What a week! My poor hubby had to get a colonoscopy so Valentine’s Day was him on a liquid diet. I got my kids some Roblox gift cards and sweets so they were happy. My hubby gave me some pocket money for a Vegas weekend trip I’m planning for end of May – gonna see Silk Sonic in concert. I’m so fricken excited, I haven’t been on a plane in 11 years!! It was a week of appointments, why is it never ending? My son has started using Invisalign to correct his over bite and he has so much crowding – he still has some adult teeth coming in and there is no room in his mouth so we are getting all that fixed. Then my hubby and I went to a nice date night yesterday at a steakhouse – and ya know? Back in the day I loved eating steak but at my middle age lol…damn…my body can’t handle salt and butter and just heavy foods. I didn’t even have the steak! Today I have chores to do and then I just want to chill out and read — we shall see if my kids let me. 😅😆
How was your week? Hope all of you are staying safe! Have a fabulous week!
I have been so interested in all these reading book challenges that bloggers are posting. I’ve never done a challenge but maybe I’ll try one out. These are some posts of bloggers and the challenges they will be doing. 🙂
Euphoria, ep. 6 – I hate Nate so much. So much dysfunctional relationships in this show.
Games I’ve Played:
Pet Sim X – Roblox – grinding, grinding, just to give my daughter new pets
My Singing Monsters – collecting coins
Wordle – I’m addicted.
Quordle – so much harder and I’ve been losing lol…I think I only won one game!
Worldle – my daughter and I like to do this one, we use her globe to find the answer.
How was your week? Did you get a lot done? Watch anything good? Read any amazing books or books you didn’t finish? What are you reading?…Leave me a comment below!
Hi everyone! I saw this tag done on Dinipandareads and One Book More and thought it looked like a lot of fun. I also wanted to test my memory lol. Let’s try it out!
You have to answer the prompts without using the internet or looking at your bookshelves.
Your answers have to all come from memory!
Make sure to link to the person who originally tagged you (no one tagged me)
Once you’re done, you can tag five other people if you’d like.
Name a book written by an author called Michael
Judith Michael? A romance writer I believe – I think I read a few of her books back in the day…in the 90’s lol.
Name a book with a dragon on the cover
Name a book about a character called George
George?! Yikes…I have no clue!
Name a book written by an author with the surname Smith
L.J.Smith who wrote Vampire Diaries, The Secret Circle and more…
Name a book set in Australia
Apparently I don’t read many books set in Australia! I have no clue, although one of the first books I reviewed for this blog was set in Australia…but I cannot for the life of me remember the title, but I do remember the cover being blue lol. Not a big help, I know! 🤦🏻♀️
Name a book with thename of a month in the title
I know what the book looks like and the title goes something like Thousand Doors in January 😅. You know what I’m talking about!!😆 I have a bad memory as proof of this post!
Name a book with a knife on the cover
Name a book with the word ‘one’ in the title
This is impossible to do without Google lol…
Name a book with an eponymous title
What does eponymous mean?! Definitely googling that…”named after a particular person”…
Name a book turned into a movie
The Fault in Our Stars by. John Green
I’m not tagging anyone – this one is hard but fun to do. As you can see I didn’t do to well haha. Makes me wonder how I survived without Google. It’s like how did I drive around without GPS and smartphones? I did survive someone 😅…paper maps were fun lol.
Good luck if you happen to try this – I’d love to see your answers. ~ Yolanda
Thank you to the love Dini at dinipandareads for tagging me for this award. Please check out her blog for so much amazing bookish content. I love her blog!
What is the Sunshine Blogger Award?
The Sunshine Blogger Award is given to those who are creative, positive and inspiring while spreading sunshine to the blogging community.
How does it work?
Thank the blogger(s) who nominated you in a blog post and link back to their blog.
Answer the 11 questions sent by the person who nominated you.
Nominate 11 new blogs to receive the award and write them 11 new questions.
List the rules and display the Sunshine Blogger Award logo in your post and/or on your blog.
Dini’s Questions:
Describe your current read in five words:
chemistry – food – southern belle – italian hottie – competition
What is your go-to comfort genre?
I’m go to comfort genre will always be romance! Whenever I need a break from fantasy, I head on over to contemporary romance and it’s a much needed vacation for my brain.
What’s your favourite song at the moment?
The whole Encanto soundtrack lol
What’s been your favourite read of 2022 so far?
It’s a backlist title but I haven’t read a 2022 published book yet that has been a 5 star read….mostly because I haven’t bought any, but there are a few I’m eyeing out so hopefully I can get a hold of them soon.
