Showing posts with label j j murray. Show all posts
Showing posts with label j j murray. Show all posts

Sunday, January 25, 2015

My Reads For February/March....


 
1) Angelfall by Susan Ee

It's been six weeks since angels of the apocalypse descended to demolish the modern world. Street gangs rule the day while fear and superstition rule the night. When warrior angels fly away with a helpless little girl, her seventeen-year-old sister Penryn will do anything to get her back.

Anything, including making a deal with an enemy angel.

Raffe is a warrior who lies broken and wingless on the street. After eons of fighting his own battles, he finds himself being rescued from a desperate situation by a half-starved teenage girl.

Traveling through a dark and twisted Northern California, they have only each other to rely on for survival. Together, they journey toward the angels' stronghold in San Francisco where she'll risk everything to rescue her sister and he'll put himself at the mercy of his greatest enemies for the chance to be made whole again.
 

2) Until I Saw Your Smile by J.J. Murray

At Smith's Sweet Treats and Coffee, you'll find Brooklyn's best house blend and the freshest homemade pastries. It's more than a business to owner Angela Smith. It's her home and her refuge--one she stands to lose thanks to her gouging landlord. Then a new regular offers to cover her rent increase if Angela lets him meet his clients there. If Matthew McConnell weren't such a persuasive lawyer--and so sweet, funny, and sexy--she wouldn't dream of letting him in.

Since he left a high-paying, soul-sucking legal firm to go solo, Matthew has been striking out, professionally and personally. The best part of his love life is regaling Angela with date-from-hell stories over steaming, fragrant coffee. Behind her captivating smile is a smart, sensual woman he'd love to get close to. And when a secret from her past is suddenly exposed, he gets a chance to prove he's the man she needs, in every way that matters.

3) The Autobiography of Malcolm X: As told to Alex Haley

 With its first great victory in the landmark Supreme Court decision Brown v. Board of Education in 1954, the civil rights movement gained the powerful momentum it needed to sweep forward into its crucial decade, the 1960s. As voices of protest and change rose above the din of history and false promises, one voice sounded more urgently, more passionately, than the rest. Malcolm X—once called the most dangerous man in America—challenged the world to listen and learn the truth as he experienced it. And his enduring message is as relevant today as when he first delivered it.
 
In the searing pages of this classic autobiography, originally published in 1964, Malcolm X, the Muslim leader, firebrand, and anti-integrationist, tells the extraordinary story of his life and the growth of the Black Muslim movement to veteran writer and journalist Alex Haley . In a unique collaboration, Haley worked with Malcolm X for nearly two years, interviewing, listening to, and understanding the most controversial leader of his time.
 
Raised in Lansing, Michigan, Malcolm Little journeyed on a road to fame as astonishing as it was unpredictable. Drifting from childhood poverty to petty crime, Malcolm found himself in jail. It was there that he came into contact with the teachings of a little-known Black Muslim leader renamed Elijah Muhammad. The newly renamed Malcolm X devoted himself body and soul to the teachings of Elijah Muhammad and the world of Islam, becoming the Nation’s foremost spokesman. When his conscience forced him to break with Elijah Muhammad, Malcolm founded the Organization of Afro-American Unity to reach African Americans across the country with an inspiring message of pride, power, and self-determination.
 
The Autobiography of Malcolm X defines American culture and the African American struggle for social and economic equality that has now become a battle for survival. Malcolm’s fascinating perspective on the lies and limitations of the American Dream, and the inherent racism in a society that denies its nonwhite citizens the opportunity to dream, gives extraordinary insight into the most urgent issues of our own time.
 
The Autobiography of Malcolm X stands as the definitive statement of a movement and a man whose work was never completed but whose message is timeless. It is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand America.
 

4) Sally Hemings: A Novel by Barbara Chase - Riboud

One of the greatest love stories in American history is also one of the most controversial. Thomas Jefferson had a mistress for 38 years whom he loved and lived with until he died—the beautiful and elusive Sally Hemings. But it was not simply that Jefferson had a mistress that provoked such a scandal in both his time and ours. It was that Sally Hemings was a quadroon slave and that Jefferson fathered a slave family whose descendants are alive today. In this moving novel, originally published in 1979 and having sold over two million copies worldwide, Barbara Chase-Riboud re-creates one of America’s most powerful love stories, based on the documents and evidence of the day, and gives us a poignant, tragic, and unforgettable meditation on the history of race and sex in America.




Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Books I Just Can't Shut Up About...

There is just something so amazing about these nine books that are pictured above. The authors are funny, complex, draw you in and leave you wanting to devour their next few books. I fell in love with reading at a very young age and have had a love affair with stories and words for some time. So when I come across  a really good book; one that challenges me, surprises  me or lifts my spirits then I just have to brag about them. So here goes….

