Read And Recommended Showing 201-250 of 1,067

[jo]

i'd like to mention two books i have just read. one is Quarantine: Stories by Rahul Mehta. it's a debut collection of short stories, most of which are centered around second-generation indian-american gay men. it's not a happy book, but this guy's got the craft down. a fast and satisfying read.

i was pleasantly surprised by E. Lynn Harris's Invisible Life, a really complex and nuanced depiction of a bisexual african american man in the mid-nineties. the novel moves between the black gay community in new york and alabama, where our hero is from. this was harris's first novel and it's, well, i'd say it's necessary. i have never seen gayness in the black community addresses so nicely in a novel. it's also a page turner! i would *love* to have the 2012 version of this. really good stuff.

[ColumbusReads]

jo wrote: "i'd like to mention two books i have just read. one is Quarantine: Stories by Rahul Mehta. it's a debut collection of short stories, most of which are centered around second-generation indian-ameri..."

Thanks, Jo! will place Quarantine on my increasingly long TBR list of books....

Invisible Life and Just As I Am - E Lynn's debut and sophomore efforts, were monumental in the lives of so many African-American LGBT kids - and others. Glad you had the opportunity to read it and enjoy it. I loved both! There was nothing quite like it before they came around. Just in time for the month of July and Giovanni's Room!

[jo]

thanks columbus! do you know if there is anything comparable that is more up-to-date, or even just a very good representation of african american gay men in the new millenium?

[ColumbusReads]

Jo,  The short answer is "no." Who would've thought three years after his death there would still be a dearth in that genre. You have an occasional good book here or there, but nothing remotely compares to what Harris had established. He was gifted and incredibly special.

[jo]

Columbus wrote: "Jo,  The short answer is "no." Who would've thought three years after his death there would still be a dearth in that genre. You have an occasional good book here or there, but nothing remotely com..."

thank you, columbus. i'm both sad and happy to hear this. sad for the obvious reasons, happy because i have discovered a new great author! and by the way, you may feel hesitant to consider him literature, and what he does with words is certainly no toni or tayari or nnedi (first three authors that came to mind), but he writes some pretty fabulous, intense, and deep stories. that's literature by me!

[George]

a really interesting interview today on Salon.com with Junot Diaz. http://www.salon.com/2012/07/02/the_s...

[Wilhelmina]

Wow. A very thought=provoking essay. Do you want to open a thread to discuss it, George?

[George]

well, I've given it a shot. I don't have a lot of time at the moment. I'm getting ready to head back overseas. let's see if anyone bites.

[Mostly on Storygraph]

FANTASTIC essay. Thanks for sharing, George!

[George]

thanks. when I saw this, I posted it even before I finished it.

[Mostly on Storygraph]

I like how articulate Diaz is about the depiction of women in his book and their connection to literature by women of color. I think the common (wrong) inclination is to assume that, because Yunior is injudicious in his treatment of women, that the book itself is misogynistic. Diaz explains very clearly why this is not the case.

[George]

I really want to take another look at Drown and Oscar Wao now. it's clear there was a lot more going on than I appreciated on first read. I totally agree with your point on Diaz' intent with Drown. I found this interview more useful and thought provoking than any other I've read in quite a while.

[Wilhelmina]

I heartily recommend Freeman by Leonard Pitts Jr.. Wonderful historical fiction about the post-Civil War period, the search for a wife left behind in slavery, and the incredible brutality faced by the newly freed enslaved people. I recently heard Pitts at a reading of the book. I asked him why he had decided to write fiction after being a Pulitzer prize-winning journalist, and he said that he had started off writing fiction, but he couldn't get it published! Hard for me to imagine, having read both this book and his first, Before I Forget, and having loved them both. Hang in there, authors!

[Beverly]

Wilhelmina wrote: "I heartily recommend Freeman by Leonard Pitts Jr.. Wonderful historical fiction about the post-Civil War period, the search for a wife left behind in slavery, and the incredible brutality faced by ..."

Thanks much. Everyone I know who has read this book has loved it. I will be reading it in another week for my bookclub.

[Joy]

Wilhelmina wrote: "I heartily recommend Freeman by Leonard Pitts Jr.. Wonderful historical fiction about the post-Civil War period, the search for a wife left behind in slavery, and the incredible brutality faced by ..."

Thanks for posting the recommendation. The author will be in my area discussing this book. I've been looking forward to it.

[Renee]

Wilhelmina wrote: "I heartily recommend Freeman by Leonard Pitts Jr.. Wonderful historical fiction about the post-Civil War period, the search for a wife left behind in slavery, and the incredible brutality faced by ..."

Thank you for posting this! I loved his first book
Before I Forget. It was so eye opening for me to read about mens relationships, since they are an under-explored territory for me.

[Candice]

I've been reading Giovanni's Room. I like the writing but it is not holding my attention, however I will complete it.

[Adrienna]

I would like to recommend two recent reads by Zane presents; one is historical/urban literature with some street in it briefly (similar to Kindred by Octavia Butler) by and the other one nearly done reading which is historical fiction in 1920s by

[Beverly]

I read Elsewhere, California by Dana Johnson earlier this week.

Agree with all of the praise for this book.

