Busy Black Mums Do Read

Unless you've been living under a rock, you would have heard of the Sports Romance series Off Campus by Elle Kennedy. In this episode, we delve into the popular book series to help you decide if the books are really worth the hype. There is also a bonus review of Ali Hazelwood's Deep End. Enjoy!

Hello lovely readers, Happy summer! I hope you're lying down at the beach somewhere lovely as you listen to this or at least have plans to go somewhere to enjoy the sunshine and heat during this season. I return with a bumper episode reviewing two different books from 2 different genres. Lady Tan's Circle of Women by Lisa See and Booker prize winning An American Marriage by Tayari Jones. A...

Hello lovely readers! In this episode, I delve into my favourite Bridgerton couple- Benedict and Sophie! Or Benofie according to the internet girlies. Here, I'm making a case for why you should read the book before watching Shonda Rhimes' adaptation. I also review Chimamanda Adichie's latest book- Dream Count. As always, let me know your thoughts on both books AND what you're reading. I love your...

Hello fellow readers. Happy New Year! After a brief hiatus, I'm back with a summary of my favourite reads from last year, some of which you would have heard about before from reviews on the podcast, but there are some new mentions here too. I also ponder about what makes a 5 star read (as I didn't have many last year!) but listen on for some of my favourite reads of 2025. Are we making rea...

Hello lovely readers! It's been a while since we've caught up....what can we say...life's been lifing. How are you getting on with your reading? Have you read any amazing books over the summer or you're just doubling down on your TBR pile? In this episode recorded over summer, Olamide and I delve into the question of what makes a good summer book- yes you guessed right, we both hav...

In this episode, Aziza dives into the captivating world of "The Summer I Turned Pretty," exploring the emotional depth of Jenny Han's beloved book series and its adaptation into a Netflix series. Join Aziza as she shares her personal journey with the characters Belly, Conrad, and Jeremiah, and discusses the differences between the book's intricate love triangle and the series&#39...

Hey everyone! After a bit of a break, Ola and I are finally back, catching up on all things books—especially the struggle of reading slumps and the magic of finding the right book at the right time. In this episode, we dive headfirst into Red Rising by Pierce Brown, which absolutely blew our minds. We break down its intense caste system, unpack the character development, and dig into the deeper ph...

Have you ever picked up a book and felt like it took over your life? That’s exactly what happened with Binding 13 and Keeping 13 by Chloe Walsh. In this 2 in one episode, Azeeza shares her thoughts on book bingeing, swoony romance, intense character arcs, and what makes Johnny Kavanagh the ultimate book boyfriend. With reflections on Irish culture, audiobook experiences, and tough-but-important th...

If you've been following booktok or bookstagram, you would have been hard pressed to have missed the phenomenon sweeping the internet in the form of Callie Hart's Spicy Romantasy- Quicksilver. Hear what Azeeza thought about the book everyone has been talking about (and why they've been talking about it!). Don't forget to like and subscribe to the podcast so you'll never miss an...

Azeeza is back this month with a review of Mao's Last Dancer by Li Cunxin, an autobiography of the world renowned ballet dancer's rise to fame from an impoverished background, growing up in a Commune in China. A perfect rags to riches story chronicling life under Chairman Mao's communist regime, if you like non-fiction, this is worth giving a spin. As always, do like, subscribe and sha...

In this engaging conversation, Azeeza is joined by childhood friend Shakirat Gold Olufadi, as they delve into the themes of Khalid Hosseini's ' A Thousand Splendid Suns '. We explore the emotional depth of the characters, the resilience of women in the face of oppression, and the impact of the historical context of the war in Afghanistan on the lives of the characters. We also discuss...

Hello book lovers! I feel like all I've talked about the last 2 weeks are Longlists and literary awards. This is a bonus epidose reviewing the recently revealed Women's Prize for Fiction 2025 longlist. Also, it is publication day for Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's new book 'Dreamcount' and yep, you guessed, she gets a nod. The books in this year's list all look and sound amazin...

