After the Dance by Lori Johnson

Reviewed by Gypsy Culp Houston

Sometimes I feel like reading a good romance novel. However, I often find the storyline to be very formulaic….Girl meets boy, boy likes girl, their love faces a challenge, but in the end the challenge is overcome and they live happily ever after. After the Dance broke the usual formula.

The story centers on Faye and her neighbor Carl. After being neighbors for months their paths finally cross and the two become friends. Eventually, Faye presents Carl with the opportunity of three no strings attached, no looking back, hit it and quit it rendezvous. Figuring he would be a fool to pass that up, Carl accepts. This is where the story gets interesting. As their feelings grow, Faye is hesitant to admit that Carl just might be the guy for her. When a blast from the past enters the picture and brings along ancient drama, Faye is forced to make a choice. She does not choose Carl.

As the story progresses, the reader learns more about the history of both Carl and Faye. Several circumstances have led up the choices being made and to the emotions involved. After the Dance, does not end with, “Happily Ever After” but on a high note full of possibilities.

Now let’s talk about the writing itself. This book is very well written and unlike some romance novels, it is believable. While the main characters are thoroughly developed, the secondary characters understandably lack depth. It would have been nice to learn more about Nora, Squirrel and even Betty, but there is plenty of time for that Johnson’s next book.

Johnson allowed both main characters to tell their story in first person. It is interesting to see how differently each one perceives certain events. The conversational tone lets the reader feel as if Carl and Faye are sharing their deepest thoughts and concerns. This allows the reader to become invested in the story.

After the Dance is not your run of the mill romance novel. There is enough juice for those interested in that type of thing, but also enough meat for those of us that require a little more sustenance. Lori Johnson does a good job of allowing the reader to become concerned with the characters and their well-being. After reading After the Dance, I look forward to hearing more from Lori Johnson.

Girls Hold Up This World by Jada Pinkett Smith

Reviewed by Gypsy Culp Houston

I read Jada Pinkett Smith's Girls Hold Up This World, years ago, and I thought that it was a very powerful, affirming book for young girls. I vowed that if I ever had a little girl, this would be required reading.

Fast forward a few years, and I finally got the chance to share Girls Hold Up This World with my three year old daughter. She thoroughly enjoyed it, but her favorite part was when I explained that the little girl on the cover was same girl that sings her favorite song, "I Whip My Hair Back and Forth."

While some of the affirming messages of self love and acceptance, were lost on my three year old, she loved seeing pictures of different little girls. Just seeing positive images of girls, many of which were of color, opened up a dialogue between the two of us about all the great things that girls can do and dream and be. This book helped me to explain to my daughter that being a girl doesn't look like one particular thing. We are all different, we are all valuable, we are all beautiful and we all "hold up this world."

Eight Days: A Story of Haiti by Edwidge Danticat

Reviewed by Gypsy Culp Houston

Eight Days tells the story of Junior, Haitian boy, who was trapped under the rubble of his house after the Port-au-Prince earthquake. Junior uses memories of family times past and his imagination to keep himself occupied during the eight days leading up to his rescue.

The illustrations in this book are simply beautiful. The richness of Haiti shines through the vivid colors and expressive drawings. The spirit of determination and survival are evident in this moving children's book. Eight days gives the reader a much needed positive view of Haiti and the resilience of the Haitian people.

A Million Blessing by Angela Benson, Marilynn Griffith and Tia McCollors

Reviewed by Gypsy Culp Houston

A Million Blessing consists of three novellas written by established Christian fiction authors. Each novella deals with the main character winning the lottery. These stories are not your mother’s Christian fiction. Each author presents a different story with varied circumstances and diverse results. All three writers create characters that are relatable and for the most part likeable.

In Angela Benson’s Showers of Blessings, the reader is introduced to Andrew Gooden, a man of the cloth with a secret. He has a severe gambling problem that could cost him everything, or will it make all his dreams come true? The reader witnesses Andrew’s weakness bring him extreme wealth only to be brought right back to the brink by his little problem. In the end will Andrew learn from his mistakes or continually repeat them?

In Marilyn Griffith’s Second Chance Blessings, Craig Richards an injured professional football player has lost his career, his money and his wife. After so much loss, the one place he can go is home to his aunt in Tampa. There his Aunt Tee, the church and the community of his youth embrace him with open arms. Unbeknownst to him, his aunt had started a scholarship fund with the money Craig had sent to her over the years. The money had touched so many lives that everyone saw Craig as a local hero. How could he be their hero and such a failure in both his professional and personal life? As the story unfolds more is revealed about his relationship with his wife and God. Is there a way to honor the God that he now depends on, and prosper without a football?

