Ep. 139 The Butterfly Effect by Marcus J. Moore — The Stacks Book Club (Cole Cuchna)

Today is The Stacks Book Club day and we’re discussing The Butterfly Effect: How Kendrick Lamar Ignited the Soul of Black America by Marcus J. Moore. To help us dissect this book we’ve brought back Cole Cuchna, host of the podcast Dissect. We talk about the importance of creative communities, the complexity of Kendrick Lamar, and so much more.

There are no spoilers on this episode.

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Everything we talk about on today’s episode can be found below in the show notes and on Bookshop.org and Amazon.

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Connect with Cole and Dissect: Dissect Website | Dissect Twitter | Dissect Instagram | Dissect on Spotify
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To support The Stacks and find out more from this week’s sponsors, click here.

To contribute to The Stacks, join The Stacks Pack, and get exclusive perks, check out our Patreon page. We are beyond grateful for anything you’re able to give to support the production of this show. If you prefer to do a one time contribution go to paypal.me/thestackspod.


The Stacks participates in affiliate programs. We receive a small commission when products are purchased through links on this website, and this comes at no cost to you. This in no way effects opinions on books and products reviewed here. For more information click here.

The Stacks Book Club — October 2020

On October 29, 1965 Alex Haley published The Autobiography of Malcolm, eight months and eight days after the assassination of the Muslim minister and Civil Rights activist. Fifty-five years later, almost to the day, we will discuss this iconic work of nonfiction for The Stacks Book Club.

Malcolm X is one of the most influential figures of the 20th century. His life was cut short but his message lives on and is as relevant now as it was over fifty years ago. The Autobiography of Malcolm spans Malcolm X’s life, from his youth in Michigan to his hustling days in Boston to his murder in Harlem, all in his own words. The reader follows along as Malcolm X undergoes multiple transformations to become one of the most important leaders for Black empowerment.

We will be discussing The Autobiography of Malcolm on the podcast on Wednesday, October 28th. You can find out who our guest will be by listening to the podcast on September 7th. If you’d like even more discussion around the book consider joining The Stacks Pack on Patreon and participating in The Stacks’ monthly virtual book club.

Order your copy of our July book on Bookshop.org or Amazon.


To contribute to The Stacks, join The Stacks Pack, and get exclusive perks, check out our Patreon page (https://www.patreon.com/thestacks). We are beyond grateful for anything you’re able to give to support the production of The Stacks.

The Stacks participates in affiliate programs. We receive a small commission when products are purchased through links on this website, and this comes at no cost to you. This in no way effects opinions on books and products reviewed. For more information click here.

The Stacks Book Club — August 2020

Its time for a favorite annual tradition around these parts. Every year we read a Toni Morrison novel for The Stacks Book Club, and this year we’re reading Sula.

Sula, written in 1973, is the story of a relationship between two girls, Nel Wright and Sula Peace, and the ways their friendship evolves and complicates as they grow up. The book asks questions about betrayal and loyalty, and how these ideas are often more complex than they appear. Sula is not only about the relationships between the two women, but also the family trauma they come from, the community they are raised in, and the societal expectations of Black femininity.

We will be discussing Sula on the podcast on Wednesday, August 26th, and you can find out who our guest will be buy listening to the podcast on August 5th. If you’d like even more discussion around the book consider joining The Stacks Pack on Patreon and participating in The Stacks’ monthly virtual book club.

As always, we want to hear from you, so please reach out with your thoughts, questions, and things you want to hear discussed on the podcast. You can email us at thestackswithtraci@gmail.com, comment on this post, or reach out through Instagram @thestackspod.

Order your copy of our July book on Bookshop.org or Amazon.


To contribute to The Stacks, join The Stacks Pack, and get exclusive perks, check out our Patreon page (https://www.patreon.com/thestacks). We are beyond grateful for anything you’re able to give to support the production of The Stacks.

The Stacks participates in affiliate programs. We receive a small commission when products are purchased through links on this website, and this comes at no cost to you. This in no way effects opinions on books and products reviewed. For more information click here.