Is there one book that you would do anything to get a special signed edition of?
A Jane Austen book lol which is impossible so maybe a Sarah J Maas one or Holly Black since I have their books on my shelf.
What’s a disappointing book that you’ve recently read?
I am struggling through this arc! It’s taking me forever and I thought her first book was good, but the last arc I read from this author and then this one I’m trying to finish has made me struggling to connect to any of the characters. I don’t know what it is. 😞
How long have you been blogging?
It will be 4 years of blogging this year – wow!! I feel like I just started 2 years ago. How time flies!
What are some of your favourite tropes?
Enemies to lovers is my absolutely favorite. I also love friends to lovers. Bad boy/good girl is always fun, I mean…it’s so hard to resist the bad boys!
Is there a (sub)genre that is an absolute no-no for you?
Reverse harem because I don’t like sharing LOL. Also bully romances – I used to read a few because it was very enemies to lovers…and then some. But now the “and then some” edge just makes me want to punch the guys’ face if he is too much of a bully, it makes me want to get violent in behalf of the girl even if she loves him that way. 🤣 I can’t stand it.
If you could visit one fictional world, where would you go?
Probably to Velaris (A Court of Wings and Ruin) because it’s hidden and protected. But yes definitely into a fae world just because I love stories about the fae…even though they can be quite scary.
Name five characters you would love to spend a day at a theme park with!
I think it would be so much fun to spend the day with Savvy and her two besties, Maggie and Kotter. The three of them had so much fun together in Savvy Sheldon Feels Good as Hell – I can only imagine how much fun they would be at a theme park.
Also, I’d have fun with the guys from XOXO, especially Nathaniel and the younger guy who’s name I can’t remember!
Title: A Crown of Petals and Ice (Honey and Ice, #3)
Author(s): Shannon Mayer, Kelly St. Clare
Format: eBook (Kindle Unlimited)
Pages: 302
Publication Date: 2/14/22
Publisher: Hijinks Ink Publishing
Categories: Romance, Fantasy
Queen of the fae courts. Faced with an impossible battle. Destined to never be with the Unseelie I love.
The magical tea has worn off. My eyes are wide open. And it’s with horror that I realize the fate of two realms rests on my shoulders after my mother’s ultimate sacrifice to trap Rubezahl in Underhill.
Terrified humans clamoring for answers, whispered rumors from both Seelie and Unseelie, and a stepmother who seeks the throne for surprising reasons are the least of my troubles.
Rubezahl has returned far sooner than I thought possible. I’m not ready. I can’t win this. And not only that… He has something crucial if we are to win. He’s taken something I cannot live without.
The place of the final battle has been decided, and two armies will meet. Yet forces beyond my understanding must be satisfied first–old magics rise and demand their dues.
There is no option but to race and decipher the puzzle to save the man I love, the friends more important to me than my own life, and humans and fae alike.
Two realms. Only I can save them. We’re screwed.
Content Warning: Violence
I’m sad to say this one fell short for me.
Kallik (Alli) is now Queen of All Fae and she doesn’t want this responsibility especially with Ruby now at her doorstep wanting war. He just won’t go away so she meets him in Underhill to wage war against him.
I think this book suffered from feeling rushed. It was jumping from one thing to the other without anything being really fleshed out. It was action packed but I wanted to feel excited about the battles and I wasn’t at all, they happen so quick. I also wasn’t a fan of the ending. It is open ended though and it seems like more stories will take place in this world.
I wanted more of Lan and Alli together but they are a part for half of the book. Yet that’s why I loved the series in the first place! It was because of their love story. In this book they had separate journeys, they had to work on some things alone – but seriously if they could have just drop the walls between them and communicated, it would have solved a few things. Regardless of their time apart, I did love when they had scenes together. They have heat and humor together which is a wonderful combination. Also they fight for one another, their love is real – I just wish they said it out loud to one another before it was too late.
I loved that Cinth was there for Alli as usual. Those two are besties forever and I’m glad Cinth got her own happily ever after!
There are some twists and turns in the story but I thought the story was rushed which made it hard for me to connect to what was going on. It wasn’t the conclusion I was hoping for but I guess I’m at least glad that Lan and Alli get to be together.
Why you should read it:
you enjoy fae stories
to finish the series, if you started it already
Why you might not want to read it:
story felt rushed
ending didn’t work for me
My Thoughts:
Overall, I’m glad I know what happens and that Lan and Alli get to be together, but the way the story is told was too rushed for me. I didn’t enjoy it as much as I was hoping to but I still was glad to see Alli and Lan fight for one another and Cinth getting a happily ever after too. Not sure if I will continue the new series though – we shall see.
