#mrdrc22

[mamanerd22]

#monthlyroundup Finished April with 14 books. Though to be honest several of those were novellas. I knocked out 3 books for my @booksinthefreezer Reading Challenge. I only have 1 book left for that one and I'll be finished with my 12 horror. Maybe I'll double up and try to do everything 2x. I also knocked 3 off my @bookriot read harder challenge and 1 of the #MRDRC22 . A few horror, quite a few #KindleUnlimited novellas and some audiobooks. Highlights of the month include Over The Top by @jvn Fast Pitch by @nicstone and Electric Idol by @katee_robert #AprilReads #horror #novellas #nonfiction #romance #thriller #middlegrade #BlackWomenAuthors #BooksInTheFreezerReadingChallenge2022 #BookRiotReadHarder2022 #nerdymama #nerdymamabooks #booknerd #DiverseBookstagrammersRead #bookstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/CdCOiP1rboP/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[maddblackgemini]

Next up for my #mrdrc22 prompt is a book that has won a literary award by a woman of color. This book will also be my next Blog Tour post coming out in March as a debut novel. Originally published in Spain in 2020, this book has now been translated into English and will be published in the United States in March 2022. A poet, turned novelist, Elena Medel is breaking into the scene with this sweeping transformative debut novel. Thank you to the publisher for this gifted novel and can’t wait to share my review with you all! (@algonquinbooks What are you reading this weekend? #blackbookstagram #maddblackreads #blackbibliophile #wellreadblackgirl #blackreaders #readingislit #goodreads #ireadya #booksofinstagram #bookstagram #becauseofblackreaders #booknerdigans #diversifybookstagram #decolonizeyourmind #fortheloveofreading #blackgirlsread #lovetoread #blackwomenread #blackandbookish #idratherbereading #blackbookblogger #becauseofreading #readblackauthors #goodblackreads #bookrecommendation #moodreader #readallthebooks #translatedbook https://www.instagram.com/p/Caa6rIcpwcp/?utm_medium=tumblr

[mamanerd22]

#monthlyroundup 15 books in March. 7 of these were audiobooks. My favorites this month were Dead Silence, Neon Gods, and Lore Olympus. I got in a mood to re-read a Dresden and chose Turn Coat. I also knocked out FOUR Book of the Month Books. Read 3 nonfiction including finishing Raising Kingdom Kids with my small group. group. I was really successful with my reading prompts this month. 2 Books in the Freezer prompts, 3 Book Riot Read Harder, 8 Mood Reader's Delight Reading Challenge prompts, and 2 books by Black Women. #MarchReads #horror #BooksInTheFreezerReadingChallenge2022 #MRDRC22 #BookRiotReadHarder2022 #20BooksByBlackWomen #DiverseBookstagrammersRead #romance #nonfiction #audiobook #LibbyApp #memior #fantasy #DresdenFiles #nerdymamabooks #booknerd https://www.instagram.com/p/Cb2mD0HLnuF/?utm_medium=tumblr

[mamanerd22]

The story of a fiercely resilient young man grappling with a physical disability, and his efforts to solve a mystery unfolding right outside his door.  🏈 How Lucky has been sitting on my shelf a few months after it was one of my #BOTMpick last year. I picked it up recently because I heard it was a light quick read. I have to say I really enjoyed that the book was from Daniel's perspective even though he had lost his ability to speak and used a wheelchair. I appreciated how Daniel and those around him had developed a way of communicating with each other without words. I know sometimes when I'm close to someone it feels like we have whole conversations without saying anything outloud. I loved Travis and Marjani. 🏈 I feel like I learned a lot about Spinal Musclar Atrophy and based on my limited knowledge I felt like Leitch was making an effort to be informative and respectful of people who suffer from SMA daily. I also appreciated how Daniel valued his independence and was basically the amateur detective looking for Ai-Chin. I found myself excited to n read the book and at the climax I was fully invested. 4.5/5 #BookReview #HowLucky #WillLeitch #BOTMBooks #MRDRC22 #disabledprotagonist #WheelchairUser #DisabledHero #spinalmuscularatrophy #CollegeTown #GoBulldogs #Nerdymamabooks #DiverseBookstagrammersRead #Booknerd #bookstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/CbX9ExDrDjH/?utm_medium=tumblr

