June 30, 2019

Sistah Speak Sunday: Claws

Sistah Speak: CLAWS Podcast

Listen to Sistah Speak: Claws Podcast where we discuss the TNT original television series from a Sistah's point of view.

Listen Now 🎧 S3E1 Time: 1 Hour, 29 Minutes
Listen Now 🎧 S3E2 Time: 1 Hour, 59 Minutes
Listen Now 🎧 S3E3 Time: 2 Hours, 3 Minutes

#SSClaws Live Tweet Hashtag
@SistahSpeakCast on Twitter
Sistah Speak Podcast on Facebook
@SistahSpeakProductions on Instagram
Sistah Speak Productions Official Website

Visit our social media pages and join the Claws conversation.



June 28, 2019

First Lines Friday


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.

"When you open your closet to get dressed, do you feel overwhelmed or excited? Insecure or confident? Or do you think, I just need to clean this thing out?"

~ Fashioned by God: A 30-Day Devotional by Kathryn Graves 

June 26, 2019

Lock Every Door


"What a strange alternate universe you've stumbled into." ~ 47%

If it seems too good to be true, then it is. Jules (no nickname) Larsen has a new job as an apartment sitter at the Bartholomew, one of Manhattan's most high-profile buildings. The residents are rich, famous or both. It is the perfect place to start over in new surroundings for recently unemployed, orphaned and heartbroken Jules.

Every place has it quirks so Jules does not bat an eye to the rules. No visitors. No speaking to other residents. No nights spent away from the apartment. Sign a 3-month lease and get paid $12,000. Never mind being paid cash under the table. She does not hesitate to accept the terms. After all, it is the Bartholomew!

"In order to leave, I need to stay." ~ 76%

Jules is drawn to fellow apartment sitter, Ingrid. When Ingrid confides there is something sinister going on, Jules chalks it up to a ghost story and rumors. Until she hears a haunting scream from Ingrid's apartment followed by disappearance. Maybe there is some truth to the building's hidden past. Jules races against the clock to expose whatever is happening to the missing apartment sitters before she becomes a permanent resident, i.e., dead.

"One time is an anomaly. Two times is a coincidence. Three times is proof." ~ 66%

There is just something about a new thriller that makes me want to spend a summer afternoon reading. Lock Every Door is an example. The story takes off quickly like a marathon and doesn't stop until the finish line. Thank goodness I chose to read it on a leisure rainy weekday. Otherwise, I wouldn't have gotten anything done!

Author Riley Sager knows how to throw lines to hook a reader in. I started off in full agreement with the main character's decision to stay at the Bartholomew. Yes, the red flags were waving tall but for $12,000, take a chance! Then the real thriller fun began. Sager's written words are so realistic and descriptive, that I could feel Jules' fear through the pages. Lock Every Door is worth your coins and time. Recommendable for sure!

Happy Early Pub Day, Riley Sager! Lock Every Door will be available Tuesday, July 2.

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: Lock Every Door
Author: Riley Sager
Published: July 2019
Pages: 384
Edition: Galley
Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤

June 25, 2019

Dapper Dan: Made in Harlem


"Words were power, and reading—reading closely and carefully—had kept us from losing our power." ~ 9%

The memoir opens with a prologue sent in Harlem, 1989. Even though it was midnight, the lights were on and the door unlocked to Dapper Dan's Boutique. It was open "all day every damn day for nine straight years." Many people chose to shop and get styled by thee Dapper Dan. This night was no different except for it being a premonition to what was to happen a week later.

Rewind in time to the young Daniel, one of seven children. He tells a captivating coming-of-age story and does not mince words. It is evident how raw the retelling of his life is. He does not paint a pretty picture either. Being poor, his mother's alcoholism, his own addiction to drugs, rolling dice and "gang" activity is laid bare for readers' judgment.

"Our glass ceilings were a lot lower." ~ 28%

Harlem is a main character too. The capital of deferred dreams. Dapper Dan is about Daniel as much as it is about the city of Harlem in the midst of its Renaissance. Its gritty existence. Its swinging jazz and bebop music. Its glamour at night. Its addictions like drugs, alcohol and gambling. Its streets full of hustlers, go-getters and sharply dressed men such as Tenorman Dan—the original Dapper Dan.

The journey of Daniel Day to Dapper Dan is more than interesting. But I couldn't help but to side-eye how he "customized" brand clothing and balked at raids. So while I don't agree with the foundation on which he handled business, I recommend this memoir to anyone who enjoys a good ass coming-of-age story, likes fashion and has a hustler spirit.

