Huddle With Me Tonight by Fahrah Rochan (Book Review)

HUDDLE WITH ME TONIGHT takes us on a blissful ride of what we all wish real love could be.  It’s the stuff fairy tales are made of; man meets woman, man and woman fall in love, destined for happily ever after, right.  When book critic, Paige Turner, writes a horrific review of NFL’s Torrian Smallwood’s new book, she never expects her book review to be life-changing.

Inside Rain by Monique Mensah

Rain, a neo-soul spoken word artist, resides in a two-level flat with her siblings, Carmen and Danny.  Her relationship with her sister, who is a drug addict, and her brother, who has anger management issues, is strained because they feel she has always been the favorite of their mother and grandmother. Rain suffers from bad dreams and a suppressed memory of the events of her mother’s murder of which she was a witness.  As each dream becomes more real, she starts to remember the details of the horrific crime.  Her grandmother feels this is therapeutic for her and it will be the key to unlocking the mental trauma Rain has experienced since the murder.  However, the painful memory may be too much for Rain to bear.

Small Sensations by Chrystal V. Rhodes (Book Review)

Davia Maxwell is a beautiful, confident and astute business executive at the top of her game. She single-handedly created a multi-million dollar company that is on the verge of becoming even more popular and successful. She is also a devoted grandmother and friend. No one knows the extent of her humble beginnings after observing her present-day demeanor and lifestyle. Despite her success in the corporate world, Davia's life is glaringly absent of romantic love, which is her preference, much to the dismay of her devoted friends. Davia is dedicated to raising her grandchild and making up for the past mistakes made with her daughter. She has no desire to travel down the road of hurt and rejection that dealing with the opposite sex will undoubtedly lead to...no matter how finely wrapped the package.

Call for Reviewers – Fall 2010

It’s that time of the year and we’re gearing up for our anniversary event next month and the holiday season, both of which sometimes delay our book review process.  In order to stay on top of the 100’s of books coming in for review, we are in need of a few more avid readers/writers interested in reviewing for The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers (TRR).  So, if you love to read and can share your opinions on a book in a way that is constructive & helpful to those reading the review, then consider joining us!

We are looking for both guest reviewers and team members. This is not a paid position, but books are supplied and your byline is on all reviews.  You must be willing to review at least 2 books per month, not currently review for another entity or organization, and read/review books within two weeks. And lastly, you must answer email promptly. 

If you’re interested, please send the following information to TRR-Admin(at)rawsistaz(dot)com, and we will get back with you within the next week.

Info Needed
Where you saw the Call for Reviewers:
Name:
Address (no P.O. boxes):
Phone Number(s):
Email:
#of books read within last 30 days:
Author, title, release date & rating (scale of 5) of last 5-10 books read:
Preferred Genres:
Genres you do NOT want to review:
(**for the genres, be sure you place non-fiction, romance, street fiction, and poetry in one of the above spots)

Do you own an e-reader, if so, indicate which kind.  If not, let us know if you’re open to reading electronic versions on your computer?

Short Bio in 3rd person:

—

You will then be asked to write a sample review, which will be used as your first official review for the group. Our book review site is at www.blackbookreviews.net where you can view other reviews we’ve completed in our 9+ Year history.

Thanks in advance for your interest.

Daughter Of The Game

With DAUGHTER OF THE GAME, Kai has successfully crafted a compelling urban novel, full of literary adrenaline. The intricate plot was carefully crafted with colorful characters, explosive drama, and relentless suspense. The story took off with fleeting speed from the beginning, twisting and turning, and never slowing ‘til the very last page. Monique’s character was believable, and although her behavior annoyed me at times, I understood her. Armand was a true warrior of the dope game and Kai was successful in illustrating his authenticity as a street savvy hustler on the rise.

Red Hats

When Alma and Harold first married, a moment never went by without them expressing the love they felt for each other.  Soft spoken, loving words or a gentle touch were constant gestures of affection in their household.  They were happy and their children were happy until Alma catches Harold and her best friend in a compromising position.  The joy and happiness Alma once carried in her heart for Harold has hardened with bitterness and revenge.  Her trust in her family and friends has been extinguished.

Call for Reviewers – Spring 2010

It’s that time again and RAWSISTAZ is looking for avid readers who want to share their thoughts & opinions on books read.

Want to review for RAWSISTAZ?

We’re in need of quick readers who can read and write reviews in the given deadline (2 weeks or less) and are open to feedback from our staff.  You should also be an avid reader and read least 3 to 5 books a month (not that you’ll have to review this many–unless you want to), and lastly, you must answer email promptly.

** This is not a paid position, but books are supplied and your byline is on all reviews.

Can you express your thoughts without being offensive, but instead constructively outlining issues with a book vs insulting the author who has more than likely worked very long and hard hours birthing the book? Can you stick to your guns (and back it up in your review) when you love or hate a book?  Can you hang with some of the reading-est sistas out there?  (Yeah, I made up reading-est…but you feel me, right).

Still interested? Well if so, we’re interested in having you join our team.  Please send the following information to TRR-Admin(at)rawsistaz(dot)com, and we will get back with you within 3 to 5 days.  Serious inquiries only as we’d like to fill these spots within the next 2 weeks.

