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 transformation occurred at approximately 2:23 AM, Pacific Standard Time. As far as I could tell, anyone who was indoors when it happened died instantly."

~ Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman 

Behind the Mirror: Inside the World of Big Brother

"It's 3:00 a.m. on a Saturday night. A group of sixteen strangers have all left their regular lives behind and have been herded into a soundstage dressed to resemble a house sitting on the edge of a studio lot. Some of them will live here for the next one hundred days. From three thousand miles away, I watch them sleep." ~ 1%

I have been obsessed with the CBS original reality show, Big Brother, since its inception. Actually since Season 2 because real fans agree that the first season does not count. A new book is hitting shelves in late November titled Behind the Mirror. It is a detailed look inside of the iconic television show. It dives deep into the game that never sleeps, season by season.

For those unfamiliar, Big Brother is one of the original reality series. Sixteen strangers are sequestered in a house with no contact with the outside world. No news, no phones, no technology and very limited censored correspondence. They are watched every second until evicted from the house one by one. Viewers—including myself—tune in to live 24/7 feeds and broadcast episodes that air three (3) times every week, every summer. The community is oh so serious: we podcast, take over social media timelines, have our own vocabulary, participate in fantasy leagues and obsessively check live updates. IYKYK

"It made me consider the other shows I watched and the ease with which I could be manipulated into liking or disliking a person based on how the show decided to edit them." ~ 49%

Behind the Mirror is the best literary source for all things Big Brother US. It is a must-read for all BB fans. Reading Armstrong's research, interviews and insight was like having a long conversation with a fellow superfan. I was nodding my head in agreement, responding aloud as if Armstrong and I were in the backyard hammock together. There were houseguests that I forgot all about (Dani and Jason starting secret alliances) while all the pertinent ones (The Cookout, Jun the queen of floaters, Dan's perfect game, Chilltown, What up, Kaysaaaaaar!) had whole chapters dedicated to their gameplay.

This book is so well done and necessary for the BB culture. You are absolutely in good company, Armstrong! It is a pleasure sharing this space with you. To my Bookhearts/BB Superfans, adding Behind the Mirror to your TBR is akin to voting with the house. Do it!

Happy Early Pub Day, Taran Armstrong! Behind the Mirror will be available Tuesday, November 25.

Side Note: BB27 jury starts tomorrow!

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: Behind the Mirror: Inside the World of Big Brother
Author: Taran Armstrong
Published: November 2025
Pages: 416
Edition: Galley
Genre: Nonfiction
Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤

Successful Failure

"Another lesson is that sometimes you just don't belong at a place." ~ pg. 37%

You may not recognize him under his guhment name, Kevin Fredericks. So allow me to present to you: KevOnStage. Successful Failure: Lessons Learned Flat on My Face chronicles his path to super stardom. He quickly learned from a young age the power of making people laugh. But as with anyone, the closer we get to our dreams, the harder the road gets. Kev lays it all bare in this new book with no shame. From pooping on himself, to partnering with a barber to supply everyone in the hood with credit cards, to going viral as a standup comedian.

Successful Failure has its LOL moments. But it is more-so about Kev's journey to become the comedic star he is today. I expected more lessons and motivational passages with an element of humor. Instead this book is more like a timeline of Kev's misadventures that led to a career and a final goodbye to jokes he retired. Nothing in particular stood out enough to make it a must-read. 

Happy Early Pub Day, Kevin Fredericks! Successful Failure will be available Tuesday, September 23.

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: Successful Failure: Lessons Learned Flat on My Face
Author: Kevin Fredericks
Published: September 2025
Pages: 262
Edition: Galley
Genre: Memoir
Rating: 🖤 🖤

Series Sunday: Reacher: The Stories Behind the Stories

(Jack Reacher) 

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 Reacher: The Stories Behind the Stories, a collection of essays related to the Jack Reacher series by Lee Child. Ever since making his debut in 1997 with The Killing Floor, Reacher has been popular. Here we are almost 30 years later and Reacher is still relevant, starring in a hit television series adaptation. 

Reacher: The Stories Behind the Stories is a treat. Lee Child lets readers behind the scenes of what inspired every book of the Reacher series. Each essay features a Reacher book in chronological order from The Killing Floor to 2019's Blue Moon. We learn what inspired the plot, how the location was determined, what was happening in Lee Child's real life at the time of publication, title hassles and more colorful anecdotes.

