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Tee C. Royal
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, January 12, 2003 - 09:02 pm: | 
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Okay, I may get in trouble with this post, but what the heck? Are there books that you feel there is no middle ground with? In discussing certain books...I find people either love or hate some books...there is no middle ground.
Can you think of any? I'll start off...
Hot Johnny and the Women Who Loved Him! This book has gotten the most hated it/loved it responses of any other book I can recall on almost all reading groups in which I participate.
Let's talk!
-Tee |
Thumper
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, January 12, 2003 - 10:09 pm: |
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Hello Tee,
The one book, the one author that I know has a love it/hate it reaction is Beeperless Remote by Van Whitfield! I LOVE AND STILL LOOOVEE THE BOOK!! I thought it was hilarious, Shawn Wayne is my boy!! Normally, I'm not much on sequels, but this is one that I wish Van would write a sequel to! I have found that many women HATED Beeperless Remote. I still think its all that. |
Soul Sister
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, January 13, 2003 - 08:54 am: |
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Gotta chime in --
Book that I loved What a Woman Ought to Do by Evelyn Coleman -- great book -- what I hated was the swearing -- too much.
Thumper -- you know my hated list -- Omar Tyree and the whole Terry McMillan genre writers -- yes Im hating BIG TIME.
peace
ps -- you know Sandra Jackson Opoku of Hot Johnny fame is da bomb j-- tee hee
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Cynique
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, January 13, 2003 - 10:35 am: |
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I was definitely in the minority when it came to "Harlem Redux" by - I forget her name - because everybody seemed to have loved this book! To me, however, the plot was too farfetched, and most of the characters too one-dimensional. This book, rather than being seamless, was structured to the point where I could just sense the author adhering to an outline as she wrote, meticulously going through each step, making sure to insert typical "harlem renaissance" scenarios into the plot at appropriate intervals. I found this distracting and it prevented me from getting into the flow of the story... Just my personal opinion.
And, since I recently finished going through my Toni Morrison phase, I have to say that I really liked "Song of Solomon". It was not so much the tale being told, but the language used in the telling of it. No surprise here. Toni Morrison. The supreme word-weaver.
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K
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, January 13, 2003 - 11:06 am: |
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For me it was Shades of Jade. Most on the board thought is was great. I thought it was marginal at best. Hated it! |
sisgal
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, January 13, 2003 - 11:49 am: |
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Kimberly Lawson Roby - Casting the First Stone, I didn't like this one. It made me so mad.
Love at first sight - Sugar by Bernice McFadden. |
Sandra
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, January 13, 2003 - 01:19 pm: |
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I',m wif you sisgal--lawd "casting" made me crazy!
Too much whinnin' and wringin' of hands for me!
my "love it" book is The Coldest Winter Ever. |
Claxton
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, January 14, 2003 - 10:05 pm: |
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Book I Love To Love: The Road to Gandolfo, by Robert Ludlum. Word for word, the funniest book I've ever read. Even more so considering that Ludlum was actually trying to write one of his signature cloak-and-dagger pieces.
Book I Love To Hate: ANYTHING by William Faulkner. Whoever decided he should get a Nobel Prize in Literature was more drunk than he was. Running a close second, you-go-girl fiction. |
Kola
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, January 15, 2003 - 03:14 am: |
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I loved "The Bluest Eye", "Cane" (all the ones I love, I read them over and over for years), "Valley of the Dolls", "Possessing the Secret of Joy" (which I could personally relate to), "Mama Day", "Linden Hills", "Black Boy", "The Outsider", "Fire Next Time", "In Search of Our Mother's Gardens", "Stones from the River" (my zwerg)
I Detest WITH A PASSION...Connie Briscoe's "Long Walk Home", 98% of the Sister girl books.."How Stella Got Her Groove Back" was a fun movie, but a horribly BORING book...I can't tolerate being bored unless I'm with my man...Anything by Amiri Baraka (who I adore as a person, but I hate his writing style--his latest poem, however, is the best poem of the year!!)...Stanley Crouch and Thomas Sowell (YUK!!)...Sonia Sanchez poetry.
Last but not least...I hate the 1st novel I ever wrote (when I was 16)..I just read it again last week, it's called "Come and Get These Memories". YUUUK!!
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Cynique
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, January 15, 2003 - 10:41 am: |
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Valley of the Dolls??? I can't believe you said that, Kola. How could you like Jacqueline Susanne but hate Terry McMillan and Connie Briscoe???? LOL. |
Kola
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, January 15, 2003 - 03:26 pm: |
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Hi Cynique,
I don't like Jacqueline Susanne--it's just that her book "Valley of the Dolls" was the first book that I ever read and it got me addicted to reading. I was 14. I loved Neely O'Hara!! She was so funny and such a bitch. I loved it when Neely yanked off Helen Lawson's wig at the awards and she had to go through the front door and through the audience to get out...I cried for her!! And then poor Jennifer losing her breasts and finding out that her loverman was secretly "retarded". That book is CLASSIC!
