DISC- Favorite Books of All Time

December 11, 2008 by admin · 39 Comments 

Today’s discussion topic is on favorite books of all time.  Please LIST THEM (not link to another site) and tell us what made them special for you.  Also include the authors.  And, if you can remember a scene or line from the book (without giving spoilers), tell us that too!

Let’s hear from you.

Filed under: Book Clubs, Book Discussions, Day 5 (FRIDAY), General Forum
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Great Black Books 2008

December 11, 2008 by admin · 16 Comments 

TRR Favorites

It’s that time of year when many people review their reads for the previous 11 months or when others are searching for holiday (book) gifts. The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers (TRR) are doing a GREAT BLACK BOOKS 2008 list this, pulled from our Five on the Fifth column on Blogging in Black. These are books we have reviewed and given the tag TRR FAVORITES. As a reminder, most of these books received a 4.5 or 5.0 rating on a 5.0 scale. (And this is only a small portion, so be sure to visit http://www.blackbookreviews.net to find more!)

Did you read any of these titles? Share your list of favorites for 2008 in the comments section!

GREAT BLACK BOOKS ‘08 / RAWSISTAZ FAVORITES

January Features:
· Sweet Georgia Brown by Cheryl Robinson (Fiction)
· Murder, Mayhem and a Fine Man by Claudia Mair Burney (Mystery)
· Passin’ by Karen E. Quinones Miller (Fiction)
· Wind Follower by Carole McDonnell (Speculative Fiction)
· Where I Want to Be by Maryam Diaab (Romance)

February Features:
· Not Even if You Begged by Francis Ray (Fiction)
· Hotlanta by Denene Millner & MItzi Miller (Young Adult Fiction)
· Even Numbers by Barbara Grovenor (Fiction)
· Interceptions by Staci Robinson (Fiction)
· Choices by Skyy (Fiction)

March Features:
· Jezebel by Jacquelin Thomas (Christian Fiction)
· Faith Under Fire: Betrayed By A Thing Called Love by LaJoyce Brookshire (Memoir)
· The Mpire: In Search of the Lost by T.L. James (Fiction)
· Them by Nathan McCall (Fiction)
· Three Wishes by Janice Sims (Romance)

April/May Features:
- Long, Hot Nights by Candice Poarch (Romance)
- Like Never Before by Sylvia Lett (Romance)
- The Trophy Wife by Ashley & JaQuavis (Street Fiction)
- Dynamic Diva Dollars: For Women Who Aren’t Afraid To Be Millionaires by Elon Bomani (Self-Help/Business)
- Naked Love by Darnella Ford (Fiction)
- Sacrifice: Demon Hunter Series Book 2 by T.L. Gardner (Paranormal)
- Deception’s Legacy by Jacqueline G. Randolph (Fiction)
- One Dead Lawyer by Tony Lindsay (Mystery)
- Sexcapades by HoneyB (Erotica)
- The Knees of Gullah Island by Dwight Fryer (Historical Fiction)

June/July Features:
- Ivy’s Twisted Vine by Latrivia S. Nelson (Fiction)
- Too Little, Too Late by Victoria Christopher Murray (Christian Fiction)
- Money Power Respect by Erick S. Gray (Street Fiction)
- Forever The Fat Kid by Michael Boyd (Memoir)
- Love Tornado by Mable John and David Ritz (Christian Fiction)

August Features:
- Motherless Child: Stories of A Life by Sarah Gordon Weathersby
- Just Too Good To Be True by E. Lynn Harris (Fiction)
- You Gotta Sin To Get Saved by J. D. Mason (Fiction)
- Shameless Hoodwives by Meesha Mink and De’Nesha Diamond (Street Fiction)
- Orange Mint & Honey by Carleen Brice (Fiction)

September Features:
- Crown’s Jewel by Cynthia D. Toliver (Fiction)
- Seeds of Bible Study by Carol McDonnell (Non-Fiction/Religious)
- Three Doors Down by Michele Sudler (Romance)
- Taneesha: Never Disparaging by M. LaVora Perry (Young Adult)
- Broken by Robin “Robbie” Ayele (Mystery)

October Features:
- Sinful Too by Victor McGlothin (Fiction)
- Harriet Tubman: Imagining A Life by Beverly Lowry (Non-Fiction)
- Floss by Monica Marie Jones (Fiction)
- Lady Preacher by K. T. Richey (Christian Fiction)
- Charlemagne Mack: Rise of the Queen, Personal Journal #1 by Stephen M. Jones (Young Adult)

November Features:
- Uncle Otto: A Novel by Winifred Cook (Fiction)
- So Good It Hurts by Na’Kisha Crawford (Self-Help)
- Rhythms of Grace by Marilynn Griffith (Christian Fiction)
- In The Night of the Heat by Blair Underwood, Steven Barnes and Tananarive Due (Mystery)
- The Shadows by L.A. Banks (Paranormal)

December Features
- This Life Isn’t Perfect Holla by Sandra Foy (Romance)
- Ruby and the Booker Boys: Trivia Queen, 3rd Grade Supreme by Derrick Barnes (Young Adult)
- Reflections of A Mississippi Magnolia: A Life of Poems by Patricia Neely-Dorsey (Poetry)
- Blackbird, Farewell by Robert Greer (Mystery)
- Family Skeleton: A Brother and Sister’s Journey from Murder to Truth by Sabrina Carmichel-Yaw and Aurora (Memoir)
- Southside Nefertiti #3 by Mike Sales (Comic)

————
The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers (TRR) are the team of reviewers for RAWSISTAZ Literary Group (www.rawsistaz.com) and are committed to supporting and spreading the word about African-American titles. Since inception in January 2001, they have reviewed approximately 4,500 titles, been published in numerous print and online magazines, and provided online newsletters for book lovers worldwide. For more information visit www.blackbookreviews.net or www.therawreviewers.com.

