tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51903084160214101462024-03-18T02:15:06.971-04:00Literary MarieLiterary Marie ♠️ Reader, Reviewer, Copyeditor, Migraineur & AutoImmuneur 🖤 Cannot Function Without FictionLiterary Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15245180773168090487noreply@blogger.comBlogger2118125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190308416021410146.post-55870499353207553412024-03-15T11:11:00.015-04:002024-03-15T11:11:00.148-04:00First Lines Friday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xL32eW23nPE/XdDTADyu-fI/AAAAAAAAH9w/G--hE0UuZUAeYoWf6sBpyljk1DNnA9vmQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/FIRST%2BLINES%2BFRIDAY.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="844" data-original-width="1242" height="217" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xL32eW23nPE/XdDTADyu-fI/AAAAAAAAH9w/G--hE0UuZUAeYoWf6sBpyljk1DNnA9vmQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/FIRST%2BLINES%2BFRIDAY.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">First Lines Friday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along.</span></div></div><ul><li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Grab your current read(s).</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Share the first line(s).</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Include the title and author.</span></li></ul><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguu7irQsueWNPAt7tTbTEM3rHOCOhToZtDJzgKvD6guH4nEd14cS50z96aS8hD-vYTtXuEpKTe_Dc0Hyj88fZACbYDIgyTZ_fCcObY7kz7TFCrDcQWy0EQFmPHkyAfudpTDlr9-i_GoHFFBF264I5hkhg1YkhvzEibJd5bR553UUV9aoBLHb1HYJnnq_-Q/s500/blackirish.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="307" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguu7irQsueWNPAt7tTbTEM3rHOCOhToZtDJzgKvD6guH4nEd14cS50z96aS8hD-vYTtXuEpKTe_Dc0Hyj88fZACbYDIgyTZ_fCcObY7kz7TFCrDcQWy0EQFmPHkyAfudpTDlr9-i_GoHFFBF264I5hkhg1YkhvzEibJd5bR553UUV9aoBLHb1HYJnnq_-Q/s320/blackirish.jpeg" width="196" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">"You might think that the idea of being Black and Irish is a relatively new thing. However, Black and Mixed-Race people have been present in Ireland for centuries, some dating as far back as the 1700s."</span></span></i></b></div></div></div><span><span style="font-family: "Lucida Sans";"><br /></span><span><span style="font-family: inherit;">~ </span><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/201170155-black-irish">Black & Irish: Legends, Trailblazers & Everyday Heroes</a></span></i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> by Leon Diop and Briana Fitzsimons; Illustrated by Jessica Louis </span></span></span></div>Literary Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15245180773168090487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190308416021410146.post-41769455980795733822024-03-13T11:11:00.043-04:002024-03-13T11:11:00.255-04:00Lit Tidbits: Pithy Picks XV<div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4lYnSVhoCXA/XchHIuOFwCI/AAAAAAAAH8I/m4BVWnSycZoI36J0sRIRPrtqdSGyK5gCgCEwYBhgL/s1600/LIT%2BTIDBITS.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="349" data-original-width="490" height="227" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4lYnSVhoCXA/XchHIuOFwCI/AAAAAAAAH8I/m4BVWnSycZoI36J0sRIRPrtqdSGyK5gCgCEwYBhgL/s320/LIT%2BTIDBITS.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">Hey, Bookhearts! Pithy Picks are a bookish meme created to help you quickly find books that are worth your time and coins. Just read the pithy reviews below!</span></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEwWN0kmRwPxdyUMom2V5Y1nBSEjDs_i0WxkroUjciOb2j3Rc8qAlax1SX662qk6FAmVbfzRiFiwt1Z1oFXpwz0-4Yt_-1dbmVUdmNGsJ3s67y143AWjtkaACov3Ds8O7WbBo_ZbDuak1cDKB3DfwGG8DsRO9bD4ntiJLVs25a6QV9j4iARw4rZ-W3uxU1/s800/pithy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEwWN0kmRwPxdyUMom2V5Y1nBSEjDs_i0WxkroUjciOb2j3Rc8qAlax1SX662qk6FAmVbfzRiFiwt1Z1oFXpwz0-4Yt_-1dbmVUdmNGsJ3s67y143AWjtkaACov3Ds8O7WbBo_ZbDuak1cDKB3DfwGG8DsRO9bD4ntiJLVs25a6QV9j4iARw4rZ-W3uxU1/w640-h480/pithy.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic; text-align: left;"></span></div><span><div><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"><b>Title:</b></span><i> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/164444179-first-lie-wins">First Lie Wins</a></i></div><b><i style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">Edited by</i></b><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-style: italic;">:</span></span> Ashley Elston<br /><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;"><span face="" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Published:</span></span><span> January 2024</span><br /><span><i><b><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">Pithy Review:</span></b></i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> Evie Porter has a loving doting boyfriend, a white picket fence with a garden and a fancy friend group. The only catch is that Evie Porter does not exist. Her anonymous boss gives her an identity and a location. It's up to Evie to learn everything about the town, its residents and her mark. This would be better suited as a short thriller or TV mini-series than a full length novel. The adaptation would be better, I bet.</span></span></span><br /><span><b><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;"><i>Quote</i></span></b><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">: </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">"It's because you're not ready to tell me the truth and I'd rather you not lie to me." ~ pg. 181</span></span><span style="font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif;"><b><br /></b></span><span><span><i style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-weight: bold;">Recommend or Nah? </i></span><i style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-weight: bold;">⭐️</i></span><i style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-weight: bold;">⭐️</i></div><div><span><span><b style="font-style: italic;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;"><b style="font-style: italic;">Title:</b></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40513241-i-hope-my-voice-doesn-t-skip">I Hope My Voice Doesn't Skip</a></span></span><br style="font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;" /><span style="font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;"><b style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-style: italic;">Author</b><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-style: italic;">:</span><span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> Alicia Cook</span></span></span></span><br style="font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;" /><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;"><span face="" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Published:</span></span><span style="font-family: "Lucida Grande"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;">June 2018</span><br style="font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;" /><span style="font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;"><i style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;"><b><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">Pithy Review: </span></b></i><span style="font-family: inherit;">I fell in heart with this poet's mixtape series so felt obliged to read her other works. Like a vinyl record, this collection is sorted into EP (shorter poems) and LP (longer prose and songwriting). It is heartfelt. Although a few lines spoke directly to me, this collection was not as good as her other poetry.</span></span><br style="font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;" /><span style="font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;"><b style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;"><i>Quote</i></span></b><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">: </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">"Tell me my eyes will clear. Tell me I will smile again. Tell me how to heal—I didn't hear you the first time." ~ 13%</span></span><br style="font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;" /><span style="font-family: "Lucida Grande"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;"><i style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-weight: bold;">Recommend or Nah? </i></span><i style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">⭐️⭐️</i></div></b></span></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;"><b style="font-style: italic;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Title:</b></span><span style="font-style: italic;"> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/198712875-two-women-walk-into-a-bar">Two Women Walk Into a Bar</a></span><br /><span><b style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-style: italic;">Author</b><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-style: italic;">:</span><span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> Cheryl Strayed</span></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;"><span face="" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Published:</span></span><span> January 2024</span><br /><span><i><b><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">Pithy Review:</span></b></i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;">This short memoir is about family secrets, grief and reconciliation. Cheryl's mother-in-law is given weeks to live. As the family goes through her final days, Cheryl reckons with their complicated relationship. The women accept their differences and find healing in saying goodbye. It makes you go hmmm.</span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span><i>Quote</i></span></b><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">: </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"But there's a spiritual component to dying</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">. To some degree, people need to release whatever's holding them here before they can make the transition."</span> ~ pg. 15</span></span></span><span style="font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif;"><b><br /></b></span><span><span><i style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-weight: bold;">Recommend or Nah? </i></span><i style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-weight: bold;">⭐️⭐️</i></span><i style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-weight: bold;">⭐️</i></div><div><i style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-weight: bold;"><br /></i></div><div><i style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-weight: bold;"><br /></i></div><div><i style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;"><b style="font-style: italic;">Title:</b></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/200034606-worst-wingman-ever"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Worst Wingman Ever</span></a></span><br style="font-family: "Lucida Grande"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;" /><span style="font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;"><b style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-style: italic;">Author</b><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-style: italic;">:</span><span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;">Abby Jimenez</span></span></span></span><br style="font-family: "Lucida Grande"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;" /><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;"><span face="" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Published:</span></span><span style="font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;">January 2024</span></span><br style="font-family: "Lucida Grande"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;" /><span style="font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;"><i style="font-family: "Lucida Grande";"><b><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">Pithy Review:</span></b></i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;">A couple falls in love before they officially meet in this short romance. Holly is a hospice nurse but this time the patient is her own grandmother. Upon leaving one evening, she finds a Valentine's Day card with a freaky coupon on her windshield. Turns out it was not meant for her. The amusing mistake leads to a cute game of "Tag, You're It" and a lovely exchange of anonymous notes and acts of kindness. This story is a reminder that strangers can care and we are always meant to be where we are at the right time.