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Bimsha
Newbie Poster
Username: Bimsha
Post Number: 17
Registered: 02-2004
Rating: 
Votes: 1 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, May 17, 2004 - 09:17 am: | 
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Just finished: Let The Lion Eat Straw -- got a hold of the galley before the re-release by Amistad.
Loved it!!!!
http://www.ebeleoseye.com/books/lion/lion.htm
On to: Life of Pi
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Chrishayden
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Chrishayden
Post Number: 235
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, May 17, 2004 - 02:18 pm: |
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Dark Matter 2 and Go Tell it On the Mountain. |
Steve_s
Newbie Poster
Username: Steve_s
Post Number: 2
Registered: 04-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, May 17, 2004 - 02:33 pm: |
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The Chaneysville Incident by David Bradley -- Awesome historical novel, one of the best I've read in a long time. Ambitious, beautifully crafted, compelling characters -- the protagonist is a historian who learns the ropes from an old friend of his father's and later seeks to unravel the mysteries contained in some journals he inherits. Can't understand why he's been keeping such a low profile since 1982 when this won the PEN/Faulkner award for fiction.
The Time of Our Singing by Richard Powers -- The story of an aspiring African American concert singer which follows him through a private music academy in Boston through Juilliard School of Music and then on to a professional career, at home and abroad. At 631 pages, it's probably a little too long, but above all, I did like the main character's story and it's very well written.
I also read Postcards by E. Annie Proulx (coincidentally, David Bradley wrote the NY Times book review. Also read four of the short stories in John Edgar Wideman's All Stories are True, which I'll have to return to at another time.
Now I'm about one-third through Kenneth Robert Janken's recent biography of Walter White of the NAACP. In addition, he was one of the movers and shakers of the Harlem Renaissance and there's one chapter devoted to that. Mostly, it goes into interesting detail of the Association's specific legal cases. It's good. |
Klb
Regular Poster
Username: Klb
Post Number: 38
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, May 17, 2004 - 02:52 pm: |
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Linden Hills by Gloria Naylor, Black Like Us-GLB Anthology and Walker's new novel just on page 1. |
Abm
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Abm
Post Number: 193
Registered: 04-2004
Rating:
Votes: 1 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, May 17, 2004 - 03:01 pm: |
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Just finished a re-read of Jimmy Baldwin's "If Beale Street Could Talk". |
Anita
Newbie Poster
Username: Anita
Post Number: 18
Registered: 02-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, May 17, 2004 - 05:43 pm: |
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"Fire In A Canebrake: The Last Mass Lynching in America" by Laura Wexler. An awesome account of the July, 1946 lynching in rural Walton County, Georgia. Laura's account is haunting, her research thorough. I'm fascinated by the snapshot of sharecropping in the rural South.
"Faith In Time" by Jimmy Scott and David Ritz. Brilliant yet heartbreaking tale of a little known jazz artist who toiled nearly sixty years in the industry before getting a lucrative deal.
"Tastes Like Chicken" by Lolita Files. New territory for me. Laugh-out-loud funny. I'll have to check out her first novels. I was told the book I read previously, "Child of God," was a deviation from her other work.
"A Sunday In June" by Phyllis Perry. Great work that takes place in the early 1900's.
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Bookgirl
AALBC .com Platinum Poster
Username: Bookgirl
Post Number: 88
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, May 17, 2004 - 11:42 pm: |
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Anita; Child of God WAS so different from her other novels. I enjoyed it but you had to pay attention 'cause it had all kinds of twists and turns. I was impressed that she wove such an intricate tale. Her girlfriend novels are funny as all get out! LOL I just got Tastes Like Chicken and can't wait to catch up on what Misty and her girl are up to next.
I just finished Eden, Ohio by Shawne Johnson; also read Bittersweet by Freddie Lee Johnson; I'm Telling by Karen Quiones Miller; Forgotten by Donna Conger and When He Calls by Sharel Gordon-Love. The last two were Christian fiction.
I got Camilla's Roses and The Upper Room for Mother's Day and was so delighted that my daughter picked two books I have been wanting to read. So; I'm set for a little while. LOL
I just love these "what you're reading now" posts because I get so many good recomendations..... |
Kc_trudiva
Veteran Poster
Username: Kc_trudiva
Post Number: 60
Registered: 04-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, May 18, 2004 - 09:11 am: |
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just finished The Intuitionist by Colson Whitehead. it was recommended to me by chrishayden, i think. i was trying to figure out allegory and i guess this one did the trick. strange but good read.
up next, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet A. Jacobs. i read this in college (some years ago) and now i have to review it. imagine that. |
Akaivyleaf
Veteran Poster
Username: Akaivyleaf
Post Number: 62
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, May 18, 2004 - 10:53 am: |
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I'm reading Dive by Lisa Teasley and Promises Beyond Jordan by Vanessa Davis Griggs. |
Cynique
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Cynique
Post Number: 439
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, May 18, 2004 - 12:12 pm: |
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I'm reading my TV guide to see what good movies are coming on. (can't tell you what I really have a book mark in because it's by a white author.) |
Chrishayden
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Chrishayden
Post Number: 240
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, May 18, 2004 - 01:18 pm: |
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Cynique:
You're re reading Milton's Paradise Lost, aren't you? |
Cynique
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Cynique
Post Number: 442
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, May 18, 2004 - 02:34 pm: |
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Nope. |
Emanuel
Newbie Poster
Username: Emanuel
Post Number: 18
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, May 18, 2004 - 02:36 pm: |
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I'm currently reading "Vanishing Point" by David Markson. It's a work in experimental fiction.
I recently finished "My Fine Lady" by Yolanda Joe and "Play or be Played" by Tariq Nasheed (author of "The Art of Mackin.") The latter is a real trip that will no doubt have people talking.
I've also been going back and forth, trying to finish "The Working Poor" by David Shipler.
I have about five more books here I need to read and get reviewed but none by black authors. Whatever I finish by the 26th of the month, you should be able to read the review for it at
The Midwest Book Review(www.midwestbookreview.com).
Later,
Emanuel Carpenter
www.geocities.com/emanuelcarpenter
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Eviana
Veteran Poster
Username: Eviana
Post Number: 60
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, May 18, 2004 - 05:04 pm: |
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Emanuel,
Being that you are a book reviewer maybe you can suggest a book written by an African American with a genre that is action packed. I'm not talking about pimping, selling drugs or the baby mama drama saga, but a straight up thriller-mystery. Whatcha got for me in that catagory (smile)? |
Emanuel
Newbie Poster
Username: Emanuel
Post Number: 19
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, May 18, 2004 - 05:27 pm: |
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Eviana,
I'm not a big fan of the thriller-mystery genre. Since I usually solicit my own books, I generally don't request these types of books for review. The only book of this genre by an African-American author I've read recently is "Mirror, Mirror" by Laurel Handfield (Strebor Books). I liked it because of it's humor, suspense, and intrigue. You can find my full review on the following page:
http://www.midwestbookreview.com/rbw/may_04.htm#emanuel
I hope this helps.
-Emanuel |
Eviana
Veteran Poster
Username: Eviana
Post Number: 64
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, May 18, 2004 - 08:56 pm: |
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Thanks,
Thumper suggested one of Solomon Jone's book and I finally got around to ordering it, but I have to wait a bit for it to come in, so I thought I would try another while I wait.
Thanks for the suggestion. I'm a big fan for this type of genre and can't wait to read it.
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Sisg
Newbie Poster
Username: Sisg
Post Number: 18
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, May 18, 2004 - 09:34 pm: |
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Hello Eviana,
The mystery/suspense genre is my favorite. May I also suggest, if you haven't already read:
The Dying Ground by Nichelle Tramble - some drugs, but a really good story.
EJD's, thats Eric Jerome Dickey - Thieves Paradise, was very good, I like when he writes this way.
Anything by Solomon Jones, I absolutely loved Pipe Dream, and The Bridge.
Of course, I'm a long term Walter Mosley fan, anything he wrote with Easy in it. I LOVE IT!
