Saturday, June 27, 2020

One Year of Ugly by Carolyn Mackenzie



Welcome Back Booklovers,

So this time I'm back with a review of a book far from my usual read. I read very few books by white authors and I'm very weary about them writing non white characters. But I decided to give it a chance because some Caribbean bloggers did and had good things to say about it and the fact that the rights got picked up by Netflix intrigued me.  I received an arc from Simon and Schuster in exchange for an honest review. Less than 10% in I found myself going, "Wha de ass is dis?" multiple times. 


Now I thought this would be a proper tale about immigration that would break down some of the stereotypes that Trinidadians have about Venezuelan illegal immigrants in their country.  The story centers around Yola and the rest of the Palacio family who are still getting over their Aunt Celia's recent death when it's revealed she owed a lot of money to a criminal called Ugly who helped fix her children's paper's to get them into a good school and guarantee safe passage to Trinidad. 

Instead what I got was a story that seemed to have no rhyme or purpose and just doubled down on negative stereotypes. The writing style is very jarring and often lewd and I didn't quite understand the humor. While I don't live in Trinidad and Tobago I have family and family friends still living there and I've heard different sides to what people think about these people who have been fleeing there in droves in recent years. Some don't have a problem, some think all the women are whores, some think they only bring mafia violence, some say they're stealing all the good jobs ,etc. The opinions are usually strong and vary. I also know people who were at one point illegal immigrants in Trinidad and they were there working hard in horrible conditions doing jobs locals wouldn't want to do while sending money back home to support family members.

The author Carolyn Mackenzie plays into the stereotypes about the women being overly-sexualized and involved in illegal activity. This is done  not only through the lead Yola but also through pieces from her deceased Aunt Celia's memoir. 

What was her research process like? Is she friends with any Venezuelans? Does she interact with these people through her work? Most illegal immigrants do not flee to another country and land good jobs where they can live comfortably with little worry. 

I know the author herself works as a translator like Yola and the family seems very much based on her and her family. There were so many times I felt like I was reading about the white Trini experience and the author's thoughts of being a minority in a country where Black and Indian people are the majority.  Yola has a cushy work from home job. Her sister has a great job to that has her in circles partying with rich white Trinis. There's lots of commentary about skintone and the rainbow of races in Trinidad but their skintone wouldn't be uncommon. There was even a point where Yola wondered if she was racist because she thought three dark skinned guests staying at their houses looked alike. She later comments that in fact she's not racist because they're actually triplets.  Despite her illegal status and having come to Trinidad the same way as others she refers to the others as illegals and seems to hold herself to a higher status. 

As far as the situation with Ugly most of it consists of them housing other illegal Venezuelans as a safe house for awhile and it's reads like the story of a wacky bed and breakfast full of ungrateful guests. 

The romance might've worked if it was slower and with depth but instead Yola finds herself lusting after Ugly's bodyguard Roman literally right after witnessing him choking her father. There was no real investment in the relationship to make it root worthy. His shared love of literature is supposed to make the relationship more solid. 

And this right here is why I don't trust white authors to write non white voices. What could've been an impactful story is a forgettable story full of sex, drugs, booze, and crude humor that downplays violence. It feels like a cheesy telenovela. I'll be looking forward to a more realistic story written by an actual Venezuelan migrant instead. 


Monday, June 22, 2020

Do You Dream of Terra-Two by Temi Oh


Hey Booklovers,

I finished reading Do You Dream of Two-Terra and I'm still trying to put my thoughts into words. This is a character heavy sci-fi story containing multiple povs. 10 astronauts are chosen to embark on a journey to inhabit a new world.  4 of the 10 are decorated veterans and 6 are teens on the brink of adulthood. The story alternates in chapters between Jesse, Poppy, Astrid, Juno, Harry, and Eliot. It's a lot of people to follow and I was glad I got the ebook and audiobook. The smooth narration kept me interested but the ebook was great for sections I wanted to go over again or when I wanted to speed things up in the middle. 

Throughout the book we discover what drew each young person to the Dalton Academy for Aerospace Science and hear about the lives they left behind.




‘What kind of society do we want to be? What will our name be? What will our flag look like? 
  What kind of leadership model will we adhere to? Will we have a monarchy, a president?







I saw comparisons to The 100 but it's nothing like that vapid book series and really not much like the tv series either beyond having featuring teens who are journey to a new Earth.

The story is not set in the future but rather a more technologically advanced/alternate version of the close past where Britain has a highly competitive space program. 

Before launch they must deal with the death of one of their teammates Ara and how it affects each of them. They must also deal with their relationships with each other. Some are drawn closer and some further apart. Since it's a 23 year mission there's a lot of personal sacrifice. Some are struggling with the regrets of giving up a future on earth and some are getting over depression. 

How will they start this new colony? What rules will be in place? Is this a suicide mission? Can they survive living in the spaceship for the next 23 years with only each other to rely on?

This is a slower, quiet read where you exam each character and some of the science is glossed over and explained as technology being much more advanced in this alternate reality. It's a contrast to many sci-fi stories which are fast paced by sometimes lack on the character development. We don't ever get an explanation for how scientists have come to discover much about this world so far from our own. It can probably be best described as a slice of life story. We follow the characters go through the motions day to day. We follow their hookups and losses and reminisce with them over their past traumas.

Temi Oh studied neuroscience and you can very much see those elements present in her work as we explore the behaviors of these young people and how their relationships are effected. 


