The Sound of Stars by Alechia Dow

I first heard about this book last summer and started following Alechia Dow after her Booky Cookies caught my eye. From there I messaged her and we talked about our excitement over the black led upcoming YA releases and wanting to see black girls in sci fi romances. She even gave some great advice for aspiring writers like myself.

Needless to say, I had this on my TBR and was very excited when I saw that pretty cover pop up on Netgalley one day.  The publisher Inkyard Press usually grants my requests and I'm happy they gave me the chance to read this story early in exchange for an honest review.

I had such a mixture of emotions while reading this story.  And I'm still not quite sure how to put my feelings into words. I'm not the biggest sci-fi reader but the world Alechia Dow created here really intrigued me. Sometimes when romance is heavily factored into the story the world -building can get lost in the mix. But I thought this story did a good job adding substance to the world while building the romance. 

"Love is in every story and in every song." 

Ellie is a huge bookworm and she runs this secret library to bring young people in her building happiness during the dark times they currently live in. Readers who are big fans on mainstream young adult books will recognize the many references to different stories.

One thing I really enjoyed about our heroine Ellie was her dedication to her family. Before the Illori took over Ellie's family were trying to adjust to their new neighborhood. They had moved into a new building with a larger apartment after her father and mother got new jobs. And they had to deal with the microaggressions from their neighbors who felt they did not belong. I like how her disabilities were written into the story with such care. These were things she had to deal with on top of everything that was going on but the writing never felt too heavy. 

I loved how Alechia Dow never shied away from discussing the racism that never quite went away even after the aliens took over. Ellie mentions that her skin color still angers some people despite the Illori seeing all humans as the same. Ellie's dad grew up as a black man in society experiencing racism just for being smart and outspoken. When the Illori took over people who had mistreated him were turning to him to be the hero. His willingness to speak out for people even the ones he didn't know results in horrible consequences for him and he ends up becoming a shell of the person he once was. 

Morr1s is an alien with a love for music. He's got a penchant for David Bowie and feels like an old soul. Morr1s is a labmade who was built to look like a human with dna that does not belong to his father. His father feels he will never live up to the family name and finds him a constant disappointment because he has feelings and true Illori don't have feelings. Sometimes he can be a little overly cheesy but it's so sweet and innocent. You don't usually come across male characters like him in YA.

I'll admit it felt a little strange for these aliens to be introducing themselves with terms for human gender identity and human sexuality. But I also learned a lot about how different people identify. And humans have a need to label everything and obsess how people identify themselves so that rang very true. As ideal it would be if everyone could be accepted for being themselves we know that may never truly happen. I understand how important this is that so many people are able to pick up this book and see themselves represented.

Credit: Erin O' Neill Jones

I think this would actually make a great audiobook. Especially with the interviews of The Starry Eyed spread out throughout the story. I listed to the audio excerpt on Netgalley which was a snippet of a podcast and enjoyed it.

The Wedding Party by Jasmine Guillory

My 2nd read of the month was The Wedding Party by Jasmine Guillory which is a sizzling black romance. Contemporary romance is a great palette cleanser and a guilty pleasure for me so I read those stories very quickly.  I finished this book in 3 and a half days.

If you're thinking you already read this story before you may have read the first book in the series The Wedding Date. This is a continuation of that story but with a different focus. Drew and Alexa from that story are still featured since they are in the process of planning their wedding. There's a second book in between these two stories but you don't need to read The Proposal to read this story. Though you may enjoy this story more if you read The Wedding Date. This story is about Alexa's two best friends Maddie and Theo. Maddie and Theo really don't get along because they just never clicked after meeting.  But they end up hooking up after a night of partying they end up hooking up. Wanting to have a no strings attached relationship they decide to start secretly hooking up on and off for a year.

Black Love!

I feel like we don't always get to see black people portrayed in a loving healthy relationship in the media. I liked that Theo and Maddie has an easy going relationship where they got to just be normal. They sit on the couch eating takeout binge watching their favorite TV shows. They have discussions about being black in the workplace and their career aspirations. I feel like so often in contemporary black romance the guy is a player/bad boy. Theo is a good guy and very quirky. He loves to cook and make things from the freshest ingredients. And he loves coffee. He's definitely one of those coffee people who has a special method of making it. And it's nice to see Maddie come to appreciate these little things about him. Maddie is the pretty girl who people automatically have perceptions of. Theo allows her to show her less put together side.

Sex and Pizza!

There's a lot of both in this book. The sex was to be expected but sometimes the pizza could be overwhelming. I like pizza but these too love pizza! Sometimes I wanted them to order pad thai or sushi or bbq. The sex had some variety in that each scene was a little different so it didn't feel like you were reading the same scene over and over. Although I didn't like the initial fade to black. Maddie and Theo had a lot of sexual chemistry and that's what initially brings them together. 

Family and Friends!

