tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5282855418954530142024-03-20T11:52:35.191-04:00Novel Sistah Reads The WorldI am an avid reader and these are my thoughts and feelings on various books that I have read. Not really reviews because that's not my style. You will find book lists, recommendations and just other dope reflections on books.Novel Sistahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17051638535960068584noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528285541895453014.post-24237394305068210482023-09-24T18:17:00.006-04:002023-09-24T18:36:40.201-04:00All about the Witches...<!-- Google tag (gtag.js) -->
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<p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59952170-small-town-big-magic" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Small Town, Big Magic (Witchlore, #1)" border="0" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1649174949l/59952170._SX98_.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59952170-small-town-big-magic">Small Town, Big Magic</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15846572.Hazel_Beck">Hazel Beck</a><br /><br /><br />
I picked this up because it was romance and had witches in it. <br />S/N I will give anything that has witches in it a try. <br />I absolutely love it! I loved all the characters, although the FMC Emerson frustrated me at times, but it's a personality thing. The storyline was good. I immediately requested the second book from the library. I love this series!<br />
<br /></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">My rating: 💖💖💖💖/5</p></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><p>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/5979752-kim">View all my reviews</a>
</p>Novel Sistahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17051638535960068584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528285541895453014.post-85796497739732274332023-09-24T17:05:00.000-04:002023-09-24T17:05:01.718-04:00Nothing like Meghan and Harry<p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58986617-american-royalty" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="American Royalty (American Royalty, #1)" border="0" height="174" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1637077679l/58986617._SX98_.jpg" width="115" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58986617-american-royalty">American Royalty</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7789871.Tracey_Livesay">Tracey Livesay</a><br /><br /><br />
I went into this one not knowing what to expect and I was pleasantly surprised. I loved the characters of Dani/Dutchess and Jamison. I like the way their relationship grew and the entire storyline of the book. And if you want spiciness in your romance, oh honey! Ms. Tracey give you spicy and them some. Can't wait to read the next book in the series.
<br /><br />My rating: 💖💖💖💖.5/5</p><p><br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/5979752-kim">View all my reviews</a>
</p>Novel Sistahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17051638535960068584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528285541895453014.post-78877049223946682992023-09-24T16:41:00.005-04:002023-09-24T16:41:54.553-04:00Best Book of the year????<p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61431922-fourth-wing" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Fourth Wing (The Empyrean, #1)" border="0" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1666994927l/61431922._SX98_.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61431922-fourth-wing">Fourth Wing</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7539785.Rebecca_Yarros">Rebecca Yarros</a><br /><br />
So, I picked up this because I needed to see what the hype was about...I needed to see if the book lived up to the hype. Two chapters in and I was a fan...<br />Is it the best book of 2023? For me, no...but it will probably make my top 10 of the year.<br />But I truly loved the world-building. I'm just a sucker for schools in fantasy/magic/sci-fi settings.<br />I liked the characters and the storyline. I'm not 100% sure I would call this a romance for two reasons: one, it took a long time for the romance to get started, and two, no HEA.<br />Overall, I enjoyed this book. It was like brain candy. The ending...HOLY SHIT!</p><p>My rating: 💖💖💖💖/5</p><p><br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/5979752-kim">View all my reviews</a>
<br /></p><div><br /></div>Novel Sistahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17051638535960068584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528285541895453014.post-20813025581637327092023-09-24T16:23:00.001-04:002023-09-24T16:23:28.476-04:00First Time Reading Jennifer Armentrout<p>Even with the success of From Blood and Ash I never read Jennifer Armentrout, but the publisher sent me an ARC and I was not disappointed.<br />Great world-building, intriguing characters, steamy sex scenes, and fun banter...Sign me up for this new series! It's romance, fantasy, and suspense...a kick-ass trio.<br />This is the beginning of a series that will draw you in and keep you in a chokehold to the very end. I was shocked when I figured out the timeframe of the book. Oh Jennifer, you are clever!<br />
<br /> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/65214365-fall-of-ruin-and-wrath" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Fall of Ruin and Wrath (Awakening, #1)" border="0" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1677160116l/65214365._SX98_.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/65214365-fall-of-ruin-and-wrath">Fall of Ruin and Wrath</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4476934.Jennifer_L_Armentrout">Jennifer L. Armentrout</a><br />My rating: 💖💖💖💖/5</p><p><br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/5979752-kim">View all my reviews</a>
</p>Novel Sistahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17051638535960068584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528285541895453014.post-69612497512141182832023-09-24T16:10:00.002-04:002023-09-24T16:23:57.421-04:00Murderbot is my guy!<p>I'm updating my Goodreads and Storygraph reviews. It's for a REVIEW DUMP!</p><p>If you see a book you want to try, get it at your local independent bookstore or visit <a href="http://Bookshop.org">Bookshop.org</a>.</p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32758901-all-systems-red" style="display: inline !important; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries, #1)" border="0" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1631585309l/32758901._SX98_.jpg" /></a></p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32758901-all-systems-red">All Systems Red</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/87305.Martha_Wells">Martha Wells</a><br />
My rating: 💖💖💖💖/5<br /><br />
After many recommendations, I gave this a try. It was fantastic! I can't 100% tell what worked for me, but all of the things worked for me. It was a quick read and it was just delicious. Now I'm digging into the rest of the series.
<br /><br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/5979752-kim">View all my reviews</a>
</p>Novel Sistahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17051638535960068584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528285541895453014.post-68977245420383260362023-09-24T16:02:00.002-04:002023-09-24T16:26:02.527-04:00I Have a Revenge Soundtrack...<p><br /></p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61255301-goodbye-earl" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Goodbye Earl" border="0" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1667412226l/61255301._SX98_.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61255301-goodbye-earl">Goodbye Earl</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6569545.Leesa_Cross_Smith">Leesa Cross-Smith</a><br />
My rating: 💖💖💖💖/ 5<br /><br />First of all, I have a girl crush on Lessa Cross-Smith. She is A-MAZING!<br /><div>
Give me a good revenge tale any day of the week. Leesa Cross-Smith did exactly that.<br />Sisterhood and revenge are a winning combination when Leesa Cross-Smith is writing about them. Goodbye, Earl was powerful, warm, and all about the power of sisterhood. Kasey, Rosemarie, Ada, and Caro were such powerful women in a myriad of ways. Their love for each other is the very definition of "ride or die". I loved each character and you root for them the entire book. Excellent book!
<br /><br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/5979752-kim">View all my reviews</a>
</div>Novel Sistahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17051638535960068584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528285541895453014.post-49190340786203431432023-09-05T10:25:00.004-04:002023-09-05T18:36:37.221-04:00Her Own Happiness Book Tour<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://turnthepagetours.com/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="6912" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-4-NTBZoXFwzRDBTUrJLXJm2SsTPq9Ku0TvrsCUtuaa6O9MoNlvuJMYo6PQQR7BfMf3-1-RcDzjnIDyPJBxa1LeyEl5IPqNrm05qDR9kpfC2Jkb2GpxlYseYdbFgaoYC0P8WI5WCTVrfL90jtDQAF9nXn2VMEVDCRnjUVTEDxZNwSkNZRSVTPqoxcf4c/w365-h183/Her%20Own%20Happiness%20Banner.png" width="365" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: times;">Today is my tour stop for the <i>Her Own Happiness</i> Book Tour. Presented by Turn The Page Book Tours. </span><i style="font-family: times;">Her Own Happiness </i><span style="font-family: times;">is written by Eden Appiah-Kubi. This is her second novel. Her first novel was The Bennet Women. <i>Her Own Happiness</i> will be released Tuesday, September 5, 2023.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9zwB8DYxdwwEKX57R9RgTA7wV0fFLgVtJs0zZce15zdSgA0MUq1n0XnR9v6XMYT9b7DDscu7NGk5RjctB0t1pdgE7KtbZhr4xzf3oohCCndfV-EtMFy_Ts2dxx_In86uKJsbM9EBZ0g2k7FRgZOmqpCsKGpuH59J7dK_z1vKq74WgXoQxt9G_pbTcFJs/s2475/Her%20Own%20Happiness.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2475" data-original-width="1650" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9zwB8DYxdwwEKX57R9RgTA7wV0fFLgVtJs0zZce15zdSgA0MUq1n0XnR9v6XMYT9b7DDscu7NGk5RjctB0t1pdgE7KtbZhr4xzf3oohCCndfV-EtMFy_Ts2dxx_In86uKJsbM9EBZ0g2k7FRgZOmqpCsKGpuH59J7dK_z1vKq74WgXoQxt9G_pbTcFJs/w143-h215/Her%20Own%20Happiness.jpg" width="143" /></a></div><span style="font-family: times;">Set against the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic, this book starts with Maya. Life hands her some awful birthday gifts for her 31st birthday. She finds herself moving back home, while her bestie of 7 years, Ant, is starting his own adventure. As she is job hunting, Maya finds herself wrapped up in the world of wealthy socialite. Maya must make her way through this world and all while she and Ant figure out their long standing friendship. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: times;">This was an engaging story. The character development was quite good and story itself was heartwarming. I found it to be a later in life, coming-of-age story. I usually love dual POV stories, but this book started slow for me. <span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">But once I got into it, it was a thoughtful and compassionate story. Ms. Appiah-Kubi</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-family: times; font-size: 16px;"> touches on several topics such as sexuality, finding oneself, friendship, and mental health; and she looks at them through the lens of the pandemic. This is first "pandemic" book that I have read. I imagine will we see more of these to come.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-family: times; font-size: 16px;">While the ending felt a bit rushed and there were a bit too many pop culture references for my liking, this was still a solid read. </span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-family: times; font-size: 16px;">Rating: 💖💖💖.75/5</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-family: times; font-size: 16px;"><b><i style="background-color: transparent;">Her Own Happiness</i><span style="background-color: transparent;"> will be released Tuesday, September 5, 2023. </span></b>This book can be purchased at the author's website: </span><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: times;"><a href="http://edenawrites.com">edenawrites.com</a> or visit your local independent bookstore or <a href="http://Bookshop.org">Bookshop.org</a>. </span></span></p><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" />Novel Sistahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17051638535960068584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528285541895453014.post-8469830617624811842022-10-03T10:10:00.002-04:002022-10-03T10:29:22.120-04:00BLOG TOUR: Interview with Jas Hammonds, author of We Deserve Monuments<p> <b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">BLOG TOUR: Interview with Jas Hammonds, author of <i>We Deserve Monuments</i></span></b></p><p><b><span style="color: #800180; font-family: arial;"><i>Release Date: November 29, 2022</i></span></b></p><p><b><span style="color: #800180; font-family: arial;"><i></i></span></b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg4e0Pk9WGGjXU2eTkXzRZ0Cb_ZxJbXn0gQXKFbMJX6xuaKJa3ybkuSGVTBHejMWgHJiCufz3UZnyTkNpW3I01mxMt_1NbhBwTzojBDXg_GW9uLvmlPK0ZvOCP322GjzGjpelwKQzRR_r77j-sS4pp1O5CvMCi7Jhr5Sxi0x5gBWbm8nq-44K6Uw_3o" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img data-original-height="750" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg4e0Pk9WGGjXU2eTkXzRZ0Cb_ZxJbXn0gQXKFbMJX6xuaKJa3ybkuSGVTBHejMWgHJiCufz3UZnyTkNpW3I01mxMt_1NbhBwTzojBDXg_GW9uLvmlPK0ZvOCP322GjzGjpelwKQzRR_r77j-sS4pp1O5CvMCi7Jhr5Sxi0x5gBWbm8nq-44K6Uw_3o=w213-h320" title="Release Date: 11-29-22" width="213" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Release Date: 11-29-22</td></tr></tbody></table><b><span style="color: #800180; font-family: arial;"><i><br /><br /></i></span></b><p></p><p>Hey fellow Bibliophiles!</p><p>Today is my tour stop for We Deserve Monuments by Jas Hammonds; hosted by Hear Our Voices. I had the opportunity to interview them. We discussed writing, their new books, and other bookish things. Check out the interview below:</p><p><b><span style="font-family: arial;">When did you know that you wanted to be a writer?</span></b></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">I started writing in elementary school. I still have a journal from fourth grade with the beginning </span><span style="color: #800180;">of a very dramatic story still scrawled inside. Not long after, my best friend and I discovered the </span><span style="color: #800180;">Fictionpress website and we became addicted to reading and writing stories.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-family: arial;">If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?</span></b></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">It’s okay to take your time. I have a tendency to get impatient when it comes to things I really </span><span style="color: #800180;">want, and I still have to remind myself that it’s okay to take a slower path.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-family: arial;">What was it like publishing your first book?</span></b></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">It’s been an overwhelming, beautiful ride. By the time the book is published, it will have been </span><span style="color: #800180;">six years from initial conception, and the story is nothing like how it started. Nothing could have </span><span style="color: #800180;">prepared me for how amazing it was to have so many readers (already!) reaching out and </span><span style="color: #800180;">telling me how much my story meant to them. I’m so curious what life the book will take once </span><span style="color: #800180;">it’s out in the world!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>What did you learn while writing this book?</b></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">How to do what’s best for the story. There were so many drafts with scenes that I thought were </span><span style="color: #800180;">cool or interesting that ultimately got cut because they weren’t serving my characters and the </span><span style="color: #800180;">plot. A character I absolutely loved didn’t even make the final cut! And while it can be hard to </span><span style="color: #800180;">keep carving away at something so precious, I truly learned to make peace with it while writing </span><span style="color: #800180;">this book. Now I’m very flexible when it comes to the editing process and am willing to try </span><span style="color: #800180;">almost anything if it means it’ll serve the story.</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #800180;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgTIxciwadqR17BdWQuXM_CfsyLZ_ah_1vFwZEwLKZE72yRop6XZgGK2PtPIS0c3GLAsn4JwBDAJ0AcpihWFKRWWstcyKzIZO4cz3iPgos1xdVMIWVchJgeYWTwQzhBVa1641C8rgy927OaYN2fvsdihSGUCsZuPQ0jkLG96hid2uyM69YBvZO-dP2E" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="a mixed-raced Black & white person stands in front of a lilac wall. They have short curly hair and translucent green glasses. They are wearing a black button-down shirt with a white floral design. They’re looking off to the side, smirking." data-original-height="667" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgTIxciwadqR17BdWQuXM_CfsyLZ_ah_1vFwZEwLKZE72yRop6XZgGK2PtPIS0c3GLAsn4JwBDAJ0AcpihWFKRWWstcyKzIZO4cz3iPgos1xdVMIWVchJgeYWTwQzhBVa1641C8rgy927OaYN2fvsdihSGUCsZuPQ0jkLG96hid2uyM69YBvZO-dP2E=w240-h320" title="Author Jas Hammonds (they/she)" width="240" /></a></span></div><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span><b style="font-family: arial;">How did you come up with the premise of <i>We Deserve Monuments</i>?</b><p></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">Originally, <i>We Deserve Monuments</i> was a ghost story. I had an image of three friends in the </span><span style="color: #800180;">woods at night, telling a story of a ghost who was an angry old woman and what happened in </span><span style="color: #800180;">her life that made her so vengeful. That angry ghost became my main character’s grandmother, </span><span style="color: #800180;">Mama Letty. The three friends became my protagonist Avery and her new friends, Simone and </span><span style="color: #800180;">Jade. And the ghost story became a different sort of haunting in the way that intergenerational </span><span style="color: #800180;">trauma often is—sneaking in unannounced, taking root, and becoming almost impossible to </span><span style="color: #800180;">shake without a lot of hard work.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Who was your favorite character to write?</b></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">Mama Letty! Her voice came very naturally to me. I love writing characters who are very prickly </span><span style="color: #800180;">on the outside but have so much more underneath.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-family: arial;">What do you hope that readers take away from We Deserve Monuments?</span></b></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">I know every reader experience will be unique, but I hope folks realize how important the </span><span style="color: #800180;">power of community is throughout Avery’s journey. We don’t have to go through things alone. </span><span style="color: #800180;">Asking for help and talking about your feelings and stating your needs and boundaries are </span><span style="color: #800180;">powerful things to have in our toolboxes.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-family: arial;">What are you working on now? </span></b></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">I’m still in edits for my second young adult novel, tentatively slated for publication in 2024. It’s a </span><span style="color: #800180;">story about friendship and class and the feeling of losing yourself in your first love, all told over </span><span style="color: #800180;">the course of one hot Virginia summer.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>What are you currently reading? Or what was the last book you read?</b></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">I’m currently reading The Good Luck Girls by Charlotte Nicole Davis. It’s been on my list forever, </span><span style="color: #800180;">and I’m loving it so far!</span></p><p><br /></p><p><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Synopsis of the book: </span></b></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia;"><span style="text-align: center; white-space: pre-wrap;">Seventeen-year-old Avery Anderson is convinced her senior year is ruined when she's uprooted from her life in DC and forced into the hostile home of her terminally ill grandmother, Mama Letty. The tension between Avery’s mom and Mama Letty makes for a frosty arrival and unearths past drama they refuse to talk about. Every time Avery tries to look deeper, she’s turned away, leaving her desperate to learn the secrets that split her family in two.</span><br style="overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: center; white-space: pre-wrap;" /><br style="overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: center; white-space: pre-wrap;" /><span style="text-align: center; white-space: pre-wrap;">While tempers flare in her avoidant family, Avery finds friendship in unexpected places: in Simone Cole, her captivating next-door neighbor, and Jade Oliver, daughter of the town’s most prominent family—whose mother’s murder remains unsolved.</span><br style="overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: center; white-space: pre-wrap;" /><br style="overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: center; white-space: pre-wrap;" /><span style="text-align: center; white-space: pre-wrap;">As the three girls grow closer—Avery and Simone’s friendship blossoming into romance—the sharp-edged opinions of their small southern town begin to hint at something insidious underneath. The racist history of Bardell, Georgia is rooted in Avery’s family in ways she can’t even imagine. With Mama Letty's health dwindling every day, Avery must decide if digging for the truth is worth toppling the delicate relationships she's built in Bardell—or if some things are better left buried.