Forgotten Gems of 2020

 

I read over 100 books this year which is something I'm very proud of. But when you read so many books during the year some leave an impression on you more than others. That doesn't mean the rest were bad books. Just not my top reads. So I present to you my forgotten gems of 2020.

Never Look Back by Lilliam Rivera was a retelling of  Orpheus and Eurydice and a great blend of magical realism that captured the spirit of the Bronx through two Afro-Latinx teens. 

All the Things We Never Knew by Liara Tamani is a solid Black YA romance in the vein of Love & Basketball. At first I thought this would just be about instant love but it ended up being so much more.

A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Roseanne Brown was everything I wanted in Children of Blood and Bone but did not get. It's a lush African inspired fantasy that blended different cultures and civilizations. The magic system was intriguing without being overly vague.

The Voting Booth by Brandy Colbert was a cute story about two teens and the importance of casting your vote. It came just in time for this year's election. One of the things I liked most about it was that it truly felt like a book for teens.

Something About You by Bridget Anderson is a sweet summer romance set on an organic farm in Kentucky. Perfect if you like small town romance.

Mirage by Somaiya Daud had beautiful writing and great narration for the audiobook and I didn't want to stop listening.  It was compelling and fast paced.

The Record Keeper by Agnes Gomillan is a compelling dystopian set in a post World War III society.

Hide and Seeker by Daka Hermon gives the classic children's game a scary twist. If  you break the rules during the game it opens up a gateway to a nightmarish world. 

Ghost Squad by Claribel Ortega is the perfect Halloween read for kids. It has just the right amount of family and magic.

A Spy in the Struggle by Aya de Leon

 

Welcome Back, Booklovers! It's been a couple of months since I read a suspense novel and A Spy in the Struggle peaked my interest.  I actually won and arc in a BookishFirst giveaway but the way the mail has been set up it still has not arrived so I was able to get an e-arc from Kensington Books in exchange for review. 

Yolanda Vance takes a job with the FBI after she refuses to shred some compromising paperwork and the law firm she works for gets indicted. While newly working for the FBI, Yolanda is sent to infiltrate Red, Black, and Green! (RBG), a political organization in Holloway, California for Black and environmental justice. A major corporation has been exploiting the community however the FBI insists this group is the real problem. As she gets further involved she starts to see that the world isn't quite as black and white as she thought.

The first half was slower and there was a lot of set up for the plot. I felt the second half did a better job intertwining Yolanda's backstory with current events which made for a stronger and faster paced read. 

Yolanda is one of those Black people who believe that if you want better, you do better. She adopted that mantra after growing up with a mother who often dropped everything to chase after men which left them in worse situations then they started with.  At a young age Yolanda learned time and time again that her mother was unreliable at best and damaging at worst. Even in present day when Yolanda reaches out to her mother during her time of need she only gets some hippie reply back instead of the assistance she needs. 

Her very narrow view of Black people based off her experiences in small town Georgia and her cheating preacher father and her experiences in a rough neighborhood in Detroit that she worked hard academically to get out of. Being with this group is the first time she's been part of a Black community since she was a child and initially she holds some preconceived notions about the people particularly the teens in the group. In her mind racism can't stop you from working hard and making a name for yourself.

While a murder happens and there's a mystery surrounding how this member of the community was killed it's not a key focus. However it is the catalyst that causes Yolanda to open her eyes to the mysterious deaths and FBI coverups. She finally starts to question her superiors and if she's doing the right thing.

There is a romance in this book between Yolanda and one of the members Jimmy however I wasn't really invested in their relationship. He was her opposite in that he grew up with Black nationalist parents.I didn't quite buy the emotional connection fully but I appreciated when Yolanda and Jimmy were open with each other about how past experiences left them jilted.

I felt this book shed a light on types like her who are educated about so many things but ignore the plight of their people and easily buy into propaganda. Yolanda may know the law but she is oblivious to how the law is actually applied to Black people until it starts to directly affect her.

My Worst Books of 2020

 

Welcome Back Booklovers! I wasn't going to do a worst books of 2020  but then the negative book reviews discourse came up on Twitter and I changed my mind. The thing about negative reviews is that me not liking a book doesn't mean much in the grand scheme of things. Someone might see me rant about a book and then decide to go out and purchase it. 

Trouble the Saints was pitched as a bad ass Black Woman assassin story set in Old Harlem and I was so here for it. And then I got an advanced copy and almost DNFd because it was about some white passing woman(though is she really when everyone calls her octoroon all the time?) who gave up killing and is trying to forge a normal life with her British/Indian lover. If you're looking for something heavy on the fantasy elements this isn't what you want. If you want something that reflects on life and the hands that we're dealt than this may be for you. It was one of those books that was purposely written to be confusing and I hate those. You can check out my full review here.