"Normality was back, with all its snark and petty concerns." pg. 43

It was like reading his index cards or outline notes found in an unlocked desk drawer. Although I was disappointed that Lee Child did not cover how Andrew joined the writing team and their process. It was addressed before in an Author's Note but would have been nice to include in this collection too. My favorite part was learning more about Lee Child's writing style when it comes to leaving gaps. (You'll have to read when it releases to find out more!)

Please do not mistake this for a new full length novel of the Reacher series; it is strictly a behind-the-scenes look. But fans are given a surprise short story at the end to satisfy that Reacher fix you are sure to have by the end!

Happy Early Pub Day, Lee Child! Reacher: The Stories Behind the Stories will be available Tuesday, September 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. ~LiteraryMarie

Title: Reacher: The Stories Behind the Stories

Author: Lee Child

Published: September 2025

Pages: 219

Edition: Galley

Genre: Nonfiction of Fiction

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.

"We've been driving for about seven thousand years."

~ The Summer I Turned Pretty: The Collection by Jenny Han

The Dating Prohibition

"Nobody knows better in the moment." ~ 77%

Entrepreneur Kendra has returned home to open her speakeasy supper club. She's knocked off balance when her childhood crush turns up. BJ is her big brother's best friend. He's always been that cool, chill dude. Now Kendra "Keke" is all grown up and he is most definitely taking notice. It's just a couple things: Kendra is trying to fulfill her professional dreams and BJ is strictly off limits.

The Dating Prohibition was just okay. I was first drawn to the cover with its beautiful brown characters on display in muted background autumn colors. It screams fall romance! I have enjoyed Taj McCoy's previous books so I expected this new release to be better than it turned out to be. I am not sure if it was the supporting characters or what, but I could not get into it. I found myself more annoyed with her family's lack of support and wit that fell flat.

For Bookhearts looking for a seasonal romance read, do not expect much spice from The Dating Prohibition. Although, it checks the boxes for a rom-com, off-limits romance.

Happy Pub Day, Taj McCoy! The Dating Prohibition is now available.

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 Dating Prohibition
Author: Taj McCoy
Published: September 2025
Pages: 248
Edition: Galley
Genre: Romance
Rating: 🖤 🖤

The New Book

"We smile at our books and I occasionally dust them." ~ pg. 13

For decades, Nikki Giovanni's poetry has been a part of American culture. In this final collection, she writes about the delights and upheaval of our time, sprinkled with family history. Topics include police brutality, white supremacy, the presidency, the epidemic and her own life experiences. 

Nikki Giovanni's wisdom shines through poems, letters, blurbs and respectful rants. It is full of beautiful harsh truths. I bookmarked and highlighted a lot of passages. It is a very well put together piece of literature. The New Book is Nikki Giovanni's final collection to be savored and revisited.

"And Detroit became The Voice of Young Black America that the world copied." ~ pg. 100

Happy Pub Day, Nikki Giovanni! May she rest in heavenly literary peace. The New Book is now available.

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 New Book: Poems, Letters, Blurbs and Things
Author: Nikki Giovanni
Published: September 2025
Pages: 146
Edition: Galley
Genre: Poetry
Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤

Billion-Dollar Ransom

"These kidnappers are asking for the equivalent of the weight of a thousand toddlers in cash?" ~ pg. 69

The plan is unlike any other. A ten-figure ransom. A stubborn FBI agent. Six kidnappers. Two children taken from a school bus. A film producer and movie star grabbed from a resort. A wife whisked off the street of a beauty salon. All at the same time, down to the second! The connection is a billionaire patriarch who wants his family back.

The Billion-Dollar Ransom was my first book read by Duane Swierczynski. I am familiar with a few of Patterson's co-authors but he was a newbie to me. Their writing styles meshed together well, making for a good thriller with a bit of suspense. There were a lot of characters but each was well-developed with individual personalities and interesting chemistry.

"Are you trying to make this plan go to shit?" ~ pg. 161 

Was it a perfect plan? Almost. Was it a predictable thriller? Kinda. Was it page-turning? Yes, by default, because of Patterson's signature short chapters. The action began immediately and continued down to the wire. Would I recommend it? Sure.

Happy Early Pub Day, James Patterson and Duane Swierczynski! Billion-Dollar Ransom will be available Monday, September 1.

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: Billion-Dollar Ransom
Author: James Patterson and Duane Swierczynski
Published: September 2025
Pages: 312
Edition: Galley
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤

I Should Be Smarter By Now

In this new comically insightful collection titled I Should Be Smarter By Now, Issa Rae shares her aspirational journey from childhood to cultural storyteller. She redefines modern success and tells the deets in candid, often hilarious, essays. Issa Rae allows readers to go behind the scenes of her empire. She does not shy away from the downs, praises the ups, unabashedly reveals the challenges and shares her creative vision. 

