Getting to Happy: Are We There Yet?

Fifteen years ago, we were introduced to four unforgettable characters: Savannah, Gloria, Bernadine, and Robin. You may have read the book or seen the movie. Let me refresh your memory. (Best believe I had to refresh mine by watching the movie before beginning reading.) 

Savannah Jackson (Whitney Houston) was finally over her married boyfriend, Kenneth, and realized her worth. 

Gloria Matthews (Loretta Devine) had just met her handsome neighbor, Marvin. 

Bernadine Harris (Angela Bassett) was still hurt over her husband John leaving her for his white mistress. How can we forget the infamous burning car scene and her drastic haircut that followed? She also spent a peaceful night with James (Wesley Snipes) in a hotel room. 

Robin Stokes (Lela Rochon) was just getting over Russell and dedicated to raising her unborn daughter as a single mom. 

At the end of Waiting to Exhale, we were all hopeful that these relatable ladies found their way. We hoped that they were on the road to rebuilding a positive life. Now fifteen years later, bestselling author Terry McMillan brings them back and we realize that all four women are still getting to happy.

During numerous interviews, Terry McMillan expressed that she had no intentions on bringing these women back. She didn’t set out to purposely write a sequel. But, here is Getting to Happy. It is more of a follow-up to the movie version of Waiting to Exhale.

Savannah is divorcing a man named Isaac after finding out about his addiction to porn. Now she needs to decide whether marriage is really for her, or if dating the rest of her life is the right choice.

Gloria seems to be the only one happy in a successful marriage with Marvin, until sadness comes knocking at the door. Her son Tarik is now grown with a family of his own and problems to boot.

Bernadine actually pursued a relationship with James and they are now married. But we soon find out whether the life story he told in the hotel room that night was the truth.

And Robin is still Robin, independently raising her mature teenage daughter and searching for Mr. Right.

The Phoenix divas are going through one crisis after another. How much more can these four women take? I thought they exhaled; now they are finding themselves in unhappy times again. I ASSumed the sequel would be about them finally getting what they deserve in life. Almost 400 pages and these chicks still ain’t got to happy yet. What a disappointment! I did learn one lesson though. Why live a navy blue life when it should be lemon yellow? Hmm...

I went to the book signing on my birthday and heard comments from other readers. Their views mirrored my own. So it wasn’t just me. But out of loyalty and fandom, I struggled to finish. I understand that some characters haunt authors, and somehow ease their way back onto pages. But these women should have been left alone at that bonfire. Terry McMillan’s interview with Oprah was better than the sequel. Now that’s a true example of Getting to Happy.

Literary Marie's Rating: ♥♥♡

Fizzling Sixteen

I’m a huge fan of the quirky Stephanie Plum. I look forward to the new adventures she manages to get herself into with each installment, not to mention the sexy dark mysterious Ranger and good looking cop boyfriend Morelli that always save her. So I was anticipating the release of Sizzling Sixteen. 

This installment of the Stephanie Plum series focuses on Vinnie and a lucky bottle. Stephanie carries around a glass bottle that is rumored to bring luck. After coming in close contact with an alligator, getting caught on a collapsing fire escape, and destroying yet another one of Ranger’s cars, it’s safe to say that the bottle isn’t bring good luck. Yet she hardly leaves home without it. Instead of concentrating on capturing skips, Stephanie teams up with co-workers Lula and Connie to find their missing boss, Vinnie. I thought this is where the fun and sizzle would begin. I was wrong and quite disappointed. Stephanie is still indecisive and makes the same silly mistakes on the job. Dramatic Lula is annoyingly over the top. Grandma Mazur tickled me, but we hardly read about her in this book.  

Frankly, the concept is getting old. Series characters are supposed to grow, evolve, and keep us entertained with new events. It seems as though Janet Evanovich gave up. She’s not providing fans with her true writing potential and old lively style. 