Cinderella is Dead is one of those stories where the concept sounds interesting but the execution was not. And though there were twists sprinkled throughout they were told too easily to use instead of the characters discovering them on their own. It should've been a quick read I raced through but instead it lagged. Full review here.

A River of Royal Blood could've been an interesting African fantasy but it was giving me more European than North African like it advertised. And the pacing was horrible! I switched between reading it myself and audiobook and I couldn't tell you what happened the majority of time. And the narration was dull too. No enthusiasm whatsoever. You can check my full review here

The initial hype around So We Can Glow had me expecting something that clearly wasn't what the book was about so part of the disappointment is my own fault.  For one not everything in this anthology was a short story. Some were just a few sentences. Two I was expecting a powerful collection about Black women and instead one of the first stories is about a white one. 

I was intrigued by A Duke, the Lady and a Baby especially since it had a West Indian heroine but this historical romance failed to maintain my attention. I just couldn't get fully into the plot.

The Goddess Twins sounded interesting but the execution was messy.  I don't give indie published books free passes. Not every book is published by The Big 5 and at minimum I expect solid writing. This was clunky at best. It had a very dated feel and the British stuff was clearly unresearched. On top of that there was more exposition than action. Full review here. 

My Summer of Love and Misfortune was the worst book I read all year. Never has a main character irritated me like Iris Wang. She did nothing but whine and overspend while claiming her lazy ass deserved all the riches in the world. She took the SATs hung over without studying and thought she was getting into an ivy league college. Emotional development in the book was non existent. Full review here.

Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron

 

Welcome Back Booklovers! It's Christmas break and I'm trying to finish a few books from my shelf before the year ends. Cinderella is Dead is a much buzzed about YA fantasy this year and a lovely subscriber gifted it to me for my birthday.

I really wanted to love this story because the cover is so pretty but I just couldn't get into this world so it made reading very difficult.  Lille is a place where the Cinderella story is worshipped and a cornerstone of society 200 years after her death. Girls at 16 are subjected to attend a ball where a man will choose to make her his wife. The men do not have the same restrictions and can range in age from old to young choosing to attend the ball whatever year they please.

But I never really got that most people believed strongly in this story outside of the monarchy. And the women are oppressed by only our lead Sophia wants to do anything about it. Every other woman just takes abuse from their husbands and other men with a "Them's the breaks!' attitude and slunk along miserably. Sophia is dreading the day of the ball and wants to run away with her friend Erin who she's in a forbidden romance with. And that's all we really get to know about her throughout the book.

I didn't need to over the top depiction of the society with every man but a few being misogynistic, homophobic trash. I really dislike when YA tells a tale of feminism in such a simplistic way. It's obvious to root for the heroine when they live in such a horrible world. Of course she wants to fight to have basic rights! It was giving me very much white feminism I wanted to know how Lille actually works especially in comparison to the places outside of it. Why exactly did they latch on to Cinderella's story and why hasn't their been a successful rebellion that included men? Was this supposed to be a dystopian world?

When this book was being marketed, Sophia's identity as a Black girl was described as being integral however her appearance was only briefly mentioned. And they played no part in how she was treated. If I didn't get this book with a cover I wouldn't be able to tell you what she looked like. There were mentions of different characters being brown. Constance read as white to me and she was described as fawn colored which is a description I've never heard used for skin tone and Google was telling me it was a beige shade. 

And where were the high stakes during this book? They seemed to coast along with little happening for chapters at a time. Where were the obstacles? 

The magic surrounding the King and Fairy Godmother was interesting and I would've been interested in hearing and seeing more. And even then there was a huge plot hole because each King starting from Cinderella's Charming was supposed to have lived 100 years before quietly dying and being replaced with an heir. The current king is supposed to be the fourth yet only 200 years are supposed to have passed according to the beginning of this book.

I was expecting cute sapphic romance in this book too but that also fell flat. Sophia to me didn't really have chemistry with anyone. And the relationship with Constance was instalove. She was just so in love with Erin. 

Also this is billed as a retelling but it didn't really retell the story of Cinderella from a new perspective. This was a sequel years after the story. And there were times where they said this part of the story as you know it was a lie but it also wasn't too far from the truth because history is rewritten by the winners. This could've been an interesting book but the execution of it was lackluster.

