Nicholas McCane

This book is about a 12-year-old girl named Felicia (FeFe) Stevens and her three friends Stacia, Precious, and the new friend Tonya. Most of this book takes place in Chicago during the summer of 1999, but will later show how she ended up. The location being the notorious Robert Taylor projects just before their demolition. The book shows how each girl’s summer differed completely from one another. This book is raw. The Author Toya Wolfe doesn’t hold back giving you front row seats into these drug and gang infested buildings. This should be a gut punch to city officials.

My mother grew up in these projects, and I was born and raised about a mile west of them. The 1990s were the most violent decade in Chicago. I have terrible memories of this place, and Chicago as a whole. The author brought me back. I grew up on these streets. I had to take breaks while reading just to reflect.

What I liked most is that it was from a female’s POV. I was one of those troubled youths that played in the streets. It was extremely violent for little boys. I never even thought about what it must have been like for girls. This was an outstanding read!

I listened to the audio as I read the physical copy. The narrator Shayna Small did an amazing job, except for one word. She repeatedly mispronounced the word “DuSable” in DuSable High School.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. And I love R.F. Kuang. The writing was remarkable. You can tell that she worked her ass off on this one. If you’re a fan of dark academia, historical fantasy, and want to see what happens when language and power tongue kiss, this one is for you. It will definitely make you think critically about language and privilege. The setting is Oxford during the 1830s.

I have two issues:

I’ve gotten used to her books being a little extra long; however, it felt like this one would never end. The first 300 pages felt like a lecture, but then it picked up. This is a beautiful story, but not an easy read.

There was a lot of over-explaining or telling. I wish she had let the characters develop themselves instead of telling us everything.

Here’s a quote: “Translation is always an act of betrayal.”

Oh yeah, middle fingers to Letty (Babel) and Nezha (The Poppy War series) I haven’t forgotten about you lol.

Non-Spoiler section: All of this part is in the summary (Spoiler section after this).

8-year-old Bela loves her family. It’s her, her mom, dad, and grandma. Oh yeah, I forgot, there’s also “Other Mommy”. Other Mommy is a monster who constantly asks Bela, “Can I go inside your heart”. At some point, Bela understands unless she says yes, her family will soon pay. Other Mommy really needs an answer.

Incidents Around the House is not the best title for this book. This title should have been “Incidents around Bela’s ass” lol. Because the monster went wherever she went. This was a great read, and I enjoyed it. It’s a chilling, slow-burn horror. If you enjoy psychological horror, haunted house stories, and creepy AF, you may enjoy this.

I listened to the audiobook as I read along with the physical copy. Loved the audio!

Spoiler section: Stop here if you haven’t read the book.

Here are a few things I liked and disliked.

I love that “Other Mommy” was visible to everyone, and not just contained within the house.

I’m used to the troupe of the cheating drunk husband/father and the nearly perfect wife/mother. In this one, the wife is the horrible mother and wife. I don’t care for the trope, but it was good to give the men a break.

There were a couple of scary scenes that were very creepy and well written. And I soaked it up like a sponge. It is literally the reason I read this genre.

Things I didn’t like so much.

I predicted the twists early on.

They didn’t explain Other Mommy well. We learned nothing by the end of the book.

Mom was super annoying.

Didn’t like how both parents would get drunk, sit next to their daughter while she slept, then talk about adult stuff.

The ending was just okay for me. I believe grandma became “Other Mommy” earlier than the book led on at the end.

I will never understand how an entire race can come together to exterminate another. However, I can understand how people become monsters when they listen to hate. This is a powerful memoir of a hotel manager who saved over 1,200 Tutsi refugees during the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Paul Rusesabagina does not write this memoir as a savior of hero, but as an ordinary person. This book is heartbreaking, and it shows how the world turned its back on Rwanda. This is the book that inspired the movie, “Hotel Rwanda”.

