Cece In The City

Tag: goodreads

  • The Last 5 Books I Read: Romance, Twists & Real Talk 📚💫

    Hey book besties! You know I’m always knee-deep in a good book—whether I’m chilling at home, in between events, or even on a quick getaway. Reading is my reset. It keeps me inspired, lets me escape, and takes me on a new journey with every page.

    Every year, I do a reading challenge with a goal of hitting 65 books by December. Right now, I’m at 44 books, and I’m feeling confident I’ll reach (and maybe even surpass!) my goal. 🙌🏽

    So let’s talk about the last 5 books I read—some hits, a miss, and a whole lot of feelings.

    1. The Crash by Freida McFadden
    Y’all already know Freida McFadden is that girl when it comes to thrillers with wild plot twists. The Crash had me guessing, flipping pages, and side-eyeing characters the whole way through. If you love suspense, secrets, and surprises, you need this one in your life. I’ve read several of her books, and she never lets me down.

    https://amzn.to/3GTX5Yc

    2. The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins
    Now, let’s keep it real. I was excited about this one because I loved her book The 5 Second Rule. That one truly changed the way I approach hesitation. But The Let Them Theory just didn’t do it for me. I couldn’t fully connect. Maybe it just wasn’t the right season for this read. Still love Mel, but this one wasn’t my favorite.

    https://amzn.to/4ocelc6

    3. Just Our Luck by Denise Williams
    This book was everything I needed. A beautiful love story that gave me butterflies, smiles, and warm fuzzies. Denise Williams knows how to write romance that feels real and heartfelt. If you’re into second chances, chemistry, and charming characters, this one is a must-read.

    https://amzn.to/4eYou83

    4. All the Missing Pieces by Catherine Cowles
    First time reading Catherine Cowles—and I’m so glad I picked this up. It was suspenseful but still had depth, emotion, and a bit of that romantic pull I love. She kept me engaged, and now I’m looking into what to read next from her. Definitely a name to watch in the romantic suspense space.

    https://amzn.to/3TRj3Ot

    5. Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry
    Emily Henry does it again! I absolutely adore her books, and this one gave me all the feels. Her signature blend of romance, humor, and heart is exactly what I needed. I laughed, I swooned, and I didn’t want it to end. If you’re a fan of love stories with charm and personality, this one’s for you.

    https://amzn.to/4eWqWf4

    I’m tracking all of my reads on Goodreads, and I love connecting with other readers doing their own challenges. If you’re looking for book ideas, reviews, or just want to see what I’m diving into next, come follow me!

    📚 Click here to follow me on Goodreads
    📚 2025 Reading Goal: 65 books
    📚 Current Progress: 44 down, 21 to go!

    So tell me…
    ✨ What’s your reading goal this year?
    ✨ Have you read any of these books?
    ✨ Are you on Goodreads too?

    Drop your thoughts and recommendations—I’m always adding to my TBR (it’s never-ending, I know!). Let’s keep the book vibes going. 💛

    Until the next page turn,

    Join Cece Book club

    https://www.facebook.com/groups/1033867936640433/?ref=share&mibextid=NSMWBT

    Here is my Goodreads

    https://www.goodreads.com/friend/i?invite_token=NDhkOTFmZGUtNWQ5Yi00ZDE1LWFiODQtN2M3YmQ5NmUyOTIx

    Thanks

  • From Scratch: A Memoir of Love, Sicily, and Finding Home

    Book: From Scratch: A Memoir of Love, Sicily, and Finding Home

    Author: Tembi Locke

    By: Cece Hymes

    This book was our January Book read. I watched the series on Netflix so I couldn’t wait to read the book.  The book was also good and had some things that were different from the series but still worth the read. It was about a lady named Tembi who goes to Italy. She wants to do something different with her life. Instead of her parents taking care of her she wants to support herself. She meets this Guy named Sato who is a chef. It was like love at first sight with them. Saro’s family is Sicilian. They have certain traditions and him being with a black American woman is one that they disapprove of.