Books I'd Like to See Become TV Shows or Movies

 

Welcome Back, Booklovers. It's the end of the year and I'm reflecting on my reads again. And this time I'm thinking of the books I read that could make good movies or tv series. I'm listening books that at the time of this posting haven't announced a tv or movie rights deal yet. Are there any books you'd like to se get an adaptation? Do you agree with my choices? Comment below!

The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson. I think it would make a good movie and the vibes would be prefect for a Halloween release.  While it's not heavy on the magical powers it's got great character writing and I think people will be intrigued by just how far The Prophet and his men will go.

The Record Keeper by Agnes Gomillion would make an interesting dystopian series. I think the school and the village provide the perfect backdrops for episodic adventures.

You Had Me at Hola is already written like a telenovela and it has the show within a show part down pat.

The Jumbies would make a good series but they would definitely have to cast Caribbean actors from the children to the gods to the adults in the village. But there's a good amount of storyline there for a mini series.

Now The I've Found You is the teen rom-com movie we need. Two young artists running around NY during the summer trying to track down a famed actress is just asking to become a film.

Wouldn't Oh My Gods make the cutest series for the younger set? I thought it did a good job capturing that fun feeling of coming into your teen years and experiencing crushes and new friends. But it has the added twist of the embarrassing family being a group of Gods.

Tiny Pretty Things by Dhonielle Clayton and Sona Charaipotra

 

Welcome Back, Booklovers! I originally started this blog with a mention of Tiny Pretty Things so it's fitting I give a full review now when everyone is talking about it again thanks to the Netflix series. I'll start by saying I did not enjoy the Netflix series like I wanted to. I know characters and plots have to be changed when a series is adapted to a new format but they just didn't do a good job brining the duology to life.  Too many remixes of existing characters into newer characters and trying to make those who should've remained side characters leading characters but without the proper character writing. And then all the sex and nudity was not portrayed in a healthy way, was excessive and really thrown in for shock value to get people talking. And while I wasn't feeling any of the characters I really wasn't feeling Naveah at all. She and her family were serving me tired stereotypes I've seen too many times before. But enough of my rants. Let's get into the first book in the Tiny Pretty Things duology. 

The book follows three young ballerinas as they navigate a prestigious conservatory each vying the the leading role. 

Bette is the picture of ballet perfect at least on the surface. She's blonde, thin, and pretty. Her family practically runs the school with their prominent donations and she has the boyfriend every girl covets. But beyond the the façade lies an insecure girl caught in her older sister's shadow with an overbearing mother. She runs the school and harasses any girls she considers a threat to her chance at the lead role. Everyone knows what she's capable of and most would rather be on her good side.

June is half Korean and white with an unknown father and strict mother. She doesn't get along with the Korean girls and tries to act above them at times using her mixed background as justification while she secretly wishes she were like them. She doesn't fit in with the white girls or the Asian girls and she's not a remarkable dancer so she really doesn't have a place at the conservatory despite years of being there. This allows her to go under the radar when it comes to the "pranks" she plays against those she believes to be a threat. She must deal with her mother's constant threats to pull her out of the program and send her to public school as well as an eating disorder. She's a girl angry at the world who has convinced herself she should be the star.

Gigi is the new girl from San Francisco with the laid back personality and just amazing natural talent despite less prestigious training. Unlike Bette and June she has a loving family consisting of a mother, father and aunt who always support her despite their fears of how she fit at the conservatory. She's not like the other girls and often wonders if it's just her leading position, her personality or the fact that's she's Black that has people judging her in situations. Gigi must also constantly worry if she's working her body to it's breaking point. 

The story follows a two act format with the first act being the fall semester as the students prepare to perform The Nutcracker and the second act being the spring semester performance of Giselle.

Something a ballerina pointed out to me is that this book parallels the ballet Giselle that the teens perform. For those unfamiliar with the tale it's a romantic story of a peasant girl who falls for a nobleman named Albrecht. She ends up dying from a weak heart upon realizing they can never truly be together.  Gigi suffers from a heart condition that is often threatening her ability to dance. She is also in a relationship with Alec, Bette's former flame and must deal with feelings that they aren't truly right for each other.

From the outside looking in the book might seem tame but it's quite darker. Hazing goes overboard when girls go from simple pranks to mind games to placing glass in the slippers of their rivals. Though some situations are over the top it does examine the negative aspects of the ballet world such as the pressure to maintain low body weight, substance abuse, sexualization of ballet, racism, and overall competitiveness. Amidst the dirty tricks and blatant harassment there's also a bit of subtleness when it comes to certain situations that's unexpected. And I thought the side characters were well developed but didn't overpower our leads. And where the series adaptation goes for high drama and edginess it fails to capture some of the emotional beats that have you beginning for part 2. 

