Welcome to Litsy!

I love Brendan Slocumb‘s not the norm heroes. In this book a cello prodigy takes on the bad guys and kicks butt. Make sure you read the afterword.

A dark and spooky wait at the bus stop this morning. Luckily I have the Dark Maestro to protect me.

My daughter could start in band/orchestra this year at her school. She chose the cello. The instrument is about as big as her but she is excited. We are trying to match her enthusiasm as we listen to the sweet (screeching) sounds as she‘s learning how to play. She was adamant that she wanted to play the cello from the start. She‘s also seen someone on YouTube play “Pink Pony Club” on cello & it‘s motivated her more.

My favorite #musician is my offspring B! They‘ve been playing the cello for 5 years now. This was from a fiddle club performance from earlier this summer. #CharacterCharm

This novel was weird, but in a good way. It was coming from a unique place with a musician/ superhero angle. Curtis comes of age as a talented cellist in the midst of gang territory with well-meaning guardians who are in a losing situation. I was attached to these characters and cared very much about their outcomes. The author's afterward was quite interesting and put some of the ideas into context.

Well written and well researched. The author got most of the music parts right (a rarity) and I learned a lot about Spanish history in the early 20th century. All while being highly entertained with a good story. #readyourKobo @CBee

As a longtime Brendan Slocumb fan, The Dark Maestro exceeded expectations. Curtis‘s journey—a story of choices, consequences, and redemption—deeply resonated with me, especially as someone impacted by parental decisions. Hip‑hop references and a North Carolina setting made it feel personal and authentic. A captivating, emotional read.
Full review: https://www.instagram.com/p/DMTi5Sqhjpm/?igsh=MTJhM3JrbTIwd3c4Yw==

This book set in Spain in the years leading up to WWII is frighteningly relevant to today‘s.

Thank you, @Liz_M for bringing back #14books14weeks! It turns out, I have a couple of authors with more than one of their books on my TBR so I‘ve got 2 books each from 7 authors for my list. Looking forward to so many of these titles!

Low pick. This started out so strong before the half way point I had this as the best of Slocumb, but then it took a turn and became a bit too ridiculous. If you are super into Superheroes you might be lored in, but it felt like I was reading 2 separate books. And unfortunately I wanted to stay in the beginning half.
As always I love his focus on Black classic musicians and family. I just wish his editor had resigned in the 2nd half.