BOOK REVIEW: LUSTER by RAVEN LEILANI

Synopsis:

No one wants what no one wants.

And how do we even know what we want? How do we know we’re ready to take it?

Edie is stumbling her way through her twenties—sharing a subpar apartment in Bushwick, clocking in and out of her admin job, making a series of inappropriate sexual choices. She is also haltingly, fitfully giving heat and air to the art that simmers inside her. And then she meets Eric, a digital archivist with a family in New Jersey, including an autopsist wife who has agreed to an open marriage—with rules.

As if navigating the constantly shifting landscapes of contemporary sexual manners and racial politics weren’t hard enough, Edie finds herself unemployed and invited into Eric’s home—though not by Eric. She becomes a hesitant ally to his wife and a de facto role model to his adopted daughter. Edie may be the only Black woman young Akila knows.

Irresistibly unruly and strikingly beautiful, razor-sharp and slyly comic, sexually charged and utterly absorbing, Raven Leilani’s Luster is a portrait of a young woman trying to make sense of her life—her hunger, her anger—in a tumultuous era. It is also a haunting, aching description of how hard it is to believe in your own talent, and the unexpected influences that bring us into ourselves along the way.

My thoughts 

 Luster by Raven Leilani

⭐⭐⭐

I needed a few days to recover from this story. No doubt a very well written work of Millennial Fiction but I must say this may not be everyone's cup of tea.

The story follows Edie a young twenty something year old black woman living in New York who is trying to deal with the challenges of her past and present life.

Edie becomes involved with the much older and more experienced Eric, who is white and in an open marriage and the father of a black teenager who is adopted. Circumstances led to Edie spending time with this family in their home and their interaction is unbelievable.

I loved the writing style of this book because the reader really is in the mind of Edie which I would imagine was quite difficult to execute.

While I liked and understood the story I didn't love it as I thought I would have. Luster is one of those books that I will maybe have to revisit again.

Great book for a book club discussion...

BOOK REVIEW: THE BLACK MARKETER'S DAUGHTER BY SUMAN MALLICK

 

Synopsis:

Zuleikha arrives in the US from Lahore, Pakistan, by marriage, having trained as a pianist without ever owning a real piano. Now she finally has one--a wedding present from her husband--but nevertheless finds it difficult to get used to her new role of a suburban middle-class housewife who has an abundance of time to play it. Haunted by the imaginary worlds of the confiscated contraband books and movies that her father trafficked in to pay for her education and her dowry, and unable to reconcile them with the expectations of the real world of her present, she ends up as the central figure in a scandal that catapults her into the public eye and plays out in equal measures in the local news and in backroom deliberations, all fueled by winds of anti-Muslim hysteria.

The Black-Marketer's Daughter was a finalist for the Disquiet Open Borders Book Prize, and praised by the jury as a "complicated and compelling story" of our times, with two key cornerstones of the novel being the unsympathetic voice with which Mallick, almost objectively, relays catastrophic and deeply emotional events, and the unsparing eye with which he illuminates the different angles and conflicting interests at work in a complex situation. The cumulative effects, while deliberately unsettling to readers, nevertheless keeps them glued to the pages out of sheer curiosity about what will happen next. 

My Thoughts 

The Black-Marketer's Daughter

Honestly when I requested this book from Netgalley, I was drawn to the name and did not really read what it was about. 

But am I happy that I picked this up. This story is short but so very gripping that you will not be able to put it down. 

The story follows Zuleikha a young woman of Pakistani origin and who is also Muslim trying to get used to married life which has been more challenging for her than she expected.

While Zu's husband Iskander is a relatively good person he is almost too perfect, that she becomes bored.. With this boredom, Zu falls into the arms of another man, and this leads to damage of epic proportions. What really resonated with me were the issues that were highlighted i.e, gender, religion, culture and even politics. 

I love when a work of fiction can get such powerful messages across to the masses because reading in itself is supposed to expand individual thoughts beyond what is considered the norm. This book did that for me, The only thing is that the ending was a bit abrupt. I felt that more could have been said as to Iskander's fate. But in all tnis was a well written book that I can recommend.

