Lit Tidbits: The Classics

Nobody:                                                

Me: *quoting Harry Potter 20 years later*

The Intellects: Have you read The Four Agreements?

Me: Yes, and it changed my life! 

Lit to TV Review: Reacher

Retired Military Police Officer Jack Reacher is on screen! He is wrongly arrested for murder and finds himself in the middle of a dirty cop conspiracy. The businessmen and scheming politicians must clear the way for Reacher to clear his mysterious name and figure out what's really happening in Georgia. The first season of Reacher is based on Killing Floor. 

Bookhearts know I am a huge fan of the Jack Reacher series by Lee Child. I tried watching the movie starring Tom Cruise but he was so far from the character that it was a no-go. Well Amazon Prime has an original TV series featuring actor Alan Richardson. He is perfect for the role far as physical traits of the fictional character. But the smart assy comments and humor comes off the screen as awkward. I am not sold. And the immediate love interest caused an eye roll. I'mma pass on this TV series and will just enjoy reading Reacher instead.

12.21.2023 Update: I binge-watched S1 and it was just okay. S2 is so good!

Title: Reacher
Author: Lee Child
Cast: Alan Richardson (Jack Reacher)

Network: Prime Video

S1 Premiere: February 2022
Episode Time: 1 Hour
Genre: Thriller
Edition: Paperback & eBooks

Challenge: Perpetual Jack Reacher
Book Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤
Show Rating: DNF

Short Story Sunday: My Dear Friend Janet

(Southern Belle Insults #1) 

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

• Read a short story.
• Share your review/recommendation below.
• Include the title, author and series name.

"But a wig is a girl's mask. It's the one thing that can turn her into someone new almost instantly, or bring something out of her that she had no idea she had." ~ 59%

Shy Janet and her fifty shades of beige! If only she had the courage to flirt with the handsome barista, wear colors other than brown and speak up at work. When she walks past a beauty supply store, a magical wig catches her attention. Janet dares to try a new style and hopefully shakes things up.

My Dear Friend Janet gave me 30 minutes of an entertaining original short story. Throughout the short eBook, Janet gives herself little pep talks. That inner voice known as the sensational Lady Miss Jacqueline is too funny with the narration. The southern drawl is everything! What a unique idea that really engages the reader. 

I am gladly moving on to the next in series. You can easily read or listen to these all at once too. 

Title: My Dear Friend Janet
Authors: Keke Palmer with Jasmine Guillory 
Published: November 2021
Pages: 25

Edition: eBook

Series: Southern Belle Insults
Genre: Humor 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.

"Had August Molloy not returned from the dead that morning in Detroit, the Molloy family line would've ended in the bathroom of a farm-to-table restaurant midway through lunch service."

~ Chevy in the Hole by Kelsey Ronan

This Golden State

"My heart was full of I want." ~ 22%

Bonnie + Clyde + 2 daughters = The Winslow family. There are five principles to live by:

1. No using your real name.
2. No staying in one place too long.
3. If something's weird, take one thing and run to the meeting spot.
4. Keeping our family together is everything.
5. Don't ask about the past. For your own safety.

Poppy and her family has been on the run in all her seventeen years. So whatever happened was eighteen years ago. To this point, it's been new locations every few months, new social security numbers and names, new schools and cash-under-the-table jobs. The only constant is family poker night with Poppy, her little sister and parents. She's now restless and begins searching for the truth, starting with a DNA test. Soon her parent's real identities become clear. Unraveling the truth has dire consequences.

The best way to describe This Golden State is a slow burn. It starts off really slow and is dull in the middle. I wanted to stop reading a few times but then a chapter comes along just in time for me to continue reading. It really didn't get interesting until Chapter Thirty-Eight (38). With only 30% left in the book, I finally got to a point where I read nonstop. A little background story upfront would have helped tremendously!

Far as YA thrillers, This Golden State fits the genre perfectly. I just wish it was written in a different style to grab my attention early on. Less mundane details, more suspense building. The romance was a nice surprise along with an open ending. I almost missed out on what became a good read.

Happy Pub Day, Marit Weisenberg! This Golden State 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: This Golden State
Author: Marit Weisenberg
Published: March 2022
Pages: 400
Edition: Galley

Genre: Young Adult Thriller
Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤

Short Story Sunday: The Last Suspicious Holdout: Stories

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

• Read a short story.
• Share your review/recommendation below.
• Include the title, author and series name.

"Between profits and prophets." ~ 32%

Discover historical fiction through relationships in a Black neighborhood from the late 1980s to the eve of President Obama's inauguration. The story takes place in an unnamed Southern suburb. Each story features Black families, friends and neighbors. They explore education, healthcare, politics and the "war on drugs." (Remember that, 80s babies?)

I am not a fan of short story collections but The Last Suspicious Holdout held my interest throughout. It disregards stereotypes and gives a fuller look into the life of Black Americans. It celebrates Black resilience and I am here for it! This is a good short story collection for Black History Month. 

Happy Early Pub Day, Ladee Hubbard! The Last Suspicious Holdout: Stories will be available Tuesday, March 1.

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 Last Suspicious Holdout: Stories
Author: Ladee Hubbard
Published: March 2022
Pages: 208

Edition: Galley
Genre: Historical 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.

"Gather round, my adoring admirers, as I, the famous Lady Miss Jacqueline, spin you a tale of MAGIC! MYSTERY! Annnnd HAIR CARE!"

~ My Dear Friend Janet by Keke Palmer with Jasmine Guillory