AALBC.com Best Selling Books

AALBC.com's 25 Best Selling Books May 1st through June 30th 2010
http://aalbc.com/books/bestsellers.htm Non-fiction

#1 - Sistergirl Devotions: Keeping Jesus in the Mix on the Job by Carol M. Mackey
#2 - Confessions of a Video Vixen by Karrine Steffans
#3 - Brainwashed: Challenging the Myth of Black Inferiority by Tom Burrell
#4 - Michelle Obama: Meet the First Lady by David Bergen Brophy
#5 - The Isis Papers: The Keys to the Colors by Frances Cress Welsing

Fiction

#1 - Family by J. California Cooper
#2 - Black and Ugly by T. Styles
#3 - Getting to Happy by Terry McMillan
#4 - Thug Matrimony by Wahida Clark
#5 - Till You Hear from Me by Pearl Cleage

Click to view all 25 top selling titles

Authors Your Should Know

Toni Cade Bambara
http://aalbc.com/authors/toni_cade_bambara.htm

Bambara was a writer, activist, feminist, and filmmaker. In 1982, in a taped interview with Kay Bonetti, Bambara reflected on her work: "When I look back at my work with any little distance the two characteristics that jump out at me is one, the tremendous capacity for laughter, but also a tremendous capacity for rage." Bambara spent her entire life writing about both. Her ability to laugh and imbue laughter into her stories came from her strong conviction and belief in family and community. Her rage came from the injustices she saw in the treatment of children, the elderly, and the oppressed black community. (University of Minnesota)

Ben Okri 
http://aalbc.com/authors/ben_okri.html

Ben is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. Translated into more than 20 languages, Ben has been awarded numerous international prizes including the Booker Prize in 1991, the Commonwealth Writers Prize for Africa, the Aga Kahn Prize for Fiction, and was presented with a Crystal Award by the World Economic Forum. He has received honorary doctorates from the University of Westminster (1997) and the University of Essex (2002), and was awarded an OBE in 2001.

Bernice L. McFadden  (a.k.a.) Genevia Holiday
http://aalbc.com/authors/bernicemcfadden.htm

McFadden is the author of the national bestsellers This Bitter Earth, The Warmest December (shortlisted for the Hurston/Wright Foundation Legacy Award), and Sugar, a Black Caucus of the American Library Association Fiction Honor Book.  Bernice L. McFadden also writes racy, humorous fiction under the pseudonym, Geneva Holliday.  Bernice's latest, critically acclaimed novel Glorious was published in May and Genevia's latest novel Lover Man was published this month.

Kerry G. Johnson
http://aalbc.com/authors/kerryjohnson.htmlA former graphics director and newspaper artist, Johnson’s award-winning cartoons, caricatures and illustrations have appeared in newspapers and magazines across the country, including The Baltimore Sun, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and The New Pittsburgh Courier.

Johnson is also the co-creator of the science-based comic book, SPECTRA, based on a pre-teen superhero. The comic at PhysicsCentral.com. SPECTRA, the main character, is also the mascot for Laserfest 2010, a yearlong celebration of the 50th anniversary of the laser.

Caryl Phillips
http://aalbc.com/authors/caryl_phillips.html

Phillips was named Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year in 1992 and was on the 1993 Granta list of Best of Young British Writers. His literary awards include the Martin Luther King Memorial Prize, a Guggenheim Fellowship, a British Council Fellowship, a Lannan Foundation Fellowship, and Britain's oldest literary award, the James Tait Black Memorial Prize, for Crossing the River which was also shortlisted for the 1993 Booker Prize. A Distant Shore won the 2004 Commonwealth Writers Prize; Dancing in the Dark won the 2006 PEN/Beyond the Margins Award. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.

