Finished this book weeks ago and I am still shaking my head wondering "a weh mi just read"
The book is told over the course of one day, we meet three pFinished this book weeks ago and I am still shaking my head wondering "a weh mi just read"
The book is told over the course of one day, we meet three people- a husband, his wife and her best friend. The best friend detest the husband and there continues to be a lot of undercurrent between them. When they are in the same space, there is almost always a blow out that is going to happen.
From each perspective we get an idea of what they think about each other and why there don't like each other. However, I feel of the POV, the wife's one seems weakest. The cliffhanger at the end was insane!!!!!
I will say, I will absolutely read what she writes next. ...more
Not going to lie, this one was very underwhelming for me.
I generally love an intergenerational read filled with Black Women and magic but this was noNot going to lie, this one was very underwhelming for me.
I generally love an intergenerational read filled with Black Women and magic but this was not it for me. There were multiple POVs and I just could not get into it because none of the characters engaged me or I really cared for to be honest. Also these characters all had secrets that when I found them out were so underwhelming. I know I keep saying underwhelming but thats how it felt... really beautiful cover though.......more
If this book was a show- it would be Girls, if this book was a person it would be Lena Dunham. The girls that get it, get A lot of teeth… zero bite
If this book was a show- it would be Girls, if this book was a person it would be Lena Dunham. The girls that get it, get it, the girls that don't don't
This read like a very subpar first draft of My Year Of Rest and Relaxation if I am being honest. In Acts of Service we meet a Eve, twentysomething New Yorker who works as a barista until she decides to get a “real job” or call her father to beg for her inheritance. Eve is in a long-time relationship with her girlfriend. One night out of boredom Eve decides to upload her nudes to a website where Olivia messages on the nudes asking her to meet with her. Out of curiosity and in search for some excitement she meets up with Olivia who begs her to meet with Nathan so they can have a threesome. Excitement Eve wants, that she gets as she tries to understand the dynamics between Nathan and Oliva and how her being with them may change that.
Dubbed, “might be the most thought-provoking book you read all year…” it s a very big claim because I had a lot more questions than thoughts. The book rambles on, Eve becomes obsessed with Nathan, honestly, this is basically a second draft of Fifty Shades of Grey if we all are being honest and if you think otherwise you are lying to yourself.
The writer tries so hard to make this more than what it is- a very poorly written book that tries to make you think about sex, power and sexuality. I really wish the editors went back to the drawing board with this one because a very strong re-write and this may have been good....more
We are taken to this town, specifically to Woolf Academy it is hard to get in and stay in- even for Underwhelming, unrealistic, tone-deaf and bland….
We are taken to this town, specifically to Woolf Academy it is hard to get in and stay in- even for a public school. Rose O’Connell wants what is best for her son, and what is best is getting him into Woolf Academy at any cost- even though she does not have the money, her husband is currently unemployed and her marriage on the rocks. This all changed when she meets the gate keepers of Woolf Academy, Rose wants to get in with the gate keepers- called the Circle. When she finally gets invited into the Circle, nothing could prepare her for what comes next.
Honestly, I felt like I have read this book so many times. It wanted to be like Big Little Lies but the author didn’t have the range. I just felt like the book tried too hard to do and be everything. It does not feel new to me, also the part where this woman offers up her husband to another woman… I just was like… nah….
So much chaos in this book, I don’t know where to start….
When I picked up this book, I thought it was supposed to be a memoir about Ira Mathur’s lif So much chaos in this book, I don’t know where to start….
When I picked up this book, I thought it was supposed to be a memoir about Ira Mathur’s life. I was so intrigued to find out more about how she left India with her parents and ended up in Tobago and all the various things that would have gone in place to make that happen. There aren’t a lot of literature (I find) written from an Indian person whose families weren’t indentured laborer but decided to leave Indian to start a new life in Tobago.
Let me tell you what I enjoyed about this book – reading about Ira’ family, specifically her Grandmother, mother and sister. Yes, she gave us a raw look at the family drama, the fights and unpleasant things that took placed behind closed doors. I loved reading about their life in India and how they ended up in Tobago. I felt that part of the book was truly interesting. Yes, I felt there were so many unanswered question family wise- why didn’t she get along with her sister? What’s up with her parents currently? How did they afford to send her to colleges? Her brother’s family. Then again, there is only so much you can fit in a memoir.
