The Son of Mr. Suleman

"For being gifted with melanin." ~ 2%

Professor Pi Suleman is a BMFM (Black man from Memphis). Adjunct by day, struggling comic book writer by night. Pi is forced to bite his tongue among colleagues' micro aggressions while being blackmailed by a powerful white professor. His bright spot is meeting Gemma Buckingham, an entrepreneur from London escaping heartbreak. But the romance is interrupted when Pi's absentee father passes away. He was a celebrated writer with a complicated legacy. 

"For some this novel may feel different." ~ 100%

The Son of Mr. Suleman is not Dickey's best. Perhaps because my mind was focused on losing one of my favorite authors and this is the last new material I will read of his. But the dialogue was too choppy making the story not as interesting. Which is unfortunate since many themes are explored: colorism, cultural differences, self-love and code-switching. However, I can do without the Suleman character. This final novel is not one of EJD's finer novels.

Regardless, he is already missed. I can only hope that he felt appreciated while traveling the coordinates of Earth. Happy (Last) Early Pub Day to the late great Eric Jerome Dickey! The Son of Mr. Suleman will be available Tuesday, April 20.

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.

Title: The Son of Mr. Suleman
Author: Eric Jerome Dickey
Published: April 2021
Pages: 560
Edition: Galley
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.

"I saw my mother raise a man from the dead."

~ Libertie by Kaitlyn Greenidge

   

Life After Death

(The Coldest Winter Ever #2) 

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 Easter pick is Life After Death, the long-anticipated sequel to The Coldest Winter Ever by Sister Souljah. Winter Santiaga has served her minimum time of 15 years and is released from prison. The plan is to star in a reality show, guarantee her father's freedom and exact revenge. But within the first lines, Winter is shot and sent to hell. It's quite the original adventure that led me to delete the eBook from all of my devices.

I dread writing this review because this confirms my opinion. I will not sugarcoat. Life After Death is the worst book I have ever read. No exaggeration; I have read nothing as bad as this. Pure ridiculous fuckery. It took the leftist of left turns. Pun f'in intended. I read each page with a strong side-eye wondering if this was a joke. The timeframe was off and inconsistent with the Midnight novels she's published in the between years. The shit didn't add up nor did it make sense. 

I made an exception to my 50-Page Rule on the strength of Sister Souljah being the author. I am used to her pushing a personal agenda through "fiction" but this was beyond anything I expected. Maybe the purpose was to remind people that your actions can affect your life after death. That your beliefs can be tested and you'll have to confront demons. Regardless of the message, it could have been told differently. I want my minutes back. I want the images out of my head.

The Coldest Winter Ever is a classic whether you liked, ignored, hated or loved it. Over 20 years later, we are blessed with a follow-up and this is what we get?! I stopped reading when Winter tried to stand up on all four legs after being thrown around and leashed because she turned into a bitch (literally a female dog) running through hell and sleeping with Satan. Still immature. Still unlikable. Still materialistic.

Instead of continuing to read, I shared my disbelief with my reading buddy. Shoutout to Bridgett for actually finishing this book when I refused to and filling in the unbelievable blanks. Spoiler Alert: it got worse. I watched interviews of Sister Souljah trying to understand her thought process of Life After Death. I guess her mission was accomplished in creating a story that no one would dare copy or imagine. In that regard, well done, Sis.

Title: Life After Death

Author: Sister Souljah

Published: March 2021

Pages: 352

Edition: eBook

Rating: DNF and Won't Ever Finish

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.

"When it's all over all that counts is how the story's told. So write my name down, write my aim down. To do this my way and carve my own lane out."

~ The Marathon Don't Stop: The Life and Times of Nipsey Hussle by Rob Kenner 

So Hard to Say Goodbye

It is with a heavy heart that I say goodbye to this blog. For the past decade and more, I have enjoyed reviewing books, creating bookish memes, sharing my life as a migraineur, telling personal tales of this fuckery called life and connecting with authors, publishers and fellow readers. However, today is April Fool's Day and you've been fooled!

Broken (in the best possible way)

"Treat yourself like you would your favorite pet. Plenty of fresh water, lots of rest, snuggles as needed, allow yourself naps." ~ 41%

As a fan of Jenny Lawson, I am familiar with her struggles with anxiety and depression. In new release, Broken, she shares her experience with treatment. It is told with brutal honesty and humor. Each essay is relatable to anyone with a chronic illness. 

My favorite part of Broken is "An Open Letter to My Insurance Company." I nodded my head in agreement so much that I almost got a crook in my neck. It spoke to my soul and will also speak to yours if ever had to call an insurance company for coverage, pre-approval or assistance with a claim. There are also light-hearted essays like ideas she would pitch to Shark Tank and how "awkwarding" brings us together.

"'Stet' is my favorite verb, and it is the dryer setting I live my life in." ~ 75%

I read each chapter with the sense that Jenny just gets it. She knows how it feels. Her stories are sometimes heartbreaking but always genuine. It is pleasure to read her memoirs in advance. Bookhearts, add this to your TBR and pre-order now!

Happy Early Pub Day, Jenny Lawson! Broken will be available Tuesday, April 6.

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.

Title: Broken (in the best possible way)
Author: Jenny Lawson
Published: April 2021
Pages: 288
Edition: Galley
Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤

   

Just My Luck

"Can you imagine pulling out of a lottery syndicate the week before your numbers come up?" ~ 5%

Imagine winning the lottery! Not just a regular 3- or 4-digit hit but millions! None of the syndicate could imagine their weekly $5 contribution to a lottery ticket would be a winner. Lexi, Jake and friends played the same numbers for 15 years. The frimily (friends that are like family) played and carried on life as usual with dinner parties, summer barbecues and playdates with children. 

Who is lying? It is hard to determine which story is the truth once the lottery league starts to investigate claims to the winning ticket. Someone either made a life-changing mistake or is a shark. To Lexi and Jake's recollection, their friends pulled out the week before saying it was a waste of money since they never hit big. But now that their numbers fell in the jackpot, they claim such a conversation never took place.

"It had all the elements to titillate the morbidly curious, the wickedly gossipy: a lottery win, an extravagant lifestyle, illicit sex and shocking violence." ~ 97%

Well said. The quote above best summarizes Just My Luck. This is a story of luck, trust and the dark side of wealth. It quickly gripped me and never let go until the very last page. I am a sucker for a good twist. Just My Luck had twist after good twist after good ass twist! Adele Parks put on her thinking cap for this one. I highly recommend it for drama readers and lottery players. 

Happy Early Pub Day, Adele Parks! Just My Luck will be available Tuesday, April 6.

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.

Title: Just My Luck
Author: Adele Parks
Published: April 2021
Pages: 384
Edition: Galley
Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