#ColourfulChristmas: Personalized Book Recommendations

It's the time of year when reviewers are posting their top 10 or top 20 books of 2015 and I'll get to that in a week or so. Today, I want to focus on book recommendations. I'm often asked on Twitter to recommend books to people and I try to do that with the information I'm given. Most of the time, I'm spot on. Occasionally, not so much. At any rate, if you're buying books for the people in your life this season and aren't sure of what books or genres they might enjoy, hit me up in the comments below or on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr or Instagram and I'll do my best to help you find what you're looking for.  I'll also post requests and recommendations in the Read In Colour weekly newsletter.

What books are you hoping to receive for Christmas?

TBR Book Tag - WHAT'S ON YOUR TO BE READ LIST?

Darkowaa at African Book Addict! tagged me in on the TBR (to-be-read) tag. It’s been awhile since I’ve participated in blog shenanigans, so I’m happily joining in.

How do you keep track of your TBR pile?
I read publisher’s catalogs weekly. I try to use their online system to keep track of upcoming books to request and be on the lookout for, but I really use Goodreads for everything. Occasionally I run into books that aren’t in their system yet, but it’s easy to add them. I also like that I can scan the barcode with their mobile app and add books to any of my shelves.

Is your TBR mostly print or e-book?
I’m not sure. I just add books and read them as they’re available, either through print or e-book.

How do you determine which book from your TBR to read next?
It depends on my mood. Since my list is so lengthy and my local library has a huge catalog, I can get just about any published book on my list as an e-book or request it in print and get it within a few days.

A book that has been on your TBR the longest?
This Child’s Gonna Live by Sarah E. Wright (since Nov. 5, 2009)

A book you recently added to your TBR?
Cold Creek Running by Zelda Lockhart (added Nov. 3, 2015)

A book on your TBR strictly because of its beautiful cover?
The Secret of Magic by Deborah Johnson

A book on your TBR that you never plan on reading?
The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir Who Got Trapped in an IKEA Wardrobe by Romain Puértolas - I love the title, but it’s not likely that I’ll read any time soon or ever.

An unpublished book on your TBR that you’re excited for?
Before We Visit the Goddess by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, The House with No Windows by Nadia Hashimi (no cover yet) and The Mother by Yvette Edwards (no cover yet)

A book on your TBR that everyone recommends to you?
Men We Reaped by Jesmyn Ward

A book on your TBR that everyone has read but you?
Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates

A book on your TBR that you’re dying to read?
Glory over Everything: Beyond The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom

How many books are in your Goodreads TBR shelf?
I’m almost embarrassed to admit, but 492 as I write this. By the time it posts, there will probably be 506. I’m always adding to it.

I'm tagging some of my fellow book loving bloggers:

Marie at Literary Marie
Nakia at ZoraToniMaya
Maya at The Reading Diva
Dominique at The Sweet Escape

and whoever else wants to join in.  What books are on your TBR list?

What Book Changed Your Life?

That seems like such a dramatic question, right?  Can books change lives?  Do the words on pages have the ability to start you on a new path?  I think they do and here's why.

Even though I grew up in a predominantly black city, I spent quite a bit of time in a predominantly white world.  The number of books I read with characters that looked like me was limited.  That's not because my mother didn't take me to the library or bookstore, it's because authors that looked like me may have been writing, but those books weren't readily available for various reasons.

I read the "classics" as defined by American standards and tons of young adult lit while growing up, but for every book like Mildred Taylor's Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, there were hundreds of books with characters that looked like Nancy Drew or the Sweet Valley High twins.  So I read them because that's what was available on the shelves.

But in college, I discovered Breaking Ice and it was everything!  There were authors I'd never heard of in all my years of private school.  Marita Golden, Gloria Naylor and so many others leaped off the pages.  I was no longer limited to the few authors that had managed to squeak through and cross over, like Maya Angelou and Alice Walker. I found myself reading stories by people that looked like me who wrote stories about my life and things I could relate to. I looked into the mirror held up by what I found in that book and liked what I saw.  I've held on to my copy for 24 years and it's as raggedy as all get out, but I still love it.  It's part of the reason why I blog, part of the reason why I seek out books by black authors, part of the reason why I'm so interested in promoting diversity in lit.

So that's my story.  What's yours?

Whatcha Readin'?

