#brendan slocumb

[lifesarchive]

reading next:

THE TROOP by NICK CUTTER FLUX by JINWOO CHONG HUNGRY GHOSTS by KEVIN JARED HOSEN DEVIL HOUSE by JOHN DARNIELLE THE VIOLIN CONSPIRACY by BRENDAN SLOCUMB THE SHARDS by BRET EASTON ELLIS

[kamreadsandrecs]

Title: The Violin Conspiracy Author: Brendan Slocumb Genre/s: mystery Content/Trigger Warning/s: explicit racism, emotionally abusive parents and family, police violence, false arrest Summary (from author's website): Growing up Black in rural North Carolina, Ray McMillian’s life is already mapped out. But Ray has a gift and a dream—he’s determined to become a world-class professional violinist, and nothing will stand in his way. Not his mother, who wants him to stop making such a racket; not the fact that he can’t afford a violin suitable to his talents; not even the racism inherent in the world of classical music.

When he discovers that his beat-up, family fiddle is actually a priceless Stradivarius, all his dreams suddenly seem within reach, and together, Ray and his violin take the world by storm. But on the eve of the renowned and cutthroat Tchaikovsky Competition—the Olympics of classical music—the violin is stolen, a ransom note for five million dollars left in its place. Without it, Ray feels like he's lost a piece of himself. As the competition approaches, Ray must not only reclaim his precious violin, but prove to himself—and the world—that no matter the outcome, there has always been a truly great musician within him. Buy Here: https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-violin-conspiracy-brendan-slocumb/18709063 Spoiler-Free Review: So I picked this up because it promised to be a mystery about a Stradivarius being stolen from a Black musician, and while that's DEFINITELY what this book is about, the mystery of the theft is more like a frame for the story of Ray's growth as a musician; the origins of the Strad; and the many, MANY complications and dangers of being a Black classical musician. So really it's more like a bildungsroman than a mystery overall, but I think that billing it as a mystery makes it more marketable? Regardless, as a bildungsroman and as a mystery, it's a fantastic read. I enjoy classical music and it hasn't escaped my attention that it's an overwhelmingly white world, so I can only imagine the kinds of hurdles musicians and composers of color, especially Black musicians and composers, face in that world - this on top of the myriad other injustices that come with being a Black person in the US. Slocumb writes about those instances with a sharpness and clarity that comes from personal experience - something which he admits to in the Author's Note at the end of the novel. Another thing I appreciated was the family aspect of Ray's life: how Black children don't always get the kind of support they might need or want to pursue less "profitable" career paths. In a way, one can't blame the family for this because of the systemic poverty that haunts many Black families and communities, and makes it so that they have to struggle to survive. The psychological damage this causes is then passed on to their children, in a cycle that can be difficult to break. On the other hand, though, Ray's bitterness at the way he's treated by certain members of his family is entirely familiar. This is especially true in the way his family only begins to think he's "doing something" with his life once he hits the "big time" as a musician. It's something many people who've pursued careers in creative fields will recognize, and will relate very hard to.

I know I said earlier that the mystery acts more like a frame for the bildungsroman that forms the actual heart of this novel, but I think they play very well with each other, because the bildungsroman provides you with a list of potential suspects: all the people in Ray's life who could possibly want to get their hands on the Strad, along with their potential motivations for doing so, and their potential methods. Whenever someone new comes into Ray's life, you look at them with some suspicion, even if they seem nice, because they could potentially be responsible for stealing Ray's violin. And I'll admit: I didn't guess who the real culprit was until Ray himself figured it out. It's always fun to try and guess ahead, but I also appreciate it when I don't figure it out until the precise moment the protagonist does. Of course, that only happens when the rest of the novel is also fun to read, which was definitely the case here. So overall, an enjoyable read with a great look at what happens behind the curtains, so to speak, in the classical music world. It's also a great look at the kind of prejudice Black classical musicians face in that same world, which they must deal with on top of the prejudice they already face in less rarefied circles. I do wish, though, that there had been a list of all the musical pieces mentioned in the novel at the end of the book. Slocumb provides a link to a Spotify playlist on his website, but I wish there'd been a list at the end regardless. Rating: five violins

[bargainsleuthbooks]

Symphony of Secrets by Brendan Slocumb #NetGalley #ARC #BookReview

A musical score missing for a century turns up and two people are tasked with restoring it. But there's a deep dark secret about the composer that his musical foundation doesn't want revealed. #SymphonyofSecrets #BrendanSlocumb #NetGalley #bookreview

