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Colored People Time: A Case for (Casual) Rebellion
A celebration of tardiness through funny, revealing, and deeply thoughtful essays on the nature of time and collective memory
In Colored People Time, Manny Fidel explores how race, culture, and history shape not only our lives, but our sense of time itself. Through sharp, personal, and often humorous essays, Fidel interrogates the politics of punctuality, the myth of linear progress, and some of the ways people of color are forced to navigate a world that rarely moves at their pace or in their favor.
In this collection of essays, Fidel confronts the systems that structure time around identity and power and invites readers to interrogate the way time folds around them, jovially arguing that until America reaches genuine racial equity, people of color should be encouraged to be late to anything they want. Since our country's inception, the gears that operate it have been oiled to privilege some over others, and the result is that they have fewer barriers to timeliness. For Black and brown people, any number of offenses—grave, minor, or pettily imagined—can gum us up. Fidel argues we deserve the extra time to ourselves. And not for nothing, race relations in the US—by design—are advancing in their own molasses-like pace, ever shifting the ETAs of justice and freedom. Fidel incisively builds this argument in essays like “Summer ‘16,” a nostalgic exploration of a dearly-held season, and “Ocarina of Time,” a meditation on near-death and time travel via video game.
Infused with insights from history, pop culture, and Fidel’s own personal experiences, Colored People Time is not just about lateness. It's about how time works differently depending on who you are and where you stand.
In Colored People Time, Manny Fidel explores how race, culture, and history shape not only our lives, but our sense of time itself. Through sharp, personal, and often humorous essays, Fidel interrogates the politics of punctuality, the myth of linear progress, and some of the ways people of color are forced to navigate a world that rarely moves at their pace or in their favor.
In this collection of essays, Fidel confronts the systems that structure time around identity and power and invites readers to interrogate the way time folds around them, jovially arguing that until America reaches genuine racial equity, people of color should be encouraged to be late to anything they want. Since our country's inception, the gears that operate it have been oiled to privilege some over others, and the result is that they have fewer barriers to timeliness. For Black and brown people, any number of offenses—grave, minor, or pettily imagined—can gum us up. Fidel argues we deserve the extra time to ourselves. And not for nothing, race relations in the US—by design—are advancing in their own molasses-like pace, ever shifting the ETAs of justice and freedom. Fidel incisively builds this argument in essays like “Summer ‘16,” a nostalgic exploration of a dearly-held season, and “Ocarina of Time,” a meditation on near-death and time travel via video game.
Infused with insights from history, pop culture, and Fidel’s own personal experiences, Colored People Time is not just about lateness. It's about how time works differently depending on who you are and where you stand.
- GenresMemoirEssaysNonfiction
187 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 24, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
June 27, 2026
Reflective. Colorful. Timely. Title is a bit misleading, but no major worries there. It is a collection of ten essays that are somewhat memoir adjacent. Not all the essays address the CPT phenomenon, but one that does directly and hilariously I might add, is The Procrastination Reparation.
“Despite centuries of injustice and marginalization, the discourse around reparations for Black Americans is considered unwanted, at best…….We should be allowed to be late.” This is a quick, humorous read with a few essays being laugh out loud funny..However, in the midst of all the merriment, I do think a bigger opportunity was missed by Mr. Fidel’s failure to delve deeper into the CPT experience from a cultural perspective.
In ancient times, the Sun people would call for a meeting when the “Sun goes down,” which could be 6pm, 7pm or how about lunch when the “shadow covers the front window.” It was hard to pin down the exact moment on the clock. In Western culture, the concept of time was seemingly always tied to the clock in a rigid way.
Anyway, I digress. It’s a good book to enjoy, that won’t take up much of your time. 🤣 Thanks to NetGalley and One World Books for an advanced DRC. The book is now available.
“Despite centuries of injustice and marginalization, the discourse around reparations for Black Americans is considered unwanted, at best…….We should be allowed to be late.” This is a quick, humorous read with a few essays being laugh out loud funny..However, in the midst of all the merriment, I do think a bigger opportunity was missed by Mr. Fidel’s failure to delve deeper into the CPT experience from a cultural perspective.
In ancient times, the Sun people would call for a meeting when the “Sun goes down,” which could be 6pm, 7pm or how about lunch when the “shadow covers the front window.” It was hard to pin down the exact moment on the clock. In Western culture, the concept of time was seemingly always tied to the clock in a rigid way.
Anyway, I digress. It’s a good book to enjoy, that won’t take up much of your time. 🤣 Thanks to NetGalley and One World Books for an advanced DRC. The book is now available.