How y'all feeling out there?  Seems like it's been a long time since we just chatted about random books and what not.  There's no book review today because I'm:  a) a slacker;  b) too busy catching up on TV and music (Anita Wilson has been on constant loop for weeks now); and c) most of the books I've read aren't due out until May or June and publishers asked that I hold reviews until then.

So what are y'all reading, watching or listening to?  What books have just blown you away or underwhelmed you?  Share with the class so we can add to (or remove from) our "To Be Read" lists.

Book Stores & Readers & Diversity, Oh My!

Tuesday night I was on a high as I sat and listened to Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie read excerpts from Americanah.

Amazed at the crowd diversity! (@ St. Louis County Library - Headquarters - @slcl for Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie) http://t.co/uKISYbTgYS
— One who Reads (@Reads4Pleasure) March 11, 2014

I was excited to see so many different races and ethnicities represented.  All around me I heard Nigerian accents, a smattering of Ghanian accents, conversations between a group of friends that looked like a mini-United Nations.  And while the crowd was extremely heavy on women, there were a number of men there as well.

The crowd was large and the room was small (and hot) and I kept wondering why they'd held the reading in such a tiny space.  This was my first time at this particular library, so I don't know if this was the biggest room they offered in their system, but I couldn't help but to wonder why they didn't partner with the city library, which has an enormous auditorium and would have been much better suited to hold the group.

At any rate, hot and sweaty we sat, happy to be there.  People asked great questions, Adichie gave great answers and then we moved on to the book signing line.  When we first arrived, group numbers were given out.  While we were initially told that they would call groups when it was our turn to get in line, that never happened.  I think they were overwhelmed by the sheer number of people there and gave up on that system, so it ended up with everyone standing in line all at once.

At some point I ended up in front of the bookseller's table.  I noticed that he no longer had any books left and asked if they were just packed up for the night or if they were sold out.  He remarked that they were sold out and that he'd never seen anything like it.  He compared the rate that they sold with another bestselling author's recent event and seemed surprised that they'd done so well.  Before I could ask why he wouldn't think Adichie would do as well, I was interrupted by a loud, obnoxious woman behind me that raved about all of the African writers she'd "discovered" this year and how she'd be happy to recommend some to the bookseller, as he'd never read her before. Okay then, Columbus.

And this is the problem I have with book stores, in general, but especially with this indie book store that partners with the libraries here regularly and sponsors in-house readings as well.  They don't know about authors that don't fit into their world and make no effort to find out.  They're not necessarily welcoming places for readers that don't look like them. I've been followed to the basement where the used book section is so many times I can't remember.  Who in the hell is stealing books?  And in all of the years that I've frequented both of their locations, I've yet to see someone that isn't white working as a bookseller. 

Their author recommendations are almost always unabashedly white, unless it's a New York Times bestseller, then they manage to find a space on the shelf.  When I walk into the store, I know exactly what I'm looking for, but if I didn't, could they really assist me?  Could they recommend the new Kiese Laymon or Tayari Jones? Hell, do they even know who they are?  I'm sure they could show me the Toni Morrison or Maya Angelou section, but I expect more from an indie book store that claims not to follow the same guidelines as a big box store like Barnes & Noble.

There's a whole group of readers stores like this are missing out on because it never even dawns on them to reach out to them.  I know one thing, they'll do their homework next time, and perhaps the library will too, and move the next "black" author to a venue worthy of their stature and crowd size...I hope.

When Chimamanda Came to St. Louis

Credit: @DebraBass

  Acclaimed author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie stopped in St. Louis on tour to promote the paperback edition of last year's top seller, Americanah.  She was witty and personable and I tried to capture as much of the audience Q & A as possible.  Enjoy!

On Americanah
Americanah is not her story. It's a combination of things that have happened to her and others and stories she's heard. Writers write about the life they wish they had versus the life they have. Her experience coming to the U.S. was much milder and easier than Ifemelu's.

Why does Ifemelu have to see the ceiling? (This was a little embarrassing because it was asked by an older lady who quite obviously didn't understand what the ceiling represented and Adichie looked to be at a loss for words to explain it without being offensive.)
She doesn't. When she's with Obinze she doesn't because she's so transported, the ceiling doesn't exist. With others, it does.

Was Ifemelu indifferent to religion on purpose?
Yes. Pentecostalism is taking over Nigeria. Religion interests her very much.

