Join us as we celebrate Houston's own, Rinny Perkins and her new book, Not Everyone is Going to Like You! 

EVENT DEETS

When: August 22 at 7 PM CST

Where: The Reading Room HTX (401 Franklin St, Houston, TX 77201)

How: RSVP to grab you free ticket or RSVP with book to support the author and our program!

ABOUT THE BOOK

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

Rinny Perkins is a performer, multidisciplinary artist, and writer. Her graphic design and installation work nods to '70s ephemera with an emphasis on Black and queer womanhood. Her work has been featured by outlets such as I-D/VICE, Nylon and Teen Vogue.

ABOUT THE CONVERSATION PARTNER

deun ivory is a texas-based creative wellness visionary, multidisciplinary artist & photographer whose work centers and celebrates black women. widely known for her ethereal aesthetic & creative ingenuity, ivory curates visual experiences that inspire those who engage with her work to restore and reclaim narratives rooted in self-empowerment, joy & worthiness. ivory draws from the belief that beauty is wellness, which informs her exploration of art, spaces and design as healing mechanisms for marginalized communities. 

as a visionary,  ivory serves as the founder and creative director of two influential brands: the body: a home for love, a 501(c)3 non-profit & black women are worthy, a social impact initiative specializing in conceptual design and immersive art installations. 

ivory has cemented her power and influence as a thought-leader and visual storyteller by working with some of the world’s biggest brands to produce creative projects that have resonated & inspired communities worldwide. some of her clients include: google, facebook, lululemon, HBO, glossier, issa rae, apple, and more. ivory has been featured in vogue, harpers bazaar, essence, glamour magazine and beyond for her impactful contributions & authentic presence in the creative and wellness space. 

ABOUT THE READING ROOM

Founded by Amarie Gipson, The Reading Room is a reference library and creative incubator based in Houston, Texas.

Gipson is a Houston-born art worker, writer and creative entrepreneur. She has held curatorial positions at The Studio Museum in Harlem, the Art Institute of Chicago, The Renaissance Society, the Contemporary Austin and The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Independently, her writing has been published in several journals and magazines including Artforum, ARTNews, ARTS.BLACK, Cite, ESSENCE, Gulf Coast, MUD and THE SEEN.

After seven years of travel, Gipson is currently based in her hometown. She created an open-format dance party and community called PHYSICAL THERAPY where she serves as creative director and resident DJ. She is also the former Arts & Culture editor of Houstonia Magazine, where she worked to bring much-needed attention to Houston’s art scene.  

With nearly a decade of experience in the realms of fine art, music and media, Gipson built The Reading Room with a desire to share her deep passion for Black culture. It is a culmination of her professional experience and a labor of love.

*Ships in 7-10 Business Days*

A debut illustrated manifesto by Rinny Perkins (@RinnyRiot) about what she's learned as a queer Black woman through the art of self-validation.

In this graphic collection of mini essays, comedian Rinny Perkins illustrates her experiences as the owner of a popular online shop while she figures out antidepressant prescriptions and the seemingly never-ending dating-app cycle.
 
Rinny shares what she's learned across topics like mental health, work, sex and dating, and family and friends. Featuring funny, real reflections from experiences in her hometown of (Third Ward!) Houston, Texas to Los Angeles — the author traces her journey to understanding that whether through a friendship break-up or saving up for a Telfar bag, the only person who can truly validate us is ourselves.
 
With 1970s-inspired graphics like a "When To Quit Your Job" checklist and Microaggressions Bingo, Not Everyone's Going to Like You is a long DM of affirmations from Rinny to herself on how to get through life. Her advice? Stop ignoring your intuition, ignore perfection, and leave them on read.

You know that 3 a.m. feeling? When you’re wide awake asking yourself: Is this really it?

That nagging feeling that "this isn’t enough anymore" isn’t weakness—it’s wisdom. What once felt fresh now feels like going through the motions. Successful but not satisfied. Accomplished but not alive. You’ve spent years building a life that looks perfect on paper but feels like something is missing when you’re alone with your thoughts.

Society calls it a crisis. But what if it’s actually clarity?

In The Comeback Era, TODAY Show wellness expert Yasmine Cheyenne transforms that restless feeling into rocket fuel for authentic change. Through reconnecting with "Little You"—the person you were before the world told you who to be—you’ll stop performing for everyone else and start living for yourself. This isn’t about burning your life down. It’s about remembering who you were before you learned to dim your light.