Ep. 122 Breathe by Imani Perry — The Stacks Book Club (Kiese Laymon)

We are thrilled to welcome Kiese Laymon (Heavy, Long Division) back to The Stacks for our July book club discussion of Breathe: A Letter to My Sons by Imani Perry. This deeply personal and evocative book brings up many questions that we grapple with around Black identity and family. We also talk about the ways revision is a powerful tool in education and the tradition of the epistolary form.
There are no spoilers on this episode.

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Everything we talk about on today’s episode can be found below in the show notes and on Bookshop.org and Amazon.

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Connect with Kiese: Twitter | Instagram | Website
Connect with The Stacks: Instagram | Twitter | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Subscribe

To support The Stacks and find out more from this week’s sponsors, click here.

To contribute to The Stacks, join The Stacks Pack, and get exclusive perks, check out our Patreon page. We are beyond grateful for anything you’re able to give to support the production of this show. If you prefer to do a one time contribution go to paypal.me/thestackspod.


The Stacks participates in affiliate programs. We receive a small commission when products are purchased through links on this website, and this comes at no cost to you. This in no way effects opinions on books and products reviewed here. For more information click here.

The Stacks Book Club — July 2020

In July The Stacks Book Club will be reading Breathe: A Letter to My Sons by Imani Perry. This short and impactful book implores the reader to see the beauty and struggle of life for America’s young Black men. The book is personal and powerful, and moves between the intimate and the historic with ease. Perry confronts the terror of being a mother to Black sons in a society that was founded in racism and is loyal to that framework to this day. Observations, mistakes, fears, doubts, memories, and lessons are all filtered through Perry’s boundless love for her sons. The past and present come together as one to make a work of nonfiction that is complicated, poetic, and deeply profound.

We will be discussing this episode on the podcast on Wednesday, July 29th, with author Kiese Laymon. If you’d like even more discussion around this book consider joining The Stacks Pack on Patreon and participating in The Stacks’ monthly virtual book club.

As always, we want to hear from you, so please reach out with your thoughts, questions, and things you want to hear discussed on the podcast. You can email us at thestackswithtraci@gmail.com, comment on this post, or reach out through Instagram @thestackspod.

Order your copy of our July book on Bookshop.org or Amazon.


To contribute to The Stacks, join The Stacks Pack, and get exclusive perks, check out our Patreon page (https://www.patreon.com/thestacks). We are beyond grateful for anything you’re able to give to support the production of The Stacks.

The Stacks participates in affiliate programs. We receive a small commission when products are purchased through links on this website, and this comes at no cost to you. This in no way effects opinions on books and products reviewed here. For more information click here.

Ep. 115 Heroes Walk Among Us with Bakari Sellers

In 2006, at the age of 22, Bakari Sellers made history as the youngest person ever elected to the South Carolina state legislature, and the youngest African American elected official in the country. He is now a CNN analyst and the author of a brand new memoir, My Vanishing Country. We talk today with Bakari about the civil rights movements of the past and present, how he hopes we move forward as a nation, and the perseverance it took to get his book published.

The Stacks Book Club selection for June is Savage Appetites by Rachel Monroe, we will discuss the book with Emma Copley Eisenberg on June 24th.

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Everything we talk about on today’s episode can be found below in the show notes and on Bookshop.org and Amazon.

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Connect with Bakari: Twitter | Instagram | Website
Connect with The Stacks: Instagram | Twitter | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Subscribe

To support The Stacks and find out more from this week’s sponsors, click here.

To contribute to The Stacks, join The Stacks Pack, and get exclusive perks, check out our Patreon page. We are beyond grateful for anything you’re able to give to support the production of this show. If you prefer to do a one time contribution go to paypal.me/thestackspod.


The Stacks participates in affiliate programs. We receive a small commission when products are purchased through links on this website, and this comes at no cost to you. This in no way effects opinions on books and products reviewed here. For more information click here.

Ep. 112 R. Eric Thomas//Here for It

R. Eric Thomas is the author of Here for It and the writer behind Elle.com’s daily column “Eric Reads the News”. Eric joins the show to talk about centering his identities of Black, Christian, Gay, and American in Here for It, his collection of humorous and thoughtful essays. We also discuss pop culture as a unifying force, Maxine Waters, and how dreams really do come true (and how badly we need to remember that right now).

Pop culture. Centering naratives that are often pushed to the side. belonging.black american queer maxine waters dreams coming true

The Stacks Book Club selection for May is The Giver by Lois Lowry, we will discuss the book with Sue Thomas on May 27th.