Uwem Akpan
http://aalbc.com/authors/uwem_akpan.htm

Akpan was born in Ikot Akpan Eda in southern Nigeria. After studying philosophy and English at Creighton and Gonzaga universities, he studied theology for three years at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa. He was ordained as a Jesuit priest in 2003 and received his MFA in creative writing from the University of Michigan in 2006. "My Parents' Bedroom," a story from his short story collection, "Say You're One of Them," was one of five short stories by African writers chosen as finalists for The Caine Prize for African Writing 2007. Say You're One of Them won the Commonwealth Writers' Prize for Best First Book (Africa Region) 2009 and PEN/Beyond Margins Award 2009, and was a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction.

Sherri Lewis
http://authors.aalbc.com/sherri_lewis.html

Sherri Lewis attended Howard University as an undergraduate, then medical school at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. Her debut novel, My Soul Cries Out, reached National Bestselling Status. Her second novel, Dance Into Destiny, was released in January 2008 and her third novel, The List, is slated for a March 2009 release. Sherri is co-founder of the Atlanta Black Christian Fiction Writers’ Critique Group with Essence Best-Selling author Tia McCollors. She hosts a large Bible study and neo-soul gospel events in Atlanta and also teaches nationally at Women’s Conferences and other Christian events.

AALBC.com Book Reviews (Fiction)

Three Days Before the Shooting by Ralph Ellison
http://aalbc.com/reviews/three_days_before_the_shooting.html

Following a much-publicized controversy over the heavily edited second novel, Juneteenth in 1999, Ellison's fans and critics demanded to see the Master's intended text, not "a patchwork" reconstructed by John F. Callahan, a professor of humanities at Lewis & Clark College. Now, a reasonably complete manuscript, pieced together by Callahan and Adam Bradley, an associate professor at the University of Colorado at Boulder.

This latest Ellison product, Three Days Before The Shooting, runs over 1,100 pages, and is full of the kind of narrative alchemy expected by the man who was lionized by the literary world.

Sins of the Mother: A Novel by Victoria Christopher Sins
http://aalbc.com/reviews/sins_of_the_mother.html

Victoria Christopher Murray is the best selling author of several contemporary novels that touch on hot topics that church people aren't too eager to disclose. Her infamous character, Jasmine Larson has been featured in three of those novels and she is certainly the character I have loved to hate. What else can Jasmine be up to this time? You would never guess.

Take Your Pleasure Where You Find It by J. D. Mason
http://aalbc.com/reviews/take_your_pleasure.html

In my humble opinion, J.D. Mason is a master storyteller, as they say. From the very first novel, And on the Eighth Day She Rested, this author has consistently turned out one great read after another. Each storyline has been different, appealing to a broad audience of readers. Her latest release, Take Your Pleasure Where You Find It is a story about women and the power of sisterhood. It is also about secrets, regrets and doing what one has to do, just to survive.

Samson by Jacquelin Thomas
http://aalbc.com/reviews/samson.html

Jacquelin Thomas has crafted a new novel with a contemporary twist on the love story of the Biblical characters, Samson and Delilah. Her modern day Sampson is the Assistant Pastor of Hillside Baptist Church in North Carolina where his uncle Zachariah is the senior pastor. Samson Taylor was born into a family of pastors beginning with his great grandfather who founded the church. He indeed had some big shoes to fill.

The Secrets of Newberry by Victor McGlothin
http://aalbc.com/reviews/secrets_of_newberry.html

The Secrets of Newberry is the latest novel by McGlothin and with the exceptions of a few minor issues, I LOVED IT! The novel which begins in late 1950s Louisiana, in a town called Newberry, just outside of New Orleans; centers around a young black man and how his involvement with a white hustler changed his life. The Secrets of Newberry is the sort of novel that I could suck up through a straw. It is filled with drama, secrets, with likeable characters and has an intoxicating narrative that flowed like a boulder rolling down hill. The Secrets of Newberry is a damn good book.