In the book, you’ll meet five people who also answered the call: The executive who realized her corner office was a cage. The mother who discovered "having it all together" meant losing herself completely. The achiever who checked every box except the one that mattered. Their stories—and Yasmine’s Seven C’s of Purpose framework—will show you how to:

* Stop watching your life go by and start living it
* Transform past mistakes into pocket wisdom—not baggage
* Convert “someday” dreams into today’s reality
* Turn midlife confusion into crystal clarity

This book is your permission slip to stop pretending everything’s fine and start building the life you actually want.

*ships in 7-10 business days*

A common-sense guide to living rich . . . instead of dying rich

Imagine if by the time you died, you did everything you were told to. You worked hard, saved your money, and looked forward to financial freedom when you retired.

The only thing you wasted along the way was . . . your life.

Die with Zero presents a startling new and provocative philosophy as well as practical guide on how to get the most out of your money—and out of your life. It’s intended for those who place lifelong memorable experiences far ahead of simply making and accumulating money for one’s so-called “golden years.”

In short, Bill Perkins wants to rescue you from over-saving and under-living. Regardless of your age, Die with Zero will teach you Perkins’s plan for optimizing your life, stage by stage, so you’re fully engaged and enjoying what you’ve worked and saved for.

You’ll discover how to maximize your lifetime memorable moments with “time-bucketing,” how to convert your earnings into priceless memories by following your “net worth curve,” and how to navigate decisions about whether to invest in, or delay, a meaningful adventure with your “fulfillment curve” and “personal interest rate.”

Using his own life experiences as well as the inspiring stories and cautionary tales of others—and drawing on eye-opening insights about time, money, and happiness from psychological science and behavioral finance—Perkins makes a timely, convincing, and contrarian case for living large.

Iconic rapper, entrepreneur and New York Times bestselling author Rick Ross takes readers on the road trip of a lifetime in this indispensable guide to creativity, reinvention and greatness

It's been nearly twenty years since Rick Ross broke out with his 2005 debut single "Hustlin'.” Since then, he’s cemented his legacy in hip-hop and found success in dozens of endeavors beyond music. But as Ross approaches 50, he finds himself in unfamiliar territory: a mid-life crisis. His first creative rut.

The Renaissance of a Boss tells the story of how Rick Ross rediscovered his spark, taking readers on an unforgettable journey that includes:

• Ross’ failed attempt to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, and the unexpected lessons he learned;
• an open road adventure, from Graceland to Santa Fe, where Ross seeks answers to life’s biggest questions;
• an inside look into Ross’ celebrity collaborations with Dr. Dre, Bruno Mars, and Bill Murray and more;
• behind-the-scenes stories of how his biggest hits came to be;
• a shrooms-induced hallucination that you’ll have to read to believe;

In the same open spirit as his New York Times bestsellers Hurricanes and The Perfect Day to Boss Up, The Renaissance of a Boss gives readers a blueprint for success from one of the most prolific minds in music.

The epic journey takes Ross to Elvis Presley's Graceland estate in Memphis, Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo and ultimately a Native American sweat lodge ceremony in Santa Fe. Along the way, Ross reflects on his creative process, the artists who have inspired him, and shares his own rituals and habits that made him into one of the most prolific minds in music today.

WINNER OF THE 2022 NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FOR NONFICTION

“An elegant meditation on the complexities of the American South—and thus of America—by an esteemed daughter of the South and one of the great intellectuals of our time. An inspiration.” —Isabel Wilkerson

In celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States, HarperCollins is proud to present this library of American classics drawn from our storied catalog. South to America is an essential, surprising journey through the history, rituals, and landscapes of the American South—and a revelatory argument for why you must understand the South in order to understand America

We all think we know the South. Even those who have never lived there can rattle off a list of signifiers: the Civil War, Gone with the Wind, the Ku Klux Klan, plantations, football, Jim Crow, slavery. But the idiosyncrasies, dispositions, and habits of the region are stranger and more complex than much of the country tends to acknowledge. In South to America, Imani Perry shows that the meaning of American is inextricably linked with the South, and that our understanding of its history and culture is the key to understanding the nation as a whole.

This is the story of a Black woman and native Alabaman returning to the region she has always called home and considering it with fresh eyes. Her journey is full of detours, deep dives, and surprising encounters with places and people. She renders Southerners from all walks of life with sensitivity and honesty, sharing her thoughts about a troubling history and the ritual humiliations and joys that characterize so much of Southern life.

Weaving together stories of immigrant communities, contemporary artists, exploitative opportunists, enslaved peoples, unsung heroes, her own ancestors, and her lived experiences, Imani Perry crafts a tapestry unlike any other. With uncommon insight and breathtaking clarity, South to America offers an assertion that if we want to build a more humane future for the United States, we must center our concern below the Mason-Dixon Line.

In this vulnerable and enlightening book of life lessons, globally renowned performer Cynthia Erivo draws from her singular experience to show us how to embrace being “too much” and to live up to the fullest iteration of ourselves.

