In this episode, I talk about the inspiration behind my debut novel Girl Most Unlikely (2022). Actresses Lisa Nicole Carson and Dorothy Dandridge are also mentioned.

I talk about Sandra Bullock's return to the romantic comedy genre with the film The Lost City (2022), her chemistry with Channing Tatum and Brad Pitt's cameo appearance. I also, react to Vanity Fair's list of 33 best romantic comedies of all time.

This is a book review of the adult novel Love Marriage by Monica Ali. Also, I talk about the TV adaptation the author is working on for BBC. 

https://bookshop.org/shop/Junkie_4_A_Story

Black Hollywood has got the romcom and crime genres on lock, but can they deliver a good erotic thriller? Now we have had some erotic thrillers in the past, but it has been some years. In this episode, I delve into the classics of this genre–provided by Hollywood–then ask the question, when will Black Hollywood give us something to celebrate?

Romantic comedies of the 80s, 90s, and 00s have captured moviegoers hearts but Hollywood for whatever reason, has neglected this genre in recent years. In this episode, I talk about the jerks in the movies we love that made the “prince charming” oh so much more charming in comparison.

Movies mentioned are: Friends With Benefits, When Harry Met Sally, Pretty Woman, Bridget Jones Diary, and Waiting To Exhale.

https://bookshop.org/shop/Junkie_4_A_Story

It’s 1971, and Hillary Rodham and Bill Clinton are madly in love. But, she learns of his weaknesses and proposes they have a separation before committing to marriage. This is a review of the novel, Rodham by Curtis Sittenfeld. I also talk about the real life marriage of Hillary and Bill Clinton; the Monica Lewinsky scandal; and the second president in American history to be impeached.

Here is the link for the book:

https://bookshop.org/shop/Junkie_4_A_Story

This is a review of the book and film, Waiting To Exhale, its success over the years, and the criticism it endured from its own community. I mention some of the men of the film, Wesley Snipes and Daniel Haysbert. I also talk about the essay, Mock Feminism from her essay collection, Reel To Real: Race, Class, and Sex At The Movies. 

Here is the link for further details on the books I mentioned:

https://bookshop.org/shop/Junkie_4_A_Story

In this episode, I cover what makes me interested in a book: cover, synopsis, author; how that can also turn me off of a book; and certain topics/tropes I am choosing to take a break from, temporarily. The books mentioned are: It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover; Cherish Farrah by Bethany C. Morrow; The Kindest Lie Nancy Johnson; and This Way Out Tufayel Ahmed.  

Here are the links to the books I discussed in this video: 

https://bookshop.org/shop/Junkie_4_A_Story

https://www.amazon.com/This-Way-Out-Tufayel-Ahmed-ebook/dp/B09D3JCQ19/ref=sr_1_1?crid=PL0026PIV4U6&keywords=this+way+out&qid=1654552132&s=digital-text&sprefix=this+way+out%2Cdigital-text%2C198&sr=1-1

This is a chatty review of Body Work: the new essay collection from Melissa Febos. 

In this episode, I talk about author Jumi Bello's plagiarism scandal and the canceling of her debut novel, The Leaving. I also review the adult thriller, The Plot, from author Jean Hanff Korelitz.