Series Sunday: Fourth Wing

(The Empyrean #1) 

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

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

My Series Sunday pick is Fourth Wing, the first book in the Empyrean series by Rebecca Yarros. Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail prepared her whole life to enter the Scribe Quandrant—a quiet safe life of books and history. But her tough-as-talons mother has ordered Violet to join the hundreds of candidates striving to become dragon riders.

Never mind that Violet's bones are brittle and her stature petite. No worries that there are fewer dragons willing to bond so cadets will kill to better their own chances. And the rest would kill her just because of her last name, like Xaden Riorson—the ruthless wingleader of the Riders Quadrant. Yet the war outside the kingdom's failing protective wards grows more deadly and Violet suspects leadership is hiding a secret. It seems the only way out of Basgiath War College is to graduate or die.

"Hope is a fickle, dangerous thing. It steals your focus and aims it towards the possibilities instead of keeping it where it belongs—on the probabilities." ~ pg. 130

I am not into fantasy. I am not a big romance reader. But I do love me some dragons. And I most certainly listen to my Bookhearts when they make a recommendation. I cannot deny I am a sucker for an awesome cover that looks good on display. So this is how the holiday hardcover edition of Fourth Wing with a stunning revamped cover, black sprayed edges, new endpages, detailed map and bonus chapters ended up in my hands. If nothing else, I thought, this book will look pretty on my bookshelf.

BAYBEEEE, once I started reading though...unputdownable! I was lost in the halls of Basgiath War College. No amount of BookTok videos prepared me for the enemies-to-lovers-to-chosen-family trope. I did not expect to fall in love with the dragons. I did not believe my heart would connect to fictional characters to the point I would shed a tear, cringe, hoot and holler. I read over 500 pages of this world that Rebecca Yarros masterfully built, stayed up many a night and still wanted more.

When it comes to Fourth Wing, it deserves every sharp point of these five stars, every curve of these five hearts! This novel is brutally good! Believe the hype. Instead of me saying more, I am going to share my live updates and favorite quotes then let you decide whether it is worth adding to your TBR. I will be waiting here to welcome you aboard The Empyrean fly or die skies.

Title: Fourth Wing

Author: Rebecca Yarros

Published: May 2023

Pages: 518

Edition: Holiday Hardcover

Genre: Romantasy

Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤

First Lines Friday

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

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

"...in grasping my pen and putting my hand to page, I felt as though I existed for the first time. I was the property of no one save myself. Therefore, I could freely give of myself to those I loved, no?"

~ The American Daughters by Maurice Carlos Ruffin 

"The egg I had for breakfast this morning didn't taste rotten, but these days, it was not always easy to know about the state of the food one ate because of the many ways merchants could mask spoiled food."

~ American Daughters by Piper Huguley  

Black & Irish

"Where are you really from?" ~ pg. 75

In honor of Irish-American Heritage Month and St. Patrick's Day, I read an advance copy of Leon Diop's and Briana Fitzsimons' new nonfiction book titled Black & Irish: Legends, Trailblazers & Everyday Heroes. Very quickly, I realized this was a literary gem worthy of taking notes on.

Black & Irish is an informative, beautifully illustrated book featuring people of color that are not so well-known. I learned, made annotations and did further research on a few of the Black Irish people featured. Without these legends being in the spotlight, I probably would not have known their contribution to the community. 

I am slightly disappointed by the scope of the research. Most of the people featured were from the same place of Nigeria. It was more-so a celebration of Nigerian-Irish trailblazers. I am sure there are more Black people in Ireland to be recognized.

Nevertheless, this new release is indeed a celebration of actors, athletes, icons, activists, influencers and trailblazers. The stunning addition of illustrations by Jessica Louis add vibrant color to each profile. The layout reminds me of the Rebel Girls series. I recommend Black & Irish to educators and readers of nonfiction for an inspirational read.

Happy Early Pub Day, Leon Diop and Briana Fitzsimons! Black & Irish will be available Tuesday, April 9.