Here is what I didn’t like… how the book felt like a 200 page name drop of “I spent a weekend with Derek Walcott and he looked at my manuscript” honestly….that part was confounding. Why did it feel like 20% of the book was a biography of Derek Walcott’s life and his beef with VS Naipaul? Also I didn’t need the BTS of your manuscript critique- I wish the story focused more on Ira and her family and her journey.
Also her relationship with her husband it was… for lack of a better word… WEIRD. I felt there was an under current of being abusive but the author did not come right out and say it. I felt his family seem like they would throw her out any time she steps out of line. Also, I wanted her to talk more about her career because she fact that her husband was well off but she was told she needed to work… man….
I finished this book having more questions than answers. As far as memoirs go, I really wish it was tighter and edited better.
WHY WAS THERE SO MUCH INCLUSION OF DEREK WALCOTT?!!!!! ...more
Underwhelming, unrealistic, repetitive and culminates in a disappointing ending.
In Patience Is Subtle Thief we meet Patience who lives with her fatUnderwhelming, unrealistic, repetitive and culminates in a disappointing ending.
In Patience Is Subtle Thief we meet Patience who lives with her father, stepmom and half sister. She was told her mother went away to America because she could not take care of her. Patience was born in America and her plan is to get her passport and track down her mother in America to find out why she left her. The only problem with this plan is, she does not have access to her passport, birth certificate or money. Patience becomes fixated on this plan and will stop at nothing to make it happen.
Honestly, this book was so underwhelming and unrealistic. The whole time I am reading this book I kept thinking, “dis cyan real!” After a while I actually stopped caring because Patience became such an unlikeable character and I wasn’t invested in whether she won or not. I did not enjoy this book at all....more
This is a solid collection of stories, some I enjoyed and others I thought, "a wah gwan yasso?" The ones that were good were really good and the ones This is a solid collection of stories, some I enjoyed and others I thought, "a wah gwan yasso?" The ones that were good were really good and the ones I did not like I really did not like. I love how the author wrote about Caribbean history, being displace, identity and finding community.
I do recommend reading this over a period of a month because going through all at once may not be the best bet.
What a bore. I cannot get over how boring this book was. I think I shed a tear from being bored. NOTHING HAPPENED!!!!! Why was it told from Jonathan'sWhat a bore. I cannot get over how boring this book was. I think I shed a tear from being bored. NOTHING HAPPENED!!!!! Why was it told from Jonathan's perspective? What was this big secret that he was raised by two moms? UGH. Where do I get my time back?...more
I took my time to write this review because I did not want to write this review while I was mad. For one, whenever I write a r WHERE WAS THE EDITOR?
I took my time to write this review because I did not want to write this review while I was mad. For one, whenever I write a review when I am mad, I end up regretting it and it is generally laced with grammatical errors.
Friends, this book is 352 pages long and majority of the plot happened in the last 32 pages. If I could physically fight a book I would. The entire time I was reading this book I kept thinking, “WHERE IS THE EDITIOR?!!!!” because I did not understand how an editor would let a book that is padded for 300 pages get published. Do not get me wrong, I get that you have to “Set up a scene” “build the plot” “develop the character” but for nothing to really happen until the last 32 pages of the book blows my mind.
We know this was a dubbed as a 2021 most anticipated release so you can imagine how excited I was when I received the ARC. Imagine reading 180 pages and nothing happened. Imagine the disappointment at it just all falling flat. Maybe I should blame the marketing, “Get Out meets Devil Wears Prada” there wasn’t much of that… just a bit.
This book was sooo bad. Honestly. If you are looking for a better read about Black Women and their hair, definitely read Emma Dabairi’s DON’T TOUCH MY HAIR .
I really wanted to love this one. I wanted to use my platform to shout about this book but this is not it.
Oh, it might work for anyone who is looking to find out how white publishing is… ...more
Mrs. Death Misses Death is Salena Godden’s first prose publication. The book is told in poetry and prose and follows MSolid premise, shaky execution.
Mrs. Death Misses Death is Salena Godden’s first prose publication. The book is told in poetry and prose and follows Mrs. Death who is a Black Woman tired of doing this “job” she’s been doing since the beginning of time. In a near death experience, Wolf is saved from a fire and years later he is a struggling writer who ends up being the one to write Mrs. Death memoir. Wolf, who is no stranger to death finds it thrilling to be the one to tell the story of Mrs. Death. She takes him back in time, to places and major events that shaped her career. They both get to look at life through the lens of death, for the future, one thing is certain- death.