Thoughts on Nigeria and the U.S.
When you go back to Nigeria, do you feel like an observer like in the U.S.? 
Yes, but because she's a storyteller, not because she's lived in the U.S. As a child, she always watched everything, slightly removed and watching. A writer is always looking for material.

Adichie came to the U.S as someone who had consumed a lot of American culture. She thought all black people lived like the Cosbys. The reality was surprising. The discovery of poverty was shocking. Neighborhoods were not only poor, but forgotten. Rich and poor coexist in Nigeria.

What would you say to someone with a culture that comes to the U.S. and tries to retain the culture, but gains a new one, and still respect your parents?
You can be both, respect both. It's important to know you're not going to live your life for them.

Anti gay law in Nigeria
Have you gotten blow back from article you wrote? (Refers to the article  "Why Can't He Just Be Like Everyone Else?")
Yes. When it became law, she was horrified by it. Felt she couldn't not speak. She's gotten a lot of feedback ranging from people saying she's possessed by demons or will lose Nigerian love. Some people have told her she's no longer their role model,  and she really doesn't want to be. There's a sadness about the law. The way it's been talked about removes the idea of humanity. It's like they're talking about animals. Adichie wants to engage her generation because it's possible to change a few minds. She believes people need to think of it in terms of humanity and compassion. The mix of religion and politicizing homophobia exacerbates the problem.  Mostly poor people have been arrested. So troubling and so sad. So yes, she's gotten a lot of blow back, but she would write the article again today.

Hair & weaves
As much as Americanah is about race, it's also about hair. It seems that people deliberately misunderstood her comments about hair in interviews. She didn't say people who wear weaves have low self-esteem. Her sister wears weave and has the most self-esteem of anyone she knows. There's a lot about black women's hair that's not just hair. She's starting to write practical things about hair. People want to wear it naturally and don't know how. As a child, she couldn't wait to straighten it. There's a growing movement in Nigeria of returnees (e.g., people who left Nigeria to live abroad and have returned home) going natural. It's not a question of being against weaves, but it's about having our own hair as an option. The idea of hair as not just hair has significance. If Michelle Obama had gone natural during the campaign, someone at Fox News would have said she was a Black Panther.

Chillin' with Chimamanda

Race
Race was something she really discovered in America. She didn't think of herself as black in Nigeria. In Nigeria, they're steeped in ethnicity and class or religion, but not race. Intellectually, she knew about race, but it was a different thing to move the U.S. and be black. It was disturbing to find all of the negativity associated with being black, so for awhile, she didn't want to be thought of as black because of that. It's an indictment of what race means in America. There's something dangerous about thinking American blackness is an attitude. There are many different ways of being black. Everyone experiences being black differently.

When you came here for college, did you feel pressure to conform the way you spoke and did you notice distinct cultural differences? 
Adichie used to fake an American accent because Americans act as if accented speakers are slow. Within a few months, she started using the fake accent because it made it easier. One day she decided she was done. She realized how much effort it took and wanted to save that energy for other things. The accent is also about power. Americans going to Nigeria speak with an accent and aren't expected to conform because they're perfectly understood.

What do you think about slang in African American culture in comparison to the accent?
Adichie has friends that would object to it being called slang. The whole idea of code switching is something we all do. She still does it when she goes home to Nigeria. "The idea of having a language of love, friendship, family, I quite like that." And code switching happens in the U.S. with race and class.

Beyonce's ***Flawless and feminism
Has it lived up to your purpose? 
I think anything that gets young women thinking about labeling themselves as feminist is a good thing. It's empowering.

You're married, but you keep your maiden name, which is non-traditional, why? (Originally the author said, "next question," but came back to this after she'd answered another question, but she was visibly annoyed by the question.)

I don't like to talk about my personal life. It's an offensive gender question. If I was a man, no one would ask. I occupy this space because I'm a writer, not a woman. The idea of calling it a maiden name, it's my name. People are getting married later in life. You have your degrees and suddenly you get married and have to change your name. There are conversations about gender that I want to have, particularly with African woman. People shouldn't decide for you what you should be called. I think that's bullshit.

Miscellaneous
Would you add anything to the Danger of a Single Story TED talk? 
She would take out the part where she emphasizes how we are more different than alike because people misinterpreted it to think it means different doesn't matter, but it does.
.
She's not a United States citizen, but she hopes Hillary (Clinton) runs and will volunteer and campaign for her if she does.

