Complex | May 20, 2020

“In the middle of a global pandemic, Corvain Cooper sits in federal prison, serving a life sentence for a 2013 conspiracy to distribute more than one ton of marijuana, pleading for his release. As Cooper aptly points out, he is serving a sentence for something that used to be a crime—marijuana distribution—and has since been deemed an essential business during the COVID-19 crisis.

Yet, around the country, we’ve seen a number of celebrities and public figures convicted of more serious offenses getting released from jails and prisons in order to spare them the extraordinary risk of contracting COVID-19, and what could be a death sentence.“

Follow the link above to read the full article.

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Bookreporter | May 20, 2020

“By their very nature, thrillers and novels of suspense typically have any number of twists. However, The Wife Stalker is teeming with them, and a big one that will leave you totally reeling. You may read this entire book thinking you know what’s going on. At least 99 percent won’t get it right. Once you’ve reached the aha moment, you’ll want to go back to the beginning to see the perspective in a whole new light. Liv Constantine really is that clever with this plot.”

Follow the link above to read this fantastic review of The Wife Stalker by Liv Constantine!

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Elle | May 18, 2020

“In a world of instability, the steady churn of new books from brilliant authors remains one of the few things we can count on. As we move into the summer, typically a high point of the year for the publishing industry, the slate of new releases looks a bit different than it did a few months ago. But while a few dates have been pushed back, the book business remains one of the few able to march ahead. For those of us who proclaimed in an earlier life that we’d be avid readers if we just had more time at home, this is the moment. From essential new fiction by N. K. Jemisin and Curtis Sittenfeld to much-awaited sophomore titles by Morgan Jerkins and Stephanie Danler, there's something for everyone. Read on.”

My Mother’s House by Francesca Momplaisir was included in this beautiful round-up! Follow the link above to see the full list.

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Book Marks | May 15, 2020

“Lydia Millet’s A Children’s Bible, Richard Ford’s Sorry For Your Trouble, Samantha Harvey’s The Shapeless Unease, and Olivia Laing’s Funny Weather all feature among the Best Reviewed Books of the Week.”

My Mother’s House was included as one of the best reviewed books of last week! Click the link above to read more.

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Fox 11 | May 14, 2020

“LOS ANGELES - A group of activists who call themselves the ‘COVID-19 Response Team,’ have filed a lawsuit against Los Angeles County and the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department for what it calls ‘a failure to protect the health of inmates in the county jails,’ during the coronavirus pandemic. 

Patrisse Cullors, Founder and Chair of Reform LA Jails, says the sheriff is trying to demonize inmates. Cullors is also a co-founder of Black Lives Matter.

Los Angeles County Department Sheriff Alex Villanueva claims inmates are deliberately trying to infect themselves.

‘I’m disappointed in the Sheriff’s inability to roll out a plan to release more people out of the jails. Yes, he has released a significant amount of people out of the jails, but there are still people who are incredibly vulnerable who are at risk inside of L.A. jails.’

She said some of the vulnerable inmates include nine pregnant women, those who are HIV positive and those with suffering from mental illnesses.”

Follow the link above to read more.

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My Favorite Murder | May 14, 2020

“Karen and Georgia cover the murder of Madalyn Murray O'Hair and the survival story of Juliane Koepcke.”

In the most recent episode of the podcast, My Favorite Murder, host Georgia Hardstark picks Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter as her book club pick! Follow the link above to listen!

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BookPage | May 14, 2020

“When Franklin Delano Roosevelt died in 1945, he was praised for the significant advances African Americans made during his administration. One editorial said black Americans had ‘lost the best friend they ever had in the White House.’ The New Deal did provide African Americans with substantial assistance and more reason to hope, but FDR needed the support of Southern Democrats in Congress to advance his agenda, and he was reluctant to take actions on race that would upset them. What he was able to achieve came largely thanks to the efforts of an informal group of black activists, intellectuals and scholars working within the government. As historian Jill Watts shows in her meticulously researched and beautifully written The Black Cabinet: The Untold Story of African Americans and Politics During the Age of Roosevelt, these ‘black cabinet’ members succeeded in stopping or modifying many policies that would have made institutionalized racism even worse than it was.”

Follow the link above to read the full BookPage review of The Black Cabinet by Jill Watts!

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Ms. Magazine | May 13, 2020

“The Feminist Know-It-All: You know her. You can’t stand her. Good thing she’s not here! Instead, this column by gender and women’s studies librarian Karla Strand will amplify stories of the creation, access, use and preservation of knowledge by women and girls around the world; share innovative projects and initiatives that focus on information, literacies, libraries and more; and, of course, talk about all of the books.

Each month, I provide Ms. readers with a list of new books being published by writers from historically underrepresented groups.”

Book of the Little Axe by Lauren Francis-Sharma and My Mother’s House by Francesca Momplaisir were included in this fabulous round-up! Follow the link above to see the full list.

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Tor.com | May 12, 2020

“Francesca Momplaisir’s novel My Mother’s House tells the tale of a sentient home that burns itself to the ground in rage and despair at housing a terrible and abusive man. The dark and unsettling story follows Lucien, who flees his home country of Haiti with his wife, Marie-Ange, and their three children to move to New York City’s South Ozone Park and seek a fresh start. The family then buys a run-down house that they name ‘La Kay,’ or ‘My Mother’s house,’ which becomes a place for fellow Haitian immigrants to find peace, food, and legal assistance. What the family doesn’t know, however, is that all the while the house is watching and passing judgment on all of its inhabitants and is particularly upset at Lucien’s cruel behavior. But after La Kay burns itself to the ground, Lucien’s true evil nature is revealed.”

