#sundayspotlight2023

[books4us]

SUNDAY SPOTLIGHT! If you want to bring some levity to your reading selections, then you won’t find a better book to fill that taste. What Happened To Ruthy Ramirez will provide the joy and cheer you didn’t know you needed on your plate. A wise man once told me; “just because you make light of a situation doesn’t mean you take that situation lightly.” My 💭; The book title is more statement than question. But after reading the book, the statement becomes question. What indeed happened to Ruthy Ramirez? The answer is not really in these pages, not in the literal sense. It’s more of who is Ruthy Ramirez? And we find out who she is through her two sisters and her mother, Dolores. I’m not sure if Claire Jimenez was aiming for a comedic novel, but that is what she produced. The dialogue and interaction between sisters and mother is funny and lighthearted with a sense of realism. This is a hilarious read although the title would lead you to believe this is a very serious undertaking. And don’t get me wrong, the disappearance of a 13 year-old is consequential, but the novel doesn’t deep dive into the missing Ruthy, we get the effects of missing Ruthy on those she left behind. And those details are told with no shortage of straightforward hilarity that will give you laugh out loud moments. You almost forget that Ruthy is missing, until a reality show, called “Catfight” enters the story and the sisters think they are onto something. And, the feel of the novel takes a heavier turn but the hilarity is still intact. So, that’s a win for readers and a win for debut author Claire Jimenez. Thanks to Netgalley and Grand Central Publishing for an advanced DRC. The book will drop on March 7, 2023 #ownvoicesreviews #bookpusher #pushingbooksainteasy #whathappenedtoruthyramirez #clairejimenez #grandcentralpublishing #readmorebooks #readology2023 #sundayspotlight2023 #blackbibliophile #latinawriters #latinawomenauthors #bookblogger #bookstagram #bookreviewer #readingismylife #books4usbyus #eclecticbookchoices #booksaremylife (at Houston, Texas) https://www.instagram.com/p/CokL0BALOgx/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[books4us]

SUNDAY SPOTLIGHT!! Let’s get it. Mark your calendars. Why? On April 1st, 2023, A new short story collection from the inimitable Gayl Jones will hit the market. My 💭; A master at language use. It’s not hard to see why Ms. Toni Morrison was so fond of Gayl Jones. Her use and manipulation of language is stunningly beautiful and often simply brilliant. There are some bright shining moments in this too short collection, but at all times her prose is poetic and intoxicating. Even in the flash fiction pieces, called fragments in this collection the prowess is still evident. In the fragment Ravenna, she tells of a pending adoption, and manages to infuse moving emotion in a few short pages, “Both girls were ten. (they wondered how ravenna got so old before anyone wanted her.) But the other girl was not a beauty. she was Black in the days when Black wasn’t considered beautiful. and in all honesty, her face looked like a frog’s though if she’d been lemon yellow or even beige that feature might have been quietly overlooked.” This is quite an impressive collection and one I highly recommend. Thanks to Edelweiss and Beacon Press for an advanced DRC. #butter #gayljones #beaconpress #ownvoicesreviews #sundayspotlight2023 #blackbooksmatter #bookblogger #bookreview #bookreviewer #blackbibliophile #readmorebooks #followforblackbooks (at Downtown Houston) https://www.instagram.com/p/CoABlDsrqNO/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[books4us]

It’s Sunday! So you know it’s the SUNDAY SPOTLIGHT! First before we look at the book shining under the light, let’s acknowledge the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. He dedicated his life to the uplift of Black people. Please be not confused by various people and groups trying to twist his words and legacy. He was a Black freedom fighter! So salute to the King! Now to the SPOTLIGHT! Hip-hop fans will delight in this comprehensive look at Hip-hop from the beginning to present day. My 💭: A walk down memory lane. Johnathan Abrams takes us all the way back to the birth of hip-hop. And it was a reminder for me, if some great times and lots of fun. As he went through the growing years, mentioning crews and songs, memories came flooding back to me. This is a definitive chronicle of the building of what we know now as hip-hop culture. Johnathan Abrams seemingly spoke with everyone who was someone bringing this book alive. Hearing from some of hip-hop’s luminaries as they don the 20-20 lens of hindsight fills in some of the mysterious holes. You know, those rumors you heard about rapper X, but never could quite confirm. Some of those underground stories are brought to surface here. Thanks to the Crown publishing group and Netgalley for an advanced digital copy. #thecomeup #crownbooks #johnathanabrams #netgalley #bookpusher #pushingbooksainteasy #blackbibliophile #readmorebooks #blackbooksmatter #bookstagram #bookblogger #bookreviewer #sundayspotlight2023 #readology2023 (at Houston, Texas) https://www.instagram.com/p/CncG_5QrCgS/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[books4us]

Let’s go, SUNDAY SPOTLIGHT 2023! We had a great 2022 and now we’re ready to share book thoughts throughout 2023. Always helping readers make decisions about what books to spend time with. And this one qualifies as worthy of your time. My 💭; Impressive. This is adult novel-ing at its finest. Just very well written wrapped in realistic dialogue and adult situations. The story is an enjoyable one with a well paced road trip that is between Frankie and her older Aunt, who she doesn’t really know a lot about, but will find out a great deal about her Mom’s sister on their extended if unintended road trip. Some interesting Los Angeles history surrounding the opening of the first Black hotel in LA and the story moves back and forth between late 1920s LA and ‘68 Chicago. Denny S. Bryce does an an excellent job of building the back stories of Daisy and Frankie. The dilemmas they face are realistic and working through these conflicts puts the reader front and center in an engaging story. Thanks to Edelweiss and Kensington for a DRC. Read and Enjoy👍🏾. #sundayspotlight2023 #bookpusher #pushingbooksainteasy #bookblogger #bookreview #ownvoicesreviews #inthefaceofthesun #dennysbryce #kensingtonbooks #readmorebooks #readologist2023 #blackbibliophile #blackbooksmatter #blackbookveteran #blackbookcentered (at Houston, Texas) https://www.instagram.com/p/CnJ-0GkLxvM/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[books4us]

Happy New Year! 2023 is here! SUNDAY SPOTLIGHT is here! As we embark on the new year, you will see many lists, ‘ most anticipated reads’, ‘best books’ ‘must have’ and so on and so forth. So today’s spotlight highlights six books that should be on ANY list. I’ve read four of them and I’m desperately trying to get ahold of the other two. So take a look, jot them down, remember the release dates and read them and then tell someone to tell someone. #bookpusher #pushingbooksainteasy #bookblogger #bookreviewer #readmorebooks #blackbooksmatter #readology2023 #sundayspotlight2023 #makereadinglitagain #thehouseofeve #rootless #youneverknow #manwhowouldbeking #lonewomen #crookmanifesto #readinginhouston https://www.instagram.com/p/Cm35RxtAjFt/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=