The International Booker Prize longlist is out and in this episode, I talk about which of the books I'm really keen to add to my shopping cart and why. This year's longlist is quite an ecclectic mix but two books definitely stand out from the pile for me. I'm keen to find out if other mums consider these prizes when selected or deciding what to read. Tell me in the comments if you do o...

I don't think there is an articulate enough way to describe the masterpiece that is Tolstoy's 'War and Peace'. At over a thousand pages long, it is not the shortest book ever but boy does it pack a punch. I approached this one with a bit of trepidation and awe really to see how I would feel about tackling the longest audiobook I've ever listened to. For the second book in this...

In this episode, I talk about 3 books in 1. It's the book all the booktok girlies have been talking about and has sold millions and millions of copies. Tagged the Harry Potter of our time, Rebecca Yarros' Fourth Wing (or the Empyrean series) has quite literally taken the world by storm. This is one of my favourite romance books of all time! Listen to the episode to find out why Fourth Wing...

Hello and Happy New Year! In this first episode of 2025, we are talking New Year bookish resolutions and asking what those look like for you. Did you meet your reading goals in 2024? What goals are setting in 2025? Whether you did or not, I hope you have an amazing year of discovering the world through books. We also reviewed one of booktok's most talked about books from 2024- the Powerless se...

I couldn't let the year go by without sharing some of my favourite books from the year. This was so hard to pick favourites! You'll see a few that have been featured on the podcast made the cut. I'll be back in the New Year encouraging you to pick up more books, read widely and go for that bit of escapism we all crave. Here is the list as featured in the episode: Eat, Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilber...

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes When Lou Clark agrees to take up work as a carer for the Traynors, little does she know that her life is about to change. In this episode, we discuss Jojo Moyes 2012 bestseller and how it has influenced Azeeza's own thinking about the contentious topic of assisted dying. This is a romance ovel like no other. If you would like to share your views about this episode and o...

Azeeza returns from a sabbatical, reading popular fantasy romance series A Court Of Thorns & Roses (ACOTAR) by Sarah J Maas. In this episode, we talk tools for holding yourself accountable while getting back into reading, setting reading targets (should we even?) and of course a review of Books 1, 2,3 and 5 of the ACOTAR series (listen to find out what happened to Book 4). As always, we'd love...

One is a creative, yet modern take on love stories from across the world, the other is a timeless classic read and loved by millions. In this episode, we delve into the world of love and all it's intricacies in Bolu Babalola's 2020 bestseller 'Love In Colour'. In the second part of the episode, we review what makes ' The Alchemist' such a special book as well as why and whe...

We continue our discussion on all things Japanese culture (thanks to our Shogun obsession). We also answer our first audience question on getting your child to read and what's worked for us in this space. Olamide and I also give our thoughts on our current reads and what we're looking forward to reading. If there are any books you would like for us to discuss, or any questions you would li...

Olamide and I take a trip down memory lane with Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice, a book I've been wanting to read for ages. As usual, we come to different conclusions about how we felt about this timeless British classic (which if you're an avid listener of the podcast will come as no surprise!). We also touched on Olamide's recommendation- James Clavell's Shogun, which is...

Ever felt like you needed to get on top of your finances but were unsure where to even start? Well, we may have the book for you! In this episode, Azeeza is joined by Career Coach and financial management geek Lola Yunus, to discuss Ken and Mary Okoroafor's (Creators of The Humble Penny Blog) Sunday times Bestseller " Financial Joy, Banish debt, Grow your money and become debt free in 10...

As April was Personal development/Self help month on the podcast, Azeeza is joined by wealth Manager and Personal Stylist Chinye Amadi Emina to review Carol Dweck's famous piece of work- Mindset. We explore the interplay between the Growth and Fixed Mindsets and how these play out in day to day life and in our relationships. We also talk Yoga and its benefits...yep! Who said Personal developme...

We seem to have our knickers in a twist with these 2 books! In this episode, Olamide and I review 2 completely different books across 2 genres. The Wife Upstairs by Freida McFadden was our March pick, to fit with our 'suspense' theme. Was it suspenseful? And is this one of our recommended reads? Listen to find out! One Day by David Nicholls was meant to be a feel good, romantic palette cle...