The First Leonid McGill Mystery by Walter Mosley
http://aalbc.com/reviews/long_fall.html

I did not ever think that I would feel anxious or excited about Mosley again since he ended his Easy Rawlins series. Yes, I was one of those diehard fans of the Easy Rawlins mysteries. As illogical as it may seem, I took the completion of the series rather hard. I admit I backed away from Mosley for a minute. When The Long Fall made its debut, I did not know that the novel existed and did not care. When I saw the sequel of The Long Fall, Known to Evil, about to come out, I decided to give Mosley another shot. Before I got off into Known to Evil, I had to read The Long Fall first. I hate starting a series in the middle or tail end of it, so I had to get a copy of The Long Fall and read it first. Man, am I glad that I did. In short, the novel is brilliant! I have never been so in love with Mosley as I am right now. The Long Fall is a diamond of a novel

Jesus Boy by Preston L. Allen
http://aalbc.com/reviews/jesus_boy.html

Jesus Boy is a novel of greatness. If I had to choose the novels that I would classify as examples of the mythical Great American Novel, I would throw Jesus Boy into the ring of consideration. I had not read or heard of the author Allen before, but this novel places Allen in the company of Percival Everett and Toni Morrison, as a literary genius. I cannot say this any plainer; get Jesus Boy and Read It!

In The Falling Snow by Caryl Phillips
http://aalbc.com/reviews/in_the_falling_snow.html

In the Falling Snow is a wonderful book. As I stated earlier, I had not read any of Caryl Phillips works before and I’m feeling a little foolish about it. Phillips did more than create a storyline with a few interesting characters; he produced a story that had a mood, a rhythm, that was damn near hypnotic, as if John Coltrane’s saxophone blowing a ballad was the soundtrack to a gray, cold winter city scene. I’ve always loved gray winter days. Phillips wrote a drama that did not have grand dramatic scenes with grand dramatic gestures instead there were small decisions, in an average, everyday life that altered the stream of it.

Unzipped: An Urban Erotic Tale by Noire
http://aalbc.com/reviews/unzipped.html

One of my favorite urban authors, Noire, is back with a new novel, Unzipped. In case you don’t know, I love LOVE Noire’s books! Noire has reached the ultimate plateau of authors, when a new Noire book cross my desk, I will drop whatever I’m reading in order to get up in Noire’s book. When Unzipped crossed my desk, I did my little off beat version of the Cabbage Patch, dropped the novel in my bag so that I could start reading it at work the next day. I liked Unzipped even though I had a few issues with the novel. I did not LOVE it like I LOVED Noire’s earlier novels, Thug-A-Licious or G-Spot. Unzipped is a nice read. Well, I guess Noire can’t hit it out of the park, all the time?

Glorious by Bernice L. McFadden
http://aalbc.it/glorious_review

Bernice McFadden's long awaited release, is pure poetry. This novel sings to you through the eyes of Easter Bartlett who runs away as a young girl when her life requires that she don her "big girl panties" and find a better way. After her mother's sudden death and the arrival of her father's new, young wife; Easter leaves Waycross, Georgia in 1910. Taking flight by foot down the dusty Georgia road she is determined to survive. Jack Johnson's victory in the ring has made the South an even more dangerous place for people of color. Whites are both resentful and afraid of the new-found pride in the Negro community.

Powder Necklace: A Novel by Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond
http://aalbc.it/power_necklace

I was trying not to like Powder Necklace, the debut novel by Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond. I had had my fill of the black girl coming-of-age story. A few years ago, these types of books were one of the few constantly thrown in my direction. While I can appreciate it on a certain level of humanity, it started to get on my nerves because how many times can I hear the same ole blues without losing my mind: wondering when a flat chest is finally going to start growing breasts; or the experience, and accompanying embarrassment, of getting the first period, and where the womanly deed happened, and who was there, and what color underwear the girl character was wearing when she got it. I am a man, damn it! I don’t have periods. I never had a period, nor had I ever wished to. Frankly, I don’t give three shakes of a rat’s ass about ‘em. It was time for ol’ Thump to make his move and leave the girl coming of age books alone. Years later, Powder Necklace crossed my desk and I stepped out on faith and gave it a chance. Sure enough, I was subjected to the ever present the “got my first period” episode; *rolling my eyes* but, the novel is wonderful! I wasn’t meaning to, but I came to love Powder Necklace.

