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“Things Every Southern Woman Should Know How to Make”

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Alice clicked on the headline, mildly curious about what yet another stranger thought should be in her kitchen repertoire. Pictures of China plates mounded with crispy fried chicken, greens, cobbler, and a pile of biscuits a mile high flooded the screen, all set off with a pitcher of sweet tea beaded with condensation. The table was set; an apron draped off to the side next to a box labeled “Gramma’s Recipes” in fine calligraphy. She closed the browser and put away her tablet. She was born a Georgia peach, but she couldn’t make a cobbler to save her life. Did that mean she wasn’t southern? Or maybe just not “Southern.” For Alice, there was no recipe box full of family traditions. Her younger years were filled with rental homes in different states and her father’s voice coaxing her toward a text book rather than a cookbook. Metalworking and fabrication held more interest than learning to flambé or sauté. Did it make her less of a woman that her cooking skills consisted of fresh salads...
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Book Recs: A BLADE SO BLACK by L.L. McKinney

Alison “Alice” Kingston suffers the worst night of her life when her father dies. Overcome with grief, she flees into the dark, and trips down the rabbit hole. Only, the rabbit hole doesn’t take her to a brightly colored world filled with odd wonders and a disappearing cat; it instead threatens her with a monster—a Nightmare—and introduces her to Addison Hatta, who recruits her to fight the Nightmares plaguing Wonderland and encroaching on the human world. A BLADE SO BLACK is a magnificent twist on Alice in Wonderland , where Alice is a dual-blade wielding Dreamwalker badass backed up by her mentor, the mysterious Addison Hatta and the sleepy-eyed Maddie, a Poet who keeps them going with her potions. She’s got a healthy fear of her mom, who worries about her and wants her to stay safe in a world that’s not always safe for a black girl going about her business. I really like Alice and her friends. Even though she was a skilled fighter, she didn’t come out on top in every battle,...
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Comic Rec: UNSOUNDED by Ashley Cope

I may sound like a broken record, but if you haven't read UNSOUNDED by Ashley Cope, and you like twisted tales of undead wizards and cocky sneak-thieves with tails, you really should. This is an ongoing comic, and the author is 66 pages into chapter 14. It's beautifully drawn and intricately woven for a tight storyline that never fails to surprise you. The characters are wonderfully flawed, messy, and true to character throughout the story, and it's amazing to watch them grow as they face their prejudices and fears. The magic system is well-grounded and the world's history tied to it. Ashley Cope has successfully Kickstarted three volumes of UNSOUNDED at the demands of her fans, and she offers them for sale on her website with a few other items. BUT! You can read the story and enjoy the artwork for free right here!  http://www.casualvillain.com/Unsounded/comic/ch01/ch01_01.html So, check out UNSOUNDED and follow along as Duane, the formerly alive scribe, travels w...
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Book Recs: DAMSEL DISTRESSED by Kelsey Macke

CW: Self-Harm I'm not going to go into details on that, but it does play a factor in the story so be aware. What I really liked about DAMSEL DISTRESSED is that Imogen is flawed, knows she's flawed, and even though she's trying to work on it, sometimes she fails hardcore. She sometimes thinks or says terrible things about people she loves, but she usually calls herself out on it or someone else will. Which was nice because too often things like slut-shaming or body-shaming slip into a protag's dialogue and they aren't pointed out as wrong. Imogen lives with clinical depression, and in her low moments, it's hard for her to believe in herself or other people, even when they are supportive of her. She struggles with the fact that even with therapy and medication, she still feels broken. She isn't magically cured by a pill or a couple therapy sessions or by the love of her best friend, Grant. Rather than curing her, the support of her family and friend...
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Book Recs: A SUN IS ALSO A STAR by Nicola Yoon

Natasha and Daniel’s lives collide on a crossroads to their uncertain futures. Natasha is on a desperate mission to stay in the states, and a poetic boy in a red tie doesn’t fit into her plans. But Natasha is the twist-of-fate Daniel has been wishing for; the sign that he can escape the life of Ivy League ambition his parents have planned for him. Coincidence or destiny, their collision will change their hearts and minds forever. Even though there is love-at-first-sight (at least for Daniel), this isn’t a reality-breaking insta-love story where nothing matters anymore because the characters are in love. They still have decisions to make, and while they influence each other, they still have to make them on their own. However, Natasha and Daniel’s meeting creates eddies that alter the world around them, and these ripples add subtle layers that enrich the depth of the story. These small twists make this one of those books that sticks with you long after you read it. You can find...
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Book Recs: DREAD NATION by Justina Ireland

If you like kickass girls fighting zombies in a post-Civil War alternate history, then you should read DREAD NATION by Justina Ireland. Attendant-in-training Jane McKeene knows her way around a sickle when it comes to taking out shamblers, and she hopes to use those skills to make her way home to her family once she graduates from Ms. Preston’s, an academy where black girls are trained to fight the risen dead to later serve the white elites in the protected cities of the United States. But Jane has different plans—graduation is her ticket to carve out her own path and attain the freedom that the end of the Civil War failed to bring. DREAD NATION has great, well-rounded characters and a fascinating alternate history. People’s prejudices often lead them to underestimate Jane, and she uses this to her benefit not only to save her own hide, but usually theirs as well. Unfortunately, Jane’s smarts are often dismissed due to the racism of the white Survivalist party that’s in charg...
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