Afro Bougie Blues; A Collection of Short Fiction by Lauren Wilson

 

Synopsis 

Afro-Bougie Blues is a collection of twelve original, engaging, and occasionally edgy short stories that dig into the souls of ordinary black women and men meeting life’s challenges with courage and care. A newlywed considers her past abortion after having a miscarriage. An Army veteran subdues his war memories with alcohol. A woman who loses weight watches her marriage crumble around her. A single father reflects on his pre-teen daughter’s complicated questions about love. A married woman falls in love with a jazz singer. Watch as the protagonists find their way, find love, or find themselves amid the chaos. Explore the world of Afro-Bougie Blues. An extraordinary assortment of stories awaits you. Dig in.

My Thoughts

This short story collection was a quick enjoyable read. The stories delved deep into the everyday lives and struggles experienced by people of colour. Although I am of Afro Caribbean descent, I can agree that the struggles emphasized in this book depict the struggles we all face world wide in terms of relationships, dealing with mental health, addiction, loss. 

All the stories spoke to me in a different way and while I enjoyed them all there were a few favourites.

These were:

Transformations (My fav)

Me and Mrs. Matthews

Confessions of an Adulteress and

Alone with my Nightmares.

This was quite enjoyable and it is one of those books that I can see myself really picking up again and rereading these stories. I highly recommend this.

BOOK REVIEW; MALIBU RISING by TAYLOR JENKINS REID

 

Synopsis.

Malibu: August, 1983. It’s the day of Nina Riva’s annual end-of-summer party, and anticipation is at a fever pitch. Everyone wants to be around the famous Rivas: Nina, the talented surfer and supermodel; brothers Jay and Hud, one a championship surfer, the other a renowned photographer; and their adored baby sister, Kit. Together, the siblings are a source of fascination in Malibu and the world over—especially as the offspring of the legendary singer, Mick Riva.

The only person not looking forward to the party of the year is Nina herself, who never wanted to be the center of attention, and who has also just been very publicly abandoned by her pro tennis player husband. Oh, and maybe Hud—because it is long past time to confess something to the brother from whom he’s been inseparable since birth.

Jay, on the other hand, is counting the minutes until nightfall, when the girl he can’t stop thinking about promised she’ll be there.

And Kit has a couple secrets of her own—including a guest she invited without consulting anyone.

By midnight the party will be completely out of control. By morning, the Riva mansion will have gone up in flames. But before that first spark in the early hours before dawn, the alcohol will flow, the music will play, and the loves and secrets that shaped this family’s generations will all come bubbling to the surface.

Malibu Rising is a story about one unforgettable night in the life of a family: the night they each have to choose what they will keep from the people who made them... and what they will leave behind.

My Thoughts 

This has been my second time reading a book by Taylor Jenkins Reid. Before Malibu Rising I read The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and though I really enjoyed that book, somehow I liked this one more. I went into this book blindly, (not sure why I thought it would be a nice summer romance). Instead of a romance, what I found was a deeply emotional story about a famous music star Mick Riva and his tumultuous relationship with his four children Nina, Jay, Hud and Kit.

Not wanting to spoil the book too much in this review, I would mention just the general things that I loved about the book. First, I loved the time period, the book starts from around the 1960s up to the eighties, I loved reading about that era and of course Malibu. The story was told from the point of view of Mick's first daughter Nina Riva, and what I loved about Nina is that she represented strength and the reality is for many broken homes is that the eldest child, does in fact sacrifice a lot. Mick Riva represented a man who never dealt with his demons of the past, I really felt sorry for him though cause he never got that closure.

Can I talk about the party??? Wow the cast of characters all beautiful and equally flawed made for excellent reading. I am going to definitely read more of her books. 

NOTE: THIS WAS A BETWEEN THE PAGES BOOK CLUB PICK FOR JULY

TO JOIN THE BOOK CLUB DISCUSSIONS FOLLOW THE LINK BELOW

https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/1176278-between-the-pages-book-club

BOOK REVIEW: IT ENDS WITH US BY COLLEEN HOOVER

 Synopsis

Sometimes it is the one who loves you who hurts you the most.

Lily hasn’t always had it easy, but that’s never stopped her from working hard for the life she wants. She’s come a long way from the small town in Maine where she grew up — she graduated from college, moved to Boston, and started her own business. So when she feels a spark with a gorgeous neurosurgeon named Ryle Kincaid, everything in Lily’s life suddenly seems almost too good to be true.

