This is Glory Edim’s memoir but it is also her story of the books that were there every step of the way. Born as a first generation American to Nigerian parents, Glory grew up in the DC area as a dedicated book person. From using books as an escape from her parents rocky marriage, through her mother’s illness, to life as a college student and when navigating relationship, Glory shows just how much a well written book can impact a life. Glory Edim founded the Well Read Black Girl book club and continues to share her love of reading with others and is a testament to the power of books. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.

I love books about books! Anyone that thinks books don't change your life is clueless!

Glory does a great job of sharing what books/authors shaped her life. I love how she told her own story with a variety of literature that was important to her. My heart hurt for her as she told the story of her childhood and her family's struggles.

I'm definitely going to follow Well Read Black Girls on instagram now. Thank you, Glory, for sharing your story with us. You've also given me more books to add to my TBR list.

Thank you to NetGalley, Glory Edim, and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the opportunity to read Gather Me. I have written this review voluntarily.

GATHER ME
Glory Edim

“We do not see things as they are, we see things as we are.”
Anais Nin

GATHER ME is a journey through the pages of the books that influenced and shaped who Glory Edim is. If not for Toni, Maya, James, and Audre, Edim would not be who she is today.

Literature is transcendent, life-giving, and life-affirming. And it is an imperative part of forming empathy for those around us, and ourselves. It helps us to give voice to our feelings. It helps us know who and what we want to be in this world.

Reading helps us to feel seen.

I enjoyed my experience and loved spending a little time with Glory. I thought about all of the books that have shaped and informed me and I now have a few more books to add to my to-read list.

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Ballantine Books for the advanced copy!

GATHER ME…⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

There are books that take me back to a time in life when I first read them. The original covers of The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler and Harriet the Spy put be back into my childhood bedroom where I read the books my mom brought home to share with me. The opening lines of The Outsiders puts me in Middle School where S. E. Hinton captures teenage angst just north of my hometown. This is what Glory Edim does with Gather Me. She tells her own story of growing up in Virginia with immigrant parents and the books that she says saved her. What a beautiful way to share the books that shape a life!

Glory Edim's love of books is woven into the fabric of her memoir. Her ability to keep herself on a steady path through a difficult upbringing by reading and relating to what various authors have written is remarkable. I commend her. As a reader myself, I can relate to what she did with her life.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House/Ballantine for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. I enjoyed this memoir and the accompanying books that shaped the authors life. The writing was good and it gave me a new perspective on the books that I have read. It will one that I will revisit as I read the books/authors noted that I have yet to read and look forward to more stories from this writer.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this eARC.

Gather Me explores author Glory Edim's life through the lens of the books she encountered over the course of her life.

What an interesting and inspired format for a memoir! A memoir with a side of literary analysis, and a strong argument for the power of reading. This memoir is beautifully written, deeply introspective and artfully realized. I didn't know much about Edim before picking up this book -- I'd heard of Well-Read Black Girl, but didn't really know what it was since it became super popular around a time when I had no bandwidth for personal reading -- but getting to see a person's life through the lens of the books that meant the most to them is such a joyful gift. Books have always been an essential part of my identity, always had a major role in shaping my sense of self and the way I view the world, so it was a joy to sink into a memoir that centers on the ways in which our experience can inform and be informed by what we read.

A memoir of Edim's, the founder of Well Read Black Girl, life up to now. Each chapter begins with a list of books that shaped her in that part of her life. Edim found comfort in books at an early age as the daughter of Nigerian immigrants with many of their own problems. It was interesting to read about her life, especially the challenges that she faced with her mom.

What a stunning tribute to the power and importance of books! Glory Edim wrote an intellectual, spirited ode to books in this memoir that had me experiencing all the feels. As the daughter of immigrants, so much of what Ms. Edim said brought back a flood of memories from my own childhood, allowing me to recall the power of books in my own life and how they offered me a means me to rise above the difficulties of growing up as "other".