[mamanerd22]

* Warning #Spoilers #BookReview * Confessions of a Curious Bookseller by Elizabeth Green I wanted to like this book more than I did. A book set in a quirky used bookstore. Yes please. 🐈 However I think there were a few things the book never could quite recover from: 1. Fawn is deeply unlikable. I thought she was gonna be like Eleanor Oliphant but there was no deep past trauma to explain Fawn. She didn't have an easy childhood but nothing so much to explain her constant lies and narcissism. She sells her tenant's furniture! Fawn is just not a good person. 2. The side characters weren't even enjoyable or interesting. I wanted to like her employees but they all had a feeling of twenty-somethings vaguely entertaining their kooky cat lady boss. 3. The unbelievable ending. At no point does Fawn face any consequences for her bad behavior besides embarrassment. The sinkhole magically swallowed the competition allowing her to sell her store to Mark. Ugh just the worst. 🐈 The only good thing is this book knocks off two of my reading prompts for various challenges this year. Otherwise it was just an act in futility finishing it. 2/5 #PrimeReadingFreebie #SoGladIDidntPayForThis #epistolarynovel #BookSetInABookstore #BookRiotReadHarder2022 #MRDRC22 #WompWompEnding #KindleBook #nerdymamabooks #DiverseBookstagrammersRead #POCBookstagrammer #bookstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/CbAiTX8r--i/?utm_medium=tumblr

[mamanerd22]

#BookReview The Power by Naomi Alderman This book was so interesting. I read/listened to the audio. I loved the premise of the book in which teen girls develop an electrical power which can be used to awaken the power in older women as well. This book was definitely a take on feminism and the patriarchy. However it really comes down to what the book is titled POWER, who wields it and how it corrupts. We follow various characters and see how the world changes as more girls/women come into their power. Some of the characters were frustrating (Allie & Margo) while others I really appreciated (Roxy & Tunde). I wouldn't say this is an easy book to read though, there is rape, murder, and some gory scenes. It makes you question whether a matriarchal society would be any better than the patriarchy. Sometimes it seemed things were a little too far fetched even for the dystopian feel and the beginning was a bit dull. I guess my feeling that even though this won 2017 Bailey's Women Prize it is a book ABOUT women not necessarily a book FOR women. 3.25/5 #BookRiotReadHarderChallenge2022 #BookFromTheWomensPrize #MRDRC22 #FeminismTheme #ThePower #Patriarchy #BOTMbooks #LibbyApp #audiobook #DiverseBookstagrammersRead #nerdymamabooks #bookstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/Ca7yuOoPgI_/?utm_medium=tumblr

[mamanerd22]

Yall know I love a #MythologyRetelling and to be honest Persephone/Hades retelling are some of my faves. I finished both of these this week. 🖤 Lore Olympus is a beautiful webtoon. I loved having the first 25 episodes in one volume. The artwork is amazing and it tackles things like anxiety, depression, and sexual assault in a healthy and upfront way. Hades and Persephone are both so adorably awkward I love them both. 5/5 🖤 Neon Gods is a modern Hades/Persephone retelling. Olympus is a city ruled by the Thirteen powerful positions that control every aspect of the city. Persephone escapes to the lower city ruled by Hades and quickly becomes enamored with him. This book is steamy, and I loved the emphasis on consent and open healthy conversations about what they wanted/needed from each other. I loved that Hermes is a woman and I can't wait to see more of her in future books. 4.5/5 #romance #graphicnovel #mythology #NeonGods #LoreOlympus #Hades #Persephone #underworld #DiverseBookstagrammersRead #POCbookstagrammer #guiltypleasure #MRDRC22 #nerdymamabooks #booknerd #bookstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/Ca5Ja4lr-6m/?utm_medium=tumblr

[mamanerd22]

