black girl named Claudia who was a best friend named Monday goes missing and no one seems to care they stops coming to school and no one is concerned Monday's mother doesn't offer any information about Monday's whereabouts and just no one seems to take Claudia's concerns seriously about how her best friend has disappeared without a trace oh my gosh this book is so heart wrenching like I finished it maybe like a week or two ago and I am still being hit hard by it firstly it is a beautiful story of a platonic friendship between two girls in their teens the relationship between Monday and Claudia that is revealed through like flashbacks in like a before section of the book was just so heartwarming and just gave me all the friendship feels after someone who loves friendships in books this is when you absolutely need to put on your radar but also this book deals with of course some really intense topics when I met Tiffany D Jackson at the launch from undies not coming she talked a lot about how this book was inspired by the true events of a black young girls who have gone missing all throughout the country and haven't been found and no one is really looking for them so it just takes a true reality of our lives and turns it into fiction that I think is really consumable for readers in a word I just checked it it is but yeah it's still a very gritty intense book like if you're looking for something light read the Sun is also a star but if you want your heart ripped out of your chest read Monday's not coming one thing I didn't like about Monday's not coming is the time line and the time jumps throughout this story it's not chronological whatsoever and it's constantly jumping between before after one year before the before or like one week after the after it was really bizarre and I don't think it contributed to a story telling it all but it didn't change the fact that like it was still easy to make sense of in my head it just wasn't pleasant to read also there's one plot twist that I just personally didn't love but overall my name is not coming was a spectacular read it's a total whirlwind of emotions like one moment you'll be super in your fields about friendship reading about the strong deep connection that Claudia and Monday have and the next you'll be like wow everything sucks life is so unfair there's so much injustice in this world and I just I had to subject myself to this because it's real great book highly recommend the next book on this list is the only single author on this list who is not black the author is Puerto Rican but the story itself is so important that like I couldn't not talk about it especially because it's so underrated and I want more people to read it but that is anger is a gift by Merck Oshiro our main character's name is moss he is a black teen that deals with anxiety and panic attacks and he's currently still dealing with the after-effects of his father's murder which was unjust during a protest masses high school does not receive the appropriate funds to create a supportive and healthy environment for its students the infrastructure is crumbling and they have just installed metal detectors at a on-site police presence at all times Moss and his friends are tired of being treated more like criminals and students at their own school so they decide that was time to take things into their own hands even if they don't feel as powerful as the people they're going up against I love me some teen activism books I adore stories of young people who find an issue they're incredibly passionate about and use that passion to empower others and really create change in their communities if you're someone who really loves books like that like the hey you give and dear Martin Tyler Johnson was here or even not specific black stories like Moxie and the know where girls anger as a gift has to be next on your list something really notable about a year's gift it is quite possibly the most diverse young adult book I have ever read Moss is also gay and the boy he begins dating in this story is Hispanic as well as an undocumented immigrant and just all of the side characters and mosses friends throughout the story are different variations of people of color with different sexualities genders there's non-binary folk there's disabled folk there's just like a lot of rich culture in this story that does reflect the colorful society that we do live in today yes these characters are of course more than these specific identities that they have they have their own individual motivations and personalities that are described in the story but it is really important to note when we have a cast that is this diverse because young adult like most can't relate personally the writing of angers gift is not my favorite in the entire world I just felt like it could have been condensed like again this is a pretty big young adult contemporary novel and I think that it was just a little too wordy for my taste but overall this story is what really draws me to this novel as I said this book has a lot of teen activism it focuses on things like racism police brutality there's a lot of violence in this book like it's not an issue the book to read by any means but throughout all of the harsh emotional events that occurred throughout the story there is this theme of taking the anger you feel out the world and transforming it into something good and that like it's valuable that you feel this and it can mean something in living the life that you want to lead and that's something that I thought was really powerful and something that a lot of teens need to hear so I greatly enjoyed this book if you're into all the things I talked about I definitely recommend you pick this one up the next book I'd like to recommend to you guys is actually a fantasy novel and I'm sure you can see what it is but it is children upload and boon by Tomy Eddy I mean I did briefly touch on children abundant bone in last year's video I hadn't read it at that point but it was going to my next read and the book was coming out in like a few weeks so I really wanted to let people know about it but I have read it now and I really enjoyed it so I can give you like an official Emma books endorsed recommendation the children a blonde