Booking Through Thursdays, APOOO Edition #4
By APOOO • Oct 9th, 2008 • Category: Booking Through Thursdays •
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What was the last book you bought?
Two…ordered from amazon.com and got both of them yesterday:
Song Yet Sung by James McBride
Going Down South by Bonnie Glover
Name a book you have read MORE than once
Mama Day by Gloria Naylor
Has a book ever fundamentally changed the way you see life? If yes, what was it?
Nope…because before I knew the bible my parents taught me everything I needed to learn before I went to kindergarten. 
How do you choose a book? eg. by cover design and summary, recommendations or reviews
Book Description, Author, Recommendation and then reviews…but only from like-minded readers.
Do you prefer Fiction or Non-Fiction?
Fiction…when I want non-fiction I read magazines.
What’s more important in a novel – beautiful writing or a gripping plot?
What about both…but if it has to be one…a storyteller will hook me every time…the ability to tell a good story supersedes a plot-moving event.
Most loved/memorable character (character/book)
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston–Jamie and Teacake
Mama Day by Gloria Naylor–Cocoa and George
Getting to the Good Part–Reesy and Misty
WOW there are so many characters that come to mind but I will stop with those.
Which book or books can be found on your nightstand at the moment?
Oh gosh too many to list but here’s a few:
The Story of Edward Sawtelle
The Heretic’s Daughter by Kathleen Kent
Scottsboro by Ellen Feldmen
Song Yet Sung by James McBride
Book of Lies by Brad Metzer
Cross Country by James Patterson
Going Down South by Bonnie J. Glover
Blood Colony by Tananarive Due
Air Between Us by Deborah Johsnon
The Naked Truth by Marvelyn Brown
Rhythms of Grace by Karen Siplin
What was the last book you’ve read, and when was it?
Passing for Black by Linda Villarosa; finished it last night.
Have you ever given up on a book half way in?
Yep…but I don’t usually make it half-way…usually it’s the first 50 pages…which is the deal or no deal.
DISCUSSION
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APOOO is a book club and 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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What was the last book you bought?
2 from BOMC2…The House on Sugar Beach by Helene Cooper & She Had It Coming by Mary Monroe
Name a book you have read MORE than once….The Autobiography of Malcom X
Has a book ever fundamentally changed the way you see life? If yes, what was it?
No can’t say it’s happened.
How do you choose a book? eg. by cover design and summary, recommendations or reviews
Author, summary, cover, reviews
Do you prefer Fiction or Non-Fiction?……..fiction
What’s more important in a novel – beautiful writing or a gripping plot?……It has to be beautiful writing because if the writing is good the plot will fall in place.
Most loved/memorable character (character/book)…….Juanita Lewis/Dancing on the Edge of the Roof
Which book or books can be found on your nightstand at the moment?…..Are you serious?????? Well I don’t have any on my nightstand but I do have 8 library bags full of books….so that’s about 75 and I have a bookcase of about 120….LOL
Have you ever given up on a book half way in?….Heck yeah….several before the 5th chapter
Sharon…I’ve still got to order the House on Sugar Beach.
I love the Auto of X!
Oh my gosh…yes Juanita Lewis another favorite!
Sharon you have almost 200 books to in your TRP…OH MY GOSH…LOL.
Yep too many books to struggle through any of them today!
What was the last book you bought? It’s been awhile. Don’t remember.
Name a book you have read MORE than once: Rock Star by Jackie Collins
Has a book ever fundamentally changed the way you see life? If yes, what was it? No. May have given me insight or a new perspective on something but not fundamental changes.
How do you choose a book? eg. by cover design and summary, recommendations or reviews – A little of everything, but primarily the book’s description.
Do you prefer Fiction or Non-Fiction? Fiction.
What’s more important in a novel – beautiful writing or a gripping plot? A gripping plot. Doesn’t matter how beautifully written it is if it doesn’t hold my attention.
Most loved/memorable character (character/book): There are so many but I’ll stick to one memorable- Winter (Coldest Winter Ever)
Which book or books can be found on your nightstand at the moment?
Maybe You Never Cry Again – Bernie Mac
A Manuscript
Kissed by the Devil by Dashawn Taylor
What was the last book you’ve read, and when was it? A Sticky Situation by Kiki Swinson. Finished it earlier this week.
Have you ever given up on a book half way in? Most certainly, but only after I’ve tried and just saw that it wasn’t worth continuing.
Ms. Toni´s last blog post..Ms Toni gave 5 stars to: The Ski Mask Way
I loved Their Eyes….
I used to plow through a poorly written or little liked book to the bitter end, but now I have decided to treat my reading time as a precious commodity. Come visit and see my answers.
Ms. Toni–Winter is a memorable character and I hope SS next book will do Midnight justice.
Sally…Their Eyes is beautiful once you get pass the dialect.
I skipped one…the last book I read was Obsession by Kayla Perrin and I think it was on Monday or Tuesday.
What was the last book you bought? Sex and the Single Braddock
Name a book you have read MORE than once
The Miseducation of the Negro
Platitudes
Has a book ever fundamentally changed the way you see life? If yes, what was it?
No..Can’t say it has
How do you choose a book? eg. by cover design and summary, recommendations or reviews
Author, back cover right up, reviews(Cover design will only catch my eye, not affect my opinion)
Do you prefer Fiction or Non-Fiction?