#monthlywrapup FEBRUARY 2022 9 BOOKS 7/9 audiobooks 3 of those audiobooks I also read a portion of my print copies 2 BOTM books 1 graphic novel Last month was audio heavy cause I was doing parenting workshops via zoom 2x a week for an 1.5 hrs and I was reading the books/workbooks for those. Also still have the small group with my church. So I was overcommitted. In addition to reading the 800 page beast that is House of Sky & Breath in less than 2 weeks. I enjoyed CC2 but I'm not sure if I actually think the book is a good book. More like I was entertained while reading it because it was fun trash. 😜 Also I'm not gonna spoil the ending but #IYKYK Lots of YA this month. Finished out the Serpent & Dove trilogy and yall saw how I felt about those. Opal & Nev was amazing and I finished 3 books by Black Women this month. Hex was my lone horror read this month and it was okay. #FebruaryReads #YA #NotSlackingOmCrescentCity2 #romance #graphicnovel #BookRiotReadHarder2022 #MRDRC22 #20BooksByBlackWomen #booksinthefreezerreadingchallenge2022 #BOTMbooks #libbyApp #Nerdymamabooks #bookstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/CalWPwGLqb3/?utm_medium=tumblr

[mamanerd22]

Took a break from #notslackingoncrescentcity2 to finish up #AceOfSpades this is pitched as Gossip Girl meets Get Out and it understood the assignment. ♠️ I've never watched GG but this book definitely has that #darkacademiaaesthetic Chiamaka and Devon are the only two Black students at Niveus Academy and their senior year is turning into something more than they expected when "Aces" starts revealing their secrets. Can they uncover the conspiracy before its too late? ♠️ Yall put this book on the shelf next to Mexican Gothic, When No One Is Watching, and White Smoke with the "white people are definitely trying to kill us" stories. It'll have you all up in your feels. And make you realize just how insideous systemic racism, classism, and homophobia are. 3.75/5 #20BooksByBlackWomen #BlackWomenAuthors #YAThriller #BookWithFaceOnTheCover #Nerdymamabooks #MRDRC22 #readingprompts #booknerd #bookstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/CaN0QC4L1DX/?utm_medium=tumblr

[maddblackgemini]

✨Book Tour Spotlight & Giveaway✨: Furia by Yamile Saied Méndez FURIA was a Reese Witherspoon YA Book Club Pick in September last year and praised as an “engrossing” and “high-energy” Own Voices novel (PopSugar and Booklist). It was included in best of lists by the likes of BuzzFeed, Cosmopolitan, Goodreads, Bitch Media, Parade, Barnes & Noble and more, making it one of the most talked about YA books of 2020. This is not just a powerful story about a girl trying to find balance between love and her dream of becoming a professional fútbol player; it is a love letter to girls around the world, and to the city of Rosario, Argentina. In a society that has strict expectations for women (fútbol not being one of them) and in a family with an abusive father, Camila has to find her voice in order to break the cycle. Even if YA is not your usual genre, I promise this incredible story will ignite La Furia in every reader. In celebration of Furia going to paperback I am giving away one of my gifted copies of this book. This book also fits a prompt in #MRDRC22 as a book that has won a literary award by a woman of color in this decade. To enter: - Like this post - Comment your favorite beverage - Tag a friend (unlimited) Giveaway ends Friday 2/18/22 at 8:59pm PST Fine Print: Must be 18 and have a US mailing address you are comfortable sharing upon winning. No giveaway accounts, no private accounts. Winner will be selected randomly and announced in stories and contacted via DM. The winner will have 24 hours to claim prize. The book is a gift by Algonquin books. Thank you to Algonquin Books (@algonquinbooks) and Yamile Méndez (@yamilesmendez) for this incredible novel. I can’t wait to read this book! ***Furia was the 2021 recipient of the Pura Belpré Award #readreadread #write #maddblackreads ##diversespines #goodreads #blackreaders #booksofinstagram #bookstagram #booknerdigans #bookaholic #bookaddict #bookstagrammer #diversebooks #bookworm #blackgirlsread #lovetoread #blackwomenread #readblackbooks #blackandbookish #bookreview #blackstoriesmatter #blackbookblogger #bookclubofinstagram #moodreader #readwhatyouown #bibliophile #furiapbk https://www.instagram.com/p/CaBGCPuPh2c/?utm_medium=tumblr

