Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

 

Welcome Back, Booklovers!

I'm back with another one to wrap up the month. And what a month August was. So we all know literary fiction is not my strongest point  but  the Audible 2 for 1 credit sale intrigued me. 

And I tend to stay away from fiction that mentions slavery in depth but I'm trying to broaden my book horizons. I think as Black people we are so used to images of pain and suffering being constantly shown to us in the media that after awhile we just get tired and don't want to see anymore. The audiobook format definitely made the early parts of this story easier to digest. Truth be told if I was reading the physical book I may have put it down and never revisited. It was hard listening to the scenes with the lynchings and beatings.

This book though fictional made me sit back and really reflect on how far Black people have come in this country.  It was very ambitious having the story consist of vignettes of the lives of different people across multiple generations. There was so much history to cover and at times it felt when you were just getting to really grasp certain characters their story was over and it was on to their descendant. 

And as someone who is Black American but not African-American I can say sometimes we don't acknowledge everything Black people in the US went through so that we can live the lives we live today. How the white man went out of his way to rip every little bit of African culture away from away from them in while my people in the Caribbean were able to hold on to pieces of theirs. This year we saw a great recognition for Juneteenth across the country which white people immediately jumped on trying to capitalize upon while Emancipation Day in the Caribbean is a national holiday.

 And this book did touch upon the differences in the diaspora. Though my family is not African but West Indian I grew up going to African celebrations with family friends. The scene in the book where Marjorie encountered the African-American girls who made fun of the way she talked and how she had trouble identifying with them. I felt that otherness of you eat food that we don't eat and don't listen to our type of music when I was a child.  African-Americans cannot pinpoint a specific country as their country of origin like other Black Americans but at the same time they have records of history within the USA that is easier to access than history in Africa and the Caribbean which requires a lot more research.

Colonial Africa is not usually as discussed as it should be even though Africa is still feeling the repercussions. We usually don't sit down and think about it because media usually only tells the story about US slavery but the people in Africa were struggling too. Black people are a very spiritual people but it's rarely talked about how Christianity was used to brainwash people. How the white invaders who call themselves missionaries look at Africans as the lost souls. Effia and Esi both experience abuse and trauma in their lives despite the different paths their lives take. When it is mentioned that Africans were selling slaves to the white man people don't like to mention the wars that took place between the different groups of people. I was not familiar with cassare before reading this story and seeing how pivotal it was here.

This was a truly well told story that I highly recommend not only to educate yourself further but to remember how far Black people have come. 

Interview with Author Debbie Rigaud

 

Welcome Back, Booklovers!

I'm back with another interview as a part of my author interview series. She's been around for awhile now having written for some notable magazines. Or if like me you were reading YA contemporary romance during the early 2000s you may have come across her debut.  Or maybe you're just hearing about her with her recent YA and MG books. You definitely want to keep Debbie Rigaud on your radar though.

What inspired you to become a writer? And what was the experience like writing for magazines like CosmoGirl!(a throwback), Seventeen, Essence, etc? 

 I’ve been writing for as far back as I can remember. It’s always been my impulse. In grammar school, I wrote laughably bad poetry about my friends. And I filled journal after journal, documenting my life. It felt like the most natural thing to do—to the point where I didn’t think of writing as a career. But when I got to my first magazine job, I felt like a lousy writer. Magazine writing allows for personal expression, but you have to still adhere to the brand voice. And for a while, I just couldn’t get that brand voice. My first drafts returned from my editor blood red. It wasn’t until I was assigned a first-person piece (from my POV) that I got to show what stuff my writing is made of. I think I just had been overthinking it, focusing on how different I was from my colleagues, feeling out of my comfort zone in a majority white space. It was hard to break through the cycle of those I’m-so-different thoughts.

Now, I recognize a big part of brand voice is a shared worldview. I also understand that back then, I was having trouble connecting to the particular worldview that bred that particular brand voice. Ironically, today, the first thing editors appreciate about my writing is the voice. That’s because now the brand is me and folks like me. Now the worldview I write from is my own and my community’s worldview. And even though I may not always love my first drafts, I am so much more confident in them.

It’s worth investigating our insecurities on a macro level as well as the usual micro level. That way we won’t be so hard on ourselves.

 

We’re seeing more Black books in mainstream YA now. What was your experience like when you were debuting your standalone novel Perfect Shot? For those who don’t know it was part of the popular Simon Romantic comedies series.

 

Yes, many people aren’t aware that I am not a debut author. Although, my time away from publishing stretched so long, I feel like I’m starting over again. When you told me you enjoyed PERFECT SHOT back in the day, I was delighted you knew about it. Yes, the climate was different when that book came out. I was the first Black author to publish in the Simon Pulse Romantic Comedies series. And PERFECT SHOT was the first of the series to feature a Black protagonist. I was very proud to bring London Abrams, a Black sporty girl character to the cannon, and I felt embraced by the SPRC author community. But the experience followed a pattern that’s played out in my life. I thought back to my teens when I worked at a local women’s clothing store. One customer there complained that all the cashiers (who worked side by side on a tall, lighted, elevated platform) were white. In anger, my manager marched out to the floor—where all the Black and Brown girls worked—pointed right at me and barked, “Debbie, you’re on register!” I’m a smiley, friendly people-person so I was his safe choice. Maybe he thought I’d be the stereotypical whitewashed token. LOL. But you only have to spend time with me to know I love my people deeply and I roll deep spiritually. Whatever I do reflects that, and hopefully my people especially benefit from the elevated platforms I reach in my career.