Wow! Wow! Wow! 😢 If you thought the Netflix movie was raw, the book caught the STD. It’s 142 pages of humans at their worst. No spoilers. Everything I’m about to say is in the narrative. After witnessing his father’s murder, a 12-year-old boy (Agu) is recruited into a guerrilla unit as civil war engulfs his country. Boy soldiers make up the unit. The book never specifies which part of Africa, but it really doesn’t matter since you’re in the head of this child. If I had to guess, I would say Nigeria. A guy that goes by the title “Commandant” leads the guerrilla unit, and the book is about Agu losing his innocence. There are many raw and hard to read scenes. I loved that the author wrote the book in Pidgin English. It felt realistic. I recommend reading along with the audiobook. I found the narrator’s voice perfect. Warning: There are a lot of scenes that may trigger you. This book was disturbing, jaw-dropping, and eye opening. If I could compare it to anything, I would say Kaffir Boy by Mark Mathabane.

Next up: A long way gone by Ishmael Beah and An Ordinary Man by Paul Rusesabagina.

I am known for saying that I will never read a romance. And I meant that, well, that was until my wife talked me into this one. So here we go. 

As a whole, I enjoyed the book and the romance genre experience. The book is definitely for the grown and sexy. I enjoyed the plot and the storytelling and I found the characters relatable and easy to root for. My wife and I have been together for 27 years and married for 25. Seeing them flirt with each other kept giving me flashbacks of our greatest hits.

Anyway, this is also my first dose of spice 🌶️ . And apparently I have limitations. Because after the second scene, I had enough. I prefer reading more about their connection, what made them fall in love with each other the first time and current. However, we continued hearing about their strong sexual desire for each other. My brain wanted/needed more story.

Yasmen has great friends (Soledad and Hendrix). She and we needed them. I also enjoyed Josiah’s character. The author wrote a great black man with none of the goofy stereotypes. I read this along with the audiobook. I loved both narrators. This is a great 2nd chance love story and I give it four and a half stars. I docked it a half a star for what I mentioned above. Will I continue in this genre? Probably not. Point me towards some action (hold the spice please). 🤣

This book is a powerful and moving autobiography from one of our world’s greatest leaders. I believe that this is the longest autobiography I’ve ever read (625 Pages), but worth every minute. His story is one of courage, sacrifice, and the fight for justice. Nelson Mandela takes us on a ride from his childhood, his 27 years in prison, and his presidency.

We watch him sacrifice his marriage, relationships with his children, his career, and his life in order to force his government to bring freedom. It’s a must-read. I have been on my journey of reading every book I can find on apartheid, and this one has taught me so much. This is a five-star read.

Here are a couple of quotes:

“But I can only rest for a moment, for with freedom comes responsibilities, and I dare not linger, for my long walk is not yet ended”.

“It always seems impossible until it’s done.”

“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”

This was my 2nd Riley Sager book, 1st being, “Home Before Dark”. I was excited about this one because

1. It’s extremely popular in the book community.

2. It’s listed as a Dark Mysterious horror.

3. Loved the book cover.

As usual, I dove in without checking the summary. I followed along with the audiobook while reading the hard copy.

The beginning of the book was a bit slow, and I had issues with parts of the narration. No offense to Christine Lakin and Dawn Harvey, but I wasn’t impressed with the voice acting for Kit McDeere. I did, however, enjoy the voice acting of Lenora Hope (well, at least Lenora from the past).

I found it difficult to connect with the characters, but since I was determined to finish for the bookclub, I pushed through. I’m just not a fan of murder mystery tropes involving rich people.

The second half of the book contained several plot twists (I guessed two of them). While not my favorite, it certainly wasn’t the worst book I’ve ever read. This was a gothic style mystery about some nasty, privileged rich people. It’s good for what it was, just not what I was looking for. I expected a horror, but none came. I enjoyed Home Before Dark slightly better.

“Born a Crime” is a coming-of-age memoir. If you’re looking to laugh and cry, this one is for you. Trevor Noah’s book recounts many stories of his childhood in South Africa during the end of the apartheid era. The relationship between him and his mother is phenomenal, and I don’t know which one is the funnest between them. I have never read a celebrity memoir, but I’m glad I gave this one a try. This is one that I recommend the audiobook for since he does the narration. There were a lot of gems in this book, so I’ll leave you with two.

“Everything I have ever done, I’ve done from a place of love. If I don’t punish you, the world will punish you even worse. The world doesn’t love you.”

“The genius of apartheid was convincing people who were the overwhelming majority to turn on each other. Apart hate, is what it was. You separate people into groups and make them hate one another so you can run them all.”