April 2, 2026
I loved the balance that Manny Fidel found between humor, earnestness, and love for his culture in this book. It was written in a very personal way but translated well to my own (and probably many other readers) culture. In particular the essays, “How to Grown a Lemon Tree” and “The Ocarina of Time” hit home as vulnerable stories of navigating the world and learning how to protect and care for ourselves in a world that doesn’t always seem to have space for us.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
June 3, 2026
The best art reveals things to us about ourselves and Manny did just that. I felt seen by so many chapters in this book. Both hilarious and also heartfelt, I couldn't put it down.
January 13, 2026
this book wasn't really what I thought it would be based on the title & description (the ties to time, lateness, etc. are pretty loose, albeit present) but I still liked it. Fidel's voice shines through, and I genuinely laughed out loud a few times. several of the essays really hit hard with millenial nostalgia, so if that's your bag, you'll dig it - and if that annoys you, you've been warned.
it's not a life-changing book (for me, at least) and there aren't any huge new ideas, but it's a quick read with some interesting connections and the memoir-y pieces are quite good. a good one to start my 2026 off with!
(thanks to the publisher for an ARC!)
it's not a life-changing book (for me, at least) and there aren't any huge new ideas, but it's a quick read with some interesting connections and the memoir-y pieces are quite good. a good one to start my 2026 off with!
(thanks to the publisher for an ARC!)
April 4, 2026
Manny Fidel is, let's say, well qualified, as the child of Eritrean immigrants, to say a thing or two about the present political moment. Also some past political moments. "Colored people time" means what everybody who doesn't live under a rock knows it means, and also can be read as "the time of colored people," or (it's about) time for people of color to speak for themselves. (Well, it's been time for a while now, but there's been an obstacle or two in the way.)
Manny Fidel is funny, in a dry, well-informed, angry way. The first essay in this collection, “From Time,” is a potted history of the universe, Big Bang to present day; — after the Chicxulub event, the rise of the mammals, among whom H. sap., and then something of a decline and fall. As Fidel says, “The earth’s most intellectually advanced creatures are about to become tragically stupid.” Civilization is nice, what with the pottery and the jewelry, but civilizations encounter each other. “They are different, so they must fight”: enter racism and colonialism. I seem to have forgotten that that notorious 1619 ship was named White Lion. (Manny Fidel’s account doesn’t name-check Aslan, but maybe it should have.) Some of the other ships were named Expectation, Deliverance, Independence. Hi-larious. “There is some pain in knowing that the names of the ships that trafficked human beings for profit were likely created by the dorkiest guys imaginable.”
At this point, “From Time” brings its focus to bear on Robert Smalls, who liberated himself, his wife, and a number of other people from slavery. (He succeeded in part, Fidel points out, because he was light enough to pass, at least during nighttime. There’s an irony for you, considering how an enslaved person would have come by such a useful skin tone.) The thing about Robert Smalls is that he only died in 1915. He had a niece who died in 2015. She had a son who died in 2020. “The past is never dead,” as somebody else has remarked. “It’s not even past.”
“From Time” is one of the strongest essays in “Colored People Time.” I was also especially impressed by the last one, “In Time,” which opens with a brief history of Eritrea that explains why Eritreans are not fans of Haile Selassie (in short: massacres of entire villages in response to “whispers of independence” from Ethiopia). Alas, the present government of Eritrea is, as Fidel says, “ruthless,” which doesn’t mean diaspora Eritreans are united in opposing it — nor does it mean, as he has concluded, that sanctions serve any purpose beyond increasing Eritrean suffering.
“In Time” is partly (well-)potted history, partly an account of a visit by Fidel and his brother to Asmara and the countryside, partly a reckoning with what he sees as his own history of insufficiently nuanced commentary. I was happy to accept that these aspects of the essay hang together in an impressionistic way rather than a strictly formal or logical way.
As for the other essays here, I found them engaging even when I wasn’t sure they were saying anything especially new. It’s an odd contradiction, maybe. Accounts of microaggressions and exclusions are needed and valuable — or at least, it’s appropriate for us white people to hone our awareness; people of color seem likely to know everything they need to know already, which isn’t to say that they may not wish to have their experience confirmed. But it’s also true (white person perspective here) that if you’ve been trying to pay attention lately, the fact that (for example) video games often have a racist subtext is no surprise. And on the other other hand (white person perspective continued), there was a time not so long ago when I would have found the essays “Ticking Time Bomb” and “Melanintendo” revelatory, so … never mind?
The only piece here to baffle me in a not-good way was “Sunrise Uber,” which seems to be, more or less, about staying out late clubbing and talking to people. Okay, and? (And maybe I’m just too old. It’s possible!)
