Cardyn Brooks's Blog, page 5

Love Languages: Acts of Service

No reviews this week as binge reading for pure pleasure helps me cope with life's insanity. Also, a few days ago something happened at the grocery store that amused and encouraged me.
[3 books being held on the edge of a person's hand, from top to bottom: A Novel Christmas by Charity Shane', The House at Watch Hill by Karen Marie Moning, One Big Happy Family by Susan Mallery; all 3 against a "love" & hearts patterned background]  

[the back of a man standing with a woman's large handbag on his shoulder while leaning against a countertop in a grocery store; he's standing under a "restrooms" sign hanging from the ceiling] 
From the "tell me you've been together a long time without telling me you've been together a long time" files: 
On my way out of my local grocery store, the man shown above accepted the handbag hanging over his shoulder from a woman who then walked into the ladies restroom; no words were exchanged although their direct eye contact and smiles spoke volumes.  
This month celebrates love, Black History, National Freedom Day, International Day of Women and Girls in Science, the continuation of the Lunar New Year festivities... 
Finding joy in the midst of turmoil is one way to resist negative forces that intend to overwhelm us with chaotic despair and impotent rage. Stay connected with the people you love who love you. Call a good friend. Ration media consumption. Take a walk. Visit the library. Sleep. Breathe. Focus on the things you can do more than the things you can't.   
Always wishing you good health, peace of mind, joy, pleasure & prosperity 

Rocky Relationships

Have read & will read books  [5 books, from left to right: front hardcover up of Murder in Berkeley Square; paperback spines up of Love Delayed, The Wingman, Love You a Latke, I'll Be Gone for Christmas] 

Murder in Berkeley Square (Lady Worthing #3) by Vanessa Riley historical mystery Kensington Books, September 2024 
An array of privileged people snowed in together with a killer tests Lady Worthing's and her fellow sleuth's powers of deduction in this lively installment that offers twists, turns, and reversals of fortune. Shocking departures and arrivals also included. As always, the author's (research) notes provide insightful context. 
[bookstack of 3 paperbacks: Under Loch and Key, Mr. Nice Spy, Twisted Knight] 
Under Loch and Key by Lana Ferguson contemporary romance with supernatural elements  Berkley, December 2024 
In addition to an irresistible combatants-to-lovers romance, Keyanna and Lachlan's love story offers readers an inventive twist on popular fantastical lore and nuanced layers about difficult choices, painful consequences, grief, and figuring out how to move forward in healthy ways. It's also very funny, tender, and sexy. 

Mr. Nice Spy (My Spy #2) by Tiana Smith contemporary romantic suspense Berkley, November 2024 
The results of a DNA swab put Andee Paxton, pyrotechnic engineer, in explosive danger from multiple sources. It's even odds whether her incendiary chemistry with Officer Adam Chan will save her life, or end it. Organic setup of multiple layers of risk, reward, vulnerabilities, and unconventional advantages make their love story an entertaining mashup of romance and thriller suspense tropes. Contains one of the very best universal integrations of disability as a regular fact of everyday life throughout their adventures. 

Twisted Knight (Tangled Hearts #1) by K. Bromberg contemporary romance Bramble, September 2024 
Who's the player and who's being played? Rowan and Holden battle it out to see who has the hardest heart in this first installment about avenging family honor and continuing family legacies that ends on a shocking cliffhanger that'll torment readers with speculations until book two later this year. 

If I Stopped Haunting You by Colby Wilkens contemporary speculative romance St. Martin's Griffin, October 2024 
Moonlighting meets Hart to Hart meets Scooby Doo and Ghost in this adversaries-to-lovers meta atmospheric, contemplative romance mystery that examines ethnic gatekeeping in mainstream publishing, and society in general. 
from chapter 15: ... There will always be someone who says otherwise, but they're buying into a system created by colonizers. 
from chapter 16: Because the publishing industry wants you to fight. They want there to be one of you, and you two were scrabbling for that spot... 
from chapter 32: ... By limiting the number of Native books being published, we've been pitted against each other since the beginning. 
Pen and Neil's ongoing debate about what, if anything, successful authors from underrepresented marginalized and stereotyped groups owe to their communities resonates as particularly relevant. 
Happy Reading the Human Diaspora!  


