Mother, Nerd, & a Mass of Contradictions

[mamanerd22]

#monthlyroundup Finished April with 14 books. Though to be honest several of those were novellas. I knocked out 3 books for my @booksinthefreezer Reading Challenge. I only have 1 book left for that one and I'll be finished with my 12 horror. Maybe I'll double up and try to do everything 2x. I also knocked 3 off my @bookriot read harder challenge and 1 of the #MRDRC22 . A few horror, quite a few #KindleUnlimited novellas and some audiobooks. Highlights of the month include Over The Top by @jvn Fast Pitch by @nicstone and Electric Idol by @katee_robert #AprilReads #horror #novellas #nonfiction #romance #thriller #middlegrade #BlackWomenAuthors #BooksInTheFreezerReadingChallenge2022 #BookRiotReadHarder2022 #nerdymama #nerdymamabooks #booknerd #DiverseBookstagrammersRead #bookstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/CdCOiP1rboP/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[mamanerd22]

So I have a little bit of mixed feelings on this book. There was a lot I liked. I loved that Janet Watson was a capable educated disabled veteran who also was a queer Black woman. I liked that Sara Holmes was also a supremely intelligent queer Black woman. I was intrigued by the slightly dystopian setting of post-Trump USA during a new Civil War. 🔍 I'm not one for political thrillers but the fact that this dealt so much with veterans and the VA Medical Center features so prominently in the book I could relate to it. Both my parents are veterans and worked for the VA for 20+ years not to mention I'm at the VA multiple times a week since my mom has all her appointments and dialysis there. So the scenes and interactions with the VA and the personel were pretty accurate in my experience. 🔍 The pacing seemed a bit off for me and it felt a little awkward to have a Sherlock reimaginging where Holmes was secondary and Watson was the focus. (But then again i havent read the orignals so...) Also I didn't realize until I was almost halfway thru the book that although Claire O'Dell is queer she is not a POC. I had to work through my feelings on a novel with 2 Black women protagonists and most characters being POC being written by a white woman. I can say that I feel like O'Dell handled it well and there were no glaring "Men writing women character-esqe" moments. The ending was a little anticlimactic but I will be checking out The Hound of Justice because I'm curious to as how Janet Watson develops as a character. 🔍 3.5/5 #AStudyInHonor #BookReview #BookRiotReadHarder2022 #PolitcalThiller #HolmesWatsonReImagining #QueerAuthors #SFF #LibbyApp #audiobook #Veterans #disabledheroine #VAMedicalCenter #DiverseBookstagrammersRead #Booknerd #Nerdymamabooks #Bookstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/Cc9TwKlrX81/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[mamanerd22]

Cackle worked perfectly for the one word title prompt for my @booksinthefreezer Reading Challenge. This book is more like horror-lite because it deals with witches and some creepy crawlies but is missing the murder, mayhem and gore that often inhabits the horror I usually read. I wanted more from this book but I didn't dislike it. I think I just couldn't relate to Annie much because she so obviously defined herself by her romantic relationships and even when she became more independent I still felt like she relied on Sophie too much. What I did like is how it read like an origin story for the local witch everyone is afraid to cross and it came across as a female empowerment tale. Also Ralph the spider is an adorable sidekick and a nice departure from the witches and black cats trope. 3.25/5 #WitchyReads #Cackle #BooksInTheFreezerReadingChallenge2022 #OneWordTitle #VillianOriginStory #horror #readingprompt #spider #DiverseBookstagrammersRead #nerdymamabooks #booknerd #POCbookstagrammers #bookstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/Cc6V3rjr-DT/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[mamanerd22]

I've been awful about posting the last week and a half but I have been reading. Including the 2nd book in the Dark Olympus series by Katee Robert. I enjoyed this one as well. I love that we got to see more of the families of the Thirteen (can't wait for Helen's book). I enjoyed Psyche/Eros pairing and I was happy to see more of Hermes she's a definite fave of mine. 4.25/5 #ElectricIdol #DarkOlympus #MythologyRetelling #PsycheEros #romance #spice #Hermes #Nerdymamabooks #DiverseBookstagrammersRead #booknerd #bookstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/Cc39HmtLLxU/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[mamanerd22]

QOTD - What's your favorite bookish accessory? AOTD- my bookish tote that @armyhomeschool Made for me. I take it EVERYWHERE with me, so I'm #neverwithoutabook #DiverseBookstagrammersRead #QOTD #HappySheepTN #supportyourfriends #bookishgifts #talknerdytome #Nerdymamabooks #booktotebag #booknerd https://www.instagram.com/p/CcWLNJOrawU/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[mamanerd22]