Happy Early Pub Day, Daniel R. Day. Dapper Dan: Made in Harlem will be available Tuesday, July 9.

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: Dapper Dan: Made in Harlem
Author: Daniel R. Day
Published: July 2019
Pages: 304
Edition: Galley
Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤

June 23, 2019

Series Sunday: T is for Trespass

(Kinsey Millhone #20) 

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.

My Series Sunday pick is T is for Trespass, the 20th book in the Kinsey Millhone alphabet series by the now-deceased Sue Grafton. In the first style of its kind in this series, the narrator shifts from the main character, Kinsey Millhone the Private Investigator, to Solana Rojas—a sociopath. Or whatever her real name is because this one was stolen. Readers see firsthand what Solana Rojas is up to but the suspense lies in when, and how, Kinsey finds out.

"I believe, as many people do, that things happen for a reason. I'm not convinced there's a Grand Plan in place, but I do know that impulse and chance play a role in the Universe, as does coincidence. There are no accidents." ~ pg. 199

T is for Trespass just may be the most unsettling novel of the series. It addresses elder abuse, manipulation, private caregiver horrors and identity theft. I must say, Kinsey Millhone handled her own and showed readers a compassionate side to her character.

My 5-heart rating is a big improvement from the last book I read of this series, S is for Silence. Thank goodness the whole series didn't go downhill from there. I am quite impressed that Sue Grafton kept up a strong heroine and storyline for 20+ books. Indeed an accomplishment! My dear mystery bookhearts, if you still have not started this series...join the reading challenge and catch up!

Author: Sue Grafton
Published: December 2007
Pages: 387
Edition: Hardcover
Challenge: Perpetual Kinsey Millhone 
Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤

June 21, 2019

First Lines Friday


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.

"I don't know why I'm writing this. That's not true. Maybe I do know and just don't want to admit it to myself."

~  The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides 

June 19, 2019

Juneteenth Dedication

Take a moment to reflect, rejoice and celebrate Juneteenth. We are because our ancestors were risk-takers, brave hearts and fearless leaders. Be proud, carry on the legacy and remember those we lost.

06.19.2019 is dedicated to my cousin. Heaven couldn't wait for you.

And to everyone else: Live and Love free-ish! 

  

June 18, 2019

The Escape Room


"How much trouble could four investment bankers get into in a locked elevator?" ~ 96%

An escape room challenge becomes a life-or-death situation. Four young professionals participate in a team-building activity. Emotions and imaginations rise when the lights go out and they are trapped. But the cryptic clues are more like dangerous truths. Terrible deeds they committed climbing up the corporate ladder are revealed. It becomes clear that someone has to die in order for others to survive.

Was it realistic? For sure. Especially for people that have participated in an escape room before with only minutes left on the clock to decipher senseless clues and no escape in sight. Oh, just me? Okay. Well, the feeling of being trapped is real. Teamwork becomes every man looking out for him/herself. Then when you finally escape, you think of how you overanalyzed the whole scenario. Kind of how I felt about this new book. I overanalyzed the storyline so the ending fell flat.

"This is too fucking real for my liking." ~ 11%

There was so much buildup in The Escape Room. Lots of information for readers to wade through. Perhaps it was the author's tactic for a suspenseful thriller; although, it seemed like filler material. It gave me R.L. Stine Fear Street vibes. I loved those but I was not expecting it from The Escape Room. Nevertheless, I finished reading with a sense of nostalgia for the simpler times of thriller. 

Happy Early Pub Day, Megan Goldin. The Escape Room will be available Tuesday, July 30.

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 Escape Room
Author: Megan Goldin
Published: July 2019
Pages: 352
Edition: Galley
Rating: 🖤 🖤

June 16, 2019

Series Sunday: The Girl Who Could Move Sh*t With Her Mind

(Unknown Series #1) 

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.

My Series Sunday pick is The Girl Who Could Move Sh*t With Her Mind, presumably the first book in a series by Jackson Ford. (It is not categorized as a new series but the story continues in a book to be released later.)

Why did I choose to review an advance copy of The Girl Who Could Move Sh*t With Her Mind? Well the cover grabbed my attention first. Random objects are flying in space such as a pair of Chucks, a rubik's cube, cup of coffee, movie theater popcorn bucket and a yellow rubber ducky. I read the title next and now I am reeled in. This must be good, right?