The idea is pretty simple, every week you dedicate a post to the three W’s:
What are you currently reading?
What have you just finished reading?
What are you going to read next?
What are you currently reading?
What have you just finished reading?
What are you going to read next?
Sadly, I haven’t had much time to read this past weekend and the two I’m still currently reading hasn’t really been engaging me at all. 😣 I hate when that happens. I have arcs to finish up for March though, so I really better get on it this weekend.
What’s on your WWW Wednesday? Or what are you reading this week? ~ Yolanda
Another week of new books, and there are a few I am so excited to read!
Bryce Quinlan and Hunt Athalar are trying to get back to normal―they may have saved Crescent City, but with so much upheaval in their lives lately, they mostly want a chance to relax. Slow down. Figure out what the future holds.
The Asteri have kept their word so far, leaving Bryce and Hunt alone. But with the rebels chipping away at the Asteri’s power, the threat the rulers pose is growing. As Bryce, Hunt, and their friends get pulled into the rebels’ plans, the choice becomes clear: stay silent while others are oppressed, or fight for what’s right. And they’ve never been very good at staying silent.
In this sexy, action-packed sequel to the #1 bestseller House of Earth and Blood, Sarah J. Maas weaves a captivating story of a world about to explode―and the people who will do anything to save it.
Mrs. Post, the President and First Lady are here to see you.. . . So begins another average evening for Marjorie Merriweather Post. Presidents have come and gone, but she has hosted them all. Growing up in the modest farmlands of Battle Creek, Michigan, Marjorie was inspired by a few simple rules: always think for yourself, never take success for granted, and work hard–even when deemed American royalty, even while covered in imperial diamonds. Marjorie had an insatiable drive to live and love and to give more than she got. From crawling through Moscow warehouses to rescue the Tsar’s treasures to outrunning the Nazis in London, from serving the homeless of the Great Depression to entertaining Roosevelts, Kennedys, and Hollywood’s biggest stars, Marjorie Merriweather Post lived an epic life few could imagine.
Marjorie’s journey began gluing cereal boxes in her father’s barn as a young girl. No one could have predicted that C. W. Post’s Cereal Company would grow into the General Foods empire and reshape the American way of life, with Marjorie as its heiress and leading lady. Not content to stay in her prescribed roles of high-society wife, mother, and hostess, Marjorie dared to demand more, making history in the process. Before turning thirty she amassed millions, becoming the wealthiest woman in the United States. But it was her life-force, advocacy, passion, and adventurous spirit that led to her stunning legacy.
And yet Marjorie’s story, though full of beauty and grandeur, set in the palatial homes she built such as Mar-a-Lago, was equally marked by challenge and tumult. A wife four times over, Marjorie sought her happily-ever-after with the blue-blooded party boy who could not outrun his demons, the charismatic financier whose charm turned to betrayal, the international diplomat with a dark side, and the bon vivant whose shocking secrets would shake Marjorie and all of society. Marjorie did everything on a grand scale, especially when it came to love.
Bestselling and acclaimed author Allison Pataki has crafted an intimate portrait of a larger-than-life woman, a powerful story of one woman falling in love with her own voice and embracing her own power while shaping history in the process.
Seventeen fantasy and science fiction short stories from leading voices in the Latin American diaspora!
Reclaim the Stars is a collection of bestselling and acclaimed YA authors that take the Latin American diaspora to places fantastical and out of this world. From princesses warring in space, to the all too-near devastation of climate change, to haunting ghost stories in Argentina, and mermaids off the coast of the Caribbean. This is science fiction and fantasy that breaks borders and realms, and proves that stories are truly universal.
Authors include Daniel José Older, Yamile Saied Méndez, Anna-Marie McLemore, Mark Oshiro, Romina Garber, David Bowles, Lilliam Rivera, Claribel Ortega, Isabel Ibañez, Sara Faring, Maya Motayne, Nina Moreno, Vita Ayala, J.C. Cervantes, Circe Moskowitz, Linda Nieves Pérez, and Zoraida Córdova.
House of Earth and Blood meets The Witch’s Heart in Rebecca Ross’s brilliant first adult fantasy, set on the magical isle of Cadence where two childhood enemies must team up to discover why girls are going missing from their clan.