 

Filed under: Articles, Book Clubs, Book Discussions, Day 5 (FRIDAY), General Forum
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Book Discussion – Unexpected Interruptions

December 10, 2008 by admin · 29 Comments 

Come out and join us as we discuss Unexpected Interruptions with author Trice Hickman.  Feel free to post your questions in the comments section.  Trice, welcome!  Please come in and tell us a bit about yourself and post a few discussion questions to get us started.  Also be sure to invite your readers over to join the discussion.

Synopsis
What happens when a young woman falls for two men–one black, one white, both determined in their pursuit for her affections?….Unexpected Interruptions follows the journey of Victoria Small, a smart, savvy sister who’s fresh off a year-long, self-imposed hiatus–from men! Now that she’s ready to start dating again, she gets more than she bargained for when Ted Thornton and Parker Brightwood enter her life. Ted, a powerful blue-eyed CEO, is drawn to Victoria, igniting a friendship that both delights and shocks her out of her comfort zone. Then she meets Parker, a talented surgeon who showers her with tenderness, helping to mend her once-broken heart. In her struggle to rationalize her growing feelings for the white man who loves her, and forge ahead in her relationship with the ebony prince who fulfills her, she resurrects a painful secret she thought she’d buried long ago, and finds herself doing things she never thought she’d do. Along the way she’s joined by a colorful cast of friends and foes as she tests the boundaries of love, race, class and where she fits in.

About the Author
Prior to writing, Trice Hickman’s diverse professional career included work in both corporate and non-profit organizations. Currently, she is putting the finishing touches on her second novel, and a third book is already underway. She resides in Washington, D.C., with her husband.

Filed under: Book Clubs, Book Discussions, Day 4 (THURSDAY)
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Discussion – A Different Kind of Blues

December 9, 2008 by admin · 4 Comments 

RAWSISTAZ read A Different Kind of Blues by Gwynne Forster for our November Book of the Month.  Join us as we discuss it during the conference.  If you haven’t had the opportunity to read it, feel free to ask the author questions about her writing process for the book.

Book Synopsis

At thirty-six, Petra Fields gets a shock that causes her to take a look at her life, and she’s not proud of what she sees. Her past is a catalog of secrets and lies that she’s never had the courage to own up to, and Petra knows she won’t find peace of mind until she’s made amends. But the task is far more difficult than she expected.

The first and hardest step is admitting to Krista, her teenage daughter, that the father Krista believed was dead is very much alive—a revelation that will change their relationship forever. Then there’s the neighbor whose husband Petra had an affair with, the former coworker that she got fired, and a list of other acquaintances who are understandably angry at her sudden desire for forgiveness. Far from setting her free, the truth seems to bring more complications and heartache, but also opens up her life in surprising ways. And when Petra is granted a new chance at love, she’ll face the biggest challenge of all—finding the courage to seize her own happiness and start over for real…

Filed under: Book Clubs, Book Discussions, Day 3 (WEDNESDAY)
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DISC: If You like (White Author), You Might like (Black Author)

December 9, 2008 by admin · 13 Comments 

For all those looking to enhance your reading, we’re discussing crossing over and reading books that transcend race.  So, this topic came about during the Tuesday night Pajama Jam.  Let’s give some examples of black books white readers can read in their preferred genres.

Filed under: Book Discussions, Day 3 (WEDNESDAY), General Forum
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Pajama Jam – To Sequel or Not to Sequel

December 8, 2008 by admin · 90 Comments 

Naleighna Kai (aka Lissa Woodson)Pajama Jam Starts at 7PM CST! -

Come out and join Naleighna Kai tonight as she hosts “To Sequel or Not to Sequel?”, a book discussion on her book Every Woman Needs a Wife and sequel suggestions for a follow-up.

We will also share insight on reader’s favorite sequels ever (and the worst ever–and why).

Filed under: Book Discussions, Day 2 (TUESDAY), General Forum, The Cafe' & Lounge
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DISC: What Readers Want

December 8, 2008 by admin · 31 Comments 

Okay readers, let’s hear from you!  What do you look for in a book?  What’s missing in the books you’ve read recently?  What’s done WAY TOO MUCH?  What type of topics would you like to see more of?  What genres?  Come on now…we have a bunch of authors and editors peeking in, so get them in the know.

Filed under: Book Clubs, Book Discussions, Day 2 (TUESDAY), General Forum
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DISC: What’cha Reading?

December 8, 2008 by admin · 74 Comments 

Everyone, share with us what you’re reading, just read, or getting ready to read!

Filed under: Book Discussions, General Forum
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