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I have been wanting to read We’re Going To Need More Wine by Gabrielle Union for ages now. I grew up watching her on Sister, Sister, 7th Heaven, and of course, 10 Things I Hate About You. This is a collection of personal stories that discuss Gabrielle Union’s childhood, teenage years, discovering herself as a woman, love, marriage, being a stepmother, and how the industry treated her because she is a Black Woman.

Trigger Warnings: racism, gaslighting, microaggressions, rape, homophobia, infertility

Gabrielle Union tells it exactly how it is and she warns her readers from the get-go. I enjoyed this book from beginning to end. Her childhood stories ranged from relatable to WHAT JUST HAPPENED?! Of course, I loved the stories of her work–from the beginner mistakes she made to meeting Heath Ledger, all of them had me awe-ing or laughing. Of course, you can’t talk about Gabrielle Union without discussing her important work as a rape victims advocate. I think this story hit me the hardest. She worked for Payless Shoesource before she started acting. I also worked for Payless Shoesource while going through college. I was sitting there listening to her talk about the job and how it was easy but also how retail is the WORST. But that is when our similarities ended. A man robbed the store one night and raped her at gunpoint. My heart plummeted. Payless was not the greatest when it came to employee safety. I remember closing up at night and having no security, sometimes even the Target next door was closed, so we often worked in a very dark and secluded corner late at night. There would be only two employees working at closing. I am not going to lie, and my former coworkers will tell you, we all felt that moment of dread when someone would come in before closing acting shady. But what Gabrielle Union went through, is a woman’s worst nightmare. And she faced it head-on. She does write about the care she received during the trial process, but it does not take the horror, pain, and trauma away. She took that trauma and spoke on behalf of the victims, to be there for them. I ended this segment… in tears because as a survivor of sexual assault, it is so hard to be able to come forward.

Another powerful part of this memoir is the stories that go into detail about her owning her Blackness. This is a part where one just listens and learns. As a white woman, I cannot fathom and I listened to her self-consciousness, her battle with assimilation, and ultimately pride. These stories really focus on her growth and it is impossible to not be excited about her development and success.

I loved this audiobook and I can’t wait to read You Got Anything Stronger?!

Thank you, Kevin Hazzard and Hachette Books for the opportunity to read this book. It can be added to your shelf on September 20th, 2022.

American Sirens by Kevin Hazzard is a nonfiction account that reads like a novel. It is about the true story of the Black Men who became America’s First Paramedics. The book begins with a brief explanation of the history of pre-hospital medical care. In America, during the 1960s and before, if there was an emergency there was a good chance that the victim would not make it to the hospital. There were ambulances mostly manned by reluctant police and fireman just picking up a few hours. There was no mandatory training. The person who would change all that is Peter Safar, the man credited with pioneering CPR. He would set the standards of pre-hospital care. However, it is the men who were the first paramedics that would make the difference.

Freedom House was founded in 1967. Phil Hallan, the co-founder, wanted to create opportunities for Black men in Pittsburg. Twenty-five Black men were recruited from The Hill District. They went through rigorous medical training and would care for the local neighborhoods saving countless lives while facing pushback from politicians and racism.

This book is a quick read. It is filled with important stories, yet short chapters. I found that I could have kept on reading. It was incredible reading about Peter Safar, Phil Hallan, and Nancy Caroline, but the part I looked forward to the most was how these men revolutionized ambulance care. I do wish there were more stories involving these men, whose names we do not know. This book would make an incredible documentary and I would love to learn more about these incredible men and women. Or better yet, a fictional series making their names known. Here are their names:

Michael Blackman
Harold Brown
Mitchell Brown
Walter Brown
David Clemens
Arthur Davis
Ray Davis
Clyde Dunson
John Franklin
Harvey Gandy
Tom Grace
Harold Holland
Addie Johnson
Eugene Key
James Kyte
George McCary
Thomas Mitchell
John Moon
Daniel Nickens
William Porter
Raymond Pridgen
Ron Ragin
David Rayzer
Curtis Scott
Ernest Simpson
Carl Staten
Wallace Sullivan
David Thomas
Thomas Wade
Kenneth Williams

Thank you, Camille Di Maio and Hachette Books for the opportunity to read this book. It was released on March 1st, 2022.

Until We Meet by Camille Di Maio is a World War II novel that highlights six different characters.

There is Margaret Beck, she is a “welder woman,” trying to do her best to help the war effort. Her brother is John who is off fighting the war with Tom and William. Her two best friends are Gladys and Dottie. They soon form a little knitting club to make socks for John and his fellow soldiers. This leads to an unexpected pen pal.

