Knowing Caul Baby was set in Harlem, I immediately thought the time period was the Harlem Renaissance. Then, I read the line “Uncle Ralph grew up in Providence and didn’t even know he was Black until he listened to Outkast for the first time!” I thought Okay, we are in the So Fresh, So Clean […]
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Summary There are a handful families in our country that have made a truly historic difference in our country and I can confidently say that the Obama family is one of them. Barack Obama’s latest memoir A Promised Land outlines his journey from the beginning of his life and career through his first term in
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What does self-love/self-care look for you? Candles, a warm relaxing bath, cooking an elaborate meal, mindfulness, or journaling? For me, it is reading, cuddling with my seven-year-old dog who is – objectively – the cutest Golden Retriever in existence, meditation, facing my faults, and changing for the better. I believe that it is important to
10 Books for Happiness, Courage, and Inspiration Read More »
If a fantasy or scifi universe has wizards, aliens, fairies, spaceships, or whatever fictional element in it, can’t it also have dark skinned or nonbinary or queer characters in it? Niba guides us through arguments for and against inclusivity in fiction, as well as how writers can incorporate diversity if they themselves have not lived
Niba discusses inclusivity in fiction and Mariquita reviews My Soul Looks Back Read More »
In White Feminism, Koa Beck is doing some CALLING OUT. Drawing on detailed research and personal experience, she takes readers back and through first wave American feminism (aka white feminism) to show how it started and the tools it has used to propel itself forward, the same tools that are used to this day that
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Summary What’s Mine and Yours shows the story of two families growing up in North Carolina – the Venturas, a Latinx family, and the Gilberts, a Black family. The Ventura family starts with their parents, Robbie and Lacey May, and their three children, Noelle, Margarita and Diane. The Gilbert family includes their parents, Ray and
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Elatose is Darcie Little Badger’s debut novel. This speculative fiction/mystery book features 17-year-old Elatsoe (Ellie for short) who lives in an America that has vampires and fae folks. She can raise the dead, a skill passed on from generations of Lipan Apache. She investigates the murder of her cousin while accompanied by the ghost of
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The story of La Llorona has been told and re-told for years, and there are many variations on some details, but what never changes is the bone-chilling fact that, according to Mexican legend, a woman drowned her own children in a depression-induced rage. She is rumored to roam at night, searching and wailing for her
Book Review: Paola Santiago and the River of Tears Read More »
Summary Have you ever wondered by certain people are anxious in relationships while others pull back whenever they get too close? It’s not a coincidence that people exhibit these types of behaviors. In psychology, there is a concept of “attachment styles” which describe how people are attached to each other. In Attached, professionals researched the
Book Review: Attached by Amir Levine and Rachel S. F. Heller Read More »
Language in Emma Glass’ book, Rest and Be Thankful, is fluid. Blood, tears, water, sweat pour on the page. They all serve as a connection to Laura, a nurse, navigating the complexities of her life’s expectations through the people she meets. Her thoughts are incredibly intimate. We read Laura longing to learn about herself. As
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What Kind of Woman is Kate Baer’s debut collection of poems. I am always on the fence about poetry as I think that I am either missing the meaning or misunderstanding the main idea. However, I enjoyed this slim anthology. Written in the vein of Rupi Kaur and Amanda Lovelace, the poems stretch from five
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“Ivy Lin was a thief, but you would never know it to look at her.” So reads the first line of White Ivy by Susie Yang. Ivy is a Chinese immigrant who moved to America at a young age, after her parents saved up enough money to send for her. Her desire to fit the
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