January 26, 2021

Funny Seeing You Here


01.25.2021 marked the 11th anniversary of www.LiteraryMarie.com ~ Blessings to many years more.

I am on blog holiday until Spring 2021 but I am still turning pages. Experience my real-time reactions while reading via Live Read and Goodreads

Readers are the best writers. Behind every good author is a good copyeditor. Email copyediting inquiries and requests to Editor@LiteraryMarie.com

Email book review requests, literary news to be shared and any inquiries to LiteraryMarie@gmail.com  Please provide an accurate summary of your book(s), include an excerpt, personalize and proofread the e-mail. Provide your preference of where the book review is to be shared (Amazon, Goodreads, B&N, etc.) Your request is usually the first impression. Make it a good one!

Want to know what I am reading next? Follow my TBR (to be read).

Who doesn't love a good bookish meme and reading challenges? Well I host and participate in a few. Check them out here and join me!

There is no guesswork if I like/dislike a book. All reviews include the title, author, publish date, number of pages, edition read, whether it is applicable to a challenge and my honest-to-heart rating.

I'm not just all about books, ya know! Follow my tweets about television shows, music and real life shenanigans. 

Speaking of other forms of entertainment, I am a co-host of Sistah Speak Podcasts where we discuss various television shows and give advice from a Sistah's point of view. Listen to us on your commute, at home or at work when you need a good laugh and hours of commentary.

Have you visited the Home of the Hustlers? Visit Spades Up to shop the Love Wounds and Cheat Code collections. Tis the season for hoodies, hats and joggers!

According to The Migraine Research Foundation, 12% of the population suffers from migraine. Morning migraine attacks affect 50% of us. Add in holiday migraine attacks and it's a triple doozy for me. I may not look it but am included in these statistics. Invisible illnesses are real! Follow my journey through Life of a Migraineur blogmoir that I publish periodically. I share candid information, attempt to translate the pain into words, discuss causes and effects, give status of my treatment and raise awareness.

2020 will forever be in history books. It is the year that everyone in the world became a homebody. It is my prayer that 2021 will bring good health, a strong sense of community, less police brutality, race and gender equality, respect, more recognition, sincere kindness, healing, self-worth and genuine love. Thank You for Your Continued Support. ♠️🖤

Stay Productive and Dominate Everything in Sight Until Prosperous❣️

January 24, 2021

Series Sunday: Fatal Fried Rice

(Noodle Shop Mystery #7) 


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 Fatal Fried Rice, the seventh book in the Noodle Shop Mystery series by Vivien Chien. Forget the noodles; fried rice is on the plate for this new cozy mystery set in a Cleveland, Ohio Chinese restaurant. Lana Lee runs the family business but the closest she gets to cooking is boiling rice, not actually frying it. She decides to go to culinary school. But when Lana Lee finds the class instructor dead, she must clear her name and find the killer.

"It's so interesting how fear seems more pressing in the early morning hours, and then with the light of day, safety and a sense of security return." ~ 68%

I love a good cozy! All I need on any given Sunday is a mystery, a hot cup of tea, sherpa-lined socks and fleece pajamas. Fatal Fried Rice was my latest guest and oh was it worth my time. The narration is relatable as if I'm chatting with a friend. When Lana Lee is going through her thought process or figuring out clues with the help of friends, I feel like I'm right there. 

What I loved most is there are no filler chapters or unnecessary details to throw readers off. Nowadays, mysteries tend to over-explain and bog pages down with needless information. I appreciate how Vivien Chien didn't try to confuse readers but stuck to the entertaining sleuth story. She inserted just enough suspects and revealed the mystery in due time. At around 84%, I still couldn't guess who the killer was so I was surprised when it unfolded down to the last pages.

"Lest you forget, we're women of action." ~ 11%

Normally series are read in chronological order. However, I am fairly new to the Noodle Shop Mystery series and jumped at the opportunity to read the new installment in advance. Reading lucky #7 only makes me want to catch up even more. And I am happy to see book #8 will be released this August. Looking forward to more of Lana Lee!

Happy Early Pub Day, Vivien Chien! Fatal Fried Rice will be available Tuesday, March 9.

Disclaimer: An advance copy was received directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins.

Author: Vivien Chien
Published: March 2021
Pages: 320
Edition: Galley
Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤

January 22, 2021

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.

"The barbershop was strangely quiet. Only the dull buzz of clippers shearing soft scalps."

~ Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson

January 21, 2021

Before the Coffee Gets Cold


"Coffee was introduced to Japan in the Edo period, around the late seventeenth century." ~ pg. 81

In a small back alley of Tokyo, there is a café that serves a special cup of brewed coffee. Local legend says it offers the chance to time travel...with rules of course! Four customers visit the café in hopes of going back in time (The Lovers, Husband & Wife, The Sisters, Mother & Child). The strict rules make it almost pointless but the most problematic rule of all is the trip must end before the coffee gets cold.

This international bestseller was first published in 2015. I was able to get my hands on a brand new library copy published in November 2020. Already it has a long hold list. But don't worry, I will return my copy well before the due date so the next reader can enjoy its wistful story.

Although this book is 272 pages, it is a very quick read. I read the compact hardcover edition so was able to carry it around easily to read the 4-in-1 stories. It is odd at first but the common theme of missed opportunities and relationships made the stories interesting as I read further. Traveling in time is not a new concept in fiction—particularly science fiction genre—but Before the Coffee Gets Cold offers it with a twist. Well done!

Title: Before the Coffee Gets Cold
Author: Toshikazu Kawaguchi
Published: November 2020
Pages: 272
Edition: Hardcover
Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤

January 20, 2021

It's the Chucks & Pearls For Me

May Today Be the First Day Toward a Better Nation. 
May We Build Better and Unite for the Greater Good.
May We Spread Good Health, Not Malarkey.
May God Be With Cousin Kamala & Uncle Joe. 
May We Wear Chucks & Pearls Today with Joy. 
Amen 🙏🏾

  

January 19, 2021

Life of a Migraineur: Deal With It


It is a blessing to have all five senses; but it feels like a curse during migraine aura. 
  • Sight ~ I've said this before but let me repeat: light hurts. The sun is an enemy. Sunglasses are a best friend. There is so much pressure behind my eyes that I feel like a living version of cartoon eyes popping out the socket. Shapes turn into little dots and jagged lines. Words on a page or computer are beyond blurry. Street signs are floating green blobs. Then the little dots multiply and take over my vision.
  • Sound ~ I am not being funny when I keep repeating, "I'm sorry, I can barely hear you." Because I really cannot hear. It's like my ears selectively turn the volume down. Every sound is distant. Yet every sound is heard. It's weird. I can't hear someone talking to me but can hear a cotton ball land on carpet. 
  • Smell ~ That Marc Jacobs Daisy perfume I put on this morning? It now stinks. The bacon I may have cooked earlier now smells burnt. The 3-wick candle and nag champa incense burning is usually relaxing and pleasant. But it instantly makes me nauseous now. I only have a few minutes left to take a whiff of lavender-scented Vicks VapoRub before that sickens me too. Oddly enough, I can only stand the smell of Murphy Oil Soap when experiencing migraine aura. Inhaling it settles my stomach too.
  • Taste ~ A strong cup of tea tastes as bland as room temperature water. I could be in the middle of eating then whatever I am chewing might as well be air. Imagine my panic when loss of taste was found to be a proven sign of The RONA. Oh, the many times I panicked wondering whether a migraine was starting or if I was positive for COVID-19.
  • Touch ~ Can't touch much with numb fingers. *insert black girl shrug here* Even worse, the thread count of sheets really do matter during migraine aura. I can feel every single thread prickling my sensitive skin. It makes the extremely cold bathroom floor and forehead compress feel super soothing though. 
This is all before the pain of the migraine itself! Not everyone who suffers from migraines experience aura; not every migraine comes with aura. Over the years, I have learned to appreciate the aura phase because it at least preps me for the attack. I usually have 30-45 minutes to stop whatever I am doing, take medicine, make my way to the nearest dark quiet room and prepare for battle. 

Please know that migraineurs are not being difficult or rude. We are simply trying to manage the pain when asking you to turn the lights off, stop talking, be silent or go away. So the next time you're around someone with a migraine, be considerate and help them deal with it. ♠️💜

January 17, 2021

Series Sunday: Wild Rain

(Women Who Dare #2) 


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 Wild Rain, the second book in the Women Who Dare series by Beverly Jenkins. The setting is mid-April in Wyoming Territory. Spring Lee, a woman rancher, is driving through a blizzard when she notices a horse sans rider. Soon after she spots a man covered in snow and limping up the road. 

