The Voice in My Head is God

"Intuition is a powerful voice that guides us. We just need to listen to it." ~ 17%

Grammy Award-winning rapper 2 Chainz (born Tauheed Epps) shares his spiritual journey in a new memoir titled The Voice in My Head is God. If you grew up in the church or you are in tune with the spirit, you know what voice he's talking about. It is the voice that guides you. The unmistakable nudge in the right direction. The unflinching feeling. The strong message you cannot ignore. 

In his most personal work to date, 2 Chainz writes about the higher power that guided his steps to be the man he is today. He writes candidly about being raised by a single mother while his father served time in prison, growing up in College Park, Georgia, earning a basketball scholarship, being in the streets then pursuing a music career. Along the way, he identified the voice in his head as God and began listening. His life really is a testimony!

I just wish it was told better. I had to put the book down a few times. Not from boredom...far from it! There were two things that commanded reading breaks: pure blasphemy and a non-chronological timeline. Sir, explain to me why you think it was the voice of God telling you to not use another drug dealer's scale. Or crediting God for finding your plugs. I have to suspend both belief and faith to accept that an angel on your shoulder whispered such direction, let alone the voice of God. While I appreciated the examples he gave, it also would have read smoother if told in chronological order. He brought up experiences just to say "more about this later." When?! The book is only 200 pages.

"Incredible things can just seem ordinary in the moment." ~ 49%

Celebrity memoirs usually fall into two categories: guarded experiences or raw truths. I applaud 2 Chainz for writing his raw truths, exposing his background for potential judgment and rising to his full potential despite obstacles along the way. He was very forthcoming about his upbringing, the dynamics of his parents, home life and journey to becoming the successful rapper/businessman he is today. From listening to his music and lyrics over the years, I could already tell that 2 Chainz is an articulate, intelligent man. He is both street- and book-smart. This book is a shining example.

The Voice in My Head is in a genre of its own that I've named Trap Christian Nonfiction. It is for readers that believe in God, can appreciate a testimony and need a gentle reminder to just listen!

Happy Early Pub Day, 2Chainz! The Voice in My Head is now available. 

Disclaimer: An advance copy was received directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins. ~LiteraryMarie

Title: The Voice in My Head is God
Author: 2 Chainz
Published: March 2026
Pages: 224
Edition: Galley
Genre: Trap Christian Nonfiction
Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤 

Series Sunday: Cross & Sampson

(Alex Cross #35) 

Series Sunday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along.

• Read an installment of a series.
• Share your review/recommendation below.
• Include the title, author and series name.

My Series Sunday pick is Cross & Sampson, the 35th book in the Alex Cross series by James Patterson.

We got another one, fans! Detectives/Best Friends Alex Cross and John Sampson are better together than apart. In this latest installment of the series, Sampson investigates a suspected terrorist attack in DC. Meanwhile, Cross drops everything to look for a missing psychology grad student in North Carolina...his own son Damon! This fast-paced novel takes us across the States from FBI headquarters to DC streets, to off-campus apartments and police stations. Yet somehow, our favorite team of detectives remain tight productive partners.

"Let's walk back that cat." ~ 15%

Cross & Sampson is a bit different than the rest of the series but more like Cross Down which released in 2023. It is primarily written in Sampson's point of view with alternating chapters of Alex Cross written in third person. It was refreshing to hear directly from Sampson, so to speak. It also helped readers take a birds' eye view of Alex Cross' panic and emotions while trying to find his missing son. The ending may have been a little "oh that's it" but I enjoyed the storylines.

It amazes me how the Alex Cross series has over thirty (30) books and it stays consistent. The suspense has not ceased, the intrigue has not faltered nor have the murder scenes lessened. James Patterson, with the help of co-authors such as Brian Sitts, continues to deliver a strong series featuring Black main characters. Don't let the disappointing second season of the TV adaptation of Cross deter you. Read this instead! 

"Never trust the experts." ~ 55%

Happy Early Pub Day, James Patterson! Cross & Sampson will be available tomorrow, February 9.

