Gods in Alabama

Gods in Alabama

Joshlyn Jackson

I picked this book up during a business trip. I wondered into the Books- a- Million near my hotel and this was one of the book club selections. When I picked up this book the first sentence drew me in and I knew that this would be a good one.

“There are Gods in Alabama: Jack Daniels, trucks, high school quarterbacks, big tits and also Jesus”

Arlene Fleet left Possett, Alabama, and hasn’t looked back since. She has carved a somewhat comfortable life for herself teaching at a university in Chicago and she has a seemingly solid relationship with Burr. But when her past comes knocking at her door and a family gathering calls her to return to the place she left she is forced to come to turns with that fact that she has deals with all everything she thought she had run and gotten away from. Throw in southern culture complete with rednecks and the fact that Burr is African American and you get a very interesting read, one that takes you into southern society as it today.

This book was on the reading list for Christian fiction, although I wouldn’t really classify this as one, maybe more like the new “southern lit”. In any book taken place in Alabama, there are references to religion, but I didn’t’ find the book with pushing a heavily religious message or lesson. I think the lesson here stands out no matter what you do or don’t believe. But once again in the south religion Southern Baptists is the king. As a G.R.I.T.S, ( or raised elsewhere by souther parents) I enjoyed seeing parts of my culture- it felt like she was talking about the little town in Georgia where I’m from rather than Alabama. I was also real interested to see how she portrayed the interracial relationship and I felt that she did justice. She described her reaction and the what I've seen as the true reactions of his family and hers- espicially a white girl bringing home a northern black man.

I honestly loved this book. The story is fun, the characters are fun and they felt like people I knew. I felt at home reading this book. Overall, it’s a funny, poignant debut from a promising author. I am looking forward to her next book.

Do You Take This Woman?

Do You Take This Woman?

RM Johnson

*** ( 3/5)

I’m a big fan of Mr. Johnson. Million Dollar Divorce was a great read, this one- not so much.

Even reading the book the premise sounds kind of crazy, but hey as long as I’m reading about drama a not living it.

Carla meets Pete and Wayne one night and both are smitten with her, but Wayne is able to seal the deal and they begin a relationship. However, Wayne’s best friend who saw her first, want her so he decided, tell Carla of Wayne’s infidelities, ending Wayne and Carla and beginning of Peter and Carla . Pete and Carla end up together and are (happily?) married, but then Pete cheats on Carla and admits to it. Carla tells Pete that the only way to even the score is for her to cheat. Pete agrees ( WTH) as long as he chooses the man ( WTH!) and he chooses Wayne ( ??????). Of course Carla and Wayne rekindle their romance and what follows is a slippery descent into hell ( Carla ends up pregnant, there is a fight, someone is arrested…) any situation that begin like this one, will NEVER end well.

What man would allow his wife to sleep with another man- who also happens to be his best friend and her former lover????? NEVER EVER GONNA HAPPPEN! What woman would suggest that in a marriage? Or at least one as “wifely” as Carla is said to be. I know this is fiction, but the reality factor was so off the map, I just kept rolling my eyes.

The drama is good, and you’ll keep turning the pages (if you can get past the craziness and completely unrealistic aspects) and it’s a perect read for an airplane or a hospital/airport kind of wait.

3 stars for unrealistically. 4 stars if you are a drama fiend.

Other RM Johnson ratings from my spreadsheet:

The Harris Family	RM Johnson	3
The Harris Men	RM Johnson	3
Love Fustrations	RM Johnson	4
The Million Dollar Divorce	R.M. Johnson	5
Do you Take this Woman	R.M. Johnson	3

			3

The Senator and the Socialite: The True Story of America's First Black Dynasty

The Senator and the Socialite: The True Story of America's First Black Dynasty

Lawrence Otis Graham

Okay, so when Book Club number one picked this for their July meeting I was like WTF. I like Graham and have enjoyed his two previous books. In fact, I liked Our Kind of People so much I wrote my freshman thesis around the idea of dark vs. light, AND I got an A! However when I went to the bookstore and saw this book- I was like “Oh no”. It’s big- 480 pages and $27.95. Then I found out Mr. Graham would be there, so I plucked down the money and decided to skim through it. Then I got hooked and read the whole thing in a week- in between bridesmaid’s duty for a wedding that weekend- so you know it was pretty serious/good.

When you saw me, at the David’s Bridal, at the seamstress, at the traffic light on the way to the rehearsal dinner- you saw me reading this book. Even my mom commented on how consumed I was with this book. That’s how good it is.

Graham tells the story of the first black senator that nobody (I knew) knew anything about, Bruce Blanche and the dynasty, his family created and the rise and fall of the family. This book was good and juicy- it almost felt like fiction, then I would remember that it wasn’t and it would be that much better /real. Do not let the size of the book or even the fact that its nonfiction deter you. It is worth every one of its 480 pages. I would go as far as to describe this book as incredible. This a book that every African American family should have on its bookshelf and we should all be knowledgeable and stop letting other people decide what part of our history we learn about.( Sorry about the rant! )

In addition, I also got to meet Mr. Graham at the book signing and listening to him, enhanced the experience of this book for me. I even wrote a list of questions and he answered them!

This book touched on so many areas (and people) and at times it could feel a little repetitive, but that is because it’s a generational story. I don’t want to give too much away but I’ll try to sum it up. It’s a story about a family- taking place from reconstruction until now (at the end of the book, Graham tries to contact the remaining descendents) and their rise, fall and changes they went through. That doesn’t begin to describe it, but I think that between the title and this it should be pretty clear.

My verdict- Great Book- must read and a when you are done, share it!

Last Night A DJ Saved My Life

Last Night A DJ Saved My Life

Lylah Beth LeFore

Every time I think of this book I just want to sing. Anyway my sister bought this book but didn’t like it too much. I think that it’s because she is 16 and hasn’t really dealt with the issues in the book and couldn’t relate.

Destiny Day is a high powered PR/Event planner from NYC who has a list of men that keep her occupied, satisfied and most importantly uncommitted. Then she meets, Taye Crawford and suddenly everything she begins to wonder if that’s good enough. Destiny was a cool character; I enjoyed her friends, especially Ms. Josephine’s sage advice. This book was kind of like a black Sex & the City/ Chic- Lit book.

I really enjoyed this book; although it was a little slow at times, it still kept me interested. I’d be interested in reading more work from the author.

This was a bonus selection for Book Club # 1. The author was supposed to be there, but unfortunately she was injured and unable to come. Instead we got to meet Denene Milner author of Sad I missed her, but Ms. Milner was great as well. We missed out on a discussion of this book and instead, Ms. Milner read from her latest book The Vow. I've read other works ( In Love and War, Love Don't Live here anymore,A Love Story, The Sistah's Rules and my favorite- The Angry Black Woman's Guide to Life) by Ms. Milner and enjoyed them, but most of them were so long ago , I can't remember.

As far as The Vow, I think I liked it. I read it in the store cause I couldn't afford it at the time, so I read it pretty quickly