CrimeReads | September 1, 2020

“September is regularly one of the best months on the crime reader’s calendar, and this year does nothing to disappoint. That’s why we’re going with twelve recommendations for the month, rather than the usual ten. Below you’ll find exciting debuts and brand new thrillers from some of the most accomplished and widely read authors in the game.“

For the Best by Vanessa Lillie was selected by CrimeReads as one of the books to read this September! Follow the link above to read more.

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School Library Journal | September 1, 2020

“In the final installment of the ‘Zora and Me’ trilogy, readers return to life in Eatonville with 14-year-olds Carrie, Zora, and Teddy. A few years older, we find the trouble that always seems to follow this fictionalized version of acclaimed author Zora Neale Hurston has grown, too. When a white vigilante group sweeps through idyllic Eatonville, the first incorporated all-Black city in the United States, they leave the town reverberating with the shock of a man lynched within their borders. As with the other entries in this series, Zora’s mind begins to spin a web of stories to explain the seemingly inexplicable events around her. Who is summoning the dead in Eatonville, and why? Through lush, descriptive language, readers see the trio wrestle with fear, grief, relationships, changing family dynamics, and of course, racism at the turn of the 20th century. With short chapters, Bond ushers readers through this well-crafted historical novel with hints of mystery.”

Zora & Me: The Summoner by Victoria Bond received a starred review from School Library Journal! Follow the link above to read the full review.

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Popsugar | August 31, 2020

“We've officially made it through summer, and our reward is an impressive list of must-read books coming out in September. This month includes highly anticipated new titles from bestselling authors including Nicholas Sparks, Nick Hornby, and Ruth Ware. Add in a whole host of books already generating rave reviews — from The Unraveling of Cassidy Holmes, 2020's answer to Daisy Jones and the Six, to Alyssa Cole's masterful first thriller When No One Is watching — and it's clear that September is one of the most exciting months of the year for book fans. Go ahead and clear your calendar now, because this month is made for reading.”

For the Best by Vanessa Lillie was included in this fabulous round-up! Follow the link above to see the entire list.

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New York Post | August 29, 2020

“Hundreds gathered Saturday afternoon for a march through Kenosha, Wisconsin, a week after 29-year-old Jacob Blake was shot seven times in the back by a city policeman.

Blake’s family, who say the shooting left him paralyzed, have criticized rioters who set fires and damaged buildings during several violent days of protest. They were expected to lead the march. Protests in the city have been peaceful for the past two days, since the National Guard was sent in to help restore calm.

[…]

Separately, Patrisse Cullors, the artist and activist who was one of the founders of the Black Lives Matter movement in 2013, called for a strike in Hollywood to protest Blake’s shooting, following the cancellation of games across several sports last week. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, she said that ‘I think it’s time for talent, writers, executives, the guild and SAG to show up for Black lives as well.’

Cullors said she and others in the BLM movement are in talks with some talent to see what kind of protest is possible, in a way that will continue the momentum started after George Floyd’s police killing in May.”

Follow the link above to read the full article.

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Shelf Awareness | August 28, 2020

“In Cozbi A. Cabrera's heartwarming Me & Mama, a young child speaks about her mother and their rainy day spent together. Readers of this gentle story may find themselves thinking fondly of the adults in their lives with whom they have strong bonds.

Cabrera uses simple items to draw parallels and highlight differences between the child and her beloved mother: a china cup and a sippy cup, a big toothbrush and a little toothbrush, dresses designed for their different shapes. The realistic acrylic illustrations depict the different skin tones of mother and daughter--Mama darker skinned than her child--allowing Black children to see themselves and/or their family members represented accurately and appealingly. As she did in her 2018 picture book My Hair Is a Garden, the author celebrates natural hair with vivid illustrations portraying texture and precise depictions of hair types and styles common among BIPOC. One illustration is particularly evocative: the young girl holds the comb up to Mama's hair, showing a comforting ritual between mother and daughter.

Cabrera's poetic writing shares the child's love for her mother in detailed bite-sized chunks: "Mama reads to us./ I read to Mama./ I begin each story with Sometimes./ Mama laughs. She throws her head back and shines her teeth./ I laugh too." While Me & Mama offers a canvas onto which all children can draw their life experiences, it is primarily a beautifully celebratory mirror of Black life and family. Gentle and soft, Me & Mama is a loving bedtime story or a soothing read-aloud.”

Shelf Awareness gave a beautiful review of Me & Mama by Cozbi A. Cabrera. Follow the link above to read more and pick up a copy today from your local bookstore.

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Red Carpet Crash | August 28, 2020

“Let’s face it alcohol is not our friend. And for Jules Worthington-Smith it’s a nightmare. Her job had a big party last night and she had way too much to drink. She wakes up in the morning feeling horrible, hungover and worst she doesn’t remember most of the night. She knows she went to the event and then met up with her co-worker Terrance after at the local bar not far from her house.

And then the police arrive at her house and say they found her wallet. It was on the ground next to the dead body of Terrance in the alley by the bar they were at. She seems to be the only suspect at this time. She claims she’s innocent. Then word leaks out and she losses her job and gets shunned by a lot of people. She decides to go on the offense. She’s going to find out who killed Terrence.