I remarked above that “In Time” was more impressionistic than formal or logical and I think the same goes for the collection as a whole. “A Case for (Casual) Rebellion,” says the subtitle, which despite the parenthesis seems to presume a step-by-step argument. Don’t start “Colored People Time” expecting one. But of the ten essays here I found almost all more than worth the trouble of reading them — which might sound like a low bar, but given how much is drawing my terrified attention these days, it’s really not. Good book. Read it. Thanks to Random House/One World and NetGalley for the ARC.
Manny Fidel is funny, in a dry, well-informed, angry way. The first essay in this collection, “From Time,” is a potted history of the universe, Big Bang to present day; — after the Chicxulub event, the rise of the mammals, among whom H. sap., and then something of a decline and fall. As Fidel says, “The earth’s most intellectually advanced creatures are about to become tragically stupid.” Civilization is nice, what with the pottery and the jewelry, but civilizations encounter each other. “They are different, so they must fight”: enter racism and colonialism. I seem to have forgotten that that notorious 1619 ship was named White Lion. (Manny Fidel’s account doesn’t name-check Aslan, but maybe it should have.) Some of the other ships were named Expectation, Deliverance, Independence. Hi-larious. “There is some pain in knowing that the names of the ships that trafficked human beings for profit were likely created by the dorkiest guys imaginable.”
At this point, “From Time” brings its focus to bear on Robert Smalls, who liberated himself, his wife, and a number of other people from slavery. (He succeeded in part, Fidel points out, because he was light enough to pass, at least during nighttime. There’s an irony for you, considering how an enslaved person would have come by such a useful skin tone.) The thing about Robert Smalls is that he only died in 1915. He had a niece who died in 2015. She had a son who died in 2020. “The past is never dead,” as somebody else has remarked. “It’s not even past.”
“From Time” is one of the strongest essays in “Colored People Time.” I was also especially impressed by the last one, “In Time,” which opens with a brief history of Eritrea that explains why Eritreans are not fans of Haile Selassie (in short: massacres of entire villages in response to “whispers of independence” from Ethiopia). Alas, the present government of Eritrea is, as Fidel says, “ruthless,” which doesn’t mean diaspora Eritreans are united in opposing it — nor does it mean, as he has concluded, that sanctions serve any purpose beyond increasing Eritrean suffering.
“In Time” is partly (well-)potted history, partly an account of a visit by Fidel and his brother to Asmara and the countryside, partly a reckoning with what he sees as his own history of insufficiently nuanced commentary. I was happy to accept that these aspects of the essay hang together in an impressionistic way rather than a strictly formal or logical way.
As for the other essays here, I found them engaging even when I wasn’t sure they were saying anything especially new. It’s an odd contradiction, maybe. Accounts of microaggressions and exclusions are needed and valuable — or at least, it’s appropriate for us white people to hone our awareness; people of color seem likely to know everything they need to know already, which isn’t to say that they may not wish to have their experience confirmed. But it’s also true (white person perspective here) that if you’ve been trying to pay attention lately, the fact that (for example) video games often have a racist subtext is no surprise. And on the other other hand (white person perspective continued), there was a time not so long ago when I would have found the essays “Ticking Time Bomb” and “Melanintendo” revelatory, so … never mind?
The only piece here to baffle me in a not-good way was “Sunrise Uber,” which seems to be, more or less, about staying out late clubbing and talking to people. Okay, and? (And maybe I’m just too old. It’s possible!)
I remarked above that “In Time” was more impressionistic than formal or logical and I think the same goes for the collection as a whole. “A Case for (Casual) Rebellion,” says the subtitle, which despite the parenthesis seems to presume a step-by-step argument. Don’t start “Colored People Time” expecting one. But of the ten essays here I found almost all more than worth the trouble of reading them — which might sound like a low bar, but given how much is drawing my terrified attention these days, it’s really not. Good book. Read it. Thanks to Random House/One World and NetGalley for the ARC.
June 23, 2026
Random House reached out to me earlier this year and offered a digital arc of “Colored People Time: A Case for (Casual) Rebellion” by Manny Fidel. In an unintentionally on-brand move, I, a person of color, am now reviewing the book approximately 3 months late.
I’m a mixed girl and my (white) dad always taught me that to be fifteen minutes early is to be on time and to be on time is to be late. I’ve carried this practice with me to every job interview I’ve ever had, to work every day, to dates, and perhaps most embarrassingly, parties. I’ve had friends who were perpetually late, seemingly unwilling to nurture any sense of urgency–and it used to make my blood boil. But in the last few years, I’ve been retraining myself to understand that my time is valuable, too. I’m no longer afraid to be fashionably late. There’s always a time and a place (haha) to show up on-time or even early, but those moments are the exception, not the rule.