It turns out that Garrett McCray is a newspaper reporter/carpenter looking to do an article on Dr. Colton Lee for his father's Black newspaper. Instead he is fascinated with Dr. Lee's sister, Spring, the daring woman dressed in a men's shirt, denim pants and a gun belt. She is the epitome of unconventional woman. Spring isn't looking for love but their attraction grows.

"A freeborn man named Harris helped me learn, and it was life changing. Once I began I never stopped. I have a book or newspaper with me wherever I go." ~ 67%

As with other Beverly Jenkins novels, there is a history lesson woven into the fiction. Wild Rain takes place after the Civil War. A period when most women weren't wearing denim but expensive gowns instead. Spring Lee is unapologetically independent too, which impresses oh-so-sweet-cinnamon roll Garrett and sets the tone for a natural romance to unfold. 

What kind of book starts with a woman saving a man? A historical romance by the great Ms. Bev! I am loving the Women Who Dare series. It features women that do not live by society's standard. Women that are free, bold, fierce and comfortable in their own skin. And best of all in Wild Rain, Ms. Bev gives a tribute to women who prefer to be child free. Thank you!!! 

"You are diamond-hard in mind and spirit. You glow inside with the fire of rubies. And you're as vibrant as a sapphire when we make love." ~ 89%

I adore this couple and expect to see them mentioned in the last book of series, as is the custom. Although, Bookhearts not familiar with the Women Who Dare series can certainly read Wild Rain as a standalone. Whether you are new to the series, new to the author, or a longtime fan such as myself, pre-order Wild Rain and plan to read this good Western romance during Black History Month.

Disclaimer: An advance copy was received directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins.

Title: Wild Rain
Author: Beverly Jenkins
Published: February 2021
Pages: 384
Edition: Galley
Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤

   

January 15, 2021

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.

"If you could go back, who would you want to meet?"

~ Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

January 13, 2021

The Phone Booth at the Edge of the World


"Once hope changes direction, it loses its way and can no longer return." ~ 68%

In everyone's life there is an event that marks the passage of time. When Yui loses her mother and daughter in the tsunami, everything is relative to March 11, 2011, the day the tsunami tore Japan apart. She struggles to continue on with life, days spent alone with her grief and pain.

One day, Yui hears about a man who has an old telephone booth in his garden where people find the strength and make the trip to speak to lost loved ones. Yui makes her own pilgrimage to the phone booth too but once there, she cannot seem to speak into the receiver. Instead she meets the acquaintance of Takeshi, a widower whose daughter has stopped speaking since her mother's death. Together they begin to heal.

"I pour all of these thoughts into that receiver, and many more." ~ 26%

Lost in translation, maybe? The Phone Booth at the Edge of the World is an international bestseller sold in 21 countries. People all over have experienced grief, mourning and survival. It is also inspired by a real phone booth in Japan that has been a place of solace since the 2011 tsunami. 

The premise is great but unfortunately that's where it ends. So why couldn't I get into it? Well, there is no plot. The short chapters only made the story easier to put down. I expected more beautiful writing and a connection to the characters visiting the fictional version of Japan's Wind Phone. Yet it fell flat.

Happy Early Pub Day, Laura Imai Messina! The Phone Booth at the Edge of the World will be available Tuesday, March 9.

Disclaimer: An advance copy was received directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins.

Title: The Phone Booth at the Edge of the World
Author: Laura Imai Messina
Published: March 2021
Pages: 167
Edition: Galley
Rating: 🖤

January 12, 2021

Life of a Migraineur: It's the Cocktail for Me



In the Year of Our Lord 2021, there is still not a cure for migraines. However, it is often treated with meds that either ease symptoms or help prevent migraine attacks. In my case, it is a combination of medications called a "migraine cocktail." 

I have taken prescribed medication regularly for almost 30 years. Drugs on the market come and go. Some work, some don't, and sometimes it is a guessing game of "try this!" Luckily my current migraine cocktail is the best thing since hot-out-the-oven bread drizzled with cinnamon honey butter. Of course there are side effects but none are worse than the pain. Here are my ingredients:
  • Aimovig ~ an injection taken once a month to help prevent migraines
  • Amitriptyline ~ an antidepressant taken daily to help prevent migraines
  • Propranolol ~ a beta-blocker taken daily to help prevent migraines & treat high BP
  • Ubrelvy ~ an oral CGRP-blocker taken at onset of migraine to relieve pain and inflammation
  • Goody's ~ an extra strength powder of acetaminophen, aspirin & caffeine for fast pain relief 
  • Large McDonald's Fries & Large Coke ~ salt and caffeine for the migraine hangover 
Keep in mind just because the cocktail above works for me, it may not be an effective treatment for you. Please consult a medical professional to mix your very own migraine cocktail. ♠️💜

