NUMBER 108
While volunteering at the library last week, I saw a young black man, probably around 20 years old, walking around. You know I put on my “Batman/Black Kindle Cape” and walked over and asked if I could help him. It does help me a little to have my official “volunteer” badge when working because as my daughter tells me all the time, “Mommy, stop walking up to people and saying hi and asking them if they read and if they would like to read.” I can’t help it. So, once I confronted the young man and asked what he was looking for he stated, “Oh, I don’t know, something different.” “Hey, I say, do you like urban like Nikki Turner, Zane, Erick S. Gray, and Wahida Clark?” You see, I just assumed that since he was a young black man, he wanted to read the “street/urban lit.” As usual, I made an ass out of myself and him. He told me, “nah, I’ve read those and tired of them, need something else.” I was pretty happy in hearing that and proceeded to take him back and forth thru the shelves of the library and gave him some books to browse through. He was impressed with my knowledge (I am too if you really want to know. I’m really good!!!) And I was impressed with him. I’m not trying to down grade urban lit, but there are times, especially with the nasty titles, that it gets old and it does not give us a clue to what our people went thru just to get a book to read and not trash. What do you think? Are you tired of Urban/Street Lit? Or do you see some great stories written and some malevolent stories. Hit me up with an e-mail and let me know. Here’s some Urban lit with a few Urban Christian thrown in.
KIKI SWINSON – WIFE EXTRAORDINAIRE - $5.99 - - - Two couples decide to sign up for a show called Trading Wives which is a ghetto version of the reality show Wife Swap. Instead of reaping a whopping $50,000 at the end of the show, this show will only shell out $10,000 after spending seven days in the other wife's household; but before these two couples are able to claim their prize money, one wife doesn’t want to return home, so fist fights will erupt and there will be a lot of bloodshed. In the end who will end up with whom?
Now, tell me something? How come the women on the cover of these books have the longest weaves in history?
SEAN A. WRIGHT – A GANGSTERS MELODY – 99 Cents - - - Loving the one who loves the streets is a dangerous game. There's a war brewing. Bodies are piling up. Money is being stacked up. Loyalties are being tested. How will a displaced small town girl handle the pressures of living the big city life and all that comes with it when the trail of murders, drugs and blood-money leads to her doorstep?
K. ELLIOTT – ENTANGLED (REAL IN THE STREETS) - $2.99 - - - Unprotected Sex, Murder, Disloyalty and Payoffs all included in this street-life thriller. Entangled is a Love Story between a Major drug trafficker and a history teacher. The subplots include a Black DEA agent with divided loyalty. He wants to do his job and rid the streets of drugs but on the other hand he knows that the system is corrupt and it targets minorities.
TERESA D. PATTERSON – EX-BOYFRIEND - $2.99 - - - Review from L. Romich “book Nympho” - After finding her boyfriend, Terrance in bed with another woman, Vicki Holiday decides that she will not accept nor forgive him. So she decides to break the relationship off. Unfortunately, Terrance does not accept the fact that Vicki does not want anything more to do with him.
Terrance soon realizes that old saying "you don't know what you got, until it's gone" is so true. He wants Vicki back and he will stop at nothing to have a second chance with her. He begins by following Vicki around, stalking her, sitting outside her house, spying on her and her friends; he even vandalizes her property and threatens any man that comes near her. Terrance adapts the mindset that, if he cannot have her, nobody will!
The book is a page-turner. The story flowed nicely. Despite it being a page-turner, I would have liked to see more development and suspense with the story and its characters. I also felt as though there could have been more action within the story. All this said, I really enjoyed reading Ms. Patterson`s novels. My favorite novel to date her is, PROJECT QUEEN, now that book was a definite five star read! I eagerly anticipate reading more by Ms. Patterson.
Terrance soon realizes that old saying "you don't know what you got, until it's gone" is so true. He wants Vicki back and he will stop at nothing to have a second chance with her. He begins by following Vicki around, stalking her, sitting outside her house, spying on her and her friends; he even vandalizes her property and threatens any man that comes near her. Terrance adapts the mindset that, if he cannot have her, nobody will!
