Weekend Reading

The weather here was gorgeous this past weekend and with a clean house and with my (entire!) family out of town, I got to concentrate on just reading!

I ended up finishing two books this weekend ( both from my never ending  GR TBR list = double score).

First up is my fiction choice:

Should Have Known Better
Grace Octavia

My sister picked this book up first and I though it sounds interesting and it didn’t appear to be one of those drama for drama’s sake books. Plus the author is attending my Alma Mater, so I had to support Ms. Octavia.

Should have Known Better introduces us to Dawn Johnson a devoted wife, mother and librarian living in Augusta, GA. Dawn exemplifies the working mom struggle which is increased by the fact that her son, has Autism. One day she gets a call from an old college roommate who is in town for a conference and wants to come hang out like old times.  Sasha is Dawn’s sorority sister and once best friend who is now an acclaimed journalist living the fast life in the Atl. While Dawn is excited, she also has some reservations about Sasha coming to visit because she knows that Sasha has never approved of her relationship/marriage to her husband Reginald a blue collar worker who never finished college. Reginald has his own issue with Sasha and her BUPPIE lifestyle. Putting all that aside, Sasha comes to visit and after she and Regional initially but heads,  things soon swing quickly in the other direction. Dawn is never able to put her hands on it, but she sees things changing and her gut tells her that Sasha is desperate for a man and a baby and will do anything to get it.

The story reminds me of a conversation I had with a friend recently. I wanted to visit her and her family in their new military duty station( which for reference was outside the continental U.S.). During the planning process she told me that she would was fine with me staying with her. I remember being taken aback because the only way I could afford this trip was because I didn’t budget a hotel. My friend went on to explain that her mother had warned her not to have her friends staying in her house with her husband unless she could trust them( no clarification on if them included the husband). Apparently, I had made the cut, but many others had not and it caused a riff in the friendships. That conversation stayed with me for years and pops in my head from time to time. After reading this book, I wonder if Dawn could have benefited from a similar conversation.

I really wanted to like Dawn, but I had trouble with the plot. It’s completely plausible, but Dawn was just so slow to act and clueless it was annoying.  Now we have all been in a situation where our gut tells us one thing, but the way Dawn took a back seat was just annoying.

I really enjoyed the writing, and the way that Ms. Octavia addressed some really big A’s- Adultery, Alcoholism and Autism and because of her smooth writing, I kept reading even if I didn’t really connect with Dawn and wanted to reach into the book and shake her. Sometimes the sequence of events just seemed over the top and the ending was pretty abrupt which I guess means we can anticipate a sequel. I know love and lust are crazy things, but Sasha and Reginald just seemed far-fetched. Had it not been for the great writing, I probably would have given up on the book halfway through, but the writing flowed so well, it was easy to just keep going. 

White Lines II

White Lines II: Sunny
Tracey Brown

One of my “literary pet peeves” is “ contemporary street lit”- books about hustler’s  Wives and what not that glorify and glamourize a life that usually ends in the graveyard or a jail cell.  I detest these type of books and stay as far away from them as I can. With that being said, I’m still not sure how I came across the original White Lines but I ended up loving it. It was one book which showed that while it looks like glitz and glamour what’s underneath is often the furthest thing from it.

Over the years I’d seen other Tracey Brown books on the shelves, but I  was only interested in White Lines so imagine my surprise when I found one was finally published.

White Lines II begins a few years after the first one left off. I admits that I had to go back and skim WL, because it had been so long ( 5 years!) since I read the original but in the sequel, Sunny is enjoying life a wife and mother but yet still grieving the loss of her beloved Dorian. She’s come a long way since giving up her addiction a few years ago and aided by 2 stints in rehab is doing good. Except she sometimes misses her old life- the parties, the glitz and glamour and on a trip for her latest business venture,  she finds what she has been missing both in her love life and in her “secret”. As she struggles to maintain both, she ends up risking everything.

