Hola, Morocha!

"Why the hell did you carry your black ass to a place where black folks were vanishing?" ~ 7%

In a new inspirational, funny travelogue, Jennifer Poe takes us on an adventure to Buenos Aires from the eyes of a black woman. At only 22 years old, she booked a one-way ticket to Argentina. Yet soon discovered it was the land of few and far between black people. Part memoir and part travel guide, Hola, Morocha! highlights the ups and downs of her trip. Witty essays cover everything from not speaking Spanish to finding a place to get her black hair did. Being black in Buenos Aires is entertaining!

"Hey, black girl, hey!" ~ 4%

Literary Marie, meet Jennifer Poe.
Jennifer Poe, meet Literary Marie.

LISSEN, this eShort story reads like a conversation with your friend after she returns from an international trip. She keeps it real. She shares the real scoop. And she doesn't regret any part of the experience. With this in mind, it is a no-brainer that I highly recommend Hola, Morocha! for a reality dose of culture shock. And I am obsessively stalking the author's website and Goodreads for the release of a literary travelogue follow-up.

Title: Hola, Morocha! A Black Woman's Adventures in Buenos Aires: Culture Shock
Author: Jennifer Poe
Published: July 2017
Pages: 67
Edition: eBook
Challenge: Popsugar—A Book Involving Travel
Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤

   

Little Fires Everywhere

"Don't get attached." ~ pg. 121

Everyone plays by the rules in Shaker Heights, Ohio. The layout of the winding driveways, the color of the houses, the high expectations of students and the conduct of its suburbanites is all planned. No one plays the rules more than Elena Richardson, journalist and mother of four. Single mother and artist, Mia Warren, arrives into town with her teenage daughter, Pearl, and rents a house from Mrs. Richardson. It takes no time for all four children to be drawn to Mia and Pearl. Soon the families are woven together along with secrets, patterns and daily living.

When a custody battle over a Chinese American baby divides the town, Mia and Elena are on opposing sides. The past does not stay in the past and true motives are revealed. Above all, the pull of motherhood is strong.

There are so many individual story lines within these 336 pages but it was easy to follow them all and become interested in each outcome. Like any book with multiple main characters, there are those I really like and those I don't care for at all. But Celeste Ng wrote the good and bad sides to let the readers decide on their own who to like, dislike or be indifferent about. At times it was hard for me to pick a side. It only added to the theory of intertwined fates.

It is rare for a book to tug at my heart strings. It is even more rare for me to remember a story line so vividly with all the books that I read in short periods of time. So I did not expect my reaction once I finished reading Little Fires Everywhere. I didn't expect to think about these characters or hope for a follow-up book. I didn't expect the feelings it left me with and, most of all, the question of morality. This novel is a perfect reminder to not make judgment because you never truly know what you might do in the same situation...until it actually happens to you.

"What made someone a mother? Was it biology alone, or was it love?" ~ pg. 258

What is right? What is wrong? What is love? What is obsession?

Bookhearts, be prepared to ask yourself these questions while reading this new release by the talented author, Celeste Ng. And you'd better have a friend close by that read this book too because you will be anxious to talk about it.

Title: Little Fires Everywhere
Author: Celeste Ng
Published: September 2017
Pages: 336
Edition: Hardcover
Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤

Summer of the Cicadas

"They have yet to invent a test for invisible lumps." ~ pg. 35

After attempting a self-mastectomy, Viola Moon escapes south to a small historically black university. She is determined to leave her summer stay at a mental health institution in the past. But Viola finds herself alienated surrounded by southern elite classmates, kids from two-parent households, and a Greek system she doesn't understand. Uncomfortable and alone, Viola is forced to confront the past and heal in order to keep sane.

"Can you imagine the consistent strain of having to double think every move, every word, every thought." ~ pg. 70

Summer of the Cicadas was recommended by my Ace Boon Bookheart, Vern. She loved it but warned it is not a feel-good novel. Well said. By page 8, I was hit hard with emotions but prepared. I knew a story was about to unfold that would weigh heavy on my fictional heart.

TBQFH (to be quite fucking honest), I am not sure how to feel about this book now that I finished. I am thoroughly confused and unsure of what I just read. What was real, imagined, history or present-day? Is there a CliffsNotes version? Because this story most certainly went over my head. Can a bookheart help me out here?!

"You, peopleless girl, are a nigger." ~ pg. 94

Summer of the Cicadas reminds me of a school-assigned book in English class. The writing is on a deeper level. The main character struggled through life due to a mental illness. It is original but made me flinch at times; calling this novel "heavy" is an understatement. It can be very triggering. But like those good 'ole classics we had to read in school, you need a friend to discuss it with before writing that book report. Then years later, you realize it is very well written and the story sticks with you long after turning the last page.

