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Salvage the Bones
7.5
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A hurricane is building over the Gulf of Mexico, threatening the coastal town of Bois Sauvage,...
Contemporary Fiction African American Literary Fiction
Access To History Civil Rights In The Usa 1945 68 (Access To History)
4.0
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The Access to History series is the most popular and trusted series for AS- and A-level history...
The File
8.0
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Debut author Gary Born erupts into the literary scene with a nail-biting thriller centered on...
Thriller Debut Novel
David McK (3600 KP) rated The Fires of Vengeance in Books
Jun 5, 2022
Second entry in Evan Winter's 'The Burning' series, and - like the previous (The Rage of Dragons) - this definitely falls into the umbrella term of (here, African inspired) fantasy.
And I don't mean that pejoratively - I like me a bit of fantasy every now and then!
Anyway, this follows on almost directly from the ending of the previous novel, with Tau Solarin now having risen to the rank of Queen's Campion, still out for revenge against the Royal noble who killed his father, and now wit the added, umm ... shall we say complications? ... that arise from his feelings towards the Omehian Queen Tsiora who is facing a civil war over her actions (including elevating a Common like Tau to be her champion).
For some reason, however, I didn't connect with this one so much as with the previous - I'm not sure whether that was because this seemingly focused more on the grand sweep of the ongoing war than on the personal stakes involved?
Anyway, it also ends with a definite cliff-hanger setup for book #3 - I'll probably continue reading the series when that comes out.
And I don't mean that pejoratively - I like me a bit of fantasy every now and then!
Anyway, this follows on almost directly from the ending of the previous novel, with Tau Solarin now having risen to the rank of Queen's Campion, still out for revenge against the Royal noble who killed his father, and now wit the added, umm ... shall we say complications? ... that arise from his feelings towards the Omehian Queen Tsiora who is facing a civil war over her actions (including elevating a Common like Tau to be her champion).
For some reason, however, I didn't connect with this one so much as with the previous - I'm not sure whether that was because this seemingly focused more on the grand sweep of the ongoing war than on the personal stakes involved?
Anyway, it also ends with a definite cliff-hanger setup for book #3 - I'll probably continue reading the series when that comes out.
Birder, She Wrote
8.0
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Meg is relaxing in the hammock, taste-testing Michael’s latest batch of Arnold Palmers and...
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2395 KP) rated Birder, She Wrote in Books
Aug 18, 2023 (Updated Aug 18, 2023)
Who Has the Sting of a Killer?
The NIMBYs (not in my backyard) are at it again, this time complaining about the bees that the farmer next to their neighborhood is keeping – something he’s had since long before their subdivision was created. But before Meg Langslow can go over and attempt to play peacemaker, she is going to help her neighbor attempt to find a long abandoned African American cemetery. Their expedition ends when they find a very modern dead body in the area – that of the NIMBY ringleader. Since he wasn’t popular even among his neighbors, the suspect list in long. Will Meg figure out what happened?
It's always a pleasure to drop back into Meg’s world. Her family and friends make me smile, and this book was no exception. The plot tries to work a bit too much into the story; it works, but it could have used a trim. It doesn’t matter because I was along for the ride up until the end. The suspects fit well into Meg’s world, and I got some laughs along the way. This is a book that will please fans old and new.
It's always a pleasure to drop back into Meg’s world. Her family and friends make me smile, and this book was no exception. The plot tries to work a bit too much into the story; it works, but it could have used a trim. It doesn’t matter because I was along for the ride up until the end. The suspects fit well into Meg’s world, and I got some laughs along the way. This is a book that will please fans old and new.
Rise of The Unicorn
Book
Augustus 'Gus' Martin is an embattled LAPD negotiator. Months after suffering a significant blow to...
Mystery Suspense Thriller Psychological Fiction African-American Mystery
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Hate u Give in Books
Feb 8, 2018
Starr Carter lives a divided life. At sixteen, she spends part of her life in her impoverished inner city neighborhood and another portion in the suburbs, attending an elite prep school, where she is one of a handful of African American students. Starr feels like she is two Starrs, and she keeps these two people very separate, with a different set of friends and personas for each world. But her careful facade is threatened when her childhood best friend, Khalil, is killed by a police officer. Starr is with Khalil when he is shot--unarmed--and her life will never be the same. In the aftermath, the media begins to call Khalil a drug dealer and a gang member. But speaking up about what she saw isn't so simple, especially when not everyone wants to hear the truth.