Jack Tamerlaine hasn’t stepped foot on Cadence in ten long years, content to study music at the mainland university. But when young girls start disappearing from the isle, Jack is summoned home to help find them. Enchantments run deep on Cadence: gossip is carried by the wind, plaid shawls can be as strong as armor, and the smallest cut of a knife can instill fathomless fear. The capricious spirits that rule the isle by fire, water, earth, and wind find mirth in the lives of the humans who call the land home. Adaira, heiress of the east and Jack’s childhood enemy, knows the spirits only answer to a bard’s music, and she hopes Jack can draw them forth by song, enticing them to return the missing girls.
As Jack and Adaira reluctantly work together, they find they make better allies than rivals as their partnership turns into something more. But with each passing song, it becomes apparent the trouble with the spirits is far more sinister than they first expected, and an older, darker secret about Cadence lurks beneath the surface, threatening to undo them all.
With unforgettable characters, a fast-paced plot, and compelling world building, A River Enchanted is a stirring story of duty, love, and the power of true partnership, and marks Rebecca Ross’s brilliant entry on the adult fantasy stage.
Savannah Cade is a low-level editor at Pennington Publishing, a prestigious publisher producing only the highest of highbrow titles. And while editing the latest edition of The Anthology of Medieval Didactic Poetry may be her day job, she has two secrets she’s hiding.
One: She’s writing a romance novel.
Two: She’s discovered the Book Nook—a secret room in the publishing house where she finds inspiration for her “lowbrow” hobby.
After leaving her manuscript behind one afternoon, she returns to the nook only to discover someone has written notes in the margins. Savannah’s first response to the criticism is defensive, but events transpire that force her to admit that she needs the help of this shadowy editor after all. As the notes take a turn for the romantic, and as Savannah’s madcap life gets more complicated than ever, she uses the process of elimination to identify her mysterious editor—only to discover that what she truly wants and what she should want just might not be the same. Melissa Ferguson’s latest—a love letter to books, readers, and romance—will leave fans laughing out loud and swooning in the same breath.
Spending her thirtieth birthday alone is the last thing that dating columnist Cleo wanted, but she is going on a self-coupling quasi-sabbatical–at the insistence of her boss–in the name of re-energizing herself and adding a new perspective to her column. The remote Irish island she’s booked is a far cry from London, but at least it’s a chance to hunker down in a luxury cabin and indulge in some quiet, solitary self-care while she figures out her next steps in her love life and her career.
Mac is also looking forward to some time to himself. With his life in Boston deteriorating in ways he can’t bring himself to acknowledge, his soul searching has brought him to the same Irish island in search of his roots and some clarity. Unfortunately, a mix-up with the bookings means both solitude seekers have reserved the same one-bedroom hideaway on exactly the same dates.
Instantly at odds with each other, Cleo and Mac don’t know how they’re going to manage until the next weekly ferry arrives. But as the days go by, they no longer seem to mind each other’s company quite as much as they thought they would…
Written with Josie Silver’s signature warmth, charm and insights into the human heart, One Night on the Island explores the meaning of home, the joys of escape and how the things we think we want are never the things we really need.
What book are you looking forward to reading? ~ Yolanda
Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. Please check out her website for more TTT topics!
This week’s topic is:
Books Too Good to Review Properly (I have no words!)
So I started my blog only 3 years ago now and a lot of books I read I never reviews. So I went through my Goodreads books – way way book into the list to see which books I gave 5 stars too but never reviewed. Maybe I should re-read them to review them…but I hardly have time to re-read now. Who knows, maybe I will one day! Anyway here are some books I read a long time ago and never wrote a review for.
Okay…I really feel like a re-read is due for these books so I can properly review them on my blog! 😩 Maybe I’ll do that this year, try and re-read books I loved and give them a proper review. But I do wish I had a review after my first read through to compare it to how I feel about it now at my present age haha.
What’s on your TTT?
~ Yolanda
February 1: Books with Names/Character Names In the Titles (Submitted by BookLoversBlog and Lucy @ Bookworm Blogger) February 8: Love Freebie (come up with your own topic having to do with love) February 15: Books Too Good to Review Properly (I have no words!) (Submitted by Dedra @ A Book Wanderer) February 22: Dynamic Duos (Submitted by Elley @ Elley the Book Otter)
Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**
Thank you to Penguin Publishing Group for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!
What she doesn’t know about love could fill a book.