HAPPY ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY TO TRINI GIRL READS!!!!

Hi Readers,

In spite of the challenges of the pandemic, it created many opportunities. 

It afforded me the chance to learn many different things and renew my interest in literature. 

Trini Girl Reads was founded on my passion for reading and in this the first year of its existence, my life has changed immensely. I have had the opportunity to write book reviews for authors, my inbox continues to be full with requests. I have done promotional blog tours and have been sharing books that I have been enjoying. 

The most important lesson I have learned with blogging is that it takes a lot of effort and work to create content that people would be interested in. I like that this platform gives me the opportunity to tap into my creative side and also practice my writing skills that, for many years has been strictly limited to academia. In the coming year I would like to do different things with the blog in order to expand my readership.

Much thanks to everyone, who has visited this space. I hope that you all continue to enjoy me sharing my moody and diverse reading habits for many years to come. 

HAPPY READING!!!

BOOK REVIEW: THE LONELY LONDONERS BY SAMUEL SELVON (A WEST INDIAN CLASSIC)

Synopsis 

 At Waterloo Station, hopeful new arrivals from the West Indies step off the boat train, ready to start afresh in 1950s London. There, homesick Moses Aloetta, who has already lived in the city for years, meets Henry 'Sir Galahad' Oliver and shows him the ropes. In this strange, cold and foggy city where the natives can be less than friendly at the sight of a black face, has Galahad met his Waterloo?

But the irrepressible newcomer cannot be cast down. He and all the other lonely new Londoners - from shiftless Cap to Tolroy, whose family has descended on him from Jamaica - must try to create a new life for themselves. As pessimistic 'old veteran' Moses watches their attempts, they gradually learn to survive and come to love the heady excitements of London.

My Thoughts 

"What is is that a city have, that any place in the world have, that you get so much to like it you wouldn't leave it for anywhere else? What it is that would keep men although by and large, in truth and in fact, they catching their royal to make a living, staying in a cramp-up room where you have to do everything-sleep, eat, dress, wash cook, live.....Why it is, that in the end, everyone cagey about saying outright that if a chance come they will go back to them green islands in the sun?" SAMUEL SELVON - THE LONELY LONDONERS

This is a masterpiece from one of the geniuses of Trinidadian and Caribbean Literature.

During my school days studying literature Samuel Selvon was one of the first local authors I was introduced to. For Lit I read A Brighter Sun and Ways of Sunlight which were assigned readings at the time. It took me years to find this particular title and I am so glad that it surpassed my expectations. 

The Lonely Londoners spoke to the experiences of West Indians who, migrated to London in the post World War 2 era. They are commonly referred to as the Windrush generation. The story spoke to the struggles with employment, race relations and the loneliness felt by the young men who went to this strange land looking for a better life. 

The story is told by Moses, a Trinidadian who having lived in London for ten years, shares his experiences with young Henry aka Sir Galahad a newbie to London who was told that Moses was the best person to show him the ropes. We are introduced to other characters Cap, Five, Tolroy and others and through the experiences of these men we learn what life was like for migrants at that time.

I must mention the clever use of Trinidadian "parlance" in the writing was excellent. There were many instances where I would laugh but the sense of loneliness, uncertainty, hardship and sadness came through the pages.

I loved this book. 

BLOG TOUR: WATCH FOR ME by Martin Bodenham

 

Blurb for WATCH FOR ME

Tom Harper, a Vancouver Island realtor, has the client from hell, Ali Page, a beautiful and intelligent young lawyer returning from the mainland to take up a job with an island law firm. Trouble is there’s always something wrong with the properties Tom shows her, always a reason not to commit. Finally, after they find a condo she likes, he receives a text thanking him for his help. Ali signs off: I’m sad we won’t get to spend more time together. Often cold and withdrawn throughout their weeks of searching, Ali’s words seem strangely out of character.

The texts keep coming, increasingly incoherent and disturbing. What does Ali mean by: we have a special connection, and why on earth would she say: I’ll be here for you when you leave your wife? Happily married, Tom cannot understand why a woman not much older than his teenage daughter is suddenly obsessed with him. When he rejects Ali’s unsolicited advances, Tom soon discovers the sinister depths to which a delusional mind will sink to obtain what it wants. Isolated and seemingly abandoned by the police and legal system, this is the story of one man’s struggle to rescue his marriage, his family, and his sanity in the face of overwhelming psychological and physical torment.

Fans are raving about this new psychological thriller!!!

My thoughts

This book literally put meaning to the phrase "HOOKED FROM PAGE ONE". 

It had everything suspense, drama and the thriller effect that will make you cringe. This book is the reason that psychological thrillers are one of my favourite genres to read because it had me turning pages because I was dying to know what happened at the end. And what an ending that was!!!!

Tom Harper a realtor had no idea that when he agreed to help his friend's daughter chose a new home that she will be the client from hell. Ali Page a beautiful young lawyer is not the innocent flower that she presents herself to be. She has a twisted mind and becomes so intent on getting what she wants that she is prepared to do anything it takes. In this case she wants Tom!!!!!

The writing in this book was great especially in terms of character development. Ali scared me and I really felt deeply for Tom. Mr. Bodenham really did a great job writing these two characters. I love the message in the book as well in terms of how men are treated by law enforcement as opposed to women with reporting cases of abuse and harrassment. The book did a great job in showing this.

I kept thinking about if I would have believed my husband in a case like this!!!! Maybe not. I may have been like Marie who like many wives are conflicted when it comes to their husband and infidelity. 

I loved also the descriptions of the setting 'Owen Bay' and other parts of Canada. It was a really nice touch. As readers different things stand out and for me this was one of the things that did.

In all, this is a MUST READ for psychological thriller fans.

MUCH THANKS TO ANNE FROM RANDOM THINGS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO JOIN THIS TOUR.

About the Author

Martin Bodenham is the author of the crime thrillers: Crime And Justice, The Geneva Connection, Once a Killer and Shakedown. Watch For Me is his latest novel, published 16 August 2021 by Down & Out Books, a US-based publisher of crime fiction, founded in 2011.

After a thirty-year career in private equity and corporate finance in London, Martin moved to the west coast of Canada, where he writes full-time. He held corporate finance partner positions at both KPMG and Ernst & Young as well as senior roles at several private equity firms before founding his own private equity company in 2001. Much of the tension in his thrillers is based on the greed and fear he witnessed first-hand while working in international finance.

Martin’s website: https://www.martinbodenham.com/

Martin’s Twitter page: https://twitter.com/martinbodenham

Martin’s LinkedIn page: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/martin-bodenham-8228307

Martin’s publisher’s page: https://downandoutbooks.com/

 

FOLLOW THE TOUR 

BOOK REVIEW: How The One Armed Sister Sweeps Her House by Cherie Jones

Synopsis 

In Baxter Beach, Barbados, moneyed ex-pats clash with the locals who often end up serving them: braiding their hair, minding their children, and selling them drugs. Lala lives on the beach with her husband, Adan, a petty criminal with endless charisma whose thwarted burglary of one of the Baxter Beach mansions sets off a chain of events with terrible consequences. A gunshot no one was meant to witness. A new mother whose baby is found lifeless on the beach. A woman torn between two worlds and incapacitated by grief. And two men driven by desperation and greed who attempt a crime that will risk their freedom -- and their lives.

My thoughts

WOW this was a difficult book to digest!!! 

I finished this one a few days ago and it was one of those books that leave you with absolutely no words. Were I in a book club I would have loved to discuss this story because there was so much depth to it. The story is set in the Caribbean (on the island of Barbados) and it follows a young woman named Lala. 

The story begins with Lala's grandmother telling her a fable of two sisters in which one of them ends up with only one hand because of disobedience. The book then chronicles Lala's life as she is an older teen married to a local criminal named Adan.  Brace yourself when Adan enters the story cause at times I didn't know if to hate him or feel sorry for him. 

I think the prevailing theme in this book was generational curses and how they can impact your entire life. I was really captivated by the story of Esme, Lala's mother. It seemed that as much her mom tried to protect her from a life of abuse it some how managed to seep into her life. I am a strong believer that some people are indeed cursed because of what generations in the past did.