</span></span></span><br style="font-family: "Lucida Grande"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;" /><span style="font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;"><b style="font-family: "Lucida Grande";"><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;"><i>Quote</i></span></b><span style="font-family: "Lucida Grande"; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">: </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">"Take responsibility for your own unhappiness<span>." ~ 72% </span></span></span><span style="font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: "Lucida Grande"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;"><span><i style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-weight: bold;">Recommend or Nah? </i></span><i style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-weight: bold;">⭐️⭐️</i></span><i style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">⭐️⭐️</i></i><i style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-weight: bold;">⭐️</i></div><div><i style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-weight: bold;"><i><br /></i></i></div><div><i style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-weight: bold;"><i><br /></i></i></div><div><i style="font-weight: bold;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;"><b style="font-style: italic;">Title:</b></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/200033957-drop-cover-and-hold-on"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Drop, Cover, and Hold On</span></a></span><br style="font-family: "Lucida Grande"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;" /><span style="font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;"><b style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-style: italic;">Author</b><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-style: italic;">:</span><span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;">Jasmine Guillory</span></span></span></span><br style="font-family: "Lucida Grande"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;" /><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;"><span face="" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Published:</span></span><span style="font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;">January 2024</span></span><br style="font-family: "Lucida Grande"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;" /><span style="font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;"><i style="font-family: "Lucida Grande";"><b><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">Pithy Review:</span></b></i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;">An earthquake traps a woman inside her favorite bakery with its impossibly rude and insufferably handsome owner on Valentine's Day. In her signature style of writing, Jasmine Guillory introduces characters that are easy to like, relatable and carry on engaging banter that makes this easy to read in just one sitting eating your favorite pastry. It is a cute short story of finding love when and where you least expect it. </span></span></span><br style="font-family: "Lucida Grande"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;" /><span style="font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;"><b style="font-family: "Lucida Grande";"><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;"><i>Quote</i></span></b><span style="font-family: "Lucida Grande"; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">: </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">"Resting...smile face?<span>" ~ pg. 23</span></span></span><span style="font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: "Lucida Grande"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;"><span><i style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-weight: bold;">Recommend or Nah? </i></span><i style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-weight: bold;">⭐️⭐️</i></span><i style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">⭐️⭐️</i></i></i></div><div><i style="font-weight: bold;"><i><i style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;"><br /></i></i></i></div><div><i style="font-weight: bold;"><i><i style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;"><br /></i></i></i></div><div><i style="font-weight: bold;"><i><i><i><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;"><b style="font-style: italic;">Title:</b></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: 400;"> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/199542511-fires-to-come?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=mATlS43raX&rank=1">Fires to Come</a></span><br style="font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;" /><span style="font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;"><b style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-style: italic;">Author</b><span style="font-family: "Lucida Grande"; font-style: italic;">:</span><span><span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">Asha Lemmie</span></span></span></span><br style="font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;" /><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;"><span face="" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Published:</span></span><span style="font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;"> </span><i><i><i><i><span style="font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">February 2024</span></span></span></i></i></i></i><br style="font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;" /><span style="font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;"><i style="font-family: "Lucida Grande";"><b><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">Pithy Review:</span></b></i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;">Any short story that begins with an 8-year-old asking her Papa if he kills people, is worthy of reading in one sitting. Abandoned as an infant and raised by Italians, Carlotta has never quite fit in as the only Black person in her neighborhood. She ventures to Harlem, home of the great Renaissance, jazz and love in the air. Then the dynamics of her adoptive family shift and Carlotta has to decide where she belongs. This short story dares to defy fairness, convention and gender roles.</span></span></span><br style="font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;" /><span style="font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;"><b style="font-family: "Lucida Grande";"><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;"><i>Quote</i></span></b><span style="font-family: "Lucida Grande"; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">: </span><span><span style="font-family: inherit;">"Everyone always does what's best for themselves. It is the oldest law of nature.</span><span><span style="font-family: inherit;">"</span><span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> ~ pg. 32</span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: "Lucida Grande"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;"><span><i style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-weight: bold;">Recommend or Nah? </i></span><i style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-weight: bold;">⭐️</i></span><i style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">⭐️</i></i></i></i></i></div><div><i style="font-weight: bold;"><i><i style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;"><i style="font-family: "Lucida Grande";"><i style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;"><br /></i></i></i></i></i></div><div><i style="font-weight: bold;"><i><i style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;"><i style="font-family: "Lucida Grande";"><i style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;"><br /></i></i></i></i></i></div><div><i style="font-weight: bold;"><i><i><i><i><i><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;"><b style="font-style: italic;">Title:</b></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/205897124-fallen-grace?ref=nav_sb_ss_1_17"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Fallen Grace</span></a></span><br style="font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;" /><span style="font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;"><b style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-style: italic;">Author</b><span style="font-family: "Lucida Grande"; font-style: italic;">:</span><span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;">Sadeqa Johnson</span></span></span></span><br style="font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;" /><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;"><span face="" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Published:</span></span><span style="font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;"> </span><i><i><i><i><span style="font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">February 2024</span></span></span></i></i></i></i><br style="font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;" /><span style="font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;"><i style="font-family: "Lucida Grande";"><b><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">Pithy Review:</span></b></i><span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">Another eShort in the Amazon Original Stories Blaze collection that can be read or listened to in one sitting. Bubbles Jones is a single mother in segregated Virginia pushing back on societal prejudice, her own family's judgment, a hypocritical pastor father and the betrayal of a lover. She has a lot to escape in order to forge a life ahead for her and a newborn baby. This one packs a punch with a message in less than 50 pages.</span></span></span><br style="font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;" /><span style="font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;"><b style="font-family: "Lucida Grande";"><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;"><i>Quote</i></span></b><span style="font-family: "Lucida Grande"; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">: </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">"All that singing and carrying on you do every week in the name of the Lord, and you're going to put your flesh and blood out on the street because you're afraid of church gossipers?<span>" ~ pg. 26</span></span></span><span style="font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: "Lucida Grande"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;"><span><i style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-weight: bold;">Recommend or Nah? </i></span><i style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-weight: bold;">⭐️⭐️</i></span><i style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">⭐️</i></i></i></i></i></i></i></div><div><i style="font-weight: bold;"><i><i><i><i><i><i style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;"><br /></i></i></i></i></i></i></i></div>Literary Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15245180773168090487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190308416021410146.post-65767659754365190532024-03-12T11:11:00.002-04:002024-03-12T11:11:00.141-04:00Black Girl IRL<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsgCepPaxIBMb0shpi98UtTNSjgf3QOAkG2mCoGjdB7CwnhUC07WgeolQ99RN_VxIJIcMrmCZoDho6_WnzLYEY4221FtPBXWqxkFst_Xf4MzrPy53RXF9fQ5Ab0wUSB5Vc4t0ub4uPldX5B-yVVpAVxkXQKFNDzBcNOo47wr1CfgkrxRb59jzWWTf05GNN/s2560/blkgrlirl.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsgCepPaxIBMb0shpi98UtTNSjgf3QOAkG2mCoGjdB7CwnhUC07WgeolQ99RN_VxIJIcMrmCZoDho6_WnzLYEY4221FtPBXWqxkFst_Xf4MzrPy53RXF9fQ5Ab0wUSB5Vc4t0ub4uPldX5B-yVVpAVxkXQKFNDzBcNOo47wr1CfgkrxRb59jzWWTf05GNN/s320/blkgrlirl.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><b><i><span style="color: #e69138; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">"Because Black women, we deserve leverage."</span></i></b> ~ pg. 131</div><div><br /></div><div>Everyone around the globe knows Oprah and Beyoncé. But there are regular Black women out here doing it all in real life (IRL). We handle things. We figure shit out. We speak up. We are leaders. We risk our opinions being the "voice of all Black women" at our jobs if we are the only one there. We are the regular girls wearing satin bonnets to sleep.</div><div><br /></div><div>Gail Hamilton Azodo is the <i>Black Girl IRL</i>. In this new nonfiction book, she shares everything from motivational quotes, group texts with friends, work stories and advice. Most of all, she shares authentic stories of being an everyday Black woman. It is very relatable. So accurate and entertaining at times. I felt like I was in the room with her reliving experiences, saying repeatedly, "I know, girl!"</div><div><br /></div><div>Thank you for the acknowledgment and the encouragement to being the best regular Black woman we can be.</div><div><br /></div><div>Happy Pub Day, Gail Hamilton Azodo! <i>Black Girl IRL</i> is available today.</div><br /><b>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</b><br /><br /><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"></div></div>Title: <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/181225011-black-girl-irl">Black Girl IRL: Life Between the Mess and the Magic</a></i><br />Author: Gail Hamilton Azodo<br />Published: March 2024<br />Pages: 222<br />Edition: Galley<br />Genre: Nonfiction<br />Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤Literary Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15245180773168090487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190308416021410146.post-70351263392808241312024-03-10T11:11:00.297-04:002024-03-10T18:55:12.570-04:00Series Sunday: Fireborne, Flamefall and Furysong<span style="font-size: 21px; font-weight: bold;">(The Aurelian Cycle Trilogy) </span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GBgktaEo8nU/XdDg9sVnHkI/AAAAAAAAH94/F1N-oUJqClMcYqWZn0mprGCKyjZBL2hOgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/SERIES%2BSUNDAY.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="848" data-original-width="1235" height="219" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GBgktaEo8nU/XdDg9sVnHkI/AAAAAAAAH94/F1N-oUJqClMcYqWZn0mprGCKyjZBL2hOgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/SERIES%2BSUNDAY.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Series Sunday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along.