While the book mainly focuses on Sunny,  we are also reintroduced to Jada ( my favorite character) who is trying to re-kindle her relationship with Born despite their past and raise her son Sheldon who is fighting his own set of demons. There are some other minor characters- Jada’s sister Ava, Olivia and Zion, whom I gather are from her other books.  As Sunny fight her growing dependence on her old friend, Jada struggles with her own demons regarding her child, his father and her actions while pregnant.

I realize this book was about Sunny and while I enjoyed her perspective, I have to say that I found Jada’s storyline much more interesting and almost wish this was focused just on her.

This book ends in the ultimate cliffhanger and after seeing that this was just recently published, I hope we don’t have to wait too long for the sequel because I am dying to know what happens next.

This book was as gritty or as real to me as WL was, there was lots of references to designer clothing and cars that I don’t remember from the first one but that seems to be a staple in Urban fiction  which I honestly find annoying to describe every outfit complete with what designers- Chanel dress, Loubotioun shoes). Aside from that I enjoyed this book almost as much as the original but it seemed lacking in character development in some areas- for instance- Ava just seemed to be thrown in there for good measure at times- there wasn’t much character development going on there.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. It doesn’t live up to WhiteLines in my book, buts its solid on its own and I definitely wasn’t disappointed.

The People Next Door

The People Next Door
Bettye Griffin


What would happen if you were building your dream house, which you saved and searched for on a beautiful lake front only to find out that your ex and their new spouse just bought the house next door? That’s the premise in Ms. Griffin’s The People Next Door. Lisa and her husband Darrell have just bough a beautiful new house in St. Augustine/Jacksonville, Florida when they learn that Lisa’s ex-husbands’ and his new wife and children Suzanne are living next door.


I enjoyed this book a lot. To me it was a kind of a case study that touched on so many issues- class, race, love, family. The book alternates between the main characters of Suzanne, Lisa and also Flo and neighbor of Suzanne and Lisa’s who tries to befriend both of them with ulterior motives. This book is not chock full of drama like I’m sure many people were looking for, Rather it a story that looks at the situation instead and Ms. Griffin did an excellent job at portraying real emotions, real jealousy and real life situations.


My thoughts:

• My favorite characters were Flo & Ernie- the do-anything to keep up with the Jones, nose neighbors. I really enjoyed getting an inside perspective on that dynamic of a person. We all know someone like that and as annoying as they were they were my favorites. Perhaps because they were so authentic. In the end though I enjoyed all the characters.

• Many Amazon reviews indicated that this book was boring and slow and I completely disagree with that. This book is not your EJD, Sleeping with some else’s wives book. If you are looking for a book chock-full of craziness, drama and outrageous scenarios, this isn’t it. Rather this is a book that explores a nightmare come true, but the reality as the families are forced to deal with the situation- and realistically. Ms. Griffin also takes a look at the backdrop of each character’s life and examines class issues, jealousy, and family as well as a many other topics.

• The interaction between the characters was right on to me as were reactions and emotional descriptions. I think Ms. Griffin hit the nail on the head in character development.

• Apparently it seems that chapter titles and numbers are out. This is one of 4 books I’ve read in the past few months that instead of boring numbers, they used quotes. I enjoyed the clever quotes for each chapter which gave you an idea of what was coming up- gossip, family, friends ect.

• I found this an interesting book and in a way a case study on the issue in the book and I really enjoyed that aspect.

Overall- if you are looking for some crazy family drama- this is not the book for you. If you are interested in reading a good book- this one is it.

Another Sad Love Song

Another Sad Love Song
LaJill Hunt
**** (4/5)


Since so many of her books are “street lit” I hesitantly picked this book up and was not expecting much, but this was one good book.

JaKoby is a young black man who seemingly has it all, A good job, a MBA, a new benz and great friends, all thats missing is the right woman to spend it with. Burned by love before, he wasn’t expecting much when loves( literally) smashed into his life in the form of Chryslyn Matthews’s uninsured Camry. As JaKoby maneuvers matters of the heart we learn that everything isn’t always what it seems. Will Chrys and JaKoby’s relationship be able to handle the storms of life in the form of crazy exes and live happily ever after?


