Culture Lit

By Octavia MarieSociety & Culture Business Arts Books Marketing

Culture Lit episodes

May 29 10 Black Romance Novels That Feel Like a Soft Place to Land
Your heart isn’t broken. It’s just tired — and tired has a reading list.
This week on Culture Lit, Octavia shares 10 Black romance novels for healing your heart — stories where Black women are cherished, chosen, and loved well. From Kennedy Ryan’s new release Score to modern classics by Tia Williams, this is the soft-era reading list for anyone running on empty. Healing here doesn’t mean heavy. It means joy, tenderness, and a soft place to land.
Find these and other recommendations at The CultureLit online BookShop and support independent bookstores at Visit my bookshop!
Score — Kennedy Ryan
Honey & Spice — Bolu Babalola
Before I Let Go — Kennedy Ryan
By the Book — Jasmine Guillory
Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute — Talia Hibbert
A Love Song for Ricki Wilde — Tia Williams
Seven Days in June — Tia Williams
Real Men Knit — Kwana Jackson
Love Is a Revolution — Renée Watson
Black Girls Must Die Exhausted — Jayne Allen
Culture Lit is a community celebrating black women and black love, and a reminder that black women deserve joy, love success, second chances, and all the beautiful magic the world has to offer.
Subscribe to the Culture Lit Podcast Community here: CultureLitPodcast.com
Please follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts or wherever you listen to your podcasts!
Let me know what you’re reading, what you’re thinking, and what you’re thinking about what you’re reading.
STAY CONNECTED
Instagram: becomingoctavia
Threads: becomingoctavia
FB: BecomingOctaviaMarie
Music credit: Cool Jazz Beat by FASOL PROD
A Subito Media production
21 min
May 14 Nobody Knows You Exist (And That's the Problem). What is PR - And Why Black Women Entrepreneurs Need It Now
The visibility gap is real — and it's costing us.
You're showing up. You're posting. You're creating. And somehow you still feel like nobody actually knows you exist. In this episode, Octavia pulls from her 20+ years in PR — spanning the NBA, Fortune 500 companies, music, film, and TV — to give you something the industry never made accessible to us: a real breakdown of how visibility actually works.
This isn't a branding masterclass. It's a direct conversation about why Black women entrepreneurs, solopreneurs, and creators keep getting overlooked — and what you can do about it without a $10,000-a-month retainer.
Resources & Links
Follow Octavia: Instagram & Threads @becomingoctavia
Wellness & self-care: JayneandBloom.com
The Visibility Architect Framework — subscribe to the newsletter and stay close, more coming on the podcast
Find book recommendations at The CultureLit online BookShop and support independent bookstores at Visit my bookshop!
Culture Lit is a community celebrating black women and black love, and a reminder that black women deserve joy, love, success, second chances, and all the beautiful magic the world has to offer.
Subscribe to the Culture Lit Podcast Community here: CultureLitPodcast.com
Please follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts or wherever you listen to your podcasts!
Let me know what you’re reading, what you’re thinking, and what you’re thinking about what you’re reading.
STAY CONNECTED
Instagram: becomingoctavia
Threads: becomingoctavia
FB: BecomingOctaviaMarie
Music credit: Cool Jazz Beat by FASOL PROD
A Subito Media production
23 min
May 07Your Spark Is Still There: Finding Your Way Back to Joy
Some seasons feel dim. Not broken — just quiet. Like the thing that used to light you up has gone somewhere you can't quite reach.
That's where Octavia has been. And in this episode, she gets honest about coming out of a season that knocked her sideways — physically, emotionally, all of it. She talks about what it really means to lose your spark, why it happens to women who are doing everything right, and the small, unglamorous ways you start coming back to yourself.
Plus — April was a moment for Black romance. She's reviewing two reads that helped her recenter: Big Girl Blitz by Danielle Allen (the perfect series closer) and The Art of Loving You by Natasha Bishop (a slow burn second chance romance about grief that will leave you feeling it all).
In this episode:
Why your spark going quiet isn't a breakdown — it's a message
This week's affirmation for anyone in a season of reconnection
A full breakdown of Big Girl Blitz — the community, the angst, and the Aunt Addie scenes that will have you in shambles
Why The Art of Loving You is its own emotional experience and deserves to be met that way

Books mentioned:
Big Girl Blitz by Danielle Allen
The Art of Loving You by Natasha Bishop
Curvy Girl Summer by Danielle Allen (Curve series, book 1)
Plus Size Player by Danielle Allen (Curve series, book 2)
If Only for the Week by Natasha Bishop (Forever Falling series, book 1)