Ryle is assertive, stubborn, maybe even a little arrogant. He’s also sensitive, brilliant, and has a total soft spot for Lily. And the way he looks in scrubs certainly doesn’t hurt. Lily can’t get him out of her head. But Ryle’s complete aversion to relationships is disturbing. Even as Lily finds herself becoming the exception to his “no dating” rule, she can’t help but wonder what made him that way in the first place.

As questions about her new relationship overwhelm her, so do thoughts of Atlas Corrigan — her first love and a link to the past she left behind. He was her kindred spirit, her protector. When Atlas suddenly reappears, everything Lily has built with Ryle is threatened.

MY THOUGHTS

I am at the point where I can say that Colleen Hoover is a master storyteller. This story took me on an emotional rollercoaster. I am not sure why I was expecting a typical romance book though. Lily and Ryle's relationship was really interesting. I loved Atlas for obvious reasons but it was Ryle that I connected with the most in this book. He was not the typical profile (*MINI SPOLIER) of an abuser. He was a neurosurgeon, handsome with a great family all in all a good catch. I believe Ryle's character was a deliberate and brilliant choice by the author. In the beginning I could not help but fall in love with Ryle Kincaid and then everything just changed.

The turn of events was in one word "BRILLIANT." I also liked Lily's journal entries her letters to Ellen. It was a clever way, I think to talk about her past life. And OMG how could you not love Atlas I mean he is just floored and perfect. The only thing I think is that Lily took a bit too long to come to a decision about Ryle and it left me guessing too much. In a way it just made me want to read faster.

Prior to this book I read Verity and Ugly Love (both were equally good), however I think this one was the best for me so far. On to the next one. I may try "Layla". 

BOOK REVIEW : HER PERFECT LIFE by EMILY SHINER

Synopsis

Millie has just served a long sentence for a murder she didn’t commit. It’s her identical twin sister Eve who was the killer – and the person who framed Millie.

Millie is willing to forgive Eve and hopes they can still be loving sisters. But when she is released, instead of welcoming her, Eve coldly rejects her. Now Millie only wants one thing – revenge.

Eve seems to have the perfect life – plenty of money, a beautiful house. So Millie’s plan is simple – she’ll kill Eve and step into her shoes.

But Millie soon discovers her sister’s life is anything but perfect. She had become involved with a dangerous man – controlling, possessive, ruthless.

And now he owns Millie. Caught in a deadly web of deceit, she must continue playing the part of Eve. Her life depends on it.

Can she find the strength to escape this new prison? Or will she be trapped forever in… her perfect life?

Her Perfect Life – the stunning psychological thriller from the best-selling author of The Secret Wife

My thoughts

Millie was thirsty for revenge. After being framed by her twin sister Eve for the murder of Eve's husband (a murder she didn't commit), Millie was out for blood. Upon her release from jail, Millie saw that Eve has the perfect life, a beautiful home, friends and spa days. Millie. feeling robbed of having a life by being wrongfully accused and serving a jail sentence, wants Eve's perfect life. Except, everything that glitters is not gold and Millie is getting more than she bargains for when she tries to infiltrate' Eve's life.

This book was such a page turner. I enjoyed it very much and was eager to see how it ended.. The ending however was such a surprise that I think that this has to be one of the best endings I have read in a long time as I did not expect that at all. I do not want to go into too much details about the book because I do not want to spoil it.. I must say though that Emily Shiner did a great job in creating Gareth and Mya. These two were really sinister and evil. I really enjoyed reading them. While reading about Millie I was really curious to see how she ended up. Readers you would not expect it at all. 

In all this was a great thriller / crime novel and I would highly recommend this title.

 

BOOK REVIEW: ZEITOUN BY DAVE EGGERS

 

Synopsis

The true story of one family, caught between America’s two biggest policy disasters: the war on terror and the response to Hurricane Katrina.

Abdulrahman and Kathy Zeitoun run a house-painting business in New Orleans. In August of 2005, as Hurricane Katrina approaches, Kathy evacuates with their four young children, leaving Zeitoun to watch over the business. In the days following the storm he travels the city by canoe, feeding abandoned animals and helping elderly neighbors. Then, on September 6th, police officers armed with M-16s arrest Zeitoun in his home. Told with eloquence and compassion, Zeitoun is a riveting account of one family’s unthinkable struggle with forces beyond wind and water. 

My Thoughts

This book gave an account of Hurricane Katrina from the yes of the Zeitouns a Muslim American family living in New Orleans at the time of the disaster. This account was really well documented because it was my first time, really stopping to think about the extent of the disaster, the destruction and lives lost. What was most interesting was the government's response to the crisis.

I always heard from the media, people talking about the injustices that took place and how they felt somewhat neglected in the aftermath of the storm. What also struck me was the events before, during and after Abdulrahaman's arrest. That part of the book was surreal to me.

