Tameka Fleming

I knew very little about the Black Panthers. I've never had much interest in expanded my education on the Black militant group. However, this graphic novel piqued my interest. I'm so glad I picked it up. It tells the story of how the two founders met and formed the group, their initiatives--in the beginning--and how the government--seeing them as a threat--ultimately infiltrated the political group to create internal wars that would lead to their downfall. The story of the Black Panthers reminds me of Malcolm X, in that the government saw their potential, and took measures to ensure they would not succeed. What's more disheartening, is that the group was driven by drug addiction and a lack of education. I could see the path they were heading, before the story finished. Still, this is a concise biography, focusing on the essential events that led to their downfall. It doesn't just talk about the bad, it covers some of the good The Black Panther party did in their communities. The authors exercise impartiality, to tell a comprehensive story about the corruption and internal paranoia (influenced by drug addiction) that led to the fate of these incapable men, who initially had good intentions.

For actions made in the first book, Skin of the Sea, Simi now has to serve a new God, who is untrustworthy. She learns that she has to fight to protect herself and others. She is on a quest to capture the soul song that would save her and the people at the bottom of the ocean but there are demons who want to cause her harm and collect more bodies in her path. The romance between Simi and Kola continues in this conclusion and Simi forms new alliances. But this book reads more violent than the first one. They are at war with a God who wants more casualties. The fight scenes are well written and explicit but not too gory. The ending is satisfying but I did not enjoy Soul of the Deep as much as Skin of the Sea. There were too many characters who have similar names to each other and also similar to places mentioned. That got annoying. I switched back and forth between the physical and audio book to hear the pronunciations but the narrator did not clarify all that much.

Not what I expected but made some interesting points. I did find it striking that a lot of American media and pop culture was used to argue that the Parliament government is ineffective in governing its people. Although it says it is written by The Secret Barrister, only a high ranking official or prominent person would have the influence to hide their name while pointing out miscarriages of justice. Their point of view was evident while they tried, at times, to disguise their politics but I wouldn't say this is at all profound or even surprising in the injustice it brought up.

I liked this author's debut novel, which is why I picked this one up. However, the issue I forgave in the first novel showed up in this one too. This author doesn't write multi POVs well. None of the characters' voices stood out; I only knew the difference based on what they were going through in their lives; for that reason, this story would have been better if a single, third person, POV was used instead. There were too many characters to keep up with but I did like the sense of community the story established and where the characters left off at in the end.

This romance novel is for romance readers: it's got a book influencer for a heroine; she speaks bookish jargon even in her everyday life; her favorite holiday is Valentine's Day. Tara Chen is looking for her own meet-cute and eventual HEA. However, she has been dumped ten times. At the behest of her savvy grandmother, she revisits her ex-list in search of Mr. Right. While running through her exes, with the wisdom of being a serial dater, she also has her roommate Trevor Metcalf, a good-looking playboy, who turns out to be a friend and more. I can see the bookish jargon annoying some readers--it did me at times. But Tara is an interesting character and I liked following her story. Trevor's struggles were intriguing as well. The banter is sexy and flirty. It gets pretty steamy at times and dare I say it--Amy Lea manages romance with complex personal struggles better than Emily Henry. The difference is Lea knows how to stay in the romance lane.

I didn't like The Ivies but wanted to give this author another try because I like her YouTube channel. I'm glad I did. I love the mystery within a mystery. There were a lot of characters and most of them did not stand out but I guess it is expected in a mystery. I like the trope of a mystery writer who writes true crime and students unraveling the crimes in her novels. I liked the MC Cecilia but she did come off like a "know it all" (like the MC in The Ivies), but she was a tolerable "know it all."

I like how Gilbert tells a story. This is historical fiction but Gilbert does a good job of name-dropping to give you a sense of the time period. The characters she creates and their lifestyles are also indicative of the time period. A woman recants her younger and promiscuous years living in New York City in the 40s and 50s. She is working on an off-broadway show and living in an apartment, with other like-minded girls, having the time of their lives. She works as a seamstress for her Aunt Peg, who owns the theater where the show, City of Girls debuts in the city. City of Girls becomes a hit. Vivian, who finally falls for Anthony--one of the actors in the play--after many one night stands, is worried that he is going to leave her after his off-broadway success. Then the story takes a turn--not for the better. Gilbert's writing is exquisite so I have a hard time giving the story less than 3 stars. Unfortunately, I find this protagonist's arc and personal growth incredulous. I just can't believe someone her age, only cares about sex and does not want meaningful, romantic relationships. It affected my enjoyment of the story.

Debra Lee is the former CEO of Black Entertainment Television and a former lawyer. I definitely notice the lawyer experience in her writing style. She gets straight to the point and does not shield the reader from hers' and others' bad behavior. She unveils the patriarchy and boys club politics that kept her from having female mentors, and made her transition into CEO chair difficult. Her reflections on dependence of men in her professional life is fascinating. She also talks about relationships with powerful, celebrity women such as: Aretha Franklin and Oprah Winfrey, that weren't always easy to navigate. Great read, overall and highly recommend.

You know that NyQuil commercial, "stuffy, cough, sneezy, etc?" Insert that and swap out the cold symptoms for character flaws and tragic life experiences and that is this book. I don't know why this debut author tried to tackle so much in one story that is less than 300 pgs. Not to mention she did it with such DISREGARD AND DISRESPECT! There is mental health (not surprising); rape and sexual assault is brought up repeatedly and handled with the nonchalance of an everyday greeting; skin tone manipulation is also given the same tactless consideration; a dad who is wrongfully convicted reads like a penciled in plot she just thought up. I don't know who greenlit this but they should go back to school--along with her. The way serious issues are dealt with so recklessly is disgusting. I kept reading on thinking there would be redemption in the end--there wasn't. This author's hatred of men is felt throughout the story. I get that she is a debut author and so I was more tolerant of the poor tone but after reading through to the end, I am astounded.