With a successful career as a romance editor, and an engagement to a man who checks off all ninety-nine boxes on her carefully curated list, Lanie’s more than good. She’s killing it. Then she’s given the opportunity of a lifetime: to work with world-renowned author and her biggest inspiration in love and life—the Noa Callaway. All Lanie has to do is cure Noa’s writer’s block and she’ll get the promotion she’s always dreamed of. Simple, right?
But there’s a reason no one has ever seen or spoken to the mysterious Noa Calloway. And that reason will rock Lanie’s world. It will call into question everything she thought she knew. When she finally tosses her ninety-nine expectations to the wind, Lanie may just discover that love By Any Other Name can still be as sweet.
Content Warning: Death of Parent
There is so much I loved about this book and I kind of went into reading this one forgetting about the synopsis.
Lanie is a great character and we see her in her element as an editor at a publishing house. She’s given a chance to be promoted but there are conditions that involve getting her favorite author, Noa Calloway, to submit her next book. But Lanie finds out Noa isn’t who she and all Noa’s fans, thinks she is. It is a case of mistaken identity. Noa is Noah. I found Lanie well-rounded and fleshed out. She’s smart, clumsy, ambitious, has the perfect boyfriend and loves her job. We even get to know some of her family history and we get to know her coworkers, some of which are her best friends.
Speaking of friends and family, I love Meg and Rufus, who are there for Lanie when she hits a rough patch in her love life. And Lanie’s grandmother, BD, is the best! She is so funny.
The romance that builds between Lanie and Noah is a slow-burn that starts off on the wrong foot but I wouldn’t call it enemies to lovers. They get along very well once they start to spend time with one another. I loved how the romanced progressed until the very end, and honestly I never wanted the story to come to an end! The whole thing tied into beautifully with the story Noah was writing and I loved how Lanie and Noah actually corresponded for years before meeting.
Some issues I had with it – Lanie is engaged for a good 30% of the book! And it’s not that I hated her fiance or anything, I actually liked seeing that Lanie had everything yet not even that made her happy. I thought it was important to the story, but I wanted more time with Lanie and Noah together. As I kept reading, I kept checking how far in I was into the book because their time in the book was way too short for me. I didn’t want the story to end even if it was such a good ending. And we only get one kiss, that’s it – it’s a perfect kiss though.
Why you should read it:
an editor and author falling for one another, publishing house drama
Meg, Rufus and BD are so much fun
Lanie and Noah’s romance is so heartfelt and came full circle – I didn’t want it to end
Why you might not want to read it:
book is too short, I wanted more of Lanie and Noah
I didn’t realize it was pegged as an enemies to lovers romance, there is a small hint of it and maybe it could have been dragged out (if the book was longer!)
My Thoughts:
I needed this wonderful story to be longer. I can see this as a movie because it’s set in NYC and Lanie and Noah go around to certain places to get his inspiration revved up for his book. I can already imagine it and it would be magical. This one gave me lots of feels, especially the ending and I never wanted it to end.
What a week. I hate when one thing, like my dog having diarrhea for one night, can throw off my whole week. 😢😫 It kept me up most of Monday and Tuesday night, so I lost sleep. But my daughter is now fully vaxxed and my mom and sister dropped off some donuts for my kids as a Valentine’s day gift, so that was nice! Also, it’s Superbowl Sunday – so I’m gonna watch the game and dance to the halftime show since it’s Dr. Dre , Snoop Dog and others hahaha…talk about a blast from my past. It will make me feel like a teenager again. The first CD I ever bought with my own money was Dr. Dre, The Chronic! 🤣 My dad hated hearing the music I played but whatever…when I listened to hair metal in middle school, he thought I was worshipping the devil. Oh, good times! lol…
I also FINALLY got some motivation to do some crafting. I have really put aside working with resin, but I may move away from it anyway because I don’t have a really safe and good space to work on it, plus supplies are pricey (everything is pricey these days). I’m back to metal stamping because that still sells a little. So I’m trying to add more to my shop.
Playing with a new font – I sell a lot of graduation keychains.
Finished polishing up this metal bookmark
These are some resin bookmarks I made but wasn’t happy with how the resin didn’t harden fully so these bend a little. I busted out my Cricut machine and added vinyl words on top of it but I may still dome the top of it?
I was going for a Valentine’s Day kind of red but it turned out darker than I wanted lol…I didn’t add the tassels yet because I may be doming the top of them with resin. I’m undecided yet! Anyway, that’s what I did this week as far as crafting goes.
How was your week? Hope all of you are staying safe!
I have been so interested in all these reading book challenges that bloggers are posting. I’ve never done a challenge but maybe I’ll try one out. These are some posts of bloggers and the challenges they will be doing. 🙂
NFL Football – Super Bowl is today – may the best team win!
