Tag: black romance

Wings of Ebony | Book Review by Felicia

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About:

Rue discovers that she has powers and gets separated from her younger sister. On her sister’s birthday Rue returns home no longer caring about following magic rules. Rue ends up having to save her sister and community and now people are after her to stop her from exposing the truth about magic.

Review:

Wings of Ebony by J.  Elle is filled with action, magic, and drama.  Rue is a young girl on a mission to save her sister and her community. After a year of learning about magic and following the rules Rue has had enough. She is ready to return to her true home and be with the people that matter the most to her. This book had a few unclear parts and in the end I felt that the readers needed more information. I didn’t feel any real closure or a good setup for a second book. I will read the second book because I am a fan of fantasy novels but I am not completely locked into this new world yet. 

You Should See Me in a Crown | Book Review by Sam

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You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson is a young lesbian girl’s coming of age story. The main character Liz Lighty is in her senior year and waiting to see if she will be selected for a scholarship in her dream orchestra program at her dream school. She ultimately decides to enter her school’s prom court contest to try to earn the title of queen and the scholarship that comes along with it.

Review:

In You Should See Me in a Crown we have another example of Black excellence and the pressure that can come along with it. Liz Lighty excels both in the academic arena and the music space. She doesn’t get the orchestra scholarship that she has been looking forward to for all of her high school career. It was the scholarship that was meant to help her get to the same college as her late mother. Her next opportunity to get the scholarship money is to enter her school’s contest to become prom queen. This is completely out of character for her but, her friends and family step up to help her along the way. 

Liz entering the contest shakes up the dynamic in her small Indiana town. Poor black girls aren’t supposed to win prom queen. They aren’t supposed to have the audacity to believe they can disrupt the town’s traditions in this way. But, Liz doesn’t care – her focus is achieving her dreams of honoring her mother’s legacy and going to the same college as her. We learn that there is more that makes Liz other than her race and socioeconomic status. She also likes girls. She begins to date and fall for the love interest Amanda (bka Mack).

Liz’s journey towards accepting herself and  finding her tribe/where she belongs is an inspiring story. Even though this was a Young Adult novel, I found that I learned more about myself and found some confidence as I read. I was rooting for Liz start to finish. I just want all Black girls to win. 

This has been one of my favorite reads of the podcast. It was a beautifully written story of family, friendship, and first love. She faced several academic and personal challenges, realizing in the end  she doesn’t have to face them alone. Everyone should pick this book up, it was a delight to read. 

Seven Days in June | Book Review by Felicia

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About:

Seven Days in June is an adult romance novel that highlights the history of a short teenage love that is destined to reignite.  The characters in this novel deal with intense issues but they find a way to push through on their own and even better together. 

I want to start off by giving a trigger warning this book contains topics such as trauma, sexual assault, and self harm. 

Review:

The novel starts off in an unique and unexpected way that immediately draws a reader into the story. A story about Eva, a successful erotica writer who is trying to make a pivot in her writing career. As a Black woman writer who has forged a career in a genre that isn’t typically deemed respectable Eva tends to doubt her own worth and credibility. Then there is Shane, a critically acclaimed writer who doesn’t write anymore but chooses to mentor children. Even though they have been a part for many years Eva and Shane have always been in conversation with each other. Tia Williams excellently demonstrates the intricacies in a second chance romance. I honestly couldn’t stop reading and when it was over I wanted more of Eva and Shane’s story.  I highly suggest reading this book and rereading it.

Pride | Book Review by Sam

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Pride by Ibi Zoboi  is a modern retelling of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Instead of England the setting is Brooklyn, New York (specifically Bushwick). The Bennets have become Benitez and are Afro-Latina (Haitian and Dominican) and Mr. Darcy is now Darius, an African American teenager from an affluent family that moves into the neighborhood. 

Review:

It was difficult for me to dive into the retelling as I started the story due to my slight obsession with the original Pride and Prejudice. I did a high school book report on the novel and then started on a journey of watching every TV and movie version I could get my hands on. As I read the book I kept thinking this is different, this is different. Eventually, I convinced myself to see it as a stand alone novel and also found myself captured by the poetry of the main character Zuri. Her words served as a transition from chapter to chapter and set the tone of her feelings as different events transpired. 

Readers who are familiar with Pride and Prejudice will find several similar elements in the  modern retelling of Pride, but will eventually see it as a coming of age story of a young Afro-Latina girl who is having to come to terms with all the changes happening in her life. Zuri’s neighborhood is changing. Her family is changing. She is changing. 