</span></div></div><ul><li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Read an installment of a series.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Share your review/recommendation below.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Include the title, author and series name.</span></li></ul><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNmt7eGmQlr08XYKUHteIUQR_zU88k159vBYt1TkmkX9IVcotySf3o_pecO4KhOXbpXm-5FGavp5bf8R6jY09AFS_bkiEk-Rx-HPlQpqt1XaGLMh6hbPUgb0Be0VSctHwNzvNDkT7laFRW_P62foFhysysCvluLBBDK26s4x-4xjrBqCIlfpZj_0J_Ox7w/s505/aurelian.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="395" data-original-width="505" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNmt7eGmQlr08XYKUHteIUQR_zU88k159vBYt1TkmkX9IVcotySf3o_pecO4KhOXbpXm-5FGavp5bf8R6jY09AFS_bkiEk-Rx-HPlQpqt1XaGLMh6hbPUgb0Be0VSctHwNzvNDkT7laFRW_P62foFhysysCvluLBBDK26s4x-4xjrBqCIlfpZj_0J_Ox7w/s320/aurelian.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">My Series Sunday pick is The Aurelian Cycle trilogy by Rosaria Munda. Annie and Lee were children when a brutal revolution changed their world. It gave everyone—from the lowborn to the heirs—a chance to test into the governing class of dragonriders. Annie's lowborn family was killed by dragonfire while Lee's aristocratic family was murdered by revolutionaries. Growing up in the same orphanage forged their friendship and now Annie and Lee are competing for the top position of Firstrider in <i>Fireborne</i>, the first book of the trilogy.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Book two, <i>Flamefall</i>, centers around power and punishment. The dragonlords are eager to reclaim their city. The Firstrider is charged with leading the war and enforcing the government's rationing program. It is up to Annie, Lee and new character Griff to decide who and what to fight for.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Furysong </i>is the sparked conclusion with Annie and Lee once again fighting for their lives and for each other. Griff is facing an execution and new character Delo has to follow his family or surrender to his conscience. There is a new revolution threatening to burn homes and whole cities. This book is the ultimate test of loyalty, love and sacrifice. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span><b><i><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">"I know how it feels, to reach for a life you can't have and try to fit it over your own body like a borrowed coat."</span></i></b><span style="font-family: inherit;"> ~ pg. 408 </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">Furysong</i></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Le sigh. It is better if I review this trilogy as a whole instead of separate books. Mainly because I am still undecided on final thoughts. Did I like it? Did I hate it? Did it make sense? Was it good? Was it bad? How was the ending? All of these questions and no firm answers. But don't worry...no spoilers!</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;">I do not usually read fantasy. Yet BookTok peer-pressured me into reading romantasy. I was searching for a series to fill the void after reading <i>Fourth Wing </i>and <i>Iron Flame</i>. I wanted to continue riding the wave of dragonriders, revolution, war, enemies to lovers angst, squads and sparring. I needed to read more about dragons. And I am a sucker for a series with beautiful covers. So after reading the sample, I bought the trilogy in hopes it would live up to the quiet hype.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><b><i><span style="color: #990000; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">"It's strange how you can fight your way to a door, even through it, without thinking about what lies on the other side."</span></i></b> ~ pg. 160 <i style="font-family: inherit;">Fireborne</i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;">I started <i>Fireborne</i> with a strong side-eye. It was so familiar with the same terms and setting as The Empyrean series. I double-checked the publication date to see which author copied whom. To my surprise, this series was published first. I read on and quickly realized the similarities stopped and these things were standard for dragonrider lingo.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;">The Aurelian Cycle missed the theory factor. There was nothing for me to mull over or try to figure out. Yes, there were minor plot twists but nothing jaw-dropping. For the most part it was predictable. Very easy reading with little interpretation or reading between the lines. Perhaps because it is written for young adults. But half the fun of reading is theorizing what will happen and how it will be revealed across the lifespan of a series. Not even the cliffhangers were enough.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;">I have a love/hate relationship with the main characters in The Aurelian Cycle. Antigone is the underdog. From the very beginning, odds were against her. She was not supposed to win. She was not the vision that government wanted. It was frustrating at times when she would fight for her life then just hand over power to less deserving. I would talk to the book like, "Girl, you are worthy!" Meanwhile, Leo is the guy everyone rooted for and wanted as representation. Yet he let secrets of the past and love blind him. "Dude, get your mind right!" is what I would roll my eyes saying. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><b><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">"The funny thing about overhearing a betrayal is that it makes your own impulse to come clean evaporate."</span></i></b> ~ pg. 279 <i style="font-family: inherit;">Flamefall</i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;">The author did a good job of balancing screen time and narration with characters like Power, Griff and Delo. I like how each book introduced a new point of view adding layers to the story and enhancing the setting of different locations. Not too many authors can masterfully write multiple points of view—even within a chapter—and Rosaria nailed it. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;">I just wish dragons played a bigger role. Instead, they were just a mode of transportation. A means to get from point A to point B like a regular 'ole car. The only inkling into the minds or personalities of the dragons were spillovers few and far between.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;">But my major gripe is carrying characters that should've been killed off too many times to count. I get it; every story needs a villain. But come the fuck on. So many lost opportunities just to leave a bad character in the story was frustrating to read. I was two seconds away from throwing the whole series in the trash if certain characters didn't meet a certain demise. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;">The politics and other themes such as chosen family, loyalty and the caste system are what set this trilogy apart from others in the genre. In fact, romance played a backseat. This is what kept me reading until the end. It's a good thing I binged this series as a buddy read because had I read it upon its publication, and alone, I would have hesitated to make it through. So did I like it? Yes and no. The Aurelian Cycle is a good placeholder. Do I recommend it though? Hmmm, I'll let you decide.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><br /></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Title: <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55595779-fireborne">Fireborne</a></i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17338762-the-first-lie"><br /></a></span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Author: Rosaria Munda</span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Published: October 2019</span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Pages: 432</span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Edition: Paperback</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Genre: YA Fantasy</span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Rating: 🖤 🖤</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Title: <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59148841-flamefall">Flamefall</a></i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17338762-the-first-lie"><br /></a></span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Author: Rosaria Munda</span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Published: March 2021</span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Pages: 483</span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Edition: Paperback</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Genre: YA Fantasy</span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Title: <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/112974822-furysong">Furysong</a></i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17338762-the-first-lie"><br /></a></span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Author: Rosaria Munda</span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Published: August 2022</span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Pages: 482</span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Edition: Paperback</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Genre: YA Fantasy</span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤</span></div></div></span></div></div></span></div></div></div></div></div>Literary Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15245180773168090487noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190308416021410146.post-80806920428082669272024-03-08T11:11:00.010-05:002024-03-08T11:11:00.243-05:00First Lines Friday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xL32eW23nPE/XdDTADyu-fI/AAAAAAAAH9w/G--hE0UuZUAeYoWf6sBpyljk1DNnA9vmQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/FIRST%2BLINES%2BFRIDAY.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="844" data-original-width="1242" height="217" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xL32eW23nPE/XdDTADyu-fI/AAAAAAAAH9w/G--hE0UuZUAeYoWf6sBpyljk1DNnA9vmQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/FIRST%2BLINES%2BFRIDAY.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">First Lines Friday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along.</span></div></div><ul><li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Grab your current read(s).</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Share the first line(s).</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Include the title and author.</span></li></ul><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzIY5Yvp8yl_dasEx4LPCTB67XS5qX7H8K4ATEQFQ1077CgIvK-f0x-4II5Elal54ylRqBc48vMIM1NCTeGKo7rai0JfbnMkrMiVFwLHwv9LroUeUsK5beoiXaPimGcVawH0jTN5BppJr0ThwKxl7_3NUrkZe6eBKzO7aE77lS-WcgIgzO3jFedNR7m15v/s2125/mloml.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2125" data-original-width="1400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzIY5Yvp8yl_dasEx4LPCTB67XS5qX7H8K4ATEQFQ1077CgIvK-f0x-4II5Elal54ylRqBc48vMIM1NCTeGKo7rai0JfbnMkrMiVFwLHwv9LroUeUsK5beoiXaPimGcVawH0jTN5BppJr0ThwKxl7_3NUrkZe6eBKzO7aE77lS-WcgIgzO3jFedNR7m15v/s320/mloml.jpeg" width="211" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">"Reading was my first addiction. When I tell people this today, they laugh and nod as if they understand, as if they too are part of a secret book-addict society whose greatest crime is staying up late, a flashlight under the covers, compulsively reading page after page."</span></span></i></b></div></div></div><span><span style="font-family: "Lucida Sans";"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">~ <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/64631561-the-many-lives-of-mama-love-oprah-s-book-club">The Many Lives of Mama Love</a></i> by Lara Love Hardin </span></span></div>Literary Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15245180773168090487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190308416021410146.post-61193851866449391692024-03-05T11:11:00.088-05:002024-03-05T11:11:00.128-05:00Sisters with a Side of Greens<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-wrRj96tANFFHcxU4YCQruiIzcjJTUVpWWHoBEoZ-AMdS_6U-rIKbMiYUKWU7v3ji9ztVxA6ufQv92BZrzaHg659nE__4-u3gATbuGzuDH2hVvt-QS7RBdZlpbTrXGltJ8lVSraV12mQ_LUlBlODIOfFj24qY86GpygtI2TPkEoowyN-oSmRxTW9xgDHi/s2475/sisg.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2475" data-original-width="1650" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-wrRj96tANFFHcxU4YCQruiIzcjJTUVpWWHoBEoZ-AMdS_6U-rIKbMiYUKWU7v3ji9ztVxA6ufQv92BZrzaHg659nE__4-u3gATbuGzuDH2hVvt-QS7RBdZlpbTrXGltJ8lVSraV12mQ_LUlBlODIOfFj24qY86GpygtI2TPkEoowyN-oSmRxTW9xgDHi/s320/sisg.jpeg" width="213" /></a></div><br /><div><b><i><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">"Life is like a roll of toilet paper. You think you have so much left until you get down to the last few squares."</span></i></b> ~ 4%</div><div><br /></div><div>What do you get when you mix two strong-willed sisters, a grudge, a misunderstanding, a dream deferred and perfectly seasoned fried chicken? <i>Sisters with a Side of Greens. </i>In this new novel, sisters Rose and Marvina haven't spoken in years—not since Rose sent Marvina $40 to register their business and Marvina spent it on something else. </div><div><br /></div><div>Fast forward; Rose is retiring from the post office and Marvina's services of cooking fried chicken dinners for the church fundraiser is no longer needed. Still wanting the dream of opening a restaurant, Rose shows up on her sister's doorstep unannounced for their mama's special spice mix recipe and hopefully a way to turn their mama's legacy into a profitable future.