The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown

I was not a fan of mysteries or thrillers until I read this book. I was late to the game on this one. It had been out for a while. The movie was being heavily promoted and people just kept talking about it. I was not really ready to hop on the band wagon until Walden books (may they rest in peace) issued me a 50 percent off coupon. Next thing I know I was falling in love with a Harvard Professor named Robert Langdon. I couldn’t help it. Langdon was one of the most well developed characters I had read for sometime; and the story was interesting and thrilling. I recommended this book for months after I read it. I even let others borrow my copy. Professor Langdon and his mad dash through France has  still stayed with me even though it’s been over 5 years since I have read the novel.

Renee and Jay by J.J. Murray

This was the second book I had ever read by Virginia author J.J. Murray. I really was not into romantic comedies and surely not interracial romantic comedies ; but , these one as just different. Murray, who is male and Caucasian; writes from the POV of a sexy African American woman. Renee is struggling after a break up and by chance gets stuck in a restaurant with the sexy Giovanni. This chance meeting makes Renee reevaluate how she views dating and she starts thinking outside the box. Giovanni is easy to love as a character; as is his father. He is sweet, kind, romantic and seems to fall head over heel with Renee almost right away. What really impresses me with this book is that it is so fast paced. It keeps you interested and its funny. I could not stop talking about this book. The reading of this one book has lead to me reading several others by this amazing master of words.

Love Wins by Rob Bell

Love Wins is a non-fiction, Christian book that talks about the fate of the world and the importance of hell. Bell got a lot of blow back for this book. He left the church that he co – founded behind it. He has also become one of the most influential Christian speakers in the United States. What I loved about the book is that Bell really talked about the way that I felt about Christianity . He makes you feel like you are sitting down one on one with him having this intimate conversation about the world and Christianity. This one book has led me to read to others by him as well. Each just as insightful as this one; the other two that I have read were What we talk about when we talk about God and Sex God.

The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson

If you have not read this book; well you are missing out. This is a fast paced beautiful love story. A man, after a terrible car accident which leaves him terribly burned. While recovering he meets Marianne Engle that tells him that they were lovers in a past life. The book takes us on a journey between their friendship and their past life. The story switches back and forth a lot but is not dry or boring. It is beautiful and sweet and complex and adventurous. By the end of the book  I wanted a different ending. It was bittersweet but it was clear that the man (who is unnamed the entire time) is changed because of his relationship with Marianne. This book is one of my favorite of all time. It touched my heart and is one of the greatest love stories I have ever had the privilege to read.

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Wow….just wow. Cassandra Clare sucked me in. All she had to do was write a cocky, blonde haired, demon fighting young man into a book and I was there. Jace Wayland is one of the best supporting characters I have read in a young adult novel in a very long time. Clare’s characters are relatable, funny and loveable. You will find yourself falling in love with at least one of them. I personally love Jace; mainly due to his  quick  and witty come  backs. I also love Simon and Isabelle. But, I also found myself feeling sorry for the bad guy.  This  May the last book of this series will be released and I will be very sad to see this group of Shadowhunters go. Even though there is a promise of more Shadowhunter tales to come.

Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden

This is an amazing book. So beautifully written; so lovely and it will bring you to tears. Golden allows us a glimpse into the world of a young Geisha. Who did not choose this life for herself but was sold into it; along with her sister. The story tracks the highs and lows of her life and proves that even though love is not an option to her it will always find a way. What makes this book so amazing is the way it is written. The prose is so fluid and beautiful. I found myself reading passages over and over again just because I wanted to memorize their beauty.

Something Real by J.J. Murray

Another Murray book…I know. But, Murray is amazing. This was the first book that I ever read by the author. I was  just walking in Target and the cover got me interested. It was a quick fast read. I found myself identifying with Penny. Who is African American and plus sized. She is funny and going through a hard time in her life because she is single and Mr. Right does not seem to becoming her way anytime soon. Then on one fateful Sunday in flies a man looking for prayer; he is suffering a lost and is now left to care for his children. Through no fault of her own she ends up falling head over heels in love with Dewey Baxter (the man that enters her church). What I love about this book is how strong a character Penny is. She is not very sure of who she is and she knows what she wants. Of course, this is not always the case throughout the book but she becomes stronger as you read. Its not very often that you see African American characters; especially women like this in books that often.

Night by Elie Wiesel

Another non- fiction book, but it is a powerful one. It really has had a great impact on my as an adult. It made me think of how precious life is and how important it is to fight sometimes just to survive. What is so amazing about this book is the author. Even through unimaginable sadness Wiesel did not allow it to swallow him whole.  The book reads quickly but it’s hard to get through; it took me a couple of days due to the fact there is some very graphic scenes in it.

The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch

I read this book my senior year of college and I really needed to read it. What I love the most about this book is that it is funny and heartfelt. It’s another book where you feel like you are getting advice and insights from an old friend. The book reminds you of the power of living your dreams and just being yourself. The Last Lecture is an amazing book and I always recommend it to those graduating from college or who are struggling to figure things out.