Anna May Wong was a Chinese American actress in the Silent era and talkies, during the first half of the 20th Century. Her successful years were between the 1920s and 1940s, in spite of the limited roles she could play–a result of prejudice in Hollywood and America. In those days, an interracial relationship was forbidden:Continue reading “How America and China played Sea Saw with Chinese American Actress Anna May Wong”

The Darnell family was built on lies and old money. You’re already suspicious of them because no one seems to earn their wealth laboriously. Somehow, their affluence rolls into the next generation’s slot with the ease that barely raises suspicion. The Darnell family has lived in the North Carolina mountains for over a century. TheContinue reading “A Gothic Thriller with Family Secrets And Old Money: The Heiress By Rachel Hawkins”

“For the first ten years of our professional relationship, Bob and I were strictly colleagues. I considered him a mentor, a sponsor.” (Lee p. 172) In an interview with Good Morning America’s Robin Roberts, Debra Lee admitted to an affair with founder and original CEO of Black Entertainment Television, Robert L. Johnson. I listened toContinue reading “Former BET CEO, Debra Lee Championed Black Excellence While Being Denied Her Professional Worth”

We mean well when we seek resources to improve ourselves. However, the self-help genre has become something of an obsession, encouraging people to remain in a perpetual state of self-improvement. In a post COVID society, this genre has exploited knowing that people are spending more time at home. There has been one book, with aContinue reading “How Much Self-Help Does One Need? Apparently, one More Book.”

Maggie O’ Farrell’s, The Marriage Portrait has more connotations than the American alphabet has letters. It is a story about the third daughter, Lucrezia de Medici of the grand duke. She is thrust into the limelight after her sister dies suddenly on the eve of her marriage to Alfonso, the duke of Ferrara. He, withContinue reading “The Marriage Portrait Shines A Light On Masculine Inferiority”

This is a solid debut in the thriller genre, which could use some new and cultured voices.We follow Ellice Littlejohn, who is a mature-aged, token, Black lawyer at her company: she was hired to combat racial discrimination and lawsuits. While she is managing her “little secrets” she discovers her boss lying dead in his officeContinue reading “Legal Thrillers By Black Authors”

This bestseller, written by Patrick Radden Keefe, covers the Sackler family who is to blame for the opioid epidemic that swept America like an ominous force that we weren’t alerted the perils of. This is a long book that covers a span of twentieth and twenty-first century business practices that the Sackler family exploited–for generations–toContinue reading “Doubleday brings us Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe”

With the recent acquisition of Findaway, Spotify is gradually building a platform to attract readers as well as cater to their longtime base–music listeners. Audiobooks have been available on Spotify for a few years now however, you have to do some work to find them. Here are some suggestions to get you started. Fantasy andContinue reading “Audiobooks on Spotify”

A YA Fantasy about a Black mermaid; I was not asking for it but I’m glad Natasha Bowen thought to write it. This is a fast-paced, cinematic Little Mermaid retelling with rich descriptions of the sea and African mythology woven throughout. Natasha Bowen is of Nigerian and Welsh descent and lives in England. I sayContinue reading “Skin of the Sea: Little Mermaid Retelling”

If I could describe this story in one word, it would be the letter Z. This book had so many twists and turns. I kept trying to guess what they would be; I was wrong most of the time. Rachel Hawkins kept me guessing.The characters are relatable (or at least understandable), smart and funny. HowContinue reading “The Wife Upstairs: A Puzzle You Want To Get”

Author Jeanette Escudero is new to women’s fiction readers. She has written romance novels under the pen name Sidney Halston. Her women’s fiction debut is nothing short of a stellar introduction into her style of storytelling. She writes funny, smart, career-oriented women who are relatable. They are not the virgin heroines that every man wants. They areContinue reading “Jeanette Escudero’s The Apology Project is a Fresh Update to Romcom Fiction”