A Pair of Wings

"I can see you handle the unexpected well." ~ pg. 102

A Pair of Wings is an adventurous novel inspired by the true life of pioneer aviatrix Bessie Coleman, the first Black woman pilot. The story begins when Bessie spots an airplane flying over her head as she is working the Texas cotton fields. She knew it was freedom in those wings.

Bessie moves to Chicago then to Europe, where she learns French and earns her pilot's license. She learns death-defying stunts from French and German combat pilots. While there is no prejudice in the air, there are challenges on the ground that Bessie grapples with all while planning a show in the sky that will awe the world.

A Pair of Wings is inspiring, insightful and beautifully written. It celebrates the life of an aviation icon. The author is an airline captain that draws upon her personal experience for the finer details of this new novel based on true events. I can appreciate her storytelling without using jargon and details that would confuse a regular reader. She could have easily went nerd girl but kept it relatable and interesting. Hopson also does a great job of capturing life in the 1920s. Worth the read!

Happy Early Pub Day, Carole Hopson! A Pair of Wings will be available Tuesday, August 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. ~LiteraryMarie

Title: A Pair of Wings
Author: Carole Hopson
Published: August 2024
Pages: 414
Edition: Galley
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤

Worst Case Scenario

"It would be an extinction-level event, sir." ~ 21%

Tragedy in the air. A pilot suffers a heart attack at 35,000 feet. The commercial plane has a full flight of passengers as it crashes into a nuclear power plant. Emergency responders, power plant employees, neighbors, friends, families, teachers and brave ordinary people are all affected. If you cannot image the domino effect of this tragic event, it is laid out within the pages of a new thriller titled Worst Case Scenario. 

One of the stages of copyediting that I offer to clients is whether the material is appropriate for the intended audience. Readers should not feel confused or the need to look up every other word/phrase. Authors should not dumb down content and risk insulting the reader. In this book, thank goodness for the "dumb firefighter questions" because I would have been lost with all the jargon.

"Emotions and Logistics" ~ 54%

There is a thin line between experience/knowledge and talking above the average person's understanding. It is more than apparent that Newman has a background in aviation. This serves her well in writing gripping stories. But make it understandable for those of us with no idea of the logistics behind a plane crash or nuclear events.

Unlike Newman's other novels that I categorize as hits, Worst Case Scenario was a miss. I was lost because of the language. I grew bored because of too many details. And I couldn't keep track of the many characters. If you are new to T.J. Newman, do NOT read Worst Case Scenario first as it might turn you off. I recommend her other novels.

Happy Early Pub Day, T.J. Newman! Worst Case Scenario will be available Tuesday, August 13.

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. ~LiteraryMarie

Title: Worst Case Scenario
Author: T.J. Newman
Published: August 2024
Pages: 336
Edition: Galley
Genre: Thriller
Rating: 🖤 🖤

Never Saw Me Coming

"So, as a Black woman, I'm incapable of being smart?" ~ pg. 129

Never Saw Me Coming is a true crime story of a young Black woman who created a scheme to manipulate the banking system out of millions. Tanya Smith was a computer-savvy wiz. As a young girl, she used technology to acquire the phone numbers to celebrities such as Michael Jackson. She gradually worked her skills and deposited money into her grandmother's bank account. Seeing how unsuspecting and easy it was, she took bigger risks. By the age of 18, she had stolen millions in cash. Eventually she is caught, sentenced and released thanks to her own brilliant defense.

I struggled through reading Never Saw Me Coming. I questioned the credibility of the narrator within the first few pages. In fact, I was tempted to stop reading but I wanted to see just how outlandish the story would get. Simply put, it was not believable. It was contradicting. It was not factual—and I base this on my own personal knowledge of working in financial institutions from the teller line to a Banker and management position to back office operations. 

I am in disbelief that parts of the story and name drops were approved in the editing process. Nonetheless, this is not what bothered me most about Never Saw Me Coming. It was the author's lack of remorse and pride of her financial crimes. She was bragging about defrauding banks pocketing millions of dollars, writing about an extravagant lifestyle while complaining about her and her family being harassed by the FBI as if it were unwarranted. 

I could have tolerated this memoir if Tanya's story ended with using her smarts for greater good. But nope, it ended with more selfish pride and an unforgiving air of "look what I got away with." All I can say is wow unbelievable!

Happy Early Pub Day, Tanya Smith! Never Saw Me Coming will be available Tuesday, August 13.

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. ~LiteraryMarie

Title: Never Saw Me Coming
Author: Tanya Smith
Published: August 2024
Pages: 431
Edition: Galley
Genre: Memoir
Rating: 🖤

Series Sunday: A Spicy Predicament

(Eugeena Patterson Mystery #6) 

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.