</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: #fcff01; font-size: x-small;"><strong style="font-family: kepler-std; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;">Content warnings: </strong><span face="kepler-std" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">We Deserve Monuments contains depictions of racism, homophobia, non-consensual outing, abusive family dynamics, terminal illness, death, grief, alcoholism, drug use, murder (off-page), mentions of COVID and fatphobic comments.</span></span></p><p><b><span style="font-family: arial;">About the author:</span></b></p><p><span face="kepler-std" style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;">Jas Hammonds (they/she) was raised in many cities and in-between the pages of many books. They have received support for their writing from Lambda Literary, Baldwin for the Arts, the Highlights Foundation and more. They are also a grateful recipient of a MacDowell James Baldwin Fellowship. Her debut novel, </span><em style="background-color: white; font-family: kepler-std; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;">We Deserve Monuments</em><span face="kepler-std" style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;">, is forthcoming November 29, 2022 from Roaring Brook Press/Macmillan.</span></p><p><span face="kepler-std" style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="background-color: #f7f7f3; color: #555555; font-family: Nunito, Arial, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; white-space: normal;">#WeDeserveMonuments #HearOurVoices #HOV </span></span></p>Novel Sistahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17051638535960068584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528285541895453014.post-78556796881460723002022-01-06T11:34:00.003-05:002022-01-06T11:45:55.257-05:00DAUGHTER OF THE MOON GODDESS<p> Happy New Year!</p><p>This is my first review of 2022!</p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjeLyHOp6XvGVbSmReuYXOzblHw3MslSPKD04ZVa3JcFC_1OI5voZZzNRLrSJjRKSolFATyORpKCpjQicCjVV0H5_pHslMwLWJ0wv4aRveIpT2mF7mHHKkQNKZj7Of8UB75eIIjWNKrIsxQs-_IIeprSod3aPRFwcxo-FRUuDhqzaVDmh4AeQNCZnyt=s6912" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="6912" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjeLyHOp6XvGVbSmReuYXOzblHw3MslSPKD04ZVa3JcFC_1OI5voZZzNRLrSJjRKSolFATyORpKCpjQicCjVV0H5_pHslMwLWJ0wv4aRveIpT2mF7mHHKkQNKZj7Of8UB75eIIjWNKrIsxQs-_IIeprSod3aPRFwcxo-FRUuDhqzaVDmh4AeQNCZnyt=w381-h191" width="381" /></a></div><br /><p>First this cover is beautiful! I can only imagine what the cover will like in other countries. I believe that the covers in other countries are prettier than the covers in the US. That's just my opinion. Let me give you a synopsis of the story.</p><p>Synopsis:<br /></p><p style="background-color: #f8f8f8; box-sizing: border-box; color: #212529; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: times;"><i>Growing up on the moon, Xingyin is accustomed to solitude, unaware that she is being hidden from the powerful Celestial Emperor who exiled her mother for stealing his elixir of immortality. But when Xingyin’s magic flares and her existence is discovered, she is forced to flee her home, leaving her mother behind.</i></span></p><p style="background-color: #f8f8f8; box-sizing: border-box; color: #212529; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: times;"><i>Alone, untrained, and afraid, she makes her way to the Celestial Kingdom, a land of wonder and secrets. Disguising her identity, she seizes an opportunity to learn alongside the Crown Prince, mastering archery and magic, even as passion flames between her and the emperor’s son.</i></span></p><p style="background-color: #f8f8f8; box-sizing: border-box; color: #212529; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: times;"><i>To save her mother, Xingyin embarks on a perilous quest, confronting legendary creatures and vicious enemies across the earth and skies. When treachery looms and forbidden magic threatens the kingdom, however, she must challenge the ruthless Celestial Emperor for her dream—striking a dangerous bargain in which she is torn between losing all she loves or plunging the realm into chaos.</i></span></p><p style="background-color: #f8f8f8; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="color: #212529; font-family: times; font-size: 13px;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEidhuqMKVAxqpTW7Muj4Ty3TTrLfug3fyplh2Bf6Wc3dbhLf-fq-9g-bycUeXACc_TXqgyJS-Z4OjfChBPASNdjHQTQOZSURKk20xW583F7qMzR6EdAagc7aLqDs-ssRCx3RayLELTm7T_RQd_Tho-DEDyjVKCsUCCx_CgRGcDcVX79g-1kMqVj0N53=s3709" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3709" data-original-width="3024" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEidhuqMKVAxqpTW7Muj4Ty3TTrLfug3fyplh2Bf6Wc3dbhLf-fq-9g-bycUeXACc_TXqgyJS-Z4OjfChBPASNdjHQTQOZSURKk20xW583F7qMzR6EdAagc7aLqDs-ssRCx3RayLELTm7T_RQd_Tho-DEDyjVKCsUCCx_CgRGcDcVX79g-1kMqVj0N53=w232-h284" width="232" /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhrvybIJDhFO4guo7OQ6a2bUFwUMORWB7xgDfXQgLKijGbU45nJvTnrVNWDej-Vgks_3GMr4qzExAgX9HIFhWe-T2WbpahaJDFXyN_yBvaFw1D5xIU20E70s5UuCrqzqFvceIaY1gXvrK0mfbDKEyQpqkaBvn98KBoVEY9xxkQWBNszuVPia4oWbrIV=s400" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhrvybIJDhFO4guo7OQ6a2bUFwUMORWB7xgDfXQgLKijGbU45nJvTnrVNWDej-Vgks_3GMr4qzExAgX9HIFhWe-T2WbpahaJDFXyN_yBvaFw1D5xIU20E70s5UuCrqzqFvceIaY1gXvrK0mfbDKEyQpqkaBvn98KBoVEY9xxkQWBNszuVPia4oWbrIV=w236-h236" width="236" /></a></div></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Release Date: January 11, 2022<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="color: #212529; font-family: times; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span>So much happens in this first book. I'm glad that it is an duology...it could almost be a trilogy. This is a stunning debut. It's a roller coaster ride. Xingyin, is a likable character. She goes through a lot in this book. I will be interesting to see how she develops at the end of this series. <br />The author, Sue Lynn Tan, has done an amazing job writing such a epic story. There is action and adventure, Chinese mythology, romance and a trope that I have not experienced: friends to lovers to enemies 😮. <p></p><p style="background-color: #f8f8f8; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Rating: 💖💖💖💖/5</span></p><p style="background-color: #f8f8f8; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;">This a great crossover book. Great for fans of YA and adult fantasy. Great debut! Pick up your copy today at your local independent bookstore or at<a href="http://www.bookshop.org" target="_blank"> Bookshop.org</a>.</p><p style="background-color: #f8f8f8; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;">This blog post is a part of The Daughter of the Moon Goddess Tour, presented by Turn the Page tours. I was chose to do a mood board for this tour. Without spoiling the book, I wanted to convey feelings and images that I experienced while reading this book.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg5xVdKu08tp5JiFEYXvXG2jijvk1VZfnKiflEUbYnyrI4kdGrL-0SWp3hcmEf8T9KMcI7K1hwUOD8N0VQnp5nlXKCRyt2sKmS24G0UMhGGcy6BV1CA6UKIZ-lvLbmwZRfyY6bw9109SuFRNj_wQqxlrHkbzOTZUjQNCelRdaC2RX5J50tIOJltSYl6=s1800" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1440" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg5xVdKu08tp5JiFEYXvXG2jijvk1VZfnKiflEUbYnyrI4kdGrL-0SWp3hcmEf8T9KMcI7K1hwUOD8N0VQnp5nlXKCRyt2sKmS24G0UMhGGcy6BV1CA6UKIZ-lvLbmwZRfyY6bw9109SuFRNj_wQqxlrHkbzOTZUjQNCelRdaC2RX5J50tIOJltSYl6=s320" width="256" /></a></div><br /><p style="background-color: #f8f8f8; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;"><i style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Content warnings include: violence, blood, gore, alcohol consumption, death, separation, attempted assault (brief), kidnapping, bullying.</i></p><p style="background-color: #f8f8f8; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;"><i style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-3578c322-7fff-f7d4-6e56-b65ef6ef76e2"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">#turnthepagetours #daughterofthemoongodesstour #daughterofthemoongodess #daughterofthemoongodessbooktour #suelynntan </span></span></i></p><br />Novel Sistahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17051638535960068584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528285541895453014.post-78748954632740824432021-08-07T14:25:00.002-04:002021-08-07T14:25:45.090-04:00Loving the Wild Ones<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizzcMEKhcE7iHgX6LMOfm8lQ8DanLJqO42dZeOJUM0066ik2MhVLzrnmMNmDqfvavzZ8WQoBncE4NmLzsXm8jylGXbl_jOJubT0S3YOEwdEJziiBLZuu6kGaupkerPJwgJ6QndIeP_yAA/s656/TWO+Blog+Banner.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="656" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizzcMEKhcE7iHgX6LMOfm8lQ8DanLJqO42dZeOJUM0066ik2MhVLzrnmMNmDqfvavzZ8WQoBncE4NmLzsXm8jylGXbl_jOJubT0S3YOEwdEJziiBLZuu6kGaupkerPJwgJ6QndIeP_yAA/w392-h179/TWO+Blog+Banner.png" width="392" /></a></div><br /><span style="color: #800180; font-family: times; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #800180; font-family: times; font-size: x-small;">This story has many sensitive topics. It contains many trigger warnings: <span style="background-color: white;">child endangerment, abandonment, abduction, human trafficking, prostitution, abuse (physical, mental, emotional, verbal, sexual), rape, misogyny, suicide, death, grief, victim’s guilt, blood, bullying, and violence.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">TITLE: </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Wild Ones</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">AUTHOR: </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Nafiza Azad</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">PUBLISHER: </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Margaret K. McElderry Books</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">RELEASE DATE: </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">August 3rd, 2021</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">GENRES: </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">YOUNG ADULT FICTION---Fantasy</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">BUY LINK: </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://bookshop.org/a/11727/9781534484962">https://bookshop.org/a/11727/9781534484962</a></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKOeQT4TDH7qtcDXO_CFvaNwNEhGRqb-JNe-abbBl2sBREp02qfP2rYKBGhUBZPmu8XLtR5H-5L1Dg7E0w8mObuGyWnXnWh11_i1Ju3TcghC5diUP3BfTqyFtzTYEv7wcCsPoVP9O11i8/s400/TWO+COVER.