Before my own little epiphany, I would have most definitely rolled my eyes at the synopsis of this book. A collection of essays defending lateness? My type-A tendencies were already checking the clock.
As it turns out, Colored People Time isn’t even really about being late. It’s about all of the invisible things that make people experience time differently, and the unspoken rules that expect everyone to move through the world at the same pace. Fidel takes the punchline, flips it on its head, and the result is an essay collection that is equally funny and thoughtful. They leave plenty of room for readers to bring their own experiences to the conversation. I found myself laughing at one paragraph and reflecting on my own relationship with time and identity in the next.
The back half of the collection is where the book really hits its stride. “Ocarina of Time,” “How to Grow a Lemon Tree,” and “A Letter to the Guy Who Robbed My Graduation Party at Gunpoint” were my personal favorites.
Colored People Time isn’t a book about making excuses for showing up late. It's about questioning whose schedule we’ve all quietly agreed to follow in the first place. Funny, clever, and heartfelt, it uses a sleight of hand to gently challenge your preconceived notions while you’re too busy laughing to notice.
Thank you to Random House for the early copy. I *was* sorry for not reviewing this book on time, but Manny Fidel has changed my mind.
I’m a mixed girl and my (white) dad always taught me that to be fifteen minutes early is to be on time and to be on time is to be late. I’ve carried this practice with me to every job interview I’ve ever had, to work every day, to dates, and perhaps most embarrassingly, parties. I’ve had friends who were perpetually late, seemingly unwilling to nurture any sense of urgency–and it used to make my blood boil. But in the last few years, I’ve been retraining myself to understand that my time is valuable, too. I’m no longer afraid to be fashionably late. There’s always a time and a place (haha) to show up on-time or even early, but those moments are the exception, not the rule.
Before my own little epiphany, I would have most definitely rolled my eyes at the synopsis of this book. A collection of essays defending lateness? My type-A tendencies were already checking the clock.
As it turns out, Colored People Time isn’t even really about being late. It’s about all of the invisible things that make people experience time differently, and the unspoken rules that expect everyone to move through the world at the same pace. Fidel takes the punchline, flips it on its head, and the result is an essay collection that is equally funny and thoughtful. They leave plenty of room for readers to bring their own experiences to the conversation. I found myself laughing at one paragraph and reflecting on my own relationship with time and identity in the next.
The back half of the collection is where the book really hits its stride. “Ocarina of Time,” “How to Grow a Lemon Tree,” and “A Letter to the Guy Who Robbed My Graduation Party at Gunpoint” were my personal favorites.
Colored People Time isn’t a book about making excuses for showing up late. It's about questioning whose schedule we’ve all quietly agreed to follow in the first place. Funny, clever, and heartfelt, it uses a sleight of hand to gently challenge your preconceived notions while you’re too busy laughing to notice.
Thank you to Random House for the early copy. I *was* sorry for not reviewing this book on time, but Manny Fidel has changed my mind.
May 6, 2026
For many cultures worldwide, time flexibility is an accepted practice, as Fidel points out. The notion that the party starts whenever one arrives values relationships above punctuality, among other things. While his essay about black culture’s approach to time, or more specially punctuality, isn’t limited to his culture, he will win your attention with his captivating writing style and the historical context in which he makes his case.
The expression “colored people’s time” was not coined Fidel but dates to 1914. I must have been living under a rock these many decades since I have never witnessed a pattern of lateness among colored friends or colleagues nor heard it mentioned when I minored in anthropology at a southern university with aspects of black culture (religion and work environment) included among the research projects. For that reason (or the fact that I have, indeed, lived under a rock and didn’t realize it was the heavy weight causing my migraines), I must take exception to the following quote.
“The idea that a person of color will be late to a given event is one of the most pervasive stereotypes in American culture.”
There are far more insidious stereotypes practiced about the “other” in this country to focus on this one, to the extent it exists on any scale. Regardless, while there are weighty issues discussed, Fidel’s approach is to make them approachable.
The other essays are equally informative, with a few serving to give readers a breather. One such essay is his experience growing a lemon tree in his apartment during Covid. The attention given to this task when there was little else to do is certainly relatable.
Many thanks to Random House | One World and NetGalley for providing this eARC.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
At first glance, I'll admit I hesitated with Manny Fidel's "Colored People Time: A Case for (Casual) Rebellion," a collection of ten essays celebrating tardiness yet, in reality, accomplishing much, much more.