Nichelle's got a new one coming out, check it out as soon as it hits the bookstore, I will!
Have you checked out Sympathy for the Devil, I forget the authors name, but this was also good.
He has another one too!
Okay, if I think of more I will share with you. Good reading! |
Eviana
Veteran Poster
Username: Eviana
Post Number: 65
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, May 18, 2004 - 10:17 pm: |
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Thanks Sisg,
I will add these to my list. I'm trying to read more per year. I'm currently up to about ten per year. My schedules sometimes don't allow me to read like I want to. But thanks for the suggestions. |
Klb
Regular Poster
Username: Klb
Post Number: 40
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, May 19, 2004 - 01:12 pm: |
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Eviana,
You will like the Bridge. I read it last week. My 14 year old son read it too. He really liked it. I noticed that the kids at his school are reading som really mature stuff. Should I be concerned or just glad that they are reading? |
Crystal
Regular Poster
Username: Crystal
Post Number: 30
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, May 19, 2004 - 03:01 pm: |
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KLB: I think it’s great that you and your son are reading together. My son and I have had some very interesting and informational discussions that started with books. And there’s no point in trying to hid anything from a teenager they’ll find out about it anyway and this way you have a chance to instill your view first [and often] on the subject matters.
I’ve started my Summer Winterland Reading a little early this year and have read the first 2 books in a series on Julius Caesar. Emperor – The Gates of Rome and Emperor The Death of Kings by Conn Iggulden. The story starts out when Caesar and Brutus are young boys and follows them in their rise in Roman society. The plots are weak, they are full of historical inaccuracies and the writing seems a little immature – but I’m liking them anyway. Next up is The Princes of Ireland: The Dublin Saga by Edward Rutherfurd – historical fiction is my favorite.
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Eviana
Veteran Poster
Username: Eviana
Post Number: 67
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, May 19, 2004 - 03:58 pm: |
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Klb,
It depends on what the really mature stuff is and if you're ready to explain it. Now days, kids know way too much at a early age and there's nothing that can be done about that, but teaching your child your point of view is something that you can control.
With my kids I keep a open line of communication, something that I wish I had with my parents. I probably wouldn't have gotten into as much trouble as I did (smile). So I learned from that and I make it a point to discuss everything that I know is on my kid's minds even if it makes me uncomfortable talking about it with them.
Being a single mother of a boy and girl is not easy, but I keep in mind that it's not about me or the way I feel. Their trying to understand their growth and so I talk with them to make it a little easier for them.
Good luck!!
BTW: I've been told that The Bridge is a good book and that's the one that I ordered. I'll let you know when I done, hopefully we can discuss it. |
Eviana
Veteran Poster
Username: Eviana
Post Number: 68
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, May 19, 2004 - 04:01 pm: |
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Opps!!!
That "Their trying to understand....." should be They're trying to understand. |
Always_lurking
Newbie Poster
Username: Always_lurking
Post Number: 18
Registered: 02-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, May 19, 2004 - 05:09 pm: |
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I just finished Native Son. There is so much to be said about that book. It was definitely a great read. |
Tee
Newbie Poster
Username: Tee
Post Number: 20
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, May 20, 2004 - 09:50 am: |
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I'm sooooo behind, but trying to catch up on my reading. The last book I finished was Never Tell by Selena Montgomery which comes out next month. It's a wonderful suspense with a bit of romance thrown in. What I really loved was that the story transcends race. I think anyone would enjoy it despite the fact that the main characters were African-American. I also liked that I had NO CLUE who the killer was until I read it.
Do check this one out!
I'm now reading Like the First Time by Francis Ray and after that I hope to read Bernie Mac's new book. I can't think of the title...
-Tee |
Yukio
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Yukio
Post Number: 358
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, May 20, 2004 - 01:05 pm: |
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kc_trudiva....i recommended the tuitionist 2 ya...y strange and y was it a good read?
akaivyleaf: how was dive? |
Eviana
Veteran Poster
Username: Eviana
Post Number: 73
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, May 20, 2004 - 06:52 pm: |
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Tee,
The book you mentioned "Never Tell" by Selena Montgomery sounds like my kind of book. I like to read the who dunnits and don't know until the end. I will have to take your advice and read it. |
Yukio
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Yukio
Post Number: 361
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, May 20, 2004 - 07:27 pm: |
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hmmm....i just picked up JB's Nobody KNows My name and Notes of A Native Son...oh, also Leroi Jones'(amiri baraka)Home and Derrick Bell's Silent Covenants.... |
Klb
Regular Poster
Username: Klb
Post Number: 41
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, May 21, 2004 - 10:12 am: |
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Just finished Darnella Ford's Crave- disappointed. Her first effort was a lot more ambitious. Rita Marley's No Woman No Cry- no new revelations. I was amazed at how she could make all BM's doggish behavior seem almost saint like. It's funny how some of the most visible relationships appear to be sugar but are really sh*t- |
Abm
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Abm
Post Number: 214
Registered: 04-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, May 21, 2004 - 11:47 am: |
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Yukio,
I consider the JB books you cite to be among my favorites. If you don't mind, after you have had a chance to read them, I would enjoy discussing them with you. |
Yukio
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Yukio
Post Number: 364
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, May 21, 2004 - 12:53 pm: |
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don't mind...will do! |
Bookgirl
AALBC .com Platinum Poster
Username: Bookgirl
Post Number: 91
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, May 21, 2004 - 01:15 pm: |
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Just finished Camilla's Roses last night and really enjoyed it! Anyone want to discuss it?
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Michelle
Newbie Poster
Username: Michelle
Post Number: 6
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, May 21, 2004 - 09:55 pm: |
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I'm reading The Bridge by Solomon Jones. I'm on page 78 and so far so good. Next will be The Delta Sisters by Kayla Perrin. For the past couple of months I have been into suspense but I will have to take a break to take a look at the new one by Lolita Files. |
Reppskearn
Newbie Poster
Username: Reppskearn
Post Number: 4
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, May 22, 2004 - 11:26 pm: |
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I'm reading Property by Valerie Martin and July's People by Nadine Gordimer. REK |
Anita
Newbie Poster
Username: Anita
Post Number: 19
Registered: 02-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, May 23, 2004 - 03:56 pm: |
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Bookgirl:
I'm ready to discuss Camilla's Roses whenever you are.
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Thumper
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Thumper
Post Number: 144
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, May 23, 2004 - 07:10 pm: |
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Hello All,
Anita, what did you love about Camilla's Roses? |
Ron
First Time Poster
Username: Ron
Post Number: 1
Registered: 05-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, May 23, 2004 - 09:42 pm: |
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A good book (at least it's starting off good) is "Kin: New Fiction by Black & Asian Women" Edited by Karen McCarthy. It was published in England so may be a challenge to track down.
Ron
Mosaicbooks.com |
Bookgirl
AALBC .com Platinum Poster
Username: Bookgirl
Post Number: 92
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, May 24, 2004 - 12:00 am: |
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I loved the character Velma in Camilla's Roses. She had so much to deal with from having a younger sister who was "special" and then losing her true love to Maggie . . .then having to deal with Maggie's tragic loss of the man she always wanted to be with and her baby while feeling guilty about the liquor she provided for him at her party that lead to the horrible accident. Despite it all she still took care of Maggie.
Then Velma's children falling on bad times and she raising her grandchildren only to have Camilla run away from the family.
I also loved how the author crafted Maggie as a character that you had to feel empathy for.
Although this book seemed more contemporary than her other books; McFadden still gave us a story full of human emoition. I almost cried when Audrey took that child's bike but I knew she would...what else would a junkie do? I felt so sorry for Camilla because despite it all...all she wanted to do was love her mother.
It held my attention from the beginning to the end and what a surprise the ending was. LOL Felt like a sequel should be in the works. |
Eviana
AALBC .com Platinum Poster
Username: Eviana
Post Number: 78
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, May 25, 2004 - 12:05 am: |
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Solomonjones,
Finished reading The Bridge the other day and I really enjoyed it. Just thought I give you that shout out to let you know. Keep up the good work.
