Cardyn Brooks's Blog, page 11

Time to DIY Swag & Read More Books!

 

Six weeks until the 5th annual The Write Women Book Fest on Saturday, October 14 & Sunday, October 15!!! thewritewomenbookfest.org 
Use discount code: MYFANS2023 until Sunday 9/17 to get $19 off, making tickets only $10 each! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-write-women-book-fest-author-expo-reader-event-tickets-572092844097?aff=ebdshpsearchautocomplete 

My DIY decorated shirts for book lovers are given in thanks to people who buy my books at events. TWWBF2023 next month, then a TBA library event in November. I'm overdue for restocking.  
And of course, more books borrowed even though the two book stacks shown in last week's post are only half-read, but the library is closed for Labor Day on Monday and there's no such thing as having too many reading options (according to book hoarders and binge readers). 
Also, celebrating the fortitude of SAG-AFTRA and striking workers in other industries https://aflcio.org/strike-map who are standing up for themselves and their fellow laborers--present and future. For anyone who defends unconscionable, unliveable wages by saying, "It's Capitalism." My pushback is this: Actual Capitalism requires equitably compensated laborers in the workplace to act as robust consumers in the retail marketplace. That's how legitimate Capitalism is structured. Siphoning wages from the workers and redirecting them to finance exorbitant executive compensation unbalances the whole system along with excessive consumer revolving credit debt and too many other financial disasters to list here. [soapbox moment end] 
additional binge reading options  

Calls to Action, a Goodbye Summer Feast & Books

 

On Saturday, the 60th anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington where Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech, I spent a delightful evening at Wolf Trap listening to Mary Chapin Carpenter's enchanting voice with appreciation for her upbeat spirit and musical talents in addition to her acknowledgement of this significant historical date, along with reminders about the importance of voting, and the ways in which the events of that day improved life for everyone. Also, hearing her new "A Girl and Her Dog" song generated anticipation for her next project.   
Then Sunday was all about hanging with close friends (with pool benefits) who also provided a delectable buffet in celebration of the upcoming end of summer and the start of school tomorrow for the teachers and students in our group. 
And finally, here's photo evidence that shows why it's always better for me to return my borrowed library items using the book drop rather than going inside the library where enticing book displays tempt me beyond my ability to resist even though there's already a big stack of unread books at home waiting for me to read them. [Background stack is of the older books; foreground stack newer books.] 

  
  

Making Space for Everyone at the Table of Creativity

 

"If they don't give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair." Shirley Chisholm https://www.bringyourownchair.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/SeatattheTableFacilitationDiscussionGuide.pdf

Lion Man, The First and Greatest Black Superhero by Demetrius Sherman, author & publisher nonfiction comics history February 2023 
Almost two decades before Marvel Comics introduced Black Panther in 1966, All-Negro Comics, Inc., created to "... give Negro artists an opportunity gainfully to use their talents... glorify Negro historical achievements..." introduced Lion Man in 1947. That's only one of a long list of intriguing facts shared in this compact history book about the evolution of comics after World War II. An introduction, six chapters including images from multiple comic strips and books of the era, and the conclusion peel back layers of sociopolitical context that likely will inspire readers to pursue additional books about Black journalists and news publications, particularly Orrin Cromwell Evans. Delving into the tropes and satire of the times makes it impossible for this text to avoid mentioning racial slurs (no n-word) and demeaning stereotypes, although those direct references are rare. The formal syntax is consistent with the generation being studied and the superlative declarations echo the author's contagious enthusiasm for the subject matter. It's an essential read for lovers of comics, superheroes, history, art, politics, and sociology that entertains as it educates. 

D.C./Maryland/Virginia-area Connections 
Zora Books Her Happy Ever After by Taj McCoy contemporary fiction, women's fiction, romance  Mira, April 2023 
from chapter seven: Whether suited and professional or laid-back and casual, the swag of Black men in D.C. was beyond sexy to Zora... 
All. The. Feels. 
This love letter to booklovers, booksellers, authors, entrepreneurs, ancestors, mentors, families by blood and by choice, communities, and the multifaceted beauty and complexities of Blackness offers a celebration of nearly every type of female-centered relationship within the framework of a very modern love story as a journey. It also examines and celebrates intimate connections between all kinds of people. Emotionally layered, utterly charming, totally satisfying. 
Esme Cahill Fails Spectacularly by Marie Bostwick contemporary fiction, women's fiction w/romantic elements William Morrow Paperbacks, May 2023 
from the prologue: "You don't need to worry about me, mister. I'm a Baltimore girl..."  
Upcoming Weekly Reads (Thanks, National Book Fest 2023 panelists for adding 2 of these to my TBR list!) 