January 10, 2021

Series Sunday: Hazel and Gray

(Amazon Original Stories) 


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 Hazel and Gray, a short from Amazon Original Stories by Nic Stone. Which would you pick: roaming around lost in the dark woods or enter a nice house full of phones and food? The latter, yup me too! Hazel defies her stepfather and goes out with her boyfriend, Gray. They somehow get lost in the woods, with dead cell phones and past curfew. But there is a mansion with an open door. The young lovers quickly decide that what lies ahead in the middle of nowhere is better than the punishment that lies at home.

"You ain't never heard the story about that brother and sister who got lost in the woods and almost ate up by a witch?" ~ pg. 16

The "Faraway" collection has a gem! Hazel and Gray is a modern retelling of the famous fairy tale, Hansel and Gretel. It is intriguing, dark and a bit disturbing. But Nic Stone pulls it off with her skilled writing and descriptive scenes. Even though it is a short story, readers learn a lot about Hazel and Gray's upbringing and enough background to set up the twist, bringing the story to a satisfying end.

Don't sleep on these Amazon Original Stories. Free for Amazon Prime and Kindle Unlimited members or just $1.99 for the eBook. They are perfect for reading in one sitting and great to kick start your reading goals this year!

Author: Nic Stone
Published: December 2020 
Pages: 29
Edition: eBook
Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤

January 8, 2021

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 gods became bored in heaven they walked among mortals."

The Son of Mr. Suleman by Eric Jerome Dickey 
🙏🏾

   

January 7, 2021

The Girl at the Back of the Bus


"It was a belittling ballet played to the melody of racism." ~ 2%

Once upon a time (December 1955) in Montgomery, Alabama, a 16-year-old girl named Mattie Banks packs her suitcase and boards a city bus alone. To not disgrace her widowed mother, she heads across town to see a woman about her pregnant condition. On the bus ride, she witnesses an act of bravery by a woman named Rosa Parks. Being at the right place at the right time changes everything.

Fast forward to present-day Atlanta, Georgia, where a 32-year-old black woman named Ashlee Turner returns home to her beloved dying grandmother. Her relationship isn't sanguine, her career is held back by prejudice and her family is a safe haven. Of course she finds and reads a stack of old letters, uncovering a family secret. Ashlee can either protect her loved ones or honor her grandmother's wishes to reveal the truth.

"Exceptional prose and structure." ~ 62%

I wanted to pick a good book to get lost in for the first weekend of 2021. A book that would keep me up reading late into the night. An eBook that I would hurriedly turn the pages on my Kindle. A fresh story of hope, love and survival. The Girl at the Back of the Bus gave me all of this from the first lines to the last paragraph. It is simply amazing and a great introduction to Author Suzette D. Harrison's writing. (This author just came on my radar; I have catching up to do!)

This may very well be the best dollar you spend on a book this year! This new novel is for my Bookhearts that enjoy historical fiction and romance. Add it to your reading list and pre-order now (only $0.99). Be ready to laugh, cry and smile often. I recommend a tall glass of iced sweet tea and a comfortable spot to read in too. You'll be stationary for a while!

Happy Early Pub Day, Suzette D. Harrison! The Girl at the Back of the Bus will be available Monday, February 8.

Disclaimer: An advance copy was received directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins.

Title: The Girl at the Back of the Bus
Author: Suzette D. Harrison
Published: February 2021
Pages: 310
Edition: Galley
Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤

January 6, 2021

Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre


"Once upon a time in Greenwood, there were some ten thousand people living in a thirty-five-square-block area." ~ pg. 11

Greenwood Avenue is the famous Black Wall Street. The district had its own school system, libraries, churches, restaurants, post office, hospital and more...until a mob of white Tulsans looted and burned the Black community for two straight days (May 31 and June 1, 1921). In a new short book titled Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre, the history of Greenwood district and one of the worst racial incidents in U.S. history is told to young readers (ages 8-12). At less than 50 pages, it is a very short yet informative read. (This review is longer than the actual content.)