I really like books that I can visualize the characters as I'm reading it and through your descriptive writing I was able to do just that.
Klb,
I don't think The Bridge is too mature for a 14 year old. If anything it's probably educational with the way it depicted the life in the projects. |
A_womon
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: A_womon
Post Number: 125
Registered: 05-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, May 25, 2004 - 01:45 am: |
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The Bridge Solomon Jones, Bad Girlz, Shannon Holmes, True to The Game, Teri Woods |
Solomonjones
Regular Poster
Username: Solomonjones
Post Number: 26
Registered: 02-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, May 25, 2004 - 04:32 pm: |
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Eviana -
Thanks so much for the kind words. I really appreciate it. Also, thanks to all of you who said you are currently reading or have read The Bridge and/or Pipe Dream. Hope you will enjoy my forthcoming novel, Ride Or Die (August), and my forthcoming book of humorous family stories, Keeping Up With The Jones (June).
A-womon, I got your email, and I'll respond this afternoon. |
A_womon
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: A_womon
Post Number: 127
Registered: 05-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, May 25, 2004 - 07:12 pm: |
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SolomonJones,
Thank you! I'll be watching out for it! |
Tee
Regular Poster
Username: Tee
Post Number: 30
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, May 26, 2004 - 09:32 pm: |
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I am finishing up a non-fiction read: Success Never Smelled So Sweet by Lisa Price. It is the story of the President of Carol's Daughter who started her company with $100 and almost in bankruptcy, but is now a multi-millionare. It's so inspiring, but I was doing What You Owe Me at the same time, so it made the reads (both of them) a bit confusing. I absolutely loved What You Owe Me -- the character development was awesome! (And nope, I didn't "read" it...that's a BAB remember. I've been listening to it in my truck for about a month now.)
I also just finished this children's book that was sooooooo wonderful!!! I keep recommending it to everyone. It's called Even More and it shows the unconditional love between a mother and her child. It's written in both English and Spanish which I also thought was unique...
I also read Like the First Time by Francis Ray and as always...she doesn't disappoint in this story of familial love and friendship. I'm a Francis Ray fan for life!
Oh, I read Bernie Mac's latest book...it was sooooooooo funny and I really loved his mother/grandmother and the ol' school upbringing he was raised on. Some kids today need to get a taste of that.
In the next week, I hope to read: The Team by Dawson Perkins, A Change is Gonna Come by Jacquelin Thomas, A Woman's Worth by Tracy Price-Thompson, and Somebody's Someone by Regina Louise I'll probably do the first week of June...whew.
A bit ambitious, but I do think I can do at least two of them! I'll be back to peek in and see what everyone else is reading.
-Tee |
Anita
Newbie Poster
Username: Anita
Post Number: 20
Registered: 02-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, May 26, 2004 - 11:54 pm: |
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Bookgirl and Thumper:
I loved and hated so many moments in Camilla's Roses: I, too, felt horrible when Audrey rode off on the bike; hated that happiness eluded Velma; wanted to beat Chuck's butt for being so soft; could have stabbed Leroy for being such a delinquent hellion; gave a mad shout-out when Maggie made Leroy put the chicken leg back in the fridge. I was enthralled by McFadden's weaving of each generation's plight. I hope a sequel is in the works. |
Bookgirl
AALBC .com Platinum Poster
Username: Bookgirl
Post Number: 94
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, May 27, 2004 - 05:34 pm: |
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Anita; I agree. McFadden did such an awesome job of telling the story of each generation. I see so many women like Velma. Happiness eludes them on every corner and still they stay true to making their family members as happy and as safe as they can.
But to have her grand daughter fall victim to the 911 tragedy was something that I would never have suspected. There were so many moments like this in the book. McFadden is such an awesome writer and the stories that she tells always linger in my mind. |
Moonsigns
AALBC .com Platinum Poster
Username: Moonsigns
Post Number: 94
Registered: 07-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, August 28, 2004 - 11:43 pm: |
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Feminism Is for Everybody: Passionate Politics by bell hooks |
Bookgirl
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Bookgirl
Post Number: 105
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, August 29, 2004 - 03:37 pm: |
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Just finished Fanning The Fires by Parry "Satin" Brown and was pleased as usual. Her books always show the brothers in a positive way. I also went back and picked up Meant To Be by Rita Coburn Whack ( I had thrown it in the later pile cause it just wasn't keeping my interest) and was glad that I did because it was a real winner. Just started Fed Up With The Fanny by Franklin White; so far so good. |
Rashena
Regular Poster
Username: Rashena
Post Number: 31
Registered: 08-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, August 29, 2004 - 09:54 pm: |
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LOL I have been thinking about that book lately in light of the firefighter scandal going on up here in NYC, I got a galley in Chicago but haven't had the chance to read it yet! |
Tee
Veteran Poster
Username: Tee
Post Number: 51
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, August 29, 2004 - 10:30 pm: |
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Heyyyyyyyy everyone! I've been MIA, but wanted to peek in for a few minutes. I'm getting ready to jump into another book tomorrow, but in the last couple of days, I read:
The Apostles by Y. Blak Moore -- my first book by him and I really enjoyed it. He made me see that not all street fiction glorifies the bad parts of the lifestyle. Please be sure to pick this up.
The Things I Could Tell You by J.L. Woodson -- I was very impressed that a 16 year-old wrote a book detailing domestic violence. It was a quick read and kept my interest. Though there were a few things that could've been strengthened, I look forward to his next release.
Inside of Me by Shellie Warren - an autobiography detailing the author's lessons in lust, love, and redemption. I normally don't read these types of books, but just the cover pulled me in and I'm so glad I did. It's a wonderful read that I'd highly recommend to others. I really commend the author for opening herself and her business up in the manner that she did in order to hopefully help another woman in the same situation get out of it, or keep one from falling into some of the things she did.
That's it for now... |
Cynique
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Cynique
Post Number: 1146
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, August 30, 2004 - 02:10 pm: |
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I recently finished "Life of PI" a very engrossing off-beat book, a book that I experienced as much as I read. I really became one with the lead character as he and his indomitable spirit struggled to survive a harrowing battle against the forces of nature.
Next on my list is "Better Than I Know Myself," by Donna Grant and Virginia DeBerry, which is the current selection of my book-reading club. |
Shevi
Newbie Poster
Username: Shevi
Post Number: 10
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, August 30, 2004 - 03:50 pm: |
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I finished Drive Me Crazy by Eric Jerome Dickey, I enjoyed it very much. Next is Lemon City by Elaine Brown. |
Rashena
Regular Poster
Username: Rashena
Post Number: 33
Registered: 08-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, August 30, 2004 - 10:06 pm: |
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Cynique, you asked me if I had read The Life of Pi, what is it about? I will check it out!
I just finished reading Better Than I Know Myself about three weeks ago and loved it. Far From the Tree is another favorite of mine. |
A_womon
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: A_womon
Post Number: 592
Registered: 05-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, August 30, 2004 - 10:21 pm: |
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Hey Tee,
Im reading THE THINGS I COULD TELL YOU and I was also impressed that a 16 year old wrote and managed to publish a book and it's also a good read. The emotions and suspense that he manages to convey sometimes seem beyond the scope of a 16 year old.(He sho is foine too! I wonder how old he is now?  ) |
Cynique
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Cynique
Post Number: 1157
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, August 30, 2004 - 11:29 pm: |
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"Life of Pi" isn't a book that will appeal to everyone, Rashena. But you might enjoy it. And it was a best-seller. It's about a young East Indian boy who is set adrift on the Atlantic ocean as the only human survivor of a ship wreck. What you have to admire about this book is how well-written and well-constructed it is. It's a great testament to the resiliency of the human spirit, and once you get into it, you will take part in an extraordinary journey.
