Left Unread Books | The Gatekeeper's Staff
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The Gatekeeper's Staff
Antoine Bandele
Fiona McLaren
Arthur Bowling
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TJ Young has been surrounded by magic his entire life, yet he has never tapped into it… until now.
Fourteen-year-old TJ grew up normal in a secret community of gifted diviners in the heart of modern-day Los Angeles. His powerful sister was ordained to lead his people into a new age of prosperity, but her mysterious death in Nigeria threatens to destroy the very foundations of TJ’s world.
Desperate to pick up where his sister left off and uncover the secrets behind her questionable death, TJ commits himself to unlocking the magical heritage that has always eluded him. So he enrolls in Camp Olosa—a remedial magic school for the divinely less-than-gifted in the humid swamps of New Orleans.
But little does he know, TJ is destined to cross paths with powerful spirits of old thought lost to time: the Orishas.
Delve into this young adult fantasy based on the mythology of the West African gods, where TJ will encounter unlikely allies, tough-as-gatorhide instructors, and the ancient secrets of the Orishas.
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Posts about this title from Left Unread Books
Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • May 4
Make sure you grab at least one new book to celebrate Black Authors Day! Here are six books I have read and loved over the last few years! Check em out! #blackauthors #bookstagram #blackbookstagram #bipocauthors #leftunread
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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Jan 8
So *I* can’t hate a Black book?
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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Dec 3 2025
Is disruption really revolutionary?
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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Jun 27 2025
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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • May 18 2025
Is Disruption Actually Revolutionary?
In this politically charged world, a lot of the conversations we are having are about recognizing the systemic issues around us and figuring out a way to bring them down. Let's talk about what that actually means.
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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Apr 7 2025
Here is the list of books we will be reading in bookclub for the rest of the year.
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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Feb 17 2025
Black Authors Who I Think History Will Remember
I started this post as a Bluesky thread a few days ago, but I realized I needed more space than a social media post would allow. So here are some of my favorite Black authors! Enjoy!!!
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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Jan 12 2025
GIVEAWAY: TJ Young and the Orishas
Every once in a while, you come across a series that changes the way you view fantasy. TJ Young and the Orisha did that for me. And now, I get to share TJ with THIRTEEN LUCKY WINNERS! Make sure you enter your name in the drawing, because this series is NEXT LEVEL!
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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Dec 26 2024
Let's help some indie authors end their year well!
We all know that Christmas time is a great time for selling books. So let's help a few indie authors capitalize on that by pushing their books far and wide over this last week of the year! Here are five indie books I think you are silly for not owning yet! Go buy them and help me promote them by sharing this article!
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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Nov 30 2024
The Secret Power of Literature... and spoiler alert, it's not escapism.
Escapism is lovely, but that is not what reading does for me. So I thought I would share a little bit about one of the biggest things I get out of reading.
***Trigger warnings: grief, slavery, trauma, parentlessness, broken family, racism***
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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Aug 21 2024
Today is BLACK indie author day and I want you to spend today fighting for Black authors! Here are some ways you can do just that! (1) go buy at least one of the books I am linking to this post (2) promote a Black author on your social media or recommend a Black author to a fiend and (3) invite a friend to subscribe to this Bindery so they can join the fight for authors in the margins! The work we are doing MATTERS and it can’t happen without a thriving community. So help me build it! Love you all!
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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Aug 19 2024
We had an event the other day where we invited the Black men of BookTok to come and share their experiences in bookish spaces with us! And it was an enjoyable experience in my opinion! Well, here is a list of their books! Feel free to go check them out!
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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Jun 24 2024
New Books from Terry Benton-Walker!
Terry sent me copies of his middle-grade series and I couldn't be more excited to check them out! Read below for more information! --- Other places to find me: (1) Discord: https://discord.gg/nF2uyua3), (2) Fable: fable.co/club/diversify-amplify-book-club-with-lee-207620876510?club_type=free
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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Apr 26 2024
Middle School Fantasy: TJ Young and the Orishas
I read the first two books in the TJ Young universe this week and I am in love! Let's talk about it!
