Howard Fineman debuted as an author in 2008 with The Thirteen American Arguments. Detailing centuries of disagreements, Fineman solves the complex equation where America equals a paradox. You see, this country cannot exist without divergence. What pushes us to greatness is not hate, but debates.

Josh Kaufman uses the Greek mythical creature, hydra, as a metaphor for achieving one’s goals. Along the lines of The Alchemist, this story teaches many a lesson without sounding self righteous. As it turns out, you can learn quite a lot by following one fictitious character on their journey to greatness.

Anita Kopacz frames the spiritual path of kidnapped Africans as they journey through the Middle Passage. The historical storytelling of Yemaya, Goddess of the sea, acknowledges the strength enslaved people maintained through African religions. Their spirituality further strengthened the pride of those who, on the surface, were stripped of everything material. Shallow Waters is teaching a new generation the root of black womanhood by way of Yemaya. If nothing else the audience will be awarded a hold on their own divinity.

Ernest J. Gaines maps another take to the ‘wrongful convicted black man’ narrative. The character of Jefferson is given the painful task to await his own death in a jail cell. Those around him encourage Jefferson to align himself with God & dignity. We have all heard stories of injustice before, what makes this special is the explanation of the ripple effect it has on a community.

Alexandra Andrews’ debut novel hit the market this past March. It follows the naive Florence Darrow as she navigates the literary world in NYC. Ultimately we end up with a couple unexplained mental breakdowns, a few dead bodies & a nice publishing deal. Odd doesn’t begin to cover this plot…

Julia Quinn gave us the gift of the Bridgerton Book Series. Shonda Rhimes gave us the Bridgerton Netflix Series. And both gave us the gift of Regé-Jean Page as Simon Bassett. In turn I read The Duke & I to placate my Bridgerton withdrawal. Although this is just a book review, spoilers lay ahead for the series as well.

Communication is led by headlines & social media posts. Alas “How to Write Short: Word Craft for Fast Times” has legitimacy. Roy Peter Clark delivered a 240 page explanation on concise writing. In honor, this description is complete. Enjoy the review!

Mike Duncan lays out the events in the Roman Republic from 146 BC to 78 BC. Often we are taught the importance of Julius Caesar, but not the events preceding his fall. In truth, Rome was a hot mess! In no way was I expecting to learn of such atrocities that continued for decades. The imperialist nation accomplished almost too much, with too little concentration on caring for the land (& people) conquered. For all the history buffs out there, take a deep dive into the Roman Republic with this informative read!

Michelle Williams walks us through her personal battle with depression in this reflective memoir. She explains how her faith based foundation interacts with her therapeutic ventures to provide her the best opportunities to remain mentally healthy. It cannot be easy to be so vulnerable, especially in an era of trolls. But Ms. Williams draws back the curtains on her life, so we can better understand this ugly disease. In an era of shallow ‘self help gurus’, her book is a breath of fresh air. (If you’re reading this, we love you Michelle!)

Coming off the heels of a successful series debut, it is only right that I review Lovecraft Country by Matt Ruff this week. This novel originally blends other worldly happenings with the reality of the 1950’s. Although inspired by H. P. Lovecraft, this is not the work of the late writer. This piece instead structures an anthology-like view of the plot by following a group of black adults as they prepare to take on greed motivated wizards. Relevantly, this shows us that inclusion is possible in fantasy writing. Thank you Matt Ruff, for saying in so many words that black leads have a place in sci-fi.