John Beck is engaged to be married to Dottie and was shipped off before they could make it down the aisle.

Dottie discovers that her romantic farewell with John resulted in an unexpected pregnancy. She can only tell her best friends knowing that her family will abandon her.

Gladys is anything but traditional! Can she keep her independence and fall in love?

William had become very close with John and Tom. Being away from home is difficult but especially when there are no letters from home it can be more difficult.

Tom helps out his friend William by writing his letters for him and forms an attachment that will help him endure the trauma of war.

I am always hesitant to read World War II novels. I think the subject matter is serious and so important. But the genre is oversaturated and many authors tend to “romanticize” the time period. Books like Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys, The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Annie Barrows and Mary Ann Shaffer really show readers different emotions and experiences of the trauma of WWII. This book does have some war descriptions but the focus is on the developing romance between the characters. I did appreciate the different views from the men overseas and the women at home filling in for the jobs of men. However, I think there were too many main characters and relationships happening. There isn’t time for each relationship to establish depth and connection. The book does read really quickly. So if you are looking for a quick read that will transport you to WWII then this is for you.

Thank you, Michael Blanding and Hachette Books for the opportunity to read this book!

In Shakespeare’s Shadow by Michael Blanding has also been published as North by Shakespeare. Not to be confused with North of Shakespeare by Dennis McCarthy. It is an investigative journalism piece based on the research of Dennis McCarthy. Dennis McCarthy has spent his life researching the actual authorship of Shakespeare’s plays. He argues that Sir Thomas North is the actual person behind the iconic plays.

Sir Thomas North was born in 1535 and was a lawyer and translator. He has translated Plutarch’s Lives into English. Blanding has done extensive research into Sir Thomas North’s history. Still, it was the due diligence of McCarthy that brought to light a North family manuscript that was a detailed travel diary that had key details seen in Shakespeare’s works.

Why didn’t this book exist when I was taking The History of English Theater?! It would have been a fantastic resource. The authors go into a wonderful analysis of all of Shakespeare’s plays and the history behind them. However, there is no concrete evidence. This is a theory, while the manuscript does open up the conversation of speculation, it doesn’t change anything regarding the authorship.

Thank you, NetGalley, A.G. Slatter, and Titan Books for the opportunity to read this book. It releases on June 28th, 2022.

The Path of Thorns by A.G. Slatter is quite a unique novel. Asher Todd has been hired as a governess to a family on an estate through the forest. This family has some dark secrets, but Asher Todd has secrets of her own. There is Luther Morwood and his wife, Luther’s mother-Leonora, the three children, and the staff. The groundskeeper is not exactly human and there is a ghost that stalks the halls. What other secrets does this gothic estate hold?

I was not sure about this book at first. The first 20% sets up the gothic atmosphere but it is rather slow. I could not tell where the book was headed. There are quite a few fairytale hints woven into the story. I originally thought that this book would go on a fairytale retelling track. There are Little Red Riding Hood themes but it was not a retelling. But then there is a shift and this develops into a horror novel.

That shift is wild! I started to predict some aspects regarding Asher but that ending kept me on my toes. I am not sure if everything comes together cohesively but there are moments that really screamed gothic and I was impressed with the story’s uniqueness. But just a heads up, there are some parts that will have you freaking out!

Thank you, Macmillan/Tor-Forge, Alix E. Harrow, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book! It releases on June 14th, 2022!

A Mirror Mended by Alix E. Harrow is the 2nd book in the Fractured Fables series. In the first book, A Spindle Splintered, Zinnia Gray finds out she is can travel through the Fairy Tale Multiverse and spends her time rescuing all the Sleeping Beauties from a horrible fate. Now, she is getting tired. She is losing count of how many versions of Sleeping Beauty she has saved. Her best friend, Charm has married Prim and they have their own life and Zinnia is desperately trying to figure out where she belongs. When she falls through the Multiverse this time, she isn’t greeted by a Sleeping Beauty, but by the Evil Queen from Snow White. The Evil Queen, Eva, knows her fate and will do anything to escape it but she will need Zinnia’s help.

Alix E. Harrow is back and I couldn’t be more thrilled! Even though these Fractured Fables are just novellas, I will take what I can get. This second installment isn’t really a retelling per se but more of a story within the fairytale realm. I actually love the concept of the fairytale multi-verse, that there are all these fairytales in different worlds that have the same overall trope but each has its own unique signature.