  

It's Bad Witch o' Clock During Rev. Dr. MLK, Jr. Day Weekend

In each of the following books characters tap into their freedom to choose who they will become and how they'll move forward with their lives despite significant opposition.  
[a bookstack of 5 titles from top to bottom: Deja Brew, Bad Witches, Magical Meet Cute, How to Help a Hungry Werewolf, American Ghoul] 
American Ghoul by Michelle McGill-Vargas historical speculative literary fiction Blackstone Publishing, September 2024 
Hard choices often generate unintended consequences and Lavinia's choices create collateral damage for herself and others. Is she a reliable narrator of her journey? Maybe or maybe not. A mash-up of The 1619 Project meets Interview with the Vampire and a supernatural Thelma and Louise. Sly levity makes the heavy themes less crushing. Insightful sociopolitical observations track a continuum from the racist, sexist, classist past to the real-life present. Racial slurs of the time included. 
[printing note: My borrowed library hardcover copy had the last pages of chapters 35 & 36 switched.]  

Bad Witches by H.B. Akumiah contemporary speculative fiction Blackstone Publishing, August 2024 
Insta-friends Maya, Gabbie, and Delali get much more than they expected on their shared birthday and end up working together with another friend and a mentor to access their powers to save the magical world. Compelling surprises and chaos are unleashed. Clever nods to Practical Magic included. 

Deja Brew (Elemental Love #3) by Celestine Martin contemporary romance Forever, October 2024 
As individuals, Sirena and Gus are struggling. Together, their attraction has the potential to make their powers exponentially stronger while helping to heal their past hurts. Smalltown shenanigans and scorching chemistry along with hints of Groundhog Day make this a love story that delivers all the feels. 

Magical Meet Cute by Jean Meltzer contemporary romance Mira, August 2024 
A hateful act indirectly leads an artist to love. Did she manifest the man she wanted or is his sudden appearance a coincidence? Fans of While You Were Sleeping in particular should enjoy this clever romance with deeper themes relevant to the current sociopolitical environment. 

How to Help a Hungry Werewolf (Sanctuary for Supernatural Creatures #1) by Charlotte Stein contemporary supernatural romance St. Martin's Griffin, October 2024 
A clever homage to the HEA Stephen King's Carrie deserved combined with magical mayhem, unintended consequences, variations on themes about bullies and bullying, sincere remorse and forgiveness make Cassie and Seth's love story poignant and super sexy. It's a strong start to what's destined to be an entertaining series. Make sure to read the author's note for interesting tidbits about what inspired this concept.  

Defining Moments & Thriving with Neurodiversity

 

[an ornate small round picture frame with a paint brush angled across it, a camouflage fishing hat under a wristwatch next to a closed pocket journal with an ink pen on top of it] 
Puck & Prejudice (Rink Meets Regency #1) by Lia Riley contemporary historical mashup romance Avon, November 2024 
Contemporary sports romance + Regency historical romance + time travel = reading joy. 
From chapter 5: The moments of chemistry happened when and where there was some kind of alchemy in the blend of personality and atmosphere. 
Lizzy and Austin's love story offers readers the best mix of engaging characters, multiple tropes, and nods to Jane Austen at a brisk pace that supports the humor, tenderness, and layered emotional substance. 

Rules for Second Chances by Maggie North contemporary romance/women's fiction St. Martin's Griffin, June 2024 
When marching to the beat of her own drum leaves Liz feeling out of step with her husband, family, coworkers and the world, she decides to make some drastic changes to reframe her approach to life. Hilarity and heartbreak ensue combined with hope for a happily ever after that exceeds her most optimistic dreams. Tender hot sexy times included. 
From chapter 3: ... but I need someone to shove me into the shower every day or two, and for that I'd need Stellar's love. Or Amber's blunt frustration, which Mom calls love. 
This story's emotional authenticity is reminiscent of The Kiss Quotient by Helen Huang and a few of Talia Hibbert's romances. 