I love Terry McMillan's "Disappearing Acts" and "Day Late Dollar Short" (both excellent)...but Briscoe is just too "snotty-materialistic-colorist" for me. I don't like her as a person to be honest. I heard she said something bad about me at a party, too. Something about her talent saving her from having to go topless. We'll see who ends up remembered 100 years from now. CYNIQUE! I'm in the Globe magazine tomorrow just in case you want to a read delicious, totally made up gossipy article about your pal Kola. I count on sistas like you Cynique to keep me "real" and "down to earth". I know you will. LOL...love you. Bye.
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Thumper
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, January 15, 2003 - 06:06 pm: |
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Hello All,
The thread has evolved into a "the books I love"/the books I hate thread. I LUV IT!! I won't go into the books I love, because there are so many. Nor all the I hate, again, too numerous to mention all of them. A long time I heard that memories are designed to fade for a reason. But I will mention a few by three authors that I've mentioned before. Now, I'm going to take my shoes off and get right comfrotable for this one. I'll classify these books as the Geez-us B A Fence books!
1.) All of the books E. Lynn Harris that came after If This World Was Mine, starting with Abide With Me to the present. Talk about beating a dead horse!! Come on now y'all. If I have to hear about the continuing story of Basil, Raymond, and that Yancy chick one more damn time.... These characters are like a bad case of herpes with a suitcase full of round trip tickets! Damn, it's past time to give up the ghost and his mama. Y'all know what I'm sayin'. Hold up, and then the novels are based on musicals! First, Abide With Me, is straight up All About Eve, without the sharp, witty dialogue, solid plot, and Bette Davis. It does fit the musical thang because there was the musical Applause! which was the musical version of All About Eve. Let's see, Dreamgirls is featured, at least one of his characters is either trying out for a musical or getting kicked out of one. Then we have this Yancey/Ava thang that's suppose to play out like a color-me-black version of the mother/daughter relationship in Gypsy, but ends up like a wilted ceasar salad that's been sitting out in the sun too long. If any of these books had an original plot between them, I can't tell. Finding it has to be as unique and amazing as buying a winning $300 million lottery ticket. Unlike the lottery winnings, I ain't asking that you share the plot with me. I don't even have to see it for myself, with my own eyes. If you find that original plot, take a picture of it and mail it to me.
2.) The Rosalyn McMillan novels. I'm not only asking Jesus to be a fence all around me. But, McMillan novels, I'm just asking, pleading with y'all, to please pray for me. Cause reading another one of her novels is my idea of HELL!! Pure dee Hell! The only thing I can think of that would be worse is, if I died and came back as a tree, that was cut down, made into paper only to have McMillan's words inked all on me for all eternity!! Humph, if NBC EVER want to do a real Fear Factor, I got one fo 'em!
3.) Michael Baidsen novels. Now, y'all pretty much know how I feel about his Men Cry In The Dark, which would have been more aptly titled, Men Boo-Hoo In The Bathroom! Now, come on, y'all. *LOL* I'm serious as a heart attack! *LOL* Hold, on. Now, I've boo-hoo at time or two in my life. I ain't got nuthin against black male characters bein' sensitive, but damn, here you have a book where all four men cry in the toilet! They couldn't cry in their bedroom? kitchen? garage? go around the corner and park in an alley and cry like somebody done stole his purple sucker? Naw, it gots to be in a bathroom! I would have thought that at least one of 'em would have cried in the laundry room or sumpin, out of GP. And what if somebody had to go in there. Ain't none of these men use ta cryin', they don't know nuthin' about puttin' their faces together and then they all come out with these little pieces of wet toilet paper stuck on their faces. *LOL* Now, I've gone in a couple of bathrooms after folks been in 'em, that's been so foul in brought a tear or two to my eyes. But, Naw, dawg, I ain't cryin in nobody's damn bathroom, there are other rooms in the house for that.
But y'all know what? In spite of how I felt about that book, I attempted to read Baidsen's Maintence Man. Again, let's all say it together, Geez-us B A Fence! I don't get 20 pages into it before I took it to the trash bin...by itself! If I was living on the street, homeless, and cold, I wouldn't put that book on a fire to warm my big ol' butt. Now, y'all know there ain't no excuse for this book.
OK, I'm done. *big smile* I feel better now. |
Tee C. Royal
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, January 15, 2003 - 07:30 pm: |
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ROFL...Thumper you are CWAZY! Whew...your post is TOO FUNNY. I haven't read any of the books so I have no comment, but dang...you sure know how to make a point. And though I've read all the E. Lynn Harris books, I'm still a fan <grin> but I looking forward to NEW characters. I liked A Love of My Own, but I felt it was totally unnecessary to include Basil and Raymond.
