The Spite House by Johnny Compton

Welcome Back, Booklovers! The Spite House made the list of my most anticipated releases of 2023. Macmillan Audio offered me the audiobook for review and I was ready to dive in. And from the moment I started reading this book captured my attention.

The Spite House follows a family who is on the run. Vague details are given at first but the father, Eric Ross is traveling with his two girls and his wife isn't in the picture. He decides to take a job in a small town where an old woman with major influence is offering a large sum of money to people willing to live in the house and document mysterious activity. Despite the vagueness of the offer, Eric realizes that this money will allow him to settle down with his girls. He and his eldest daughter Dess have been doing dangerous odd jobs to make ends me and movie from city to city to remain undetected so this will give them  the chance at some stability.

There's not too much I can say about this book without spoiling it but this was a refreshing spin on the classic haunted house story. It did follow many different povs which normally is a deal breaker for me but I felt that each served it's intended purpose even if I wasn't really into that chapter.  Johnny Compton does a great job setting up the backstories for various characters. I enjoyed reading about the Ross family and their bond. At first they seem like a normal family but as the story unfolds you realize why the family was drawn to the Masson House in the first place. But the history of the town also plays a role in this book and I like how that was revealed slowly over time. 

If you like atmospheric writing then you'll enjoy this. Especially if you get the audiobook. The writing manages to keep the the spookiness and tension going throughout which keeps readers wondering what's next. While I did end up reading some of the middle physically so I wouldn't miss things, the narration was very well done.

Interview with Author Diane Marie Brown

Welcome Back, Booklovers! Black Candle Women was one of my most anticipated releases for 2023 and I joined the Hear Our Voices book tour to interview author Diane Marie Brown about her debut that has everyone buzzing including filmmaker Ava DuVernay. 

What was the inspiration for Black Candle Women?

I wrote and revised this book over many years so a few circumstances and experiences influenced it. A curiosity about having sisters and grandparents, wanting to know more about my own family history, spending time in New Orleans as a pre-teen visiting family, therapy – all of these inspired the book as it first developed and later evolved. Interestingly enough, it started out as a five-page scene in response to a class writing prompt.

 

Are you or anyone in your family a practitioner of voodoo or was it something you learned more about when writing this book?

I knew very little about Voodoo or hoodoo before writing this book, more just what I’d seen in movies or television shows. So I did a lot of research. There are a couple of books I read by a woman named Denise Alvarado that were extremely informative, and I found a few articles about Marie Laveau that helped me envision the life of a conjurer. I also referenced Zora Neale Hurston’s Mules and Men. 

When did you start your writing journey?

I’ve been making up stories since elementary school, but I didn’t take writing seriously until my early 20s. I read Waiting to Exhale and Disappearing Acts by Terry McMillan, which pushed me to try writing a novel for the first time. I didn’t finish drafting a book, however, until my early 30s, my first one landing me an agent, but not a book deal. After a couple of years on submission, I decided I wanted to work on my craft and so started a graduate writing program.

 

What does your writing process look like? And what’s your favorite part of the process?

The only consistent thing about my process is that I somehow get words down on a regular basis. I both outline and “pants” it. I write in notebooks and my laptop and my phone’s notes app. I write scenes chronologically and I also jump around and go back and fill in gaps at times. I write early in the morning, late at night, and in the middle of the day (sometimes while in work meetings). Coffee helps me get going but I’ve also been known to let a glass of wine keep me company. I will say that while I can be all over the place, I’m at my best when I get myself up at 5:00 a.m. and force myself to get 1,000 words down before I start my day. Hopefully, I can get back to that pattern soon. My favorite part of the process is revision. For me, that’s when all of the best ideas spark and pieces come together.

 

What has the most exciting part of the debut process been for you so far?

I have really loved developing relationships with other writers. Looking back, it’s incredible to me that I worked through so much of this experience in isolation because I couldn’t fathom doing so now. When I did most of the initial writing of Black Candle Women, there weren’t podcasts about writing, no social media or online communities. It wasn’t easy to connect with other writers, particularly those with experience with whom I could ask questions. At least these sorts of resources weren’t very accessible or well-known back then. Now, I know plenty of writers who are supportive in so many ways, and can hear from an even larger circle of writers that I may never meet but can follow or listen to online. Today, I have a talented and helpful community, and it’s growing. 

