Book Recommendations: Books by Black Authors about Friendship, Family, and Community to Read During Black History Month

Our Friend is Here: Black History Month Edition is a month-long event at The Quiet Pond during the month of February, where Black authors are invited to celebrate being Black and Black books! Find the introduction post for Black History Month here.

In case you’re new to the Pond’s book recommendation posts, the recommendation posts are brought to you by Varian, the Pond’s very own Toadshifter who is knowledgeable in all kinds of magic! One of Varian’s ambitions is to get better at sewing, hence why whenever Varian has come up with their latest costume, they will always recommend a few books that inspired them!

I love books that explore the relationships that we have in our lives. Friendship and family relationships can be so enriching and wonderful, but can also be deeply complicated too, particularly when others – or we – go through change. And then I also love the stories about community, where we discover that we can connect and find belonging, home, and understanding with others.

Book Recommendations: 5 Books about Friendship and the Inevitability of Change

In case you’re new to the Pond’s book recommendation posts, the recommendation posts are brought to you by Varian, the Pond’s very own Toadshifter who is knowledgeable in all kinds of magic! One of Varian’s ambitions is to get better at sewing, hence why whenever Varian has come up with their latest costume, they will always recommend a few books that inspired them!

It’s nearly the end of the year – a time of reflection, thoughtfulness, and change. I thought I’d do a book recommendation post on change because, well, change is hard! and scary! Even though we say that change is the one constant in life, it’s inevitable, and on and on and on, change is different and new every single time. When I myself face change, I look to books; in their stories, I find comfort in the discomfort and a little ray of hope that things are going to be okay, even if they aren’t okay for a time.

Book Recommendations – 12 Books about Sports, Sports, and Sporty People!

In case you’re new to the Pond’s book recommendation posts, the recommendation posts are brought to you by Varian, the Pond’s very own Toadshifter who is knowledgeable in all kinds of magic! One of Varian’s ambitions is to get better at sewing, hence why whenever Varian has come up with their latest costume, they will always recommend a few books that inspired them!

With the end of the Tokyo Olympics 2020 earlier this week, we thought: why not put together a list of stories about sport or sporty people?! I’ve never been a sporty person nor do I really watch much sport – though, does watching Haikyuu!! count? – but I do on occasion enjoy a story that centers on sports.

Book Recommendations – 12 Wholesome, Healing Reads for a Sad Day

In case you’re new to the Pond’s book recommendation posts, the recommendation posts are brought to you by Varian, the Pond’s very own Toadshifter who is knowledgeable in all kinds of magic! One of Varian’s ambitions is to get better at sewing, hence why whenever Varian has come up with their latest costume, they will always recommend a few books that inspired them!

Reading can be hard. When life becomes overwhelming and the world starts falling apart around us, sometimes we don’t really want our stories to also be about a squad of rebellious teens leading revolutions and defending the world from apocalyptic threats or corrupt governments. Sometimes, we just need a story to help us be warm for a while, to be soft places to land.

Book Recommendations – 11 Enemies/Rivals-to-Lovers Books to Read (and then Scream About in the DMs)

In case you’re new to the Pond’s book recommendation posts, the recommendation posts are brought to you by Varian, the Pond’s very own Toadshifter who is knowledgeable in all kinds of magic! One of Varian’s ambitions is to get better at sewing, hence why whenever Varian has come up with their latest costume, they will always recommend a few books that inspired them!

We have had the immense fortune of having some really great enemies/rivals-to-lovers books in the last year, so I thought to myself: why not write a book recommendation book collating all the wonderful books we have read that have these two satisfying tropes?