The Girl Who Fell from the Sky by Heidi W. Durrow
http://aalbc.it/thegirl

The Girl Who Fell from the Sky by Heidi W. Durrow is the most remarkable debut novel that I have read in years! The small novel about a young girl, a lone survivor of a family tragedy, is stunning. The novel hit me with the force of a hurricane strength wind knocking the air out my lungs. When I finished the novel, I just sat; quiet and mesmerized with my mouth wide open. Durrow, in her first outing, come the closest of reaching the great mythical plateau – The Great American Novel. The Girl Who Fell from the Sky is an ass wiper!

Devil’s Dream: A Novel about Nathan Bedford Forrest by Madison Smartt Bell
http://aalbc.it/devilsd

I had no idea, when I got the book, what I had gotten myself into. I was initially pissed that I had subjected myself to read a novel about a freaking Confederate. Although, I love southern literature, southern food, and admittedly have a non-comprehensible attachment to Gone with the Wind; I’m not a fan of the South, its Confederate Army and government, its ingrained racism or its death grip unwillingness to accept the fact that the South LOST the war! The fools need to take some of that Obama stimulus money and build a bridge in order to GET OVER IT! The last thing I wanted to do was read a book, any book that glorified the South. Imagine MY surprise when I became enamored with the novel and Nathan Bedford Forrest.

Poetic Perceptions by D Phil
http://www.aalbc.com/reviews/poetic_perceptions.html

Some African-American critics yearn for a return to the fire and passion of the revolutionary fervor of the 1960s Black Arts Movement, but there are many clear, perceptive voices such as D Phil, who are now concocting wise, practical poetic cures for today's Black community in this supposedly post-racial America. His book of poetry, Poetic Perceptions, addresses head-on the challenges and obstacles of daily life, the inner soul, parenting, family, and the responsibilities of relationships in this confused society.

AALBC.com Book Reviews (Non-Fiction)

One Drop: My Father’s Hidden Life-A Story of Race and Family Secrets by Bliss Broyard
http://aalbc.com/reviews/one_drop.html

One Drop is a big book. It is also thought provoking and a delightfully knowledgeable read. It is not often that I read a non-fiction book and don’t look at the page number as I’m reading. Broyard has an appealing voice, custom made for storytelling. She made history come alive. I feel somewhat smarter because I read One Drop.

The Nat Turner Insurrection Trials by Walter L. Gordon, III
http://aalbc.com/reviews/nat_turner_insurrection_trials.html

Fans of American history will love Gordon’s work. The book is meticulously researched, thought-provoking, and simply fascinating. It deserves a place on the shelves next to work such as Before the Mayflower, and The Autobiography of Frederick Douglas. Though the case for parallels between the slave insurrections and the 9/11 attacks seemed a bit weak and should have been explored more thoroughly, it does not take away from this great work. You will not be able to put it down.

The Porn Star Guide to Great Sex by Mr. Marcus
http://aalbc.com/reviews/the_porn_star_guide.html

Marcus’ literary style might best be assessed as a playful mix of creative and clinical as he sets about describing the path to maximum satisfaction via a variety of increasingly adventurous positions. Leaving nothing to the imagination, he augments his words with fairly-graphic illustrations reminiscent of those contained in The Joy of Sex. And he had the good sense to devote the final chapter to promoting safe sex and AIDS prevention, which is a good idea if you’re considering some of his kinkier suggestions involving multiple partners.

