#BookReview: Little Green: An Easy Rawlins Mystery - Walter Mosley

When he went over a cliff in Blonde Faith, most readers thought they'd never seen Easy Rawlins again.  It's been quite awhile since we last heard about Easy, so our fears were founded.  Never fear, six years later, Mosley has brought Easy back to his legion of fans and he's better than ever.

While we may have thought Easy was a goner, his best friend, the quick-tempered and quick thinking Mouse, knew Easy was still alive.  And thanks to the wisdom of Mama Jo, he knew just where to find him.  (Speaking of Mouse, Don Cheadle played the role so well in Devil in a Blue Dress, that I forgot Mouse was supposed to be a "light-skinned and light-eyed" man.)  And now that Easy is somewhat recovered, Mouse has his next case lined up.

Evander "Little Green" Noon has gone missing.  Neither his name nor his family is familiar to Easy, but Mouse is all het up about finding this manchild, so Easy gets up from his sick bed to do just that.  In a side of Los Angeles that we've not seen in previous Easy Rawlins' books, Walter Mosley introduces readers to the hippie culture on the Sunset Strip.  Along with the hippies comes the world of acid droppers and drug dealers, parts of the ever evolving 1960s.  It's a city and culture that Easy doesn't recognize, but brings him to the realization that the world he knows is changing much faster than he thought and he needs to change to keep up with it.

As in past Rawlins' stories, Mosley's black characters are almost always part of the Great Migration.  Most of us know that southern blacks migrated to places like Chicago, Detroit and St. Louis in search of factory jobs between 1910 and 1970, a great number of them migrated to California, with most coming from Texas, Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi.  As large and sprawling as Los Angeles is, these migrants stayed connected, creating their own unique communities.  Mosley plays upon this and reminds us of it it when Mouse and Easy call upon friends like Mama Jo from Louisiana or Martin Martins from Mississippi to assist them in finding the son of another migrant.

I remember being upset with Walter Mosley when I read Blonde Faith, essentially killing off Easy.  I've read his other books in the meantime, but I've never been as fascinated with characters like Leonid McGill.  And if there was one character other than Easy that I've always wanted him to bring back, it's Socrates Fortlow from Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned.  Though I understood that as an author he might have been bored with the Rawlins character and wanted to work on other characters and pursue other things, I felt like there was still life left in the series.  Apparently Mosley has decided there is too and has already written a follow up to Little Green called Rose Gold.  I'm already anticipating Easy's next adventure.

304pp
Published: May 2013
Disclosure: Copy of book received from publisher, opinions are my own.

 

Theme: Higher and Higher by Jackie Wilson

#BookReview: South by Southeast - Blair Underwood, Tananarive Due & Steven Barnes

I'm always surprised when my Twitter followers are shocked to find out that Blair Underwood writes.  Okay, really, the man is like a fine wine that just gets better with time, but he's more than just a handsome face.  In addition to being an actor with a long career that I've been drooling over since his LA Law days, he's the co-author of the Tennyson Hardwick series.  Yes, series.  South by Southeast is the fourth in a series that started with Casanegra, In the Night of the Heat and From Cape Town with Love.

To bring those of you who haven't read the previous books up to speed, here's a quick recap.  Ten is a gigolo turned actor with a side order of private investigator.  His wheelchair bound, retired police captain father and his nurse turned girlfriend, Marcela, live with him in a house he inherited from a former client.  When he's not rescuing kidnapped babies or pining over his ex-girlfriend, but still a good friend, April, he's guardian to Chela, a fiesty 17 year old that he rescued from his former madam.

Life is finally on track for Ten.  He's been handpicked by the famous director Gustavo Escobar for a part in his next zombie flick.  Temporarily relocating the family from Los Angeles to Miami is just what the doctor ordered.  Marcela will get to see her family, the captain will get to relax and Chela will have a chance to shed her LA baggage in a city where no one knows about her past as a prostitute.  But trouble has a way of finding the Hardwick clan and it's not long before Ten is thrown back into the role of protector and private investigator.

I don't know how the three authors work out writing amongst themselves.  Perhaps one of them writes the outline, someone else does character development and the third fleshes out the meat of the project.  What I do know is they seem to work seamlessly together.  Even though the only character that we have an actual image of is Tennyson, it's not difficult to imagine what the others look like based on the descriptions we're given.  Because of that, it's easier to visualize each scene as it plays out.  It's like the books are written as a screenplay, but without the stilted directions and scene set ups that you'd see in an actual screenplay.  It was reported back in August of this year that Blair Underwood signed a major development/talent holding deal with Universal Television.  Let's all keep our fingers crossed in hopes that we see Ten, Captain Hardwick, Marcela and Chela gracing our television screens in the near future.

384pp
Published: September 2012
Disclaimer: Copy of book received from publisher, opinions are my own.

Theme: Quimbara by Celia Cruz

#BookReview: The Brenda Diaries - Margo Candela

The first time I heard about The Brenda Diaries was when a twitter account by that name started following me.  So, as I do when profiles or tweets interest me, I follow back.  And then I stopped following because I was confused as to what the point of the tweets were.  The person asked questions as if they wanted interaction, but never interacted with anyone.  Eventually I realized that it was part of the author's new book, an experiment, if you will.

