Caribbean Booktubers to Follow

Welcome Back, Booklovers!

In honor of Caribbean Heritage Month I wanted to highlight some Caribbean booktubers/Caribbean diaspora booktubers. I sent the word out to Twitter and people delivered with many recommendations. So if you're looking for some new booktubers to watch check them out.

Giselle Mills

ONYX Pages

Minimal Bookie

mynameismarines

KJ Reads Pages

Strangeshereads

Liselle Sambury

Books are my Social Life

Jessica Nicole Dickerson

bookrokosmos

 Luxurious Blu

throneofpages

Comfycozyup

LucieReads

Read Caribbean During June Pt 2

Welcome Back Booklovers!

Despite the chaos going on in the world right now I am truly enjoying getting to spread my love of books and have great discussions with other readers. Reading books, interviewing authors, chatting with readers are all the little things keeping me sane during this time.

Putting together these lists has introduced me to some new author's I'm excited to read while also having me reflect on the ones I have read. It's also a reminder of how resilient my people are. This time I'm highlighting some books by the children of Caribbean immigrants.

'Til the Well Runs Dry: A Novel

A glorious and moving multigenerational, multicultural saga that sweeps from the 1940s through the 1960s in Trinidad and the United States.

In a seaside village in the north of Trinidad, young Marcia Garcia, a gifted and smart-mouthed sixteen-year-old seamstress, lives alone, raising two small boys and guarding a family secret. When she meets Farouk Karam, an ambitious young policeman (so taken with Marcia that he elicits help from a tea-brewing obeah woman to guarantee her ardor), the rewards and risks in Marcia's life amplify forever.

'Til the Well Runs Dry sees Marcia and Farouk from their sassy and passionate courtship through personal and historical events that threaten Marcia's secret, entangle the couple and their children in a tumultuous scandal, and put the future in doubt for all of them.

With this deeply human novel, Lauren Francis-Sharma gives us an unforgettable story about a woman's love for a man, a mother's love for her children, and a people's love for an island rich with calypso and Carnival, cricket and salty air, sweet fruits and spicy stews-a story of grit, imperfection, steadfast love and of Trinidad that has never been told before.

The Haunting of Tram Car 015

Cairo, 1912: The case started as a simple one for the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities ― handling a possessed tram car.

Soon, however, Agent Hamed Nasr and his new partner Agent Onsi Youssef are exposed to a new side of Cairo stirring with suffragettes, secret societies, and sentient automatons in a race against time to protect the city from an encroaching danger that crosses the line between the magical and the mundane.

Dear Haiti, Love Alaine

Alaine Beauparlant has heard about Haiti all her life…

But the stories were always passed down from her dad―and her mom, when she wasn’t too busy with her high-profile newscaster gig. But when Alaine’s life goes a bit sideways, it’s time to finally visit Haiti herself.

What she learns about Haiti’s proud history as the world’s first black republic (with its even prouder people) is one thing, but what she learns about her own family is another. Suddenly, the secrets Alaine’s mom has been keeping, including a family curse that has spanned generations, can no longer be avoided.

It’s a lot to handle, without even mentioning that Alaine is also working for her aunt’s nonprofit, which sends underprivileged kids to school and boasts one annoyingly charming intern.

 

 

Frying Plantain

Kara Davis is a girl caught in the middle — of her North American identity and her desire to be a “true” Jamaican, of her mother and grandmother’s rages and life lessons, of having to avoid being thought of as too “faas” or too “quiet” or too “bold” or too “soft.” Set in a neighbourhood known as “Little Jamaica,” Kara moves from girlhood to the threshold of adulthood, from elementary school to high school graduation, in these twelve interconnected stories. We see her on a visit to Jamaica, startled by the sight of a severed pig’s head in her great-aunt’s freezer; in junior high, the victim of a devastating prank by her closest friends; and as a teenager in and out of her grandmother’s house, trying to cope with the ongoing battles between her unyielding grandparents.

A rich and unforgettable portrait of growing up between worlds, Frying Plantain shows how, in one charged moment, friendship and love can turn to enmity and hate, well-meaning protection can become control, and teasing play can turn to something much darker.

Halsey Street

Penelope Grand has scrapped her failed career as an artist in Pittsburgh and moved back to Brooklyn to keep an eye on her ailing father. She’s accepted that her future won’t be what she’d dreamed, but now, as gentrification has completely reshaped her old neighborhood, even her past is unrecognizable. Old haunts have been razed, and wealthy white strangers have replaced every familiar face in Bed-Stuy. Even her mother, Mirella, has abandoned the family to reclaim her roots in the Dominican Republic. That took courage. It’s also unforgivable.