Booklovers Paradise 2023 National Book Festival

 

Apologies for cropping off your name, Tiphanie Yanique! 
The Library of Congress did it again! So many authors, books, and booklovers gathered in Washington, D.C. (IRL and virtually) yesterday, Saturday, August 12th to celebrate all things bookish. 
My attempt to watch as many sessions as possible in real time was only somewhat successful because just about every creative and topic interested me. I'll spend the next few days catching up with the recordings. https://www.c-span.org/video/?529568-2/national-book-festival-kickoff-librarian-congress-carla-hayden
A few highlights: Tananarive Due and Grady Hendrix's chat with the host of NPR's Code Switch (apologies for not knowing that brilliant human's name) offered an engaging jackpot of insights, personal revelations, and humor. It also led me to add Due's Civil Rights nonfiction title, which I'd somehow missed, co-written with her mom to my TBR list.   from the Poverty, By America chat between Matt and Fred about why poverty persists in the U.S.: "We like it this way... More for me. Less for we." 
from the Q & A portion of the TJ Klune session after sharing a humorous story about a Zoom book club appearance with a very welcoming church group--minus one person: "Make them so mad about something else that they forget about the gays!" 
from the beginning of Elliot Page's chat with Gina Chua about stepping into one's true self: "Why did it have to take so long?" 
People focus on before and after [transition] versus integration of all the various aspects of oneself. 
"The shame you're holding, it is not yours." 
from Behind the Scenes with Black Writers chat with Jericho Brown, Camille Dungy & Tiphanie Yanique about a key motivation for How We Do It, Black Writers on Craft, Practice, and Skill: "... I want you to have what I always wanted" [when I started writing]. 
There was too much bookish excellence to share so make time to watch, listen, read the closed captions yourself! 

Happy celebration, support & proliferation of literacy!!!

Black Books Matter Day Library Haul

 
The library never disappoints! 
Celebrating Black Books Matter Day in gorgeous Prince George's County Maryland with books borrowed from the Prince George's County Memorial Library System and also the Anne Arundel County Public Library. 
My summer book binge continues. More actual reviews this fall after the 5th annual The Write Women Book Fest Saturday, October 14 readers experience day at the Bowie Comfort Inn Conference Center & Sunday, October 15 authors professional developing & networking day at Marietta House Museum.  https://www.thewritewomenbookfest.org/

Happy reading & creating! 

Shameless Self-Promo + Binge Assortment

 

Many thanks to Studio B Arts & Activities Alliance in Boyertown, Pennsylvania https://www.studiobbb.org/ for selecting "Words Echo History Loops" for inclusion in their Legacy: Remembrance Matters anthology edited by Jane E. Stahl and Mish Murphy! This collection offers an assortment of engaging, prose, poetry, photographs, artistic renderings, and essays from talented creatives. Poetry isn't my usual format, but so much of the news reminds me of the bad old days of oppression from centuries past (as learned from educators,  classes and books sourced from legitimate historic documents) that this piece flowed from my heart and mind in one short writing session. 

Not the Ones Dead (Kate Shugak #23) by Dana Stabenow mystery Head of Zeus - Aries Books, April 2023 
Once again Mutt*, Kate, Jim, and their overlapping circles of family, friends, and associates work hard to unravel interwoven oddities that just might strangle them and their intimate community. Multiple threads about individuals and groups with conflicting intentions set against the physical backdrop of Alaska and within the historical context of extremism create an intricate story that satisfies the high expectations set by this outstanding series. 
*Still hoping for a novella from Mutt's POV about surviving after getting shot. 

bumpy roads to travel from friends to loversCan't Let Her Go by Kianna Alexander romance Montlake, June 2023 
The Book Proposal by KJ Micciche romance Sourcebooks Casablanca, May 2023

more money, more problems The Missus (Mister & Missus #2) by E.L. James romance Bloom Books, June 2023 
 

Summer Reading - Unions, Freedom, Horror, Romance, Intrigue

 

