There’s no better time to read than a cruise, when you can kick off your shoes, grab a drink of choice, and settle in with whatever book you’ve been saving for just this opportunity.

Does this sound like a good idea to you? We have some recommendations perfect for all you autumn cruisers (and everyone else, too)! Pack one or two of these books in your suitcase or on your tablet for your next vacation.

Banned Books Week kicks off September 26 and runs through October 2.

Books are challenged for many reasons, such as:  race, LGBTQIA+, politics, indecency, sex, religion, and other “controversial” topics.

Books marketed at children are especially prone to the targeted lists, as parents are concerned about the materials being taught in schools or held on library shelves. But often, those books are renowned as classics, as they hold the truths we don’t always want to hear.

I’ve compiled a list of books that at one time or another have been challenged for their content. I challenge you to pick a few to add to your To Read list!

• An Abundance of Katherines by John Green:  Colin has a thing for girls named Katherine, but it always ends in heartbreak. In order to prove this hypothesis, he sets off on a road trip with his friends. Challenge - Sexual Content
• Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz:  Two boys meet, one is confident and self assured, the other is more protective of himself. Somehow, they form a friendship that allows them both to flower in their teen years. Challenge - LGBTQIA+
• The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein:  Told from a dog’s point of view, this story provides a touching look into his human’s life. Challenge - Accused Sexual Abuse
• Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya:  A healer comes to live with Antonio’s family in New Mexico. She teaches him how to face bigotry, moral collapse, and death. Challenge - Adult Language, Violence, Sexual Content, Blasphemy
• The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison:  A young black girl prays for her eyes to turn blue so she can be as beautiful as the blond, blue-eyed children in America. Challenge - Sexual Content, Politics, Racism

• The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon:  An autistic boy sets out to investigate the suspicious death of a neighborhood dog. Challenge - Offensive Language
• East of Eden by John Steinbeck:  Two families in California’s Salinas valley reenact the fall of Adam and Eve and the rivalry of Cain and Abel. Challenge - Offensive Language, Prostitution
• The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls:  Walls’ memoir shares the story of her dysfunctional family and how her parents’ nonconformity caused them to live like nomads. Challenge - Offensive Language, Sexual Content
• The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas:  Starr Carter may go to a fancy suburban prep school, but the neighborhood she lives in is far from wealthy. When she sees her best friend shot by a police officer while unarmed, she is torn between what is safe and what is right. Challenge - Offensive Language, Racism
• The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende:  A family saga of three generations of the Trueba family, spinning personal and political stories with love, magic, and fate. Challenge - Sexual Content
• The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot:  Henrietta Lacks was a poor farmer who, when she developed cancer, had cells taken from her without her knowledge. Those cells went on to become the most important tools in modern medicine, as they were the first “immortal” human cells grown in culture and have been used in countless treatments and cures. Challenge - Pornography (Note:  The challenger confused pornographic content with Gynecology and Science, there is no pornographic content in the book.)

• The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini:  Two boys enter a local kite-flying contest in 1970s Afghanistan. An unexpected event shatters their lives. Russians invade and the family must flee to America. Challenge - Sexual Content, Offensive Language
• Native Son by Richard Wright:  This book tells the story of a young black man caught in a downward spiral after he kills a young white woman in a brief moment of panic. Challenge - Sexual Content, Violence, Offensive Language
• Noughts & Crosses by Malorie Blackman:  In this dystopian romance, our normal view of classism and racism is turned on its head. Crosses, the dark-skinned ruling class, cannot mix with the Noughts, colorless members of the underclass. Sephy and Callum’s romance builds against a backdrop of increasing tension and terrorism. Challenge - Racism, Political Terrorism
• Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson:  A high school student is shunned because she called the cops on a party, and tries to heal from that terrible experience through her art. Challenge - Sexual Violence, Bias against Male Students
• Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan:  Two boys attempt to set a new Guinness World Record for kissing and become a focal point for other LGBTQIA+ teens. Challenge - LGBTQIA+

There’s no better time to read than a cruise, when you can kick off your shoes, grab a drink of choice, and settle in with whatever book you’ve been saving for just this opportunity.

Does this sound like a good idea to you? We have some recommendations perfect for all you August cruisers (and everyone else, too)! Pack one or two of these books in your suitcase or on your tablet for your next vacation.

