Reflections of an Anxious African American Dad by Eric L. Heard
Many young people of color in America experience “the talk” in their formative years, not about the opposite sex, but about the dangerous impact of their skin color, and the […]
Review: Summer of Haint Blue by Jimmie Martinez
Author Jimmie Martinez captures the raw, beautiful, and painful truths of both the rural and urban South during the 1960s in his YA novel, Summer of Haint Blue. A long-form narrative study on race relations and a deep dive into that tumultuous decade, this novel is draped with Spanish moss and bayou personality, which help to top-dress the strong and compelling plot.
Told through the eyes of Justin Couvillion, a teenage boy coming to terms with his own family history and their Cajun roots, while also trying to understand the racism so embedded in Louisiana, even in his own […]
Broken Cowboy by Jamie Schulz
Addie and Cade are a sizzling pair, and their slow-burning connection tells readers exactly where things are headed, but the trip is worth savoring. As the stakes of their unexpected fling rise to the level of life and death, Cade emerges as a slow-spoken hero, while the fiercely independent side of Addie is allowed to break free.
Unlike so many other romance novels, Schulz spends considerable time crafting her […]
A Sea for Summer (Places in the Heart Book 1) by Shelley Kassian
A touching reflection on family, motherhood, identity, and forgiveness, A Sea for Summer by Shelley Kassian is a tenderly penned exploration of love, and a superb first installment of her Places in the Heart series. Peter and Claire are two stubborn and deeply tangled partners, but the author sets the perfect beachside scene for redemption, recognizable conflict, and thought-provoking conversations that may encourage readers to do more work on their own close relationships. The prose is stylishly straightforward, rarely relying on complex turns of phrase, which not only makes the book a quick and easy read, but also lends the […]
China, China, Chyyna! by Chris Kanthan
After more than a century in power, the United States has fallen from grace on the world stage, the natural conclusion of political bickering and deep social divides. China has simultaneously been on a meteoric rise to power for the past three decades, leading the world in green energy development, production and manufacturing, trade, patent technologies, GDP growth, and much more.
Despite China’s […]
Review: Apotheosis Now by Yanhao Huang
For any embattled spirits looking for an honest path to self-understanding and happiness, Apotheosis Now: Rabbit Hole to the Beyond by Yanhao Huang is an excellent starting point.
As the title suggests, this book attempts to fast-track readers, or at least redirect them, to their highest form of self – their personal apotheosis – by explaining many of the obstacles, societal constructs, and mental blocks that prevent such a cognitive elevation. On this journey towards self-knowledge and self-examination, in which the ego is both ally and enemy, Huang asks many questions of the reader, which is potentially condescending in a […]
Review: The View from Breast Pocket Mountain by Karen Hill Anton
Spanning decades and more than half the world, The View from Breast Pocket Mountain by Karen Hill Anton is a revelatory memoir like few others – a vibrant and unpredictable journey of perseverance, parenthood, and personal growth.
Navigating an unfair world as a young Black girl, the author was introduced early to the limitations of America, which set her gaze on the horizon from an early age. With her mother bouncing between mental institutions and nursing homes during her formative years, Anton became fiercely independent and ambitious, soon moving out and living in New York City to pursue her many […]
Review: Song of All Songs by Donna Dechen Birdwell
Donna Dechen Birdwell has crafted an immersive and visceral vision of the future with Song of All Songs, a novel that begs to be savored like few others in recent memory. In an unspecified future Earth, after humanity has once again been decimated and reborn, this first installment of the EarthCycles series plays out as both a wonderful adventure and a well-crafted prophecy.
A rare treasure and a hidden gift leads Meridia on a journey that will uncover the truth of her past, her family, and the fate of the world as she knows it. After being separated from […]