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.

"Did you ever think this country, in 2024, would be here?"

~ A More Perfect Party by Juanita Tolliver

Irish Soda Bread Murder

"You have no idea how competitive these psychic bakers can be. Downright vicious." ~ pg. 33

Tis will be the season for the St. Patrick's Day treat known as warm Irish soda bread. The recipes call for murder in this new collection of three cozy mystery novellas. Great for existing fans and for readers new to these three authors. Maximize your reading experience by trying the recipes within!

Irish Soda Bread Murder by Carlene O'Connor

A convention for local psychics includes a bake sale to raise money for charity. Tara has very little time left before her wedding but agrees to help her Aunt Rose and Uncle Johnny for the day. But an old rival shows up and drops dead with Johnny's soda bread in his hands. It is up to Tara to find the deadly baker. A classic cozy mystery with a bit of humor. Almost too many suspects to keep track though. Irish Soda Bread Murder is a great introduction to O'Connor's engaging writing style.

An Irish Recipe for Murder by Peggy Ehrhart

Bettina's soda bread bake-off idea gets the green light. But a town councilman acting as judge dies after sampling an entry. Bettina enlists the help of her bestie to find the baker responsible for the murderous morsel. I was a bit more interested in the knitting group, Reubens and leprechauns than the actual mystery that was too easy to solve. 

"As if a murder, a disappearing caretaker, and a corrupt zoo administrator turned animal trafficker on the loose weren't bad enough, I woke up the next morning to even more disturbing news." ~ pg. 244

Mrs. Claus and the Sinister Soda Bread Man by Liz Ireland

April Claus visits Oregon to check on her flooded inn. Her biggest worry is to keep everyone from realizing the identity of her three companions—Jingles, Juniper and Butterbean. The elves take a backseat when a murder weapon turns up in a loaf of soda bread. April has to uncover the killer or else she will spend St. Patrick's Day in the county jail. This last novella is the best! It is cute, fun as can be for a cozy mystery, perfect for the holiday season and includes unconventional characters.

Happy Early Pub Day, Carlene O'Connor, Peggy Ehrhart and Liz Ireland! Irish Soda Bread Murder will be available on Tuesday, December 24, 2024.

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. ~LiteraryMarie

Title: Irish Soda Bread Murder
Author: Carlene O'Connor; Peggy Ehrhart; Liz Ireland
Published: December 2024
Pages: 252
Edition: Galley
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤

The Last One

"Aren't we all just trying to survive? Aren't we all just keeping our heads above water? Making a wave when we can?" ~ 6%

Imagine waking up in the woods with no idea who you are or how you got there. It is a land of sickness and beasts. All Kai knows is she must reach the Sea of Devour before this hellscape gets any worse. But first she has to retrieve her belongings from a local thief. When she sees the village blacksmith fight with an unspeakable skill, she decides to accept his help. Even though he can ignite her body like a flame as well as douse it with ice.

Rachel Howzell Hall...girl, welcome to the land of romantasy! It is a popular genre and what a treat for The Last One to feature a character of color. Finally a female main character that I rooted for. However, the middle chunk of the book seemed a tad dull and drawn out. It could have easily been 100 pages shorter. Also, the main character had an annoying habit of repeating herself, harping on the obvious. I had to keep reminding myself of her circumstances before I got too judgy. Otherwise, The Last One was a good read.

"Wouldn't a heart remember that kind of love?" ~ 35% 

I didn't love The Last One but keep in mind that I am still fairly new to this romance/fantasy genre so the creatures and realms still make me pause. However, Hall masterfully created and built a world that I could vividly imagine through her written words. Bookhearts that enjoy fantasy stories will want to add The Last One to your collections. The deluxe limited edition will feature spray-painted edges with a stenciled design and detailed endpapers. Pre-order it now, Bookhearts! 

Happy Early Pub Day, Rachel Howzell Hall! The Last One will be available Tuesday, December 3, 2024.

