My Voice: A Memoir

"Angie Martinez is cut from the original cloth. This is the cloth they used before they realized the new stuff was cheaper and more cost efficient. This cloth is more honest, more curious, more genuine. This cloth is much more thankful to even have the opportunity and less afraid to lose it." ~ pg. 8

I cannot function without fiction; however, I heart memoirs. There is something about the storytelling of one's life in his/her own words. Life lessons are told. Experiences are shared. Secrets are revealed. There is no element of lies, only true memories.

I remember the first time I really noticed Angie Martinez. Living in Detroit, I did not have access to the radio show she hosted in New York: Hot 97. I could not tune in to the "Voice of New York" everyday. But then I heard a hot opening verse on the single Ladies Night. It must be Angie on the mic! Here is this woman that not only ruled radio hosting, nailed high-profile interviews with artists, addressed controversial issues in the music community, built credibility and a genuine friendship with my fave (HOV) and now she is an artist herself. An international hip-hop radio icon!

"Sometimes you have to shake shit up to get forward motion." ~ pg. 202

How exciting to read her cleverly titled memoir: My Voice. Angie Martinez's words and essays are more than a hip-hop tell-all like some may assume. She elaborates on her trailblazing journey as a minority in the radio industry. In addition, her story really inspired me. Angie Martinez had the ambition and bravery to end one chapter of her life and begin another, to enter unknown territory and take a leap of faith. I have personally pondered making a life-changing decision. I read My Voice: A Memoir at the right time. I have more respect for Angie Martinez now than ever and remain a fan. Well done!

Title: My Voice: A Memoir
Author: Angie Martinez
Published: May 2016
Pages: 233
Edition: eBook
Challenge: Bookish Kill Your TBR—Read Diversely
Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥


 

Claiming Noah

"It was like driving down a stretch of road so familiar that you arrive home without remembering anything of the journey that got you there." ~ 37%

Claiming Noah is described as a psychological suspense that explores when motherhood and science collide. Catriona and James succeed at last to have a baby through in vitro fertilization. They agree to make their spare frozen embryos available to another family. Diana and Liam are the proud new recipients of the donated embryo.

The mothers are completely different. While Diana is overjoyed by pregnancy, Catriona slips into postpartum depression. Then one of the babies is kidnapped. Suddenly all of their lives are intertwined and unravel together.

The summary sounds very good. I am a sucker of a good psycho suspense book but it has to grab me from the start. Claiming Noah held my interest well enough then came twist after twist. It was good while in the moment reading it, but the type of book that is out-of-hand, out-of-mind. Claiming Noah was soon forgotten once the book was over. I can't explain it any other way.

Disclaimer: This book was received directly from the publisher for review purposes only. In no way does it influence my review. The opinions I have expressed are honestly my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins.

Title: Claiming Noah
Author: Amanda Ortlepp
Published: July 2016
Pages: 384
Edition: Galley
Rating: ♥♥♥

 

Series Sunday: Sistah Speak on Inside Pop Podcast

Series Sunday is a meme hosted by Literary Marie (Sistah LM). I encourage all of my fellow podcast hosts to play along.

• Listen to an episode of a podcast series.
• Share your review/recommendation below.
• Include the podcast title and episode info.

The Sistahs had such an amazing time at Podcast Movement 2016 and the Sistah Speak First Annual Family Reunion. In fact, I am still in a blissful hangover.

We were asked to join the Inside Pop Podcast with hosts Amita Patel and Sean David Johnson. We had a great time discussing pop culture including our Big Sells - Sistah Style. In Episode 41, the Sistahs were interviewed; Episode 42 features the first of our four Big Sells. Listen here to learn how I made history on Inside Pop!

Make it a Sistahs weekend! Visit our new website Sistah Speak Productions!

First Lines Friday

First Lines Friday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie of Precision Revision. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along.

• Grab your current read(s).
• Share the first line(s).
• Include the title and author.

"My cup of tea is on the bedside table. It is where he has always left it; every morning of the eighteen years we have been married he has made me a cup of tea, brought it up, and left it on the side, and normally that's all it is; a cup of tea on the side. But today is not a normal day."

~ The Mother by Yvvette Edwards

 

The Couple Next Door

"Each tries to pretend for the other." ~ 52%

No babysitter? No problem; just leave the baby at home. Anne and Marco make the foolish decision to leave their baby Cora home alone while they attend a party next door. They come back home to the front door ajar and an empty crib. It appears Cora has been taken.

Anne blames herself. Yes, it was Marco's idea to leave the baby alone but she agreed. Now they look very suspicious. The family starts to unravel and question one another. With a relentless detective on the case, layers of lies and complicated truths are revealed.

"The parents have just become his prime suspects." ~15%

Captivating. Spinning. Suspenseful. Character development. Well woven mystery. Just when I thought I had the story all figured out—like whodunnit, why and how—the author threw another curveball in. The couple times I put the book down, I was thinking about what would happen next. How crazier than cray will it get?

I dare not compare it to that other #1 psychological thriller but it was pretty damn close. I would very much like to see The Couple Next Door on the big screen someday soon. In the meantime, I will recommend this book to anyone who listens.

Happy Pub Day, Shari Lapena! The Couple Next Door is available today. Get your copy, bookhearts!

Disclaimer: This book was received directly from the publisher for review purposes only. In no way does it influence my review. The opinions I have expressed are honestly my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins.

Title: The Couple Next Door
Author: Shari Lapena
Published: August 2016
Pages: 320
Edition: Galley
Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥


 

Series Sunday: The Hostage

(The Hotel #1) 

Series Sunday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie of Precision Revision. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along.

• Read an installment of a series.
• Share your review/recommendation below.
• Include the title, author and series name.

My Series Sunday pick is The Hostage, the first book in the Hotel series by James Patterson. VIPs gather in London for the grand opening of the world's most exclusive luxury hotel. One uninvited guest makes quite the appearance from the fortieth floor. The Head of Security scrambles to catch the killer before more lives are taken hostage.

"Where was the killer heading next in this seemingly endless brutal game of chase around the building? And what could be the motive for such vicious attacks?" ~ pg. 58

I estimate 80 of the 93 pages to be action. Yes, this story is high-impact, pun intended. Not a dull moment making it very easy to finish The Hostage in one sitting. This short eBook is perfect for a summer visit to the park or a quick commute home from work on the transit.

Click here to learn more about BOOKSHOTS. Then download the app on your mobile device/eReader to start reading this quick action-packed story.

Title: The Hostage
Author: James Patterson
Published: June 2016
Pages: 93
Edition: BOOKSHOT
Rating: ♥♥♥

 

First Lines Friday

First Lines Friday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie of Precision Revision. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along.

• Grab your current read(s).
• Share the first line(s).
• Include the title and author.

"So," said the young priest. "I think that I'm the man you're looking for."

~ Underground Airlines by Ben H. Winters