"Hell has nothing to do with fire." ~ 86%

The ever so witty Teagan Frost has psychokinetic powers. The government uses her secret skill for odd missions. It's all paid fun and games until a dead body turns up at the last job site. Guess who is suspect #1? Teagan has 24 hours to clear her name and protect her beloved hometown of Los Angeles. S/O to Slauson Ave 💙

The easygoing writing style and language makes the main character so darn likable! Too bad this book is better suited for young adults; the dialogue is simplistic with sprinkles of juvenile cursing and the storyline itself is nothing to mull over. Us grown folk will lose interest real fast and grow bored very quickly. If it were not for the main girl, I would have given up reading far sooner. Yes, I like easy reads in the warmer months but not this basic.

If you are looking for a book to occupy a teenager during the summer school break, this is ideal. And just maybe they will be interested in Random Sh*t Flying Through the Air where the story continues.

Happy Early Pub Day, Jackson Ford. The Girl Who Could Move Sh*t With Her Mind will be available Tuesday, June 18.

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: Jackson Ford
Published: June 2019
Pages: 352
Edition: Galley
Rating: 🖤 🖤

June 14, 2019

First Lines Friday


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.

"It was a midnight like any other at the store. The lights were on out front, the door unlocked, the grate rolled halfway up. Dapper Dan's Boutique was open."

~ Dapper Dan: Made in Harlem by Daniel R. Day 

June 12, 2019

One Night in Georgia


"Not only do we have to contend with white racists, we also have to contend with racism within our own race. The lighter you are, the better you are is slave plantation bullshit." ~ 21%

It is the summer of 1968 (before my time). It is an unfortunate part of our history marked by the tragic assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., race riots and political protests. Zelda Livingston, Veronica Cook and Daphne Brooks head to Atlanta for their senior year at Spelman College.

As is the case for most longtime friends, the three women come from different backgrounds. Zelda comes from a line of freedom riders. Veronica grew up privileged and wealthy, strongly believing in racial uplift. Daphne lost her black mother to suicide and was abandoned by her white father. These young black women have every intention to create lasting memories on this road trip.

I cannot imagine having to travel with a special guidebook to find racially friendly gas stations, food or rest stops. Yet these women had to. Things start going awry as they reach the Mason-Dixon line. A racially hostile situation leaves a white person dead and one of the girls holding the smoking gun.

"Do something spontaneous for once in your boring life. Don't think, do." ~ 6%

Chickadee and I often talk about how not much has really changed between the 60s and today. The world is still divided by race. Blacks are still stereotyped and wronged. Black men are often mistaken for real criminals all because of a general description. And Black women hold families together carrying the burdens on their bare shoulders. It is disheartening. Reading what little I did of One Night in Georgia was a reminder.

If that was not clear enough, let me say it directly: I DNF (did not finish) One Night in Georgia. The premise seemed promising but it was way too much dialogue. Enough saying; more describing! I read further than my 50-Page Rule because I really wanted to get through it but nope. I hope someone else has better luck getting through it.

Happy Early Pub Day, Celeste O. Norfleet. One Night in Georgia will be available Tuesday, June 18.

Disclaimer: This book was received directly from 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: One Night in Georgia
Author: Celeste O. Norfleet
Published: June 2019
Pages: 304
Edition: Galley
Rating: DNF

June 11, 2019

Recursion


"The neural impulses from your taste buds and your ears get transmitted to your brain, which processes them and dumps them into working memory—so by the time you know you're experiencing something, it's already in the past. Already a memory." ~ pg. 37

What makes a woman leap to her death from a Manhattan rooftop? Something called False Memory Syndrome. Law officer Barry Sutton begins to investigate her suicide and this mysterious disease that afflicts people with vivid memories of a life they actually never lived.

Meanwhile, neuroscientist Helena Smith is developing technology that allows people to relive memories and possibly remake them. If all goes well, her mother and other patients will be able to remember a time before dementia and Alzheimer's. Imagine if we could go back in time and re-do moments of our lives. Make different decisions. Accept offers. Avoid bad choices. Decline a path taken. Spend more or less time with people. Just imagine! Well through the narration of Barry and Helena's alternate chapters, readers get a glimpse at what could be.


