Tuesday, August 3, 2010

The Virgin Suicides



Never would I thought that multiple suicides would be so damn interesting. I read this book in one day! Not because I had nothing else to do, I have plenty thank you. But I was just blown away by this cursed family. Five sisters in this one house manages to kill themselves! It's not as great as The Pact by Jodi Picoult but it is worth reading.

After I've finished I realize that we don't know exactly what made them kill themselves. Was life that deep for them that they had to do it?

The quirkiness was on point, I will say. I could not help but laugh at the borderline obsession these neighborhood boys had toward the sisters. I mean I know teenagers intensify everything that is going on in their small bubbles of life (by the way I just had another talk with my own daughter who is about to hit middle school in three weeks, about how life is at that age, oh lawd I'm going to need some strong doses of Xanax. Is there a doctor in the house?)

What was I saying? Oh yeah teenagers feel that whatever they are going thru is the BIG ONE and no one will understand what they are going thru because no on other person on this earth has gone thru it. However the always monitoring what these god-like sisters were doing, listening to the same music just so they could feel what these sisters were mentally experiencing was hilarious! I've never been in love on that level but ay, whatever floated their immature boats.

I commend the author for taking on the challenge of writing on an intense, gloomy subject and twist it in this black comedy. I'm probably the only person who have not read this book or watched the movie when it came out which is cool. Never too late. I do give the go ahead to pick this zany, dark, buy quirky book.

Peace and Love

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Murders was never this sexy



The snake ate the frog and the frog was dissolved by the slug. Did you know that it took me until the end of this book to understand the riddle in which this story is based on? Of course you didn't but I'm telling you anyway! Even now as I have 2 growing kids I still get excited when I see a slug because I know I'm about to pour salt on this poor creature and watch it dissolve into a hardened black shell of something. Too much? Ah, it is what it is. I'm an observant writer, so sue me. Anywho my kids are geeked up when they see a slug spill its liquid onto the salt mount. I don't know what that liquid is and if anyone can tell me I would appreciate it; supposedly it is powerful enough to dissolve a frog, but again it's just a riddle - I think.

Ok so now that I have given you a 101 on riddles and slug juice lets get down to business. I always stress the importance of never writing on a topic that you don't have any clue about. From previous posts on my blog site www.diamondpconnect.blogspot.com that is a pet peeve of mine. I've written street urban lit before it became what it is, you wanna know why? Of course you do silly. Cause I live in the hood so I know some thangs that goes down, not all, but some. I don't try to sprinkle my story with hood cliches and if I do please for the love of God email me and let me know so I can slap myself and refocus!

My point is, is that this writer has beautifully written this, I'm going to call it love story, with the knowledge of pre- and post war experiences. The intricacies of the forbidden tattoo life in that time made me wanna hop on a plane and find someone in Japan to create the dragon tattoo I want on my back. It is described almost like a very sensual tango between lovers (aka tattoo artist and client). Sensual, forbidden, immortal, passionate - you get my drift, right? Oh and there is a murder in the middle of all this, a couple of them actually that will have you agreeing that this book should be renamed The Perfect Tattoo Murder Case.

A very powerful and sexy read, it's not too light or too heavy for a summer read. I'm just glad that I didn't return it to the library like I was going to. I have a tendency to borrow books and return them untouched, like I do my men! LOL

Peace and Love

Thursday, July 22, 2010

One Taste



Before I go on I just want you to look to your left - yes that is my work! Go ahead and check a bish out at www.sribd.com/talia_rice.

Now down to business.

Maybe I was doing too much when I decided to read another freaky book. Naw, my ass too damn freaky to not enjoy having or reading about sex. So it hurts me when I say that this book right here, this book right here, was not good. It says that a married couple who are not satisfied with their sex life or lack of one decides to step out. He hooks up with a crack head which proves my point on how men seem to downgrade when they wonder off from home. Wifey cheats on her husband with a big vibrator! Ms. Thang walking around happy as hell now that she has her little friend! She should have looked over and told her husband - 'say hello to my little friend!' Ok that was a little bit too much but I had to do it. But you know the bish is dumb to began with because she knew she was working with a two second brotha from the jump. I'm sorry but love is not the deal breaker these days. Ain't no one perfect but damnit your sex game has to be on point or at least be a freak like me, be up to tryin' new shit, spice it up, ya feel me.

