Black Candle Women by Diane Marie Brown

 Welcome Back, Booklovers! Black Candle Women was one of my most anticipated reads of 2023. I love multigenerational family stories and stories that blend the past with the present and then with the voodoo aspect this caught my eye. I received an arc from Graydon House.

In this book we follow the Montrose Women who are a family living in California with New Orleans roots. Augusta is the matriarch and she lives with her granddaughters Victoria and Willow and her great-granddaughter Nikkie. We follow each of these women on their journey through life and love over the course of a few months.

It was fitting Ava Duvernay blurred this book because it feels like something she would adapt. It has the makings of a series with just the right sized cast of characters with varying ages. And a series would be able to expand of the plots that were introduced by not fully fleshed out. I feel like there wasn't enough balance between all the ladies. We got what we needed in Augusta's story but Victoria, Willow, and Nickie had things happen off page that weren't addressed enough on page.

For example Willow states she does not believe in the curse yet at the same time has never had a steady relationship before. Yet she meets this man named January and she's quick to start a committed relationship with him. And then most of it plays out off page without readers getting a proper recap on page. There was actually a period in the book where she makes a big decision and then there's a time jump of a few months where it seems like life was at a standstill for all the ladies. 

Victoria was very controlling and annoying for a large portion of the book and I wish her antics would've been dialed back to explore some of her other relationships with more depth. I know there was a point to be made about her being a therapist who is bad with communication but she never had one proper sit down with her family members. I feel like the healing that happened between her and Willow as well as her mother came too easily.

I think a good job was done building up Nikkie's story with her relationship with a boy from school but I feel like it could've had a better end then it did.

I really liked the flashbacks to 50s New Orleans through the memories of Augusta. I also liked that even though she is mute in her old age her family still has full on convos with her and she has her own ways to communicate with them. That being said all the pain she experience was her fault and I didn't feel sorry for her that it happened. Especially when as the book goes on her lies are revealed.

For people who are hesitant it will lean too fantasy because of the voodoo, they don't need to worry. It blurred the lines a lot about what was magic and what was just coincidences and assumptions. 

Over all despite wanting just a little bit more in some areas I did enjoy in this book.

Against the Currant by Olivia Matthews

Welcome Back, Booklovers! I feel like Winter is the perfect time to read something cozy when you're stuck in the house and just want to wrap up in a blanket with a warm mug of something. So when I saw a new cozy mystery series releasing with a Black family owned bakery I jumped on the opportunity to read an arc. So thank you to Macmillan and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to read for an honest review.

In Against the Currant we're introduced to Lyndsay Murray and her family who are immigrants from Grenada. Lyndsay has dreamed of opening a bakery for years even though her baking isn't the best and it's a family affair with everyone contributing. After a rival owner ends up dead all eyes are on Lyndsay since she had a very public argument with him.

I wanted to love this book but aside from other issues I really wasn't invested in the mystery. Lynsday has a nice family and I did find them interesting. I enjoyed how close knit they were. The food was mouth watering and familiar. The hustle and bustle of the shop and the large cast made sense. I just didn't care about following Lyndsay herself. 

Lyndsay read very young and sheltered to me. More 21/22 than the 27 years she was supposed to read. She seemed to really be stuck on the bullies during her grade school days and it didn't make sense to me. I understand she had to deal with them all the way through college but being quite a few years removed from that environment it didn't track that she still spoke about them like she just graduated. 

As someone with family from the English speaking Caribbean who even has family and family friends who live in Little Caribbean, I side-eyed so much of this book. It felt like it was written from the perspective of someone who was on the outside looking in. Some things were done well and some things were done so wrong. Some of the mentions of popular musicians were completely off. Trust me  when I say the only ones who consider Harry Belefonte the King of Calypso are white people. What soca did Buju Banton sing? Other times name dropping worked even when it was less thought of ones like Billy Ocean.