"𝑩𝒖𝒕 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒔, 𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒐𝒔, 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒃𝒆 𝒂 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒅, 𝒐𝒓 𝒂 𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆, 𝒐𝒓 𝒂𝒏 𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒓𝒆 𝒑𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒔 𝒂 𝒇𝒍𝒊𝒄𝒌𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒇 𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒎𝒕𝒉, 𝒐𝒇 𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 - 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒎𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒓𝒚 𝒇𝒍𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒖𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒂 𝒏𝒆𝒘 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒉𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒇𝒖𝒍 𝒑𝒂𝒕𝒉."

There are so many more worthy quotes in this book, and the storytelling is magnificent. Ms. Edim certainly learned the art of storytelling from her father. I was absolutely hooked from the first page!

For a stunner of a memoir that is so relevant today, look no further!

My gratitude goes out to partners, Penguin Random House & NetGalley, for this gifted review copy.

If you have been following @wellreadblackgirl girl at any point in the last decade, you know the love that Glory has for Black women and their art, especially the literary arts. This memoir, organized by books, the artists that made them, and vignettes about their impact on Edim’s life, is not only a testament to Glory’s love of us but a guidebook and confessional of how she came to love herself.

The beautiful form is in the tradition of Edim’s earlier works, bound to introduce readers to new texts and allow the reader to dip in and out of the windows of her deeply personal experiences. There are beautiful sentences, some curated and some crafted by Edim, that made me pause, highlight, and put the book down to reflect and react—the reaction often being a full-blown snot-nose cry.

I highlighted so many passages from this book. The way Glory Edim intersected her life experiences with the books that shaped her, empowered her, and healed her truly moved me. Edim, shares her personal journey with raw honesty and grace. From the trauma of family upheaval to the joy of discovering Black writers who made her feel seen, Edim’s reflections are both deeply personal and universally resonant.

What stands out most is Edim’s passion for the written word—how literature became her refuge, her teacher, and her community. Her stories of encountering giants like Toni Morrison and Audre Lorde are moving and relatable to anyone who’s ever found themselves in the pages of a book. But beyond being a memoir of one woman’s life, Gather Me is a celebration of the power of representation and the importance of diverse voices in literature.

Perfect for fans of memoirs that speak to resilience and self-discovery, Gather Me is a book that reminds us how stories can shape who we are, giving us strength, comfort, and connection when we need it most.

I haven't yet read Glory Edim's other memoir Well-Read Black Girl, but I came across her story before.

Since I haven't read her other memoir, I can't speak to how they compare, but this was a very powerful love story both to Edim's love of reading and to her family. Her love for both was present in every chapter. Edim's way of writing draws you into her story, which was both authentic and poignant.

Recommended if you like stories about reading and how books can bring meaning and peace and joy and power through the various ups and downs of life.

Gather Me by Glory Edim

Born in America to Nigerian parents, Glory was always a book lover. Happy until chaos entered her life, books were Glory’s lifeboat. Books, libraries and librarians; these things saved her. Woe be to the society that bans books.

Many, many Black authors and their works are mentioned in this memoir. Glory’s favorites stand out and she says why. Nigerian children are expected to obey without question. Don’t talk, don’t ask, just do. Who is to guide you then in a Black or White society? Ah, yes. Books and the experiences of others.

Glory takes you from her childhood to adulthood, always learning always growing. You meet her family, roommates, friends and lovers. Books are always there. Some are the same ones read at different stages of her life. Always helpful, always present.

I recommend this four star memoir to all readers, but think it is especially geared toward young Black women and any lover of books.