Fortunately, I trusted my instinct and decided to check out Fidel's engaging, sharp, and often humorous essays that confront systems and explore how race, culture, and history shape our sense of time. Fidel looks at the ways people of color are expected, forced really, to navigate in a world rarely moving at their pace.
Are you not quite getting it? "Colored People Time" is a tough one to explain, however, by the end of this collection it's clear that Fidel has a whole lot going on here and these essays are fueling vital discussions and casual rebellion.
Fidel's essays serve up insights from history, pop culture, and Fidel's own life. Rest assured, this isn't just a book about being tardy - it's a book about how time works differently dependent on who you are and where you live.
For me, "Colored People Time" gained in force and engagement especially in the latter half of the collection. I was particularly taken by "A Letter to the Guy Who Robbed my Graduation Party at Gunpoint" and the closer "In Time," though there's not a weak essay here including an affectionate favorite "How to Grow a Lemon Tree."
"Colored People Time" was a quick, immensely engaging read for me and I look for it to be one of 2026's most talked about and rewarding reading experiences.
Fortunately, I trusted my instinct and decided to check out Fidel's engaging, sharp, and often humorous essays that confront systems and explore how race, culture, and history shape our sense of time. Fidel looks at the ways people of color are expected, forced really, to navigate in a world rarely moving at their pace.
Are you not quite getting it? "Colored People Time" is a tough one to explain, however, by the end of this collection it's clear that Fidel has a whole lot going on here and these essays are fueling vital discussions and casual rebellion.
Fidel's essays serve up insights from history, pop culture, and Fidel's own life. Rest assured, this isn't just a book about being tardy - it's a book about how time works differently dependent on who you are and where you live.
For me, "Colored People Time" gained in force and engagement especially in the latter half of the collection. I was particularly taken by "A Letter to the Guy Who Robbed my Graduation Party at Gunpoint" and the closer "In Time," though there's not a weak essay here including an affectionate favorite "How to Grow a Lemon Tree."
"Colored People Time" was a quick, immensely engaging read for me and I look for it to be one of 2026's most talked about and rewarding reading experiences.
Read
March 23, 2026Confession: I almost swiped left on Manny Fidel’s Colored People Time: A Case for (Casual) Rebellion. A book that openly celebrates lateness? My inner scheduler rolled its eyes so hard it saw last week.
Then I actually read it. Surprise: this ten-essay collection isn’t a how-to on excuses for being late, it’s a razor-sharp, often hilarious takedown of the idea that everyone’s clock should run on the same imperial time. Fidel skewers the systems that expect people of color to sync up to someone else’s rhythm, and he does it with history, pop culture, and enough personal flare to make you laugh and rethink your watch.
Still baffled? That’s fair, it’s a tricky beast to summarize. By the last page, though, it’s obvious Fidel is doing more than defending tardiness; he’s stoking important conversations and a little bit of noble mischief. These essays are less “oops, I’m late” and more “here’s why your timetable doesn’t work for me.”
Highlights: the back half hits hardest. “A Letter to the Guy Who Robbed my Graduation Party at Gunpoint” lands like a punchline with consequences, “In Time” wraps things up with sting, and the delightfully domestic “How to Grow a Lemon Tree” is an affectionate favorite tucked among pieces that don’t miss. There isn’t a dud in the lot.
Bottom line: breezy, biting, and surprisingly profound. Read it now — or, if you insist on being fashionably late, at least show up for the 2026 conversations this book will probably dominate.
Then I actually read it. Surprise: this ten-essay collection isn’t a how-to on excuses for being late, it’s a razor-sharp, often hilarious takedown of the idea that everyone’s clock should run on the same imperial time. Fidel skewers the systems that expect people of color to sync up to someone else’s rhythm, and he does it with history, pop culture, and enough personal flare to make you laugh and rethink your watch.
Still baffled? That’s fair, it’s a tricky beast to summarize. By the last page, though, it’s obvious Fidel is doing more than defending tardiness; he’s stoking important conversations and a little bit of noble mischief. These essays are less “oops, I’m late” and more “here’s why your timetable doesn’t work for me.”
Highlights: the back half hits hardest. “A Letter to the Guy Who Robbed my Graduation Party at Gunpoint” lands like a punchline with consequences, “In Time” wraps things up with sting, and the delightfully domestic “How to Grow a Lemon Tree” is an affectionate favorite tucked among pieces that don’t miss. There isn’t a dud in the lot.
