August 31, 2018

First Lines Friday ~ Queen of Soul Covers Edition


First Lines Friday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along.
  • Grab your current read(s).
  • Share the first line(s).
  • Include the title and author.
Aretha Franklin 1942-2018

~ People Magazine - September 3, 2018 Issue

~ Entertainment Weekly - August 31, 2018 Issue

~Billboard Magazine - August 25, 2018 

August 30, 2018

Well, That Escalated Quickly


"Words are like chameleons that way." ~ pg. 313

Well, That Escalated Quickly is a timely collection of personal essays by veteran video blogger, Franchesca Ramsey. She discusses race, online activism, communication, social media trolls and more in this candid nonfiction book. It goes way beyond her viral YouTube video "What White Girls Say...to Black Girls."

Fran (yes, we are on nickname status), you had me at page 12 when you mentioned gently racist observations that seem to roll off the tongue. It is no exaggeration when I say how much this accidental activist/viral vlogger was living the same life as me in the workplace. Loving a hobby but keeping it away from professional life. Hiding success. Whether you can relate to Franchesca Ramsey or not, I recommend her memoir. It is hilarious, honest and extra at times but worth the read.

Title: Well, That Escalated Quickly: Memoirs and Mistakes of an Accidental Activist
Author: Franchesca Ramsey
Published: May 2018
Pages: 413
Edition: iBook
Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤

 

August 29, 2018

The Boy at the Door


"I wake in one of those black pockets of night when the deep silence is both exhilarating and frightening." ~ 97%

Two worlds collide for the worse. Cecilia is married with two beautiful daughters and lives in an affluent Norwegian town. Annika lives with her abusive drug-dealing boyfriend. On the surface these two women share nothing in common. However, Annika knows a secret from Cecilia's past that could destroy and save lives. When someone forgets to pick up their little boy from the pool, Cecilia takes it upon herself to give the boy a ride home...too bad it's an abandoned empty house.

Sounds like a damn good novel, right? Nope. I am so disappointed when a book with a unique premise is not so good on paper. I am sure the idea and outline was great, but the final product was not as good. Every other chapter, I was annoyed at the stupid decisions the characters continued to make. And not once was a logical question asked or a logical action taken. This made it hard for me to finish The Boy at the Door. But I trudged along hoping it got better. Well, it did not unfortunately.

Needless to say, I do not recommend The Boy at the Door. For those still interested, it is available now!

Disclaimer: This book was received directly from the publisher for review purposes only. In no way does it influence my review. The opinions I have expressed are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins.

Title: The Boy at the Door
Author: Alex Dahl
Published: July 2018
Pages: 368
Edition: Galley
Rating: 🖤

August 28, 2018

Lagging Indicators


"A lagging indicator is an economic indicator that changes following a change in the economy, such as unemployment." ~ 1%

It is October 2009 and Mia Lewis is on top of her game professionally. Working and surviving on Wall Street is a dream come true. She is a 35-year-old independent woman and the Head of Equities at Atlas Capital. She always does what is best for the firm, and trust her instinct at the same time. But one heat-of-the-moment reaction ushers her downfall.

Suddenly Mia's entire career is taken away. Disgraced, broke, and thrown under the bus. No calling in favors. Jabbing elbows with those of Wall Street means nothing. So what better time than now to take a break from it all? She escapes to a cottage in upstate New York to repair her reputation and figure out what's next. She doesn't expect to connect with a handsome single dad. But a past she's intentionally kept hidden jeopardizes her future.

"Maybe I functioned better in a world of facts and figures; emotions were too erratic." ~ 9%

Finally a book about an industry I am familiar with and a main character of color! Author Jennifer Anglade Dahlberg really put her best writing hand forward and did due diligence. Her research is apparent in the details, yet it was not full of jargon that the everyday reader could not follow. From the book cover with stock quotes and a black woman dressed business casual to the industry related title, Lagging Indicators is on point. I am quite impressed!

"I've never used my gender or played the race card in my entire career and I'm worried that I make that claim they'll try to paint me as an 'angry black woman.'" ~ 21%

I have not closely related to a main character in a long time. That is, before Mia Lewis came along. I understood her decisions, her connections with numbers and knowledge of the market. Not once did I roll my eyes at something Mia said or did. In fact, I predicted her next moves simply because it was something I would have done too. Readers in the finance industry will find this fiction book accurate yet a great escape. Lagging Indicators is a new release available now!

Disclaimer: This book was received directly from the publisher for review purposes only. In no way does it influence my review. The opinions I have expressed are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins.

Title: Lagging Indicators
Author: Jennifer Anglade Dahlberg
Published: July 2018
Pages: 342
Edition: Galley
Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤

313



Traveling is fun but oh, how I have missed my bed and blogging! This summer has been spent traveling from the Midwest to Down South and back again. I partied with my Sistahs and the Sistah Speak Nation in Dallas. Chickadee and I took a spontaneous road trip with the kiddies to Gary, Indiana. I celebrated a friend's born weekend in Chicago. And I am heading to Houston next for my own born day shenanigans and live entertainment (OTR II). All fun and blessings!  

My dear hearts, however you are spending Summer '18 I hope it is to your full enjoyment. Smooches from the 313 😍

  

August 26, 2018

Series Sunday: Second Time Sweeter

(Blessings #9) 

Series Sunday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along.
  • Read an installment of a series.
  • Share your review/recommendation below.
  • Include the title, author and series name.

"Even though one side of her wanted to put Henry Adams in a bulletproof bubble surrounded by multiple force fields to keep all of its citizens safe, that wasn't an option." ~ pg. 93

My Series Sunday pick is Sweeter Than Sweet, the ninth book in the Blessings series by Beverly Jenkins. The patriarch of the town f'ed up royally. Mal July returned to Henry Adams unashamed and unapologetic for embezzling thousands of dollars and for breaking Bernadine Brown's heart. Most of all, he let down the foster kids he mentored. Can Mal humble himself enough to apologize and ask for a second chance? It's also Homecoming Weekend! Gary Clark reunites with his high school sweetheart. It only took a second to realize the spark is still there. But is it too late for a second chance at love that began thirty years ago?

"Did the visit mean there was a thaw in the cold war?" ~ pg. 148

I kid you not when I say I'm a resident of Henry Adams in-my-head. The way Beverly Jenkins writes puts me smack in the center of town and takes me away from the real world. The fictional Kansas town is a true community filled with citizens, their realistic drama and engaging dialogue. In Second Time Sweeter, I found myself crossing my fingers for certain characters and rolling my eyes at others. By the end, it was evident that forgiveness is the central theme. Well told story!

There couldn't be a better book to return with for my Series Sunday meme. A fine example of why I love this series and consider myself an honorary resident. Even though this is the ninth installment, new readers will not be lost. There is enough backstory to follow along and read as a standalone. However, I highly recommend starting the series from the very beginning. Every new Blessings book is like a family reunion.

Happy Early Pub Day, Ms. Bev! Second Time Sweeter will be available Tuesday, August 28.

Disclaimer: This book was received directly from the publisher for review purposes only. In no way does it influence my review. The opinions I have expressed are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins.

Author: Beverly Jenkins
Published: August 2018
Pages: 206
Edition: Galley
Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