Euphoria, ep. 5 – wow…Zendaya is just amazing in this episode. She’s one of my favorite actresses. Like that whole opening scene is crazy effed up. 😭 And the actresses playing her mom and sister are so fantastic too.
Games I’ve Played:
Pet Sim X – Roblox – grinding, grinding, just to give my daughter new pets
My Singing Monsters – collecting coins
How was your week? Did you get a lot done? Watch anything good? Read any amazing books or books you didn’t finish? What are you reading?…Leave me a comment below!
Categories: Young Adult, Haitian Immigrant, Family, Romance, Abuse, Magical Realism, Own Voices
The rock in the water does not know the pain of the rock in the sun.
On the corner of American Street and Joy Road, Fabiola Toussaint thought she would finally find une belle vie—a good life.
But after they leave Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Fabiola’s mother is detained by U.S. immigration, leaving Fabiola to navigate her loud American cousins, Chantal, Donna, and Princess; the grittiness of Detroit’s west side; a new school; and a surprising romance, all on her own.
Just as she finds her footing in this strange new world, a dangerous proposition presents itself, and Fabiola soon realizes that freedom comes at a cost. Trapped at the crossroads of an impossible choice, will she pay the price for the American dream?
Content Warning: Violence, Physical Abuse, Death
This is the second book I’ve read from Ibi Zoboi and once again she drew me into a story with compelling characters. This time the story is gritty, set in Detroit, with a family who have seen tough times and has a reputation in the neighborhood for it. But the main character Fabiola is starting off her journey from Haiti to Detroit without her mother – she got detained in New Jersey and all Fab wants to do is have her mother back with her.
I loved getting to know Fabiola’s cousins who are all very different from one another. There are three sisters, Chantal – the oldest and in college, Pri and Donna who are twins: Pri is the tough girl at school who has a crush on another girl and Donna is the beautiful one and in an abusive relationship with Dray – a drug dealer. His best friend, Kasim has his eyes set on Fabiola.
Fabiola navigates her first days in America fairly well even though she has an accent and her use of American slang isn’t the best. She doesn’t even really curse but in Detroit around her cousins and new friends, she is surrounded by a lot of crude language. Fabiola starts to dress the way her cousins do, even more so when she starts dating Kasim. But she hasn’t forgotten her mom in New Jersey and she’s trying to find a way to bring her back to her. Opportunity presents itself but it will mean going behind her family’s back.
I thought the magical realism in the story was fascinating because it tied so much into Fabiola’s Haitian culture. I loved learning about the Lwas (spirits) and how one was outside their house, guiding Fabiola with his songs. I loved all of Fabiola’s memories of Haiti although sometimes they were sad and scary memories, like the earthquake – she always mentioned that even with misery, there were neighbors and community to share that misery with and in turn it helped them move on, cope and love life despite the bad things. Another thing I enjoyed was getting a bit of perspective from each character, even if it was just a snippet.
Some issues with the book I had: I wish there was more about getting Fabiola’s mom back to her. Maybe too many things happening at once in the story? Also…Donna and Dray…he physically abuses her and I know her family doesn’t like him for her and yet they can’t do anything about it. Hard to read but so realistic.
Why you should read it:
it’s an OwnVoices story Haitian rep, diversity
it’s a raw story about family and trying to survive in the American Dream
Fabiola’s separation from her mom and acclimating to life without her a new country is powerful
Why you might not want to read it:
you don’t like magical realism
some tough subject matter like physical abuse
My Thoughts:
I liked reading the female perspective in American Street, this story is full of strong females. Fabiola, who was born in America but raised in Haiti has to find her way in American culture and without her mother. Her cousins, the Three Bees, are tough Hatian-American girls from Detroit, all with different personalities and roles to play. Their loyalty to the family is rock hard. Nothing can seem to break them up, not abusive boyfriends, debt, or drug dealers and I love their bond. This is an important story about the cost of trying to live the American Dream.
📚 ~ Yolanda
Quotes from the Book:
“No one would be left alone in a tiny house with only their regrets and sorrows to keep them company.”
― Ibi Zoboi, American Street
“In Haiti, with all its problems, there was always a friend or a neighbor to share in the misery. And then, after our troubles were tallied up like those points at the basketball game, we would celebrate being alive.”
― Ibi Zoboi, American Street
“But then I realize that everyone is climbing their own mountain here in America. They are tall and mighty and they live in the hearts and everyday lives of the people.”