Summer is here! Time for "light" reading by the pool, at the beach, in the backyard or wherever you may relax this summer whether its a va-cation or a stay-cation. Here's a glimpse at some of the books I have read so far this summer. There have been some hits and misses.
"Holy Rollers" by ReShonda Tate Billingsley. I decided to kick off the summer with the latest novel by Billingsley, a christian writer, whose books are hilarious and have a message delivered by well-developed characters. The book has a familiar theme of women looking for love. The twist is that the three main characters, Coco, Nita and Audra, decide to trade chasing professional athletes for chasing after "religious" men. They embark on their quest at a conference for young ministers. The encounters along the way are funny. The only criticism I would give is that Billingsley deals superficially with the problem of domestic violence which one of the characters experiences. Overall, it is a good read which I would recommend. Other books by Billingsley include "Let the Church Say Amen," "I know I've Been Changed" and "My Brother's Keeper."
"Bitch is the New Black" by Helena Andrews. I was intrigued by the title and had heard a lot of hype about the book when it first came out. As the saying goes, "don't believe the hype." I was extremely disappointed. First, it is suppose to be a memoir, but it is really a collection of essays. Second, the essays are not interesting, thought-provoking or well written. Instead the book is simply the mindless ramblings of a 28-year-old woman. The fall out from the book proved to be more interesting in the case where Interior Designer Sheila Bridges threatened to sue Andrews for a chapter in the book that appears to be about Bridges for whom Andrews once worked and was fired. As a result, Andrews issued a public apology to Bridges. I would not recommend this book.
"Before You Suffocate Your Own Foolself" by Danielle Evans. This is a short story collection. There are eight stories featuring teens and young adults coming of age and grappling with life's problems of sex, race, acceptance and love. Half of the stories are very good, the best being "Snakes" and "Robert E. Lee is Dead." The other half are not so good. All of the stories have an underlying theme of people's personal battle with how people perceive them and who they really are. The writing is good. Some of the characters are flat and some of the stories evoke no emotion so you forget them as soon as you finish reading. However, overall it is a good read and I would recommend it. Another short story collection is "A Taste of Honey" by Jabari Asim. While the book is suppose to be short stories, it reads more like a novel because the characters and storyline continue throughout the entire book. Nevertheless, the stories take place in 1968 and focus on how the civil rights movement and other events of that era affected the characters and their community. It is well written, but slow moving despite the interesting setting. If you are interested in short stories, I would recommend books by J. California Cooper who is the master of short stories. Check out "Wild Stars Seeking Midnight Suns," "Some Love, Some Pain, Sometime," "Homemade Love" and "Some Soul to Keep." It looks like short stories are making a comeback!
Finally, "The One Who Gained Possession After the Struggle" by Cynthia Moody Collins (my friend and fellow author). The book focuses on a women's journey to self-discovery. Redissa, the main character, goes on a roller coaster ride through life as she struggles with having a baby when she is a teenager, drug addiction, abusive relationships and depression. However, from a myriad of problems, Redissa emerges as a women who learns her true value and discovers peace within herself. I would recommend this book as it is a motivational and uplifting story.
Check back for Summer Reading Part II. Enjoy!