The Bushwick neighborhood is going through gentrification, and Zuri sees Darius Darcy as a reason for the area becoming unaffordable for her family. Zuri’s sister who she’s been waiting for to come back from college has fallen in love and is not around as much. Zuri herself is getting ready to go away to college and is having to come to terms with the possibility that she cannot always be there to be the protector of the family. To be the guardian of her family and her neighborhood she will have to accept change as well as evolve herself. 

Zuri also must realize that everything is not as it seems and not to make quick judgments. Reading this book you will learn about Bushwick and growing into yourself. I would suggest this book to people who have a connection to New York, the way the author details the neighborhood, I believe New Yorkers who grew up in the Bushwick area would find it like a love letter to their childhood. I also believe this book is worth reading for Zuri’s poetry alone, every word I read touched my spirit. 

Charming as a Verb | Book Review by Felicia

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 This was a 3.5 star kind of book. It was quite a charming and intriguing book to read. Ben Philippe has a great writing voice that is quite relatable. This book will have you on the edge but it accurately expresses how the college application process can be intense, overwhelming, and stressful. Plus, there is teen love and a happy ending. 

About:

This is a young adult novel about Henri, a Haitian American boy embarking on the journey to get into his dream college. 

Review:

This book starts off as a wholesome read then it sends you off on an emotional roller coaster. Henri has all the charm in the world but his charming skills can’t compete with the resources other students have at their disposal when it comes to getting into college. As a child of Haitian immigrants Henri’s college dreams become a family dream that involves an immense amount of pressure to commit to only one kind of future. However, Henri’s life intertwines with Corinne, a fellow classmate who helps him realize there might be value in pursuing your true passion and still having a successful life. This novel was an emotionally heavy read with the way it coincided with my own life. There were a few twists and turns that made me even reconsider my own path about college and that’s part of what reading is about. Sometimes it’s about decompressing but other times the reading journey can really help a reader navigate or affirm certain emotions. 

One True Loves | Book Review by Sam

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I’m giving Bryant’s second novel 4 stars. I’m loving this author’s quirky yet cool take on young adult romance. She has a fan in me and I can’t wait until her next release.

About:

One True Loves by Elise Bryant is our 2nd read from the author. This story is still within the same universe as Elises’s first novel Happily Ever Afters. This book follows Lorene and her journey of self-discovery and learning more about herself as well as true love. In this book we are confronted with the downsides of Black excellence as the standard and what it means for those who consider a nontraditional path in a traditional family.

Review:

Lorene is an eclectic and artistic young woman. This should not be a surprise considering that Lorene is a graduate of an elite arts high school. However, her family’s expectations weigh on her heavily. She has a lawyer dad and a nonprofit executive mother. More than that she has a genius little sister and an older brother on track to go to law school. Lorene has been accepted to NYU so she is no slacker, however she isn’t sure of her major. This has put her parents in crisis mode, and are demanding that she have a major by the end of the summer. 

For the duration of the summer Lorene and her family will be on a European cruise. Tessa, Lorene’s best friend and the main character from Ms. Bryant’s first novel, believes this is Loren’s opportunity to fall in true love (and Tessa has lots of pop culture references to millennial favorite the Lizzie McGuire Movie). However, Lorene is preoccupied with trying to determine what she will do about her college major. 

As the story goes along we find Lorene opening herself up to love interest Alex. They had a rocky start and they seem to be polar opposites, in contrast to Lorene’s high level artistry and indecisiveness about her future, Alex is a Pre-Med major with a 5 year plan to follow in his mother’s footsteps to become a doctor. Despite Alex’s seemingly straight and narrow personality, he is the one that makes Lorene realize that her artistic accomplishments is just as valuable as her family and siblings’ academic accomplishments. Lorene opens up more and more to the idea that she can follow her passion for art as well as follow her heart. 

In the end, Lorene realizes that the Black excellence standard that her family has upheld, while done out of the belief that this was the way for them to be successful and achieve all that they could out of life – it can be quite damaging. It can cause anxiety and keep one from pursuing a life of their dreams. She learns to no longer be afraid of her passions or her desire to be truly in love. 