 

Truly Madly Royally was very much inspired by Meghan and Harry’s relationship. What made you decide to write that story?

 

The curiosity and excitement surrounding Meghan and Harry’s engagement, and around the idea of a Brown princess was too good to pass up. From Black Twitter to Joy Ann Reid’s podcast, the aunties and sister-friends were buzzing about this royal romance, and I couldn’t get enough of everyone’s reaction posts. Happily, Aimee Friedman at Scholastic POINT loved my teaser of the inspired-by story I dreamed up, and she invited me to tell Zora and Owen’s story in full.

How would Zora and Owen deal with the current pandemic?

 

Without a doubt, Zora would be making sure the kids in her Walk Me Home program had everything they needed during quarantine. She’d probably be delivering meals and offering socially distant tutoring somewhere outdoors. Owen would be using this time to write short stories as well as to grow into his new student reporter role. Of course, Owen and Zora would be on marathon video chats. And I just know Owen would do a drive by in a Men-in-Black-chauffered car, just to give Zora flowers or deliver her favorite ice cream. 😊

 

Does your Haitian heritage often influence your writing?

 

It does if you consider the steady diet of oral storytelling I grew up consuming. My family are a lively bunch, and when they tell stories, they tell it with their entire bodies. From my grandparents to my aunties and uncles, everyone is quick-witted like you wouldn’t believe. Humor plays a huge part of their stories and their survival, and so my writing reflects that. Aside from the personal anecdotes, there are all these mythological and folkloric tales—so much magical realism, spiritual lore. And they spark so many of my ideas!

 

You also lived in Bermuda for a while. What was that like?

 

Yes! My husband got a job out there right after our wedding. Bermuda is gorgeous, pristine, welcoming. Bermudians are a proud people, and I was fascinated by their history and their heritage. Look up the gombeys to see a traditional dance that the island celebrates every chance they get. Of course, while we were living there, we had so many houseguests from home. Family, friends and even acquaintances came to visit “us.” Lol! I still can’t believe I used to live walking distance from a powdery, pink-sand beach and turquoise waters. Thinking of my time there reminds me of the lyrics to that Mary J Blige song, “You Are My Everything”—"You take me away from the pain/And you bring me paradise.” I lost my mom and grandparents and my soulmate of a godmother within the year I got married and moved to Bermuda.

 

You also co-write the Hope series with Alyssa Milano. What has that been like?

 

It’s been amazing. I love getting to work with a dedicated activist like Alyssa on a series centering a big-hearted, compassionate, smart character like Hope. Through Hope’s adventures, young readers can learn about how interconnected we are as citizens, and about our need to actively care about each other, our communities and of course the planet. I love that Hope isn’t perfect—she’s impulsive, makes mistakes, and she has a lot of fumbles. But she leans on her family and friends to untie the knots she gets herself into. In the back pages, we offer resources and tips. The next HOPE book releases October, and in it Hope runs for class president.

What is your writing process like?

 

I’m a mix of a pantser and a planner. I write a brief synopsis for the book, from beginning to end. The entire synopsis is about five to eight pages. I used to also write a chapter outline, offering a short (two to three sentence) summary for each chapter. But lately, my synopsis has been so detailed, I just use that as an outline. I also refer to notes I’ve written up about the character or the A and B plots. These are notes I jot down whenever inspiration strikes. They are usually notes that help me color the character’s personalities. Also, I write in bursts. I can’t write zero words for days straight and 2,000 words another day. I can’t say I’m one of those authors who writes daily and diligently. I’ve tried, and maybe I’ll keep attempting to be that writer. But for now, this is what I’m working with.

 

 

Who are some of your favorite Black writers?

 

Lately, I’ve been reading a lot of Middle Grade. Nnedi Okorafor, Jewell Parker Rhodes, Rita Williams Garcia and Christopher Paul Curtis. Now that I think of it, a lot of that those reads have been historical fiction. And it just so happens, Varian Johnson—another awesome MG author—wrote a great piece in the NYTimes about historical fiction that doesn’t center on Black pain, but uplifts even as it teaches hard truths about the brutalities in our history. I certainly felt uplifted reading these stories. I’m a big fan of Christopher Paul Curtis because he uses humor in the way I love.

 

What books have been your favorite 2020 reads so far?

 

In 2020, I’ve been reading lots of 2019 reads I needed to catch up on. My TBR list is so long because there’s so much amazingness out there. But for 2020, I’m bursting with pride for Leah Johnson’s YOU SHOULD SEE ME IN A CROWN and the YA response in this election year comes in the forms of RUNNING by Natalia Sylvester (great read!!) and Brandy Colbert’s VOTING BOOTH (my next read!). RAYBEARER by Jordan Ifueko is what’s in front of me now. As far as awesome MG releases this year, I loved KEEP IT TOGETHER KEIKO CARTER by Debbi Michiko Florence, GHOST SQUAD by Caribel Ortega, and FROM THE DESK OF ZOE WASHINGTON by Janae Marks.  