Disclaimer: An advance copy was received directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins. ~LiteraryMarie

Title: Cross & Sampson

Author: James Patterson and Brian Sitts

Published: February 2026

Pages: 368

Edition: Galley

Genre: Mystery

Challenge: Keeping Up With Patterson

Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤

Love Me Tomorrow

"A writer, a musician, and an artist were in the same room...It sounds like the beginning of a bad joke, but really, it was the start of the best idea ever." ~ 34%

From bestselling author Emiko Jean comes a new rom-com with a moving twist. What if your true love could write to you from the future? Emma Nakamura-Thatcher is 17 years old and cynical about love after her parents' divorce. A simple wish made at a festival—proof that love is real—turns into an adventure. She starts finding notes from someone claiming to be her greatest love writing from the future. It seems like a prank until the notes mention things only Emma would know. But which boy in her life is it?

The premise of Love Me Tomorrow is cute, light-hearted and a good romance read for young adults. Readers will find themselves cheering for at least one of Emma's potential loves. Is it Ezra the musical prodigy, boy next door Theo, or rich handsome Colin? With each letter, Emma tries to uncover which guy is proving his love.

I recommend this novel for high-schoolers. It is truly written for the youngest of young adults. I usually do not mind YA but this was simple with an obvious ending. This is written for those that love fairy tales!

Happy Pub Day, Emiko Jean! Love Me Tomorrow is now available.

Disclaimer: An advance copy was received directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins. ~LiteraryMarie

Title: Love Me Tomorrow
Author: Emiko Jean
Published: February 2026
Pages: 352
Edition: Galley
Genre: YA Romance Comedy
Rating: 🖤 🖤 

Series Sunday: The First Time I Saw Him

(Hannah Hall #2) 

Series Sunday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along.

• Read an installment of a series.
• Share your review/recommendation below.
• Include the title, author and series name.

My Series Sunday pick is The First Time I Saw Him, the second book in the Hannah Hall series by Laura Dave. Before I delve into this new book review, please read my previous pithy review of The Last Thing He Told Me then watch season one on Apple TV+. It features Jennifer Garner and is oh-so-good! Binge and catch up before season two begins on February 20, 2026.

Okay, back to our regularly scheduled review. The First Time I Saw Him picks up five years, 10 months and 24 days later. Hannah Hall and her stepdaughter, Bailey, have settled into a new life in Southern California. Just when Hannah feels well-adjusted and safe, she gets a sign that her and Bailey are in danger. Owen risks everything to deliver a warning forcing Hannah and Bailey to uproot their lives yet again and go on the run. As the thriller unfolds, there is a chance that their family can be reunited.

"Because that's the thing about faith. Even if the world decides it looks crazy, it shows up for you in the moment you need it most." ~ 32%

I love it when a sequel is perfectly executed! The First Time I Saw Him was even better than the first book. The suspense, mystery and fast pace kept me reading nonstop. More background info on the characters was revealed creating several layers to the story. Laura Dave's writing is so descriptive, I thought I was on the run right along with Hannah and Bailey holding my breath. By the time I reached the ending, I was spent...in a good way!

My only gripe is the repetitive sentences. At only 37% in, there were six sentences repeated word-for-word. By 46%, I had to take my editor hat off; otherwise, I would not have enjoyed the story. At that point, my nose stayed in the book turning pages frantically, skipping over the repetitiveness. The story was so edge-of-the-seat that I didn't realize only 30% was left in the book when I came up for air. And by 82%...WHOA! 

Let me stop my review here to avoid spoilers. The First Time I Saw Him is obviously recommended; it will be one of my top reads of books published in 2026. Reserve your copy now!

Happy Early Pub Day, Laura Dave! The First Time I Saw Him will be available Tuesday, January 6.

Disclaimer: An advance copy was received directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins. ~LiteraryMarie

Title: The First Time I Saw Him

Author: Laura Dave

Published: January 2026

Pages: 271

Edition: Galley

Genre: Thriller

Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤 ♡

Series Sunday: Crime Rangoon

(Noodle Shop Mystery #12) 

Series Sunday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along.