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. ~LiteraryMarie

Title: The Last One
Author: Rachel Howzell Hall
Published: December 2024
Pages: 496
Edition: Deluxe Limited Edition Galley
Genre: Romantasy Sci-Fi
Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤

Series Sunday: The House of Cross

(Alex Cross #33) 

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.

"Like we're working two sides of the same story." ~ 39%

My Series Sunday pick is The House of Cross, the 33rd book in the Alex Cross thriller series by James Patterson. A lot is going on! Someone is murdering Supreme Court justice candidates. The vigilante group Maestro may be involved but that seems too easy. Especially because its alleged mastermind leader "M" may be dead. Will the taunting and terror finally stop or will the House of Cross crumble?

The cases in The House of Cross are suspenseful enough to hold readers' attention for 300+ pages. As usual, the action jumps off from the first short chapter and continues to nearly the end. No surprises though, just repetition and predictable plot. I like how Bree and Sampson are working together on their own case while Alex Cross teams up with Ned Mahoney on official FBI business. It is a good balance between the two mysteries and potential for another crime crossover.

"I'm the only Black woman in the place. How did I think I was going to pull this off?" ~ 30%

It is rare for a series to remain strong for over thirty books. It is really rare for the main character, sub characters and plot to not be stale after so long. Alex Cross, his beloved Nana Mama, smart and beautiful wife Bree, wise beyond his years son Ali, athletic genius daughter Jannie and mature oldest son Damon, are all going strong. Even his partner John Sampson and young daughter Willow are characters that are still being developed and quite interesting to read about. 

It makes me wonder whether Patterson should stop this series now while ahead. Let the nemesis "M" go, once and for all. Let Cross ride into the retirement sunset, alive and well, spending quality time with family and friends. Then perhaps start a spinoff series featuring Bree and Sampson continuing to solve murders. Recent crossover cases are certainly making for a smooth transition to this route. Leave the sleuthing to Ali. Cross can remain a consultant but take a backseat. I rather watch him on the screen now. Just a thought...

"So that's the end of the story. M is dead. He got away with all of it." ~ 7%

Happy Early Pub Day, James Patterson! The House of Cross will be available tomorrow. And be sure to watch the new Cross series on Prime TV starring Aldis Hodge. Hey boo, hey! 👋🏾 It is worth clearing your calendar to binge the entire first season. Crime thriller at its finest!

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. ~LiteraryMarie

Title: The House of Cross

Author: James Patterson

Published: November 2024

Pages: 339

Edition: Galley

Genre: Mystery Thriller

Challenge: Keeping Up with Patterson

Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤

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 am writing from inside the tech bubble to let you know that we are coming for your jobs."

~ The War on Normal People by Andrew Yang

The Boyfriend

"This won't end well for either of us." ~ pg. 309

Like every other woman in overpopulated New York, Sydney has terrible luck with dating. Men who lie in their dating profile. Men who stick her with the dinner bill. Men who are mama's boys. But finally she meets the perfect man. Her new boyfriend is charming, attentive, handsome and successful. 

A string of deaths confound the police. Young women are found brutally murdered. The suspect is believed to date his victims before he kills them. Sydney can't shake her own suspicions. Is her boyfriend too perfect?

Freida...girl. You got me again at the very end. Where do you find the time to crank out new novels damn near every other month?! With different twists. Stale WHERE?! Predictable plot, I think not. 

Bookhearts, if you like psycho-thrillers, mystery and high suspense with twists then read The Boyfriend. Just read Freida McFadden in general. That's it; that's all.

Title: The Boyfriend

Author: Freida McFadden

Published: October 2024

Pages: 370

Edition: eBook

Genre: Thriller

Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤 

Series Sunday: Crown of Midnight

(Throne of Glass #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.

"I'll kill you before you know I'm in the room." ~ pg. 283

My Series Sunday pick is Crown of Midnight, the second book in the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas. Celaena Sardothien is still in the castle now serving as the King's Champion. No surprise that she won the competition. After all, she is the best assassin in the land. But she is far from loyal to the crown. A condition of her freedom is to dispatch (kill) whoever the King names with no questions asked for the next four years. 

