Book Review: Wives, Fiancees, and Side-Chicks of Hotlanta by Sheree' Whitfield

Title: Wives, Fiancees, and Side-Chicks of Hotlanta

Author Sheree' Whitfield

Publisher: Dafina Books

Pub Date: Jan. 31, 2017










My Review:
This is Sheree' Whitfield's debut novel about a young lady named Sasha who wants to be a fashion designer. So she moves out of her mom's house and heads south to Atlanta to make her dreams come true. This is where the drama begins and shenanigans unfold just like her Bravo reality show The Real Housewives of Atlanta. While reading, I was trying to pinpoint which characters in the book belonged to the cast on the show. I'm thinking Sasha is loosely based on Sheree', Paris could be Nene Leakes, and Terrance is Sheree's ex husband Bob, but I couldn't figure out who Casey and her husband was. Sasha learned how things worked in the ATL real fast whether it was about friendships, enemies and love. This story was full of drama and scandal. It read like a real episode of RHOA. The ending through me for a loop, though. I really didn't like the ending, but it did illicit an emotion. The emotion was sheer shock and unbelief. It was a real twist in the story. So if you like drama, reality shows that spills hot tea, and if you love Sheree', you will like this book. It was well written and a fast read.

Book Review: Born A Crime by Trevor Noah

Title: Born A Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood

Author: Trevor Noah

Publisher: Doubleday Canada

Publish date: Nov. 15, 2016










My Review:
This book was so good. I've never read anything like it. I has no clue who Trevor Noah was even after he got on The Daily Show because that's not something I have ever thought about watching. This book is a memoir of his childhood in South Africa and since I've never been, I feel like I was there through his stories. Some of Trevor's stories almost read like fiction because they are so unbelievable like "What?!" For the most part I could relate to him about a lot of things for example when he got a relaxer when he was getting ready to go to a dance. He knows beauty is pain. Not many men understand the pains women go through to look good. I've never felt so many emotions reading a nonfiction book. More often than not I was laughing throughout the book because he is a comedian. He really is funny. He has a gift in seeing the humor in everything because his mother taught him that. I was literally laughing out loud and I got shushed many of times. I learned so much from Trevor through his stories while being thoroughly entertained, uplifted, and inspired. There are many life lessons in this book that you can take with you. I hope he writes more books in the future and I just might check out The Daily Show on Comedy Central. This was a fabulous read.

A Fabulous Friday Quote

Happy Friday!

Library Haul

Book Reveiw: The Hopefuls by Jennifer Close

The Hopefuls

Jennifer Close

Publish date: July 19, 2016













My Review:

I think Jennifer Close is becoming one of my favorite authors. I saw this book at my library and didn't know what to expect. I thought it would just be about politics because the setting is in Washington but no it's much more than that. Beth moves from New York to Washington to support her husband Matt because he has a passion for politics and likes to campaign. This story shows what challenges they face as a young married couple living in a new city. I felt like Beth was very relatable. She felt like a real person. Beth likes to watch reality tv with her best friend and she's trying to find her way in a different city than she's used to. They make friends with another couple and some things start happening that changes Beth and Matt's life. This story was very interesting and entertaining. I've never been to Washington but I felt like this book gave me a taste of what its like to be there. There were themes of self-actualization, family, fidelity, politics, and friendships.

Book Review: A Sinful Calling (Reverend Curtis Black #13) by Kimberla Lawson Roby

Title: A Sinful Calling

Author: Kimberla Lawson Roby

Publish date: June 21, 2016

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing











Goodreads summary:

Two years ago, to everyone's surprise, Dillon Whitfield Black, the secret son of Reverend Curtis Black, boldly moved back home, married a woman named Raven, decided he was going to become a minister, and then founded a church right in the center of his living room. Today he's pastor of a 1,000-plus-member congregation, and new members are joining weekly. Sadly, behind closed doors, Dillon is far from being a saint. Dillon has become more like the man his father was thirty years ago-consumed with money, power, and lots of women. His family may have let bygones be bygones, but they continue to keep their distance...

My thoughts:

  A Sinful Calling is the 13th book in the Reverend Curtis Black series. It features a few of Reverend Black's kids: Dillon and Alicia. Dillon strives to get status, money and power by becoming a mega church preacher just like his dad. Unfortunately the apple doesn't fall far from the tree in other instances in his life, either. One of his obstacles is his wife Raven who wants a piece of the pie. Meanwhile his sister Alicia is having problems of her own with her marriage and mental issues. 
 Without giving too much away, this book was a gripping and entertaining novel with lots of family and church drama. It also deals with infidelity, mental illness and greed. I recommend this book to people that likes to read christian fiction and doesn't mind drama.

Stacking the Shelves

                                             Stacking the shelves is about sharing books that you may have bought, e books, borrowed from friends or the library, gifts, review or e books. Stacking the shelves is hosted by Tynga Reviews.

I got these from the library.

Review: Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling

Title: Why Not Me?

Author: Mindy Kaling

Published: September 15, 2015

Publisher: Crown Archetype

Goodreads summary








My Review:

I picked this up from the library as soon as I saw it. I love Mindy Kaling and her show The Mindy Project. I remember her last book being good but this one was even better. Mindy makes you feel like an old friend hanging out at a coffee shop just catching up.This book is made up of short essays about various topics that segued nicely into each other. She talks about boys, her career, confidence, friends, family and she gives away some Hollywood beauty secrets. This was a very entertaining and laugh out loud memoir. I hope she keeps them coming.