#Whatever Wednesday: Judging a Book by Its Cover

Monday night I was browsing publisher’s catalogs, because that’s what book bloggers do for entertainment. As I went through and added books to my “to be read” shelf, I thought about how I pick books and wondered if others use the same methods.

 I’d say it depends on whether I’m viewing virtually or in person. In person, I’m usually drawn in by a pretty and/or unusual cover. Rarely do I go into bookstores looking for a book by an author I’ve already read unless I’m specifically going in for that book. When I’m just browsing the shelves for the next great read, covers play a huge part. I wonder how many really good books I may have missed out on because of sucktastic covers.

With virtual browsing, though just having a great cover doesn’t always work out well, it’s enough to make me read the synopsis and determine if the book is worth my time. However, when browsing a catalog of books that aren’t due out for another six to eight months, often cover art doesn’t exist yet. So I tend to look for authors that I’m already familiar with or interesting titles. Again, that means I’m probably missing out on some really good books. But if your catalog contains 650 books, surely you don’t expect me to read the synopsis for all of them, right?

So how do you pick books in person and/or online? Do you have a sure fire way of picking a winner?

Because he's Idris & I really don't need an excuse to post his picture

10 Fun Facts About Walter Mosley & His Works

The great one came to town and I was there! This was my first time seeing him in person and I had no idea he was so funny.  He read the first chapter of his latest book, Little Green, entertained questions for about 30 minutes and autographed books.  Along the way, he dropped some interesting tidbits, some of which I've read in other interviews and some I've never heard before.

In addition to finding out about his wicked sense of humor, here's what I learned:

1. Little Green is his only book about resurrection.
2. He's working with Anthony Mackie on a film adaptation of The Man in My Basement.
3. The idea for The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey came from dealing with his mother who was suffering from dementia.  Samuel Jackson is working on a movie version of the book. Ptolemy Grey will not be returning in any form.  
4. He never uses a typewriter.
5. His favorite character is Twill from the Leonid McGill series.
6. The Tempest Tales is inspired by characters from Langston Hughes' Jess B. Semple series.
7. He only works on one book at a time.
8. He's working on a musical of Devil in a Blue Dress.
9. He's working with Laurence Fishburne on a series based on Socrates Fortlaw.
10. He's been drawing for 45 years and never really shares it with anyone, but will have several pictures displayed in a show in New York June through July.

Interested in hearing more and learning about that wonderful sense of humor I mentioned?  Check out the video below.  It's chock full of more fun facts and interesting tidbits.

New York Bound for BEA!

In a few weeks, New York will be overrun with book lovers and I'll be one of them!  Ever since I started blogging, I've wanted to attend BookExpo America.  Their website describes it as, "the #1 event in North American publishing and the ideal place for content creators and consumers to discover new books/titles, meet favorite and new authors, learn about trends shaping the book industry, and network with those have a passion for books and reading." I call it a chance to hang out with my book blogging partner in crime, JNic aka @litfangrl, while we drool over soon to be released books and stalk some of our favorite authors.

There's also a book blogger's conference the first day, so I'm hoping to come back with plenty of new ideas to keep you guys interested and engaged. If you'll be in the New York area and you're interested in attending, but don't want to stay for the whole conference, there's a Power Reader event on June 1 that will allow you access to the convention floor.  I'm planning to take in a few Broadway shows and do a little sightseeing, but if you're going to be around for BEA or live in the area, I'd love to meet you, so please don't hesitate to reach out.

Last, but not least, I've toyed with the idea of providing a monthly newsletter for those that don't have time to read full reviews, but want to know what I've reviewed for the month.  I've also thought about a newsletter that highlights upcoming releases.  I know Goodreads does this by genre, but wondered if my readers might like something along that line that focuses on authors and characters of color.  Fill out the survey below and let me know.

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How You Readin'?

The Best in Books 2012

With just a few days left to get in your holiday shopping, I thought I'd give you my top picks of the year.  Maybe you'll be inspired to buy them for someone on your list.  Now normally I would list everything I gave five purple armchairs, but that list ended up being lengthy this year, which is good because it means I read a lot of good books.  However, to keep things simple and to stick with the theme of "The Best in 2012," I'm just going to limit it to books published in the U.S. in 2012.  Since all of these received my highest rating, I'm not going to rank them, just list them in the order I read them.