Anywho, back to the husband. I don't understand how he could want to fuck with a bony crack head that goes back to smoking crack cause of his lil' azz peter weeter! I've had some bad ish but not enough to make me run out and do some drugs, especially crack! And here he is wanting to give her his life savings to this heifa! Men, gotta luv 'em for being sooooo stupid! And with all of this going on you have this gigantor brotha rocking a thirteen inch dick, I just don't understand what the hell he has to do with the story personally. It's just too much going on and it doesn't make me want to run out and put a couple of miles on my vibrator. Too confusing.

The cover says 'a fast paced sex thriller,' but I'm not feeling it. Yall can read it if you want but be forewarned you might be disappointed, just saying. I stopped on page 55 if that gives you any indication on how bored I was and that is all she is getting from me. NEXT!

Peace and Love

The Man Handler...a freaky ass story by a freaky ass writer by the name of Cairo

whew! I've had about a dozen cold showers since opening this book two days ago - literally, I wasn't playing. How the hell I missed this author I have no clue but I'm glad I came across him.

I know a lot of females once they get a hold of this book will feel the same way I felt from the hump, I mean jump. He walked all thru my mind with this one! He had to have personally talked to a female/s to do this sexy work of art. Let me break it down for you a little bit without giving away too much.

Ok, Bianca is her name and she is a bona fide freak, or a ho as she so proudly put it. She's a single woman, great career, no kids, and loves sex. I mean on a level that is astounding. And she describes her sex life down to the nitty gritty which was my reason for taking the numerous cold showers among other things I did to relieve myself! LOL, I know, too much info. It is what it is, we all grown here.

Anywho thru out the book she explains her trysts and her lack of love for sistahs who run their mouths about their business to 'friends' and for those stupid ass birds who allow their men to cheat. Yeah some men cheat regardless of their situation at home but some do cheat cause you don't give your man what they need, yall know men are sexual creatures. You take away the cookies they just going to go to another candy store!

Ain't no reason for cheating but if you fallen off and what I mean by that is you eat too damn much to the point neither you or him can see your ish, or you go to bed in frumpy clothes etc, etc, don't get mad at the other chick satisfying your man, get mad at your damn selves and then the dog that is doing the do!

Again anywho, this is a great book and it's hilarious how this girl treats these random men. If they don't abide by her rules, damnit they are gone! More females need to be like this. See if the one person that wants to take it to another level succeeds at settling this man handler down. Would you if you had a delectable selection of meat on call?

Off to another freaky book - One Taste by Allison Hobbs. In the meantime, do your thang but be safe and happy sexing!

Peace and Safe Love!

Caught



Now see this is why I say nosy people get what they deserve! Period! And this is exactly what this little girl got. I mean actually she was a grown ass woman reporter; so I stretched the truth a little. Anywho, this woman who decides to 'pretend' to be a thirteen year old girl on a website just to catch (hence the title) a pedophile for the tv show that she worked for. This is how the story blasts off. I love when a book get right to the point and don't dilly dally around (yeah I said it)

For whatever reason maybe it was the journalist in her, that made her push toward the truth. For whatever reason the broad goes and sees the supposed pedophile in a secluded area by herself by the way. One of the victim's father blasts in on the little meeting and shoots the pedophile. An chile, this story takes all the way off! the author takes you on a literary roller coaster. He successfully creates a realistic, believable plot and draws the reader (that be me) into each character until you are drinking in every lie, deceit and pain they experienced. No wonder there is a waiting list for this book.

Peace and Love!

The Pact by Jodi Picoult



The best love story ever told. Forget Romeo & Juliet, these two have them beat!

I think that as parents we forget or are in denial about reality. Or maybe it is where I'm from, reality encircles everyone to the point where it becomes our own entity. It's crazy how most parents forget what it was like being teenagers. How we thought everythang was about us and our problems were detrimental and no one else's even compare. LOL. But on a serious note, when teenagers commit suicide such as the one in this powerful story or commit murder in the school they were going to the community bands together and glorify their child into something they have invented in their narrow minds instead of calling it what they really were disturbed. Right under their noses these same 'angelic' kids had made bombs, collected guns for a hobby, or were having sex in their rooms whether by consent or not, or they were severely depressed and the parents claimed they did not see anything! I never understood that. Of course my kidz are no angels and I don't know what goes on in their heads but my eyes remain open without the color stained shades covering the truth. I just feel that with all of the little gadgets and discoveries we acknowledge you would think we would see what is going on up under our roofs.