Cover Love

Welcome Back, Booklovers,

Just wanted to show some cover love to books that are highly anticipated. These Black book covers just keep getting better and better.


Ciannon Smart already had me at Caribbean inspired and then she came correct with this cover


Dana L Davis was inspired by Romeo and Juliet for her upcoming release



You already know how I feel about Kingdom of Souls



Don't sleep on Middle Grade fantasy especially not one of the most highly anticipated series of 2021


From the sisters who brought us Dear Haiti, Love Alaine



I love the carefree vibes of this cover

Friday, June 19, 2020

Party of Two by Jasmine Guillory


Welcome Back, Booklovers

I'm back with another review. Jasmine Guillory's books are like cake to me. I eat a slice and then want to devour them over a couple of days.  So Party of Two was my cake. My light and fluffy romance with a dash of politics. 

This time we follow Alexa's sister Olivia who is a lawyer who just moved back to the West Coast from NYC.  She meets Senator Max Powell at a hotel bar and sparks fly. How can she get involved with these white trust fund baby politician who is in DC most of the week? She's not sure but there's just something about him that keeps making her say yes to his dates. 

Though this is apart of the Wedding Date series all the book can easily stand alone. Especially this one since Alexa and Drew only make a brief appearance. And TBH up until that point I forgot Liv was Alexa's sister. 



Following Jasmine Guillory tradition Olivia and Max love to eat. I love to eat myself so I'm here for it. Though I'll admit that was a lot of cake. I'd substitute cake for sushi. 

Olivia is a lawyer running her own firm so on the outside she seems like she has it all together but her inner thoughts reveal a lot of insecurities. She overthinks which is a contrast to how impulsive Max is. He falls for her immediate but she has a hard time figuring out her feelings. They're both in their 30s working busy careers so they know what they're looking for in a relationship. 

Liv is a Black woman dating a white man and the book doesn't dance around that fact with her worries about what people will think when she and Max go public. Max is also working on getting a criminal reform bill passed and Liv has had her own minor run in with the law which comes in to play.  That's not to say the book shies away from the romance to become a heavy political piece. If you're looking for that you might want to pick up a different story. This is contemporary romance after all. 

It kept me entertained during a time where many romance novels have been putting me on the brink of a reading slump and that's as much as I ask for. I was lucky to receive an arc in exchange for an honest review.


Thursday, June 18, 2020

By Sea & Sky by Antoine Bandele

Welcome Back, Booklovers!

I saw the cover one day while browsing Amazon for books and knew I needed to read it. Unfortunately I was on a book buying ban so I could only save it to come back to. Then in May I saw people making lists of Black books and was disappointed because all books on the lists were the ones easily searchable. So mainstream Black books that were heavily marked by publishers and already bestsellers or the 2020 Black YA fantasies(which I love but come on ya'll!). Some people act like Black books don't exist if they aren't on every book list and white platforms aren't talking about them. So your girl created a list of Black books Twitter wasn't hyping which kinda went viral on Book Twitter with 2.9k retweets and 4.8k likes at this time. 



Antoine Bandele reached out to me and offered me an arc of his upcoming story and of course I was happy to read it.  Who can resist that cover? I was even more excited that he offered an audiobook arc so I could listen to it.

If you're into audiobooks and interested in purchasing this book as an audiobook purchase it from his Author's direct page. 
https://shop.authors-direct.com/collections/bandele-books

I think the audiobook really added an extra element to the story. Before each chapter there were sounds that set the mood. Sometimes it would be seagulls squawking, swords clashing, or waves rocking.  It made it easier for you to imagine what was going on during the moment.



I really enjoyed just sitting back and listening to Zala and Karim's tale. And I liked that the story immediately opens with some action. I immediately felt like I was on the ship in the middle of battle.  In the audio version it's easy to picture what's happening because you hear the crowd yelling and swords clashing. It then goes right into pirates and merchants battling each other. Pirate novels usually aren't my thing but this was very entertaining. The world building was pretty strong. There's a lot of African/Caribbean mythology that's weaved in effortlessly.

Zala and her husband Jelani are pirates and she spends this story fighting to get him back after he is captured by a Vaaji army airship. On the opposite end is Karim who is an officer on the airship where Jelani is being held hostage. He becomes captain after the captain is injured and cannot complete the mission.

This book was a journey with an expansive cast and an even larger world to explore. The writing is very descriptive and it's easy to picture what each character looks like from the way they are described. And the story is not all fast paced action. There are slower more emotional points that allow you to connect with the characters and understand what they really have at stake. And following someone from each side of the battle really gives you a full perspective. 

The story does end in a way that sets it up for the 2nd book while making you wonder what will happen next.



Wednesday, June 17, 2020

Interview with Author Kristina Forest


Welcome Back, Booklovers,

I've spoke about this author's debut I Wanna Be Where You Are many times before. If you're looking for an author who writes Black teen romance get familiar with her. I could easily see one her stories becoming a Netflix rom com in the future. And pre-order or library request her book. I'm including the information for her pre-order campaign. She has the cutest swag. And follow her @kristinaforest on Twitter.


How different was the experience of writing your sophomore novel from writing your debut?

