Let Me Hold You by Alexandria House (A Book Review)

Leland McClain is the youngest of the McClain siblings. He is a professional basketball player who also volunteers with a youth basketball camp at a recreational center. Leland has a thing for older women and sets his sights on the center’s director Kim Hampton. He is determined to make Kim Hampton his woman.

Kim Hampton is hard at work, running the center. The center is owned by her son, who is also a professional basketball player. Although she notices Leland and his good looks, she is determined to remain professional.

When a hostile incident occurs at one of the youth’s family home, it brings them even closer professionally. However, sparks begin igniting beneath the surface. Leland is all for it. Kim, not so much. Her troubled past, as well as a dark secret, is preventing her from freely acknowledging their relationship.

I enjoyed the story. Although it was very entertaining and had funny moments, it had a slightly darker tone than the first book. I especially like the updates on Jo and Everett, that was a welcomed surprise.

Leland was affirming and steadfast in his love for Kim. Kim’s strained relationships with her son and mom was a struggle to read. I hated seeing their interactions with Kim. However, I liked how House developed the conflict. Although it was uncomfortable to witness, it felt very real.

They (Kim’s mom and son) made me so mad; I had several “talk back” moments throughout the book. If I had the physical copy of the book, I’m sure I would have thrown it across the room. This is the third book I’ve read from this author. She is officially a mainstay of authors whose work I like. I’m so ready to get to the next installment in this series.

Rating 9/10

Crush by Ivy Symone (A Book Review)

Jasmine has had a crush on Sean for years. After years of not seeing Jazmin as a romantic interest, Sean shift gears and entertains the thought of exploring something more substantial with her. Before long, they are involved in a full blown love affair. It’s everything Jazmin could wish for, even down to the impending parenthood between the two. But there’s a catch, Sean is married. Even more, he is married to Jazmin’s sister’s good friend, Rayven.

Jah is the edgy, loud, and rude guy in the friend group. He has full knowledge of the affair between Sean and Jazmin. When Jazmin gives birth to Sean’s baby, Jah becomes invested at first to help keep Jazmin and Sean’s situationship from being exposed. Things get complicated when Jah’s heart is held captive by Jazmin and her baby girl. Will this fire between Sean, Jazmin, and Jah remain contained?

I loved the quick pace of the story. Drama filled and hard hitting, it kept my interest. I read this book in less than a week. It definitely has the can’t put down factor. Sean had quite the nerve to be possessive of Jazmin while still being married to Rayven. I liked seeing Jah’s care and concern for Jazmin and her baby girl. It’s the first book in a series of 3. I will be reading the other books for sure.

Rating 10/10

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston (A Book Review)

Janie Crawford was a young girl born with a freedom in her spirit. That freedom was stifled by her grandmother”s  fear for her future.  Janie’s grandmother knew she was all she had in her world, and wanted to ensure security for Janie when she was no longer here.

Janie fought against  it initially. Though she didn’t lean into it, she did resign herself to her grandmother’s suggestion that she marry an elder gentleman named Logan Killicks. Janie settled into her marriage with Logan. Janie’s  restlessness bubbling beneath the surface, created conflict almost immediately. The union appeared shaky from the onset.

When Joe Starks passes through town, Janie takes her chance to escape from what she perceives as a life of gloom. Joe Starks was distinguished and self assured, a man going places. They married and hopped on a train to a town in Florida where he became the mayor. Janie became a woman expected to stifle her own ideas. As the mayor’s  wife, she was not allowed to mingle too closely with the common townsfolk.

Once Joe Starks is no longer in her world, she emerges as freedom personified. She looses her hair and takes to wearing overalls, and embraces her innate carefree spirit.

A young and carefree man named Tea Cake crosses Janie’s path. From the  beginning of their encounter, Tea Cake was Janie’s home. Wild, beautiful, and free best describes their love and union.They celebrate each other with joyful abandon. Janie is encouraged to come forth fully as herself,  which was discouraged prior to Teacake’s presence in her life.

A storm appears in their town and changes things;  bringing with it loss and uncertainty. It changes the course of Janie’s life profusely. Janie’s journey of walking in the freedom she always had within was  fascinating to experience as a reader. I read this book years ago as a high school student and loved it. It was a joy to read it all these years later as an adult. The story is part cautionary tale, part deliberate allowance. Their Eyes Were Watching God is truly a classic work art .

** Impactful Words From The Book**

It’s uh known fact, Pheoby, you got tuh go there tuh know there.

Two things everybody’s got tuh do fuh theyselves. They got tuh go tuh God, and they got tuh find out about livin’ fuh theyselves.”