Depends on my mood.
What’s more important in a novel – beautiful writing or a gripping plot?
I will lean towards gripping plot, but the person has to be able to write.
Most loved/memorable character (character/book)
I have to say Winter(Coldest Winter)
Which book or books can be found on your nightstand at the moment?
Sharon, you have a bigger addiction than me. I thought I was bad when my TBR piled exceeded 1 bookcase..I have about 120 in my TBR pile…none on my nightstand.
What was the last book you’ve read, and when was it? I think it was Taken by Storm…I have been reading a manuscript that needs to be reviewed by Monday, so it put a halt on my reading.
Have you ever given up on a book half way in?
Yes..But not half way..I hated DeVinci Code and did not get past chapter 3 and I have not watched the movie either.
Lashonda I loved the DaVinci Code but I can understand folks not liking it.
I couldn’t read beyond page 4 of Ulysses!!
Here is mine!
gautami tripathy´s last blog post..Booking through questions
What was the last book you bought?
The Legacies by Michelle Larks and First Semester by Cecil Cross (for my son)
Name a book you have read MORE than once
I rarely read a book twice, but I did read Truth Be Told by Victoria Christopher Murray twice and Your Blues Ain’t Like Mind and Brothers and Sisters by BeBe Moore Campell. A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest Gaines, The Last Juror by John Grisham (his best work) and Hidden Agenda and Vows by Rochelle Alers (I’ve read them over and over – great romance)
Has a book ever fundamentally changed the way you see life? If yes, what was it?
Non-fiction : Battlefield of the Mind by Joyce Meyer
Fiction: Waiting to Exhale reminded me that I am a writer and that there was a place for me in the bookstores.
How do you choose a book? eg. by cover design and summary, recommendations or reviews
Recommendations, reviews, reputation of the publisher/imprint and summary
Do you prefer Fiction or Non-Fiction?
Having just finished a master’s degree I want nothing but fiction for a LONG time!
What’s more important in a novel – beautiful writing or a gripping plot?
The plot. Writing doesn’t have to be beautiful, just well done and invisible. I read commerical fiction, so I just need it to be well written, meaning strong character development, no head hopping (I hate that and it’s an epidemic in AA fiction), good use of beats and tags, good description without over doing it and realistic dialogue.
Most loved/memorable character (character/book)
I don’t remember characters, just stories. Can’t say really, but if I had to throw some out there I’d say recently Shyne and Shug in Tracy Price Thompson’s Gather Together in My Name. I love that Jasmine Larks in Victoria Christopher Murray’s work.
Which book or books can be found on your nightstand at the moment?
The Shack by William Young
Can I Get a Witness by Reshonda Tate Billingsley
Up Pops the Devil by Angela Benson
Keeping Enemies Closer by Sharon Oliver
Indie by Victoria Christopher Murray
Fair-weather Friends by Reshonda Tate Billingsley
Have you ever given up on a book half way in?
I dump books all the time. Usually by the 3rd or 4th chapter. I once read a book to page 193 and threw it against the wall.
Rhonda–what’s head hopping? Also I read:
Can I Get a Witness by Reshonda Tate Billingsley
Currently reading: Up Pops the Devil by Angela Benson
Head hopping is when the author goes in and out of different characters heads in the same scene. Each scene and some say each chapter should be in one person’s point of view. For example:
The phone call from Winston took Linda totally by surprise. She had offered to accept an occasional collect call from the prison, but he’d never phoned.
After her cursory greeting the voice on the other end said “Hello, Linda, this is Winston.”
“Winston, my cousin?”
A brief pause and then “Yea. It’s your cousin Winston.”
Linda was overcome with emotion. It took a moment to register that it was actually him, real and live on the phone.
“Wow, it’s so great to hear your voice.”
She heard him relax, a smile entered his voice when he said. “Yeaa. It’s good to hear you too.”
We are in Linda’s head in the scene above. An example of head hopping would be:
Linda was overcome with emotion. It took a moment to register that it was actually him, real and live on the phone.
“Wow, it’s so great to hear your voice.”
Winston relaxed and smiled. He was glad to hear the joy in her voice. “Yeaa. It’s good to hear you too,” he said.
When we say Winston relaxed and smiled we have jumped into his point of view. This is Linda’s scene and she couldn’t know he relaxed and smiled. But in the first exaple it tells us she heard him relax and a smile entered his voice.
Sorry I submitted before I actually put spaces between my comments and the dialouge, but you can see what I mean. That’s head hopping. It’s lazy writing because it requires less description and it can confuse the readers. It’s being done so much in AA fiction and I think it’s largely because so many people have not studied the craft or worked hard enough to get it right. Most mainstream houses would never let you head hop. I’m noticing they’re letting AA authors do it, because they don’t expect the best from us and it speaks to the quality of what they allow to be published by our authors.
Even the best books may have a head hop in it, but it will only happen once and it’s usually at the end when the copy editor was so into the book or scene th at they missed it. But really, it’ll be like one time. Some authors like to say it’s their “style”, but that’s not true. Fiction writing is a craft and every craft has rules that strive for excellence. It’s laziness or lack of knowledge and there’s nothing stylish about that.