Tia McCollors’ A Knight in Pink Armor focuses on thirty-something, motorcycle riding, entrepreneur, Dara Knight. Winning the lottery seems to be the answer to her life long goal of helping others. Dara is opposed to playing the lottery, but after her cousin buys her a ticket, they win. After winning, Dara vows to secretly use the money to help a group of people to whom she has regularly ministered. At first, everything seems to line up perfectly, but unfortunately things take a turn for the worst. Faced with trouble and the unraveling of her dream, Dara is forced to expose her secret and risk loosing everything.

A Million Blessings presents three different scenarios with three different outcomes. All of which include a healthy dose of mistakes, faith and redemption. Is playing the lottery a sin or simply marginally questionable? A Million Blessings allows the reader to consider the presented information and draw his or her own conclusion.

Getting to Happy by Terry McMillan

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Reading Terry McMillan’s Getting to Happy was like having a conversation with old friends that haven’t been heard from in a while. Robin, Savannah, Gloria and Bernadine have matured, but remain the lovable women that America fell in love with in 1992’s Waiting to Exhale.

McMillan continues to create well-rounded characters that are not easily defined or confined to one category. The reader is allowed learn what the ladies have been doing since the early 90s. The happily ever after ending that we expected to find, is not there, but instead there are four very distinct stories about women in middle of their lives and the struggles that they are currently fighting. Drug abuse, parenting, lost love, financial woes and death are all being handled by this remarkable group of women.

While this is not McMillan’s greatest accomplish, it is worthy of the praises that will bestowed on it. She manages to bring the reader up to speed without overstating or dwelling on past events. The characters lives continue to unfold throughout Getting to Happy and allow the reader to take part in the development of these women.

Getting to Happy is a must read for fans of Waiting to Exhale and Baby-boomers everywhere. It is rare that we see an African American novel that focuses on this oft-forgotten segment of the population. Vivacious, energetic, mature women, teach us that 50 does not signal the end, but can be used as a new beginning to something new and exciting.





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Glorious by Bernice McFadden

by Gypsy Culp Houston

Bernice McFadden’s Glorious grants 21st century readers entry into the early 20th century, the whirlwind of the Harlem Renaissance, the Back to Africa and the Civil Rights movements. At the center of this story is Easter Bartlett, a young Black from a small town in Georgia. The reader witnesses her in a myriad of circumstances, all seemingly ending in unhappiness and loneliness.
Upon loosing her mother, gaining a stepmother and hearing hurtful words from her father, Easter decides to leave Waycross Georgia and her mute sister, Rlizbeth, behind. What follows is the nomadic life of someone looking for a place to call home. As the story unfolds, Easter goes through several transitions. She morphs from cook to carnie, to school teacher to wash girl and more. Though scenarios and scenery change, the one thing that remains constant in Easter’s life is her love for words and writing.

It is Easter’s writing that provides her with the strength to carry on during the difficult times of her life. During her time in Harlem, her writing allows her to move in interesting circles and to make important literary connections with other writers of her time. The Harlem Renaissance is in full swing and Negrophile benefactors are willing to pay money so that talented Negros can devote all of their time and energy to their craft. Meredith Tomas, volunteers to fill the role of benefactor for Easter. This leads Easter to entering a contest that will change her life forever.
Easter’s travels take her from Waycross to New York City with a few stops in between, and finally ending back in Waycross. During her travels she falls in love, takes a lover and gets married, not necessarily in that order. Every moment is an opportunity for self discovery and reinvention. Letting no dust settle on her feet, Easter moves seamlessly from one place to the next, basically from one life to the next.

While a quick read, Glorious allows the audience a connection with key moments in African American history. McFadden’s writing is such that the underlying theme of desperation and despair become almost human. Racism is ever-present in the novel. There always seems to be an unspoken threat to the African American characters, ‘You better watch your step, Darky.’ How saddening that even in progress there is the fear of not belonging or being welcome.
Though, it is a novel primarily about African American life and culture, all audiences will find a piece of themselves in Glorious. Whether it’s the tenacity of youth, the perils of unrequited love or the loss of love ones, everyone will find something with which to identify. Beautifully written, Glorious, is a thought provoking novel that is sure to leave readers in deep contemplation and reflection.