Much to our kids’ dismay, summer is over and it’s time to head back to school. This time of year sure gets a lot busier for almost everyone, so taking some time to read can seem like a bit of vacation when we cannot get away. To keep that feeling going, I’ve compiled a list of books from some popular cruise ports.

Alaska

• Travels in Alaska by John Muir - Naturalist John Muir traveled to the pristine, mostly unexplored territory of Alaska. He recorded his experiences of glaciers and animals across what is now the largest state in the USA.

Cuba

• Of Women and Salt by Gabriela Garcia - A family saga and testament to a group of women that spans from 19th-century cigar factories to present-day detention centers, from Cuba to Mexico. This book tells about the legacy of the memories they carry, and the stories they tell, even when people try to silence them.

Dominican Republic

• In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez - The true stories of three sisters who were killed for their part in an underground plot to overthrow the Trujillo dictatorship in 1960.

Haiti

• Breath, Eyes, Memory by Edwidge Danticat - Sophie Caco returns to Haiti and discovers a legacy through the women who raised her, as well as the traditions, suffering, and wisdom of her people.
• Anacaona:  Golden Flower, Haiti, 1490 by Edwidge Danticat - A narrative of Queen Anacaona, and the story of the Spanish conquering of native Haiti.

Italy

• Call Me By Your Name by Andre Aciman - Now a major motion picture, this book shows how sudden and powerful romance can be when a summer guest visits an Italian Riviera mansion.

Jamaica

• Selected Writings and Speeches of Marcus Garvey - Marcus Garvey is a local hero in Jamaica; a philosopher and racial activist. He was a Jamaican political leader, publisher, journalist, entrepreneur, and orator. 

Mexico

• Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia - This dark fairy tale, inspired by Mexican folklore, tells the story of a young woman sent on a life-changing journey by the Mayan God of Death.

Spain

• The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon - As Barcelona heals from WWII, a book dealer’s son becomes obsessed with an author. But while trying to find more of his work, he discovers he may have one of the few copies left.

This is just a sampling of the hundreds of ports that Royal Caribbean visits! Do you have a favorite author or book from a port you’ve visited? Post it in the comments so we can add it to our To Read lists. 

What do you plan on reading in August? Do you have a Back-to-School list prepared?

Mid-summer has arrived and it is hot outside. Hope you are all escaping the heat by the pool (or at least the A/C)! Make sure you’re staying hydrated and well read.

There’s no better time to read than a cruise, when you can kick off your shoes, grab a drink of choice, and settle in with whatever book you’ve been saving for just this opportunity.

Does this sound like a good idea to you? We have some recommendations perfect for all you July cruisers (and everyone else, too)! Pack one or two of these books in your suitcase or on your tablet for your next vacation.

July is Disability Pride Month, and so the books I have picked out for you all touch on some kind of disability.

The definition of disability is a physical or mental condition that limits a person's movements, senses, or activities. Most are associated with stigma and prejudice, and so reading about disability issues can help us educate ourselves on what people living with such conditions go through.

I’d love to hear in the comments which book you chose, or if you have a favorite read for Disability Pride Month that wasn’t mentioned!

Fiction

• The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski - Follow Edgar, born mute, on a story in the northern Midwest as he is forced to flee into the wild after his father’s death with only his three dogs for company.
• Feathers by Jacqueline Woodson - Jacqueline Woodson is a premier middle grade author, and she hits it out of the park with Feathers. Frannie deals with a lot of big issues for a kid:  her mother’s depression, a friend’s growing religion, her brother’s deafness, and a new kid at school who is getting bullied.
• All’s Well by Mona Awad - After a fall ended her career on stage, Miranda Fitch takes a job as a theater professor. However, living with the chronic pain as a result is a mountainous task. When her students rebel against her choice in Shakespeare plays, the Fates intervene.
• Girl Out of Water by Laura Silverman - Anise Sawyer, California girl, must spend her summer in landlocked Nebraska, caring for her cousins while her aunt heals from a car accident. While there, she meets a one-armed skater boy who charms her off her feet.

