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So You Want to Get Into Books, But Don't Know Where to Start
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By
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Jordan Simone
Reading recs from your teacher that you might actually like
Sections
4
 
For the Lovers
 
Poetry Recs for Poetry Newbies
 
Poetry Recs for Poetry Lovers
 
Books for Social Good

For the Lovers

Smart girls love romance too, so here are my faves

 
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A story we all know told so well I ugly cried into my pillow
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller, Paperback
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If you want a Black woman MC who is adored by partners of all races, genders, or ages, this is your author!
Jasmine Guillory
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If you are looking for love with a disabled MC, this is the best place to start
Get a Life, Chloe Brown (The Brown Sisters, #1) by Talia Hibbert
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I love her because she's like me-- hard working, bisexual, and Black AF
Take a Hint, Dani Brown (The Brown Sisters, #2) by Talia Hibbert
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The sweetest of the Brown Sister Trilogy, with excellent autism representation!
Act Your Age, Eve Brown (The Brown Sisters, #3) by Talia Hibbert
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Poetry Recs for Poetry Newbies

If you're tired of saying “I hate poetry," this is for you 

 
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One of my favorite collections. Allison Joseph’s narrative style of writing brings you in a poems world, without getting you lost
Confessions of a Barefaced Woman
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They mean what they say and say what they mean. It looks fun, and is, but don’t forget to bring tissues
Homie: Poems: 9781644450109: Smith, Danez: Books
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I teach all my students this poem, and it hasn’t missed yet!
Dinosaurs in the Hood
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Her digestible language keeps you safe and secure as she tears your heart to pieces
When My Brother Was an Aztec by Natalie Diaz
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Poetry Recs for Poetry Lovers

Poetry collections that have made me a better reader

 
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It doesn’t matter what a poem looks like, it’s about what it makes you feel
Your Emergency Contact Has Experienced an Emergency
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An excellent meditation on grief and loss written in the style of many obituaries.
Obit|Paperback
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a collection of poem like vignettes that haunts my writing in its reflections on grief, life, and the color blue
Bluets by Maggie Nelson
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Books for Social Good

Poems that motivate me to be a better community member
 
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Not a poem but a poet who’s social poetry changed the way I see the world and the work
Works - Nikki Giovanni
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Emotionally poignant, creative, and impactful. An exceptional reflection of America.
American Sonnets for My Past and Future Assassin|Paperback
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I wish I had the language to describe how beautiful this is but I don’t so you’ll just have to read it
Postcolonial Love Poem
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If you wonder why people say “abolish” not “reform” this is a good place to start!
The Master's Tools Will Never Dismantle the Master's House
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An essay that makes me remember we write and read and love out of necessity, not luxury.
Poetry Is Not a Luxury (1985) Audre Lorde The quality of light by which we ...
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