So would I recommend reading Summer of the Cicadas? Yes! Read it. Digest it. Discuss it.

Title: Summer of the Cicadas 
Author: Cole Lavalais
Published: December 2016
Pages: 206
Edition: eBook
Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤

 

Series Sunday: Sistah Speak Queen Sugar

(Sistah Speak: Queen Sugar) 

Special Series Sunday is a meme hosted by 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.

My Series Sunday pick is Sistah Speak: Queen Sugar S2E11. Listen to the Sistahs discuss the OWN original television series from a Sistah's point of view here. After listening, refresh your page and be prepared to LOL as the Sistahs talk about wicker sex, puffer fish and S2E12.

Podcast: Sistah Speak Productions
Co-Hosts: Sistah A, Sistah J, Sistah K and Sistah LM
Time: 2 Hours, 23 Minutes

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.

"The police had taken my pistol the day before but I wasn't without heavy arms. I'd been stockpiling weapons at the studio. Glocks, MAC-10s, ARs fitted with scopes and hundred-round monkey nuts. All out in the open for easy access. I was in Tony Montana mode, bracing for a final standoff."

~ The Autobiography of Gucci Mane by Gucci Mane with Neil Martinez-Belkin

 

Turtles All the Way Down

"Everybody disappears eventually." ~ pg. 82

Much as I tried not to have high expectations from John Green for the book following The Fault in Our Stars, I have to admit I did. I knew it would not be another tearjerker or cancer book. I knew it would involve finding someone or something, because that's kinda John Green's signature theme. So when I read the synopsis, I seemed pretty on target on what Turtles All the Way Down is about.

Sixteen-year-old Aza and her best friend are eager to claim a $100,000 reward if they find the missing fugitive billionaire. The only information they have is through the news and hearsay until Aza rekindles a childhood friendship with the billionaire's son. Solving this mystery is a good temporary distraction but Aza is still fighting to stay ahead of the tight spiral of her own thoughts.

"Whoever is authoring me, let me up out of this." ~ pg. 211

Main characters with special quirks hold a place in my heart. I immediately empathize and root for his/her happy ending. From the first chapter, readers learn that Aza is as unique as her name. She cannot control spiraling thoughts, OCD or worse-case scenarios playing in her head. Her anxiety is through the roof yet she tries hard to control it through therapy and breathing exercises. Sometimes authors miss the mark when writing characters with mental health issues. But John Green deserves a pat on the back for his portrayal of Aza.

"Maybe you don't choose what's in the picture, but you decide on the frame." ~ pg. 277

What I still cannot figure out, however, is why he chose this title. Yes, it is catchy and stands out. But it was only referenced once and (to be petty) makes a lengthy hashtag. There are so many more titles that could've been chosen for this story. But the cover I understand! This is a small complaint of mine that should not deter you. Nor should my average 3-heart rating stop you. Turtles All the Way Down is just moreso for young adults and will leave little impact or discussion for more mature readers.

Title: Turtles All the Way Down
Author: John Green
Published: October 2017
Pages: 286
Edition: Hardcover
Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤

 

US vs. UK

The UK is my hometown glory but I live in the US. The US vs. UK bookish meme compares book covers published in the two countries. We left off on a tie last time so let's break it! Enjoy the battle of the book covers below, bookhearts!

US (top) ~ UK (bottom)

• Say Nothing ~ I would most certainly pick up a book with a hand pressed against a window versus plain red cover with white font. UK wins!
• The Sunshine Sisters ~ Nothing says sunshine like the US cover. It features a sandy beach with the bluest of blue ocean. But the UK cover reminds me of a salmon dinner. US wins!
• Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine ~ The US cover has a lady standing with her arms folded. It is the universal symbol of body language saying, "I am completely fine. Nothing is wrong with me." I like the UK cover with the stick figure house but not for this story. US wins!
• Ginny Moon ~ When I think of the moon, I think of stars and astrology. Nothing about the US cover screams that. A ladder, really? But the UK cover looks so mystical. UK wins!
• Dark Matter ~ I am torn on this one. This story is such a mind-fuck that it deserves a cover that will have you shake your head, rub eyes twice and question what you're looking at. It is a-maze-ing fiction. So which cover fits best? US wins! 

Total: US 39; UK 38

If the book covers pique your interest, click the title for my review (if available). In the meantime, which covers do you favor?