Nonfiction

• Look Me in the Eye:  My Life with Asperger’s by John Elder Robison - Robison’s life-long talent with electronics may have landed him a gig with KISS, but he had to pretend to be “normal” in any “real” job. Finally, at forty, he was diagnosed with autism, transforming the way he saw himself, and the world.
• The Story of My Life by Helen Keller - Most of us grew up with Helen Keller as an example of physical disability, as well as courage, dedication, and friendship. Have you read her autobiography?
• The World’s Strongest Librarian by Josh Hanagarne - Thanks to TikTok, Tourette’s Syndrome has been gaining more awareness lately. Check out Josh Hanagarne’s memoir as he tells his story of growing up with Tourette’s, and how he tried everything to rid himself of his tics–to the point of losing his voice. 
• This Star Won’t Go Out by Esther Earl - Those familiar with John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars may recognize the name Esther Earl, as she was not only who the book was dedicated to, but who the book was based on. Collected by friends and family are Earl’s journals and writing and deserves all the credit it has received, separately from TFOS.

Are you someone who likes to read when you get on board your vacation cruise? How many books do you usually pack? What are you reading for Disability Pride Month?

We’d love to hear all about it in the comments below!

There’s no better time to read than a cruise, when you can kick off your shoes, grab a drink of choice, and settle in with whatever book you’ve been saving for just this opportunity.

Does this sound like a good idea to you? We have some recommendations perfect for all you June cruisers (and everyone else, too)! Pack one or two of these books in your suitcase or on your tablet for your next vacation.

June is the month of PRIDE - a celebration and recognition for LGBTQIA+ people. All the books on our list for this month are written by a member of the queer community, and tell some kind of related story. I’d love to hear in the comments which book you chose, or if you have a favorite read for PRIDE Month that wasn’t mentioned!

Fiction

• The Well of Loneliness by Radclyffe Hall:  A classic, banned for obscenity when published in 1928, but one of the most famous of lesbian novels. Stephen is a war hero and a writer, a child of aristocratic parents, but she is a woman, and so are her lovers and so she is forced into desperate actions.
• Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin:  Another often banned classic.  David has a passionate love affair with Giovanni in Paris, but when his girlfriend returns, he pretends nothing has happened. Giovanni’s life is devastated.
• Star-Crossed by Barbara Dee:  Great for fans of YA! Mattie is cast as Romeo in her school’s Shakespeare play, and wonders…is it possible to crush on both guys, and her Juliet too?
• The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai:  Two overlapping stories combine in this incredible history of the AIDS epidemic. We see the devastating carnage of the 80s as a group of friends succumb to the virus one by one. Thirty years later, the sole survivor still grapples with the grief as she tries to find her daughter in Paris.
• It Takes Two to Tumble by Cat Sebastian:  Regency Romance fans should look no further than Cat Sebastian for their next favorite series. In It Takes Two, Vicar Ben is asked to look after a naval captain’s children, and finds himself head over heels with these kids. When their father comes home, he is impatient to be back at sea again, but can the Vicar show him what family truly means?

Nonfiction

• Buffering by Hannah Hart:  Youtube superstar Hannah Hart shares a very personal memoir about coming to terms with her sexuality, her mother’s mental illness, and other life experiences.
• They/Them/Their by Eris Young:  This book is here to break down definitions and misconceptions, as well as provide the history of nonbinary identities and gender-neutral language. How does living outside the gender binary affect one’s relationship, sense of identity, use of language, etc?
• Naturally Tan by Tan France:  Netflix addicts will recognize France from Queer Eye, but here we get a memoir of what it was like to grow up gay in a Muslim family in a culturally white town in the UK.
• All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M Johnson:  Check out the memoir from Queer Activist and Journalist George M Johnson, as he explores his coming of age. His story covers topics of gender identity, toxic masculinity, brotherhood, family, consent, and Black Joy.
• TOMBOYLAND by Melissa Faliveno:  My personal favorite book so far that I’ve read in 2022! A collection of essays told of growing up in the American Midwest, and what it is like to not fit into the “norm” of the deeply ingrained traditional culture that can be found here.

Are you someone who likes to read when you get on board your vacation cruise? How many books do you usually pack? What are you reading for PRIDE Month? We’d love to hear all about it in the comments below!

Happy Pride!

Spring is turning into summer, and the temps are heating up. As we head off onto our summer vacations, let’s pick some books to read! Does anyone remember those library summer reading programs?

There’s no better time to read than a cruise, when you can kick off your shoes, grab a drink of choice, and settle in with whatever book you’ve been saving for just this opportunity.

Does this sound like a good idea to you? We have some recommendations perfect for all you May cruisers (and everyone else, too)! Pack one or two of these books in your suitcase or on your tablet for your next vacation.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and so the books I have picked out for you all touch on some kind of mental illness. Most of us are affected by mental illness in one way or another:  we may know someone who suffers from the effects of disease or we ourselves battle illness. Either way, learning more about mental health helps to reduce the stigma surrounding these disorders and allows us to remove barriers to empathy and care.