I really enjoyed this book and finished it in one day. This brings me to the only thing I didn’t like about this book- it was too short( 219 pages- mass market paperback). Ms. Hunt kept everything short and sweet, but I would have liked to get to know JaKoby and Chrys a little more. Each chapter is titled with the name of R & B song- from Luther to Toni, which keeps you in the "love spirit", hoping that Chrys & JaKoby can make it. I enjoyed the drama and suspense that was in the book and the ending is one that can’t be beat- will this be just another sad love song?

Ms. Hunt is a very talented writer and after reading this one, I am curious about some of her other books and will give them a try.

Redemption

Redemption

Jacqueline Thomas

**** ( 4/5)

Redemption introduces us to two unforgettable characters- Pastor Warner Brice and hot Hollywood actress Marin Alexander and what happens when these two from different world, find love and get married- uniting not only themselves but their two worlds together.

Soon after their idealistic courtship and marriage Marin discovers that something is missing and goes in search. She tries returning to her old career, but soon finds herself fulfilling her life with a dangerous passion that threatens everything she has and has worked hard to build.

Unable to beat this “passion” she soon fall victim to it. Her husband, children and parents struggle with watching her downfall. The person it hits the hardest is God- fearing Warner Brice who doesn’t question “Why?” but keeps in mind the promise that God made him and that he vowed before God. When everyone else looses hope in Marin, Warner doesn’t and stand up to the test- no matter how difficult it becomes, Warner will not fail.

Like the title, the overall theme in the book is redemption and the costs of forgiveness. Ms. Thomas weaves between the two world- Hollywood and the church which such ease and I loved how she though to bring them together in this book. Many times, we look down on Hollywood, but as Warner mentions in the book- it’s a battlefield that must be one as well. Jesus never committed something as a lost cause and turned his back.

Another by Ms. Thomas is that this book is not too preachy, when can often happen in the genre. She weaves the lessons between the bible and experience and it flows throughout the book.

Although I found a little of the book to unrealistic, Ms. Thomas portrayed the drug world with frightening reality, experienced only by someone who has watched a loved one fall down that trap ( or even been there themselves).

Redemption is an enjoyable read and would make a great book club read to discuss many of the issues it brings up (drugs, Hollywood, marriage, making marriage works, relationships (especially mother and daughter, forgiveness and most importantly REDEMPTION

Farther Than I Meant To Go, Longer Than I Meant To Stay

Further Than I meant to Go, Longer Than I Meant to Stay.

Tiffany L. Warren

**** ( 4/5)

“Sin will always take you further than you meant to go and keep you longer than you meant to stay”.

I read this book praying that I had not made this choice so this book was VERY relevant to me. Anyway.

The book is about our protagonist, Charmayne, and overweigh, insecure, Christian woman who gets caught up with the wrong man. The book alternates between the past and the present as we get caught up on the story that has led Charmayne to loose everything she once had- her self respect, financially security her job and her pride. Charmayne is an active member of her church, a dutiful daughter and sister and a successful bank manager. Successful by most peoples standards, Charmayne feels anything but because she is

a. over thirty

b. single and

c. overweight- three common problems for hordes of women, of all faiths, backgrounds, races etc. . She then gets caught up in something that feels too good to be true and instead of following her heart and God’s guidance; she decides to keep going leading to disastourous results. Forced to pick up the pieces and put her life back together with the help of family friends and the Lord, this book not only questions us but teaches us Christian’s valuable lessons about thinking that you are in control.

Charmayne prayed every step of the way, however she did not listen and/or act upon the answers she received which is a problem that had faces all Christians and some point or another. Sometimes is not the answer we want or we thinking we can fix it, max it work or whatever instead of doing instructed. Charmayne’s tale is a tale of disobedience and what happens when we do not follow out what we KNOW is right.

But the good news for Charmayne is that God forgives and Charmayne learns that and HOW to forgive, ( another lesson us Christians sometimes forgets) and in the end finds that everything she was looking for – she already had- right under her nose.

