Tag Archives: black history month

Mycroft Holmes by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Anna Waterhouse: A Review

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Mycroft Holmes

Mycroft Holmes by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I came across this series at my local library. I didn’t even realize who the author was until I got home with the book. I’m a semi-decent Sherlock fan and mystery novel lover, so that is why I originally picked up the book.
The story follows Sherlock’s older brother, Mycroft, before Sherlock became Sherlock. Mycroft is just starting out in his government position as the secretary to the Secretary of War. He is engaged to a woman named Georgiana and his life seems pretty set. But when children are being murdered by a mythical creature in Trinidad, the home of his good friend Cyrus Douglas and his fiance, he decides to follow his fiance (who has rushed home after hearing this news) and investigate.
Ultimately, the writing really wasn’t for me. There were a lot of metaphors and similes used as descriptors which got a little tedious. And I felt like the writers were attempting to use language from the time period of the story (the later 1800s, after the Civil War in America), but it felt a little flowery and not natural.
I did like the characters though. In fact, I felt like the story was really about Cyrus Douglas more than Mycroft. Also, I learned a lot about the history of the Carribean, like who the Merikans were and how they got to Trinidad. Being that I read this during Black History Month was very appropriate.

There may have been a few words of profanity, but not anything very memorable. There wasn’t any real sexual content, either. There was some violence, but nothing too detailed. The story was really good, the mystery was not really there, but it felt more like an epic adventure than a mystery novel. Still a good read, and very interesting!

February TBR

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This year, I’m trying to read four books a month. I completed this goal last month with It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way by Lysa Terkeurst, Time’s Convert by Deborah Harkness, Devian by Shanna Bosarge, and The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath. I might do something with all my classic reviews at the end of the year, or maybe towards the middle of the year, we shall see. But the other reviews are linked above.

This month is Black History Month, and I thought it would be interesting to read only black authors this month. So, here is my line up.

For my nonfiction, I’m reading I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness by Austin Channing Brown. This has been on my TBR since last year, and a friend of mine read it and said it was a good read. Also, I follow her on Twitter, which is really where I find a lot of the authors I enjoy.

For my classic, I’m reading A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry. This is my classic pick for the month. I think I read this in high school, but I don’t remember it. I wanted to switch up my classics and read a play, so this was a good match.

For YA Fiction, I’m reading On the Come Up by Angie Thomas. I read her first book, The Hate U Give last year and really enjoyed it. This book takes place in the same neighborhood but follows the story of another girl who faces homelessness while trying to make a name for herself as a rapper. It isn’t pictured above because it comes out tomorrow.

And finally, my Adult Fiction will be Mycroft Holmes by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Anna Waterhouse. This was a random but fascinating book. I like Sherlock Holmes, and I came across his second book, Mycroft and Sherlock, at the library. When I realized it was the second book, I stopped reading it and placed the first book on hold. And yes, this is the basketball player. Apparently, he is a huge Sherlock fan. I’ve already started this one and it’s already fascinating.

I’m also reading A Field Guide to Getting Lost by Rebecca Solnit for the Life’s Library book club and Reviving Old Scratch by Richard Beck for another book study, but they are on different time frames. The four books above I will try to actually complete this month.

What are you reading this month?