Bottom line: breezy, biting, and surprisingly profound. Read it now — or, if you insist on being fashionably late, at least show up for the 2026 conversations this book will probably dominate.
April 29, 2026
As someone who is constantly late, I was grabbed by the title. CPT is a true thing, and it's hard to explain to people why it happens. Manny wrote essays about his life and culture. Going further than just "why does CPT exist" but the actual time in which Manny reflects on. In one essay, I was transported to 2016 in which I relived my college days.
There are many times where I was bopping my head in agreement. At times, an essay will help me understand another point of view. As a daughter of immigrants, I could relate quite a bit to Manny and his short stories. In one story, I was surprised how well I could relate "A Letter to the Guy Who Robbed my Graduation Party at Gunpoint". Though not in the same sense, I have a graduation story of my own. My graduation was almost ruined by family members of other graduates getting in an altercation and bringing out guns themselves.
This is an easy to read, fast read book that I highly recommend. I do think that there could have been more cohesive nature to this, but *my* personal connection to the book makes it a five star read.
Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Random House for the ARC of this book. In which true CPT, I have added my review late. Manny - thank you for writing this book.
There are many times where I was bopping my head in agreement. At times, an essay will help me understand another point of view. As a daughter of immigrants, I could relate quite a bit to Manny and his short stories. In one story, I was surprised how well I could relate "A Letter to the Guy Who Robbed my Graduation Party at Gunpoint". Though not in the same sense, I have a graduation story of my own. My graduation was almost ruined by family members of other graduates getting in an altercation and bringing out guns themselves.
This is an easy to read, fast read book that I highly recommend. I do think that there could have been more cohesive nature to this, but *my* personal connection to the book makes it a five star read.
Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Random House for the ARC of this book. In which true CPT, I have added my review late. Manny - thank you for writing this book.
June 14, 2026
Thank you NetGalley and Random House One World for the Advanced Reader's Copy!
I think it is very apropos that I'm writing this review three months after this book was published...
"Colored People Time: A Case for (Casual) Rebellion" is not the book that I thought it was (complimentary). On the outside, it seems like this would be a historical/sociological nonfiction book. Instead, the book is filled with lively, humorous, and heartfelt essays such as the lessons learned while taking care of a lemon tree during COVID lockdown and a reflection on a near-death experience through fantasizing about disappearing and time-traveling to the future à la "Ocarina of Time" (two of my personal favorite essays from this book). Manny Fidel's prose is very approachable and non-pretentious; each essay balances jokes with earnest thoughtfulness about race and the immigrant family experience in the United States. While informative, like the essays about the localization of Barret from Final Fantasy VII and the history of Eritrea and its complicated politics (which hit close to home as a Venezuelan), the book has heart and charm. Manny writes about the human experience in a way that doesn't feel cheesy or preachy, but is instead honest and spirited. It's definitely worth a read!
I think it is very apropos that I'm writing this review three months after this book was published...
"Colored People Time: A Case for (Casual) Rebellion" is not the book that I thought it was (complimentary). On the outside, it seems like this would be a historical/sociological nonfiction book. Instead, the book is filled with lively, humorous, and heartfelt essays such as the lessons learned while taking care of a lemon tree during COVID lockdown and a reflection on a near-death experience through fantasizing about disappearing and time-traveling to the future à la "Ocarina of Time" (two of my personal favorite essays from this book). Manny Fidel's prose is very approachable and non-pretentious; each essay balances jokes with earnest thoughtfulness about race and the immigrant family experience in the United States. While informative, like the essays about the localization of Barret from Final Fantasy VII and the history of Eritrea and its complicated politics (which hit close to home as a Venezuelan), the book has heart and charm. Manny writes about the human experience in a way that doesn't feel cheesy or preachy, but is instead honest and spirited. It's definitely worth a read!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
3.5 stars
I was really drawn to this widget because of the overarching theme. I have a job that requires me to be constantly obsessing over, following, and keeping track of both my own and other people's time in different ways, so I was particularly fascinated by what I'd learn here and an entirely different approach to the concept.
This collection has some really impactful inclusions, and I particularly enjoyed learning about the author's roots (in earlier life and in ties to his family's experiences in and relationship to Eritrea). That noted, this collection is SO brief that I wanted more of it. This, of course, is just about the best problem one can have with a book, especially when it comes to nonfiction.
I enjoyed this read, appreciate the widget, and will now have this author on my radar so that I can, well, learn more!
*Special thanks to NetGalley and One World for this arc, which I received in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
I was really drawn to this widget because of the overarching theme. I have a job that requires me to be constantly obsessing over, following, and keeping track of both my own and other people's time in different ways, so I was particularly fascinated by what I'd learn here and an entirely different approach to the concept.