Maddie has a very close relationship with her mother and often talks to her on the phone. It's nice to see how great their relationship is. They tell each other everything and her mother is very encouraging. Theo's brother Ben is the opposite of him. He's the life of the party and a bit of a playboy. He encourages his brother to step outside of his comfort zone and drags him out of the house when needed.  Theo and Maddie are both friends with Alexa and while both are very close with her they're also dealing with their relationships with her changing now that she's getting married. 

Let's Chat: Writers of Color Writing White Books

So I realize this is a topic where everyone has varying opinions. Some people have a stance that authors should be able to write whatever they feel like writing. And that's fine. But that also means that white authors can write stories about People of Color. We all know People are Color are barely given writing opportunities as is. And that white publishers will make excuses as to why a book by an Author of Color is not up to standard while publishing a story by a mediocre white author. And I know most of us don't want write writers writing their stories and our stories.  I know I'm getting tired of having to do background checks on authors lately every time I come across a new book with a black face on the cover. As black writers are fighting to get their stories published I refuse to put money into the pockets of white writers looking to capitalize off the diversity trend.

After that mess the other day with Penguin Random House and Barnes and Noble putting classic white stories in black/yellow/brown face instead of promoting more diverse tales it really got me thinking. First I want to start by giving praise to the authors who have been advocates for diversity in the publishing industry and pushed for change. It's very easy to be complacent in a system not designed for you.  We Need Diverse Books paved the way to get more stories told and pushed a conversation about how much diversity is lacking across all genres.

Let's talk about popular Young Adult writer Melissa De La Cruz who has written well over 40 books during her career. But just how many of those stories feature a Filipino lead like herself? When I think of all her highly praised titles none of the first stories that come to mind feature leads who look like her. I read her semi-autobiographical story Fresh Off the Boat years ago when it first published and it wasn't until about a decade or so and several published books later did she release a story similar in tone with Something in Between. Where are her other books with Filipino culture? Why has she published more stories about girls like her? Very many of her books have been turned into movies. Yet the only one featuring a non white lead becoming a film is 29 Dates which just felt like an attempt to jump on the K Pop trend. Melissa herself is not Korean and doesn't have much knowledge on Korean culture. One of the complaints I read about the book was how inauthentic the Korean parts felt while the brief scene featuring Filipino culture felt so much more real.  Surely she's been in the industry long enough that she can push for change.

I spoke in a previous post about how despite craving at times a lighter mystery I haven't been reading many cozy mysteries lately because they're all too alike. White heroine, small town, cute pet, cute job, and a detective love interest. Ironically I discovered the genre after reading Kyra Davis's Sophie Katz's mystery series which is a chick-lit mystery series featuring a Half African American/Half Jewish heroine living in living in San Francisco.  I discovered these books at the library in the same section as the cozy mysteries which led me to picking up some of those stories. But one thing I noticed is that in these stories there was no one that looked like me at all. Not the lead or the extensive cast.

So I was very happy a few years ago when I starred seeing mysteries being released by Black authors that I didn't have to hunt for. The Detective by Day series by Kellye Garrett was a series I really needed. It brought back the fun that I enjoyed after and was missing after Sophie Katz. It follows a struggling Black actress and her group of friends. A breath of fresh air and escape from what's considered the cozy norm. This led me to pick up Murder in G Major by Alexia Gordon which follows African American classical musician Gethsemane Brown and is now 6 books strong. And these books were getting well deserved praise.

I needed more diverse cozies to devour. Upon suggestion I was told about a new author VM Burns who had series that was getting attention. By that time her second book Read Herring Hunt was being released soon so I leaped at the opportunity to grab an arc. The nice thing about mystery series is that you can read them out of order and not be totally lost. So I read it and felt a little confused because while other character's race was mentioned the same was not done with Samantha and Nana Jo. And there was one particular incident early in the story that stood out to me because it felt like it was trying to make a statement about racial profiling by the police. So I asked the author herself outright if her leading lady was Black.  This was her response,

"I made a conscious decision not to state Sam’s race in this series. I wanted readers to imagine her however they wanted and didn’t want the series to be pigeon holed or restricted in anyway. I can say that Sam and I share a lot of the same hopes, dreams and character flaws. However, I’m sure readers of other races may imagine her differently, and that’s fine with me."

Which to me felt like a cheap cop out. Being Black shouldn't be a restriction. If people don't want to read about a black character they probably don't want to read anything by a Black author either. And it's not like her picture is not in the book or on her author's page on Amazon. And it felt a little like she decided to hide the character's Blackness as not to make white readers uncomfortable. 

And there are hundreds of cozy mystery stories by white authors with new ones constantly being released. So when I see a non white author come up I get excited. And being black I definitely want to support Black authors. I saw a new story being released this year that I was very excited for because it mentioned potions and mermaids and the author is African American. But then I was a little disappointed when Esme Addison revealed her book doesn't feature her culture or someone who looks like her but her husband's Polish culture. 