The best part of the book for me was learning the Story of Rizpah (2 Samuel 21), whom Ms. Warren uses to parallel the story and the lesson. I loved learning a new story, espicially one I had never heard and I loved how Ms. Warren incorporated it into the story.

Of course there are some other themes within the book- Family relationships, marriage, armor bearers ( which pastor preached on this past Sunday) that merge together to create and wonderful read that is not too preachy, but gets the lesson across loud and clear.

Read for Book Club # 2 – May 2007-

( orginally read June 2006)

Let Sleeping Dogs Lie

Let Sleeping Dogs Lie

Patricia Haley

*** ( 3.5/5)

In Ms. Haley’s sophomore novel she follows the story of a family with deep, dark secrets and what happens when those secrets come to the surface.

I enjoyed the story, however there were way too many characters and POV and not enough development on any of them. Also the ending of the story was tied up to quickly and nice, although sometimes I have to say – life does end just that way. The book was jumbled and I found myself having to put the book down a few times to stop from getting a headache from all the characters and plot points).

The book is Christian fiction but does not come off as overly preachy, but does adhere some aspects of the devout Christian faith.

This book is a the July Selection for Book Club # 2.

The Sisterhood of Blackberry Corner

The Sisterhood of Blackberry Corner.
Andrea Smith

The Sisterhood of Blackberry corner begins when the main characters husband finds a dead baby in the creek near their home. This starts ___ to wondering what would make a person do such a thing- abandon or kill their baby and more importantly is there something that could be done to prevent it. This leads her to decide that she will be that prevention. The last hope a woman has. The book weaves between “the present” (the 80’s) and the past- when the Sisterhood of Blackberry Corner starts saving the children and now (or rather the late 80’s) when one of those babies comes back looking for their past.

The weaving between the past and the present made this story a bit hard to read in the beginning, which was slow, but one into it- the reader can appreciate the telling of the story. Ms. Smith tells a wonderful, heartbreaking story about the difference between getting what you want and wanting what you get.

Read for Book Club # 1- May Selection

Sex.Lies.Murder.Fame

Sex. Lies. Murder. Fame

Lolita Files

With a name like that, how could you not be intrigued? This book was about two “weird” people, Penn and Beryl and their relationship. Once was narcissistic, charming genius and a “player” the other obsessive-compulsive, workaholic with some way more serious issues.

There was lots of sex, lies, murder and fame and this book was a definite departure from Files other novels. This one was just kind of weird, crazy and far fetched, just like the characters, Beryl & Penn. It was neither a page turner (which I was expecting based on the title) nor a complete bore. It was an okay story about some crazy a** people. I couldn’t picture or relate to either Penn or Beryl so that’s probably why I’m feeling a little lukewarm about this one.

Overall, an okay/good read. Not her best and I still like Blind Ambitions & Scenes from A Sistah a lot more. I am looking forward to her next novel. Maybe she could bring Penn or Beryl backs (some kind of way) and put them with a normal person and that would be interesting…..

Verdict: Library or my favorite- Paperback swap!

Behind Those Eyes

Behind Those Eyes

T.P. Carter

*** (2.9/5)

I picked up this book for my sister, but I ended up stealing it from here and reading it first. Then I got mad, and threw it back into her room- yeah, I didn’t like this one, or it wasn't that I didn't like it cause I did finish it- it was that it was unbelivable and annoying.

It’s basically about an affair between and married man and a woman, but the premise is all about being in love with two people, is that possible. This wasn’t your average run of the mill affair and there was no sex between the two until the last third of the book and even then it wasn’t passionate affair sex, but lovemaking.

This book felt like it was two books. It was written in the way most African American fiction books are written. Books geared toward us have more of a drama flair, more dialogue, but then it felt like the author was trying to make it heavier than your typical African American novel, which I can appreciate her efforts but it really annoyed me. To me, most books geared toward African Americans (women) are written in a very detailed flamboyant way- it’s almost like watching a TV show. For instance read an Eric Jerome Dickey and then go read any mainstream (white) author that writes fiction. Or even compare the writing to a Pearl Cleadge who is acclaimed in both circles. I know the genres are different, but I guess when you read as much (quantity and variety) as I do, you start to notice these things. I love both types of books equally, so I’m not complaining; however in my opinion trying to do both was a disaster.

