The Mothers

"After a secret's been told, everyone becomes a prophet." ~ pg. 148

Sometimes I wonder if I am reading the same book as the front flap describes. Per the description, The Mothers is an urgent and provocative debut about community and ambition, love and friendship, and living up to expectation in contemporary black America. Um, that's not what I got out of it.

I interpret The Mothers to be about the domino effect of a rebellious 17-year-old girl grieving the loss of her mother who committed suicide. Even though Nadia Turner will be the first in her family to go to college (Go, Michigan!), she makes a series of poor decisions. First she dallies with the pastor's son, Luke, a 21-year-old former football player whose injury reduced him to being a local waiter. Bruh has no future or ambition yet Nadia starts a romance that results in a cover-up. (Bet you can't guess what that means in a black church). The secret is hidden from everyone including Nadia's best friend, Aubrey. Fast forward a few years; Nadia, Luke and Aubrey are now adults still affected by their younger selves and that damn secret.

"But we were girls once, which is to say, we have all loved an ain't-shit man. No Christian way of putting it." ~ pg. 87

Maybe because I am not a church goer (Worldwide Church of Snuggie excluded), but I could have done without the mothers aspect of the story. Their role came across as gossipy and I was tempted to skip their narrated sections of the book. I know there are church mothers out there with the best of intentions but this particular story did not need them. The three main characters could have carried the story alone. Wayment...then what would the title be? Ah, well.

"Mothers are selfish." ~ pg. 43

The Mothers reminded me how the actions in our youth shape our future. More importantly, it gives the message that the thought of "what if" can be more powerful than the experience itself. Hard truths exist. Think on that nugget while you reserve this book from your local library. In other words, it is not worth paying the $26.00 hardcover price or immediately adding to your TBR. Not taking anything away from the author's hard work in writing a debut novel; I just want to save my bookhearts their hard-earned coins. However, many of my bookhearts and blogging peers loved this book. Read it for yourself.

Title: The Mothers
Author: Brit Bennett
Published: October 2016
Pages: 278
Edition: Hardcover
Rating: ♥♥♡

The True Story of Atticus and Hazel

"And, to be honest, in the cool light of morning, I felt like you might not be all that real, that who you were was exacerbated by a gorgeous night where the stars aligned just right and perfection was fated." ~ 30%

Chemistry is something I have not experienced in real life yet. A good vibe, yes. Instant attraction, definitely. Overwhelming lust, for sure. But the kind of chemistry between fictional characters Atticus Kelly and Hazel Stone is something I have only read about in books. It literally took a second for these two to connect, making it impossible to resist each other. Their chemistry burned too fast like a candle down to the wick. The result is something no one—not readers or the characters themselves—could have predicted.

"It wasn't the kind of drama you create, per se, it was the kind that finds and slams you to the ground unapologetically." ~ 94%

I downloaded The True Story of Atticus and Hazel eBook on a whim. It was recommended on my Kindle app, cost less than $3 and had an eye-catching colorful sketched cover. Never having heard of the author before, I did not know what to expect. None of my Goodreads friends had it listed so I could not rely on their opinions. There were less than thirty reviews to go by since it was published only a week prior. I watched the book trailer below that still didn't give any info. The plot description was vague but Kindle/NOOK recommendations very rarely steer me wrong.

My goodness am I so very glad that I clicked BUY NOW. The characters were fully fleshed out. Hazel is a 20-year-old artist and Atticus is a 26-year-old music producer with a family of happily married parents and handsomer-than-handsome brothers. These two meet by chance at a bar like most characters in contemporary/new adult genre. But a sudden shift happens in the book that forced me to postpone plans for the day until I finished...with smiles then full-on tears!

"An instantaneous enlightenment." ~ 69%

I cannot explain why I was led to read The True Story of Atticus and Hazel or why I connected the way I did; however, I recommend my bookhearts read this emotional story that was clearly written from the author's heart. Thanks for the art at the very end of the book also, Fisher Amelie. It gave this story a perfect bittersweet ending.

Title: The True Story of Atticus and Hazel
Author: Fisher Amelie
Published: October 2016
Pages: 258
Edition: eBook
Rating: ♥♥♥♥♡

 

I'm Judging You: The Do-Better Manual

"I'm not sure who I side-eye more, though..." ~ pg. 89

I was first introduced to pop-culture critic, Luvvie Ajayi, through Twitter. Her witty tweets and unashamed ability to say what I was really thinking (but can't because: career or whatever to protect) made me an instant fan. Not only is she entertaining but also the executive director of the Red Pump Project, a national HIV/AIDS organization. She isn't called Awesomely Luvvie for nothing.

Now Luvvie presents I'm Judging You: The Do-Better Manual, a debut collection of essays both sharp and humorous to inspire us to do better in our everyday life or else get side-eyed. Luvvie's signature writing style and vocabulary is throughout the book. Readers are introduced (or re-acquainted if already a follower) to phrases such as: iSweaterGawd (more polite than swearing to God), alphet (more fun to say than "outfit"), stahp (stop) and UNABLE TO CAN (for when you really can't). Kudos to the editor for maintaining the author's voice. This made I'm Judging You all the more enjoyable to read. Its format is like a good brunch with your friend conversing about life, religion, social media, cultural norms and fame.