Disclaimer: An advance copy was received directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins. ~LiteraryMarie

Title: Black & Irish: Legends, Trailblazers & Everyday Heroes
Author: Leon Diop and Briana Fitzsimons
Published: April 2024
Pages: 178
Edition: Galley
Genre: Nonfiction
Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤

Series Sunday: The Good, the Bad, and the Aunties

(Aunties #3) 

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

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

My Series Sunday pick is The Good, the Bad, and the Aunties, the third and final book in the Aunties series by Jesse Q. Sutanto. Newlyweds Meddy and Nathan are spending the Chinese New Year with family. A former beau of Second Aunt's shows up at the Chan residence with extravagant gifts hoping to rekindle. But one particular gift, included by accident, was intended for a business rival.

What follows is an entertaining story of the Aunties agreeing to return the gift, trying to retrieve it and becoming pawns. Of course it turns disastrous. It is up to Meddy to save them all. As usual, the Aunties are one-upping one another while Meddy's goal is to protect her family at all costs. 

"Not weed tea. Jasmine tea!" ~ pg. 110

I found the story to just be okay. There was no character development. Perhaps because this is the final book of the series, the author chose not to delve more into Meddy and the meddlesome Aunties. It is disappointing when a reader wants to learn more about characters but the author just doesn't deliver. It is especially disappointing when the main character is increasingly annoying throughout the formulaic story.

The Aunties series started out with a hilarious entertaining bang in Dial A for Aunties, turned ridiculously unrealistic in Four Aunties and a Wedding then ended on a meh note with The Good, the Bad, and the Aunties. Nevertheless, it will make you chuckle along the way.

Happy Early Pub Day, Jesse Q. Sutanto! The Good, the Bad, and the Aunties will be available Tuesday, March 26.

Disclaimer: An advance copy was received directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins. ~LiteraryMarie

Title: The Good, the Bad, and the Aunties

Author: Jesse Q. Sutanto

Published: March 2024

Pages: 212

Edition: Galley

Genre: Mystery Romance

Rating: 🖤 🖤

First Lines Friday

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

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

"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."

~ Black & Irish: Legends, Trailblazers & Everyday Heroes by Leon Diop and Briana Fitzsimons; Illustrated by Jessica Louis 

Lit Tidbits: Pithy Picks XV

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!

Title: First Lie Wins

Edited by: Ashley Elston
Published: January 2024
Pithy Review: 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.
Quote: "It's because you're not ready to tell me the truth and I'd rather you not lie to me." ~ pg. 181
Recommend or Nah? ⭐️⭐️

Title: I Hope My Voice Doesn't Skip
Author: Alicia Cook
Published: June 2018
Pithy Review: 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.
Quote: "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%
Recommend or Nah? ⭐️⭐️

Title: Two Women Walk Into a Bar
Author: Cheryl Strayed
Published: January 2024
Pithy Review: 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.
Quote: "But there's a spiritual component to dying. To some degree, people need to release whatever's holding them here before they can make the transition." ~ pg. 15
Recommend or Nah? ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Worst Wingman Ever
Author: Abby Jimenez
Published: January 2024
Pithy Review: 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.
Quote: "Take responsibility for your own unhappiness." ~ 72% 
Recommend or Nah? ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Drop, Cover, and Hold On
Author: Jasmine Guillory
Published: January 2024
Pithy Review: 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. 
Quote: "Resting...smile face?" ~ pg. 23
Recommend or Nah? ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Fires to Come
Author: Asha Lemmie
Published: February 2024
Pithy Review: 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.
Quote: "Everyone always does what's best for themselves. It is the oldest law of nature." ~ pg. 32
Recommend or Nah? ⭐️⭐️

Title: Fallen Grace
Author: Sadeqa Johnson
Published: February 2024
Pithy Review: 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.
Quote: "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?" ~ pg. 26
Recommend or Nah? ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Black Girl IRL

"Because Black women, we deserve leverage." ~ pg. 131

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.

Gail Hamilton Azodo is the Black Girl IRL. 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!"

Thank you for the acknowledgment and the encouragement to being the best regular Black woman we can be.

Happy Pub Day, Gail Hamilton Azodo! Black Girl IRL is available today.

Disclaimer: An advance copy was received directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins. ~LiteraryMarie

Title: Black Girl IRL: Life Between the Mess and the Magic
Author: Gail Hamilton Azodo
Published: March 2024
Pages: 222
Edition: Galley
Genre: Nonfiction
Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