In addition to the style of the book, I also found the book a little unrealistic. I could not believe that Derrick loved his wife SO DAMN MUCH, but then fell in love with Taiyler so passionate and deeply hard at the drop of a hat. If at some point it was acknowledged as lust or something brief or if we learned that say he loved his wife, but wasn’t in love with her, I could have believed it, but it was just too much. And it pissed me off- he had a good woman, why would he jeopardize that? It wasn’t sex and I guess I couldn’t believe that he loved both of them and was in love with them. It was weird and annoying. I guess that goes to the age question about the difference between women affairs (emotional) and man affairs (sexual). Anyway, aside from that it took the book a little long to get to the point. I knew they were going to have an affair; it just took too long to get there. I found myself skimming over entire chapters trying to get to the point only to be so disappointed when I did – and don’t even get me started on the ending. ?????? Again, I felt like the ending took the drama filled style and tried merge it with something else.

I noticed that a few amazon.com reviews also felt that Ms. Carter was biting off of someone else’s style (mainly Eric Jerome Dickey), which I definitely noticed. That’s what I was getting at when I talked about the differing styles. Also I’ll like to make a note that I don’t read street lit, can’t stand the stuff, don’t read Triple Crown Publications,but I still didn’t like this book. In fact I’m very well read but everyone has their own opinions.

My opinion on this book: Try it out. One one hand its nice to see a book with a little more substance actually being published and not just some "soap opera" type book, but still for me it was a bit too much. I say library and while you are at it - check out some classic EJD.

Allure

Allure

Jackie King Scott

****(4.5/5)

This is one hard book to find on amazon.com, but I did find it and read it and enjoyed it and it was worth the search. The one thing I can say about it is it was too short, but that does in no means takes away from the book. I just wanted to know Valerie and John a little more, and to hear John’s voice- which was a little absent.

Valerie and John have been married for seven years, but are growing apart on a daily basis. Their union is even more threatened when Valerie meets handsome Curtis. The novel takes place throughout many church events and seminars and is told primarily from Valerie’s angle.

In the end though, this books is more than just a work of fiction but a great (i.e. realistic) portrait of marriage and its ups and down and the hope, faith and forgives that must exists to make marriage work.

Powerful and quick read.

Saved Folk in the House

Saved Folk in the House

Sonnie Beverly

** ( 2/5)

Okay- I am going to preface this review by saying that I do not like short stories. It seems weird given my short attention span, that I would not Love short stories- which can offer everything a regular novel does in half the time. But – I do not. I cannot stand * most short stories. In fact the only ones I recall that I actually like are Flannery O’Conner’s, particularity A Good Man is Hard to Find. Other than that, I leave short stories alone. I tried Z.Z. Packer’s acclaimed ( acclamied= Today show pick) Drinking Coffee Elsewhere, but I just couldn’t get into it. I liked the first few, but just gave up halfway through the book.

That being said, I read this book for my March Book Club # 2 meeting. This book has been on my Recommended for you list on Amazon since it came out, but for several reasons, I never read it.1). It has a relatively low rating (all those Amazon people can’t be wrong- or rather they usually are not* Update the overall rating has increases significantly since I wrote this review in Feburary and revised it for posting) and 2). It’s a book of short stories. So when it was listed as my book club selection, my first thought was to skip the meeting, but since that defeats the purpose of being part of book club ( only reading books you find interesting) I begrudingly bought the book and tried to read it.