Let me start with the things I loved.
The Title: I mean, who does not love a great title? This one was so fresh and such great play on words.
The Premise: I can say I have never read a premise like this. Death herself gets someone to write a memoir about her life. INJECT THIS IN MY VEINS! I mean seriously, how utterly original is this premise.
Death as a Black Woman Ok, so I know this was probably explored already somewhere but for me, personally, I have always pictured death as a man. I do not know why I thought death had to be a man. Also, even if I did picture death as a woman, I would not have picture her as Black or a Black married woman. I think for me, this was well executed by the author, dispelling the myth that death had to be a man. The greatest trick man played was making you believe I was man. They erased me and made you all believe that Death was a male in spirit- the Grim Reaper. For surely only she who bears it, she who gave you life, can be she who has the power to take it. And there is no human more invisible, more easily talked over, ignored, betrayed and easy to walk pass than a woman; than a poor old black woman.
Yes, this entire paragraph had me shaking my head so much, my neck hurt. I loved that the author put forward this very solid premise to build on.
Exploring death Let’s be real, we are all going to die, yet, this is something I don’t think we talk a lot about. Or if we do it is generally clouded in fear. Death is the only thing we have surety about yet, as the book says, we don’t call it by name when it happens. We say, “pass on, passed…” anything but death. Without death, there is no life, and I enjoyed how the author was able to position death as something we should think about, maybe not harp on but at least think about. I liked that it is a troubled young writer who had experiences with people dying that got to have a friendship with Death. That for me really gave the theme the depth it needed.
The Writing It is clear Salena Godden can write. This is my first introduction to her work, and she writes solidly. I have never read any of her poetry so it was great seeing a bit of it included in this book. She writes convincingly so much so, I started feeling sorry for Mrs. Death.
Historical Look In the book Mrs. Death refers some deaths that made international news, or deaths that are still unsolved or you may not know about. I think getting a little history lesson within the book worked so seamlessly.
What I didn’t love Above I gushed about how strong a premise this book had. When I see a strong premise not strongly executed it makes me sad, maybe even a little mad because I know with tighter edits and stronger editor the book would have been great. I felt the first 25% of the book was phenomenal, the writing, introduction of characters, scenes and Mrs. Death narration was flawless. Then, it all started to wane. Death in itself is a very board topic, it’s been happening since the beginning of time- there are so many ways to explore the topic and I think that’s where the author (maybe even the editor) may have went wrong, she tried to do entirely too much instead of keeping it tighter and more focused. At one point I was like, “huh, how dis even drop in yasso?!!” that for me was a little infuriating.
While I didn’t absolutely love it, I know there are others who may enjoy it. I think one thing that really stood out for me was Mrs. Death saying, I’ve often wondered how very different this living life would be if we were born with our expiry date stamped on our foreheads. I mean, if we knew exactly how long and little time we have left to love each other, maybe then we would be more kind and loving. Imagine if we knew our death date. How different we would live, maybe, and yes I know, maybe not.
Of course I well be reading more of what Salena Godden comes with next. Thanks Cannongate for sending me this ARC....more
Y’all…. This book did not do it for me and mi vex because I wanted this one to win… I mean, look at this cover!
I feltLikkle bit a magic…. Just vibes!
Y’all…. This book did not do it for me and mi vex because I wanted this one to win… I mean, look at this cover!
I felt like the Editor did not do a solid job and that is why we are here. It was if I was picked up and dropped in the middle of this “magical” world with zero explanation. Now, I am not saying you need to explain everything but at least give me a gist of wah gwan so mi nuh stand up inna di miggle of the book a wonder “a wah gwan yasso?!” What is worse, the blurb doesn’t even give a clue as to what is happening in the book. I feel I am not alone in this base on the Goodreads review… the people wanted more magic and a bit more backstory.
I also felt the pace was slow…. Molasses doesn’t compare to this pace. This book took me way longer than necessary and it’s because of how tedious the book felt.
While I get the core message of the book- a society trying to shut up Black Girls, I felt the execution was thoroughly lacking. Of course, I will be reading what the author comes with next… but… yeah… this did not do it for me. ...more
I think if I had read this book back when I was a teenager I would feel differently but reading this book as an “adult” I just cannot relate. I know, I think if I had read this book back when I was a teenager I would feel differently but reading this book as an “adult” I just cannot relate. I know, I know, you are probably judging me because I didn’t read this book when it initially came out, but over 10 years later I did get a chance to and I see why there is such a big hype when it was release and why people felt so strongly about it. I do think if they re-read the book now, their feelings may change.