Writing Now That I’ve Found You was much more difficult than writing I Wanna Be Where You Are. This was mostly due to timing. I wrote IWBWYA under a self imposed deadline because I didn’t have an agent, so I could set my own schedule. I took about 10 months writing and revising that book before I started querying. The large majority of Now That I’ve Found You was written in two to three months, and I was drafting that novel while traveling to promote IWBWYA. It was a lot. There were so many times when I thought I just wouldn’t be able to finish the book, but here we are.

What was the inspiration for Now That I’ve Found You?

My best story ideas always come to me while I’m dreaming or while I’m in the shower. NTIFY came to me while I was washing my hair. I pictured a boy and girl standing in front of a huge mansion. I knew that neither of them lived there, but the girl had a relation to the owner of the mansion. From the way the boy and girl looked at each other, I knew they shared a secret. I kind of thought, Hmm. What’s their story? I went to work on figuring that out. Months later I handed in the first draft for what would be my second book.

I’ve also always been fascinated with old Hollywood, particularly Black actors and actresses in old Hollywood like Dorothy Dandridge, and later Sidney Poitier, Diahann Carroll and Lena Horne.



Since your book is set in NYC what are your favorite spots around the city?

I love, love, love Brooklyn. It is the best borough! So Brooklyn overall is one of my favorite spots. But I also love the West Village. I love the Jefferson Market Library on 10th street in Manhattan, and I love Union Square. So many places.


You make it a priority to showcase Black teens in loving relationships. Why is writing Black love a priority for you? And has it been a challenge to push these stories?

I’m constantly trying to write the books I wish I had as a young Black teenager. There was a time in the 90s and early 2000s when we had such great representation in movies (Love Jones, Love and Basketball, Brown Sugar), but I never saw this in the books I was reading. Almost all of YA romance was written by white authors with white characters. It's just unrealistic to our world. Black teens need to see themselves reflected in romance literature too.  

It has been a bit challenging to push these stories. People don’t always check their biases before reading my books, and Black authors are just held to a different standard, regardless of what genre we write.


What are your favorite genres to read and write?

Romance! YA or Adult, although for the past few years I’ve definitely read more adult romance than YA. I’m currently working on another YA romance, but I have some adult romance ideas too, so we’ll see.





Would you ever tackle writing romance for adults?

Absolutely.


Do you still work full time in addition to writing?

I do. It took me a while to find a good balance. But since I’ve been working from home for my full time job, it’s been easier to work and write. I write about 4 days a week for 2 to 3 hours each session.


Are you working on anything new?

Yes! Hopefully I’ll be able to tell everyone about it soon.

Are there any upcoming book releases that you’re excited about?

Yes, always! Last Tuesday, Liara Tamani’s ALL THE THINGS WE NEVER KNEW published, and I’m still waiting for my preorder to get here. I might need to check the tracking on that.

I’m also excited for THE VOTING BOOTH by Brandy Colbert, TAKE A HINT, DANI BROWN by Talia Hibbert, and A DUKE, A LADY AND A BABY by Vanessa Riley.  


Pre-order Campaign


Tuesday, June 16, 2020

#BlackoutBestsellersList Recommendations

Welcome Back Booklovers!

Here at WOC Read I try to always post Black book recommendations for you.  You can never own too many Black books. Especially if they're on your Kindle and you can carry them everywhere. And I want to give you options from different genres. Not all books are released. Some can be pre-ordered. Remember pre-orders show an author is in demand. 


By Sea &Sky

With no magic, no brawn, and no pirate crew, Zala seeks to steal back the one treasure that matters to her most: her husband.
To succeed she needs a ship-and not just any ship, but the latest, secret invention by the Vaaji Empire. An airship.
Zala will have to use her wits to overcome scoundrels and nobles alike on her journey through the clouds.
But if she's smart enough, she may just have what it takes to save her husband-and go down in history as the first sky pirate.
Delve into a pirate fantasy inspired by the West Indies, The Swahili Coast, and Arabia, where Zala will encounter ruthless raiders, arrogant aristocrats, and imperial secrets.





A Killing Fire

As a child forced to witness her father’s crimes, homicide Detective Raven Burns dedicates every waking moment to proving that she is not her father’s child. But when she shoots a suspect who has what turns out to be an unloaded weapon, Raven finds that she must confront both the demons of her past and the stains on her soul in order to stop a killer.  





Nine Bar Blues

The stories collected in Nine Bar Blues weave emotion, spirit, and music, captivating readers with newfound alchemy and the murmurs of dark gods. Rooted in rhythm, threaded with magic, these tales encompass worlds that begin in river bottoms, pass through spectral gates, and end in distant uncharted worlds. These stories describe the pain that often accompanies the confines of sanctuary and the joy that is inextricably bound to the troubles of hard living. Nine Bar Blues sings a multiverse of fully realized worlds that readers will remember for ages to come and cherish from page to heart thumping, foot-stomping page.




Conquest

Jashi Anyua has been arranged to be married to the leader of her nation, the Great Faresh. To help her escape the unwanted engagement, her future husband's enemies offer her an out - if she agrees to spy on her intended, they'll give her a new identity and a life somewhere the Faresh will never find her. Yet as Jashi gets to know the Faresh, she wonders if she put her loyalties in the right place; especially when she realizes that he shares the abilities she's had to keep secret her whole life. What's more, he might be the only one who can train her to use them.





Do You Dream of Terra-Two?

A century ago, an astronomer discovered an Earth-like planet orbiting a nearby star. She predicted that one day humans would travel there to build a utopia. Today, ten astronauts are leaving everything behind to find it. Four are veterans of the twentieth century’s space-race.