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><i><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">"Though the spice ingredients had not all come together yet, their scents intermingled in the air. A prelude to glory."</span></i></b> ~ 52%</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Sisters with a Side of Greens </i>is recommended for fans of Terry McMillan, Kimberla Lawson Roby and Southern fiction. It is a family drama with the right amount of conflict and hope. At times, the story was slow with unnecessary dialogue that I was tempted to gloss over but not enough to quit reading. </div><div><br /></div><div>Author Michelle Stimpson provided enough backstory that led to a plot that actually made sense. I understood the character's actions better. I stayed invested in the relationship between sisters Rose and Marvina. I rooted for them and hoped for a happy ending. Without giving the story away, <i>Sisters with a Side of Greens</i> has a satisfying end!</div><div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />Happy Pub Day, Michelle Stimpson! <i>Sisters with a Side of Greens</i> is now available.</div><br /><b>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</b><br /><br /><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"></div></div>Title: <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/193540072-sisters-with-a-side-of-greens">Sisters with a Side of Greens</a></i><br />Author: Michelle Stimpson<br />Published: March 2024<br />Pages: 367<br />Edition: Galley<br />Genre: Grown Chick Lit<br />Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤Literary Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15245180773168090487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190308416021410146.post-60969302130195181432024-03-03T11:11:00.001-05:002024-03-03T14:47:21.815-05:00Series Sunday: This Could Be Us<span style="font-size: 21px; font-weight: bold;">(Skyland #2) </span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GBgktaEo8nU/XdDg9sVnHkI/AAAAAAAAH94/F1N-oUJqClMcYqWZn0mprGCKyjZBL2hOgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/SERIES%2BSUNDAY.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="848" data-original-width="1235" height="219" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GBgktaEo8nU/XdDg9sVnHkI/AAAAAAAAH94/F1N-oUJqClMcYqWZn0mprGCKyjZBL2hOgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/SERIES%2BSUNDAY.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Series Sunday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along.</span></div></div><ul><li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Read an installment of a series.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Share your review/recommendation below.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Include the title, author and series name.</span></li></ul><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoiMPPQFKwfgKHaMfGWpyFpG4IH9pa1LokTjBru2ukWEJuJpzA1gEXrjMdwfvCdVkC1oTLL84mG3jtMQj4jEEqS1eOGJe_biL_bulSOk5E0NULvMGgbkwGRFxJa_wqKOKKcClQniuvqea9-XA63ruj6rQfaug2XLVkMJOnCxTKZZ3HSUoTF_mpnf1QiK6y/s522/sky2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="522" data-original-width="348" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoiMPPQFKwfgKHaMfGWpyFpG4IH9pa1LokTjBru2ukWEJuJpzA1gEXrjMdwfvCdVkC1oTLL84mG3jtMQj4jEEqS1eOGJe_biL_bulSOk5E0NULvMGgbkwGRFxJa_wqKOKKcClQniuvqea9-XA63ruj6rQfaug2XLVkMJOnCxTKZZ3HSUoTF_mpnf1QiK6y/s320/sky2.jpeg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><b><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">"So hard to turn away from that warmth when you've stood out in the cold."</span></b></i> ~ 8%</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">My Series Sunday pick is<i> This Could Be Us</i>, the second book in the Skyland series by Kennedy Ryan. We revisit Skyland, one of Atlanta's most desirable communities. One minute, Soledad is having dinner with her husband and three daughters and the next minute, FBI agents are at the front door arresting her husband for embezzlement. This is literally just the beginning.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The domestic goddess now has to provide for her daughters, keep a roof over their heads and food on the table, while fighting an attraction to a man she shouldn't want but cannot resist.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span><i><b><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">"Soledad hermosa. Beautiful solitude."</span></b></i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> ~ 52%</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">First of all, take a minute to drool over the book cover. Full of vibrant colors, flower sketches and a brown girl with natural hair. It exudes confidence. It gives grown woman fiction. It is eye-catching on a bookshelf, be it physical or digital. You can practically hear it saying, "Pick me up! Read me! Get to know me!" The book cover most certainly caught my attention.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>This Could Be Us </i>begins with tension that builds and lingers along each page until it bursts like sunlight. Kennedy Ryan expertly weaves themes such as honest parenthood, raw emotions, transparency, truly amicable divorce and self-love. Most importantly, the author raises awareness on autism through two minor characters and handles the close-to-home subject like a pro.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I cannot recommend this new release and series enough. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Jump on the bandwagon if you're not already buckled up. For those who read <a href="http://www.literarymarie.com/2022/08/series-sunday-before-i-let-go.html"><i>Before I Let Go</i></a>, welcome back to Skyland. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Bookhearts, you are in for a delight! </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Happy Early Pub Day, Kennedy Ryan! <i>This Could Be Us</i> will be available Tuesday, March 5.<br /><br /><b>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</b></span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Title: <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/202927511-this-could-be-us">This Could Be Us</a></i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17338762-the-first-lie"><br /></a></span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Author: Kennedy Ryan</span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Published: March 2024</span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Pages: 400</span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Edition: Galley</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Genre: Romance</span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤</span></div></div></div></div></div>Literary Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15245180773168090487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190308416021410146.post-49548425966478118582024-03-01T11:11:00.011-05:002024-03-01T13:07:56.948-05:00First Lines Friday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xL32eW23nPE/XdDTADyu-fI/AAAAAAAAH9w/G--hE0UuZUAeYoWf6sBpyljk1DNnA9vmQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/FIRST%2BLINES%2BFRIDAY.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="844" data-original-width="1242" height="217" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xL32eW23nPE/XdDTADyu-fI/AAAAAAAAH9w/G--hE0UuZUAeYoWf6sBpyljk1DNnA9vmQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/FIRST%2BLINES%2BFRIDAY.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">First Lines Friday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along.</span></div></div><ul><li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Grab your current read(s).</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Share the first line(s).</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Include the title and author.</span></li></ul><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDaCoA3pQc0WG62uRlZLFZ6BaYEBphTB-mARB7uY4ccn0dUVBmhuTMfwCyMK3IKiEFdCOF_5ZZRVYHnxyLjBCKJnx54-VjNJYmYUSzIR3tw_Q3-PcX0P2CHyjS126QBCXdB0gYW3VXfQf797rvQFSyXam03vCuyepXZNuC7fXO_16fVevZi6GzxxXdouG_/s750/ifi2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDaCoA3pQc0WG62uRlZLFZ6BaYEBphTB-mARB7uY4ccn0dUVBmhuTMfwCyMK3IKiEFdCOF_5ZZRVYHnxyLjBCKJnx54-VjNJYmYUSzIR3tw_Q3-PcX0P2CHyjS126QBCXdB0gYW3VXfQf797rvQFSyXam03vCuyepXZNuC7fXO_16fVevZi6GzxxXdouG_/s320/ifi2.jpeg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">"In the winter of 2009, my husband found me crying over my secondhand IBM ThinkPad. "</span></span></i></b></div></div></div><span><span style="font-family: "Lucida Sans";"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">~ <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/64645812-if-only-i-had-told-her"><i>If Only I Had Told Her</i></a> Author's Note by Laura Nowlin </span></span></div>Literary Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15245180773168090487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190308416021410146.post-19912749507151153312024-02-25T11:11:00.001-05:002024-03-03T21:26:04.372-05:00Super Series Sunday: The Law of Innocence & Resurrection Walk<span style="font-size: 21px; font-weight: bold;">(Lincoln Lawyer #6 & #7) </span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GBgktaEo8nU/XdDg9sVnHkI/AAAAAAAAH94/F1N-oUJqClMcYqWZn0mprGCKyjZBL2hOgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/SERIES%2BSUNDAY.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="848" data-original-width="1235" height="219" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GBgktaEo8nU/XdDg9sVnHkI/AAAAAAAAH94/F1N-oUJqClMcYqWZn0mprGCKyjZBL2hOgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/SERIES%2BSUNDAY.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Series Sunday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along.</span></div></div><ul><li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Read an installment of a series.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Share your review/recommendation below.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Include the title, author and series name.</span></li></ul><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpaRtvXIEE_HhmD7CFAWQwvwA2-MAY3KFiw3igpAP3zJ7AkW-gN_v-1JUReb4BtD9REpldZ7HKiGVd8IVZNcvG0cT8VANto7xvZgS3OPYBJyCzUCzALUxqXh_g_WIS7RVNnoeP3bGjzToQUthORvWrtFvRjKAKQE63EZFZNy-5nGVfbbJFKlJelIQETZti/s800/ll67.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpaRtvXIEE_HhmD7CFAWQwvwA2-MAY3KFiw3igpAP3zJ7AkW-gN_v-1JUReb4BtD9REpldZ7HKiGVd8IVZNcvG0cT8VANto7xvZgS3OPYBJyCzUCzALUxqXh_g_WIS7RVNnoeP3bGjzToQUthORvWrtFvRjKAKQE63EZFZNy-5nGVfbbJFKlJelIQETZti/s320/ll67.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">My Series Sunday picks are<i> The Law of Innocence</i>, the sixth book and <i>Resurrection Walk, </i>the seventh book in the Lincoln Lawyer series by Michael Connelly. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b><i>"A trial often comes down to who is a better storyteller, the prosecution or the defense."</i></b></span><span><span style="color: #45818e;"> </span>~ 44%</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And what a story author Michael Connelly told in <i>The Law of Innocence. </i>This book of the series, now adapted to Netflix, features the most important trial of defense attorney Mickey Haller's life. It will make or break his career. His life literally depends on the verdict. Why? Because Mickey is the accused this time and he is defending himself in the courtroom.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Let me back up. Mickey is out celebrating yet another victory when he leaves the bar and pulls out of a parking garage. Within seconds, he is pulled over by police, who find a dead body in the trunk of his Lincoln. Haller is charged with murder, slapped with an impossible-to-pay bail and forced to build his defense from his jail cell.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Every part of <i>The Law of Innocence </i>was intriguing. The arrest, the jury selection, the bail process, opening and closing statements, witness testimony, evidence, discovery, the burden of proof, the criminal defense system and the inner workings of a legal defense team. My head was spinning and my fingers frantically turning the ePages on my Kindle Signature Paperwhite. Just wow!</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;">The Lincoln Lawyer was on his Matlock shit with this one; I loved every page of it! </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b><i>"It was going to be do-or-die time very soon."</i></b></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #45818e;"> </span>~ pg. 359</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Resurrection Walk </i>brings Mickey Haller back to the streets of taking long shot cases. He is overwhelmed with pleas to defend the wrongfully convicted. He enlists the help of his famous half-brother, Harry Bosch, to weed through the requests and find a needle in the haystack. The case that stands out is a woman in prison for killing her husband, a sheriff's deputy, maintaining her innocence.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I love the Haller-Bosch dream team! Opposite sides of the track working together toward a common goal of justice. Their work ethic is so different yet complements the other. However, <i>Resurrection Walk</i> was too predictable. It was a weak follow-up to <i>The Law of Innocence.