I'm looking forward to "Better Than I Know Myself," because I also enjoyed "Not Far From the Tree." |
Tee
Veteran Poster
Username: Tee
Post Number: 52
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, August 31, 2004 - 12:59 am: |
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ROFL...a_womon, you're so bad! He's 17 now and just left for college last week I believe. I agree with you though, but he did make one decision in the book that ticked me off. I can't wait for his next book to come out. And, from the excerpts and email messages I've read from his Mom, I want to check out her books now. Through JL's writing, you can see how much he loves his Mom though and what a great job she's done raising him. Once you meet him in person, you'll know what I mean.
Cynique, I truly enjoyed Better Than I Know Myself. It started off a bit slow, but was really, really good. I loved the interactions between the characters and the overall theme of friendship. DeBerry & Grant amaze me with their ability to co-author a book. I would love to sit and watch them work...
-Tee C. Royal |
A_womon
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: A_womon
Post Number: 595
Registered: 05-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, August 31, 2004 - 06:23 am: |
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Tee,
I should be done with the book in another night, so I will let you know what I think of his decision. And I agree with you that if JL is anything like Cameron in the book, then he is very mature,resourceful, and responsible. His mom is doing a great job!
Now when you email her again, ask her if I can come to JL's 21st B-Day jam! Hahahahahaa!! just joking!!!! Don't you tell his mom I'm lusting after her baby!
But seriously, what books has his mom written? Has she also been published? |
A_womon
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: A_womon
Post Number: 596
Registered: 05-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, August 31, 2004 - 06:27 am: |
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By the way Tee, have you read LEAVING CECIL STREET? BY Diane McKinney Whetstone? |
Rashena
Regular Poster
Username: Rashena
Post Number: 37
Registered: 08-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, August 31, 2004 - 07:58 am: |
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JL is a charming, dashing young man! I'm tickled to finally be at an age when I can call someone else a young man, but I feel A_Womon, I have a 21-year-old stud that is outrageous! LMAO
Everytime I see him, he's out of books...first time was at the expo, then at the Harlem Book Fair. That is definitely on my list of books to read sooner than later.
I'm still plugging my way through The Emperor of Ocean Park and I ordered The Accidental Diva the other day but haven't started it yet.
I'm also reading The Fall of Advertising, The Rise of PR.
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A_womon
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: A_womon
Post Number: 701
Registered: 05-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, September 08, 2004 - 08:26 pm: |
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Rashena,
I dont' know why I missed this! You are a MESS!!
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A_womon
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: A_womon
Post Number: 702
Registered: 05-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, September 08, 2004 - 08:29 pm: |
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Tee,
I finished THE THINGS I COULD TELL YOU and I didn't see any decision that he made that was a bad one. Which decision do you mean if you don't mind me asking.
Im like you, I can't wait for JL Woodson's next bood either! |
A_womon
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: A_womon
Post Number: 703
Registered: 05-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, September 08, 2004 - 08:31 pm: |
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of course I meant JL Woodson's next Book! |
A_womon
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: A_womon
Post Number: 706
Registered: 05-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, September 08, 2004 - 08:42 pm: |
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SOA: Have you read LEAVING CECIL STREET by Diane McKinney Whetstone?
I've been tryin to hear from others what they think of it. I am about 5 chapters into it and I think its great. How she uses imagery so well it draws you into each character and makes you care what happens to them. And I feel so sad for the crazy lady eating cat food and living in someones basement on the sneak tip. I don't know what's going to happen to her yet, but I am hoping that she gets her heart desire before she leaves... |
Bookgirl
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Bookgirl
Post Number: 106
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, September 09, 2004 - 01:16 am: |
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Girl; I really loved Leaving Cecil Street and like you...I too was so sad for the woman in the basement eating cat food. But; keep reading and what happens with her really will surprise you.
I am a Diane McKinney Whetstone fan. For me all of her books contained characters that I could feel for and think about long after I finished her books.
Having grown up in one of those row houses in Philadelphia; I was really into Cecil Street because I can relate to the whole Block Party thing and the sense of family on those small streets of row houses. My aunt lived in West Philly and I had a girlfriend who lived next door; can still remember sitting out on the porch and just stepping over the banister to her porch on late summer nights. LOL
The characters in Cecil Street were so real to me. I really felt for the wife with gum disease (and her other issues) and her husband's need for his music. I was so angry with him when he had that affair though.
Neet's mother had a reason for being the way that she was; you'll see as you get further into the book.
The way that the author really tied up the loose ends in the final chapters really impressed me. Let me know what you think when you finish.
I just read Fed Up With the Fanny by Franklin White and Brown Paper Wrapper which was a who-dun-it with a romantic twist. I think the author is Daisy Bates Griggs. Reminded me of Valerie Wilson Wesley's Tamara Hale series.
I'm starting When Did You Stop Loving me by Veronica Chambers.
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Soulofaauthor
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Soulofaauthor
Post Number: 107
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, September 09, 2004 - 09:09 am: |
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BookGirl I have Leaving Cecil Street on my bookshelf collecting dust.sounds like a good read.Guess I'll get it off my shelf.You have made it sound like a good read. |
A_womon
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: A_womon
Post Number: 713
Registered: 05-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, September 09, 2004 - 09:15 am: |
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Bookgirl,
I feel you and thanks for the response! I will let you know what I think when I done!! |
Greeneyedrican
Newbie Poster
Username: Greeneyedrican
Post Number: 7
Registered: 09-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, September 09, 2004 - 10:24 am: |
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I'm reading explicit content by Black Artemis
so far so good.
Just finished Bad Girlz by Shannon Holmes
Was a good read too. |
Soulofaauthor
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Soulofaauthor
Post Number: 110
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, September 09, 2004 - 07:44 pm: |
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A_Woman when I came to the broad last night I didnt see the message but I see it now.Any way I am going to start it soon as I finish this one I am reading now.Btw greeneye I read Bad Girlz I thought it was a good one to.What did you think about what happen to Kat in the end? |
Soulofaauthor
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Soulofaauthor
Post Number: 111
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, September 09, 2004 - 07:45 pm: |
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Dang typos I meant board. |
A_womon
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: A_womon
Post Number: 715
Registered: 05-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, September 10, 2004 - 08:45 am: |
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No problem SOA! Speak w/you soon. I am still reading Leaving Cecil Street, but I will let you know! It really is good, and some parts are funny. |
Greeneyedrican
Newbie Poster
Username: Greeneyedrican
Post Number: 8
Registered: 09-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, September 10, 2004 - 12:26 pm: |
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Soulofaauthor....I thought the ending was good...She most definately got her just due.
My cousin read it and hated the ending but I tend to like books that end like that, let's the reader work out their own scenerios after the writer stops...
How about you? |
Soulofaauthor
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Soulofaauthor
Post Number: 112
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, September 10, 2004 - 08:02 pm: |
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Green I loved the ending.I guess because I couldnt stand kat she was a user.But I don't know if she should have got killed.I would have loved to see her in a future book. I would loved an ending of maybe her getting shot but leaving the door open for her to resurface in future books. |
Mosamba
First Time Poster
Username: Mosamba
Post Number: 1
Registered: 09-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, September 12, 2004 - 08:02 pm: |
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For Love's Sake has a new sequel about to hit air:
OBSESSION 101 published by BLACK PRINT PUBLISHING
It's a mystery and has moved the author from inter-racial romance writing to multi-cultural fiction.
;)
Also by this same author...MICHELLE MCGRIFF, there is a Sci Fi/FANTASY Western that was co-authored with TL Gardner that released last week...THE LEGEND OF MORNING...it also has a multi-cultural base and bi-racial characters...lots of action and violence (not for the faint hearted)
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Chakrya
Newbie Poster
Username: Chakrya
Post Number: 2
Registered: 04-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, September 14, 2004 - 09:02 am: |
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Ummmm Soulof, you should have put a spoiler alert on your message!!!!! |
Carey
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Carey
Post Number: 224
Registered: 05-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, September 14, 2004 - 11:16 am: |
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Shame on you Souloffherfather, now you know that's taboo........or did you? Oh well, we live and learn. Boy, ol'okra didn't hesitate to point that out.......how dare she *smile*.