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="256" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKOeQT4TDH7qtcDXO_CFvaNwNEhGRqb-JNe-abbBl2sBREp02qfP2rYKBGhUBZPmu8XLtR5H-5L1Dg7E0w8mObuGyWnXnWh11_i1Ju3TcghC5diUP3BfTqyFtzTYEv7wcCsPoVP9O11i8/s320/TWO+COVER.jpg" width="205" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Released: August 3, 2021<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>The Wild Ones is one of the most interesting and beautiful books that I have read this year. Author Nafiza Azad has written a book that looks at what it means to be female and deal with your demons and vulnerabilities. This book is magical and the writing is superb! </p><p>We meet the Wild Ones, a group of young women who are diverse and beautiful. They are named <span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Paheli, Valentina, Sevda, Widad, Daraja, Kamboja, Areum, Talei, Etsuko, Ghufran, and Ligaya. </span> I like they come from all over the planet. They move as one sisterhood, but they each have their own voice and personalities. You learn more about them through the Book of Memories, whose pages are dispersed throughout the book. What I love most about this book is the sisterhood between the Wild Ones. Each comes from a difficult situation and they refuse to be victims again. </p><p>The magic system and the magical creatures are unique to anything that I have previously read. They help to keep the reader engaged in the story. But the real star of this book is the writing. As we are wrapping up the Olympics, I want to give a gold medal to Naiza Azad. This book is simply beautiful. She alternates between plot-based narrative and stream of consciousness writing, along with excerpts from this Book of Memory. It has a poetic, flowery feel. I know that is not everyone's cup of tea, but I dig it and it works so well for this story.</p><p>While parts of this book are heartbreaking and sad, it is not a sad story. It is about this sisterhood of young women, who are brave and strong. I enjoyed every bit of this book. As part of the Turn the Page Book Tour, I created a playlist inspired by this book. This playlist has 12 songs: one for each Wild One and one for the author; it is music from around the world to represent the diversity of the Wild Ones and the cities they visit. Click this Spotify link to take a listen: <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7wPnEF3FSXwHmkhVqRKsgu?si=43c2464138a443ce">https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7wPnEF3FSXwHmkhVqRKsgu?si=43c2464138a443ce</a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnrfyKLPuJHnpGVecOoqZ8kOe7qAyikq8p4jCMOqEjSzTXTrNLi5oHT9c4_TkoJzlFZU4XXT01JMcV9KnwF2vXYaGBQvcaC_TYJNIO9p2tnqOh9L1QBSVucIsEraCy743YSk1YbvDXDoo/s1080/The+Wild+Ones.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnrfyKLPuJHnpGVecOoqZ8kOe7qAyikq8p4jCMOqEjSzTXTrNLi5oHT9c4_TkoJzlFZU4XXT01JMcV9KnwF2vXYaGBQvcaC_TYJNIO9p2tnqOh9L1QBSVucIsEraCy743YSk1YbvDXDoo/s320/The+Wild+Ones.png" width="320" /></a></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Rating:</b> 💖💖💖💖.5/5</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: small; font-weight: 700; white-space: pre-wrap;">SYNOPSIS:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Meet the Wild Ones: girls who have been hurt, abandoned and betrayed all their lives. It all began with Paheli, who was once betrayed by her mother and sold to a man in exchange for a favor. When Paheli escapes, she runs headlong into a boy with stars in his eyes. This boy, as battered as she is, tosses Paheli a box of stars before disappearing. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: georgia; white-space: pre-wrap;">With the stars, Paheli gains access to the Between, a place of pure magic and mystery. Now, Paheli collects girls like herself and these Wild Ones use their magic to travel the world, helping the hopeless and saving others from the fates they suffered. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: georgia; white-space: pre-wrap;">Then Paheli and the Wild Ones learn that the boy who gave them the stars, Taraana, is in danger. He’s on the run from powerful forces within the world of magic. But if Taraana is no longer safe and free, neither are the Wild Ones. And that…is a fate the Wild Ones refuse to accept. Ever again.</span></span></i></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgueoXYvMAepMnATHsaY0lYwMSp7VPT0TD1kO0cDf2EDvCA6hGxB_qJHQPcK6K20WyOAUL2P7blsEQF-HMoU1g5zjdGnZxuffxNbbNvNsFFMQFOZPp82LXqpdtGlN74XshQhpuCiD2ZJRU/s1024/NA+AUTHOR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="683" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgueoXYvMAepMnATHsaY0lYwMSp7VPT0TD1kO0cDf2EDvCA6hGxB_qJHQPcK6K20WyOAUL2P7blsEQF-HMoU1g5zjdGnZxuffxNbbNvNsFFMQFOZPp82LXqpdtGlN74XshQhpuCiD2ZJRU/s320/NA+AUTHOR.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Author Nafiza Azad<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span id="docs-internal-guid-c645a956-7fff-72c8-991e-fef27f0a5841"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="-webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">AUTHOR INFORMATION</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-40744aae-7fff-2b58-9c0d-e4e642ad66f0"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0a0a0a; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Nafiza Azad is a self-identified island girl. She has hurricanes in her blood and dreams of a time she can exist solely on mangoes and pineapple. Born in Lautoka, Fiji, she currently resides in British Columbia, Canada where she reads too many books, watches too many K-dramas, and writes stories about girls taking over the world. Her debut YA fantasy was the Morris Award–nominated </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0a0a0a; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">The Candle and the Flame</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0a0a0a; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0a0a0a; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">The Wild Ones</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0a0a0a; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;"> is her second novel.</span></p><div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div></span><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p>Novel Sistahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17051638535960068584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528285541895453014.post-69351688781502742662021-08-06T08:00:00.002-04:002021-08-06T14:18:33.643-04:00Oooh, That Black Boy Joy!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWeITjrJ8wq6KeJy-yS0Zru0WJWWWUx7HkoqoobDoQNrtZSdlP0q_QVdflRX3RGcqOIQSDzjlbwHHL2EiirFLvWsdUZl059bWiCSKb4WpKYSuPemOCnyY52E7klLXY0BFPu-CQDC74x3k/s798/book+cover+%25282%2529.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="798" data-original-width="520" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWeITjrJ8wq6KeJy-yS0Zru0WJWWWUx7HkoqoobDoQNrtZSdlP0q_QVdflRX3RGcqOIQSDzjlbwHHL2EiirFLvWsdUZl059bWiCSKb4WpKYSuPemOCnyY52E7klLXY0BFPu-CQDC74x3k/s320/book+cover+%25282%2529.png" width="209" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Release Date: August 3, 2021<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">There have been several books touting the magical magnificence of Black Girl Magic. From a Phoenix First Must Burn to one of my personal favorites, Legendborn. Now Kwame Mbalia, author of the Tristan Strong series, has edited an amazing collection of stories celebrating Black Boyhood. This book is entitled, Black Boy Joy. As an Aunt of 7 boys, this book makes me want to squeal with glee. </span><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Great, fantastic, beautifully melanated authors like P. Djeli Clark, B.B. Alston, Tochi Onyebuchi, Suyi Davies Okungbowa, and Jason Reynolds, have written stories, poems, and comics that celebrate the joy and power of Black Boyhood. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Too often, Black boys are asked to grow up way too soon. And we know that society paints them with stereotypes as soon as they can speak and walk. But this book strips all of that away. These writings are about the happy, the exciting, the new, the unexpected, and most importantly, the love.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">If you have Black Boy in your life, I highly recommend this book to you to give to them. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Also, you know I had to create a playlist! This playlist embodies the essence to of Black Boy Joy. It's a mood and a vibe...let it wash over you.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Rating: 💖💖💖💖💖/5</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2zKGIEi42a_zl71NBh0KwK_XZ8HmF0wXZkMuBQU7hECZT4hnfrcnivXLhen2nc5zjSbqrnXhlBXIR1EKai77ts_NeH1WBRVfWnJxc8siaHuP_FgzfJ0Fzpb65g1KKpMFLXdJpr-lfO34/s588/Kwame+Mbalia.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="588" data-original-width="378" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2zKGIEi42a_zl71NBh0KwK_XZ8HmF0wXZkMuBQU7hECZT4hnfrcnivXLhen2nc5zjSbqrnXhlBXIR1EKai77ts_NeH1WBRVfWnJxc8siaHuP_FgzfJ0Fzpb65g1KKpMFLXdJpr-lfO34/s320/Kwame+Mbalia.png" width="206" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Author Kwame Mbaila<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><b><br /></b></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZEDUwOi-_TtWS1WINrVNJL7YvaQYSBvBpB_LeXH28-f0k5MrDVzHfW0JaH_xFeg34XU6zyYSLavyxUXUPUuNQhFlsEzgb_tvuUafIfTSIKUwhygQdolUjGtt1Zr6F8QMGTSUNbJLh3jQ/s1080/black+boy+Joy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZEDUwOi-_TtWS1WINrVNJL7YvaQYSBvBpB_LeXH28-f0k5MrDVzHfW0JaH_xFeg34XU6zyYSLavyxUXUPUuNQhFlsEzgb_tvuUafIfTSIKUwhygQdolUjGtt1Zr6F8QMGTSUNbJLh3jQ/s320/black+boy+Joy.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /></div></div>Novel Sistahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17051638535960068584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528285541895453014.post-21572270420727271782021-04-09T09:00:00.001-04:002021-04-09T09:00:00.177-04:00Ain't Love Grand?!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjncDDe1_tkfp71Y7BuGJf4bqSkP8DdpdbImypXwyir3tISK2R_YINS8iW1XchKjynT-hdtHIfGILNIEXbYJW-58zbMiU-iUoX9u_MQhQj81VDXPGOKrUrpEMbBH_ZGcWODJ9LrGdDaPok/s400/51102251.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="262" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjncDDe1_tkfp71Y7BuGJf4bqSkP8DdpdbImypXwyir3tISK2R_YINS8iW1XchKjynT-hdtHIfGILNIEXbYJW-58zbMiU-iUoX9u_MQhQj81VDXPGOKrUrpEMbBH_ZGcWODJ9LrGdDaPok/s320/51102251.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Release Date: April 13, 2021</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p>Hi, my name is Kim and I am a hopeful romantic. Even at the age of 44, single, and being told by all the data in the world that my chances of finding love are slimmer and slimmer, I still 100% believe in love.<br />I love rom-com movies and romance books. The stories in Love in Color are rich, poignant, and downright beautiful. </p><p><span id="docs-internal-guid-43429864-7fff-6afc-13bc-61fa50cb7ffd"></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><i>In her debut collection, internationally acclaimed writer Bolu Babalola retells the most beautiful love stories from history and mythology with incredible new detail and vivacity. Focusing on the magical folktales of West Africa, Babalola also reimagines Greek myths, ancient legends from the Middle East, and stories from long-erased places.