</i> I expected more oomph! </span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><br /></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Title: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51810799-the-law-of-innocence"><i>The Law of Innocence</i></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17338762-the-first-lie"><br /></a></span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Author: Michael Connelly</span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Published: November 2020</span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Pages: 400</span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Edition: eBook</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Genre: Mystery</span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Title: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/85158496-resurrection-walk"><i>Resurrection Walk</i></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17338762-the-first-lie"><br /></a></span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Author: Michael Connelly</span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Published: October 2023</span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Pages: 405</span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Edition: Hardcover</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Genre: Mystery</span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Rating: 🖤 🖤 </span></div></div></span></div></div></div></div></div>Literary Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15245180773168090487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190308416021410146.post-29810550386226917112024-02-23T11:11:00.007-05:002024-02-24T19:10:47.875-05:00First Lines Friday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xL32eW23nPE/XdDTADyu-fI/AAAAAAAAH9w/G--hE0UuZUAeYoWf6sBpyljk1DNnA9vmQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/FIRST%2BLINES%2BFRIDAY.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="844" data-original-width="1242" height="217" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xL32eW23nPE/XdDTADyu-fI/AAAAAAAAH9w/G--hE0UuZUAeYoWf6sBpyljk1DNnA9vmQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/FIRST%2BLINES%2BFRIDAY.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">First Lines Friday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along.</span></div></div><ul><li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Grab your current read(s).</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Share the first line(s).</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Include the title and author.</span></li></ul><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdi2KIeSOF-ciGnU5Eb3rEBBSRsZyAzB-3G4Vrv9PIEy3yEuim6ohV7U2tNvFb5IHmFKb_40VHDU6Nbyz4V6jVecnw8lQEZDKYL3g13XqSl_Kc5VcNeBJUMIoMjo-zy_jwDw3nHiAyX5zkqPWr1GWi6EkOOX_z3-B8I_1TXcdGEjDtpEs4mC5ydb58yLL3/s2475/sisg.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2475" data-original-width="1650" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdi2KIeSOF-ciGnU5Eb3rEBBSRsZyAzB-3G4Vrv9PIEy3yEuim6ohV7U2tNvFb5IHmFKb_40VHDU6Nbyz4V6jVecnw8lQEZDKYL3g13XqSl_Kc5VcNeBJUMIoMjo-zy_jwDw3nHiAyX5zkqPWr1GWi6EkOOX_z3-B8I_1TXcdGEjDtpEs4mC5ydb58yLL3/s320/sisg.jpeg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">"Some days, you wake up, and you're supposed to feel different, but you don't. Take, for example, your birthday, your anniversary, the first day of the year. You want to be excited, but it's just another day, like all the days before it."</span></span></i></b></div></div></div><span><span style="font-family: "Lucida Sans";"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">~ <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/193540072-sisters-with-a-side-of-greens"><i>Sisters with a Side of Greens</i></a> by Michelle Stimpson </span></span></div>Literary Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15245180773168090487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190308416021410146.post-56584815552899976482024-02-18T11:11:00.028-05:002024-03-03T20:50:06.277-05:00Series Sunday: Alex Cross Must Die / Cross Out<span style="font-size: 21px; font-weight: bold;">(Alex Cross #32) </span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GBgktaEo8nU/XdDg9sVnHkI/AAAAAAAAH94/F1N-oUJqClMcYqWZn0mprGCKyjZBL2hOgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/SERIES%2BSUNDAY.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="848" data-original-width="1235" height="219" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GBgktaEo8nU/XdDg9sVnHkI/AAAAAAAAH94/F1N-oUJqClMcYqWZn0mprGCKyjZBL2hOgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/SERIES%2BSUNDAY.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Series Sunday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along.</span></div></div><ul><li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Read an installment of a series.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Share your review/recommendation below.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Include the title, author and series name.</span></li></ul><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEOWOOu_EgxP3aNVa9Pjjuh_QNZGH-cWtMxPpE_atYcGIqnWNtSt1LdMPUVFrACSWD4q6O6TcVWiZ2SC9eF2NyuTokKz1IO1EIAx6G_CeVG_E8YQmgYsikLFi6TJ3nVegh5kRNXKCMqA_9HPO9yn5guaBFnXZEVewcKRK2G0w-Vxx-deF8_fYURymh6b9q/s800/crosses.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEOWOOu_EgxP3aNVa9Pjjuh_QNZGH-cWtMxPpE_atYcGIqnWNtSt1LdMPUVFrACSWD4q6O6TcVWiZ2SC9eF2NyuTokKz1IO1EIAx6G_CeVG_E8YQmgYsikLFi6TJ3nVegh5kRNXKCMqA_9HPO9yn5guaBFnXZEVewcKRK2G0w-Vxx-deF8_fYURymh6b9q/s320/crosses.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>My Series Sunday pick is</span><i style="font-family: inherit;"> Alex Cross Must Die / Cross Out</i><span style="font-family: inherit;">, the 32nd book in the Alex Cross series by James Patterson. As it usually happens, Alex Cross gets an urgent call to rush to the scene of a crime. A plane crashed and exploded on the runway. It was taken down by a remote-controlled machine gun by an expert trained shooter. Cross and his partner, John Sampson, race against time to solve the case and prevent another mass murder.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><i><b><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">"Split-second gut decision." </span></b></i><span style="font-family: inherit;">~ pg. 234</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I was riding the high wave of <i><a href="http://www.literarymarie.com/2023/07/series-sunday-cross-down.html">Cross Down</a></i>, the previous book, when I read this next installment of the series. My hopes were up. My fingers were ready to crack the spine of this brand new hardcover and turn the crisp physical pages. I just knew I was in for a treat. Only to be let down...</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Alex Cross Must Die / Cross Out </i>had no sense of urgency. No thriller vibes. Hardly any suspense. It was a cluster of plot points and too many moving parts for no apparent reason. I love this series that features a Black man but this new novel is not one of the best of the bunch.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And why is there two (2) different titles?! </span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><br /></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Title: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/123193295-alex-cross-must-die"><i>Alex Cross Must Die</i></a> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17338762-the-first-lie"><br /></a></span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Author: James Patterson</span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Published: October 2023</span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Pages: 416</span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Edition: Hardcover</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Genre: Mystery</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Challenge: Keeping Up with Patterson</span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Rating: 🖤 🖤 </span></div></div></div></div></div>Literary Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15245180773168090487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190308416021410146.post-45647810993714316772024-02-13T11:11:00.102-05:002024-02-20T23:48:29.373-05:00The First Lady of Dirt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg52DVK1Wky945zqG2kEEJQaLi_qiR5uwa5PESVNNVx-PfEoHybMgSQdhytTxBFzVaOZy3uWkTImtzVKwxPAuEvZxr-581B2zP95-L0P41AsgN4tttv1VMGB_m2li1PTdGKu7bboQ7f7O_d-dbgMDJbLjaab8-D5Wt8ltNVzUg8TF6ucN8R8FHE0MD3iA10/s2560/dirtlady.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1707" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg52DVK1Wky945zqG2kEEJQaLi_qiR5uwa5PESVNNVx-PfEoHybMgSQdhytTxBFzVaOZy3uWkTImtzVKwxPAuEvZxr-581B2zP95-L0P41AsgN4tttv1VMGB_m2li1PTdGKu7bboQ7f7O_d-dbgMDJbLjaab8-D5Wt8ltNVzUg8TF6ucN8R8FHE0MD3iA10/s320/dirtlady.jpeg" width="213" /></a></div><div><br /></div><span style="color: #e69138; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><i><b>"I didn't know I couldn't. Therefore, I could." </b></i></span>~ 45%<div><br /></div><div>It's hard to rate someone's real life story. How can I put stars to a life? Especially a life that made history and defied the odds. So instead, this review will focus on the little-known story of Cheryl Glass and the author's writing style. </div><div><br /></div><div>Cheryl Glass was one of the most promising race car drivers in the United States. Her dream was to become the first Black woman to race in the Indy 500. But after repeated concussions and major injuries, her auto racing career ended abruptly and her life crashed with it. Overwhelmed with depression, she committed suicide at the young age of 35.</div><div><br /></div><div>Author Bill Poehler takes us through Cheryl's childhood and journey to the world of auto racing. He does not mince words when it comes to the obstacles she faced far as racism, sexism, mental illness, law enforcement and enablers. <i>The First Lady of Dirt</i> can be an inspiring story and an example of the pressure placed on Black women to succeed and be pushed to the limit, sometimes at our own expense or from those surrounding us. </div><div><br /></div><div>Due to the author's factual emotionless writing style and the PDF format with smaller than small font, I found <i>The First Lady of Dirt </i>difficult to read through. It isn't that Cheryl's life was not interesting but it read like a newspaper article or journalist assignment with no connection to the author, main subject or audience. I spent most of my time zooming in and out of the page. Nevertheless, I finished <i>The First Lady of Dirt </i>and picked up little-known Black History facts. </div><div><br /></div><div>Don't let this deter you. I am sure the published edition (hardcover or eBook format) is more reader-friendly and legible. Also, it is great to learn about a Black woman that made history in the male-dominated sport of auto racing.<br /><div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />Happy Pub Day, Bill Poehler! <i>The First Lady of Dirt: The Triumphs and Tragedy of Racing Pioneer Cheryl Glass</i> is now available.</div><br /><b>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</b><br /><br /><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"></div></div>Title: <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/190129674-the-first-lady-of-dirt">The First Lady of Dirt</a></i><br />Author: Bill Poehler<br />Published: February 2024<br />Pages: 240<br />Edition: Galley<br />Genre: Nonfiction<br />Rating: 🖤 🖤</div>Literary Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15245180773168090487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190308416021410146.post-33316517568704683702024-02-11T11:11:00.001-05:002024-03-03T17:46:43.041-05:00Series Sunday: Crosshairs<span style="font-size: 21px; font-weight: bold;">(Michael Bennett #16) </span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GBgktaEo8nU/XdDg9sVnHkI/AAAAAAAAH94/F1N-oUJqClMcYqWZn0mprGCKyjZBL2hOgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/SERIES%2BSUNDAY.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="848" data-original-width="1235" height="219" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GBgktaEo8nU/XdDg9sVnHkI/AAAAAAAAH94/F1N-oUJqClMcYqWZn0mprGCKyjZBL2hOgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/SERIES%2BSUNDAY.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Series Sunday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along.</span></div></div><ul><li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Read an installment of a series.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Share your review/recommendation below.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Include the title, author and series name.</span></li></ul><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiugqR2gvBJvOqZQ2l0WhYK09j7IWHUqTRrwUAsaBctkbjpwS9h_0lBSVWWS7rezXibE1jRlyB02OaGMCoAVIOcFaISqoQsgqdPHYRAymL060-cNfFYEQRK7LG9-mqAwmeOURdIu7LgiDWA_CL7cRnSAyF2EHn26ELFTZmbQBbjVsu1AFQWe9SXL4S19s09/s1500/mben16.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="967" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiugqR2gvBJvOqZQ2l0WhYK09j7IWHUqTRrwUAsaBctkbjpwS9h_0lBSVWWS7rezXibE1jRlyB02OaGMCoAVIOcFaISqoQsgqdPHYRAymL060-cNfFYEQRK7LG9-mqAwmeOURdIu7LgiDWA_CL7cRnSAyF2EHn26ELFTZmbQBbjVsu1AFQWe9SXL4S19s09/s320/mben16.jpeg" width="206" /></a></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">My Series Sunday pick is<i> Crosshairs</i>, the 16th book in the Michael Bennett series by James Patterson and James O. Born. A sniper is taking out targets in New York City. Supposedly, the "Long Shot Killer" is the most terrifying killer that Detective Michael Bennett has ever faced. He partners with Officer Rob Trilling, a former Army Ranger and sniper expert with the NYPD. But Bennett is a little more than suspicious of the new guy. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span><b><i><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">"Words are a little like fashion."</span></i></b><span style="font-family: inherit;"> ~ 84%</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span><span style="font-family: inherit;">I am being generous rating <i>Crosshairs</i> 3 out of 5. First of all, this title is better suited for the Alex Cross series by same author. Secondly, I believe the author let the co-author take the steering wheel majority of this road trip because the writing seemed off. Or perhaps their collaboration just didn't mesh well with the plot. To be the 16th installment of this series, it read like a standalone that anyone could jump into. In conclusion, <i>Crosshairs</i> fell flat as a thriller.</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />Happy Early Pub Day, James Patterson and James O. Born! <i>Crosshairs</i> will be available Monday, February 12.<br /><br /><b>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</b></span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Title: <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/195834283-crosshairs">Crosshairs</a></i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17338762-the-first-lie"><br /></a></span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Author: James Patterson and James O. Born</span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Published: February 2024</span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Pages: 400</span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Edition: Galley</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Genre: Mystery Thriller</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Challenge: Keeping Up with Patterson</span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤</span></div></div></div></div></div>Literary Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15245180773168090487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190308416021410146.post-80710209143935722802024-02-06T11:11:00.013-05:002024-02-20T23:15:10.420-05:00A Love Song for Ricki Wilde<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfomLNYfDh9LAPDOwdznWBuQwjd193Qbjy484fU0bg41CWese845M2hYu7rtuNnhl9iOtieQNOPWz8MQUmQKaJCZKw7eLD5QFfsQJbygWROAjrBfRtDarPwrpAzdporfPR1tUgUPIuYTvZseUu1ZW4C9UHbzxKXZaYP2DbGrH0mCEK5GJjB6PsyKzKb905/s2560/rickiwilde.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1696" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfomLNYfDh9LAPDOwdznWBuQwjd193Qbjy484fU0bg41CWese845M2hYu7rtuNnhl9iOtieQNOPWz8MQUmQKaJCZKw7eLD5QFfsQJbygWROAjrBfRtDarPwrpAzdporfPR1tUgUPIuYTvZseUu1ZW4C9UHbzxKXZaYP2DbGrH0mCEK5GJjB6PsyKzKb905/s320/rickiwilde.jpeg" width="212" /></a></div><br /><div><b><i><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">"He was music I could listen to forever."</span></i></b> ~ 8%</div><div><br /></div><div>You know a book is good when the characters live rent-free in your head months after you've finished reading. Such is the case for Tia Williams' new release titled <i>A Love Song for Ricki Wilde.</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>The nontraditional love story—set in both modern Harlem and the Renaissance era of the 1920s—held my attention from the synopsis to the last word. Ricki Wilde is the artistic impulsive daughter of the Wilde family. Her two sisters are well established socialites whereas Ricki beats to her own drum. </div><div><br /></div><div>When 90-something-year-old Ms. Della invites her to rent the bottom level of her Harlem brownstone, Ricki jumps at the chance to leave Atlanta for a fresh beginning. It is there she realizes her dream of opening a flower shop. One evening, Ricki crosses paths with a handsome, mysterious musician that makes her swoon in the most unexpected way.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><i><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">"Sexy sepia shenanigans."</span></i></b> ~ 24%</div><div><br /></div><div>Bookhearts, I dare not say more because this is a well written story that you have to read to experience. Just know that it takes hold of your imagination and doesn't let go until you're tenderly holding the book in your arms with a satisfied smile on your face.</div><div><br /></div><div>Tia Williams takes you on a magical journey with her engaging writing, heartfelt dialogue and deep characters. Need I say more? Add to your TBR now! Put on a pot of collard greens, play some Louis Armstrong or classic jazz and get ready for a wild ride. This new historical fiction romance has already claimed a spot as one of my top reads for 2024!</div><div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />Happy Pub Day, Tia Williams! <i>A Love Song for Ricki Wilde</i> is now available.</div><div><br /></div><b>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</b><br /><br /><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"></div></div>Title: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/173494551-a-love-song-for-ricki-wilde">A Love Song for Ricki Wilde</a><br />Author: Tia Williams<br />Published: February 2024<br />Pages: 347<br />Edition: Galley<br />Genre: Historical Romance<br />Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤Literary Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15245180773168090487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190308416021410146.post-75181668943842341152024-02-01T11:11:00.031-05:002024-02-20T21:58:53.148-05:00New Year Hold 'Em<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgcxGecuqEF4G85OuFKQ67SwH1aosI-ViRWajVW1ZQFJEOWR0QB0qdNm042umMUkdnMKjwJJnmMCqn9H76algsHQg6rQN4cIndvOApOezJelhlPuYZVD0m3svaXSWMWdHSApthA-jjfWZRpM-Gqss1A17DGCaYWcE2zn53dryN-cQepg5kSjGSATj7TrA=s2240" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1260" data-original-width="2240" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgcxGecuqEF4G85OuFKQ67SwH1aosI-ViRWajVW1ZQFJEOWR0QB0qdNm042umMUkdnMKjwJJnmMCqn9H76algsHQg6rQN4cIndvOApOezJelhlPuYZVD0m3svaXSWMWdHSApthA-jjfWZRpM-Gqss1A17DGCaYWcE2zn53dryN-cQepg5kSjGSATj7TrA=w640-h360" width="640" /></a></div><div><ul><li>Be intentional.</li><li>Match energy.</li><li>Genuinely smile.</li><li>Improve quality of life.</li><li>Dedicate time to self-care.</li><li>Allow rest and rejuvenation. </li><li>Attract love, health and happiness.</li></ul></div>Literary Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15245180773168090487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190308416021410146.post-48092587624333690322023-12-28T11:11:00.119-05:002024-02-10T23:15:19.900-05:00My Year in Blogmoir & Books<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh8ldWbtpQfgS1MKQRtpnaUnzWMIenUxCKybGzkwXAvbPNbgeMSqTtwONe1rYbzWmSRYCR359-pK1hfwvM7z-kV1XxKU_0uHEOI_cJwE1CfJE6yaBHBNpBSIpBi8Ag67zYa4T6GWL6CBYXx8PJhhPG37AvpJDwLBZRfYAU9GsJkQC44G-xI44ULWFJjBw=s600" style="clear: left; display: inline; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="493" data-original-width="600" height="164" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh8ldWbtpQfgS1MKQRtpnaUnzWMIenUxCKybGzkwXAvbPNbgeMSqTtwONe1rYbzWmSRYCR359-pK1hfwvM7z-kV1XxKU_0uHEOI_cJwE1CfJE6yaBHBNpBSIpBi8Ag67zYa4T6GWL6CBYXx8PJhhPG37AvpJDwLBZRfYAU9GsJkQC44G-xI44ULWFJjBw=w200-h164" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div><br /></div><div><b>Blogmoir</b>: </div><div>04.05.2023 <a href="http://www.literarymarie.com/2023/04/but-you-dont-look-sick.html">But You Don't Look Sick</a></div><div>05.04.2023 <a href="http://www.literarymarie.com/2023/05/blogmoir-moment-of-clarity.html">Moment of Clarity</a></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjxUDtpNUFASSxJg7uNLzPwuvp8g06V8uvgFEXCNqncpYj87MT-KSFl_Ju9QCIy_vi8yaz4PpUUHtQ3i4c1kGJstPfd8e48Jtm50GoY32JMrX_yR2809TVlUGoEvWubgnbVl8pvs1qYRYQf-vjZdWTTJTk1BN_TxWhSFjD65qpviZPqCdfl4ZgDyublscOp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1172" data-original-width="1490" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjxUDtpNUFASSxJg7uNLzPwuvp8g06V8uvgFEXCNqncpYj87MT-KSFl_Ju9QCIy_vi8yaz4PpUUHtQ3i4c1kGJstPfd8e48Jtm50GoY32JMrX_yR2809TVlUGoEvWubgnbVl8pvs1qYRYQf-vjZdWTTJTk1BN_TxWhSFjD65qpviZPqCdfl4ZgDyublscOp" width="305" /></a></div><p><b>2023 Goodreads Challenge:</b> Read <span style="color: red;">101</span> of 84 books (120<span>%</span> to goal)<br /><b><br /></b><b>2023 Page Count Challenge: </b>Read <span style="color: red;">30,467</span> of 29,000 pages (105<span>%</span> to goal)</p><div><div><b>2023 Average Book Length</b>: <span style="color: red;">301</span> pages (<span>shortest 37 pages ~ largest 597 pages</span>)</div><div><br /></div><div><b>2023 Average Book Rating</b>: <span style="color: red;">3.5</span> out of 5 <br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b>2023 Amount Saved Using Public #Lieberry</b>: <span style="color: red;">$486.03</span></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Perpetual Jack Reacher Challenge</b>: Read new release in series ~ <a href="http://www.literarymarie.com/2023/11/series-sunday-secret.html">#28</a></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Keeping Up with Patterson Challenge</b>: Read new releases in each series ~ <a href="http://www.literarymarie.com/2023/07/series-sunday-cross-down.html">Alex Cross #31</a> & <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/123193295-alex-cross-must-die">#32</a>, <a href="http://www.literarymarie.com/2023/05/series-sunday-23rd-midnight.html">Women's Murder Club #23</a> & <a href="http://www.literarymarie.com/2023/07/short-story-sunday-23-12-lies.html">#23 1/2</a> and <a href="http://www.literarymarie.com/2023/10/series-sunday-obsessed.html">Michael Bennett #15</a></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Lit to TV/Movie Review</b>: <i><a href="http://www.literarymarie.com/2023/12/lit-to-movie-review-color-purple.html">The Color Purple</a>, <a href="http://www.literarymarie.com/2023/07/series-sunday-lit-to-tv-review-lincoln.html">Lincoln Lawyer</a>, <a href="http://www.literarymarie.com/2023/05/lit-to-movie-review-are-you-there-god.html">Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.</a></i></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Live Read</b>: <i><a href="xhttp://www.literarymarie.com/p/live-read.html">The Tipping Point</a></i></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Lit Tidbits</b>: Click <a href="http://www.literarymarie.com/search?q=lit+tidbits&max-results=20&by-date=true">here</a> for all Pithy Pick reviews in 2023.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>First Lines Friday</b>: Click <a href="http://www.literarymarie.com/search?q=first+lines+friday&max-results=20&by-date=true">here</a> for all FLF posts in 2023.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Series Sunday</b>: Click <a href="http://www.literarymarie.com/search?q=series+sunday&max-results=20&by-date=true">here</a> for all SS posts in 2023.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Many Merry Blessings in the New Year</b>❣️</div></div></div></div>Literary Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15245180773168090487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190308416021410146.post-63318642248948352972023-12-27T11:11:00.085-05:002023-12-27T11:11:00.137-05:00Top 7 Nonfiction of 2023<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdofM_XPMdSHM0bAK4Pa0ALTBCOK7N1wG09h0EF6tT9BFdQ4JYMKe99iGHo5hiHhiXhf_PSdTP4uCeDHs3xz6I2MLFqfkZhNLlZWqpGpKSc6ccL7JFtbqnDnQ6TAFa3_bys4w_dkj5UkP5uJZd1dmlz0N70wJxLhOkAJJoGkq8wg4C9hxHQW-LfSByjC0f/s800/topnf7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdofM_XPMdSHM0bAK4Pa0ALTBCOK7N1wG09h0EF6tT9BFdQ4JYMKe99iGHo5hiHhiXhf_PSdTP4uCeDHs3xz6I2MLFqfkZhNLlZWqpGpKSc6ccL7JFtbqnDnQ6TAFa3_bys4w_dkj5UkP5uJZd1dmlz0N70wJxLhOkAJJoGkq8wg4C9hxHQW-LfSByjC0f/s320/topnf7.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div>1. <i><a href="http://www.literarymarie.com/2023/12/super-series-sunday-music-was-just.html">Sorry I Haven't Texted You Back</a></i> by Alicia Cook</div><div><br /></div><div>2.<i> <a href="http://www.literarymarie.com/2023/04/bet-on-black.html">Bet on Black: The Good News about Being Black in America Today</a> </i>by Eboni K. Williams</div><div><br /></div><div>3. <a href="http://www.literarymarie.com/2023/04/share-my-life.html"><i>Share My Life: A Journey of Love, Faith and Redemption</i></a> by Kem with David Ritz</div></div><div><br /></div><div>4. <a href="http://www.literarymarie.com/2023/11/tupac-shakur-authorized-biography.html"><i>Tupac Shakur: The Authorized Biography</i></a> by Staci Robinson</div><div><br /></div><div>5. <i><a href="http://www.literarymarie.com/2023/04/quietly-hostile.html">Quietly Hostile</a></i> by Samantha Irby </div><div><br /></div><div>6. <i><a href="http://www.literarymarie.com/2023/07/lit-tidbits-pithy-picks-xii.html">Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents</a></i> by Isabel Wilkerson </div><div><br /></div><div>7. <i><a href="http://www.literarymarie.com/2023/05/why-fathers-cry-at-night.html">Why Fathers Cry at Night</a></i> by Kwame Alexander</div>Literary Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15245180773168090487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190308416021410146.post-71271076315733455022023-12-26T11:11:00.061-05:002023-12-26T11:11:00.144-05:00Top 7 Fiction of 2023<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirVB7xXbiwc9yBpn4dmLsLKKpHJvGwSoxMx99NIZhVtozbUQEXSu5VwIOhDssecZyGj3MzRrmh13xEZZsxjsSjviPi9Rftdi7r-XVd8We98wJL_1au4frqoBrdZl1dAEjVSZQmn9fSMa5fA32OIFZDTZNL_Vn-WBXxAw7s-SHRqRWygQdD0-NMt3UW1vTH/s800/topf.