Obviously: Stories from My Timeline

In Akilah Hughes' world, family amp;mdash; and life amp;mdash; are often complicated, but always funny. Through intimate and hilarious essays, Akilah takes listeners along on her journey from the small Kentucky town where she was born amp;mdash; and eventually became a spelling bee champ and 15-year-old high school graduate amp;mdash; to New York City, where she took careful steps to fulfill her dream of becoming a writer and performer.

Like Tiffany Haddish's The Last Black Unicorn or Mindy Kaling's Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? for the YA set, Akilah pens revealing and laugh-out-loud funny essays about her life, covering everything from her racist fifth-grade teacher, her struggles with weight and acne, her failed attempts at joining the cheerleading team, how to literally get to New York (hint: For a girl on a budget, it may include multiple bus transfers), and exactly how to "make it" once you finally get there.