Gathering of Waters by Bernice L. McFadden
250pp

I've often said that reading a J. California Cooper book is like sitting on the porch listening to your grandmother tell you a story.  Using lush words and phrases that make you long for those days, McFadden's latest will leave you breathless from start to end. Once you start Gathering of Waters, you won't want to put it down until you've finished it.

Perfect for: Fans of J. California Cooper, Toni Morrison & Tayari Jones
Tags: historical fiction, civil rights

Home by Toni Morrison

160 pp

For the last few years I've told myself and anyone that would listen that I'm just not smart enough to read Toni Morrison.  I watch ToMo stans like Tayari Jones expound on her greatness and all I can think is, it must be over my head.  The last time I read a ToMo book and was able to comprehend it the first time around was pre-Beloved.  I read Song of Solomon, Sula and The Bluest Eye in high school and college and loved them.  Then Beloved came along and I had to read the book, see the movie and read the book again before it finally made sense to me.

After that came Jazz, Paradise, Love and A Mercy. I struggled with the first three and didn't even try with A Mercy.  So when I saw that Morrison was publishing a new book, I was hesitant to request a copy from the publisher.  But they sent it and so I read it.  And I loved it!  I feel like the ToMo that wrote Song of Solomon is back.  Or maybe she never left. Maybe I've just come full circle.

Perfect for: Fans of Bernice McFadden, Alice Walker & Gloria Naylor

Tags: women, South, coming of age, PTSD

My Name is Butterfly by Bernice L. McFadden
Only available as an ebook

Never one to shy away from sensitive topics, Bernice McFadden takes readers into the world of the Trokosi.  In simple terms, Trokosi are girls given by their family to a deity as a sacrifice in exchange for better luck, fortune or things along those terms.  Adebe Tsikata is such a girl, but she's also a survivor.

Perfect for: Fans of reading about different cultures, Chika Unigwe, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Tags: Ghana, family secrets, deception

Tell A Thousand Lies by Rasana Atreya

352 pp

In 1986 India, four of the most important determinants of a woman's future were the tone of her skin, her caste, her home village and her family's wealth.  Based on these things, Pullamma, at the age of 16,  has resigned herself to living with her grandmother forever.  As one of three orphaned sisters, Pullamma is the darkest and most unattractive.

I loved this book because Atreya kept me on my toes while reading it.  At no point did I ever really know how the story was going to end.  And a sure sign that a book has pulled me in, I found myself talking out loud to the characters, knowing good and well they couldn't hear me.  If you love learning about new cultures and love a good story, do yourself a favor and give Tell A Thousand Lies a read.

Perfect for: Fans of Anjali Banerjee, Shilpi Somaya Gowda & Shobhan Bantwal
Tags: India, women, colorism

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
419pp

A while back on Twitter I began describing certain books as #facepunchlit. They’re the type of books that are so surprisingly good that it feels like you’ve been punched in the face after reading them. You're in sort of a punch drunk haze where nothing seems clear and everything you previously understood to be right about the world is a bit askew. After reading Flynn’s Gone Girl, I had a similar feeling.

Perfect for: Fans of face punch lit
Tags: thriller, suspense, surprise ending

The Healing by Jonathon Odell

352pp

Who is Polly Shine, you ask? She's the healer and giver of sight to those around her.  Things on the Satterfield plantation surely changed for the better the day Polly Shine arrived.  Prior to her arrival, Granada, the teller of The Healing, only thought she knew who she was.

Perfect for: Fans of Bernice McFadden, Kathleen Grissom & Leonard Pitts, Jr.
Tags: historical fiction, post-slavery, family secrets, women

Miss Dreamsville and the Collier County Women's Literary Society by Amy Hill Hearth
272pp

If someone were to ask me to summarize Miss Dreamsville and the Collier County Women's Literary Society, I'd have to say that it's a cross between Fanny Flagg's Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe and the movie To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Love Julie Newmar.

For those thinking that Hearth's name sounds familiar, you'll remember her as the coauthor of Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years.  This is her first foray into fiction and she does an amazing job.  As Camille O. Cosby says of her, she "Honors and humanizes people and their wonderful diversities."