Find this and other recommendations at The CultureLit online BookShop and support independent bookstores at Visit my bookshop!
Sponsor: Jayne + Bloom
If you've been looking for a way to make your daily routine feel more intentional, check out my Clean Beauty Gifts With Purpose collection on Jayne + Bloom. Thoughtfully chosen sets for you and the women in your life — clean ingredients, real care, no compromise. Visit JayneandBloom.com.
Culture Lit is a community celebrating black women and black love, and a reminder that black women deserve joy, love success, second chances, and all the beautiful magic the world has to offer.
Subscribe to the Culture Lit Podcast Community here: CultureLitPodcast.com
Please follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts or wherever you listen to your podcasts!
Let me know what you’re reading, what you’re thinking, and what you’re thinking about what you’re reading.
STAY CONNECTED
Instagram: becomingoctavia
Threads: becomingoctavia
FB: BecomingOctaviaMarie
Music credit: Cool Jazz Beat by FASOL PROD
A Subito Media production
15 min
April 09What Your Body Already Knows with Aycee Brown on Embody Your Magic, Intuition & Healing
What if your body already knew the truth — before the doctors, before the diagnosis, before the breakdown — and you just weren't listening?
In this episode, Octavia sits down with psychic medium, astrologer, Human Design expert, and author Aycee Brown to talk about her debut book Embody Your Magic (HarperOne, 2026). What starts as a deep dive into spiritual tools becomes one of the most personal conversations.
They cover Human Design, the 80/20 soul blueprint framework, why religion is keeping Black women locked in the wrong 20%, what self-rejection looks like, and why honest desire — not vision boards — is the actual key to creating the life you want.
In this episode you will:
Learn Aycee's 80/20 framework and why most of us are spending all our energy in the wrong 20%
Understand how self-rejection piles up in the small everyday moments — and how to stop adding layers
Walk away with one honest question that can shift everything: What does your body already know that you keep ignoring?

Books mentioned:
Embody Your Magic: Create the Life of Your Dreams Through Astrology, Numerology, Mediumship, Metaphysics, and Human Design
Find this and other recommendations at The CultureLit online BookShop and support independent bookstores at Visit my bookshop!
Episode Links
Follow Aycee on Instagram
Follow Aycee on TikTok
Listen to Aycee's podcast "Is My Aura on Straight?"
Order Aycee's new book "Embody Your Magic" out now:

Loved this episode? Subscribe to Culture Lit and leave a review on Apple Podcasts — it helps more Black women find this community.
Subscribe to the Culture Lit Podcast Community here: CultureLitPodcast.com
Please follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts or wherever you listen to your podcasts!
Let me know what you’re reading, what you’re thinking, and what you’re thinking about what you’re reading.
CONNECT WITH OCTAVIA MARIE
Instagram: becomingoctavia
Threads: becomingoctavia
FB: BecomingOctaviaMarie
Music credit: Cool Jazz Beat by FASOL PROD
A Subito Media production
Mentioned in this episode:
You can find all the books I've reviewed in this podcast in my Bookshop! Visit https://bookshop.org/shop/CultureLitPodcast to get your copy!
Visit my bookshop!
If you're enjoying the show, join our community at culturelitpodcast.com.
Visit my bookshop!
53 min
April 02 RE-RUN: What Jahquel J Knew All Along
Octavia Marie talks with Jaquel, a prolific author in Black romance. They discuss Jaquel's extensive literary universe, the personal connections readers have with her work, and the dynamics of her characters, particularly in her latest release, Heart of a Goon.
The conversation delves into reader reactions, character development, and the marketing strategies that have contributed to Jaquel's success. Additionally, they touch on the importance of self-care for writers and the authenticity of dialogue across different storylines. In this engaging conversation, Jahquel J. and Octavia Marie delve into the intricacies of character development, the writing process, and the balance between realism and hope in storytelling.
Books Mentioned:
Staten Island Love Story
Capone
10,000 Hours with a Rich Menace (Caselli Family Book 1)
Don Caselli (Caselli Family Book 2)
Heart of a Goon
Capri
Find these and other recommendations at The CultureLit online BookShop and support independent bookstores at Visit my bookshop!
Culture Lit is a community celebrating black women and black love, and a reminder that black women deserve joy, love success, second chances, and all the beautiful magic the world has to offer.
Subscribe to the Culture Lit Podcast Community here: CultureLitPodcast.com
Please follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts, or wherever you listen to your podcasts!
Let me know what you’re reading, what you’re thinking, and what you’re thinking about what you’re reading.
STAY CONNECTED
Instagram: becomingoctavia
Threads: becomingoctavia
FB: BecomingOctaviaMarie
Music credit: Cool Jazz Beat by FASOL PROD
A Subito Media production
1 hr 2 min
March 19More Room: Taking Up Space and the Books That Remind You How
Octavia Marie gets into what it actually means to take up space — not just in a room, but in the life you're building. Taking up space means letting your dreams have room, saying yes to what lights you up, and holding the line on your time and energy. And sometimes it means turning to stories when the world gets heavy.
Books Mentioned
Kin by Tayari Jones
Beautiful Broken Love by Shanora Williams
One More Shot by Anise Starre
One Week in Paradise by Anise Starre
If I Don't Have You by Sareeta Domingo
Behind the Scenes by Christina C Jones
The Full Picture by Jessica Carmichael