What are some of your favorite books and what types of fiction do you enjoy reading?

Give me all the books that either make me laugh or cry, and if they do both, even better. Genre-wise, I do enjoy an epic literary saga. One of my all-time favorites is Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides, and I have a similar love for Honoree Fanone Jeffers’ The Love Songs of W. E. B. Dubois. I love books about strong, savvy women, such as Yellow Wife by Sadeqa Johnson, The Final Revival of Opal and Nev by Dawnie Walton, The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Philyaw, and Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus. I often enjoy books that take me back to the 80s and 90s (whether written then or what is ridiculously now labeled historical fiction), including two favorites of mine, Bling by Erica Kennedy and 32 Candles by Ernessa T. Carter. My absolute favorite book is Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston.

 

Do you have any hobbies outside of reading you enjoy? Or any hidden talents?

I’m the annoying person who takes pictures of food when dining out, but that’s because I have a blog, dianderthal.com, where I talk about travel, running, and, most often, restaurants. I haven’t posted in a very long time but in its heyday, I would give restaurant recommendations a few times a month. I still belong to a restaurant club called Ladies Who Dine Long Beach (I’m the self-appointed president), where I take photos and jot down notes about our dishes, but I’ve neglected to share on the blog the last couple of years. I miss being the person who always gave advice to friends or family members wanting to find just the right dining spot for a specific occasion. Maybe I’ll start posting again because doing so made me very happy. 

As far as talents, I’m fairly decent at word puzzles and games. 

 

Are you working on another book currently? What can we expect from you next?

I am in various stages of writing about four books, including a rom-com and a YA novel. I need to figure out which one to give my full attention or none of them will ever get done. The one that I will likely focus on will have me researching cocktails and bartending, and may take readers to the south once again.

The Neighbor Favor by Kristina Forest

Welcome Back, Booklovers! I've read all of Kristina's Forest's novels so far and I did an interview with her on here awhile back. In that interview I has asked her if she would be writing an adult romance soon. So I was very happy when she announced this book and eager to read it. Thank you Berkley for sending me a finished copy.

Lily is an assistant who works for a non-fiction publisher but she has big dreams of moving on to children's publishing and editing fantasy books with Black main characters. Nick is an author who goes by the pen name N.R. Strickland. He's created this persona as an anonymous British fantasy author whose book has recently been acquired by a major publisher in a big deal. He and Lily had been emailing back and forth months prior and we supposed to meet via video chat but he ghosted her. Now he's living in New York in the same apartment building and she has no idea that her hot neighbor is the hot author who broke her heart. 

The email section were interesting I just wish they were incorporated in their day to day life vs being all in the beginning in their own separate section.

If you've read Kristina's YA books Lily and Nick are similar to the types of characters she usually writes just grown people doing grown folks things. So there's a little steam. And they're navigating careers and complicated family relationships. Lily can't stand her job or her boss who dumps all her work on her. And she's struggling to find a new position. It's a very slow burn story so it takes awhile for them to get together because Nick swears he's such a fuck up who is incapable of having a serious relationship. But they have a very easy chemistry.

Since they both work in publishing it's heavy on the behind the scenes dynamics and mentions of their favorite real life fantasy books. It was a little meta and lengthy for me at some parts but overall a cute read. And we're introduced to Lily's sisters in this story and get a preview of the next book.

 

Interview with Author Tamika Burgess

Welcome Back, Booklovers! Sincerely Sicily was such a great final read of 2022. It's not all the time that I finish a book and think about how my local library needs to have copies because the main character is like so many girls from my neighborhood. After reading it I reached out to interview Tamika Burgess. So keep reading to get to know the author behind this must read middle grade. 

Outside of your debut novel you also have over a decade of experience for film/television as well as personal essays. How did your writing career get started? 

