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Showing posts with label Jacqueline Woodson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jacqueline Woodson. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 21, 2023
Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books By Black Authors On My TBR Mountain Chain
Today's TTT topic is all about our favorite fictional heroines (Top Ten Favorite Heroines [Or Heroes, If You Like]). Since my aging brain is pretty much rubbish at remembering specifics about characters and would likely revert to leading ladies I've already talked about a million times, I'm going to go in a different direction today. February is almost over and I've yet to talk about Black History Month at all. So, today, I'm going to dish about books on my TBR list by Black authors.
As always, Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely Jana over at That Artsy Reader Girl. Click on over there and give her some love, won't you? If you want to join in the TTT fun, all the details are on her blog.
Top Ten Books By Black Authors On My TBR List Pile Mountain Mountain Chain
- in no particular order -
1. Harbor Me by Jacqueline Woodson—Woodson is one of my long-time favorite authors. She's a prolific writer who pens books in a variety of genres for readers of all ages. She's written dozens of books, so it's not surprising that I've yet to read all of them. Harbor Me is a middle-grade novel about a group of kids who are required to meet every week for a group therapy chat sans adults. As they create a safe space for each other, they are freed to talk about the things that are really bothering them—from fears of deportation and racial profiling to money worries to family drama and everything in between. Sharing their worries makes them feel not just seen but also brave enough to tackle whatever comes their way. Sounds like an uplifting, empowering read!
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2. The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray—This historical novel has been on my radar ever since I first heard about it. It tells the true story of Belle da Costa Greene, a powerful woman who was hired by J.P. Morgan to curate a collection of books and art for his newly-built library. Unbeknownst to most people, Greene had a closely-guarded secret. She was a light-skinned Black woman who passed as white—a risky business in America in the early 1900s.
This duo's forthcoming novel, The First Ladies, which publishes on June 7, also sounds like an excellent read.
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3. The Davenports by Krystal Marquis—I'm not much for romance novels, but this YA historical has been popping up all over the place and it does sound entertaining. Inspired by real people, the book revolves around a Black family whose formerly enslaved patriarch made a fortune through the carriage company he founded. By 1910, the Davenports are enjoying a glamorous lifestyle with all the glitzy trimmings. As various members of the family deal with love, loss, and life's daily dramas, they will learn and grow together.
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4. A Few Red Drops: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919 by Claire Hartfield—Helen reviewed this middle-grade non-fiction book on her blog a few years ago and I knew it was one I needed to read. It recounts the true story of some young Black teen boys who accidentally swam too close to a "white" beach on Lake Michigan. A incensed white man began throwing rocks at one of them, causing the young man to drown. The police refused to arrest the man. Tensions stemming from the incident led to days of violent race riots in Chicago.
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5. Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson—A contemporary adult novel, this one concerns a matriach's death and the secrets she leaves in her wake. When Eleanor Bennett leaves her two children a strange inheritance—a black cake baked from a secret family recipe and a puzzling voice recording—they're left to grapple with secrets they never could have imagined. Will piecing together their family's true history bring them together or tear them apart forever?
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6. The Reformatory by Tananarive Due (available June 27, 2023)—This horror novel is getting mixed reviews so far, but it sounds intriguing to me. Set in 1950, it's about a Black boy named Robert Stephen Jones, Jr., who is sent to a reform school after he kicks a white boy's leg. Robert soon discovers that the Gracetown School for Boys is a segregated institution that is haunted by the ghosts of boys who have died there.
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7. Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds—I discovered Reynolds' impactful books last year and am working on reading them all. The winner of numerous awards, this YA novel-in-verse is about gun violence and the puzzling mystery that unexpectedly brings three teens together on one very tense elevator ride.
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8. My Lord, He Calls Me: Stories of Faith by Black American Latter-day Saints by Alice Faulkner Burch (editor)—A writer, entrepeneur, advocate, and faithful member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Burch compiled this collection of essays by active Black Latter-day Saints. I just bought this book and can't wait to dive into these faith-filled stories by people whose experience with the Church has been unique to say the least. It promises to be an enlightening read.
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9. On Air With Zoe Washington by Janae Marks—I loved From the Desk of Zoe Washington, so I'm all in for this sequel. After Zoe's work in the first book, her birth father has finally been exonerated and released from prison. His dream now is to open his own restaurant, which is a goal baking-obsessed Zoe can definitely get behind. Turns out, it's not easy to turn a dream into a reality. Nor is it simple for an exoneree to reenter society. Zoe decides to start a podcast to bring light to the issue, but is anyone really listening?
