Books are my Social Life (musahobooks) | Books set in Trinidad (part three) @booksaremysociallife | Uploaded September 2024 | Updated October 2024, 1 hour ago.
Welcome to the third instalment in my Trinidadian/Tobagonian book series! This is where I log my reading of books by local or diasporic authors, and where you can find some great recommendations if you're looking to get into Trinidadian literature or Caribbean literature in general.

In this video, I start off by recommending two extremely compelling novels that take place in Trinidad. The first is Pleasantview by Celeste Mohammed, an enthralling story about a fictional community in Trinidad. I then recommend The Bread the Devil Knead by Lisa Allen-Agostini, a harrowing novel about a woman who is navigating an abusive relationship. This one was shortlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction in 2022. The next book I recommend is The Dreaming by Andre Baghoo, a fantastic collection of short stories that explore the lives and experiences of gay men in Trinidad. It is such a fantastic and refreshingly modern piece of queer Caribbean literature.

Speaking of queer Caribbean literature, I, of course, had to highlight a few more books by Shani Mootoo. The first of which is her debut novel, Cereus Blooms at Night, a fantastic novel with dark and gothic undertones, and a writing style that will captivate you. I also mentioned her short story collection, Out on Mainstreet. Finally, I spotlighted Butterfly in the Wind by Lakshmi Persaud, a semi-autobiographical novel that takes place in the 50s and 60s.

Here is the playlist for this series: youtube.com/watch?v=yYQFBZgCrqk&list=PLZmrmE3G8tdQdb_TP5EMHo3a6dU-PfJam
Here is a playlist for other Trini related content: youtube.com/watch?v=CSS9WP0lgv8&list=PLZmrmE3G8tdS7bczNrWwMTgdF_xbkP1c5

Find me elsewhere:
Instagram instagram.com/musahobooks
TikTok tiktok.com/@musahobooks

Chapters:
(0:00): Intro
(0:27): Pleasantview by Celeste Mohammed
(2:17): The Bread the Devil Knead by Lisa Allen-Agostini
(3:20): The Dreaming by Andre Bagoo
(4:41): Cereus Blooms at Night by Shani Mootoo
(6:41): Out On Mainstreet by Shani Mootoo
(6:59): Butterfly in the Wind by Lakshmi Persaud
(8:03): Outro