A Tiara Under the Tree by Carolyn Hector

 

Welcome Back Booklovers! With Christmas fast approaching I wanted to read a holiday romance specifically a Black romance. And this one just had such a pretty cover and sounded promising so I couldn't resist. 

Unfortunately this book was like a rollercoaster for me. It started off really patchy and it often felt like there were paragraphs missing. This story follows a beauty queen named Waverly who has just been dethroned from her local pageant after going off on a reporter. She has moved to a new town and is laying low right now. After a mix of with a pizza that was delivered to the wrong address she is convinced by a handsome business owner, Dominic, to enter the local pageant and get back on track to becoming Miss Georgia. 

And things just kind of rush along from there with most of the story being told off page. It was hard to get invested because despite their instant attraction to each other I don't feel they had enough time together on page. Dominic leaves town for three months which should've given way to a slow burn romance. Instead we don't really get to see how Waverly or Dominic cope during that time. Instead the story is fast forwarded to his return and they immediately jump into a full blown relationship.

And then Dominic just had this overbearing personality I couldn't stand. He really wasn't supportive of Waverly's pageant dreams. He lost his temper more than once and physically assaulted a man he saw as a threat. He was angry that Waverly would have to compete in a swimsuit competition because he didn't want other men ogling her.  I felt like much of his persona was written off as a being a bad boy but he was just a jerk. The bare bones were there but the plot never fully formed for me and there wasn't enough chemistry outside of the bedroom for me to overlook the random time jumps. I wanted a fleshed out story about a beauty queen with real conflict not just cheap glimpses from outside.

Root Magic by Eden Royce

 

Welcome Back, Booklovers! There's some very good middle grade books being released lately and I'm happy when I can share them.  Thanks to Walden Pond Press I was able to read this story early in exchange for an honest review. From the time I heard the word Gullah I was interested in reading more.  Like many children of the 90s I watched Gullah Gullah Island as a child without realizing how important the representation on that show was. I just knew that family on the show was the first time I ever saw myself in a series. The family was Black like mine, the dad had an accent unlike anything I heard in my neighborhood and my parent's had accents, they loved song and dance just like my family did. It was when I got older I learned that the Gullah are a real group of people and the movie Runaway Island put them on my radar. So all that being said I was very interested in reading this story since the author Eden Royce is Gullah-Geechee.

Root Magic is set in 1963 and follows young Jezebel Turner who is turning 11 and entering sixth grade. While her twin brother Jay has no problems making friends that's not the case for Jez.  Her peers who often ostracize her because of her family's connection to root work leaving her to feel inferior and be a bit of a longer. Skipping a grade and starting school with new kids is hard enough especially after the recent passing of her Gran. Now Uncle Doc has also decided Jez and Jay should begin lessons in root work. 

This book sends an important message about connecting with your ancestry. Root work has such a stigma against it and that's not shied away from in this story. But we do get to hear from Jez and her family why their work is important and how it's helped heal their community. We also explore the importance of preserving Gullah culture especially the language. Jezbel's mother did not want to teach her and Jay because she wanted them to assimilate based on the experience she had as a child.

Since this is the 60s this book also touches on assimilation in the schools and it's affect on the community and police brutality which is sadly still a very relevant topic. Deputy Collins and those like him are causing trouble for the root workers in their community and at time the family feels powerless. There is some violence that this book doesn't shy away from because it's important we remember what happened in the past. And we shouldn't be ashamed of our past or hide in fear from it.

I also enjoyed the sibling dynamic between Jez and Jay. It had some good commentary on how Black boys are treated vs Black girls. Jay has a lot of friends at school and people think root work is cool when he's doing it. However with Jez she's called a witch and some girls from her class bully her constantly. 

Eden Royce does a great job of describing South Carolina's low country in the 60s. You can almost smell the salt marshes and taste the food the area has to offer. The supernatural elements blend in subtly with the non magical elements. There is a strong sense of community among the people who live near the marshes. 

Rootwork is a controversial topic but this story handles misconceptions about it. To quote Eden Royce, "Rootwork is not a religion. It's a spiritual and magical practice who traditions have been passed down either in families or to apprentices who have sough training."

I recommend this for a strong reader because it is a little lengthy and slower paced.  Even though so much is happening in their lives and in some ways they do have to grow up Jez and Jay still balance being regular kids. I do think this book would also be a great addition to school curriculum for grades 5-7.