I'll also add Pipe Dream by Solomon Jones to the list. I really enjoyed this book, but some of my book buddies hated it.
-Tee |
Kola
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, January 15, 2003 - 07:40 pm: |
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Thumper...you're the one who should write a book!! You're so hilariously funny! And original with it, too!
Rosylyn McMillan. God, I'm glad you mentioned her. I used to be so mad that such a hack writer could get signed and I couldn't back in the day!! I'm not saying that I'm Toni Morrison, I'm not. But my GOD!! These Sista-girl books are like listening to a broken record. Atleast somebody could take those stories and figure out a new way to tell them.
For personal reasons, I can't say anything about E. Lynn. But you made me laugh like crazy, Thumper. You're so bad.
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Cynique
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, January 19, 2003 - 12:13 pm: |
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Well, Kola, I'm going to take you at your word about keepin you real. You once accused me of being a victim of colorism. Now I am getting the impression that you are a slave to materialism and egoism. You have such a great need for fame and fortune and attention - so convinced that you deserve adulation. Maybe if you mellowed out, people could get past your relentless self-promotion, and appreciate the real you.
You were honest with me, girlfriend, now I'm being honest with you. |
Kola
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, January 19, 2003 - 12:42 pm: |
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Lol--Cynique. I love you for that.
Thanks, sis.
What I don't have Cynique--is any formal education. Which forces me to have invent other ways to break down doors BUT STILL do it with some literary chops (as the press has so rightly acknowledged that I do have).
I have an incredible life experience, one that features people like Husni Mubarak, Khadafi and my former lovers--Osama Bin Laden and Hassan Turabi.
In lieu of NO formal education (which in publishing world is more crucial than pen and paper)...I have no other way to obliterate the LITERARY SNOBS, EDITORS, ETC. than to become "famous--a household name". After all, it's those of with NAMES that can't be turned down no matter what.
But atleast I don't write pulp, diva-girl books and atleast no one can read my work and accuse me of selling out--The Art. For I've even made my African heritage, my religion and nudity a part of my Art.
Yes...I do think that I deserve adulation. I haven't seen a single artist out there who's as brave and as clever as I am. Particularly when they keep putting their nose in the air and being disrespectful to me, because as they say: "She has no education, she's just a sex toy, she's got no class and just ignore her. Maybe she'll disappear."
Well I'd like to see the sex toys at Playboy write the kind of books that Kola Boof can write.
And it's true...there is no other author right now, except Sista Soulja, who is making as strong an emotional contact with Black women as I am. Once they get over themselves and read my work and what it's about.
Materialism--I don't see how that could be applied to me. I've given my life for the cause in Sudan for the last 5 years. I HAVE NO MONEY (although that'll soon change, and rightfully so). My books all but preach against materialism. But without a major publisher in my corner, you're right, I definitely need attention--otherwise, how will you ever hear about the holocaust in SUDAN?
Is there a single Black person on this board...who has ever brought up the issue? I haven't seen that. And yet millions of little Black girls and boys are counting on me to get the story out in America BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY. So yes, Cynique, I need the attention and I HAVE to have it--I am a soldier to my people.
I am also a Black American. SO I deserve to be heard by my people HERE...who raised me and made me the woman that I am.
My career as a writer is only 5 years old. With a major publisher finally releasing my books--I won't have to do publicity anymore. But as I've written to several people (ie. Derrick Bell, Colson Whitehead, Amiri Baraka)...I, Kola...a high school drop out who never went to college...can write with the best of them. And wasn't going to let my shortcomings keep me out of the industry. I literally blew a whole in the wall. I'm proud of that, Cynique.
I pray that other Black girls from poverty, bad circumstances, etc. will come to see that you don't have to be a well to do Black barbie from Vassar to write books that matter.
And as I've often said after enduring much criticism and insults (usually from Black Intellectuals)...let's see who they remember in 100 years. For whenever I face my detractors, I am sure to imagine myself carrying ZORA's "crooked stick". It's brought me nothing but triumph so far.
But thanks for being honest Cynique. That's what I cherish in friends. I hate people who don't say what they really mean. I prefer to be given it straight without a chaser. I love you and respect you for that. Don't ever change (SMILE).
Your sista, Kola
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Cynique
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, January 19, 2003 - 03:08 pm: |
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Well, Kola my dear, I am not a college graduate either. I got my degree in the school of experience and the university of hard knocks. And there have been many black writers and intellectuals out there who do not have degrees, who have natural intelligence and talent so you are not unique in this aspect. I'm sure you will agree that being a reader is the key. But stay strong in your chosen mission, sister, and just don't let vanity cloud your vision.
Cynique |
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