Find these and other recommendations at The CultureLit online BookShop and support independent bookstores at Visit my bookshop!
Culture Lit is a community celebrating black women and black love, and a reminder that black women deserve joy, love success, second chances, and all the beautiful magic the world has to offer.
Subscribe to the Culture Lit Podcast Community here: CultureLitPodcast.com
Please follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts or wherever you listen to your podcasts!
Let me know what you’re reading, what you’re thinking, and what you’re thinking about what you’re reading.
STAY CONNECTED
Instagram: becomingoctavia
Threads: becomingoctavia
FB: BecomingOctaviaMarie
Music credit: Cool Jazz Beat by FASOL PROD
A Subito Media production
Mentioned in this episode:
You can find all the books I've reviewed in this podcast in my Bookshop! Visit https://bookshop.org/shop/CultureLitPodcast to get your copy!
Visit my bookshop!
If you're enjoying the show, join our community at culturelitpodcast.com.
Visit my bookshop!
18 min
March 06Pen Pals to Pop Stars: Breaking Down All Three Books in Kristina Forest's Greene Sisters Series
This episode is a look into Kristina Forest's beloved series: The Neighbor Favor, The Partner Plot, and The Love Lyric. Three sisters. Three completely different love stories. One beautifully layered portrait of Black women navigating ambition, family, and modern romance without apologizing for any of it.
Octavia breaks down all three books — Lily's sweet, bookish pen-pals romance, Violet's crackling second-chance fake marriage story, and Iris's tender, slow-burn love story with an R&B star who pines for her with his whole heart. And we're talking about what it means that Felicia Pride, showrunner of Netflix's forthcoming A Different World sequel, is the one bringing these sisters to screen.
Felicia Pride just optioned the Greene Sisters trilogy — and if you know her work, you already know we are in very good hands.
In this episode:
Walk away knowing exactly which Greene Sisters book to start with — and why each one hits differently
Understand what makes Kristina Forest's writing stand out in contemporary Black romance

Books Mentioned:
The Neighbor Favor by Kristina Forest
The Partner Plot by Kristina Forest
The Love Lyric by Kristina Forest
The Perfect Find by Tia Williams
The Skyland Series by Kennedy Ryan
The New Haven Series by JL Seeger
Savvy Sheldon Feels Good as Hell by Taj McCoy
Find this and other recommendations at The CultureLit online BookShop and support independent bookstores at Visit my bookshop!
Culture Lit is a community celebrating black women and black love, and a reminder that black women deserve joy, love success, second chances, and all the beautiful magic the world has to offer.
Subscribe to the Culture Lit Podcast Community here: CultureLitPodcast.com
Please follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts or wherever you listen to your podcasts!
Let me know what you’re reading, what you’re thinking, and what you’re thinking about what you’re reading.
STAY CONNECTED
Instagram: becomingoctavia
Threads: becomingoctavia
FB: BecomingOctaviaMarie
Music credit: Cool Jazz Beat by FASOL PROD
A Subito Media production
Mentioned in this episode:
If you're enjoying the show, join our community at culturelitpodcast.com.
Visit my bookshop!
You can find all the books I've reviewed in this podcast in my Bookshop! Visit https://bookshop.org/shop/CultureLitPodcast to get your copy!
Visit my bookshop!
25 min
February 12 The Shift: How One Single Mom Moved to Mexico Sight Unseen
What would you do if you woke up one day and decided to leave everything behind—your city, your career, your entire life as you knew it—and move to a country you'd never even visited?
That's exactly what Diamond Polk did. And she's never looked back.
Diamond is a former Los Angeles realtor, a USC grad, a single mom, and now a relocation guide helping women move from the United States to Mexico. But this isn't just about changing addresses—it's about relocating your mind, your energy, and your entire relationship with freedom, safety, and what's possible.
In this episode, Diamond shares the real story of why she left LA, how she chose Puerto Vallarta sight unseen, what the transition was actually like as a Black woman and single mother, and how she's now building a business helping other women do the same through her retreat, The Shift, and her coaching programs.
If you've ever fantasized about leaving it all behind, starting fresh somewhere beautiful, or just giving yourself permission to imagine a different kind of life—this episode is for you.
Listen now, and then visit @citizendip_ on Instagram to learn more about Diamond's June 2025 retreat, The Shift, and her February group coaching program, Safe Passage.
Diamond Polk is a former Los Angeles realtor, USC graduate, and single mother who made the bold decision to leave the United States and move to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico—sight unseen. Now, she helps women transition from the United States to Mexico through soulful real estate guidance, her signature retreat The Shift, and group coaching program Safe Passage. Diamond's work is rooted in empowerment, spiritual alignment, and helping women relocate not just their homes, but their minds. She believes in making healing and relocation accessible, offering tiered pricing and pay-what-you-can options for hypnotherapy sessions.
Culture Lit is a community celebrating black women and black love, and a reminder that black women deserve joy, love success, second chances, and all the beautiful magic the world has to offer.
Subscribe to the Culture Lit Podcast Community here: CultureLitPodcast.com
Please follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts or wherever you listen to your podcasts!
Let me know what you’re reading, what you’re thinking, and what you’re thinking about what you’re reading.
STAY CONNECTED
Instagram: becomingoctavia
Threads: becomingoctavia
FB: BecomingOctaviaMarie
Music credit: Cool Jazz Beat by FASOL PROD
A Subito Media production
50 min
February 06Soft Life is Not Luxury-It’s Safety
What if the soft life isn't about luxury at all? What if it's about survival?
In this episode I explore the soft life as a practice of safety, resistance, and self-preservation for Black women — and why choosing ease is one of the most radical acts we can make.
I'm unpacking why softness feels so dangerous for Black women, exploring the cultural conditioning that taught us to perform strength at all costs, and breaking down what it actually looks like to choose ease in a world that profits from our exhaustion.
Plus, I'm discussing Where the Wildflowers Grow by Terah Shelton Harris—a stunning novel about a woman who stumbles into sanctuary and discovers she's not too broken to heal.
Books Mentioned
Where the Wildflowers Grow by Terah Shelton Harris