It is never too late to build the life you’re seeking.

Cynthia Erivo learned the music to Wicked a decade before she needed it, not knowing those same lyrics would change her life. Now she has performed those songs on the world stage, showing us there is always time to keep discovering ourselves. And to illustrate that it’s often the parts of ourselves we are told to bury that make us shine.

In a series of powerful, personal vignettes, Cynthia reflects on the ways she has grown as an actor and human and the practices she’s learned over years of performing and reminds us all we are capable of so much more than we think.

We all have hopes and dreams that we want to bring across the finish line. We all falter and take missteps. In this book, Cynthia draws from her experiences running marathons, both real and metaphorical, onstage and onscreen, to show how each challenge can help us. She urges readers to lean into the wisdom of their bodies, to understand and strive for a physical and mental balance. Because when we chase our deepest desires, each small step leads us closer to where we want to go.

Upload proof of your pre order here to receive your custom bookmark. 

*ships in 7-10 business days*

In this long-overdue celebration of Black women’s resilience and unheralded strength, the revered, trailblazing White House correspondent reflects on “The Year That Changed Everything”—2020—and African-American women’s unprecedented role in upholding democracy.

“I am keenly aware that everyone and everything has a story,” April D. Ryan acknowledges. “Also, I have always marveled at Black women and how we work to move mountains and are never really thanked or recognized.” In Black Women Will Save the World, she melds these two truths, creating an inspiring and heart-tugging portrait of one of the momentous years in America, 2020—when America elected its first Black woman Vice President—and celebrates the tenacity, power, and impact of Black women across America.

From the beginning of the nation to today, Black women have transformed their pain into progress and have been at the frontlines of the nation’s political, social, and economic struggles. These “Sheroes” as Ryan calls them, include current political leaders such as Maxine Waters, Valerie Jarrett, and Kamala Harris; Brittany Packnett Cunningham, LaTosha Brown, and other activists; and artists like Regina King. Combining profiles and in-depth interviews with these influential movers and shakers and many more, Ryan explores the challenges Black women endure, and how the lessons they’ve learned can help us shape our own stories. Ryan also chronicles her personal journey from working-class Baltimore to the elite echelons of journalism and speaks out about the hurdles she faced in becoming one of the most well-connected members of the Washington press corps—while raising two daughters as a single mother in the aftermath of a messy divorce.

It is time for everyone to acknowledge Black women’s unrivaled contributions to America. Yet our democracy remains in peril, and their work is far from done. Black Women Will Save the World presents a vital kaleidoscopic look at women of different ages and from diverse backgrounds who devote their lives to making the world a better place—even if that means stepping out of their “place.”

*Ships/ready for pick up in 5-8 business days*

The award-winning author of Magical Negro traces the difficulty and beauty of existing as a Black woman through American history, from the foundational trauma of the slave trade all the way up to Serena Williams and the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina Dubbed a voice of her generation, poet and writer Morgan Parker has spent much of her adulthood in therapy, trying to square the resonance of her writing with the alienation she feels in nearly every aspect of life, from her lifelong singleness to a battle with depression. She traces this loneliness to an inability to feel truly safe with others and a historic hyperawareness stemming from the effects of slavery. In a collection of essays as intimate as being in the room with Parker and her therapist, Parker examines America’s cultural history and relationship to Black Americans through the ages. She touches on such topics as the ubiquity of beauty standards that exclude Black women, the implications of Bill Cosby’s fall from grace in a culture predicated on acceptance through respectability, and the pitfalls of visibility as seen through the mischaracterizations of Serena Williams as alternately iconic and too ambitious. With piercing wit and incisive observations, You Get What You Pay For is ultimately a portal into a deeper examination of racial consciousness and its effects on mental well-being in America today. Weaving unflinching criticism with intimate anecdotes, this devastating memoir-in-essays paints a portrait of one Black woman’s psyche—and of the writer’s search to both tell the truth and deconstruct it.

BUY TICKETS HERE: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-education-of-kendrick-perkins-with-kendrick-perkins-kiese-laymon-tickets-529431563057

We are extremely excited to be in community with Kendrick Perkins. Come out and celebrate the release of The Education of Kendrick Perkins. "Big Perk" will be in conversation with MacAruthur "Genius Grant" Fellow, Kiese Laymon on February 27 at 7PM CST. 

EVENT DEETS

When: Monday, February 27 at 7 PM CST

Where: Kindred Stories (2304 Stuart Street, Houston, TX 77004)

How: Purchase tickets on Eventbrite. Generally admission tickets are $35 (which includes a copy of the book). VIP Tickets include generally admission along with the book as well as an intimate Meet & Greet with the author.