“Love was a kind of grief. This was what the novelists meant by suffering.” (Americanah, 583) Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Americanah (Originally published in the US by Alfred A. Knopf, 2013) has been around a bit but only recently made its way to the top of my TBR. The novel puts forth some Zadie Smith WhiteContinue reading “AMERICANAH – Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie”
Author Archives: Tommi Powell
THE MASK FALLING – Samantha Shannon
Samantha Shannon’s The Mask Falling (2021 Bloomsbury Publishing), the highly anticipated fourth book of the Bone Season series, is without question my favorite of the series. The series is now more than half-way complete (there will be seven books), and we’re getting the thump! thump! of its heart in this novel. I have said sinceContinue reading “THE MASK FALLING – Samantha Shannon”
THE SONG RISING – Samantha Shannon
In August of 2012, I read about this young woman, an unpublished unknown still at University, who signed a 6-figure deal for the first three books in a proposed seven book series. In October of 2013, I read that book. I moved the review/reaction over to this blog and it should be linked below, butContinue reading “THE SONG RISING – Samantha Shannon”
HIEROGLYPHICS – Jill McCorkle
Jill McCorkle’s Hieroglyphics (2020 Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill) is a patchwork quilt made with scraps of guilt, trauma, secrets, family, survival, and mortality. At its heart, it is a novel of the things we cling to to remember and be remembered. Lil and Frank have retired to North Carolina from the brisk winters ofContinue reading “HIEROGLYPHICS – Jill McCorkle”
YES, YOUR MAJESTY – Jennifer Ann Shore
I read Metallic Red (2020) by Jennifer Ann Shore back in October, and I absolutely adored it. When the sequel, Yes, Your Majesty, became available for pre-order, I didn’t hesitate; I was eager to get back to Mina’s world. Mina, a half-human / half-vampire, had just become Queen of Appalachia at the close of MetallicContinue reading “YES, YOUR MAJESTY – Jennifer Ann Shore”
NEXT YEAR IN HAVANA – Chanel Cleeton
I picked up Chanel Cleeton’s Next Year in Havana (BERKLEY 2018) a few months ago because of the cover and the title. While I wish the “Reese’s Book Club” label wasn’t on it, this cover, in particular the colors, is quite captivating; the fact that the story itself outshines the cover is high praise. NextContinue reading “NEXT YEAR IN HAVANA – Chanel Cleeton”
THREE DARK CROWNS – Kendare Blake
“I will kill my sisters just as easily, Natalia,” Katherine says. “I promise. Though perhaps when I am finished, they will not look like they are sleeping.” Kendare Blake’s Three Dark Crowns (HarperTeen 2016) has been on my radar for a few years, but it only recently made its way to my physical TBR. IContinue reading “THREE DARK CROWNS – Kendare Blake”
GLAMOUR GIRLS – Marty Wingate
My “women at war” reading list has continued into 2021, finding me in England during WWII with Marty Wingate’s Glamour Girls (January 12, 2021, Alcove Press). Wingate, a cozy mystery writer, slid quite easily into the historical genre, and Glamour Girls is a quick and easy read with much of the violence of war (andContinue reading “GLAMOUR GIRLS – Marty Wingate”
YELLOW WIFE – Sadeqa Johnson
I love a good historical novel, particularly a well-researched novel that stands out both for its writing style and for a unique story that doesn’t feel regurgitated. While I admittedly gravitate more toward historical fiction with hints of magical realism (Remembrance and Conjure Women from last year being excellent examples), Sadeqa Johnson’s Yellow Wife (1/12/2021)Continue reading “YELLOW WIFE – Sadeqa Johnson”
AND THE MOUNTAINS ECHOED – Khaled Hosseini
I don’t know how I’ve managed to go so long without reading anything by Khaled Hosseini, but here I am in 2021 reviewing my first book by this master storyteller. And the Mountains Echoed (Riverhead Books 2013) is a novel I am unlikely to forget in this lifetime or the next. The decisions the charactersContinue reading “AND THE MOUNTAINS ECHOED – Khaled Hosseini”
A Girl Named Tommi 