Skip to content

-

Get Hello Blogger
BookishEnds text below a circle with a purple feather hovering between two hands
  • Home
  • About Me
  • BlogExpand
    • Interviews
    • Book Tours
    • Recommendations
    • Reviews
  • ServicesExpand
    • Work With Me
  • ContactExpand
    • Social Page
Twitter Instagram Threads YouTube Pinterest

-

BookishEnds text below a circle with a purple feather hovering between two hands
Banner for March 2025 TBR with graphics of four leaf clovers in the upper corners and a mardi gras mask in the bottom center. It also has the cover of Can't Get Enough, Grown Women, and A Legend in the Baking
Blog

March TBR

Read More March TBRContinue

Banner for February 2025 Reading Wrap-up that features a stats graphic from Storygraph, a graphic of a stack of books, and a graphic of an open book
Blog

February Reading Wrap-up

Read More February Reading Wrap-upContinue

Banner for Our Infinite Fates by Laura Steven review with a graphic of the cover, a red thread, and a book with a quill pen next to it
Blog | Reviews

Our Infinite Fates by Laura Steven: Review

Read More Our Infinite Fates by Laura Steven: ReviewContinue

Banner with cover of Love Radio by Ebony LaDelle with a graphic of music notes and a graphic of a quill pen writing loops
Blog | Reviews

Love Radio by Ebony LaDelle: Review

Read More Love Radio by Ebony LaDelle: ReviewContinue

Banner with cover of This Could Be Us by Kennedy Ryan, a graphic of a white butterfly, and a graphic of a white camera on a tripod
Blog | Reviews

This Could Be Us by Kennedy Ryan: Review

Read More This Could Be Us by Kennedy Ryan: ReviewContinue

Banner for the February 2025 TBR that features the covers of Beloved, This Could Be Us, and Love Radio. There's also a graphic of three pink hearts and a graphic of a white tree with visible roots.
Blog

February TBR

Read More February TBRContinue

Banner for January 2025 Reading Wrap-up that features a graphic from Storygraph, a graphic of a stack of books, and a graphic of an open book
Blog

January Reading Wrap-up

Read More January Reading Wrap-upContinue

Banner featuring the cover of Looking for Love in All the Haunted Places, the graphic of a black cat, and a cluster of purple flowers
Blog

Looking for Love in All the Haunted Places by Claire Kann: Review

Read More Looking for Love in All the Haunted Places by Claire Kann: ReviewContinue

Banner with the text "Swapping my X Time with Reading Time" and the logos of X and Twitter side by side with a red x over them and a stack of books
Blog

Swapping My X Time for Reading Time

Read More Swapping My X Time for Reading TimeContinue

Banner with cover of Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan, a graphic of leaves, and a graphic of a chef holding a steaming tray
Blog | Reviews

Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan: Review

Read More Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan: ReviewContinue

Page navigation

Previous PagePrevious 1 2 3 4 5 … 10 Next PageNext
Delicate dried flowers and foliage on open books create a serene and artistic composition.
Picture of Alexia, a lightskin Black woman with black locs smiling and posing in front of two bookcases.

Welcome, I'm Alexia!

blogger | writer | sensitivity reader

I’m a lifelong reader with a passion for promoting diverse, fun, and unique reads. Some of my favorite genres are romance, fantasy, and women’s fiction. I also help writers shape their stories into their best versions.

  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • Amazon
Learn More

Find Your Next Adventure...

Purple background with an open pink book that has red and pink hearts on the front and back cover.
romance
Purple background with a pink spell book
fantasy
A purple background with a graphic of an open pocket watch.
NONFICTION
Purple background with a squiggly rainbow graphic
LGBtQ+
Purple background with a graphic of people in various bright colors jumping in the air
Young Adult
Purple background with a graphic of a white hand holding a microphone
Interviews

Reader Favorites

We Deserve Monuments by Jas Hammonds Banner
Blog | Reviews

We Deserve Monuments by Jas Hammonds: Review

Banner for In Deeper Waters by F.T. Lukens
Blog | Reviews

In Deeper Waters by F.T. Lukens: Review

Banner for None Shall Sleep by Ellie Marney
Blog | Reviews

None Shall Sleep by Ellie Marney: Review

Banner showing several The Kinder Poison by Natalie Mae books
Blog | Reviews

Review: The Kinder Poison by Natalie Mae

View mORE POSTS

Follow me on the Gram

If you're looking for diverse and fun reads, you've come to the right place.


bookishends

Great Black Hope was really down my alley because Great Black Hope was really down my alley because even though it centered around Smith’s troubles with the law and the aftermath of his friend Elle’s death, it was also a study into the way race and class intersect. It was almost a character study in that the plot itself didn’t feel like the point, but instead what the plot said about the characters and society at large. There were lots of interesting musings on the war on drugs, privilege, how people are memorialized, and addictive behaviors.

I rarely read books centered around partying or the rich, so this book felt like a dive into a whole other world. Even though I attended Cornell and orbited around the wealthy types that imbibed without a care in the world, my friends weren’t those kinds of people, so I never found myself deep in those circles. And yet, that kind of environment is normal to Smith and his friends. It’s welcome until they find themselves grappling with how to remain sober when the lifestyle they’ve created doesn’t encourage that.

I almost felt like a bystander in watching Smith’s journey because I wasn’t wholly invested in who he was as a person, and yet I didn’t mind at all. Did I love Smith? No. Did I hate him? No. It was like reality TV, where you don’t necessarily like the cast, but you can’t help but find their life fascinating and you look forward to seeing what they get up to next.

The mystery element of the book did feel less important than Smith’s journey, so it gave me a detached feeling to the search for Elle’s killer. I wouldn’t go into the book expecting that to play a large part in the plot. Overall though, I had a good time reading this book and would read more of Rob Franklin’s writing.

*Full review on my blog. Thank you to the publisher for sending the ARC. All opinions are my own.*

#BookishEnds #BlackBookstagram #GreatBlackHope #SummitBooks #DebutNovel #BookReview
I’ve been discombobulated since BRBF, but my May I’ve been discombobulated since BRBF, but my May wrap-up and June TBR are finally here.

My June TBR is not quite as ambitious as other months because I’m still playing catch up in other areas of my life. Seven books seems feasible, but we’ll see.

•This Is Not a Ghost Story by Amerie
•Great Black Hope by Rob Franklin
•Amelia, If Only by Becky Albertalli
•Keepers of the Marsh by Maura Jortner
•The Dry Season by Melissa Febos
•The Bright Years by Sarah Damoff
•Call Your Boyfriend by Olivia A. Cole & Ashley Woodfolk

Thank you to all the tagged publishers for the ARCs and gifted finished copies 🫶🏼

#BookishEnds #Bookstagram #MayWrapUp #JuneTBR #BookStack
Another BRBF post because I need to show all the g Another BRBF post because I need to show all the goodies I got and bought. Your girl is not balling as she has not been employed since November, so I didn’t get as many books and merch as I would have loved too but I made it work.

The first stack is everything I brought from home (minus Team Players) to get signed. At the festival I bought a copy of Team Players and The Bookmark because people wearing them around the conference influenced me bad 😂

There was so much stuff in the bag we got at check-in and then the next pic is everything I picked up at author tables. I’m in love fr.

I honestly forgot several times I brought a tote for authors to sign, so not everyone I saw signed it, but I think I’ll keep bringing it to different author events until it’s filled out.

#BookishEnds #BlackBookstagram #BRBF25 #BookStack
What can I say about Black Romance Book Fest that What can I say about Black Romance Book Fest that hasn’t already been said? It was an amazing time full of love and good vibes. The organizers truly did their thing with this weekend. 

And as someone with agoraphobia, I didn’t have a single panic attack, which is big considering how packed that signing room was 🤣

It was so nice to see authors that I’ve just discovered and others that I’ve been reading for years. I can’t remember a single thing I said to any of them, so I can only hope it was intelligible.

I love Claire Kann’s writing, and Let’s Talk About Love was such an influential book for me.

Kristina Forest is such a sweetheart, and I’ve only read her YA, so I can’t wait to finally tap into her adult books.

N.E. Davenport is on a generational run right now, and I’m so excited for everything she has in the works.

Ebony LaDelle is so nice, and I can’t wait to dive into This Could Be Forever because Love Radio has my whole heart. Also loved listening to her, Kristina, and Julian during the YA panel. Such wisdom.

Do I see Julian Winters all the time? Yes. Do I ever get tired of seeing him? Never. He’s amazing.

Jamie Wesley was so lovely, and I’m excited to read more of her books.

I’m glad I got to meet Jill Tew since I missed her at Black Girl Book Fair. Kaya Morgan was such a good story, so I will definitely be tapping into Jill’s YA now.