a bone is a West African inspired fantasy novel that takes place in the fantasy land of or in the past history mage I who are people with magic and were able to manipulate elements were killed by the king and greatly oppressed and since magic has now just disappeared without a trace their children known as the diviners are still dealing with a lot of repercussions from the kingdom my main character's name is Zhi Li and she is a young girl given the opportunity to bring magic back to her people so she teams up with her brother as well as the princess who has recently run away from the castle and they set off through orisha looking for these magical objects to bring magic back while the prince of the kingdom is hot on their tails and intent on eradicating magic forever listen children I'm gonna vote was so good it absolutely lives up to all of the hype surrounding this book before its release and now that it has been out in the world the world and history of arisia is so intricate and well-developed I loved the magic system it was super fun to read about and I also thoroughly enjoyed a lot of the characters that we get their perspective from in this story there are so many scenes in this book that are entertaining intense action-packed suspenseful like this is a fantasy novel that will have you on the edge of your seat because there's so much to get through and all of it is fantastic I haven't personally watched all about vert or the last airbender but this book is so frequently compared to it and like people who are really big fans like Hanna from a clockwork reader always say this is like the Katara Zuko love story that everyone wanted so do with that information as you will so yeah children oh bloody bone was amazing although I'm someone who considers fantasy to be one of my favorite genres I'm always a little weary with like super high epic fantasy it's really difficult for me to commit to a new series with a new author I don't previously love but children of London bone really surprised me so like a recommendation for a super high fantasy novel means a lot coming from me so you should definitely read it if you have not already and the final book on my list of Black History Month recommendations is finding Yvonne by a brandy at Kolbert I read Randy Colbert its first book little in Lion and I recommended it in last year's video and then I just read finding him on this past month and I loved it just as much her main character's name is Yvonne and she is a black girl living in Angeles approaching the end of her high school career Iman has spent most of her life relentlessly playing her violin it is something that has always brought her joy and comfort but as she is getting to the point where she might need to start making decisions about her future if she wants to go to a music conservatory or not she starts to question if her love for her violin is enough finding Iman is the book that really surprised me I already knew that I enjoyed brandi Colburn's writing style I think she has a great teen voice which is like really important when you're writing Rea books but she also makes her characters like more mature and self-aware and so I really enjoy reading like the internal thinking of her characters because it's just always so insightful but I had some different expectations going into this book I knew that finding Iman dealt with teen pregnancy but I thought that was like the main plot of the story and it's actually not I thoroughly enjoyed the pregnancy plotline I thought it was handled perfectly and it is like a very important story for people to hear but I thought it was going to be like the main plot and she was actually not introduced until much later in this story which left room for a lot of other things to get developed that I wasn't expecting and that made me enjoy the book even more Bruce Lee Yvonne's story of figuring out what she's passionate about and coming to terms with her current relationship with her music was really enjoyable like I was a band geek when I was in elementary school so I can relate to a lot of what she was saying and I just thought the whole storyline about a girl like figuring out what is important to her what is she capable of and what does she want to try and like actually do with her life instead of it being determined by her past was so enjoyable I also loved the family dynamics in this story as it was pretty unconventional and not what you typically read about nya essentially Yvonne's mom left when she was younger and she's like still dealing with the effects of that but she's also living with her father currently who's kind of absent from her life like he's a super successful chef and he like provides for her but she doesn't have a great relationship with him and watching that develop along the course of the story was super super fulfilling there is also like a little love triangle in this book which honestly frustrated me a little bit and I wasn't too happy with you on her part of the story but overall like the point of the love triangle is not as much about the romance and its really focused on like how Yvonne interprets every what's going on in her life and her relationship with different people and it took like a different take on love triangles which I really enjoyed finding Yvonne is just one of those books that I'm genuinely happy I read I had such a great time listening to the audiobook of this story getting to know Yvonne and just watching her grow as a character it was really really enjoyable so if you're looking for like a short sweet read that also deals with things like race and teen pregnancy highly highly recommend so that concludes this year's Black History Month recommendations I really hope you guys enjoyed in the comments below I would love to know if you have any thoughts on the books that I mentioned in this video or if you have any additional recommendations for me to continue reading throughout the year I would really appreciate it and again don't forget to check out all the black book tubers that I left in the description of this video and send them some love but that is it for this video thank you guys so much for watching and I will see you soon for a new one bye oh my god I just hit my light\n"