Follow the link above to read the rest of this wonderful review from Tor.com!

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Artforum | May 12, 2020

“Best-known as one of the three women who founded Black Lives Matter, and the powerhouse behind the grassroots movement that’s now transforming the Los Angeles County prison system, Patrisse Cullors is also a formidable artist. Fresh on the heels of major victories in both arenas—her Reform LA Jail’s initiative, Measure R, passed by a landslide 71 percent in the February election, and recent performances at LTD, Frieze LA, and The Broad have won her the attention of the Los Angeles art scene—Cullors talks here about the intersection of activism and creative expression.”

Follow the link above to read this amazing interview!

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LitHub | May 12, 2020

“You know what they say: April showers bring May books. Here’s today’s brand-new batch coming to (virtual) bookstores near you. Consider this a friendly reminder that it’s never a bad idea to support your local indie.”

Happy pub day to My Mother’s House by Francesca Momplaisir, Book of the Little Axe by Lauren Francis-Sharma and The Black Cabinet by Jill Watts! Follow the link above to read the full article and see what else is being published today.

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The New York Times | May 12, 2020

“There’s long been a standard story of the civil rights movement. It starts on a December evening in 1955, when Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery, Ala., bus. With that single act of defiance, the story says, Parks set off a movement that sped across the South of the 1950s and 1960s, through Little Rock and Greensboro, Anniston and Ole Miss, Birmingham and Selma, and brought Jim Crow tumbling down. Then, in the bitter spring of 1968, the movement went to Memphis. There it died, on a motel balcony awash in its martyr’s blood.

It’s a profoundly powerful story, in large part because it’s a sacred one, built on a fundamental faith in sacrifice and suffering as the route to redemption. And for years historians have been pushing against it. They’ve stretched the movement’s chronology, extended its geography, recovered all-but-forgotten events and given its overlooked activists their due, all in an effort to make its history deeper, richer and more troubling than the standard story lets it be.”

The New York Times reviewed The Black Cabinet: The Untold Story of African Americans and Politics During the Age of Roosevelt by Jill Watts. Follow the link above to read the full review.

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Library Journal | May 11, 2020

“Several new works of fiction tackle multigenerational family drama, Tudor expert Alison Weir's new novel stars the naive Katheryn Howard, and a guide to taking your cheese boards to the next level top this week's list of new titles.”

My Mother’s House by Francesca Momplaisir and Book of the Little Axe by Lauren Francis-Sharma are both included on this fabulous list! Follow the link above to read the entire article.

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Bitch Media | May 11, 2020

“It’s difficult to focus on anything, including pop culture, given that we’re in the midst of a life-altering pandemic—and that’s perfectly okay. It may take a while for us to return to some semblance of our normal lives, but in the meantime, finishing a single book—no matter how long it takes—might be a comfort. For those who are looking for a place to start, here is another monthly list of BitchReads from a variety of literary genres, including thrillers, novels about everything under the sun, and nonfiction books that explore everything from religious traditions to sexual harassment in the workplace. I hope there’s something on this list for everyone. As always, happy reading!”

My Mother’s House by Francesca Momplaisir was included in this fabulous round-up! Follow the link above to read more.

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New York Times Book Review | May 8, 2020

“‘My Mother’s House,’ Francesca Momplaisir’s debut novel, begins from the point of view of La Kay, a house on fire. The walls talk, scheme and ultimately give in to an impulse to self-destruct. The house has a large range of human intentions and emotions, including an affinity for Michael Jackson and rap music, and can burst pipes and inhale fire to act on its fears and desires. It provides one of three perspectives in the novel; the others belong to its owner, Lucien, and Sol, a woman living in the basement.”

My Mother’s House by Francesca Momplaisir was reviewed in the New York Times Book Review! Follow the link above to read the full piece.

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Refinery29 | May 8, 2020

“These authors write books about the dark and twisted underbelly of life – crime, murder, the supernatural. And they all have drawn inspiration from an unlikely source: motherhood. Here are the stories of moms and the dark sparks of creativity that inspired their work.”

Vanessa Lillie explains her inspiration for her debut novel, Little Voices. Follow the link above to read more.

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Tor.com | May 7, 2020

Tor.com put together a list of all the genre-bending titles heading to bookstores in May. My Mother’s House by Francesca Momplaisir was included on this list! Follow the link above to see the full round-up.

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Library Journal | May 1, 2020

“Haitian American author and scholar Momplaisir delivers a tale of immigrants and the American underclass where they often find themselves, but it is also an exploration of oppressive male violence. As a young man in Haiti, Lucien, the novel’s protagonist and villain, stalks Marie-Ange, the daughter of Duvalier’s assistant, and saves her from death after a coup’s backlash. Eventually they marry, and Lucien brings Marie-Ange and their three young daughters to America to live in a house he owns in Queens, NY. This house is a sentient character in the novel, but not all-knowing, unaware of the extent of violence under its roof. Lucien manages to keep his pedophilia and sexual predation hidden from the neighbors, as he captures several women and keeps them trapped in the house’s basement bomb shelter. In Momplaisir’s hands, Lucien’s character is multidimensioned and his rendering almost sympathetic.”

Follow the link above to read the verdict of this Library Journal starred review!

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