As a result, Celaena is harboring a huge secret. Her deadly charade becomes more difficult to hide when she realizes others are seeking justice too. One tragic night of violence changes Celaena's relationships with the few people closest to her: Crown Prince Dorian, Captain of the Guard Chaol and Princess Nehemia. Listen, Bookhearts. While the events in Crown of Midnight may be predictable, SJM spins it so twisted that I read with a bit more urgency. 

"There are worlds that exist beyond your knowledge, worlds that lie on top of each other and don't know it." ~ pg. 321

OH, MY GODS! Does this mean what I think it means? The connection between universes is starting to come together. Color me fascinated with Wyrdgates.

As with any series, my impressions of characters may change. I have a new favorite character: Mort. His dry humor cracks me up every time he appears in the story. Prince Dorian is still heart eyes emoji. Chaol is so misunderstood that I feel bad for him. And Princess Nehemia is a badass bestie. I'm interested in where the series takes these character arcs. 

Meanwhile, I am still holding on to the plethora of reviews that claim Throne of Glass (TOG) is better than A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR) series. My reading buddy is enjoying it more than I am. I see the potential though! Look at me being all selective while still new to this fantasy series shit. 😉 

Title: Crown of Midnight

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Published: August 2013

Pages: 453

Edition: eBook

Genre: Romantasy Mystery

Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤

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 open my eyes and choose violence."

~ The Last One by Rachel Howzell Hall

Series Sunday: To Die For

(The 6:20 Man #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.

"And some of these people will not stop until what we have today is replaced with something more 1930s Germany than 2020s America." ~ 62%

My Series Sunday pick is To Die For, the third book in The 6:20 Man series by David Baldacci. Travis Devine is back to aid the FBI and Homeland Security in a case that gets more convoluted by the hour, especially when he comes face-to-face with the girl on the train.

Travis Devine has already proven he can accomplish any mission he is tasked with. His current assignment seems easy: escort a 12-year-old orphaned girl to a meeting with her uncle, who is under investigation for RICO charges. A perfect lowkey job that should keep him off the radar. But Devine gets to know Betsy and questions how her parents really died. Once he starts digging, the answers point to a conspiracy much bigger than a small rural town. It just may involve several government agencies, allies, enemies, Betsy and her uncle too.

"I go where the evidence takes me and I don't give a shit who goes down." ~ 17%

To Die For gave me Jack Reacher meets Myron Bolitar vibes. The main character, Travis Devine, is already a classic character and has become one of my favorites. He is smart-assed, witty, a quick thinker, dangerous, beyond intelligent, resourceful and I could go on and on and on. He has one-liners that make me smirk. His inner dialogue is brilliant. His conversations are heavy on logic but not boring or full of jargon. And best believe he will protect and fight with all of his might. Devine is simply a divine man.

It just so happens that To Die For is to be published within days of a presidential election. I see what you did here, Baldacci. I picked up on the not-so-subtle references to power, democracy, dictatorship, attempts to overthrow the government and supporters of a country that looks very KKK-ish. Normally this will turn me off in a book. I read fiction to escape the real troubles of the world, especially with the 2024 election results. But the way Baldacci weaved this narrative into a thriller that made sense was very well done. Combined with the exciting fast-paced plot, signature stellar writing and unforgettable characters, To Die For is one of the best thrillers I've read this year.

"They want all the wealth and power, along with a population that looks the same, prays the same, speaks the same, and where men dominate everything." ~ 72%

Fans of thrillers should immediately begin this series. You can read To Die For as a standalone but I recommend reading the previous two books for context: The 6:20 Man and The Edge. Some of the things mentioned will not make sense otherwise. But just because To Die For is soooo good and the best in series so far, I selfishly want Bookhearts to hurry and read this one so we can discuss. I guarantee this one is going to hit different.

Happy Early Pub Day, David Baldacci! To Die For will be available Tuesday, November 12, 2024.

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. ~LiteraryMarie

Title: To Die For

Author: David Baldacci

Published: November 2024

Pages: 399

Edition: Galley

Genre: Thriller

Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤

First Lines Friday Bonus

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.