I’d love to hear in the comments which book you chose, or if you have a favorite read for Mental Health Awareness Month that wasn’t mentioned!

Fiction

• Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman:  The story of a teen with schizoaffective disorder, and the chaotic delusions he lives with on a daily basis.
• Everything Here is Beautiful by Mira T. Lee:  Miranda tries to protect her sister, Lucia, who is fiercely independent. When Lucia’s schizophrenic disorder forces her to yield to it, Miranda tries to rescue her, but only Lucia can decide if she wants to be saved. Can the bonds of sisterly devotion protect them both?
• Under Rose-Tainted Skies by Louise Gornall:  A soft teen romance that gives a very accurate view of what it is like to have OCD and Agoraphobia.
• Made You Up by Francesca Zappia:  Because of her schizophrenia, Alex never totally knows what is real and what isn’t. So when she meets Miles, he seems too good to actually be true. She’s not prepared for normal.
• The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath:  This one is a classic for a reason. If you’ve never read it, this is a good time to add it to your list. Sylvia Plath’s masterpiece perfectly encompasses her character’s breakdown and the dark corners of the psyche.

Non-Fiction

• Darkness Visible by William Stryon:  A memoir of depression from a Pulitzer-Prize winning author. This book lays bare the realities of clinical depression and the difficult recovery this disease demands.
• Scattershot by David Lovelace:  Four out of the five people in the Lovelace family have bipolar disorder, and David Lovelace shares the eccentricities of their family portrait.
• Agorafabulous! By Sara Benincasa:  Comedian Sara Benincasa shows us what it is like to be terrified of the world outside, and how to confront some of the more awkward and challenging aspects of adulthood in her hilarious memoir.
• Welcome to the United States of Anxiety by Jen Lancaster:  Why is everyone in the USA so anxious? Comedic author Jen Lancaster is here to help us all out of that stressful pit. Maybe. 
• Our Numbered Days by Neil Hilborn:  You may have seen Neil Hilborn’s poetry when it went viral across Facebook several years ago. Since his debut of “OCD”, he’s had many others make their way across the web. This collection features several of those, along with others you’ve never heard before.

Are you someone who likes to read when you get on board your vacation cruise? How many books do you usually pack? What are you reading for Mental Health Awareness Month? We’d love to hear all about it in the comments below!

It’s finally Spring! That means warmer temperatures, sunny days, and vacation. I don’t know about you, but for me, nicer w also means more time to read the kind of books I can relax with;  the kind of brain candy that gives me an escape from reality. 

These kinds of books are perfect for cruising, because I can pick them up and put them down as often as I need to as activity allows–though let’s be honest, once I really get sucked into a story, it’s SO hard to put it down! A quick wave at the bartender for another Gin & Tonic, and I’m a very happy cruiser. 

I’ve picked out some pretty fun novels for you this month:  some romance, some fantasy, some suspenseful thrillers. Pick out a few and head down to the Solarium to spend a day with the characters. Don’t forget to pack the sunscreen, and let me know which books you liked!

Romance

1. Tempting Taste by Sara Whitney:  Any series that has Cinnamon Roll in the name has to be delicious, right? This one begins with a grumpy baker clashing with a self-assertive PR wiz. Can they work together, or will the salt vs sweet be too much to balance?
2. The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang:  When Stella, a woman more inclined toward math and algorithms than romance, needs to gain experience in the dating world, she hires escort Michael. Maybe she can get some data on dating from him that will help tilt the scales in a more logical direction.
3. A Daring Arrangement by Joanna Shupe:  The first in Shupe’s Four Hundred Series set in the Gilded Age of New York City, we meet a Lady in a hurry to find a match. However, that particular match must be an absolute terror, so her father will refuse so she can marry who she wants instead. Unfortunately, the man she picks is up to good, instead of the evil she wanted.

Fantasy

1. The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss:  Thought of by some as an adult version of Harry Potter, this is the story of the most notorious wizard in the world and how he came to be. Born in poverty, he found his way into a school of magic, and became a legend.
2. The City of Brass by SA Chakraborty:  Travel to Cairo, to a magical world filled with enchantments. Nahri accidentally summons a djinn warrior, and finds that the myths of her childhood are not just the stuff of legends, and that actions do, in fact, have consequences.
3. Written in Red by Anne Bishop:  When Meg, a seer, shows up in Lakeside Courtyard, the community doesn’t know what to do with her. She’s not one of the Others, those that live there. But Simon Wolfgard has an instinct to protect her, even though there is significant risk involved. Is she prey, predator, or someone worth protecting?

