Read with me: Duke and I Part 1 I had my first Read with Me session last night on FB live and IG. It was a lot of fun. Please join me next week as we continue the shenanigans. Check out the video below. 

I love books! I love the written word. I used to devour them at the rate of one a week. My favorite genre is romance, particularly historical romance. Yes, I would kill a good period-error romance. One day, I will tell you of my introduction to books and how I even wrote a few. I still fancy myself an undiscovered talent. In my mind, I just haven't written the book that has led to my discovery as of yet.  Image by  Yuri_B  from  Pixabay   Unfortunately, I have fallen off of reading and have been meaning to get back into it. It is one of my most favorite things to do and brings me great pleasure. Whenever you can engage in something so simple that brings you joy, you should. It is a great stress reliever for me and for some reason, I have not been able to get back into it like I wanted to. If I could even read one book a month that would be great.  My lack of reading though has not stopped me from purchasing books to add to my library. I am happy that I expa...

I am on a roll. I just might finish my Donna Hill reading this month. So, this book has been out for a while. I probably should have went with one of her newer releases but I was intrigued. Divas Inc. was definitely worth the read. Margaret Drew has spent most of her life living in the shadows of her two fabulous "best friends" until one day they plan a vacation and leave her hanging. Instead of inviting her they ask her to house sit. Well, house sit she does. Margaret goes on an adventure that is a definite page turner. Throw in her eccentric grandmother, the comedy is nonstop. I loved this book. At first I thought Margaret was crazy for so many reasons but as the story went on I actually grew to like her. Donna Hill did a great job of infusing the story with a healthy dose of comedy.

If I Were Your Woman by Donna Hill So, I am done with my first book for my October month author spotlight which at this point might spill into November. I only have three more of her books to go, and I am working on Divas Inc. right now. So far, I am enjoying it. I had to jump into the contemporary because the romance stuff was starting to read the same. You know how it is when you read one genre a little too much. I need to step away from the straight up romance for a couple of books LOL. Anyway, If I Were Your Woman is a continuation of her Pause for Men series. This is the story of Stephanie and her new man. She recently stepped out of a very mess, very unhealthy relationship with a married man, and is trying to leave that past behind her. Of course, her new man has a secret that could ruin the whole relationship. I enjoyed this story. Donna brought back a couple of characters from Love Becomes Her that I would not mind seeing again and again. I enjoyed how the story unfolded and...

In Bed with her Boss Brenda Jackson kicks off the Three weddings & A Reunion Kimani Romance series with a steamy tale about an administrative assistant, Opal, and her sexy boss, D'Marcus . He is ornery and overbearing but she can't help but find him attractive. He purposely keeps her at a distance to stop his attraction for her from growing. This was a plain old sweet little love story that turned hot and steamy. Throw family interference and Brenda Jackson has created a memorable love story. I can't wait to read about how the remaining three sisters find love. Other Brenda Jackson books

I started reading the summer before I went to the seventh grade. I have no idea what got into me because I absolutely hated reading prior to that time. My cousins and other family members tried to get me involved in reading but I just was not buying it. Then I picked up a young adult romance novel. It was a wrap. After that I read every romance book I could get my hands on- Sweet Valley High, V. C. Andrews, Harlequin. You name it I read it. Then when I got to college, I discovered African American authors, starting with Beverly Jenkins. I was like a kid in an amusement park. I did not know what to do with myself. I actually made a habit of visiting my local library. I am still an avid reader even though I do not get to read as much as I would like; however my approach is different. I used to read by author. That is how I read all of Eric Jerome Dickey , Beverly Jenkins , Johanna Lindsey , Omar Tyree , and several other authors' earlier works. I would stick with that author until I ...

Since I am a lover of books, I thought I would let you all know what I am reading. I read in spurts. Because my life can get a little crazy, I can go weeks without picking up a book. Then there are those times that every time I turn around I am on to a new book. Anyway, this week I am reading Possessing the Secret of Joy by Alice Walker, the author of the Color Purple (just in case). From Library JournalA peripheral character in The Color Purple ( LJ 6/1/82) and The Temple of My Familiar ( LJ 3/15/88), Tashi becomes the focus of this welcome new work. Tashi, who marries Celie's son Adam, submits to female circumcision partially out of loyalty to the threatened tribal customs of her people, the Olinka. As a result, she endures physical pain and long-lasting emotional trauma. Not a sympathetically drawn victim, the tortured Tashi stretches to bridge two continents and to understand why women must undergo this torture, even at the hands of their mothers, for the pleasure of men. Thoug...