Che-Michelle Tales

I cannot believe that the last two months have been so hectic. I have been unable to keep up with writing and missed a week of reading Kindle, reading Google Books, and even listening to audiobooks. I can be honest; life ebbs and flows, and sometimes, it is hard to keep up with writing and reading. I have been trying to write anything (an update, a blog, or even a short story) for almost six weeks. I need to make time to write, especially after finishing a book.  I did read a few books, but  I broke my reading streak and found it hard to find the book to get into (post coming about hard to get into books). I finished the book by the author of “The Goddess Effect,” it was another rollercoaster read; I finished the duology of the Blood Like Magic series, and I finally finished “Only for the Week” by Natasha Bishop. Below is a quick synopsis of the books I read.

Blood Like Fate by Liselle Sambury

I finally finished this book; the Spotify time limit inhibited me from reading once I hit the 12-hour limit. I hope Spotify will let users roll over their hours into the next month because 12 hours is not enough, especially when most books are 15 hours via audio. Or I can start listening at 1.5x speed. Once I got to the good part of the book, the climax, I had to either buy 12 hours or wait until May. I chose the latter and stayed until May. I love that we start to see Voya mature in this book. We can see her doing her best to move forward with her life while making amends to friends and family. Voya does have some missteps as the family’s matriarch, but understanding everything she has gone through a few months prior, I find her attempts to show good faith. The only bone I must pick is the Family Motto, “We Suffer and Survive.”  I hope that Voya can change her family motto to “We Survive and We Thrive” at the end of the book, as her family starts to move to a more thriving position, not just surviving. I would rate this book 3.75 out of five stars.

Only for the Week by Natasha Bishop

 BABY!!!!  🤩This book is the read of the summer! It has everything one would want in a Weekend Summer book. It has lust, passion, fights, and the perfect book boyfriend! The book’s pacing is perfect; each chapter is a few hours to a day. The characters are dynamic and add to the story. Janelle gets to have her cake and eat it, too. The only part of the book that I will nitpick is the age of the characters. I love that they are all successful African Americans, but can we age them just a bit? The oldest character in the group was thirty-two. Each character’s achievements were around the late twenties or early thirties, and I feel most of the accomplishments would occur in the Mid-30s. I am being nitpicky. I loved the book and drinking Betty Booze Sparkling Tequila and Lime Cocktail.; I enjoyed reading this book over Memorial Day Weekend. This book is 4.5 out of five wine glasses. Read this book today!🍷🍷🍷🍷

Friends with Wine by Shelia Yasmin Marikar

This book starts with foreshadowing future events; it sets the scene of not being sure how we, the characters, got to this situation. We have a bunch of friends who graduated from Cornell University. They have lived their lives and either reached career success or not. Some deal with insecurities and financial struggles. Raj and Rachel invite their college friends to their Vineyard for the introduction to their new wine, “Kismet.” During the book, we learn that everyone is struggling. Marriage issues, underemployment, and a litany of real adult issues that everyone in their late thirties encounters. As the book continues, you realize who the real villains of the story are and how jealousy and manipulation can both harm people but also bring people together under one goal. There are some tie-ins from the Goddess Effect but no apparent connection. I might have to go back and read the “Goddess Effect” to find the interconnecting threads. This book would be perfect for a 3-day weekend with spicy red wine. I am thinking of Old Merelo from Santa Rita Wine. I would give this book four wine glasses out of 5—a quick read with just enough twists and turns to intrigue you. 🍷🍷🍷🍷

I finished another book on May 30, 2024, Mistlefoe by Kimberly Lemming.

This is a great quick read and perfect for a sweet red wine afternoon. Reading this book felt like it would be better for a winter rather than a summer read. But if you want an anime vibe with fox demons, monsters, and a raunchy talking sword. This book is for you! I love how Kimberly Lemming describes Ruby as a muscular and tall woman. The story is reminiscent of Beauty and the Beast but without Stockholm Syndrome. The sex scenes are spicy and have notes of Voyeurism. Alexis steals every scene throughout the book. I need this to be made into an adult Cartoon.  Overall, this book is worth a read and a glass of wine. I would suggest Jam Jar  Sweet Red Blend 2022. It’s not as sweet as their other Red Blend, but it gives Forest berry vibes and has a bite that compliments Alexis’ sarcasm. 🍷🍷🍷

This was a quick update of books I read and finished in May 2024. I hope I can get back to posting regularly.

Until Next Time,

Che Michelle