You've probably heard about Thomas' debut novel by now--it's been getting a lot of coverage and truly, deservedly so. This is definitely a <i>powerful, eye-opening, and timely story. </i> Thomas has created an excellent main character in Starr, whose voice shines clear and strong in the book. Her struggle to fit into two worlds is one many can relate to: Starr's just happens to have life and death consequences. Starr has wonderful, supportive parents and two humorous brothers who fill out the book with a realism and warmth that's hard to describe. Thomas is superb in capturing her characters' voices, and I found myself easily able to picture Starr and her family. I especially loved such snippets that made them jump off the pages--for instance, the family settling down to watch NBA basketball, complete with all their little superstitions (I've definitely been there) was perfect.
Starr's story isn't always easy to read (nor should it be), but it offered strong insight into the systemic problems facing African American communities--much of it framed by Starr's pragmatic parents. I thought some things tied up too easily, but I was still very profoundly affected by the story. I loved Starr and her tough yet vulnerable self. I loved her parents, their love, and their history. Her brothers cracked me up. At its core, this is a story about family, as well as identity and race. It's important, serious, heartbreaking, and yet sometimes really funny. It's also beautiful, powerful, and definitely worth a read.
<center><a href="http://justacatandabookatherside.blogspot.com/">Blog</a>; ~ <a href="https://twitter.com/mwcmoto">Twitter</a>; ~ <a href="https://www.facebook.com/justacatandabook/">Facebook</a>; ~ <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/+KristyHamiltonbooks">Google+</a></center>;
You've probably heard about Thomas' debut novel by now--it's been getting a lot of coverage and truly, deservedly so. This is definitely a <i>powerful, eye-opening, and timely story. </i> Thomas has created an excellent main character in Starr, whose voice shines clear and strong in the book. Her struggle to fit into two worlds is one many can relate to: Starr's just happens to have life and death consequences. Starr has wonderful, supportive parents and two humorous brothers who fill out the book with a realism and warmth that's hard to describe. Thomas is superb in capturing her characters' voices, and I found myself easily able to picture Starr and her family. I especially loved such snippets that made them jump off the pages--for instance, the family settling down to watch NBA basketball, complete with all their little superstitions (I've definitely been there) was perfect.
Starr's story isn't always easy to read (nor should it be), but it offered strong insight into the systemic problems facing African American communities--much of it framed by Starr's pragmatic parents. I thought some things tied up too easily, but I was still very profoundly affected by the story. I loved Starr and her tough yet vulnerable self. I loved her parents, their love, and their history. Her brothers cracked me up. At its core, this is a story about family, as well as identity and race. It's important, serious, heartbreaking, and yet sometimes really funny. It's also beautiful, powerful, and definitely worth a read.
<center><a href="http://justacatandabookatherside.blogspot.com/">Blog</a>; ~ <a href="https://twitter.com/mwcmoto">Twitter</a>; ~ <a href="https://www.facebook.com/justacatandabook/">Facebook</a>; ~ <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/+KristyHamiltonbooks">Google+</a></center>;
Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated Hidden Figures: The Untold Story of the African-American Women Who Helped Win the Space Race in Books
Oct 27, 2017 (Updated Oct 27, 2017)
So much more than the film
I'm so glad that I watched the film first, otherwise it would have been a total disappointment. The book is extensive, and the story of the film seems quite different to the truth. The bare bones are the same: a trio of remarkable women broke boundaries in both gender and race to be part of one of the most historic events in US and even world history - the space race.
Before John Glenn made it to space, a group of professionals worked as ‘Human Computers’, calculating the flight paths by hand that would enable these historic achievements. Among these were a coterie of bright, talented African-American women. Forget Silicon Valley's misogynistic climate - women were the original engineers and mathematicians.
The book is awash with interesting stories of extraordinary people working in a time of segregation and all pervasive racism. It has multiple layers that delve into each character, and gives a comprehensive context into these women's lives. It basically fills in the gaps of the film, but also changes the timeline considerably as Katherine Johnson was much younger than her colleague Dorothy Vaughan. Nevertheless, an extraordinary read and a great tribute to these invisible women.
Before John Glenn made it to space, a group of professionals worked as ‘Human Computers’, calculating the flight paths by hand that would enable these historic achievements. Among these were a coterie of bright, talented African-American women. Forget Silicon Valley's misogynistic climate - women were the original engineers and mathematicians.
The book is awash with interesting stories of extraordinary people working in a time of segregation and all pervasive racism. It has multiple layers that delve into each character, and gives a comprehensive context into these women's lives. It basically fills in the gaps of the film, but also changes the timeline considerably as Katherine Johnson was much younger than her colleague Dorothy Vaughan. Nevertheless, an extraordinary read and a great tribute to these invisible women.