Best Books I've Read in 2020

 

Welcome Back, Booklovers! With the year coming to an end I've been reflecting on the books that have resonated with me this year in both good and bad ways.  2020 was my best reading year ever. Though I set a reading goal of 60 books I surpassed that and will probably be ending the year on 100 books read. So in no particular order these are my top reads of 2020.

I'm not usually a fan of memoirs but as a lover of her music and someone who has always been curious about her life I couldn't wait to read The Meaning of Mariah Carey. And the diva did not disappoint.  The audiobook is a whole experience and I highly recommend getting that version. I was also fortunate enough to be sent a print version from Henry Holt and it has beautiful pictures of Mariah, family, and friends. I'll just link my in depth review of the memoir here.

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I've spoken on it before but I'd like to reiterate that 2020 has caused me to also stop and think about how I view books. I've been cautiously trying not to label Black books "struggle" books. And I've learned not to just write off a narrative automatically because I see the words: klan, slavery, racism, Jim Crow, segregation, etc in the book. Daughters of Jubilation is a YA historical fantasy set during the Jim Crow era that shows us that despite our pain we as we as Black people always shine. Our lives don't center around struggle and in between our hardships we experience joy. This book has a sweet Black romance amid Motown summer vibes and new discoveries. Check out my full review here.

The Year of the Witching is a fun and atmospheric read about a town with a religion similar to Christianity but worse. I often recommend it to people who are making the transition from YA fantasy to adult fantasy because it doesn't quite fit neatly into either age category. It drew me in right from the start and quickly became one of this year's most memorable reads. You can read my full review here.

I've been reading more Black romance this year and been shouting about how we need more Black romance from traditional publishers. Now That I've Found You is such an underrated YA romance. I often hear people say they want books about Black joy. Then read and support this one?  It's a super sweet rom com featuring two Black artists pursuing their dreams in entertainment set in NYC. You can check out in depth review here.

There's a reason Clap When You Land is a bestseller. This beautiful story set in verse really touched my heart. I even had my non reader friends read it because it was so poignant. I've read three of Elizabeth Acevedo's books this year and this by far is her best one yet. She seamlessly switches between the concrete jungle of NYC to the campo of the Dominican Republic in this story that explores the loss two sisters feel and the journey towards each other. You can check out my review here. 

I find people either really like this book or hate. There's no in between for Catherine House: A Novel. If you want a book that's very plot driven and is about solving the mystery of this strange school then you will be disappointed. If you're looking for an atmospheric book that gives commentary on the promises universities make us and how we idolize our time there then this is a read for you. 

The Secret Lives of Church Ladies is a great one especially if you identify as a Christian woman. I feel like it really explores place within the church, hypocrisy, sexuality, etc. One of the few anthologies I will recommend to people. 

Lastly Raybearer was a fantasy I adored. After a series of dud reads it was the perfect pick me. I love that the magic system isn't overly complicated and that the story focuses on friendship over romance. The pacing was also perfect and I never felt the urge to skip pages or found myself getting bored.

Vanity, Vengeance & a Weekend in Vegas by Kyra Davis

 

Welcome Back, Booklovers! The Sophie Katz mysteries were the books that got me into reading mystery series. I first came across them at my library years ago and it was the first time I came across a biracial heroine in a book. And it was the first series I picked up outside of teen lit at a time where there were less faces of color on the bookshelves. So of course I wanted to complete the series and jump back into this world. Because it's mystery this is a series that you don't have to read in order to understand what's going on. And while it occasionally references things that happen in past books there's nothing really spoilerish. 

Sophie Katz is a mystery author who a few times has ended up involved in some murder mysteries of her own. The book kicks off with an old foe calling from prison to inform her that Anatoly, her boyfriend of six years has a wife. While he claims he married for a green card he also conveniently did tell her that his wife is the daughter of a Russian mafia boss. After ending the relationship Sophia is in need of a pick me up and her friends decided to take her to a sex toy convention in Vegas for the weekend.

Part romance, part mystery and plenty of humor this is a fun read. Sophie has a crazy group of people around her between her somewhat prudish sister Leah, her fabulous friend Marcus,  firecracker Dena, and hopeless romantic Mary Ann. 

And Sophie is still an amateur sleuth in every sense of the word. Don't expect a highly skilled detective because she makes impulsive decisions with little thought like her bad attempt at breaking into a suspicious fan's house. Or forgetting to grab her gun before running after known criminals. One of my pet peeves about these amateur sleuth mysteries is that the heroine is much smarter than the police. She's not better than the professionals though she holds her own in her own bumbling way.

I listened to parts of this on audiobook in between reading the ebook and it kept me entertained for the weekend.