• Read an installment of a series.
• Share your review/recommendation below.
• Include the title, author and series name.

My Series Sunday pick is Crime Rangoon, the 12th book in the Noodle Shop mystery series by Vivien Chien. One of my favorite sleuths, Lana Lee, is back to investigate a stranger-than-fiction murder with the help of her detective boyfriend. Lana Lee is excited for the appearance of her favorite author at a book signing in Asia Village.

"And if it wasn't someone from her writers community, the murderer is probably a reader." ~ 67%

Lana Lee has the honor of being the author's "handler" for the event. Unfortunately, the author is found dead in the mystery aisle of the bookstore, clutching a copy of her own new book. Coincidentally, the details of the murder matches the book's plot! Detective boyfriend, Adam, and Lana team up for the first time on purpose to solve the mystery. But first, they must work through the novel to outwit the murderer.

Books within a book can be tricky. It takes a skilled author to tell a story within a story, carry two plots without confusing the reader and solve a double mystery. Vivien Chien pulls it off in Crime Rangoon but something was off. Perhaps the mystery was too easy to figure out. Or maybe because my least liked character, Kimmy, had a bigger role in the story so it annoyed me. There is humor and light romance but it didn't save the book for me.

That doesn't mean Crime Rangoon is not for you, if already a fan of this series. Newbies, I do not recommend this as your first Vivien Chien novel. Anyhoot—here's a holiday task for you, Bookhearts. Order your favorite Asian dish with a side of crab or cream cheese rangoons, then settle in for a cozy mystery read. Crime Rangoon will take your mind off the bustle of the holidays while enjoying a takeout meal.

Happy Early Pub Day, Vivien Chien! Crime Rangoon will be available Tuesday, December 30.

Disclaimer: An advance copy was received directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins. ~LiteraryMarie

Title: Crime Rangoon

Author: Vivien Chien

Published: December 2025

Pages: 320

Edition: Galley

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Rating: 🖤 🖤

First Lines Friday

First Lines Friday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along.

• Grab your current read(s).
• Share the first line(s).
• Include the title and author.

"The dress was made for sinning. Black. Strapless. Sheer."

~ Brimstone by Callie Hart

The Last Days of Marilyn Monroe

"America's most famous actress with a man who could be America's next president? Why not? She married America's greatest living sportsman, and then America's greatest living writer." ~ 69%

June 1, 2026, would be Marilyn Monroe's 100th birthday. In life, she was a superstar. In death, she is a mystery. New true crime thriller by bestselling author James Patterson with Imogen Edwards-Jones focuses on her eventful rollercoaster life. 

The title of this true crime thriller is misleading. It begins way before Marilyn Monroe's last days. In fact, it begins when she was a little girl named Norma Jean, through her teen years, multiple marriages, rise in Hollywood then finally to the months leading to her death. Longtime Bookhearts know how I am a stickler for titles. It has to fit and make sense. This did not! 

I appreciate the authors starting with background but it should have been limited to the first couple chapters. Because of the title, I expected a detailed account of the literal days before her unexpected death. What led to it? Who did she argue with and what about? What was her state of mind? Who was around? Who did she last talk to, clutching the phone as she took her last breath? Who found her body and why did it take so long to call authorities? Was it an intentional or accidental overdose? While some of the questions were answered, I finished the book with even more questions. I doubt this was the authors' intention.

"It's not really me who's late...It's the others who are in such a hurry." ~ 34%

The Last Days of Marilyn Monroe is an extra long biographical article. A compilation of information I could have easily read and researched online. I recommend to readers interested in learning surface level information about the iconic Marilyn Monroe with no expectations of a deep dive. 

Happy Pub Day, James Patterson and Imogen Edwards-Jones! The Last Days of Marilyn Monroe is now available.

Disclaimer: An advance copy was received directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins. ~LiteraryMarie

Title: The Last Days of Marilyn Monroe
Author: James Patterson and Imogen Edwards-Jones
Published: December 2025
Pages: 416
Edition: Galley
Genre: True Crime Thriller
Rating: 🖤 🖤