Tuesday, March 13, 2012

See what happened was...

I got a Kindle for Christmas.  It's changed my life, yo.  So I've read like MAD books in the past two months.  So, the designated reading has gone left.  And the books I have been reading where for free, sooooo...

Sorry.

But, do you have an e-reader?  Whatcha reading?




Wednesday, February 8, 2012

FREE Kindle Book: Yellow Crocus

I purchased this book a couple of days ago; free, for my Kindle (thanks Pixel of Ink!).  The title of the book intrigued me, as well as the description of the book.  I normally tend to read books about black people, so of course, I was going to investigate further.

The author of this book is non-black.  Based on her last name, she may be of Jewish descent.  Eh, so the leriness factor rose.  I immediately began thinking of "The Help".  Now, I rather enjoyed "The Help".   But it seems that many books that I'm coming across lately have been on "The Help" tip.  "Yellow Crocus" is similar except is from the view of a "wet nurse".  Honestly, this was more interesting to me than domestic work.  The author was so descriptive in describing a breastfeeding scene that it made the reader (me) connect more to the protaganist in the book.

Take a readsy...enjoy!

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

FREE Kindle Book: The Someday List

From Amazon:
Rachelle Covington has it all. A fabulous home, a handsome and prestigious husband, two beautiful children, and a place in the upper crust that's quite comfortable. But her life is not all it's cracked up to be. When her husband goes away on business trip and the kids are sent off to the grandparents for a month, Rachelle takes up the challenge of a dying friend to start a list of things to do before she dies. She heads back to Jubilant, Texas, to reconnect with her past, her purpose, and herself. But when her ex shows up in town looking very fine and very single, Rachelle must confront feelings she thought she'd long buried. Will she give up everything to recover the past? Or will she find a reason to plan for the future?

The Someday List is an honest look at what makes us who we are and what can throw us off track. Author Stacy Hawkins Adams writes with a voice that is fresh, sincere, and completely real. Her characters jump off the page and into her readers' hearts.

Click here to get your free download from Amazon.  Please verify before purchase that book is still free.

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Discussion: Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones

I liked this book!  Like, I read it in one weekend.  It is so hard to find a book that can really draw you into the characters and have the reader have an emotion for the story.

This was good.

The first part of the book, readers meet Dana.  She is the child of Gwen and James, a love child, if you will.  From a very early age, Dana knows and understands what her role in life has been relegated to.  Unfortunately, she is denied some basic pleasures (i.e. getting a job at 16) because her weak father doesn't want his two worlds to collide.  Dana is aware of her half-sister, Chaurisse, but it is not until their teenage years that the same is true for Chaurisse.

Chaurisse is James' daughter by his wife, Laverne.  In Part I, readers are given the impression that Laverne is a meek, quiet woman who has no earthly idea that her husband has another family.  In Part II, that impression is not so true.  Readers are shown that while James and Laverne's marriage was one of convenience, it grew to a comfortable position in both of their lives.  They enjoyed their little family.  Chaurisse meets Dana and the two become fast friends...sisters.  Almost.

Okay...when I say I felt some sort of way about James, I felt some sort of way.  I was so angry at the weak ass bama, I was too through!  Like, how are you going to tell your daughter, Dana, that she can't work at the amusement park because Chaurisse got a job there.  Just to find out, she never took the job.  Or, you leave your daughter, Dana, in a gas station bathroom because Chaurisse would have found out who Dana really was. I really could not fathom this man's thought process.  He was dead wrong...with his stuttering behind.

Overall, I really liked this book.  Even more because the author gave a shout out to my sorority on page 209 AND I got a signature insert free of charge!  I will be looking to cop Ms. Jones' other novels, here and here.

What did you think of the book?

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

FREE (or low priced) African-American Books

Hi All-

Here's a link to some free or low-price African-American authors.  Make sure to check to make sure that they are free.

Enjoy!

http://afamhistoryexaminer.com/

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

What's Your Favorite Genre?

I love me a good ole romance novel.  The heroine out on the plain saved by the rugged, dusty ranch hand...love it!

My grandmother had a "book center" that encompassed an entire wall and was double-rowed.  A majority of the books were historical romance, theology books, Bibles, and reference books.  In high school, my mom and two aunts rotated bags of black romance books.  The 90s saw a BOOM in African American romance literature; thanks in part, I believe to BETs Arabesque books.  Remember them?  They even came out with a few movies.  Masquerade is my favorite!  Anyone know where I can cop that for the low-low on DVD??  Thankee!

Reading Circle: what are some of your favorite reading genres?