The story of Tone spoke to many issues. His abuse was of a different kind but it shaped the person he became. It seemed like everyone in this story were haunted by something in the past which to me made the book fascinating.

The writing was superb. Ms. Jones really knows how to put pen to paper and create a story that will impact you. 

I recommend this one!!!

About the Author 

Cherie Jones is an award-winning author from Barbados. Her debut novel HOW THE ONE-ARMED SISTER SWEEPS HER HOUSE has been critically acclaimed by several publications including the The New York Times, Los Angeles Times and Washington Post and is Good Morning America's Bookclub pick for February, 2021. Cherie's past publication credits include PANK, The Feminist Wire and Eclectica. She is a past fellowship awardee of the Vermont Studio Centre and a recipient of the Archie Markham Award and A.M. Heath Prize from Sheffield Hallam University (UK).

Cherie currently lives in Barbados with her children where, in addition to her writing, she works as a lawyer and indulges her passion for chocolate.

BOOK REVIEW: AFFIRMATIONS FOR A MENTOR by Erminia Cilliers

HERE IS A DIFFERENT TYPE OF BOOK!!! I LOVE THESE TOO....

A book for women who consider themselves role-models, to help cultivate a positive mindset. This book explores 110 famous quotes of legendary figures and elaborates on them to provide fantastic affirmations reminding you to be confident, positive and happy. It will inspire and motivate you to embody and teach the very values you wish to instill in others. These quotes and affirmations will re-ignite that hunger for life that may just be dormant, or will help you discover a new form of confidence to take on your busy schedules. You are a mentor, so be the best you can be!

WITH POSITIVE QUOTES from Oprah Winfrey, Maya Angelou, and Robin Williams to name but a few.
WITH DAILY AFFIRMATIONS that will provide positive energy to carry you through the day, until it is time for your well-deserved slumber.
WITH "HOW TO USE THIS BOOK" that will provide you with some suggestions on how to incorporate these affirmations in your life.

My Thoughts

Favourite Quote:

"Happiness is not something you postpone for the future; it is something you design for the present." _ Jim Rohn

I'm not a mother yet but I appreciate this book full of affirmations. I see this as a guide that anyone can use to guide and encourage them through some really dark days and to uplift when struggling. As someone growing up with a single mother, and being a teacher who at times have to be that person who mothers sometimes confide in, the lessons and encouragement gleaned through this simple text can really impact lives.

This book reads like a text for your life, one that you can read daily as you seek encouragement, happiness and overall well being. As mothers, self care is important and taking care of your mental health is the best care you can get. This book will make a wonderful gift. I plan to make this a Christmas gift to one or two people myself.


Much thanks to the author for the copy.

AMAZON PURCHASE LINK

Book Review: Educated by Tara Westover

 Synopsis

Tara Westover was 17 the first time she set foot in a classroom. Born to survivalists in the mountains of Idaho, she prepared for the end of the world by stockpiling home-canned peaches and sleeping with her "head-for-the-hills bag". In the summer she stewed herbs for her mother, a midwife and healer, and in the winter she salvaged in her father's junkyard.

Her father forbade hospitals, so Tara never saw a doctor or nurse. Gashes and concussions, even burns from explosions, were all treated at home with herbalism. The family was so isolated from mainstream society that there was no one to ensure the children received an education and no one to intervene when one of Tara's older brothers became violent.

Then, lacking any formal education, Tara began to educate herself. She taught herself enough mathematics and grammar to be admitted to Brigham Young University, where she studied history, learning for the first time about important world events like the Holocaust and the civil rights movement. Her quest for knowledge transformed her, taking her over oceans and across continents, to Harvard and to Cambridge. Only then would she wonder if she'd traveled too far, if there was still a way home.

Educated is an account of the struggle for self-invention. It is a tale of fierce family loyalty and of the grief that comes with severing the closest of ties. With the acute insight that distinguishes all great writers, Westover has crafted a universal coming-of-age story that gets to the heart of what an education is and what it offers: the perspective to see one's life through new eyes and the will to change it.

My thoughts

Worth the hype!!

I have been seeing this book everywhere YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter so I finally decided to read it myself and see if it was really as good as people say. 

