Interview with Janice Lynn Mather

Today we have author Janice Lynn Mather sharing with us all about her new novel “Where was Goodbye?” that publishes next Tuesday, April 30th. The novel is an exploration of grief and mental health after the death of a family member. 

K. Imani: This novel was truly touching as I felt so many emotions throughout Karmen’s story and her journey to understand her brother. What was your inspiration for Karmen’s story?

Janice: Two truths: life is painful, and humans are amazing. The story began with the thought that we, as people, live through so much—including unexpected, agonizing, blinding loss. And yet, we continue to move through life and the world. I wanted to slow down and think about what it’s actually like to live through an almost unfathomable loss. How do we do that as people? How does a young person, especially, handle that when there’s so much going on simply with trying to figure out life as a teen bordering on young adulthood?

We've found quite a variety of books being released today. There is romance, fantasy, music, murder, and more in the pages of these books. What will you add to your TBR pile?

Title: Icarus Author: K. Ancrum Genres: Contemporary, Romance, LGBTQIA, Thriller Pages: 382 Publisher: HarperTeen Review Copy: Review copy provided by publisher Availability: Available now

Summary: Icarus Gallagher is a thief. He steals priceless art and replaces it with his father’s impeccable forgeries. For years, one man—the wealthy Mr. Black—has been their target in revenge for his role in the death of Icarus’s mother. To keep their secret, Icarus adheres to his own strict rules to keep people, and feelings, at bay: Don’t let anyone close. Don’t let anyone touch you. And, above all, don’t get caught.

Until one night, he does. Not by Mr. Black but by his mysterious son, Helios, now living under house arrest in the Black mansion. Instead of turning Icarus in, Helios bargains for something even more dangerous—a friendship that breaks every single one of Icarus’s rules.

As reluctance and distrust become closeness and something more, they uncover the gilded cage that has trapped both their families for years. One Icarus is determined to escape. But his father’s thirst for revenge shows no sign of fading, and soon it may force Icarus to choose: the escape he’s dreamed of, or the boy he’s come to love. Reaching for both could be his greatest triumph—or it could be his downfall.

New Releases

A bunch of new books coming out this week and all but one are sequels or trilogies. I'm personally excited for The Lady of Rapture by Sarah Raughley which is the third book in the Bones of Ruin series. Which book will you be purchasing this week?

Click to read more about this week's new releases.

Review: Dragonfruit by Makiia Lucier Clarion Books

Publisher Summary: In the old tales, it is written that the egg of a seadragon, dragonfruit, holds within it the power to undo a person’s greatest sorrow. But as with all things that offer hope when hope had gone, the tale came with a warning.

Every wish demands a price.

Hanalei of Tamarind is the cherished daughter of an old island family. But when her father steals a seadragon egg meant for an ailing princess, she is forced into a life of exile. In the years that follow, Hanalei finds solace in studying the majestic seadragons that roam the Nominomi Sea. Until, one day, an encounter with a female dragon offers her what she desires most. A chance to return home, and to right a terrible wrong.

Samahtitamahenele, Sam, is the last remaining prince of Tamarind. But he can never inherit the throne, for Tamarind is a matriarchal society. With his mother ill and his grandmother nearing the end of her reign. Sam is left with two choices: to marry, or to find a cure for the sickness that has plagued his mother for ten long years. When a childhood companion returns from exile, she brings with her something he has not felt in a very long time-hope.

But Hanalei and Sam are not the only ones searching for the dragonfruit. And as they battle enemies both near and far, there is another danger they cannot escape…that of the dragonfruit itself.

My Thoughts: Dragonfruit captured me and wouldn’t let me go. This is an action packed fantasy that is just as vivid and gorgeous as the cover would lead you to believe. It was an extremely satisfying read and I appreciated that though it could have a sequel, one isn’t necessary.

Readers get to learn about the seadragons through Hanalei’s perspective. They are dangerous, but they are also beautiful and fascinating. Hanalei studies them for multiple reasons. Her life is all tangled up with the seadragons and even as she searches for the dragonfruit, she wrestles with herself because using these beings is not without cost to both the person and the dragonfruit. Seeing the characters work through their ethics around what they are willing to do to help a loved one is quite interesting. Along with ethical questions, there are also questions about science and belief in the gods. Can you practice science while believing in intervention from gods?

