Sponsored by Red Press
Because Timothée Chalamet’s eyes gleam with the light of a thousand suns. Because you’d let Zoë Kravitz put gum in your hair. And because there really should be a national monument dedicated to Gene Kelly’s ass.
From the tongue-in-cheek to the righteously enraged, this book explores women’s secret desires, teen crushes and one-sided movie star love affairs, flipping the switch on cinema’s male-gaze domination. With sexism still taking centre stage in the real world—these essays pose thoughtful questions about the politics of desire. Like a guilt-free chat with your smartest girlfriends, this is a positive celebration of female sexuality at its thirstiest.
Welcome to Read This Book, the newsletter where I recommend a book you should add to your TBR, STAT! I stan variety in all things, and my book recommendations will be no exception. These must-read books will span genres and age groups. There will be new releases, oldie but goldies from the backlist, and the classics you may have missed in high school. Oh my! If you’re ready to diversify your books, then LEGGO!!
Spring is officially here! Well, according to the calendar, spring has arrived. When spring is in the air, I always want to read a book that is somehow related to flowers. Red on a Rose will always hold a special place in my heart because it helped me pass the time while waiting for juror duty. On top of that, I was reading a story that takes place in Baltimore while living in Baltimore. It was quite meta for ya girl!
Red on a Rose by Patricia Jones
Lila has come a long way. She is no longer under her stepmother’s controlling thumb, and she is happily married to cardiac surgeon Jack Calloway. When Lila is not visiting her elderly in-laws or running her online reading program for children, Lila is constantly thinking about motherhood. However, one split decision on a typical Saturday afternoon challenges Lila’s moral code and threatens the idyllic life Jack and Lila have built.
Despite my springtime connotations, Red on a Rose isn’t really an easy breezy read. In addition to the conflict that is bound to arise in marriage, this story has the added element of racism and colorism. Although those elements are essential aspects of the story, they play second fiddle to Lila and her self-righteous antics. For most of her life, Lila has been sheltered, and it’s not until the day when her rose-colored glasses are knocked off her face that she really begins to see life as it really is and not what she thinks it should be.
In some ways, Red on a Rose reminds me of An American Marriage. Both stories center on young Black newlyweds who experience a traumatic event that alters their relationship. Unlike Tayari Jones, Patricia Jones only really shares Lila’s perspective on the matter, which may be unsatisfying for some readers. However, if you’re a reader looking for growth and redemption from an unsympathetic character, then you look no further than Red on a Rose. Overall, I enjoyed Lila’s journey of discovering the grey lingering within her black and white moral code.
Until next time bookish friends,
Katisha
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