Successful Failure

"Another lesson is that sometimes you just don't belong at a place." ~ pg. 37%

You may not recognize him under his guhment name, Kevin Fredericks. So allow me to present to you: KevOnStage. Successful Failure: Lessons Learned Flat on My Face chronicles his path to super stardom. He quickly learned from a young age the power of making people laugh. But as with anyone, the closer we get to our dreams, the harder the road gets. Kev lays it all bare in this new book with no shame. From pooping on himself, to partnering with a barber to supply everyone in the hood with credit cards, to going viral as a standup comedian.

Successful Failure has its LOL moments. But it is more-so about Kev's journey to become the comedic star he is today. I expected more lessons and motivational passages with an element of humor. Instead this book is more like a timeline of Kev's misadventures that led to a career and a final goodbye to jokes he retired. Nothing in particular stood out enough to make it a must-read. 

Happy Early Pub Day, Kevin Fredericks! Successful Failure will be available Tuesday, September 23.

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: Successful Failure: Lessons Learned Flat on My Face
Author: Kevin Fredericks
Published: September 2025
Pages: 262
Edition: Galley
Genre: Memoir
Rating: 🖤 🖤

Series Sunday: Reacher: The Stories Behind the Stories

(Jack Reacher) 

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 Reacher: The Stories Behind the Stories, a collection of essays related to the Jack Reacher series by Lee Child. Ever since making his debut in 1997 with The Killing Floor, Reacher has been popular. Here we are almost 30 years later and Reacher is still relevant, starring in a hit television series adaptation. 

Reacher: The Stories Behind the Stories is a treat. Lee Child lets readers behind the scenes of what inspired every book of the Reacher series. Each essay features a Reacher book in chronological order from The Killing Floor to 2019's Blue Moon. We learn what inspired the plot, how the location was determined, what was happening in Lee Child's real life at the time of publication, title hassles and more colorful anecdotes.

"Normality was back, with all its snark and petty concerns." pg. 43

It was like reading his index cards or outline notes found in an unlocked desk drawer. Although I was disappointed that Lee Child did not cover how Andrew joined the writing team and their process. It was addressed before in an Author's Note but would have been nice to include in this collection too. My favorite part was learning more about Lee Child's writing style when it comes to leaving gaps. (You'll have to read when it releases to find out more!)

Please do not mistake this for a new full length novel of the Reacher series; it is strictly a behind-the-scenes look. But fans are given a surprise short story at the end to satisfy that Reacher fix you are sure to have by the end!

Happy Early Pub Day, Lee Child! Reacher: The Stories Behind the Stories will be available Tuesday, September 9.

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: Reacher: The Stories Behind the Stories

Author: Lee Child

Published: September 2025

Pages: 219

Edition: Galley

Genre: Nonfiction of 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.

"We've been driving for about seven thousand years."

~ The Summer I Turned Pretty: The Collection by Jenny Han

The Dating Prohibition

"Nobody knows better in the moment." ~ 77%

Entrepreneur Kendra has returned home to open her speakeasy supper club. She's knocked off balance when her childhood crush turns up. BJ is her big brother's best friend. He's always been that cool, chill dude. Now Kendra "Keke" is all grown up and he is most definitely taking notice. It's just a couple things: Kendra is trying to fulfill her professional dreams and BJ is strictly off limits.

The Dating Prohibition was just okay. I was first drawn to the cover with its beautiful brown characters on display in muted background autumn colors. It screams fall romance! I have enjoyed Taj McCoy's previous books so I expected this new release to be better than it turned out to be. I am not sure if it was the supporting characters or what, but I could not get into it. I found myself more annoyed with her family's lack of support and wit that fell flat.

For Bookhearts looking for a seasonal romance read, do not expect much spice from The Dating Prohibition. Although, it checks the boxes for a rom-com, off-limits romance.

Happy Pub Day, Taj McCoy! The Dating Prohibition 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: The Dating Prohibition
Author: Taj McCoy
Published: September 2025
Pages: 248
Edition: Galley
Genre: Romance
Rating: 🖤 🖤

The New Book

"We smile at our books and I occasionally dust them." ~ pg. 13

For decades, Nikki Giovanni's poetry has been a part of American culture. In this final collection, she writes about the delights and upheaval of our time, sprinkled with family history. Topics include police brutality, white supremacy, the presidency, the epidemic and her own life experiences. 

Nikki Giovanni's wisdom shines through poems, letters, blurbs and respectful rants. It is full of beautiful harsh truths. I bookmarked and highlighted a lot of passages. It is a very well put together piece of literature. The New Book is Nikki Giovanni's final collection to be savored and revisited.

"And Detroit became The Voice of Young Black America that the world copied." ~ pg. 100

Happy Pub Day, Nikki Giovanni! May she rest in heavenly literary peace. The New Book 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: The New Book: Poems, Letters, Blurbs and Things
Author: Nikki Giovanni
Published: September 2025
Pages: 146
Edition: Galley
Genre: Poetry
Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤

Billion-Dollar Ransom

"These kidnappers are asking for the equivalent of the weight of a thousand toddlers in cash?" ~ pg. 69

The plan is unlike any other. A ten-figure ransom. A stubborn FBI agent. Six kidnappers. Two children taken from a school bus. A film producer and movie star grabbed from a resort. A wife whisked off the street of a beauty salon. All at the same time, down to the second! The connection is a billionaire patriarch who wants his family back.

The Billion-Dollar Ransom was my first book read by Duane Swierczynski. I am familiar with a few of Patterson's co-authors but he was a newbie to me. Their writing styles meshed together well, making for a good thriller with a bit of suspense. There were a lot of characters but each was well-developed with individual personalities and interesting chemistry.

"Are you trying to make this plan go to shit?" ~ pg. 161 

Was it a perfect plan? Almost. Was it a predictable thriller? Kinda. Was it page-turning? Yes, by default, because of Patterson's signature short chapters. The action began immediately and continued down to the wire. Would I recommend it? Sure.

Happy Early Pub Day, James Patterson and Duane Swierczynski! Billion-Dollar Ransom will be available Monday, September 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. ~LiteraryMarie

Title: Billion-Dollar Ransom
Author: James Patterson and Duane Swierczynski
Published: September 2025
Pages: 312
Edition: Galley
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤

I Should Be Smarter By Now

In this new comically insightful collection titled I Should Be Smarter By Now, Issa Rae shares her aspirational journey from childhood to cultural storyteller. She redefines modern success and tells the deets in candid, often hilarious, essays. Issa Rae allows readers to go behind the scenes of her empire. She does not shy away from the downs, praises the ups, unabashedly reveals the challenges and shares her creative vision. 

1. The Business of Being Me 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤
2. Playing Well With Others 🖤 🖤
3. The Geography of Creativity 🖤 🖤 🖤
4. I See You Seeing Me 🖤 🖤 🖤
5. The Art of Strategic Procrastination 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤
6. I Almost Know What I'm Doing 🖤 🖤 🖤 

This Amazon Original Stories collection consists of six (6) quick eBooks that readers may consume in one sitting, even while taking notes. It is a masterclass in literary format designed for those on the go, looking for quick inspiration and an authentic comedic take on success. I had plenty of highlighted quotes and tips by the time I finished. Get inspired for free with Prime or Kindle Unlimited membership. 📖🎧

Happy Pub Day, Issa Rae! I Should Be Smarter By Now collection 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: I Should Be Smarter By Now
Author: Issa Rae
Published: August 2025
Pages: 107
Edition: eBook
Genre: Nonfiction
Ratings: see above