Oprah: A Biography by Kitty Kelly
http://aalbc.it/oprah_bio

. . . .despite the fact that Oprah is very rich and famous, she’s still a human being with feelings, too. Who knows how many of the unflattering revelations in this unauthorized tome are accurate, even if the author brags about never having been successfully sued for libel before?

I’ll say this, it certainly doesn’t seem as though anybody very close to Oprah cooperated with the project. But that didn’t prevent Kitty Kelley from coming up with enough scandalous material to keep you on the edge of your seat for the duration of her shocking 500+ page-turner

Losing My Cool: How a Father’s Love and 15,000 Books Beat Hip-Hop Culture by Thomas Chatterton Williams
http://aalbc.it/losingmycool

Williams, whose mother is white and father is black, credits his dad’s emphasis on education with ultimately enabling him to appreciate the value of a college degree as a ticket out of the hood, as opposed to music, sports or illegal activities. This would prove to be no mean feat, however, for as a teenager the author found the materialist trappings and anti-social attitudes of the thug lifestyle ever so seductive. Thus, he cared little about grades and attending classes, while considering the conspicuous consumption and general degeneracy celebrated in gangsta’ rap videos worthy of emulation.

Moses and the Monster and Miss Anne by Carole C. Marks
http://aalbc.it/mosesand

I began this book somewhat arrogantly because I already know about Harriet Tubman. Tubman is one of the staples of Black History Month. I began this book smugly believing I knew enough about Tubman that I did not need to read this book to become more knowledgeable. I wrongly believed that Marks could not tell me anything new about Tubman. I was WRONG. I learned a great deal about Harriet Tubman from this book. For example, I did not know that Tubman had a working relationship with John Brown, the abolitionist; nor the role she played during the Civil War as a military strategist and as a nurse; and how she was NOT paid for the work she did for the Union Army. I did not know that after the war Tubman lived in poverty, but had a generous and giving nature. The Tubman biography shined like new money in water.

AALBC.com Videos

AALBC.com and Mosaicbooks.com Founders Discuss Social Media
http://aalbc.it/troyron

Also catch Kara Smith, the founder and president of Karasma Media, a Harlem based public relations boutique specializing in social media campaigns, and brand development for legal marketers and small to mid-size businesses.  Kara and AALBC.com's founder, Troy Johnson will be giving four workshops on different aspects of Social Media Marketing Workshops as part of Publishing You-niversity the 2010 Harlem Book Fair THIS Saturday July 17th. Click here for more information.

Nathan Henrion talks Baker Publishing Group's titles
http://aalbc.com/authors/carol_mackey.html#video

Nathan Henrion & Carol Hill-Mackey talk about titles from Baker Publishing Group During BookExpo America 2010 including Mackey's #1 AALBC.com bestseller Sistergirl Devotion

Joyce Burnett Discusses her book Adam's Belle
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSnGDJ0OesE

Adam's Belle, is the memoir of Isabel Washington Powell who married the late Congressman Adam Clayton Powell.

Manie Barron on the roles of the Literary Agent and Author
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIu_DBSaTaE

Manie Barron, Partner at the Menza Barron Agency, speaking about the roles and responsibilities of the literary agent and author at the National Black Book Conference, sponsored by CushCity.com in Houston TX

Carl Weber Talks about his Novels
http://aalbc.com/authors/carlweber.htm#video

Carl Weber talks about how he came up with the themes for his novels. Fans of Weber will enjoy this video as his talk is delivered with the same drama and humor they’ve come to expect from his books.

Tinesha Davis with Victoria Christopher Murray & Kwame Alexander
http://authors.aalbc.com/victoria.htm#video

Tinesha Davis talks about the success of here novel. Victoria Christopher Murray gives a tip on character development. Kwame Alexander tells how he got started publishing poetry and he read a couple of poems too! The conversation took place at Hue-Man Bookstore & Cafe in Harlem NY.

