My book bingey ways of reading for joy and to alleviate stress - and my life is very stressful right now - continue:   Her Own Happiness by Eden Appiah-Kubi  Escaping Mr. Rochester by L.L. McKinney  The Breakup Tour by Emily Wibberley & Austin Siegemund-Broka  The Duchess (Scandalous Ladies of London #2) by Sophie Jordan  Really Cute People by Markus Harwood-Jones  Relit : 16 Latinx Remixes of Classic Stories edited by Sandra Proudman  This Is the Honey: An Anthology of Contemporary Black Poets edited by Kwame Alexander  Sylvia's Second Act by Hillary Yablon  Every Single Secret by Christina Dodd  Take time to write actual reviews or use that time to read more pages?  My decision is obvious.  Happy Poetry Month!  Keep reading (which includes audiobooks, comix, graphic novels, Braille...:-) 

Saturday's deluge made it easy to stay home and read rather than go run errands. Today's lovely weather means no more outdoor to-do list avoidance and reading has to wait until this evening.  Hope your week is filled with reading (& all kinds of) joy!  currently reading, already read & will read eventually  Girls with Bad Reputations by Xio Axelrod, Always Only You by Chloe Liese, Faking It by Beth Reekles    Magnolia Flower by Zora Neale Hurston & adapted by Ibram X. Kendi; a "Read a new book that is primarily intended for children" prompt from The Ultimate Reading Challenge, Complete a Goal, Open an Envelope, and Reveal a Bookish Prize!  Forget What You Know by Christina Dodd, First Down by Grace Reilly, Hannah Tate, Beyond Repair by Laura Piper Lee, All Rhodes Lead Here by Mariana Zapata, The Dead Guy Next Door by Lucy Score 

Calamity (Uncharted Hearts #1) by Constance Fay  Sci-fi romance  Bramble, November 2023  Temperance Reed has fallen from being a recognized member of one of the most elite families in the universe to being a banished scout among a ragtag band of other outsiders. Romantic drama collides with political intrigue and double-dealing in this outstanding sci-fi genre mashup that's action-packed, funny, and tender.     Winter's Eve: Then, Now & Always (Three Kings #2)  by A.E. Valdez, author/publisher  Contemporary romance/fiction/women's fiction   August 2023  A decade earlier, Eve Valentine and Winter King's love burned hot and bright until tragedy struck and the devastating fallout ended their relationship. Now connections between family, friends, and the best interests of their community force them back together. Will their love rekindle or incinerate?  The exquisite blend of intricate family and friendship dynamics combined with themes of trauma, grief, and recovery as

[The American Queen by Vanessa Miller, Bride by Ali Hazelwood, Canadian Boyfriend by Jenny Holiday]    [Goal by Alexandria House]  What's even better than a hockey romance? A BLACK hockey romance that incorporates multiple facets of the complexity of Blackness while delivering humor and tenderness along with lots of family and relationship drama. Plus, scorching hot sexy times. Nuri and Maleek's love story beautifully depicts ways in which two people work on themselves as individuals as they become a healthy couple.  (cw: miscarriage)  Currently reading The American Queen by Vanessa Miller. Enjoyed Bride by Ali Hazelwood, and Canadian Boyfriend by Jenny Holiday is a binge read option  for later this week.   Happy creating! 

  Spent the weekend with a beloved child (who isn't mine:-). We attended the 2nd annual Black History Fest held at the Harriet Tubman Cultural Center in Columbia, Maryland, which offered a variety of entertainment, education, books, clothes - a handcrafted skirt from Fashion by Abisola, accessories - a beaded bracelet from I-am.com, decorative goods and more from talented creatives across the spectrum of artistic endeavors. The father of author Tamilore Adejumo (Along the Way, Christian nonfiction) made such a compelling pitch that his daughter's book has been added to my very long TBR list. Subject Matter Experts in various aspects of business were there too.   Kid duties shrank my weekend reading time, but currently reading Sex, Lies, and Sensibility by Nikki Payne that among other themes opens with prime examples of Prosecutor Fani Willis's "A man is not a plan" maxim. It's layered and emotionally fraught so I'm not doing my usual voracious binge read,

  [Sex, Lies and Sensibility by Nikki Payne, Red String Theory by Lauren Kung Jessen, Valley Verified by Kyla Zhao, Two Vows and a Viscount (Seduction 2) by Eloisa James, At First Spite by Olivia Dade, The Ladies Rewrite the Rules by Suzanne Allain]  In theory, a three-day weekend offers the perfect opportunity to focus on making progress with multiple WIPs that are behind schedule. My reality is that using the holiday for reading the books shown above is a temptation likely beyond my ability to resist.  Author and founder of The Write Women Book Fest Heather Brooks gave me awesome presents from her trip to the Hampton Roads writers event she attended at the end of last year. A sturdy canvas tote bag and a clever portable storage journal from Novel Grounds for organizing bookmarks, stickers, and other author swag is so practical and attractive! Plus, she gave me a signed copy of The Monsters We Defy by Leslye Penelope (and said something silly about feeling okay if I wanted to re-gift