I don’t want to spoil anything so I will only say that the bat on the cover was a delight and the other animals like it that show up add a special dimension to the tale. The images on the cover really are fabulous. The illustrator is Tran Nguyen and the designer is Molly Fehr. There are wonderful details throughout including designs on Hanalei’s hand, neck, and face. The rope and spear winding around her and all of the moving boats hint at the large amount of action on the water.

It is nice to see the different relationships developing or progressing whether they were friendships, romantic, or familial. The characters learn and grow even in the brief time we get to spend with them.

Recommendation: Get it as soon as you can. Lucier has told a enchanting story that will stick with readers. And also there are seadragons so of course it’s a must read.

Review copy: Final copy via publisher

Publisher: clarion Books

Availability: On shelves now

Pages: 368

We have five books on our radar this week, and there's something for just about everyone here. Which ones are you adding to your TBR list?

YA in Verse

April is National Poetry Month and I thought I'd highlight some amazing books. Novels in verse and YA poetry collections are becoming more popular as teens respond to the genre. I thought I'd share a few that I've read and loved. 

Saints of the Household by Ari Tison

Black Girl You Are Atlas Renée Watson, Ekua Holmes (Illustrator)

An Appetite for Miracles by Laekan Zea Kemp

New Releases for April 2, 2024

It seems like this is a big week for releases and there are quite a few different genres to choose from too. 

Title: The Last Bloodcarver Author: Vanessa Le Genres: Fantasy, Science Fiction, Mystery Pages: 384 Publisher: Roaring Brook Press Review Copy: eARC provided via NetGalley Availability: Available now

Summary: Nhika is a bloodcarver. A coldhearted, ruthless being who can alter human biology with just a touch.

In the industrial city of Theumas, Nhika is seen not as a healer, but a monster that kills for pleasure. And in the city's criminal underbelly, the rarest of monsters are traded for gold. When Nhika is finally caught by the infamous Butchers, she's forced to heal the last witness to a high-profile murder.

As Nhika delves into the investigation, all signs point to Ven Kochin, an alluring yet entitled physician's aide. Despite his relentless attempts to push her out of his opulent world, something inexplicable draws Nhika to him. But when she discovers Kochin is not who he claims to be, Nhika will be faced with a greater, more terrifying evil lurking in the city's center...

Her only chance to survive lies in a terrible choice—become the dreaded monster the city fears, or risk jeopardizing the future of her kind.

New Releases

It's a slow week as we head into Easter and for some of us, relaxing on Spring Break or pushing though that last week before Spring Break. Both of these books look interesting. Which one should I read during my break?

Icarus by K. Ancrum HarperTeen

Dead Girls Walking by Sami Ellis Amulet Books

Spring Break Reading

I have one more day of teaching before Spring Break begins. I'm exhausted and can't wait to spend some time curled up with a cup of tea and a book. My TBR is waiting and I'm super excited to dive into these three fantasies.

Broken Web by Lori M. Lee is a sequel to Forest of Souls which I loved. The third book in the Shamanborn series comes out next month so I need to read this one to be ready. 

Pub summary: The Soulless has woken from his centuries-long imprisonment. Now, he lurks in the Dead Wood recovering his strength, while Sirscha and her allies journey east to the shaman empire of Nuvalyn. Everyone believes she is a soulguide—a savior—but Sirscha knows the truth. She’s a monster, a soulrender like the Soulless, and if anyone discovers the truth, she’ll be executed.

But there’s nothing Sirscha won’t risk to stop the shaman responsible for the rot that’s killing her best friend. While the Soulless is formidable, like all shamans, his magic must be channeled through a familiar. If Sirscha can discover what—or who—that is, she might be able to cut him off from his power.

With Queen Meilyr bent on destroying the magical kingdoms, Sirscha finds herself caught between a war brewing in the east and the Soulless waiting in the west. She should be trying to unite what peoples she can to face their common enemies, but instead, her hunt for clues about the Soulless leads to a grim discovery, forcing Sirscha to question who her enemies really are.

Dragonfruit by Makiia Lucier will be coming out on April 9th and I will be reviewing it soon. Isn't the cover a beauty?

