Black Coffee discussion

Here is where we’ll be discussing Nightcrawling by Leila Mottley.

Synopsis Kiara and her brother, Marcus, are scraping by in an East Oakland apartment complex optimistically called the Regal-Hi. Both have dropped out of high school, their family fractured by death and prison. But while Marcus clings to his dream of rap stardom, Kiara hunts for work to pay their rent--which has more than doubled--and to keep the nine-year-old boy next door, abandoned by his mother, safe and fed. One night, what begins as a drunken misunderstanding with a stranger turns into the job Kiara never imagined wanting but now desperately needs: nightcrawling. Her world breaks open even further when her name surfaces in an investigation that exposes her as a kev witness in a massive scandal within the Oakland Police Department.

Will you be joining us?

Yea

Yes I will as soon as I can get my fingers on the book, which sadly will not be until the first of the month (pension check).

I’ve been eyeing this book for months. I’m excited about reading it with the group.

Luckily my local library has it so I’m going to borrow it from them. Hopefully it’s still available on the first 🤞🏾

My library card expired and I will not be in my home town to get another one for two more months.

Since I nominated it, I will be reading it. It sounds interesting. Yes a bit deep and dark maybe. Can anyone tell me what night crawling is? Is it a slang term for prostitution?

I think so, but I’m not really sure. I intend to balance Nightcrawling with Semple so I don’t get depressed. After Native Son, I might need therapy 😳

Have you heard of the Libby app?

You can go on there and get an online library card. If your location allows it.

I use it for the area I live in. I didn’t go to the library at all

I was using the Libby app all along, but it was connected to my actual Boston Public Library card. I think I will physically go to the library down here in Rome, GA and get a card so I can continue to check out audiobooks and read loans on my kindle. I LOVE Libby 😊

I love the Libby app also!!

Oh wow I need to check my account because I didn’t know it expires. Maybe it’s a location thing but thanks for the heads up

What is this Libby you speak of??

Here’s the link for info about the Libby app

https://www.overdrive.com/apps/libby

I'm currently listening to the audiobook on Libby and I'm enjoying it...I look forward to the group discussion

I’ll be here for this one as well.

I’ve just downloaded this Libby app. I will be checking it out. Thanks!

I absolutely love Libby. When I downloaded the app, I used my physical library card.

I never had a digital card. After looking into getting the digital card, I am better off with a physical card because it does it all - physical and digital and I can use it for Kanopy. Kanopy is wonderful too, I love watching films on my tablet with Kanopy.

I have a new physical library card in Rome,GA. It will take place of my expired Boston, MA Library card. I have placed Nightcrawling on hold, it should be available in two weeks, or sooner. Going by all of the reviews, I should be able to finish it by the end of April and join the discussions, fingers crossed 🤞🏾

When I go back to Boston, MA for the summer, I will renew my library card and keep it moving. If one library doesn’t have it, the next one most likely will.

Hey Group,
I’m out of town and won’t return until the 6th.

I’ll start the book when I get back home. I can’t wait to see it’s about, I’ve heard really good things so far.

I’m excited to start this one! Are you guys listening to the audiobook or doing a physical read?

I just borrowed the ebook. I’m going to try to start reading it on the plane. I’m going to see how it flows to determine if I want to listen to the audiobook or not.

What about you??

Same. I’m gonna start the physical and see how it goes.

My audio came in from Libby. So far the narrator is good enough for me to keep listening. I love audio books because I can walk on the treadmill, cook, clean, (sort of) while I get my reading time in.

Dosha (Bluestocking7) wrote: "I have a new physical library card in Rome,GA. It will take place of my expired Boston, MA Library card. I have placed Nightcrawling on hold, it should be available in two weeks, or sooner. Going b..."

Yes, and the great thing about electronic books (audio or print) is that you can use either card wherever you are!

I am a rare breed where I prefer actual books over e books or audiobooks. I have never used audio books at all. I also tend to buy books because I read at a slower pace than what a library borrow would require. The Libby app might change that. We shall see. But I have a great collection. So there’s that.

I’m up to page 33 and so far it seems bleak. I can tell that I like Kiara already though.

Angel wrote: "I am a rare breed where I prefer actual books over e books or audiobooks. I have never used audio books at all. I also tend to buy books because I read at a slower pace than what a library borrow w..."

i like being able to enlarge the font on ebooks. i have gotten spoiled. firefox has a reading view and i can do the same to just about any webpage that has a lot of text.

i do audiobooks rarely. i read autobiographies and memoirs on audio almost exclusively. i can do fiction on audio if it feels like an autobiography and has very few characters. other nonfiction i need physical books becasue i underline, highlight, and write notes in the books.

I am so spoiled it is a shame. I am hooked on whispersync. It allows me to switch back and forth between Kindle and audible without losing my place on either device. When cooking and crafting and walking on a trail, audiobooks are the joint. When walking on my treadmill I read my Kindle.

Nightcrawling is incredibly tragic. SMH

I’m in page 11 and it’s already too much for me.

When I read the deception it called the main character a woman but in the book she’s a teenager, she’s not even 18 yet. I typically don’t read teen stories especially not ones that are this sad.

Even though it’s a short book I’m probably going to take the whole month to read it

I know what you mean. I am mixing The Best of Simple in with this one because of how tragically it begins. I cannot imagine it is going to get much better. She is only 17 and then there is lil Travis.

