Review: Into White by Randi Pink

Randi Pink. New York: Feiwel and Friends, 2016. pp. 275
Rating: Don't Bother + 🌙🌙🌙🌙🌙

LaToya Williams attends a majority white high school in Montgomery, Alabama. Outside of her older brother, LaToya is without friends at school and in her affluent suburban neighborhood. After an extremely humiliating experience at school, LaToya prays to trade her black skin for that of white. Upon waking the next day, LaToya discovers that her prayer has been answered.  Now LaToya has to learn to navigate life as white, blond, and privileged. Not to mention, maintain the appearance of her pre-transformation self around her family who are unable to see the "new" LaToya. 

Review: Peas and Carrots by Tanita S. Davis

Tanita S. Davis. Alfred A. Knopf: New York, 2016.  279 pp.

Rating: Decent

I debated whether to write a review for this book mainly because the writing is unremarkable and it was just an okay read to me; however, in subject matter this is a narrative that needed to be written. Oftentimes when we think of foster children, our minds are automatically wired to visualize children of color despite the stark reality that children of all races and ethnicities flow in and out of foster care trapped within an imperfect system. This story had to be written if only to demonstrate that black families foster more than just black children. It's important that I reiterate this because a few months back, a friend asked a question that I took exception to. For a brief moment, she shedded her friend cloak for that of a stranger. "How are you going to respond when someone asks you why you chose a white child when there are so many black children in the system?" is the question she posed to me.

To understand this question, you must know that I'm a single Black woman with no biological kids who is now fostering a white teenage girl. There is so much I could say in response to her question, but the bottom line is that ALL children need love, a loving home, and a safe living environment. Period. End of discussion.

Months later my friend confessed that finally she understood that it wasn't about race, but about a child who yearned for a stable, loving home and a woman who has always wanted to be a mother and has an abundance of love to give.

With that said...on to the book review.

September 2016 YA Releases

Yes, I do know that there's only one more day in September, but that's not going to stop me from posting a pic of my September releases. After stalking my order status for a week, the last book I'd been awaiting finally arrived. Now, I can exhibit my new babies for all to see. :) I've been wanting to get my hands on each of these books once I learned of them. Look at these pretties! I cannot wait to read them!

From L to R...Into White by Randi Pink, The Female of the Species
by Mindy McGinnis, Labyrinth Lost by  Zoraida Córdova

Review: How Wendy Redbird Dancing Survived the Dark Ages of Nought by Lyn Fairchild Hawks

Lyn Fairchild Hawks. Self-Published, 2013. pp. 268.
Rating: Decent + 🌙🌙🌙🌙🌙


Trigger Warning: Sexual Abuse/Rape

Some months back, a couple of weeks after I'd finished this book, a student who was new to the youth group remarked that she always wears a jacket because she's constantly cold. I then asked if she was anemic and she said that it was her security blanket...that it protected her from many things. Being extremely thin, I wondered if she was self-conscious of her body or was she possibly hiding/shielding herself from somebody or somebodies; however, we were interrupted before I could question her further. Not only did this conversation call up images of Linus from Peanuts dragging his blue blanket—which could morph into various objects when needed, such as a lasso or shepherd's head covering—everywhere, but it also caused me to think of Wendy Redbird Dancing with Michael Jackson, greasy hair, and kohl eyeliner as her security blankets.

Review: Black and White: The Confrontation between Reverend Fred L. Shuttlesworth and Eugene "Bull" Conner by Larry Dane Brimner

Larry Dane Brimner. Honesdale: Calkins Creek, 2011. 114 pp.
Rating: Striking + 🌙🌙🌙🌙🌙

The March on Birmingham evokes images of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. leading thousands of people through the streets of a 1960's Birmingham, Alabama. Huge dogs barely contained by the law enforcement officials to whom they are entrusted. Fire hoses drawn, aimed, and shot—firing torrents of throbbing, rushing water into the crowd hurtling protesters several feet through the air, and chaos run amuck. Seldom, if ever, does Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth spring to mind. Though I grew up in the birthplace of the Civil Rights Movement, Montgomery, Alabama, before reading Black & White, I had never heard of Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth. Like many of you, I depended on the public school system to teach me all I needed to know of the the Civil Rights Movement and its leaders. However, had it not been for Fred Shuttlesworth, desegregation in Birmingham may have been months or even years away.

Review: Firstborn by Lorrie Ann Glover

Lorie Ann Glover. Grand Rapids: Blink, 2014. 292 pp.
Rating: Worthy

During the time of invaded lands where the fierce desert cat prowled and the rapion dwelled, a society of people flourished...living as their ancestors before them. Forced under Madronian rule, the R'tans quash their faith in the Creator Spirit to survive. According to Madronian belief, the firstborn child, no matter the number of offspring birthed, possesses the greatest strength; which can only come by way of a man child. Those firstborn not of the male gender are left to die outside the village walls, but there is an alternative to life—assume a male identity and forever forsake a womanly existence.