 

Showcase Sunday

Showcase Sunday is a feature hosted by Books Biscuits and Tea.



I got these from the library.

Waiting on Wednesday

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

My pick is:

The Moment of Letting Go by J. A. Redmerski

Pub date: April 25, 2015

Summary from Goodreads:

Sienna Murphy never does anything without a plan. And so far her plans have been working. Right after college, she got a prestigious job and gained the stability she'd always craved-until work takes her to the sun-drenched shores of Oahu and places her in the path of sexy surfer Luke Everett. For the first time, she lets her heart take control. Drawn to his carefree charm, she makes a spontaneous and very un-Sienna-like decision to drop everything and stay in Hawaii for two more weeks.

Stacking the Shelves

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme by Tynga's Reviews.Its all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course e-books!

From the library...

The Hundred-Foot Journey by Richard C. Morais

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

The Right Thing by Amy Conner

The Skinnytaste Cookbook by Gina Homolka

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

Showcase Sunday

Showcase Sunday is a meme hosted by Books, Biscuits and Tea that highlights your newest books you received over the week.

I got these from the library.

Book Review: The New Colored Pencil: Create Luminous Works with Innovative Materials and Techniques by Kristy Ann Kutch

Title: The New Colored Pencil: Create Luminous Works with Innovative Materials and Techniques

Author: Kristy Ann Kutch

Publisher: Watson-Guptill

Pub date: 5/20/2014

Source: Blogging for Books

Summary from the back of book:

Master the Latest Breakthroughs in Colored Pencil Art

If you want to create colorful, radiant works of art, colored pencil and related color media (wax pastels, watercolor pencils, and so on) provide you with limitless options for adding vibrancy to your creations. In The New Colored Pencil, artist and instructor Kristy Ann Kutch guides you through the latest developments in color drawing media with examples of and recommendations for the newest pencil brands, drawing surfaces, and groundbreaking techniques (including using the Grid Method, grating pigments, blending with heat, and more). Supported by step-by-step demonstrations and showcasing inspiring art from some of today’s best colored pencil artists, The New Colored Pencil shows you how to use color theory to your advantage, combine color media, create and enhance textures, and experiment with surfaces to create interesting effects. Whether you use traditional wax-based, or watercolor colored pencils, The New Colored Pencil will take your art to the next level.

My Review:

This book is a great guide for those who want to get started in the medium of color pencil or for artists who are already familiar with the medium and want more tips and techniques. This would be a great addition to any artists' art book collection. There are a lot of beautiful color illustrations through out the book. The book is divided into three parts: Wax-Based Traditional Colored Pencil, Water-Soluble Colored Pencils and Wax Pastels and Combining Colored Drawing Media.
      My favorite part of the book besides the paintings is the appendix where the author lists the different brands and types of colored pencils along with their colors. I didn't know that there were so many different brands of colored pencils! I only own three of the brands that are listed. Of what I have learned from this book, I have a good overall range of colored pencils but I think I want more. This book was very informative and I recommend it to any artist who wants to learn more about colored pencil techniques or to anyone that is curious as to how to get started in creating luminous colored pencil paintings.

FTC: I received this book for free from Blogging for Books for review.

Feature and Follow Friday

The Feature & Follow is hosted by TWO hosts, Parajunkee of Parajunkee’s View and Alison of Alison Can Read. Each host will have their own Feature Blog and this way it’ll allow us to show off more new blogs!

 This weeks question:
 What is the biggest city you live near (or interesting landmark)? Show us a postcard picture.

Stacking the Shelves

Stacking The Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews. Its all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

From the library:

Review: All Fall Down by Jennifer Weiner

Title: All Fall Down

Author: Jennifer Weiner

Publisher: Atria Books

Pub date: 6/17/2014

Source: Library








Summary from Amazon:

Allison Weiss got her happy ending—a handsome husband, adorable daughter, a job she loves, and the big house in the suburbs. But while waiting in the pediatrician’s office, she opens a magazine to a quiz about addiction and starts to wonder…Is a Percocet at the end of the day really different from a glass of wine? Is it such a bad thing to pop a Vicodin after a brutal Jump & Pump class…or if your husband ignores you?

The pills help her manage the realities of her good-looking life: that her husband is distant, that her daughter is acting out, that her father’s Alzheimer’s is worsening and her mother is barely managing to cope. She tells herself that they let her make it through her days…but what if her increasing drug use, a habit that’s becoming expensive and hard to hide, is turning into her biggest problem of all?

With a sparkling comedic touch and a cast of unforgettable characters, this remarkable story of a woman’s slide into addiction and struggle to find her way back up again is Jennifer Weiner’s most masterful work yet.

My review/thoughts:

All Fall Down by Jennifer Weiner is different from all of her other books because this one deals with addiction. Allison seems to have it all: the husband, the child and career, but being a wife, mother and daughter gets to be too much for her so she innocently enough starts using her pain pills to get through the day. This story lets you inside the head of a person who is dealing with addiction. You see the struggle Allison has within herself. You also see how she tries to overcome her addiction to come out on the other side. This story is engaging and a page turner.

Teaser Tueday

                      Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along. Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! 

• Share the title and author too for other TT participants can add to their TBR Lists if they like your teaser.

Erased (Altered #2) by Jennifer Rush

My teasers:

"How much?" Sam asked carefully. "A mile? A county? A state?"
 Nick shoved  his hands in his pants pockets. "As much space as I can get."

pg. 31

Showcase Sunday

Showcase Sunday is hosted by Vicky of Books, Biscuits and Tea.



From the library: