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Thursday, March 10, 2011

Lila: A Journey of Life and Love by Peggy Simms Lyles

Title: Lila: A Journey of Life and Love
Author: Peggy Simms Lyles
Rating: 5
Headline: A New Lease on Life        
Lila: A Journey of Life and Love” tells the journey of one woman who finds a new lease on life after her husband passes away. Lila had lived her life making sure her husband and children had their needs met but never took the time to take care of herself. After her husband Ben’s death, she decides it is finally time to put herself first.
Peggy Simms Lyles does a wonderful job with her debut piece of work. She introduces us to a woman who is full of life who has unwavering faith. This book was a quick read and very enjoyable. I highly recommend this book as many women (whether widowed or not) will relate to.
The book was provided by the author for review purposes.

Can You See What I See by jusTemple

Title: Can You See What I See
Author: jusTemple
Rating: 3
Headline: A Book of Exaggeration
Can You See What I See is a book of exaggerated fiction. This piece of work is full of twists and turns and makes the reader question what is true. The book is very random and it is also quite abstract. While it was hard for my attention to stay focused while reading this book, I will commend the author, jusTemple on writing a book that is different in its approach than others.
The author was provided by the author for review purposes.

I've Been Where I'm Going by Earnell Brown

Title: I’ve Been Where I’m Going
Author: Earnell Brown
Headline: A Book of Inspiration
Rating: 5
I’ve Been Where I’m Going is an inspirational, thought-provoking book of poetry and essays. The book is filled with passages that not only make the reader think but it also makes the reader laugh. Earnell Brown also takes the reader on a trip around the world as she writes about her experiences in places such as Egypt, Trinidad, Buenos Aires, and Greece.
Earnell Brown shares some of her most innermost feelings and emotions and she dares the reader to examine themselves. This book forced me to think about myself, my relationships and the direction I would like for my life to go. As the poem Life Ain’t No Joke! states: “Live it, Share it, Feel It, Love It, Want It, Take It! Life ain’t no joke, But you can laugh yourself to death if you do it right!”
Earnell Brown hits it out of the park with I’ve Been Where I’m Going. I highly recommend this book to everyone.
The book was provided by the author for review purposes.

Butterfly by Sexy

Title: Butterfly
Author: Sexy
Headline: Spread Your Wings
Rating: 4
Butterfly is truly original in its concept. Deja Padilla is an abused wife of two children and when she decides to leave her husband she has a plan for a better life. Deja completed the training to become a corrections officer but that was merely a means to her real goal of becoming a madam.
Deja recruits women (inmates) to become her employees and the rollercoaster begins from there. Butterflies most loyal customers are the same men who were the correctional officers where the ladies were imprisoned. Sex, jealousy, and betrayal make this book a page-turner.
The book was provided by the author for review purposes.

Draw by J-Real

Title: Draw
Author: J-Real
Headline: A Real, Gritty Street Novel
Rating: 4
In the first chapter of “Draw” the reader is introduced to the street life culture surrounding drugs and murder. This is done in the narrative voice and it is totally captivating. The main character is a teenager by the name of Sincere. In the beginning of the novel, he is merely a bystander and his brother, Pharaoh is the one living the street life.
Over the course of the book, the street life becomes the lifestyle of Sincere (known as Serious on the streets). It then totally consumes him and the book at times gets a bit confusing midway through. It seems as if the debut author attempted to cram a lot of “story” in his pages. I would be interested in a sequel based on the last chapter and the surprise twist.
Overall, this is a good read and I believe a great start to a very promising career for author J-Real.
This book was provided by the author for review purposes.