Literamed Publications
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvuEg2068_4

Literamed Publications is a 40 year-old International children's book publisher based in Lagos Nigeria

Stephanie Robinson
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PS_OO3zmnOk

Stephanie Robinson talks about her book: Post Racial? The Paradox of Color in 21st Century America during BookExpo America 2010

J.M. Benjamin
http://aalbc.com/authors/jm_benjamin.htm#video

Author J.M. Benjamin talks about his work at the National Black Book Festival in Houston TX May 22nd 2010

Pam Grier
http://aalbc.com/pam

Pam Grier talks about her memoir Foxy during a book signing at Barnes and Noble in NYC on May 4th 2010

Ben Okri Read's a Poem Which Describes What One Must Read
http://aalbc.com/authors/ben_okri.html

Ben reading his poem 10 ½ Intonations during the PEN World Voices Festival of International Literature at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in NYC on May 2nd 2010

Bernice L. McFadden
http://aalbc.com/authors/bernicemcfadden.htm

McFadden describes how, her novel, Glorious was published after more the 40 rejection letters.

AALBC.com Interviews

Craig Robinson The "A Game of Character" Interview
http://aalbc.com/reviews/craig_robinson.html

Craig Robinson was born in Chicago on April 21, 1962, to Fraser and Marian Robinson and raised in a modest home where he had to share a room with his younger sister, Michelle. With help of devoted parents, who made major sacrifices on their behalf, both children were inspired to excel academically and were admitted to Princeton University.

6’6” Craig was also a basketball phenom who was twice voted the Ivy League Player of the Year during his college tenure. This meant that Michelle grew up in the shadow of her protective big brother. But today, those roles are reversed with Craig in the shadow of his world famous sibling, since she’s now the First Lady of the United States.

Ice Cube: The “Are We There Yet?” Interview
http://aalbc.com/reviews/ice_cube_2010.html

O’Shea Jackson was born on June 15, 1969, and adopted the cool alias “Ice Cube” before founding N.W.A. in the late 1980s. As the lyrical mastermind behind the legendary group's Straight Outta Compton album, he literally launched the gangster rap revolution. And his subsequent solo material, including such early Nineties classic CDs as AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted and Death Certificate, solidified his place in the pantheon of the genre's more socially-aware artists.

Al B. Sure! “The Ultimate Merger” Interview
http://aalbc.com/reviews/al_b_sure.html

Albert Joseph Brown, III was born in Boston, Massachusetts on June 4, 1968 but raised in Mount Vernon, New York where he was the star quarterback on the high school football team. Still, he turned down a full scholarship to the University of Iowa to pursue his love of music under the alias Al B. Sure! In 1987, he was tapped by Quincy Jones as the winner of a Sony Records talent search and, found fame while still in his teens with the spectacular debut album “In Effect Mode” featuring numerous hits, including such instant R&B classics as Rescue Me and Nite and Day.

Roland Martin “The First” Interview
http://aalbc.com/reviews/roland_martin.html

Between Barack Obama’s declaring his candidacy for the Presidency and Election Day 2008, Roland Martin filed hundreds of reports about the campaign in his capacity as a political correspondent for CNN and TV-One Networks, as well as a radio talk show host and a nationally-syndicated columnist. Furthermore, Martin was also occasionally afforded access to Obama for intimate, 1-on-1 interviews. So, it only makes sense that he would decide to publish The First: President Barack Obama’s Road to the White House as Originally Reported by Roland S. Martin, a book recounting Obama’s historic run for the White House.

Director Hisani DuBose
http://aalbc.com/reviews/hisani_dubose1.htm

DuBose has been very busy since this critic dubbed her the best black director of 2005, while naming her movie, The Vanishing Black Male, the best black documentary of the year. The picture has since been screened at eleven film festivals around the country, and won a Broader Vision Award. And clips from the documentary can presently be seen on the cable network TV One's broadband channel.