Pub summary: Hanalei of Tamarind is the cherished daughter of an old island family. But when her father steals a seadragon egg meant for an ailing princess, she is forced into a life of exile. In the years that follow, Hanalei finds solace in studying the majestic seadragons that roam the Nominomi Sea. Until, one day, an encounter with a female dragon offers her what she desires most. A chance to return home, and to right a terrible wrong. Samahtitamahenele, Sam, is the last remaining prince of Tamarind. But he can never inherit the throne, for Tamarind is a matriarchal society. With his mother ill and his grandmother nearing the end of her reign. Sam is left with two to marry, or to find a cure for the sickness that has plagued his mother for ten long years. When a childhood companion returns from exile, she brings with her something he has not felt in a very long time - hope. But Hanalei and Sam are not the only ones searching for the dragonfruit. And as they battle enemies both near and far, there is another danger they cannot escape…that of the dragonfruit itself.

A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal is one I've been waiting for and I have given up on the hold shelf at the library. My local indie bookstore has it so I'm stopping by tomorrow to pick it up. I'm always happy to see books that involve tea as is evidenced by an earlier blog post here. 

Pub summary: Why save the world when you can have tea? On the streets of White Roaring, Arthie Casimir is a criminal mastermind and collector of secrets. Her prestigious tearoom transforms into an illegal bloodhouse by dark, catering to the vampires feared by society. But when her establishment is threatened, Arthie is forced to strike an unlikely deal with an alluring adversary to save it—and she can’t do the job alone. Calling on some of the city's most skilled outcasts, Arthie hatches a plan to infiltrate the sinister, glittering vampire society known as the Athereum. But not everyone in her ragtag crew is on her side, and as the truth behind the heist unfolds, Arthie finds herself in the midst of a conspiracy that will threaten the world as she knows it.  From the New York Times—bestselling author of We Hunt the Flame comes the first book in a hotly anticipated fantasy duology teeming with romance and revenge, led by an orphan girl willing to do whatever it takes to save her self-made kingdom. Dark, action-packed, and swoonworthy, this is Hafsah Faizal better than ever.

We have three books on our radar for this week! You should check them out:

Book Review: Black Girl You Are Atlas

Title: Black Girl You Are Atlas

Author:  Renée Watson, Ekua Holmes (Illustrator)

Genres:  Poetry

Pages: 96

Publisher:Kokila

Review Copy: ARC by publisher

Availability: Available now

Summary: In this semi-autobiographical collection of poems, Renée Watson writes

about her experience growing up as a young Black girl at the intersections of race, class, and gender.

Using a variety of poetic forms, from haiku to free verse, Watson shares recollections of her childhood in Portland, tender odes to the Black women in her life, and urgent calls for Black girls to step into their power.

Black Girl You Are Atlas encourages young readers to embrace their future with a strong sense of sisterhood and celebration. With full-color art by celebrated fine artist Ekua Holmes throughout, this collection offers guidance and is a gift for anyone who reads it.

Review: I have enjoyed every Renée Watson book I’ve ever read, even taught Watch Us Rise, so when I saw “Black Girl You Are Atlas” on the display shelf at NCTE, I was more than interested. Watson’s words have always had a lyrical quality that always draws me in and truly moves the spirit.  This collection of poetry is a mix of autobiographical story telling while also reveling in the beauty that is Black culture, Black girlhood. Watson also uses a few different poetic styles from prose, to haiku, to a pantoum, and free verse. 

The title of the collection comes from the poem “Atlas” where she begins with the different definitions of the word then ties the prose style poem to all the different definitions. She plays with the different definitions exploring how Black girls (and women) often carry the world on their shoulders while they also contain the histories of Black people within them. It is a beautiful poem that acknowledges the burdens Black girls often carry while lifting them up at the same time. 

Another poem that I really loved was titled “When I Say I Love Us” which is a love poem to Black culture. The poem is all about the wonderful aspects of Black culture with a rhythm that exudes a certain swagger. The repetition of “When I say I love us” at the beginning of each stanza builds as if the reader is beginning to shout about the love they have for Black people and Black culture. The last line “I mean I love the love that is us” is such a fun line to read and full of love.  

The collection includes poems dedicated to Renisha McBride, Michelle Obama, and a beautiful poem titled “A Pantoum for Breonna Taylor”. All three poems share the injustice these three women experienced and also celebrates who they are (Obama) and memorializes what we lost with McBride and Taylor. 

All in all, this is a lovely collection of poems and as I was reading I was thinking of a few Black girls who could find inspiration from Watson’s poetry. These poems are beautifully written and are the perfect antidote to a world that tries to bring Black girls down. 