Currently reading Fight Like Hell: The Untold History of American Labor by Kim Kelly from Atria/One Signal (April 2022). The parallels between the institutionalized enslavement of Black people and the exploitation of the Labor class are obvious. 
Symbols of Freedom: Slavery and Resistance Before the Civil War by Matthew J. Clavin non-fiction sociopolitical history NYU Press, June 2023 
From the introduction: Interrogating the impact of national language and symbols comes with some risk... The aversion to nationalism derives largely from its relationship with racism... According to historian Anthony Marx, efforts to codify racism that intended to unite White people unintentionally brought Black people together. They moreover emboldened them to challenge their oppressors. 
Enslaver versus Abolitionist--this text and the United States grapple with the context of these oppositional forces that embody the fundamental contradictions of "the land of the free and the home of the brave." 
By itself, the intense study of the July 5th, 1852 speech by Frederick Douglass is reason enough to read this book. The many images from pamphlets and other historical documents, plus the introduction, seven chapters across two parts: Contesting and Fighting, and a "Fighting for Old Glory" epilogue, acknowledgments, notes, index, and previous non-fiction titles mentioned in about the author are each worthy of a close reading and rigorous contemplation. 
The experiences of lesser celebrated but very accomplished New York State Underground Railroad conductor Jermain Wesley Loguen, self-liberated Israel Campbell, Elizabeth Blakesly, and others are offered as examples of the ways in which the language and symbols of freedom are interpreted as influenced by time, place, person, circumstances, and intention.  
Complementary reading with I Can't Wait to Call You My Wife... by Rita Roberts and The Grimkes by Kerri Greenidge. 

Through Space & Time

high anxiety, hilarity, deja vu, do-overs 

 tricky magic and unpredictable consequences 

author freebies and the adventures of adjunct professors  In the charming, layered Mickey Chambers Shakes It Up by Charish Reid threads about adjunct professors as exploited gig workers in academia reminded me of similar themes in Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood. 

During this year's Independence Day observance in the U.S. it's clear that forces for regression when it comes to equal protection under the law and the basic inalienable right to exist in peace are gaining momentum. These books encouraged, entertained, distracted and challenged me. Taking time to recharge to continue fighting. 

Father Figures: Faith, Trials & Tribulations

The Sergeant, The Incredible Life of Nicholas Said: Son of an African General, Slave of the Ottomans, Free Man Under the Tsars, Hero of the Union Army by Dean Calbreath non-fiction history Pegasus Books, February 2023 
Author's note, twenty-eight chapters, epilogue, notes, and an index recount the details of one impressive man's journey across continents and through pivotal historic times and events. 
from near the end of the epilogue: He [Nicholas Said] witnessed firsthand the impact of jihads in the Muslim world, enslavement in Africa, the decline of the Ottoman Empire, unrest in Tsarist Russia, the golden age of European aristocracy, and the Civil War and Reconstruction in the United States. 
It's a compelling march through history as humanized by Nicholas Said's experiences in his own words about them in addition to others' observations about him.  

Double the Lies (Annalee Spain #2) by Patricia Raybon early 20th-c. fiction, mystery Tyndale House Publishers, February 2023 
This layered, intricately woven mystery offers rich historical sociopolitical context, believable multifaceted characters, emotional depth, intrigue, suspense, and its own distinct narrative alchemy that captivates. This second installment in the series works as a standalone and as an incentive to go back and read All That Is Secret. 
Fans of Nekesa Afia's Harlem Renaissance series, Leslye Penelope's The Monsters We Defy, the Lady Sherlock series from Sherry Thomas, and other similar historical mystery series that feature complex characters with competing strengths and  vulnerabilities set in immersive historical settings should enjoy this author's storytelling gifts, especially readers who appreciate the inclusion of Christian religious and spiritual themes.  

Weekly Reading Binge   

Who & How We Love is Complicated

Polywise: A Deeper Dive into Navigating Open Relationships by Jessica Fern with David Cooley non-fiction Thornapple Press, August 25, 2023 
Polywise encourages readers to embark on a journey of personal excavation of entrenched beliefs and default assumptions about themselves, their families, their romantic and sexual relationships, friendships, and hidden emotional tripwires, too. 
In addition to a personable back-and-forth (used sparingly) between the author and the contributor, this text offers exercises, questions, and prompts to engage readers to explore and pursue intentional conscious recognition of who they are as individuals, what they need and want, and why, as well as healthy ways to attain them--or let them go if necessary. 
Consensual Nonmonogomay (CNM) is the initial hook while tools and strategies for understanding the facets, layers, and impacts of nonmonogamy as orientation and/or lifestyle choice establish a unifying through line. 
from the introduction: Whatever your personal version of polywise may look like, my hope is that this book is a resource for helping you get there. ... So while this book is intended for a CNM audience, a significant amount of what is covered in the following chapters offers helpful material for anyone in any relationship structure.  
Polywise also acknowledges that neither monogamy nor CNM works for everyone. It focuses on transitions, relationship fluidity, and relational conflict within the context of experiences occurring along a very broad spectrum. 
A foreword, introduction, seven chapters, plus a substantive conclusion, a particularly helpful glossary of terms, references, a list of other relevant books from the publisher, and an index make Polywise a text worth keeping on-hand for future referrals and refreshers on practical, effective reconciliation strategies for preventing and dealing with internal and external conflict. 

This Week's Reading Binge 

Happy Healthy Loving & Reading!