Black on Black Friday

The publishing world, particularly the feminine side, has been abuzz lately regarding what books are reviewed most, promoted most, etc.  It's not surprising that an overwhelming majority of those books are written by white men.  Recently female authors like Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Weiner, two female authors that enjoy healthy book sales, took newspapers to task for their treatment of commercial lit (read: chick lit written for and by white women).

As I watched the blogs blow up talking about this, I kept waiting on the women to point out all of the other literary work that's overlooked.  Sure, they threw them in as an afterthought, but I got the distinct impression that they were most concerned about their brand of chick lit getting as fair a shake as the latest Tom Clancy.  Well I'm a Picoult fan, but I'm also a fan of well written books by African American female authors and, quite frankly, I'm tired of them being overlooked.

In anticipation of holiday shopping, I'm sharing with you my list of no less than 240 books that you and yours need on your shelves.  There's everything from children's lit and chick lit to non-fiction.  Word has it that Borders is participating in Black Friday this year.  So I encourage you to go through the list and pick out some of my favorites that are sure to bring some happiness not only to the recipients, but to the authors that have written them.

#BookReview: CHILDREN OF THE WATERS by Carleen Brice

As I told her on the Twitter the other day, I blame Carleen Brice for my house work not getting done the day I read this. I started reading Children of the Waters during a break at a workshop, then proceeded to leave the workshop an hour early so that I could go home and read in peace. I purchased this book during an auction back in December, but waited until I really needed something good to read to pick it up. It was well worth the wait.

Children of the Waters is the story of two sisters, one unaware that the other exists. The older of the two, the recently divorced Trish, is struggling to raise her teen son, a biracial youth, trying to find his place in a society that doesn't always view him favorably. Trish's younger sister, Billie, has lived her whole life without knowing that she was adopted. A free spirit with a nurturing instinct, she's head over heels in love with her musician boyfriend and the baby she's carrying.

In 298 pages, Ms. Brice masterfully blends words and phrases to create a special story of two women learning how to be mothers, sisters and daughters. This is an absolute page turner and my only regret is that it ended.

What did you like about this book?

Though the sisters are of two different races and their racial differences do come into play here and there, race is not the overall theme of the book.

What did you dislike about this book?

At right under 300 pages, it didn't seem long enough. I need a sequel!

How can the author improve this book?

She can't. There is nothing about this story that needs to be changed.

298 pp

Published June 2009

Sins of the Mother - Did We Love It?

I don't know about you all, but I planned my Sunday evening around this movie. I cooked dinner early and retired to my room to watch it in peace. When my daughter asked me to come downstairs to help her make churros for Spanish class, I agreed only after she assured me that she had already turned the channel to Lifetime Movie Network. Even then I refused to come down until the movie was on a commercial break.

I LOVED IT! With a few exceptions here and there, the movie stayed very true to the book. Jill Scott was great, but she's always great. People who haven't seen her performance in The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency are missing out on her acting skills. But the break out performance was by Nicole Beharie, the actress that played LaShay. Twitter was abuzz Sunday night with people voicing their dislike for the angry, bitter character. At the same time, tweeps really empathized with Shay.

And the church scene? My timeline was scrolling so quickly that I could barely keep up! I knew it was coming, but I was sitting on the edge of my seat to see how it would play out and I was not disappointed. It was so good that I had to hit rewind and watch it a second time. By the way, the author herself was in this scene sitting directly behind Shay, wearing some fierce glasses.

The casting (I loved the chocolatey goodness that played Oliver), the writing and the scenery all came together to create one of the best "book turned movie" that I've seen in awhile.

So what did you think? Did you enjoy it? Was it everything you thought it would be? Did you read the book first? Comment here, but by all means, comment over on Lifetime's website because we want to see more movies by and about us, right?

And what other literary works are you interested in seeing? Terry McMillan's Mama? Beverly Jenkins' Bring on the Blessings? What about a J. California Cooper series of shorts?

#BookReview: Guest Post: Orange Mint and Honey - Carleen Brice

Today's guest blogger is Yolonda Spinks.

Relationships whether good, bad or ugly, we all have them. These relationships, especially those with close friends and family shape our entire existence. The most unique relationship is the mother-daughter bond, even if that bond is broken; it still exists. In Orange Mint & Honey, author Carleen Brice takes us on an emotional roller coaster ride in the lives of Shay Dixon and her mother Nona. Although 25 years in age, Shay's soul personifies a character much older. While experiencing her mid-life crisis, Shay is advised to take a break from graduate school by her advisor. Later Shay would receive a visit from her banshee (spirit) Nina Simone and be advised to return home to her mother, a recovering alcoholic whom she had not spoken to in seven years.

A tale of love, hate, forgiveness, truth, and a large dose of heart-wrenching reality, Brice uses Orange Mint and Honey as an avenue to touch on very sensitive and sometimes taboo subjects, but with such eloquence and skill. While reading this novel I continuously found myself overwhelmed with emotion. At times I laughed, sometimes I cried and other times I had to put the book down and just think. Brice allowed me to use the character of Shay Dixon to deal with some of my own daughter-mother issues. Like Shay they are issues that started for me as a young girl and now in adulthood these same issues continue to affect me via the choices I make on a daily basis. However, I received a dose of hope knowing that all relationships are mendable if we are willing to meet people where they are and if we receive what they have to give us as opposed to demanding what we want or what we think we deserve. Like Shay eventually did, I had to take into account that my mom has her own growing pains that she has to deal with on her terms and I must allow her to do that on her time, just not at the expense of my feelings.

This book is a must read and an eye-opener for anyone that is affected by or intrigued by the mother-daughter bond and the strengths and weaknesses that lie within it. In spite of the struggles, these women, Nona and Shay were determined to make it through allowing the reader to understand the sensitive yet strong bond that women possess. "Ain't I a woman?"

**Be sure to tune in Sunday, February 21, 2010 to Lifetime Movie Network to catch the premiere of "Sins of the Mother." This movie is based on Brice's novel Orange Mint & Honey and stars Grammy Award winning singer/actress Jill Scott. **

**Check out the Carleen Brice interview by BrownGirl by clicking here.

Yolonda Spinks is new to the blogging world, but loves reading books and sharing her opinions. A senior in college majoring in journalism, she also gives community presentations on infant mortality and its affect on African Americans.

For more reviews by Yolonda, please visit her at Notorious Spinks Talks or follow her on Twitter @NotoriousSpinks.