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10. What Never Happened by Rachel Howzell Hall (available July 11, 2023)—Obituary writer Coco Weber has moved back to Catalina Island to start over. Her friend, the owner of a local newspaper, assures her she'll have plenty of work to do in a place so full of elderly residents. Turns out, a lot of people are dying on the island. And some of those deaths are downright suspicious. When Coco receives a sinister threat in the form of her own obituary, she knows she's on to something. Determined to find the truth, Coco finds herself tracking down a serial killer and researching her own tragedy for answers.
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There you go, ten books by Black authors that are on my TBR mountain chain. Have you read any of them? What did you think? Which literary heroines/heroes did you feature today? I'd truly love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog.
Happy TTT!
Tuesday, April 19, 2022
Top Ten Tuesday: Still-to-Read Stories From Some of My Favorite Authors
Today's dreamy TTT topic is a fun one—Top Ten Bookish Items I'd Love to Own—but I'm still going rogue. I enjoy fun booky items as much as the next bibliophile (I have a couple bookstore t-shirts, several punny mugs, reading wall art, etc.), but with my upcoming move, I'm focusing on purging my junk, not accumulating more! So, I'm going to go with a throwback prompt that Nicole used for her list a few weeks ago: Top Ten Books I Still Need to Read By Some of My Favorite Authors. I've been ruminating on the subject ever since reading Nicole's list.
Before we get to that, though, be sure to click on over to That Artsy Reader Girl. While you're giving Jana some love, why don't you join in the TTT fun? It's a great excuse to drop in on your favorite book blogs, discover fabulous new ones, and, of course, add books to your TBR mountain chain. What's not to love?
Top Ten Books I Still Need to Read By Some of My Favorite Authors
*All book data is from Fantastic Fiction. Book counts include novellas, but not titles published under authors' psuedonyms.
1. Ellie Alexander (cozy mysteries)
Number of books published*: 22
Number of books I've read: 6
What I still need to read: I'm caught up with the Sloan Krause series, but I've only read the first book in the Bakeshop Mystery series. I need to read more of those, plus Left Coast Literary, the series opener in a new bookish series.
2. Elizabeth C. Bunce (children's fiction, young adult fantasy, children's historical mysteries)
Number of books published: 7 (including In Myrtle Peril, which comes out in October)
Number of books I've read: 3
What I still need to read: I adore Bunce's Myrtle Hardcastle mystery series, so I'm all caught up in that one. I'm not really interested in her StarCrossed duology, but I do want to read A Curse As Dark As Gold, her 2008 debut.
3. Amanda Flower (cozy and historical mysteries)
Number of books published: 36 (including four that come out later this year)
Number of books I've read: 7
What I still need to read: I love Flower's Amish Candy Shop Mystery series and am just about caught up in it. I read Farm to Trouble, the first in a new series, earlier this year and found it rather meh. I doubt I'll continue with that one. Since I enjoy her other Amish mysteries so much, next on my list is Flower's Amish Matchmaker Mystery series.
4. Melanie Jacobson (rom-coms for adults and teens)
Number of books published: 21+ (including several co-authored novels)
Number of books I've read: 9
What I still need to read: I'm especially excited for Jacobson's Love in New Orleans trilogy. Jacobson is a native of Baton Rouge and her love for the area really shines through in her stories set in NOLA.
5. Peter May (adult mysteries/crime fiction)
Number of books published: 28
Number of books read: 7
What I still need to read: I enjoyed May's Lewis Trilogy as well as several of his standalone novels. Next up for me is the Enzo McLeod books and then the Yan & Campbell series.
6. Susan Meissner (adult historical fiction and mysteries)
Number of books published: 25 (including three that were co-authored with Mindy Starns Clark and When We Had Wings, which comes out in October)
Number of books read: 8
What I still need to read: I've read all the books but one that Meissner has published since 2011. I need to go back and read her earlier work.
7. Jennifer Ryan (adult World War II fiction)
Number of books published: 4 (including The Wedding Dress Circle, which comes out in May)
Number of books read: 2
What I still need to read: Ryan's newest as well as her debut, The Chillbury Ladies' Choir. I have copies of both.
8. Riley Sager (adult thrillers and horror)
Number of books published: 6 (including The House Across the Lake, which comes out in June)
Number of books read: 4
What I still need to read: Other than Sager's upcoming thriller, the only one I haven't read is Final Girls. I've heard from a number of people that it's their least favorite book of his, so I've been hesitating on it. When I was sorting through all my books, I found a copy of Final Girls I had totally forgotten about; now, I have no excuses so I'll read it sometime soon-ish.