The Coldest Winter Ever is fast paced, filled with drama (a whole lot) and is told from the very fierce perspective of the main character, Winter. There is A LOT happening in this book- A LOT. Some of them don’t make sense, and others just did not pan out and the author did not address it. Winter grew up in Brooklyn with her mother, father and sisters. Her father is a drug dealer who got busted and things went down in fast for her and her family.
Also, how WEIRD is it that the author included herself in her own book… can we talk about that please? No seriously, I have read A LOT of books in my life and I cannot ever remember the author writing about herself, in her own book… I do not have the words…
Overall, it was a wild read and I think I need to be a teen again to actually “appreciate” this book. With that said… I do want to read what comes next… I feel a bit invested…
Seriously though… why did the author put herself in her own book? I need answers. ...more
I have to admit, I am still getting use to reading novels told in verses. Some have been hits and others not so much. I enjoyed reading The Emperor's I have to admit, I am still getting use to reading novels told in verses. Some have been hits and others not so much. I enjoyed reading The Emperor's Babe because I wanted to get an appreciation for Evaristo's earlier works. I also like that Evaristo writes about a space and time in history that I have little knowledge about and made it it accessible and interesting.
Some parts I had to re-read just to understand what was happening, but overall I enjoyed the freshness and feisty characters in this book. ...more
May 31, 2020 I thought about it and after speaking about the book, I think it is definitely a higher star rating. I do feel the author did a great j May 31, 2020 I thought about it and after speaking about the book, I think it is definitely a higher star rating. I do feel the author did a great job especially as a debut novel.
The whole time I was reading this book I was thinking “A wah gwan yasso?!
When I finished reading the book my first thought was A weh di rass mi just read?!
I don’t even know where to start with this review because I am so confused and conflicted… here goes!
The story of My Mother’s House opens with a house in New York City South Ozone Park committing suicide by burning itself down (yes, you read right). We hear from the House the reason it decided to burn itself down and why this drastic measure needed to be taken. The story continues and we hear from the House as it gives us the history of the community, how it was gentrified, and an intimate look into the lives of the persons who lives/lived inside them. The House tells us of the horrors that happened under it’s roof and why it decided its best to burn itself to the ground.
Lucien is the current owner of the House. He is originally from Haiti but had to flee because he got tangled up with the General’s daughter Marie-Ange. The General’s entire family was assassinated but Lucien was able to save and hide Marie-Ange until his parents in America sent for him. After moving and settling in New York City, Lucien is determined to make a life for himself and provide for his family which includes his three daughters. Hoping to recreate and build a community like in Haiti, Lucien buys an old rundown house where he invites Haitians who are new to NYC to come over. Lucien and Marie-Ange offers these persons who are new to the US advice on how to assimilate, and a nice home cooked Haitian meal.
Through an illness Marie-Ange dies and the house is not what it used to be, people no longer come around like they use to. Lucien starts “dating” the nurse that took care of his wife but he can’t say he loves her. Lucien’s love is toxic, he is an emotionally damaged man with heinous habits and impulses. For over two decades he’s been feeding his evil desires and the House is about to make it known to the world.
This is just a peep into what is happening in this book because I don’t want to give away spoilers. The book explores Immigration, Abuse, Gentrification, Grief, Violence, Evil and Identity. It takes us from Haiti to a community in NYC and it is unflinching in its exploration of what life is like for an Immigrant living in the US.
Honestly, I wanted to love this story. Once I heard it was written by a Woman from Caribbean Heritage and it explores Immigration, I was sold! I never expected to be confused by what is happening and WHY it is happening. I felt the characters were underdeveloped; it was like I was looking at them through a very thick mirror. I wanted to know more about the daughters, more about Marie-Ange’s and why she decided to stay. I also was not sold about the bit on the House not knowing everything happening inside of it- that did not make sense. I also felt there were parts what we very vague that need clarification or a lot of explanation. I felt some parts were unnecessarily cruel for no reason…. I just…
You have to have a STRONG stomach and an insane amount of imagination to enjoy this one.
BookOfCinz
>
Books:
ummm-what
(16)
Loading...
