Wealth of Geeks | August 31, 2023

The Last Applicant, Rebecca Hanover (Oct 24)

Audrey Singer thrives as the admissions director at a prestigious Manhattan private school, enjoying power and privilege, along with a seemingly perfect marriage. The entrance of anxious Sarah Price disrupts Audrey's life, as she strives to secure her son's admission into a coveted kindergarten class. Sarah's actions become increasingly boundary-pushing and reveal hidden motives, raising questions about her intentions and potential darker schemes in this intense competition.

Follow the link above to learn more.

Nerd Daily | October 21, 2023

We chat with author Rebecca Hanover about The Last Applicant, which is an emotional thrill ride about two women whose lives take a dangerous turn in the high-stakes arena of private school admissions.

Do you have any writing rituals?

I only need a few simple things in order to write. An idea that I can’t stop thinking about (most important, of course). A quiet house (let’s face it, it doesn’t even need to be quiet, I just need to be able to shut the door and not have any of my rowdy family of five bother me!). A matcha latte or two. My laptop.

I try to check my email before I begin, and then let it fester while I’m in the zone doing the “deep work.” If I have any pressing chores to take care of, I try to knock them out first so that they aren’t on my mind while I’m trying to be creative. That’s difficult because I always have outstanding chores to take care of. But some can wait, and others can’t. It’s a constant balancing act!

Follow the link above to learn more.

Washington Post | August 31, 2023

September is a great month to be a reader, with gems arriving from both best-selling and debut authors.

One Blood by Denene Millner

A powerful story of blood, secrets and love connects the lives of three unforgettable Black women. Teenage Grace is forced to flee 1960s Virginia and deceived into giving up her baby for adoption. Later that decade, Delores seizes the single opportunity she sees to escape an abusive childhood — get married to a man who will protect her, keeping her infertility a shameful secret from everyone. Thirty years later, Rae, whose family is starting to unravel, seeks answers about her upbringing and the decisions she has made as a result. Millner skillfully explores how societal pressures have forced generations of Black women to make difficult choices. (Forge, Sept. 5)

Follow the link above to learn more.

Madamenoire | August 29, 2023

One Blood By Denene Millner – Release Date: Sept. 5

New York Times bestselling author Denene Millner’s haunting yet exciting book One Blood explores the lives of three women: Grace, LoLo and Rae, as they struggle to overcome life’s unexpected challenges in pursuit of love, hope and their dreams. All three women are connected by time, circumstance and family secrets that reveal they have more than just blood ties in common.

Follow the link above to learn more.

The Root | August 27, 2023

One Blood by Denene Millner - September 5

“One Blood” is the latest novel from bestselling author and award-winning journalist Denene Millner. The beautifully-written story spans across three generations of women from the Great Migration to the early 2000s, taking a unique look at family and social structure.

Follow the link above to learn more.

Kirkus Reviews | August 26, 2023

There’s a refreshing frankness about sex and attraction that drives the personal side of the drama, as well as a thoughtful recognition of how grief and loss break people down in different ways

Deliciously thrilling—and thrillingly extra.

Follow the link above to learn more.

Black Enterprise | August 23, 2023

Summertime is a great backdrop to get in with a few good books, but the fast-approaching fall season is even better.

One Blood (out September 5) is a novel written by six-time New York Times bestselling author Denene Millner. One Blood, inspired by the author’s own adoption journey, tells the tale of three generations of women and their fight with forgiveness, love, and survival during major movements in Black American history.

Follow the link above to learn more.

Real Simple | August 23, 2023

Denene Millner’s One Blood is the story of three women linked by adoption: a young woman forced to give up her child, the adoptive mother, and the daughter who binds the two. Spanning the Great Migration, the civil rights movement, and 21stcentury New York, the novel weaves the three women’s tales together over time, exploring how our collective histories inform who we ultimately become.

Follow the link above to learn more.

GMA | August 21, 2023

The new thriller is the latest installment in the popular Will Trent series.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution | August 18, 2023

‘One Blood’ explores forced adoption, changing gender roles and generational trauma.

One Blood (Tor/Forge) September 5, 2023

Atlanta author Denene Millner was 12 years old and snooping through her parents’ things one day when she came across a document that revealed a big family secret: She was adopted.

Follow the link above to learn more.

Publishers Weekly | August 16, 2023

Starred Review

Faith Erin Hicks. First Second, $25.99 (304p) ISBN 978-1-250-83873-5; $17.99 paper ISBN 978-1-250-83872-8

After Canadian teenage hockey player Alix punches her team captain Lindsay following Lindsay’s berating remarks on her lack of social skills, Alix worries about her ability to manage her anger. Even worse, Alix’s coach warns her that she’ll have to learn to control her temper if she hopes for Coach’s recommendation to attend a prestigious hockey camp. When Alix witnesses queer classmate Ezra calmly de-escalate a homophobic encounter with a bully, she asks Ezra to teach her how to handle tense situations. As the duo’s mentor-mentee relationship develops into an earnest friendship, she discovers that, despite his tranquil demeanor, Ezra is hiding intense feelings of rage and pain stemming from his own challenges. Empathetic dialogue and compassionate depictions of characters’ struggles are complemented by gently rendered illustrations. Vibrant blue accents set against thick, inky b&w line emphasize high-energy moments and aid in narrative and emotional immersion. With a keen eye, Hicks (Ride On) delivers a heartfelt graphic novel that is both a perceptive subversion of gender roles and a remarkable tale of unexpected friendship, personal growth, and the transformative power of embracing one’s true self. Main characters appear white. Ages 14–up. (Oct.)