Till You Hear from Me: A Novel by Pearl Cleage---loved it!!

Till You Hear from Me: A Novel by Pearl Cleage

Reviewed by Gypsy Culp Houston

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Okay, hands down, Pearl Cleage is my favorite author of the last few years. I have yet to read anything of hers that wasn’t topnotch. She weaves a story like no one else. I first came to love her writing with What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day and have read and loved every novel she has written since then. Till You Hear from Me is no different.

The protagonist, Ida B., is a strong-willed daddy’s girl that has had a falling out with her Civil Rights legend father, the fictitious Reverend Horace A. Dunbar, due to his lack of support for Barack Obama. Cleage does an outstanding job of creating a story around the monumental 2008 election and some of the lesser known opinions and fears of older African American leaders and the community as a whole. She gives us a peek into discussions that continue to go on at several Black barber shops, kitchen tables and churches around the country. Will there be a passing of the torch or will the torch be extinguished due to lack of trust, misunderstanding and hurt feelings?

As with her previous novels, the characters are so real that you feel like know them. By using supporting characters and the community from her earlier works, Cleage gives credibility to the new characters and issues they face. She does such a good job of describing the community of West End, that it is almost a character in and of itself. While the community doesn’t serve as a focal point of this novel, the ideologies and way of life are very much on display. Who wouldn't want to live in West End? The people are very caring and look out for one another. Because of its history of activism, racial success and opportunity, Atlanta, and more specifically, the fictitious West End, is a fantastic setting for this story about the post- Obama ‘freedom high’ and the subsequent prospects, confusion and challenges that lie ahead.

Pearl Cleage continues to challenge social mores and bring attention to important issues through her writing. While this book allows you to feel socially conscious, it also highlights relationships. The love between a father and child, a leader and those that are led and the love of country are all explored in this novel. Everything is intertwined to deliver a thought provoking read. Till You Here from Me will leave you feeling uplifted, refreshed and that anything is possible.

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If You Were My Man by Francis Ray

Review by Gypsy Culp Houston---Quick Read


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
If I Were Your Man is the story of Nathalyia Fontaine and Rafael Dunlap finding love in each others arms. In this page turner, Francis Ray, true to form, incorporates a hint of suspense and uneasiness to the romance. In If I Were Your Man, the main characters are drawn to each other despite very different backgrounds. What starts as an affair quickly develops into something much more. The novel asks the question, “Should we be ruled by fear or love?"

As with similar romance novels, secondary characters lack dimension, there is not a substantial back-story, and the plot is somewhat predictable. However, the story unfolds nicely and at an acceptable pace. Ray is an expert at making reader feel at home and comfortable inside the story. The reader will at times identify with each main character and will be drawn to the lushness of the situations described. If I Were Your Man is a quick read and great for a lazy Saturday afternoon. Francis Ray continues to be a go to author for African American Romance. Romance enthusiasts and novice alike will enjoy this book.

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Gloryland by Shelton Johnson, 2009

Reviewed by Patricia Poland

Elijah Yancey was a Buffalo soldier in the U. S. Cavalry from the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries. Born black in Spartanburg, South Carolina, his coming of age reveals his desire to buck the system and his first attempts to try to break the color barrier. Fearing for his life, his parents ask him to leave and never come back.

He walks and walks and eventually ends up in Nebraska and signs up with the Calvary.

Therein begins a beautifully poetic book, written like a memoir, of Elijah and his ‘coming-to-grips’ with life, the

U. S. Army, God, and eventually love. (Though we must accept that Elijah finds earthly love because he tells us this near the end of the book, it is a spiritual and inner love that is the most apparent for the reader.)

As the years of soldiering give way, so does the anger at how his race has been treated.

It grows into something else - a deep relationship with his ancestors (respect really) and an even deeper understanding of God from the canyons, meadows, stars and even grizzly bears (and mules) of Yosemite National Park.

It is his short time at Yosemite that takes hold of him forever. It is that time and the memories that it creates that help fill the hole of his missing home and family. Elijah’s introspection is surprisingly simple and yet deep, as seen here in his description of his awe at God’s land, from page 198:

In general, we didn’t talk much on patrols, cause the mountains and valleys and meadow kept shutting us up. It seemed like God was usually talking in a big voice here and over there and round the bend yonder, and when God’s talking, you shut up.