Thank you to Carole Boston Weatherford for her words and Floyd Cooper for his striking illustrations that paint the picture of this tragedy. It is very well written in a way that young people can understand and for adults to feel the heaviness of what, where, why and how. I especially appreciated the Author's Note, which gave a deeper personal perspective and details I never knew. It brings me to tears but history must be known and most importantly, educated. I highly recommend this book!

Unspeakable is a great reading selection for Black History Month intended for students and young family members. It is the best book I've read on this unfortunate event. This piece of our history is often not taught in schools or to the masses. I personally learned about the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre not too many years ago as an adult. The illustrator himself, Floyd Cooper, first heard about it from his grandfather, who survived it. Such stories should be shared with our black youth. 

Happy Early Pub Day, Carole Boston Weatherford and Floyd Cooper! Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre will be available Tuesday, February 2.

Disclaimer: An advance copy was received directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins.

Title: Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre
Author: Carole Boston Weatherford and illustrator Floyd Cooper
Published: February 2021
Pages: 43
Edition: Galley
Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤

January 5, 2021

This Close to Okay


"I'm totally okay with emotionalism." ~ 48%

One weekend. Two strangers. Life-changing conversation and thoughts.

Recently divorced therapist, Tallie, is on her way home from work one rainy night in Kentucky. She spots a man standing on the edge of a bridge and immediately pulls over. She convinces the man, Emmett, to step down and join her for a cup of coffee. From that moment on, Tallie makes it her mission to provide a safe space for Emmett. Told in alternating points of view, both slowly reveal secrets and inch closer to the truth of what eventually brought them together.

"Demeanor quicksilvers." ~ 21%

This Close to Okay has such an appropriate title for this fictional story as well as real life. How many of us are really this---><---close to okay? I'll raise my hand first. Being able to relate to the title was my reason for wanting to read this new novel. Secondly, the cover caught my attention with its orange and grayish blue background featuring people of color. My third reason was the charm: I had read the author's other novel, Whiskey & Ribbonsand loved it. So what happened here? 

It's the strangers helping one another heal for me. But despite the quick timeframe of one weekend, the story itself had a slow start, slow middle and even slower coming to an end. Maybe because I kept wondering when Tallie would stop throwing caution to the wind. Or why everyone but Tallie recognized Emmett's face. I spent more than half of the book rolling my eyes and debating whether to continue. It is only when I put the annoyances aside, that I was able to finish and can say it was an okay read.

Happy Early Pub Day, Leesa Cross-Smith! This Close to Okay will be available Tuesday, February 2.

Disclaimer: An advance copy was received directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins.

Title: This Close to Okay
Author: Leesa Cross-Smith
Published: February 2021
Pages: 336
Edition: Galley
Rating: 🖤 🖤

January 3, 2021

Series Sunday: U is for Undertow

(Kinsey Millhone #21) 


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 U is for Undertow, the 21st book in the Kinsey Millhone alphabet series by Sue Grafton. Let's take it back to April 1988, a month before my favorite P.I. turns 38 years old. A preppy young man arrives at her office unannounced. He was referred by a detective to hire Kinsey about a 4-year-old girl that disappeared two decades ago. It seems he witnessed where the kidnapped girl was buried. For upfront cash, Kinsey agrees to give him one day of her time to locate the grave and identify the killers. It's by far a long shot!

"A woman of contradictions. Forthright and secretive in the same breath." ~ pg. 303

U is for Undertow is sadly the worst book of the series. It didn't flow and seemed choppy jumping from the 1960s to the 1980s, to multiple points of view from minor characters in an attempt to create suspense for the reader. Grafton wrote many subplots that only confused things. It frustrated my reading experience to the point I wanted to skim through. 

This is #21 and only a few more left in the alphabet series. I am not excited about picking up the next book anytime soon. I am no closer to knowing Kinsey Millhone than when I started A is for Alibi. Yet I miss the cases she gets involved in and still hold out hope for a glimpse into her personal life. Will there be a happily ever after? What makes her happy? Guess I'll have to keep reading to find out.

Author: Sue Grafton
Published: December 2009
Pages: 403
Edition: Hardcover
Challenge: Perpetual Kinsey Millhone
Rating: 🖤

 

January 1, 2021

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.

"In the early 1900s, Tulsa, Oklahoma, was home to a thriving African American community. The Greenwood District had its own school system, libraries, churches, restaurants, post office, movie theaters, and more. But all that would change in the course of two terrible, unspeakable days."

~ Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre by Carole Boston Weatherford and illustrator Floyd Cooper