I'm not sure what road Margo Candela was traveling when she decided to write this book, but if there was a fork in the road, she went left when she should have gone right. The whole premise of The Brenda Diaries is to follow the day to day activities of a twentysomething temp and her encounters with employers, coworkers, her roommate, etc.  Where I've found previous Candela heroines to be funny and sympathetic, there wasn't much to like about Brenda.

In addition to the unlikeable character, Candela writes the first three-fourth of the book in diary style and the last part as tweets.  As you read through the tweets, you realize that the diary entries are based on the tweets.  So couldn't I have just read the tweets at the back?  And wouldn't it have made more sense to maybe integrate the tweets with the diary? Maybe use the tweets as the header for each entry and then elaborate?  I don't know, it was just a very disjointed read.








Available in Kindle format only
Published: October 2011

 

Theme: Hey Girl by Zooey Deschanel

#BookReview: Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) - Mindy Kaling

With gems like this:

You know those books called From Homeless to Harvard or From Jail to Yale or From Skid Row to Skidmore? They’re these inspirational memoirs about young people overcoming the bleakest of circumstances and going on to succeed in college. I was worried I would be the subject of a reverse kind of book: a pathetic tale of a girl with a great education who frittered it away watching syndicated Law & Order episodes on a sofa in Brooklyn. From Dartmouth to Dickhead it would be called. I needed a job.

and this:

I always identified with Peppermint Patty, in case you were wondering—the loud, opinionated man-girl who chased around her crush without even fully knowing she liked him.

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? should have been hilarious.  And it was, at first.  Halfway through it, I realized that it wasn't as funny as I initially thought it was.  Her childhood? Hysterical.  Post college? It was just okay.

I don't watch The Office, so I was unfamiliar with Kaling and her brand of humor.  I think the only reason I added it to my "to be read" list was because so many people I follow on Twitter and Goodreads recommended it.   Maybe you have to be a fan of hers already for this to really click for you.  I'm not, so with a chuckle here and a cackle there, it was just a meh read for me.

240pp
Published: November 2011

Theme: The Song That Doesn't End by Sheri Lewis & Lamb Chop

#BookReview: Bumped - Sibylla Nash

This book has been on my radar for a minute, but I was saving it for the read-a-thon. One of the things I've learned with read-a-thons is that it's best to keep your reading material short and lighthearted.  That way you don't get weighed down with any one book for too long and you don't get bogged down with deep thoughts or heavy feelings about the subject matter.

With that thought in mind, I added Bumped by first time author Sibylla Nash to my must read list for the read-a-thon and I'm glad I did.  I recently started the Spying in High Heels series by Gemma Halliday and Bumped reminded me of that series meets Platinum by Aliya S. King.  So picture a quirky every day girl turned detective who just happens to be involved in the music scene and you've got Elle Nixon.

PR maven by day (and a lot of nights), Elle is at the top of her game.  She loves her job and she's gearing up for a promotion.  Her love life is going pretty well too, or at least it was before her boyfriend disappeared on her.  Now pregnant, disgraced and jobless, Elle is having a heck of a time trying to make sense of it all.

What did you like about this book?
Nash blends just the right amount of fun and quirky with mystery to give a delightful read for lovers of chick lit.


What didn't you like about this book?
Off the top of my head, I can't think of a thing.


What could the author do to improve this book?
I'd be perfectly happy with a series of books about Elle.  The chick lit world could definitely use a colorful chick like her.

214pp
Published August 2011

 

Theme: Crumblin' Down by John Mellencamp

#BookReview: Third Girl from the Left - Martha Southgate

There comes a time in every woman's life when she realizes that her mother is human.  I mean, logically, you know that your mother is human, of course.  And to any other observer, it's extremely obvious.  But there's a point, as a daughter, when you realize that she's just as imperfect and capable of making mistakes as anyone else.  Martha Southgate's Third Girl From the Left beautifully exposes the flaws of three generations of women who are anything but perfect.

Raising a family in 1950s Tulsa, Oklahoma, Mildred finds her escape in film.  Weekly matinees at the local theater provide an escape from her role as wife and mother.  As the wife of the town's only black pharmacist, Mildred's place in society means she must abide by a strict set of rules.  A blossoming friendship with the projectionist would be frowned upon if anyone were to find out about it.

Though they often butt heads about other things, one thing Mildred and her daughter, Angela, can agree on is their love of film.  Angela knows she's not the daughter Mildred wants her to be (and the feeling is mutual) and dreams of the day when she can escape her small town living for the bright lights of Hollywood.  Once there she finds that Hollywood is full of small town girls with the same dream.  That doesn't stop her from trying to get her big break.  Along the way, she also finds love in the most unlikely person.

As the daughter and granddaughter of Mildred and Angela, respectively, Tamara has the love of movies in her blood.  Angela wasn't the best mother, but she saw to it that Tamara's basic needs were met.  Her emotional distance has left Tamara struggling to maintain a relationship not only with her, but with her film school boyfriend as well.  When Mildred takes ill, it is Tamara and her camera that build a bridge between Mildred and Angela.