Saved Folk in the House are a collection of three short stories surrounding characters that are very loosely related- except for the fact that the love God and have made mistakes. Here is the description from booklist- ( I couldn’t formulate one myself)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist
In "the village," a Virginia suburb, everyone knows and looks out for one another. Zakia Wilkes is a smart girl who goes to college and discovers she is pregnant two months after graduation. Eventually, she marries Jay, who provides her a comfortable life. Yet with all of her possessions, she still feels incomplete. In her search to fill the void, she becomes very involved in her church, at the expense of her marriage. Nikki Riley leaves the village for Atlanta after her divorce. She joins the church she has always watched on television and lands a job working in its accounting department. She also falls in love with her neighbor. Nikki is very close to her cousin Rae, who refuses to work legally. When Rae is incarcerated, she reflects on her cousin's preaching and starts a Bible study in jail. Rae's influence helps to reduce the violence amongst the women. Each woman relies on her faith to get what she needs and wants out of life and the lives of those she loves. Lillian Lewis
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Book Description
In Part One, Saved Babies Daddies, Zakia, part tomboy and part princess, is left alone and a single parent. Hard- working and determined, she puts her hopes and dreams into her child, her career, and her new marriage. Still feeling a void in her life, she returns to church. But the more she becomes immersed in God, the more her life begins to crumbleuntil faith pulls her through. The story continues with Real Saved Folks. Nikki, the newly divorced best friend of Zakia, believes her life will improve if she joins a church she has watched on television for years. Instead, she finds more challenges. Falling for a younger man doesnt make her life easier, but she soon discovers that where her spirit resides is what truly matters. Finally, in Out of the Mouths of Saved Babies, the children, grandchildren, and friends of the earlier characters are gathered together for what will prove to be a very eventful summer where God will use children to show adults what true faith really means.

After the first story, I skimmed the rest- so this review is probably a.) Biased and b) I did skim the book, but based on the amazon.com reviews, I’m not too far off the mark. Now as of note, some members of my book club did enjoy this book. I was not one of them. I found the book lacking in many areas, particualry character development, the story went by too fast and tried to incorporate too much. I felt bogged down and tired just reading the first story. Then I couldn’t relate to the characters (lack of development) and the story was kind of all over the place. Also the book was very “preachy”, which I can’t stand. I love Christian Fiction, Book club # 2 is dedicated to it, however, this book took the Christian aspect overboard. If I wanted to be preached at, I’ll go church or bible study. I like CF books that incorporate God and the bible into the theme/ story or even use biblical stories to supplement or to enhance the story. This book did neither. It forced the message/ bible verses down my throat. To be honest, I was very disappointed in what I did read and returned the book and got my $15.61 back

My advice- checks it out from the library or read it in the store, but then again if you like short stories, maybe you might like it.

White Lines

White Lines

Tracey Brown

At first, when this book kept coming up “recommended" on amazon.com, I rolled my eyes and tried to make it go away. I was thinking that it was just your average “street fiction”, ( for my views on street-lit, check read here or the last paragrpah here) but the five star reviews on Amazon piqued my interest so I gave in and ordered it. And am glad that it kept coming up and that I finally wore down and ordered it.

White Lines is the story of Born and Jada, their loves and their struggles on the streets of New York. Teenaged Jada, runs away from home and falls into the drug world while teenaged Born watches his father, a well –known hustler make his life from the drug trade. Born follows in his father’s footsteps and sets out to become the biggest hustler NYC has ever seen. Meanwhile, Jada cleans up and meets born and what happens next is a love story for the ages. All love stories don’t have to be Nicholas Sparks or Nora Roberts ( i.e. traditional) and obviously this one isn’t, but it is one of the truest love stories that I’ve ever read. The story begins in the late 80’s and follows Born and Jada on their paths together and apart, in what is one of the best books of 2007 ( yes, I know it is only February).

Ms. Brown doesn’t sugar coat things, not does she glorify them either ( hallelujah). She tells it like it is, with heart and clarity. The writing is clear and concise and the story is beautiful in the same way that life is. Of course it is not only a love story. In a sense it is still probably classified as “street lit” and there is no shortage of the raw and gritty scenes, however it is so well done- well written, with excellent characters and also very well edited.

I finished this book in a record 2 days, which isn’t an easy feat- this book is thick at 512 pages (paperback), but worth every single page. I then passed it on to my sister who read it in a record 3 days (she’s in HS taking 4 AP courses) - so that itself should extol ( :) ) how much I enjoyed this book.