Quotations at the beginning of each chapter from the “Cavalry Tactics” manual create a nice balance with the fine prose.

Only someone who has lived and worked at this National Park could portray it in such a personal and beautiful way and Johnson is that person, being a ranger at Yosemite. Johnson also draws from his own family’s history, an ancestor who was a Buffalo Soldier.

Gloryland will give you a peek into the painful time of southern African-Americans from the 1870s and on into the early struggles of desegregation within the U. S. Army. You will be bound to a man who eventually finds himself in a wonder-filled place and learns who he really is. It will leave you yearning for you own Yosemite.

Going Down South by Bonnie J. Glover

Review by Gypsy Culp Houston--LOVED IT!!

Going Down South: A Novel by Bonnie Glover


My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Going Down South is the story of three generations of women with three generations worth of secrets. Birdie the matriarch of the family is a blue-black woman with a questionable background. Birdie’s daughter Daisy, left Alabama at an early age never to return again, or so she thought. Olivia Jean, Daisy’s daughter changed that with the realization that she is pregnant at 15. Daisy decides that she and her husband, Turk will take Olivia Jean to live with Birdie, whom Olivia Jean has never met. Once they reach Alabama, the plan changes. Secrets are revealed, feelings explained and relationships recovered.

Bonnie J. Glover does an excellent job revealing the personality and history behind each of the three women. While men are very much present in this novel, the role they play is secondary at best. Men are discussed only in relation to one of the three lead characters. While Glover does not talk ad nauseum about the time period in which she is writing, she does a good job of conveying general feelings and social mores of the time.

Going Down South will leave you feeling hopeful. If these three Black Alabama women could overcome all that had to and still find some semblance of peace, then what’s stopping the next woman from doing it. Nothing.

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The Someday List-Review

The Someday List: A Novel by Stacy Hawkins Adams


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Nobody's perfect...this can be seen in Stacy Hawkins Adams' novel The Someday List. The main character Rachelle seems to have grown into a thirty-something year old spoiled brat, longing for her husband's attention. Her husband Gabe, a successful doctor is occupied with work and upcoming travels. When we meet them Rachelle is in the middle of an internal upheaval brought on by the impending death of her childhood best friend Jillian.

A series of events leads to a confrontation with her college sweetheart ex-husband regarding there unwanted breakup. Will she throw caution to the wind and try to turn back time or will she continue on with her life as she knows it?

While Rochelle is metamorphosing, Gabe is doing a little changing of his own. He connects with God while on a mission trip. Is is too late for him to save his marriage or will he and Rachelle give it another chance?

This is a story of love, heartache and growth. Readers of the Christian Fiction genre will enjoy it because it will challenge the reader to place herself in Rachelle's shoes.

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Changes in Multicultural Fiction

Due to a change in work - flow distribution, all Multicultural fiction requests should be directed to the Circulation staff. However, this blog will still serve as a spot for discussion, book reviews and information concerning Multicultural writings. Your input is very valued, so continue to post your reviews, comments and ideas.

The Book of Night Women by Marlon James

Gypsy's Review

rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

The Book of the Night Women is unlike any book I've ever read. Marlon James creates a seemingly tangible world with his use of dialect and the narrator's inside information. And what a cruel world it is. It makes me so sad to put myself in the place of any of the women in book, even the white women. While women appear to be the more cunning sex, their power is so limited that they are only allowed to move in a certain framework. The men are portrayed as easily manipulated, but with ultimate power, at least over the women.

James does an excellent job of exploring relationships including interracial, intra-racial, gender and class relationships. All of the slave relationships portrayed were rough. The slaves were very tough on one another and of course the masters and mistresses were hard on the slaves. The interaction between whites, while not examined in great detail, highlighted the class issues of the time.

Overall, I really liked the book, although, I found it difficult to read due to the strong dialect and harsh language. However, I think this adds to the authenticity of the the story. Marlon James did an excellent job and I will definitely read more of his work in the future.


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Sweet Georgia Brown -Book Review

Sweet Georgia Brown left me feeling both uplifted and sad. The dichotomy of emotion was brought on by the demise of a relationship and the personal growth of one of its participants.

In Sweet Georgia Brown, author Cheryl Robinson introduces us to Marvin and Georgia Brown, a down on their luck couple living with Marvin's parents. While Georgia works a 9-5 job, Marvin spends his days at home and works at night as a stand up comedian. Georgia seems to possess unwavering faith in her husband despite his father's warnings that she can do bad by herself.