Carey |
Cynique
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Cynique
Post Number: 1294
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, September 14, 2004 - 08:19 pm: |
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Just finished "Better Than I know Myself." I liked it. It was a lush soap-opera with romance novel overtones but the 2 authors really pulled it off. Great writing! |
Chakrya
Newbie Poster
Username: Chakrya
Post Number: 3
Registered: 04-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, September 15, 2004 - 08:13 am: |
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Okra huh...I think I prefer Ladyfingers... or to revert back to Lurkerette. |
Philly_bbw
Newbie Poster
Username: Philly_bbw
Post Number: 3
Registered: 09-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, September 25, 2004 - 02:34 pm: |
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I just finished reading Dogism by Mark Anthony. Excellent read! Made me look @ my man a little more closely. *LOL* and the collaboration he did with Eric and Anthony called Streets of New York was really good too. I read both books in a matter of two days! Couldn't put them down. |
Philly_bbw
Newbie Poster
Username: Philly_bbw
Post Number: 5
Registered: 09-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, September 25, 2004 - 02:58 pm: |
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Well, I actually read God DOn't Like Ugly first and I so hated Mr. Boatwright, and I hated her mother even more for not paying attention to what was going on in her household. I was pissed that she was left to fend for herself, and so glad that Rhoda handled that. The part that made me mad the must was when she got pregnant by him, and he tried to put it out there like she was the town smut. Supposed to be a man of the word all up in the church, and on the down low he home malesting a teenager. Sickening... |
Philly_bbw
Newbie Poster
Username: Philly_bbw
Post Number: 11
Registered: 09-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, September 28, 2004 - 06:07 pm: |
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Can someone tell me who wrote Camilla's Roses? Y'all make it sound like a must read, and I can't find it on the net anywhere.
Thanks
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Shevi
Newbie Poster
Username: Shevi
Post Number: 12
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, September 29, 2004 - 11:06 am: |
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Camilla's Roses was written by Bernice McFadden. Very good. |
Philly_bbw
Newbie Poster
Username: Philly_bbw
Post Number: 13
Registered: 09-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, September 29, 2004 - 06:50 pm: |
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Thanks Sweetie. |
Bleekindigo
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Bleekindigo
Post Number: 130
Registered: 06-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, October 02, 2004 - 11:28 am: |
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I am reading Along The Way ~a black family journey~
Very intriguing read so far...
Bleek |
Jojorules
Newbie Poster
Username: Jojorules
Post Number: 5
Registered: 10-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, October 02, 2004 - 12:07 pm: |
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im reading bridget jones diary AGAIN. lol!
i love this book. its like my 8 time reading it. did anybody else read it and did you like the movie better than the book or vice versa?
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Cynique
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Cynique
Post Number: 1490
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, October 02, 2004 - 12:57 pm: |
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Be kind, Bleek. Be kind. LOL |
Tee
Veteran Poster
Username: Tee
Post Number: 71
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, October 02, 2004 - 02:38 pm: |
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Now that the end of the month hump is over, I'm relaxing a bit and am reading Gets No Love by Eric Pete. I've only read a few chapters, but so far, I'm liking it. The central theme is putting the past behind you in order to move on with the future.
-Tee |
Cynique
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Cynique
Post Number: 1497
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, October 02, 2004 - 02:55 pm: |
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In keeping with my affinity for biographies, I am reading this new one out on Canada Lee, entitled "Becoming Something," by Mona Z. Smith. It's the story of the short but dynamic life of this forgotten, black, critically-acclaimed actor who appeared on the stage and screen back in the 40s and 50s but, like Paul Robeson, was black-listed during the McCarthy era and died a broken man. So far, it's very interesting. |
Bookgirl
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Bookgirl
Post Number: 108
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, October 03, 2004 - 06:22 pm: |
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Oh Cynique; my mother was a big fan of Canada Lee. She made us watch his old movies when I was a kid and she always told us those "they did him wrong" kind of stories about him. I'll be sure to read that book.
I'm reading A Meeting in the Ladies' Room by Anita Doreen Diggs and I'm loving it. Nice and easy read.
Finally read one of Tavis Hunter's books; One Woman Man and enjoyed it. |
Tee
AALBC .com Platinum Poster
Username: Tee
Post Number: 79
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, October 04, 2004 - 05:38 pm: |
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I finished Gets No Love and enjoyed it and now I'm on to Kendra Norman-Bellamy's new book: A Love So Strong and after that, Persuasive Evidence by R. Barri Flowers. Anyone read either??
I'm about two weeks behind in my reading, so I hope to knock these two out this week.
-Tee |
Philly_bbw
Newbie Poster
Username: Philly_bbw
Post Number: 16
Registered: 09-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, October 06, 2004 - 07:08 pm: |
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I just finished reading part one of the vampire huntress series by L.A. Banks called Minion. I am so loving it! It never thought that the perfect place for vampire's to hide was the music industry because of the constant crowds and night hours. I also love that they are AA. I read the first book in like 5 hours. Now I' reading part 2 called The Awakening. This one is reading more like a romance, but I'm digging it. She goes into explain the seven levels of heaven and hell, and the different levels of demons and everything. Off the hook! |
Aurorab05
Newbie Poster
Username: Aurorab05
Post Number: 5
Registered: 07-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, October 20, 2004 - 11:58 am: |
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Jojorules, I've read that book a couple of times myself...the movie is OK, I like the book better. Have you read her new book? Olivia Joules and the Overactive Imagination? You will love it!
Right now, I'm reading Naughty or Nice by EJD...just started today, havent read but 2 chapters on the train, but so far so good |
Marla_singer
First Time Poster
Username: Marla_singer
Post Number: 1
Registered: 10-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, October 20, 2004 - 08:57 pm: |
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I just cracked open L.A. Bank's THE HUNTED last night and am really enjoying it. It took me awhile to get into MINION but once I got past those first few chapters I burned through it and THE AWAKENING.
I'm a librarian so I'm always picking new stuff up. I'm also reading:
The living blood
The best of Emerge magazine
Mojo : conjure stories
A ship made of paper
Dien Cai Dau
Anna Madgigine, Jai Kingsley
Swerve : reckless observations of a po'mo girl
Shut out : a story of race and the Boston Red Sox
Persepolis 2 |
Reader23
First Time Poster
Username: Reader23
Post Number: 1
Registered: 11-2004
Rating:
Votes: 1 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, November 18, 2004 - 05:50 pm: |
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I just finish reading a new book entitled Emani's Choice by C. Shane' Lanier, a new author. The book was a birthday present and I loved it. I'm reading Lay Down my Burdens, by Mary Monroe now. So far it's good. |
Romancequeen1
First Time Poster
Username: Romancequeen1
Post Number: 1
Registered: 11-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, November 30, 2004 - 06:57 pm: |
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I was surfing a few nights ago, and Google showed me this discussion. My name is Donna Conger, and I am honored that Bookgirl read my book, "Forgotten"! Please let me know what you thought of it by writing me or a review on Amazon. Thanks! I am currently reading a number of small press romances and mysteries. I also do a lot of reviews for black authors. |
Bookgirl
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Bookgirl
Post Number: 109
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, November 30, 2004 - 07:31 pm: |
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Romancequeen1.....bookgirl aka Idrissa from www.flavahreviewers.homestead.com LOL
Meeting up with you again, huh? Small world . . . |
Bookgirl
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Bookgirl
Post Number: 110
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, November 30, 2004 - 09:12 pm: |
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Oh; by the way I just finished reading Don't Forget The Bridges You Crossed Over On by Adriene Pickett and although it started off slow...I really enjoyed it. It's her first novel and came out a few years back.