</i></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Each story is the essence of a re-telling from various cultures around the world, with love being the central theme. Bolu does an amazing job with expressing what love is...she paints pictures with it, you hear songs with it, you want to wrap up in it. It is simply beautiful.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><span style="font-family: verdana;">Rating: 💖💖💖💖/5</span></b></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></b></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgcEshCK1mnjcybkf3G1U1kZJafrd0VDVR1wFT_BFxseO0OOHIuXSPn9zePwYAigQmCQ5V05A6imZC-uPJ8mM2oExWRi_jfrKrvDv-4Z_DNZzmfRqqebJxc6hrQdfDz0nyGzxcLmXtUpM/s2048/9985713.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1707" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgcEshCK1mnjcybkf3G1U1kZJafrd0VDVR1wFT_BFxseO0OOHIuXSPn9zePwYAigQmCQ5V05A6imZC-uPJ8mM2oExWRi_jfrKrvDv-4Z_DNZzmfRqqebJxc6hrQdfDz0nyGzxcLmXtUpM/s320/9985713.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Author Bolu Babalola</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></b></span></p><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Novel Sistahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17051638535960068584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528285541895453014.post-27830491677723137272021-04-09T08:00:00.088-04:002021-04-09T08:00:00.456-04:00Are You Willing to Pay the Cost of Knowing?<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtYKgURfQS6OrZ2xjnaLyWaszC60dJTWxK7wWSI6IB46foFN_o5ck3NRuW3amfpr9ov55EfX-RoyKBtra-aAmeiyLQ6wuGxkqumF4vXsPlYjRWei4W8-vTBIYaEwCFMQRs9pXndyEgc3g/s1174/Book+cover.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1174" data-original-width="766" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtYKgURfQS6OrZ2xjnaLyWaszC60dJTWxK7wWSI6IB46foFN_o5ck3NRuW3amfpr9ov55EfX-RoyKBtra-aAmeiyLQ6wuGxkqumF4vXsPlYjRWei4W8-vTBIYaEwCFMQRs9pXndyEgc3g/s320/Book+cover.png" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Release Date: April 6, 2021</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br />Would you want to know the future? Would you try to change things? Would you tell anyone? Brittney Morris' sophomore novel, "The Cost of Knowing" asks these very questions and dives into biases and prejudices in America.<p></p><p>Synopsis:</p><p><i>16-year-old Alex Rufus is trying his best. He tries to be the best employee he can be at the local ice cream shop; the best boyfriend he can be to his amazing girlfriend, Talia; the best protector he can be over his 12-year-old brother, Isaiah. But it is very hard for him to be present when every time he touches an object or person, Alex sees into its future. </i></p><p><i>When he touches a scoop, he has a vision of him using it to scoop ice cream. When he touches his car, he sees it years from now, totaled and underwater. When he touches Talia, he sees them at the precipice of breaking up, and that terrifies him. Alex feels these visions are a curse, distracting him, making him anxious and unable to live an ordinary life. And when Alex touches a photo that gives him a vision of his brother’s imminent death, everything changes.</i></p><p><i>With Alex now in a race against time, death, and circumstances, he and Isaiah must grapple with their past, their future, and what it means to be a young Black man in America in the present. </i></p><p>I loved this book. Brittney Morris is also the author of Slay (which I loved!), it too tackled issues of family dynamics and race. Ms. Morris again looks at family relationships and racial issues in America. Without any spoilers, I loved how the relationship between Alex and Isaiah developed. Each is coping with grief the best way they know how and it's beautiful to see them work through it and discover just how much they have in common. I love their love of music. It's an excellent tool to bond over and to make a connection.</p><p>Music and books are a great pairing. For my playlist inspired by the book, I created it as if I were scoring the book; like a movie. I also choose to use only Black male artists because I wanted to celebrate the Black Boy Joy that is Alex and Isaiah. I left one song off the playlist because it is only available to stream but it is very important to this story. Janelle Monae and Wondaland Records' "Hell You Talmbout" is powerful. Use this link and listen to it after track 10: <a href="https://soundcloud.com/wondalandarts/hell-you-talmbout">https://soundcloud.com/wondalandarts/hell-you-talmbout</a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG1bxuPhkgp7fI3doaGwecTAb-LolNKsAYlmBr5gedS4pWlFd7vdWnHCPsGa2SfT_2tM8Prg2FlmQklYbyzfyx43bnwTaeVZVLXZIyM5Z9AfnqmdeoFActoe1oM5FXFBHLkw3cu6hNVuA/s1080/The+Cost+of+Knowing+Playlist.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG1bxuPhkgp7fI3doaGwecTAb-LolNKsAYlmBr5gedS4pWlFd7vdWnHCPsGa2SfT_2tM8Prg2FlmQklYbyzfyx43bnwTaeVZVLXZIyM5Z9AfnqmdeoFActoe1oM5FXFBHLkw3cu6hNVuA/s320/The+Cost+of+Knowing+Playlist.png" /></a></div>
<div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Rating: 💖💖💖💖.5/5</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinX-6horid0AZkxy7Za2ZwsBfv-2j_HeAOEDqxu3BuR3fb_MFgwAyjCI3HmDawNKGGVuBhNcb6BZqdYkuPHushJaT0Urm0TjBCOMvpmYaAhnz7Xg07_IdhJboda7vkKgtkZS037eeBDGE/s888/Brittney+Morris.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="888" data-original-width="887" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinX-6horid0AZkxy7Za2ZwsBfv-2j_HeAOEDqxu3BuR3fb_MFgwAyjCI3HmDawNKGGVuBhNcb6BZqdYkuPHushJaT0Urm0TjBCOMvpmYaAhnz7Xg07_IdhJboda7vkKgtkZS037eeBDGE/s320/Brittney+Morris.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Author Brittney Morris</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><b><br /></b></span></div>Novel Sistahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17051638535960068584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528285541895453014.post-62298042570805125102021-03-04T11:34:00.005-05:002021-03-04T11:58:57.343-05:00Talia Hibbert is Romance Royalty!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu3e6HhP6Yrb22TeGoXbosUHW-YDZAhjfrmCjWB2sgNqUgIUkXGwOhJ97oNEU0A0SKejUMZJKn9pKPqICcRbziK1oovEIkHBgjLP-6FNxKh2hXsENlkQxvsQN10KvSa4Vmh8v2fm-o9Gs/s750/53914936.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="498" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu3e6HhP6Yrb22TeGoXbosUHW-YDZAhjfrmCjWB2sgNqUgIUkXGwOhJ97oNEU0A0SKejUMZJKn9pKPqICcRbziK1oovEIkHBgjLP-6FNxKh2hXsENlkQxvsQN10KvSa4Vmh8v2fm-o9Gs/s320/53914936.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Release Date: March 9th, 2021</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><p>Honestly, does Talia Hibbert write a bad book? I've read all the Brown Sisters books and I LOVE THEM ALL! For me, they have everything: funny, smart, and very steamy. I loved all the characters. They were real and I wanted everyone to succeed. My favorite female character is Chloe. As a person living with Fibromyalgia, I could totally relate to her life. My favorite male character is Zaf. Oh, Zaf! I would risk it all for that man. But enough gushing about the series, on to the latest book. Get ready for the youngest Brown sister, Eve!</p><p>Act Your Age, Eve Brown is fantastic! It features Autistic adults finding love. It shows them being perplexed by dating and being sexually active adults just like the majority of adult society. It also addressed some of the challenges they face. The banter between Eve and Jacob is great. I found myself snort-laughing at a couple of scenes. Reading this book was just so much fun! </p><p>If you are a fan of Romance books and Rom-Coms definitely add these to your list. Pre-order your copy today at your local independent bookstore. <span style="color: #800180; font-family: verdana;"><b>#TeamSmudge</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Rating:</b></span> 💖💖💖💖💖<b><span style="font-family: verdana;">/5</span></b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsiyRx5ZH4hM0caPCESUz-Cr029tDxuzqtJ52Ym5DWa6isXo-zA2Tf4TDOdi3aZUL7dk4MitMmD4g_MNms0kvfQA9PkizZC3ES5boFO3dVVBMT9ewKzE458Mv6P3S8yS2DXvKmJJYd8IM/s2000/image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1333" data-original-width="2000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsiyRx5ZH4hM0caPCESUz-Cr029tDxuzqtJ52Ym5DWa6isXo-zA2Tf4TDOdi3aZUL7dk4MitMmD4g_MNms0kvfQA9PkizZC3ES5boFO3dVVBMT9ewKzE458Mv6P3S8yS2DXvKmJJYd8IM/s320/image.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Author Talia Hibbert<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Synopsis:<div><span id="docs-internal-guid-7c845fca-7fff-2403-2102-c4c0834e0c0f"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 10.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Eve Brown is a certified hot mess. No matter how hard she strives to do right, her life always goes horribly wrong—so she’s given up trying. But when her personal brand of chaos ruins an expensive wedding (</span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 10.5pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">someone</span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 10.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> had to liberate those poor doves), her parents draw the line. It's time for Eve to grow up and prove herself—even though she's not entirely sure how…</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 10.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Jacob Wayne is in control. Always. The bed and breakfast owner’s on a mission to dominate the hospitality industry—and he expects nothing less than perfection. So when a purple-haired tornado of a woman turns up out of the blue to interview for his open chef position, he tells her the brutal truth: not a chance in hell. Then she hits him with her car—</span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 10.5pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">supposedly</span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 10.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> by accident. Yeah, right.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 10.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Now his arm is broken, his B&B is understaffed, and the dangerously unpredictable Eve is fluttering around, trying to </span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 10.5pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">help</span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 10.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. Before long, she’s infiltrated his work, his kitchen—and his spare bedroom. Jacob hates everything about it. Or rather, he should. Sunny, chaotic Eve is his natural-born nemesis, but the longer these two enemies spend in close quarters, the more their animosity turns into something else. Like Eve, the heat between them is impossible to ignore—and it’s melting Jacob’s frosty exterior. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 10.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 10.