And six are teenagers who’ve trained for this mission most of their lives.

It will take the team twenty-three years to reach Terra-Two. Twenty-three years locked in close quarters. Twenty-three years with no one to rely on but each other. Twenty-three years with no rescue possible, should something go wrong.

And something always goes wrong.





Mixed Match

Sophia Kent used to be a badass knife-wielding chef. Nowadays, she's lucky if she can remember to put on a bra. Between the move to Portland and unpacking boxes, she's glad there's only one name on the title. Unfortunately, at the door there's a gorgeous messenger with a document claiming she's not the rightful owner.

Dead-set on getting his grandmother's house back, real estate investor Everett Monroe is determined to see the thief go down, even if he has to deliver the summons himself. Only, the beautiful mess at the door is charming, sexy--and nothing like the man whose family's been feuding with Everett's for generations.

He doesn't know whether she's a pawn or a player, and she doesn't know he's not just a messenger, so after a few "chance" meetings, when she enlists his help to find a location for her restaurant, he agrees. After all, in thirty days there's going to be a hearing granting him ownership and she'll be long gone. Except, somewhere between sunset mountain hikes, brilliantly lit musical bridges, and picturesque Japanese Gardens, a dangerous attraction weaves its way between the secrets and lies. Forced to confront the truth, Everett must ask himself what good a home is without the one you love to share it with.



Music to My Ears

Orrin Greenwood, ex-boy-bander and notorious womanizer, is ready to make his big comeback. Needing a hit record sooner than later, his manager suggests up-and-coming singer/songwriter Jauri Tutuola. He jumps at the chance thinking she will be an easy ride to the top of the charts, but what he doesn't anticipate is her taking him on the most thrilling tour of his life as she makes him confront his past and make room for her on his stage and in his future.

Surrounded by a music industry full of clones, Jauri “JT” Tutuola wants to break new ground and do things her way. She vows to no longer let anything keep her from the spotlight, especially not her deeply melanated skin, her bushy hair or her “creative genius” label head. She initially dismisses Orrin as just another distraction until he begins to show her that making music and making love don't have to be mutually exclusive.





Broken Places

Cass took a bullet two years ago after an incompetent colleague screwed up a tense confrontation with an armed suspect. Deeply traumatized, Cass resigned from the Chicago PD, leaving one less female African-American on the force. Now she’s the head of a one-woman private investigation agency, taking on just enough work to pay the bills. But when the only father figure she’s ever known, Father Ray Heaton, asks her to look into a recent spate of vandalism at his church, she readily agrees to handle it.
Only hours later Cass is horrified to discover Father Ray’s murdered body in the church confessional, a dead gangbanger sprawled out nearby. She knew Pop, as she called him, had ticked off plenty of people, from slumlords to politicians, with his uncompromising defense of the downtrodden. But a late-night random theft doesn’t seem like much of a motive at a cash-strapped parish. The lead detective assigned to the case is all too eager to dismiss it as a burglary gone awry, just another statistic in a violent city. But Cass’s instincts tell her otherwise, and badge or no badge, she intends to see justice done . . .







A Winning Season 

Baseball ace Sutton Reed’s returned home triumphant after years in the majors. When he moves next door to a troubled young man, he’s determined to help—for the boy’s sake and for the boy’s gorgeous older sister, Zoey Allen. After sacrificing everything to keep her family together, Zoey has no time for romance…even with a hometown hero. But will this unlikely combo be the home run love story they all deserve?





The Conductors

As a conductor on the Underground Railroad, Hetty Rhodes helped usher dozens of people north with her wits and magic. Now that the Civil War is over, Hetty and her husband Benjy have settled in Philadelphia, solving murders and mysteries that the white authorities won’t touch. When they find one of their friends slain in an alley, Hetty and Benjy bury the body and set off to find answers. But the secrets and intricate lies of the elites of Black Philadelphia only serve to dredge up more questions. To solve this mystery, they will have to face ugly truths all around them, including the ones about each other.





Master of Poisons

The world is changing. Poison desert eats good farmland. Once-sweet water turns foul. The wind blows sand and sadness across the Empire. To get caught in a storm is death. To live and do nothing is death. There is magic in the world, but good conjure is hard to find.

Djola, righthand man and spymaster of the lord of the Arkhysian Empire, is desperately trying to save his adopted homeland, even in exile.

Awa, a young woman training to be a powerful griot, tests the limits of her knowledge and comes into her own in a world of sorcery, floating cities, kindly beasts, and uncertain men.







Black Buck 

An unambitious twenty-two-year-old, Darren lives in a Bed-Stuy brownstone with his mother, who wants nothing more than to see him live up to his potential as the valedictorian of Bronx Science. But Darren is content working at Starbucks in the lobby of a Midtown office building, hanging out with his girlfriend, Soraya, and eating his mother’s home-cooked meals. All that changes when a chance encounter with Rhett Daniels, the silver-tongued CEO of Sumwun, NYC’s hottest tech startup, results in an exclusive invitation for Darren to join an elite sales team on the thirty-sixth floor.


After enduring a “hell week” of training, Darren, the only black person in the company, reimagines himself as “Buck,” a ruthless salesman unrecognizable to his friends and family. But when things turn tragic at home and Buck feels he’s hit rock bottom, he begins to hatch a plan to help young people of color infiltrate America’s sales force, setting off a chain of events that forever changes the game.