 

Are you able to talk about any upcoming projects?

Yes, I’m excited to shout about my upcoming YA rom-com, SIMONE BREAKS ALL THE RULES. I comp it as “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” for prom, but it’s getting lots of comparison to the Netflix series “Never Have I Ever,” which I love. It’s loosely based on my upbringing as an overprotected teen, and there is humor and cultural pride and cringe moments, plus a slow burn romance with a dreamy boy. I hope everyone loves meeting sheltered Simone as she and her similarly-screwed friends set out to create a senior bucket list as a way to win back independence from their families. It comes out summer 2021, and please look out for the cover reveal, because it is everythannnnnggg!!! It’s really wild that we have to be this excited every time a publisher is willing to put a dark-skinned girl’s image on a cover. But hopefully, with enough of these images on shelves every season finding a supportive general audience, it won’t be as unusual. 😊

Follow Debbie on Twitter @debbierigaud and purchase her books for the pre-teens and teens in your life.

When No One is Watching by Alyssa Cole

 

Welcome Back, Booklovers! I'm back with another review and this time I decided to read something different and pick up a suspense book. First I'd like to thank William Morrow/ HarperCollins Publishers for sending me this book for review. 

I was excited to read this book. So many people gave it much praise and claimed I just had to read it. And the premise was so interesting. A thriller tackling gentrification in Brooklyn sounded like a fun read. The beginning is slow. So slow I thought I was going to put it down at one point as I was several chapters in and felt no connection to the dual leads or minor characters. And the leads had similar voices at first that I didn't realize it was dual perspective until Chapter 3 and had to go back and reread.  So our female lead is Sydney, a Black woman who not long ago moved back to the neighborhood fresh from a divorce. The male lead is Theo a white guy who recently moved into the neighborhood with his girlfriend after buying a house together before shit hit the fan in their relationship. 

The pacing for this story was very odd. I don't read a lot of thrillers but I came into this expecting something more thrilling. I wanted a more steady pace that kept my heart pumping. Nothing happened for the first 30% and then it would stop and start going forward before the very last portion of the story where the events were kicked into overdrive.

And if you aren't also a fan of romantic suspense then this isn't for you. I don't mind romantic suspense but I find that the romance part often takes over the suspense part. This book would have some interesting tidbits but then the romance would take place. And I felt nothing for the romance. Why is a book where we spend so much time talking about the evil white people gentrifying the neighborhood, does our leading lady fall for the somewhat naive white guy gentrifying the neighborhood? Oh, but he's not like those caricature white folks in the neighborhood. He's not super woke but he's eager to learn! There's was also a very detailed sex scene that would've been very sensual for a romance but felt too in depth for this story especially after the big reveal that happened prior. Why must we always shoehorn interracial forbidden romance into our stories?

I will give Alyssa Cole her props for doing a lot of research on the history of Brooklyn and how Black people were forced out of the neighborhoods during different periods of history. Unfortunately at times it felt more like a history lesson and very heavy handed. Some light history was needed and helps build the background of the story. Plus that was time we could have instead gotten familiar with the current Black residents of Gifford Place. I didn't really care as they were pushed out of the neighborhood because Sydney barely felt close to them herself. I don't need to like the characters in a book to enjoy it but I do need to feel some form of attachment. 

I liked how the discussions from the neighborhood app OurHood were inserted. The conversations on there were the only time I really felt a sense of community. And many neighborhoods that white folks inhabit including my own though I've never checked it out do have those apps. Because even the rare times they came together as neighbors it didn't feel like they were truly close knit.

The white villains were caricatures who were so blatantly obvious with their intentions it was eye rolling. Central Park Karen um I mean Kim was too much too soon and she set the tone for the evil white folks we would encounter in this story. And the last section of the book started feeling really dystopian to me which while entertaining was odd because that wasn't the tone throughout. 

I really do think this had potential to be a great story befitting of all the rave reviews but it didn't quite come together for me the way I would've liked. It was a decent first attempt at romantic suspense for Alyssa Cole and I wish it would've been marketed that way to set expectations. 

The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Philyaw

 

Welcome Back, Booklovers! Now ya'll know I have a love hate relationship with short story collections. And then I see a diverse short story collection and I must try reading it. And Greenleaf just wrapped so you know I needed my fix of Church related messiness. Plus 192 pages ain't bad at all so I figured let me try something different for a change. Thank you West Virginia University Press and Netgalley for the opportunity in exchange for an honest review.

"And if you're going to quote Scripture, quote the whole thing."

Now literary fiction isn't my favorite genre but I like to switch things up and step out of my comfort zone sometimes. And this anthology was one of the better written ones I've come across. These stories explore womanhood, faith, race, and sexuality.  Each one features a woman or girl breaking free of the unhealthy doctrines put upon Black woman in the name of faith. 

Now I know when we think of church ladies we often think of older women dressed to the nines in big brimmed hats patting their bibles, stamping their feet, and passing judgment left and right. Those women are present to but they aren't the leads in these stories. 

