I couldn't put everything I wanted to say on this site about the book. I will definitely say that Bloodmarked is worth the wait and is just as good, iI couldn't put everything I wanted to say on this site about the book. I will definitely say that Bloodmarked is worth the wait and is just as good, if not better than Legendborn.
I just finished reading this book and it took me a few minutes to get myself together. Ms. Chung has written a memoir that talks about grief in a way I just finished reading this book and it took me a few minutes to get myself together. Ms. Chung has written a memoir that talks about grief in a way that is extremely relatable, especially to those who have lost parents. Although I have not gone through this type of loss yet, I had no problem understanding her pain. The author also writes of the guilt she felt living so far away from her parents, something else I can relate to. But it is Ms. Chung's chapters about the loss of her mother that had me in tears for the second half of the book.
The writing is especially beautiful and raw, letting readers know that what we're reading is how Ms. Chung felt, and still feels. It felt almost cruel how quickly she lost both parents, not having the space to grieve them individually. Reading this book helped me face my own fears of one day losing my own parents and trying to do whatever I can to be there for them like a dutiful daughter should be. I thought the author's bouts with anxiety, panic attacks, guilt and rage were necessary for readers to see on the page because too many of us still try to keep it together during times of crisis or grief, causing more harm to ourselves in the long run.
I definitely plan to purchase a finished copy of this book. I normally do not read memoirs more than once, but this book will be one of the few I choose to keep in my personal library and read again....more
I will never get over reading books that center Black kids. I wish I had books like this one when I was younger because it really is something to see I will never get over reading books that center Black kids. I wish I had books like this one when I was younger because it really is something to see yourself in an adventure.
In Justina Ireland's latest, readers are transported to 1937, a time that was not especially kind to Black people. Wait, let me not sugarcoat it: it was a terrible time. But in this version, Black people are magical and also oppressed. We've always known that Black people are magical, but in Ms. Ireland's book, we genuinely have magical abilities, known as the mystical arts. Laura Ann, which is also my favorite aunt's name, is a young mage looking to get her license. She leaves her little town and heads to New York, the place where your dreams come to live or die. Four months in and Laura Ann is ready to quit but instead gets a job with the Bureau of the Arcane Conservation Corps. She becomes the apprentice of the Skylark, a powerful mage who has her own secret. When they are assigned to assist with a disruption called a Blight, Laura Ann learns how powerful she truly is.
First off I want to say that I adore historical fiction that centers Black people. The author has created a story that takes the racism of that time and turns it on its head. Using historical events, the book focuses on a disruption to the Dynamism, an arcane force that is the source of the mystical arts, called the Great Rust. The event threw the country into chaos, creating Blights in different parts of the country, which gave those who believe in technology (Mechomancers) a reason to take over and erase the mystical arts.
It's amazing how the author created an alternative world in which racism still exists but in a different way. Because one thing we all know is that racism has a vast imagination and finds numerous ways to reinvent itself. And it has in this book. But like Black people in the real world, the ones in this book find a way to live, saving themselves which also saves the world around them. Laura Ann is such a dynamic seventeen-year-old, looking to have the life she's always wanted in the city that never sleeps. Although she lives in a world that wants to erase her and her talents, Laura Ann perseveres because she has people who understand her world. They come together to defeat an evil that is both familiar and terrifying.
I do not want to talk too much about this book because I'm afraid I'll spoil something. But I will tell readers to buy this book or borrow it from the their local library. I plan to buy a copy for myself so I can read it again....more
Saeed Jones really knows how to pull at my heartstrings. I read his memoir, How We Fight for Our Lives when it was published and when I was done, I crSaeed Jones really knows how to pull at my heartstrings. I read his memoir, How We Fight for Our Lives when it was published and when I was done, I cried for a half hour. Full-on sobbing. And it was worth every tear.
This latest poetry collection did not make me cry. But I did feel the tears coming and my throat tightening. Each poem pulled different emotions from me with no effort whatsoever. The author is incredibly adept at moving readers with his writing, which to me is his super power. Don't go into this collection thinking you won't feel anything because you absolutely will. But you'll be better for it.
