Month: July 2022

Podcast 10 Show Notes

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In honor of Pride month  The Bootleg Book Club read You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson 

About the Author

Leah Johnson was raised on the west side of Indianapolis, Indiana. While in college at Indiana University Bloomington, she interned at the Wall Street Journal, WFIU, and WPLN. Johnson received her MFA in fiction writing from Sarah Lawrence College. Leah currently lives in Brooklyn, her debut novel helped her with accepting her queer identity,  it was a Stonewall Honor Book, the inaugural Reese’s Book Club YA pick, and named a best book of the year by Amazon, Kirkus, Marie Claire, Publishers Weekly, and New York Public Library.

Book Look

This book has a vibrant purple background with the profile image of a young black girl with natural hair, a crown on her head, and a smile on her face. This cover immediately showcases the wonderful joy and happiness a Black girl can embody.

Bookmark

  • “The place in which I’ll fit will not exist until I make it” James Baldwin 
  • I’m sorry I never told you to slow down when I saw how hard you were pushing yourself. … my little star. I never want to tell you not to burn as fast and as bright as you can”  246
  • “I never needed this race or a hashtag or the king to be a queen. I was born royalty. All I had to do was pick up my crown.” p.390
  • “Just because it could be worse doesn’t mean you don’t get to acknowledge how much it sucks, you know.” p. 474

POV

Samantha’s favorite character/group was how the main character’s ,Liz’s, family unit worked together. Felicia’s favorite character was the band teacher and Mack. Both individuals were great people who truly supported Liz and ensured she knew her worth. Both Sam and Felicia agree that the obvious least favorite character choice is Rachcel the main villain in the story. 

Deep Dive

This novel was a great coming of age, young adult romance story. Leah Johnson writes with charisma and a unique tone that immediately gets readers interested in the book. Sam and Felicia dive into how this novel made them think about their high school memories and what it felt like to lack confidence in yourself. In addition, the co-host talked about how race, class, and sexual orientation impact the main character’s journey.

Podcast 9 Show Notes

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Our 9th pick is a second chance at love story that also includes themes of family, motherhood, ancestry, masculinity, and vulnerability.  

About the Author

Tia Williams is an accomplished beauty editor and novelist. She is from Virginia and attended University of Virginia. She currently resides in Brooklyn, NY and is an Executive Copy Director at Estee Lauder Companies. Her novel The Perfect Find won the African American Literary Award for Best Fiction and Seven Days in June is her 6th novel.

Book Look

The sisters, Sam and Felicia admired the cover of the novel noting the beautiful embrace of the couple and the interesting use of bright and dark colors. The collage-esque color is a nod to how important art is in this book. The book is 328 pages and includes discussion questions for a book club. Seven Days in June is a beautiful story with some dark moments that highlights what a second chance at love can look like while being true to yourself. A main theme is reconnection, not only in romance, but in familial and ancestral bonds.

Bookmark

Some quotes the sisters found to be profound. 

  • “Alone doesn’t care that I don’t shave my legs in the winter. Alone never gets disappointed by me.” pg. 23  
  • “Listen, caring about things don’t make you soft. It makes you alive.” Pg. 42
  • “Just be an active listener. If you listen hard enough, you can tell what a person needs from you. And If you give them what they need, you’ve got a friend for life.” pg. 570

POV

The sisters both loved the main characters and couple Eva and Shane. They couldn’t help but feel connected and fall in love with the characters as their story unfolded. Their favorite characters were Audre (Eva’s daughter) and Cece (Eva’s  editor). Their least favorite characters were Khalil (another writer/hotep)  and Lizette (Eva’s mother).

Deep Dive

The sisters both agreed that Seven Days in June should come with a trigger warning due to its dark themes in the flashbacks to Eva and Shane’s time in highschool. While these moments were difficult to read they were important and highlighted the deepness of Eva and Shane’s love even at 17 years old. Ultimately, they don’t reconnect until 15 years later but the book does a good job of making you believe in second chances and the idea that there are some people that after connecting with them you realize you need to have them in your life. The sisters enjoyed the novel immensely and found it inspired them to keep mantras to push them forward towards dreams that represent their true selves.

Podcast 8 Show Notes

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A Retelling of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice 

About the Author

Ibi Zoboi was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti and now lives in Brooklyn, New York with her family. She has an MFA in writing for children and young adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. She is well known for writing American Street, a National Book Award Finalist. 

Book Look

This was the shortest novel Sam and Felicia have read but it packed a punch. A retelling of Pride and Prejudice with a great modern edge added. Even the cover shows historical style with a new and vibrant graffiti effect on the top. 