"Coming down the Alpine Road in a wheelchair-adapted van with Massachusetts handicap plates, Malcomb felt groggy, still heavy-headed from the drugs, but also anxious and sweaty."

~ The House of Cross by James Patterson

*BONUS* Click the title link above to read the first four chapters and view the official book trailer. Then join me in watching the Prime Video original series Cross.

Saturday Night, Sunday Morning

Staying True to Myself from the Pews to the Stage

"That's how people know me and my sound, because I bring in something different from anyone else." ~ 59%

What a perfect title for PJ Morton's new memoir! Saturday Night Sunday Morning is a new released book by the accomplished entertainment executive, musician and artist with a unique sound. PJ Morton is the rare artist that straddles religious and secular music lines, racial and cultural identities and combining his two worlds of the pews and stage.

PJ Morton shares his influences in life, from his dad to church, gospel groups, second lines in New Orleans, piano teachers, bands and more. The first section highlights his early and most important influences. The second section begins with memories as a student of the prestigious St. Augustine High School. Known for its academic excellence and many successful alumni, it reminds me of the high school I graduated from (Cass Tech).

"Once I believe something, if I can see how all the pieces fit together, I won't question it." ~ 31%

Morton goes on to talk about Morehouse, a very public bad breakup, finding new yet familiar love and starting a family. The rest of the memoir goes into great detail of his music career. The most interesting tidbit I learned was PJ Morton's connection to Mack Maine, president of Young Money Entertainment, his introduction to Maroon 5 and the bittersweet Super Bowl moment. Bookhearts, this is the PJ Morton you may know. Yes, that Black dude in Maroon 5! This is the part I looked forward to reading most. It took a while to get to that good part, but we needed the background and grass roots to fully understand his journey.

The blessings and opportunities that PJ Morton shares within his memoir are inspiring. I recommend reading Saturday Night Sunday Morning with access to your preferred music streaming service. Play the songs he mentions. Play the artists he name drops. Read the lyrics to his songs and get lost in the music while reading his story. There are a couple times where he references a topic but doesn't go further, yet he always came back to it eventually which I can appreciate!

Happy Early Pub Day, P.J. Morton! Saturday Night, Sunday Morning will be available Tuesday, November 12.

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. ~LiteraryMarie

Title: Saturday Night, Sunday Morning
Author: PJ Morton
Published: November 2024
Pages: 190
Edition: Galley
Genre: Memoir
Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤

Series Sunday: Throne of Glass

(Throne of Glass #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.

"Still, it can't be pleasant to be one's own companion at all times." ~ pg. 155

My Series Sunday pick is Throne of Glass, the first book in the series of same name by Sarah J. Maas. In a land supposedly without magic, an assassin is summoned to the castle where a vicious powerful king rules from his throne of glass. She is there to win her freedom. If she defeats 23 murderers, thieves and warriors in a competition lasting for 13 weeks, she will be released from prison to serve as the King's Champion. Say her name: Celaena Sardothien.

Celaena's fight for freedom turns into a fight for survival. Something evil dwells in the castle. Competitors start dying mysteriously, one by one. The Crown Prince will provoke and flirt with her. The Captain of the Guard will protect her. And a princess will befriend her. So truly begins the story of Adarlan's Assassin.

"I read what I like." ~ pg. 237

The writing in Throne of Glass is very different from the writing in ACOTAR. Let's just say while I am impressed with the level of detail she put into it as a teenager and debut author, I can also tell she was a teenager and debut author writing this. Does that make any sense? It is less fantasy, less spice, less romance mingled with juvenile dialogue. I have to keep reminding myself that Celaena is only 18 years old. I can't very well expect her to pick up on everything right away but damn it is frustrating.

The world building though? Oh, SJM you have this is in the bag. I don't yet know how, or definitively if, the worlds of Erilea and Prythian connect. Guess I will continue...

Title: Throne of Glass

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Published: August 2012

Pages: 436

Edition: eBook

Genre: Romantasy Mystery

Rating: 🖤 🖤

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 shutters swinging in the storm winds were the only sign of her entry."

~ Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas