Week of August 31, 2008–APOOO’s Book Recommendations
By APOOO • Sep 1st, 2008 • Category: Weekly Recommendations •
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I am so far behind in leisurely reading this year. I am looking forward to things slowing down during the last four months of this year, so that I can read at least one book each week. This week’s book recommendations are books that were recommended by APOOO family and friends, as well as a few new releases, that I want to read during the last 17 weeks of this year.
Black & White by Lewis Shiner
Blood Colony by Tananarive Due FINISHED
Death, Deceit & Some Smooth Jazz by Claudia Mair Burney
Dying for Revenge by Eric Jerome Dickey–FINISHED
Going Down South by Bonnie Glover–FINISHED
From Harvey River: A Memoir of My Mother and Her Island by Lorna Goodison
The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family by Annette Gordon Reed
House at Sugar Beach by Helene Cooper–FINISHED
The Island of Eternal Love by Daina Chaviano
Midnight by Sister Souljah
Pig Candy: Taking My Father South, Taking my Father Home Lise Funderburg
Scottsboro by Ellen Feldman
Seen It All and Done the Rest by Pearl Cleage
Stand the Storm by Breena Clarke–FINISHED
Song Yet Sung by James McBride–FINISHED
Sweetsmoke by David Fuller
You Gotta Sin to Get Saved by J.D. Mason–FINISHED
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Have you read any of the books on the list? If so, which one was your favorite?
If so, which ones have you recommended to others?
What future 2008 releases are you looking forward to reading? Need a cheat sheet, CLICK HERE.
PS–I am reading Pleasure by Eric Jerome Dickey this week. Quick scan at the reviews posted on amazon.com show that this is a book you either love or hate…with few folks in between. So far, I am only about 150 pages into the storyline–it is plot-driven with lots and lots of sex….actually read some stuff that made my body tingle…but that said I am stuck at a three rating thus far for this one. I hope it gets better as I read more. What say you…did you read it?
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APOOO is an online author and reader community dedicated to advancing African American literature. Our mission is to expose readers of all ages to a good book in any genre; to support African American authors, books, literary events and bookclubs; to provide marketing resources, tools and tips to authors; and, to promote literacy within the African American community.
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I read it…
I was not completely happy with it. It was like getting leftovers from his series, “Sleeping with Strangers” and “Waking with Enemies.” One friend of mine thought “Pleasure” was about the mysterious woman from that series, but I disagreed(I am not giving anything away so no need to fret, lol). I wonder if “Dying for Revenge” is part of the SWS and WWE series…
I am looking forward to the next book from Tananarive Due and Blair Underwood, coming out this month.
Lisa…I’m feeling your comment regarding Pleasure feeling like SWT and WWE…and hmm the mysterious woman…interesting…I don’t think so at least not yet.
I ‘on know about the Due/Underwood series…I’m in the minority on that one..the prior book didn’t move fast enough or have enough action for me…sigh.
Hey Sis.. you got some pretty heavy and interesting books on your list. I have been revisiting Urban Lit after seeing the profile on Darnetta. I am also looking forward to reading EJD next release… Enjoy you B’day MONTH REmember NO HOLDS FOR THE ENTIRE MONTH !!!!
Hey Cilla I like that NO HOLDS FOR THE ENTIRE MONTH…HEHE…and yeah that list does look impressive huh…we’ll see how TRUE I stay to it…but I will read a book a week so far I’m on my way…hehe.
I am one of those who loved Pleasure. I hope it gets better for you.
Looking at you list of books to read, I did not realize how far behind you are in yoiur reading. I have read quite a few of the books on your list, my faviorite being
You Gotta Sin to Get Saved
Seen It All and Done All the Rest - Again, I am in the minority of htis one, I liked it.
Song Yet Sung.
I am reading Scottsboro this month, hopefully start it this week.
And of course Going Down South is our BOM.
Happy Reading.
Hey Jnette…and yeah I’m behind with my reading…never been this bad…but I’m going to catch up…just moved You Gotta Sin up on the list…and Song Yet Sung is definitely high on the list because it seems that everyone in APOOO who read it LOVED it…oh yeah and I hope to read Going Down South before the end of the month…hehe.
HEy Yas:) I read a few on your list. Song Yet Sung…loved it. It’s #1 on my 2008 list, Death, Deceit and Some Smooth Jazz loved it too. Seen It All Done the Rest and Scottsboro, I will maybe read those again at another time….couldn’t get into them. I’ll be reading Going Down South for our BOM and I also want to read The Hemingses, House at Sugar Beach, Midnight, You Gotta Sin to Get Saved, Stand the Storm and Dying for Revenge. I haven’t read EJD’s SWS and WWE yet so I hope to read those before DFR.
How could I forget .. I have been a member of APOOO Bookclub since Jan. 2008
and I love it…. although my pocketbook could use a break… these sistahs keep me updated with all the books and new releases.. I have even read a few that I would not have ordinarily (sp) have read.
I have Pleasure by EJD waiting in the TBR pile. One of my friends loved the book and read really fast. I need to pick that one up and several of the others you listed. Happy reading!
Happy B-day month!!! I wish you all the happiness your heart and hands can hold! Now is this the list that you are encouraging members read with you???? I am on a strict writing schedule for the month of September… sigh (I remember when it was more like fun and less like work). I would like to join but you in October. Let me know if this isn’t the list.
Pleasure by Eric Jerome Dickey is in my waiting in the TBR pile for this month. One of my friends loved the book, said it was a really fast read and is waiting on me so we can discuss it also.
Rhea, I’ve been reading it seen Sunday…maybe if I had more time it would be a faster read…right now it’s just a BAB (big arze book) that I have to read…lol.
LOL, I am going to pick ONLY ONE….ONLY ONE, I sai, off the weekly recommendations for my list. I am still making up for over 4 years of not buying any and I am drowning in them.
I read Blood Colony by Tananarive Due, and I thought it was awesome! It was deftly and intricately woven with a very thick plot and multi-dimensional characters. It was exciting and racy. The ending hinted at another book, but I hope it doesn’t take eight years to come out.
I also read Seen It All and Done the Rest by Pearl Cleage, which was endearing and thought provoking. I really enjoyed it.
You’ve Got to Sin to Get Saved gave me the opportunity to go back and read J.D.Mason’s two books, again, which predated this one. J.D. Mason has such a way with words and her stories are so unique. Of course I enjoyed this one too. It was more isolated and one-on-one than its predecessors, which highlighted the characters more than the story.
Currently, I am reading Gather Together In My Name. I read Pleasure and I am one of those that didn’t care for it. EJD is an excellent author but lately, he has become to descriptive in his style of writing. I will continue to support him in hopes of him getting better. Hence, I am so looking forward to reading about Gideon’s revenge in Dying for Revenge to find out how it all ends, and Midnight by sistah Souljah. It’s been a long time coming since The Coldest Winter Ever.
According to the list and comments on some of these books. I have some catching up to do as well.
So far, I’ve finished 5 books on this list…I’ve marked them off in the blog.
I knocked out a couple more books…I’m hyped…lol.