Monday, June 15, 2020

Books To Check Out When You're Trying to Move Out of YA Fantasy

Welcome Back, Booklovers

So there's often a debate about whether New Adult is needed or not. Because essentially YA/ MG are more for categorization and marketing. We don't call fantasy, historical fiction, romance etc Adult insert genre here. We just call it that genre. At the same time because there are thousands of books in those genres it can be very hard to find books about characters at the beginning stages of adulthood. Sometimes especially in fantasy where male authors tend to be the most visible, publishers are not sure how to market books so they put books with 18+ age protagonists in the Young Adult category. I wanted to suggest 5 books which are also by Black authors to help you make that transition into reading more sci-fi/fantasy.

The Binti Trilogy by Nnedi Okorafor

Contrary to where it may be shelved at your bookstore or library this is not a YA book just because the character is a teen attending university.

In her Hugo- and Nebula-winning novella, Nnedi Okorafor introduced us to Binti, a young Himba girl with the chance of a lifetime: to attend the prestigious Oomza University. Despite her family's concerns, Binti's talent for mathematics and her aptitude with astrolabes make her a prime candidate to undertake this interstellar journey.

But everything changes when the jellyfish-like Medusae attack Binti's spaceship, leaving her the only survivor. Now, Binti must fend for herself, alone on a ship full of the beings who murdered her crew, with five days until she reaches her destination.

There is more to the history of the Medusae--and their war with the Khoush--than first meets the eye. If Binti is to survive this voyage and save the inhabitants of the unsuspecting planet that houses Oomza Uni, it will take all of her knowledge and talents to broker the peace.




The Rosewater Trilogy by Tade Thompson 

Rosewater is a town on the edge. A community formed around the edges of a mysterious alien biodome, its residents comprise the hopeful, the hungry and the helpless - people eager for a glimpse inside the dome or a taste of its rumored healing powers.
Kaaro is a government agent with a criminal past. He has seen inside the biodome, and doesn't care to again -- but when something begins killing off others like himself, Kaaro must defy his masters to search for an answer, facing his dark history and coming to a realization about a horrifying future.


 


Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas

Catherine House is a school of higher learning like no other. Hidden deep in the woods of rural Pennsylvania, this crucible of reformist liberal arts study with its experimental curriculum, wildly selective admissions policy, and formidable endowment, has produced some of the world’s best minds: prize-winning authors, artists, inventors, Supreme Court justices, presidents. For those lucky few selected, tuition, room, and board are free. But acceptance comes with a price. Students are required to give the House three years—summers included—completely removed from the outside world. Family, friends, television, music, even their clothing must be left behind. In return, the school promises a future of sublime power and prestige, and that its graduates can become anything or anyone they desire.

Among this year’s incoming class is Ines Murillo, who expects to trade blurry nights of parties, cruel friends, and dangerous men for rigorous intellectual discipline—only to discover an environment of sanctioned revelry. Even the school’s enigmatic director, ViktĂłria, encourages the students to explore, to expand their minds, to find themselves within the formidable iron gates of Catherine. For Ines, it is the closest thing to a home she’s ever had. But the House’s strange protocols soon make this refuge, with its worn velvet and weathered leather, feel increasingly like a gilded prison. And when tragedy strikes, Ines begins to suspect that the school—in all its shabby splendor, hallowed history, advanced theories, and controlled decadence—might be hiding a dangerous agenda within the secretive, tightly knit group of students selected to study its most promising and mysterious curriculum.

Combining the haunting sophistication and dusky, atmospheric style of Sarah Waters with the unsettling isolation of Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go, Catherine House is a devious, deliciously steamy, and suspenseful page-turner with shocking twists and sharp edges that is sure to leave readers breathless.




Lakewood by Megan Giddings

When Lena Johnson’s beloved grandmother dies, and the full extent of the family debt is revealed, the black millennial drops out of college to support her family and takes a job in the mysterious and remote town of Lakewood, Michigan.

On paper, her new job is too good to be true. High paying. No out of pocket medical expenses. A free place to live. All Lena has to do is participate in a secret program—and lie to her friends and family about the research being done in Lakewood. An eye drop that makes brown eyes blue, a medication that could be a cure for dementia, golden pills promised to make all bad thoughts go away.

The discoveries made in Lakewood, Lena is told, will change the world—but the consequences for the subjects involved could be devastating. As the truths of the program reveal themselves, Lena learns how much she’s willing to sacrifice for the sake of her family.

Provocative and thrilling, Lakewood is a breathtaking novel that takes an unflinching look at the moral dilemmas many working-class families face, and the horror that has been forced on black bodies in the name of science.


 



The Record Keeper by Agnes Gomillion

After World War III, Earth is in ruins, and the final armies have come to a reluctant truce. Everyone must obey the law--in every way--or risk shattering the fragile peace and endangering the entire human race.

Arika Cobane is on the threshold of taking her place of privilege as a member of the Kongo elite after ten grueling years of training. But everything changes when a new student arrives speaking dangerous words of treason: What does peace matter if innocent lives are lost to maintain it? As Arika is exposed to new beliefs, she realizes that the laws she has dedicated herself to uphold are the root of her people's misery. If Arika is to liberate her people, she must unearth her fierce heart and discover the true meaning of freedom: finding the courage to live--or die--without fear.