When Penelope moves into the attic apartment of the affluent Harpers, she thinks she’s found a semblance of family—and maybe even love. But her world is upended again when she receives a postcard from Mirella asking for reconciliation. As old wounds are reopened, and secrets revealed, a journey across an ocean of sacrifice and self-discovery begins.

An engrossing debut, Halsey Street shifts between the perspectives of these two captivating, troubled women. Mirella has one last chance to win back the heart of the daughter she’d lost long before leaving New York, and for Penelope, it’s time to break free of the hold of the past and start navigating her own life.

Unconditionally Mine

Event planner Sofia Silva is hiding a big secret. No one can know that her engagement to her lying, cheating fiancé is over. Until she meets gorgeous, wealthy newcomer Jonathan Gunther. Jon moved to Miami for a legally sinful life of waterfront property, convertibles and no emotional entanglements. When he invites Sofia to lie low at his house, their undeniable attraction explodes…but will her dilemma ruin their chance at forever?

Oh My Gods

She's just moved in with her dorky dad and self-absorbed older siblings - who happen to be the ancient Greek gods, living incognito in London!

Between keeping her family's true identities secret, trying to impress her new friends, and meeting an actually cute boy, Helen's stress levels are higher than Mount Olympus.

She needs to rein in her chaotic family before they blow their cover AND her chances at a half-normal social life.

Allegedly 

Orange Is the New Black meets Walter Dean Myer’s Monster in this gritty, twisty, and haunting debut by Tiffany D. Jackson about a girl convicted of murder seeking the truth while surviving life in a group home.

Mary B. Addison killed a baby.

Allegedly. She didn’t say much in that first interview with detectives, and the media filled in the only blanks that mattered: a white baby had died while under the care of a churchgoing black woman and her nine-year-old daughter. The public convicted Mary and the jury made it official. But did she do it?

There wasn’t a point to setting the record straight before, but now she’s got Ted—and their unborn child—to think about. When the state threatens to take her baby, Mary’s fate now lies in the hands of the one person she distrusts the most: her Momma. No one knows the real Momma. But does anyone know the real Mary?

Interview with Author Namina Forna

Welcome Back, Booklovers

I'm back with another one! You all have been responding so well to these these author interviews and demanding more.  So I'm bringing you another author debuting a YA Fantasy. Her book, Gilded, at this time is scheduled to release February 9, 2021.  You can follow her @naminaforna on Twitter and @namina.forna on Instagram.

What was it like growing up in Sierra Leone?

Oh my goodness, you’re the first person to ever ask this question! Growing up in Sierra Leone was weird. On one hand, it was a golden time. Freetown, the capital, is very small and everybody knew everybody. It was very neighborly. And I had a lot of privilege. My father was a member of parliament, so I went to private schools, had a chauffeur, the whole nine yards. 

On the other hand, it was dangerous. I remember the coup by Valentine Strasser. He was this young soldier who became the youngest Head of State in the world when he took over the government in 1992. That was a difficult time. There was a curfew and this strange tension always lingered in the air. I remember one day I took a nap in the guest house and woke up to chaos and people crying because they thought I’d been taken. Then there were all the disappearances. I have trouble recalling people now because so many of my relatives and family friends disappeared during this time. Only when I watched a CNN report on the Sierra Leonean war years later did I understand what had happened. 

Since the release of Black Panther we’ve seen more interest in publishing in African based fantasy stories. Do you think that helped sell your series? And how do you deal with the comparisons to other African authors?

I think Black Panther definitely paved the way for The Gilded Ones. I wrote TGO around 2012, well before the black fantasy wave, and back then, I couldn’t sell it. The prevailing idea was that black girls don’t sell books, not to speak of black authors. I was actually considering using a pen name to disguise myself. Then I saw the reception Black Panther was getting, and knew the time was right. I did a page one rewrite in a month and a half.

What cultures inspired you when writing Gilded?

West Africa--particularly Sierra Leone and Nigeria, which are the two countries my family comes from. Also, America. The Gilded Ones is basically a screed against purity culture in all its facets, and America is kind of number one when it comes to that. 

Were you able to have any say in the cover design?

A little. This was the second cover for the book, and I think it’s perfect. The artist, Tara Josu is a master. I think the only note I had was that a tiny zipper-like thing be taken off Deka’s outfit. Otherwise, it was all Tara and my American editor, Kelsey. They put their heads together and created a masterpiece.

You’re a Spelman graduate. How did Spelman help shape you as a writer?

Spelman was fundamental to my growth as a writer, because it was there I was exposed to feminist concepts and theory. Not only that, Spelman taught me to engage with material on multiple layers. And that’s how I approached The Gilded Ones. When I was crafting the world, I thought, how do I explain the patriarchy? What factors contribute to it? What factors uphold it? And I went in with that in mind.

All of that comes from Spelman.

How is screenwriting different from novel writing?

