Your residence for beautiful scribbles.
For me, the first book of the year is always a bit daunting. I get to sit down and really look at my massive TBR pile. The pile that seems to get bigger every year and I’m not certain how. Here is my TBR for the next few weeks…
The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
Heart of a Witch (Embracing Darkness Collection) by Rebecca L. Garcia
A Court of Honey and Ash (Honey and Ice Trilogy #1) by Shannon Mayer & Kelly St. Clare
Midnight in Everwood by M.A. Kuzniar
In honor of National Ice Cream Month, I have added some ice cream reads to be reading list, this month. However, closest to the top of this is the newest addition to K.F. Breene‘s, Installment 9 of her DDVN world. See my review of the first in the series here. This is one of my all-time favorite series, since I am such a Reagan fan. Read on to see the rest of my plans for this month.
1 Revealed in Fire (book #9) – K.F. Breene – Releases July 2nd, and this is all I will be doing once its in my kindle.
“Reagan’s trip down to the underworld was never going to remain a mystery. And now Lucifer is actively looking for the woman and her vampire cohort that raised hell in his domaine.
When a band of demons come to the surface with a note asking after Lucifer’s heir, the truth of Reagan’s true lineage can no longer be hidden.
The problem is, the elves remember Lucifer’s past heir, and how he nearly took down the Realm. This time, they do not intend to stand by while Lucifer finds his heir and raises her to power. This time, they’ll cut the problem out at the root.
Reagan went from a nobody in NOLA, to the most wanted woman in all the worlds. It’s time for her to own who and what she is. It’s time for her to fight back.”
2 – Never on a Sundae – by Wendy Markham, Lynn Messina, Daniella Brodsky
“It’s the best spot in Manhattan for a sinfully delicious ice cream sundae. And it’s where three young women come to soothe their troubles and treat themselves to a little taste of heaven. Lucky in friendship, not always so lucky in love, these women know that just a few spoonfuls of ice cream can sweeten everything from a date gone sour to a workday from hell. But before they can say “extra whipped cream,” they’re going to discover that there’s more to life than hot fudge-and that making their dreams come true is the real cherry on top”
3 – Say Yes Summer -Lindsey Roth Culli
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For as long as Rachel Brooks can remember, she’s had capital-G Goals: straight As, academic scholarship, college of her dreams. And it’s all paid off–after years of following the rules and acing every exam, Rachel is graduating at the top of her class and ready to celebrate by . . . doing absolutely nothing. Because Rachel Brooks has spent most of high school saying no. No to dances, no to parties, and most especially, no to boys.
Now, for the first time in her life, there’s nothing stopping Rachel from having a little fun–nothing, that is, except herself. So when she stumbles on a beat up old self-help book–A SEASON OF YES!–a crazy idea pops into her head: What if she just said yes to . . . everything?”
4 – A Parfait Murder – Wendy Lyn Watson
“When Tally’s cousin Bree spots her deadbeat ex-husband strolling the Lantana County Fair with a fat wallet and a vixen on his arm, she immediately files for back child support. But when his lawyer is found dead, things get a little sticky. Did Bree serve up a dish of cold, sweet revenge? Or is she another hapless victim of a parfait crime?”
What’s on your TBR for July?
To say I am emotionally drained after finishing this book, is an understatement. And she did it in less than 300 pages. I am saddened to discover that Octavia passed away some years ago but grateful I have other the rest of her books to draw from. We lost, in her, as master of her craft. Incase it wasn’t obvious, gave this book an easy 5/5.
This book was first published in 1979 and became a study in “the peculiar institution” of slavery. In this story, Dana a twentieth century black woman, is pulled from her time to 1820’s Maryland. Her first task becomes saving a young white child named Rufus, who is drowning in a river. After an altercation with his father, she is returned to her own time.
Her husband claims to believe she believes what happened to her, despite coming back wet and muddy from being in the river. She then travels back to Rufus’s time whenever his life is in danger. Her husband Kevin, doesn’t really believe where she is going until they manage to go together. Dana is forced to be seen as Kevin’s slave instead of his wife since it’s illegal for them to be husband and wife in this time.
As Rufus grows, Dana attempts to humanize him and prove that there is more to his slaves that just property. Dana and Rufus develop a sort of love hate relationship but we eventually discover they are related. Dana suspects she is sent back in time to make sure her ancestors are born.
She holds an uncertain place among the entire setting since she is an educated black woman. She is asked to teach other black slaves to read and writes. She is caught and whipped by Rufa’s father, himself. Her experience is an unusual premise. She is hated by some slaves because she ‘acts more white than white people’, but she is also hated by the white members because of her intelligence. It seeks to be a no win situation for her.
I think the part that stood out the most was the interplay violent power struggles between the players. The way slaves’ were forced to do whatever it took to survive and there is no small amount of courage in that act. There is also a disturbing double image of the 1820’s not much different from the 1976 experience. It is scary but I believe it’s true.
I had hoped to begin reading this list during the month of February. but real life didn’t work out that way. I still intend to take the time to add some wonderful reads to my March reading list.
It is important for us as a country to observe this month’s meaning for the entire year. Its meant to acknowledge all of the years of struggle they have have endured just to have freedom and equal rights. Its also important to note that we are not to the equality part yet. The last 4 years with Trump as president have made that easy to see. It seems to be a never ending issue but I am hopeful we may see some real progress with Biden in charge.
I am looking forward to these reads as a break in my usual fantasy reading material. I hope to be posting book reviews in the coming weeks.
