One of the cool things about having a seemingly never-ending TBR (to-be-read) pile is that you never actually run out of things to read. Sometimes you even forget you own books, and rediscovering them can be like buying them all over again (while keeping your wallet firmly closed). Add in a spinach and banana power smoothie (it’s good, I promise!) and a day spent by the pool reading Tim Seeley’s Vertigo series Effigy, and you’ve got yourself the makings of a NovelTEA column.
Ok, guys. I have a confession to make. I cheated a lil’ bit this month. Just a bit. I promised that I would read a book by an immigrant woman of color for every month in 2019 and I sort of did that, but I also sort of didn’t. This month’s book Dear Ijeawele, or A Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is all of those things, but it’s also not new to me. I first read Adichie’s Fifteen Suggestions last year after realizing that the constant damaging news cycle was often leaving me speechless when actually confronting people who were parroting “fake news.” I first read Adichie in an effort to help consolidate my own thoughts on feminism and as a sort of devotional text in the fight for equality.
Urban fantasy is one of those genres that you either passionately hate or absolutely love; it seems there’s no in-between, especially when you’re looking at independently-published urban fantasy. If you’re in the camp of loving indie urban fantasy, though, you’ll be delighted by USA Today bestselling author K.F. Breene’s book, Born in Fire. Gather ‘round for a full cup of tea and some delicious baked chicken meatballs (if baked chicken meatballs are your thing. I feel like only some people can make chicken meatballs well? You’ll have to try them and tell me if they were good or not):
Summer is thriller season (also: cheesy romance season, but given my habit of stockpiling thrillers and the scant handful of romance novels I actually own, we’ll have to go with thriller season). It’s the perfect time to revisit Veronica Mars in the comfort of your air-conditioned home, or pack a suspenseful read into your beach bag and try to figure out if the butler did it while you soak up some sun. This week’s NovelTEA features The Perfect Stranger by Megan Miranda, with a side of roasted eggplant dip, a practically perfect pairing:
Don’t you just love a cozy fantasy novel? The perfect read to accompany you through torrential summer downpours or bitter winter blizzards, it’s just a year-round sort of gem. This week, we’re serving up the recipe for mini peach tarts and a quick review of S. Jae Jones’s debut YA (teetering on the cusp of being a new adult) novel Wintersong, so hurry to the table, before the tea gets cold:
So, let me start by saying that I realize that poetry is not for everyone. This is true for old poetry, with its repetitive rhymes and rigid structure, but it is also exceptionally true for much of modern poetry, which can sometimes read like some sort of self-indulgent exercise in emotional riddle-making.
But, after hearing an interview with poet Franny Choi, I couldn’t wait to get a hold of her new book of poetry, Soft Science. I usually love poetry and was intrigued by the ways Choi said she wove together the threads of politics, gender, sexuality and technology in her new collection. She also said that she did so using the language of technology and science, which I thought had to be super cool.
As a teacher, the end of the school year can be both completely hectic and ridiculously boring all at the same time. Filled with standardized tests that require me to sit in a room for hours on end, it seems like all of my time is both used and wasted all at once. Perhaps even worse than the eternal boredom of testing season, sitting in a silent room for hours on end tends to lead my brain to some weird places. Because I’m an enneagram 1 and am endlessly concerned with the issues of the world, without happy distractions my brain heads toward incredibly depressing places pretty quickly.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe has popularized comic book heroes and made them accessible to audiences worldwide. Marvel has accomplished a feat in filmmaking with a 22 movie lineup that has spanned over a decade. They’ve shown us that heroes come in all shapes, sizes, genders, and races! Avengers: Endgame was released a month ago and I still get emotional just thinking about specific scenes. I loved every frame of the film. One of the film’s standout moments features all of Marvel’s female heroes in one shot, a visually empowering scene. For anyone seeking more ways to celebrate the women of Marvel, look no further.
The Harry Potter franchise changed the landscape of reading forever. The series reawakened a love of reading in adults and children alike.
But some of us get stuck with knowing what to read next. The problem with a great series is that they cause a book hangover (It’s a real thing. There’s an Urban Dictionary definition and everything).
You’re sad that the story is over, and reluctant to try anything new because it won’t be as good.
Never fear! There are book nerds like me who can confidently recommend what you should read next.
As an English teacher, I often have to remind my students that you don’t have to like a book for its message to be important. March’s book had me listening to my own advice. I really struggled writing this review. Yet, I think the tension that I felt while writing this blog is the entire point of reading this book.