Murder and Mamon by Mia P. Manansala brings balances the cozy mystery with the consequences of gossip and the difference between intent and impact. We still get cute moments with Lila and Longanisa as well as the tasty snacks we've come to expect from Tita Rosie's Kitchen Mysteries but this time, the Calendar Crew come face-to-face with a controversy they didn't directly create. There are plenty of people in Shady Palms who feel they've been targeted by Lila's godmothers, but no one knows who would have taken a life just to get back at them.

This was an entertaining read! I was worried about diving back into the series because it felt like book 3, Blackmail and Bibingka, got a little too dark for my taste. It made sense that Lila would have to deal with some trauma from being involved in three different murder investigations, but the book went into that mental health work more than I expected a cozy mystery would. This time, the mystery seems to be more balanced in how much of reality is infused into the storyline.

Some of the gossip that the Calendar Crew shared was pretty funny and reminded me of my maternal family's propensity for drama. It was also nice to see Lila's relationships stabilize and her dedication to her community through employment opportunities.

If you're a fan of cozy mysteries with delectable treats, adorable dogs, and nosy family members, you should give this series a try!

I finished reading The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno-Garcia and thought I'd share my review with y'all early!

The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno-Garcia delivers supernatural horror in three tales of mysterious disappearances connected by a grad student named Minerva. Her great-grandmother, Nana Alba, told Minerva many stories of witchcraft in Mexico which inspired her to study the history of horror literature in the hub of New England. Minerva expected to do research on her thesis topic, Beatrice Tremblay's real-life inspiration for her book The Vanishing, but she didn't expect to find eerie similarities between Tremblay's account and Nana Alba's story, let alone experience a shadowy presence herself. 

I’m very impressed by the way that Silvia Moreno-Garcia flits between the pov of three different characters in three timelines, settings, and cultures! Each narrator felt authentic which, I imagine, was a hard thing to accomplish. Like her name implies, Minerva is wise and artistic, but she recognizes that she inherited some of her proclivities from Nana Alba. This means that I didn’t have to yell at her (in my head) to stop running towards danger like I usually do (out loud) with most horror flicks. 

This novel has good pacing and the story kept me hooked, which is why it didn’t take long to finish reading. I think it was especially effective because I don’t know a whole lot about the horror genre in literature or Mexican folklore. When I don’t know much about a topic covered in media, I get excited to look it up and learn more! Another aspect that kept me reading was Moreno-Garcia’s accuracy in depicting Boston. I went to school in the city and would have cringed if the scenery and public transit weren’t depicted accurately. 

I found The Bewitching captivating and perfectly creepy, despite the fact that I predicted a few aspects of the mysteries within it. The only thing that I wasn't a fan of was the incest, but I guess that's part of what built the unsettling atmosphere.

If you enjoyed Mexican Gothic or books by Isabel Cañas, I think you should pick this book up, too!

June was a slow month for me, in regards to reading, thanks to an increase in my workload and a couple of successful Pride Month outings.

Many times, I had struggled to get into the books I was reading because my mood shifted frequently and the news updates were weighing on me. I'm super happy that I at least got to finish reading the following books:

The Ballad of Jacquotte Delahaye by Briony Cameron

It was so cool to dive into this sapphic historical fiction novel with a multiracial Black pirate based on folklore! Jacquotte Delahaye lives in Yáquimo, Saint-Domingue (modern-day Jacmel, Haiti) until her childhood friend betrays her and takes over the area. She flees with her brother, her crew, and the former governor’s wife Teresa. In their haste, they end up in servitude to a brutal pirate named Blackhand. This story is fascinating! Although the pacing seemed to slow sometimes, I still enjoyed the plot & Cameron’s attention to detail. If you’re looking for adventure with themes of found family and anti-colonialism, this book is a great choice.

All Superheroes Need PR (Supers In the City #1) by Elizabeth Stephens

I love how original and clever this book is. Roland aka the Pyro is a superhuman with a bad rep who wants to sign on with Vanessa’s firm for a hero makeover. Is he for real or is this a sinister plot? Vanessa and Roland are explosive together! I’ll admit, Vanessa’s clumsiness annoyed me in the beginning, but I warmed up to her quickly because she’s funny and sweet. The banter between all of the characters was chef’s kiss and made this a really fun read.

All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries #1) by Martha Wells

I read this book a few years ago but decided to pick it back up in a plot to get my husband back on audiobooks. (We’ve been watching the series adaptation of the Murderbot diaries, which is pretty faithful to All Systems Red with some exceptions.)

SecUnit aka “MurderBot” is a really entertaining and relatable narrator. Technically, its job is to protect the survey team in their mission on planet exploration, but it hacked its governor module. All it wants to do now is watch media like The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon but the crew needs more support than anyone expected. This is an awesome series with quick reads! There are also dramatized versions of the audiobook available.

When Javi Dumped Mari by Mia Sosa

This book is sweet, hella funny, and sexy. The build-up of their friendship was so real but heart-warming. Sometimes we meet the right person at the wrong time & sometimes we are lucky enough to find a way back to them. Mari & Javi felt inevitable in the best way. One of the things I loved the most about them is that they knew when to match each other’s chaotic & dramatic energy. This is a must-read for rom-com lovers!!!