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">About the Author:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Talia Hibbert is a </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">USA Today</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Wall Street Journal</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> bestselling author who lives in a bedroom full of books. Supposedly, there is a world beyond that room, but she has yet to drum up enough interest to investigate.</span></p><div><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 10.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 8pt 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 9pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">She writes steamy, diverse romance because she believes that people of marginalized identities need honest and positive representation. Her interests include makeup, junk food, and unnecessary sarcasm. Talia and her many books reside in the English Midlands.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://twitter.com/TaliaHibbert" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Twitter</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"> | </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/taliahibbert/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Instagram</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">| </span><a href="https://www.taliahibbert.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Website</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"> | </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17088554.Talia_Hibbert" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Goodreads</span></a></p></span></div></span><p><br /></p><p><br /></p></div>Novel Sistahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17051638535960068584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528285541895453014.post-31539231572770776182021-02-04T09:00:00.065-05:002021-03-04T11:58:45.762-05:00The Golden Child<p>Lately, I have not read much for pleasure because I am on the judging panel for 2 different book panels. However, I recently finished The Gilded Ones and it was FANTASTIC! (Thank you Hear Our Voices Blog Tour and Delacorte Press for gifting me a copy of the book.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge-M8AnBt1IzYxrV8iIZlk_MLG6BqOxgzpsUeha-A_hkpaACKDXO7_ZNoR_Mo6WteCjxKMPyE-jXIJFyTbb2nN-Z8NkBfTItidpNmuAUnGgwUPM2IwmBfQtkPrzldH3UjPQ9R8mcN8ZS0/s2048/dceda5c1-e25e-4be5-a3e8-e807a6742d04.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1355" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge-M8AnBt1IzYxrV8iIZlk_MLG6BqOxgzpsUeha-A_hkpaACKDXO7_ZNoR_Mo6WteCjxKMPyE-jXIJFyTbb2nN-Z8NkBfTItidpNmuAUnGgwUPM2IwmBfQtkPrzldH3UjPQ9R8mcN8ZS0/s320/dceda5c1-e25e-4be5-a3e8-e807a6742d04.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Release Date: February 9, 2021<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqbj7YhMFTJdxjoevhMlDIa_15haZMCS-49GQlNYajNOrCoRMsY5MIzZ7-SyxPhDiQ7T-mLJRvZiSUvftscw5Q6oi-EAXS1QxrPUqCc8YO3XkJSZ5BLpvqjyOQsMRu9xm0ISQE-R4SUJk/s420/31a1fde7-f501-4c2d-80b0-cfc271aceb23.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="420" data-original-width="420" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqbj7YhMFTJdxjoevhMlDIa_15haZMCS-49GQlNYajNOrCoRMsY5MIzZ7-SyxPhDiQ7T-mLJRvZiSUvftscw5Q6oi-EAXS1QxrPUqCc8YO3XkJSZ5BLpvqjyOQsMRu9xm0ISQE-R4SUJk/s320/31a1fde7-f501-4c2d-80b0-cfc271aceb23.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Author Namina Forna<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>The Gilded Ones is West African-inspired, feminist YA fantasy. The author, Namina Forna, was inspired by the deeply patriarchal societies in her native country of Sierra Leone and here in the US, where she attended college. Basically the same pig, just a different dress (my words, not the author). The book looks at the patriarchy and it is used to determine the narrative for women including our place and our worth. It also examines how it thrives and survives, including how women and non-binary people survive under the patriarchy. </p><p>I loved all the powerful, uplifting, supportive women in this book. The young women in this book are in a precarious situation, yet they support each other to the end. Each character is powerful in their own way. In a world where the men basically determine your worth, these young women uplift each other and find a way to determine their own worth.<br />The action was fast-paced, the characters were well developed and I like how Ms. Forna did not play to traditional gender roles. The diversity in the book was well represented. </p><p><b><span style="font-family: verdana;">Rating: 💖💖💖💖.5/5</span></b></p><p>Today is my Tour Stop for Hear Our Voices Blog Tours. I was tasked with Dream Cast and a Playlist.</p><p>For the Dream Cast, I chose Ajiona Alexus because she looks like my image of Deka and I believe she could pull off the spirit of Deka. I was torn between Ashton Sanders and John Boyega for Keita. Both could pull off that nobleman next door attitude. White Hands is Regina King all day, especially after seeing her as Sister Night. Britta was the hardest to cast but after seeing Derry Girls and Bridgerton, I settled on Nicola Coughlan. She plays Penelope on the Bridgertons.</p><p>For the Playlist, usually, I approach like I'm setting a musical score for the book but for this playlist I wanted to create a mood. So much of this story is about the non-male characters finding their voices and determining their worth. So I went with empowering songs that uplift and put you in a kick-ass type of mood. You can listen to this when you've had a crappy day, when you're getting ready to hang out with your girls (as soon as it's safe again), or when you and your crew have to topple the patriarchy before drinks.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIfP58qi_aY3MVi2Dxlg6nySFH5G0KkMyAveZgmwRDn1Zx9BoUvZhlYKIYSPEH2K9c1ckWCj8w_JoPQuJ6KcYtDHlZHLAqwTIWoG44oZAkWzs9jdmt2rP7dlPuRHZ-0cXWzxYqVSDs5Ms/s1080/The+Gilded+Ones.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIfP58qi_aY3MVi2Dxlg6nySFH5G0KkMyAveZgmwRDn1Zx9BoUvZhlYKIYSPEH2K9c1ckWCj8w_JoPQuJ6KcYtDHlZHLAqwTIWoG44oZAkWzs9jdmt2rP7dlPuRHZ-0cXWzxYqVSDs5Ms/s320/The+Gilded+Ones.png" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnmLUfOz0XhT2Rr4KIfn8EHGr_gIr6HqlW_4TtWuMG_qTkN5ayqyAUoh5DvEXFRNvKflvrKorSRhh89sf6VtlGf851Eila97pYCV5LmFDaVtyzDpGMAMsaEEoJwGps-xJ9yeX6VzCC9is/s1080/Gilded+Ones+Playlist.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnmLUfOz0XhT2Rr4KIfn8EHGr_gIr6HqlW_4TtWuMG_qTkN5ayqyAUoh5DvEXFRNvKflvrKorSRhh89sf6VtlGf851Eila97pYCV5LmFDaVtyzDpGMAMsaEEoJwGps-xJ9yeX6VzCC9is/s320/Gilded+Ones+Playlist.png" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><b>Synopsis:</b><br /><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: times; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sixteen-year-old Deka lives in fear and anticipation of the blood ceremony that will determine whether she will become a member of her village. Already different from everyone else because of her unnatural intuition, Deka prays for red blood so she can finally feel like she belongs.
</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: times; white-space: pre-wrap;">But on the day of the ceremony, her blood runs gold, the color of impurity--and Deka knows she will face a consequence worse than death.
</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: times; white-space: pre-wrap;">Then a mysterious woman comes to her with a choice: stay in the village and submit to her fate, or leave to fight for the emperor in an army of girls just like her. They are called alaki--near-immortals with rare gifts. And they are the only ones who can stop the empire's greatest threat.
</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: times; white-space: pre-wrap;">Knowing the dangers that lie ahead yet yearning for acceptance, Deka decides to leave the only life she's ever known. But as she journeys to the capital to train for the biggest battle of her life, she will discover that the great-walled city holds many surprises. Nothing and no one is quite what they seem to be--not even Deka herself</span></i></p>Novel Sistahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17051638535960068584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528285541895453014.post-59532103220551158652021-01-21T18:31:00.001-05:002021-03-04T11:36:30.256-05:00Happy New Year!<p> I suppose I'm a few weeks late with my New Year salutations.</p><p>I've been quite busy on the book front.</p><p>I am currently a judge on two book panels. I am also on the Bookseller Advisory Council for the ABA. Such an exciting time!</p><p>I have set a personal reading goal of 44 books for this year. So far, I've read two entire books. I'm not counting my panel books. That seems like reading for work. Well happy reading my friends.</p><p>Remember to check out my Bookstagram page: <a href="http://www.instagram.com/novelsistah/">www.instagram.com/novelsistah/</a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0jXCT25Owa84nzC0SupkxpAzhes4tvoiq_XfX6UeOeSEuxQca_p3IVeZcewQp_CTrKcIvQlWtAmHTMAtYmYSHY34WGsLVVkB3PgA0P1Q0WrypAVGHobmftdpOANtFusblit_g0SF4Ne4/s512/lilacs+and+book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="312" data-original-width="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0jXCT25Owa84nzC0SupkxpAzhes4tvoiq_XfX6UeOeSEuxQca_p3IVeZcewQp_CTrKcIvQlWtAmHTMAtYmYSHY34WGsLVVkB3PgA0P1Q0WrypAVGHobmftdpOANtFusblit_g0SF4Ne4/s320/lilacs+and+book.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Novel Sistahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17051638535960068584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528285541895453014.post-87533595376439066802020-11-23T09:00:00.033-05:002021-03-04T13:38:08.979-05:00Isn't It Romantic?!I'm a big fan of Romance and about a week ago, my friend Sarah (who is also a Romance fan) posted on Twitter that she wanted a "Playlist of Songs with romance book recommendations to go with each song."<div>Since I've really been getting into making these playlists I accepted the challenge.</div><div><span style="color: #800180; font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><b>CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!!👍</b></span></div><div>Here is the playlist. Each recommended book is across from its corresponding song.</div><div>They are essentially in the same position in each column (Book #3 goes with Song #3).</div><div><br></div><div><span style="background-color: #fcff01;">Few disclaimers:</span></div><div>-I only picked contemporary romance. I rarely read historical and I didn't feel I could find corresponding songs.</div><div>-I chose songs that encompassed the entire mood of the book. Quite honestly, I could do a playlist for each book. 🤔</div><div>-Red, White, and Royal Blue and Boyfriend Material are both Gay romance novels. It was important to me to choose Gay recording artists. It seemed wrong to choose a song sung to a woman.</div><div>-There are thousands of songs that could have been chosen. This is my list. If you don't agree with it or like, go make your own.</div><div><br></div><div>Spotify links: </div><div><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3XViD4enxU0vuJEEOvLvNk?si=iElAQLHMTAO6ZK2U9BSgLg">https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3XViD4enxU0vuJEEOvLvNk?si=iElAQLHMTAO6ZK2U9BSgLg</a></div><div><br></div><div>Enjoy!