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've never killed anyone before."

~ The Crash by Freida McFadden

Pure Innocent Fun

"The beauty of nostalgia, however, is that most people forget the things that they hated about something they love." ~ 14%

New year, new books! Look no further than Ira Madison III's new book of essays titled Pure Innocent Fun. He is the host of pop culture podcast Keep It. He has written for many publications including MTV News and GQ. He's also appeared on WWHL with Andy Cohen and The Wendy Williams Show. To say he is qualified to write about pop culture is an understatement.

In this nostalgic collection of original essays, Ira combines memoir and entertainment criticism. The essays are written strong enough to stand alone but together, they create a worldview of pop culture in the 90s and 2000s sprinkled with Ira's coming-of-age as a Black gay man. Key cultural moments shaped him into the funny talented man he is today. 

Reading Pure Innocent Fun was like meeting an old classmate at a reunion brunch and reminiscing. Ira had me cackling and nodding my head in agreement throughout most of the book. He captured the sentiments of Gen X / millennials that grew up watching a lot of Black families on TV. 

His takes are hilarious on Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Steve Urkel vs. Stefan Urquelle, Marlena Evans being possessed by the devil on Days of Our Lives and the younger daughter from Family Matters that was written off the show with no explanation. I thought I was the only one that remembered she was sent up to her bedroom and never came back downstairs!

Ira could not have picked a better title. It is pure fun to read this collection of essays, especially if you were born in the 80s. Prepare to be entertained!

Happy Early Pub Day, Ira Madison III! Pure Innocent Fun will be available Tuesday, February 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: Pure Innocent Fun
Author: Ira Madison III
Published: February 2025
Pages: 207
Edition: Galley
Genre: Nonfiction Pop Culture
Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤

The Great Gatsby

The Cambridge Centennial Edition

"Despite his best efforts, however, Fitzgerald's most acclaimed novel arrives a century after its publication encrusted with them: the American dream, the Roaring Twenties, Gatsby's green light, hot jazz and cold gin, feathered flappers dancing the Charleston, a book that's all one extravagant spree." ~ pg. xiv

First published in 1925, The Great Gatsby is often referred to as an American masterpiece. On the surface, it can be categorized as a romance tragedy. Self-made millionaire Gatsby reunites with a woman he loved in his youth named Daisy. The book is narrated by Nick Callaway, who recounts the events of his 1922 summer on Long Island. There is scandal, criminal activity, murder, love affairs and a glamorous party. For those unfamiliar, I bet you didn't know this classic had all this going on!

My first introduction to this classic literature novel was in middle school. Looking back, it was probably inappropriate for the average preteen; however, it was required reading in my English class for the gifted and talented students. Shout-out to my fellow Bates Brats! It was my first introduction to New York as a setting and the Roaring Twenties era. Since then, I have read The Great Gatsby three more times. With every re-read, I pick up new details and more themes like morals, love affairs, wealth, power, glamour and greed.

"There is no confusion like the confusion of a simple mind..." ~ pg. 127

This centennial edition is a different experience with The Great Gatsby because it goes beyond the story in a collector's volume style, complete with social, cultural and historical context. Illustrations include leaves from the manuscript, new material and dust jackets. Alternate passages are shared (all these years and editions later!).

As a copyeditor, I found the chronology of composition very interesting. It briefly details the steps Fitzgerald took to bring The Great Gatsby to publication from June 1922 to April 1925. And here we are 100 years later in 2025 with a fresh outlook. The story itself is about 175 pages; the rest is goodies for lit geeks and professionals.

"Perhaps the most famous passage in The Great Gatsby appears on the final two pages of the novel in a luminous evocation by Fitzgerald of American innocence, aspiration, and hope." ~ pg. 230

I recommend The Cambridge Centennial Edition of The Great Gatsby to all. Those who enjoy classic literature, read it once before or never read it at all. It is the great American novel bringing to life the American dream in depth. Start the year with this great read!

Happy Pub Day and 100th Anniversary! The Cambridge Centennial Edition of The Great Gatsby is available today.

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 Cambridge Centennial Edition of The Great Gatsby
Author: F. Scott Fitzgerald
Published: January 2025
Pages: 251
Edition: Galley
Genre: Classic Literature
Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