Bern Hendricks has just received the call of a lifetime. As one of the world’s preeminent experts on the famed twentieth-century composer Frederick Delaney, Bern knows everything there is to know about the man behind the music. When Mallory Roberts, a board member of the distinguished Delaney Foundation and direct descendant of the man himself, asks for Bern’s help authenticating a newly…

[frombehindthepen]

Brendan Slocumb Makes Classical Magic in His Book, The Violin Conspiracy

Brendan Slocumb Makes Classical Magic in His Book, The Violin Conspiracy #Music #Reading #NCHumanities

Oh my goodness, this is the fourth book I read for the 2024 North Carolina Reads statewide book club from NC Humanities. I fell in love with and was so inspired by the character Ray McMillan in this book. His colorful story opened up a whole new world in my understanding of violins and classical music while introducing us to the famous Stradivarius violin. Yet throughout this book, Brendan…

[bookdivareads]

Top Reads of 2023

It's that time of the year, my "top reads of 2023" has posted. Happy Reading Y'All! #fiction #topreads #bookrecommendations #bestoflist

Happy Holidays and Seasons Greetings Y’all! Once again, I spent way too much time this year re-reading as well as reading. As with previous years, this year’s “best of…” list will cover a variety of genres. This list includes books read with online and local book groups, a few books that I read and reviewed, and other books I’ve had the pleasure of reading over the year. Not all of the titles…

[kammartinez]

Because here is the heart of it: it wasn’t about the money, or the prestige of playing a Stradivarius, or the looks people gave him—envious and impressed—when they learned who he was and what the violin had been. His loss had nothing to do with any of those things, and the wealth and fame were distractions that he shrugged off. Here is what he realized in the gray shadows of his 3:00 a.m. vigils: He was alone now. He was desperately, terribly, alone. Until then, he’d been a solitary, lonely kid—and then a solitary, lonely man—who had had one special person in his life, dressed in a pink housecoat and smelling of lavender and bluing solution in her hair. She had gone, but she had given him music, and music had filled his world, had allowed him to connect with people in a way that he sometimes could not believe could be real. But now she was gone, and the violin had gone, and the music was gone, and he felt so lonely and guilty now that he often thought the misery would paralyze him and he would simply, suddenly, stop breathing under the weight of it.

-- The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb

[fiction-heals]

Tis my new keychain (one of them glows in the darrrrrrrk!) and the new book in my earbuds c:

[andreabadgley]

This was so good!

[triceratopper]

Music is about communication—a way of touching your fellow man beyond and above and below language; it is a language all its own.

The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb

[lifesarchive]

THE VIOLIN CONSPIRACY by BRENDAN SLOCUMB (REVIEW)

quickly: a young black master violinist has his fiddle stolen just before a world-class championship (grandma’s favorite grandson / families that prey / great-great-great-great grandfathers / traffic stops and crooked cops / SLAVERY! / italian masters (of music, of plantations) / hidden treasure and family secrets / lawyers, lawsuits, and legacies).

A praying grandmother can work wonders for a family. The story is anchored by Ray and his violin, but he is here because of Grandma Nora and her appreciation of lineage and legacy. While Ray is surrounded by family members who constantly demoralize him, Grandma Nora reminds him to be loving and respectful and to honor his gift—music. The conflict commences when Ray realizes his beloved violin has gone missing, and there is a multitude of leads… the new girlfriend? his money-hungry family? the family who used to enslave his great-great-grandfather?

The writing is easy and open. The kind of reading you can do on a Sunday afternoon, or a long car ride. Doesn’t require too much mental work to stay with the story. There’s a little bit of thrill, a little bit of crime and mystery, and even a little bit of romance. It is also very honest about the discriminatory treatment of black people in music and in world society. And, as with every truly American story, The Slaves come back to remind us that they were here. An enjoyable read!

★ ★ ★ ★

[nimblermortal]

Brain not doing the googling thing.

If an object is stolen, how many times does it have to change hands legitimately before it is not considered stolen goods anymore?

Case in point: Brendan Slocumb's The Violin Conspiracy. If a slave had stolen a violin from his ex-master, and given it to his daughter, who gave it to her daughter, who gave it to her son, does it still belong to the master's descendant?

I feel like there's a certain point at which it's got to be viable, but that Nazi art theft blurs that line rather.

[shouldntbeaskingmyselfwhy]

Reading List 2024!!!