Saturday, June 13, 2020

The Marriage Game by Sara Desai

Welcome Back, Booklovers


I got the opportunity to read an arc of this book via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.  I was in the mood to read a contemporary romance featuring Indian Americans. It at times reminded me of watching a Bollywood movie. Except more forward moving with cursing, kissing, and lots of sizzling sex. Plenty of dancing and singing still though. 

There were so many references to different Bollywood movies and because Layla's family owns a restaurant there was constant talk of mouth watering food. 

Layla is a 26 yr old woman who has returned to her hometown after a very bad breakup with her social media influencer boyfriend which ends up exploding in a viral video. She ended up losing her apartment and her job and is unsure what her next move will be. Her hope is to open up her own business. This is something that excites her father who happily gives her the office space above the family restaurant. The only problem is that he already leased it to someone else who refuses to leave.



Sam wants the office space so he can act out his plan of revenge against the man who wronged his family. He's not exactly thrilled about having to share what is supposed to be his quiet space.

Layla's father is recovering from a heart attack and she finds out that he had created a profile for her on an Indian arranged marriage connection site. He even narrowed down hundreds of men to make a list of men he thought would be a good fit for her. Out of guilt and being fed up with always selecting the wrong men she decides to give it a chance. Sam  turns it into a game and decides to chaperone her under the condition that if she finds a husband she leave the office to him. And so begins the Marriage Game.

Finally a book described as a rom com that is actually funny! The dates were hilarious. That scene with the shape-wear was funny and realistic too.

Sam kind of turned his back on the culture after a bad experience and he has the worst taste in friends/associates so it was interesting to see his transition throughout the story. Layla was balancing being a modern woman while also dealing with tradition and her family's ideals.

Honestly I took way longer than I should've to finish reading it cuz this heat has me tired and lazy lately but it's a fun fast read. And it has me craving Indian food which I haven't eaten in over a month. Must order some soon.


Wednesday, June 10, 2020

Things I've Learned While Running a Book Blog


Hey Booklovers, 

So I've been officially running this blog consistently for 6 months and a lot has changed since the beginning.  This is my first time running a blog so everything has been a learning experience. Here's some great tips I learned along the way.


1. Promote, promote, promote! Once you start to have a blog you need to post about it everywhere.  A social media presence will really help with you getting consistent views on blog posts.


2. You'll compare yourself to other book bloggers with a steady following. Even if they've got a smaller following you'll wonder why their  Bookstagram page looks so effortless while you have to do so much staging of yours. How their picture of a coffee cup, their Kindle, and and a candle looks so perfect. What hashtags are they using to get more views and why aren't they getting you nearly enough? 

3.  You'll get more arcs(advanced reader copies) but still have to push for the publishers to give you the chance to review the more popular titles. Especially as a Black blogger I sometimes find it harder to get arcs of the Black books.

4. Consistency is key! The more often you post the more you'll keep a steady audience.  Try and  post content as often as possible.

5. Reach out to authors! They have books they want to promote and most likely they're books  you're already reading. If you can reach out to authors and help amplify each other.



Just a few books on my shelf


Tuesday, June 9, 2020

Interview with Author Sareeta Domingo



Welcome Back, Booklovers. I'm back with an interview by another author that you may not have heard of but need to get familiar with. She is a Black author from the UK with not one but two books releasing this summer.  Get to know Sareeta Domingo also know as SA Domingo. @sareetadomingo on Twitter.


How was working on your second YA novel different from your debut? What inspired you and why did you decide to write another clean teen romance? 

Having a positive reception to my (YA) debut Love, Secret Santa, featuring what should really be a commonplace thing in publishing – a YA story featuring Black protagonists that isn’t ‘issue’-led – definitely was encouraging when it came to writing Love on the Main Stage. I’ve been a massive music fan all my life, so getting the chance to work on this story and having Hachette’s support was great. In terms of the story being ‘clean’, this is something I’d talked about with my editor, but was less of a critique of stories that aren’t ‘clean’, and more an effort to write something that didn’t have any difficult edge or trauma.
 

You also have another upcoming story titled If I Don't Have You. What is that story about and is there an expected release date at this time?

Yes, it’s a bumper summer for me in terms of publications! I have a novel for adults coming out with Jacaranda Books on 29th July 2020, a romance entitled If I Don’t Have You. It’s about a Black British Londoner, Kayla, a journalist and artist, who is planning a Green Card wedding to a friend in order to pursue her creative dreams in New York. But she’s sent to interview charismatic Brazilian/African-American film director Ren. They end up spending one magical night together followed by a long-distance romance, but secrets eventually tear them apart – until they meet again years later…

And in February next year, I’m so thrilled that an anthology I’m compiling, editing and contributing to is being published with Trapeze Books. It’s a collection of romantic stories written by British women of colour called Who’s Loving You.


What are your favorite genres to read and write?

I have a very broad range of interests that I suppose fall under ‘literary fiction’, but I also love reading romance – and writing it, too, as you can probably tell!


How has the pandemic affected your promotion and the release? 

My plans for a book launch for either of my books out this summer have of course gone out of the window, which is a real shame. It’s also meant fewer opportunities to do things like in-person appearances or promotion in stores. Everything is moving online, and I do fear that can mean too many people clamouring for the same promo opportunities. In terms of my adult book with Jacaranda, we also moved the publication date from May to July to help accommodate some of the challenges.


There's few Black British authors in publishing and it seems like some are finally getting their dues. Do you feel like as a Black author you're expected to write a certain type of story? 