Bookmark

  • “We were not supposed to be proud. We were not supposed to love these things so hard: the chipping paint, the missing floorboards, the gas stove we have to light with matches, the cracks in the windows, the moldy bathroom tiles, the mice and the roaches. But I’ve never known anything else. These broken things all spell home to me.” p. 444
  • “I wanted to write a love story filled with sweetness, joy, and beauty. But our current political situation was a constant noise and distraction. So much was happening in the world, and at times, it was hard to focus on the magic of first love […] I needed an anchor-a structure to hold on to, something that would guide this love story toward healing and reconciliation, if not for the characters themselves, then for me.” p. 472

POV

Overall Sam and Felicia’s favorite part is the poetry the main character writes all throughout the novel. Felicia loved the Janael Sisters as a whole; they were great characters to read. Felicia’s least favorite character was Zuri. She had a good heart but she came off a bit too judgmental and unwilling to be open to change. From Sam’s point of view she didn’t have much attachment to these characters. She appreciated the effort written to develop them but they can’t compare to the original. 

Deep Dive

Set in Brooklyn, New York Ibi Zoboi creatively uses the rich history of the city as the backdrop for a current and diverse new version of Pride and Prejudice. For the most part Pride follows the original storyline of Pride and Prejudice but this time around it follows an Afro-Latina family dealing with a few more issues such as gentrification in their neighborhood. 

Podcast 7 Show Notes

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The 7th book is Charming as a Verb by Ben Phillipe

About the Author

Elise Bryant was born and raised in Southern California. She graduated from California State with a B.A. in Africana studies. She also has a Masters in Special Education from Loyola Marymount University. Prior to her writing career, she was a special education teacher. Happily Ever Afters is her debut novel and her follow up One True Loves has also been published (our next read!).

Book Look

Sam and Felicia discuss how this book cover is bright and creative just as the main character Lenore. It showcases her vibrant art and readiness to go on vacation. We also love another natural hair style being showcased with Lenore’s beautiful locs.

Bookmark

  • “But maybe caring for ourselves is the ultimate celebration of how they’ve raised us. Having options you know? Not just surviving in this world..but living.” p. 134

POV

This time around Felicia and Sam had the same favorite character Etta. Etta was the youngest child but her personality shined bright. As a child genius, Etta had some funny lines and was a great advocate for her older sister Lenore. On the other hand, Lenore’s parents in the novel were two characters who ended up putting too much pressure on their kids. Even though the parents embodied Black excellence we got to see the consequences of taking the demands of Black excellence too far.

Deep Dive


There were many topics discussed in this week’s deep dive from Black excellence, heartbreak, to college decisions. Sam and Felica both agreed that they could relate to Lenore’s struggle to meet the Black Excellence expectations from parental influence and society. They further discuss how heartbreak impacts a young girl and the difficulty with moving forward. Lenore’s journey is quick but Sam and Felicia still understand how hard it is to decide what to do with your future. Overall, Sam and Felicia  are looking forward to the next novel by Elise Bryant.

Podcast 6 Show Notes

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The 6th book is One True Loves by Elise Bryant

About the Author

Elise Bryant was born and raised in Southern California. She graduated from California State with a B.A. in Africana studies. She also has a Masters in Special Education from Loyola Marymount University. Prior to her writing career, she was a special education teacher. Happily Ever Afters is her debut novel and her follow up One True Loves has also been published (our next read!).

Book Look

Sam and Felicia discuss how this book cover is bright and creative just as the main character Lenore. It showcases her vibrant art and readiness to go on vacation. We also love another natural hair style being showcased with Lenore’s beautiful locs.

Bookmark

  • “But maybe caring for ourselves is the ultimate celebration of how they’ve raised us. Having options you know? Not just surviving in this world..but living.” p. 134

POV

This time around Felicia and Sam had the same favorite character Etta. Etta was the youngest child but her personality shined bright. As a child genius, Etta had some funny lines and was a great advocate for her older sister Lenore. On the other hand, Lenore’s parents in the novel were two characters who ended up putting too much pressure on their kids. Even though the parents embodied Black excellence we got to see the consequences of taking the demands of Black excellence too far.

Deep Dive


There were many topics discussed in this week’s deep dive from Black excellence, heartbreak, to college decisions. Sam and Felica both agreed that they could relate to Lenore’s struggle to meet the Black Excellence expectations from parental influence and society. They further discuss how heartbreak impacts a young girl and the difficulty with moving forward. Lenore’s journey is quick but Sam and Felicia still understand how hard it is to decide what to do with your future. Overall, Sam and Felicia  are looking forward to the next novel by Elise Bryant.