This week is spring break for my kiddos and today we went to 3 different Library events at 3 different libraries. The last event I took my two oldest, Zoey & Zahara, to a book signing and talk for The 100 Greatest Superhero Films and TV Shows by Zachary Ingle & David M. Sutera ( AKA @reel_genus ). 🦸‍♂️🦸‍♀️ The signing was at the Gainsboro Library with Zachary Ingle. Honestly, it was one of the most fun and interactive book signings I've been to. There were a few teens or younger at the signing and Mr. Ingle was engaging and so patient with their questions. You could tell he really had a good time creating the book, and it really came through in his excitement when talking to us. 🦸‍♂️🦸‍♀️ We brought a copy and were able to have it signed. As a die-hard Marvel fan as well as a fan of all things superhero and anything nerdy related, I can't wait to dig into this book. Side note: when I discovered both Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel made the cut, I had to run back in to gush over my love of both with Mr. Ingle. He was gracious in my fangirl-ing, and my daughters weren't too embarrassed. QOTD: Who is your favorite superhero? AOTD: Buffy Summers, The X-Men, and Black Panther #Superheroes #BookSigning #SignedCopy #MarvelFan #ILoveMyLibrary #raisingfuturenerds #nerdymamabooks #booknerd #DiverseBookstagrammersRead #BlackGirlsReadBooksToo #LatinxReader #Bookstagram (at Gainsboro Branch of the Roanoke City Public Library) https://www.instagram.com/p/CcOmRExrVQr/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[mamanerd22]

*Spoilers* I can't say I LOVED The Troop because honestly fuck that book; it was traumatizing, but I appreciated it for being horrifying. So I figured I'd check out The Deep for one of my Books in the Freezer Reading prompts for a non-human monster. 🌊 The Deep started out okay. I liked the idea of an underwater research facility miles below the surface where something inhuman/unnatural is going on. I even appreciated the brother storyline. But to me, it felt like the book was trying to do too much. Clayton - Genius brother searching for the cure to a disease that is a mix of leprosy and severe Alzheimer's. Luke - Brother who is a veterinarian, his son disappeared without a trace years ago, and now he has nothing left to lose. Throw in a traumatic childhood with an abusive mother and maybe some brushes with the supernatural. I was with it for most of the book despite the extreme overuse of the word "gelatinous" (seriously, pick another adjective, my guy!). Also a scene with a baby and a millipead that made me shudder. 🌊 However, right about halfway through Part 5, I was starting to annoyed. Part 6 the book entirely jumped the shark and introduced the fact that the ambrosia wasn't the villain but these mysterious ancient entities used the ambrosia as bait to lure humans down into the deep so they could have someone help them reach the surface. These entities had been watching the brothers their entire lives and had orchestrated Luke's sons disappearance in order to use him as leverage. The ending was just bizarre. Good potential, didn't live up to it, though. 2.5/5 #TheDeep #BooksInTheFreezerReadingChallenge2022 #NonHumanMonster #horror #TheOceanIsScary #WTF #gelatinous #nerdymamabooks #BookReview #wompwomp #DiverseBookstagrammersRead #booknerd #bookstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/CcL0p-drBcb/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[mamanerd22]

I was a little stumped for what to read for the Book Riot Read Harder prompt to read a memoir by a trans or nonbinary author until I remembered that I already had picked up Jonathan Van Ness' book a couple years ago. And a signed copy at that! ⛸️ Over the Top is so authentically JVN that you can literally hear their voice as you read it. Jonathan gives us a peek into their childhood trauma and some of the trials they went thru in their early twenties. They're more than just a perky ice skating & gymnastics obsessed hair stylist and host. I will admit there were parts of the book that had me rubbing my head in confusion like the inclusion of their 6th grade report on the Clinton scandal. ⛸️ Overall I really did enjoy Over the Top. I found JVN's voice refreshing and their vulnerability moving. Plus I loved hearing about the process of being cast on Queer Eye. I totally binged the latest season over the last couple of days cause life had been so busy I hadn't gotten around to watching. *Note JVN's pronouns are he/she/they but I chose to use they in this review. 3.75/5 ⛸️ #Memoir #MemoirByaNonBinaryAuthor #BookRiotReadHarder2022 #OverTheTop #JVN #QueerEye #signedcopy #QueerAuthors #YasQueen #nerdymamabooks #DiverseBookstagrammersRead #booknerd #bookstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/CcJksvJLc6Y/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[mamanerd22]