I will give this book two stars because while I liked it, I didn't love it. I will say though that it piqued my interest and also made me more vigilant to hurricane warnings. Living in Trinidad and Tobago during rainy season we sometimes get these hurricane warnings and ignore them saying "God is ah Trini". But if Katrina has taught the world anything is that it pays to be prepared for any eventuality.

BLOG TOUR : NO SUCH THING AS GOODBYE by Karmen Spiljak (BOOK FEATURE)

  

Hi readers,

On the blog today I am happy to present this intriguing title "No Such Thing as Goodbye" by Karmen Spiljak. 

No Such Thing as Goodbye

A spy with a criminal past. A dark family secret. Freedom at the cost of betrayal.

To escape her mobster family, Toni fakes her own death, but before she can start anew in Mexico City, she’s pulled into a world of spies and deadly secrets. Her new life crumbles when she discovers her boss is keeping secrets of his own.

When word gets around that Toni’s brother is on his way to Mexico, she fears the worst -  he wants to hunt her down. Cornered and with nowhere to turn, Toni must decide: will she run once more, or will she risk her life for a chance of freedom?

Sounds interesting?
Click the links below to purchase

 General Purchase Link / AMAZON / APPLE / GOOGLE / KOBO  / BARNES AND NOBLE

Author Bio –

Karmen Špiljak is a Slovenian-Belgian writer of suspense, horror and speculative fiction.

Her short fiction has been awarded and anthologised. Her thriller, ‘No Such Thing as Goodbye’, was shortlisted and received an honourable mention at 'The Black Spring Crime Fiction Prize 2020'.

She lives in Sao Paulo with her husband, two mischievous cats and an undefined number of literary characters.

Find out more on www.karmens.net

Social Media Links –

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/karmenseeta

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/karmens

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/karmenspiljak

BLOG TOUR: DEAD DRIFT BY KELLY ROMO @rararesources

Dead Drift

Two teenage girls on the run with fake IDs and a beater car…what could go wrong?

 Emmy has always been impulsive. She is no longer a minor and has aged out of foster care. When her best friend, Amber, is the target of a perverted uncle who lives in the basement of her group home, they plan her escape.

 They head for Canada, where Amber will be safe, and the foster care system can no longer control their lives. When they come across a whitewater rafting brochure, they decide to take a detour for one last adventure before leaving the country. Emmy and Amber have no idea it will be a decision that will forever change their fates.

 The rafting town is so far in the middle of nowhere that Emmy’s car radio catches nothing but static. They consider turning around until a truck pulls up, loaded with hot whitewater rafting guides and rubber rafts--just the fun they were looking for. Ignoring every instinct, they turn off the pavement and follow the truck down an isolated dirt road. They end up in Lodell, the town where a girl went missing the previous summer…and she will not be the last. 

My Thoughts 

Reading this book had me on edge from the very beginning because to me it was a nice mix of thriller, action and horror all rolled into one. Emily and Amber had a plan, ESCAPE and start over. And this is what they were doing when they left that day with new names and made their way to Canada. But this trip was interrupted for a whitewater rafting adventure. Emily, fueled by her need to experience new adventures and Amber's wanting to get away from it all, they end up in Lodell. 

Now what was great about Lodell at least for me was that it is no ordinary town by any means. I am from Trinidad and Tobago so reading about places like this , makes me very excited because it really works my imagination. When you read this book, you very early on become interested in the characters and you get a sinking feeling that something is not right about Emily and Amber's adventure. Imagine me reading in the middle of the night on my kindle and saying "TURN BACK". (NO I am not crazy just enjoying the book).

All in all this was a page turner. I enjoyed it.

CLICK THE LINKS BELOW TO PURCHASE

UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dead-Drift-Kelly-Romo-ebook/dp/B09XZYY7XJ

US - https://www.amazon.com/Dead-Drift-Kelly-Romo-ebook/dp/B09XZYY7XJ

 

Author Bio –

Kelly Romo grew up in California but has lived in Oregon for over twenty-five years. She teaches writing, literature, and social studies. She is the mother of three grown children: Brittany, Brennan, and Ryan. She is an avid outdoorswoman who loves to kayak, hike, and fish. DEAD DRIFT is Kelly’s third novel. She also has two historical fiction novels; WHISTLING WOMEN (2015) and WHEN SORROW TAKES WING (2021).

Social Media Links –

www.kellyromo.com

https://www.facebook.com/kellyromoauthorpage

https://twitter.com/KellyAnneRomo

https://www.instagram.com/kellyromo.author/

https://www.kellyromo.com/blog

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