Thirty (Book) Reasons that September Just Got Better!
By APOOO • Aug 30th, 2008 • Category: APOOO Features, Hot Fun in the Summertime •
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HOT FUN IN THE SUMMERTIME
Long, leisurely days. Leaves on trees. Flowers bursting with color. Designer landscaping. Pool parties. Graduations. Long Weekends. Vacations. Afternoon naps. Schools out. Trips to the shore. Summer camp. Time spent at the beach. Cookouts and barbeques. Family Reunions. Weddings. Movie Marathons. Memorial Day. Fourth of July. Carnival Cruises. Island Getaways. Hurricanes (okay we can live without those). Tornadoes (these also). Heat Waves (and these).
While summer has some baggage, for me it is very small compared to all of the pluses, which make me want to hold on to summer for as long as I can and impossible for me to let go easily. For many of us summer ends when the kids head back to school…and/or Labor Day is upon us…I am still not ready to put away my summer clothes, my LIGHT COLORED SHOES…heck not even my sandals…lol.
According to the calendar (summer officially ends Sept. ) and my to read pile, summer is NOT OFFICIALLY over. LOL. APOOO bookclub members read and recommended tons of books, many of which I did not get a chance to read yet. I plan to read as many as possible of these ’summer beach’ reads before the end of September.
Want to know what books made APOOO’s list? Check out the list below. Favorites are included for books that were: released between May-September 2008, written by African-American authors or about the African-American experience, represented various genres, and primarily titles members felt could be read at the beach, on a lazy summer day, or anytime we wanted an EPO (entertainment purposes only) read. However, in keeping with diverse genres and compiling a list that represents reading taste for each APOOO member, there are several ‘literary’ books featured to round out your reading experience.
APOOO SUMMER READING LIST
Blood Colony by Tananarive Due
Can I Get a Witness? by ReShonda Tate Billingsley
From Dusk to Dawn by Niambi Brown Davis
Going Down South by Bonnie Glover
Indecent Proposal by AC Arthur
Just Too Good to Be True by E. Lynn Harris
The Legacies by Michelle Larks
Long Time Coming by Rochelle Alers
Million Dollar Deception by RM Johnson
Murder on the Down Low by Pamela Samuels-Young
One in a Million by Kimberla Lawson Roby
Passing for Black by Linda Villarosa
Payback With Ya Life by Wahida Clark
Protect and Serve by Gwyneth Bolton
Secrets of a Sinner by Yolonda Tonette Sanders
Shameless Hoodwives – Meesha Mink & De’Nesha Diamond
Soldier Boys by Edwina Martin-Arnold, J.M. Jeffries, Deirdre Savoy and Angela Weaver
Stand the Storm by Breena Clarke
Things Forbidden by Maryam Diaab
Too Little, Too Late by Victoria Christopher Murray
True to the Game III by Teri Woods
Strawberry Mansion: A Philadelphia Story by Julia Press Simmons
Up All Night by Delilah Dawson
Up Pops the Devil by Angela Benson
Yellow Moon by Jewel Parker Rhodes
I probably will not get through all of these books before September but it is good to know that I can read them anytime I am looking for a pick-me-up or a reason to hold on to summer just a little longer.
DISCUSSION QUESTION
Have you read any of the books on the list? How many? Which was your favorite? least favorite?
Which summer reads are you recommending to others?
What was your favorite read this summer? Why?
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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’ve read:
From Dusk to Dawn
The Legacies
Things Forbidden
Unfaithful
I recommend them all. Since they are really different genres I can’t pick a favorite.
I plan to read:
Blood Colony
Can I Get a Witness?
Going Down South
Long Time Coming
Seduction
Too Little, Too Late
Up Pops The Devil
Yellow Moon
Don’t know when I will get to them but I will. I also would recommend House of Secrets by Viola M. Walker. It’s a romance with some drama due to those secrets.
Hey Jennifer and thanks for your recommendation!
I’ve read:
From Dusk to Dawn
Just Too Good to Be True
One in a Million
Payback With Ya Life
I recommend:
Betrayal by Velvet
I plan on reading:
Too Little, Too Late
Shameless Hoodwives
Million Dollar Deception
Secrets of a Sinner
Hi Mama Yasmin!
So far this week, I’ve read :
Camilla’s Roses by Bernice L. McFadden
Fifth Child by Zelda Lockhart
The Sisterhood of Blackberry Corner by Andrea Corner
They were all really good. As soon I finish “Midwives” by Chris Bohjalian, I’m moving on to “Tumbling” by Diane McKinney-Whetstone and after that I have “The Emperor of Ocean Park” by Stephen L. Carter. I’m on a roll, Mama Yas!
I actually squeezed some time to read some books…
Blood Colony, Just Too Good To Be True, Whip Appeal, -30-:The Collapse of the Great American Newspaper, The Soloist(true story and the movie comes out in November with Jamie Foxx playing the mentally ill and homeless violinist/cello player who attended Julliard and Robert Downey Jr. playing the Los Angeles Times reporter/columnist Steve Lopez who befriends the musician).
I am currently reading The Bourne Sanction(the latest in the Jason Bourne series) and I just purchase a novel, “Black White and Red All Over” a drama fiction piece about a newspaper editor found murdered in the newsroom. I also purchased Kimberla Lawson Roby’s latest and another book I can’t think of right now…
I’ve been falling a little behind in my reading. But so far I’ve read Seduction by Geneva Holliday from the list above. I’m currently reading “Cane River” by Lalita Tademy and “Trading Dreams at Midnight” by Diane McKinney-Whetstone. Both books are highly recommended.
My ever growing TBR list consists of:
Up Pops the Devil by Angela Benson
The Legacies by Michele Larks
Going Down South by Bonnie J. Glover
Just Too Good To be True by E. Lynn Harris
Joy & Pain by Franklin White
You Gotta Sin to be Saved by J.D. Mason
Gotta Keep on Tryin by Virginia DeBerry and Donna Grant
Something of the Side by Carl Weber
Passing by Karen E. Quinnones Miller
Let’s Get It On by Cheris Hodges
Can I Get a Witness by ReShonda Tate Billingsley
Pleasure by Eric Jerome Dickey
The Pastor’s Wife by ReShonda Tate Billingsley
Too Little, Too Late by Victoria Christopher Murray
Who’s Loving You by Mary B. Morrison
Ms. Mary–Happy Reading!
PBG–hey gurl!!!!! YES you have been one reading sista…read all of the books on your list and all of them are EXCELLENT…except one…lol. And that one was good….just too dayum long by 200 pages.
Lisa–you go sis…get your read on…how was whip appeal?
Adrienne–keep on reading sis you have some good reads on your list!
Whip Appeal was pretty good. It kept me focused on the story line…
the other book I got but could not think of the title, because I was not in the room with it lying around, is Heaven’s Fury, also by Meta Smith under GUnit Books.
Lisa–which was better Whip Appeal or Heaven’s Fury…do you recommend both to urban fiction readers?
I have not read Heaven’s Fury yet…just got it. But I liked Whip Appeal. I am into “The Bourne Sanction” right now, so unless you find out from someone else about Heaven’s Fury, it’s gonna be a minute before I can get to it. Bourne Sanction is a BIG BOOK.
U ain’t lying Bourne Sanction is a BAB (big arze book)…good luck with it.