Ms. DuBose is presently in post-production for a new documentary, Adrenaline Security: A Bouncer's Life which examines the world of nightclub bouncers. Meanwhile, she's also working to raise money for two feature movie projects.

Soledad O’Brien’s Follow-Up Report about the Haitian Relief Effort
http://aalbc.it/soledadobrien

Since Haiti’s no longer front-page news, it’s very easy to forget about the fact that there’s an ongoing crisis there in the wake of the devastating earthquake which hit the island on January 12th. Fortunately, CNN’s Soledad O’Brien stands out as a journalist who has remained very committed to keeping the story of the country’s recovery on the front burner.

Here, she talks about the riveting documentary, which will be voiceovered by Wyclef Jean and Edwidge Danticat and told from the perspectives of 6 year-old orphan Candy Jeune and a freed slave named Marc Kenson Oliphi.

Common The “Just Wright” Interview
http://aalbc.it/common_justwright

Common was born Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Jr. in Chicago on March 13, 1972 to Lonnie, Sr. a former pro basketball player, and Dr. Mahila Ann Hines, an educator. He started rapping while still in high school, forming a trio called C.D.R. which opened for acts like N.W.A. and Big Daddy Kane. He adopted the alias Common Sense by 1992 which is when he released his first CD, entitled “Can I Borrow a Dollar?” He shortened his name to just Common after a lawsuit by a band claiming to have the exclusive trademark for “Common Sense.”

Sheila Johnson “The Other City” Interview
http://aalbc.it/sheliajohnson

Entrepreneur and philanthropist Sheila Crump Johnson is the only African-American female to enjoy ownership in three professional sports teams: the WNBA’s Washington Mystics, the NBA’s Washington Wizards and the NHL’s Washington Capitals. Furthermore, as CEO of Salamander Hospitality, a company she founded in 2005, Ms. Johnson oversees a growing portfolio of luxury properties, including Woodlands Inn, in Summerville, SC, which is one of only a handful of properties to receive both a prestigious Forbes Five Star rating and a AAA Five Diamond rating for lodging and dining.

Here, she talks about her new film, The Other City, an expose’ about the HIV/AIDS crisis in Washington, DC which recently premiered at the 2010 TriBeCa Film Festival.

AALBC.com Film Reviews

Why We Laugh - Reverential Documentary Pays Homage to Black Pioneers of Comedy
http://aalbc.it/whywelaugh

This alternately hilarious and enlightening documentary is designed to pay homage to the trailblazing pioneers of black comedy. The film also simultaneously recounts the evolution of the art form in light of the prevailing African-American political and cultural experience. The film was directed by Robert Townsend who compiled a most impressive cast to contribute to the project via a combination of present-day interviews and archival footage, including the posthumous performances and reflections of such late great entertainers as Redd Foxx, Moms Mabley, Richard Pryor, Flip Wilson, Mantan Moreland, Stepin’ Fetchit, Bernie Mac and Robin Harris.

To Live & Die in Amerikkka - Shocking Documentary Bemoans Skyrocketing Homicide Rate in Baton Rouge
http://aalbc.com/reviews/to_live_die_in_amerikkka.html

Looks like Baton Rouge has really been living up to its name lately, which is French for “bloody stick,” although “bloody bullets” might be more apropos nowadays. For the Louisiana capital city’s homicide rate has skyrocketed in recent times, leading a local official to explain that the coroner had to hire a couple of new examiners in order to “get the bodies off the street faster.”

Not surprisingly, most of the victims as well as the perpetrators of this senseless violence have been young black males, a fact which inspired gang member-turned-filmmaker Arthur “Silky Slim” Reed to make a movie about the tragic situation in his hometown. The upshot of that effort is To Live & Die in Amerikkka , one of the most shocking, graphic, and heartbreaking, in your face documentaries you could ever hope to see.