[jo]

i found Chris Abani's The Virgin of Flames a fantastic read. judging from other reviews, that book is not everyone's cup of tea. the language also verges on the poetic (some passages seemed pure poetry to me) and the story is intense and powerful and disturbing. still, i found it pretty mind-blowing.

i'm reading staceyann chin's memoir, The Other Side of Paradise: A Memoir. unlike the abani book, this is an easy read, but it's also pretty painful. staceyann is an icon of jamaican literature and lesbian culture, and this memoir is absolutely mesmerizing. you will find yourself rooting for this feisty girl with every fiber of your being.

[Aleatha]

Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler.

[Tonya]

Mama Day by Gloria Naylor. Ah - so lyrical. Highly recommended.

[Beverly]

Tonya wrote: "Mama Day by Gloria Naylor. Ah - so lyrical. Highly recommended."

This book is in my top fav reads of all times. It started me researching our history of the Lowcountry.

[Katrina]

I just finished reading Open City by Teju Cole I highly recommend this wonderful novel. I really enjoyed this authors writing style it was so fresh.

[Beverly]

In the last week I finished Home by Toni Morrison.

I agree with this statement by a reviewer: “Morrison writes about psychological violence with an engineer’s precision and a poet’s expansiveness.” —Tyrone Beason, The Seattle Times.

[[deleted user]]

I just finishedCamilla's Roses This is my second reading of this book. It's great for the month of October because there is a great bit in it about cancer, breast cancer.

[[deleted user]]

I also just finished Camilla's RosesThis time I read the Kindle edition.

[[deleted user]]

Also, just finished this one by Tayari Jones.

[Renee]

Still on my slave narrative kick - currently reading The Bondwoman's Narrative. Fascinating. The introduction by Gates was fascinating too!

[Mostly on Storygraph]

In the middle of Edwidge Danticat's Create Dangerously: The Immigrant Artist at Work. It is sooooooooo good!

[jo]

i'm cheating because i haven't read this, but this book is receiving very good reviews. pablo medina, cubop city blues.

[Jean]

by Attica Locke is a wonderful read. It was a mind-blower for me.

[Katrina]

I just saw this great list from Essence magazine of 50 Great books every African-American woman should read. http://m.essence.com/2012/11/08/write...

[jo]

thanks katrina.

[Beverly]

Katrina wrote: "I just saw this great list from Essence magazine of 50 Great books every African-American woman should read. http://m.essence.com/2012/11/08/write......"

Very nice list and wonderful reads. You cannot go wrong with reading any of those books.

Thanks for sharing.

And I agree that fall/winter is a great time for settling in and reading (maybe because I am a summer baby).

[Katrina]

you're welcome.

[Rebecca]

Has anyone read Running the Rift?

[Beverly]

Rebecca wrote: "Has anyone read Running the Rift?"

Yes, I have read Running the Rift.
It was on my reading list as the winner of the Bellwether Prize for Fiction for 2010 as I have enjoyed the past winners as the prize comes to an unpublished book that combines fiction and social responsiblity.

For me it was a well-written intriging story. I liked the concept of focusing on the life of one person (and those around him) to tell the tale of the Rwandan Genocide and the aftermath. The beauty of Rwanda contrast with the violence is poignant. I also enjoyed the track/running aspect. Weaves the background on the violence with the everyday lives.

[Renee]

Jean wrote: "by Attica Locke is a wonderful read. It was a mind-blower for me."

Reading this right now. Loving it a lot more than Locke's first book.

[Jean]

Renee, I enjoyed it much more than her first book. In fact, I rated it 5 0f 5 :D

[Beverly]

I have finished - We Are Taking Only What We Need by Stephanie Powell Watts.
This is a short story collection and won the Ernest J Gaines Award for Literary Excellence (2012)

• This is a collection of gritty stories written in an unsentimental manner communicating the intimate emotions of life in rural North Carolina for African American women. The stories that expressed the lives of Jehovah Witnesses in a rural setting were the most poignant for me.
• Great sense of place and time. “My writing has always been about trying to give voice to individuals who aren’t heard in our culture: the poor, African-American dirt-roaders that are my people,” Watts said. “In that sense, this award isn’t just for me, but for the communities I came from. I’m proud of that -- and I’m proud of them. Literature belongs to everyone.” This is a quote from the author and she definitely achieved her goal in this collection.
• Stephanie Powell Watts is definitely an author to watch

[Wilhelmina]

Thanks, Beverly! I was curious about this one!

[Beverly]

I have just finished - The Twelve Tribes of Hattie by Ayana Mathis. This is an powerful well-crafted debut novel.
I am so glad of the wonderful praise and media attention to this book by an insightful new African American literary writer.

[Wilhelmina]

I am so glad to hear this, Beverly!

[[deleted user]]

I haven't read any books by Audre Lorde.

[[deleted user]]

I don't know, Chelsea. I'll just make you a friend.(:

[Beverly]

Searching for Zion: The Quest for Home in the African Diaspora by Emily Raboteau.

This is very readable thought-provoking NF read as the author journeys to find "home" though exploring where is "the promised land" and how do you arrive to a place called home.

[[deleted user]]

I didn't read Attica Locke's earlier novel either. I do want to read Black Water Rising. I really liked The Cutting Season.

[[deleted user]]

I also loved The Twelve Tribes of Hattie. So happy for Ayana Mathis. Can't wait for her next novel.

[Evelyn]

The Housekeeper and the Professor is a good novel. I believe the author is Japanese.