"It appears our mission at this stage of our lives involves helping people who need it. Location doesn't seem to be a factor." ~ 41%

My Series Sunday pick is A Spicy Predicament, the sixth book in the Eugeena Patterson mystery series by Tyora Moody. Eugeena Patterson-Jones did not intend to spend her retirement years as an amateur sleuth. But here we are! Perhaps being a schoolteacher for thirty years made her interested in learning little-known facts about people. But as the quote above says, it appears to be her mission.

Eugeena and Amos are finally heading to their honeymoon. As part of a surprise, Eugeena is treated to a concert starring one of her favorite singers, also a childhood friend. Cinnamon invites the newlywed couple backstage after the show. The fun reunion quickly turns into a murder scene. Now the planned romantic getaway takes a backseat to saving her old friend's life.

"I hadn't been to a repast that didn't offer a plate of fried chicken, string beans, macaroni and cheese, a Hawaiian roll and a hunk of pound cake." ~ 69%

I love culinary cozy mysteries! And right now, Tyora Moody is my preferred author since I'm binge-reading most of her books. Super easy reading with the right touch of whodunit, not so obvious clues and characters that make you smile. I even took a liking to the suspects which made the mystery a wee bit harder to solve. Eugeena and Amos may be a long way from home but their investigative skills are sharp as ever.

I immediately started reading the next book so that tells you how much I enjoy this cozy mystery series. I recommend for light reading, Bookhearts!

Title: A Spicy Predicament

Author: Tyora Moody

Published: September 2023

Pages: 209

Edition: eBook

Genre: Cozy Mystery

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'm at the Integrity Bank job for forty minutes before the anxieties kick in."

~ Rosewater by Tade Thompson

Join the Sistahs Be Readin' Book Club on Patreon!

When You Were Mine

"But paradise comes at a cost. That's what the brochures don't tell you." ~ 28%

Two women. Two families. One life-changing mistake.

Nicole's life is a mess. Her marriage is falling apart and the arrival of a baby girl did not bring joy to the home. Especially because as she grows, there is less of a resemblance to her husband. Nicole's friend Victoria lives a seemingly perfect life in Spain. When they reunite, the visit takes an unexpected turn. A shock diagnosis reveals a mistake that changes their lives but could save a family.

If that synopsis sounds deep, it is. I am trying not to spoil the plot while letting you Bookhearts know it is worth reading.

"This whole nature versus nurture thing is such a bitch." ~ 77%

Heart-strings? Tugged. Eyes? Teary. Emotions? Pulled. These are my immediate thoughts upon finishing When You Were Mine. It is the type of book that you cannot help but to imagine what if. I sincerely do not know what I would do in this situation. This made the story all the more interesting. 

It may seem like a tearjerker of a read but it really is balanced. The opposite types of marriage, the difference in setting and the different household roles all contribute to a well-rounded story. Beautiful writing, Emma-Claire Wilson, on this powerful novel of motherhood, friendship and what family means.

Happy Pub Day, Emma-Claire Wilson! When You Were Mine 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. ~LiteraryMarie

Title: When You Were Mine
Author: Emma-Claire Wilson
Published: August 2024
Pages: 353
Edition: Galley
Genre: Chick Lit
Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤

Lit Tidbits: One-Star Reviews

Hey, Bookhearts! Lately my choices in books have been wack. Read the pithy reviews below of my recent one-star reviews.

Title: Rosewater

Author: Tade Thompson
Published: February 2017
Pithy Review: Chosen for July's Sistahs Be Readin' book of the month, this science fiction went way over my head. The writing style of incomplete sentences, alternating timelines from 2066 to 2042 to 2045 back to 2066 then to 2043, unnecessary plots and descriptive paragraphs wore me out. By the end, I didn't care about the town or its residents, the main character, his love interest or the damn alien. How this novel won numerous awards and high ratings is beyond me!
Quote: "Old people know shit and like to share." ~ pg. 45
Recommend or Nah? ⭐️

Title: Love Painted in Lies

Author: Holly Denham
Published: May 2024
Pithy Review: I still vividly remember the first Holly Denham novel I read because it was so different in style. Ever since, I have been looking for the next great book composed of e-mails. When contacted to review this new book, I was geeked! No, it is not the style I was looking for but it was by the same author. Which made my reading experience even more disappointing. It is meant to be a feel-good comedy romance. Not once did I LOL. 
Quote: "Now, please don't judge me any more than you have..." ~ 77%
Recommend or Nah? ⭐️

Title: One of Our Kind

Author: Nicola Yoon
Published: June 2024
Pithy Review: The best way I can describe the latest Nicola Yoon's novel is it was unexpectedly off. At one point I was ready to throw the library book clean across the room if it mentioned police brutality one more time. Enough already! I got it the first fittylem times! Considering I enjoy her other books, I kept reading until the bitter end. And now my entire opinion of the author has changed. Was this really her intended message about, and to, Black people?!
Quote: "This is my work. This is my underground railroad. This is how I lead my people to freedom." ~ pg. 250
Recommend or Nah? ⭐️