I’m still not sure what was sizzling in this sixteenth installment. There were a few flirty scenes with Ranger and Morelli is still an on-again-off-again boyfriend. Maybe one of these books soon Stephanie will finally choose between the two men. Until then, I hope Janet Evanovich brings 

back the origithe fizzle!

Literary Marie's Rating: ♥♥

"I'm A Work of Art; I'm a Warhol Already."

Everyone knows that I am a huge Jan-Z stan. Well, this blog post should be no surprise. Finally, Decoded is scheduled to release and the book cover is revealed. It features an image of Andy Warhol's "Rorschach" painting on the cover. How appropriate.


Decoded is a collection of the artist's lyrics and their meanings. Together, it tells a story of art, history, and the business man himself. Check out the book trailer here. 


The hardcover is available on November 16, 2010. You may pre-order your copy by clicking the link provided above. I already did!

Escaping a Sea of Secrets

Imagine if you had the opportunity to read old family letters. What if you could read old love letters that your father wrote to your mother? Well Laura Martinez gets the chance to when her mother suffers from a stroke. Laura is already busy with life as a mother, a wife, and a nurse. But she goes to Sea Escape, the beautiful beach home she grew up in, and reads the letters to her mother bedside. Each letter is more revealing than the last and offers a glimpse into her parent’s marriage. Laura even discovers a common secret that she shares with her mother.

The book weaves back and forth from the 1950’s to the present. Usually it is difficult to follow such books, but the author writes in a smooth flow. This is another good read for mothers and daughters. A passage that reminded me of my own mother is when Laura expresses how proud she is of her mother’s talent for sewing. “The way she lifted the presser foot and cut the thread, leaving things set up for a new day and a new job.” It brought back childhood memories of watching my own mother sew matching outfits for my cabbage patch doll and me. Sea Escape would also make a good movie. I imagine it would be like The Notebook in its own romantic, historic way.

Letters really do cast light on the ties between two people. This is a pleasant example of how books offer a whole story with behind-the-scenes footage and from different points of view.

Literary Marie's Rating: ♥♥♥♥

Teaser Tuesdays

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Literary Marie's Tuesday Teaser:

"Letters are windows casting light, illuminating the ties between two people. I could've sneaked a peek inside my parents' romance by reading his letters to her, but I respected my mother's love of curtains." 

~ p. 1, Sea Escape by Lynne Griffin

2 Bestsellers + 2 Killers = 1 Thriller

The #1 bestselling author in the U.S. (James Patterson) and the #1 bestselling author in Europe (Liza Marklund) team up for one thriller.

Young couples in Paris, Copenhagen, Rome, Frankfurt, and Stockholm have been found dead. What connects the murders? An imitation of art and a warning postcard sent by the killers to the local newspaper. NYPD officer Jacob Kanon is personally involved in the case. His daughter and her boyfriend were one of the victims while vacationing in Rome. Jacob is determined to tour Europe and personally find the killers. He enlists the help of Swedish news reporter, Dessie. They set out to find the truth together.

Is it the scariest thriller ever? No.

Is it an easy reading book? Yes.

Is it a page-turner? Somewhat. James Patterson’s trademark short chapters make it easier to read and urge you to continue flipping the pages.

If you haven’t already, read the free preview of Part One that I posted earlier. The rest of book carries a slower pace and events seem drawn out, but entertaining at the very least. I expected more than mediocrity from two bestselling authors. Although, I would definitely be interested in reading another collabo from the two. Their writing styles blend together nicely. Regardless of the rating, I’m still a Patterson junkie.

Rating: ♥♥♥

Mother Wit GIVEAWAY

Now that you've read my latest review for Mother Wit, would you like your own copy? Please read the guidelines below to enter the giveaway and win a free copy of Mother Wit. 


All entries must be submitted by midnight EST Sunday, September 26, 2010. The winner will be announced Monday, September 27, 2010. There are three (3) easy ways to win:


(1) Share the review blog post on Twitter.
(2) Share the review blog post on Facebook.
(3) Then comment on the original review post.


For your convenience, there are share buttons to click. Good luck and thank you for participating.