Perfect for: Fans of Fanny Flagg
Tags: civil rights, women, empowerment

The Cleaner by Paul Cleave

 400pp

Joe is nuttier than a fruitcake, but he truly believes that he's doing the world a favor by killing some of his victims.  But Joe gets too comfortable and lazy.  So confident is he that he never sees Melissa coming for him.  If you've watched BBC's Luther, you're already familiar with the character of Alice.  Well, Melissa is The Cleaner's Alice.  If it's possible, she's an even bigger psychopath than Joe and now, she's running things.

Perfect for: Fans of Gillian Flynn, The Usual Suspects & Neil Cross
Tags: deception, thriller, ruthless

Now hit up your local indie bookstore!  And if you didn't see the perfect book for the reader in your life, feel free to ask for recommendations below or ask me on Facebook or Twitter.

Free for All Friday, Dec. 14

I'm winding down my reading schedule for 2012.  This year has flown by and I can't believe there are only there are only two weeks left before we roll into 2013.  I've got to start reading for the Books: Passports to the Word Challenge (this is my gentle reminder for you to sign up if you haven't), write up my top 10 of 2012 post (which is turning out to be 14 or 15), and write reviews for the miscellaneous books I've read and forgot to write about.



But today is all about The Hobbit.  As a kid, I watched my father read tons of science fiction and fantasy, but the series that stood out the most  J.R.R. Tolkien's.  I don't usually do fantasy books or movies, but I found myself watching Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring one year while on a cruise.  If you've cruised before, you know that the movies are on a repeat loop, so I saw it quite a few times.  By the time I disembarked, I was hooked.  Since then, it's become a tradition that my family see Tolkien films together.  I'm so excited to see The Hobbit today.  If you follow me on Twitter, you know that I've been tweeting random memorable lines from the Lord of the Rings trilogy.  I'm sure that by next week, I'll be tweeting random memorable lines from The Hobbit.



So what are your plans for the weekend? Anyone else planning to check out Smeagol, Bilbo and Gandalf?

Tell Me Something Good!

It's hard to believe 2012 is almost over! This has been a fairly decent year for books and I'll be posting my year in review in the following weeks, but in the meantime, I'd love it if you would take three or four minutes to take the survey below.  I'll share the results with you at a later date and use your comments and suggestions to improve Reads4Pleasure.com.

Thanks!

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World Book Night 2013

World Book Night isn't until April 2013, but they're accepting sign ups now.  If you've never heard of it, you're not alone.  It gets a lot of publicity in the book community, but not so much outside of that.  Each year, book givers sign up to receive a copy of 20 books that they hand out to light or non-readers.  It's completely up to the giver where they distribute them.  It can be anywhere from a subway station, a school parking lot to the grocery store.

2013 books include Sandra Cisneros The House on Mango Street, Paulo Coehlo's The Alchemist, John Grisham's Playing for Pizza, Walter Mosley's Devil in a Blue Dress, Alexander McCall Smith's The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, Hillary Jordan's Mudbound and Jesmyn Ward's Salvage the Bones, among others.  I didn't get to participate this year, but I'm definitely signing up for next year.

Care to join me? Sign ups are here.  You'll be asked to choose three books, why you're interested in giving them away and where you plan to do it.

If you could give away any book, not just the ones on the list, what would it be, who would you give it to and why?

The Good Books are Coming! The Good Books are Coming!

Typically I read books way before the average reader does.  It's difficult to hold in my enthusiasm in August for books that won't be published until April.  Yes, I'm reading books that you won't be able to get your hands on until April 2013.  So while I can't give you my full review of most books until the week of release, at the publisher's request, I can share snippets of my reviews with you and encourage you to pre-order your little hearts out.

Luther: The Calling by Neil Cross: Fans of the BBC miniseries are no stranger to the brooding figure who observes crime scenes with his hands stuffed in his pockets.  But they'll learn in Luther: The Calling where that habit came from and why lead character, John Luther, does just that.  In this prequel to the miniseries, Neil Cross introduces John Luther before we, as television viewers, come to know him.  And in introducing him this way, Cross ties up some loose ends that we weren't even aware of before.
Available September 4, 2012

Count on Me: Tales of Sisterhoods and Fierce Friendships by Las Comadres Para Las Americas: The concept of friendship that goes beyond everyday acquaintances is nothing new.  Count On Me serves to remind us of those friendships that are so strong and so important that the only word that can define them is comadre.  Told in twelve narratives, Count On Me highlights the friendships between co-workers, neighbors, confidants and complete strangers.
Available September 4, 2012

