Editors' Picks
Click a book above for our review.
Review of the Month
Uncategorized
On the Wings of a Hummingbird
On the Wings of a Hummingbird is many heartfelt stories in one. It is a U.S. immigration story, succinctly capturing the complexities and inherent pitfalls of the immigration system. It is a Central American emigration story, a vivid introduction to the hopelessness in present-day Guatemala—due in large part […]
Categories: Fiction
Tags: coming of age, Cultures, Good Books, Immigrants, Review of the Month, Strong girls, Teens
Tags: coming of age, Cultures, Good Books, Immigrants, Review of the Month, Strong girls, Teens
Recent Reviews
Children's/YA
Making Friends with Monsters
Twelve-year-old Sam starts doing research on the habits and behaviors of monsters and lists the facts: “Fact #1: Most people don’t know they exist.” Do we all have monsters living inside of us? If not monsters, are there bad angels or negativity gremlins interrupting us? If you said […]
Fiction
Prize for the Fire
Prize for the Fire by Rilla Askew is historical fiction from the time of Henry VIII. The period language caused me some initial trepidation. It needn’t have. Within pages, I was hooked. It wasn’t the historical period that drew me in, though the author’s extensive research shone through […]
Hope for the Worst
This book begins slow then blooms into a heroine’s story about a woman who fights depression, loneliness, and her own demons. Abandoned by her father, Ellie wanders aimlessly through life in search of meaning and connections. When she is not at work for the Urban Poverty Research Center […]
Nonfiction
Truth Tellers: The Power and Presence of Black Women Journalists Since 1960
“Well-behaved women seldom make history,” coined by a prominent historian, has become one of feminism’s most popular sayings. The experiences of the women featured in Truth Tellers: The Power and Presence of Black Women Journalists Since 1960, could take that phrase one step further: “Trailblazing women, knocking down […]
Categories: Nonfiction
Tags: Author of Color, Good Books, History, Our times, Race relations, Women's rights, Writers and writing
Tags: Author of Color, Good Books, History, Our times, Race relations, Women's rights, Writers and writing
Poetry
No Sweet Without Brine
Like Gwendolyn Brooks, who used her poetic talent to uncover the Black experience in America, Cynthia Manick also takes the reins on self-discovery, bringing to light personal experiences and frustrations with today’s world. I am so hungry for what I don’t know, my wisdom teeth grow back every […]
Categories: Poetry
Tags: Author of Color, Cultures, Good Books, Our times, Poetry, Race relations, Women's issues
Tags: Author of Color, Cultures, Good Books, Our times, Poetry, Race relations, Women's issues
Our Favorite Authors
Uncategorized
An Interview with Marita Golden, Author of The Strong Black Woman
Interviewed by: Pat Bean
Categories: Author Interviews, Nonfiction
Tags: Author of Color, Cultures, Good Books, Our Favorite Authors, Our times, Race relations, Sarton winner, Writers and writing
Tags: Author of Color, Cultures, Good Books, Our Favorite Authors, Our times, Race relations, Sarton winner, Writers and writing
An Interview with Kathleen Williams Renk, author of Vindicated: A Life of Mary Shelley
Interviewed by: Pat Bean
Categories: Author Interviews, Biography
Tags: Good Books, History, Our Favorite Authors, Sarton winner, Writers and writing
Tags: Good Books, History, Our Favorite Authors, Sarton winner, Writers and writing