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WSIRN Ep 7: books that uplift and inspire, the books that “hook” you, and filling the Brown Girls’ Bookshelf with Osheta Moore

It’s Tuesday, which means a new episode of What Should I Read Next!

Today I’m talking with blogger, podcaster, and speaker Osheta Moore.

What Should I Read Next #7: books that uplift and inspire, the books that "hook" you, and filling the Brown Girls' Bookshelf with Osheta Moore

Osheta and I discuss the power of fiction, why she loves audiobooks (but only for certain kinds of stories), why she hates a certain much-beloved novel, and her Brown Girls Bookshelf project.

Connect with Osheta Moore on her blog, instagram, facebook, and twitter. Osheta also has her own podcast, coming this spring. Check out Shalom in the City right here.

Books discussed in this episode:

Some links are affiliate links. More details here.

I also recommended the twitter account @blackchicklit. Visit their blog here.

Try Audible for yourself: 

As she says in this episode, Osheta is a huge fan of Audible. Click here to try Audible for yourself today and get two free audiobooks with your free 30-day trial.

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Do YOU have an idea for what Osheta should read next or what she should add to her Brown Girls’ Bookshelf? Tell us in comments!

28 comments

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  1. Susan says:

    Woohoo! It’s Tuesday again! Can’t wait to listen! I’m finding myself wondering if it’s Tuesday yet – on Wednesday!

    Okay, which podcast app should I get (I have the native Apple one on my iPhone) – Stitcher or Overcast??

  2. One more. I’ve just had the honor of blurbing a gorgeous middle-grade novel by Linda Williams Jackson coming next year. It’s called Midnight Without a Moon:

    Rose Lee Carter, a 13-year-old African-American girl, dreams of life beyond the Mississippi cotton fields during the summer of 1955. Her world is rocked when a 14-year-old African-American boy, Emmett Till, is killed for allegedly whistling at a white woman. A powerful middle-grade debut perfect for readers who enjoyed The Watsons Go to Birmingham and Brown Girl Dreaming.

    • Ali says:

      Oh, that sounds good! I looked up “No Crystal Stair” and added that to my to-read list as well.

      From the podcast, LOVED “How it Went Down” and did an edited read aloud of the first few chapters at the start of the year and kids loved it. Need to read “Brown Girl Dreaming” – love and recommend a bunch of Woodson’s other books to my students.

  3. Anna says:

    I think this was my favourite WSIRN episode yet! I’m definitely putting A Discovery of Witches and A Year of Yes on my list – can’t beat Shonda. Re Carry On, I enjoyed Fangirl but I LOVED Carry On – reminiscent of Harry Potter but with its own unique and fantastic world. Definitely recommend you give it a go.
    Thanks Anne for your gorgeous blog and podcast!

    • Kelly Face says:

      You’ve had a couple of guest on your podcast who have been looking for more books by African American authors. An author I have been seriously impressed with is Octavia Butler – Kindred is a great place to start, but she has some wonderful science fiction as well.

      Up From Slavery by Booker T. Washington is another eye opener.

  4. Anna says:

    Hi Anne! I’ve been a “silent” follower of your lovely blog for quite a while now (as in – I haven’t actually ever commented). I just wanted to tell you how much I love your new podcast! After listening, my goodreads “to read” list always multiples and I think about why I read and what I tend to read. Thank you for creating such great, thought provoking content! 🙂

  5. Jennifer says:

    Anne-
    I wait with anticipation every Tuesday for a new episode of this podcast! One question I’d love to hear your guest address is how the significant others in their lives handle the amount of time they spend reading. I’d love to hear how others manage/balance that!

  6. Jessica says:

    This was so great! I love that you introduced her with her mbti type. Based on that I thought this show would be a dud flr me (infp), but I loved so many of the books you talked about. Off to add to my list…

  7. Rachel says:

    Once again, I’m adding books to my list as a result of a new podcast : ) At work I keep talking about how much I love listening and all the other accountants just give me blank stares hehe.

    A Discovery of Witches is definitely the “new find” from this week I’m most looking forward to reading!

  8. Becki says:

    Have you read Kindred by Octavia Butler? It’s not new (published in 1979) but it doesn’t seem dated at all. The author is African American, and the story is about a young African American woman in 1976 who time-travels back to a slave plantation in the early 1800s. I picked it up on a library recommendation and I’m so glad I did. It’s a terrific story!

  9. Meghan says:

    I know I’m super late to this episode — I just binge-listened to this podcast archives last week — but I wanted to recommend The Women of Brewster Place by Gloria Naylor as an excellent grown-up book for fans of Brown Girl Dreaming (and just a generally excellent book). And thanks for recommending the audio of BGD — it was so great to hear the story in Jacqueline Woodson’s voice!

  10. Susan says:

    I admit to having a love/hate relationship with your podcast. I love every moment of every episode… and then my TBR list blows up. Every week! After listening to WSIRN #7, I checked my local library and they had the Kindle version of How It Went Down by Kekla Magoon. It was riveting! Thanks for a great podcast and blog… even if my TBR list is expanding exponentially 😀

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