1. The Business of Being Me 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤
2. Playing Well With Others 🖤 🖤
3. The Geography of Creativity 🖤 🖤 🖤
4. I See You Seeing Me 🖤 🖤 🖤
5. The Art of Strategic Procrastination 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤
6. I Almost Know What I'm Doing 🖤 🖤 🖤 

This Amazon Original Stories collection consists of six (6) quick eBooks that readers may consume in one sitting, even while taking notes. It is a masterclass in literary format designed for those on the go, looking for quick inspiration and an authentic comedic take on success. I had plenty of highlighted quotes and tips by the time I finished. Get inspired for free with Prime or Kindle Unlimited membership. 📖🎧

Happy Pub Day, Issa Rae! I Should Be Smarter By Now collection is now available.

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: I Should Be Smarter By Now
Author: Issa Rae
Published: August 2025
Pages: 107
Edition: eBook
Genre: Nonfiction
Ratings: see above

My Blog is Taking a Nap Because...

Series Sunday: The Best Man

(The Best Man #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.

"Women want assurances. Not maybes." ~ pg. 386

My Series Sunday pick is The Best Man: Unfinished Business, the first book in the trilogy by Malcolm D. Lee with Jayne Allen. Beloved characters from the hit movies and television series, The Best Man, reunite in book form! Unfinished Business focuses on Harper, Jordan and Robyn as they establish lives away from the past and start a new era of awakening and love.

Recently divorced Harper is working on a movie while fighting a creative block and feeling like the seventh wheel. Jordan escaped the corporate world to heal and figure out life away from the city but still feels the magnetic pull to Harper. Lastly, Robyn has found peace in Ghana with a new man and restaurant. But the change is too much for Mia, her daughter with Harper, which tests a few relationships already on shaky ground.

The Best Man: Unfinished Business has its share of drama. It focuses on three characters so it is not too busy with multiple points of view. Yet I was fighting the urge to not skim. I was totally uninterested in the storyline of one of the main characters. It was only the hope of one plot element that kept me reading to the end. Otherwise, I would have DNF'ed and felt okay with leaving The Best Man business unfinished.

"It's just the beginning." ~ pg. 356

Despite the cliffhanger, I am undecided whether I will continue the trilogy. Maybe because I am used to enjoying these characters on-screen that it did not translate well to novel form. I did not feel as engaged. Here's this group of friends that I've known for umpteen years and look forward to their story progressing along. When I first heard of The Best Man coming to print, I was super excited for the opportunity to read it early. But much like the characters feeling like something is missing [in their lives], something is missing in the book too. It just doesn't hit the same.

I could be on this island alone with my opinion. Therefore, I suggest Bookhearts try reading the first of this trilogy if you are a fan of The Best Man movies and miniseries. This extended chapter could be worth your time.

Happy Pub Day, Malcolm D. Lee and Jayne Allen! The Best Man: Unfinished Business is now available.

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 Best Man: Unfinished Business
Author: Malcolm D. Lee with Jayne Allen
Published: July 2025
Pages: 489
Edition: Galley
Genre: Romance
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.

"Darkness suits me."

~ Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

Please visit www.patreon.com/sistahspeak if you are interested in joining the Sistahs Be Readin' Book Club. ~Sistah LM

Series Sunday: Memory Man

(Amos Decker #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.

"And you can say all you want about the world being unfair and people rising above the atrocities done to them, but everyone is different. Some are hard as steel, but some are fragile, and you never know which one you're going to get." ~ 88%

My Series Sunday pick is Memory Man, the first book in the Amos Decker series by David Baldacci. Yes, the great Baldacci! This series has been around forever and a day, yet I am just now reading the debut thanks to it being chosen as our Sistahs Be Readin' June selection.

The Memory Man starts with the most tragic emotional scene. Amos returns home from work as a detective and finds his wife, daughter and brother-in-law murdered. Because of a medical condition, he remembers every detail of their violent deaths in a paralyzing shade of blue. You see, Amos has hyperthymesia, which means he never forgets anything. It is very rare. Essentially having a DVR of every moment of your life that you can recall. He counts in color, sees time as pictures in his head and associates color with people or objects. A collision rewired his brain. (You'll have to read the book for more details on that.)