"Fearlessly genre-bending, consistently surprising" is a blurb by Karin Slaughter used to describe Blake Crouch's new novel, Recursion. Truer words were never spoken about this new book. It cannot fit into a genre box. It's a little bit of realism in a fiction setting with a science fiction base and moments of suspense. Most of all, it is downright unputdownable!

I thought Blake Crouch was at his best with Dark Matter, which still holds a place in my mind. But Recursion took me for an inescapable loop. It is the kind of book I carried and broke out reading everywhere! Any lull in my day for a solid week was filled with reading about Helena and Barry. Oh, how I wish we get to see these characters again. Especially after that ending that left me flipping invisible pages for more!

Need I say more, bookhearts? Add Recursion to your TBR with an open mind. Be prepared to throw away your concept of time, memory and reality.

Happy Pub Day, Blake Crouch! Recursion is available today.

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: Recursion
Author: Blake Crouch
Published: June 2019
Pages: 324
Edition: Galley
Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤

June 9, 2019

Series Sunday: A Prince on Paper

(Reluctant Royals #3) 

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.

My Series Sunday pick is A Prince on Paper, the third book in the Reluctant Royals series by Alyssa Cole. I don't usually do this but I read out of order. What had happened was I started reading the first eBook of series, A Princess in Theory, when I got the opportunity to read an advance copy of the newest book, A Prince on Paper. So I put the first book on hold and dived into the third. Yes, completely skipping the second book but I was surprisingly not lost.

Nya Jerami is looking for her Prince Charming. So far he only exists in a virtual dating game. But when Nya returns home to Thesolo for a royal wedding, she finds the real-life celebrity prince she loves to hate. Meanwhile, Johan von Braustein is playing games with paparazzzi. He even creates a fake engagement! Readers will root for their fake romance to become a happily-ever-after.

"Reassurance had never felt so shitty." ~ 26%

The series jumped left. It is no fault to the author though; the writing is on point. It was the characters and main storyline that barely held my attention. Maybe because I was so into the first book when I put it aside to start this one. For lack of a better word, A Prince on Paper felt silly. I am a series addict but this is not the book for me. Regardless...

Happy New Pub, Alyssa Cole! A Prince on Paper is now available.

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: Alyssa Cole
Published: April 2019
Pages: 381
Edition: Galley
Rating: 🖤 🖤

June 7, 2019

First Lines Friday


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.

"Before noon the residents of Central Harlem were already stewing in the sweltering mid-August heat. It was the hottest summer on record, with unrelenting temperatures that tipped close to 100 degrees."

~ One Night in Georgia by Celeste O. Norfleet 

June 5, 2019

Have for Half

So in an effort to save money and not be wasteful, I am challenging myself: Have for Half.

For the second half of 2019, I will not spend money on things I already have. I admit to buying things I do not need just because it is on sale. And surely I cannot be the only person that gets carry-out immediately after buying groceries. Because who wants to go home, put groceries away AND cook dinner? Well no more.

Instead of stimulating the f'ed up economy, I will stimulate my savings. When I have the urge to buy something I already have, I will transfer half of the cost to a savings account. Then use the extra money for vacay/travel expenses, paying down debt and retirement fund. Here are specific rules I have set for the next six (6) months:


  • Eat the food I already have. For example, no more Del Taco if I already have ground beef in the freezer and taco fixings in the fridge. No more large sweet teas from McDonalds when I have a variety of loose teas at home to make a pitcher full. No more eating out of a fast food bag when fresh fruit and veggies are ripe for eating at home.
  • Wear the shoes I already have. After organizing my shoe closet, I counted 83 pairs of shoes. This includes sandals, boots, flats, sneakers and (majority) heels. I don't count flip flops because I don't consider them real shoes; fight me IDC. Anyway, I can only wear one pair at a time and really, how many pairs of black pumps does a chick really need?
  • Wear the clothes I already have. Another bad habit is buying a new outfit for special events. Or worse, buying the same item of clothing in all available colors. Why come if I already have dresses for all occasions, umpteen jeans, a multitude of sweaters, shirts for days, tons of pants both business and casual, tanks in damn near every style and color, and dresser drawers full of more clothes? Most importantly, I don't need to buy another piece of clothing because 🗣MY MAMA IS A SEAMSTRESS! 
  • Wear the jewelry I already have. Everyone knows jewelry is an investment. You are never broke if you have gold, silver and diamonds. It does not help that I am an accessories gal that loves bling. But there is really no point in buying more Alex & Ani bracelets, for example, when I already have over a dozen. I don't need to wear a ring on every finger and five gold chains looking like Mrs. T out in these streets. 
  • Listen to the music I already have. I pay $9.99/month for Tidal. There is no logical reason in spending an additional $1.29 for singles or whole albums on iTunes. I understand artists should be supported for their music so I'mma just keep listening to music through the streaming service only. They collect more royalties and sales via Tidal anyway.
  • Read the books I already have. If you cannot already tell, I have a black belt in reading. I get plenty free books for review purposes and own enough books that I have an actual library at home. So why do I still stalk Amazon for book deals and purchase in one click? I have at least 80 unread books so need to read what I already got! 
  • Use the skincare products I already have. Yeah so I kinda hoard skincare/hair products. Masks, cleansers, facial mists, pore strips, aromatherapy oils, toners/astringents, scrubs, body butters, beauty bars, smell goods, perfumes, lipsticks, balms, glosses, blushes, eyeshadows, hand creams, edge control gels, blasé blah. I seriously have enough to last a lifetime. I don't care what new product line is hitting the stores or what the next "micellar water" trendy item for the summer is...don't need it.
  • And to keep it all the way real, wear the hair I already have. 🤣