One of the longer stories Jael features a girl lusting after the preacher's wife. And her granny is one of those righteous old women. Not sure I buy a good Christian woman just picking names out of the Bible for her children without knowing the story behind them. But this is what she did and now she's trying to pray the wickedness out of young Jael. Her grandbaby who writes her lusty thoughts in her diary and hangs out with the fast girl down the street who messes around with grown men. 

My favorite stories were Dear Sister Dear Jackie which was a letter from one sister to another she'd never met detailing how she and the other sister buried their deadbeat father. How one sister feels they should only talk about their father with honor because the Bible said so and how she refuses to acknowledges his faults. How the best bond he gave them was the one they have with each other and the grandmother they spent summers with.

Snowfall where a woman reminisces about her life down South in the warmth where Sunday services and crab boils prevailed compared to her life now where snowfalls heavy and she wakes up extra early to shovel snow. The life where her lesbian lover seems to be drifting away from her. Where she finds herself yearning to reach out to her mother who has disowned her due to her lifestyle not fitting her strong Christian values.

Peach Cobbler where a teen girl reflects on her mother's long going affair with the reverend of the local church. How her mother would bake him the best peach cobbler he ever had while never letting her have one bite. The neglect she felt as her mother put forth more effort into taking care of this man with his own family vs her daughter whom she couldn't bother to muster up affection for.

This anthology is a love letter to the Black women who grew up down south sipping sun tea, watching The Young & the Restless with their mothers, attending Church every Sunday and bible study every Wednesday. The women who spent afternoons in the kitchen learning to fry chicken to perfect and bake a peach cobbler with the flakiest of crusts.  

Now I'm a proud Christian woman myself but I don't agree with everything people use the Bible to justify their wrongdoings. And this story calls you to look beyond your image of those "good Christian women" to see the multifaceted ladies before you. 

And if you're a good Saint who loves both the close bonds, sense of community and messiness the Black church has to offer this book is for you too.

A River of Royal Blood by Amanda Joy

 

Welcome Back Booklovers,

I've read some really solid fantasy this year by Black authors that really immersed me into the world and made me feel. This was not one of those fantasies.This was one of the driest fantasies if not the driest fantasy I've read all year!

To start in the blurb this was described as inspired by North African culture? Where? No seriously, where? Because I barely saw West African influence and after reading books like A Song of Wraiths and Ruin this year which did a great job blending things from different worlds and showing the inspiration they took from North African culture this one just fell flat. I was expecting rich descriptions of food and festivals and traditions. This was just giving me generic fantasy world vibes throughout. Even the dancing scene early on just felt uninspired and wasn't giving me the tension and the chemistry I expected.

I wanted to care about these characters but I just didn't. The lead Evalina or Eva for short is destined to be queen but first she must fight her sister Isadore to the death per tradition. It sounds interesting doesn't it? We're subject to reminiscing many times about how things used to be better between Eva and her sister before they learned the truth about rival heirs. 

I felt like much of this story was full of info-dump and Eva's whining about not being able to control her magic and being compared to Queen Raina. I know teen princess and privileged means yes at times she's going to be whiny but I didn't find it very balanced. Nothing really stood out about Eva beyond her magick. She was just the good princess afraid of her magic because of the potential she had to ruin lives with it. She was so afraid of history repeating itself through her though she never actually studied the history to avoid those mistakes which is something pointed out to her. 

The most interesting thing was probably the different races that comprise this world which are humans, fey, bloodkin, and khimaer. Of the four only humans, bloodkin, and fey are allowed to live freely in the capital with each having their own sector.

I felt some slight colorism tones in the way they kept emphasizing how light the mother is and how light Isa and their beauty in comparison to Eva. And then the mother favors Isa who resembles her more looks and personality wise. On top of that I wanted more from the sister dynamics. Maybe it would've been better if this story was dual pov and we got to see why Isa treated her sister like trash earlier on.

I think the only reason I got through this instead of DNFing was because I listened to the audiobook alongside it even though the narration was dull.  The narrator was definitely not doing her best to sell this story. The big events just felt glossed over with little impact when I was expecting my world to be rocked. There seemed to be a lot of redundancy with the assassination attempts and then training and preparation for the name day ceremony. To be honest by the end I didn't give a damn about any of these characters. 

Why did she have more chemistry with her teacher Bacca than Aketo? And if you hate insta-love in these stories then watch out for the relationship between Eva and Aketo because one minute they were fighting the next they were in love. This was the worst shoe-horned romance I've come across in a long time. Where did they make the leap? Where was the build up? 

You might like this book if you are a fan of books about fae/fey. I'm actually surprised that Penguin Teen didn't market that aspect of this story more to that crowd. 

If you're looking for an African inspired fantasy that takes you on a magical journey I suggest reading my review of A Song of Wraiths and Ruins instead and pick up that book. Or read the newly released Raybearer. Both take you on a journey that keeps you enthralled.

Now That I've Found You by Kristina Forest

 

Welcome Back, Booklovers! I'm back with another book review. You might remember my interview with Kristina Forest earlier this year where we talked about her experiencing writing this book, Old Black Hollywood, and NYC. 