Gather Me: A Memoir in Praise of the Books that Saved Me by Glory Edim is an inspiring memoir reflecting on family, community and the power of books and the impact they can have in our lives. Edim grew up in Virginia to Nigerian immigrant parents and for the longest time her only friends, her only solace as in the books. From the books she read in school to the classics she discovered at her local libraries and while in college, she learned about the world around her, about history and about herself. Edim details how the profound writers from Toni Morrison to Maya Angelou, and many more, had impacted the times in her life when times were bleak and gave her hope for the future. Through her love of reading, she was able to form the Well Read Black Girl Book Club and reach millions of other readers.
Books have been a huge part of my life since I was a teen. Like Ms Edim, I found solace and encouragement in the perseverance and resilience of the characters who faced challenges with courage and determination. Glory Edim presents a memoir that books can help us see ourselves as well as others. Her life story is just as much of an inspiration as the books she read as a child. She endured her parents divorce, her father leaving the family behind in America and her mother’s illness to find a platform through books and bring awareness on a wider scale. The hardships she had to endure were heartbreaking and yet her determination to rise above them is heartwarming. Gather Me was an easy read as Ms Edim writes with as much beauty as the authors she admires. Overall, I enjoyed her story and I highly recommend Gather Me.

Gather Me: A Memoir in Praise of the Books that Saved Me
Will be available October 29, 2024 in hardcover, eBook and audiobook

This is a really wonderful and heartwarming story. The author does a magnificent job of explaining how books impacted her life and how they can do the same for anyone. She tells the story of her family in a way that will pull readers into the story. It is easy to read and understand. I think readers will see some of themselves as they read this wonderful book.

Recognizing the books that shaped her, this memoir uses books as the guideposts for the telling of Ms. Edim's life. Some of the books I too have read and I felt a kinship with her as she described how they made her feel and what she took from them. Some of the books I haven't read and I was excited to hear how they impacted Ms. Edim. I look forward to reading many of those myself! The only struggle I had with this book was a bit of the jumping around. I recognize that it was because Ms. Edim was telling her story somewhat by topic instead of chronological, but this got a bit confusing at times. All in all, I enjoyed the insight into a completely different world and how her love of books helped sustain and nurture her!

A thoughtful memoir that may well send the reader back to the shelves for books they either haven't already read or want to re-read. Edim details how the books she loved buoyed her through difficult times, She waxes lyrical about some and less so about others in chapters more focused on herself. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A very good read.

I see myself in so much of this story. I love the intimacy and the journal feel of this book. Her favorite writers are my favorite writers. I'm so happy I got a chance to read this book. Would definitely recommend to anyone and especially writers and book lovers. Many thanks to netgalley and the author.

I received an advance reading copy (arc) of this book from NetGalley.com and the publisher in exchange for a fair review. Author Glory Edim put together a fine memoir based on her experiences as a child of Nigerian parents and a first generation American. Her life was anything but easy as she had to care for her two younger brothers when she was just a child herself. Her mother worked constantly and when she was home, she often slept. After her parents divorced, her father moved into a nicer dwelling where Glory was given her own room when she visited--until he disappeared from her life. Glory found refuge in books--all kinds of books and she writes about how they impacted her. Her story resonates with me because I, too, have a great love for books. I often find comfort and solace in getting lost in another world. We all have our favorite authors and favorite books--a few of which Glory and I have in common. She started the Well-Read Black Girl Book Club and encourages others to read. I find that very admirable, as well as they way she overcame her problems. Her story is unique and the book is well-written.

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for my ARC in exchange for my honest review. This book will be published October 29, 2024.

This is a beautiful and eloquently written memoir! It reads as a biography but even more as a tribute to the power of books. Glory turned to books early on - books were here escape and the words from Black authors literally saved her at times. “There is something magical about finding just the right book at the right time.”

Glory’s home life was not ideal . Her parents got divorced and she had to take care of younger brother. Her father left unexpectedly to return to Nigeria and her mother eventually remarried. There are family secrets.

A random T-shirt from a boyfriend engaged strangers in conversations about Black authors and their books and eventually led to the Well-Read Black Girl Book Cub.

The book is current and addresses her real like reactions to racism. “It was Rodney King who taught me that my little brother was not safe in America.”

This book is a must read for anyone who loves books.