"Art. Culture. Breathtaking beauty. You reminded me that I needed all that in my life, and that little bit of discomfort when something is new is worth it." Tahira in Bloom by Farah Heron was a sweet surprise. I thought it was going to be just a fluffy read but it was so much more. It was refreshing to see young people make mistakes and take full accountability. I loved how important communication and compromise were in the friendships and romantic relationships. I also loved that it showed that art comes in many forms, including flowers. Even though this book was essentially a coming of age romance, it touched on many deeper themes in lighthearted ways and it contained more than one kind of representation that was celebrated equally (Desi, Muslim, Black, LGBTIA+) My favorite character wanted to start a page to take pictures of books. Imagine that. 😜 It was also great to see how much of Desi culture the author infused into the book. There were scenes that made me laugh hysterically, lots of fuzzy warm ones that made laugh and some that made me question some of their character. Overall it was a cute and fun read with enjoyable writing. I would definitely read more of Heron's work. If you're into fashion, flowers, sweet romances and social media influencers this one might be perfect for you. Thanks to @amazonpublishing and @tlcdiversity for the gifted copy. Some of the main points were: 💐 the algorithm favors white creators over others 💐 BIPOC creators are overlooked 8n many spaces & have to work twice as hard to gain visibility 💐 social media fame is not the end goal for everyone 💐 the fashion world can be cutthroat 💐 female influencers are deemed less intelligent 💐 there can be more than one path to the same goal 💐 first impressions aren't always accurate 💐 staying true to yourself and your values keeps you grounded #TahirainBloom #FarahHeron #book #amazonpublishing #tlcbooktours #bookstagram #bookphotos #BIPOC #bookish #bookrecommendation #bibliophile #bookstagrammer #reading #readersofinstagram #ownvoices #bookworm #read #BooksandArt #BooksandMurals #BIPOCBookstagram #Desi #fashion #flowers #YAbooks #bookreview #NewRelease #BIPOCAuthors (at Bushwick) https://www.instagram.com/p/CWHPmmuLuxg/?utm_medium=tumblr