This collection has some really impactful inclusions, and I particularly enjoyed learning about the author's roots (in earlier life and in ties to his family's experiences in and relationship to Eritrea). That noted, this collection is SO brief that I wanted more of it. This, of course, is just about the best problem one can have with a book, especially when it comes to nonfiction.
I enjoyed this read, appreciate the widget, and will now have this author on my radar so that I can, well, learn more!
*Special thanks to NetGalley and One World for this arc, which I received in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
April 6, 2026
What an insightful and entertaining book! It was definitely worth the wait. I had a new takeaway at the end of each chapter, which I believe was the point of this book. Who would have thought that a chapter about taking care of a lemon tree in a New York City apartment during the height of the COVID pandemic could be so compelling? Yet it truly was.
While that chapter was fun, some others were more somber but just as important. For example, the experiences of being from East Africa in the United States after 9/11 were particularly poignant. I also appreciated the discussions about Eritrea. The essays were honest, raw, and often funny, exploring themes of identity, time, place, connection, and heritage.
Overall, it was an excellent read, and I highly recommend it to everyone. Each person will likely have a different and unique takeaway from this book. Fidel's writing has a way of uncovering something different for each of us as readers.
While that chapter was fun, some others were more somber but just as important. For example, the experiences of being from East Africa in the United States after 9/11 were particularly poignant. I also appreciated the discussions about Eritrea. The essays were honest, raw, and often funny, exploring themes of identity, time, place, connection, and heritage.
Overall, it was an excellent read, and I highly recommend it to everyone. Each person will likely have a different and unique takeaway from this book. Fidel's writing has a way of uncovering something different for each of us as readers.
April 15, 2026
3.5 stars
I appreciated this collection of essays which tackles Fidel's personal experiences across time. His title is both funny and reflective as he opens up with the creation of the earth and traces some very significant moments in its and humans' existence.
While all of the essays are personal, they also have a political tone as those of us who exist in minority bodies know, what is personal for us is hardly ever not political.
I would have preferred a more cohesive flow considering that Time is a major player here, but I must say the writing style kept me engaged as Fidel uses dry humour throughout that if one is open to it, reveals the irony and hypocrisy of our societies. Even though most of what is covered here is not new, it was still worthwhile reading his take and feelings on these topics.
I appreciated this collection of essays which tackles Fidel's personal experiences across time. His title is both funny and reflective as he opens up with the creation of the earth and traces some very significant moments in its and humans' existence.
While all of the essays are personal, they also have a political tone as those of us who exist in minority bodies know, what is personal for us is hardly ever not political.
I would have preferred a more cohesive flow considering that Time is a major player here, but I must say the writing style kept me engaged as Fidel uses dry humour throughout that if one is open to it, reveals the irony and hypocrisy of our societies. Even though most of what is covered here is not new, it was still worthwhile reading his take and feelings on these topics.
March 26, 2026
Thanks Random House and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader's Copy!
Now available.
I wasn't quite sure what to expect from this book, but I was pleasantly surprised and even found myself laughing out loud a few times. COLORED PEOPLE TIME is a fast paced (some may even say frentic) dive into Manny Fidel's personal life as well as social and political commentary on the Black American Millenial (BAM!) experience. I especially appreciated the deep analysis of Final Fantasy VII, Legend of Zelda, and Street Fighter. That being said, the topic switches often felt abrupt and I wished there was a conclusion essay to tie it together.
Now available.
I wasn't quite sure what to expect from this book, but I was pleasantly surprised and even found myself laughing out loud a few times. COLORED PEOPLE TIME is a fast paced (some may even say frentic) dive into Manny Fidel's personal life as well as social and political commentary on the Black American Millenial (BAM!) experience. I especially appreciated the deep analysis of Final Fantasy VII, Legend of Zelda, and Street Fighter. That being said, the topic switches often felt abrupt and I wished there was a conclusion essay to tie it together.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I received an ARC copy of Colored People Time from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Fidel addresses his life and his experiences with race through a series of essays addressing the pandemic, the stereotypes of Black people in video games, tv, the illusive and glorified "Summer '16" and the pieces of an immigrant upbringing and adulthood.
Fidel incorporates wit and story telling in his essay which serves as an introspection but also pushes the reader to think, laugh, and think a little bit more.
Fidel addresses his life and his experiences with race through a series of essays addressing the pandemic, the stereotypes of Black people in video games, tv, the illusive and glorified "Summer '16" and the pieces of an immigrant upbringing and adulthood.