I love love love love love romances. That may also be a good genre to read when the social realism of Nightcrawling gets next to me.

I had no idea I was this stupid, but I have to ask this question because I’m confused. Is prostitution and sex trafficking the same thing? Where does Nightcrawling fall, on the side of prostitution or trafficking?

I don’t think that’s a stupid question at all. I think they overlap with one another. To my understanding, sex trafficking is when a person or people are taken by force from one city/state/country to sell their body for sex acts. Sometimes, it isn’t by force, a person can be manipulated into being sex trafficked and be none the wiser until it’s too late. Prostitution is when a person willingly sells their body for sex acts, however a person can be forced into prostitution as well. So the difference is the moving around of people versus being in one location.

Also, know that I didn’t look up any definitions, this is coming from my years and years of watching Law & Order:SVU 😂 and this is also not a in depth breakdown this is just my understanding of the two terms.

I haven’t gotten as far as you have in the book but I hope this helps answer your question.

Thank you Shaylah. I guess I am pretty much up to speed in my knowledge. Circumstances certainly have led folks into a life of prostitution when they saw no other way to make ends meet, so voluntarily may be too strong. I have, in the past, understood that trafficking generally involves stealing human flesh and transporting them elsewhere. Now, I have to recognize that traffic can be in one neighborhood. I have a distinct feeling that Nightcrawling is short distance traffic as opposed to the more popular long distance traffic where the stolen ones are never found. I am beginning to believe Nightcrawling victims go home every night, but their rights have been stolen instead of their bodies. I love Law and Order SVU btw more than any other themes of Law and Order 😎

I’m going to take a break and return to this again next week. I have to finish it in 10 days because it is a library book, but I do t mind. This is a very well written story.

I’ve decided I’m going to listen to the audiobook. It’s not available for about two weeks so I’ll get started then. I’ll still pop in and see what’s everyone talking about and chime in when I can offer something.

Marcus has pissed me off already!! Please wake up and face reality and GET. A. JOB!

Girl 👊🏽if I could just crawl into this book I’d wring his neck!!! His poor lil sister - Shaking my Damned Head 😡

🤣🤣🤣🤣 DOSHA!!! You are speaking the truth. This story is so sad.

What a book!

Is it possible for us to have a sit down virtual discussion on this one, like zoom maybe?

My audiobook just became available 🥳 I’m going to get started immediately.

Yea a virtual meeting sounds good. We’re going to see how we can set that up

Ok, I am only up to page 75 (busy week so reading always takes a hit). I am a little confused about Kiara and Marcus’ mom. They inferred that something bad happened in the bathroom which made me think it was a suicide attempt or overdose or something but then Kiara calls her in ? Prison?! There was something mentioned about her being in prison. So what happened in the bathroom that Marcus won’t even go in there? I admit I have been getting distracted when I have been reading so it’s hard to focus and I end up reading a page or two over again. I swear I am getting attention deficit in my old age.

I cannot tell you why moms is in the hospital. It will become clear a little while later. Keep reading, I was confused also, lol.

Oh she’s in a hospital! I was wondering about that too because when Kiara called her she said her mom got on the phone right away because it was “free hour”. And I don’t think prisons have “free hour”. On page 38, Kiara says Marcus can’t stand nothing red after Mama. He was the one trying to clot Mama’s bleeding wrists. But then on page 39 they mention Mama’s trial and visits to Mama in the overcrowded Dublin Prison. So by page 75 I wasn’t sure if she was in prison or treatment or the hospital or what.

I’m sorry, jail, not a hospital. No one is in the hospital, lol.

There are no happy people in this book. After Native Son, I thought this 21st century drama would be better. Welp not so much huh? 🤷🏽‍♀️

Nightcrawling, AKA Native Daughter almost 100 years later 😥

I’m finished.

The author’s note at the end made me cry. I have never been more proud of a young author in my life. She started writing this book at the tender age of 17! I wish I could write a review that would be a worthy tribute to her skills both literary and poetic.

Oh man, this book is as depressing as Native Son. Traumatic! I am only on page 92. Kiara went to visit her mom at the Halfway House. Mama seems pretty self-centered, but maybe that’s just her repressing her guilt and trauma. But now hearing there was a baby sister, Soraya, how did she die? Did Mama put her in the pool intentionally? Did she just neglect her and not watch her and she wandered away? Ugh, my heart breaks for Kiara.

Yup, poor Kisra! And let us not forget poor Trevor. What is he, 10 or 11 INNOCENT years old- the brutal truth is staggering.

I just finished the book. Goodness was it a struggle to get through. Several times I thought I wasn’t going to finish it but I pushed through because I really wanted to know what was going to happen to Trevor. I was hoping Kiara would somehow be able to keep him but it seems like those types things don’t usually happen in real life and I could tell the writer wanted to keep this story as real as possible.

Overall, I liked the story. The fact that she’s a poet really showed in her writing style and I can appreciate that but for me she laid it on a little too thick.

Hey Y’all!!

I created a poll to see who’d like to partake in a video meetup to chat about the book a little more.

Whether you want to participate or not, I would appreciate your vote.

If there are enough yes votes we’ll discuss a date once the poll is closed on the 22nd.

Thanks 🤓

https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/2...