My Inner Thoughts

Colorful Fall by Chaluntorn Preeyasombat

Dread Nation (2018)  

Jane McKeene was born two days before the dead began to walk the battlefields of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania—derailing the War Between the States and changing the nation forever.

In this new America, safety for all depends on the work of a few, and laws like the Native and Negro Education Act require certain children attend combat schools to learn to put down the dead.

But there are also opportunities—and Jane is studying to become an Attendant, trained in both weaponry and etiquette to protect the well-to-do. It’s a chance for a better life for Negro girls like Jane. After all, not even being the daughter of a wealthy white Southern woman could save her from society’s expectations.

But that’s not a life Jane wants. Almost finished with her education at Miss Preston’s School of Combat in Baltimore, Jane is set on returning to her Kentucky home and doesn’t pay much mind to the politics of the eastern cities, with their talk of returning America to the glory of its days before the dead rose.

But when families around Baltimore County begin to go missing, Jane is caught in the middle of a conspiracy, one that finds her in a desperate fight for her life against some powerful enemies.

And the restless dead, it would seem, are the least of her problems.

by Justina Ireland

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Justina Ireland enjoys dark chocolate, dark humor, and is not too proud to admit that she’s still afraid of the dark. She lives with her husband, kid, and dog in Pennsylvania. She is the author of Vengeance Bound and Promise of Shadows.

X-Men Divided We Stand #1  (2008)  // Marvel Comics

Nezhno has the ability to increase the muscle-mass of his body, allowing him to drastically increase in size and strength almost instantly. 

The upper limit of Nezhno’s strength has not been categorized, and he has shown himself strong enough to hold his own in battle against a Sentinel as well as Predator X. Storm stated that his physical strength rivals that of Colossus, which means he has at least Class 100 strength. Nezhno’s resting strength gradually increases every time he uses his powers.

Story: Craig Kyle, Chris Yost, art: Sana Takeda

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A Phoenix First Must Burn: Sixteen Stories of Black Girl Magic, Resistance, and Hope (2014)

Sixteen tales by bestselling and award-winning authors that explore the Black experience through fantasy, science fiction, and magic.

With stories by: Elizabeth Acevedo, Amerie, Patrice Caldwell, Dhonielle Clayton, J. Marcelle Corrie, Somaiya Daud, Charlotte Nicole Davis, Justina Ireland, Alaya Dawn Johnson, Danny Lore, L. L. McKinney, Danielle Paige, Rebecca Roanhorse, Karen Strong, Ashley Woodfolk, and Ibi Zoboi.

Evoking Beyoncé’s Lemonade for a teen audience, these authors who are truly Octavia Butler’s heirs, have woven worlds to create a stunning narrative that centers Black women and gender nonconforming individuals. A Phoenix First Must Burn will take you on a journey from folktales retold to futuristic societies and everything in between. Filled with stories of love and betrayal, strength and resistance, this collection contains an array of complex and true-to-life characters in which you cannot help but see yourself reflected. Witches and scientists, sisters and lovers, priestesses and rebels: the heroines of A Phoenix First Must Burn shine brightly. You will never forget them.

by Patrice Caldwell  (Editor)

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Patrice Caldwell is a graduate of Wellesley College and the founder and fund-raising chair of People of Color in Publishing–a grassroots organization dedicated to supporting, empowering, and uplifting racially and ethnically marginalized members of the book publishing industry. Born and raised in Texas, Patrice was a children’s book editor before shifting to writing full-time. In 2018, she was named a Publishers Weekly Star Watch honoree and featured on The Writer’s Digest podcast, PBS’s MetroFocus, and Bustle’s inaugural “Lit List” as one of ten women changing the book world. She currently lives in New York City in an apartment overflowing with tea and books and is obsessed with purple lipstick. Visit her online at patricecaldwell.com, 

Black Panther Vol 4 #19 (2006) //  Marvel Comics 

Black Panther (T'Challa) and Storm (Ororo Iqadi T'Challa)

Story Reginald Hudlin, art Scot Eaton

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