"Feeling like you have to go by an alias so the world doesn't butcher your beautiful real name sucks." ~ pg. 103

Speak these truths, Luvvie! You don't know my life! There were so many essays that I nodded my head in agreement about. There were also parts where I was the type of person being judged. I am keeping it real, bookhearts, like the manual encourages. If I know better, I will do better, right?

Books like I'm Judging You make me want to start a local book club again. It is a must-read and heck of a conversation starter. There are for real LOL moments! The book is very well written and formatted covering various relevant topics. It is easily one of my favorite books of the year and will be a holiday gift to a couple of my friends. Readers are guaranteed to be informed, entertained and judged. Do not pass on this new release. Get your judgmental, fuck-deficient life and read I'm Judging You!

Title: I'm Judging You: The Do-Better Manual
Author: Luvvie Ajayi
Published: September 2016
Pages: 241
Edition: Paperback
Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

 

Series Sunday: Dirty

(Raw Family #2) 

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.

"Don't ever mistake my femininity as weakness. I will slit your motherfucking throat while reapplying lipstick." ~ 33%

My Series Sunday pick is Dirty, the second book in the Raw Family series by Belle Aurora. From the outside looking in, beautiful 24-year-old Alejandra has a perfect life that everyone envies. She is mob royalty as the wife of Dino Gambino and the daughter of Eduardo Castillo. But behind bedroom doors, Alejandra is a woman more hurt and torn apart than put together. Forced into marriage at a young age, Alejandra accepts her fate as the abused wife of a powerful mob not-so-quite boss. Understanding the philosophy of family and loyalty, she plays the dutiful mob wife until an opportunity arises for her to get out the life. Never did she imagine that other lives would be deeply affected, some even murdered. Enter Julius Carter, the handsome light brown-skinned, blue-eyed handler. Now Alejandra is a dead woman walking in need of saving.

"The expectation of love versus the reality is two completely different things." ~ 90%

Funny you write that, Belle, because the expectation of a sequel versus the reality is also two completely different things. Where is Lexi and Twitch? Yes, there are cameos and a few chapters from Twitch's point of view, but I wanted the whole book to feature these two beloved characters that left me wanting so much more after reading the unconventional love story in Raw. Though the story of Alejandra and Julius is good in its own right, I did not ask for this! Not yet anyway. I did not wait damn near three years for the story told in Dirty. 

"What the fuck was this little sparrow doing to me?" ~ 53%

Bookhearts, if you followed my March 2014 recommendation to read the first book of this series, Raw, then you should expect the same level of violence, graphic scenes and strong language. This series is not for the easily offended. I put my pearls away while reading Dirty. I sipped red wine that stained my lips instead of my usual cup of hot tea. Get my drift?

Belle, I appreciate the crumbs you dropped on October 31, 2016. But you knew good and well it is not what us fans expected. We need a sequel, not a spinoff! Again, Dirty is a good book but c'mon with RAW: Rebirth because I am ready to see what happens now that {loses wifi signal}

Title: Dirty

Author: Belle Aurora

Published: October 2016

Pages: 393

Edition: eBook

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.

"We didn't believe when we first heard because you know how church folk can gossip."

~ The Mothers by Brit Bennett 

 

Another Brooklyn

"Let her be who she's trying to become, my father said." ~ pg. 97

August, Sylvia, Angela and Gigi are beautiful, intelligent, talented friends that lean on each other. They were the neighborhood clique of girls. Everyone knew their names but few knew their personal stories. Only within their circle did they know how dangerous the city of Brooklyn was, where predatory men reached for girls in dark hallways, where mothers disappeared and where fathers found religion. Clearly there was another Brooklyn seen through the eyes of these girls.

"Maybe this is how it happened first for everyone—adults promising us their own failed futures." ~ pg. 63

It should go without saying that I recommend Another Brooklyn. The main characters was relatable. Through Jacqueline Woodson's words, I was right there beside the four girls reliving their memories during the formative period of when a girl becomes a woman. Well written!

Thanks much and S/O of confetti to my bookheart Vern for recommending Another Brooklyn. It is proper coming-of-age literature.

Title: Another Brooklyn
Author: Jacqueline Woodson
Published: August 2016
Pages: 175
Edition: Hardcover
Rating: ♥♥♥♥♡

 

Series Sunday: The Trial

(Women's Murder Club #15.5) 

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.

"Kingfisher was worse than all of them put together." ~ pg. 54

My Series Sunday pick is The Trial, #15.5 book in the Women's Murder Club series by James Patterson. Kingfisher is on trial for murder. Yet he still brings terror to the lawyers, judges, jurors and police involved with his case. How is he calling the shots and making moves under heavy surveillance? Surely there is more to the story than meets the readers' eye.

I have to give it to James Patterson. He's a literary genius, really. He has truly mastered the art of writing, selling and marketing bestsellers. Much respect to his methods. Hence the reason I am currently taking his MasterClass. The Trial, like other BookSHOTS, are necessary to read. If you are not up-to-date on the series, they can be read as a standalone; however, they cannot be skipped when reading the series. Sounds confusing but I find it true. Bookhearts, you will miss something if you read WMC #15 and #16 without reading this #15.5 BookSHOT. And for this reason alone, it was worth reading. Never mind that it held my attention and kept me guessing until the last page. The Trial is a fictional courtroom shocker.

Title: The Trial

Author: James Patterson

Published: July 2016

Pages: 140

Edition: BookSHOT

Challenge: Keeping Up With Patterson

Rating: ♥♥♥