She starts a VLOG and tapes everything she is doing. Her statement to the police. Her interviewing the bar people. Talking to the widow, the mistress she discovers. She finds all sort of evidence that it could have been someone else that did it. But the more she digs she finds that the truth might not be all that is seems to be. People close to her have lied and things might not be so black and white.

An engaging story with lots of twists and turns you won’t see coming. The use of the VLOG works really well here and enhances the story. A well-written thriller.”

Follow the link above to see the full review of For the Best by Vanessa Lillie!

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Hollywood Reporter | August 27, 2020

“TV writer Patrisse Cullors says that talent and executives in the entertainment industry should join with sports teams: ‘I think Hollywood can really show up in this moment.’

Following Tuesday night’s historic sports strike — which started with the Milwaukee Bucks boycotting their playoff game in solidarity with police shooting victim Jacob Blake — Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors is making a call for similar action in Hollywood.

‘I think it's time for talent, writers, executives, the guild and SAG to show up for Black lives as well,’ Cullors, a writer on Freeform’s Good Trouble, tells The Hollywood Reporter. ‘Join this strike. Now is the time and our movement is really looking to unions to step in in a particular way and say “We're going to hold back on allowing for the exploitation and the degradation of Black communities to continue under our watch.” I think Hollywood can really show up in this moment. While I understand not everyone can take the same risks, there is power and opportunity in developing a strategy and plan that centers the dignity of Black communities. That may mean a one-day strike or it may mean a day of educating Hollywood on what’s been happening to Black folks. Now is an opportunity for all of us to be bold and courageous.’”

Follow the link above to read the full article.

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Essence | August 27, 2020

“On Thursday, Queen Latifah will be hosting a Facebook Watch special, titled Change Together: From the March on Washington to Today to highlight the systemic injustice that Black people face in this country while encouraging listeners to continue to use their voices and be heard, particularly in the upcoming election.

According to a press release, the special will recognize the anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington, and how we can channel that same energy in our battles today.

‘I can’t think of a more important time than now to recognize the powerful changemakers from the 60s and how we can bring the same needed energy to the present. I hope you love watching this program as much as I loved hosting it,’ Queen Latifah said.

[…]

Other confirmed guests including actress and media personality Amanda Seales, attorney and political commentator Angela Rye, activist and artist Common, Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors and many more.”

Follow the link above to learn more about the Facebook Watch special.

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The Booklist Reader | August 25, 2020

“Welcome to the Shelf Care Interview, an occasional conversation series where Booklist talks to book people. This Shelf Care Interview is sponsored by HarperCollins Publishers.

In this episode of the Shelf Care Interview, Donna Seaman talks with renowned librarian, literary critic, book advocate, and ardent lifelong reader Nancy Pearl about her new book, The Writer’s Library: The Authors You Love on the Books That Changed Their Lives, an outstanding collection of interviews with 23 exceptionally gifted writers—and cowritten with Jeff Schwager—on sale September 8 from HarperOne,

You can listen to this Shelf Care Interview here. This transcript has been edited for clarity.”

Read the full interview at the link above!

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CNN | August 24, 2020

“Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Kahn-Cullors speaks on what inspired the movement.”

Follow the link above to watch the full video.

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Vanity Fair | August 24, 2020

“Todau I am tired as a bruise from too many years of too much explaining. Want to sink my mind into another kind of rising, which is a deeper form of rest, by remembering everything and everyone that got us here. Today I want to remember how we see the ones that came before, how we carry them on our backs and on our shoulders. In our arms. How the past remains a deep and bleeding wound in the present. And yet, a balm. Strange how we know this—that we have survived and continue to survive because as artists and activists, as storytellers and change-makers of all kinds, we know that no matter how crazy and deadly a moment seems, we continue to stare the future down in order to show the way to it. And like the visionaries gathered here—among them, the writers Nikole Hannah-Jones, Isabel Wilkerson, and Colson Whitehead; the activist-creators Ava DuVernay and Killer Mike; the cofounders of Black Lives Matter; and the congressional foursome known as the Squad—we will keep on keeping on.”

Patrisse Cullors was profiled in this beautiful and powerful Vanity Fair article. Follow the link above to read more.

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Politico | August 22, 2020

“Joe Biden gave the floor to George Floyd's brothers and Eric Garner’s mother on the first night of his convention. On the third night, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama spoke the words “Black lives matter,” and Kamala Harris bemoaned the damage done by “structural racism.”

The embrace of the movement against racial injustice was a dramatic shift from the party's last convention four years ago and did not go unnoticed by Black Lives Matter activists. But its leaders viewed the gestures as mostly lip service, without a real commitment to policy change: They want Biden to commit to defund the police and to crack down on misconduct by law enforcement.

‘It’s been unfortunate to not see the Democratic Party fully align themselves with the powerful work this movement has been doing,’ said Patrisse Cullors, who helped found the BLM movement in 2013 after the killing of Trayvon Martin.