    Sato and Tembi fall deep for one another and no matter what they have to go through they face it together. They enjoy their time that is spent together and then she has to go back to the U.S. and they do the long distance thing for a little. Then Saro goes to the U.S. to start his new life with Tembi. They go through things like every couple. Sato misses his family a lot but tries to stay positive. Sato and Tembi get married and he invites his family which still disowns him. He really wants his family to be there but it’s not going to stop him from marrying Tembi. His parents did not make it but someone in his family did, and others sent congratulations by fax. Sato gets sick and Tembi sticks by him. They decide to adopt a little girl from birth and raise her.

    Later in the years Sato gets Sick again and his family comes around to at least talk to him and be a part of his daughter’s life. It’s so sad. One thing I can say is that I love it when two people become friends first and then lovers. I always say your best friend is your soulmate. Especially when you can communicate and talk about everything. You go through the highs and lows and still put each other first. That’s the love I respect and love. Tembi learned how to deal with life day by day and to keep her daughter knowing both sides of the family. It takes a village to raise a child and takes family and friends to help when a person is grieving.

    I loved the book and the series, both were great. Make sure to check both out and tell me what you think. There’s a lot more to the story but I don’t want to give it away and tell too much of the book. If you have read the book and would like to join our Virtual discussion the first week of February comment below and I will reach out to you.  You can follow Cece Book Club or follow me @Cece.Atl 

  • My Money My Way by Kumiko Love

    Book: My Money My Way “Taking Back Control of your Financial Life”

    Author: Kumiko Love

    By: Cece Hymes

    This book was about budgeting and getting your finances in order. I think everyone should have a budget and learn more about finances. We get to spend a lot of money on unnecessary things. A lot of us go into debt and get credit cards and then can’t pay that back and it messes up our credit and more. I think that finances should be taught in school.

    This book teaches you about retirement and your spending habits. It shows you how to pay off the debt and worksheets to do so you can see what you owe and how to pay little so that you can pay it off. I think that everyone needs to learn about savings, credit cards, credit, retirement, Investing and more. . This book will let you know that sometimes we make mistakes, and we spend but also how to get back on track.

    If you are looking to improve your finances and budget this is the book for you. If you read this book let me know what you thought of it.

    Also make sure to Join Cece Book Club on IG and Facebook.

  • Scenes from My Life a memoir Michael K. Williams

    Book: Scenes From My Life a Memoir Michael K. Williams

    Author: Michael K. Williams with Jon Sternfeld

    By: Cece Hymes

     

     

    This book was a memoir on Michael K. Williams. Just reading about his journey and the different things he went through in life. To start it off just to hear about how his mom treated him as a kid I felt really bad. He wasn’t shown the love that he needed. He was bullied in school for the type of clothes that he wore. He lived in the rough parts of the city. Michael got on drugs at an early age. He was on hard drugs. He had been molested in his life and had been through a lot at an early age. Going through so much pain and not having people to really talk too would take you down the wrong path. That’s when drugs and alcohol come in place then you get an addiction and want to stay in that zone.

     

    Michael K Williams had been homeless and staying at house to house in the time when he got a call for a video and later a film. I can say he was very talented and even through all the things I have read and the things he went through. He was going to be a model at one point of time and got into an altercation where he got his face cut up. That still did not stop him from getting gigs. He learned to be an actor in the process. He did all these things while being in a dark place. Can you imagine being molested, being young and homeless, feeling like your family didn’t care and getting bullied so young. When he got in the film the wire, he really blew up everyone knew his character even Obama watched the show and knew who he was. He talks about that also in his book. He did good in the community and even spoke to kids about the hard life he had been through. I hate that he kept relapsing and going back to drugs.

     

    Even though he had an addiction it did not make him a bad person. With the addiction he still did things for the community he still pushed himself to do gigs and even though his mom was rough on him he still was there for her. You can not judge a book by its cover.

     

    Make sure to check out Michael K. Williams book if you are a fan and R.I.P. to him. Glad he got a chance to tell his story before he left this earth. Let me know your thoughts on the book and also join Cece Book Club on Facebook and Instagram. 

  • Reading Challenge

    2022 Reading Challenge
    I have read 50 of 50 books for the 2022 Reading Challenge! What should I read next? http://www.goodreads.com/user_challenges/31737873