This was the perfect way to wind down after a heavier read. I enjoyed Kristina Forest's debut I Wanna Be Where You Are last summer and I think I loved this one even more. Set in NYC this story follows a young actress Evie Jones who has just graduated high school and got the role of her dreams leading a major movie. Evie has always dreamed in following in her grandmother's footsteps and becoming a big star. And with her parents being famous in their own right for their documentaries she has a big legacy to live up to. But unfortunately a jealous frenemy sabotages her and she's blacklisted. Now Evie is left scrambling to try and salvage the pieces of her career. And she's hoping her grandmother famed actress Evelyn Conaway will help her do so. The problem is Evelyn Conaway turned her back on Hollywood awhile back and isn't interested in a return. 

So Evie shows up on her Gigi's doorstep intent on making sure they both attend the ceremony for a prestigious Lifetime achievement award that the academy has decided to bestow upon her. But her Gigi is different from the last time they were together. And she's suspicious of this young musician named Milo who has moved in and pretty much become a member of the family. Is he using her grandmother? And before Evie can get her grandmother on board with her plans to revive her career they get into a big argument. The next morning Gigi has disappeared with a vague note saying she'll return.

Evie and Milo trek around the city meeting up with close old friends of her's as they try to figure out where she would've gone.  They attend a charity art gala, a movie premiere party, and the performance that could be the big break that Milo's band needs. 

I liked that as the days go by Evie has to reflect on the things she really wants. Why is she so obsessed with comparing herself to her parents and grandmother?

Evelyn Conaway reminds me of the likes of Eartha Kitt, Lena Horne, and Diahann Carroll she's  sophisticated and glamorous. I enjoyed not only seeing and hearing about her from Evie's perspective but also's Milo's as well. I really liked how she took him in and brought him into her circle during a time when he really needed support. And I also like how she gives Evie sound advice about knowing who she is outside of the fancy career she wants to have. You can see her longing to reconnect with her distant granddaughter.

It's a classic teen rom-com sure to make you feel good. And I liked seeing two Black teens fall in love without trauma threatening to tear them apart. They have their obstacles to overcome but it doesn't feel like the whole world is against them ready to see them fail. 

Thank You, Kristina Forest for sending me an advanced copy of this charming book!

Interview with Author Jordan Ifueko

 

Welcome Back, Booklovers!

I'm continuing my interview series by introducing you to a debut author. I've already read and reviewed her book Raybearer earlier this year. It was one of my five star reads and an absolute gem after a series of disappointing reads. I had been picking up every African inspired YA fantasy released recently and this stood out to me. It did end up getting pushed back because of lockdown so I'm glad this book is finally being released to the rest of the world. I was lucky enough to do an interview with Jordan Ifueko in time for Raybearer's release as apart of the Raybearer blog tour.

Congratulations on your upcoming debut during this time of uncertainty and unrest. How would Tarasai tackle surviving a pandemic?

Thank you! Tarisai would initially sit anxiously on her hands in a bunker with her council siblings, trying to convince herself she isn’t supposed to take charge of the situation. Then her frustration at how the pandemic is being handled would boil over. She would eventually  start a local coup, perhaps committing some light treason to upend the government powers that be and replace them with something that actually saves lives.

What research did you do when writing Raybearer? And how did your culture specifically inspire this story?

Raybearer is the sum of all my cultural and personal influences! I sourced folktales and customs from my West African parents and extended family, and incorporated their storytelling styles and even some of their childhood games. I did plenty of academic research as well. When it comes to academic sources on pre-colonial African, the trouble is always finding sources that aren’t from a racist lens. I also had fun reading up on the myriad of other cultures that inspire Raybearer, which range from Joseon period Korea to Bedouin travel caravans.

Since your story is West African inspired did you feel a pressure to include certain elements like the actual Orisha god system in your story?

I actually felt fairly free to craft my own religious systems in Raybearer, since there’s a lot of religious and cultural diversity in West Africa and always has been! In general however, there is a pressure to over-emphasize one’s Blackness or Africanness in stories because it makes one’s work easier to categorize from a white publisher’s perspective, and I did hate that. Many authors from minority groups are expected to make their stories into veiled educational primers for outsiders to learn about their cultural background, and that isn’t fair--we should be free both and represent ourselves and to let our imaginations run wild. In any case, I am, like most people, a blend of many cultural influences, and had to work against pressure to put myself in a box.

The Lady is a very multifaceted character. I’m not sure whether to feel sorry for her or root for her. What was the inspiration behind her character?

The Lady shows what happens when a marginalized person tries to empower themselves by mimicking the oppressive system that marginalized them in the first place, rather than dismantling the system itself. The sad thing is, she started off very innocent, but trauma whittled away her values to little more than a sense of self-preservation. The Lady has a deep, deep capacity for love, but it’s wrapped up in this fear of intimacy that keeps getting in her way. She becomes strikingly like the person she’s trying to take down, which often happens when we act of hurt and fear.

I thought you showcased love in a very refreshing way. Did you ever feel like you had to write a big romance since YA fantasy often features star-crossed couples and love triangles?

This is a funny question, because I absolutely tried to fit into that mold when I first wrote RAYBEARER! I tried to force a love triangle in early, early drafts and couldn’t figure out why it wasn’t working. Then I realized that what drew two certain people together had nothing to do with romantic bonds, and I was doing a disservice to just how earthshaking friendships can be.

Were you able to listen to the audiobook yet?

