Icons of Design (Black Lives #2)

I received a free uncorrected proof of Icons of Design from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.  This 128 page graphic novel was written for kids aged 8 through 12 and it will be published on January 5, 2027. Black Lives is a new graphic novel series from award-winning author Tonya Bolden and illustrator David Wilkerson that celebrates the lives of Black innovators and legends and helps bring lesser-known histories to life. 

The publisher's summary:

Learn about the remarkable work of costume designers, toy makers, and architects in award-winning author Tonya Bolden and illustrator David Wilkerson’s exciting new graphic novel series about some of the most fascinating Black lives in history

Ann Lowe (fashion designer). Ed Welburn (automotive designer). Ruth E. Carter (costume designer). These aren’t names that many people learn about in school, but they’re some of the greatest designers that people should know about—and they join the ranks of toy designers, architects, and graphic designers celebrated in Icons of Design.

Each faced challenges as they rose to the top of their professions, but they didn’t back down. They kept creating and experimenting and learning, and they made significant contributions in each of their fields!

The lives of nine African American designers are featured in this informative graphic novel. It covers designers in the late 1800s to the present. The types of design included landscape, fashion, costume, car, toy and graphic design. These nine designers are Gus Williston, Ann Lowe, jewelry designer Art Smith, industrial designer Chuck Harrison, architect Roberta Washington, car designer Ed Welburn, costume designer Ruth Carter, toy designer David Vonner, and graphic designer Gail Anderson.

I particularly enjoyed the life story of landscape architect David Augustus Williston. He was born shortly after the end of the Civil War. Gus, as he was called, loved gardening as a child and eventually was admitted to a teacher training program at Normal School, later known as Howard University in Washington DC. Gus wanted more education and landed a spot at Cornell University, after being forced to take eight entrance exams. He wrote a thesis titled Atmospheric Drainage and graduated in 1897 with a bachelor of science degree in aagriculture. Gus did not stop learning more and more about landscaping. He had steady work throughout his life and opened his own design firm, earning plenty of prestigious clients. 

Another designer I loved was fashion designer Ann Lowe. She experienced many setbacks in her career due to her race but was so good at designing ball gowns that she was hired to design Jackie Bouvier's wedding dress when she married JFK. 

My incorrected proof of this graphic novel did not have any coloring for the drawings. I think it will end up with bold colors though because the book cover is a bright blue. It’s quite striking.  Icons of Design is an inspirational book. I loved reading all of the biographies inside its pages and certainly learned alot. 

5 out of 5 stars.

Don't Forget Your Briefcase

I received an advanced review copy of Eliot Rahal's Don't Forget Your Briefcase from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. This 125 page edition of the political satire collects releases 1 through 5 and will be published on March 17, 2026. It's hilarious.

Elmo, a ten-year-old kid, carries his dead father's briefcase with him to his elementary school every day. After hurting a bully, he is suspended and his mother, a Russian spy working in the White House, takes him to work with her. It is Inauguration Day and as the new president walks toward the Oval Office, he is assassinated. In the commotion Elmo picks up the wrong briefcase. It's the nuclear football with the codes to launch a nuclear strike. The Marines end up with his father's briefcase. Oops. A plan is set in action for the military to get the nuclear football returned back to them. Elmo unwittingly thwarts them over and over. His mother calls her contact at the Kremlin requesting guidance but from here things get worse. . . for both countries.

The comic is a fast read because of both the seriousness of the issue and the incompetence of those who work for both countries. It's told in traditional comic book panels. The drawings are gorgeous and the color palette contains every color in the rainbow. The pictoral depiction of every US president since the 1970s was cute. The story began with Jimmy Carter in the Oval Office instructing a Marine on his duties as the handler of the football. Initially, I thought this would be about Carter but nine other presidents are shown and I guess it's to show readers that someone always carries the football for whoever is president. It's our tradition.

This story is just plain funny. There is some foul language but no sexy drawings. I am rating it 5 out of 5 stars and predict it will be in my top ten books for 2026.

Want to Know a Secret

I was lucky to receive an advanced review copy of Freida McFadden's newest novel from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. The book was self-published in 2021 but will be re-released by Poison Pen Press in March 2026. It's unclear if any changes were made to the manuscript but the copyright page indicates it is the final manuscript approved for pre-publication by Poison Pen Press. I requested the book because I knew it would be riveting. Freida McFadden has never written a book that wasn't engrossing. Want to Know a Secret fit the bill. 