The family's financial struggle pays off and they are rewarded with an extravagant lifestyle. Unfortunately, when the money came, it seems the happiness left and they are left with a lot of emotional baggage to deal with. Eventually, Georgia finds her own voice and moves from behind Marvin's shadow. While raising his teenage daughter (that she never knew about), Georgia realizes that the Marvin she married is not the silver tongued Marvin of today.

While this was an interesting story, I felt that the timing was a little off and the characters were not well defined. Emphasis was placed on the back story, but to me the story felt rushed towards the end and of course there was no real conclusion. Sweet Georgia Brown definitely leaves room for a sequel.

Please Utilize Your Library

In this time of budget cuts and layoffs, there are few certainties. If the library, including the Multicultural Collection is important to you, please continue to support it, by visiting, checking out materials and coming to programs.

The County is being forced to make difficult decisions this month that are sure to effect the library. It is our goal to maintain the quality services to which you have become accustomed. While the purchasing budget will probably be lowered, we still expect to receive new materials, even if on a smaller scale. This makes your suggestions and ideas more critical than ever. We need to know what you would like to see. Keep in mind that we will not be able to follow through with every suggestion, but we will try our best to honor as many requests as possible. Remember that the Union County Public Library does not actively pursue erotica or titles published by vanity presses (self published).

For your convenience there a couple of ways to make suggestions as to which books we buy. You can:
1. Fill out a Request/Reserve Card at the Reference or Circulation Desk.
2. Choose Suggestions on the Library Webpage (www.union.lib.nc.us)

We look forward to hearing your suggestions.

New Multicultural Nonfiction

• The Obamas: Portrait of America’s New First Family from the Editors of Essence. NEW 973.932 BASS
• Gabriel Garcia Marquez: A Life by Gerald Martin NEW 921 GARC
• Digging: The Afro-American Soul of American Classical Music by Amiri Baraka NEW 780.89 BARA
• In the Black: Live Faithfully, Prosper Financially by Aaron W. Smith NEW 232.024 SMIT
• Black Men Can’t Shoot by Scott N. Brooks NEW 796.323 BROO
• A More UnBending Battle: The Harlem Hellfighters struggle for Freedom in WWI and Equality at Home by Peter N. Nelson NEW 940.5412 NELS
• Writing the Future of Black America by Daniel Grassian NEW 810.9896 GRAS
• We Had Sneakers They Had Guns: the kids who fought for Civil Rights in Mississippi by Tracy Sugarman NEW 323.1196 SUGA
• Down Home With The Neelys: A Southern Family Cookbook by Patrick and Gina Neely NEW 641.5975
• The Romantic Dogs by Roberto Bolano NEW 861.64 BOLA

Recent Multicultural Purchases

Christian Fiction

• The Someday List by Stacy Hawkins Adams
• Before Redempton by Teresa McClain-Watson

Mystery

• In the Night of the Heat by Blair Underwood

Historical

• Swetsmoke by David Fuller

Romance

• Naughty by Rochell Alers

Street Lit

• The Dopeman's Wife by JaQuavis Coleman

General Fiction

• Beneath the Bruisis by Dywane D. Birch
• Kiss the Sky by Farai Chideya
• Taste of Lust by LeBlanc
• You Gotta Sin to Get Saved
• Before Redemption by Teresa McClain-Watson
• Sinfull Too by Victor McGlothin
• Girl Talk by Shereen McKellar
• Obsessed by Devon Scott
• The nature of a Woman through the eyes of a Man by Sylvester Stephens

Bring on the Blessings by Beverly Jenkins

Gypsy's review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
I loved this book. For me the storyline carried the book. I recommend this book for anyone who aspires to leave a legacy by changing the world. If this doesn't describe you, I'm not sure you will appreciate Bring on the Blessings.

Except for Donna Hill and Brenda Jackson, I don't usually read romance novels, so Beverly Jenkins is a new author for me. I will most likely read her work again. As a Black History Buff, I love her inclusion of information about African Americans going West in the late 1800s. As a certified "do-gooder" the lofty goal of Bernadine Brown spoke to me on a very basic level.

I hope that Ms. Jenkins continues the story of Henry Adams and its residents, because the book left me wondering how everything would workout. After Reading the book, I also felt energized and ready to make a difference in my own little corner of the world.

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