2022 BookOfCinz Book Club

BookOfCinz Book Club is turning four years old in 2022! In 2018 I decided to start BookOfCinz Book Club to meet and engage with Readers. I read a lot, but getting to sit and discuss one book with a group of persons, that experience in and of itself is unmatched. The BookOfCinz Book Club is part of the overall mission of getting persons to read, read more, read widely and read Caribbean.

For the last three years we have been meeting both offline and online to facilitate everyone outside of Trinidad and Tobago. Since the start of the Book Club we have seen over 150 unique Book Clubbers. We have had Book Clubbers from all over the Caribbean, the US, UK, Europe and as far as India. It’s been such a joy to see people reading books written by Women of Caribbean Heritage, Black Women and Women of Colour.

For 2022 we will continue to meet and read books that moves us, that gets under our skins and stay there, books we cannot shut up about. I do not take it for granted that you decided to join BookOfCinz Book Club and I do hope you will read with me for 2022.

Sign up for BookOfCinz Book Club. Meet our 2022 BookOfCinz Book Club Picks.

January | BREAD THE DEVIL KNEAD by Lisa Allen-Agostini

The Bread The Devil Knead is a book you will inhale in one go. Set in Trinidad, we meet forty-year-old Alethea Lopez who is the manager of a fashion boutique in Downtown, Port of Spain. Alethea does not get too close to anyone, and she does not have many friends. She is very independent and spends majority of her time and effort hiding her bruises she receives from her common-law husband. I did enjoy how Allen-Agostini write female friendship, it was truly a beauty to experience. A book you won’t soon forget.

February | LEST WE FIND GOLD by Melaine Scwhapp

Lest We Find Gold is Melanie Schwapp’s sophomore novel. The book follows the life of Milly from her early years to her present life with her husband. Milly has a lot going for her, well educated, a practicing nurse with a big future ahead of her. She meets her husband when he comes into the hospital for heart palpitations and since then Milly finds herself dying a little daily. As a Jamaican, I particularly loved how Jamaican the book felt, from the descriptions, to the various cultural nuances-it was great!

March | LUSTER by Raven Leilani

Honestly, I got secondhand embarrassment the entire time I was reading this book, I cannot even lie. There were some moments where I literally laughed out loud- the writing can be very hilarious at times. Other times it becomes dark and very lonely, I felt the humanity of the characters coming through. I love that this is a book about a black young woman not giving any f*cks, it is not often I read a book like this.

April | WAHALA by Nikki May

In Wahala we meet three Nigerian women Ronke, Boo, and Simi who are all living in London. They all met while in University and bonded because of their Nigerian background. Years later and their friendships are strong as ever even though they are all in different stages of their lives. You are going to laugh, cry, get enraged and fall madly in love with Ronke, Simi and Boo! This book is not just a pretty cover! It is engaging , truly unputdownable you wont want to leave your new friend behind!

May | BLACK CAKE by Charmine Wilkerson

Family Saga that is like no other and I think will be a great jumping off point for discussions in a Book Club. A Read Caribbean book like no other! If you read These Ghosts Are Family I think you will absolutely enjoy this one. This is well written, thoroughly engaging and a great book club pick!

June | WHEN WE WERE BIRDS by Ayanna Lloyd Banwo

What a stunning debut. Ayanna Banwo’s writing is immersive and atmospheric- once you start reading you are immediately transported to the streets of Port Angeles. The entire time I was reading the book I felt like I was holding my breath waiting for the other shoes to drop- and that goes back to how spellbinding the writing is. Filled with themes magical realism, fantasy, traditions, romance, love and mother-daughter /mother-son relationship that were all explored in fresh ways.

JULY | STAY WITH ME by Ayobami Adebayo

Stay With Me Is a story about Yejide and Akin- a Nigerian Couple whose marriage is crumbling because of infertility, lack of communication, the family meddling in the marriage and overall secrecy. This is a very strong debut novel, Adebayo, really captured the Nigerian culture and the spirit of the people. I really loved the characters especially Yejide.

AUGUST | YOU MADE A FOOL OF DEATH WITH YOUR BEAUTY Akwaeke Emezi

In You Made A Fool Of Death With Your Beauty we meet Feyi who is grieving the loss of her husband who died in a tragic car crash. After five years of grieving she figures its time to step out and maybe start dating, afterall she is still very young and with the encouragement of her friend Joy she decides to give it a go. Listen…. Nothing can prepare you for what Feyi calls dating after being celibate for five years.

September | THE ISLAND OF FORGETTING by Jasmine Sealy

The Island of Forgetting is Jasmine Sealy’s debut novel and what am stunning debut this is! The novel starts out in Barbados in the 1960s and goes until the early 2000s. Similar in structure to HOMEGOING each chapter we are introduced to a new family member and the story picks up with them, but we do get a look at those who narrated previously.

October | HOW TO LOVE A JAMAICAN by Alexia Arthurs

One of my favourite collection of short stories by debut author Alexia Arthurs. Perfect for Jamaicans who live in the diaspora or who love at home.