I continue to love the quirky teenagers that Ms. Bryant writes about. Within each of her novels there has been a message larger than romantic love. These teenagers are learning to fall in love with themselves and to recognize the greatness within themselves outside of what the world describes as “success and achievement”. I suggest this read to anyone who is interested in stories with multi-layered messages and cute romance woven together.

Podcast 11 Show Notes

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 For episode 11 we read J. Elle’s debut novel Wings of Ebony.

About the Author

J. Elle is a former educator and first-generation college student. She has a Bachelor of Arts from The University of Texas at Austin, where she majored in Journalism with a minor in Rhetoric & Writing. She also has a Master’s in Educational Administration. J. Elle became a published author by winning DVPit in October 2018 (DVPit is a Twitter pitch contest literary agents and publishing professionals peruse to scout for talent). When she’s not writing, Elle can be found mentoring aspiring writers, binging reality TV, loving on her three littles, or cooking up something true to her Louisiana roots. 

Book Look

This book has a beautiful fantasy-esque cover and is reminiscent of other fantasy book covers the sisters have read such as Legendborn. The representation of the natural hair on the cover is a beautiful touch.

Bookmark

  • And for you reader, there is an amber in you that’s hungry to burn. That is your magic. Let it. (dedication)
  • You don’t get it. I see you trying to work through it, but I can’t let you keep hurting me or anyone in the process. p. 593

POV

Felicia’s least favorite character was the General, his character and motives ultimately didn’t really add up to her. In a world of magic – he still hates Black people. Sam was questioning throughout the novel, who can she trust? Sam’s least favorite character was the Chancellor, and hated that he ruled as a dictator but was treated as a God. Sam also didn’t like “The Gray People” or basically all the white people in the magic world. The sisters agreed on their favorite character being the grandmother figure, Ms. Iyelola, she was a courageous boss! Sam also was found of Jamal and Bati, who were from the tribe of true magic wielders. They came through for the main character, Rue.

Deep Dive

A major theme of the book was Black identity, giving back to your neighborhood, and showing up for your family and closest friends – As Rue would put it your ride or dies. For a fantasy novel, the back and forth timeline came off as confusing for Sam at some points. Rue had to navigate friendship and family to get to the truth of the magic inside of her. The story is based in magic, but it speaks to larger themes based on the Black experience. The sisters talk through and recognize the parallel between circumstances in the book and the reality/ramifications of slavery, racism, and white privilege. Sometimes, it seemed contradictory how much Rue wanted to put on for her hood and talked about “the block” supporting each other but, Rue couldn’t really get over the idea that she had to do everything her self or save the community herself until the end, when she realized that a victory would require everyone’s help. Although the sisters did comically disagree about how much Tasha could help. In Sam’s mind, with no magic Tasha had no business trying to help and jeopardize the mission while Felicia suggested she be the lookout (or something!). It wasn’t either sisters favorite read, but they both found the message to be beautiful, sister, family and knowing that your magic can’t be put out or dimmed by others, it’s forever inside of you.

Podcast 10 Show Notes

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In honor of Pride month  The Bootleg Book Club read You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson 

About the Author

Leah Johnson was raised on the west side of Indianapolis, Indiana. While in college at Indiana University Bloomington, she interned at the Wall Street Journal, WFIU, and WPLN. Johnson received her MFA in fiction writing from Sarah Lawrence College. Leah currently lives in Brooklyn, her debut novel helped her with accepting her queer identity,  it was a Stonewall Honor Book, the inaugural Reese’s Book Club YA pick, and named a best book of the year by Amazon, Kirkus, Marie Claire, Publishers Weekly, and New York Public Library.

Book Look

This book has a vibrant purple background with the profile image of a young black girl with natural hair, a crown on her head, and a smile on her face. This cover immediately showcases the wonderful joy and happiness a Black girl can embody.

Bookmark

  • “The place in which I’ll fit will not exist until I make it” James Baldwin 
  • I’m sorry I never told you to slow down when I saw how hard you were pushing yourself. … my little star. I never want to tell you not to burn as fast and as bright as you can”  246
  • “I never needed this race or a hashtag or the king to be a queen. I was born royalty. All I had to do was pick up my crown.” p.390
  • “Just because it could be worse doesn’t mean you don’t get to acknowledge how much it sucks, you know.” p. 474

POV

Samantha’s favorite character/group was how the main character’s ,Liz’s, family unit worked together. Felicia’s favorite character was the band teacher and Mack. Both individuals were great people who truly supported Liz and ensured she knew her worth. Both Sam and Felicia agree that the obvious least favorite character choice is Rachcel the main villain in the story. 