I'm just at the point where I want to see myself and others like me represented in more stories. I don't want to read white stories by non white people. Just as I don't want white people to capitalize off the stories of non white people while they're fighting for their seat at the table to get their stories published. White people can pick up a book in any genre and see themselves and their experience while people of color cannot. And so many Black authors have spoken about how when they first started writing they wrote their characters as white because they weren't used to seeing themselves in the story and it took some time for them to change their perspective and write the stories they wanted to see. 

Daughters of Nri by Reni K Amayo

I finally got around to reading this story even though it's been sitting on my Kindle since the release date back in October. I just couldn't resist picking up this story after seeing such a striking cover. I decided to do something different for once an added Whispersync to my copy so I could switch between listening to the audiobook and reading the words on my Kindle app. The actress, Weruche Opia who narrators the audiobook has a great voice which makes for a smooth listening experience.

The story is set in ancient Nigeria and switches back and forth between Naala and Sinai, twins separated at birth who are unaware of each other's existence. Twins were banned in their kingdom after an Oracle informed the great ruler of the kingdom, The Eze that twins would be born and bring an end to his reign. To save them from death the girls were split and raised in different parts of the kingdom. Naala grew up in a quiet village with her grandmother while Sinai grew up in a palace in the city of Nri believing she was illegitimate royalty. 

Like many YA fantasies there was a lot of backstory and set up since this is the first in the series. It almost felt like two different stories at times as it alternated between Naala and Sinai on their paths of discovery. After her village is left in shambles by an attack she tried to help prevent Naala barely escapes with her life and ends up joining a group of survivors from different villages in a rebellion against the Eze. Sinai survives a deadly fall and is brought to the palace chef who helps her recover and she begins to learn the truth about who she is.

I must admit I wanted a little bit more action. I kept waiting for a climax that never came. The Eze also wasn't a strong or entertaining villain. He was just your standard big bad who believes his way is the right way. He even had a lengthy monologue that just felt like a typical villain speech.

 And the story while beautifully written and having done a great job incorporating Igbo language just didn't really hook me until the second half. I was more invested in the second half when they were putting their plan to overthrow the Eze and avenge their people into action. The magic also needed to be expanded on because the magic system wasn't very clear and the use of magic was a little too convenient.  Overall this story really felt like a set up for book 2. You get the backstory of the characters that will play a significant part in the series.

January Wrap Up/February Reading

In January I finished some books that were on my TBR for months, revisited a childhood comic I loved, ventured into the world of reading journals, and discovered new books.

I finished Oh My Gods by Alexandra Sheppard which was my first finished book of the year. It UK YA fiction about a girl who moves in with her family of Greek gods and is navigating those awkward teen years. It's a fun book for young teen girls and I hope more readers discover this gem. I did a longer review of it on this blog. Fans of the Georgia Nicholson series will love this.

W.I.T.C.H. Will, Irma, Taranee, Cornelia, and Hay Lin are 5 young girls ages 13 and 14 chosen by the council of Kandrakar to protect their world and sometimes others from evil forces. It was originally an Italian comic that has since been translated into multiple languages. This series meant a lot to me when I was a kid because it really helped me get into fantasy. And this was one of the most diverse ensemble casts I came across back then. Even now I appreciate that there was a girl for every girl to admire. I thought it did a great job balancing the lives of these teen girls navigating crushes, school, and growing up alongside their new powers and fighting dark forces. I decided to revisit some of the comics in January by re-reading one of my favorite arcs. 

I also read a cozy mystery for the first time in months.  Egg Drop Dead is the 5th story in the Noodle Shop Mystery series by Vivien Chen. My taste in mystery kind of changes depending on my mood but I usually don't like anything too graphic and violent. But as much as I want a mystery story that's not too heavy a lot of cozies bore me with their very white towns, similar leads, and cutesey pets and jobs.  Sometimes I find cozy mysteries can overdue it when it comes to the balance between romance and mystery so I was very happy this story found the right balance. I also appreciated the diversity which is usually lacking from cozy mysteries which I why I read only certain ones.  Lana's mother is from Taiwan and her family owns a restaurant in a plaza called Asian Village in Cleveland, Ohio. Even though Lana owns a restaurant don't expect any recipes or heavy descriptions of food. Vivien Chen focuses a lot on building a good mystery while balancing Lana's every day. Thank You Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me an arc in exchange for an honest review. This story releases on February 25, 2020. 

I also read The Sound of Stars which I will be posting an individual review about this month in time for the release date. 

On to February 

I decided to only read books by black authors in February which to be honest isn't much different from other months for me but I'm finally getting around to reading some of the books I bought as deals that have been sitting on my Kindle.  For February one of the books I'm reading is a YA fantasy but I'm doing something a little different by reading along with the audiobook. I haven't been able to get into audiobooks yet though I always hear they're a great way to get a lot of reading done. Maybe I just need to find the right narration speed and narrator.

I'm also reading a YA contemporary with an afro-latina lead, an adult contemporary romance, and an anthology.