Viscount in Love (Accidental Brides #1) by Eloisa James historical romance Avon, July 2024 
Victoria and Dominic's love story entertains as it celebrates the gifts and advantages of otherness in building relationships, families, communities, and fulfilling purpose-driven lives. It also examines the many challenges. Super sensual sexual intimacy scorches. Irrepressible children steal the spotlight in this tenderhearted tale. Make sure to read the author's note. 
This week's book buffet (with Viscount in Love already consumed in the time between snapping this photo yesterday and sharing this post today:-)  [5 books arranged vertically, from left to right: Twisted Knight, The Christmas Countdown, Viscount in Love, American Ghoul, Bad Witches] 
Happy reading! 

New Beginnings & Second Chances

These books deal with trauma, its aftermath, healing, and renewal. 
[front cover art for BAD SEED: The Midnight Cries of an Island Girl, A Novel by Cherry Dawn Fagbemi; a night scene with a starry sky above a home with its exterior and interior lights shining on the first floor] 
BAD SEED: The Midnight Cries of an Island Girl by Cherry Dawn Fagbemi contemporary fiction November 2024 
"Montego Bay was where I should have died in the summer of 1985." 
And with that first sentence, Vivienne Pearson's harrowing saga of being haunted by the resurgence of disturbing memories of past events relevant to her present life and choices starts a compelling tale of heavy themes and dangerous circumstances. It's a potent blend of mystery, thriller, family conflict, social commentary, and romance. 
Vivienne confronts her confusion, devastating heartache, alienation and more as she navigates a series of traumas in order to heal and to reclaim herself and her life. 
content note: includes detailed flashback of the assault of a child and on-page details of the assault of an adult 

[front cover of Just Playing House by Farah Heron; a woman lying on her back on a sofa while a man sits on the sofa and lets her use his thigh a pillow as they look into each other's face; they're surrounded by house plants] 
Just Playing House by Farah Heron contemporary romance Forever, July 2024
What happens when the prom date who ghosted you years ago ends up being a big shot actor who can make or break your path to achieving your professional goals? 
Marley Kamal finds out when Nik Sharma crashes back into her life. Their love story has so many relatable layers that spin this celebrity romance into a heartfelt tale of enduring friendship, hindsight, and actions that reveal fundamental truths about real love whether offered by family by blood or by choice. It's also funny and poignant. Don't miss the insightful remarks included in the author's acknowledgements. 

What had happened was... I went to the library to borrow the two books that were on hold for me and the other three books made me borrow them too (by tempting me from their perch on the new arrivals shelf placed right in front of the entryway). 
["Let it snow" gift bag arranged under 5 trade paperback books: You Belong With Me, How to Help a Hungry Werewolf, Puck & Prejudice, Like Cats & Dogs, The Finders Keepers Library]

3(!) Days Until Christmas & Hanukkah!

Still many gifts to wrap, goodies to bake, package & deliver, finish decorating the tree... and reading for pleasure remains a necessity!  

[front hardcover of Fat Girls Dance by Cathleen Meredith showing 3 curvaceous women striking poses; book is arranged atop an open piano with cords displayed] 

Fat Girls Dance by Cathleen Meredith 

contemporary fiction  

2024 

Don't wait. 

Don't wait to be your authentic self. Don't wait to dance, to love, to pursue your heart's deepest desires... This story of friendship and audacity offers angst, humor, and compelling reasons to live life with unapologetic intention. 