Find this and other recommendations at The CultureLit online BookShop and support independent bookstores at Visit my bookshop!
Resources & Themes
The myth of the “Strong Black Woman”
Nervous system regulation
Rest as resistance
Soft life as sustainability

Culture Lit is a community celebrating black women and black love, and a reminder that black women deserve joy, love success, second chances, and all the beautiful magic the world has to offer.
Subscribe to the Culture Lit Podcast Community here: CultureLitPodcast.com
Please follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts or wherever you listen to your podcasts!
Let me know what you’re reading, what you’re thinking, and what you’re thinking about what you’re reading.
STAY CONNECTED
Instagram: becomingoctavia
Threads: becomingoctavia
FB: BecomingOctaviaMarie
Music credit: Cool Jazz Beat by FASOL PROD
A Subito Media production
Mentioned in this episode:
If you're enjoying the show, join our community at culturelitpodcast.com.
Visit my bookshop!
You can find all the books I've reviewed in this podcast in my Bookshop! Visit https://bookshop.org/shop/CultureLitPodcast to get your copy!
Visit my bookshop!
23 min
January 27 If I Ruled the World by Amy DuBois Barnett | Ambition, Culture & Taking Up Space
What happens when a young Black editor walks away from the glossy magazine world to save a struggling hip hop publication? Everything.
In this episode, I'm talking about into If I Ruled the World by Amy DuBois Barnett—a novel that took me straight back to 1999 and the era that shaped so much of who we are. This isn't romance, but it's absolutely about Black women finding their voice, claiming their power, and building the culture that the world tries to erase us from.
We're talking late-90s NYC media, hip hop journalism, navigating toxic workplaces, and what it costs to be young, Black, brilliant, and ambitious in rooms that weren't built for you.
If you were a Vibe or Honey Magazine subscriber, if Nas and Lauryn Hill were your soundtrack, if you've ever had to choose between fitting in and being free—this one's for you.
Hit play, and let's talk about what it really takes to rule your own world.
Find this and other recommendations at The CultureLit online BookShop and support independent bookstores at Visit my bookshop!
Culture Lit is a community celebrating black women and black love, and a reminder that black women deserve joy, love success, second chances, and all the beautiful magic the world has to offer.
Subscribe to the Culture Lit Podcast Community here: CultureLitPodcast.com
Please follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts or wherever you listen to your podcasts!
Let me know what you’re reading, what you’re thinking, and what you’re thinking about what you’re reading.
STAY CONNECTED
Instagram: becomingoctavia
Threads: becomingoctavia
FB: BecomingOctaviaMarie
Music credit: Cool Jazz Beat by FASOL PROD
A Subito Media production
Mentioned in this episode:
If you're enjoying the show, join our community at culturelitpodcast.com.
Visit my bookshop!
You can find all the books I've reviewed in this podcast in my Bookshop! Visit https://bookshop.org/shop/CultureLitPodcast to get your copy!
Visit my bookshop!
15 min

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