I selected this book because it was about the Vietnam War. The title grabbed me, and I pictured the movie “Full Metal Jacket”. This book focuses on how horrible American soldiers were. How we slaughtered innocent people repeatedly. I’m not exaggerating either. It’s literally 355 pages of mass murder after mass murder. We need to tell this story, no doubt, but I felt something was missing. By the end of the 2nd chapter, I was thinking, “Okay, I get it”. But there were still 279 pages left.

Nothing much to say here. The name of the book is On Writing, a memoir of the craft. That’s exactly what it is. His life comprises about 40 percent of the book. Some people may find this interesting. Another 40 percent is him talking about the books he’s written and a few writing tips. The rest is him and his sons (Joe and Owen) at an event talking. If you're looking for just a memoir, this may not be for you. This book may also not be for you if you’re only looking for writing tips. Now, if you’re a diehard Stephen King fan who just loves to read anything he writes, then bingo, I got one for you!

I got two things out of this book.

Write for your “Ideal Person”.

If you want to be a writer. Read a lot and write a lot.

I really enjoyed this one. It’s a fun haunted house story like no other. You do not have to wait long for the action to begin. It’s full of dark humor, scary looking ghost, and one hell of a protagonist. I loved the plot, and the pacing was well-executed. This book has tons of action. It’s a great read and has a satisfying end. Can’t wait until September to recommend this to people who also love the genre. Very entertaining!

This book is graphic and super heavy. I read a lot of nonfiction books in my life that deals with someone’s trauma upbringing, but this one is now at the top of my list. Several times I had to close the book, sigh, and sit in silence.

This is an autobiography of a boy who grew up in Alexandria Township, Johannesburg, South Africa during apartheid. A victim of segregation, poverty, and brutality, he learned how to survive under the harsh conditions during the 1960s and 70s.

Once I finished chapter 2, I was hooked. I felt like I was there with him. Although he did not hide his frustration and anger, I loved how he remained positive throughout. He was determined to be successful and make it out of there. Although I was familiar with apartheid, he made me see what it was like for the average black person living there. This is a must read and one hell of a story. Powerful!

I started this review last night, but the book left me speechless. Having thought about it for a while, I think I’m now ready to give a few words. This is 106 pages of raw emotion about race relations in America. It doesn’t come across as a rant. It’s two letters, one to his nephew and one to the American people. Both letters are powerful.

Last week I read “Between the World and Me” by Ta-Nehisi Coates. So yes, I’m in my feelings too. Everything that these two men have said is still relevant today, and it hurts. I recommend both books. Both are 5-star-reads. I have nothing else to say.

Yo, this book is freaking incredible, and right on time for me. I literally just finished it. So, you are getting my unedited reaction. So, first, I knew nothing about this book. For my birthday, someone gave me a Barnes & Noble gift card. Needing a break from biographies, I looked for a different genre. I saw this colorful book cover, and seeing that it had several books in its series, I gave it a shot. I then purchased the audiobook as well, because that’s how I like to read. Man, this book was everything I needed and is a contender for my book of the year so far. So what is this book about? Let me tell you. No spoilers.

So the concept sounds ridiculous. A guy named Carl is standing outside trying to grab his ex-girlfriend’s cat, who had gotten out. He’s wearing his boxers and his girlfriend crocs. Suddenly, a force crushed every building on the planet, killing everyone inside. The only people that survive is whoever was outside. So, in a nutshell, aliens have farmed Earth to create an intergalactic game show. Whoever didn’t die from the building collapse has to take part in a game show. They have to survive a 20 floor dungeon trying to kill monsters and each other until they’re the last one standing. This is apparently a super game show that is watched by trillions of species from multiple universes. It feels like you’re playing a video game. It sounds crazy, I know, but the way it’s executed is awesome and I loved every minute. The narrator, Jeff Hays, made the book. He’s the voice of all the characters, but none of them sound the same. Please don’t read it without the audio. My favorite character, of course, is the cat, Princess Donut. I can go on and on about this, but I won’t. I’ll just say this. This book is so good that I have already picked up the next two in the 7 book series. The entire book had me laughing. I recommend this book to everyone, except children and people who are sensitive to immature men's humor. I needed that laugh. Easy 5 out of 5.