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirVB7xXbiwc9yBpn4dmLsLKKpHJvGwSoxMx99NIZhVtozbUQEXSu5VwIOhDssecZyGj3MzRrmh13xEZZsxjsSjviPi9Rftdi7r-XVd8We98wJL_1au4frqoBrdZl1dAEjVSZQmn9fSMa5fA32OIFZDTZNL_Vn-WBXxAw7s-SHRqRWygQdD0-NMt3UW1vTH/w240-h320/topf.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div>1. <i><a href="http://www.literarymarie.com/2023/11/hold-my-girl.html">Hold My Girl</a> </i>by Charlene Carr </div><div><br /></div><div>2. <i><a href="http://www.literarymarie.com/2023/11/me-without-you.html">Me Without You</a> </i>by Kelly Rimmer</div><div><br /></div><div>3. <a href="http://www.literarymarie.com/2023/07/lit-tidbits-pithy-picks-xii.html"><i>Every Summer After</i></a><i> </i>by Carley Fortune </div></div><div><br /></div><div>4. <i><a href="http://www.literarymarie.com/2023/04/i-will-find-you.html">I Will Find You</a></i> by Harlan Coben</div><div><br /></div><div>5. <i><a href="http://www.literarymarie.com/2023/05/lit-to-movie-review-are-you-there-god.html">Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret</a></i> by Judy Blume </div><div><br /></div><div>6. <i><a href="http://www.literarymarie.com/2023/07/lit-tidbits-pithy-picks-xii.html">Lord of the Flies</a></i> by William Golding</div><div><br /></div><div>7. <i><a href="http://www.literarymarie.com/2023/07/the-better-half.html">The Better Half</a> </i>by Alli Frank and Asha Youmans</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b>2024 Releases Already a Top Read</b>: </div><div><i><a href="http://www.literarymarie.com/2023/11/holmes-marple-poe.html">Holmes, Marple & Poe</a></i> to be released 01.08.2024</div><div><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/173494551-a-love-song-for-ricki-wilde">A Love Song for Ricki Wilde</a></i> to be released 02.06.2024 </div>Literary Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15245180773168090487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190308416021410146.post-48871303801012224162023-12-25T11:11:00.178-05:002023-12-25T15:32:42.915-05:00Lit to Movie Review: The Color Purple<div><span><b><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #45818e; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrdRDA9bmbA_6xfm627xOkwLlc7S_1gyrR-5rtqJnrkIFc22be91RTTk1i28fXZyrYM02oiarfqZCu657oh-WRt3Ut1UteU-THSmL_YR2GhRoK4wDpO_ZXomQICFD1MjGuQx_x5I28INVoV6LUq8T9b3XriJzRq1Ydr1kDCxHqe_AV_TltjFn2_luR3lfa/s2258/cp.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2258" data-original-width="1500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrdRDA9bmbA_6xfm627xOkwLlc7S_1gyrR-5rtqJnrkIFc22be91RTTk1i28fXZyrYM02oiarfqZCu657oh-WRt3Ut1UteU-THSmL_YR2GhRoK4wDpO_ZXomQICFD1MjGuQx_x5I28INVoV6LUq8T9b3XriJzRq1Ydr1kDCxHqe_AV_TltjFn2_luR3lfa/w266-h400/cp.jpeg" width="266" /></a></div></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span><b><i><span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">"All my life I had to fight."</span></i></b></span></div><div><br /></div><div>Where were you on Christmas Day at 11:30 a.m.? Well, Chickadee and I were nicely settled into our VIP private heated reclining seats in a movie theater, sipping Pepsi and a cherry slushie, dipping warm pretzels in cheese, waiting for the opening credits to start and the lighting to dim so we can be entertained. We bought our tickets in advance for Christmas Day. It is time to watch the bold new take on the beloved Pulitzer Prize classic: <i>The Color Purple.</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>Separated as girls, sisters Celie and Nettie hold each other in their hearts across time, distance and silence. The novel is told through a series of letters spanning twenty years, first from Celie to God then the sisters to each other. But the letters in the movie play a different role. Celie is not living an easy life; she's simply surviving. Then her husband's lover, Shug Avery, comes into town and encourages Celie to ask for more love, laughter, independence and loyalty.</div><div><br /></div><div>The entire cast has chemistry. Fantasia took the role of adult Celie and made it even more memorable. Her emotions were felt through the big screen. Taraji P. Henson owned Shug Avery, honey. What an entertainer! My favorite character was Sofia played by Danielle Brooks. She commanded attention and comedic relief in her scenes. </div><div><br /></div><div>And the music...THE MUSIC! I normally do not like musicals but I was prepared for this one. Each actress/actor sang their fancy pants off. The dance choreography and harmony was clap-worthy. I am happy that classic quotes from the movie remained and were sprinkled in between songs. We left the theater and started listening to the soundtrack. Yes, that good!</div><div><br /></div><div>Bookhearts, make time to rewatch the classic and support this Black cast in the theaters this holiday season. <i>The Color Purple</i> is so worth your time!</div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Title: <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40235399-the-color-purple">The Color Purple</a></i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Author: Alice Walker<br />Director: Blitz Bazawule</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Producers: Steven Spielberg, Oprah and Quincy Jones</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Cast: Fantasia Barrino (adult Celie); Phylicia Pearl Mpasi (young Celie); Halle Bailey (young Nettie); Ciara (adult Nettie); Taraji P. Henson (Shug Avery); Danielle Brooks (Sofia); Colman Domingo (Mister); Louis Gossett Jr. (Ol' Mister); Corey Hawkins (Harpo); H.E.R. (Squeak/Mary Agnes)<br />Book Published: June 1982</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Movie Released: December 2023</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Pages: 302<br />Movie Time: 2 Hours, 21 Min</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Genre: Musical Drama<br />Edition: eBook<br />Book Rating: DNF</span><b style="color: purple;"> </b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />Movie Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤<b style="color: purple;"> </b></span>🖤<b style="color: purple;"> </b></div>Literary Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15245180773168090487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190308416021410146.post-84458033472138262292023-12-24T11:11:00.063-05:002023-12-25T16:57:33.870-05:00Top 5 Series of 2023<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5J5KvsDam28U3Qdp_4-2heZCbLcXPUkV4rqhB8uUcg8BOyhX_FaO_CNzJdEFXHRJe0rLfhmWvmxxq5fpr2MJC5GSDEfCrzoZb6BmJUI9k5CJIYg8HkF8hMkHyULGNbc74jKBAaz5TkE-BmMz4q41dZ01Sm8TrPWGrWihxvA6_OHHaGqfm8m8q2TvqDvuV/s800/topseries.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5J5KvsDam28U3Qdp_4-2heZCbLcXPUkV4rqhB8uUcg8BOyhX_FaO_CNzJdEFXHRJe0rLfhmWvmxxq5fpr2MJC5GSDEfCrzoZb6BmJUI9k5CJIYg8HkF8hMkHyULGNbc74jKBAaz5TkE-BmMz4q41dZ01Sm8TrPWGrWihxvA6_OHHaGqfm8m8q2TvqDvuV/w240-h320/topseries.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div>1.<i> <a href="http://www.literarymarie.com/2023/12/series-sunday-things-we-left-behind.html">Things We Left Behind</a> </i>(Knockemout #3)<i> </i>by Lucy Score</div><div><br /></div><div>2.<i> </i><i><a href="http://www.literarymarie.com/2023/07/series-sunday-cross-down.html">Cross Down</a> </i>(Alex Cross #31) by James Patterson </div></div><div><br /></div><div>3. <i><a href="http://www.literarymarie.com/2023/11/series-sunday-christmas-to-remember.html">A Christmas to Remember</a> </i>(Blessings #11) by Beverly Jenkins </div><div><br /></div><div>4. <a href="http://www.literarymarie.com/2023/04/super-series-sunday-baker-street-mystery.html"><i>Two Parts Sugar, One Part Murder</i></a><i> </i>(Baker Street #1) by Valerie Burns </div><div><br /></div><div>5. <i><a href="http://www.literarymarie.com/2023/05/super-series-sunday-eugeena-patterson.html">A Blended Family Christmas</a> </i><u>(</u>Eugeena Patterson #3.5) by Tyora Moody </div>Literary Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15245180773168090487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190308416021410146.post-9668321084779080262023-12-22T11:11:00.068-05:002023-12-25T18:53:11.289-05:00Top 7 First Lines of 2023<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_6yNECrM1WXTmQMHIwXkBC5RhPeMNLm-j75KsRfo7JuUY57vFyX3miLRBrpEjjfFAq7A4cIDbuLYWRq8EunfzWEr0I_5QfjGIU_jJwva8szHNe_u7Z8uiRdouKC3Qk8BhwqOYwFCExHh49CBI6drRIs5tHUyWrnHjVeyO-dbKUZWOsNK7M0KC6Y95qaLp/s1700/Screenshot%202023-12-25%20at%206.50.55%E2%80%AFPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="950" data-original-width="1700" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_6yNECrM1WXTmQMHIwXkBC5RhPeMNLm-j75KsRfo7JuUY57vFyX3miLRBrpEjjfFAq7A4cIDbuLYWRq8EunfzWEr0I_5QfjGIU_jJwva8szHNe_u7Z8uiRdouKC3Qk8BhwqOYwFCExHh49CBI6drRIs5tHUyWrnHjVeyO-dbKUZWOsNK7M0KC6Y95qaLp/w640-h358/Screenshot%202023-12-25%20at%206.50.55%E2%80%AFPM.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 15.84px;">1. "Maybe this year will be my year. Maybe I'll start going to bed before midnight. I'll stop sleeping through alarms and commit to a morning routine. Maybe I'll start texting people back more and RSVPing YES less reluctantly." ~ <i style="background-color: transparent;"><a href="http://www.literarymarie.com/2023/12/super-series-sunday-music-was-just.html">The Music Was Just Getting Good</a></i> by Alicia Cook</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 15.84px;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 15.84px;">2. "All day I think about it, then at night I say it. Where did I come from, and what am I supposed to be doing? I have no idea. My soul is from elsewhere, I'm sure of that, and I intend to end up there." ~ <a href="http://www.literarymarie.com/2023/04/the-essential-rumi.html"><i>The Essential Rumi</i></a> by Rumi w/translators</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 15.84px;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 15.84px;">3. "I tell you I feel tired and you say, 'But you slept for twelve hours,' and I knew you didn't get it." ~ <i style="background-color: transparent;"><a href="http://www.literarymarie.com/2023/12/super-series-sunday-music-was-just.html">Sorry I Haven't Texted You Back</a></i> by Alicia Cook</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 15.84px;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 15.84px;">4. "I have a lot of opinions and I come by them honestly. From an early age, I watched my mother confidently expressing her opinions with wit and intellect. She always stood her ground and was unapologetic about her beliefs." ~ <a href="http://www.literarymarie.com/2023/12/lit-tidbits-pithy-picks-xiv.html" style="background-color: transparent;"><i>Opinions</i></a> by Roxane Gay</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 15.84px;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 15.84px;">5. "It's been a long time, shouldn'ta left you...but I had to, because life was life-ing, dawg!" ~ <i><a href="http://www.literarymarie.com/search?q=hey+lover">Hey, Lover</a></i> by D.L. White</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 15.84px;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 15.84px;">6. "I am in a deep love affair with my Blackness." ~ <a href="http://www.literarymarie.com/2023/04/bet-on-black.html"><i>Bet on Black</i></a> by Eboni K. Williams</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 15.84px;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 15.84px;">7. "My beloved, I understand that forgiveness may not be possible. Some deeds cannot be undone. I took someone essential from you that last tragic evening—the blood, so much blood." ~ <i style="background-color: transparent;"><a href="http://www.literarymarie.com/search?q=the+leftover+woman">The Leftover Woman</a></i> by Jean Kwok</div>Literary Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15245180773168090487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190308416021410146.post-18848079372840664772023-12-21T11:11:00.103-05:002023-12-27T20:50:53.485-05:00DNF & NRN of 2023<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgji2e3jaAiKGT-0yIkgJdUbAkgnP9u36QtqKM8fuGTnLyBp-KwbWd83wYvBDfRBXdAox-_m2H6EQy53FoJOOXxXhC3Bqj3ukdbLzr_M1mv0tYhVkzpQO_NlwiliMOsUJlDG8uu3o803CxstqeDqu_fXXc7uj0XngqHR0EHV6i17JXq-CLbLU6oTMXy2pHl/s420/dnf.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="294" data-original-width="420" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgji2e3jaAiKGT-0yIkgJdUbAkgnP9u36QtqKM8fuGTnLyBp-KwbWd83wYvBDfRBXdAox-_m2H6EQy53FoJOOXxXhC3Bqj3ukdbLzr_M1mv0tYhVkzpQO_NlwiliMOsUJlDG8uu3o803CxstqeDqu_fXXc7uj0XngqHR0EHV6i17JXq-CLbLU6oTMXy2pHl/w400-h280/dnf.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>Bookhearts, you are familiar with my <span><b style="color: red;"><a href="http://www.literarymarie.com/2012/05/50-page-rule.html">50-Page Rule</a></b>. </span>The purpose of this annual <b><span style="color: red;">DNF</span></b> (did not finish) and <b><span style="color: red;">NRN</span></b> (not right now) post is to share my reason(s) in an effort to help books find its intended audience. May these books find a new home where they will be finished and enjoyed.</div><div><ol><li><i>The Color Purple </i>by Alice Walker ~ Rather watch the movie remake.</li><li><i>Oye </i>by Melissa Mogollon ~<i> </i>Who is talking to whom and how?!