9. Sarah Stewart Taylor (adult mysteries/crime fiction)
Number of books published: 8 (including The Drowning Sea, which comes out in June)
Number of books read: 2
What I still need to read: I've been loving Taylor's Maggie D'Arcy series, so I'm eager to try her Sweeney St. George mysteries. Unfortunately, I've been having a hard time finding them at my library. I might have to bite the bullet and buy the whole dang series!
10. Jacqueline Woodson (children's and YA fiction, poetry, literary fiction, picture books, etc.)
Number of books published: 35+
Number of books read: 6
What I still need to read: Woodson is so prolific that it's hard to keep up with her. I need to read her newest novels first, then work my way back.
There you go, a whole bunch of books I still need to read by some of my favorite authors. Have you read any of them? Which authors' work do you need to catch up on? What bookish items are you coveting these days? I'd truly love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog.
Happy TTT!
Monday, December 21, 2020
Woodson's Newest a Poignant, Impactful Tale From a Mastery of Poetry and Prose
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
As the son of a beloved pro football star, Zachariah Johnson, Jr., is used to having a famous parent. Not only is ZJ's dad charming with his fans, but at home he's the fun-loving guy who will chill with ZJ's friends and spend hours writing and strumming the guitar with ZJ. Then, he changes. It starts with headaches and confusion, then progresses to mood swings and memory loss. The doctors diagnose Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), a brain injury caused by all the concussions Zachariah senior has experienced on the football field over the years. According to his medical team, nothing can be done to reverse the condition. The loving, easy-going man ZJ has known all his life is gone forever, replaced by an angry stranger who doesn't always remember ZJ's name. How will ZJ cope with his disheartening new normal? Will his family ever again be the tight, anchoring unit it once was?
I've been a big Jacqueline Woodson fan for years. Her luminous prose and lyrical poetry create books that are beautiful, moving, and memorable. Woodson's newest middle-grade offering, Before the Ever After, is no exception. Written in verse, it's a slim volume but one that packs a definite punch. Although it brings the dark side of fame to light, the story is really about a family and how they're all affected by a member's illness. The tale also concerns life's unexpected, irreversible changes. How do you move on when all you want to do is reverse time? Before the Ever After is a poignant, touching tale featuring sympathetic characters, impactful writing, and a compelling conflict. Like everything Woodson pens, it's a stick-with-you story, beautifully told.
(Readalikes: Hm, nothing's coming to mind. You?)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for difficult subject matter and scary situations
To the FTC, with love: Another library fine find
Tuesday, September 25, 2018
TTT: The Ones That Got Away
Before we get to that, though, I want to encourage you to join in the TTT fun. It's easy peasey. All you have to do is click on over to That Artsy Reader Girl, read few a few guidelines, make a list of your own, share it, then start visiting other blogs. It's a great way to find new blogs, add great-looking reads to your own TBR mountain chain, and just spread the love around Ye Ole Book Blogosphere. It's a good time, I promise!
Okay, here we go with Top Ten Books By My Favorite Authors That I Still Haven't Read (not including books in series—mostly):
1. J.K. Rowling—Harry Potter is one of my all-time favorite series, but I've never read any of the books by Rowling's alter ego, Robert Galbraith. I've seen mixed reviews, so I haven't rushed to check them out. I will though. Eventually.
2. Maeve Binchy—I adore this Irish author who died in 2012. I thought I'd read all her books except the last three: Minding Frankie (2010), A Week in Winter (2012), and Chestnut Street (2014). Turns out, she's also written a half dozen non-fiction books. Who knew?
3. Liane Moriarty—With the exception of Truly Madly Guilty, I've loved everything I've ever read by Moriarty. There are a few on her backlist that I still need to get to: Three Wishes (2013), The Last Anniversary (2005), and The Hypnotist's Love Story (2012). She also has a children's series, but I'm not sure it's really my cup of tea, so I'll probably skip it.
4. Jodi Picoult—I've long been a Picoult fan, but I haven't read all her books yet. What's missing? Sing You Home (2011) and The Storyteller (2013), plus the two she wrote with her daughter, Samantha van Leer: Between the Lines (2012) and Off the Page (2015).
5. Jacqueline Woodson—I love Woodson's books, but there are plenty I have yet to read by the newly-crowned National Ambassador for Young People's Literature. I'm especially interested in Harbor Me (2018). I also heard her read her newest picture book, The Day You Begin (2018), at the National Book Festival earlier this month and I'd love to re-read it.