I have almost finished both the US and UK audiobooks! The readers, Joniece Abbot-Pratt and Weruche Opia, both did a fantastic job.

Who are some of your favorite Black authors?

N.K Jemisin, Chimimanda Ngozi Achidie, Angie Thomas, and Kwame Mbalia all have work I’ve loved to revisit over and over again.

Follow Jordan on Twitter @jifueko and buy her book!

Holding Myself Accountable: A September ARC TBR

 

Welcome Back, Booklovers!

It's about to be a very BLACK September. Your girl may have gone a tad bit overboard with the arc requesting and accepting for the September books. But best believe when I put my mind to something I do it. And I plan on reading and reviewing all of these books so get ready for a content heavy September. I'm reading Black books across the spectrum!  I've got YA Fantasy, YA Contemporary, Fantasy, Mystery, MG Horror, MG Contemporary, and MG Fantasy. 

Master of Poisons by Andrea Hairston

 

Legendborn by Tracy Deonn 

 

Never Look Back by Lilliam Rivera

Hide and Seeker by Daka Hermon

 

And Now She's Gone by Rachel Howzell Hall

 

Maya and the Rising Dark by Rena Barron

 

 Everybody Looking by Candice Iloh

Ties that Tether by Jane Igharo

The Record Keeper by Agnes Gomillion

 

Welcome Back Booklovers!

I'm back with a sci-fi read. And no it's not YA even though the characters are young. Just figured I'd point that out since people love to incorrectly label sci-fi and fantasy stories by women authors are YA when they don't do that to men. But that's a whole other discussion we can get into on Book Twitter. I know some of you aren't reading any type of dystopian fiction right now but I still encourage you if those types of books are normally your wave to add it to your TBR. 

I really enjoyed this book. And I fully back Wayne Brady's campaign to make this into a movie because it would truly be epic. I actually decided to get both the audiobook and a physical copy of this book and it was a good decision. The narrator was solid and made it very easy to jump between mediums.

The Record Keeper follows Arika Cobane who lives in an area in the post World War III Earth called Kongo. She's been training for 10 years to become a record keeper and keep the history records of her people. She's nearing the end of her schooling and hoping to become a Senator of the Assembly. This post-apocalyptic world consists of the remains of what is  formerly America split into three distinct territories with The English in the north; The Clayskin in the central area; and The Kongo in the south. Each faction has an Assembly of elected Senators to guide them following the rules laid out in the agreement called the Niagara Compromise. 

I enjoyed how the author parallels the house negro vs the field negro with the first and second brother. You have the people who are chosen from birth to be record keepers and taught in fancy schools run by white people. And then you also have the laborers who do the backbreaking agriculture work. But this also isn't as simplified as the mixed light-skinned people got to go to school and become record keepers either which I was glad for.  Though featurism is at play and there are some more fair skinned record keepers. Looks aren't often described in this story in clear detail but our protagonist Arika is not mixed and she is described as medium brown in complexion. In the Kongo Classification section of the Niagara Compromise two brothers  are described each as dark as the other. However one is described as having a narrow nose and more intellect while the other is described as having a a heavy nostril and being more brutish in mind. The first brother rules the second brother. The record keeper's role is to keep the workers in their place in the fields. 

Arika experiences heavy trauma as a child upon entering the school that breaks her rebellious spirit. To counteract said trauma she becomes the model student inciting the doctrines to the point where she actually starts convincing herself that the doctrines are valid. Through this story we see her awakening as she finally looks beyond her privilege  and realizes the suffering her people are facing. She gains an understanding of how the Niagara Compromise freely lists all of the darker skinned Kongo's supposed weaknesses but lists very few for the white skinned English. She also knew the school textbooks censored history but she did not truly understand to the extent.

The Record Keeper is a solid dystopian tale full of twists and strong but not overly complex world building that will have you craving for more. And since a second book is releasing next year I'm curious to see how things continue. 

Tips to Get Over a Reading Slump

 

Welcome Back Booklovers!

Many of us are still working from home and some of you are still under quarantine. I know it's tough keeping your focus on anything lately. I find right now it's very easy to fall into a reading slump. So here are my tips for how to avoid it.

1. Put DOWN that book that's boring you! Life is too short to read boring books. And unless you're like me and doing reviews on books I say don't be afraid to DNF! I damn near went into a reading slump multiple times this year trying to struggle through a slow paced book where the plot went nowhere.

2. Change Genres! I don't know about you but if I read too many books from the same genre back to back I start to get bored because the books start feelings alike. Changing categories might help too. If you usually read YA in your favorite genre maybe you should try reading adult or middle grade instead. 

3. Do a Buddy Read! Doesn't it just make the reading experience much better when you have someone to gush or rant with about what your reading? Try reading with a friend whether it's a friend you meet online or one of you're close friends from your offline life.

4. Read a novella! If your favorite genre has novellas it might benefit you to read something shorter. If you are subscribed I suggest you search Kindle Unlimited for 90-Minute Literature & Fiction Short Reads if you don't mind e-reading. Even if you don't have Kindle Unlimited they're usually pretty cheap in price.

5. Listen to an audiobook. It takes awhile to get used to and the right genre and narrator but listening to audiobooks can be very enjoyable. For me unfortunately I can't really multi-task too much and pay attention so I prefer to just lay back and listen.