Follow the link above to learn more.

She Reads | August 10, 2023

Historical fiction continues to shine a light on untold stories and deliver fresh perspectives on past events. Here are ten titles spanning centuries and continents, intertwining mystery and romance, and centering the fierce women who have certainly left their mark.

One Blood by Denene Millner

An endearing multigenerational saga spanning three generations, One Blood explores the consequences of bad decisions,well kept secrets, and ambitious women. Grace moves up North after her grandmother passes. She is quickly propelled into high society with her Aunt Hattie but after a brief entanglement Grace becomes pregnant and her child is given up for adoption. Delores a.k.a Lolo weaves intricate stories of a well to do life but her secrets begin to unravel forcing her to do whatever it takes to regain control. Lolo’s daughter, Rae discovers she is adopted and is determined to get answers. This novel explores womanhood, motherhood and healing generational trauma.

Follow the link above to learn more.

The Yucanan times | August 7, 2023

Altina Schinasi (1907-1999) was not merely an artist; she embodied the essence of a Renaissance woman. Born into a family of privilege and intellect, Schinasi’s upbringing fostered her curiosity and enabled her to explore a diverse range of artistic pursuits. Her father, a wealthy Turkish tobacco magnate, provided her with the resources to cultivate her passions, resulting in a life that blended art, design, film, and social activism.

Follow the link above to learn more.

ARTnews | August 4, 2023

Google celebrated the 116th birthday on Friday of sculptor, documentary filmmaker, and inventor Altina Schinasi with a pair of orange cat’s-eye glasses framing the company logo.

After noticing the lack of options for women’s glasses, she invented the harlequin shape, or cat’s-eye, glasses for which she is probably most known. One shop owner took to her creation and grabbed the rights to the frames for six months, leading to her design’s huge success as a must-have fashion accessory among American women in the late 1930s and ’40s.

Schinasi was the subject of the biopic Altina (2013) and penned a memoir The Road I Have Traveled (1995).

Follow the link above to learn more.

NY Jewish Week | August 4, 2023

The Google Doodle for Friday, Aug. 4 features a cartoon image of a bespectacled woman peering out from one of the lenses of orange cat-eye glasses. The Doodle celebrates the 116th birthday of Altina “Tina” Schinasi, the Sephardic Jewish artist, inventor and New Yorker who devised the distinctive eyeglasses.

In 2014, her grandson Peter Sanders and her granddaughter Victoria Sanders produced and directed “Altina,” a documentary about her life.

Follow the link above to learn more.

NPR | July 11, 2023

"Everybody that talks about Herc's parties back then talks about two things," says Jeff Chang, author of the definitive hip-hop history Can't Stop Won't Stop. "They talk about the intensity, the pure sound of the sound system — but they also talk about the music that Herc played." . . .

"Everybody is innovating and doing things in their own kind of way," says historian Jeff Chang. "The dances have changed. The kids who are coming into it now, they're younger, they're hungry. They want to put their stamp on it. And at some point, this overtakes what Herc built."

Follow the link above to learn more.

CrimeReads | July 7, 2023

This month’s psychological thrillers are fast-paced, intricate, and deliciously shocking.

May Cobb, A Likeable Woman
(Berkley)

Austin-based writer May Cobb is back with another sizzling thriller set in the sultry Texas heat. In her latest, a woman who has always wondered about the death of her unpredictable mother finds new answers in a memoir. She returns to her hometown to seek out the truth (and perhaps reconnect with an old flame, or at least have some flirtation in a swimming pool). You’ll tear through this one poolside! Maybe on the beach, while wearing sunglasses…who knows what thoughts of delicious vengeance may be hidden behind sunglasses.

Follow the link above to learn more.

Tribeza | July 7, 2023

Austin novelist May Cobb is releasing a new entry in her collection of juicy thrillers. Centered around Texas women, Cobb’s latest novel, “A Likable Woman,” promises to be every bit as steamy and compelling as its stylistic predecessors, “The Hunting Wives” and “My Summer Darlings,” and—like those page turners—”A Likable Woman” is already garnering national attention, making it onto multiple most anticipated summer reads list, including Oprah Daily’s, Buzzfeed’s, and CrimeRead’s. Fans of twisty thrillers will relish reading May Cobb’s works.

Follow the link above to learn more.