Released in 1963 James Baldwin penned a pure essay of the black consciousness in America. His unfiltered commentary on race, religion & their respective roles in the destruction of a nation will preserve the knowledge of American society for generations in the future. I encourage you to reflect, in this season of giving, on the climate of hostility that produces the fear holding us back from maintaining our sense of self.

Side note: I am very thankful for those that listen. May you have a wonderful holiday season!

Paulo Coelho released The Archer in 2003, which explains life, goals & professional mastery through archery. A topic many are not familiar with, Coelho uses metaphors and shorthand writing to reach his audience. This conversation between mentor & mentee resonates with many because the advice is universal. Coelho is successful because he himself has mastered simple storytelling. And with that gift, he can explain every mystery under the sun.

Sula Peace invented hot girl summer, sleeping with husbands & leaving them for the next tryst. On her trail lay many un-Christian like descriptions & vengeful townsfolk. Only encountering suffering upon her death bed, she lived a life without regret. Her former best friend, Nel Wright, is the picture perfect wife who maintained a level reputation in Medallion. Both women’s experiences reflect authentic hardships black women faced during this time period. Toni Morrison released this novel almost 50 years ago & the themes can still teach us lessons on the impact of relationships with family, friends & lovers.

Curtis Jackson remains one of the most successful rappers of the early 2000’s. His success being the ability to remain relevant, wealthy & alive. Prior to this book it was easy to assume 50 Cent to be callous & short-sighted, but his business strategy laid out for all to see proves otherwise. ‘Hustle Harder, Hustle Smarter’ may as well be a textbook for first year entrepreneur students. Every business lesson you need can be found in these few pages (at a much lower price than those outdated textbooks your professor wrote). Side Note: Dear ‘Fofty’, if you’re reading this...please don’t curse me out!

Stuart Turton is in the running for my favorite fiction author of all time. Delivering a well placed follow up on the darkness of The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, Turton wrote a narrative of an entire ship being hunted by the Devil, like Tom hunts Jerry. The difference however is the cold calculated & complex moves of the Devil. Discovering the true evil that lurked in dark places took my breath away. I would tell you, but I’d rather you support this AMAZING author & find out for yourselves.

Tiffany D. Jackson writes the story of a young Enchanted Jones who is taken advantage of by a wealthy, older musician, Korey Fields. Abusive relationships are no joke, especially when it contains a power imbalance. This display of fictional trauma may be a little too real for some readers, but in the times of ‘Me Too’ & ‘Time’s Up’, it is imperative our literature reflects the reactions of the public to sexual manipulation cases.

Shout out to Agatha Christie showing the kids how it’s done. Christie’s efficient writing created the typical murder mystery trope, successfully providing a thrilling story line. Monsieur Hercule Poirot is the Dr. Gregory House of his generation, easily seeing through smoke screen facades & diagnosing the situation at hand. For the reader learning how each character has come to such a state on the Orient Express holds interest & adds suspense. Read through this real classic, and tell me, was justice served in the end?

J. D. Salinger penned this novel in the late 40’s depicting the internal conflicts of Holden Caulfield. Holden’s story reflects the struggles of many teens trying to find their way in the world. However, this tedious narrative is but a page in the book of life. A page that includes no excitement, power, strength, ambition or laughs, only miserable excuses. There is nothing to learn from a character who refuses to learn themselves. Undoubtedly Salinger is a good writer, but this piece isn’t something worthy of high praise. So what’s the lesson here? We should stop labeling books as classics, just because they ruffled a few feathers upon release.

Here we are folks, the reason I’ve continued to review books & analyze thoughts. It’s beyond imperative for us all to comprehend meaning through written language. Arrangement of words matters, exclusion of specific verbiage matters, and from the words of Harold Evans, this book explains exactly “Why Writing Well Matters”.

In this contemporary fiction story, Olivia Monroe & Max Powell fall in love from opposite ends of the personality spectrum. Making up most of the book is their love journey, with an introspective look at their career paths. This week I took a break from the heavy topics discussed last week to relax with this fun read from Jasmine Guillory. Hope you enjoy the review!