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: 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