Goodreads Monday is a weekly meme started by @Lauren’s Page Turners but is currently hosted by Emily @ Budget Tales Book Blog. This meme is quite easy to follow – just randomly pick a book from your to-be-read list and explain why you want to read it. It is that simple.

This week’s book:

The Seven Daughters of Dupree by Nikesha Elise Williams

Blurb from Goodreads

From the two-time Emmy Award–winning producer and host of the Black and Published podcast comes a sweeping multi-generational epic following seven generations of Dupree women as they navigate love, loss, and the unyielding ties of family in the tradition of Homegoing and The Love Songs of W.E.B. DuBois.

It’s 1995, and fourteen-year-old Tati is determined to uncover the identity of her father. But her mother, Nadia, keeps her secrets close, while her grandmother Gladys remains silent about the family’s past, including why she left Land’s End, Alabama, in 1953. As Tati digs deeper, she uncovers a legacy of family secrets, where every generation of Dupree women has posed more questions than answers.

From Jubi in 1917, whose attempt to pass for white ends when she gives birth to Ruby; to Ruby’s fiery lust for Sampson in 1934 that leads to a baby of her own; to the night in 1980 that changed Nadia’s future forever, the Dupree women carry the weight of their heritage. Bound by a mysterious malediction that means they will only give birth to daughters, the Dupree women confront a legacy of pain, resilience, and survival that began with an enslaved ancestor who risked everything for freedom.

The Seven Daughters of Dupree masterfully weaves together themes of generational trauma, Black women’s resilience, and unbreakable familial bonds. Echoing the literary power of The Twelve Tribes of Hattie by Ayana Mathis, Nikesha Elise Williams delivers a feminist literary fiction that explores the ripple effects of actions, secrets, and love through seven generations of Black women.

Why I Want To Read It

Happy Monday, everyone! Just like that, we are nearly a third through the first month of 2026. How time flies! It still feels like it was just yesterday when we welcomed the new year. Regardless, I hope that the year is going well for everyone. Things have certainly been getting more hectic in my new workplace. I have been given more responsibilities, although I am still trying to pace myself. It is one of the things I am looking forward to this year, being able to perform in a new environment. It is going to be a challenging one. Anyway, I hope everyone has something to look forward to in this new year. The new year brims with hope and fresh starts. I hope 2026 will be kind to us all. I hope good news and kindness come knocking on your doors in the coming year. Wishing you continued success and happiness.

So yes. Mondays. I know—not many people get excited about Mondays (though I’m sure a few are out there). I, too, am not exactly a fan. After all, we’ve got to start somewhere, and Monday is one of those starting points. As such, I hope everyone is doing well—mentally, emotionally, and physically—and that we all make it through (or survive) the workweek. With the New Year comes new goals, including those related to reading. I am currently in the midst of a Latin American literature month. I just started reading Gina Maria Balibrera’s The Volcano Daughters, which took me to El Salvador. It was a pleasant surprise, but it is something that I am looking forward to because my exploration of El Salvadorian literature is rather sparse. The only other El Salvadorian writer I read was Manlio Argueta. The Volcano Daughters is also steeped in history, but the elements of mythology make it an even more compelling read.

However, it won’t be a Latin American writer who I will be featuring in this week’s Goodreads Monday update; the start of a new week also comes with a fresh Goodreads Monday update. Today, I just learned is Martin Luther King Day. He is quite a prominent historical figure who played a seminal role during the American Civil Rights Movement. To commemorate his contributions, I am featuring a work of an African American writer in this week’s Goodreads Monday update. To be honest, it was only while researching books to include in my 2026 Books I Look Forward To List that I came across Nikesha Elise Williams. Apparently, Williams is a two-time Emmy Award-winning producer. She is also quite an accomplished writer, with her works appearing in prestigious publications such as The Washington Post, The Bitter Southerner, Essence, and Vox.

In 2026, Williams will make her literary comeback. The Seven Daughters of Dupree is Williams’ sixth novel. It has also been picked up by fellow book readers, tagging it as one of the most anticipated releases this year. I, for one, am looking forward to what the novel has in store. It has piqued my interest. For one, I have noted the surge in the fictional works of female African American writers, such as Honorée Fanonne Jeffers, whose The Love Songs of W.E.B. DuBois was even cited in the blurb. They also share some parallels. They are both works of historical fiction and seemingly explore the intricacies of the African American identity. They are also both multi-generational family stories.

For sure, there are several reasons to look forward to Williams’ latest novel. Set to be released on January 27, I hope I get to acquire a copy of the book. How about you, fellow readers? How was your Monday? What books have you recently added to your reading list? Drop your thoughts in the comments. For now—happy Monday, and as always, happy reading!