Blogmoiring about this personal challenge will hold me accountable. But I need your help. Check on a chick! See if I am sticking to my Have for Half plan. Or better yet, join me! Let us do better together.

  

June 4, 2019

In West Mills


"She love them damn books of hers more'n she love me." ~ 11%

Did you ever read The Turner House? What about The Twelve Tribes of Hattie? Well, this new novel appropriately called In West Mills is of the same vein. It is an intimate story about a woman nicknamed "Knot" that no one understands but accepts as a member of their rural community. Sheeeeeit, Knot can barely understand herself but she is determined to live life as she sees fit. Oftentimes, that means moonshine, literature and male company.

Never mind the town gossip. It means nothing in comparison to Knot's family disowning her. Having no communication with her family back home and living alone in a shack, she relies on her neighbor, Otis Loving. But Otis is so eager to help that he unknowingly puts his wife and family second to Knot. This is oh-so-apparent thanks to the author's writing style. The story is set in a majority black community— dubbed West Mills—in rural North Carolina. It covers decades: 1941-1987 so readers can see how much time passes but little as nothing changed. And there is never a dull chapter.

"And ain't nobody studdin' you and them 'ol secrets you got." ~ 60%

In West Mills deserves more credit than my review can offer. It brings about issues in the black community, the importance of communication and how we are quick to ASSume a situation. The storytelling is smooth and the main characters are well defined. My only negative feedback is the dialogue was hard to read in beginning. As chapters went on, I still was used to the language so it slowed my reading down a bit. However, the story wouldn't have been the same with formal words showing no southern accents. The author knew what he was doin'

Happy Debut Pub Day, De'Shawn Charles Winslow! In West Mills is now available.

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: In West Mills
Author: De'Shawn Charles Winslow
Published: June 2019
Pages: 272
Edition: Galley
Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤

 

June 2, 2019

Series Sunday: The Seduction Expert

(The Seduction Expert #1) 

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.

My Series Sunday pick is The Seduction Expert, the first book in series of same name by Saya Lopez Ortega. One of the most anticipated romance books of 2019 is a stretch but it is entertaining. Just look at the cover! It has the image of a shiny red stiletto over a skyline—very Sex and the City-ish.

Have you ever heard of a seduction expert? Women hire Baroness to take control of their love lives. She handles their single status, relationships, breakups and affairs. She is a superwoman that dedicates her life in service to helping women succeed in seduction. Her network includes a clever attorney and a devoted assistant. But an unexpected encounter flips Baroness' carefully planned personal life and business all around.

"When clients foolishly think they can teach you your job." ~ 18%

I would not characterize this book as plain romance. It is more romance-with-a-twist. Without giving the plot away, it chronicles the business and personal life of Baroness with little detailed focus of her clients. And thank goodness because a couple of the women seemed too desperate, clueless or silly. Baroness' life was far more interesting and the writing just flowed.

It is not often I wish this but...The Seduction Expert could have been 100 pages longer. Kudos to the author for creating a hate-to-love main character and a helluva cliffhanger. It literally ends with "To Be Continued" so come on with it! Give me more of this series please.

Happy Debut, Saya Lopez Ortega. The Seduction Expert is now available.

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: Saya Lopez Ortega
Published: May 2019
Pages: 178
Edition: Galley
Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