In today's episode, Jay is sitting down with fellow Bookstagrammer Bri from @briisbooked to chat about reading books that evoke strong emotions. Tune in to listen to them chat about the books that have given them a range of emotions and how those emotions enhance their reading experience.

What we talked about:

• Episode intro 00:00
• Guest intro and current reads 1:18
• Exploring new genres 5:06
• Books that make us emotional 17:06
• What makes a 5 star read 19:30
• Having strong reactions to books 24:51
• Reading historical stories from the Black perspective 27:16
• Our favorite emotional books + recommendations 36:20
• Lightning Round - There's a book for that 1:00:02
• Final thoughts 1:07:45

Books mentioned in this episode:

• All The Lonely People by Mike Gayle
• Next of Kin by Kia Abdullah
• Not So Perfect Strangers by L.S. Stratton
• One of Us Knows by Alyssa Cole
• When No One Is Watching by Alyssa Cole
• The Good Ones Are Taken by Taj McCoy
• Zora Books Her Happy Ever After by Taj McCoy
• Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse
• A Love Song For Ricki Wilde by Tia Williams
• Amari and the Night Brothers by B. B. Alston
• The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
• The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates
• The American Queen by Vanessa Miller
• Yellow Wife by Sadeqa Johnson
• Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez
• All The Lonely People by Mike Gayle
• All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir
• An Ember in the Ashes Series by Sabaa Tahir
• Hurricane Summer by Asha Ashanti Bromfield
• Author Tracy Brown
• Hold You Down by Tracy Brown
• The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois by Honoree Fanonne Jeffers
• When I Think of You by Myah Ariel
• Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead
• The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride
• Deacon King Kong by James McBride
• Skin of the Sea by Natasha Bowen
• Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse
• Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
• The Attic Child by Lola Jaye
• Where Sleeping Girls Lie by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
• Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
• Black Girl You Are Atlas by Renée Watson

All book links above are affiliate links. By purchasing the books through the links What Ya Reading? Podcast, will earn a small commission.

Other links mentioned in this episode:

• The National Book Festival
• Sybil the movie
• Split the movie
• Frankie and Alice the movie
• The Currently Reading Podcast

Connect with today's guest:

• Follow Bri on Instagram @briisbooked
• Follow Bri on Goodreads and/or StoryGraph

Final Thoughts:

• Follow Jay on Instagram @bookswithjaybraggs
• Join us on the Geneva App for our May - June buddy read of The Color of Law by Richard Rothstein
• For inquiries please email [email protected]
• Don't forget to like, review, and subscribe to the podcast