Deathless Divide has women killing zombies while building complicated friendships, and that was delightful enough to make me (almost) happy. If I could excise the parts of the books that frustrated me, I would be even happier. The first book in this series, Dread Nation, was a near-perfect book, so my hopes for Deathless Divide were high. This series is set in an alternate-history 19th century United States, where Civil War ends after the walking … Continue reading Deathless Divide by Justina Ireland →
CW: Off the page suicide attempt of a minor character. Classism, including jokes about hobos. The blurb for Last Tang Standing recommends it for “fans of Crazy Rich Asians and Bridget Jones’s Diary.” I liked those books, and I can see the superficial similarities—this is a humorous diary set in wealthy Singapore—but this book doesn’t bring much of an original perspective to the story of a 30-something finding themselves. Last Tang Standing tries so hard … Continue reading Last Tang Standing by Lauren Ho →
Real Men Knit is a contemporary romance set in Harlem. Mama Joy was the owner of Strong Knits, one of the few older Black-owned small businesses in Harlem. She was also the foster mother to Jesse, Noah, Lucas, and Damian, and mentor and mother-figure to Kerry, all of whom are now adults. When Mama Joy dies, Jesse and Kerry decide to try to keep the store open as a tribute to Mama Joy and because … Continue reading Real Men Knit by Kwana Jackson →
