Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish and it is now hosted by The Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s theme is Books I Meant to Read in 2020. Here’s my list:
1. These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong
2. The Glass Queen by Gena Showalter
3. The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
4. The Silvered Serpents by Roshani Chokshi
5. Legendborn by Tracy Deonn
6. One by One by Ruth Ware
7. Before She Was Helen by Caroline B. Cooney
8. The Night Swim by Megan Goldin
9. Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall
10. The Heir Affair by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan
(All book covers from Goodreads)
What’s your list of books on your Top Ten Tuesday?
Title: One of the Good Ones Author: Maika Moulite and Maritza Moulite Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Thriller Publisher: Inkyard Press Source: Publisher via NetGalley Format: Ebook Release Date: January 5, 2021 Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
The Hate U Give meets Get Out in this honest and powerful exploration of prejudice in the stunning novel from sister-writer duo Maika and Maritza Moulite, authors of Dear Haiti, Love Alaine.
ISN’T BEING HUMAN ENOUGH?
When teen social activist and history buff Kezi Smith is killed under mysterious circumstances after attending a social justice rally, her devastated sister Happi and their family are left reeling in the aftermath. As Kezi becomes another immortalized victim in the fight against police brutality, Happi begins to question the idealized way her sister is remembered. Perfect. Angelic.
One of the good ones.
Even as the phrase rings wrong in her mind—why are only certain people deemed worthy to be missed?—Happi and her sister Genny embark on a journey to honor Kezi in their own way, using an heirloom copy of The Negro Motorist Green Book as their guide. But there’s a twist to Kezi’s story that no one could’ve ever expected—one that will change everything all over again.
Review:
Kezi Smith, a teenage vlogger and activist, was killed during a social justice rally. Her younger sister, Happi, and her older sister, Genny, are left to their grief. Kezi is called “one of the good ones,” and is recognized as an idol by the media because she wasn’t a troublemaker. Kezi had planned on doing a road trip after she finished high school along Route 66, following the guide book The Negro Motorist Green Book. Genny and Happi decide to do this trip with two of Kezi’s best friends to commemorate her life, but what they find is something only Kezi could give them.
This was a fantastic story! I already know it’s going to be one of my favourites of the year and perhaps of all time. It brings up some important questions that are timely but also have historical significance. Why are some deaths condemned because the victim was “one of the good ones”? Just because someone has made some mistakes, does that mean they deserve to be brutally murdered? Since Kezi was popular and fighting for social justice, she was called “one of the good ones,” who didn’t deserve to die as a result of the rally. That implies that the “bad ones” deserve those deaths. It also brings into question, what determines if someone is good or bad, and who makes this decision.
This book blended many different genres. There were some historical chapters, which looked back on Kezi’s ancestors and the way they were treated because they were Black. Most of the story had a contemporary setting. The final part of the story was extremely suspenseful. There were some thriller aspects which I wasn’t expecting, but they just made this story even more tense and exciting.
I could not put this book down. It had something for everyone and I believe everyone should read this book!
Thank you Inkyard Press for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
What to read next:
Dear Haiti, Love Alaine by Maika Moulite and Maritza Moulite
Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo
About the authors:
MAIKA MOULITE is a Miami native and the daughter of Haitian immigrants. She earned a bachelor’s in marketing from Florida State University and an MBA from the University of Miami. When she’s not using her digital prowess to help nonprofits and major organizations tell their stories online, she’s sharpening her skills as a PhD student at Howard University’s Communication, Culture and Media Studies program. Her research focuses on representation in media and its impact on marginalized groups. She’s the eldest of four sisters and loves young adult novels, fierce female leads, and laughing.
MARITZA MOULITE graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor’s in women’s studies and the University of Southern California with a master’s in journalism. She’s worked in various capacities for NBC News, CNN, and USA TODAY. Maritza is a PhD student at the University of Pennsylvania exploring ways to improve literacy in under-resourced communities after being inspired to study education from her time as a literacy tutor and pre-k teacher assistant. Her favorite song is “September” by Earth, Wind & Fire.
Have you read One of the Good Ones? What did you think of it?
This blog meme is hosted by Book Date. It is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. It’s a great post to organize yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit and comment, and er… add to that ever growing TBR pile!
What I just finished:
This weekend I finished One of the Good Ones by Maika Moulite and Maritza Moulite.
What I’m currently reading:
I’m currently reading A Court of Wings and Ruin (A Court of Thorns and Roses #3) by Sarah J. Maas.
What I’m reading next:
Next I will be reading You Have a Match by Emma Lord.
What are you guys reading this week? Have you read any of these books?
The meme that dares to ask what book has been in your bed this morning? Come share what book you’ve spent time curled up reading in bed, or which book you wish you had time to read today! This meme is hosted by Midnight Book Girl.
This Sunday I’m reading One of the Good Ones by Maika Moulite and Maritza Moulite.
Goodreads Synopsis:
The Hate U Give meets Get Out in this honest and powerful exploration of prejudice in the stunning novel from sister-writer duo Maika and Maritza Moulite, authors of Dear Haiti, Love Alaine.
ISN’T BEING HUMAN ENOUGH?
When teen social activist and history buff Kezi Smith is killed under mysterious circumstances after attending a social justice rally, her devastated sister Happi and their family are left reeling in the aftermath. As Kezi becomes another immortalized victim in the fight against police brutality, Happi begins to question the idealized way her sister is remembered. Perfect. Angelic.
