Too Many Books (Is That Even a Real Thing?)

How does this keep happening?

Before each trip to my local library branches in the Prince George's County Memorial Library System and Anne Arundel County Public Library my mantra: “Return the borrowed items, greet the friendly librarians, then leave. Do not look at the enticing displays. Do not approach the shelves of new arrivals. Resist the temptation to borrow more books when there's still a stack of unread library books at home, my TBR list is encyclopedic, my phone and tablet are loaded with ebooks. Exercise some restraint.”

It never works.

A Court of Wanderers (Silver Under Nightfall #2) by Rin Chupeco

speculative, fantasy, romantasy

S&S/Saga Press, April 2024

Competing interests, court intrigues, assorted monsters, shocking revelations, and a nuanced polyamorous romance that weaves all of these elements together to deliver drama, supernatural thrills, and emotional hits.

And You Know This: Lessons on Living From Young Folx by Keturah Kendrick

non-fiction self-care & reflection, May 2024

Who am I? What's the purpose of my life?

Those are big questions for anyone, especially for teens and young adults. In this quick read the author prompts readers to sit and focus and listen to their thoughts, to their authentic voices without the distractions of well-meaning loved ones, social media, and tech devices in order to recognize and reclaim core truths they've always known about themselves. Themes on the intersection of limiting, often toxic expectations imposed upon Black and Brown female, femme-identifying, and non-binary people address the ways in which conformity to narrow ideas about girlhood and womanhood are taught and set as baseline standards in families and society. This book challenges readers do the hard work of gaining clarity and acceptance and peace about who they are and what they want. Excerpts from her series of longer podcast chats with a variety of young people exemplify the struggles and benefits of doing so. It makes a worthwhile graduation gift or what's next gift to a seasoned adult who's pivoting in life.

Comments

Hot Love in the Kitchen & Travelling Through Time

Redemption of the Heart by Moni Boyce contemporary romance Love Snacks Publishing 8 January 2019 Despite addressing heavy themes of domestic violence, incarceration, and grief, Redemption of the Heart is a charming and sweet spicy read in the tradition of a 21st-century interracial homage to Janet Dailey’s monthly romance era. Gemma’s open-hearted ingénue contrasts starkly with Alex’s jaded workaholic. They struggle with a variety of challenges, but ethnicity isn’t one of them—a spin that feels particularly modern. Once readers commit to their suspension of disbelief regarding the cascading impact of lacks in due diligence by several characters, it’s easy to settle in to enjoy this love story. The recent public debate about the pros and cons of Gillette’s “We believe the best man can be” campaign ties in with the contradictory messages in the story threads about toxic masculinity. There’s a scene in which Alex apologizes to someone who was openly bragging among cowork...

The Best Man: Unfinished Business by Malcolm D. Lee with Jayne Allen Delivers All the Feels

Black love. Black joy. Black drama. Humanity in its vast melanin array. [front cover of a paperback ARC for The Best Man: Unfinished Business; silhouette of three adults] The Best Man: Unfinished Business by Malcolm D. Lee with Jayne Allen adult contemporary fiction with romantic elements Storehouse Voices, July 2025 First, dedicated fans of The Best Man franchise and its beloved characters need not fear how they’re treated in this first of three novels. In fact. One thread of Harper’s storyline seems to reflect the real-life author/screenwriter/director’s battle to protect and maintain the integrity of The Best Man universe. Mission accomplished. Second, once readers - fans or not - start this novel they won’t want to stop. The compulsion to re/watch The Best Man movies and limited series and maybe even to reread this book while anticipating the release of book two in 2026 will prove difficult to resist. Who are you? Who are your people?...

A Million Lives Book Festival - An Unfortunate Exception, Not the Event Rule

[2 decorative stickers on lined writing paper from left to right: a round smiley face arranged upside down to look like a frown and a round smiley face arranged right sight up] By now most bookish folk and others have heard about the inaugural A Million Lives Book Festival held at the Baltimore Convention Center last Friday and Saturday. To recap: according to participating authors and attendees many promises were made and almost all of them were broken. As outreach director and co-organizer for The Write Women Book Fest scheduled to host its 6th event Saturday, July 19 & Sunday, July 20 of this year at the Bowie Comfort Inn & Conference Center in Bowie, Maryland, U.S.A., my reaction to the feedback being shared about A Million Lives is nightmarish. Even though we aren't connected to it in any way or familiar with the event organizer or her company, our completely unrelated event has felt some minor residual effects because people are worried. And that's an understanda...

Search This Blog