The View From APOOO–July 2007

Where Does Time Go?

It’s already the middle of July and dog days of summer are busy on our tails!

My son headed off to football camp this week; I just wrote a check for week seven (ten week camp) of my daughter’s summer camp program. In a month they will both be back in school and I will be battling ragweed which is a pre-cursor that fall is around the corner. Sigh.

No matter what happens with the seasons…some things remain consistent–THE VIEW FROM APOOO! Here we are again to bring you new “you saw it here first” reviews from the team for upcoming books. Read our reviews and leave us a comment regarding which books piqued your interest.

Until next time…
Readers–Share with us the best book you’ve read this summer?
Authors–We review all genres. If you would like to have APOOO review your book, email me at apooo4u@yahoo.com for more details.

In the meantime, I’m off to enjoy the rest of this beautiful day and curl up with a good book!

yasmin
www.apooo.org
My MySpace URL: myspace.com/apooo4u *************************************************************************************************

The Day I Stopped Being Pretty by Rodney Lofton
APOOO Rating: 4/Amazon: 4
PUBLICATION DATE: October 2007
Heading: Love Me for Who I Am


Author Rodney Lofton has written a most memorable memoir of his life, sharing with his readers the journey that is responsible for helping to shape the man that he his today. It is hard enough for African American males to come into the knowledge of who they are, but when there are circumstances that force them to hide who they are, that alone creates situations that compel them to make choices they do not have to make.

Author Lofton was born to a single mother who raised him in love, always being there for him to let him know that everything was going to be all right. He did not have to question whether his mother loved him, but it was his father he could never figure out. Lofton, a beautiful child, who was once a pawn in his father’s game to meet women, had the game turned on him the day his father overheard a woman tell him he was pretty. This word is synonymous with the word “sweet,” especially a manchild, so here was yet something else Rodney had to come to terms with.

“The Day I Stopped Being Pretty” chronicles the life of Rodney Lofton from childhood to adulthood where he shares his good times, low times, sexual encounters, relationships and love connections and the acceptance of his sexual orientation. In spite of all that Rodney experienced throughout his life, I never sensed that he “became gay” because of these experiences, or because his father never validated him or took the time to teach him to be a man. I believe Author Lofton shares with us his journey to who he is and the need to be accepted for who he is and not what his sexual orientation may suggest he is. Mary J Blige’s song, “Take Me As I Am” came to mind as I traveled though this very descriptive, no holds bar memoir. Coming to the realization that he did not need to seek the love he so desired to receive from his father, Author Lofton found that he had the love all the time… in him for he has come to a place where he can love himself.

I recommend this book to someone who is struggling to come to terms with who they are in regards to sexual orientation, but most importantly as the person they are intended to be.


Reviewed by Sharel E. Gordon-Love
APOOO BookClub
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Title: Every Man for Herself by Maryann Reid
Reviewed by: Jennifer
APOOO: 3.5/Amazon: 3
PUBLICATION DATE: August 2007
Title: Six Degrees of Separation

I have heard that everyone is connected in the world by six degrees of separation. I do not know how true that is, but Every Man for Herself by Maryann Reid leads me to believe that it is very possible.

Nina Raines has always had some type of secret that she was keeping. From her father’s mistresses to her husband dipping his hand too far down into the collection plate of a small church congregation. Trying to start anew, or maybe running from her past Nina leaves her small country town of Allswell, in Houston, Texas for the city life of Brooklyn, New York. Once in New York, Nina lets her hair down and starts having fun, gets a job that she loves, and meets new people.

Spoken word artist, Ahmasi enters Nina’s world, and brings with him excitement and mystery. Something about him has Nina wanting more, but will his secret connection destroy their relationship?

Lamont Franklin, a sophisticated lawyer, comes to Nina as a client, but company policy forbids Nina to go beyond the professional line. Lamont being a strong-willed man keeps trying to get Nina to go out with him. Will Nina risk losing the job that she loves so much for the handsome Lamont?

Every Man for Herself is an easy read that offers hope to anyone moving from a small town to a big city. Maryann Reid shows us why it is better to sometime let the past go, and at other times stand and face it. Even though this book was quite interesting, the execution was not flawless. There was some information given that I cannot understand how it fit into the story. There was also the lack of character dialogue, which would have moved the story along at a much quicker pace. Overall, this was a nice read, something I would recommend to others.

Jennifer Coissiere
APOOO BookClub
www.apooo.org
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Just Can’t Get Enough by Cheris Hodges
Reviewed by Shavon Williams
APOOO Rating: 4/Amazon Rating: 4
PUBLICATION DATE: August 2007
Through The Test of Time


Celina Hart was a normal eight year-old girl when her parents divorced. Little did they know that this would affect the way she viewed relationships when she became an adult. Now that she is an adult she has trust issues. She is a successful artist living in Paris when she gets a letter from her father asking her to return to her childhood home and care for him because he is sick. Celina, out of a sense of duty, returns to her childhood home to find her father on the verge of death. While she is there, she runs into her best friend from her youth, Darius. Will she be able to overcome her fears and allow herself the love she deserves?