One of the good ones.
Even as the phrase rings wrong in her mind—why are only certain people deemed worthy to be missed?—Happi and her sister Genny embark on a journey to honor Kezi in their own way, using an heirloom copy of The Negro Motorist Green Book as their guide. But there’s a twist to Kezi’s story that no one could’ve ever expected—one that will change everything all over again.
Georgana Woodall dreams of freedom—freedom from her past and freedom from her secret. She has been living on her father’s ship for years, disguised as a cabin boy named “George.” But hiding her true self is becoming more difficult, and she yearns to break free of her life on the sea.
Lieutenant Dominic Peyton has no time in his life for love, not with his dedication to His Majesty’s Royal Navy claiming his full attention. Determined to prove himself to his new captain, he strives to be an exemplary officer and leader. When he sees the captain’s cabin boy being harassed by the crew, he immediately puts a stop to it and takes the boy under his wing.
Georgana quickly loses her heart to Dominic’s compassion and care, but needing to maintain her disguise as a cabin boy, she is convinced nothing can come of her affection.
Georgana’s Secret is about two hearts yearning to find a safe harbor, and possibly, a lasting love.
Review:
1811: Georgana is the daughter of a ship captain. She has travelled with him on his ships for the past three years, since she came of age, in the disguise of a boy named George. The crew thinks that George is an orphan and a distant relative of the captain, but she doesn’t have the respect of the other men and boys. Dominic is a lieutenant on the ship. His mother wants him to get a promotion to captain, but he refused the promotion so that he can have more consistent work and support his mother. His mother has heard of Georgana, the captain’s daughter, and wants Dominic to find out more about her because she wants him to get married. Dominic is drawn to George when he sees him being bullied by the rest of the crew. They spend time together, and Georgana can’t help but fall for Dominic. However, she needs to maintain her disguise as a cabin boy to protect the ship and her father’s position.
This was a very slow burn romance. There was a lot of tension with Georgana’s secret. I held my breath every time someone came close to figuring it out. At the same time, I was rooting for Georgana and Dominic to get together and for him to figure out that she was really a girl in disguise.
I was a little lost when it came to the description of the ship and all the work they did on it. Most of the story was set on the ship, except for a couple of chapters. I’m not familiar with the terms that were used so I couldn’t follow the parts where there was a lot of technical terminology used.
I liked this regency romance.
Thank you Shadow Mountain for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
What to read next:
The Gentleman and the Thief by Sarah M. Eden
Have you read Georgana’s Secret? What did you think of it?
This is a weekly meme hosted Devouring Books. This week’s prompt is Metal in the Title, so I decided to do Books with Gold in the Title. Here’s my list:
1. A Golden Fury by Samantha Cohoe
2. The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
3. Darling Rose Gold by Stephanie Wrobel
4. Stay Gold by Tobly McSmith
5. Chain of Gold by Cassandra Clare
(All book covers from Goodreads)
If you’d like to do this list too, consider yourself tagged!
Title: The Perfect Guests Author: Emma Rous Genre: Thriller Publisher: Berkley Source: Publisher via NetGalley Format: Ebook Release Date: January 12, 2021 Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
The USA Today bestselling author of The Au Pair returns with another delicious, twisty novel–about a grand estate with many secrets, an orphan caught in a web of lies, and a young woman playing a sinister game.
1988. Beth Soames is fourteen years old when her aunt takes her to stay at Raven Hall, a rambling manor in the isolated East Anglian fens. The Averells, the family who lives there, are warm and welcoming, and Beth becomes fast friends with their daughter, Nina. At times, Beth even feels like she’s truly part of the family…until they ask her to help them with a harmless game–and nothing is ever the same.
2019. Sadie Langton is an actress struggling to make ends meet when she lands a well-paying gig to pretend to be a guest at a weekend party. She is sent a suitcase of clothing, a dossier outlining the role she is to play, and instructions. It’s strange, but she needs the money, and when she sees the stunning manor she’ll be staying at, she figures she’s got nothing to lose.
In person, Raven Hall is even grander than she’d imagined–even with damage from a fire decades before–but the walls seem to have eyes. As day turns to night, Sadie starts to feel that there’s something off about the glamorous guests who arrive, and as the party begins, it becomes chillingly apparent their unseen host is playing games with everyone…including her.
Review:
1988: Beth is a fourteen-year-old orphan who is sent to live at Raven Hall with a family who also has a fourteen-year-old daughter. The girls quickly become friends and do everything together. Then one day everything changes when the parents ask Beth to dress up as their daughter.
2019: Sadie is a struggling actress. When she’s invited to work at a murder mystery party for a weekend, she can’t resist the good paycheck. She’s given instructions and costumes to wear. However, the clues that she’s given seem to get more personal as the party goes on. Sadie starts to wonder if there’s a reason all of these guests were brought together at Raven Hall for the party.
I love it when the setting of a story becomes a character. Raven Hall was important in both narratives. It seemed to take on a life of its own, in the way that it drew people in and wouldn’t let go. The area of England where this story was set, called The Fens, has an interesting history which was explained at the end of the book. This damp, marshy land added to the suspense of the story.
This was such a suspenseful story. I couldn’t put it down, but I also didn’t want it to end so soon. I could have easily read it in one sitting. I highly recommend this thriller!
Thank you Berkeley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
What to read next:
The Au Pair by Emma Rous
The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell
Have you read The Perfect Guests? What did you think of it?
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