Info Needed
Where you saw the Call for Reviewers:

Full Name:
Address (no P.O. boxes):
Contact Number (Cell/Home/Work):
Email Address:
#of books read within last 30 days:
– Author, title, publication date, & rating (scale of 5) of last 5-10 books read:

Will you review electronic copies and/or e-books?

Do you own an e-reader or e-reader app:
– If so, which one (Kindle, Sony Reader, Nook, etc.)?
– E-Reader email address:

Preferred Genres:
– Genres you DO NOT want to review:
*be sure you place non-fiction, romance, street fiction, and poetry in one of the above spots

Short Bio (in 3rd person):

You will then be asked to write a sample review (not one previously used) and we’ll go from there. Our book review site is at www.blackbookreviews.net where you can see our repository of 6000+ reviews.

Heard It All Before by Michele Grant (Book Review)

Reviewed: Feb 28, 2010

Heard It All Before by Michele Grant
Dafina Books, January 2010
320 Pages, Paperback, $14.00
ISBN: 0758242190
Genre: Street Fiction

RAW Rating: 4.0 (out of 5)

After successful suburbanite, Jewellen Capwell and her ex-fiance went their separate ways two years ago, she couldn’t wait to get back into the dating scene. However, she quickly learns dating can be emotionally draining. Jewellen has heard it all before; the games and lies from the men she’s dated. When her best friend Renee invites Jewellen to attend a basketball game on the Southside, she is reluctant to go because she’s afraid of going into that part of town. Although still unenthusiastic about venturing to the other side of town, she accepts the invite. When she literally falls under the spell of Roman Montgomery’s alluring eyes, where she is no longer matters.

Playing games is Renee Nightingale’s forte. Before anyone thinks to play her, she always has a game plan in the back of her mind. She doesn’t want to reach the age of thirty still single, so she schemes to get her boyfriend Gregory to pop the question. However, the attraction to another man puts a sensual twist in her plan; will she lose it all?

Cleverly and creatively written, Michele Grant’s debut novel, HEARD IT ALL BEFORE, contains plausible characters and issues about young African American professionals. The characters express their lives and situations in their own point of view. Highly spiced with boundless drama and hilarious moments, the reader surely will be entertained.

Reviewed by Sharon Lewis, RAWSISTAZ.com
—-
Sharon Lewis, a married mother of five and a grandmother of eight, is an eclectic bookaholic. She works as an Administrative Assistant and resides in Cincinnati, Ohio.

This post was submitted by Tee C. Royal.

Five on the Fifth (Dec 2009) at Blogging in Black

We’re back over at Blogging in Black this month, so come on over and check out our column, Five on the Fifth, where we showcase five reviews, rated at the top of our rating scale.  Since we’ve been so busy over at RAWSISTAZ the last few months, we’ve missed deadlines for the past two columns, so we’re going to include a special treat of 15 reviews this month, to cover October-December.

In January, we will return with our Great Black Books ‘09 as a wrap-up of all the books we’ve featured in Blogging in Black for the year.

CLICK HERE to visit our column and be sure to share your favorites from the past few months via the comment section!

Flirt by Tracy Brown, K’wan and Angel Mitchell (Book Review)

Flirt by Tracy Brown, K’wan and Angel Mitchell
St. Martin‘s Griffin, November 2009
304 Pages, Paperback, $14.99
ISBN: 0312537018
Genre: Street Fiction

RAW Rating: 4.5 (out of 5)

Tracy Brown’s “Flirting with Disaster” chronicles 20-year-old Chloe as she navigates the dating scene.  Armed with good looks and high self esteem, Chloe refuses to fall victim to guys who just want to get in her pants.  When she meets Trey, she  thinks she’s found a man who respects her enough to wait and who doesn’t mind spending money on her.  But all that glitters isn’t gold and Trey may be way more than Chloe can handle.

K’wan’s story “Wild Cherry” centers around Gina and Princess, two women who are both in love with abusive men.  Former childhood friends, the two meet as adults and decide they could each get rid of the other’s abusive mate.  Their scheme is as a dangerous as it is deadly and neither girl may be able to live with the consequences of their actions.

Angel Mitchell spins the last and most disturbing tale with “Twice In A Lifetime”.  Marley is a young lady who refuses to give into love after a traumatic experience with her first love, DeJuan.  When Marley finally decides to give love one last try, she finds herself caught up in a eerie case of déjà vu.

Readers, who’ve enjoyed previous books by the aforementioned authors, will definitely be in for a treat. Tracy Brown fans will find that less is not really more and might feel shortchanged by a short story that ends way too soon.  Fans of K’wan’s gritty style will be impressed at the steaminess he displays as well as his story’s shocking conclusion.  While Angel Mitchell, who’s previous book displayed tons of drama, has revealed a much darker side.

Reviewed by Delonya Coners, RAWSISTAZ.com
—-
Delonya Conyers is an avid reader who enjoys nothing more than immersing herself in a good book.  She resides in NYC with her teenage son who shares his mother’s passion for reading.

DISCLAIMER:  All reviews are the personal opinion of the reviewer indicated and should not be looked upon as a consensus from RAWSISTAZ™, its founder, or The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers as a whole. They should however help in giving you an idea of what a book is about, along with its strengths and/or weaknesses.  In addition, books are submitted by the author, publisher or reviewer and NO FEES are ever associated with our review service.  They are done as a free service to the literary community.

**NOTE: This review should not be used without our permission.

Next Page »