Screenwriting is more precise. In a novel, you have all this space to craft a world and characters, and you can basically meander, if you want. With a screenplay, you have max, 122 pages, and you have to hit certain beats at certain pages or your story doesn’t move in the best way. 

Plotting-wise, screenwriting is more difficult, but the actual writing of it is definitely easier, because once you’ve got the structure down, you can breeze through.

What was your #DVPit experience like?

It was one of the most surreal and delightful experiences of my life. Before, I was used to rejection after rejection, but during #DVPit, the agents were courting me instead of vice versa. Best of all, I met my agent, Alice Sutherland-Hawes. She liked my pitch on a Wednesday, and by Saturday, we were talking representation. 

My E-Galley alongside another fantasy to pick up

What is your writing process like?

Typically, I get my ideas from dreams. Once I wake up, I immediately write the idea down, then I talk it over with friends, agents, etc., to make sure it’s original and marketable. Not every idea is, and you have to know which ones to toss away and which ones to keep. When I came up with The Gilded Ones, for instance, it wasn’t marketable, but I knew it was an original idea, so I kept it, and waited until the time was right.

Once I’ve ensured an idea is good, I begin my research, which takes about a year. I do this passively, while I’m working on other projects. At the end of the research process, I finesse my story and write down an outline. From there, I go to pages. I try to write ten pages every morning before breakfast. If everything is good, and my schedule is okay, I usually finish a book or a new work every three, four months or so.

What should a Black writer querying look for in an agent?

If the agent has a Twitter, I would suggest scrolling through their tweets, first thing. Yes, agent and client is a business relationship, but that business is creativity, and having the wrong type of agent can have you doubting yourself, and your stories for years. 

I love my agent, Alice. I’d been burned before, so when we had our call, I told her exactly what I wanted, and made sure that her vision for me aligned with mine. Because at the end of the day, you chose what type of career you want, so sit down and write the things that are important to you, and ensure that the person who’s going out to make them a reality is on your side and not subtly undermining you, which is a reality in this industry. 

How did you feel when you were called “The Toni Morrison of YA Fantasy”  by Refinery29 last year?

While I was very honored by the comparison (I love, love, love Toni Morrison), I feel like there can only ever be one Toni Morrison. Just like there can only be one Octavia Butler, Maya Angelou, etc. What I hope is that eventually, I can be the one and only Namina Forna. And that I can join a cohort of black writers who pave the way for others.

Have you started working on that Black mermaid fantasy yet?

Yes! I have the world already mapped out. All I have to do now is put pen to paper--or rather, fingers to keyboard. I’m so excited for you guys to see it. 

Any other great books releasing this year you want to shout out?

Of course! On June 2, A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Roseanne Brown, You Should See Me In a Crown by Leah Johnson, and A Song Below Water by Bethany Morrow were released. Evil spirits, mid-western prom shenanigans, black women with powerful voices--what more can you want?

There were also some amazing books that came out earlier this year. The Sound of Stars by Alechia Dow, The Henna Wars by Adiba Jaigirdar, and Felix Ever After by Kacen Callendar. I had the chance to read The Henna Wars before it got agented, and I’m always excited by that.

Later in this year, be on the lookout for Raybearer, by Jordan Ifueko and Legendborn by Tracy Deonn. They’re going to be what? Legend-ary!

The Boyfriend Project by Farrah Rochan

Welcome Back Booklovers,

Do you get excited feeling when you finally get your hands on a romance novel you've been dying to read? I had that excited feeling when I found out I was approved for a digital arc from Forver Publishing of  The Boyfriend Project.  I couldn't wait to read it and thought it would be the perfect summer novel. It DRAGGED!  You know it's bad when you're a little less than 50% of the way through ready to be over. I should've been able to finish it in about 2 days but couldn't because I couldn't find anything worth getting lost into.

I feel cheated because I thought this would be a cute Black romance. The leading lady Samiah is Black but the leading man Daniel is biracial of an African-American and Korean mix. And he seemed to lean more towards his Korean side. Though to be honest him being biracial wasn't really explored too much. Mostly it was just a reason to gush over his mixed features. There was one brief conversation where Samiah was explaining to Daniel that she had to be twice as good as everyone else as a Black woman. And then she felt bad and apologized for being intensive and daring to think he as a biracial man wouldn't get it. And then he said some bs about how their experiences are different because as a half Asian people expect him to be a model minority. And then it switched back to Samiah explaining to him how Black women have to be better than everyone else. And instead of going further in depth the conversation switched from there. A deeper conversation could've been had as it relates to his biracial heritage and the privileges and disadvantages it affords him. 

