Book Review: The First Ladies by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray

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The First Ladies by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray is a historical fiction novel that spans many years and tells of the friendship between former first lady Eleanor Roosevelt and civil rights activist Mary McLeod Bethune. I don't know if I would have picked up this book if it hadn't been the August selection for one of the book clubs I belong to in my area because I don't read a lot of historical fiction. However, I am so glad that I read it and was able to learn many things I hadn't learned about in any of my history classes.  I don't recall learning anything about Mary McLeod Bethune, and she is an important part of American history. The things she helped spearhead to provide African American people equal rights is quite impressive. One of the things I was horrified to learn about is Franklin D. Roosevelt's resistance to stop lynchings because he was afraid of losing the Southern Democrats backing for his New Deal Bill. Another thing that I fo...

Book Review: This Delicious Death by Kayla Cottingham

book review this delicious death kayla cottingham

This Delicious Death by Kayla Cottingham is about four friends going on a road trip to attend a music festival in the desert.  What no one else realizes is that they were infected during the pandemic and are now ghouls.  On the first night at the festival, Valeria goes feral and ends up killing someone and eating them.  Soon after, the girls discover that ghouls are being poisoned with a drug that will cause them all to feral.  The expected publication date is April 25, 2023.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the Advanced Readers Copy of This Delicious Death.  The synopsis was intriguing, so I was happy when I was approved to read this book.  I received this book for free in exchange for my honest review.

Just as an FYI, there were several content warnings at the beginning of this book, including but limited to alcohol consumption by minors, cannibalism, drug use and drugging, gun violence, murder, parental neglect, suicidal ideation, and transphobia.  According to the publishers and NetGalley, this book is considered to be in the following genres:  Young Adult, Horror, and LGBTQIAP+.

At first, this book was a bit slow to start, but it did start to pick up pace, and I ended up enjoying the storyline for the most part.  When I first started reading This Delicious Death, it reminded me a little of the television show Santa Clarita Diet starring Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant. Although there was quite a bit of mystery and horror in the book, it did include some lighter scenes and romance.  I don't really have any complaints about this book.

Even though horror is one of my favorite genres, This Delicious Death by Kayla Cottingham wasn't my cup of tea.  Well written, I think many teens will enjoy the storyline, and I'm glad there is a book that is inclusive of the LGBTQIAP+ community.  Children need books that represent a variety of things and people who might be like them.  Four out of five stars.

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