A. Idle Book Reviews

The Declaration of Independence of the United States of America is a historical document that officially separated the colonies from Great Britain. Provided is a brief analysis of this ever so important piece, in today’s terms. (Basically the 13 colonies read King George for filth. Enjoy!) All Episodes currently streaming on most podcast platforms.

Hercule Poirot is back at it again! This time on the Nile River, solving the death of a most envied socialite. Love, deceit & money circle our characters’ trip on the Nile; a trip which ends with three deaths. Agatha Christie’s descriptive dialogue & suggestive explanation build a firm tension for the reader. Of the group of entertaining mystery writers today, Christie still remains at the top. Al...

The second book of the Bridgerton book series displays the courtship and marriage between Anthony Bridgerton and Kate Sheifield (Sharma). This regency era appeals to many readers because of the respectful romantic encounters & enticing character backstories. I’ll be honest, I only read this in preparation for the season 2 of Netflix’s Bridgerton.. But it was a cool romance read. All Episodes curre...

Five strangers, a catastrophic snow blizzard and a sketchy desolate rest stop. No Exit is a textbook thriller, delivering twist after twist. The reader finds comfort in rooting for the protagonist, Darby, to solve this mysterious crime & come out of it unscathed. Thus eliciting engaged reading until the very last page. All Episodes currently streaming on most podcast platforms.

Mansa Musa, reportedly the richest man to ever live, resided over the Empire of Mali during the 1300’s. However, history has glided past the expansive developments of this civilization. P. James Oliver has introduced readers to a summary of the legacy Mansa Musa left behind, hopefully striking the world enough to rediscover more of this African Empire. This piece is easily read within an afternoon...

Nothing like the present to get acquainted with one of the most respected pieces on military strategy. The Art of War, written in the 6th century, is the road map of victorious military conduct which carries true to this day. Sun Tzu cunningly explains the opportunities for success on the battlefield in this expository piece. The edition reviewed today was originally published in 1944 with an intr...

Gifty, our main character, reflects on the tragic unraveling of her mother’s mental health & her brother’s addiction. Now an established candidate for a PHD in the neuroscience field, she is wishing to recreate the environment of addiction to solve the only question that matters..’WHY?’. As a child of Ghanian immigrants to the US, she grew up in the bible belt of the south. Her religious foundatio...

When we talk about free speech, what we often mean is the speech protected under the First Amendment. Cose informs us just how long FREE speech in America actually lasted. From Sedition Acts to Cancel Culture, you can say just about anything you want, but expect varying reactions (so, not protected). In this piece we never discover what should be considered free speech, just the road to the curren...

This is an expose of a bunch of illegal and unsavory acts happening between a handful of characters. Goines, famous for his urban fiction contribution, delivers another gritty portrayal of street life during the 60’s/70’s. The character arcs are flat yet effective, proving nuance isn’t always necessary. This short read was adapted into a film starring the greats, DMX, Michael Ealy & Clifton Powell...

Opportunity comes to those who create it. In his debut, Charlamagne assesses the innate, but unique skill set we each have within. The idea that privilege only applies to a few is null & void. Tapping into the assets we have will ultimately put you on YOUR path to success. And if you’re blinded by the smoke screen of celebrity..F your dreams. Don’t chase someone else’s life, achieve your own. All...

Changez crashed through every obstacle to earn a spot at Princeton & one of the top business valuation firms, Underwood & Samson. Unfortunately the terrorist attacks of 9/11 left him in a reactory position to the hostility surrounding his everyday tasks. He narrates this story to an unnamed American while sitting in a market in Lahore, Pakistan. On the surface this is a long monologue from a frien...

A tale of racial passing where Clare Kendry & Irene Redfield are afforded two very different lives. Clare chooses to pass as white for the rest of her days alongside her adamantly racist husband, while Irene struggles to protect her quiet family life, blackness intact. Through these characters author Nella Larsen writes the consequences of denying a part of your existence. Most recently, Passing h...