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb2bD4u46J9ToNL_a9I1QzwbCnMQCItkGIGudv6MGC0vcjr_8JWURjeeOzsl855mB0-ghvYtYoXe-pOF3WjnAOyghUU_V8na1FkFHSMcGRWy4pg8AB4hrgcrg52ZEFJmTZEOpIk5kJcG0/s1080/Isn%2527t+It+Romantic+Playlist.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb2bD4u46J9ToNL_a9I1QzwbCnMQCItkGIGudv6MGC0vcjr_8JWURjeeOzsl855mB0-ghvYtYoXe-pOF3WjnAOyghUU_V8na1FkFHSMcGRWy4pg8AB4hrgcrg52ZEFJmTZEOpIk5kJcG0/s320/Isn%2527t+It+Romantic+Playlist.png"></a></div><br><div><br></div>Novel Sistahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17051638535960068584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528285541895453014.post-76625173064667825002020-10-30T19:29:00.001-04:002021-03-04T11:58:28.833-05:00Some Other Now...So Wonderful, So Emotional!<p> <span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Trigger Warnings: Death and Depression</i></span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjB9jp0_Vgj4WLXfMSkyE_uQRFkHho554XYJ2SbL63MsxLENraZC6nB0SSK8iWKgLKS-eQCupBG5gxfD3nnJ_Hva2NpvORyfQcZ0xpK9fycgZgyCBPJ5e-2CV3WLp56qT2wrQmrm_b0Pg/s2048/48946811.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1356" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjB9jp0_Vgj4WLXfMSkyE_uQRFkHho554XYJ2SbL63MsxLENraZC6nB0SSK8iWKgLKS-eQCupBG5gxfD3nnJ_Hva2NpvORyfQcZ0xpK9fycgZgyCBPJ5e-2CV3WLp56qT2wrQmrm_b0Pg/s320/48946811.jpg" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /><i><br /></i></span><p></p><p>Sarah Everett has written a beautiful YA that looks at grief, dying, and love as it pertains to the past, present, and future of a tight-knit "family". And yes, the quotations marks are purposeful. </p><p>Summary of the book:</p><div style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">"<i>Before she kissed one of the Cohen boys, seventeen-year-old Jessi Rumfield knew what it was like to have a family—even if, technically, that family didn’t belong to her. She’d spent her childhood in the house next door, challenging Rowan Cohen to tennis matches while his older brother, Luke, studied in the background and Mel watched over the three like the mother Jessi always wished she had. </i></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: trebuchet; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>But then everything changed. </i></span></div><div style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: trebuchet; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>It’s been almost a year since Jessi last visited the Cohen house. Rowan is gone. Mel is sick and Luke hates Jessi for the role she played in breaking his family apart. Now Jessi spends her days at a dead-end summer job burying memories of her life in the Cohen house. But when Luke comes home from college, it's hard to ignore the past. And when he asks Jessi to pretend to be his girlfriend for the final months of Mel’s life, Jessi finds herself drawn back into the world of the Cohens. Everything’s changed, but Jessi can’t help wanting to go back, even if it means breaking her heart and losing them forever this time.</i>"</span></div><p>Book Fam, your girl is not a punk, but this book...this book right here had me all up in my feelings. Grief is such a complex emotion. We grieve over the loss of many things, not just a loved one who has passed on. We grieve missed opportunities, past mistakes, and heartbreak. </p><p>I really enjoyed the characters in this book. They were complex and it showed how each person responds to grief. I love the relationship of Jessi with the Cohens. We have a saying in my family, "Blood does not make a family." Some of my siblings are adopted and I have a slew of play cousins. You find your family wherever your heart is welcomed unconditionally. Ms. Everett's use of alternating the timelines between the past and the present was very effective. You could feel the tension building and man it was a roller coaster ride.</p><p>Simply put, this book is beautiful...hard on the emotions, but beautiful. Grab your Kleenex and settle into this fabulous read.</p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Rating: 💖💖💖💖/5</b></span></p><p>Some Other Now by Sarah Everett goes on sale February 23, 2021. Buy your copy at your local Independent Bookstore or at <a href="http://Bookshop.org">Bookshop.org</a>.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzV3ORdrO3x9hEcdAPZ5zpqkBlx0zGe7o9SPXVKFMISPE5G4yRDM2wPptin6ihLt3VumEUQRuCFbSzLOra5Ud_qj5XRjfapTeN5oqgXpC9FSMO_Q32iF5aVUQx2wpZhA6fZfd6H3qHTSY/s205/EhyphHh-205x205.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="205" data-original-width="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzV3ORdrO3x9hEcdAPZ5zpqkBlx0zGe7o9SPXVKFMISPE5G4yRDM2wPptin6ihLt3VumEUQRuCFbSzLOra5Ud_qj5XRjfapTeN5oqgXpC9FSMO_Q32iF5aVUQx2wpZhA6fZfd6H3qHTSY/s0/EhyphHh-205x205.jpeg" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Novel Sistahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17051638535960068584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528285541895453014.post-74506787897156315232020-10-07T13:30:00.002-04:002021-03-04T11:43:50.662-05:00Daughters of Jubilation<p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Daughters of Jubilation is a magical story. It is a story of first love, letting go, and taking back what belongs to you. Set in <span style="background-color: white; color: #0a0a0a;">the Jim Crow South, white supremacy reigns, and tensions are high. But Evalene Deschamps (Evvie) has other things to worry about. She has two little sisters to look after, an overworked single mother, and a longtime crush who is </span><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0a0a0a;">finally</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #0a0a0a;"> making a move.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0a0a0a;">On top of all that, Evvie’s magic abilities are growing stronger by the day. Her family calls it Jubilation - a gift passed down from generations of black women since the time of slavery. And as Evvie’s talents waken, something dark comes loose and threatens to resurface. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #0a0a0a;">And when the demons of Evvie’s past finally shake free, she must embrace her mighty lineage, and summon the power that lies within her.</span></span><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #0a0a0a; font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #0a0a0a; font-family: trebuchet;">What a powerful and dynamic book!! Ms. Corthron addresses very complex issues with a skilled hand. The main character Evalene wrestles with the expectations of her mother and her own wants and desires. </span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #0a0a0a;"><div style="font-family: trebuchet;">Ms. Corthron does not shy away from the big topics. Throughout this story, she discusses sexual abuse, teen sex, racism, homophobia, and strained family relationships. </div><div style="font-family: trebuchet;">DoJ was poignant and deep. I wish there was more background on Evalene 's family but it was a very good story showing how a person must reconcile their past to embrace the future. </div><div style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Rating: 💖💖💖💖/5</b></span></div><div style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglQCWT7Nub9Sx5Kla5VbJfDgMH0Y6gwiWbO_lnsKxIRILhxczWb-PBWGvPss1Q5bj9Ybu3GG-8vwYUlr8E-e4uzIYvdzoB-n16xfCkn2m_wEWUNpKJmfqZKm8ZJCpPTJwLn0G9B9Bey38/s2048/Daughters+of+Jublilation.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1355" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglQCWT7Nub9Sx5Kla5VbJfDgMH0Y6gwiWbO_lnsKxIRILhxczWb-PBWGvPss1Q5bj9Ybu3GG-8vwYUlr8E-e4uzIYvdzoB-n16xfCkn2m_wEWUNpKJmfqZKm8ZJCpPTJwLn0G9B9Bey38/s320/Daughters+of+Jublilation.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Release date: October 13, 2020</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG8BrC1tjw3hrmr5HDwn_49kbO_wOghGyg80EnwNnqzHD5-XufjdDGtv6F89RUAssbqmJU9LBMVKZyN9XarpJpE1XBTuw5KI38Q-85HcTsqkoL_UX7TXWd3ksRRtNbkBsLGmp15waE1eU/s768/kara+lee+corthron.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="512" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG8BrC1tjw3hrmr5HDwn_49kbO_wOghGyg80EnwNnqzHD5-XufjdDGtv6F89RUAssbqmJU9LBMVKZyN9XarpJpE1XBTuw5KI38Q-85HcTsqkoL_UX7TXWd3ksRRtNbkBsLGmp15waE1eU/s320/kara+lee+corthron.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Author Kara Lee Corthron</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></div></span></span></div>Novel Sistahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17051638535960068584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528285541895453014.post-88276176933121329062020-09-12T20:21:00.000-04:002021-03-04T11:58:18.697-05:00Legendborn: Southern, Arthurian Legend, Goodness!<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><span>Legendborn by Tracy Deonn is FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC!<br /> </span><span>Do you hear me?!?!?!</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRIQtjvRi2lKrCdz2gAges0He_GfNveeYfHNIoD3WBGQucLfx02Gh4HSAEpT_QY728__b4BxY4rFhoAStFM9hxrAVlW_hnPatkloGEU7CIor0EkqC4taERaesbLDJwsKAexgTO-i70sak/s2048/Legendborn+Cover+Hi+Res.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1345" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRIQtjvRi2lKrCdz2gAges0He_GfNveeYfHNIoD3WBGQucLfx02Gh4HSAEpT_QY728__b4BxY4rFhoAStFM9hxrAVlW_hnPatkloGEU7CIor0EkqC4taERaesbLDJwsKAexgTO-i70sak/s320/Legendborn+Cover+Hi+Res.jpg" /></span></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhstmMXb7XUjZhxU9miWKv6g-JEu2iZf_88rkj6vAkrRuR01g8N9Tf8X6PoQZCg20Gp_D6XYtc0RJBOJ_qnBjPxf27eUW2E7Abr3dGBp5FKdeMNLv_zje-A4_ODPthveXAi-4cLuCvlMqQ/s2048/Tracy+Deonn+Formal+Headshot+Hi+Res+-+Credit+to+Kathleen+Hampton.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhstmMXb7XUjZhxU9miWKv6g-JEu2iZf_88rkj6vAkrRuR01g8N9Tf8X6PoQZCg20Gp_D6XYtc0RJBOJ_qnBjPxf27eUW2E7Abr3dGBp5FKdeMNLv_zje-A4_ODPthveXAi-4cLuCvlMqQ/s320/Tracy+Deonn+Formal+Headshot+Hi+Res+-+Credit+to+Kathleen+Hampton.jpg" /></a></span></div></div><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">In this book, we meet Bree Matthews as she is dealing with the death of her mother. To escape her grief, Bree enrolls in an early admission <span>program, Early College, for bright high schoolers at UNC-Chapel Hill. Her first night on campus, Bree witnesses a magical attack...</span><span>a demon feeding on human energies.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><span>Soon she discovers a secret society called “Legendborns” students that hunt the demons a</span><span>nd a mysterious young man who calls himself a “Merlin” and who tries to wipe Bree’s memory of everything she saw...but he fails. </span><span>The Merlin’s failed attempt unlocks Bree’s own unique magic and a buried memory connected to the night her mother dies. Now Bree wants to know the truth about her mother's accident and she will do whatever it takes to find out the truth, including infiltrating the Legendborns as one of their initiates.