Trick Mirror* by Jia Tolentino

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

Bliss Montage* by Ling Ma

Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros

All Systems Red* by Martha Wells

The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb

A Touch of Darkness by Scarlett St. Clair

King of Battle and Blood by Scarlett St. Clair

Wild Women and the Blues* by Denny S. Bryce

The Revenge of the Radioactive Lady* by Elizabeth Stuckey-French

A Touch of Ruin by Scarlett St. Clair

A Touch of Malice by Scarlett St. Clair

From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Queen of Myth and Monsters by Scarlett St. Clair

A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Rules of Civility by Amor Towles

One's Company* by Ashley Hutson

The Crown of Gilded Bones by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Daisy Jones and the Six* by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Severance by Ling Ma

The Other Half* by Charlotte Vassell

Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson

The Martian by Andy Weir

The Liars' Club* by Mary Karr

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

Artificial Condition by Martha Wells

Sourdough by Robin Sloan

A Darker Shade of Magic* by V.E. Schwab

Beautyland by Marie-Helene Bertino

The Secret Life of the Universe: An Astrobiologist's Search for the Origins and Frontiers of Life by Nathalie A. Cabrol

My First Book by Honor Levy*

An Academy for Liars by Alexis Henderson

Faebound by Saara El-Arifi

Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells

Extremely Online: The Untold Story of Fame, Influence, and Power on the Internet by Taylor Lorenz*

When Among Crows by Veronica Roth

Fire Exit by Morgan Talty

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia*

* books for my zoom book club

my favorites are in bold :)

[kamreadsandrecs]

He would tell you that music is a universal language, and that we, the listeners, will always impose our own fears and biases, our own hopes and hungers, on whatever we hear. He would tell you that the rhythm that spurred on Tchaikovsky is the same rhythm that a kid in a redneck North Carolina town would beat with a stick against a fallen tree. It is a rhythm in all of us. Music is about communication—a way of touching your fellow man beyond and above and below language; it is a language all its own.

-- The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb

[lyriclorelei]

10 for the book ask!

What was your favorite new release of the year?

oh man, so many

Symphony of Secrets by Brendan Slocumb -I'm looking forward to seeing what he writes next!

The Road to Roswell by Connie Willis -Such a delightful romp

Much Ado About Nada by Uzma Jalauddin -I got this from the library and then couldn't stop listening, my favorite of Jalauddin's for sure

Ice: From Mixed Drinks to Skating Rinks by Amy Brady -I liked this look at history

A Power Unbound by Freya Marske -Such a great end to the series, I love Ross so much

[therealjambery]

3, 14, and 19 for the end of year ask game!

I already answered 3 and 19, but am ALWAYS happy to talk about books! Boy oh boy am I.

14. Favorite book you read this year: that's a tough call because I read a lot but I'll do my best.

Symphony of Secrets by Brendan Slocumb - This book is absolutely stellar. It's a mystery/thriller about a music history professor who uncovers a shocking secret about the composer he's dedicated his life to studying.

Other good books I read this year:

Classic lit

Cold Comfort Farm, Stella Gibbons - Historical satire that reads much more modern than its 1932 publication date.

Coming of Age

When We Were Magic, Sarah Gailey - Fiercely tender; I highly recommend anything Sarah writes.

Mystery

Lavender House, Lev AC Rosen - 1950s noir gay detective. I also recently read the sequel and it did not disappoint.

The Satapur Moonstone, Sujata Massey - Set in 1920s India, Perveen Mistry is Bombay's only female lawyer. She's a great character and I'm really enjoying learning more about Parsi culture and Indian politics during that time.

Sci Fi

Unconquerable Sun, Kate Elliott - Sweeping and personal, a stunning cast of characters. The audiobooks are great.

Fantasy

When the Angels Left the Old Country, Sacha Lamb - Delightful, Good Omens vibes but more Jewish.

Re-read

Witchmark, CL Polk - Gaslight fantasy romance. My ultimate comfort read.

[kammartinez]

He would tell you that music is a universal language, and that we, the listeners, will always impose our own fears and biases, our own hopes and hungers, on whatever we hear. He would tell you that the rhythm that spurred on Tchaikovsky is the same rhythm that a kid in a redneck North Carolina town would beat with a stick against a fallen tree. It is a rhythm in all of us. Music is about communication—a way of touching your fellow man beyond and above and below language; it is a language all its own.

-- The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb