Cardyn Brooks's Blog, page 12

Zora Neale Hurston, Layers Beneath the Surface of a Legend

 

Ain't I an Anthropologist, Zora Neale Hurston Beyond the Literary Icon Jennifer L. Freeman Marshall nonfiction biography University of Illinois Press, February 2023 
from the introduction: But rarely do we think beyond the story of her rise to iconic and canonical status as a process involving numerous individuals and a complex web of social and material factors, ideologies, and rhetorical arguments. This book explores the dynamic processes between the politics of the academy, theoretical and political movements, market trends, disciplinary movements and traditions, and the interests of individual scholars who shape our understanding of Hurston's work. 
And for those searching for a more detailed insightful review of this riveting exploration, here's the link to Reighan Gillam's review for Another Chicago Magazine https://anotherchicagomagazine.net/2023/04/11/review-of-jennifer-l-freeman-marshalls-aint-i-an-anthropologist-zora-neale-hurston-beyond-the-literary-icon-by-reighan-gillam/  

Acknowledgments, introduction, six chapters, an epilogue, notes, references, and an exhaustive index combine to inform, engage, and inspire readers to pursue more knowledge about the life, times, associates, and legacies of Zora Neale Hurston.  

Still joyously chugging through my library jackpot pile of books shared last week (+ one more because my self-control is non-existent when it comes to books).;-) 
Happy reading & creating! 

Renewal, Rebirth, Transformation

 


This year Ramadan, Passover, and Easter observances overlap. 
Whatever your religious, spiritual, philosophical beliefs, move forward with more hope, more joy, and inspiration to live in your intrinsicly endowed truth and constructive purpose. 

[The following image may contain clues to reasons why my non-reading work projects often get completed at the very last second before they're due.] 

  

Indomitable Women Save the Day

 
Dukes in Danger Always Be My Duchess (Taming of the Dukes #1) by Amalie Howard historical romanceForever, April 11, 2023 
from chapter 3: "Woman's intelligence. The dread of the patriarchy and the scourge of the aristocracy. Provocative at best, deadly at worst." 
The Duke Who Ravaged Me (Rebellious Brides #4) by Diana Quincy historical romance Loveswept, April 2018 
Double trouble becomes a triple threat. 
One Duke Down (Rogues to Lovers #2) by Anna Bennett historical romance St. Martin's, January 2023 
A fisherwoman catches a whole lot more than she expected to find in her net. 
A Scandalous Kind of Duke (Longhope Abbey #3) by Mia Vincy historical romance Inner Ballad Press, September 2022 
Childhood friends-to-lovers situationship leads to crossroads, betrayals, fisticuffs, duels, and declarations. 
Duke-adjacent Featured Characters A Tempest at Sea (Lady Sherlock #7) by Sherry Thomas historical mystery Berkley, March 2023 
from chapter 27: Charlotte, too, very much enjoyed being alone. But she was fortunate: Those who loved her never saw her inclination toward solitude as something that needed to be overturned to make room for them. 
This historical mystery exudes some clever Mission: Impossible vibes along with engaging tenderness and a playful buoyancy despite addressing serious themes handled with deft nuance. Plus, Charlotte and Ash interactions abound.* 
*They are my primary reason for reading this most excellent series. The intrigue and all of the other notable elements are lovely perks.   

Charm City Romanticon Pajamapalooza Gala

 

Charm City Romanticon describes itself as "a panel meets signing event on a more intimate... scale" and it delivered. https://www.facebook.com/CharmCityRomanticon/
Life and adulting kept Heather (The Write Women Book Fest founder & co-host), her husband (TWWBF Chief Voluntolder) and me from attending the panels as we originally planned, but Saturday evening's pajama gala was worth it. The people, the venue, the food, the fun--swag, door prizes, treats, surprises--all of that and more created a welcoming, engaging experience. Plus, we were all wearing our pajamas in a range of fabulous styles and themes from cozy and cute to elegant and sexy. 
We were fortunate to sit at a table with some of the event volunteers who were also close friends with the organizer, all lovely humans and obviously the source of the cheerful vibe. 
Next year's Charm City Romanticon is already scheduled for April 6, 2024! 

Mixed Feelings

 

So much joy, joy, joy to see two of my books listed in the catalogue of circulating volumes  for the Prince George's County Memorial Library System https://pgcmls.info/ along with so many other great reads from past, current and future authors participating in The Write Women Book Fest! 
Conflicting feelings about the one copy of Seducing the Burks, Five Erotic Tales by Cardyn Brooks that's now missing: Is it lost forever? Did a library patron on a tight budget enjoy it so much that they "forgot" to return it?* Whichever the answer, believing that someone is rereading my very first published, IPPY award-winning book gives me all kinds of good feelings. 
Happy reading! Cardyn Brooks (also writes as C. X Brooks) *This author doesn't condone stealing, and at the same time recognizes that extenuating circumstances happen. 

