March 26th 2013 – eNewsletter Highlights
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AALBC.com mourns the passing of Nigerian novelist and poet Chinua Achebe (November 16, 1930 — March 22, 2013) Author of classic novel Things Fall Apart
Best-Selling Books
AALBC.com’s 25 Best-Selling Books January 1st through February 28th 2013
Fiction
1. The Perfect Marriage by Kimberla Lawson Roby
2. I Dreamt I Was in Heaven by Leonce Gaiter
3. Scandalous by Victoria Christopher Murray
Nonfiction
1. Sistergirl Devotions: Keeping Jesus in the Mix on the Job By Carol M. Mackey
2. Words Cross & Across: Word Search on Barack Obama By Dr. Eugene Williams Sr
3. Understanding Black Male Learning Styles By Jawanza Kunjufu
Check out all 25 Fiction and 25 Non-fiction Best Sellers
Authors You Should Know
Born in Thieytou, Center Senegal, Dr. Cheikh Anta Diop (1923—1986) was born to an aristocratic Muslim Wolof family in Senegal where he was educated in a traditional Islamic school. Diop’s family was part of the Mouride brotherhood, the only independent Muslim group in Africa according to Diop. He obtained a bachelor’s degree in Senegal before moving to Paris for graduate studies, where he ended his scholastic education.
Diop teaches us in his best-sellin book, The African Origin of Civilization: Myth or Reality, that the Black Egyptians are the original settlers of KMT [Kemet]. “The native Sudanese are one of the original pigmented Arabs in that region. They are members of the same ethnic family with the ancient Egyptians, the Ethiopians, the Southern Arabians, and the primitive inhabitants of Babylon. All founders and sustainers of the mighty Nilotic civilization we still admire today.”
Fiction Book Reviews
Gift of Faith by Robert Fleming
This novel raises some conflicting concerns about the nature of faith in our daily lives, while it provides a brief but intimate peep inside the urban black church. In Gift Of Faith, the church is certainly not without its corruptions and venal leadership, as with any secular entity, but it also consists of truly dedicated individuals who struggle mightily with personal, moral, and social issues.
In this regard, Gift Of Faith sends a strong signal that not only is God not dead, but the black church is just getting its second wind as a carrier of the torch of light and truth in this age of quickening darkness.
Nonfiction Book Reviews
The civil rights movement is indirectly the focus of Ramblers, a fascinating opus about an integrated team of talented and dignified young men who not only ascended to the top of their sport but simultaneously helped change the color of college basketball once and for all. The book recounts in riveting detail how the Loyola players maintained their composure despite being spat on, cursed at and showered with garbage during NCAA Tournament contests hosted across the South including the Final Four on the floor of the ironically-named Freedom Hall in Louisville, Kentucky.
Written by veteran journalist Michael Lenehan, an award-winning editor at the Atlantic and the Chicago Reader, Ramblers is a worthwhile read chronicling a memorable upset and, perhaps more importantly, a triumph of character over cowardice that had repercussions way beyond the basketball court.
Articles
Liberia: An African-American Colony in Africa By Keleti Sanon
In 1817, the American Colonization Society (ACS) was formed with the support of Kentucky politician Henry Clay; Francis Scott Key, author of The Star Spangled Banner; Bushrod Washington, nephew of President George Washington and Supreme Court Justice; and William Thornton, architect of the U.S. Capitol. All were slave owners with moderate politics. Quakers also supported the effort, believing emancipation of slaves impossible. Land in Africa was purchased from local tribes for the purpose of creating a colony for slave owners to ship their slaves back to Africa. In 1822, approximately 86 freed slaves voluntarily boarded a ship bound for Africa. Over the next 40 years, nearly 20,000 former slaves would arrive in Liberia.
Film Reviews
Ol
ympus Has Fallen – Starring Morgan Freeman and Angela Bassett
Directed by Antoine Fuqua, Olympus Has Fallen is a derivative action flick which might be best described as a cross of Die Hard (1988) and In the Line of Fire (1993), except that instead of Bruce Willis or Clint Eastwood, we have Gerard Butler playing the invincible, two-fisted protagonist. The fast-paced film is engaging and entertaining enough to come recommended provided you’re willing to put your brain on hold and not question any of the picture’s implausible plot developments.