How much does circumstance contribute to your success? According to Malcolm Gladwell, there are an array of hidden opportunities, out of your control, that should be the focal point of this discussion. Gladwell writes the backstory for achievement, with the help of data from many psycho-social studies. Historical events have ultimately set the stage for the creation of a few famous outliers. In co...

Lucy Hutton & Josh Templeman are the most childish characters I have ever read about. Their progression from sworn rival to confidant serves as a nice contemporary love story though. Sally Thorne incorporates workplace competition and love/hate relations that has been adapted to a film, releasing Friday Dec 10. Before you run to see this romantic comedy, get to know the characters a little more wi...

The Woman in the Window is a psychological thriller that plays with the perception of the audience. There is a crime to solve and the protagonist, Anna Fox, is an unreliable narrator. Although Fox is incapable of fundamental functions in the world, she is still a child psychologist who can sniff out trauma. She just happens to be surrounded by her own cloud of darkness. Newly adapted into a film s...

Released in 1963 James Baldwin penned a pure essay of the black consciousness in America. His unfiltered commentary on race, religion & their respective roles in the destruction of a nation will preserve the knowledge of American society for generations in the future. I encourage you to reflect, in this season of giving, on the climate of hostility that produces the fear holding us back from maint...

Paulo Coelho released The Archer in 2003, which explains life, goals & professional mastery through archery. A topic many are not familiar with, Coelho uses metaphors and shorthand writing to reach his audience. This conversation between mentor & mentee resonates with many because the advice is universal. Coelho is successful because he himself has mastered simple storytelling. And with that gift,...

Sula Peace invented hot girl summer, sleeping with husbands & leaving them for the next tryst. On her trail lay many un-Christian like descriptions & vengeful townsfolk. Only encountering suffering upon her death bed, she lived a life without regret. Her former best friend, Nel Wright, is the picture perfect wife who maintained a level reputation in Medallion. Both women’s experiences reflect auth...

Curtis Jackson remains one of the most successful rappers of the early 2000’s. His success being the ability to remain relevant, wealthy & alive. Prior to this book it was easy to assume 50 Cent to be callous & short-sighted, but his business strategy laid out for all to see proves otherwise. ‘Hustle Harder, Hustle Smarter’ may as well be a textbook for first year entrepreneur students. Every busi...

Stuart Turton is in the running for my favorite fiction author of all time. Delivering a well placed follow up on the darkness of The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, Turton wrote a narrative of an entire ship being hunted by the Devil, like Tom hunts Jerry. The difference however is the cold calculated & complex moves of the Devil. Discovering the true evil that lurked in dark places took my brea...

Tiffany D. Jackson writes the story of a young Enchanted Jones who is taken advantage of by a wealthy, older musician, Korey Fields. Abusive relationships are no joke, especially when it contains a power imbalance. This display of fictional trauma may be a little too real for some readers, but in the times of ‘Me Too’ & ‘Time’s Up’, it is imperative our literature reflects the reactions of the pub...

Shout out to Agatha Christie showing the kids how it’s done. Christie’s efficient writing created the typical murder mystery trope, successfully providing a thrilling story line. Monsieur Hercule Poirot is the Dr. Gregory House of his generation, easily seeing through smoke screen facades & diagnosing the situation at hand. For the reader learning how each character has come to such a state on the...

J. D. Salinger penned this novel in the late 40’s depicting the internal conflicts of Holden Caulfield. Holden’s story reflects the struggles of many teens trying to find their way in the world. However, this tedious narrative is but a page in the book of life. A page that includes no excitement, power, strength, ambition or laughs, only miserable excuses. There is nothing to learn from a characte...

Here we are folks, the reason I’ve continued to review books & analyze thoughts. It’s beyond imperative for us all to comprehend meaning through written language. Arrangement of words matters, exclusion of specific verbiage matters, and from the words of Harold Evans, this book explains exactly “Why Writing Well Matters”.

In this contemporary fiction story, Olivia Monroe & Max Powell fall in love from opposite ends of the personality spectrum. Making up most of the book is their love journey, with an introspective look at their career paths. This week I took a break from the heavy topics discussed last week to relax with this fun read from Jasmine Guillory. Hope you enjoy the review!