6. Stop reading hyped books! Ever pick up that book that everyone is talking about only for it to be a disappointment? Sometimes we need to disregard the hyped new releases and pick up something from the backlist.

Love in Colour by Bolu Babalola

Welcome Back, Booklovers.

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC from Headline Publishing of Love in Colour for an honest review. It releases in the UK on August 20th and releases in the US next year.  Now I know in the past I've said I'm not the biggest fan of retellings but this anthology intrigued me because it includes retellings of West African folklore as well. 

The first story is called Oshun and is inspired by the Yoruba river goddess and her relationship with Shango, god of thunder and lightning. While I had heard of them I'm not too familiar with their story. In Trinidad Shango is a religion that incorporates elements of Yoruba religion as well as spiritual baptism. And there was a bit of a stigma against some of their rituals that several family members have talked about. Having never really looked deep into their story this was a nice gateway. 

The next story is Scheherazade which is very loosely inspired by the storyteller from 1001 Arabian Nights. This story didn't leave much of an impression on me. I felt like it just moved along from scene to scene but I didn't feel for this one. 

The third story Psyche is based on the story of Psyche and Eros but set in the corporate fashion magazine world. In the story they navigate the workplace with Eros's sister Venus as Psyche's tyrannical boss.  I thought it did a good job telling the story of an office friendship blossoming into more.

The next story is Attem. Attem seduces King Offiong to settle her parent's debts. The King is a cruel man however she knows how to stroke his ego and get more free reign to move about the city compared to the other wives. While she is out in the marketplace she spots Ituen and soon invites him to her chambers. I wouldn't really classify this as a love story. More like a lusty entanglement. It did inspire me to look up the original myth Ituen and the King's Wife.

Yaa is a story about a young professional in a relationship that's more of a convenience. He's old money, she's new money and they run in the same circles so it makes perfect sense for them to be together. But does she actually love Kofi? And why is she putting up with his bullshit? Are his connections really worth it? And what about the relationship she left behind? This was the most real feeling of all the stories. It was inspired by The Princess' Wedding.

The next story, Siya is about a warrior woman defending her home Wagadou from The Snake Man. Though Siya wants to put of a wall of defense and remain the strong unnerving lead at all times Maadi pushes her to let her guard down. This story felt very lengthy to me and I didn't quite feel the chemistry between this couple. The descriptions of them coming together were very wordy too and the language felt less poetic then it's intention. This is based on a lesser known Ancient African Civilization called the Soninke. 

Nefertiti is a re-imagining of the Queen herself as a notorious gangster running a gentleman's lounge that also serves as a hub for anti-government activity and trains women to be guerrilla warriors. This was my favorite story in the anthology. It was paced well and just the right length. And unlike some of the stories it showed more than it told and I was entranced in the story. 

Naleli is a story about a girl learning to love herself again and be comfortable in her own body despite it's imperfections. She suffers from vitiligo and her peers do nothing to ease her pain often comparing her to a cow. The romance was sweet and I loved the overall theme and self love and friendship that was present.

Zhinu is a rising musician with an overbearing momanger determined to make her a superstar. It is based off a story called The Cowhead and the Weaver Girl.  It reminded me of Beyond the Lights since Zhinu is a manufactured popstar singing the sexualized music she doesn't want to sing vs her own original music.

Thisbe is a Thisbe and Pyramus retelling set in modern times. This one was too heavy on the pop culture references for me and I found myself being pulled out of the story. The length also didn't help because for me it droned on.

New Tales Tiara is about Tiara who runs a popular advice based Twitter account and has currently written a memoir. She reflects on a past love who is back in town. She compares herself to the woman he hooked up with after her. She remembers how they pulled apart from each and the directions their careers went in after. How they're still connected through their best friends who are in a relationship together. I didn't really care for this story either because it felt like for them to work out everything had to be on her terms with no real compromise.

Orin takes place in Bixton on a Friday night where our main characrer is on the date from hell. This was another story of modern love in the age of social media where sliding into the DMs on Instagram in the way to link up. 

And to conclude the anthology we have Alagomeji which is an original story based on our author's parents. 

This anthology switched from stories that felt contemporary to stories that felt like fantasy. While the overall theme was love the tone of some stories was vastly different than the tone of other stories. In some the romance was strong while in some the friendship was stronger. Some stories clicked with me more than others. I found her retellings of myths to be strong additions than her originals. I'm not a big fan of too many pop culture references and slang so the ones that were heavy on the 2020 slang and references weren't my favorite. Some of those read like an article of  a Twitter thread.  It was nice to read an anthology form the UK perspective for once and from the British Nigerian perspective. 

Interview with Author Kereen Getten

Welcome Back Booklovers!

As always I try to put some new books on your radar and introduce you to some Black authors who deserve attention. And I love supporting my fellow West Indians across the diaspora. Today's author is Jamaican born debut author Kereen Getten whose middle grade book When Life Gives You Mangos, got quite a lot of buzz at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair in 2019. A six figure deal for the US rights and a 4 way auction for the UK and Commonwealth rights. 

What was it like growing up in Jamaica and then moving to the United Kingdom? Was there a bit of a culture shock?