Oh! I almost forgot to about the artwork. Since I had a ARC of the collection my artwork was in black and white but I’ve seen a few pictures to know that the Ekua Holmes artwork is stunning. It is full of color that captures all aspects of Black girl and womanhood and accentuate each of the poems. The collaboration makes for an excellent book that any Black girl (or former girl) should add to their collection.

Welcome to our group discussion of Lunar New Year Love Story by Gene Luen Yang and illustrated by LeUyen Pham.

Please note that this is a full spoiler discussion! You will be spoiled if you continue reading.

New Releases - Week of March 12, 2024

There are two books on our calendar for today. Have you got them on your TBR list?

Six Truths and a Lie by Ream Shukairy Little, Brown Books for Young Reader

As fireworks pop off at a rowdy Fourth of July bonfire party, an explosion off the California coast levels an oil rig—resulting in chaos and worse, murder.

At the center are six Muslim teens – six patriots, six strangers, and six suspects.

An old soul caught in the wrong place. An aspiring doctor. An influencer with a reputation to protect. A perfect daughter with secrets to hide. A soccer star headed for Stanford. An immigrant in love. Each with something to hide and everything to lose.

Faced with accusations of terrorism, The Six are caught in a political game that will pit them against each other in exchange for exoneration. They must frame each other to guarantee their own independence or expose their secrets to earn back freedom for them all.

Infinity Kings (Infinity Cycle #3) by Adam Silvera Quill Tree Books

After the ultimate betrayal, Emil must rise up as a leader to stop his brother before he becomes too powerful. Even if that means pushing away Ness and Wyatt as they compete for his heart so he can focus on the war.

Brighton has a legion of followers at his command, but when he learns about an ancient scythe that can kill the unkillable, that’s all he will need to become unstoppable against Emil and other rising threats.

Meanwhile, Maribelle aligns with her greatest enemy to resurrect her lost love, and Ness infiltrates political circles to stop Iron from ruling the country, but both missions lead to tragedies that will change everyone’s lives forever.

As the Infinity Son and the Infinity Reaper go to war, who will be crowned the Infinity King?

I love speculative fiction, so I thought it would be fun to highlight three speculative fiction books that came out this year to add to your TBR pile:

New Releases

A few new books out this week by some amazing authors to start us off right for Women's History Month. 

The Marble Queen by Anna Kopp & illustrated by Gabrielle Kari Dark Horse

Princess Amelia’s kingdom, Marion, is in shambles after months of their trade routes being ravaged by pirates, and now the only seemingly option left is for her to save it through a marriage alliance. When she gets an exorbitant offer from the royalty of Iliad—a country shrouded in mystery—Amelia accepts without question and leaves her home to begin a new life.

But she lands on Iliad’s shores to find that her betrothed isn’t the country’s prince, but the recently coronated Queen Salira. ​ Shocked, Amelia tries to make sense of her situation and her confused heart: Salira has awakened strange new feelings inside her, but something dark hides behind the Queen’s sorrowful eyes. Amelia must fight the demons of her own anxiety disorder before she can tackle her wife’s, all while war looms on the horizon.

The Encanto’s Daughter (The Encanto’s Daughter #1) by Melissa de la Cruz G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers

MJ Rodriguez has spent her life hiding in the human world, keeping a heavy secret. She’s half-encanto. As the only child of King Vivencio of the Sirena Court, she’s also next in line for the throne. And now, upon her estranged father’s sudden death, MJ must claim her place as rightful heir.

In wondrous Biringan, the road to the throne is paved with thorns. Without a reigning monarch, the realm has spiraled into disarray. MJ has to win over a backstabbing council that objects to a half-human ruler. And when it looks like her father’s passing wasn’t natural but possibly inflicted by a curse, she must hunt down the sorceress behind this merciless magic.

In a bind, MJ forges an unlikely alliance with the striking Sir Lucas of the feared Sigbin Court, and soon, she loses her heart to the mysterious knight. But with peril looming over Biringan, the princess must decide if she can both open herself to love and carry the weight of the crown.

Defy the Storm (Star Wars: The High Republic) by Tessa Gratton & Justina Ireland Disney Lucasfilm Press

One year after the fall of Starlight Beacon, the galaxy is in chaos. An anarchistic group known as the Nihil has taken over a section of space now known as the Occlusion Zone. Jedi Knight Vernestra Rwoh and scientist Avon Starros team up in an attempt to find a way through the Nihil Stormwall to save those on the other side.

But what are the Nihil’s real plans? And what of the nameless creatures that can destroy the Jedi Order? The battle has just begun. . . .