Deep Dive

This novel was a great coming of age, young adult romance story. Leah Johnson writes with charisma and a unique tone that immediately gets readers interested in the book. Sam and Felicia dive into how this novel made them think about their high school memories and what it felt like to lack confidence in yourself. In addition, the co-host talked about how race, class, and sexual orientation impact the main character’s journey.

Podcast 9 Show Notes

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Our 9th pick is a second chance at love story that also includes themes of family, motherhood, ancestry, masculinity, and vulnerability.  

About the Author

Tia Williams is an accomplished beauty editor and novelist. She is from Virginia and attended University of Virginia. She currently resides in Brooklyn, NY and is an Executive Copy Director at Estee Lauder Companies. Her novel The Perfect Find won the African American Literary Award for Best Fiction and Seven Days in June is her 6th novel.

Book Look

The sisters, Sam and Felicia admired the cover of the novel noting the beautiful embrace of the couple and the interesting use of bright and dark colors. The collage-esque color is a nod to how important art is in this book. The book is 328 pages and includes discussion questions for a book club. Seven Days in June is a beautiful story with some dark moments that highlights what a second chance at love can look like while being true to yourself. A main theme is reconnection, not only in romance, but in familial and ancestral bonds.

Bookmark

Some quotes the sisters found to be profound. 

  • “Alone doesn’t care that I don’t shave my legs in the winter. Alone never gets disappointed by me.” pg. 23  
  • “Listen, caring about things don’t make you soft. It makes you alive.” Pg. 42
  • “Just be an active listener. If you listen hard enough, you can tell what a person needs from you. And If you give them what they need, you’ve got a friend for life.” pg. 570

POV

The sisters both loved the main characters and couple Eva and Shane. They couldn’t help but feel connected and fall in love with the characters as their story unfolded. Their favorite characters were Audre (Eva’s daughter) and Cece (Eva’s  editor). Their least favorite characters were Khalil (another writer/hotep)  and Lizette (Eva’s mother).

Deep Dive

The sisters both agreed that Seven Days in June should come with a trigger warning due to its dark themes in the flashbacks to Eva and Shane’s time in highschool. While these moments were difficult to read they were important and highlighted the deepness of Eva and Shane’s love even at 17 years old. Ultimately, they don’t reconnect until 15 years later but the book does a good job of making you believe in second chances and the idea that there are some people that after connecting with them you realize you need to have them in your life. The sisters enjoyed the novel immensely and found it inspired them to keep mantras to push them forward towards dreams that represent their true selves.

Podcast 8 Show Notes

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A Retelling of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice 

About the Author

Ibi Zoboi was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti and now lives in Brooklyn, New York with her family. She has an MFA in writing for children and young adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. She is well known for writing American Street, a National Book Award Finalist. 

Book Look

This was the shortest novel Sam and Felicia have read but it packed a punch. A retelling of Pride and Prejudice with a great modern edge added. Even the cover shows historical style with a new and vibrant graffiti effect on the top. 

Bookmark

  • “We were not supposed to be proud. We were not supposed to love these things so hard: the chipping paint, the missing floorboards, the gas stove we have to light with matches, the cracks in the windows, the moldy bathroom tiles, the mice and the roaches. But I’ve never known anything else. These broken things all spell home to me.” p. 444
  • “I wanted to write a love story filled with sweetness, joy, and beauty. But our current political situation was a constant noise and distraction. So much was happening in the world, and at times, it was hard to focus on the magic of first love […] I needed an anchor-a structure to hold on to, something that would guide this love story toward healing and reconciliation, if not for the characters themselves, then for me.” p. 472

POV

Overall Sam and Felicia’s favorite part is the poetry the main character writes all throughout the novel. Felicia loved the Janael Sisters as a whole; they were great characters to read. Felicia’s least favorite character was Zuri. She had a good heart but she came off a bit too judgmental and unwilling to be open to change. From Sam’s point of view she didn’t have much attachment to these characters. She appreciated the effort written to develop them but they can’t compare to the original. 

Deep Dive

Set in Brooklyn, New York Ibi Zoboi creatively uses the rich history of the city as the backdrop for a current and diverse new version of Pride and Prejudice. For the most part Pride follows the original storyline of Pride and Prejudice but this time around it follows an Afro-Latina family dealing with a few more issues such as gentrification in their neighborhood.