I’ve always enjoyed writing but looked at it as a hobby, nothing I could make a career out of. It wasn’t until 2012, when I left my job in advertising, that I decided I needed to spend my time doing things I enjoyed and, if possible, get paid for it. That led to freelance writing personal essays for online publications and drafting film and television scripts. But I enjoyed manuscript writing most, so I pursued that and ended up with Sincerely Sicily.

 

Why did you decide to write a story for the middle grade readers?

I don't remember choosing middle grade. I think it chose me, lol! When I started writing what is now my debut novel, Sincerely Sicily, I started out writing a picture book. But while writing, I realized I had a lot more to say, which would not work well for the concise way picture books have to be written. But I knew I wanted to write for an age group who was young and at the age where they are starting to learn about themselves and discover the world around them. 

What’s your creative process like? Do you have a set schedule for when you sit down and write?

I try to do most of my drafting on the weekends when I have hours to dedicate to it. I recently learned that I am more productive when I draft on paper rather than sitting at the computer and just typing. In addition, before starting any writing, I have to have an outline and know where my story is going before I start. Without that, I’ll just be wasting my time writing random thoughts that pop into my head.

In Sincerely Sicily we see a subversion of the image we’re used to in the media where the daughter is the darker skinned one in the family and the brother is the lighter skinned one. Was that intentional?

No, I pulled that directly from my own family, as my mom and I are darker than my dad and brother. I actually didn’t even realize the significance of that being in Sincerely Sicily until reading this question, so thank you for asking about it. 

 

Have you ever had an encounter like Sicily had in the book with Abuela?

No one has ever judged/discriminated against me because of my hair, at least not to my face. But I candidly wrote about Sicily's experience because I have heard many real-life experience stories and read many articles about people having to deal with it.  

 

What’s one thing you wished you knew going into book 1 that you now know writing book 2?

I wish I’d been aware of all the ins and outs of the publishing world. There is a lot that happens that no one tells you about. For example, I thought I was done once I completed my final draft of my manuscript, and my publisher would take care of everything else. But that was not the case, and I often feel like everything that comes up after the book is written is like a second full-time job that I had no idea was coming my way. 

 

Did you get to visit Panama often as a child? And if so what was the experience like?

I did go when I was young, but I don’t remember those visits. My first memory of being in Panama was when I was fifteen. I went with my parents, and we stayed between my dad’s sister’s house and my mom’s parent’s house in an area known as the Canal Zone. From my grandparent’s porch, I saw ships transit the canal. I remember specifically having a problem adjusting to the humidity. 

 

What are some activities you enjoy when you’re not reading or writing?

I love relaxing. So that involves listening to music, reading, listening to crime podcasts, binge-watching a series, chatting with friends and family, or napping. 

If you could master one skill instantly what would it be?

It would be the ability to remain calm in high-pressure situations. I do a good job of reminding myself to stay calm, but that usually comes after a breakdown.

Are there any upcoming projects you’d like to talk about? 

My next middle-grade novel features a Panamanian boy. I am still in the early stages of outlining and figuring out the book's themes. But just as with Sincerely Sicily, readers can expect Panamanian culture and historical elements. 

The Blood Gift by N.E. Davenport

Welcome Back, Booklovers! It's February already! The year is already flying by and after a series of DNFs I wanted to pick up an engaging fantasy but I wasn't sure if I should jump into anything by a new author. Then an arc of The Blood Gift by N.E. Davenport came through. So I decided to jump back into this world for the final installment. 

We see more of the world of Iludu this time around as Ikenna and crew search wide and far for allies. No one really wants to get involved because they don't want their people to die at the hands of the Blood Emperor. So Ikenna's new team (who have yet to figure out a team name) find an unlikely ally in Ajani, the Accacian warlord from book one who has his own reasons for wanting to bring down The Blood Emperor. 

No one can accuse this book or moving too slow because it was very fast-paced with multiple plot lines. I actually think some of the plots could've been cut and streamlined because I was hoping we'd have more time with certain characters. The cast is so large that not every character got a lot of time on page. The world of Iludu itself is interesting and we get to see more of it this book. And we got some glimpses into their past history with each other and how every country has their different version. Different countries within this world follow different gods and goddess and Ikenna finds herself in a tug of war between them while trying to garner enough magic to take down an empire.

