Che-Michelle Tales

I had such big hopes this year for my blog, and life happens.  I tried (cue Macy Gray’s iconic song “I try”) reading three books over the last two months.  Most books have stalled out at with no real reason, if you read an earlier blog https://wp.me/pcIixw-fj, life was rough and discuss what I am going through. Reading did not ease my nerves or help to relax me. My workload and side hustle work doubled. Kicker, I am having car issues, so I can’t even fathom reading, but I am pushing through because sometimes that’s all you can do.

So below are a few books that I started and was delighted by, but life and my inability to say no at work have caused them to be stalled. These books are The Secret to a Southern Wedding by Synthia Williams, Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson, and The Right Swipe by Alisha Rai.

“The Secret to a Southern Wedding” by Synthia Williams has progressed to Chapter 16- 35% complete.

It’s a fascinating novel about strangers to lovers that starts with planning a wedding of two parents with adult children.  Both Children are remarkable, and the backstory of their lives is intriguing.  I would love to see how the story unfolds and whether the parents are married.  I do not like that Imani is coming off as a super brat instead of a cautious daughter. She is written to be an excellent doctor, but acts immature when it comes to her mother. Sidenote, if this were to be turned into a movie( Hallmark, come talk to me there, 20 great books that will fit your catalogue of original love stories), I want to see either Christina Milian, Kat Graham,Kyla Pratt or honorable mention goes to Essence Atkins; they would be great playing a live-action, Imani.   While Cyril is guarded for good reason, I wish he would be more compassionate. I will finish the book!  I’m happy to know it’s a trilogy to see the other characters’ stories and growth.

“Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone” by Benjamin Stevenson progress Chapter 9- 9% complete.

 I love a good murder mystery. So far, this book is a cross between “Knives Out” and the Netflix show “The Gentlemen. Widely absurd, an ensemble cast of characters and humor in unexpected moments. We follow Ernest Cunningham, aka Ernie.  He has to deal with being ostracized by his family and attending a family reunion at a ski resort.  Although I did not finish the book, I can see this as a mini-series or movie on Netflix.  I want to find out what happened at the ski resort, but Ernie has a lot of examples of his family digressions. I can see why his family blackballed him, even though everything he did was right. He is just a bit too goody-goody.

The Right Swipe by Alisha Rai progress Chapter 21 – 67% complete.

I bought this book in 2020, right before the world crashed due to COVID-19. I think I read it during the pandemic, but it wasn’t until 2021 that I started the blog.  I wanted to re-read this book. I enjoyed it just as much as the first time. I know how the book ends, but I am at the 80% mark and can’t seem to push myself over the edge to finish the book. This time around, I appreciate Rhiannon’s friendship dynamics and can see why she feels for Samson.  It’s a great book. I have picked out all of the wine and need to finish it for my stratification. The 80% mark is significant because I often struggle to continue reading for various reasons, which I will discuss in future posts. 

These are the three books that I stalled out on due to Current American events (Tariffs, Stock Market, other reasons). I hope to return to these books and finish reading them. They were all captivating and intriguing, but when life gets sticky like glue, sometimes, you have to stop and get something to unstick the glue.

PS I am not giving up on this blog. I want to use my resources better and rebrand my blog without giving up. Although I want to be consistent and have a weekly post, I must be honest about my current workload. To manage my workload and read more books, I plan to [share strategies such as time management techniques, prioritization methods, and reading habits]. Hopefully, in May as a month, I will do better with books and get back into the swing of reading and finishing a book(s).  I can’t believe I was reading two books a week a few months ago, and now I have been 1 month without a book.

Until Next Time,

Che Michelle

Also, I use Grammarly to make sure my post sounds intelligent, and it suggested sharing strategies to mitigate my stress and workload. Dear Grammarly, if I had a plan, I would share it, but I don’t, so just enjoy the Chaos.