6. Rae Carson—I adore Carson's Gold Seer trilogy, but I have yet to give her Fire & Thorns series a go.
7. Neal Shusterman—With the exception of Scythe, I've loved everything I've read by this prolific author. He's tough to keep up with, though, so I have lots of catching up to do with him. I'm not even sure where to start. What's your favorite of his?
8. Julia Keller—I read every Bell Elkins book as soon as I can get my hands on it, but I haven't given Keller's newest series a try yet. The Dark Intercept series has a futuristic/sci fi setup, which isn't my usual thing. Still, I'm going to give it a whirl one of these days.
9. Susan Meissner—Meissner's gentle dual-timeline novels are right up my alley. I've read all of them from 2011 on. The author's got a fairly extensive backlist, though, and I'm definitely planning to check it out. I'm especially interested in The Shape of Mercy (2008), a novel about a college student whose studies of the Salem Witch Trials go a little too deep ...
10. Emily Carpenter—I just discovered this author and while I'm not sure I can call her a favorite yet, I have been enjoying her twisted psychological thrillers. Her newest (which sounds amazing) doesn't come out until March 2019, so I have plenty of time to read the only one of hers I haven't delved into yet—Burying the Honeysuckle Girls (2016). It's sitting on my Kindle, just waiting for me to open it up.
There you go, all (well, some) of the books I still need to read from some of my favorite authors. Have you read any of them? Where should I start? How about you—which books are you missing from your favorite authors? I'd love to know. Leave me a comment and I'll gladly return the favor on your blog.
Happy Top Ten Tuesday!
Tuesday, September 13, 2016
TTT: It's a Genre Thing
It's time again for my favorite weekly meme, Top Ten Tuesday. If you're up for some bookish fun this morning, join in. Click on over to The Broke and the Bookish for more information, then make your own list, and bop around the blogosphere to get some great reading recommendations. Easy peasy.
I feel like I'm always talking about the same beloved authors and genres around here, so I decided to change things up a little for Top Ten Tuesday. Today's topic is: Top Ten Favorite Books in X Genre. Not gonna lie—I considered dystopian, British crime lit, family secrets novels, etc. In the end, though, I decided to talk about a genre that I enjoy but don't actually read that often. So, here's my list of my Top Ten Favorite Books-in-Verse:
1. Death Coming Up the Hill by Chris Crowe—This award-winning haiku novel about the Vietnam War is set here in Arizona. It touched me deeply.
2. Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson—I'm a big fan of Woodson's YA and MG books, so I was excited to read this memoir-in-verse. It's a lovely, National Book Award-winning contemplation on race, identity, and discovering one's voice.
3. The Watch That Ends the Night by Allan Wolf—This haunting, evocative novel is about the Titanic tragedy, a subject I find endlessly fascinating.
4. Wicked Girls by Stephanie Hemphill—The Salem Witch Trials are another historical topic that is always interesting to read about. Hemphill manages to tell a very rich story despite the limits of a verse structure.
5. Home of the Brave by Katherine Applegate—Applegate's novels always seem to hit me right in the feels. It's been a while since I read this one, but in my review I called it a "quick, touching story."
6. Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse—I read this impactful, atmospheric novel about the Dust Bowl recently and it has definitely stayed with me.
7. Shark Girl by Kelly Bingham—This one isn't based on historical or world events, but it is a compelling novel that tells an interesting Soul Surfer-ish story.
8. Crank; Glass; Fallout; and other novels by Ellen Hopkins—Hopkins' YA novels in verse are so graphic and raw that I have a hard time labeling them "favorites." Still, they're powerful in their unflinching examination of contemporary issues like illegal drug use, prostitution, sexual abuse, etc.
Okay, I'm going to cheat on the last two (actually, three) and share a couple novels-in-verse that are on my TBR pile mountain mountain chain:
9. Two Girls Staring at the Ceiling by Lucy Frank—This novel about two very different girls who share an illness and a hospital room sounds intriguing.
10. Witness by Karen Hesse—After Out of the Dust, I'm definitely up for another Hesse book. This one is about a small town in Vermont and how it changes when the Ku Klux Klan moves in. Set in 1924, it's another historical novel-in-verse, a subgenre I usually enjoy.
11. Sonya Sones—I have several of this author's novels-in-verse on my TBR list. I'm intrigued by Saving Red; One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies; and Stop Pretending: What Happened When My Big Sister Went Crazy.
There you have it. What do you think of my list? Have you read any of these? What are your favorite books-in-verse? Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor.
Happy TTT!
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