CNN | September 24, 2020
“Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors talks about her disappointment in the grand jury's decision in the Breonna Taylor case.”
Follow the link above to listen to the full interview.
TIME | September 22, 2020
TIME has announced the 100 most influential people of 2020. The Black Lives Matter founders, Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tometi, were included! Follow the link above to see this years most influential people. The TIME article specifically about Alicia Garza, Patrise Cullors, and Opal Tometi can be found here.
Good Morning America | September 22, 2020
“Patrisse Cullors talks about the social justice movement, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and her book When They Call You a Terrorist.”
Follow the link above to watch Patrisse’s full interview on Good Morning America!
The Daily Show | September 22, 2020
“Black Lives Matter cofounder and When They Call You a Terrorist author Patrisse Cullors talks about her movement's vision of fundamentally reshaping policing while investing in human care.”
Follow the link above to watch Patrisse Cullors’ interview on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah!
Manhattan Book Review September 21, 2020
“Seeking the ingredients that make a successful writer, librarian Nancy Pearl and playwright Jeff Schwager scripted interview questions for about twenty prize-winning novelists. Familiar names such as Amor Towles, Michael Chabon, Viet Thanh Nguyen, and many more speak about the influences that have directed them in their chosen field. Several recount parents who read to them as children, others found deliverance in their local libraries, while some had both inspiring and encouraging teachers.
These successful writers come from diverse backgrounds; Asian and African immigrants, indigenous Americans, from the affluent to the impoverished. All of them had a love of words, a hunger for literature, and subsequently, found stories they wanted to tell. From being youngsters teething on the Nancy Drew series, science fiction, and fantasy to feed their imagination, all had a love of reading that emerged and matured at various ages and in different stages.
The writers share the motives and objectives for their novels, and they very generously reveal the readings that have sustained and enriched them over the years. Their lists and comments about influential books that have impacted their thoughts will likely elicit reflective and provocative comments from readers. If you love books, then this is an appealing confection that you’ll devour with relish.”
Follow the link above to read the five starred review!
PopSugar | September 21, 2020
“Haunted houses, inescapable curses, serial killers, and vampires are just a few of the horrors that populate the best new scary books of 2020. In this unprecedented year, horror may not be the first genre you feel like turning to, but there's plenty of catharsis to be found in tales of book club members turned vampire slayers and teen girls facing off hordes of the undead. The best scary stories are transportive, leading the reader into a nightmarish world full of good scares — you know, the kind that leave you up at night marveling at the writer's cleverness, but still feeling secure in your own bed. These 22 titles do just that, and they'll add plenty of spookiness to your TBR just in time for Halloween, too.”
My Mother’s House by Francesca Momplaisir was included in this round-up! Follow the link above to read more.
The Parkersburg News & Sentinel | September 19, 2020
“A drunken evening ends in murder and accustations in For the Best by Vanessa Lillie.
Juliet Worthington-Smith seems to live an enchanted life with a great career and family. On the night her foundation kicks off a new program, the star recipient ends up dead with her wallet next to him and Jules remembers nothing about that night – because she was blindingly drunk. Now the prime suspect, she decides to find the truth on her own through a true-crime vlog, much like her also dealing with alcoholism father. With the help of an ex, she is determined to track down the truth – but she may not like what it says.
A hard look at justice and alcoholism, this is a story that will stay with readers.”
For the Best by Vanessa Lillie was included in this suspense round-up! Follow the link above to read more.
Bookreporter | September 18, 2020
“Do other cities have famous librarians? Seattle’s Nancy Pearl has even inspired an action figure by Archie McPhee! The author of BOOK LUST, Pearl has been promoting great reads for her entire career, via television and radio. She teamed up with Jeff Schwager, a Seattle-based playwright, editor and producer, to compile a list of favorite authors and ask them a simple question: Why do you read, and how does reading help you write?
To focus the list, they decided to approach U.S. writers only. But due to our increasingly diverse population, they were able to include many immigrants and authors of color. Hence the list includes Jonathan Lethem, Viet Thanh Nguyen, Jennifer Egan and Siri Hustvedt. In all, they conducted 22 author interviews in person (except for Donna Tartt, whose interview happened via email) and gave the authors a chance to edit and tighten their transcripts. Each writer also provides a list of authors and books in their own library.”