Absolutely buy or borrow this collection. It is gorgeously written and one that should be included in your personal library. ...more
A moment of honesty: I requested this book because of the cover and title. Yes, I know it's weird, but being normal is boring. However, my instincts wA moment of honesty: I requested this book because of the cover and title. Yes, I know it's weird, but being normal is boring. However, my instincts were right because I was very pleasantly surprised at how much I loved this tiny, but mighty book.
I love to read books and stories about women who leave their husbands. It is no secret that marriage benefits husbands more than wives and the author's mother's marriages were no different. Her life was forever altered after marrying and having children, and I could feel the heaviness that came with all of it as I read the book. Being poor didn't help matters and all I wanted was to get to the part where she finally left. Once she did, his mother became a completely different person.
But the author's mother wasn't the only one who desired liberation. M. Louis also needed his freedom and he found his own way. I was happy for him as well, because feeling stuck and wanting to break free to forge your own path is something I relate to, and so will many other readers.
I definitely recommend this book to my readers.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review....more
I knew that as soon as I started reading this book, I would love it. Not because it's about the Dora Milaje, the Royal Family's elite protectors. No, I knew that as soon as I started reading this book, I would love it. Not because it's about the Dora Milaje, the Royal Family's elite protectors. No, I love this book because as soon as I began reading it, I felt like I was training to become one myself.
I understand that the Dora Milaje are fictional. But this book made me feel like I had just been accepted into the training program. And to be honest, I felt like I wanted to succeed. I wanted to do well, to learn and be the best. The manual, which I read like I was preparing for a pop quiz, is filled with the history of Wakanda, both good and bad, and includes handwritten notes by Dora who could attest to the rigor with which they were trained, including General Okoye. Dora are not only trained physically, but also mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Learning several languages is a requirement, which I wholeheartedly agree is an important skill to have. The training a kanwata, or Dora Milaje trainee, receives is not about weapons and fighting, it is about the whole person. It is about the Dora who can work with her sisters on covert operations, speak fluent Korean with dignitaries in Seoul and complete a helicarrier jump without fear.
To be honest, when I was done reading, I felt a bit disappointed that I wouldn't be training irl. I know in my heart that if the training program was real, I would travel far to seek Bast's blessing in the hope of becoming a kanwata.
I would love to see this book adapted as a limited series on Disney+ (and I would HAPPILY portray a teacher or trainer) because it truly gives everyone a real look into what it take to become a Dora Milaje. We all know they're badass from what we saw in the Black Panther film. But this book lets readers see that the Dora are more than just soldiers. They are women who believe in their dreams and will do whatever it takes to see them come to life.
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an advance copy....more
It has been a long time since I’ve read a book translated from French. To be honest, I don’t even remember the last book I read from a French author, It has been a long time since I’ve read a book translated from French. To be honest, I don’t even remember the last book I read from a French author, which probably means I didn’t enjoy it. However, The Martins, written by David Foenkinos and translated by Sam Taylor, is truly a delight.
I do not remember if I requested a copy of this book or just received it out of the blue, but it doesn’t matter. I was drawn to this book just by looking at the cover and was rewarded for my interest. The Martins is such an interesting and smartly written book, one that is unexpected in its range. The book is written from the point of view of an author who decides to write his next book about the first person he meets on the street, which is a wild idea to begin with. But when he meets an old woman on her way home from the grocery store, the narrator is sucked into the lives and secrets of his new subject and her family almost immediately. His random act becomes a discovery of not just this family and its members’ revelations, but also of himself. The author becomes invested in the lives of the family members while coming to terms with his own issues.
The book is short and can easily be read in one sitting. I enjoyed it so much and want to read more of Foenkinos’ work. He writes with a simplicity that isn’t dumbed down and creates characters that are both interesting and very human. The Martins are regular people who rightfully wonder if they are worth writing about. They are normal and don’t do anything even mildly book-worthy, in their eyes. But from the short time it took for me to read this book, they absolutely are. ...more
I did not think I would enjoy a book about faith as much as I did this one. I normally stay away from books like this because too many are religion heI did not think I would enjoy a book about faith as much as I did this one. I normally stay away from books like this because too many are religion heavy. I don’t want someone to shove their religion down my throat or to be unrealistic about what it means to have faith. This Here Flesh does none of those things.