Suspense/Thriller

1. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova:  Follow the history of Dracula back through a historian’s clues and letters. Can you save her father from impending doom?
2. The Secrets We Kept by Lara Prescott:  Literature lovers will appreciate this spy thriller based on a true story during the Cold War. Two secretaries are pulled from the CIA typing pool for a top secret mission. This mission, should they choose to accept it, is to smuggle Doctor Zhivago out of the USSR so that it can be published.
3. Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam:  Vacation is supposed to be relaxing, but when Amanda and Clay rent a vacation home on Long Island, things don’t go as they plan. The home’s owners show up in the middle of the night, there’s a crisis in New York and they need to escape. Can the two families trust each other isolated in this rural house, cut off from everyone else?

What have you been reading lately? Do you make more time for reading when the weather warms up? What sounds good from this list? Share in the comments!

As you stroll along the pool deck or promenade on a sea day, you’re bound to see people stretched out with a thick novel, engrossed in some kind of story.

There’s something about a cruise that brings out the readers in so many of us. Most likely, it’s because we are away from the distractions of reality:  no work, no stress. We aren’t vegged out in front of the TV or running kids from soccer practice to Girl Scouts. Suddenly, all that time we’ve been planning to “make” to read is in front of us.

There’s no better time than a cruise, when you can kick off your shoes, grab a drink of choice, and settle in with whatever book you’ve been saving for just this opportunity.

Does this sound like a good idea to you? We have some recommendations perfect for all you March cruisers (and everyone else, too)! Pack one or two of these books in your suitcase or on your tablet for your next vacation.

Last month, we read books by black authors for Black History Month. I hope you all found something wonderful! Please share with us in the comments what you read.

Because March is Women’s History Month, we are going to focus on the lives of women from around the world. 

Fiction

• The Red Tent by Anita Diamant - Those familiar with the bible story of Jacob from Genesis will recognize Dinah’s voice as she tells this ancient story of womanhood. Meet Rachel and Leah as they show us what it was like to be a wife in the time of the Old Testament.
• The Testaments by Margaret Atwood - The sequel to Margaret Atwood’s famous Handmaid’s Tale. It picks up fifteen years after Offred’s ending, and so we are hearing testimonies from three handmaidens. Definitely read the first book if you haven’t yet! (The TV show on Hulu is pretty terrific too!)
• Cilka’s Journey by Heather Morris - For those who like to read about WWII, this one is a must. Cilka is rescued from Auschwitz when she is 18, but the Russians accuse her of helping the Nazis, and so they send her to a gulag to be imprisoned again. This is a follow-up to The Tattooist of Auschwitz.
• The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson - Head to Appalachia in the 1930s, and meet a traveling librarian who rode on horseback to deliver books to her mountain patrons. This story not only discusses the difficult subject of poverty found in Appalachia, but introduces us to the Blue Fugates of Kentucky.
• VOX by Christina Dalcher - Half the population in America no longer have a voice. The government passed a law that women can no longer speak, hold jobs, read or write. But Jean is on a mission to protect herself and her daughter.

Nonfiction

• We’re Going to Need More Wine by Gabrielle Union - Actress Gabrielle Union brings us in to her devastating story of sexual abuse, by talking with us as dear friends gathered on a couch sharing a bottle of wine. 
• Things No One Will Tell Fat Girls by Jes Baker - This book breaks down the barriers of our language of self hate, and how society portrays and discusses weight in media. 
• Pure by Linda Kay Klein - Take a look at purity culture within the modern Evangelical church, and how it affects young girls today. How are those who grew up in the church deconstructing from the mindset they were raised in, now that they are adults?
• I am Bacha Posh by Ukmina Manoori - It is tradition, in Afghanistan, that if a man has many daughters, but no sons, that one daughter will be chosen to live as a boy so that errands can be run without persecution. I am Bacha Posh is the story of one girl’s journey as that chosen daughter.
• The Girl with Seven Names by Hyeonseo Lee - Due to the terrifying dictatorship of North Korea, Hyeonseo Lee had to flee her home at a young age. She had no idea how long she would be separated from her family, but knew she had to get them out too. 