Memorable Lines (As Hollywood Awards Season Ends)

 

Duty-bound Daughters Break Free  
Rosewood, A Midsummer Meet Cute by Sayantani Dasgupta Young Adult contemporary romance Scholastic Press, March 2023 
from chapter 35: A reality where we all belonged and we were all celebrated like the pieces of sparkling magic we were...  

Daughter in Exile by Bisi Adjapon New Adult contemporary fiction HarperVia, January 2023 
from the final chapter, Mpatapo, The Knot of Pacification: Balance between independence and family, new norms and tradition. 

The Davenports by Krystal Marquis Teen/YA early 20th-c. historical fiction + romance Dial Books, January 2023 
In most ways it's superficially different from, but emotionally reminiscent of Little Women.
from chapter 15, Amy-Rose: ...'I think we're meant to be friends.'... 

Not Your Ex's Hexes (Supernatural Singles #2) by April Asher contemporary supernatural romance St. Martin's Griffin, February 2023 
from chapter 23, Celestial Sexcapades: "People who interrupt someone obviously engrossed in their book has true evil in their heart..."   

Women's History Facts & Fictions

Madame Restell: The Life, Death, and Resurrection of Old New York's Most Fabulous, Fearless, and Infamous Abortionist by Jennifer Wright 
non-fiction biography, sociopolitical history 
Hachette Books, February 2023  

A prologue, thirty-eight chapters, an epilogue, acknowledgments, notes, and an index lay out the compelling real-life saga of Ann Trow, who transformed herself into Madame Restell. This unapologetically pro-choice champion battled poverty, ignorance, misogyny, and anti-choice zealot Anthony Comstock. The details of her ordeal, triumphs, and criminalization, and the author's narrative tone and pace are compelling. 

This passage from the epilogue summarizes the ongoing battle for women's bodily sovereignty in the United States: 
The same sentiments that motivated Comstockery are alive and well today... 

[note: Reading this nudged me to add a biography of Margaret Sanger to my TBR list.] 


The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story edited by Nikole Hannah-Jones, Caitlin Roper, Ilena Silverman, Jake Silverstein 
non-fiction with fiction and poetry 
One World, November 2021  

Like the quilts used by enslaved people who self-liberated en route to freedom in the northern U.S. and Canada, this text stitches together official accounts of historical records with autobiographical reflections and artistic expressions that together frame multi-tiered images and ideas about the origins of the United States of America. Its informational density demands conscientious focus and a measured reading pace in order to absorb and process the preface and each of the eighteen chapters. Acknowledgments, notes, contributors, credits, and an index also offer additional topics to pursue in-depth. 

A Sinister Revenge (Veronica Speedwell #8) by Deanna Raybourn 
fiction, 19th-c. historical mystery 
Berkley, March 2023 

The pragmatic-grumpy-reserved trio of Veronica, Stoker, and Tiberius reunite to solve a mystery rooted in the past. Misdirection, deadly grudges, and mayhem combined with humor entertain in the most recent installment of this irresistible series. 


Some of Them Will Carry Me by Giada Scodellaro 
fiction 
Dorothy Project, October 2022 

The cover art of "Two Women" by Tschabalala Self is a multi-media work as is Some of Them Will Carry Me. Poems, very short stories, footnotes and more offer a string of vignettes, mostly in English--"La Genovese" also in Italian--all contemplating and confessing to inhabiting womanhood while moving through a world that too often ignores, dismisses or distorts women's existence. In this collection women assert their voices and points of view and dynamic presence in a multitude of powerful ways that demand recognition.   

More Weekly Reading Treats  

Speculative Joys, Signs & Portents Then & Now

Full disclosure FYI: My reading self has been a fan of these two authors for years, making each of their works auto-reads for me with high expectations ingrained. Leslye Penelope and Maria Vale have also generously accepted invitations to the 5th annual The Write Women Book Fest as featured guest panelists at the authors expo/readers day on Saturday, October 14th at the Bowie Comfort Inn in Bowie, Maryland. thewritewomenbookfest.org 

The Monsters We Defy by Leslye Penelope 

speculative 20th-c. historical fiction 

Redhook, August 2022 

Influenced by a real-life event in 1919 and opening with the Claude McKay poem that includes the title and a Marcus Garvey quote that likely inspired En Vogue’s “Free Your Mind” anthem, The Monsters We Defy offers a blend of magical realism, emotional gravity, and layers of historical context and complexity. Plus, it’s often fun and funny in subtle, slap-stick, and morbid ways. Clara, Zelda, and their band of unlikely allies engineer a heist that could save them or doom them. The mix of social commentary and cultural references evokes the comprehensive narrative substance and eloquence of Gloria Naylor with nods to Toni Morrison’s literary legacy in this ultimately hopeful recognition and celebration of historic Washington, D.C. and Blackness. 