Rating 10/10

My Voice: A Memoir by Angie Martinez (A Book Review)

Driven, focused, and present. That’s only a few attributes to describe Angie Martinez. From an act as simple as showing up, Angie carved out a path for herself that allowed her to walk into her purpose. Simultaneously, she gained legendary status in radio by reveling in her genuine love for hip hop and possessing fierce work ethic.

It was inspiring seeing a young woman  figuring it out as she goes along, yet be very present and intentional in that exact space. Angie’s integrity and awareness has served her and her listeners for the greater good. This was a remarkable read with loads of life gems. Especially inspiring was her marathon experience. Angie sums it up like this: “Challenge yourself. If you can’t imagine the finish line, the first step is to just show up. And don’t worry about what everyone else is doing. Run your own race.” It was a pleasure to read her story.

Rating: 10/10

Will by Will Smith (A Book Review)

This was an interesting read. Will laid his life out as honest as he could. He bared his inner struggles with what he deemed as cowardice early in his life; a trait that he appeared to carry and battle with throughout his life.

He spoke of how inadequacies in his early life fueled his personal recipe for success. He was able to carve a successful path for himself and his family at least it appeared so externally. He confessed that the success did not always transfer internally within his family.

I enjoyed reading this memoir. It had a few gems as takeaways sprinkled throughout the book. One downside was that in certain instances the book came across as preachy. I would have liked for it to remain matter of fact and/or recounting solely on his experience in those instances.

It felt as if he was giving a lecture to his readers at times instead of trusting his readers enough to get it.

Impactful quote:
Living is the journey from not knowing to knowing. From not understanding to understanding. From confusion to clarity.

Rating 8/10

Beautiful Little Fools by Jillian Cantor (A Book Review)

Jay Gatsby, an alluring young man with promise, was shot to death at his West Egg, NY home. For all intents and purposes, this is a clear cut case of murder-suicide between local mechanic George Wilson and Jay Gatsby.

Not everyone believes this solid and neatly crafted conclusion to this unfortunate ordeal. Enter Detective Frank Charles, who is called in to find out what really happened. Detective Charles is relentless and is determined to do just that once he finds a diamond hairpin near the murder scene.

During his investigation, three women become persons of interest. Daisy Buchanan, a woman from Gatsby’s past who is currently married to Tom Buchanan, a philandering millionaire. Jordan Baker, an excellent golf player who plays on the national circuit, is Daisy”s best friend and knows Gatsby from earlier years as well. Catherine McCoy, a suffragette, passionate about women rights, whose sister Myrtle Wilson, is in an abusive marriage, is also a familiar acquaintance of Gatsby.

All three women are entangled in an intricate web of deception and obsession, carefully orchestrated by Gatsby himself. Will Detective Charles uncover the truth of who really led Gatsby to his demise?

A brilliant remix on the classic, The Great Gatsby, Beautiful Little Fools, offers a strongly crafted possibility of what happened to J. Gatsby. It is told from the perspectives of the women in Gatsby’s world.

I absolutely loved the reworking of The Great Gatsby. In Beautiful Little Fools, Cantor with much care and respect for the original story, beautifully offered a nuanced retelling of the timeless classic. It brought into focus the women of the Great Gatsby in an interesting way. I thoroughly enjoyed every drop.

Rating 9/10

The Two Lives of Sara by Catherine Adel West (A Book Review)

Sara King, an expectant mother, appears in Memphis under the cloak of hidden truths to start life anew. She arrives at a boarding house ran by a fiesty but warm matriarch named Mama Sugar. Shortly after Sara arrives, she gives birth to a son she names Lebanon.

They’re embraced as family by Mama Sugar, her husband Mr. Vanellys, their grandson William, the boarders and some of the people in community. Sara’s hard exterior starts to soften. It all but vanishes when she starts a romance with William’s teacher, Jonas.

Sara’s embraces her newfound joy. But when the past collides with the present, it brings with it the possibility of forever altering the future for Sara and the people in her life both now and in the future.

There were so many profound moments in this story. The writing was impeccable and poignant. This story will stay with me always. Some of the quotes that both moved me and gave me pause were as follows:

“Well, what’s done is done but I found out when people go through hard places, they don’t need tough’ an they don’t need coddling. They need mercy.” ~Mr. Vanellys

“Friendships are strange evolving collections of laughter and fights and secrets, this rarified brew of humanity you choose to share with another person. And I want that again. To feel close to someone. To share with someone.” ~Sara

“So if you struggle or see someone struggling, seek understanding. You don’t know the wars people fight on the inside. No one save the Lord knows about those inside battles.” ~ Sara’s mother.