*Between the World and Me*, by Ta-Nehisi Coates, is my first book by him. It’s a letter to his son about being black in America. Coates shares his experiences and advice. The book is similar to James Baldwin’s, “The Fire Next Time”. I enjoyed it immensely. I started reading the synopsis and ended up finishing it in one sitting. Coates describes growing up in Baltimore and realizing his powerlessness within a caste system. He learned to protect himself. This resonated with me. Growing up in Chicago, I felt like prey. My primary goal was survival. To protect my body from police, gangs, drugs, and the government. This brilliant book offers valuable insights. I plan to reread it. While I wish it weren’t necessary, I’m glad it exists. It’s beautifully written.

This is a 149 page novella written by Victor LaValle. It’s a black man’s retelling of HP Lovecraft’s “Horror at Red Hook”. The setting is 1920s New York. The author did a great job at capturing how America was during the Jim Crow Era. It has a historical feel to it. I felt like I was walking down the street with Charles Thomas Tester. No spoilers, but I’ll tell you this. Half the book is told from one character, the second half is told from another. This book was amazing. I put it in the same category as Ring Shout by P. Djeli Clark.

This is a pretty good historical fiction novel written about the holocaust. As expected, it has some really horrific scenes. If you get triggered a lot, do your research before reading this one. What I didn’t expect was a love story. So, to wrap up this review, this is a great love story told in one of the worst times in world history.

Things I disliked:

1. It was too fast. Left me with questions.

2. Should have been written as nonfiction.

Things I liked:

1. Loved the characters.

2. Had me invested in their relationship.

Can’t wait to read books two and three.

“House of Bone and Rain” is my first read by this author. I loved the beginning chapters. The book centers on a group of five friends. The murder of one of their mothers drives them to seek revenge on those responsible. Two of the friends, Bimbo and Gabe, are the focus of the story. This book contains many violent scenes (which I immediately fell in love with). However, the novel takes a strange turn about halfway, and I found it rather boring. The hardcore street elements were enjoyable, but then the plot veered into the supernatural. And fish, let’s not forget about the fish. Initially, it was a five-star read, but the rating eventually fell to 3.75.

I’ll start here. This is the first book I’ve read by this author. This is because many reviews criticize the book for being unlike his previous two. Well, this is exactly what I was looking for. Don’t let the cello and mask on the cover deceive you. This is not simply a book about music. This novel blends crime, mystery, and coming-of-age themes. I really enjoyed it. If you’re a fan of the great S.A. Cosby, this is something I think you’ll really enjoy. The book hooked me from the start.

This book tells the story of Curtis, a cello prodigy from DC. All is well until his dad, a drug dealer, snitches on some truly awful people. Unfortunately, that’s bad news for his son. Larissa, Curtis’s stepmother, is my favorite character.

Read the Prologue and author’s note. The book is fantastic. I listened to the audiobook while reading my physical copy. Ronald Peet did a fantastic job! I just picked up his other two books.

Arc Review: NetGalley

Release Date: July 1, 2025

Author: Tiffany D. Jackson

No spoilers (Whatever I mention will also be in the book’s summary)

You are probably thinking, dude, why are you reading a middle-grade mystery novel? I’m glad you asked that question. I requested it for three reasons:

1. The author is Tiffany D. Jackson

2. The cover looks outstanding.

3. I wanted to see what the author could do with a middle-grade mystery book.

This book is about a 12-year-old girl from Brooklyn named Kaylani. A summer with friends and family takes an unexpected turn when she becomes involved in a murder investigation. I am going to leave it at that.

I assumed that this was going to be too elementary for me, and I was wrong. It was enjoyable. I loved the protagonist’s intelligence, devotion to her parents, and commitment to the investigation. She is a favorite author of mine, and this book did not disappoint. I think preteens will love it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

NetGalley ARC Review: The Man Made of Smoke.

Release Date: 5-13-25

Author: Alex North

No Spoilers

I purchased the physical book from Book of the Month. I then requested the audiobook from NetGalley and they approved it. That complete experience is something I crave. The cover, summary, and the author’s reputation immediately sold me. It’s my first book by him.

