February non-fiction
The Fire next time
James Baldwin doesn’t ease you in, he tells the truth and expects you to sit with it. The Fire Next Time is a slim but searing meditation on race, religion, love, and the cost of America’s moral evasions. Written as both a letter and a prophetic warning, Baldwin challenges us to abandon innocence, confront injustice honestly, and choose love as a radical, demanding practice. This isn’t just a book to read, it’s one to wrestle with, reflect on, and return to, especially in a world still grappling with the same unfinished questions.
February fiction
Yinka, where is your huzband?
Sharp, funny, and quietly tender, Yinka, Where Is Your Huzband? takes on the pressure cooker of family expectations, church culture, and the unspoken rules placed on single Black women. Through Yinka’s voice, Lizzie Damilola Blackburn explores what it means to want love without losing yourself, and how cultural scripts around marriage can blur the line between concern and control. This is a story about faith, friendship, self-worth, and the courage it takes to define a life on your own terms. Equal parts humor and heart, it’s a reminder that being “behind” is often just being on your own timeline.