Just started reading Boaz Brown by Michelle Stinson . . .I know I'm catching up on some older reads right now. Looking forward to reading Sunrise by Chassie West. Anyone read any of her mysteries? |
Cynique
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Cynique
Post Number: 1871
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, November 30, 2004 - 10:32 pm: |
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I am reading my book club's current selection, "The Blackbird Papers," which is a little murky so far. But the picture of the author Ian Smith on the back cover comes through loud and clear. He's a fione lookin brotha. |
Shevi
Newbie Poster
Username: Shevi
Post Number: 14
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, December 01, 2004 - 09:27 am: |
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I'm reading Don't Want No Sugar by JD Mason. I like her writing style. I also finished Some People Some Other Place by J California Cooper. Next up will be The Million Dollar Divorce by RM Johnson.
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Crystal
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Crystal
Post Number: 163
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, December 01, 2004 - 11:51 am: |
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Cynique: I kinda liked The Blackbird Papers. Let's discuss when you're done. Did you read Thumper's review? |
Cynique
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Cynique
Post Number: 1877
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, December 01, 2004 - 01:54 pm: |
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Hi, Crystal. I'm getting more into The Blackbird Papers" now, and it is holding my interest. No, I didn't read Thumper's review because I didn't want to approach the book with any pre-conceived notions. |
Abm
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Abm
Post Number: 2143
Registered: 04-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, December 08, 2004 - 03:51 pm: |
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Over the past 4 weeks, I have read "Their Eyes Were Watching God" (Zora Neale Hurston), "Hoop Roots" (John Edgar Wideman) and "Between GOD and Gangsta Rap" (Michael Eric Dyson)
I am half way thru "Beloved" (Toni Morrison). |
Philly_bbw
Regular Poster
Username: Philly_bbw
Post Number: 29
Registered: 09-2004
Rating:
Votes: 1 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, December 13, 2004 - 07:06 pm: |
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Harlem Girl Lost- Treasure E. Blue
Excellent Book!!! |
Maghonay
First Time Poster
Username: Maghonay
Post Number: 1
Registered: 12-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, December 29, 2004 - 05:40 am: |
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I just finish reading Jonathan Luckett's Jasminum and I got to say he did his thing I finish the book in two sittings and was very impressed. |
B_ball
First Time Poster
Username: B_ball
Post Number: 1
Registered: 03-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, March 31, 2005 - 07:12 pm: |
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I just finished Andrea Levy's "Small Island" last week and loved it. I'm bummed that she hasn't been getting the attention that Zadie Smith got with "White Teeth" on this side of the pond. They're both great books but I enjoyed Levy's book so much more.
I've been working on "Anna Karenina" for awhile now and hope to be finished with it by the end of next week.
I just got "Animals in Translation" from the library and am anxious to get started reading it. |
Tbaby
First Time Poster
Username: Tbaby
Post Number: 1
Registered: 03-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, March 31, 2005 - 07:43 pm: |
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Just Finished The Ties That Bind by Electra Rome...Very good read. Starting the sequel..Loose Ends. |
Mike_e
Newbie Poster
Username: Mike_e
Post Number: 10
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, April 05, 2005 - 10:22 am: |
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Just finished Charles Johnson's Dr. King's Refrigerator; good stories. Recently got around to reading Percival Everett's American Desert and I feel it should be a classic. Starting Carl Hacock Rux debut novel Asphalt. |
Crystal
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Crystal
Post Number: 205
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, April 05, 2005 - 02:02 pm: |
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Hello Mike - I can see American Desert becoming a cult classic [oops, a pun]. Actually, I see Everett himself as a cult classic. You just can’t pin him down into any of the usual literary categories. Except maybe irreverent |
Bookgirl
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Bookgirl
Post Number: 112
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, April 05, 2005 - 07:56 pm: |
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Just finished The Angel of Harlem by Kuwana Haulsey and was very impressed by the historical research and the lyrical writing of the tale. It was a very enjoyable read.
I just started A Landlord's Tale by Gammy Singer. |
Mahoganyanais
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Mahoganyanais
Post Number: 135
Registered: 01-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, April 06, 2005 - 11:00 pm: |
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How to Love a Black Man by Dr. Ronn Elmore |
Anita
Regular Poster
Username: Anita
Post Number: 30
Registered: 02-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, April 09, 2005 - 02:13 am: |
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Just read The Professor's Daughter by Emily Raboteau and loved it. Would like to discuss it with other readers if possible. |
Libralind2
Regular Poster
Username: Libralind2
Post Number: 31
Registered: 09-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, April 10, 2005 - 01:57 pm: |
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Im about to read "Passing Through" Colin Channer then "Tell Me How Long The Train's Been Gone" James Baldwin
Linda From Ohio |
Darci
First Time Poster
Username: Darci
Post Number: 1
Registered: 04-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, April 14, 2005 - 09:09 pm: |
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Hey Folks, my bookclub just finished reading a GREAT novel called Lust of the Flesh by Beverly Rolyat. A compelling, riveting, eyeopening, pageturner of all pageturners. The most engaging novel we have read this year. It offers everything from lust, love, murder, mystery, suspense, deceit, betrayal, erotica, urban/street, courtroom drama----all without missing one single beat. You will have difficulty in putting this book down. I finished it in one day. That's a first for me. Yall gonna love this one. It's definitely different from anything out there on the shelves today. Put this one on your "MUST READ" list and thank me later for the recommendation. |
Darci
Newbie Poster
Username: Darci
Post Number: 2
Registered: 04-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, April 14, 2005 - 09:15 pm: |
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I'm new to this board and wanted to recommend another good read that my bookclub completed called The Connection by S. W. Smith. An urban legal thriller with twists and turns that will have you hanging on until the end. |
Msb
First Time Poster
Username: Msb
Post Number: 1
Registered: 04-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, April 18, 2005 - 02:35 pm: |
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What I'm reading are books for a class project I'm working on about Black women in literature, specifically why "lightweight" and, in my opinion, stereotypical topics are marketed and are the most accessible to Black readers.
What do you think about this? Do you feel that there are topics not addressed or are inadequately addressed in Black women's writing?
Finally, do you feel as if Black women's literature should be activist, that is, help foster social change? This function has been part of our legacy, but should it still function as such today?
All feedback is greatly appreciated. |
Literarylicense
Newbie Poster
Username: Literarylicense
Post Number: 18
Registered: 02-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, April 19, 2005 - 10:20 am: |
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MSB-
It depends. At book signings, I've found that many readers are interested in "easy reading" subjects. Sometimes it seems that fiction that have more introspective value or subject matter that "fosters social change", is left on the shelves. I guess a lot of Black readers are more interested in entertainment, rather than topics that make you go "hmmm".
Personally, I try to cloak the message behind entertaining storylines. I still think it's my responsibility to inform as well. |
Reader23
Newbie Poster
Username: Reader23
Post Number: 9
Registered: 11-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, April 19, 2005 - 12:52 pm: |
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I think there is a time and place for everything. Not all Black Women's literature should be activist in nature, but the need still exist for activist literature. As a black woman writer, I write about want is or has been affecting me. My first novel, Emani's Choice, was not an activist novel. It was merely a fiction tale. However, my second novel (I'm writing now) has an activist message in the under tones.
Writing is a reflection of an individual's mind set. Sometimes that might be love, romance, pain, or activism. It all depends on the writer's mind set.
