May Diverse Reads

May Wrap Up: 2 Books 🙃

May = Reading Slump for me. That’s okay cause this month was a WHIRLWIND for me.

I’m still job hunting for something permanent and fulltime (ideally remote or hybrid). For anyone also looking for a job right now--it’s rough out here! And these salaries? Actually insulting, especially in NYC. Like, I’m willing to take a pay cut, but eggs are $7-8/dozen! A girl gotta eat and pay bills. SMH.

I’ve had a few interviews that I’m still waiting to hear back. I’ve worked on creating some partnerships for Tuma’s Books. I’ve made some changes to how Tuma’s Books operates for my sanity and sustainability (ie. we’ve partnered with Bookshop.org). I had some big events that were amazing, but also overdid it a bit some weekends. But lesson learned--only one event per weekend. I can’t do both Saturday AND Sunday, unless we have a three-day weekend. When I did, I was out of commission for a week. LOL

So, it makes sense that I didn’t get much reading done. But QUALITY over quantity always and both May reads were really great, offering diverse perspectives and representation--one that made me feel validated and another that inspired and taught me! And that’s what Tuma’s Books is about!

📘 Ab(solutely) Normal Short Stories that Smash Mental Health Stereotypes is such a powerful collection of stories that normalize mental health struggles, therapy, and medication. It’s a must read for everyone--whether or not you have mental illness. We all benefit from a better understanding of people’s experiences and how to cope when you mind gets sick.

📗 Grounded was a fun middle grade novel about 4 Muslim kids stranded at an airport when all the planes are grounded due to a storm after a Muslim convention. At first, I was side-eyeing these lil kids running amok, but I fell in love with 'em. This is great read for young people to learn how to share their feelings with their parents and also for adults to realize how dismissive we can be with kids without intending to be.

💬 What was your May Reading like?