"Small observations can lead to large breakthroughs." ~ 21%

This triple murder collapses Amos' world. He leaves the police force, forecloses on his home, lives in a Walmart parking lot then motel taking piecemeal jobs as a private investigator. Fast forward one year later and a strange man confesses to the triple homicide. Who is this guy? What is the motive? At the same time, Amos is asked to join the investigation of a local school shooting. Both cases bring back memories he would rather forget.

Amos is such a complex moody man. While Memory Man has so many details and background information about this main character, there is still so much to learn about him. His temperament, the collision that rewired his brain decades ago and the man he is today, working tirelessly in investigations to bring justice. He is a character I will not forget and look forward to catching up on the series.

I won't give too much away. Just know that Baldacci was in his element creating this character. He was also ahead of his time and progressively thinking with the smallest of the details. Hard to believe it was published over ten years ago. It is not too late to pick it up and start reading like the Sistahs and members of the SBR Book Club! I highly recommend the Amos Decker series with one tip: be sure to start with Memory Man. Thank us later!

Please visit www.patreon.com/sistahspeak if you are interested in joining the Sistahs Be Readin' Book Club. ~Sistah LM

Title: Memory Man

Author: David Baldacci

Published: April 2015

Pages: 593

Edition: eBook

Genre: 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.

"If you're as honest and fair as you can be, not only in business but in life, things will work out. I hope that people remember me not just as a good businesswoman but as a great friend—and a heck of a lot of fun."

~ We Might Just Make It After All by Elyce Arons

Strawberry's Sweet Surprise

"Picking fruit and flowers is like gathering a big bouquet of sunshine, she said." ~ pg. 5

Strawberry's Sweet Surprise is a cute new scratch-and-sniff board book. Introduce your little ones to my favorite classic kid character, Strawberry Shortcake. In this cheerful world, you will find a short tale of colorful kindness and sweet scents! Strawberry Shortcake and friends explore the garden of sweet fruits and friendly flowers with a berry special surprise. 

Oh, what a nostalgic treat it was to read this Tommy Nelson board book. I read the digital ARC edition so missed out on the full experience. However, I will purchase the physical board book when it releases in November for my 3-year-old niece. It will be great bonding time reading it together!

Strawberry's Sweet Surprise is a great addition to the library of parents, grandparents, aunts, daycare and montessori teachers for readers under four years old. Your literary little one(s) will love the multisensory experience that promotes word recognition, fruit identification, color association and art. The illustration is top tier!

Happy Early Pub Day, Strawberry Shortcake! Strawberry's Sweet Surprise will be available Tuesday, November 4.

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: Strawberry's Sweet Surprise
Author: Strawberry Shortcake
Published: November 2025
Pages: 14
Edition: Galley
Genre: Children's Fiction
Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤

Series Sunday: Icing on the Murder

(Baker Street #4) 

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 Icing on the Murder, the fourth book in the Baker Street mystery series by Valerie Burns. Social media influencer turned bakery owner Maddy Montgomery is still in New Bison, Michigan, with her inherited 250-pound English mastiff, Baby. She's also marrying the handsome veterinarian named Michael. Perfect timing since the country's biggest bridal expo has come to town.

Maddy secured a spot to showcase wedding cakes and entered a bridal reality competition with the world-renowned wedding planner Serafina. This opportunity would be great for social media content, bakery business and her #DreamWedding. Until Serafina is impaled by one of Baby Cakes' skewers. EEK! Maid of Honor Sheriff April Johnson rounds up suspects at the expo along with Maddy and her great-aunt's friends, the Baker Street Irregulars, to unveil the killer.

"I didn't fall in love with a plastic fork kind of girl." ~ 6%

Icing on the Murder has all the fun elements of a cozy mystery: recipes for the foodies, characters of color, smallish town and a big 'ole adorable dog. It can be read as a standalone but I recommend starting from the beginning of the series to get a gist of all the characters. 

When I think cozy mystery, I think Valerie Burns. Just like A Cup of Flour, A Pinch of Death, this story had me guessing on the right track. Easy mystery but fun to read. Recommended for Bookhearts looking for a quick, light as a murder can be story this summer. Nibble on baked goods, cuddle with your pet in the sunshine and settle in for a good read.

Happy Early Pub Day, Valerie Burns! Icing on the Murder will be available on July 29.

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: Icing on the Murder

Author: Valerie Burns

Published: July 2025

Pages: 211

Edition: Galley

Genre: Cozy 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 front door stands wide open. That has always meant a warm welcome at the two-story traditional house where I grew up, but now the sight makes me shiver more than the chilly wind of Christmas Eve whistling in my face."

