This hardly ever happens to me, but... I have no idea what to write as a book review for Lock Every Door. As I read a book, I'm usually furiously scribbling notes in my little journal; I know I won't remember bookish thoughts later on that come to me in the moment, so I make sure to jot them down as reference points for when I write my reviews. But, I didn't make any notes for Lock Every Door. Not a single one. I was too busy reading. ...
If I'd known that drinking tea in American Royals is considered unpatriotic, I might have avoided reading this book. Out of protest for my favorite beverage, of course. Naw, jk! American Royals is awesome. I'm so glad I didn't know about the tea thing beforehand. What's American Royals about? America Royals is a completely charming novel that re-imagines the United States of America as a monarchy, complete with a royal family...
I want to tell you what reading An American Marriage by Tayari Jones did to me. It blew the doors of my understanding of white privilege wide open. Those doors will never be shut again. What's An American Marriage about? An American Marriage focuses on main characters Roy and Celestial. They're young, happily married, and advancing in their careers. Everything's going well for them until, one night, Roy is mistaken by a white woman...
Who else pounces on a new Mary Kay Andrews book the minute it comes out? My copy of Hello, Summer arrived a few days before Memorial Day Weekend, and it made me so excited to kick off the summer season. I'd devoured another beach read last MDW, and I figured a book titled "Hello, Summer" would be a shoo-in to invoke the easy, beachy, summertime vibes. Um, no. What's Hello, Summer about? Hello, Summer follows the...
Michael Arceneaux, author of I Can't Date Jesus: Love, Sex, Family, Race, and Other Reasons I've Put My Faith in Beyoncé, may be my spirit animal. I can't even tell you how many times I emphatically nodded and shouted "Hell, yeah!" as I read his candid and moving memoir. It's rare that I stumble across a writer whose wry sense of humor so closely matches my own -- or, at least, my own if I had the chutzpah to speak or write about...
The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James gave me mixed feelings. I'd been eagerly anticipating this one for months, especially after seeing SO much love for it from readers and other book bloggers. I was so excited when it came in from my local library just before they closed down because of COVID-19. I was quarantined, but I figured, Hey, I got THE book I was waiting for, so NBD. Ehhh, not quite. What's The Sun Down Motel...
I picked up The Printed Letter Bookshop after tossing aside four #DNFs in a row. Mercifully, this charming women's fiction story by Katherine Reay was exactly what I needed to pull me out of my reading slump. What's The Printed Letter Bookshop about? The Printed Letter Bookshop follows three women -- Madeline, Janet, and Claire -- who are all lost in some way or another. One is searching for what she wants to become; one...
Um, who's about ready for a beach vacation? THIS GIRL. While we may not be taking actual vacations anytime soon, I'm here to tell you that you can take a vicarious one with Summer Rental by Mary Kay Andrews. What's Summer Rental about? In Summer Rental, three friends rent a summer beach house in the Outer Banks, NC. When their "fourth" for the house bails on them last minute, they invite a random woman (ummm, okay....) to take...
"Maybe you should talk to someone." How many times have we heard those words, whether uttered jokingly or spoken with complete sincerity? Personally, I've said them lots of times to friends, family, and co-workers. Yeah, I'm that person. Which is why I was immediately intrigued by the title of Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, Her Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed. As a strong advocate of mental health awareness, I subscribe...
Here's a fun fact: I've had this Quick Look Books list of Historical Fiction recommendations planned for, oh,...over a year? Something like that. I've been meaning to post it. Really, I have. Just...something always got in the way. However, since the last few weeks have been pretty history-defining, I figured now's the time to debut this particular book list. To remind us of what people have faced, fought against, and, against all odds, overcome...