The author’s note, acknowledgements, and interview transcript are also must-reads. My recommendation is to start reading it when there’s time to binge it, as in during a three-day weekend. 

 

Molly Molloy and the Angel of Death by Maria Vale, author & publisher 

speculative New Adult contemporary fiction 

April 4, 2023 

In her acknowledgements the author refers to MMatAoD as “this odd little book that fit nowhere.” It is odd. An allegorical tale using celestial beings, metaphysics, and a grumpy-clueless pairing to study the concept of being alive versus living a full life. Variations on themes regarding vulnerable and neglected children run throughout the narrative without losing its overall buoyant, absurdist tone. It’s a farce tackling serious, sometimes disturbing subjects. 

It’s quirky and charming and distinctive. Remembering that Maria Vale is a medievalist should also help readers recognize her nod to epic tales with pivotal refrains. Readers will probably fall into one of two categories: absolute enjoyment or complete befuddlement. MMatAoD inhabits space in the speculative universe populated by Lilith Saintcrow, early Katie MacAlister, N.K. Jemisin in terms of instantaneous altered reality, the Star Trek: The Next Generation character of Data, and the movies, City of Angels and Meet Joe Black. 

Occasional mid-scene shifts in points of view don’t dilute the power of this unconventional love story. 

For Maria Vale fans, approaching MMatAoD as its own unique work without preconceived expectations (beyond excellent storytelling) and allowing time for the initial chapters to establish the world-building parameters and  language shifts should maximize enjoyment of this fresh take on the risks, rewards, and consequences of human foibles and audacity.  

[note: Readers who are sensitive to oblique references to sexual exploitation and abuse may want to consider their possible impact.] 

More Three-day Weekend Reads

Rom Com Val/Gal/Palentine's Assortment

 

Celebrate every kind of healthy love life offers: affectionate, familial, parental, soror, fraternal, platonic, romantic, and the unconditional love of fur babies (except maybe for cats, who seem to have fearsome non-negotiable demands). 
Focus on the spirit of St. Valentine's Day. (NOT getting beaten or beheaded, then martyred!) Give, receive, and appreciate love. Enjoy  
Token by Beverley Kendall contemporary romance Graydon House, January 2023 
workplace drama, second chances, shenanigans 

Her Lessons in Persuasion (School for Scoundrels #1) by Megan Frampton historical romance Avon, January 2023 
family drama, fake courtship, unapologetic non-conformists 

You Should Smile More by Anastasia Ryan contemporary fiction with romanceSourcebooks Casablanca, January 2023 
employment crossroads, revenge, extreme mayhem 

Black History, Heart Health, Love, Grief, Legacies

 



It's a super hectic time for me so this month's posts will feature lists of outstanding recent and past reads that examine and celebrate the complexity of humanity as experienced embodied in Blackness.   
Fiction 
Someday Maybe by Onyi Nwabineli Graydon House, November 2022 
[note: themes of grief and loss of a loved one as a result of death by suicide] 

"Women Who Dare" series by (Ms.) Beverly Jenkins historical fiction, romance 
Rebel Avon, May 2019 
Wild Rain Avon, February 2021 
To Catch a Raven Avon, August 2022 
"Higher Education" series by Jayce Ellis contemporary romance
Learned Behavior Carina Press, November 2020  
Learned Reactions Carina Press, March, 2021 

Non-Fiction - recent & older releases 
Buy Black: How Black Women Transformed U.S. Pop Culture by Aria S. Halliday University of Illinois Press, April 2022 
From Chapter One: In the United States, the ideological power of images has been used by colonial settlers turned enslavers turned U.S. politicians and businessmen to construct Black people as continually outside the American politic as well as unworthy of the rights, liberties, and cultural representation secured for others in closer proximity to whiteness or wealth. 

Africans in the Americas: A History of the Black Diaspora by Michael L. Conniff & Thomas J. Davis The Blackburn Press, 2002 
I've Known Rivers, Lives of Loss and Liberation by Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot Perseus Books, 1994