</li><li><i>The Leftover Woman </i>by Jean Kwok ~ Genetic peculiarities and other things hard to follow.</li><li><i>The Love You Save </i>by Goldie Taylor ~ Too heavy for the season.</li><li><i>Mothers Vol. 1</i> by Ben Burgess Jr. ~ Supposedly emotional but doesn't quite reach that point.</li><li><i>The Spirit of the City </i>by Janna Jones ~ Content not what I expected.</li><li><i>Gone Tonight</i> by Sarah Pekkanen ~ A miss. Too slow-paced.</li><li><i>Come and Get It</i> by Kiley Reid ~ This was SLOW slow.</li><li><i>Listen for the Lie</i> by Amy Tintera ~ Dragging and missing the dark humor.</li><li><i>The Breakaway</i> by Jennifer Weiner ~ Lacks the unputdownable factor.</li><li><i>At the End of It All</i> by Rae Lyse ~ Cannot get past the dialect.</li><li><i>W</i><i>hat Never Happened </i>by Rachel Howzell Hall ~ Just not gripping enough.</li><li><i>Triptych</i> (Will Trent #1) by Karen Slaughter ~ Show is much better.</li><li><i>You Were Always Mine</i> by Christine Pride and Jo Piazza ~ Wordy like the description.</li><li><i>Diana, William, and Harry</i> by James Patterson ~ Too long to be this general.</li><li><i>Queen of Exiles </i>by Vanessa Riley ~ Just not interesting enough.</li><li><i>The Postcard</i> by Anne Berest ~ Could already tell this will drag to the very end.</li><li><i>Redwood Court</i> by DeLana R.A. Dameron ~ Difficult to follow multiple POVs in each chapter.</li><li><i>The Starfish Sisters</i> by Barbara O'Neal ~ Seemingly unnecessary details and dialogue.</li><li><i>For Worse </i>by L.K. Bowen ~ Time jumps and every other word is a character's name.</li><li><i>The Only Black Girl in the Room </i>~ Literally the same word begins almost every paragraph.</li><li><i>The Light on Halsey Street</i> by Vanessa Miller ~ Overtelling. "And then. And then."</li></ol></div>Literary Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15245180773168090487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190308416021410146.post-22426371664693231642023-12-17T11:11:00.001-05:002023-12-17T11:11:00.158-05:00Super Series Sunday: The Music Was Just Getting Good / Sorry I Haven't Texted You Back / Stuff I've Been Feeling Lately<span style="font-size: 21px; font-weight: bold;">(Poetic Mixtape Trilogy) </span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GBgktaEo8nU/XdDg9sVnHkI/AAAAAAAAH94/F1N-oUJqClMcYqWZn0mprGCKyjZBL2hOgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/SERIES%2BSUNDAY.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="848" data-original-width="1235" height="219" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GBgktaEo8nU/XdDg9sVnHkI/AAAAAAAAH94/F1N-oUJqClMcYqWZn0mprGCKyjZBL2hOgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/SERIES%2BSUNDAY.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Series Sunday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along.</span></div></div><ul><li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Read an installment of a series.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Share your review/recommendation below.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Include the title, author and series name.</span></li></ul><div><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi18T3cSBqlIFueo4stFjlOet_rkLINbYy-yi58VMW3WOSIn7CLDo8DBDQXWDk2STh_hMA7Jf0on6dvc02oT0sGZF8U-_Jpqq9nLkNwXQNGpcCFUE6YFwScZIqHosFvFJH94CZzwpsdNYVgXNdTd7bg0CO9adH9R5EEPUKPOuB_YiiEg2SZnA0acZKLPWYF/s800/acmix.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi18T3cSBqlIFueo4stFjlOet_rkLINbYy-yi58VMW3WOSIn7CLDo8DBDQXWDk2STh_hMA7Jf0on6dvc02oT0sGZF8U-_Jpqq9nLkNwXQNGpcCFUE6YFwScZIqHosFvFJH94CZzwpsdNYVgXNdTd7bg0CO9adH9R5EEPUKPOuB_YiiEg2SZnA0acZKLPWYF/w640-h480/acmix.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">My Series Sunday pick is<i> The Music Was Just Getting Good</i>, the final poetic mixtape by Alicia Cook. But wait—I wouldn't do this justice if I reviewed the new release only. No, this must be done as a collection so you can truly grasp the exceptionally good recommendation. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Structured like old-school mixtapes, "Side A" are tracks paired with an accompanied song at the end of each poem. Have your bluetooth speaker and music streaming app ready! </span>"Side B" are blacked-out remixes of those same poems. This unique structure give the words within a deeper meaning.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span><b><i><span style="color: #b6d7a8; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">"A finite twenty-six letters create an infinite trail of breadcrumbs that lead to different moments that lead to who I was just a moment before."</span></i></b><span style="font-family: inherit;"> ~ Track Sixty </span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In <i>Stuff I've Been Feeling Lately</i>, "Side A" touches on pain, love, grief and growth. Such a great introduction to poet Alicia Cook. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">The title alone of </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">Sorry I Haven't Texted You Back </i><span style="font-family: inherit;">is so me! I am slow to reply to texts (sometimes days) then pop up like everything is okay. This second mixtape is my favorite of the trilogy. It holds over 90 poems dedicated to mental health and self-help. The sophistication of the poems is evident and oh so relatable.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><b><i><span style="color: #b6d7a8; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">"No one knows how much she cried last Wednesday because she was quiet about it, and to some, pain is only noticed when it is public, and loud, and obvious."</span></i></b> ~ Track Two</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Finally in <i>The Music Was Just Getting Good</i>, poet Alicia Cook showcases her talent, love affair with wordplay and empathy. I finished with the feeling of being so understood. Themes of hope and recovery are spread across 184 tracks (92 poems and 92 black-outs). You may read it as a standalone; however, I highly recommend reading the entire collection in order.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><b><i><span style="color: #b6d7a8; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">"My mind always leaves situations before my body."</span></i></b> ~ Track Thirteen</div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">When I say this collection touched my soul, spoke to my spirit, justified my feelings and related to my personal thoughts...whew! I cannot recommend this soothing balm of a poetry trilogy enough.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />Happy Early Pub Day, Alicia Cook! <i>The Music Was Just Getting Good</i> will be available January 9, 2024.<br /><br /><b>Disclaimer: An advance copy of <i><span style="color: #b6d7a8;">The Music Was Just Getting Good</span> </i>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</b></span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Title: <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/176440189-the-music-was-just-getting-good">The Music Was Just Getting Good</a></i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17338762-the-first-lie"><br /></a></span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Author: Alicia Cook</span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Published: January 2024</span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Pages: 242</span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Edition: Galley</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Genre: Poetry</span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤 </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Title: <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54915655-sorry-i-haven-t-texted-you-back">Sorry I Haven't Texted You Back</a></i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17338762-the-first-lie"><br /></a></span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Author: Alicia Cook</span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Published: October 2020</span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Pages: 240</span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Edition: eBook</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Genre: Poetry</span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Title: <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34214126-stuff-i-ve-been-feeling-lately">Stuff I've Been Feeling Lately</a></i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17338762-the-first-lie"><br /></a></span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Author: Alicia Cook</span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Published: January 2016</span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Pages: 227</span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Edition: eBook</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Genre: Poetry</span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤</span></div></div></span></div></div></span></div></div></div></div></div>Literary Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15245180773168090487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190308416021410146.post-8741948296026594502023-12-15T11:11:00.000-05:002023-12-15T11:11:00.246-05:00First Lines Friday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xL32eW23nPE/XdDTADyu-fI/AAAAAAAAH9w/G--hE0UuZUAeYoWf6sBpyljk1DNnA9vmQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/FIRST%2BLINES%2BFRIDAY.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="844" data-original-width="1242" height="217" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xL32eW23nPE/XdDTADyu-fI/AAAAAAAAH9w/G--hE0UuZUAeYoWf6sBpyljk1DNnA9vmQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/FIRST%2BLINES%2BFRIDAY.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">First Lines Friday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along.</span></div></div><ul><li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Grab your current read(s).</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Share the first line(s).</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Include the title and author.</span></li></ul><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG9zKlk3JWFCNIkvcW4cS7kQEI0ETa1HyVdd2HjJ29YoDGBVT1eNEJ6UjiQwAxkCNXaVm4Kc_bjybOvwIBSLGXJKStTQd3XSqq8oW98UpRloyxgwEHL3MzuemZcA5AxAya7EyS2RzUuf7XzkPYykCxAN2S_GIXxGVdizN-U_kqj-b2TE9HzKkyGTQq7Yq7/s2258/cp.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2258" data-original-width="1500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG9zKlk3JWFCNIkvcW4cS7kQEI0ETa1HyVdd2HjJ29YoDGBVT1eNEJ6UjiQwAxkCNXaVm4Kc_bjybOvwIBSLGXJKStTQd3XSqq8oW98UpRloyxgwEHL3MzuemZcA5AxAya7EyS2RzUuf7XzkPYykCxAN2S_GIXxGVdizN-U_kqj-b2TE9HzKkyGTQq7Yq7/s320/cp.jpeg" width="213" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">"Dear God, I am fourteen years old. [I am] I have always been a good girl. Maybe you can give me a sign letting me know what is happening to me."</span></span></i></b></div></div></div><span><span style="font-family: "Lucida Sans";"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">~ <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/198637902-the-color-purple">The Color Purple</a> (Movie Tie-In Edition) </i>by Alice Walker</span></span></div>Literary Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15245180773168090487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190308416021410146.post-3161424658655520302023-12-08T11:11:00.010-05:002023-12-08T11:11:00.133-05:00First Lines Friday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xL32eW23nPE/XdDTADyu-fI/AAAAAAAAH9w/G--hE0UuZUAeYoWf6sBpyljk1DNnA9vmQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/FIRST%2BLINES%2BFRIDAY.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="844" data-original-width="1242" height="217" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xL32eW23nPE/XdDTADyu-fI/AAAAAAAAH9w/G--hE0UuZUAeYoWf6sBpyljk1DNnA9vmQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/FIRST%2BLINES%2BFRIDAY.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">First Lines Friday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along.</span></div></div><ul><li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Grab your current read(s).</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Share the first line(s).</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Include the title and author.</span></li></ul><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3XsUShx7iieBrS2BmsSTE7h5uv_oLfRtY_deixOIDtLWdMyZoWbG_f3_2jc5HWSjX-4ZezFLzbS8Wm1JXqu6K5XJyDhgk2BQ614N6W9Vg5Sjctvkg7rE_NNXc8m7E_BFWEXRPsj1yWv6E6yFy9IqBX-3nRxUrvENvnBZdyix3GTJQaA9B3UaVotzLcFgd/s2400/sorrytext.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2400" data-original-width="1500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3XsUShx7iieBrS2BmsSTE7h5uv_oLfRtY_deixOIDtLWdMyZoWbG_f3_2jc5HWSjX-4ZezFLzbS8Wm1JXqu6K5XJyDhgk2BQ614N6W9Vg5Sjctvkg7rE_NNXc8m7E_BFWEXRPsj1yWv6E6yFy9IqBX-3nRxUrvENvnBZdyix3GTJQaA9B3UaVotzLcFgd/s320/sorrytext.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">"I tell you I feel tired and you say, 'But you slept for twelve hours,' and I knew you didn't get it."</span></span></i></b></div></div></div><span><span style="font-family: "Lucida Sans";"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">~<i> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54915655-sorry-i-haven-t-texted-you-back">Sorry I Haven't Texted You Back</a> </i>by Alicia Cook</span></span></div>Literary Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15245180773168090487noreply@blogger.com0