Love Notes. Christina C. Jones. 2018. 269 pages. [Source: Kindle Unlimited.] Her first night in town lands Jules in Troy’s bed for a one-night-only fling. They don’t even bother to catch each others’ names before she leaves like a thief in the night. Too bad that Mahogany Heights is only so big, and they inevitably cross each others’ paths again. For his part, Troy has sworn off reckless behavior, so his willingness to dive into Jules is troubling. He’d been so committed to making better choices in his life that this slip-up lost him a bet — and the locs he’d been growing for a decade. At least he thought it was worth it. Jules simply wants to establish herself in her new home by launching her photography business. It’s a homecoming of sorts for her, but she’s on a quest to take control of her life in a way that she didn’t have the last time she lived here. Even her business name — Love Notes — is a nod to her wanting to restake control over her view of love.

The Autobiography of Gucci Mane. Gucci Mane & Neil Martinez-Belkin. 2017. Simon & Schuster. 270 pages. [Source: Public library]. Trap God. Guwop. Gucci Mane. Radric Davis. All names for the same man whose career — and rap sheet — has read like a series of unfortunate events. Admittedly, I am not a Gucci Mane fan. There are a handful of songs of his that I like, but otherwise, I’ve only been as familiar with him as Twitter’s trending topics demanded.  Nonetheless, I was intrigued by the fact that a rapper who has spent at least a third of his “fame” behind bars still maintained a near cult-like fan base. I picked up this book mostly because I didn’t understand quite why the man with an ice-cream cone tat on his cheek actually got a book deal. I heard he had a “glow up” after his most recent prison stint, and figured this was part of it.  I put myself on the hold list with my local library and came into this book with low expectations. I was hating a little bit, but I was genuinely interested in what he had to share. When I started reading, though?

The Games We Play. Alexandra Warren. 2018. 247 pages. [Source: Kindle Unlimited.] Chance is only back in his hometown for a brief stint to help his mom remodel what everyone calls her trap house.  The best laid plans often go awry, though, and things get complicated almost immediately.  Londyn is the younger sister of Eric, Chance’s best friend. What they both thought would be a one-time, discreet hook-up, turns into something they both struggle to ignore.   Chance and Londyn have chemistry. They definitely have physical compatibility that sparks flames. But their personalities hit it off, sometimes to a fault. The Games We Play found a good balance of telling the story from both perspectives.  Too often, romance tells a story from just the woman’s perspective, leaving gaps in the plot as well as preventing the reader from connecting fully with the characters. Here, however, you’re able to better understand both Chance and Londyn, including their motivations and hesitations in dealing with each other.  To be fair, there’s enough at play to keep them from dealing with each other seriously.

Dear Martin. Nic Stone. 2017. Random House. 212 pages. [Source: Public library.] If nothing in the world ever changes, what type of man are you gonna be? I picked up Dear Martin on the recommendation of someone because I’d enjoyed The Hate You Give. This book is in a similar vein as THUG in that it follows the aftermath of an officer-involved shooting that results in a young, black teen’s death.  More than that, however, it explores the complexities of racial and social class in nuanced ways. Told from the perspective of 17-year-old Justyce, Dear Martin gives a young, black males insight, which I found especially interesting. Justyce is an honor student who attends a prestigious private school on a full scholarship.  He is, however, from the other side of the proverbial tracks, the child of a single mother and lives in what he describes as a bad area of Atlanta.  His bright future is a foregone conclusion – Ivy league education, law school, public policy career. However, he receives a rude awakening that his accomplishments mean little in the face of biased community members.

The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl. Issa Rae. 2015. Atria. 225 pages. [Source: Public library]. In the interest of full disclosure, I have to admit that I’ve been a stan of Issa Rae since her co-worker caught her rapping along aggressively at a stop sign on Youtube.  That fandom exploded when her show, Insecure, hit HBO in 2016.  I’ve always related quite a bit to her experiences on her web-series, and (not surprisingly) the trials and tribulations of adulthood chronicled on the small screen spoke to my own experiences in dating, working, and trying to look like I had my sh*t together while I fumbled through the process. I’m honestly a bit disappointed it took me so long to get my hands on her autobiography, but it was worth the wait.  It’s an easy read and felt like I was kicking back on the couch with my girl from way back, reminiscing about the good, bad, and ugly.  (Sidenote – Issa Rae is my friend in my head. She completes my sentences and we do that thing where you can give someone a look and they know exactly what you’re thinking).  I appreciated from the start her ability to inject wit (albeit often…