~ Can't Get Enough by Kennedy Ryan 

The Marriage Monitoring Aunties' Association

"Is this going to find you husband?" ~ pg. 114

Sade is ready to live the Nigerian dream and meet "the one." For sure, this is the year. Especially if her mother, two best friends and younger sister have any say. According to the unofficial Marriage Monitoring Aunties Association, the reason Sade is still single at 50 is because she loves her job and owns her own home. So independent that her prayers for the perfect man are lost. Hence the need for a miracle of romance.

This is a book I judged from the cover and title so it drew my interest. I expected meddling comedic aunties and Nigerian culture. I looked forward to reading from the perspective of a black mature-aged female. I was quite disappointed that the aunties are not a big part of the novel. In fact, it is the main character's helicopter mom that monitors the most. And what I liked most about Sade was negated by end of the novel.

Just because I think The Marriage Monitoring Aunties' Association was an okay read doesn't mean this multicultural romance is not for you. Give it a try, Bookhearts.

Happy Early Pub Day, Ola Awonubi! The Marriage Monitoring Aunties' Association will be available Tuesday, July 11.

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 Marriage Monitoring Aunties' Association
Author: Ola Awonubi
Published: July 2025
Pages: 283
Edition: Galley
Genre: Romance
Rating: 🖤 🖤

The Girls Who Grew Big

"You don't know what you're capable of until you surpass yourself, outgrow yourself, and still find your feet on the ground." ~ pg. 213

A fierce group of teenage moms in the small town of Pauda Beach, Florida panhandle are the center of new novel, The Girls Who Grew Big. Simone is the mother of young twins and finds herself weighing options when she becomes pregnant again. Adela's parents send her to live with grandmother as they cannot handle her pregnancy. She meets Emory upon arrival, who is struggling to balance new motherhood and higher education. The whole town has written the girls off as lost outcasts but their bond grows big as their bellies, as the artistic book cover displays. 

It took a good third of the book for me to get into the story. It is told from the point of view of three girls; eventually, their stories intersect in unexpected ways. This is where the storytelling of Leila Mottley shines through the pages. Her writing is raw yet engaging. If you previously read the bestselling author's novel, Nightcrawling, then you know! 

The personal growth of characters Simone, Adela and Emory as they navigate pregnancy, motherhood, relationships and friendships will interest readers. It will make you think twice before judging teenage moms. Readers will admire their resilience and desire to just win. By the time I reached the last page, I cared about each girl and their unique journey. I'm confident you will too, Bookhearts.

Happy Early Pub Day, Leila Mottley! The Girls Who Grew Big will be available Tuesday, June 24.

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 Girls Who Grew Big
Author: Leila Mottley
Published: June 2025
Pages: 303
Edition: Galley
Genre: Coming-of-Age Fiction
Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤

Sistah Speak Sunday: Am I the Asshole?

(Sistah Speak: Ask the Sistahs) 

Are you looking for a podcast hosted by diverse women? Listen to the new episode of Sistah Speak: Ask the Sistahs where we discuss some of the latest Am I the Asshole? threads and a family member's burning question from a Sistah's point of view.

Listen Now 🎧 Ep 31 Time: 1 Hour, 41 Minutes

Podcast: Sistah Speak Productions
Co-Hosts: Sistah A, Sistah J, Sistah K and Sistah LM

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.

"Amos Decker would forever remember all three of their violent deaths in the most paralyzing shade of blue. It would cut into him at unpredictable moments, like a gutting knife made of colored light. He would never be free from it."

~ Memory Man by David Baldacci

Please visit www.patreon.com/sistahspeak if you are interested in joining the Sistahs Be Readin' Book Club. ~Sistah LM

This Book Might Be About Zinnia

"That's a New York Times bestselling pitch if I've ever heard one." ~ 24%

Told in two timelines, two very different girls at the same age share a connection. In 2024, Zinnia gets a heads up on her personal essay to Harvard University; it lacks heart. It seems like a sign when her favorite author releases a new novel about a princess with a heart-shaped birthmark on her forehead separated from her mother at birth—just like Zinnia. Her personal essay could be about following a bestselling novel to find her birth mom. Doesn't get more original than that!

In 2006, Tuesday Walker is coping with a loss and huge secret. She is barely making it through high school after what her mother calls "the incident." Tuesday writes her feelings in a journal that is later lost. It is the entries told in that very journal that brings the two girls together.  