Into Each Life

Into Each Life

Shelia E. Lipsey

***( 3.8/5)

Into each life is a Christian Fiction novel that follows the life of childhood friends. Prodigal has always been in love with his best friend Teary, but Teary instead chases after other dreams never returning the undying love for Prodigal, but when she finally does realize and appreciate Prodigal, will it be too late?

The book also tells the story of their family members such as Teary's sister. It begins when they are all just children, spending their days playing outside and having fun. It follows them through High School, College, marriage, children,infertility, divorce, sickness and death.

This book is a fast read. On one hand including so much in the book makes the 300 + pages fly by, but sometimes it feels weighted down as too much is happening in this novel and some characters development and plot points are not given enough time and it ends up feeling rushed. One such character was Teary who was very hard to like. The end is also a little rushed. I also found the names a little annoying- Teary, Prodigal & Faith. I kept asking myself who would name their child Teary?

Overall Lipsey has written and enjoyable book, that will keep reader attention and have them looking forward to her next book.

In Greener Pastures (Shelton Heights)

Kendra Norman Bellamy

***1/2

As a KNB fan, I was anxiously waiting the release of her newest offering to the literary world of Christian Fiction, and while In Greener Pastures does not disappoint, it is not her best nor my favorite KNB book yet.

In her nests book KNB takes a break from the Grace series and introduces us to some new characters. Hunter Greene is the owner of an prestigious African American newspaper in Atlanta, Georgia and single father. When a prominent Atlanta pasture- Rev. Tides, is killed in what is ruled and accident, Hunter goes on the hunt for the truth. When the pastor’s daughter, Jade feels spirit is also telling her there is more to the story she enlists Hunter's help in uncovering the truth. Hunter and Jade must fight against her family, who is ready to move on and let Rev. Tides rest in piece, the community and the people responsible who will stop at nothing to keep the truth under wraps. During all this Hunter and Jade also begin to contend feelings that are a little more than about finding out the truth regarding Rev. Tides.

This book is a Christian Fiction Romance Mystery all rolled into one, and while that sounds like a handful, KNB is able to keep everything rolling smoothly. The only true flaw is that the “mystery” is somewhat undevloped, but KNB’s writing and characters as well as the Christian themes keep this book right on target. This is another great book by KNB, although not one of my favorites. This is what appears to be the first in several books in her Shelton Height’s Series, and I cannot wait for the next one.

Love is Never Painless

Love is Never Painless
Zane

**** ( 4/5)

I am not a big Zane fan. I have read a few of her books, but I am not a big fan of erotica or what ever you consider her genre. This book arrived as part of my main selections that I forgot to cancel and when I saw the title and the dedication, it looked somewhat interesting and nothing like her previous novels that I’ve read, so I decided to maybe give it a try.

The dedication was “To everyone who had tried to make a relationship work” or something to that effect. That along with the title “Love is Never Painless” gives you a general idea of the plot of this book. The books is three “novellas” that demonstrate the true and painful nature of love and relationships. The first story highlights a relationship between two childhood female friends. The second novella highlights a man who is having trouble understanding and letting go of a relationship – to the point that it is hindering his new one and third novella highlights love tested and untimely ruined, but not without a fight.

The first two stories were good, but for me it was the third story that caught my attention and truly haunted me. I started reading the last story first and was so captivated I decided to keep the book and read the entire thing. I don’t want to give away too much, but the third novella is one of the most poignant and powerful short stories I have read. The emotion and pain were real and I felt as if I was a part of the family. Maybe because I had seen this before and been in a similar situation, but wow. If you do nothing else, I think you should read the last story. The love and all the other emotions in this one still ring out in my mind.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and would recommend. As I mentioned before, it is not typical Zane material, so it is safe for pretty much everyone, espcially those of us who truly understand the title an/or appreciate the dedication (i.e. anyone who has ever been in love).

*I have nothing against Zane- I think she is a good writer and I have enjoyed some of her books ( mainly this one). I also respect her as a writer, publisher and a business woman. I am not a prude or anything, I just enjoy books with substance- and not the sexual kind.

Like Sheep Gone Astray

Like Sheep Gone Astray

Leslie J. Sherrod.

*** (3.5/5)

This was the January Book selection for book club # 2. First time I’ve read a book by this author and the first time I read a Christian themed mystery.

Anthony Murdock is a young, prominent African American pastor who left a lucrative job and salary to follow the God's calling. However, the devil followed him and threatens to ruin everything in the form of lust and greed, when Anthony "overlooks" a little extra (bribe) money. As Anthony’s conscience and spirit catch up with he tries to undue his wrong, with out completely undoing everything else has worked for. Anthony also must content with a conniving, sinful wife who believes Anthony’s “preacher thing” is only a fad and she tries to lure him back with flashiness and greed of her own. In Anthony’s quest to make things right and find out who is out to get him, he draws strength from the powerful story of Samson, who went down with his own enemies.

This book is cumbersome at times. It’s long, the story goes a few too many places and there are too many characters. I along with some other members of the book club admitted to skipping entire chapters when certain characters were involved because they just didn’t add to the story. Other than that this was an all right read. I enjoyed it and was kept guessing until the end. It wasn’t too preachy, but had just the right amount of a message to keep it going. Especially the powerful chapter where Anthony draws strength from the story of Samson. There were also some very powerful sermons that could rival some of the best you’ve heard.

Verdict- Worth it, but bring a little patience.

All The Trouble You Need

All The Trouble You Need

Jervon Tervalon

*** ( 3/5)

This book was kind of boring to me. I forced myself to finish it and I just didn’t have many thoughts about it. I did like how it was an original story. Many times you find the same story lines and plots, but this one was definitely unique. Tervalon has his own unique voice.

Verdict: Unique Story/characters. Three out of five ? I’m torn on this one.

*If you are interested in this- check out Paperbackswap. com. Join (it's free) and request the book- It's on my bookshelf.

Beyond the Ashes

Beyond the Ashes

Debra Parham

***** ( 5/5)

As amazon.com suggested, I got a little something for myself while Christmas shopping for my friends and family- and this was it.

The story is about Sohni Vessels and her five “sister friends” and each of their trials and tribulations throughout a year. Everyone has a past, everyone has a story and everyone has a cross that they must bear. Follow Sohni and her friends and the deal with life and each other and look to the Lord and each other to make it though.

This is a good book about girlfriends and I liked because the characters were not clichéd. There were some serious problems in the book and Parham dealt with them and tied them together and to the bible really well. Of course when there are so many characters, sometime you get bogged down and you find the characters you like and want to skip the ones you don’t like.

Overall this was an enjoyable book and highly recommended. I took a lot of lessons to heart myself and I think that when a fiction book helps you do that , without feeling like self help- 5 stars!

First Lady: Confessions of a Preachers Wife

First Lady: Confessions of a Preachers Wife
Mikasenjoya

**** (4.9/5)

Aaah- what an interesting title and even though this book is fiction, it seems to portray a pretty accurate description of the life of a preachers wife. Before reading this book, I had some ideas of the kind of drama that being a preachers wife could entail, however Mikasenjoya, did an excellent job of bringing to life.

The First Lady introduced us to Jacqueline Stevens as her family is on the move again when here husband, Pastor Lance Stevens takes a job as Pastor for New Light Church in Southlake, Texas. The book is in the form of Jacqueline’s journal as she navigates life in a new city and new home. The book opens with drama as members of the church are showing the Steven’s their new home, but you can feel the underlying drama and resentment (one of the ladies was a generational member of the church) and it doesn’t stop there. Jacqueline must navigate through life not only as a dutiful wife and mother, but as the First Lady of the Church even where there is evil lurking under the surface trying to wreak havoc.

The characters, situations and dialogue in this book were very real. It felt like a genuine portrayal of a pastor’s wife. I also enjoyed the spiritual and uplifting aspects of it- the prayers and the prayer map were an excellent addition.

This book is a relatively fast read and very enjoyable; A great addition to any home library.