Darius McRae was a successful attorney in Washington, D.C when he returned to Elmor, South Carolina to run the family business, a hardware store, because his parents retired. By chance, he runs into Celina when she comes to thank him for doing the yard work for her father since he has been sick. They begin to spend time together catching up on each others lives. But the more they hang out the more Darius begins to fall for her. However, there is a woman from Darius’ past that is intent on keeping him all to herself and she will stop at nothing to make that happen. Will she be able to keep Darius and Celina from being together?

I really enjoyed reading this book. It takes a look at the way children view adult relationships and how it affects them later in life. I found myself talking to the characters out loud on several occasions. I even felt their joys and pains. Overall I would definitely recommend this book.


Reviewed by Shavon
APOOO BookClub
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A Love So Deep by Suzetta Perkins
Amazon Rating: 4/APOOO rating: 3.5
PUBLICATION DATE: September 2007
Heading: The Second Time Around

Imagine you have been blessed to find your soul mate and are able to live 40 years together as husband and wife. Then, suddenly in a blink of an eye, death snatches her away. Heartbroken Graham Peters has pushed family and friends away while he wallows in his grief. One day, his best friend Charlie comes and gets him cleaned up and out of the house. First they go to church and then to the Watering Hole, a local bar, for a little liquid refreshments. This outing changed the life of Graham in Suzetta Perkins’ sophomore novel, A Love So Deep.

Reluctantly, Graham is at the Watering Hole, nursing a drink and observing the on-goings of the local bar. When he glimpses the lovely songbird on stage, Graham is instantly smitten, so much so that he returns to the bar the next day to get acquainted with the woman behind the voice. Forty-five year old, Rita Long is a little hesitant of getting into another relationship after a disastrous marriage and divorce, but there is something about Graham Peters that makes her give love another chance. As the couple falls in love, there are those on the outside who are not happy. From the single sister at church who has been waiting for Graham to be free for 40 years; to the ex-husband who decides he wants his wife back; to the daughters who feel that their father is disrespecting the memory of their mother, there are those who will do anything to break up the couple’s relationship.

A Love So Deep is a moving love story based on finding love the second time around. I enjoyed how Ms Perkins wove the story and made it a little suspenseful, romantic and inspirational. While I would not label the novel Christian Fiction, I would say it is church-centered, as the big church on Market Street and the teaching of the Pastor play a significant part in the story. Ms Perkins’ writing is very descriptive and the imagery she presents make visualizing the scenes, attire and characters easy, Although I gave the novel 4 stars, it was really a 3.5 read for me. Initially, it was difficult to determine the time frames of the story. I could deduce from clues throughout the novel that the setting was 1986, however there were times when I was unsure because there were events and personalities mentioned that were post 1986. There were a couple of storylines that were incomplete. Aside from that, this is a love story that the romantic at heart will be sure to enjoy.

Jeanette
APOOO BOOKCLUB
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That White Girl by JLove
Reviewed by Shavon Williams
APOOO Rating 4.5/Amazon Rating 4
PUBLICATION DATE: August 2007
Heading: Who Am I?


Most of us struggled to find our identity during high school. We hung out with people who we may not have had a lot in common with just to feel like we belonged to something. In That White Girl, we are introduced to Amber, who has the same problem. Amber, like most teenagers, is trying to figure out who she is. She is a young, white girl growing up during the late 80’s when hip-hop started to reign supreme. She has a love for all things hip-hop. Her school is a mix of African American, Latinos, Asians, and Whites. She really likes Juan, who is Hispanic, and enjoys spending time with him. She has been friends with him since middle school and he takes her into his world of hip-hop, gangs, and graffiti. It is a world very different from her own middle-class upbringing. Amber, who is intrigued by Juan’s life, wants to be a part of all that he does, including his gang, the Crips and his graffiti crew, RTS. As Amber dances between the color lines, her life soon begins to spiral out of control. She cannot keep her home and alternate life from crossing into each other. Eventually she gets caught up with the gang life and has to make a decision.

Not only is Amber searching for a “family” she can belong to, she is also searching for love. Someone who can love her for who she is. Someone who can see past her color, her gang affiliations, her family issues and just love her. During her journey to self discovery, she meets many people who will influence her life, both good and bad. She has many choices to make regarding the company she keeps and lifestyle she is willing to lead. She tries to live in the world in which she was born where she has white privilege and the world that speaks to her very soul. Can she live in both worlds?

I absolutely loved this book. There were so many issues addressed in this book such as race relations, self worth, lifestyle, and family. I recommend this book to anyone with a teenage daughter.


Shavon
APOOO BookClub
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