Are you someone who likes to read when you get on board your vacation cruise? How many books do you usually pack? What are you reading for Women's History Month?

We’d love to hear all about it in the comments below!

As you stroll along the pool deck or promenade on a sea day, you’re bound to see people stretched out with a thick novel, engrossed in some kind of story.

There’s something about a cruise that brings out the readers in so many of us. Most likely, it’s because we are away from the distractions of reality:  no work, no stress. We aren’t vegged out in front of the television or running kids from soccer practice to Girl Scouts.

Suddenly, all that time we’ve been planning to “make” to read is in front of us. There’s no better time than a cruise, when you can kick off your shoes, grab a drink of choice, and settle in with whatever book you’ve been saving for just this opportunity.

Sound like a good idea to you? We have some recommendations perfect for all you February cruisers (and everyone else, too)! Pack one or two of these books in your suitcase or on your tablet for your next vacation.

The link for each book contains an affiliate link, which means I get a commission for purchases made. There is no additional cost to you

Fiction

• River, Cross My Heart by Breena Clarke:  A young girl tragically drowns in the Potomac River, 1925, and shapes the rest of her sister’s life.
• Rebel by Beverly Jenkins:  Looking for romance? Head on down to New Orleans for a good old fashioned love story. When Valinda’s school is destroyed, an architect (and a captain!) steps in to help her as part of his mission to rebuild the city. 
• The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas:  16-year-old witnesses her best friend killed in a police shooting, and it’s up to her to speak up about what happened. Angie Thomas has also written two other incredible novels:  On the Come Up and Concrete Rose
• Binti by Nnedi Okorafor:  For those who prefer SciFi! Binti has been accepted into a prestigious university in space, but it means leaving everything she knows behind, and entering a war with an alien race.
• Breath, Eyes, Memory by Edwidge Danticat:  If you’re going to the Caribbean, especially Haiti, I highly recommend something by Edwidge Danticat. This one is about a girl who immigrated to New York with her mother, but then returns to native Haiti, and witnesses the strength and power of the women there.

Nonfiction

• The Black Count by Tom Reiss:  If you love The Count of Monte Cristo, then you should read this one. The biography of General Alex Dumas tells the story of the man that his son, Alexandre Dumas, used as a muse to write some of the most classic heroes of all time.
• Just as I Am by Cicely Tyson:  Autobiography/Memoirs of Actress Cicely Tyson. She details her childhood, her early career, her love affair and eventual marriage to Miles Davis, and much wisdom that she’s gained in 96 years.
• Redefining Realness by Janet Mock:  Memoirs of Janet Mock, detailing her experiences of her youth. Mock grew up poor, multiracial, and trans, and provides great insight on how vulnerable it can be as a marginalized person in America.
• All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M Johnson:  Personal Essays from LGBTQIA+ activist George M Johnson, as he explores coming of age while being Black and queer.
• You Can’t Touch My Hair by Phoebe Robinson:  Comedy Superstar Phoebe Robinson shares an essay collection about what it's like being a Black woman in America.

Are you someone who likes to read when you get on board your vacation cruise? How many books do you usually pack? What are you reading for Black History Month? I'd love to hear all about it in the comments below!

Welcome to the start of the Royal Caribbean Blog.  This is an unofficial and unbias look at the Royal Caribbean International Cruise Line.  This blog is written by fans of Royal Caribbean and cruising in general and it's meant to be an opportunity to document, discuss and celebrate cruising aboard the many Royal Caribbean ships found around the world.

Our Commitment

The mission of this blog is to provide interesting posts regarding various topics of the Royal Caribbean International cruise line and the ports of call it serves.  We promise to provide these stories to you consistently and without being influenced by Royal Caribbean itself.  The importance of being unofficial and independent is crucial to any good blog, and we resolve ourselves to maintaining the integrity of this site by standing by this rule.

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Above all else, please feel free to take part in this blog and be a part of the community we're building here.  While we enjoy writing about Royal Caribbean and talking about it a lot, we want this to be a communal effort and you should feel free to be a part of the community we've established here.  This includes you sharing your thoughts and concerns on any and all of our posts as well as contributing useful, interesting and provocative thoughts to the site itself.  Our doors are always open to comments, criticism and suggestions so please feel free to voice your thoughts.

Thank you for checking us out and we're eager to get things underway.  Hope to see you "on board"!