This is definitely one of the best memoirs I have read. I really like memoirs because for me learning about how people lived, their family life, culture really teaches you lessons about people. Sometimes we as individuals are quick to pass judgement on others without knowing that their struggles at times cause them to be how they are. 

Tara's father clearly had undiagnosed mental illness perhaps bipolar disorder and this impacted the lives of not only Tara but her brothers and sister and in my opinion her mother most of all. I never quite understood Tara's mother, she made me really angry. I felt that she really turned a blind eye to everything and because of this made things worse. But then again I guess she depicted the role of the wife in a culture such as this so maybe her subservience was her coping mechanism or a way of convincing herself that things were not as bad as they seemed to be.

Tara is such as strong person her story really makes you believe that anything is possible. Here is a story of a young woman who persevered. She began school for the first time at seventeen, never sat in a class before, no money, winning scholarships, teaching herself, playing catch up. If this is not strength I do not know what is. I think that this is a book that everyone who feels that they cannot achieve something should read.

Belonging to a family that is toxic like in Tara's case really affected her mentally. This in my opinion is a reality for many people. It was important for us to feel what she was going through. The whole experience with her brother Shawn and being abused were obstacles, and I think it was important for her to detail those bad days so that we as readers could understand that even though education, opened her eyes and broadened her perspective on life her past always had a way of affecting her.

Overall this was a good book. Exactly the type of book I would like to discuss in a book club were I in one.

BOOK REVIEW: THE GIRL WHO STOLE JEB STUART by Paul Ferrante

 

Blurb:

Magnolia was just another sleepy Southern town...until she arrived.

Didi Diyoka can't believe her good fortune when she's given the opportunity to attend high school in America for her senior year - and maybe after that. Once she arrives from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, she marvels at the almost magical upgrades in her education and standard of living. But as time goes on, Didi begins to understand that the trappings of her new life come at a price, and notices the chilling similarities between her new home and the one she left behind. And although it's 2013, it seems that in Magnolia, South Carolina, time has stood still, and that the ghosts of its past are never far away. What then happens forces Didi to examine the values of her community, school and friends, and embark upon a journey of discovery about her new country - and herself.

 

My Thoughts 

Little book with major significance. A must read for young and old.

There is no better way to describe Paul Ferrante's "The Girl who Stole J.E.B. Stuart". I really believe I was meant to read this book simply because I almost requested it on Book Sirens a while back and didn't because of having too many books to read. Thanks to the publisher, this book made it's way to me and what a surprise it was. As a teacher of Caribbean History and Social Studies here in Trinidad and Tobago this book was impacting to me on a different level than most people. It spoke in some ways to the importance of History and how events of the past still have an effect on our society. 

What Didi's character represented in the story was a young person's desire to find out the truth and speak up even when it is sometimes difficult to be heard. I found the book was well researched, I think the author has a firm understanding of the Civil War until it made me realize that I need to read more about this period myself. I also loved the similarities that were made with Didi's country in the Congo and the United States. 

Other standout characters were Pierce, Mr. Pennington and Heidi. The way Mr. Pennington taught the course on the Civil War speaks to an education environment that is one sided and afraid to some extent to hear another point of view. 

This book was very well written. I hope that more people will read it because I am glad that I did.

Much thanks again to the publisher and author for sending me this very enjoyable novel.

About the Author:

Paul Ferrante is a retired teacher of 40 years. Many of those years were spent teaching in an urban school district where his students were predominantly African-American. There he forged close relationships with his students and would go on to be recognized for promoting cultural diversity in the classroom. Many of the books in his 5 volume T.J. Jackson Mystery series share the themes of inclusion, race relations, acceptance, and/or civil rights, specifically Spirits of the Pirate House (slavery in the Caribbean), Roberto's Return (anti-Latino prejudice), Curse of the Fairfield Witch (religious tolerance), and The Voodoo Cult's Treasure (racism in the South).

 

“I write these books to TEACH history and promote these themes as well as to entertain,” say Paul Ferrante.

