A few weeks ago I won my friend Missy’s book giveaway (I’ve known Missy since we were about 12, I think) and Akashic Books (a local publisher – they happen to be in Brooklyn – did you know I still haven’t been to Brooklyn? I keep getting made fun of for that…) sent me a copy of Glorious by Bernice L. McFadden. Glorious was a quick and easy read and I really enjoyed it. And did I mention it was autographed?
From Akashic: Glorious is set against the backdrops of the Jim Crow South, the Harlem Renaissance, and the Civil Rights era. Blending fact and fiction, Glorious is the story of Easter Venetta Bartlett, a fictional Harlem Renaissance writer whose tumultuous path to success, ruin, and ultimately revival offers a candid and true portrait of the American experience in all its beauty and cruelty.
Missy does a much better review than I could ever do, so I encourage you to check it out here. I will just say that I thought the book was great and I breezed through it in a few hours. I really like historical fiction and I haven’t read many books with African American heroines (I don’t know why, maybe there just aren’t that many?) so this was really new and interesting for me. I’d highly recommend it.
I’m excited to check out more books from Akashic too; I like supporting small and local companies that are not evil and corporate.
What have you read lately? (I feel like I ask this question a lot – but I love hearing the new responses.)
magpie707
magpie707
magpie707
magpie707
magpie707
nice to hear about a local brooklyn publisher! (I live there
)
right now I’m reading a book on anatomy, physiology, and psychology — awesome to read a scientific perspective on the body/mind connection.
I love finding new books! I just ordered 5 new ones from Amazon. yes, I have a problem.
Latest reads:
Coffeehouse Mysteries – easy read, but I love them! I still need the newest.
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle (reading for the 2nd time)
Nice!! My mom is a fan of the Phillippa Gregory (spelling?) books and the Lisa See books (I think one of them is called “Snowflower and The Secret Fan?”)….loves historical fiction, but she is also big on the STYLE with which the book is written. Do you think she would like this one? I’m thinkin’ Mother’s Day, here….
I just finished The Last Song by Nicholas Nicholas Sparks and I’m currently reading Lisa Jewel’s books The Truth About Melody Brown, very good!
I’m currently reading Brava, Valentine, the 2nd book in a new trilogy by Adriana Trigiani – my favorite author. I love all of her books, she’s such a great storyteller.
Another very interesting read (also with an African American female protagonist) is “The Intuitionist” by Colson Whitehead.
Right now, I’m reading “The Quiet American”. I hate that I saw the movie years ago and am NOW reading the book, but I actually don’t remember much about the movie and the book is a great read.