Hey, I’m Lalaa 🖤📚
Library Curator. Writer. Reader. Community builder.
I’m on a mission to help Black women build beautiful lives through books, words, and rest.
For me, reading has never been just a hobby. It’s how I’ve learned to understand myself, my history, and the women who came before me. It’s how I’ve found language for grief, permission to dream bigger, and reminders that Black women have always imagined lives beyond survival.
Books introduced me to hard truths in The Bluest Eye. They taught me to stand taller through Phenomenal Woman. Toni. Hurston. bell. James. Alice. Their words didn’t simply entertain me—they gave me a home inside myself.
That’s why The Black Girl Reads exists.
Yes, we celebrate books. We champion Black authors. We fill our shelves with stories that have too often been overlooked. Decolonizing our bookshelves isn’t about checking a diversity box—it’s about reclaiming whose stories get to shape our imaginations. Every Black book we choose is an invitation to widen our understanding of ourselves, our communities, and what’s possible.
But this community has grown into something even bigger.
Because the goal isn’t simply to read more books.
The goal is to build a life that feels full.
A life with quiet mornings and meaningful conversations. With poems scribbled in notebooks and libraries that feel like home. A life rooted in rest, curiosity, community, and the radical belief that Black women deserve beauty without having to earn it.
Here you’ll find thoughtful book recommendations, reflections on everyday life, poetry, conversations with authors, reading lists that honour our stories, and a growing community of Black women choosing to live intentionally.
If a book changes the way you see yourself, it has already changed your life.
So pull up a chair. Stay awhile.
There’s always room for one more story.
Book Clubs + Community
Our monthly book clubs are where the magic happens.
Each month, we choose a book that meets us where we are, stories that spark honest conversation and help us name what we’re carrying. These are not rushed discussions or performative takes. They’re real, grounded, and guided by the belief that Black women deserve spaces where we can show up fully.
Alongside book club, we host events like:
- author talks
- writing workshops
- book exchanges
- healing-centered circles and community read-ins
Whether you’re a seasoned reader or getting back into it after a long break, you’re welcome here.