Featuring pyrotechnics worthy of a 4th of July fireworks display, Olympus Has Fallen is an eye-popping, patriotic, high-octane adventure that leaves no doubt about who’s the vindicated hero that kept the world safe for democracy. The Butler did it! Gerard Butler, that is.
1. What Black Men Think
Produced and directed by Janks Morton, What Black Men Think is an in depth view of how myths, stereotypes and misrepresentations render Black men non-necessities in their communities and families.
2. Zane’s Sex Chronicles Season 1
Based on a set of erotic short stories from best-selling author Zane, this urban adult series follows five alluring women who enthusiastically embrace their sexuality, engaging in arousing trysts with their husbands, boyfriends, ex-lovers and total strangers.
Click out the other Top Ten Selling DVDs for 2012
Interviews
Terrence Howard – The “Dead Man Down” Interview
In 2006, Terrence Howard received an Academy Award nomination for his lead role in John Singleton’s Hustle & Flow, and the song which he performed in the film became the first rap song ever to receive an Academy Award. That same year, he was also a member of the all-star cast (along with Sandra Bullock, Don Cheadle, Thandie Newton and Matt Dillon) of Crash, the Oscar-winning Best Picture.
Here, he talks about his latest film, Dead Man Down, where he plays crime boss Alphonse Hoyt opposite Colin Farrell, Noomi Rapace and F. Murray Abraham. You’ll also find Terrance’s earliest memory very interesting.
AALBC.com Recommends
Love on the Run by Zuri Day – Voted One of Publishers Weekly’s “Best Books of 2012 – Romance”
Day hits her stride with the enchanting Morgan Men series kickoff. The chemistry is
instantaneous between “forever-grooving-always-moving female magnet” sports manager Michael Morgan and his new client, phenomenal sprinter Shayna Washington. However, the sworn bachelor is uncomfortable dating clients, and Shayna’s self-confidence has been damaged by her stalking ex-fiancé, Jarrell Powell, and her manipulative, selfish mother. When Jarrell beats Shayna and she turns to Michael for help, he realizes his feelings go beyond the professional.
Readers will cheer for the hero and heroine to find a happy ending, especially given Shayna’s heartbreaking past. Day’s characters reach out to the reader from the first page to the last. The story brims with tension, charm, and the power of love. Contemporary romance fans will savor this book while awaiting the next Morgan story.
Events
The Black Pack Party is an annual celebration of book industry professionals, authors, and friends. It is hosted by AALBC.com, Linda A. Duggins, MosaicBooks.com, and Written Magazine.
Learn About More Book Events
- Queens Spring Book Fair, April 20, Jamaica, NY
- 1st Annual Bronx Literary Festival, May 18, Bronx, NY
- Go On Girl! Book Club – Annual Awards Weekend, May 31 to Jun 2, Atlantic City, NJ
- Bayou Soul Writers & Readers Conference, July 3, New Orleans, LA
- Baltimore Urban Book Festival, July 14, Baltimore, MD
- The QBR Wheatley Book Awards, July 19, Harlem, NY
- The 15th Harlem Book Fair, July 20, Harlem, NY
- National Book Club Conference, Aug 2-4, Atlanta, GA
- Onyxcon V, August 16-17, Atlanta, GA
- L.A. Black Book Expo, August 17, 2013, Los Angeles, CA
- Charlotte Book Fair, Oct 5, Charlotte , NC
- National Black Book Festival, Oct 24-26, Houston, TX
You may easily share information about your events (anywhere in the world), by posting the information on our discussion board and events calendar.
AALBC.com Announcements
AALBC.com’s Founder, Troy Johnson
Generally people are often surprised to know that I’m the only one who has ever managed the AALBC.com website, blogs, discussion forums even the eNewsletter you are reading now. I started AALBC.com more than 15 years as a learning exercise and it quickly became my life long passion. Visit http://troydjohnson.com to learn a little more about me. Be sure to say, “hello” to me at my next event 🙂
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