Follow the link above to read the entire review.
Shelf Awareness | September 18, 2020
“Most readers will agree that a pleasure second only to reading great books is talking about them with simpatico people. Librarian and literary critic Nancy Pearl and award-winning playwright Jeff Schwager create a formidable and friendly partnership to interview 23 literary luminaries about their reading habits, favorite books, how they read while writing, and books that shaped their tastes and psyches. Hundreds of books and authors are discussed, praised and dissed, and Pearl and Schwager always offer informed opinions and enthusiastic encouragement.
The fascinating and energetic interviews in The Writer's Library become far-ranging discussions. These eloquent and passionate evangelists for books will have readers creating voluminous ‘Must Read’ lists.”
Follow the link above to read the full review!
The National Book Review | September 17, 2020
“As the salutatorian of my eighth grade class, I was invited to give a speech at graduation. Even as a child, I didn’t like coming in second, but I understood the invitation was an honor. With my mother’s help, I prepared a talk and practiced it for hours. My family was going through one of its poorer phases, so the night of the graduation I wore an ugly hand-me-down from my sister, a pink dress with a high collar that made my neck itch. In a moment of vanity, I left my glasses at home, though I was horribly nearsighted. Standing before a crowd of hushed parents in a dimly lit auditorium, I looked down at my speech and discovered I couldn’t read a word.
Flash forward forty plus years. At a literary festival, I was about to read for the first time from my debut book, a collection of short stories. I trembled violently, as panicked as my younger self. I was used to people reading my work, if they read it at all, somewhere, anywhere, miles away from me. I’m not a coffee-shop writer, or a library writer, when those venues are available. I work alone in my house, content for days to go by without leaving. But to get the word out about my new book, I had to appear before the public. Even now, as I try to promote my debut novel during a pandemic, I must find ways to reach the public, if only virtually.”
Follow the link above to read R.L. Maizes’ full essay.
CrimeReads | September 16, 2020
“My second thriller started to form because of a photograph that chilled my blood. The now-famous image was of activist Angela Peoples at the Women’s March on Washington. With three white women in their pink knit hats taking selfies behind her, Peoples held a sign that continues to haunt me: ‘Don’t Forget White Women Voted for Trump.’
Even being from a small town in a red state, I struggled with why. The answer I kept coming back to was we (white women) wanted a white man to protect our privilege. For anyone who’s been on the receiving end of a white woman defending a white man behaving badly, this shouldn’t be much of a surprise.
But the image stayed with me when I sat down to write my second thriller, For the Best. I couldn’t explore another white woman striding into the police station demanding answers or snooping in her neighbor’s bushes for clues. That’s not an insult to thriller writers, in fact, those things actually happened in my debut, Little Voices.
But even in early 2019, it felt like such privilege. There was no way I could ignore how white women were acting in the wake of our election. Or, the privilege in my own life or mistakes I’d made.”
Follow the link above to read Vanessa Lillie’s entire essay!
One Green Planet | September 15, 2020
“Meghan Markle is reportedly pitching a documentary about Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors as part of her and Prince Harry’s $100 million Netflix deal.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have founded a unnamed production company and signed a multiyear deal with Netflix to make documentaries, docu-series, feature films, scripted shows, and children’s programming, reaching Netflix’s 193 million subscribers worldwide.
‘Our focus will be on creating content that informs but also gives hope,’ the couple said in a statement. ‘As new parents, making inspirational family programming is also important to us.’ They added that Netflix’s ‘unprecedented reach will help us share impactful content that unlocks action.’
Patrisse Cullors, alongside Alicia Garza and Opal Tometi, founded Black Lives Matter in 2013 following the acquittal of Trayvon Martin’s murderer. As Black Lives Matter movement has gained an international following, Cullors was named in TIME Magazine’s 2020 100 Women of the Year project and became a New York Times bestselling author of When They Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir (2018).
Sources say Markle was ‘hugely inspired’ by Cullors’ incredible work and believes her story must be told.”
Follow the link above to read more!
The New York Times | September 15, 2020
The New York Times included When They Call You a Terrorist (Young Adult Edition): A Story of Black Lives Matter and the Power to Change the World by Patrisse Khan-Cullors and asha bandele on their list of “new and noteworthy audiobooks!” Follow the link above to learn more.