The story opened spectacularly.  YouTuber April Masterson received a threatening text message from an anonymous person, someone close enough to see what's happening in her backyard and that her son Bobby was not where she thought he was at. April was distracted while filming an episode of her baking channel and wasn't watching him. A frantic search by April and husband Elliott only ended when April knocked on a new neighbor's door. She was about to ask neighbor Maria if she had seen her son when April eyes him playing with Maria's son Owen in their living room. April continued to receive anonymous texts but then began receiving negative comments on her You Tube videos. Some intimated knowledge of April's personal affairs and stated she was a fraud. April's private musings admitted that they were factual. She continued receiving texts about her flirting and about something buried in her backyard.

April appears to the outside world as the perfect woman. I fell for it in the beginning of the story but after awhile it seemed that something was off. No one is that perfect. April's new neighbor Maria definitely gives off bad vibes and we are led to believe that Maria might be the villain who is sending the text messages. I fell for that too. Initially it appeared that Maria had more secrets than April but then came Part 2. And Part 3.

This story is a perfect psychological thriller. It was hard to tell who all the psychopaths were. The plot twists began early but the ending was so surprising I read the last chapters twice. All this leaves me to wonder how the author comes up with her story ideas. 

5 out of 5 stars.

The Beginner's Quilt

I received an advanced review copy of The Beginner's Quilt from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. The book will be released next month. I love Wanda Brunstetter's novels. She writes Amish fiction and has 147 books under her belt. The Beginner's Quilt is a prequel to Brunstetter's Half-Stitched Amish Quilting Club series. This installment of the series focuses on Emma Bontrager's lack of interest in  performing household tasks such as cooking, sewing, and cleaning. Her mother hasn't been able to teach her daughter these skills because Emma is always busy with the outdoors. The story shows her transition to domesticity. Emma's mother hopes that she will learn how to be an Amish wife.

Emma is a tomboy who loves fishing, baseball and any outdoors activity. Her mother sends her to her grandmother’s house in Arthur, IL for the summer in order to learn to cook and sew. Emma's grandmother is a great cook and seamstress. She soon meets grandma's friend Ida Mae Yoder who is an accomplished quilter. After admiring one of Ida Mae's Quilts she is offered lessons. Emma accepts immediately and begins making a quilt from the tree of life quilt block. Her new interest blossoms into a passion and after a few successes in the kitchen, Emma concentrates more and more on learning new recipes.

Emma is shy and has many inhibitions. When she meets Ida Mae's son Ivan, Emma feels an attraction but isn't cognizant of it. She only knows that she is tongue tied around him. Ivan, on the other hand, is bold in speaking and asserting his desires. They are complete opposites. After finding their footing as a couple something awful occurs that ends up separating them. Both are learning how to practice forgiveness while they journey through their time together.

This story is strictly romance. There are no modern problems involved in the plot which we have seen from earlier Brunstetter novels. It is a relaxing story to read. 4 out of 5 stars.

2026 Net Galley and Edelweiss Reading Challenge

The Netgalley and Edelweiss Reading Challenge returns in 2026!  It is hosted by the Socrates Book Reviews blog. While I only read 5 books for the challenge this year, I hope to increase that count next year by committing to read at least 25 books. 

The Challenge Rules:

1. The challenge runs from January 1, 2026 to December 31, 2026. There is no deadline to sign up.

2. You do not need to have a blog in order to participate.

3. Any genre, release date, length, etc. counts. It just needs to be a book from NetGalley or Edelweiss.

4. Books can count for more than one challenge that you are participating in.

5. Link your reviews every month on the Socrates Book Reviews blog.

6. To sign up make a blog post stating the level you intend to read in 2026 and link that blog post to the challenge post. The first link should be your name, the url should be the direct link to that blog post, not your main blog page.  If you do not have a blog then state your reading level in the comments below and how you will be sharing your book reviews.

Level of Participation

Bronze – 10 Books

Silver – 25 Books  (my level of participation)

Gold – 50 Books

Platinum – 75 Books

Diamond – 100  Books