Currently reading 

[Bad Seed: The Midnight Cries of an Island Girl held over a horizontal bookstack of 4 books - Just Playing House, Magical Meet Cute, Christmas Sweater Weather, The Royals Upstairs]  
Pre-Christmas gifts: garlic bread with zero calories! Zero fat! Zero sodium! Zero everything! Typos make it true, right?🙃😄  [nutrition label on a package of garlic bread; each entry shows zero] 

And finally, I scored a sweet deal on a little something for myself while out buying a few last-minute Christmas gifts (seemingly along with every other person in the state of Maryland). 
[a clothing store price tag showing a regular price of $16.99 beneath a sale price of $2.47] 
Whether you're celebrating Christmas or Hanukkah and/or Kwanzaa or simply glad to be alive unconnected to a particular holiday, I'm wishing you more of every healthy, peaceful, joyous thing possible. 

PGCMLS Local Authors Expo Highlights

Last weekend's Local Author Expo event sponsored by the Prince Goerge's County Memorial Library System offered too much bookish goodness to list it all, but here's a sampling...  [collage of 7 images; 3 on the right & left and 1 down the center: Lofty Stories author Jamila Romero standing behind her display table, Prince George's County Memorial Library System Local Author Expo 2024 poster, Accountability in the Classroom Author Renee Carr next to her daughter behind their table, Fueled from the Heart: a collection of inspirational poems author Samuel R. Jackson holding a copy of his book while standing behind his table, Positive Vibes Kids author Preston Mitchum, Jr. holding one of his books while standing behind his table, Unseen Victories author Juliet Agocha holding 2 of her books while standing behind her table, I Love My People author Kim Singleton holding her book while standing in front of her table] 

[collage of 5 images: Digital Assassins author Danielle Spencer seated behind her display table while talking to a reader, The Witching Hour author Jordan Owens standing behind his table, An Angel A Book A Secret spiritual memoir author Pauline Pilote Eby seated behind her table, A Fire at Romanticon author H.L. Brooks seated behind her table while chatting with a reader, Quarter Moon author Preston Ford and Glacial author Chelsea Henderson seated behind their adjacent tables while talking to readers] 

H.L. Brooks and I are friends so after the expo we headed to her home for pizza, chocolate cake, and a charming Christmas movie while her husband was at work! 
And because I have absolutely no self-restraint when it comes to browsing books at the library, the four on-hold books for me turned into my bringing home many, many more. Gift buying is complete, but not holiday baking. And I have no regrets (even though we haven't bought our tree yet and have barely decorated).  
[a collage of 4 images: a supreme pizza in its box, a "New Books" sign next to a horizontal stack of 4 books - The Associated Press Stylebook, Pony Confidential, Foes Friends & Lovers, The Meriwell Legacy -  supporting a vertical arrangement of 6 books - Wish I Were Here, If I Stopped Haunting You, Hot Earl Summer, Miranda in Retrograde, What Does It Feel Like?, Mr. Nice Spy; a horizontal stack of 9 books - A Real Body Manual, Fat Girls Dance, Murder in Berkley Square, Authentically Izzy, Deja Brew, My Vampire Plus-One, Karaoke Queen, Bad Seed; title screenshot of "This is CHristmas" official trailer from Sky Cinema]   

Whether your winter holiday is Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Fatemiyeh, Festivus, something else or you're an abstainer/non-observant, my hope is that this season brings you more peace of mind, good health, and joy. 

