Nicholas McCane

This book is about a 17-year-old girl named Enchanted, who has a passion for singing. She meets a 28-year-old predatory R&B star named Korey Fields. He grooms and manipulates her. She quickly finds herself trapped in an abusive, controlling relationship. After Korey turns up dead, all eyes are on Enchanted.

This book is raw, and Tiffany D. Jackson doesn’t hold back. This story is beautifully told. It’s YA fiction, but it has a lot of triggers. This book mentions sexual abuse, rape, assault, child abuse, kidnapping, and addiction to opioids.

This book sheds light on how some men prey on teenage girls. The book also highlights how blame often falls on the victims, not the guilty men, who are fully aware of their actions. This book will remind you of people like R. Kelly and P. Diddy.

Things I loved:

1. Reads like a murder mystery and kept me wanting more.

2. The author never babies the reader. She kept it raw, honest, and real. Dealing with topics like grooming, abuse, and power.

3. I loved that the victim was a young black girl. Don’t see them as much in YA thrillers.

Things I didn’t like:

1. All police are dumb and/or lazy troupe. I’ve worked crimes against children for over 16 years. While you may have some detectives/investigators who victim blame, this is not the majority.

2. It was hard picturing the victim as a 17-year-old, because she acted more like she was 13 or 14.

I’m giving this book 4 1/2 stars. Highly recommend it. All older teens should read this.

Chicago Police Department Commander Jon Burge’s state-sanctioned “interrogation” ring that operated within the department for decades brutalized more than one hundred African Americans. This is a collection of five true stories about racism and reform, crime and corruption, justice and injustice in Chicago.

This is a 35 page short story written by Natalie Y. Moore. The whole time I was reading this, I had flashbacks. I was born and raised here. And I will never forget. I remember how they beat us and harassed us. How they would stop me for no reason and illegally search me. This would occur about three times a day. I will never forget how many times they arrested me for nothing. For walking to the store with my brothers to get groceries. They would tell us that three or more in a group was mob action. They charged me with ridiculous offenses like huffing paint, gang loitering, and or course mob action. I remember how they would put me in the back of a police car and take me to an empty field. They made me sit in the car and watch a bunch of them form a circle around someone and beat whoever was in the middle of it. And how they would tell me I was next. I had to be no older than 11 or 12. I remember in 1995 when they snatched one of my 15-year-old friends (who had done nothing wrong). They charged him with R*** and mur***. They gave him a 40-year sentence. After 17 years inside, DNA proved they had the wrong guy. I have many stories and still carry many scars, physically and mentally. I even remember when they tried to say I r***ed a white woman. But thank God she told the truth and said it wasn’t me. As you can see, this book was very triggering. I’m so glad I read it and will read any and everything I can find by this author.

This is a modern day (2014) retelling of Steven King’s Carrie. A biracial girl, Maddie Washington, lives with her racist father. Because of his racism, he wants her to be perceived as white. This takes place in a fictional sundown town of Springville, Georgia. Once she’s outed as black, all hell breaks loose.

The book summary doesn’t do the book justice. The incredible writing hooked me from the first chapter. I loved this book. It’s a great YA horror.

The audiobook brought the podcast segments of the book to life. Can’t recommend it enough. This is the third book I’ve read by Tiffany D. Jackson. She has quickly become one of my favorite authors.

No Spoilers

The book is about a 24-year-old female named Nic who is not doing so well in life. She lives alone in a dinky apartment and works at a dead-end job she’s been at since high school. She has also just gotten arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol. Everyone has felt sorry for her ever since her older sister (Kasey) disappeared without a trace.

On the night Kasey went missing, her vehicle was discovered over a hundred miles from home. The only clue to her disappearance is another female named Jules. She disappeared from the same area in the same way two weeks earlier. With very little evidence to go on, the case went cold.

One day, Jules’ sister (Jenna) finds Kasey’s sister (Nic). They team up to find their missing sisters.

This is my first book by Ashely Flowers, and I really enjoyed it. I finished it in one sitting. Every time I thought I had this mystery solved, the twist kept on twisting. I loved the pacing. It was a fun read and I recommend it. Those last few chapters were insane.

My only issue was that there were a few subplots that were only put in there, so you couldn’t predict the ending. And although nothing is wrong with that, the subplots remained unresolved.

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.

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.

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.”

“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.”

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!

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.

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.

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

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.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️