[mamanerd22]

#BookReview #Spoilers This book was pretty painful at times. Lou and Reid are both dumb as a box of rocks and honestly I wanted to beat them both upside the head with a sock like Homey da Clown. However there were a few bright spots: Coco continues to be one of the few characters I enjoy (she certainly has more sense than Lou, kissing Ansel aside), some more interesting characters were introduced including those in the Troupe de Fortune, the big reveal of Claude as the Elderking has me interested enough to read the conclusion of the trilogy. That book is 17 hours long so I'll probably have to listen to it at 1.5x speed to get through it just like Blood & Honey. Lou's "Elsa moment" had me rolling my eyes a bit and the cliffhanger was meh. But I do kind of admire how Mahurin never let's the characters do things the easy way. Things are ALWAYS gonna go wrong and with Lou and Reid that's pretty true to their characters 2.75/5 #BloodAndHoney #dumbcharacters #TwistGaveMeJustEnoughHopeToPushThruToBook3 #ClaudeAndCocoAreMyFaves #IStillMaintainTheFrenchAreTheWorst #MRDRC22 #Doorstopper #500PlusPagesByAWoman #Nerdymamabooks #BlackGirlsReadBooksToo #bookstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/CZowgs1Lino/?utm_medium=tumblr

[maddblackgemini]

Next up for the #MRDRC22 is a book I’ve had on my TBR at least a year. This book will also be discussed in our upcoming silent book chat. bell hooks is a literal truth teller! Please read her work!! What are you currently reading? #readreadread #write #maddblackreads ##diversespines #goodreads #blackreaders #booksofinstagram #bookstagram #booknerdigans #bookaholic #bookaddict #bookstagrammer #diversebooks #bookworm #blackgirlsread #lovetoread #blackwomenread #readblackbooks #blackandbookish #bookreview #blackstoriesmatter #blackbookblogger #bookclubofinstagram #moodreader #readwhatyouown #bibliophile #bellhooks #allaboutlove https://www.instagram.com/p/CZnli7srznQ/?utm_medium=tumblr

[maddblackgemini]

A member of the #MRDRC22 shares a recommendation; books in conversation. Check out her thoughts below and she incorporated 2 different reading challenges to read these books. ====== Posted @withregram • @agingerandherbooks 📚 Books in Conversation 📚 I read Love is a Revolution by Renée Watson and The Street by Ann Petry at the same time and felt like a teacher wanting to connect my younger students to both books. I didn't purposely choose to read them together, but I highly recommend for those that may want to get a sense of Harlem in different eras. I picked up The Street for #10Books10Decades and knew I wanted a lighter fare as my second book, so when Love is a Revolution was available on my library app, I grabbed it for #MRDRC22 . Set about 80 years apart, Harlem is two different characters in these novels. In The Street, it feels darker, void of hope, with few bright lights. Harlem of Love is a Revolution was light, inspiring, and beautiful. To be fair, the authors purposely set the stories in two different seasons (winter vs summer) - and NYC is a different city in each season, no matter the era. Nala & her crew moving through Harlem knowing it is their safe space are free to figure out & be who they are. In The Street, Harlem wasn't always a safe space for the characters - in many ways there was NO safe space for Lottie, as a woman, as a Black woman, as a mother to a Black boy. I enjoyed these two books - the music, the characters, and the writing. When I was so angry with the men & the street denying Lottie growth, denying Lottie her dreams, I turned to Love is a Revolution for a sweet escape into Nala's growth & love. #readreadread #write #maddblackreads #wellreadblackgirls #diversespines #goodreads #blackreaders #booksofinstagram #bookstagram #booknerdigans #bookaholic #bookaddict #bookstagrammer #diversebooks #bookworm #blackgirlsread #lovetoread #blackwomenread #readblackbooks #blackandbookish #bookreview #blackstoriesmatter #blackbookblogger #bookclubofinstagram #moodreader #readwhatyouown #bibliophile https://www.instagram.com/p/CY-Sm3dJzD6/?utm_medium=tumblr