What a heartwarming story with unexpected suspense. Themes of bravery, independence, parenthood and security are explored within its pages. Such a beautiful tale wonderfully told with the right pacing. I do not favor multiple points of view and past/present narration but Brittney Morris' writing style made it clear and easy to read. 

"I clutch the journal tighter against my chest. My heart is in here." ~ 46%

The author mentions going no-contact in the Acknowledgments. This was actually my favorite section of the book and a strong message that I needed to hear at this time. Sometimes we have to protect ourselves and respect our own boundaries. Like Zinnia, she protected her peace while discovering herself and searching for the woman responsible for her life and could change it moving forward. Again, this is a level of bravery that all young adults could strive for.

I recommend the perfectly titled This Book Might Be About Zinnia for young adults to read this summer. Make it a buddy read with a friend or mom. Soak in the lessons and sunshine.

Happy Early Pub Day, Brittney Morris! This Book Might Be About Zinnia will be available Tuesday, July 1.

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: This Book Might Be About Zinnia
Author: Brittney Morris
Published: July 2025
Pages: 352
Edition: Galley
Genre: Young Adult
Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤

Blood in the Water

"The thing about sharks is, when you see them coming, it's already too late." ~ 93%

Bestselling author Tiffany D. Jackson is back with a new beach read for young readers. Kaylani is a born-and-bred Brooklyn girl at heart. She's also a Daddy's girl, perfectly content with spending her days on the phone with her imprisoned father. But her mother insists that Kaylani spend this summer in Martha's Vineyard with family friends, the Watsons.

The Watsons live in Oak Bluffs, a town in Martha's Vineyard with a rich Black history. Although their daughter is snobby, Kaylani connects with other kids who show her around the beach town. A time is had until a shocking murder rocks the community. Of course, the main character Kaylani is determined to solve the mystery.

"That's when it really hits me—someone I met, someone I knew, is now dead." ~ 37%

Not only does Tiffany D. Jackson perfectly execute a story for a younger audience, but she managed to hold my grown attention span! I was drawn into the mystery and felt the suspense through the pages. Do not let the title fool you; it is not a gory read. While it may be predictable for adults, the story has good pace and explores themes like racism, imprisonment, justice and murder at a level appropriate for Scholastic readers.

School is out; fiction is in! I recommend Blood in the Water for middle-school readers. Parents/guardians, add this to your kids' summer reading list. Teachers, consider Blood in the Water for your curriculum in the new school season. Encourage the pre-teens to research Martha's Vineyard, Oak Bluffs and Black history. 

Happy Early Pub Day, Tiffany D. Jackson! Blood in the Water will be available Tuesday, July 1.

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: Blood in the Water
Author: Tiffany D. Jackson
Published: June 2025
Pages: 277
Edition: Galley
Genre: Young Adult
Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤

Series Sunday: Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers

(Vera Wong #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 Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers, the first book in the Vera Wong series by Jesse Q. Sutanto. It was chosen as the April selection in our Sistahs Be Readin' Book Club. I have been looking for a new funny series so this was perfect timing.

Jesse Q. Sutanto met my expectations and more with this one! In this first installment, we meet Vera Wong: a 60-year-old tea shop owner. The business doesn't get much traffic so she spends most days checking on her busy son, meddling in his adult life. But one day, Vera wakes up to find a dead man in the middle of her tea shop. Convinced that she can do a better job than the police ever could, this Chinese woman with nothing but time on her hands becomes an amateur sleuth to sniff out the killer. Her first task? Hilariously outlining the dead body with a Sharpie!

"Hey, ma'am, who drew the outline around the deceased?" ~ pg. 29

The story introduces us to a colorful, entertaining cast of diverse characters. Like most cozy mysteries, there is a plethora of suspects in a small community. However, the author did not make it too predictable. There is nothing like a suspects-turned-found-family trope. 

The best part were the teas. I thought I was a tea expert (also self-proclaimed) but Ms. Vera knows her teas! By the end of the book, I had a list of tea leaves flavors to blend. I am looking forward to brewing a pot while reading the next book in the series. Vera Wong's Guide to Snooping (on a Dead Man) is already queued on my Kindle!

Jesse Q. Sutanto delivers the laughs, suspense, character development and plot to readers looking for a fun cozy mystery series. Need I say more? Add to your bookshelf now.

Please visit www.patreon.com/sistahspeak if you are interested in joining the Sistahs Be Readin' Book Club. ~Sistah LM

Title: Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers 

Author: Jesse Q. Sutanto

Published: March 2023

Pages: 339

Edition: Hardcover

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