The author knows how to weave stories and how to make them relatable. She is not one to push religion on the reader. Instead, she tells stories from her real life, from her father and grandmother. Their stories are both loving and horrifying. There are tender moments and also moments that made me cry. Real life moments that would make anyone question their faith in God.
I appreciated reading those stories but, most importantly, appreciated the author’s real struggles with her faith as her body breaks down. She lets readers know that the same questions we ask of God/the universe (Why me? What did I do to deserve this?) are the same questions she has asked. Having doubts of faith is normal and nothing to be ashamed of.
I want to keep a copy of this book on my bookshelf so I have it to go back to when my faith is flailing. It will be a great reminder that my feelings are valid and that it can always be restored if I allow it.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review...more
Akwaeke Emezi does not miss. I have read almost all of their books and have loved every single one. LOVED, not liked. They have become one of my favorAkwaeke Emezi does not miss. I have read almost all of their books and have loved every single one. LOVED, not liked. They have become one of my favorite authors in such a short period of time, writing with such imagination and emotion with each new book.
Bitter is so timely not because of the subject matter (social unrest) but because of how so many of us dealt with it. Like in the book, many young people were on the front lines, putting themselves in harm’s way, fighting with police who were more than eager to hurt them. Many of those same young people lost so much: jobs, body parts, even their lives while being called thugs or worse. And as they were out there making their voices heard, the rest of us were inside, afraid to be part of the unrest because we just wanted to maintain the little bit of peace we had. Bitter is no different. After a life of chaos, all she wants is to stay away from the protests and paint in her studio. She doesn’t see the point of them and doesn’t think things will change. It isn’t until a friend of hers is hurt in a terrible way that things do change thanks to a power she’s kept hidden from everyone.
Whenever I read a book that has a character with a power than can make some real changes, I always wonder what I would do with it. And to be honest, I would abuse it. I would become worse than the ones I would use it on, so it’s a good thing I don’t have that kind of power. Anger and grief can make us do terrible things, and Bitter is no different. She was given a rotten hand in life and wants to hold on to the peace she finally has, even if it means standing on the sidelines. But there is always a time when the choice of standing up for what’s right or staying hidden has to be made. Bitter had to make that choice because of her anger and what came from it.
The way Akwaeke Emezi writes is almost supernatural. They write with an intensity that forces readers to feel, no matter what. It is a rare gift. In this book, I felt so many things: anger, joy, annoyance, sadness, wonder, relief. And I’m still not sure that is all I felt. I do know, however, that this book cemented my love for an author I have grown to adore. ...more
I have to be honest. I requested this book because of the title and the cover art. Most book lovers do this. And a lot of times, we’re disappointed byI have to be honest. I requested this book because of the title and the cover art. Most book lovers do this. And a lot of times, we’re disappointed by our choices. But not today!
Kaikeyi is glorious! I started this book as soon as I was approved last week and I read it in record time. And in my PHONE, which I hate doing. I found every opportunity to read the book, even during lulls at work. From the very first line until the end, Kaikeyi kept me engaged and had my mind reeling with imagination.
The author takes us on a journey of Kaikeyi’s life, as the only girl in a family of seven brothers, she is a princess, or yuvradnyi, and also ignored at every turn by her father, Raja Ashwapati. After her mother is banished, Kaikeyi is determined to never let her life be dictated by men. She wants to become more than a radnyi, she wants to be her own person.
I absolutely loved reading Kaikeyi’s journey because it highlighted so many things that women are STILL dealing with today: bucking against traditional roles, being heard by men and society, fighting for change in a world that wants to keep women in their place, and so many other ways the world tries to keep women from being more than what we are perceived to be. Kaikeyi fought against her father, religious zealots, and even the gods. Sometimes she was a complete idiot about things, but aren’t we all? She was also brave, forthright and always thinking about helping her people.
