

Her Own Happiness
Author: Eden Appiah-Kubi
Narrator: Tamika Katon-Donegal
Unabridged: 8 hr 24 min
Format: Digital Audiobook Download
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Published: 09/05/2023
Categories: Fiction, Romance, Adaptations, Lgbtq+
Author: Eden Appiah-Kubi
Narrator: Tamika Katon-Donegal
Unabridged: 8 hr 24 min
Format: Digital Audiobook Download
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Published: 09/05/2023
Categories: Fiction, Romance, Adaptations, Lgbtq+
Eden Appiah-Kubi fell in love with classic novels in fourth grade when her mom read her Jane Eyre, chapter by chapter, as a bedtime story. She’s an alumna of a small New England university with a weird mascot (Go Jumbos!) and a former Peace Corps volunteer. Eden developed her fiction writing through years spent in a small Washington, DC, critique group. Today she works as a librarian and lives in the DC suburbs with her husband and hilarious daughter.
I wish I loved the book but it wasn't for me. What I liked: 1) The cover. 2) Dual POV. 3) Representation of their sexual identities and mental health. What I didn't like: 1) To keep it all the way real, I barely remember much of what happened. Very low intrigue, investment and bored for most of i......more
I enjoyed this authors previous book, so I was happy to read this book also. Unfortunately I didn't enjoy this one quite as much. Her Own Happiness follows Maya, a 31 year old who has to move from Hawaii to Maryland, back in with her parents. Her best friend Ant decides to move with her, but while M......more
I really enjoyed this story about two queer, Black friends in their early 30s trying to figure out life during the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. When the lockdown throws her life into chaos, Maya, a fat, queer, woman decides to move back home to DC and not willing to lose her friendship, her ace......more
This was a disappointment for me. If the characters were straight out of high school and this was labeled as young adult, the story may have gone over better. But as a 30+ year old, black woman (like our main character) the overall story was unrelatable. It was choppy, underwhelming, and underdevelo......more
First and foremost, I want to make it very clear that this book has exceptional fat and queer representation. Like seriously so so good. Both MCs are Fat and queer, one pansexual and one asexual. It hurts me a little bit to say that this isn't a favorite but after I've sat with it for a minute the r......more
“[A] fresh, bold take from Appiah-Kubi…It’s fascinating to watch this story play out from a new perspective, and the themes of self-awareness and healing resonate. Readers will have no trouble rooting for Maya to find happiness.” —Publishers Weekly"A beautiful coming of age novel about friendship and self-discovery." —The Root"At heart, Her Own Happiness is a cozy, good-natured tale of love and friendship, following characters who do not define themselves by their hip body piercings or artsy tattoos but, rather, through kindness toward others. Appiah-Kubi combines escapist descriptions of fashion and travel with an honest look at how so many of our lives have been shaped by COVID-related isolation and uncertainty." —Washington City Paper