I hope I didn't ramble too much. |
Cynique
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Cynique
Post Number: 2177
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, April 19, 2005 - 11:50 pm: |
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I'd say non-fiction is the best arena for black female activists to plead their cases. Of course, a skillful writer could probably weave activism into a fictional plot, especially if the genre of the book was Mystery. This might make touting a cause more palatable to readers, but the author would have to be careful not to fall into the pitfall of "preaching." |
Libralind2
Regular Poster
Username: Libralind2
Post Number: 44
Registered: 09-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, April 20, 2005 - 09:13 am: |
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Who comes to mind is bell hooks |
Literarylicense
Newbie Poster
Username: Literarylicense
Post Number: 20
Registered: 02-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, April 20, 2005 - 11:07 am: |
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I'm reading her Sisters of the Yam, right now. |
Libralind2
Regular Poster
Username: Libralind2
Post Number: 45
Registered: 09-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, April 20, 2005 - 11:00 pm: |
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Im collecting all ms hooks books. I have 13 so far not read a one but plan to. |
Chardeb
Newbie Poster
Username: Chardeb
Post Number: 3
Registered: 04-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, April 26, 2005 - 08:01 pm: |
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I have just read "On Borrowed Time - An Anonymous Citizen's View Of Black America" by Sherrold "Pete" Skidmore. Great book! |
Blossom
First Time Poster
Username: Blossom
Post Number: 1
Registered: 04-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, April 27, 2005 - 08:58 pm: |
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I've just finished reading "Million Dollar Divorce" - it was a great read. |
Steve_s
AALBC .com Platinum Poster
Username: Steve_s
Post Number: 83
Registered: 04-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, April 27, 2005 - 11:26 pm: |
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Finished Links by Nuruddin Farah, about a professor who returns to Mogadiscio after 20 years in the states (Queens, NY). The city is divided by clan loyalty based on blood ties which even divide families. He tells it like it is, whether it's about tribalism or the failed US mission to feed the starving. I learned something about that. Jeebleh, the American Somali, although a pacifist, resorts to fighting fire with fire when he recruits the quaat-chewing youths to fight the warlord wannabe. I thought the ending was a little predictable, but other than that, I liked the book very much. |
Thais
First Time Poster
Username: Thais
Post Number: 1
Registered: 05-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, May 24, 2005 - 01:22 pm: |
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Hello everyone. I just finished reading "The Same River Twice" by Alice Walker, and "Getting Mother's Body" by Suzan-Lori Parks. I was moderately pleased with "The Same River Twice," but I didn't enjoy the characters of Parks' novel as much as I expected. |
Abm
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Abm
Post Number: 2954
Registered: 04-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, May 24, 2005 - 02:01 pm: |
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Thai,
With Parks recent troubles with the Oprah-back "Their Eyes Were Watching God" and your (and others) views expressed about her fiction, I wonder whether she's a better playwright than she is screenwriter and novelist. |
Troy
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Troy
Post Number: 249
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, May 24, 2005 - 03:21 pm: |
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I'm reading The Veil of Friendship by a sister named Kashan.
I saw her on 125th street selling the book. It takes a lot of balls to do that and when she said, "You look like a brother that likes to read." I could not help but to buy and read the book.
The following week I was in the Howard University Bookstore (Washington D.C.) and I saw her book for sale and noticed she was scheduled for a reading a few days later.
I'm reserving judgment on the book until I complete it -- it is sufficently interest that I want to complete it. |
Cynique
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Cynique
Post Number: 2259
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, May 24, 2005 - 04:27 pm: |
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I'm reading Alice Walker's biography by Evelyn C. White. It's a "BAB", over 500 pages long, but one that you can take your time reading. It's also a very well-written, in depth account of the life of one of America's premiere female writers. I am, however, withholding judgment on whether or not at book's end, the author will have succeeded in revealing who the enigmatic Alice Walker really is. But, as is my usual reaction to well-written biographies, I am as much drawn into the era in which the subject lived as I am into the life which she lived. I am especially in sync with the times of Alice Walker because we are only 10 years apart, and her times were also my times. And it has never been made more clear to me how multi-faceted the black experience is than when reading how back during the early 1950s in Jim Crow infested Georgia, her dirt-poor family, at the mercy of the cruel white owners who leased them land, was trying to eke out a living, hoping to clear at least $250 a year, while up North I was stashed away in an integrated dormitory on a predominatly-white campus, where my parents were paying $350 a semester for me to live, and where curious, eager white coeds, anxious to show how unprejudiced they were, were seeking my friendship. How ironic life is. |
Steve_s
AALBC .com Platinum Poster
Username: Steve_s
Post Number: 90
Registered: 04-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, May 24, 2005 - 09:52 pm: |
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I'm reading A Chance Meeting: Intertwined Lives of American Writers and Artists, 1854-1967 by Rachel Cohen. It's a cultural history containing 36 short chapters which describe actual meetings between two historical figures. I'd say that about 1/4 of the chapters are about African American writers or artists: W.E.B Du Bois, Langston Hughes, Beauford Delaney, et al. Also Walt Whitman, Mark Twain, Gertrude Stein, Willa Cather, William Dean Howells, and many others. It's really interesting, plus it's a book you can put down at the end of a chapter and return to later.
I really enjoyed Small Island by Andrea Levy, a book which won an unprecedented three major awards: the Orange, Whitbread, and Commonwealth Prizes. It's about Jamaican immigrants in London after WWII and is inspired by her parents' experience. She's featured on the cover of the current Poets & Writers. Here's the front flap copy:
Hortense Joseph arrives in London from Jamaica in 1948 with her life in her suitcase, her heart broken, her resolve intact. Her husband, Gilbert Joseph, returns from the war expecting to be received as a hero, but finds his status as a black man in Britain to be second class. His white landlady, Queenie, raised as a farmer's daughter, befriends Gilbert, and later Hortense, with innocence and courage, until the unexpected arrival of her husband, Bernard, who returns from combat with issues of his own to resolve.
Told in these four voices, Small Island is a courageous novel of tender emotion and sparkling wit, of crossings taken and passages lost, of shattering compassion and of reckless optimism in the face of insurmountable barriers---in short, an encapsulation of that most American of experiences: the immigrant's life. |
Jmho
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Jmho
Post Number: 136
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, May 25, 2005 - 01:10 am: |
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Abm wrote:
With Parks recent troubles with the Oprah-back "Their Eyes Were Watching God" and your (and others) views expressed about her fiction, I wonder whether she's a better playwright than she is screenwriter and novelist.
I read her novel and enjoyed it. I honestly don't think anyone could have done a good job of bringing TEWWG to screen, big or small. |
Vernyce
First Time Poster
Username: Vernyce
Post Number: 1
Registered: 05-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, May 25, 2005 - 09:33 pm: |
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recently read two from fave Caribbean writers -- Jamaica Kincaid's Autobiography of my Mother and Edwidge Danticat's Farming the Bones. while these don't, on the face of things, have the lighthearted entertainment value of, say, Zadie Smith's White Teeth (which is such a romp, despite some darker depths), there is a rich window in to life in that part of the diaspora. |
Libralind2
AALBC .com Platinum Poster
Username: Libralind2
Post Number: 94
Registered: 09-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, May 25, 2005 - 10:42 pm: |
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Im reading "A Landlord's Tale" Gammy Singer
LiLi |
Troy
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Troy
Post Number: 250
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, May 25, 2005 - 11:51 pm: |
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Philly_bbw:
You could not find anything on the net?
I would not be doing my job if I did not point out that you may find anything about any author by simply typing the search term in the google search box on AALBC.com. You will find it on almost very page on our site.
You would have found pages of links including:
A review of the book written by Thumper
http://reviews.aalbc.com/camillasroses.htm
A profile of the author Bernice McFadden - including a transcript of an on-line chat
http://authors.aalbc.com/bernicemcfadden.htm
How this helps next time! And hey you can even buy the book here too.
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Crystalball
First Time Poster
Username: Crystalball
Post Number: 1
Registered: 05-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, May 27, 2005 - 02:04 pm: |
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I can't say enough about Wrapped in Rainbows: The Life of Zora Neale Hurston. A wonderful wonderful book. I have just finished it and I LOVED IT! Now I've got to read everything Zora Neale Hurston penned. A book of spunk, adventure and literary history, and a reading guide is included. I say this is a book for every Black person's bookcase. What a remarkable read about a remarkable woman! You must read this one! |
Cynique
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Cynique
Post Number: 2264
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, May 28, 2005 - 12:31 pm: |
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I have read it, and did enjoy it. |
Shundal
First Time Poster
Username: Shundal
Post Number: 1
Registered: 05-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, May 30, 2005 - 12:02 am: |
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Just finished "Black Butterfly" by Michael Holmes (www.redbrickclub.com)...now reading "I Got Somebody in Staunton" by. W. Lewis, also reading, Write it Down, Make it Happen by H. Klauser |
Tsaun614
Newbie Poster
Username: Tsaun614
Post Number: 2
Registered: 06-2005
Rating:
Votes: 1 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, June 04, 2005 - 12:47 am: |
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STEVEN.