“No one likes to own the harm they did to others, it makes them hurt in a forever kind of way.” ~ Sara

“Everything we go through reshapes us, makes us new.”~ Cora

Rating: 10/10

Wild Women and The Blues by Denny S. Bryce (A Book Review)

In 1925 Chicago, Honeree Dalcour is a showgirl at one of the hottest clubs in town. She has socialized with the likes of Louis Armstrong, Lil Hardin, Oscar Michaux, and many other famous celebs.. Her life is fabulous and exciting on the Chicago jazz scene. She befriends a quiet and aspiring showgirl, Bessie Palmer, who becomes like a sister to her. They are protective of one another. They have determined to make the best life possible. Between their dancing, developing friendships with local celebrities, and Honeree’s tailoring skills, they’re well on their way.

Life takes a turn, when she spots Ezekiel, her first love, in the crowd of the club where she dances. The last time she saw him was when he and his family vanished three years ago, leaving her broken hearted. But, there’s something different about Ezekiel. No longer is he the quiet boy from a well-to-do family, there’s an edginess to him now. Ezekiel has connections with several unsavory characters that lends to his edginess. Honeree is torn between anger and the deep seated longing she’s held for him since he left three years ago. Will things work out for them or has the time passed for their youthful promises to be fulfilled? Will Ezekiel’s unscrupulous dealings threaten any semblance of happiness for them?

In 2015. Ms. Honeree is in a senior facility in Chicago. She is visited by a young film grad student, Sawyer Hayes. Sawyer is working on his thesis, which involves a lost Oscar Michaux film that Ms. Honeree can help provide some missing information about. When Sawyer and Honeree meet however, it doesn’t make for an easy rapport at first. Honeree is reluctant and Sawyer is impatient. Over time, Honeree opens up only to weave a story laced with lies and clouded in cover-ups. Sawyer discovers so much about himself during his time with Honeree. Honeree gets to free herself of some ghosts of her past.

This was a gripping story filled with beautiful imagery of Chicago during the 1920’s. I loved the alternating timeline between that time and the present day with Sawyer. It was needed, because it helped to explain the importance of knowledge in many situations. It filled in many blanks for me and brought the story full circle.

Rating: 8/10

Love Lettering by Kate Clayborn (A Book Review)

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Reid Sutherland is a handsome man, reminiscent of a work of art. He is scheduled to marry a beautiful lady named Avery. A year later, it is discovered that the marriage never took place. Reid comes looking for Meg, the business owner that made the wedding programs for he and Avery’s special day. When he reaches her at her place of business, he has one single question for her. He asked her ” how did you know?” Meg is taken aback and flustered all at once. When he sees she is either truly clueless or feigning cluelessness, he shows her the pattern in her lettering work , that actually spelled out M-I-S-T-A-K-E. She can’t explain immediately, she’s too embarrassed. Now Meg has yet another dilemma piled on to what she’s currently dealing with; the growing distance between herself and her best friend Sibby. How will she navigate through these choppy waters?

Meg hides behind a cheerful and pleasant persona because it’s all she knows. If she has feelings of displeasure, she suppresses it. But she is an artist at heart, so she is perceptive and passionate about her work. As an artist, no matter how she tries to suppress unpleasant feelings or warnings, it either manifests itself as one of her “blocks” or comes out in a hidden message in her work. With the growing distance between her and Sibby, it was more avoidance, and she starting having inspirational blocks. With Reid and Avery’s relationship, it came out as a warning and subconsciously, it manifested as a message. Reid and Avery was a trigger for her because they were reminiscent of her parents’ marriage, the signs were familiar.

When Reid confronted her a year later about the mistake message, she couldn’t run from it. With Reid being direct, it forced her not to lie to herself. She could not retreat to her safe space. It opened her up to face how she felt about her work, her friendship with Sibby, and her feelings for Reid. There were very sweet moments in the story. Like when Reid expresses his hate for the city, yet he tells Meg, “You’re the best part of the city.” When I first read about Sibby and the distance, I didn’t like her. Even though it wasn’t revealed initially why the distance between her and Meg was happening, I was already leaning toward Meg. It felt like Meg didn’t deserve the treatment. Once it was revealed, I was still upset because I felt like it was a selfish reason. Sibby later gained my approval because she was there for Meg when it really counted. I also liked the Lark and Cameron development in the story. I liked how Meg gained a new friend in Lark. Albeit from a business venture, it was a friendship that proved to be beneficial for both of them.

I did enjoy the story, but honestly, it became exhausting, I was ready to be finished with it at times. The pace started great. I was engaged early on, but somewhere in the middle it was a little flat. I think it was the letter and font descriptions throughout the story, it was a bit of an overkill for me. I think it was so much of it, that it contributed to the lackluster parts of the story.

Rating: 6/10