Cardyn Brooks's Blog, page 11

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 The many images from pamphlets and other historical documents, plus the introduction, seven chapters across two parts: Contesting and Fighting, and a "Fighting for Old Glory" epilogue, acknowledgments, notes, index, and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! 

Go-to Reads with LGBTQUIA+ MCs

Some (not-so) oldies but goodies reads: 
Speculative, SciFi, SupernaturalBlack Water Sister by Zen Cho 
We're Here: The Best Queer Speculative Fiction 2021 edited by L.D. Lewis 
Winter's Orbit & Ocean's Echo by Everina Maxwell 
Lead Me Astray by Sondi Warner 
Contemporary RomanceHow to Find a Princess by Alyssa Cole 
Learned Reactions by Jayce Ellis 
Work for It by Talia Hibbert 
Finding Joy by Adriana Herrera 
Chef's Kiss by T.J. Alexander  
Conscious Bias by Alexi Venice 
Hold Me by Courtney Milan 
Historical Romance Dead Dead Girls & Harlem Sunset by Nekesa Afia 
Hither, Page & The Missing Page by Cat Sebastian 
The Care and Feeding of Waspish Widows by Olivia Waite 
Non-FictionOutside the XY: Queer Black and Brown Masculinity by Bklyn Boihood and Morgan Mann Willis 
A Quick and Easy Guide to They/Them Pronouns by Archie Bongiovanni 

Need more reading options? Visit your nearest bookstore or library and browse their #Pride displays. (That suggestion is offered with prayers and hopes that the ones closest to you are welcoming and inclusive.) 
But just in case they're not, here's the link to an article about the Seattle Public Library, the Brooklyn Public Library and Books Unbanned https://www.openculture.com/2023/05/the-seattle-public-library-gives-students-free-access-to-books-getting-banned-across-the-united-states.html

Happy reading! 


 

Authors Books Librarians Editors Agents Publishers... #USBookShow 2023

 

4 days of all hits no misses of keynotes, interviews, panels, book recs, advice...  
Highlights: Day 1 Monday 5/22 an insightful and terrifying and motivational discussion of book banning as an attack on liberty with advice on combating it via local focus and the fact that 30,000 school board seats in the U.S. are opening up this fall effective OverDrive/Libby strategies executed by savvy librarians Day 2 Tuesday 5/23 memorable quote from Chuck D's lunch keynote conversation with Kelefa Sannen: "People listen with their eyes." Plus his STEWdio boxed set and naphic grovel play on words with graphic novel and so much more. public relations, marketing, how not to get cancelled, redemption  
Day 3 Wednesday 5/24 book recs!!! Gloria Edim's (Well-Read Black Girl) conversation with Kim Coleman Foote about her fall release novel Coleman Hill from SJP Lit, including Sarah Jessica ParkerWade Hudson, Just Us Books co-founder, in conversation with Carolyn P. Yoder Zibby Books exec editor Kathleen Harris in conversation with Kathleen Harris about her journey from television screenwriter to book author Keegan-Michael Key and Elle Key in conversation with each other about "The History of Sketch Comedy"  Day 4 Thursday 5/25  more book recs!!! editors' picks in mysteries & thrillers, picture books, literary fiction, memoir & nonfic, current affairsFlipping Boxcars, by Cedric Kyle (aka Cedric the Entertainer) This was an exceptional celebration and dissection of all things publishing and publishing-adjacent. So glad they recorded the sessions to make it easy to catch ones that were missed and to revisit others--at least until 6/30.   
And of course, my weekly book binge options 

How the West Really Was

Black Rodeo: A History of the African American Western by Mia Mask non-fiction University of Illinois Press, February 2023 
from the introduction: Black Rodeo: A History of the African American Western addresses the social and political relationship of western films from this [Civil Rights era] period to Black Power and African American liberation... 
Because "Buck [and the Preacher]" and "[Black] Rodeo" [films] captured the shifting political zeitgeist, and still endure the test of time as politically and aesthetically progressive cinematic texts, this book-length study is titled: Black Rodeo: A History of the African American Western. 

The combination of preface and acknowledgments, introduction, five chapters that include reproductions of photos from some of the films mentioned, the appendix of the transcript of an enlightening interview between the author and Jeff Kanew, the director of the 1972 documentary "Black Rodeo" that inspired the book, the comprehensive notes, detailed filmography, bibliography, and index make this a must-read for everyone who's interested in film, history, politics, sports, comics, and the ways in which they collide, overlap, and move society forward.   
Also read (or reading or will read) 

The Many Facets & Ways of Mothering

 

It's Mother's Day! This day of celebration of the people who labor to bring forth life and nurture it is well-deserved by its recipients. It's also often problematic for a variety of reasons connected to personal choices, sacrifices, fertility challenges, grief, restrictive gendered expectations, sexual orientation... 
Happy Mother's Day to all who celebrate! 
[images: 1. dvd case and dvd for "The Woman King" feature film and part of a Washington Post article about actress Lorraine Toussaint  2. two pages of Adinkra* symbols representing "learning" and "Mother Earth"  https://www.amazon.com/Adinkra-Alphabet-Asante-Symbolism-Inspired/dp/1733976744/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2WL8WU5AXVJTH&keywords=adinkra+by+united+black+writers&qid=1684089697&s=books&sprefix=adinkra+by+united+black+writers%2Cstripbooks%2C131&sr=1-1 *I'm not affiliated with this title in any way beyond gratitude to the author who gave me a copy of this clever coloring book as an introduction to the Adinkra language. ] 

Books, Books & More Books (Authors Too)

 

Once again PGCMLS, the Prince George's County Memorial Library System, hosted a stellar event that featured an array of talented authors that live in outstanding Prince George's County! 

Fiction, non-fiction, reading for adults, teens, children and everyone in between. https://www.pgcmls.info/

Vinyl, Soil, Books, Movies...

This weekend in the U.S. celebrates Vinyl Record Store Day and Earth Day. 
Also: Language Day, Jelly Bean Day, Girl Scout Leader's Day, Take a Chance Day, Picnic Day, Lost Dog Awareness Day, Talk Like Shakespeare Day, and Cherry Cheesecake Day 
It's World Book Day, World Table Tennis Day and the start of National Library Week, too! 
Each day offers reasons to appreciate (too often with amazement that we've survived) being alive. Many of us have managed to endure, overcome, thrive, excel, and achieve. 
Keep moving forward even if it's with teeny tiny steps. That's still progress.  
Happy creating! 
Finally watched "Wakanda Forever" and enjoyed it so much! Everything about it from the homage to Chadwick Boseman, narrative threads, variations on themes of grief and rebirth, nods to the first movie, costumes, spectacular surface and underwater worlds, unexpected cameos, and and and... 
Currently reading Black Rodeo, A History of the African American Western by Mia Mask, another exceptional informative read from the University of Illinois Press.