Review: I Shall Be Near to You by Erin Lindsay McCabe

Erin Lindsay McCabe. New York: Crown Publishers, 2014. 304 pp.
Rating: Striking + 🌙🌙🌙🌙🌙

In an era devoid of modern day technology, you are newly married and a war is raging. The trickle flow of information sets all on edge. Hoping for news from loved ones, each mail delivery breeds both fear and anticipation.

Spirited, hand-on-hip Rosetta Edwards refuses to become a spinster. Persuading her sweetheart, Jeremiah Wakefield, to marry her before he joins the Army, Rosetta enjoys two weeks of marital bliss. Unable to bear a year without Jeremiah, Rosetta secretly follows him; temporarily shedding her identity for that of Private Joss Stone, soldier of Company H of the Ninety-Seventh Volunteers. Recovering from the shock of Rosetta’s audacious presence, Jeremiah, failing to convince Rosetta to return home allows her to stay. What follows is a poignant story of love, friendship, and war. 

Review: Finding the Dragon Lady: The Mystery of Vietnam's Madame Nhu by Monique Brinson

Monique Brinson Demery. New York: PublicAffairs, 2013. 280 pp.
Rating: Striking

"Vietnam wasn’t a country; it was a cacophony of thumping helicopter blades, flaming thatched huts, and napalmed jungles." (3)

In the vein of Truman Capote, Demery humanizes the often demonized First Lady of Vietnam, Madame Nhu. As the second daughter in a society where sons are esteemed, Tran Thi Le Xuan held the lowest status in her family. Her fortuitous fate as foretold by the family astrologer failed to garner the slightest attention. She was expected to live as the thousands of women before her—a life of domestic simplicity. Yet, her life changed dramatically upon marrying Ngo Digh Nhu. Gradually drawn into the very political intrigues she sought to escape upon marriage, Madame Nhu soon catapulted into the limelight of the Diem regime. Thrust into exile after the assassination of her husband and brother-in-law, Madame Nhu never again set foot in her beloved Vietnam.

Review: When I Was the Greatest by Jason Reynolds

Jason Reynolds. New York: Antheneum Books for Young Readers, 2014. 240 pp.
Rating: OMG

Rarely, do I come across a young adult novel to which I greatly identify. A novel that speaks of some of my childhood experiences while uttering the words of my friends, schoolmates, and family.  A story that opens with one of those out-of-left field questions that I was famous for asking.

Ali lives by one word—loyalty. This sixteen-year old latchkey kid is fiercely loyal to his family and friends. Shying away from the trouble in his neighborhood, Ali spends his time boxing, watching his little sister, hanging out with Noodles and Needles, but mainly bailing Noodles out of his messes. Although Ali is usually the level-headed one of the group, he pushes for them to attend a party catering to an older crowd. However, the good time brought with it tragic consequences.

Review: Stolen Nights (Vampire Queen #2) by Rebecca Maizel

Rebecca Maizel. New York: St, Martin's Griffin, 2013. 304 pp.

Rating: Decent 

**Spoiler Alert: This review contains mild spoilers.**

After surviving the ritual she performed to restore Vicken's humanity, Lenah returns to Wickham's campus. Upon her return, Lenah witnesses a horrendous, yet familiar act. However, before processing the latest scene, Lenah encounters the legendary Aeris. Their visit is most unexpected, but it doesn't compare to the live, very mortal figure of Rhode Lewin. Lost in the moment, Lenah forgets Justin's presence at her side, though she quickly discovers Rhode's reappearance comes at a price. Amid the turmoil, a formidable opponent reveals itself. A foe more powerful than her coven, the aspiring vampire queen Odette.

Review: Infinite Days (Vampire Queen #1) by Rebecca Maizel

Rebecca Maizel. New York: St Martin's Griffin, 2010. 325 pp.
Rating: Striking 

"You have said that humanity is what all vampires crave. The freedom to feel more than constant pain and suffering." (13)

Lenah Beaudonte, a 592 year-old vampire, yearns for the life she lost. Constantly inundated with images of vivacious humanity, plus taunted by memories of her previous life, Lenah's mind begins to gradually unravel. Desperate to flee the endless pain, Lenah seeks a ritual so old, so sacred, so dangerous, its contents must remain a mystery. For this ancient ritual can return a vampire to human form. Surviving the uncertain effects of the mystical ceremony, Lenah, born in the 1400s, awakens as a sixteen year-old girl in the 21st century. Confident that she would never know a love as she shared with Rhode, her centuries-long companion, Lenah's attraction to Justin Enos comes as a surprise. Acclimating to her new life, Lenah soon feels like a normal teenager. However, ties binding her to the past arise coming back to haunt her. 