The book starts off with a bang with Samiah's sister reading some live tweets about a bad date that's been going viral. As the woman tweets more and more Samiah realizes that the woman is tweeting about her man! The same man she's currently getting dolled up for. And the restaurant he's currently at is in her neighborhood. She rushes down to the sushi spot to let him have it and there's a 3rd woman in the mix. He's been playing all of them.  They grab their sushi on him and storm out to enjoy the rest of their night. Meanwhile the video goes viral and Samiah becomes the talk of the office.

My biggest problem is that the relationships were not properly developed. I wanted to like the friendship between the three women but it moved way too quickly and mostly happened off page so I couldn't get invested in it. And I wanted to because there's nothing like Black women friendships

Samiah and Daniel meet off screen and we hear from his inner thoughts that he's been making excuses to pop into the coffee shop to see her every day. From there the relationships seems rushed over an unclear timeline. It's developed as if weeks of working together has gone by but at other times it's mentioned Daniel has only been working at the company a couple. 

The entire time Daniel is harboring a secret which I won't give any spoilers about but I will say he didn't do a good job keeping his double identity a secret or his lies straight. 

I liked the representation of a Black woman in STEM who is trying to succeed at work and develop her own app on the side but I couldn't fall in love with this book. 

Interview with Author Callie Browning

Welcome Back Booklovers!

And let's kick off Caribbean Heritage month by discovering a new author. Her name is Callie Browning and she's from the beautiful Barbados. You can follow her online on Instagram and Twitter @bajancallie. I highly suggest following her on IG. She posts the most vibrant photos of her island home.

What part of Barbados did you grow up in?

I grew up in St. Michael which is one of the more southern parishes on the island. I remember going to the beach and Queen's Park very often so I would say in some ways I had what some people would consider being a quintessential island childhood.

What has your publishing journey been like?

For me, it's been a lot of extreme emotions, primarily because I don't think I ever really considered travelling the traditional publishing route. The downside was that I had no self-publishing blueprint to follow so it's all been about patience and trial and error. The flip side is that the smooth parts of the journey have been extra gratifying so it balances out.

What inspired your story?

One day, a very interesting, very cranky old lady and her story popped into my head and I thought she would make a great short story. But I kept writing and writing until I became obsessed with learning more about this lady named Susan Taylor. After I realized that she wouldn't remain a short story I started looking at what her life would have been like in Barbados between 1950 - 1967, a time when the country experienced some incredible political and cultural shifts. While it's not a book about politics, we realize that politics heavily impacts our daily lives: things as simple as how we eat and how we go to school are all affected by our countries' politics. I was also very interested in Susan's love life - readers have described her main love interest as "perfect and precious".

What advice do you have for other Caribbean authors?

To not be hemmed in by what they think the world thinks. Create stories that inspire them because those stories can shift narratives.

I've seen a lot of praise for the vivid imagery you use throughout the book. How important was it to describe the food, sights, and sound sounds of the island?

Thank you! I didn't think of it as important when I was writing. Those parts came the easiest because they're a part of my Barbadian experience. At the same time, I think a story told in a time and place that many people have never experienced benefits greatly from having vivid imagery. Island life has a different flavour to it, a colour and resonance that is so beautiful that I believe that's what makes readers identify with it so effortlessly.

Were you cautious about writing something so political?

I wasn't when I was writing but I was when I was publishing! Only the dates of major events like our country's Independence are true, everything else is bathed with a whole lot of creative license. The main scandal of the book never actually took place and no whistle-blowing writer like Susan ever existed even though I've had A LOT of readers DM to ask if she ever came back to Barbados. I have to let a lot of them know that all of these characters existed in my head. That's actually a huge compliment when people adore the richness of my book to the point where they are invested in the characters and believe they're real.

Since some of this story takes place in the 60s, what was your research process like?

It was loooong. I was born in the 80s so these things happened in a time that I had no reference point for. I went to the museum, read old articles, watched Barbados' flag-raising video from 1966, went to the library. I spent about 6 months researching the facets of Barbadian life so I could write as authentically as possible.

Do you have any favorite Caribbean authors?

I still go back to my school literature days and identify those books by Caribbean authors as my favourites. I've recently started reading V.S. Naipaul who's Trinidadian and I'm enjoying that thus far.

Do you have any new works in progress? And if so are you able to give us any info?

Yes, I'm currently working on two books. One is a suspense novel based on actual events of 1980s Barbados and the other is a middle grade book which has been getting amazing beta reviews. I'm hoping to launch both of them this year. Also, if you follow my Instagram you'd see that my stories are FULL of my cooking escapades. Lots of people have asked me to put out a cookbook but for now, I'll include my fishcake recipe at the back of the suspense novel. I also did a 1-minute video on it for Read Caribbean which is in June so you can look for Callie's Fishcakes on YouTube to get the recipe.

Do you have any tips for self published authors to market their book online?

Be fearless! What works is so dependent on the genre and your audience, but you'll soon figure it out if you try different things. Have a good book, have a good cover and take pictures.