The Braid Blog

A literary billet-doux to the African world.

fresh pressed posts

meet the blogger

Hi! I’m Joy, a Louisiana-born, Nigerian-American writer who’s obsessed with literature, research, and the untold histories of Africa and the Black diaspora. The Braid Blog is where I weave it all together: memory, literature, culture, and the quiet power in our everyday lives. Think of this space as part archive, part altar–always an offering.

I’d love to connect! Feel free to visit my socials below or send me an email xo.

Tag: read

  • Read, Rinse, Repeat: Sweet Heat by Bolu Babalola

    Read, Rinse, Repeat: Sweet Heat by Bolu Babalola

    Joy Chibuzo
    5–7 minutes

    In Sweet Heat (2025), Bolu Babalola delivers romance with depth–intimate, messy, and impossible to ignore. Kiki Banjo thought she outran her past, but one reunion cracks everything open: love, pride, ambition, and the life she’s been carefully constructing. Consider this your invitation to read this spicy title responsibly.

  • Read, Rinse, Repeat: Bemused by Farrah Rochon

    Read, Rinse, Repeat: Bemused by Farrah Rochon

    Joy Chibuzo
    6–9 minutes

    Let’s rewind to the Muses—five sisters who sang Hercules into legend and now rise again in Farrah Rochon’s Bemused. This Greek mythology retelling fuses Disney nostalgia, Black girl magic, and divine sisterhood, reminding us that unity isn’t weakness. It’s the truest form of power.