Small Town, Big Magic by Hazel Beck
I picked this up because it was romance and had witches in it.
S/N I will give anything that has witches in it a try.
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!
My rating: 💖💖💖💖/5
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| Release Date: August 3, 2021 |
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| Author Kwame Mbaila |
Trigger Warnings: Death and Depression
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.
Summary of the book:
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.
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.
Simply put, this book is beautiful...hard on the emotions, but beautiful. Grab your Kleenex and settle into this fabulous read.
Rating: 💖💖💖💖/5
Some Other Now by Sarah Everett goes on sale February 23, 2021. Buy your copy at your local Independent Bookstore or at Bookshop.org.
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 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 finally making a move.
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. 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. |
| Release date: October 13, 2020 |
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| Author Kara Lee Corthron |
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 program, Early College, for bright high schoolers at UNC-Chapel Hill. Her first night on campus, Bree witnesses a magical attack...a demon feeding on human energies.
Soon she discovers a secret society called “Legendborns” students that hunt the demons and a mysterious young man who calls himself a “Merlin” and who tries to wipe Bree’s memory of everything she saw...but he fails. 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.
Bree enlists the 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.
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.
Rating: 💖💖💖💖💖/5
As part of the Legendborn Book Tour hosted by Hear Our Voices Book Tours, I was asked to create a Book Aesthetic and a Playlist. A little explanation about both:
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 www.instagram.com/novelsistah
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: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5g0srIuuZocUhi60wbeYdC?si=uND8DP94QYa9lN7eI0sSgw
A YA version of "The Crown"!
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.
Perfect for fans of the Prince & Me and the Princess Diaries.
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.
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.
There are some authors who can do no wrong as far as I'm concerned and Jacqueline Woodson is one of those authors.
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.
This book is a true gem!
No disrespect to the person Nana Kwame Adeji-Brenyah might be dating, but when someone writes like this, he or she is definitely Book Bae. I've never read anything like this. From the first story, Adejei-Brenyah comes out the gate swinging; and each story is like a beautifully, devastating, punch to the body. Story after story delivers a body blow, but you welcome each hit. You need the next story. It just hurts so good!
I absolutely loved the sci-fi/fantasy tone to the stories. Nana's writing is superb. Each story is wickedly clever and cerebral, delivering slick, smart, commentary on issues such as race and consumerism in our country. I actually had to take deep breath after each story to recover and process. You can peel back the layers of each story and have discussions for days It was so wonderful!
I am here for this young man and his writing. I am ready for the next hit that he delivers.
Small Town, Big Magic by Hazel Beck I picked this up because it was romance and had witches in it. S/N I will give anything that has wi...