The Cutting Season by Attica Locke: Lovers of historical fiction, thrillers or both, come near.  This is the book for you.  In her latest, Attica Locke deftly weaves the history of a Louisiana plantation with a modern day who done it, and you're going to love it.
Available September 18, 2012

The Twelve Tribes of Hattie by Ayana Mathis: Is there a limit on the amount of love a parent can have for their child?  If you have more than one child, is it possible to have loved your other children so much that you have nothing left for the others?  Or is it just possible for life to beat you down so much so that you have nothing left to give your children except a place to stay, food to eat and a determination to survive?
Available January 15, 2013



Are there any ARCs you've gotten your hands on that the rest of us should look forward to reading? Any books you're interested in hearing more about before you order it? Drop a comment and let us know.

When is Reading not Reading?

Last week on Twitter, I saw a retweet come across my timeline that made me pause.  I can't remember who the original tweeter was or their exact wording, but the gist of the tweet was that people that listen to audio books can't claim to have read them.  Really now?  Not only do I listen to audio books, I tend to remember them better than books I've literally read.

For most readers, their earliest memories of books are those that were read to them by a family member or teacher.  As a toddler, my parents read to me. By age 3, I was reading on my own.  Reading to children increases their intelligence and their vocabulary. One of my fondest memories of grade school is of my third grade teacher, Mr. Benke, reading the class the complete Chronicles of Narnia.  Even though I read the books myself, Mr. Benke had a way of doing the voices that made me remember his telling of them much better than I remember my reading of them.

So fast forward to 2010, I'm tired of Steve Harvey on the radio telling women what they're doing wrong; I'm not there for Tom Joyner and his undercooked, over cackling self; and once Gary spills the Tea on the Ricky Smiley show, I have no use for them either.  I had previously shunned audio books as an old lady kind of thing (thanks, in part, to the fact that the only people I knew that listened to them were, um...old ladies).  But when I couldn't take any more of the testosterone heavy morning radio, I grabbed the first audio book that looked appealing at the library.

My first listen was Aimee Bender's The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake.  Now this is a book that I might have put down or would not have given serious consideration if I were to physically read it.  But to listen to it was magical.  My drive time seemed to fly by and I found myself delaying going into the office so I could listen just a few more minutes.  Now while I have delayed going in because I'm reading a particularly good book, I never mastered reading and driving.  Audio books became the perfect solution to my problem.

For anyone that thinks listening to an audio book doesn't count and offers an easy way out, it takes me an hour to read 100 pages.  I can plow through the average book in three to four hours.  Audio books, not so much.  I'm currently listening to Chimimanda Ngozi Adiche's Half of a Yellow Sun.  At 433 pages, I could have read it on a Saturday afternoon.  Listening time is 19 hours.  Given that I only listen when I'm driving, it's taken me two weeks and I still have two CDs left.

Granted, audio books provide a pleasant distraction when I'm driving, but they also give me time to really digest what I've just heard.  This summer I've gone back and listened to several Bernice McFadden books that I previously read.  Each and every time I've heard something I didn't catch when I was reading the book.  And as much as I loved Erin Morganstern's The Night Circus, I probably wouldn't have been as enthralled with it had I read the physical book.

Make no mistake, listening to an audiobook is not the same as watching a movie and claiming to have read the book.  Studios, writers, etc. often change plots, lines, characters in movies that vary greatly from the book.  Audiobooks, unless abridged, are the book, in its entirety, simply being read aloud.  There's no doubt, at least in my mind, that listening to a book is just as worthwhile as reading it.

Shining the Spotlight on Book Bloggers

I feel like I should cue the Julie Andrews' version of My Favorite Things and twirl around the blogosphere like Fraulein Maria on top of a hill while I introduce you to some of my favorite book blogs.  Most of my reading choices come from reading publisher catalogs and pitch emails from publicists, but I also read tons of book blogs and add suggested titles to my to be read list.  Though this list doesn't hardly include all of the book blogs I read, they're the ones I can usually count on to find my next great read.  Make a note of them and give them a follow.

African Literature News and Reviews

As I Turn the Pages

The Happy Nappy Bookseller

Literate Housewife

Reading Rendezvous Reviewz

Reading While Riding

Reflections of a Bookaholic

Sew Transformed

Take Me Away

White Readers Meet Black Authors