BOLO Books | September 14, 2020
“Pacing is one of those elusive elements that can make or break a novel. Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all optimum pace. Some novels require a slow, methodical storytelling method, while others benefit from having a more frantic tempo serve as a foundation for the plot. In addition to that, the way an author manipulates pace has countless permutations as well. For example, chapter length, volume of dialogue, placement of action set-pieces, and vocabulary choices can all affect the reading rate. Fortunately, whether the intention is a meandering rumination or a rollercoaster race to the end, readers can often sense when the pacing is handled successfully, even if it is challenging to pinpoint the true reason. Take for example, Vanessa Lillie’s new novel, For the Best. It will not take crime fiction fans long to realize that even though the book has a typical page-length for this style of suspense tale, for whatever reason this is a novel that begs to be read at breakneck speed, and is written by an author with the technical skills to capitalize on this instinct by ratcheting up her technique in order to make that desire reality.”
Follow the link above to read the full review.
Tulsa Morning Show | September 14, 2020
The Tulsa Morning Show interviewed Vanessa Lillie about her new novel, For the Best. Follow the link above to watch the full clip.
Authorlink | September 12, 2020
“Juliet Worthington-Smith, CEO of the Poe Foundation of Rhode Island, wakes with a blistering hangover one summer morning to find the police at her door. To Juliet’s horror Dr. Terrance Castle has been murdered—and she’s in the frame for the deed. Castle received a million dollar grant from the Foundation at a gala for his ground-breaking work on restorative justice, something Juliet planned to give the organization exposure beyond Rhode Island. From the get-go the knives are out for Juliet. Suspension from her job swiftly follows Castle’s murder, with his widow Dez and the Foundation board chairman leading the accusations against her. Juliet launches a vlog to cover her own investigation to clear her name.
Juliet’s memory of the night after the grant gala is hazy. Her purse was found with Castle’s body in an alley behind the bar where she got her hangover, but how did it get there? As she investigates, Juliet uncovers damaging secrets both Terrance and Dez Castle kept hidden. Juliet encounters fierce push-back from all sides, but she’s determined to press on, helped by a reporter, an ex-boyfriend, and hindered by her controversial father, Louis. The police are hovering, and the pressure on herself and her family increases as Juliet gets closer to the truth—but it might not be the truth she expects or wants to find.
In For the Best, Lillie shows her consummate expertise at weaving story strands into a deep and complex tale where not everything can be taken at face value. A genuine thriller with a vicious twist at the end that will make the reader gasp.”
Follow the link above to read more!
Book Riot | September 11, 2020
“2020 is a year wracked with one calamity after another. We’re in month seven of a global pandemic, with taciturn government response in multiple countries (including the U.S). Unemployment is skyrocketing, the end of moratoriums on evictions is coming, and the alarming militarization of the police continues forth. Authoritarianism is threatening our civil rights. The Black Lives Matter movement has a new life in mainstream media after the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Almost four months after Floyd’s murder, massive protests are still growing strong in various cities.
The New York Times suggests that Black Lives Matter is the biggest movement in U.S history. Around 15–26 million Americans took part in the protests as of June. This year marked a sharp 26% increase in approval of the movement. It should come as no surprise, therefore, that the national movement affected book media. In June, various book news websites shared lists of independent Black-owned bookstores and reported on the record sales. Some stores struggled with overwhelming orders. Many outlets like Buzzfeed shared essential reading lists about race and racism. If the movement was so massive that it affected coverage for many sites, then it’s worth looking at how Black Lives Matter directly impacted book media.”
Follow the link above to read more!
USA Today | September 11, 2020
“A book can offer escape and transport you to a place you’ve never been before. It can also open your mind to different views and thoughts. The right book can even change your life.
Remember back in school when teachers would assign certain books that would elicit good discussion or maybe (if you were lucky) introspection and inspiration? As adults, it’s nice to get to choose the books you read, but sometimes it’s also nice to be transported back to the old days of having recommendations to guide you.
And that’s what we have here today. But instead of having teachers assign the books, TMRW reached out to seven inspiring and successful women for their must-read recommendations. Each of the books listed below changed the life of the woman who read it, and perhaps it can do the same for you.
Below, see a wide range of novels and nonfiction books to add to your own reading list.”
Karin Slaughter talks about the book that changed her life. Follow the link above to read more.