The magical elements in the book are so great, especially the magic Kaikeyi unlocks in herself. I can tell you in all honesty that I would have abused that magic if I had it because I love power. But Kaikeyi learned to use it wisely, which is why she is a radnyi and I’m . . . not. Even in situations when it would have been smart to use her power to influence others, she only used her magic for good.
I absolutely recommend this book to my readers.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review....more
This book has so many layers to it I doubt I’ll be able to explain them all. It is a book about loss, community, longing for home, gentrification, intThis book has so many layers to it I doubt I’ll be able to explain them all. It is a book about loss, community, longing for home, gentrification, interracial dating and so much more.
If you are not familiar with New York or any other urban city, this book may not be for you. But for the rest of us, we know and understand most of what happens in this book, especially immigrants or first-gen Americans: leaving your home country, not understanding the language, creating a home and community in a place you can afford, raising children to be Americans but also remaining in the culture, watching those same children distance themselves from their culture to come into their own. It is a daily struggle. Add racism, gentrification and fear of deportation into the mix and it’s just more to worry about.
While reading this book I felt and understood so much of what Luz and Eusebia were going through. I understood Eusebia because as mothers, we do everything we can to raise our children to be successful and happy, even if it means putting our dreams on hold or forgetting them altogether. I understood Luz because like her, I wanted my life to be my own, which looked differently than what my parents wanted. Now, my mother wasn’t as harsh as Eusebia is with Luz, but she did let me know when she didn’t agree with my choices. But my mother isn’t an immigrant either so her experiences were different. But both women had to sacrifice and deal with so much in order to give their children the lives they thought we deserved. And that’s the real theme in this book: the sacrifices, choices, trauma and hurt Eusebia endured in her life and her inability to control any of it.
I’m not going to pretend like I agree with Eusebia’s decisions in regards to stopping the gentrification that threatened her neighborhood, but I definitely get it. So many neighborhoods are being decimated because of it and people who have been in those same neighborhoods for decades are being forced out by astronomical rental prices and gourmet mayonnaise shops that’ll be closed in three months. White people are criminalizing the neighbors who do stay by calling the police because they don’t like something. They don’t even bother to get to know the people who were there before them. They just bulldoze their way into those areas until it becomes another boring neighborhood full of cheaply-made glass monstrosities. Eusebia’s fear of what the new building meant is justified and is happening irl every single day.
I challenge readers to give this book a chance and truly read it. Ignore your own biases about the characters and their lives by putting yourselves in their shoes. You may learn something.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review...more
Alright, now that I've had time to think about this book, I will do my best to get all my thoughts down in a coherent way. Here goes. Also, I am addinAlright, now that I've had time to think about this book, I will do my best to get all my thoughts down in a coherent way. Here goes. Also, I am adding a TW for the book because Dr. Prescod-Weinstein talks about rape and sexual assault in one of the chapters.
Plain and simple, this is an excellent book. If you are a physics nerd or just want to know more about physics, this is the book for you. But if you also want to know what it's like to be a non-cis white straight male working in the field of physics, this is also the book for you. Dr. Prescod-Weinstein does no pull any punches and goes deep into how physics and science in general are both incredibly important to the world and also far from eradicating racism, misogyny and sexual assault/harassment from within. She talks of her love for physics, especially quarks, her time in college at different levels and the constant obstacles she faced, and how science has stood on the backs of, and done great harm to, Black and Indigenous people throughout history.
I loved physics when I was in high school but lost that love after having a teacher who spent more time with the white kids than the rest of us. His inattention soured me on the subject. But reading this book reawakened my curiosity and desire to learn more. Dr. Prescod-Weinstein did extensive research for her book and cited to many books that I plan to add to my very long TBR. Books I wish I had read as a teen, which probably would have kept me interested in the physics. But she also laid bare her own experiences in becoming a theoretical cosmologist, experiences of constant racism, misogyny, rape and sexual harassment. She is honest about whether physics is still something she loves, especially with everything that she has seen and had done to her. The fact that she is still teaching, still learning and still in her field is nothing short of a miracle.
It is a shame that racism and misogyny are still so rampant in pretty much every field because they cause those fields to lose out on fresh new talent. Instead, we're stuck with the same old white men who continue to shape the world for their benefit alone, with the same dry ideas that keep us from moving forward. Black and other POC, women and queer/trans people who just want to do what they love deserve to have the same opportunities that have been handed to, and stolen by, white men. Innovation remains stunted when the same people keep the rest of us out of the creation process. I'm glad that Dr. Prescod-Weinstein opened our eyes to what the rest of us have to face in the science world and I hope that more and more people like her become part of it....more
Portrait of a Thief is a book I have been DYING to read and when I was approved for an arc, I yelled. When I read the premise and then saw the cover (Portrait of a Thief is a book I have been DYING to read and when I was approved for an arc, I yelled. When I read the premise and then saw the cover (which is a whole damn vibe), I knew I needed to read it.
The novel is about a group of friends, all young, all still in college except for Alex, an MIT dropout working in Silicon Valley, who become embroiled in a scheme to take back (I'm not using the word steal) artifacts that were pillaged from Beijing hundreds of years ago. Sponsored by a mysterious woman who is incredibly wealthy and powerful, Will, his sister Irene, Alex, Lily and Daniel embark on a series of heists that will change their lives.
This book did not disappoint me, for the most part. I loved the characters, each with their own problems of identity to both China and America, something I've been trying to read more about. All are children of immigrants, which comes with the pressures of doing well in a country that still does not accept them. I especially enjoyed the dynamic between Will and Irene. They each have their own issues and feelings of inadequacy that come to a head in the book. Will is the eldest, a Harvard student studying art, a profession that many immigrant parents would not find acceptable or lucrative. Irene, on the other hand, is a junior at Duke, being the dutiful daughter she thinks she should be while competing with her brother. Irene has a knack for getting what she wants, most of the time with nothing but a smile. The two of them want what they want, and will do what they can to get it.
The entire time I read this book, I kept thinking about who would play each character should it ever be adapted for television or film. I would have to do some serious research because I'm not familiar with really young Chinese talent. I'm of the Chow Yun-fat/Michelle Yeoh/Gong Li fan club, although Henry Golding, Simu Liu and a few others are now on my radar. But I know one thing, whomever is hired to be the casting director, he/she/they needs to cast Tony Leung as Daniel's father ASAP. His was the ONLY face I could see while I read the book.
The biggest peeve I had about the book is the constant reminders of how the whole thing began. I get it, the characters are super young and to go from worrying about college and the future after to planning and pulling off art heists is enough to rattle even the most stable brain. But it felt like I read about it way too much.
I also wish there had been more dialogue. The first part of the book didn't have much but when I got deeper into the book, the amount of dialogue increased, which really added much more to the story. The author really knows how to write dialogue between the characters so I wanted more of it.
The ending was pretty satisfying and, like I've said after reading other arcs I've enjoyed, I want to read the finished version to see if anything changes and to also get reacquainted with Will and his crew.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review....more
I normally do not like reading fiction books about slavery. Knowing that it existed and that white people still benefit from it to this day is enough.I normally do not like reading fiction books about slavery. Knowing that it existed and that white people still benefit from it to this day is enough. But I am glad I read this one. Yonder is extraordinary.
The book follows several characters all from the same plantation. Each are different and the same. The same because they are all enslaved and have had horrors in their lives that would keep even the most hardened person awake at night. Bu they are different because of their hopes, their dreams and what they will do to be free. The same because even while living in a Hell created by white people, these characters feel pain, loss and love.
I enjoyed this book so much because the author used language that made me relate to the characters in a different way than I have reading other fiction books depicting slavery. The slave owners are Thieves (rightfully so) and those enslaved are the Stolen, which is accurate. Thieves, both men and women, are written like the monsters they were. But the author does not write these horrors for shock value. He writes them more so that readers understand what happened to these PEOPLE, something white people today still can't come to grips with (or won't). The Stolen were human beings who were treated like animals. No, less than animals. But had they continued to believe they were, we would still be in bondage.
I definitely plan to purchase this book so I have a finished copy in my library. I can see myself reading this book again and again.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review....more
I am still trying to bring my emotions down after reading The School for Good Mothers. It is a maddening, frustrating, anger-inducing book that I coulI am still trying to bring my emotions down after reading The School for Good Mothers. It is a maddening, frustrating, anger-inducing book that I couldn't stop reading.
Frida Liu has had a very bad day. She leaves her daughter, Harriet, home alone for a couple of hours and is reported to the police. Because of her "neglect," Frida is sentenced to attend a school for bad parents, a coed facility for both mothers and fathers. What Frida has to go through is indicative of the Hell mothers are subject to in the real world.
I am a mother and I can tell you with all honesty that had a judge sentenced me to attend that school, I would have grabbed my kid and left the country. The hoops these mothers had to jump through, the judgments, feelings of shame and inadequacy and plain abuse is believable. Mothers, in the real world, are scrutinized for absolutely everything they do. From their breast-feeding schedules to the amount of time it takes for them to "snap back" to their pre-baby weight is catalogued and quantified by family and strangers alike. Social media has only made things worse, which is why so many women these days are saying no to having babies. Many don't want the financial, physical or emotional burden of taking care of a child, while others do not want to bring a baby into a world that is literally on fire.
I think the author did a great job of writing this book from an Asian woman's perspective, one readers are starting to see more of in fiction. The mothers in the program come from different backgrounds and are sent to the school for pretty much anything. Some mothers did truly terrible things but others are at the school for "offenses" that were due to lack of child care, or being poor. I'm glad the author included the differences in the school's programming for the fathers, which is nowhere near as intense or strict as it is for the mothers (shocker).
This book is going to open up a lot of discussions about parenting in general, discussions that need to be had, especially after seeing how that dynamic has been pushed to the forefront during this ongoing pandemic. I, for one, cannot wait.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review....more
Wow!! My god what a book!! It is horrifying and also one of the most interesting books I’ve read in a while. The subject matter is scary in that I couWow!! My god what a book!! It is horrifying and also one of the most interesting books I’ve read in a while. The subject matter is scary in that I could absolutely see it happening in the real world. And of course, the ones who will benefit the most and be incredibly terrible and dangerous would be the very rich. They would be like the VIPs in Squid Game, so bored with their money that they would turn the very circumstances into a sport for their enjoyment.
I loved reading this book because the author wrote about the moral dilemma we would face if what happens in the story came to fruition. How easily would we adapt to the new reality? And how long before the world turns the new reality against the already poor and marginalized? I don’t believe it would take long at all, to be honest. After living through this pandemic and seeing how little people care about saving and helping their fellow man, those with little money or power would be sacrificed almost immediately.
The ending is also the answer to that moral dilemma because the protagonist, Marcos, who seems like a semi-decent person for most of the novel is really the worst person in the story. Compared to others in the novel, Marcos is quiet, hardworking and has somewhat of a moral compass. But he fools us all and shocks us at the end. He is the person who pretends to be good, when in reality Marcos’ truest form reveals itself, leaving us horrified because he can easily be one of us. Just look at what’s going on and now and the ending becomes less shocking. ...more
Yes, I finished this book in one sitting!! And I am so incredibly happy I did. Daphne Palasi Andreades’ first novel is incredible. I could not put it Yes, I finished this book in one sitting!! And I am so incredibly happy I did. Daphne Palasi Andreades’ first novel is incredible. I could not put it down even though my eyes are burning from lack of sleep. As soon as I began reading, I KNEW I would not stop until I was done.
The novel is aptly titled Brown Girls because it is about the Brown girls of Queens, one of the most diverse cities in New York and the United States. It is chock full of immigrants from all over the world and the author makes sure we know this without being too specific. The author writes from the girls’ point of view starting from junior high to high school to college and beyond. Some stay in New York while others leave for other cities and countries. Some marry, have children and divorce, while others find love in same-sex relationships or remain single and happy. LIFE happens to these Brown girls, good and bad and it is altogether fun, terrifying, heartbreaking and exciting to read about their lives.
Daphne Palasi Andreades writes very lyrically, creating chapters that are both short and full of life. Each one completely encapsulates what is happening during specific times of the Brown girls’ lives without feeling choppy. Although the book was a fast read, I did not feel like I missed anything and the book ended in a way that left me feeling satisfied and grateful to have read it.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review....more
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