The book is a page-turner. The story flowed nicely. Despite it being a page-turner, I would have liked to see more development and suspense with the story and its characters. I also felt as though there could have been more action within the story. All this said, I really enjoyed reading Ms. Patterson`s novels. My favorite novel to date her is, PROJECT QUEEN, now that book was a definite five star read! I eagerly anticipate reading more by Ms. Patterson.
MEESHA MINK & DE’NESHA DIAMOND – DESPERATE HOODWIVES: AN URBAN TALE - $10.99 - - - The title only hints at the freaky-deaky content in the first installment of a street lit series that could also qualify as urban erotic horror. In Atlanta, Bentley Manor is a cage for four young women. Aisha, whose pampered lifestyle takes a big hit after her dealer husband gets locked up, goes to dangerous lengths to keep up her ghetto fab image. Devani is single and, at her mother's direction, plans on tricking NFL star TyrikNiobia Bryant and Adrianne Byrd, hold back little in this cautionary tale dripping with sex, vice and yearning.
LEIGH MCKNIGHT – SATISFYING THE WOMAN IN ME - $2.99 - - - Beautiful, well educated Teyona Carter has everything a woman desires; a beautiful home, designer clothes, shoes, fabulous jewelry and loving husband who is an extremely successful doctor who pampers his wife, providing everything she needs, except an orgasm. Teyona’s sexual frustration is at its zenith until a young, sexy and vibrant plumber enters her home to repair a lead in her upstairs bathroom.
MIASHA & LISA WU HARTWELL – WHEN THE CAKE IS MADE - $9.99 - - - Three Women, three disaster weddings, one dress burning ceremony and a connection that is deeper than anyone could imagine. Sheryl, a battered and broken beauty, finally musters the strength to leave her abusive husband. Now all she needs to do is win custody of their daughter. Remarrying a man who can help her do just that seems to be the answer until her ex shows up at the wedding to show her once and for all who has control. Leslie, a no-nonsense, materialistic, opportunist is fed up with her married boyfriend, Frank. But that doesn't stop her from giving him one more chance. And this time he proves his love for her is real with a proposal and access to his Titanium American Express Card to plan the wedding of her dreams. But in the nine months it took to plan her perfect day, her fiancé was busy making a third baby with his wife. Will Frank join his wife in the labor and delivery room or will he meet Leslie at the altar? Angie, an independent, free spirit, seeks out a man for protection after a dangerous encounter with a stalker. She is set up with Bobby Fuller, the host of a popular wedding show. Although they hit it off, she later realizes that it isn't a man she wants. Too bad this realization comes at the couple's live broad casted wedding ceremony with hundreds in attendance and millions more watching. Written with Miasha’s trademark gripping action combined with the celebrity lifestyle Lisa Wu Hartwell knows all too well, this story exposes the dark side of wealth, fame, and power. A heart-wrenching tale with explosive twists that heighten anticipation of what every page will reveal, When the Cake is Made will have you on the edge of your seat to the very end.
Got to get one in for Black History Year
One of the books I gave the young black man at the library was, NATHAN McCALL - MAKES ME WANNA HOLLER: A YOUNG BLACK MAN IN AMERICA - $11.99 - - - I attended years ago the Free Library Event in Philadelphia. Of course I bundled up my daughter in the car and drove from DC. That is where I first met Nathan McCall. He was sweet and very pleasant, where as the other authors were not so pleasant, but maybe they were tired or frustrated. It was to me a time where it was still new to many black authors selling their books and trying to get their books sold worldwide. He impressed me and talked to me and my daughter for an hour or so. I will always thank him for taking that time to talk to me and I will always buy his books for myself and others. I will say that parts of this book is disturbing and you may get angry at some of the things he has done in the past, but people make mistakes and can change and grow. Maybe he has?
I hope you didn't scare the young man. I still remember the boy's face that you talked to on the elevator in Atlanta. LOL. :-)
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