 

 

COVER REVEAL: THE VALOR BY RANDI COOLEY WILSON

 

 Title: Valor
Author: Randi Cooley Wilson
Genre: YA Fantasy/ Fantasy Romance
Cover Designer: Anna-Lena Spies
Publication Date: November 2021
Publisher: Secret Garden Productions, LLC
Audio Publisher: The Audio Flow, LLC
Hosted by: Lady Amber’s PR

Blurb:

A knightress with a heart of courage.

 

A prince who is hiding a dark secret.

 

Each the salvation their kingdom needs to survive. But first, they need to survive one another.

 

 

By bestselling author Randi Cooley Wilson, the Knightress Series is a heroic quest through a world of honor, romance, and gallant knights!

 

 

Seventeen-year-old Greer has an instinctual talent for both magic and combat, each earning her a coveted position with the Order of The Holy Knights. And while her warrior gifts are unparalleled to any other, the reason for her knightly acceptance and admittance to the chivalric order lies far deeper than skill—a hidden truth buried long ago—a secret that surges through her veins.

 

Prince Law is preparing to inherit the crown on his eighteenth birthday. A Mage, Law is the last descendant of dragons. But Law has secrets of his own—secrets his family has hidden from him. If allowed to take the throne, his dragon magic will protect his existence. That is if his enemies don't slay him before his coronation.

 

Fearing for Law's safety, his father beseeches the Holy Knights to protect his only heir. Much to her dismay, Greer is chosen as Law's Knightress. She loathes the spoiled future king. He resents being tethered to a girl for protection. When the two are forced together on a quest to claim a royal jewel, they uncover family secrets and deceits.

 

To save the kingdom, they'll have to put their trust in one another before a war is unleashed. With the kingdom's future at stake, can Greer convince Law to walk away from the throne? Or will the pull of destiny be too powerful for him to resist?

AUDIO PARTNERSHIP ANNOUNCEMENT!

Randi Cooley Wilson is an award-winning, bestselling author of The Revelation Series, The Royal Protector Academy Novels, The Dark Soul Trilogy and her upcoming Knightress Series. Randi's books have been featured on Good Morning America, British Glamour Magazine, USA Today's HEA Section, and in the Emmy's Gifting Suite. Her books range in genre, and include contemporary romance, urban fantasy, and paranormal romance, for both young adult and adult readers. For more on Randi, please visit her website, www.randicooleywilson.com

Author Links:

Bookbub | Newsletter | Amazon | Goodreads | Facebook | Instagram | Website

 

BOOK REVIEW: The Hate U give by Angie Thomas

Blurb:

Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed.

Soon afterward, his death is a national headline. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Protesters are taking to the streets in Khalil’s name. Some cops and the local drug lord try to intimidate Starr and her family. What everyone wants to know is: what really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr.

But what Starr does—or does not—say could upend her community. It could also endanger her life.

Inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, this is a powerful and gripping YA novel about one girl's struggle for justice

My Thoughts (SPOILER FREE)

I finished this title a few days ago but because the story had such an impact on me I needed a few days to gather my thoughts. 

Starr Carter, sixteen, daughter of a former convict, from a neighborhood plagued with poverty and criminal activity, witnesses for the second time in her young life a shooting of a friend (Khalil) this time at the hands of the police. Starr throughout the story has to overcome this, meanwhile having to struggle in silence as she attends a suburban prep school where the students live completely different lives to her. 

This story was necessary and one that had to be written. 

I am so glad that this book is as popular as it is because this tells of the daily struggle of many who belong to areas such as Garden Heights. I love how the story highlights many different themes. It speaks to community, how a community, survival, family and race relations. Because it took so many different perspectives it did not read as one sided which really stood out for me since most times stories like these are not very accommodating to different views.

Maverick (Starr's father) was a very important character in the book and I look forward to reading his story in Concrete Rose.

This is a must read for young and old. 

Very well written!!! Great book!!!

July Wrap Up - 5 books

 

Hi readers,

I thought initially that July would be my best reading month because I am on vacation. The vacation so far has been so exhausting so I did not end up doing the amount of reading that I hoped for. Nevertheless, I read five very enjoyable books. Have you read any of these??? 

August is my birthday month so I look forward to reading more exciting stuff so stay tuned....

Francica 

Trini Girl Reads