Deanna Grey and Taylor Lynn are simply IT. It was such a joy to meet them both after being a beta reader for them in the past. If you haven’t picked up either of their books before, run don’t walk.

And Friday I got to meet Tia Williams, Kennedy Ryan, and Jasmine Guillory for the first time. Talk about powerhouses! I can’t say enough good things about them.

This weekend truly filled my heart and was the best way to spend my birthday. A haul of everything I got is coming too.

#BookishEnds #BlackBookstagram #BlackRomanceBookFest #BRBF25
“I’m 27 years old. I’ve no money and no pros “I’m 27 years old. I’ve no money and no prospects. I’m already a burden to my parents. And I’m frightened.” 

#BookishEnds #Bookstagram
Better late than never, but I wanted to finally po Better late than never, but I wanted to finally post what I got on Indie Bookstore Day 📚

First, I stopped by Black Girl Book Fair and the vibes were just right! I got there later than I wanted because I was fighting with my snooze button, but I still had a good time. I purchased The Neighbor Favor from 44th and 3rd and Kaya Morgan’s Crowning Achievement (which I really enjoyed) from Brave + Kind. 

Then I stopped by Charis Books & More to peruse. After that, I drove back home so my mom and I could go to some stores for the first time together. We went to Sincerely Yours and I purchased Book Lovers. Then we went to A Better Today Books & Boutique, and I bought The Listening Path and Seven Days in June.

After that, we stopped by All Things Inspiration Giftique and The Reading Attic to peruse. All in all it was a tiring but very fun day, and I definitely broke the bank 🤣

#BookishEnds #Bookstagram #IndieBookstores #IndieBookstoreDay #BookHaul #BookStack
Posted my recap of Shelf Love’s Grand Opening al Posted my recap of Shelf Love’s Grand Opening already, but I wanted to post the goodies I got and bought.

I’m ready to become a Jacksonville Rays girlie, so I bought Pucking Around, the first book in the series. It’s a thick one, but I’m prepared to be in my hockey era.

I also bought a blind date with a book that came with some stickers, tabs, and highlighters. V cute and a rarity for me cause I usually only buy books if I know what it’ll be.

Shelf Love spoiled the influencers as the tote bag came wait a shirt, water bottle, and stickers galore. Somehow I also won a raffle! I never win anything, so it felt like a birthday month treat. It came with a kindle/book sleeve, Dying to Date, a bookmark, charm bracelet, and more stickers.

All in all I had a great time at the opening and am so glad to have another bookstore close to me 🥰

#BookishEnds #Bookstagram #IndieBookstores #PuckingAround
I’m behind on posting about events, but last wee I’m behind on posting about events, but last week I went to @fiercereads’ Sweet Romantasy Tour featuring Axie Oh, Mary E. Pearson, and D.L. Taylor 🗡️

I love events with multiple authors because I get exposed to new authors and their books. It was so fun listening to them all talk about their series, and I had to pick up The Kiss of Deception because I was sold by the description. Also got a finished copy of The Floating World, which I loved.

This might be the most book events I’ve been to in a single month and I’m not even done yet 😅

#BookishEnds #Bookstagram #FierceReads #RomantasyBooks

Info...

  • Home
  • Press
  • About Me
  • Contact

Follow...

  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • Twitter
Books I've Read This Year

Preparing for Black Romance Book Fest...

Banner for the Blood Trials by N.E. Davenport review with a cover of the book
The Blood Trials by N.E. Davenport: Review
Banner for I Think They Love by Julian Winters review with the cover of the book, a graphic of a grilled cheese, and a graphic of the UK flag
I Think They Love You by Julian Winters: Review
Banner for A Legend in the Baking by Jamie Wesley review with a cover of the book, a graphic of a cupcake, and a graphic of a camera on a tripod
A Legend in the Baking by Jamie Wesley: Review
Banner for review of Can't Get Enough by Kennedy Ryan with the cover of the book, a graphic of a TV, and a graphic of a basketball
Can’t Get Enough by Kennedy Ryan: Review

Copyright © 2025 · BookishEnds · Privacy Policy · Terms & Conditions · Hello You Designs

Manage Consent
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
Manage options Manage services Manage {vendor_count} vendors Read more about these purposes
View preferences
{title} {title} {title}
Scroll to top
  • Home
  • About Me
  • Blog
    • Interviews
    • Book Tours
    • Recommendations
    • Reviews
  • Services
    • Work With Me
  • Contact
    • Social Page
Twitter Instagram Pinterest Threads YouTube
Search