Free For All Friday

::::whispering:::::: I see pretty people.  They're all on my TV. I don't think they even know they're pretty.  I wasn't that excited by the story line or the writing on Wednesday night's Undercovers, but it was great to see pretty, brown people on my TV who weren't appearing in an episode of Law & Order or some other show as criminals.

In his initial draft of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Roald Dahl made Charlie chocolate.  Okay, not chocolate, but he was black. source  In the 1964 edition of the book, the Oompa-Loompas were black.  In the 1973 revised edition they were white.  And of course, in the movie version they were orange. source

I got Danielle Evans' Before You Suffocate Your Own Fool Self in the mail yesterday and started reading it on my lunch hour.  As the rapping McDonald's van rider says, I'm lovin' it.  Ron Charles, the Washington Post fiction reviewer recently commented on it in his hilarious video review.




I stopped by Tayari Jones' blog last week (which you should be visiting on the regular) and commented on a book that she mentioned.  The description of it sounded amazing, but I was sad to find that it was being released in South Africa without a US release date announced.  The author saw my comment and contacted me to ask if I'd like an autographed copy of the book.  You already know I said yes!  I'm anxiously awaiting it in the mail.  What's the book? The Hairdresser of Harare by Tendai Huchu.

Speaking of blogs that I visit, if you haven't visited any of the ones listed below on the blog roll, be sure to give them a visit.  There's something interest going on daily.  By the way, you know I do more than read, right?  If you're into reality TV, visit The TV Tweeter for the my twitter synopsis of this week's shows.  Prepping a kid for college and want to know how I'm doing it? Visit Whose Kid is This for unfiltered thoughts on choosing the right school for a snarky kid.


So what's on your mind this Free for All Friday?