REVIEW: Orange Wine by Esperanza Hope Snyder

 

Orange Wine is a quiet, lyrical family saga about betrayal, endurance, and survival. Inés’s story—losing her husband to her sister just weeks after giving birth—unfolds with a kind of fated inevitability, more whispered family secret than melodrama.  Esperanza Hope Snyder's novel is tender, evocative, and beautifully penned, suffused with themes of feminine resilience, artistic freedom, and emotional rebirth. Snyder’s prose is gorgeous and precise, and the atmosphere reminded me of Isabel Allende and Elena Ferrante.

This is not a fast read—the pacing is slow, and Inés herself can be frustrating—but the language and emotional weight make it worth sitting with. Like the lingering scent of citrus, this one will stay with you long after the last page.

Thank you to #NetGalley, the author Esperanza Hope Snyder and Bindery Books | Mareas for a digital copy of #OrangeWine in exchange for my honest opinion. Orange Wine will be published on September 30, 2025. 

#CampNetGalley: Review of Dexter: The Stand Up Dog

 

Dexter: The Stand up Dog by Bonnie Kelso and Kentee Pasek is a warmhearted true story of a rescue dog that was involved in a tragic accident. As a result he lost one of his legs. Dexter could have given up, yet he persevered and learned to walk. He went on to bring joy not only to his family but to many people especially children across the country. 

Thank you to #NetGalley and #CampNetGalley, the authors Bonnie Kelso (and illustrator) and Kentee Pasek and Gnome Road Publishing for a digital copy of #DexterDogOuray in exchange for my honest opinion. Dexter: The Stand Up Dog  will be published on September 16, 2025.

#CampNetGalley 2025: Review - 9 Little People by Regina Feldmann

 

9 Little People by Regina Feldmann is a super cute picture book that follows 9 kids born on the same day and highlights activities and events they experience together. The illustrations are themselves gorgeous. This is a great book to read with children ages 4-8 (Kindergarten to grade 2).

Thank you to #NetGalley and #CampNetGalley, the author Regina Feldmann and NorthSouth Books Inc. | NorthSouth Books for a digital copy of #9LittlePeople exchange for my honest opinion. 9 Little People  will be published on September 2, 2025.

Review: Jamaica Road by Lisa Smith

 

I was so excited to review this new novel by Lisa Smith. To be transparent I am Jamaican so this book was right up my alley. It has everything I like in the Jamaican-British story. Set in the early 80s, we meet Daphne (British born) as she tries to navigate growing up and attending a school where the other kids are not too nice. Added to this daily stress are the racial tensions that we all know run through the veins of the master colonizers. Then in comes Connie, a tall, lanky plimsoll wearing transplant from Jamaica with a family secret.

Some may have difficulty with the dialogue which was music to my ears. So often Caribbean authors especially from Jamaica are forced to anglicize their work (native dialect) to satisfy the "western" market. I just hope that the audiobook has an actual Jamaican or Jamaican-Brit do the narration. Can you image the 80's reggae soundtrack that would accompany this book? 

Smith's Jamaica Road is emotional, evocative, immersive and transformative coming of age tale. It was an excellent read. 

Thank you to #NetGalley, the author Lisa Smith and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor | Knopf for a digital copy of #JamaicaRoad exchange for my honest opinion. Jamaica Road  will be published on July 15, 2025. 

Review: The Game is Afoot by Elise Bryant

Mavis is back, honing her amateur detective skills once again to solve another mysterious death. The Game is Afoot is the second installment in Elise Bryant's Mavis Miller series. This is a cozy and funny read. Bryant did not disappoint. Not only does Mavis have to solve a murder but she also has to interrogate the goings-on of a MLM, deal with her ex-husband and parent her-too-wise-before-her-time daughter Pearl. You will not be disappointed.

Thank you to #NetGalley, the author Elise Bryant and Berkley Publishing Group | Berkley for an e-copy of #TheGameIsAfoot in exchange for my honest opinion. The Game is Afoot is out today July 8, 2025. 

I Started a Book Club (at work)

 It has always been my dream to start or have a book club. I finally did. I started one for my company and am so excited. 

We will meet Quarterly on the 3rd or 4th Thursday of the 2nd month from 3 – 4 p.m. EDT and Monthly on the 3rd or 4th Thursday of each month from 3 – 3:30 p.m. EDT.

Our first read will be....

REVIEW: Black Woman Grief by Natasha Smith

Black Woman Grief: A Guide to Hope and Wholeness would be ideal for Christian women on a similar spiritual journey as the author. If would be difficult for non-Black women or perhaps non-African American women to appreciate this messages shares in the book. If it is not your lived or shared experience than it will be hard for you to relate. 

Part memoir, part self-help guide Black Woman Grief explores the different stages and types of grief Black women experience throughout their lives whether it is loss or trauma. I see this guide evolving into a workbook or devotional and being used either in Black women's bible study or religious based [grief] counseling. 

Thank you to #NetGalley, the author Natasha Smith and IVP Audiobooks | IVP for an audio copy of #BlackWomanGrief in exchange for my honest opinion. Black Woman Grief will be published on February 25, 2025. 

REVIEW: Buddha Jumps Over the Wall by Ying Chang Compestine

 

Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, and Other Curiously Named Classic Chinese Dishes by Ying Chang Compestine. This is how I wish all "modern" cookbooks would be presented. Provide interesting and relevant background information (pertaining to the dish) with great illustrations. Provide the recipe with easy to follow step-by-step instructions with graphics and an image of what the final dish should look like. I need a hard copy of this cookbook to add to my library. The lovely illustrations were done by Vivian Truong. 

Compestine presented these 26 dishes in the perfect format and they are easy to understand and the ingredients are easy to find. Well if you have an Asian grocery store in your area or an online service that delivers to your zipcode. The way the recipes are presented makes it easy to identify substitutions for hard to find items. Appetizer, main course and dessert right at my fingertips. She has demystified these Chinese dishes in a fun and cute way. The accompanying stories were very interesting.

Thank you to #NetGalley, the author Ying Chang Compestine and Chronicle Books for a digital copy of #BuddhaJumpsOvertheWallandOtherCuriously

NamedClassicChineseDishes in exchange for my honest opinion. Buddha Jumps Over the Wall will be published on March 4, 2025. 

REVIEW: I Am Nobody's Slave by Lee Hawkins

 

This is a very heartfelt memoir that could mirror any childhood of any African American child growing up post Jim Crow. Lee Hawkins recounts a deeply personal. somewhat scarred upbringing as he explores his family's history. Many of his experiences (parent-child or parent-parent relationships) were so relatable. One example is the ice-cream incident which I am positive has played out in many households over the past century and even today.  Hawkins also addresses some hard topics such as racism, generational trauma and slavery. This was an enjoyable read that was insightful and moving. I Am Nobody’s Slave is a powerful reflection on the African American struggle and a peoples resilience for the want of a better life. 

Thank you to #NetGalley, the author Lee Hawkins and Amistad for a digital copy of #IAmNobodysSlave in exchange for my honest opinion. I Am Nobody's Slave comes out today January 14, 2025.