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Everything we talk about on today’s episode can be found below in the show notes and on Bookshop.org and Amazon.

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Connect with Eric: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Website | Eric Reads the News
Connect with The Stacks: Instagram | Twitter | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Subscribe

To support The Stacks and find out more from this week’s sponsors, click here.

To contribute to The Stacks, join The Stacks Pack, and get exclusive perks, check out our Patreon page. We are beyond grateful for anything you’re able to give to support the production of this show. If you prefer to do a one time contribution go to paypal.me/thestackspod.


The Stacks participates in affiliate programs. We receive a small commission when products are purchased through links on this website, and this comes at no cost to you. This in no way effects opinions on books and products reviewed here. For more information click here.

Ep. 102 Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde — The Stacks Book Club (Asha Grant)

Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde is a foundation and timeless feminist text. It covers topics like the erasure of Black women in the feminist movement to living with cancer to raising Black sons. This collection of essays and speeches is dense and ripe for discussion. Asha Grant, the founder of the LA chapter of The Free Black Women’s Library, is back and brings her love of Audre Lorde to our discussion for The Stacks Book Club.
There are no spoilers on this episode.

LISTEN NOW

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Everything we talk about on today’s episode can be found below in the show notes and on Bookshop.org and Amazon.

Connect with Asha & The Free Black Women’s Library LA: Instagram | Website | Patreon | GoFundMe | Book Wishlist
Connect with The Stacks: Instagram | Twitter | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Subscribe

To support The Stacks and find out more from this week’s sponsors, click here.

To contribute to The Stacks, join The Stacks Pack, and get exclusive perks, check out our Patreon page. We are beyond grateful for anything you’re able to give to support the production of this show. If you prefer to do a one time contribution go to paypal.me/thestackspod.


The Stacks participates in affiliate programs. We receive a small commission when products are purchased through links on this website, and this comes at no cost to you. This in no way effects opinions on books and products reviewed here. For more information click here.

Ep. 90 Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson — The Stacks Book Club (Jason Reynolds)

Jason Reynolds is back this week for The Stacks Book Club discussion of Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson. The novel tells the story of three generations of one family in Brooklyn, NY and the struggles and successes of life. We talk about the taboo of not loving motherhood, doubling down on disappointment, and sensitivity readers.
There are spoilers this week.

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Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Overcast | Stitcher

Everything we talk about on today’s episode can be found below in the show notes and on Bookshop.org and Amazon.

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Connect with Jason: Twitter | Instagram | Website
Connect with The Stacks: Instagram | Twitter | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Subscribe

To support The Stacks and find out more from this week’s sponsors, click here.

To contribute to The Stacks, join The Stacks Pack, and get exclusive perks, check out our Patreon page. We are beyond grateful for anything you’re able to give to support the production of this show. If you prefer to do a one time contribution go to paypal.me/thestackspod.


The Stacks received Red at the Bone from the publisher. For more information click here.

The Stacks participates in affiliate programs. We receive a small commission when products are purchased through links on this website, and this comes at no cost to you. This in no way effects opinions on books and products reviewed here. For more information click here.

Ep. 89 Staying True to Yourself with Jason Reynolds

Jason Reynolds is a New York Times best selling author and a National Book Award finalist. He writes novels and poetry for young people, and they’ll all tell you Jason just “gets it”. We sit down with Jason to discuss his new book Look Both Ways, how his love of music led to a career as an author, and what book he would assign in high school.

LISTEN NOW

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Everything we talk about on today’s episode can be found below in the show notes and on Bookshop.org and Amazon.

Books

Everything Else

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Connect with Jason: Twitter | Instagram | Website
Connect with The Stacks: Instagram | Twitter | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Subscribe

To support The Stacks and find out more from this week’s sponsors, click here.

To contribute to The Stacks, join The Stacks Pack, and get exclusive perks, check out our Patreon page. We are beyond grateful for anything you’re able to give to support the production of this show. If you prefer to do a one time contribution go to paypal.me/thestackspod.


The Stacks received Look Both Ways from the publisher. For more information click here.

The Stacks participates in affiliate programs. We receive a small commission when products are purchased through links on this website, and this comes at no cost to you. This in no way effects opinions on books and products reviewed here. For more information click here.