The disappointment underscores the persistent divide between Biden's campaign and many BLM activists, even as they present a united front to oust President Donald Trump. It also showcases the careful line Democrats are attempting to walk: While the BLM movement has gone mainstream, most Americans tell pollsters they don’t support withholding money for police.”

Follow the link above to read the entire article.

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The Young Folks | August 21, 2020

“Want to take a break from your beloved fantasy, contemporary fiction, and sci-fi books? Look towards nonfiction books. There are many Young Adult nonfiction books releasing in 2020 that can enlighten you on American democracy, how to write a book, the environmentalist movement, and more. Here, I highlight 10 recent YA nonfiction releases that have informed, inspired and motivated readers in 2020.”

The YA edition of the New York Times bestselling book, When They Call You a Terrorist: A Story of Black Lives Matter and the Power to Change the World by Patrisse Khan-Cullors and asha bandele was included on this lovely list. Follow the link above to read more.

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USA Today | August 20, 2020

“Nonfiction books on race have resonated with readers across the country and on the USA TODAY Best-Selling Books list since the outcry spurred by George Floyd's death in May and the killing of Breonna Taylor in March – both Black, both dead at the hands of police. Readers are educating themselves on systemic racism and challenging their preconceptions about race.

But an equally powerful way to become more educated and enlightened is through fiction. Black authors give readers more insight into the Black experience, often by viewing the world through the lens of Black characters.

‘Fiction humanizes statistics; it humanizes people,’ says Farah Jasmine Griffin, pictured, an English professor who also chairs African American studies at Columbia University. ‘We invest in them ... in a way that we think their story is worthy of being told and we want to witness it. That’s profound, that’s absolutely profound. We care, it gives feeling and emotion and concern to something that might otherwise be easily stereotyped and caricatured. ... Fiction is an invitation to care.’

With input from Griffin and others, USA TODAY's Mary Cadden has culled a selection of 100 Black authors who write adult fiction. The list includes a variety of authors from established to debut, award-winning to best-selling, American and international. The authors specialize in a wide range of genres, including literary, speculative, fantasy, science fiction, romance, mystery and more. But keep in mind, for every novelist we have included, there are scores more to be read and discovered.”

Connie Briscoe and Francesca Momplaisir were both included in this fantastic round-up! Follow the link above to read the full article.

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The Washington Post | August 19, 2020

“Coming into 2020, African American chefs were growing in numbers and expertise. Some were even creating a golden age of refined Black heritage cooking and excellence.

No longer held hostage by a hierarchy that dismissed the foodways of the African diaspora, such Black chefs as Mashama Bailey, Kwame Onwuachi, Adrienne Cheatham and Eric Adjepong have given themselves permission to move away from European gastronomy as the only acceptable fare worthy of being deemed ‘cuisine.’ At the same time, they have reengaged the history and traditions of the African American kitchen and reinvented the pride and dignity of family recipes through the lens of modern cooking.

The only category traditionally afforded such chefs has been so-called soul food, whose main requirement seems to be that the person behind the stove is Black. But these chefs and others like them have expanded the culinary narrative. This, of course, is very personal to me. I have built my career on the goal of returning African American food to its origins and its rightful place among the long-revered fine-dining cuisines exalted around the world. And I worry that the coronavirus pandemic could jeopardize this progress.”

Follow the link above to read the rest of Alexander Small’s thought-provoking article.

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Deep South Dining | August 17, 2020

“Chef Alexander Smalls began his life in the South Carolina low country, but has traveled the world as a world class opera singer, opened some of Americas finest restaurants, and has the awards to prove it. His new cookbook, Meals, Music, and Muses: Recipes from My African American Kitchen bridges his two passions and presents them as binding forces of culture and history. Malcolm and Carol talk with Alexander about this new book, his South Carolina roots, and also hear from a show favorite about the elusive Hoover Sauce. Let's eat y'all!”

Follow the link above to listen to the entire interview!

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LibraryReads | August 17, 2020

The Writer’s Library by Nancy Pearl and Jeff Schwager is one of the top ten books published in September 2020 that librarians love! Follow the link above to see the full list.

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Author Of | August 17, 2020

“There seems to be nothing Chicago multimedia artist Cozbi Cabrera cannot do. Her talents range from gorgeous illustration to lyrical written word to delicate textile art. Just glimpsing her website, visitors get an immediate sense that she is a special creative force to behold. In 2020, Cozbi has two children's books hitting shelves—Exquisite: The Poetry and Life of Gwendolyn Brooks, written by Illinois' own Suzanne Slade (Abrams, April 7th); and Me & Mama, for which she is both author and illustrator (Simon & Schuster, coming August 25th)—joining a stack of others titles that she has either written or illustrated. And lucky participants in November's SCBWI Illinois Interactive 2020 virtual conference will get to experience Cozbi's incredible talents upclose, as she works with artists in breakout sessions.

Cozbi has drawn national attention with her handmade collectible cloth dolls, called Muñecas. And her growing collection of children's books (including Thanks A Million, written by Nikki Grimes and published by Greenwillow Books; My Hair Is A Garden, Albert Whitman) have earned starred reviews. We thought it would be interesting to hear from Cozbi about her creative process.”

Follow the link above to read the full interview!

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