I do think there is a certain expectation of what you ‘should’ write as a Black British author (and a Black author in the Western publishing world in general), and it can seem that authors garner more interest and attention if they are writing specifically about race. I think it should go without saying that Black authors should be afforded the same range of topics of interest as their non-Black counterparts.


What is it like working with an indie publisher on a book vs a larger publisher?

In many ways the process isn’t that dissimilar in terms of working on editorial processes and so forth. Of course, there is greater pressure on indies, particularly in the current climate of the pandemic, so they are perhaps stretched a little thinner than their larger counterparts. But I’ve loved working with both Hachette and Jacaranda Books. I’m certainly proud to have a book published by Jacaranda as a Black British, woman-led company. They’re doing great work!



Are there any 2020 releases from Black British authors you are looking forward to?

I’m looking forward to tucking into Dorothy Koomson’s latest All My Lies Are True, a sequel to her bestseller The Ice Cream Girls. She’s so consistent and is a queen of the British book scene! I’m also definitely keen to check out Bolu Babalola’s Love in Colour collection of stories too, I’m sure it’ll be fantastic.


Are you able to talk about your current work in progress?

I’m in the process of finishing up the anthology I mentioned I’m working on, Who’s Loving You, which I’m so excited about. And I’m just getting started on a new idea for my next novel – I’m keeping it under my hat for now, but it’s going to be a bit different to what I’ve published before…

Monday, June 8, 2020

All The Things We Never Knew by Liara Tamani

Welcome Back, Booklovers!

Another crazy week down and another book read. So last year I noticed that even though we are getting more Black books that there is still a lack of contemporary romance books for Black teens. And I see so much Black women vs Black men wars on social media. I see young Black girls propping up the white boy of the month or the K Pop artist currently thriving off of Black culture while putting down their own men. I see Black men putting down Black girls while professing their love for biracials, white girls, and non Black Latinx girls. It's disheartening to see.

 Last year I tried to list the books featuring Black girls and boys where the story was about them falling in love. Traditional romance not fantasy that has a love story in it. Not a contemporary that deals with other issues but happens to have some romance in it. I even reached out to some Black authors and we really were having a tough time naming any. We could only name two. This year I found 7 that I am determined to read and review for this blog. The first one that released earlier this year that I read was so choppy, dated, and filled with unoriginal stereotypes I wrote a rant review and pushed it to the back of my mind. 

So needless to say I came into this book expecting something warm and fuzzy that would make me care about the characters. And though I was a little unsure at first because I thought their love moved very fast even for teen love I soon settled in for the ride.  I really liked Liara Tamani's writing style. I've been paying for attention lately to how distinct a writer's voice is. Those opening chapters were so beautifully written that they sucked me in.


Rex and Carli meet and Carli literally falls into his arms. And from then on they are drawn to each other. So I'll admit I was like "Huh!" when he Rex tracked her down via her brother Cole's Instagram page and showed up at the hospital to see her. I was like, "Are the teens really doing that nowadays cuz that is not the wave!" At least the text acknowledged that that part was a little stalkerish. 

I liked how Rex was a different portrayal of the Black teen males we usually see in the media. Sure on the outside he seems like the big basketball star  destined for NBA stardom that all the girls are after. He craves love and affection and sometimes he cries. And it's not a bad thing. Rex feels unloved by his father who never seems to pay him any attention. He also has guilt because his mother died during childbirth. 

Carli on the other other hand is also a basketball star but hates the sport. She plays to make her father happy and though she dreams of quitting is holding off on that dream while her parents are in the process of a nasty separation.  I loved that she would cut things out of magazines and post up pictures to decorate her walls. It reminded me of me as a teen where I would cut out magazine pictures and print pictures of all the things I enjoyed.

This is a light read perfect to gift to a teen girl who could use a YA romance she can actually see herself in and see a healthy depiction of Black love in.



Friday, June 5, 2020

Caribbean Booktubers to Follow

Welcome Back, Booklovers!

In honor of Caribbean Heritage Month I wanted to highlight some Caribbean booktubers/Caribbean diaspora booktubers. I sent the word out to Twitter and people delivered with many recommendations. So if you're looking for some new booktubers to watch check them out.


Giselle Mills



ONYX Pages



Minimal Bookie


mynameismarines


KJ Reads Pages


Strangeshereads



Liselle Sambury

Books are my Social Life


Jessica Nicole Dickerson


bookrokosmos


 Luxurious Blu

throneofpages

Comfycozyup

LucieReads


Thursday, June 4, 2020

Read Caribbean During June Pt 2

Welcome Back Booklovers!

Despite the chaos going on in the world right now I am truly enjoying getting to spread my love of books and have great discussions with other readers. Reading books, interviewing authors, chatting with readers are all the little things keeping me sane during this time.

Putting together these lists has introduced me to some new author's I'm excited to read while also having me reflect on the ones I have read. It's also a reminder of how resilient my people are. This time I'm highlighting some books by the children of Caribbean immigrants.


'Til the Well Runs Dry: A Novel

A glorious and moving multigenerational, multicultural saga that sweeps from the 1940s through the 1960s in Trinidad and the United States.

In a seaside village in the north of Trinidad, young Marcia Garcia, a gifted and smart-mouthed sixteen-year-old seamstress, lives alone, raising two small boys and guarding a family secret. When she meets Farouk Karam, an ambitious young policeman (so taken with Marcia that he elicits help from a tea-brewing obeah woman to guarantee her ardor), the rewards and risks in Marcia's life amplify forever.