[mamanerd22]

#BookReview #Spoilers I wanted to like this one. It started off strong. YA about a teenage BOY with a magic knife taking out harmful spirits? Yes please. However very quickly I became a little annoyed. Some of the dialogue was a little clunky and while I like Anna and her backstory the whole "I fell in love with a dead girl" thing was not done well. Other things were just kind of annoying like you have a teen supernatural horror with an obvious Giles from Buffy the Vampire Slayer knock off and a side character is named Will Rosenberg unironically. I mean there's even a BtVS reference at the end but the kids reference Ghostbusters more than that which seems like a generational gap. Also the whole cast of characters is white but then it's revealed that the actual bad guy is a practitioner of Voodoo/Obeahman. I'm undecided if I will take the time to listen to the 2nd book in the duology. But knowing me, I'll do it more to finish the series rather than because I'm actually invested. 2.75/5 #YAHorrorNovel #CanadianLit #booksinthefreezerreadingchallenge2022 #MRDRC22 #audiobook #spookyreads #nerdymamabooks #nerdybooks #LibbyApp #booknerd #BuffySnob https://www.instagram.com/p/CYz4FKpLOjD/?utm_medium=tumblr

[maddblackgemini]

My next read for #mrdrc22 is Things I Should Have Told My Daughter by Pearl Cleage (@p_cleage1990). I’ve been reading this book for years! 😂 seriously if you had checked out my Goodreads profile I’ve been reading this book for like 3-4 years. I’ve never finished it but recently restarted it because it’s a timeless classic. Who doesn’t love Pearl Cleage?? I didn’t want to finish this book cause I love how she writes so I shelved it to come back to and then #life. This book is on the list of the 100 books by Black Women in the Zora Canon (@zora) that you MUST read. I have read many many books by Ms. Pearl and I always want them to last forever. However, I am going to finally read and finish this book. I’m so looking forward to reading her “pearls” of wisdom 😏. What books have you read by Ms. Pearl?? Share below! #readreadread #write #maddblackreads #wellreadblackgirls #diversespines #goodreads #blackreaders #booksofinstagram #bookstagram #booknerdigans #bookaholic #bookaddict #bookstagrammer #diversebooks #bookworm #blackgirlsread #lovetoread #blackwomenread #readblackbooks #blackandbookish #bookreview #blackstoriesmatter #blackbookblogger #moodreader #readwhatyouown #bibliophile #pearlcleage #zoracanon https://www.instagram.com/p/CYpYMFuPjCG/?utm_medium=tumblr

[mamanerd22]

Picked this one up for @booksinthefreezer reading challenge. Serial Killers count as spooky right. Cause some of the things talked about in this book... *shudder* Honestly if Marcus Parks had written this book alone it probably would've been a 3.5/4 star book for me. The true crime/serial killer info and delivery is solid. Where this book loses it is in the "comedic asides" by Ben & Henry, which are more of the cringey white dude crude humor of trying too hard. I don't listen to the podcast but the audiobook definitely has a "podcast feel". I appreciated the facts but started dreading the end of chapter "letters" which involved an attempt at levity which always felt flat or was sometimes just icky. When I started the book I followed the podcast on Spotify so I could listen to some episodes later but the further I got into the book the less I enjoyed it. I ultimately unfollowed the podcast without listening to any episodes cause with the plethora of true crime/serial killer podcasts out there why waste my time on Last Podcast on the Left if it's like the book. I used to love My Favorite Murder podcast but the book Stay Sexy & Don't Get Murdered was like pulling teeth to get thru and The Last Book on The Left was the same way. Much better serial killer/true crime books out there to try other than this one. 2/5 #booksinthefreezerreadingchallenge2022 #SpookyNonFiction #MRDRC22 #ABookCoverYouDontLike #oneBookMultipleChallenges #SerialKillers #TrueCrime #nerdymama #nerdybooks #booknerd #POCBookstagrammer #LibbyApp #audiobook #bookstagram https://www.instagram.com/nerdymamabooks/p/CYnat0wgVlU/?utm_medium=tumblr