It's a book written by a guy named Marvin Curtis Reid from Maryland. I have never ever read a book about a brotha who was the victim of domestic violence at the hands of his girl. I think it's the first one ever and if it is, the writer deserves some serious props. This sh** is OFF THE HOOK!!!
The brotha put it down. Don't miss out on this.
http://iuniverse.com/bookstore/book_detail.asp?isbn=0-595-34667-7
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Libralind2
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Libralind2
Post Number: 105
Registered: 09-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, June 04, 2005 - 11:42 am: |
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My Jun/July reading list:
Im reading "The Interruption Of Everything" Terry McMillian. Its a winner so far in my view.
Finish "A Landlord's Tale" Gammy Singer
"Betrayal of Trust" Leslie Esdaile-Banks
"The Untelling" Tayari Jones
"Love On The Dotted Line" David E Talbert
"Genevieve" Eric Jerome Dickey
"Black Titan:A G Gaston and the making of a Black Millionaire" Carol Jenkins
Elizabeth Gardner Hines
"Tell Me How Long The Train's Been Gone" James Baldwin
"The Rebel" Albert Camus
"The Plague" Albert Camus
”Other Men’s Wives” Freddie Lee Johnson
“A Moment Of Justice: A Lifetime of Vengeance” John A Wooden
“Baring It All” Gena L Garrison
“Babylon Sisters” Pearl Cleage
“Arc of Justice” Kevin Boyle (was reading- life got in way of me finishing)
“Soul On Ice” Eldridge Cleaver
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Parsona
First Time Poster
Username: Parsona
Post Number: 1
Registered: 06-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, June 04, 2005 - 11:14 pm: |
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Just finished reading a book called STEVEN; in a nutshell, this author may very well have written the best book of the year. I read about it in a local paper here in California but strangely, the writer is from the East Coast.
Yeah, without being dramatic, it's the eighth book I read this year and by far the best and that includes the DaVinci Code and a few others by best-selling Black authors, ZANE and EJD. This writer is a class act, the last few pages brought me to tears.
The writer should get a Pulitzer just for the effort, I'm still laughing and crying as I look back at it.
Wow. |
B_ball
Newbie Poster
Username: B_ball
Post Number: 5
Registered: 03-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, June 07, 2005 - 11:32 am: |
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Just finished "Trip Wire" by Charlott Carter and "Fatma: a novel of Arabia" by Raja Alim and I'm starting "Angry White Black Boy" by Adam Mansbach. |
Cynique
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Cynique
Post Number: 2283
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, June 07, 2005 - 12:22 pm: |
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I finally finished Alice Walker's biography, a book I obviously took my time reading. It was certainly an in depth look at this woman who I ended up admiring, more than actually liking, probably because, as portrayed in this book, Alice Walker was a very self-absorbed person. Another thing I learned from this biographical account was how controversial "The Color Purple" was. I didn't remember how much furor this book caused when it was first released, it being hated as much as loved, with black men especially resenting the way they were depicted in the story-line. It was even boycotted by certain black groups because of its lesbian overtones and "black speak" dialogue. Anyway, the author, Evelyn C. White, did an excellent job of recounting Ms Walker's life. White's style was seamless, even as it was embroidered with the threads of clarity that made this book a satsifying reading experience. |
Libralind2
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Libralind2
Post Number: 116
Registered: 09-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, June 07, 2005 - 07:47 pm: |
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I must add to my collection thanks Cynique
LiLi |
Tashareynolds
First Time Poster
Username: Tashareynolds
Post Number: 1
Registered: 06-2005
Rating:
Votes: 1 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, June 09, 2005 - 06:52 pm: |
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Steven by Marvin Curtis Reid. I must say definitively that it has Pulitzer quality. For fiction, it reads like a true story and the subject matter (domestic violence against men) is the first I have heard of for Black men being abused.
The abuse is graphic and frightening. I was crying for Steven after the last one when he was lying in the hospital. Oh goodness, and when Fallon forgave Julie at the end, I had to put the book down and I cried like crazy. For them to have gone through so much with that crazy ass Julie and then for Fallon to forgive her and embrace her like that?
Another scene when Julie kidnapped Steven and forced him to sleep with her was really powerful. I thought she was gonna shoot him when he refused over and over and I was mad as hell when he gave in but he was in a messed up situation. Ooh! I almost forgot the part when Julie showed up at the wedding! Girl, I would've had to get bloody in my bridal gown 'cause that bitch woulda caught a beat down. Julie said to Fallon, "Thanks for loaning me your man's dick..." Oh HELL No!
This book is the real deal and I am just sorry I had to give the book to somebody else, actually the person it really belonged to. (LOL) But I am gonna get my own copy anyway. I hope Mr. Reid considers coming down Jacksonville way on his tour. |
Steve_s
AALBC .com Platinum Poster
Username: Steve_s
Post Number: 96
Registered: 04-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, June 28, 2005 - 02:41 pm: |
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I just started Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford. Seems like an interesting book so far. Here's an interview with the author if anyone's interested:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1791972
Before that I read The Autobiography of Pops Foster as told to Tom Stoddard with a foreword by Ron Carter. Foster (1892-1969), a New Orleans bassist, gives an insider's view of the musical and social life of New Orleans: the players, the types of bands and the jobs they played, prostitution in the District, Prohibition, the separation of the races, playing on the riverboats, who could and couldn't read music, etc. After the closing of the Storyville district, he followed musicians like Kid Ory and Jelly Roll Morton to Los Angeles and later lived in St. Louis and finally New York, where he played with the Luis Russell Orchestra (which became the Louis Armstrong Orchestra).
It's a unique first-person account of jazz history and the musical personalities involved. My only criticism is that in a few places he relies on hearsay, particularly in talking about Jelly Roll Morton, who Foster assumes was getting rich on ASCAP royalties, which really wasn't the case. Jelly must have rubbed a lot of people the wrong way! There are a few other little things like that in the book, for instance, the thing about Pete Johnson's left hand LOL! which Thumper might take issue with, but overall, I loved it.
Before that I read Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath. To me, the following quote from Chapter 23 is pure Steinbeck: And the people listened, and their faces were quiet with listening. The story tellers, gathering attention into their tales, spoke in great rhythms, spoke in great words because the tales were great, and the listeners became great through them. Yeah, Steinbeck.
I read in Rachel Cohen's "A Chance Meeting" that Zora Neale Hurston "kept track of Willa Cather and in 1934 had written to a critic who had favorably reviewed "Jonah's Gourd Vine"
that one of the six books that had had the most influence on her was Willa Cather's
My Ántonia, which I don't remember Valerie Boyd mentioning in "Wrapped in Rainbows." So I read My Ántonia, which was good. I wonder what the other 5 were?
I read a couple of other books, Gabriel's Gift by Hanif Kureishi, a Nick Hornby-type story of an artistically gifted boy and his washed-up rock musician father, set in London. It's funny! I've always thought, rightly or wrongly, of Kureishi's "The Buddha of Suburbia" as a possible prototype for (or influence on) Zadie Smith's "White Teeth." Also read Charming Billy by Alice McDermott, about an Irish-American extended family you might say, and The Light in the Piazza, a 1960 novella by Elizabeth Spencer about a middle-aged American woman tourist whose mentally-challenged daughter falls in love while on vacation in Florence, Italy. I only read it because it's the inspiration for the Broadway musical which just won 6 Tony awards including 2 for the music which the NY Times critic called the most intensely romantic Broadway musical score since "West Side Story." |
Cynique
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Cynique
Post Number: 2304
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, June 28, 2005 - 07:43 pm: |
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As I recall, Steve, Willa Cather was mentioned in "Wrapped in Rainbows." Seems to me she and Zora had a kind of fragile relationship because Cather thought Zora was good - but only as far as being a black writer was concerned. And, on one occasion, I think Cather wouldn't give Zora a recommendation for some kind of a grant or award. |
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