'Til the Well Runs Dry sees Marcia and Farouk from their sassy and passionate courtship through personal and historical events that threaten Marcia's secret, entangle the couple and their children in a tumultuous scandal, and put the future in doubt for all of them.

With this deeply human novel, Lauren Francis-Sharma gives us an unforgettable story about a woman's love for a man, a mother's love for her children, and a people's love for an island rich with calypso and Carnival, cricket and salty air, sweet fruits and spicy stews-a story of grit, imperfection, steadfast love and of Trinidad that has never been told before.






The Haunting of Tram Car 015

Cairo, 1912: The case started as a simple one for the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities ― handling a possessed tram car.

Soon, however, Agent Hamed Nasr and his new partner Agent Onsi Youssef are exposed to a new side of Cairo stirring with suffragettes, secret societies, and sentient automatons in a race against time to protect the city from an encroaching danger that crosses the line between the magical and the mundane.




Dear Haiti, Love Alaine

Alaine Beauparlant has heard about Haiti all her life…

But the stories were always passed down from her dad―and her mom, when she wasn’t too busy with her high-profile newscaster gig. But when Alaine’s life goes a bit sideways, it’s time to finally visit Haiti herself.

What she learns about Haiti’s proud history as the world’s first black republic (with its even prouder people) is one thing, but what she learns about her own family is another. Suddenly, the secrets Alaine’s mom has been keeping, including a family curse that has spanned generations, can no longer be avoided.

It’s a lot to handle, without even mentioning that Alaine is also working for her aunt’s nonprofit, which sends underprivileged kids to school and boasts one annoyingly charming intern.
 


 




Frying Plantain

Kara Davis is a girl caught in the middle — of her North American identity and her desire to be a “true” Jamaican, of her mother and grandmother’s rages and life lessons, of having to avoid being thought of as too “faas” or too “quiet” or too “bold” or too “soft.” Set in a neighbourhood known as “Little Jamaica,” Kara moves from girlhood to the threshold of adulthood, from elementary school to high school graduation, in these twelve interconnected stories. We see her on a visit to Jamaica, startled by the sight of a severed pig’s head in her great-aunt’s freezer; in junior high, the victim of a devastating prank by her closest friends; and as a teenager in and out of her grandmother’s house, trying to cope with the ongoing battles between her unyielding grandparents.

A rich and unforgettable portrait of growing up between worlds, Frying Plantain shows how, in one charged moment, friendship and love can turn to enmity and hate, well-meaning protection can become control, and teasing play can turn to something much darker.







Halsey Street

Penelope Grand has scrapped her failed career as an artist in Pittsburgh and moved back to Brooklyn to keep an eye on her ailing father. She’s accepted that her future won’t be what she’d dreamed, but now, as gentrification has completely reshaped her old neighborhood, even her past is unrecognizable. Old haunts have been razed, and wealthy white strangers have replaced every familiar face in Bed-Stuy. Even her mother, Mirella, has abandoned the family to reclaim her roots in the Dominican Republic. That took courage. It’s also unforgivable.

When Penelope moves into the attic apartment of the affluent Harpers, she thinks she’s found a semblance of family—and maybe even love. But her world is upended again when she receives a postcard from Mirella asking for reconciliation. As old wounds are reopened, and secrets revealed, a journey across an ocean of sacrifice and self-discovery begins.

An engrossing debut, Halsey Street shifts between the perspectives of these two captivating, troubled women. Mirella has one last chance to win back the heart of the daughter she’d lost long before leaving New York, and for Penelope, it’s time to break free of the hold of the past and start navigating her own life.







Unconditionally Mine

Event planner Sofia Silva is hiding a big secret. No one can know that her engagement to her lying, cheating fiancĂ© is over. Until she meets gorgeous, wealthy newcomer Jonathan Gunther. Jon moved to Miami for a legally sinful life of waterfront property, convertibles and no emotional entanglements. When he invites Sofia to lie low at his house, their undeniable attraction explodes…but will her dilemma ruin their chance at forever?





Oh My Gods

She's just moved in with her dorky dad and self-absorbed older siblings - who happen to be the ancient Greek gods, living incognito in London!

Between keeping her family's true identities secret, trying to impress her new friends, and meeting an actually cute boy, Helen's stress levels are higher than Mount Olympus.

She needs to rein in her chaotic family before they blow their cover AND her chances at a half-normal social life.




Allegedly 

Orange Is the New Black meets Walter Dean Myer’s Monster in this gritty, twisty, and haunting debut by Tiffany D. Jackson about a girl convicted of murder seeking the truth while surviving life in a group home.

Mary B. Addison killed a baby.

Allegedly. She didn’t say much in that first interview with detectives, and the media filled in the only blanks that mattered: a white baby had died while under the care of a churchgoing black woman and her nine-year-old daughter. The public convicted Mary and the jury made it official. But did she do it?

There wasn’t a point to setting the record straight before, but now she’s got Ted—and their unborn child—to think about. When the state threatens to take her baby, Mary’s fate now lies in the hands of the one person she distrusts the most: her Momma. No one knows the real Momma. But does anyone know the real Mary?


About Me

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Lover of food and lore. I'm always looking to get lost in my next adventure between the pages. https://ko-fi.com/mswocreader