Wicked Parallels

Being other-ed
[Seen Yet Unseen: A Black Woman Crashes the Tech Fraternity by Bari A. Williams hardcover facing forward next to a stack of 7 books from top to bottom: One and Done, The Book Swap, She Who Knows, Lady Eve's Last Con, How to End a Love Story, Stay, There Should Have Been Eight] 
Seen Yet Unseen: A Black Woman Crashes the Tech Fraternity by Bari A. Williams non-fiction Blackstone Publishing, May 2024 
An introduction, twelve chapters that report and examine, a conclusion, acknowledgments, and extensive notes, together reveal the numerous ways in which excluding Black women from every aspect of the tech industry perpetuates harmful stereotypes (despite feedback supported by legitimate hard data) that are ultimately problematic for everyone, eventually. 
Maybe that's the intention. 
from Chapter 7: This Is What True Allyship Looks Like Diversity exhaustion is the feeling of being tired of hearing about diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and fatigue with doing the work it requires... There's another form of fatigue in which companies are frustrated with the lack of progress with their DEI efforts, no doubt because proper allocation of budget and resources haven't been afforded to those doing the work. 
Since the slaughter, forced relocation, involuntary reprogramming attempts of indigenous people at Indian boarding schools, the enslavement of kidnapped Black and African people, and the internment of U.S. citizens of Japanese descent happened over the course of hundreds of years and multiple generations, why do so many people, companies, organizations, and societies expect to eradicate entrenched systemic racism in a few quick years, with ease? 
Maybe their stated intentions to do so are mostly PR lip service. 
from Chapter 12: We Would've Stayed Had You Done This: How Tech Companies Could Have Made Us Want to Stay Tech executives seemingly think that employee recruitment is a one-time occurrence. It is not... If the goal is to retain Black women, then you have to provide us with an environment that is actually welcoming of us. 
Maybe the actual goal is to appear to want to retain Black women at tech companies. 
Gatekeeping, maintaining the racist, sexist, classist, elitist, ableist status quo while promoting the idea of a color-blind meritocracy seems to have gained momentum since the publication of this text as a growing list of major companies dismantle their DEI initiatives. Seen Yet Unseen provides accessible strategies for healthy, productive workplace inclusion that benefit everyone. Time will reveal which people, companies, and organizations are genuine in their dedicated motivation for working toward mutually beneficial outcomes. 
This author's vulnerable candor in sharing the details of her personal experiences in the tech industry makes this an emotionally intimate read as well as an intellectually rigorous engagement regarding the intersection of workplace, society, and information technology. in many unhealthy, counter-productive ways the brave new world resembles the same old world.     

Seeing Beneath the Surface

Current reads that offer real and imagined dangers  
[two hardcover books: Seen Yet Unseen: A Black Woman Crashes the Tech Fraternity by Bari A. Williams, There Should Have Been Eight by Nalini Singh] 

[front cover of a hardcover book: Algorithms of Oppression: How Search Engines Reinforce Racism by Safiya Umoja Noble] 

Algorithms of Oppression:How Search Engines Reinforce Racism by Safiya Umoja Noble non-fiction information technology NYU Press, 2018 
This wonk-erful text is compelling and accessible for non-wonks. The information provided is also disturbing. 
On page 29 the author declares her intentions: ...In the ensuing chapters, I continue to probe results that generated by Google on a variety of keyword combinations relating to racial and gender identity as a way of engaging a commonsense understanding of how power works... By seeing and discussing these intersectional power relations, we have a significant opportunity to transform the consciousness embedded in artificial intelligence,  since it is in fact, in part, a product of our own collective creation. 
And later on page 33: I intend to meaningfully articulate the ways that commercialization is the source of power that drives the consumption of Black women's and girls' representative identity on the web.  
Algorithms of Oppression does more than identify the problem; it suggests practical solutions. 
Overall intentions summarized at the end of chapter four: In addition to public policy, we can conceptualize the design of indexes of the web that might be managed by librarians and information institutions and workers to radically shift our ability to contextualize information. This could lead to significantly greater transparency, rather than continuing to make the neoliberal capitalist project of commercial search opaque.   
Chapter five, "The Future of Knowledge in the Public" makes the argument that currently representation in commercially driven search engines strips context from groups of people who are routinely marginalized and dominated by systemic discrimination, to their further detriment.  
The final words of the epilogue issue a call to action: In short, we must fight to suspend the circulation of racist and sexist material that is used to erode our civil and human rights. I hope this book provides some steps toward doing so. 
It does. 
Acknowledgements, an introduction, six succinct chapters that blend hard science with intention and human connection, a conclusion, epilogue, notes, references, index, and professional tidbits about the author make Algorithms of Oppression a fascinating, enlightening read.  
Enjoy the author's Time 100 conversation here: https://time.com/5901379/prince-harry-meghan-markle-tristan-harris-safiya-noble/ 