Listening to the audiobook did not help. The accents were so bad! I'm not sure what islands that narrator thought she was doing. It was giving Jafakrican. And the way the pronunciation of Bunji and Machel made me feel lightheaded they were so off. These are very popular artists she could've looked up to get the pronunciations correct. 

Overall this one was a huge miss for me which was a shame.

Caribbean Picture Book Recommendations

Welcome Back, Booklovers! As a Caribbean-American child I didn't see a lot of books for children like me on the shelves. We didn't have access to the books the children in the islands and there wasn't a big push in US Publishing either. But in the past couple of years I've been seeing a little bit more and It makes me because I share them with my nieces and godchildren. Special shout out to the indies out here doing it big! So here is my list of recommended picture books by authors from the Caribbean and Diaspora.

                                                Under the Mango Tree (St. Vincent)

Under a full mango tree, they play, dream, and plan for a future spent together, always. However, life can change quickly, and the girls must face the challenge of separation when Vee moves away.

Join Vee and Sanaa as they learn how powerful friendship can be and how far it can reach.

The Ocean Lives There (Haiti)

Imane is a curious young girl with a big question. What is behind the magic door inside her house? Her sister Caroline says it’s a door that goes everywhere and nowhere. Sometimes it’s red. Sometimes it’s blue, and it smells like coffee beans and the ocean. Imane can only imagine what’s on the other side: a beautiful Caribbean Island full of magic, music, and fun. But Momma keeps the door locked tight, and no one is allowed to open it!

The Legend of the Spirit Serpent (Dominica)

This modern retelling of a traditional Kalinago legend from the Caribbean island of Dominica recounts the story of a huge serpent who once guarded the indigenous.

To Carnival!: A Celebration in Saint Lucia (St. Lucia)

The sights, sounds and tastes of vibrant Saint Lucia come to life in this cumulative tale of a girl’s journey to Carnival. When a series of unexpected delays disrupts her journey to the big parade, Melba must adjust both her expectations and her route to the festivities. Who will she meet and what will she learn along the way?

Plátanos Go with Everything (Dominican Republic)

Plátanos are Yesenia’s favorite food. They can be sweet and sugary, or salty and savory. And they’re a part of almost every meal her Dominican family makes. 

Stop by her apartment and find out why plátanos go with everything—especially love!

Taíno Tales: The Legend of Coquí (Puerto Rico)

It's been said...

The son of a Taíno chief would fish late at night and while he did, he'd sing a special song to Caguana, the spirit of love. The goddess grew fond of him and his daily visits brought her great joy...but everything changed when Juracán, an evil spirit, grew jealous of the pair. And so begins the Taíno legend of how the coquí frog came to be.

A Grand Place (Grenada)

While Zora waits for Grandma to return, she explores what it means to have a home away from home. This nostalgic love letter to Grenada is a joyful celebration of Caribbean culture and all the forms it has taken over generations. Join Zora on her journey through this heart-warming tale of love, family and home.

The Carnival Prince (Trinidad and Tobago)

It's Carnival season in Trinidad and Tobago! Come join the stubby antlered boy as he explores and frolics and befriends animals and mythical creatures alike. Young readers will be taken on a magical adventure to save Carnival season for everyone!

Granny's Kitchen (Jamaica)

Shelly-Ann lives with her Granny on the beautiful island of Jamaica. When Shelly-Ann becomes hungry, she asks her Granny for something to eat. Granny tells her “Gyal, you betta can cook!” and teaches Shelly-Ann how to get in touch with her Jamaican roots through the process of cooking.

The Masquerade Dance( St. Kitts and Nevis)

Would you like to dance to the drum drum drum of the masquerades? 

Well, it is carnival time in St. Kitts-Nevis’ carnival and Saulo is excited to see the masquerades perform and dance, and to hear their music. He dreams of dancing the masquerade one day but when the masquerades get too close for comfort, Saulo isn’t sure he is ready for his big debut. 