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Posts about this book from across Bindery
Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • May 4
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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Jan 8
So *I* can’t hate a Black book?
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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Dec 3 2025
Is disruption really revolutionary?
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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Jun 27 2025
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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • May 18 2025
Is Disruption Actually Revolutionary?
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Bookish AfroLatina's Library\ \ Gabby\ \ • Apr 8 2025
Join for free
\ \ It's time for my March Reading Wrap-Up! I read 5 books in March, mostly in a hybrid format (audio & print).\ \ The Grimkes: The Legacy of Slavery in an American Family by Kerri K. Greenidge \ \ Unlike many other books on the Grimkes, this one depicts the family members, white & Black, as nuanced people who simultaneously fought for abolition while upholding white supremacist culture. The story of the Grimkes is one of enslavement, violence, anti-Blackness, abolition, women’s suffrage, colonialism, colorism, racism, queerness, homophobia, classism, & generational trauma. Check out my full review here: Instagram\ \ Bloodmarked by Tracy Deonn \ \ Deonn did an amazing job at showing how Bree's "strength" & "resilience" became detrimental to her as a Black girl. We feel the pressure to persevere because just about every system is working against us & our ancestors worked so hard that we are afraid to seem as though we don't appreciate their struggles. I'm not sure that white folks & other BIPOC realize how much pressure there is for Black women & girls to be "excellent" or risk being nothing at all. Full review here.\ \ Oathbound by Tracy Deonn \ \ This book is undoubtedly one of the best books I’ve read in my life. Throughout this series, Deonn explores the ways that white supremacy tries to suppress Black folks' power when they can't use us or profit off of us. I don’t want to share too much & spoil the book for anyone so if you want my full review, check it out here: Book Review: Oathbound by Tracy Deonn\ \ The Gatekeeper’s Staff (TJ Young & The Orishas, #1) by Antoine Bandele \ \ This is a heartwarming yet action-packed YA Fantasy championing late-bloomers. I love the themes of teamwork, honesty, connecting w/ nature, & dedication throughout the book. It was also amazing to have a story that follows someone who is Nigerian-American at a magic school w/ no basis in the usual Western deities. The cast features folks from across the African diaspora! It’s a great series, so far.\ \ Where the Library Hides by Isabel Ibañez \ \ I really wanted to like this book. Growing up, I was obsessed w/ Ancient Egypt so when I read the 1st book in this duology, I paid no mind to Ines’s naïveté. After all, this is a YA book & Ines was a bit pampered growing up. What frustrated me was the fact that she never seemed to learn from her mistakes. The story had a steady pace & the concept of this duology was intriguing but I found the execution lacking in depth & consistency.\ \ As always, please read the content warnings for each of these books on Storygraph!!](https://bookish-afrolatina.binderybooks.com/item/q4Crut6M5s2ysPwuk7Lx/)
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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Apr 7 2025
Here is the list of books we will be reading in bookclub for the rest of the year.
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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Feb 17 2025
Black Authors Who I Think History Will Remember
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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Jan 12 2025
GIVEAWAY: TJ Young and the Orishas
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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Dec 26 2024
Let's help some indie authors end their year well!
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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Nov 30 2024
The Secret Power of Literature... and spoiler alert, it's not escapism.
Escapism is lovely, but that is not what reading does for me. So I thought I would share a little bit about one of the biggest things I get out of reading.
***Trigger warnings: grief, slavery, trauma, parentlessness, broken family, racism***
20 books
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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Aug 21 2024
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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Aug 19 2024
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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Jun 24 2024
New Books from Terry Benton-Walker!
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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Apr 26 2024
Middle School Fantasy: TJ Young and the Orishas
I read the first two books in the TJ Young universe this week and I am in love! Let's talk about it!
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