Timely Rereads + Current Ones Too

Currently reading fiction and nonfiction, alternating one J. California Cooper short story with one or two Jessica Valenti chapters.  
[one trade paperback book - Homemade Love by J. California Cooper and one hardcover book - Abortion: Our Bodies, Their Lies, and the Truths We Use to Win by Jessica Valenti] 
[zoomed in closeup of The Strong Black Woman by Marita Golden]


The Strong Black Woman, How a Myth Endangers the Physical and Mental Health of Black Women by Marita Golden  Non-fiction  Mango Publishing, October 12, 2021  https://maritagolden.com/

Our TWWBF2021 interview here: https://youtu.be/dQ5lIMx66Vo 
With a mix of surgical precision, lyrical phrasing, keen observations, testimonies, and profound insights from the author, experts in assorted fields of study, and a broad spectrum of other Black women, The Strong Black Woman challenges and deconstructs pervasive stereotypes superimposed upon them to reveal the inherently valuable and complicated humanity of Black women as worthy of consciously choosing to prioritize their own physical, medical, mental, and spiritual health.  
Fat. Ugly. Loud. Angry. Wrong. Crazy. Lazy. Jezebel. Bitch.  
In “We Wear the Mask" the first of twelve thought-provoking chapters, the author writes:  All life begins with, is defined by, even ends with a story. The stories and myths we create and repeat become sacred… But stories are elastic, and require revision over time or they risk becoming brittle, dissolving into crumbs that leave us famished rather than fed.  

What false and distorted and incomplete narratives have been constructed about Black women—by whom and for what purpose? The Strong Black Woman delves into the historical, cultural, sociopolitical, and socioeconomic factors that contribute to this entrenched myth of the invincible, indefatigable defender of and provider for her family, her community, her culture, and any/everyone who needs her.  
“Both Sides Now" outlines the ultimate goal of reconfiguring the myth to reflect a healthier objective:  
The New Age Strong Black Woman gives herself permission to say no and make it a one-word sentence and makes self-care a regular part of her life.  

Black women tell their own stories in their own words in “Through the Fire” and a creative filter is applied to the reminiscing of Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, Fanny Lou Hamer, and Patrisse Cullors in “The Reimagined History of My Heart" that acknowledges and examines the emotional vulnerabilities of these civil rights and social justice icons.  
“The Story of My Body" translates words as weapons and shields while the physical body functions as repository, target, chalice, temple, fortress, home.  
“Me Too" discusses sexual assault and the traumas it generates in the moment and over time.*  
Colorism, prioritizing superficial traits, physical and emotional weight as cumbersome burdens for the body, mind, and spirit to carry are dismantled in “Fear Loathing Love: Our Bodies Inside Out" and “Falling: Days of Dying, Rage and Redemption” addresses the simultaneous pandemics of Coronavirus and racism as opportunities for transformation.  
“Another Mourning in America” spotlights the aftermath of the public murders of Black people by racists, and the epidemic of mass killings in the United States.  
The final two chapters of “Say My Name” and “Healing Stories" offer suggestions and strategies for expecting recognition as a unique individual and unearthing the core truths of one's multifaceted, complex identity.  
The Strong Black Woman packs considerable intellectual and emotional substance into a relatively short and accessible text that entices readers to take note of other books mentioned and to revisit and ruminate on various passages. Threads of advocacy for normalizing consistent, easy access to the services of medical and mental health professionals run throughout the text. Written during the spring and summer seasons of 2020, and with Simone Biles, Naomi Osaka, and other prominent Black women who are promoting the importance of self-care, the release of this book is serendipitously timed.  
The Write Women Book Fest is pleased and thankful to have been granted access to an ARC in preparation for our upcoming chat with the author for #TWWBF2021 #CelebratingLove, to be available for viewing during the first week of October.  https://www.thewritewomenbookfest.org/  

*Survivors of sexual assault may want to skip our skim this section if details of others’ ordeals trigger painful responses that negatively impact their healing process.