Review: Almost Home by Joan Bauer

Joan Bauer. New York: Viking, 2012. 264 pp.
Rating: Striking

Being a kid is tough. There's no need to add parent/child role reversals to adolescence. Sometimes, however, it is inevitable. No one knows this more than Sugar Mae Cole.

Sugar lives with her flighty mother, Reba, who aspires to be a grand Southern Belle. Her father, Mr. Leeland, as Sugar refers to him, is an absent parental figure constantly scouring the country seeking his next big win. In her father's stead, grandfather King Cole, showers Sugar with love, support, and lots of sage advice chocked full of life lessons.

Life is color. Sugar Mae Cole, greeting card writer extraordinaire, artfully illustrates that it's whatever color you choose to paint it. Early

Review: When the Stars Go Blue by Caridad Ferrer

Caridad Ferrer. New York: Thomas Dunne Books, 2010. 324 pp.
Rating: Decent

Book Blurb: Dance is Soledad Reyes’s life. About to graduate from Miami’s Biscayne High School for the Performing Arts, she plans on spending her last summer at home teaching in a dance studio, saving money, and eventually auditioning for dance companies. That is, until fate intervenes in the form of fellow student Jonathan Crandall who has what sounds like an outrageous proposition: Forget teaching. Why not spend the summer performing in the intense environment of the competitive drum and bugle corps? The corps is going to be performing Carmen, and the opportunity to portray the character of the sultry gypsy proves too tempting for Soledad to pass up, as well as the opportunity to spend more time with Jonathan, who intrigues her in a way no boy ever has before.

Review: Merlin's Blade (The Merlin Spiral #1) by Robert Treskillard

Robert Treskillard. Zondervan: Grand Rapids, 2013. 432 pp.
Rating: Striking

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Goodreads Summary:

A strange meteorite. 

A deadly enchantment. 

And only Merlin can destroy it. 

A meteorite brings a mysterious black stone whose sinister power ensnares everyone except Merlin, the blind son of a swordsmith. Soon, all of Britain will be under its power, and he must destroy the stone—or die trying.

Confession: As much as I love the Arthurian Legend, I have not read any books on it besides the movie novelization, King Arthur, based on the screenplay by David Franzoni. I own several books on the subject and even skimmed through one for a British Literature class project. Beyond terrible, I know. Each interpretation of the Arthurian Legend offers something different, something new, and somewhere within may lie the truth. Merlin's Blade is no exception. 

Review: Soul Searching: A Girl's Guide to Finding Herself by Sarah Stillman

Sarah Stillman. New York: SimonPulse/Hillsboro: Beyond Words Publishing, 2012. 162 pp.
Rating: Striking  

"Even though soul searching may seem like a mostly mental and emotional journey, the mind, body, and spirit are closely linked. When we have negative feelings about our physical selves, it makes it almost impossible to focus on our emotional and spiritual identities" (33).

Originally published in 2000 by the author at age sixteen, Soul Searching provides young girls ways to stave off self-destructive behaviors through self-discovery. Author Sarah Stillman began her soul searching journey at the tender age of sixteen. The book begins and ends explaining soul searching is a never ending journey. It explores aromatherapy, personal space setting, dream interpretations, philosophy, various religions, and other areas. Each chapter ends with a list of resources for further research about that subject.

Quote-"Many people are threatened by female security, often because it invokes their own fear and jealousy." (34)

Review: Hidden Genius: Frank Mann, the Black Engineer Behind Howard Hughes by H.T. Bryer

H.T. Bryer. Grey Forest Press: OH, 2011. p. 110
Rating: Worthy

Recall your excitement when your fingers brushed the forgotten twenty dollar bill tucked in the pocket of your winter coat, your favorite watch wedged deep between the sofa cushions, or your lucky socks pushed far under the bed. At that moment adrenaline coursed through your reins—pure ecstasy. I received the same feeling upon discovering this buried treasure of American history.

Frank Mann, mechanical mastermind, led an interesting life: aeronautical engineer, car designer, comedian, dancer, singer—he enjoyed all life had to offer. Refusing to allow his race to encumber him, Frank set out to begin a career in engineering. Once Frank fell in love with airplanes, he spent all his time at the airport observing the mechanics. “I wasn’t getting paid, but I was learning” (15). Other than acquiring knowledge, Frank’s chance encounter with Howard Hughes at the airport would spark a lifelong friendship.