I hope that y'all get into these books and they bring you as much distraction and/or comfort you may need right now.

👻 The Ghosts of Gwendolyn Montgomery by Clarence A. Haynes is out now & I’m pumped to tell you about it. 👻

Our MC is Gwendolyn Montgomery, a high-powered publicist in NYC with a seemingly polished life and secret mystical abilities. When a weird supernatural scene pops off at the Brooklyn Museum, she realizes her secrets might be coming back to haunt her. Montgomery decides to confront her past and team up w/ her estranged, queer, Afro-Latinx cousin Fonsi, a medium, to save the city from a weakening barrier between the living and the dead.

Doesn’t that sound intriguing?

📖 If this sounds up your alley, I hope y’all will add it to your tbr, check it out from the library, and/or purchase it!

~Harlem Renaissance 2.0 Book Drop~

[ID: TEXT - NEW BOOK ALERT. The cover of The Ghosts of Gwendolyn Montgomery sits on the left as orange tabs poke out of the book to the right. The text on the tabs read - Black Lead; Paranormal Drama; Unraveling Secrets; Mysterious & Bizarre Incidents; Sexy & Funny. Text Below - Out Now! The open book logo on the bottom right reads - Monthly Book Drop HR 2.0.]

Here are three books by authors with roots in the Caribbean that I wanna highlight today:

• Land of Love and Drowning by Tiphanie Yanique 🇻🇮
Yanique is a novelist, poet, essayist, short story writer, and professor who was born in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Her novel follows the Bradshaw family from 1916 through the 1970s, beginning with three siblings with magical gifts who are orphaned by a shipwreck.

Y’all know I love a good multi-generational epic, especially when magic is involved! I picked up this book about a month ago and hope to begin reading it soon.

•A Tropical Rebel Gets the Duke by Adriana Herrera 🇩🇴
Herrera is an Afro-Dominican author born & raised in the Caribbean.

The last book in her Las Léonas series brings a repressed physician & an infuriating Duke together in an explosive historical romance set in 19th century Paris.

I cannot recommend this book enough! The characters are complex, the history is fascinating, and the love story is extra steamy.

• When Javi Dumped Mari by Mia Sosa 🇧🇷🇵🇷
Sosa is an Afro-Latina author of rom-coms with roots in Brazil & Puerto Rico. Her most recent release delivers a hilarious slow-burn like no other!

Javi & Mari have been besties pining for one another since sophomore year of college, almost a decade ago. Just as Javi feels he is finally worthy of Mari’s love, she invites him to be the man of honor in her wedding to a man she started dating for less than a year.

I finished reading this book a couple of days ago & I loved it! There were so many quips that made me cackle & the tension between the MCs was palpable.

Have you read any of these books? What Caribbean book would you recommend to me?

[ID: TEXT - 3 book recs for Read Caribbean MONTH. A brown hand holds up Land of Love and Drowning by Tiphanie Yanique, A Tropical Rebel Gets the Duke by Adriana Herrera, and When Javi Dumped Mari by Mia Sosa in front of a blurred but colorful bookshelf. Shadows of tropical plants flank the top left and right corners.]

#ReadCaribbean #LatinxBooks #BookRecommendations #BlackBooks #BlackAuthors #CaribbeanAuthors

If you've been wondering where I've been, my usual response is: reading, working, worrying, writing, gaming, and probably watching tv. This time, there's a twist: I went to a Pride festival for the very first time. You might even say it was "Baby's First Pride!" I had a great time and felt super affirmed in that space so I will be going to one more Pride event this weekend to acquire more good vibes.

Of course, I've also been reading books on my tbr (physical & virtual). Aren't y'all proud?! Earlier this month, inspiration struck and I finally finished a chapter of the murder mystery book I'm working on where the Abuela solves crimes. I plotted out 25 chapters and also fleshed out the characters more, which felt amazing!

Despite all of this, my mind has still been on Palestine and the rest of the train wreck that has been playing out in US news like the ICE raids, offenses against libraries, protests, and more. If you are able, please donate to this campaign: https://gofund.me/aefe13af

Speaking of train wrecks, I've also been watching Love Island USA because sometimes you need to escape into someone else's drama for a minute. Invasion and Apothecary Diaries have also been great distractions.

My favorite updates have been these awesome ARCs and Pre-Orders that arrived over the past few weeks. I pre-ordered were:

• Along Came Amor by Alexis Daria

• All Super-Heroes Need PR by Elizabeth Stephens

• A special edition of That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon by Kimberly Lemming

• Can't Get Enough by Kennedy Ryan

• This Could Be Forever by Ebony LaDelle

My ARCs are:

• As You Wish by Leesa Cross-Smith

• Authentic: The Myth of Bringing Your Full Self to Work by Jodi-Ann Burey

So far, I've read 4 out of the 7 books listed!

It's been a rough June, but I expect I'll have to update y'all like this for the rest of the year, tbh. sigh

What have y'all been up to?