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 was the one who found Daddy dead, crammed in the little space where my old bike's training wheels turned rusted."

~ What the Fireflies Knew by Kai Harris

 

The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry

"All too often our hurry is a sign of something else." ~ 23%

At the start of every new year, I pick a nonfiction book to motivate and fuel my new year intentions. I noticed a couple mistakes made, answers missed and tasks forgotten this past week. In a moment of self-reflection, I realized that I was hurrying for no reason. Once I slowed down and paid attention, all was back to normal. The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by Pastor Comer will help me stay on the right track and block out the chaos of the world.

Think about it. Every time you make a mistake, were you in a hurry? When you forgot something at home, were you in a hurry? When you were in an accident, were you in a hurry? When you failed at something, were you in a hurry? I am willing to bet you answered yes. Let's stop this hurry mentality and nip this behavior in the bud. 

While I gained understanding from reading The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry, I knew a few of the points discussed just would not apply to my life. It may sound frivolous but the author suggested minimal outfits per season. Tuh...me?! I understand busyness is not healthy but I draw the line at picking out outfits to wear. Those are minutes well spent. The book is also a bit repetitive but valid points are made. I recommend applying the tips that make you comfortable and will strengthen your personal spiritual journey.

Title: The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry

Author: John Mark Comer

Published: October 2019

Pages: 320

Edition: eBook

Genre: Christian Nonfiction

Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤

You Truly Assumed

"It's like we're all stuck in our own bubbles created by our worries about the aftermath of an action none of us are involved in but we're all connected to because of our faith. It's terrifying." ~ 7%

How many times has tragic news broke and you wished the terrorist was not a brown person? That the victim was not a black person? That the nation will not point a finger at an entire religion? Too many for me to count. I am not alone in this thinking. When a terrorist attack hits the mainstream news, the first name is a common Arabic name. But it doesn't necessarily mean they're Muslim. Nonetheless, Islamophobia grows.

Sabriya turns to her online journal for comfort. You Truly Assumed was meant to be a private blog but soon turns into a public online safe space for Muslim teens. Soon Zakat and Farah join Sabriya in making the blog a successful community. The popularity grows along with their friendship. But with viral success comes hateful comments. The girls must decide whether to shut the blog down or make their voices heard louder than ever before.

Laila Sabreen has written such a thought-provoking motivational debut novel for young adults, especially Black Muslim girls. As a 40-year-old Black female blogger, I could personally relate. The themes explore the sentiment of minorities that our dreams don't matter; that we are all alike. As the author states in her note, we are out here! Represent proudly and recommend this book to the minority young adult in your life. You Truly Assumed is social justice fiction done right!

Happy Pub Day, Laila Sabreen! You Truly Assumed is now available.

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: You Truly Assumed
Author: Laila Sabreen
Published: February 2022
Pages: 352
Edition: Galley
Genre: YA Social Justice
Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤

Series Sunday: Homicide and Halo-Halo

(Tita Rosie's Kitchen Mystery #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 pick is Homicide and Halo-Halo, the second book in the Tita Rosie's Kitchen Mystery series by Mia P. Manansala. In this fairly new series, Lila Macapagal is back. However, she is still not ready to open her new café after the first instance of unpleasantness at her Aunt's Filipino restaurant, Tita Rosie's Kitchen.

The small town of Shady Palms has resurrected the teen beauty pageant which Lila won many years ago. This win caused a wedge between Lila and her cousin Bernadette. But when the head judge of the pageant is found murdered, Lila must put aside their rivalry and help clear Bernadette's name as the main suspect. And highlight the tasty dessert known as halo-halo while at it!

"Funny how all it took was a gun-toting murderer for me to have an epiphany." ~ 90%

Slow and steady is this novel's game. The murder didn't occur until a quarter into the novel. The characters played a backseat to the boring sleuthing. Not exactly what I want in a cozy mystery. Honestly I was just here for the dessert, drink and food descriptions.

Homicide and Halo-Halo features an Asian-American lead. Yay for diversity! Per the Author's Note, she wrote this follow-up while in a rather dark place. All my positive thoughts and wishes for success are with the author Mia P. Manansala as she works through mental health issues brought about by the pandemic. She has a good series that I will continue to support despite this "just okay" rating. 

Happy Early Pub Day, Mia P. Manansala! Homicide and Halo-Halo will be available Tuesday, February 8.

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: Homicide and Halo-Halo

Author: Mia P. Manansala

Published: February 2022

Pages: 336

Edition: eBook

Genre: Cozy Mystery/Crime Fiction

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.

"Am I strong enough?"

~ Wahala by Nikki May

The Woman Beyond the Attic

The V.C. Andrews Story

"When books fail to give me what I need, dreams supply the rest." ~ 9%

The Woman Beyond the Attic is meant to be a celebration to the late great, famously private V.C. Andrews. Her personal life was part secretive, part fascinating. In this new release, her ghost writer Andrew Neiderman aims to connect her personal life to her famous novels based on letters and interviews. It is the first book of its kind!

I was more interested in the behind-the-scenes fiction than fact. This book includes a partial manuscript for an unpublished novel. Thanks to the Andrews family for allowing the unedited manuscript to be included. It was way more engaging than the personal letters and so-called "full" true story. I know nothing more about V.C. Andrews than before I read page one. 

The Woman Beyond the Attic would perhaps be better received as a book examining Virginia Cleo's own life experiences and how they were applied to her characters' lives. Or better yet, let the famous author continue to be a mystery to us all; let her memory just be no matter how cryptic it seems.

Happy Pub Day, Andrew Neiderman! The Woman Beyond the Attic is now available.

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 Woman Beyond the Attic: The V.C. Andrews Story
Author: Andrew Neiderman
Published: February 2022
Pages: 288
Edition: Galley
Rating: 🖤

Black Cake

"...but tradition is only about what people have or have not done; it's not about what they are capable of doing. And it's not about what they will be doing in the future." ~ 55%

I almost gave up at 13% but the power of bookhearts' persuasive positive reviews made me stick with Black Cake. Why? Because it was getting to be too many characters and POVs for my liking. Having finished the novel, I understand it was the right way to tell this story. Let me tell you more.

Two estranged siblings set aside their differences to deal with a puzzling inheritance from their mother. After her death, she leaves behind a traditional Caribbean black cake and an hours-long voice recording. She shares the story of her younger days on the island, the mystery of a long-lost child and other revelations that make the siblings question whether they really knew their mom. As it often happens in real life, secrets are revealed when a matriarch passes away!

Layers on layers on layers. The older generation is a constant backdrop even through the "Now" chapters. It is evident that debut author Charmaine Wilkerson is a grand storyteller that took her time, did the research and appreciates the art of writing. Black Cake is not for the impatient reader. It is a slow methodical journey through a family's secrets, betrayals, relationships and changes over the years. Family drama can be complex, especially in fiction.

Happy Pub Day, Charmaine Wilkerson! Black Cake 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.

Title: Black Cake
Author: Charmaine Wilkerson
Published: February 2022
Pages: 400
Edition: Galley
Genre: Historical Family Fiction

Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