I will say tonally book two felt different than book one. Ikenna was impulsive in book 1 and that carried over in book two. But she felt more immature here. Which I would've thought everything she experienced would've made her a little more rational. Especially since she was taking on a leadership role here as a general gathering people for a rebellion. It was frustrating when she would act petulant just to annoy the people around her. And then you have characters like Ajani who are only four years older years older referring to her as a child as if she's years younger. It was hard to believe this girl spent years in a strict military academy. And instead of growing out of her childish way she stayed consistent in them all book.

That being said when she wasn't being a contrarian for the sake of being a contrarian I did enjoy Ikenna. A bad ass character is always fun but my favorite scenes were the ones where she was with Reed and able to let her guard down. And despite what went down at the end of book one he's very supportive of her. Because he also had a strong connection to her grandfather, he was one of the only ones who could understand what she was going through. I also liked her scenes with her grandfather's old associates as they allow Ikenna to see another side of her grandfather that she hadn't seen. They also offer some insight to his relationship with her mother and how it differed from his relationship with Ikenna.

This book needed more death. And not just because I had my own mini list of characters who get a blood spike at any moment. The violence in book one made me physically uncomfortable multiple times while reading. There was a feeling of anyone could die at any time. With the exception of one death everyone who died here deserved to die. Even the ending was just too happy and idealistic. It just didn't fit this world for me and felt a little rushed.

Overall I think readers who enjoyed the first book for the action and the romance will be satisfied. Especially if you enjoyed the romance and wanted some more spice. No details are spared! 

Tired of the Trauma Books

Welcome Back Booklovers! This is a topic I wrote about on here 2 Black History Months ago when I was reflecting on how my own reading tastes had expanded and changed. In that post I spoke about books that made me change my mind after I spent so long avoiding books with any hints of even mentioning slavery. So I will link that previous post here.

I shouldn't say I'm tired of the trauma books because I still read many books that people might label Black trauma because the characters are going through horrible traumatic situations. And some of them are my favorite books. What I'm really tired of is reading books about Black characters where the plot and characters are heavily dependent on trauma whether that be racial, sexual or both. I am a Black person living in the US, but I don't encounter racism every single day. Mostly because I'm fortunate to work and live in a place where non white people are a majority. In my day job I communicate with many white people on a day to day basis but it's a lot different when you're a faceless person relaying information.

If you stick solely to the traditionally published books that get attention you'd all Black people live their lives just waiting to be subjected to racial injustice. That to be Black is to carry the weight of ancestral trauma from childhood. That's a heavy message to put on Black people in general but especially children. There's more to being Black than experiencing racism from white people. But I've read books where it felt like the author was using whiteness as a measurement for Black identity. And then you have people using the phrase important books only on those types of books. As if books can only be important if they show Black people suffering. 

I'm a fantasy reader. Many authors draw inspiration for the world around them. So it's not uncommon to pick up a fantasy with a world that is as misogynist and racist as our own. But when I read those I ask myself do I care about the character outside of what they're going through? Do they have a personality? Do they have goals, hopes, dreams? Were there moments of levity throughout?

Every moment in a fantasy is not going to be a joyous occasion. I still believe that people give a free pass to violence in fantasy especially if it's in a world that doesn't resemble ours because it's easier to detach emotions. What makes senseless killing by the government different in an epic fantasy vs a contemporary one? 

But I'd also love some authors to remember that small moments of joy can be spread out throughout the story. Write that book where your character is experiencing racism in their world but also throw in a scene or two where they can pull back from the conflict and relax for a moment.

Grief is familiar and it can be easy way for readers to empathize with the main character. But then I'll pick up multiple books where the main character is exploring grief in a row and it gets exhausting. 

I really can't tell you what a Black Joy book is. Every time someone asks me for a Black joy recommendation I have to think long and hard. What does trauma mean to them? Real life is not defined by trauma vs joy but by the mix of those moments. Some of my favorite reads have had something bloom out of a terrible situation. I think what some people really mean is "What's a book that doesn't hyper focus on the hardest aspects of Black life?"