Fidel incorporates wit and story telling in his essay which serves as an introspection but also pushes the reader to think, laugh, and think a little bit more.
March 28, 2026
This book is fast-paced, funny, and unexpectedly educational. It explores how race, culture, and history influence not only our lives but also our perception of time itself. I love the CPL law and would fully support it, and this story makes an even stronger case for it. The writing is sharp and intelligent, the humor is effective, and you might even learn something along the way. I thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Random House in exchange for an honest review.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Random House in exchange for an honest review.
May 24, 2026
Rating: 3.5
I picked up this book on a whim while browsing the library’s new arrivals section. The title and description immediately caught my attention, though the book itself wasn’t primarily about “colored people time.” Instead, it’s a collection of short essays exploring Manny’s experiences growing up as the child of immigrants, as well as reflections on how people of color are portrayed in the media and viewed in society, among other topics.
Some of the essays genuinely made me laugh, and I really enjoyed the book overall. It’s definitely a good quick read!
I picked up this book on a whim while browsing the library’s new arrivals section. The title and description immediately caught my attention, though the book itself wasn’t primarily about “colored people time.” Instead, it’s a collection of short essays exploring Manny’s experiences growing up as the child of immigrants, as well as reflections on how people of color are portrayed in the media and viewed in society, among other topics.
Some of the essays genuinely made me laugh, and I really enjoyed the book overall. It’s definitely a good quick read!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Rating 4.5
Most of these essays felt like late night thoughts and ramblings. But that's what I liked about them.
• From Time- 4/5
• Ticking Time Bomb- 5/5
• How to Grow a Lemon Tree- 4/5
• The Sunrise Uber- 4/5
• The Procrastination Reparation- 5/5
• The Ocarina of Time- 5/5
• A Letter to the Guy Who Robbed my Graduation Party at Gunpoint- 5/5
• Summer '16- 5/5
• Melanintendo- 5/5
• In Time- 5/5
Most of these essays felt like late night thoughts and ramblings. But that's what I liked about them.
• From Time- 4/5
• Ticking Time Bomb- 5/5
• How to Grow a Lemon Tree- 4/5
• The Sunrise Uber- 4/5
• The Procrastination Reparation- 5/5
• The Ocarina of Time- 5/5
• A Letter to the Guy Who Robbed my Graduation Party at Gunpoint- 5/5
• Summer '16- 5/5
• Melanintendo- 5/5
• In Time- 5/5
April 5, 2026
When the author rights about time and space, it comes from a perspective of reflection. How did I see things then? And, How do I see things now? We evolve, grow, and transform, so looking back on 9/11 - it resonates differently now than it did 25 years ago.
I definitely enjoyed the case for tardiness as resistance against the absence of reparations. Yes, yes, and yes!
These essays are thoughtful, fun, and a five star read.
I definitely enjoyed the case for tardiness as resistance against the absence of reparations. Yes, yes, and yes!
These essays are thoughtful, fun, and a five star read.
March 25, 2026
I read this one on a whim and really enjoyed it! I am well aware of CP time and got a chuckle out of the one chapter that addressed it. This book is mostly a collection of essays about various topics about Fidel's upbringing in an immigrant family, how Black people are portrayed in video games, tv, and society in large, and that good summer of 2016 for millennials. A solid, quick read!
March 28, 2026
I will admit when I started reading Colored People Time, I was expecting something more academic. Instead, it is a much more accessible, personal, and even humorous dive into how race, time, and power intersect. Overall, a very informative and surprisingly entertaining read.
I received an eARC of this book from Netgalley and Random House in exchange for an honest review
I received an eARC of this book from Netgalley and Random House in exchange for an honest review
March 26, 2026
While not exactly what I expected, I found Manny Fidel's book to be entertaining, humorous and somewhat educational. I always appreciate a glimpse into the lives of others. Thanks#NetGalley #RandomHouse
April 12, 2026
I liked reading through the range of essays. Each offers an introspective snapshot and reflection on society, race, and culture. Some of them are inspired by mundane events, and others on tense moments, but all engaging and insightful.
March 30, 2026
A delightful, funny, insightful collection of ten essays. These are well written and cover several topics with warmth and humor. I learned a lot from this quick read. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.
May 3, 2026
An entertainingly thoughtful yet amusing collection of essays, my main thoughts are that this seems a bit slight at 226 pages. I enjoyed the slightly rambling tone, and thought writer Fidel does a deft job at balancing his humor and the underlying sadness of some of the stories told. The essay detailing how his graduation party was robbed was a particular standout to me, both in writing and style.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my copy in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my copy in exchange for my honest review.
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