#cozymysteries aren't really my go to genre but I'm loving @mpmthewriter new series. In the 2nd book, #HomicideAndHaloHalo Lila is roped into being a judge for the local teen beauty pageant in Shady Palms, but when one of the other judges is murdered Lila must get to the bottom of it before her cousin/nemesis Bernadette takes the fall. Because past rivalries aside family comes first. 🍧 I loved stepping back into Shady Palms and seeing how Lila and her friends and family were doing since the events of Arsenic & Adobo. I really appreciated that Manansala addressed the trauma that Lila dealt with in the first book. Things weren't just back to normal and it showed how she was effected mentally and emotionally even if Lila was trying to brush it aside. Everyone deserves friends like Adeena & Elena and I wish I could visit the Brew-Ha Cafe right now. Once again we were gifted with delicious descriptions of food and a few recipes at the end of the book. I also liked that we got more of Lila's history especially her relationship with her mother. The mystery portion of the book was not as strong as the rest of the book but I'm 1000% here for the characters. 3.75/5 🍧 #mystery #librarybook #BookReview #BOTMShouldveHadThisAsAPick #nerdymamabooks #Latinxreader #blackgirlsreadbookstoo #representationmatters #ThisBookMadeMeHungry #TitaRosieMystery #DiverseBookstagrammersRead #booknerd #bookstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/CcAevUMrBik/?utm_medium=tumblr

[mamanerd22]

I've had some short story ebooks from #KindleUnlimited on my kindle for a while I finally decided to tackle a few... #SciFi #shortstories #Kindle #20BooksByBlackWomen #Nerdymamabooks #blackgirlsreadbookstoo #DiverseBookstagrammersRead #booknerd #bookstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/Cb8Vmk3Lxu1/?utm_medium=tumblr

[mamanerd22]

#monthlyroundup 15 books in March. 7 of these were audiobooks. My favorites this month were Dead Silence, Neon Gods, and Lore Olympus. I got in a mood to re-read a Dresden and chose Turn Coat. I also knocked out FOUR Book of the Month Books. Read 3 nonfiction including finishing Raising Kingdom Kids with my small group. group. I was really successful with my reading prompts this month. 2 Books in the Freezer prompts, 3 Book Riot Read Harder, 8 Mood Reader's Delight Reading Challenge prompts, and 2 books by Black Women. #MarchReads #horror #BooksInTheFreezerReadingChallenge2022 #MRDRC22 #BookRiotReadHarder2022 #20BooksByBlackWomen #DiverseBookstagrammersRead #romance #nonfiction #audiobook #LibbyApp #memior #fantasy #DresdenFiles #nerdymamabooks #booknerd https://www.instagram.com/p/Cb2mD0HLnuF/?utm_medium=tumblr

[mamanerd22]

You ever read a book and it reminds you of some of your favorite throwback scary movies? SA Barnes' Dead Silence is perfect for fans of Ghost Ship and Event Horizon. You've got a small crew in a remote untravelled portion of the universe who stumble upon a luxury cruise spaceship that's been missing for the past 20 years. Throw in a team lead with past trauma, and may or may not see ghosts. A Titanic like vessel that something nefarious obviously happened and a Ragtag crew that starts seeing things that aren't there... 🌌🛳 This book may not work for everyone but it was hitting the right notes for me. Claire Kovalik was independent yet vulnerable and she was giving me some bad ass heroine vibes. She may not be the most knowledgeable but she is a SURVIVOR. This book also had the corporate machinations that we are so fond of in SciFi like Alien and The MurderBot Diaries. I liked that in the beginning of the book there was a back and forth between the present and the past and we are trying to figure out what exactly happened. I could go on a bit but I'm gonna try to be spoiler free. Just check this one out if you're a fan of creepy SciFi. 5/5 #BooksInTheFreezerReadingChallenge2022 #HybridHorror #SciFi #InSpaceNooneCanHearYouScream #GhostShip #EventHorizon #ghosts #DeadSilence #SABarnes #FiveStar #BookReview #DiverseBookstagrammersRead #nerdymamabooks #booknerd #bookstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/Cb0YRB3L4C9/?utm_medium=tumblr

[mamanerd22]

It's funny, but The Final Revival of Opal & Nev actually inspired me to check this book out. One of the characters reminded me of ALT so much that I figured I'd check out the audiobook. 🧵🪡 Now I'll admit my knowledge of ALT was mostly from his seasons on America's Next Top Model so I knew he was influential in the fashion industry, but I found out so much more about him as a person. He was also top of mind, having recently passed in January this year. I absolutely adore memoirs read by the author, and The Chiffon Trenches was well done. 🧵🪡 All memoirs you take with a grain of salt, and I think ALT was especially conscious of trying to include enough salacious details of fashion giant influencers like Karl Lagerfeld and Anna Wintour without completely burning bridges. With my limited knowledge of ALT, I found it fascinating to learn he studied French, had his masters from Brown, and was studying for his PHD before turning to the fashion industry. However, there was also a feeling that he was holding things back about himself, trying to make it seem like he was being open but also never really revealing himself completely. I also found it interesting that he never even alluded to his stint on ANTM or mentioned Tyra Banks. But Naomi Campbell was mentioned NUMEROUS times... #thingsthatmakeyougohmmmm That being said, I truly did enjoy listening to ALT and his journey in the Chiffon Trenches. 3.75/5 🧵🪡 #AndreLeonTalley #TheChiffonTrenches #Audiobook #libbyapp #memior #blackmaleauthor #fashion #ANTM #DiverseBookstagrammersRead #nerdymamabooks #booknerd #nonfiction #bookstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/CbtLHxwrL6U/?utm_medium=tumblr

