All posts filed under: Books

Kings of Earth by Joe Ponder (Book Review)

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*Note: This post contains affiliate links. A Life Devoid of Fiction Fiction was my everyday reading, and Science Fiction was usually my pick. I love Sci-Fi. Futuristic, robotic, technological stories are my go-to. Throw in some catastrophic dystopian events, and I am sold. Unfortunately, my life has been lacking in novels for a while. It’s not that I had turned my back on Fiction, I was too busy. I didn’t have the time. I had thesis papers to write and Nonfiction anthologies to annotate. In my youth, I read all kinds of fiction books, for all ages. But once I went off to college, my majors revolved around theories and commentaries which left little space for novels. Now 5 years after my final days of coursework, I’m changing my tune. A New Normal About three months into my #yearofblackbooks project, independent author Joe Ponder emailed me. He asked if I would read and review his new novel, Kings of Earth. I was shocked that anyone would want me to do anything and had a tiny freak out moment. A REQUEST!!! What if I read his book and hated it? What he hated …

Death By Comb by Camari Carter (Book Review)

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  With a few paint cracks in the cover, my autographed copy of Death by Comb is in excellent, used condition. To me, it looks worn and ragged, but I’m sure no one else would even give it a second thought. I have carried this book on my person daily since I acquired it a week ago. It has moved with me from room-to-room as I complete my daily tasks. You never know when you’ll have a spare second to read. I don’t even break the spine on my books, but that’s another story. This story (review) is about my week on Camari Carter’s journey. Plant (a haiku)  the living room plant forgotten, dry, and withered we are much alike Not that this has anything to do with the content of her work, but I didn’t like the cover art. By the time I had held a book in my hand, I had already heard her perform some of her poetry and had a very brief chat with her. This cover art was not her. I mean, yes, it is a picture of her. But …

Nigger: The Strange Career of a Troublesome Word by Randall Kennedy (Book Review)

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Congratulations on making it past the title of this post and into the review. That’s the first step, but I warn you, not the last time you will have to encounter the n-word. Nigger. There. I said it. But do you say it? Is it a part of your vocabulary? Do you embrace it as a phrase of respect for others, or disown it, a heavy word of the past? Or do you whisper it when you hear it in songs or read it in texts, speaking just loud enough for you to hear in your own head? Is it a verb or a noun? An adjective? (Take a moment and sit with these questions.) In 2002, I received a book as a Christmas gift from some friends at school. That book was Nigger: The Strange Career of a Troublesome Word by Randall Kennedy. I can only imagine the horror my parents must have felt. What kind of friends did I have that would buy this? (They knew exactly what kind of friends- white friends.) At 17, I didn’t have the understanding …

She’s Just Not That Into You (Book Review)

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Back in 2006, I read a book called He’s Just Not That Into You, and it sort of changed my life. I came to terms with what was missing in my relationships, I started picking up on signs of disinterest from men, and I found a partner who loved me. We got married in 2009, and have been happy ever since. This is not a review on that book. This is a review on a book of similar title and nature (I’m assuming a play on the 2006 book). She’s Just Not That Into You is Aryka Randall’s first book. She created The Fab Femme Mag in 2010, an online magazine celebrating “feminine lesbian women.” From there, she added youtube content and web-series to her repertoire. I had never heard of Ms. Randall before, but after reading her book, I feel like she is a trusted friend. She wrote as if she was talking directly to me! (Well, to a younger me). Actually, Randall wrote this book with black, queer women in mind. I do not identify as …