Interview with Raquel V. Reyes

Welcome Back Booklovers!! I'm back with my first author interview of the year. I've read her Caribbean Kitchen Mystery Series which I've reviewed on here. If you're a fan of cozy mysteries and haven't picked that up yet, definitely check it out! But she was also featured in some recent anthologies alongside some other great authors.

How did your upbringing shape your identity as a writer? When did you start reading crime fiction? 

 As an only child with two parents working out of the home, I spent a lot of time with my maternal (Southern) grandparents and my paternal (Cuban) great-grandparents. The library and TV were my first friends. The library gave me Agatha Christie and Elizabeth Peters and encyclopedias filled with art, culture, archeology, and history. TV (because I'm Gen-X and cable was too expensive for my bisabuelos.) gave me I Love Lucy, Welcome Back, Kotter, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and Rhoda. (<3 Rhoda) Those TV shows tackled heavy subjects with humor. I see a throughline to my writing style and tone.  

And why did you decide to write cozy mysteries?

Cozy mysteries are low stakes in the violence department, with high rewards in the justice department. That suited my needs as a reader. As a writer, I wanted to make sure people like me (Latinx, multi-cultural, bi-lingual) were represented in the genre I loved. 

Since cozy mysteries tend to follow a specific formula, how do you deal with writing things readers aren't always used to seeing? For example, Miriam is a married woman with a child while many cozy protagonists are single.

Miriam having a family is not too far from the norm for a cozy. Although the romance and family usually come much later in the series, maybe around book six or seven. I started the series with a ready-made family because I knew finding romance wasn't Miriam's story arc. Her challenges and tests were going to be from navigating her husband's passive-aggressive xenophobic mother. It was also vital to me that Miriam be inspirational. She is a Latina with a Ph.D. 

With such an array of dishes to choose from, how do you decide which Caribbean recipes to include in your books?

The story drives those choices. For example, the Jamaican dish, Ackee and Saltfish, that Patricia Campbell shows Miriam how to make in Calypso, Corpses, and Cooking. I knew I needed to go into detail about this dish in the story because I wasn't going to put it in the recipes in the back of the book. There is an ackee tree in my neighborhood, and most grocery stores in my area carry saltfish/bacalao. But not all of The Caribbean Kitchen Mystery series' readership live in metropolitan cities with large Caribbean populations. Ackee can be found canned, but it is not always easy to find. I try to make sure the ingredients for the recipes I included can be sourced at large chain groceries or ordered online. I also consider the prep time and skills needed to prepare the dishes. Miriam is a career woman with a young family. If my readers are anything like her, they'll want easy and flavor meals in their repertoire, not a twenty-step recipe that requires CIA (Culinary Institute of America) level skills to execute. I often give a hack to speed up the prep if you read the recipes.  

Since you also include Spanish words and phrases in your books, how do you decide when to use context clues vs when to give an outright translation? 

I get this question and similar questions a lot. There is no formula. It is instinctual. I've grown up with two languages in my head. It is literally how I think and live my daily life. It is how millions of other people live their lives, too. If I use a word that is very specific to a culture or crucial to the plot, I will usually translate it but rarely directly. If I translated it verbatim, the narration would feel more like an academic lecture than a pleasure read. Everything else is left to context clues. I know French, Japanese, and Italian words, not because I've studied or speak those languages. It is because I guessed what they were and then confirmed it later. That is one of the ways we acquire languages and knowledge through immersion. 

Do you know the plot entirely before you start writing?

No, I'm a discovery writer, aka a plantser. That's a plotter-pantser ( by the seat of your pants) hybrid. I know the beginning, the end, and a few key scenes when I start writing. Then I let the story lead me to the rest. 

You're also a part of Crime Writers of Color. How did you get involved in that community? 

I got a DM from Kellye Garrett. We had a few mutuals and knew of each other but had never met. I remember the first wave of members was small. We were about 30 people in the summer of 2018. Now, at the start of 2023, we are edging toward 400! Crime Writers of Color is a much-needed safe space for BIPOC writers. It has also been an advocate for more visibility in the publishing world. Much of the thanks goes to Kellye. She is tireless in her stewardship. 