What did you like about this book?
I loved each of the women.  They were all amazing in their own right.  And I LOVED that Southgate set this story in Tulsa and highlighted Black Wall Street and the 1921 riots.  As someone that has visited Tulsa several times, I was familiar with the history, but I was excited to see it used as part of the back story for Mildred.

What didn't you like about this book?
I wish Angela had more of herself to give to Tamara.  Like I said before, she provided basic needs, but I almost felt like Tamara got in the way of the life Angela wanted and she kept her at a distance as punishment for that.

What could the author do to improve this book?
Absolutely nothing!

288pp
Published: September 2005

 

Theme: Wide Open Spaces by The Dixie Chicks

#BookReview: From Cape Town with Love - Blair Underwood, Tananarive Due & Steven Barnes

Okay ladies, let's just take a moment to marinate on the sexiness that is Blair Underwood.  I'll give you a minute or two...notice how I made the picture a little larger than usual.  That's my Friday gift to you.  Now let's move on to the book.  I mean, that is why we're here, right?

The third in the series that started with In the Night of the Heat and followed by Casanegra, From Cape Town with Love is the best of the three.  I liked the first two books, but there were segments of the previous books that moved too slowly.  There is none of that in From Cape Town.

Tennyson "Ten" Hardwick is a sometimes actor, sometimes gigolo, sometimes detective.  He's also the guardian of a 17-year old girl, Chela, that he saved from the former madame for whom he previously worked; and caretaker of his father, a recent stroke victim and former Los Angeles Police chief.  His relationship with journalist April Forrest left him reeling and in an effort to rekindle their romance, he tracks her down in South Africa.

Through April's connections Ten is offered the job of body guarding Hollywood actress Sophia Maitlin, who is in the country to adopt a baby girl.  Ten and Sophia have an immediate bond that is only made stronger through their mutual admiration of adoptive parents.  When baby Nandi is kidnapped back in the states, Ten is the one person Sophia trusts to bring her baby girl home.

What did you like about this book?
The pace of the book was just right.  There was never a slow moment and, at the same time, it never felt rushed. The storyline and characters were equally exciting and made this book a real page turner.

What did you dislike about this book?
I can't think of a thing.

What could the author do to improve this book?
Insert a pullout poster of Blair Underwood...No? Well a girl can dream, can't she?

365pp
Published May 2010



Theme: Agent Double-O Soul by Edwin Starr

#BookReview: CHORE WHORE: Adventures of a Celebrity Personal Assistant - Heather H. Howard

HILARIOUS! If you're a fan of The Nanny Diaries or The Devil Wears Prada, run to your nearest bookstore or library and pick up this book.

Single mother and personal assistant extraordinaire, Corki Brown is called on to do everything from picking out birthday presents for Steven Spielberg to planning her employer's wedding, redecorating her house AND carrying around the employer's fiance's mother's ashes! With a Rolodex that most would envy, Corki carries off even the most ridiculous of tasks without batting an eye.

Based on her own experience as a personal assistant in Hollywood for over 20 years, I can only imagine some of the drama that the author has witnessed. My only wish is that she would do a follow up or at least give us hints as to whom her characters are based on. This book was a quick, light hearted read.

288 p.
Published: February 2006

Purchase: Amazon | B & N | Book Depository | IndieBound

#BookReview: Stormy Weather: A Charlotte Justice Novel - Paula L. Woods

Detective Charlotte Justice is back for another round of murder and mayhem in the Los Angeles Police Department. When Maynard Duncan, a dying African American film maker, passes everyone assumes it was from the cancer he was diagnosed with earlier in the year. The mercy killer case Charlotte is working on begins to intersect with Duncan’s case and she begins to suspect that his death may have been at the hands of the “Angel of Death.” Interviewing the cast of characters including his wife, sister, housekeeper, nurse, shady business partner and his secret lover, Charlotte begins to suspect that any one of them would gain something from his death.

As if dealing with murder isn’t enough, Charlotte is forced to deal with her overbearing lieutenant. She’s almost sure that he set her and her partner up, but now she has to prove it without appearing to be weak. On the home front, Charlotte continues to push her newly found old flame away and must decide if she's going to continue to live in the past or move forward. With assistance from her sister detectives, the lovable Billie and not-so-nice Gena, she finds the killer, and it’s someone she least suspected.

#BookReview: Inner City Blues - Paula Woods

Meet Charlotte Justice, LAPD homicide detective during the 90s LA riots. A woman of color in a department dominated by white men isn't an easy thing. Add the ongoing riots and the murder of a 60s activist and a prominent physician and the pressure to solve both cases and most people would buckle under the pressure. Did I mention that the 60s activist is the same man that killed her infant daughter and husband years ago? Yeah, Charlotte Justice is not most people.

The investigation into the deaths of both men leads Charlotte back to her childhood crush, Aubrey Scott. Cautious because of her job and the loss of her husband, Charlotte is reluctant to let Aubrey back into her life. And when an art gallery Aubrey is affiliated with seems to be connected to the murders of the activist and physician, Charlotte has good reason to question whether or not Aubrey should be allowed in her space.