[mamanerd22]

Knocking out another #BOTMpick this was a cute queer romance. I loved the setting of a culinary reality show (An obvious Master Chef knock off) cause I'm a sucker for cooking shows. I also enjoyed that one of the protagonists was nonbinary London was open about their identity and the book highlighted the struggles they faced even in their own family. Dahlia I didn't love as much she was a bit all over the place and the ending was a bit blah. Overall a solid LGTBQ romance 3.25/5 #NonBinary #CookingShow #romance #BookOfTheMonth #nerdymamabooks #DiverseBookstagrammersRead #booknerd #bookstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/CbqAweerIuJ/?utm_medium=tumblr

[mamanerd22]

Reading James Baldwin has been on my TBR for quite a while. Listening to The Fire Next Time reminded me so much of listening to Between the World and Me by Ta-Nahesi Coates. Written like a letter to his nephew Baldwin discusses the role of the Negro in America. And although it's been 60 years since this was published Baldwin's words are 100% relevant to today's America. I've determined I need to get a physical copy of The Fire Next Time to annotate the shit out of it. 4.75/5 #JamesBaldwin #TheFireNextTime #BIPOCMaleAuthor #nonfiction #readBlackAuthors #DiverseBookstagrammersRead #audiobook #LibbyApp #BlackLivesMatter #nerdymamabooks #booknerd #blackgirlsreadbookstoo #bookstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/CbgMnSkrzF4/?utm_medium=tumblr

[mamanerd22]

The story of a fiercely resilient young man grappling with a physical disability, and his efforts to solve a mystery unfolding right outside his door.  🏈 How Lucky has been sitting on my shelf a few months after it was one of my #BOTMpick last year. I picked it up recently because I heard it was a light quick read. I have to say I really enjoyed that the book was from Daniel's perspective even though he had lost his ability to speak and used a wheelchair. I appreciated how Daniel and those around him had developed a way of communicating with each other without words. I know sometimes when I'm close to someone it feels like we have whole conversations without saying anything outloud. I loved Travis and Marjani. 🏈 I feel like I learned a lot about Spinal Musclar Atrophy and based on my limited knowledge I felt like Leitch was making an effort to be informative and respectful of people who suffer from SMA daily. I also appreciated how Daniel valued his independence and was basically the amateur detective looking for Ai-Chin. I found myself excited to n read the book and at the climax I was fully invested. 4.5/5 #BookReview #HowLucky #WillLeitch #BOTMBooks #MRDRC22 #disabledprotagonist #WheelchairUser #DisabledHero #spinalmuscularatrophy #CollegeTown #GoBulldogs #Nerdymamabooks #DiverseBookstagrammersRead #Booknerd #bookstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/CbX9ExDrDjH/?utm_medium=tumblr

[mamanerd22]

#MeetTheBookstagrammer I'm Maria! 38 y/o SAHM to 5 (my 3 daughters and my 3 neices). I've been married for almost 15 years and live in SW Virginia. Few things about me: 1. I'm #multiracial my dad was Black and my mom is Mexican. According to my AncestryDNA results I'm a mix of mostly Nigerian (with some other African ancestry), Indigenous-Mexican and European. 2. We have 1 dog and a rabbit. Jackson is almost 13 years old and is my grumpy old man dog but he's amazing with the girls. Our rabbit has a tendency to try to shove his cage off the dresser. Our other dog Riley passed away unexpectedly last year and I still miss him terribly. 3. About 4 years ago we moved to Virginia to help my mom out. Before that I worked full time but now my days are spent chaufferring her to doctor appts/dialysis and corralling my 2 year old niece who gets into EVERYTHING. I've always been a reader but now reading is my self-care in a very full house. 4. My favorite series is The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. I periodically reread the books when the mood strikes. #POCbookstagrammers #LatinxReader #blackgirlsreadbookstoo #DiverseBookstagrammersRead #nerdymamabooks #booknerd #bookstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/CbEAi2-rjRS/?utm_medium=tumblr