Things I loved:

1. The creepy factor. This book felt super dark.

2. The narrator’s voice matched the creepiness.

3. Multiple POV’s

Things I disliked:

1. I didn’t like the pacing. It felt like it was all over the place.

2. I couldn’t connect with the characters.

3. Chapter one was suspenseful and horrifying, but the rest of the book lacked that intensity.

4. I loved the multiple POVs, however; it became difficult to follow. I reread chapters.

Unfortunately, the book was a little underwhelming. I think many will love it, but it fell short of what I needed. My next read is The Whisper Man. The reviews have been excellent. My rating for The Man Made of Smoke is ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

I literally just closed the book, then rushed to give my review. Wow, is the first word that comes to mind. I feel ashamed as an African living in America that I waited so long to read this. I was one of those ignorant people who allowed the American school system to teach me about him. Well, that and the movie “Malcolm X” directed and co-written by Spike Lee.

I couldn’t put this book down. And while I read it, I listened along to Laurence Fishburne who narrated it. The minister’s words, with Fishburne’s voice, created a masterpiece.

Malcolm X began serving a prison sentence in 1946. While inside, he read everything possible and ended up educating himself. In prison is also where he converted to the Nation of Islam. Man, oh man, I wish that the holy city of Mecca would have taught him Islam instead.

I truly believe that Malcolm X was a sponge who was only attempting to soak up the truth. All he wanted to do was build an all black organization whose ultimate aim was to help create a society in which there could exist honest white-black brotherhood. Unfortunately, the Nation of Islam did him in. I learned plenty of things from this book, but one of them is this:

Put your trust in God, not man, because man can never be a god.

To be honest, I didn’t like this book. I stuck it out because it’s one of my book club picks. I really enjoyed the first chapter. I was 100% invested. But then the book got extremely boring. I found myself not connecting with any of the characters. The protagonist was unlikable and a little annoying to me. The antagonist was meh and didn’t scare me. The twist at the end was predictable. I just wanted it to end, but unfortunately, it just kept going.

I wanted to love this so bad. The Perfect Marriage was my book club’s first book. Our club loved it and most of them ranked it 4 to 5 stars (I gave it 5). We own her entire catalog and couldn’t wait for The Perfect Divorce. I had it preordered and everything. My wife bought the blood red version, and I got the signed copy with sprayed edges. We also got the audiobook. We wanted the full experience. WELP, that was a mistake.

Let’s start with what I like:

1. Adam Lazarre-White narrated Sheriff Hudson’s character (He does S.A. Cosby’s Books).

2. Short Chapters

3. Quick read

What I disliked:

1. The all men are idiots and/or cheaters trope. Authors really need to develop male characters. There are a million ways to make your reader hate a character.

2. The all police are idiots trope. I believe these tropes are only used to make Sarah's character appear extremely intelligent. In one scene, Sarah’s husband (Bob Miller), who is a successful lawyer, has to be interviewed by law enforcement. Bob and his attorney agreed to the interview (which would never happen). While speaking with law enforcement, Bob makes incriminating statements. He also has text message conversations with a killer about a murder he set up (including incriminating photos).

3. No character development. A decade has passed in the book and Bob and Sarah are the same people they were in The Perfect Marriage.

4. Predictable ending.

5. And of course, Bob and Sarah’s rich ass hired a guy to do some work around their home. You probably already pictured him. If not, let me help. A Hispanic male named Alejandro. He’s full of tattoos and an ex-inmate. Rich people stereotype of Hispanics.

6. Sarah said that during the case with her ex-husband (Adam), Sheriff Stevens gave her sensitive information. She said that the new sheriff (Hudson) wouldn’t do that because he’s professional. For the rest of the book, Sheriff Hudson shared sensitive information with her.

7. There were multiple POVs which I have no issues with. But all the characters had the same voice. It was like they were all Jeneva Rose. It was ridiculous. Sheriff Hudson, Sarah Morgan, and Bob Miller all talked the same. It was this one phase that they all used repeatedly, “Matched my gaze”. OMG, it was so annoying. “He met my gaze,” “She met my gaze”, “he matched my gaze”, “she matched my gaze”. This was almost in every chapter of the beginning and middle of the book. Why is everyone saying the same thing? I’ve heard no one say that in real life, so I find it hard to believe that everyone speaks like that. Anyway, I DNF’d multiple times. I only continued reading so I could discuss it with the book club.

The sequel proved unnecessary, and hopefully, there won’t be a third one.

Dear authors: Women readers don’t like to read about women being overly sexualized and made to look unintelligent in books. And men don’t like to be stereotyped as being all cheaters and lack common sense. That is all.

I’m giving it a generous ⭐️⭐️⭐️