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. 

REVIEW: Untethered by Angela Jackson-Brown

                                                 

Untethered is author Angela Jackson-Brown's sixth novel and is a moving exploration of love, duty, and self-discovery in the late 1960's. Nineteen sixty-seven is a very pivotal year in  Alabama and finds Katia Daniels, a devoted caretaker at a group home for boys. Katia shoulders immense responsibilities while grappling with loss, imposed burdens, and yearning for a life of her own. Jackson-Brown portrays Katia's journey as she reconnects with an old friend, and begins to consider for the first time what her own wants and needs are, as a complex Black woman are in a world that demands too much from her. Jackson-Brown presents a deeply moving tale of faith, love, and the enduring strength of the human spirit. 

Thank you to #NetGalley, the author Angela Jackson-Brown and HarperCollins Focus | Harper Muse for an audio copy of #Untethered in exchange for my honest opinion. Untethered comes out this tomorrow December 3, 2024. 

REVIEW: Kingdom of No Tomorrow by Fabienne Josaphat

 

The Black Panther movement and its struggle against injustice in the late 1960s serve as the backdrop for Fabienne Josaphat's novel Kingdom of No Tomorrow.  We explore this world through Nettie Boileau, a young woman navigating love, activism, service and self-discovery, Josaphat paints a vivid and nuanced portrait of the movement's triumphs and complexities. We get a glimpse into her world as a worker at a free health clinic run by the Panthers and her love for Melvin one of the Panther's captains. As Nettie learns more about the Panther's activism she is confronted by and witnesses the rising tensions that encompass social justice and gender equality, exposing the true demands of the  struggle that define this period in American history.

Thank you to #NetGalley, the author Fabienne Josaphat and Hachette Audio | Algonquin Books for an audio copy of #KingdomofNoTomorrow in exchange for my honest opinion. Kingdom of No Tomorrow comes out this Tuesday December 3, 2024. 

REVIEW: Don't Cause Trouble by Arree Chung

                                                                 

Don’t Cause Trouble follows Ming, a kid just trying to fit in at a new school and make friends. As usually there are a few bumps along the way. Ming's life isn't made easy as his well-meaning mother insists on giving him the same stereotypical bowl haircut every year, and his wardrobe comes straight from the discount thrift shop. And to add insult to injury Ming ends up placed in an ESL class, despite only knowing and speaking English. His parents ever optimistic try to give him advice and drill home that getting good grades and not causing trouble is the only way to have get into a good college and have a fulfilling life. However this is harder to put into practice. Ming is occasionally daydreams of being 'other' and expresses himself through his sketches. But with his two new friends who are also misfits in their own way, Ming decides it's time to bend the rules a bit and find his own way. Together, they take on bullies and take advantage of every opportunity to make money. Don’t Cause Trouble is a funny, warmhearted graphic novel, that effortlessly tackles hard topics such as immigration and bullying and shows readers that it takes courage to be yourself and find worthwhile friends. Perfect for anyone who’s ever felt a little out of place, Ming’s journey is as relatable as it is entertaining.

Thank you to #NetGalley, the author Arree Chung and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group | Henry Holt and Co. BYR Paperbacks for an digital copy of #DontCauseTrouble in exchange for my honest opinion. Don’t Cause Trouble comes out April 22, 2025.