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><span>Bree enlists the </span><span>help of Nick Davis, a self-exiled Legendborn with his own grudge against the group, and their shaky partnership pulls them deeper into the society’s secrets...and closer to each other. Soon Bree learns the true nature of the Legendborns and now she has to decide how far she will go for the truth and whether she should use her magic to take the society down or join the fight.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><span>This book showed up at the perfect time. It addressed many things that we as Americans have not discussed. Weaving the Arthurian legend with Black Southern folklore made this a magical and unique book on so many levels. All the emotions and experiences that Bree goes through is so relevant and timely. The themes of legacy, roots, heritage, and ancestors permeated this entire story and made for rich and gripping themes. I was totally transported and enthralled with this book. When I finished I was wanted more of the story. I'm praying that Ms. Deonn gives us another book. This book is going to make waves in the fantasy community. Much needed waves. Kudos to Ms. Deonn for writing such a fantastic piece of fiction</span><span>.</span></span></p><p><b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana;">Rating: 💖💖💖💖💖/5</span></b></p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiks2B9rVjPaXtkXbPg4ysvBqw3lJ43fY5sbWpdoNkXhsV695SXTSi2LqgoorOt1Lni58woSRxGNn5MIgD3wTA6RyrTbkScz_5Sck5_v8F-vX_OcWWA2b153_QbEdtaBFo-AAmPVX8Hdvo/s1024/Book+Tour+Legendborn.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="341" data-original-width="1024" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiks2B9rVjPaXtkXbPg4ysvBqw3lJ43fY5sbWpdoNkXhsV695SXTSi2LqgoorOt1Lni58woSRxGNn5MIgD3wTA6RyrTbkScz_5Sck5_v8F-vX_OcWWA2b153_QbEdtaBFo-AAmPVX8Hdvo/w400-h134/Book+Tour+Legendborn.png" width="400" /></a></b></div><b><br /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></b><p></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white;">As part of the Legendborn Book Tour hosted by <a href="https://hearourvoicesbooktours.com/" target="_blank">Hear Our Voices Book Tours</a>, I was asked to create a Book Aesthetic and a Playlist. A little explanation about both:</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white;">For the Book Aesthetic, I wanted the look and feel of the Aether which is so important in this story, as well as the earth and our ancestors. To see my book aesthetic, head over to my Instagram page <a href="http://www.instagram.com/novelsistah">www.instagram.com/novelsistah</a></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="font-size: medium;">For the Playlist, I treated it like a movie score. The songs follow the scenes in the book. I primarily chose Black women and songs with a southern feel. The whole list is a vibe and a mood for me. I hope people feel it too. Here's the link to Spotify: </span></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5g0srIuuZocUhi60wbeYdC?si=uND8DP94QYa9lN7eI0sSgw">https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5g0srIuuZocUhi60wbeYdC?si=uND8DP94QYa9lN7eI0sSgw</a></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic6Kx9H8l3-gLJiZaFh7SyyT7EM0XZSQ_qUpU9A9bKR1WQE7LqdFd6uBeBg53HT4j94YGRZRWdSLdecNJYLmbOOVVRHomdTqG2ng_CU69H_r4qjNsXBdThK2T2YHYe8zFrPYeHdoFmckU/s1080/Legendborn+Photo.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic6Kx9H8l3-gLJiZaFh7SyyT7EM0XZSQ_qUpU9A9bKR1WQE7LqdFd6uBeBg53HT4j94YGRZRWdSLdecNJYLmbOOVVRHomdTqG2ng_CU69H_r4qjNsXBdThK2T2YHYe8zFrPYeHdoFmckU/w400-h400/Legendborn+Photo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></span><p></p><p><b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></b></p>Novel Sistahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17051638535960068584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528285541895453014.post-29730292036561069512019-08-28T23:09:00.000-04:002021-03-04T11:58:06.538-05:00Bromance Book Club<p> Absolutely charming! I read this book in a day and a half.</p><p>I liked the realness of the characters, the realness of the problems, most importantly the realness of the male relationships. Ms. Adams showed that male friendships could be supportive and vulnerable without the stereotypical, macho stuff. I loved the book within a book effect...so clever.</p><p>This story was fresh, fun, and sexy. </p><p>Loved it!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUyrBkeYnznuQ3Q8iCaRMNmq7hYsR1pzDqh9TH1H2tRJ-UF6_-qnzQLt8z5UCu52zvun3IaLMKlzzMx8eIeMcOUZuuh4_4rz5eFc_pT3nZfRTlyehQcgZaEheQsO8nVmBQRFFT6trziyA/s400/Lyssa+Kay+Adams.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUyrBkeYnznuQ3Q8iCaRMNmq7hYsR1pzDqh9TH1H2tRJ-UF6_-qnzQLt8z5UCu52zvun3IaLMKlzzMx8eIeMcOUZuuh4_4rz5eFc_pT3nZfRTlyehQcgZaEheQsO8nVmBQRFFT6trziyA/w320-h320/Lyssa+Kay+Adams.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKrLA63FVox9lmRV6G4C5wMhd6Hs0L8gyb1NqObmGiZNcsLyFgQiDsKzp8ziROk3PenrcXR0RX0892To3DCThtT4__Qkp-WAvl7HS7QDaeH8fOxyPXB3AfZ0CYDKkpm8uSi7vHIAncYnY/s450/Bromance+Book+Club.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="300" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKrLA63FVox9lmRV6G4C5wMhd6Hs0L8gyb1NqObmGiZNcsLyFgQiDsKzp8ziROk3PenrcXR0RX0892To3DCThtT4__Qkp-WAvl7HS7QDaeH8fOxyPXB3AfZ0CYDKkpm8uSi7vHIAncYnY/w240-h360/Bromance+Book+Club.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p></p>Novel Sistahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17051638535960068584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528285541895453014.post-21724763425565620162019-07-11T23:17:00.000-04:002021-03-04T11:57:45.490-05:00What If George Washington Said Yes to a Crown?<p>A YA version of "The Crown"! </p><p>American Royals is a fun, elegant, alternative history in which the United States has a monarchy instead of our current ruling system. We follow the royal members of the House of Washington; primarily Princess Betrice, Princess Samantha, and Prince Jefferson. Each of the royal siblings deal with being royal in various ways and It is a roller coaster ride, full of scandalous gossip and royal secrets. I enjoyed this immensely and can't wait to see what's next. </p><p>Perfect for fans of the Prince & Me and the Princess Diaries.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0UfUcWVXTzXEyyXO_9fZCy5a248bFRiPK0xANmKn_wdas8MT2piBW98dwjb72YgeF67nrb7TkEUa122lHBhhGBqtzLrG2am_2dl6nz866CliGyy480Ow-f1RrReKS77Svlg9jDxidTv4/s500/American+Royals.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="331" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0UfUcWVXTzXEyyXO_9fZCy5a248bFRiPK0xANmKn_wdas8MT2piBW98dwjb72YgeF67nrb7TkEUa122lHBhhGBqtzLrG2am_2dl6nz866CliGyy480Ow-f1RrReKS77Svlg9jDxidTv4/w265-h400/American+Royals.jpg" width="265" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGRUC4YIkwo0DQLW5DRIiAGEXC87bucfYtQrtBepCN4aZJ7ZjV9W3wW7pYR76tGU8MuzGk0V9uQvoBwuVjAYA8rSZT85fz1Be3UUA52z9-3q003-HPUxrTgruYT_8IyBkHePsJtn7BgWw/s541/Katharine+McGee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="541" data-original-width="360" height="433" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGRUC4YIkwo0DQLW5DRIiAGEXC87bucfYtQrtBepCN4aZJ7ZjV9W3wW7pYR76tGU8MuzGk0V9uQvoBwuVjAYA8rSZT85fz1Be3UUA52z9-3q003-HPUxrTgruYT_8IyBkHePsJtn7BgWw/w288-h433/Katharine+McGee.jpg" width="288" /></a></div><p><br /></p>Novel Sistahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17051638535960068584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528285541895453014.post-57044062538564476702019-07-01T23:05:00.000-04:002021-03-04T11:57:30.630-05:00Ninth House....Oh Child!<p>Leigh Bardugo has snactched my soul and slammed it back into my body with "Ninth House"; and I want her to do it again. This story is full of twists, ghosts and magic. Alex Stern has become one of my favorite characters. </p><p>Bardugo has kicked in the door of adult fantasy like a boss. But this is not your grandmother's fantasy...Oh no! This magic is grimy, luxurious, dark, powerful, and raw; and you will want it to soak into every inch of your skin. This is my favorite book of 2019! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicIpfmDyTijDmE5EeJuFRgSzDT34lEUGhRY7D7WIHnW98TIvTuIBY-_NU7mUhVOLpmSESfo6XBbbdn1VdFhNasePbaRJmlCiwolvLht6E4uQGWmleHk5oC9PS5A5PrRvrOyRTGeiWv92c/s1000/leigh-bardugo-ninth-house.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="1000" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicIpfmDyTijDmE5EeJuFRgSzDT34lEUGhRY7D7WIHnW98TIvTuIBY-_NU7mUhVOLpmSESfo6XBbbdn1VdFhNasePbaRJmlCiwolvLht6E4uQGWmleHk5oC9PS5A5PrRvrOyRTGeiWv92c/w512-h288/leigh-bardugo-ninth-house.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><p><br /></p>Novel Sistahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17051638535960068584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528285541895453014.post-50046195389850824272019-06-17T23:00:00.000-04:002021-03-04T11:57:11.437-05:00Saturday Night Ghost Club<p>Such beautiful book that embraces the innocence and sadness of growing up. Jake Baker reflects on a memorable summer where he explores the myths and legends of his hometown with his Uncle Calvin and his new friends. It has a vulnerability and frankness to it. </p><p>There is an awkwardness of a kid trying to figure who he is and understanding the adults in his life. The book have Goonies, Stand By Me, Sandlot vibes, only much darker. A quirky, heartfelt novel about love, loss, family, and friends.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpVP9CQunf3KU3MRZJcu8f9KokoppLL-XBtdUPsIgcYcENhlEfE6vFpJBClqvqmWj2ly9a9zJRJsmQg5wy_2ax5uT3oltrgIgoCHmi12IOEmIhgV_0GppHrj4wBCYqGK55bDaI3tMTnWQ/s810/OCT26_WRITERS_TRUST_DAVIDSON.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="810" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpVP9CQunf3KU3MRZJcu8f9KokoppLL-XBtdUPsIgcYcENhlEfE6vFpJBClqvqmWj2ly9a9zJRJsmQg5wy_2ax5uT3oltrgIgoCHmi12IOEmIhgV_0GppHrj4wBCYqGK55bDaI3tMTnWQ/w513-h283/OCT26_WRITERS_TRUST_DAVIDSON.jpg" width="513" /></a></div><p><br /></p>Novel Sistahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17051638535960068584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528285541895453014.post-71906532736368474912019-06-15T23:02:00.000-04:002021-03-04T11:57:01.177-05:00Queen Jacqueline<p>There are some authors who can do no wrong as far as I'm concerned and Jacqueline Woodson is one of those authors.</p><p>Such an amazing, brilliant book! Jacqueline Woodson has the ability of telling a lifetime's worth of emotions and experiences in 300 or less pages. It is riveting and soul stirring. Red at the Bone was about loss and healing on many levels. I was moved to the depths of my soul. </p><p>This book is a true gem!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5V6ThdMZpxRYBdJtVXlKDFTt1STURaY5XCGEJTRXKWRAUHQEu4UM1Z1rkCcdNfyW5VbNjAHQd9sNXr-U7VZeZYBwrYxxFk_UK9w3UtMZHMObeDgvOSiZNu6DMd-FHpXXWE88nA33vDcU/s1280/Woodson_featured.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5V6ThdMZpxRYBdJtVXlKDFTt1STURaY5XCGEJTRXKWRAUHQEu4UM1Z1rkCcdNfyW5VbNjAHQd9sNXr-U7VZeZYBwrYxxFk_UK9w3UtMZHMObeDgvOSiZNu6DMd-FHpXXWE88nA33vDcU/w512-h288/Woodson_featured.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><p><br /></p>Novel Sistahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17051638535960068584noreply@blogger.com0