I was quite a shy child, but what I remember of Jamaica was mostly on the hill we lived that overlooked our fishing town and had a beautiful view of the sea. We didn't venture down from that hill much. I remember spending a lot of time listening to adults gossip on the veranda, playing ring games and walking to school with my sister. It was a small and close knit community. A lot of them were family and like family, sometimes we got on, sometimes we didn’t. I came to England when I was seven years old and it was a definite culture shock. The houses, the people, the weather, the food! It all took some time to get used to. But the biggest shock was realizing the colour of my skin was going to be an issue, and it was the first time I experienced racism. It was also the first time I experienced snow and tried to eat it!

What is your favorite Jamaican dish?

Curry goat and white rice. I love fried dumplings too. I would have that with any meal if I could!

What inspired you to write When Life Gives You Mangos? And why was it important to write a middle grade story specifically? 

I wanted to write a story about friendship and how important it can be to anyone but especially at that age. I also wanted to write a love letter to my home town in Jamaica. I didn’t have any stories about people that looked like me growing up and I really wanted our stories to be told alongside everyone else's.

There was no great decision to make it MG. It just happened that way.

What was the biggest challenge while writing your debut novel?

My biggest challenge was finding the story. I knew I wanted to write about friendships and I knew I wanted to write about Jamaica, but it took me some time and lots of writing and rewriting to figure out what that story would be.

As a Black writer have you ever felt a push to write a certain way?

I have been quite lucky to find people in the industry that have supported my story and the way I tell it. But there were of course times when I had to explain that certain things in my story were normal for my culture even though it wasn’t for others and that was frustrating at times.

Have you found your own community of authors online? 

I am not good at talking online. Social media and I have a love-hate relationship, but I have always had a tiny group of writer friends I could go to. More recently I have been finding authors from the Caribbean and it has enriched my online experience as they have been so supportive.

Are there any Caribbean authors you recommend?

Yes, Shakirah Bourne has a MG book coming out in 2021 called Me Against The Sea and Callie Browning has a book out now called The Girl With The Hazel Eyes.

What are your favorite genres to read and write?

I love reading thrillers and Mysteries and I guess that seems to seep into my writing too.

Other than your own is there a book you would love to see adapted to a movie?

Yes, Dread Nation by Justina Ireland. When I read it I imagined it as a movie.

How has it been promoting your book during a pandemic? Have you been invited to any virtual events?

It’s my first book so I don’t know any different. I imagine most of it would be online anyway with or without Covid, but also bookstores and publishing have really adapted with virtual events.

I do have a few virtual events coming up. Most have not been confirmed yet, but I am doing a workshop in September with WOWCon Saturday September 26th 9pm (GMT) on finding an authentic child-like voice for your character.

Are you working on any new projects at the moment?

I have just finished an historical project (also MG) and I am currently writing my second contemporary Jamaica based MG book.

Follow Kereen Getten on Twitter @kereengetten

Vanessa Yu's Magical Paris Tea Shop by Roselle Lim

Welcome Back, booklovers!

I decided to read this because it was for Download on Edelweiss and the premise sounded cute. And how cute it was. I would definitely describe it more as women's fiction vs rom-com though because while there was a romance this was more about the journey of discovery. If you like light-hearted stories with a touch of magical realism then this is the book for you.

This book is great if you ever dream of going to Paris and having the art loving and culinary adventure of a lifetime. Vanessa Yu and her aunt love to eat. In fact her whole family loves to eat and this book had me craving everything from Peking duck to sweet crepes and prosciutto pizza. They eat so don't go into this book without a snack ready.

But Vanessa has a special ability she was born with that allows her to see other people's futures and it sometimes causes problems. When Vanessa sees a fortune she can't help but blurt it out like when she ruins her cousin's wedding after foreseeing her divorced within a year. Ashamed and struggling to deal with this gift that she's convinced is ruining her life she and her family decide she needs a vacation. So she's spending time in Paris with the other family fortune teller her tea selling aunt Evelyn. 

From there her adventure begins which includes eating her way through Paris, wearing fashionable clothes, and sketching at historic sites. Not to mention a cute expat willing to show her around the city.

I do wish the book would've gotten more into how people react to Vanessa blurting out their futures. We got to see her reactions but not there's. Of course her family was used to her and would accept it but she would have encounters with strangers like the man who was planning to propose to his girlfriend and no one really questioned her.  People were coming in for a cup of tea and getting told their family member would die!

I also didn't like how she was pushing her aunt to rekindle a romance with a man who she knew nothing about who also had a friend who launched a racist/xenophobic campaign against the tea shop. 

Overall this was a cute romance that would be good for a rainy day read curled up under a blanket with a cup of hot tea.

**Closed** 800 Followers Giveaway!

Welcome Back, Booklovers!

I said if I hit 800 followers on my Twitter page I would host another giveaway. I did one at the beginning of the pandemic and those winners have since received those books so it's time for another.  But I wanted to switch things up this time and do a mystery giveaway. So I'll be picking two winners to gift the books of my choice. I won't reveal the books until I announce the winners but they'll be by Black authors. So to enter you have to be following me on Twitter and drop you're handle in the comment section of this post along with the title of my favorite blog post of yours. This giveaway is open international and will ship via Book Depository. Winners will be chosen on August 7th 2020.