Those who read the first book will love that Zinnia and her dark, sarcastic, yet witty sense of humor is back. She still has a complex illness that has her forced to face her own mortality but also figure out her place in this world while she is in it. It is hard when those around her started pursuing their own dreams and goals when she has no idea what is in store for her future. Even though this book is short, readers will see Zinnia struggle, isolate herself, confront her fears, and stop running away from her family.

I love this series and I hope there will be more! I love the representation and diversity that gives new views on the fairytales that we have all grown up with.

IT’S HERE!!! Today, my family and I will be seeing Jurassic World: Dominion. I know, I have seen Rotten Tomatoes, but right now this is a Dominion slander-free zone because I am so excited. I will never forget watching Jurassic Park for the first time. It was probably the scariest thing I had seen at that point in my life. I think I was 7 or 8 at the time. What better way to celebrate today than with a review of The Lost World by Michael Crichton. This book takes place years after the events of Jurassic Park. Ian Malcolm doesn’t talk about what happened at the park and neither does anyone else, it is kept a secret. There are rumors of carcasses landing on nearby beaches and they are immediately destroyed. Richard Levine has been researching and trying his best to uncover the secrets of INGEN and finds a way to site B. His students, Kelly and Arby along with Dr. Thorne, Ian Malcolm, and Sarah Harding, find their way to the island to rescue him. But they are not prepared for what is on the island.

I forgot how much I love Michael Crichton’s writing. The way he meshes real-world theory with a fictional story is just brilliant. I love the world he created and how he makes his readers think about the possibilities of scientific innovation and the results of this innovation. It is impossible to read an article about genetic technology or genetic creations and not think about the thoughts of Michael Crichton. As so eloquently put by Ian Malcolm in the first Jurassic Park movie, “Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.” Now, if you have seen the movies then you may feel as if the dinosaurs are the “bad guys.” But if you read the books, the dinosaurs act on instinct. They aren’t monsters, they are animals. It is the humans behind them that are the monsters.

In this book, the main villain is Dodgson.

He plans to use the dinosaurs for his own greed and exploitation. His company wants to test on dinosaurs rather than animals because, in his mind, dinosaurs don’t have rights. So that opens up another can of worms that Michael Crichton makes his readers consider: what determines who and who doesn’t have rights? If something is made, can it be used for nefarious purposes? See what I mean, these books just make you think! And also… humans are monsters.

"This novella is the PERFECT beach read for this summer!"

Check out my full review at InD'Tale Magazine:
https://issuu.com/indtalemagazine/docs/june_2022_issue?fr=sOTA0NjQ5MzMzNjI

"There is so much to unpack in this whirlwind fairytale."

Check out my full review at InD'tale Magazine:
https://issuu.com/indtalemagazine/docs/june_2022_issue?fr=sOTA0NjQ5MzMzNjI

I have no idea what I am going to do with myself after this series is over. It has completely captivated me. A Stroke of Malice by Anna Lee Huber is the 8th book in the Lady Darby mystery series. As of right now, there are only 10 books in the series. I do hope it continues even further, I will even be ok with a spinoff with some other characters. – The more I think about it, I would love an Anderly and Bree spinoff. Just a thought!

Kiera is now very pregnant with her first child! Kiera and Sebastion are finally back in Scotland for a little while to visit with family. They attend a 12th Night Party and of course, the home is riddled with ghost stories. So the Duke’s son takes some of the guests on an impromptu tour of the crypt. However, there is a body in the crypt! Now, you may think, of course, there is a body in the crypt! –This body is new and due to the damage, the identification of the body is proving to be an issue. Their only clue leads them to believe that it could be the Duchess’ Son-in-Law, the Earl of Helmsdale. Despite being promised to be given full cooperation by the family, the family holds tight to their secrets and infidelities. Kiera and Gage are having a difficult time getting the answers they need to bring the killer to justice.

Oh, Marsdale. He can never stay out of trouble. He is notorious in society and can be quite a pain for Gage and Kiera, but I am glad we get to see more of his thoughtful side. I love getting to know more of the other characters surrounding Gage and Kiera. Especially Anderly and Bree. While I see where the setup is going, I still can’t wait for it to happen! They are wonderful investigators in their own right and once Kiera and Gage start a family, maybe they will assume more investigative roles.

I did love seeing Kiera stand up for herself in this book. She has always leaned on her family with her past. However, sometimes her family can be a bit bossy and overstep. I completely sided with her when she finally stood up for herself! Hopefully, they all come around to approve that she can be both a mother, painter and investigator!