When you're in a creative slump what helps you get inspired again?

I write a short story. Novels are a long haul. At about 30,000 words, I feel like I will never reach the end. That is the perfect time to write a short story. It is so satisfying to start and finish a story in just a few days of writing. I also love to read short stories for the same reason. They are the perfect one-sitting morsel. 

What are some of your favorite spots to eat in Miami?

Miami is a food town. The Food Network hosts the South Beach Food & Wine Festival. We have plenty of celebrity chef restaurants. We have delicious tropical produce and fresh seafood at our fingertips. But my favorite spots are usually the local joints that are unpretentious and chill. There is a roti place near me run by a Guyanese family. It is a hole in the wall, but their curry goat is mouthwatering. Any Haitian place with a painted mural/sign by Serge is usually great. Any Cuban place with a line by their Cafecito window will have good eats, too.  

Are there any upcoming projects you would like to talk about?

Calypso, Corpse, and Cooking is out, and I am still promoting it. Second books in a series don't always get the love they deserve. Later in the year, the third book in the series will be published. It is set in Puerto Rico. I love the island and lived there for a while. I am excited to share it with my readers. 

Paranoia Blues, an anthology of crime fiction short stories inspired by Paul Simon's songs, came out in late  2022. I'm proud of my story in it. It is titled The Vampires. Check it out. The anthology has many wonderful authors, including Cheryl Head and E.A. Aymar, to name a few. 

You can follow Raquel @latinasleuths on Instagram and @latinasleuths on Tik Tok. And discover more Crime Writers of Color at https://www.crimewritersofcolor.com/

It's 2023!

Welcome Back, Booklovers! I hope everyone had a Happy Holidays! December makes it 3 years since I've been regularly blogging. And while it was a slow first few months I had no idea what was in store for 2020 and how my audience would pick up. And I still enjoy sharing my reviews on here with all of you. 

I wasn't sure what to write for my first blog post of 2023 but I feel like a reflection and goal is fitting. 2022 was not my most busy reading year but I still read a significant amount of books. So many of the books I read I didn't have strong feelings of love or hate for. Most of my reads were right in the middle which makes for more forgettable reads. This year I want to find more books I adore and want to constantly recommend.

After letting go of the Black trauma vs Black Joy dichotomy in 2020 I started noticing a trend with many of the Black books publisher's were heavily promoting to "prove" they care about diversity. Especially the ones being promoted for young adults. Blackness is so much more than trauma vs joy when we equally experience both pain and happiness throughout our lives. There's a way to tell stories dealing with more difficult topics without making the main character just a tool to showcase hardship. And I noticed fewer to no happy moments in the lauded books I was picking up. I wasn't feeling any type of connection to some of these main characters because I didn't know anything about them besides they were Black and barely surviving. I was reading fantasies that felt like non stop violence against Black bodies. I didn't like the messaging in some of these stories that were basically saying that to be Black is to live a life of unnecessary hardships.

So this year I decided I need to explore more books outside of traditional publishing's formulas where despite calls for originality want Black writers to write very similar stories. As a fantasy lover I'm looking for more stories with less real world issues and more magic. I love a good contemporary story but  I want the magic to be ingrained in a fantasy. If I can remove the magic from the book entirely and it still reads the same then why are we calling it a fantasy? I'm seeing more Black authors making moves. Those fun stories I'm looking for seem to be there.

I have also accumulated a decent amount of Kindle romance thanks to some giveaways and this year is the year that I read more of those. 

One of my 2023 goals is to put together more recommendation lists on here. Because I do read a lot of great books with stories that people are looking for but might have trouble finding. And people have asked me for lists in the past. 

But my overall goal for 2023 is to keep reading feeling fun instead of having it feel like a chore or an obligation.