Today’s blog is going to be a little fun for me and also a new experience because I’ve never really done this before but I feel like I’m always talking about how I just gotta make it so I realize that even I could use a break from that. Actually, I kind of have done this before. I’ve loved reading since elementary school and it really took it to a whole other level in high school when I started reading books that inspired me to write. From the Princess and The Pea to Sista Souljah’s Midnight and all The Daughters of The Moon in between I loved reading. Of course I grew up though, life got busy, library time wasn’t scheduled bi weekly or whatever it was, and books cost money so I fell off over time. But every once in a while I remember my love for reading and pick up a really great book that reminds me of who I am, all that I love, and what is possible. Reading really allows me to dream freely and apply some of the knowledge and lessons to my own life while sparking my own creativity. Those are the best kinds of books.
One day a while ago I was on Instagram and I kept seeing this woman and these books being talked about. I saw it so much I was like aight who is Kennedy Ryan and what’s in these books that people are raving so much about. And since I kind of hate watching TV aka streaming services now but only do so because I’m bored I had nothing to lose. I was like let me treat myself to some books for once. I love to read and I miss reading. I should not feel financially worried over my ability to buy a few books. And since I can manage to Door Dash or go buy food I can surely do something healthy like read. A short time after I found myself researching Kennedy Ryan’s catalogue, reading the summaries of the main books I’d seen highlighted on her Instagram page like I used to do in the library in high school. I found three books that had themes and character plots that I thought would be interesting to me and I ordered them: Before I Let Go, Block Shot, and Hook Shot by Kennedy Ryan. I got them from Walmart.com and honestly they were not that expensive so I was tripping like they were going to break the bank for no reason at all. I treated myself and “splurged” but not really.
I wanted to read Before I Let Go first because that’s one of the books that I kept seeing talked about the most online. Then I read Block Shot, and then Hook Shot after that. How do I summarize Before I Let Go? Hmmm… Yasmin and Josiah are a divorced couple that are navigating co-parenting while also co-managing a business they built and share together. A tragedy from their past is what broke them apart but now there’s something seemingly pulling them back together to where it is possible that their relationship and love for one another may not be completely over and done. First of all, a second chance at love? I’m here for it. Then the business aspect of what they’ve created, the life they built, and all the things they still share despite being divorced I’m curious. Also, I really wanted to know like what tragedy broke them apart and if they did hypothetically get back together how would that work? I’m always rooting for love but again a divorced couple coming back together after significant time apart. That’s rare. I’m intrigued. Let’s do it and see how this works out for them because I know that love has to be real because that’s crazy. Then at the same time I’m thinking if the love is so real how/why did they break up in the first place? QTNA.
There is a common theme in the books that I had chosen to read because she had so many to choose from, like a very impressive catalogue but again I was splurging so I had to make some tough choices. I could not buy them all at the moment. The next book I read was Block Shot. In summary Jared and Banner go way back to college days. Though they are now both highly successful sports agents then they were just two kids who had a thing that led to Banner’s broken heart to the point where she swore him off forever. But then Jared still wants her despite whatever terrible thing that happened between them in college and caused the rift to the point where they haven’t seen each other in years despite being in the same field. Banner wants no part of anything going on with Jared, they are both dominating their careers, grown, and doing their own thing which is where she wants it. The past left in the past but is it really the past when their paths cross again in an undeniable way? You have to read the book for yourself to find out because…
And last but certainly not least Hook Shot. This book and Block Shot are a part of a series and I did not read the first book titled “Long Shot” but now I feel like I have to because the others were so great. I’m glad I read the second and the third book in order though it wasn’t intentional and it may not have mattered all the way but some of the characters do intertwine in small little details that you realize if you read the books in order but again I don’t think it’s make or break the current story. There’s also two more titles that follow Hook Shot and I have to read those too to finish out the series. But until then Hook Shot follows Kenan and Lotus. Kenan is a thirty something year old single, divorced NBA player who is close to finishing out his career. Lotus is a twenty five year old in New York city following her fashion dreams. Her and Kenan don’t know each other well because every time they have happened to cross paths Lotus runs off or finds a way to avoid him because she just knows what even seeing him does to her. A person she doesn’t even know well but just everything he appears to be affects her in a way she is not willing to explore and dive into due to her past trauma and current situations around men. Kenan himself is guarded to a certain extent because his divorce was ugly and public and put him in the limelight in a way he doesn’t like to be. He only wants to focus on his daughter and his basketball career until he can figure out how to get Lotus to stop running away from him.
Now I enjoyed all of the books and upon initial thought I knew that I would love Before I Let Go and I did. I thought I would love Block Shot more because of that young love rekindled as an adult storyline but Hook Shot I think is ultimately my fav. I like books with African American characters for one like they’re just so much more relatable. And it took me a while to read Block Shot because I feel like it started off hot but then just kind of faded to me like I began to not like where the story was going? Maybe it was my own morality speaking but it lost me for a minute and I had to force myself to finish it. If there was a book I am most inspired to write creatively though it’s probably Block Shot due to that simple reason. I feel like some things shouldn’t have happened. And I remember in high school one of the first times my love for reading and writing really came together was when I had to do a reading log in English class after finishing a book. And we had all these prompts to choose from and I remember one was to rewrite the ending of the book and explain why you re-wrote it the way you did. It was for one of my favorite books ever, despite the unfortunate ending, “My Life is All I Have” by V. Anthony Rivers. I said okay bet let me fix this ending because that was (respectively) trash! Why would he do that like I cried and everything. I probably would have hated the book forever and it probably wouldn’t have become one of my all time favorites if that assignment did not exist so shout out to Mr. G for the creative opportunity because not only did it change my perspective on the book but also helped me realized my own creative ability when it comes to writing. So all that to say if there is a book I would rewrite some parts of in order to love it more it’s definitely Block Shot but atleast I’m inspired by it.
My favorite between Hook Shot and Before I Let Go… Love Before I Let Go but I think I’m going to have to give it to Hook Shot. There’s just some elements that make it personal for me and it’s real life. It addresses important topics and explores a different culture including taboo beliefs and practices. Overall it just gives more. I can just see some parallels and some of the words and traits of the characters, etc. just remind me of my own experiences and even people I’ve known or what I have been through. I love Lotus and Keenan. Like their love for each other is beautiful simply put. One thing I do admire in all three books though is how bad the men want each of their women though. Like it’s no funny business like these men are on Lotus, Yasmen, and Banner bad and know that’s their only one and vice versa and I love that for them. For everybody. That devotion, that complete acceptance, and knowing, and intentionality in letting it be known there’s no one else. There’s never been anyone else or going to be anyone else no matter how much time passes. I get that these are romantic books and so of course they technically have to come with an all around happy ending but still it all feels really genuine. It's the kind of thing you would hope for in real life. To experience such a love and such a life that overcomes everything you have been through. You experience love and you may even lose it but you keep going, you keep growing, succeeding, and thriving, and in your own time it comes back or you find the one that it was always supposed to be.
Anyways, I’m inspired. I can’t wait to just write more creatively and you already know what my genre is going to be though I am currently attempting a poetry book. That’s just something that I had to get off my chest but once that’s done then I pray I can go back to my own roots of writing the love stories that I have been reading about and dreaming of for a very long time. I’m also looking forward to reading more as I have always dreamed of a home library that is coming and going to be great! Looking forward to my career as a full time author and entrepreneur but in the meantime a sincere thank you to Kennedy Ryan and all those great black authors before her and us that have shown me what is possible. More than just creating a story but using that story to create your life. The life of your dreams. #Goals