Months ago, in June, I hopped on a plane in Detroit, had a layover in LA, and ended up in Kona, HI. We went to celebrate the day of birth for this lady here who turned 70.
Rochelle aka Mama aka Grams aka Granny bka Linda(she never listens)
It was an amazing trip with great people. I was the unofficial travel agent. I went on Groupon (I totally forgot Groupon existed before this trip) and found some reasonable priced excursions. I scheduled flights to and from one of the other islands. I booked hotel rooms for our stay on the other island. I think I did a damn good job, but I don’t want to do it again 😂. I’ll leave it to the professionals. I realized I didn’t really share any pics. Here is a photo dump of Rochelle’s 70th Birthday trip.
I hope that one day I am rich enough to make sure this lady wants for nothing. Until that day, I will do all that I can to love and support her, even though she doesn’t listen. Y’all know it is hard parenting parents 😂. Stay sane and be well and whole. Much Love 🧡 💚
Though I have been overindulging on audiobooks, music is still life over here. Lately, I have been revisiting older songs and sprinkling in some new music as well. It is so much music out there and I want to continue to find songs that will be classics. And songs to add to my sex playlist 😂. Just kidding, 😉. Here are some songs to add to your list, sex or otherwise.
Climb On by Hojean
I love when people say what they mean, no sugarcoating. Hojean leaves no room for misunderstanding in his newest song. These little nerdy dudes be freaky 😆. I love everything about this song, his voice, the music, and the words.
This song has been my jam for awhile. I just brought it out of retirement and added it back to my playlist. My favorite line of this song is, “Life is but a dream. Here we are inside of it and you inside of me.” Victoria ðŸ¤!!! I feel like women are told to play the background and be coy about what we want. She said what the fuck she meant and I love it!
Introducting me to this artist is one of the best things Spotify has ever done. I am 100% sure this song is going to be in my top 5 when I receive my Spotify Wrapped. Kwaku is a British-Ghanaian and like the British-Nigerians, he has a way with words. He described a perfect Sunday and you can picture it in your mind. A lazy, intimate day for lovers.
Obey by Dwele
I don’t know how old this song is, but when I thought about a Sexy Saturday playlist, this song immediately popped in my head. Once again, a freaky, nerdy dude. Dwele says, “My hand, your neck, no screams.” Uhhh…I think I am too young for this song 😂.
Don’t Wanna Say by Lauren Jauregui
Lauren was a member in Fifth Harmony before they broke up. Honestly, I can’t tell you a single song they sang. As separate artist, they have made more of an impression on me. Which makes sense because one would be able to stand out when not force to blend in. Even though Lauren is trying to be coy in this song, she is not pulling it off 😆. She doesn’t want to say it, but she is saying it, in English and Spanish.
What is really interesting to me is how the majority of the books I listen to mention artists and songs all throughout the books. I love it when the authors mention artists that are not as well-known, like Lucky Daye and Teddy Swims. It makes me so happy. As I said earlier, it is so much music out there besides the mainstream artists. I hope you find a song on this playlist that you like. As always, if you have a new song or artist you are listening to, please share. Be well and whole. Much Love 🧡 💚
Along with the now 184 books I have completed, there is a great many I did not complete. Some books were a little too far out for me. Some just didn’t pull me in and I found myself not caring how it would end. Other books, I did not like the main characters. Recently, I started Plus Size Player by Danielle Allen and I stopped at 83% completed. I found myself judging the character for how she was going about things. So reckless. OMG, I am turning into one of those old church ladies who have lived their lives and now judge people for shit they used to do. I promise I’m not like that 😆. I just think that she was playing with fire and I didn’t want to see her burn. I don’t think I will ever finish the book. I went to read the reviews and there was others who agreed with me.
I am not knocking the author at all. I really enjoyed the first book in the series, Curvy Girl Summer. It had great banter between the characters and I liked that. The second book just wasn’t for me. It is rare for me to shit on a writer. Who am I to critique anyone when I haven’t written more than an article or blog post? These people are pushing out 300+ page books and creating whole worlds from their imagination. Yeah, I’m going to sit down and shut up.
Here is the next 5 books that made an impression on me and I would like to share with you.
Love Radio by Ebony LaDelle
This book is a young adult (YA) romance which I know many may not be interested in. Love Radio is set in Detroit, MI and the author even mentioned a doughnut shop I have to make a trip to try out. The young man, Prince, is a radio DJ whose mom happens to be diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS). Mind you, I did not know it going in and I did not pick the book for this reason. This isn’t the first book I read where a character had MS, but it is definitely not a common occurrence. I believe the author did a great job of portraying the struggles of MS and the impact that MS can have on a family. Prince is a young dude trying to live his life and make Dani fall in love with him. Even though it is a YA book, it is a great story. There are some triggers. You have been warned. Lol
Sight Unseen by Kasha Thompson
With my Spotify subscription, I receive 15 audiobook listening hours. I don’t think I have always taken advantage of this perk, but this year I am maxing those hours out to the second 😆. This was one of the books I found on Spotify. The premise is along the lines of the TV show Married at First Sight. I can’t say it is exactly like the show because I have never seen the show. Evelyn and Quincy are matched and married, and the camera follows them around capturing way too much. I can’t imagine this really working out well in real life, but this turned out to be a sweet romance.
The Hookup Plan by Farrah Rochon
I am so crazy about this book. I actually listened to it and read it, at different times this year. I found it staying on my mind and I just wanted to live through the sweet moments again. The Hookup Plan is the last book in a series and it was the best book. The main female character, London, was such a jerk and I loved her! The main male character, Drew, was so patient, nerdy-sexy, and cool. How could you not like him!?!? It is supposed to be an enemies to lovers type book, but only one person felt the other was an enemy and the other person was walking around with the biggest crush. The banter was top notch. Honestly, I would buy this book. I would have no problem with listening to it or reading it again.
Shield of Sparrows by Devney Perry
Sometimes, I have books saved or dowloaded waiting on me before I finish the current book. Other times, I am looking for books because I don’t have one waiting in the wings or I just want to read something different. I came across Shield of Sparrows when I was looking for something different and I was scrolling through the library’s recommended offerings. It sounded interesting, and it was! This book has princesses, monsters, fights, and kings. I figured out one of the mysteries in the book, but then it kept throwing me off. I was right all along though. Lol. Shield of Sparrows is part of a series and the second book, Rites of the Starling, is out now. We are waiting on book three. I see they are saying this book will be turned into a movie. I can’t imagine it will go well. It rarely does. I highly recommend just reading the book(s).
Twice by Mitch Albom
This is my first book by Mitch Albom. I know he is a famous NYT bestselling author, but so are a bunch of other people and I don’t like their books. However, I did like this book. Twice would be a great book club read. Many ideas to ponder on and discussion. I found myself stopping and reflecting on particular chapters while I was listening. I could really write a whole blog post about this book, but I don’t to risk sharing any spoilers. Twice is a book about a man who can live parts of his life twice. I know that most of us would be just like Alfie, the main male character. Spinning the block twice on a bunch of different events in life. As with most things, there will be consequences. Check out Twice and find out what Alfie did and how he succeeded or failed.
I want to have another set of 10 by the end of this year. I also want to be more intentional about the books I read. I want to be captivated and inspired. I want the story to live with me after I read it. I want to add it to my list and then share it with you all. I hope you find at least one book from this post that interest you. If you do decide to read one, let me know what you think. I would love to hear from you. Be well and whole. Much Love 🧡 💚