Book Events

Harlem Book Fair - Harlem New York - July 17th, 2010

Download Complete Program Guide: http://aalbc.it/hbf2010guide

Also check out the Publishing You-niversity Social Media Workshops
On-line registration for the Social Media Workshops is available using the links below.  Each workshop is $10.  On-site registration is available based upon availability.  All workshop will take place in classroom 211 at Thurgood Marshall Academy (214 West 135th Street) 

Using a Website to Generate Business (Workshop I) - 12:00 PM - 1:15 PM
http://pubuworkshp1.eventbrite.com

How to Use Facebook to Build Your Personal and Professional Brand  (Workshop II) - 1:30 PM - 2:45 PM
http://pubuworkshp2.eventbrite.com

What is Twitter All About? (Workshop III) - 3:00 PM - 4:15 PM
hhttp://pubuworkshp3.eventbrite.com

Social Media Beyond Facebook and Twitter (Workshop IV) - 4:30 PM - 5:45 PM
http://pubuworkshp4.eventbrite.com

People who register for all 4 workshops (I - IV), will receive a free copy of the Whitepaper: "How to Jumpstart Your Social Media".

Interesting Discussion Board Conversations http://aalbc.com/tc

Child Rearing - 1950s style
http://aalbc.it/50s_child_rearing

BaBack then, kids were kids. Having a baby was just a routine part of life. You got married in your early twenties and in a couple of years started a family. Children were kept in perspective. You had em, you raised em and tried to teach em right from wrong. You often made sacrifices for them. If they were ambitious enough to want to go to college, you got a second job and sent them off to an institution of higher learning. You might have even exhausted your bank account to give your daughter a big wedding. Then, you cut them loose, dutifully assuring them that you’d always be there for them, hoping they didn’t take you up on the offer.

Facebook is a Drug
http://aalbc.it/facebookisadrug

I I agree. Some people seem to be on Facebook all day long, idly chatting about trivial things, keeping friends posted on their every move. Doing this apparently fills a void in their life, and satisfies a need to validate their existence. Why are people so seduced by the technology of communication nowadays? It's kind of scary to contemplate what this bodes for the future.

Book Industry News

Visit Daily to Get the Latest News in the World of Books
http://aalbc.com/book_industry_news.php

AALBC.com Information & Housekeeping

AALBC.com Advertising Take Advantage of our Summer Time Special while they last!

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http://aalbc.com/advertise_on_aalbc_book_sponsor.html

Place a large book cover on AALBC.com for only $399. Your book appears on appears on every AALBC.com Content Page (including the homepage) for two full months! The novel Chasing the Avatar by Jovan Jones, shown here, is the actual size of a previous Large Book Cover Ad.

OnOnly 3 slot are sold for this position.  This is a great deal!  Your book will be displayed hundreds of thousands of times and receive a high click through ratio.

This Special ends July 31st 2010

Large Book Cover Graphic
http://aalbc.com/advertise_on_aalbc_video.html

For $249 (38% off) your video will be embedded (including the homepage) for 1 full month! The image shown in the left shows how you video will look

ThThe video will play directly on the page. The link below can send visitors to any website you like.  You've spent the time, energy, money to have your video created; why now place it where you audience will actually watch it.  Hundreds of thousands of visitors will have the opportunity to view your video.

This Special ends August 31st 2010

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Peace,
Troy Johnsonr
President, AALBC.com, LLC
Toll Free: 866-603-8394
Email: troy@aalbc.com

p.s. Long term subscribers to the AALBC.com eNewsletter will have noticed an unusually long time between issues.  In the almost 12 years I've published this eNewsletter, this has been our longest time between issues.  The last eNewsletter was published on April 13tha.

Part of the delay was due to my migration from constant contact to Madmimi for managing my mailing list.  The large number of off-line events I participated in (as evidenced by all the videos I shot), also made it difficult to get an eNewsletter out sooner.

I don't plan to go 3 months between eNewsletters again; so look out for the next eNewsletter in Late August and roughly every 4 weeks after that. --Troy

               

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