This is what this story is geared toward. The lack of parents communicating the right things to their children before it's too late. Two sets of parents, living next to each other who has children born at the same time automatically assumes and welcomes the son of one and the daughter of the other family to get married; they do everything else together, why not? Except from the first page readers realizes that will not happen. The daughter is murdered commits suicide within the first paragraph. The son who alos was to commit suicide right along with his girl survives the ordeal wedging a state sized distance between the two families.

The story unravels as the author describes meticulously how each set of parents, individually and collectively, respond to the suicide, the depression they thought the two had, life and the title of 'murderer' that lingers heavily over the surviving teenager like the Scarlett Letter.

Realistically I think Ms. Picoult describes their responses perfectly. I hesitantly put myself in the situation and I know for a fact I would act the same way. When my daughter got hospitalized after being diagnosed with diabetes I got upset as people visited even after returning home because they can go back to their normal perfectly healthy family while I now deal with two children with disabilities - alone. It wasn't their fault; that just happen to be the cards they got dealt with. To this day I can say they have handled their reality a hell of a lot better and stronger than I have.

Anyway, great read for the summer!

Peace and Love

Monday, July 12, 2010

The Lie by O.H. Bennett

Awww, what a refreshing book. Or maybe I have a special place for it since it was written in a neighborhood in Indiana. Whatever this is a excellent book. This right here is what I have been talking about when I put in one of my posts that just because street urban is becoming popular and making some money doesn’t mean that is what you as a writer need to write about especially if you know nothing about living in the hood. Don’t even attempt to do it because all you are going to look like is some white person trying to be down with black people and act like they are down for the struggle but then go home to their multi-million dollar home, attend their private school, and drive around in some foreign car that they cannot even spell without looking at the logo on the car. We go through a hell of a lot more than just messing in the drug game or falling in love with the infamous kingpin, only to have him turn the girl into a prostitute or a stripper. A talented writer can turn something simple like digging up their noses and turn it into a literary work of art with the street edge to it.
Get into Sister Souljah’s ‘Coldest Winter Ever’ and ‘Midnight’. Midnight is a perfect example because she took a family from a different country and put them into the ghetto. She wrote with street like precision about how the son had stepped up as the man of the house and gained respect from the streets. She did not put the typical hood clichés into the storyline, she just wrote. Her talent spoke for itself and made the book a success.

O.H. Bennett did this. The Lie was set back in the day where racism was evident through the school systems and they still had ‘Do not serve colored’ here signs. Terry Matheus is the younger brother of Lawrence Matheus. The story starts with Lawrence being shot right on the front porch of their home. Police are called, the whole neighbor comes out (you know how we do, we always have to go outside and see what is going on like it’s some tv show) the parents come home. Then the story. Terry tells this story of how some white boys from out of town stops to ask Lawrence directions to the city county building, upon driving off they came back around and called him a nigger and shoot him right there on his porch. Believable story.

What unravels after the incident is pure genius. This small hard working family is suddenly thrown into a living nightmare and how they respond to the shooting is so realistic. I know I keep addressing characters but if you don’t have great distinguishable characters you minds well give it up, you will not have a memorable book. Terry is eventually brought to the mastermind of his brother being shot after going on a rampage with his crazed uncle who he used to look up to and breaking into some redneck’s home and stealing his stash of weed and beating the crap out of him.

Lawrence’s little girlfriend Tamera Groves has her own secrets as well brewing in her stomach in the shape of a baby that she is aborts for fear of her abusive live in boyfriend from finding out and finishing her off. Everyone has secrets, some can kill a person, some can shift a whole future and some can cause a lifelong heaviness. It’s how one reacts to the secrets that decides the outcome. It’s all about forgiveness in the end.

I can see why this author is destined for great things and many books under his belt. Hopefully one day someone will write that about me.

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Library or Liquor Store?

Summer is officially here. You wanna know how I know? Women have become walking advertisements to their bodies. Literally they have stripped their winter clothing and all other clothing so that lil’ boys (cause this apparently do not have a age limit) and men can see what they can have to physically offer. Somewhat like window shopping. Now I’m not saying that I am some nun in a Catholic church that walks around with her whole body covered. I like my body, but I also know how to dress casually without broadcasting what I have under what I’m wearing. I’m getting older; it’s a shame that I see mamas walking around in the same outfit that their daughters are wearing and probably bought from the same department. It makes me just shake my head.
But that’s not the purpose of this whole lil’ story. Parents, lets talk, adult to adult. School’s out. Your kidz are running around driving you and everybody else crazy. As we speak my six year old lil’ boy running around chasing his sister trying to fart on her. My house is small az hell, if you smelled what I smelled you would kick him out until his sick booty is repaired! I’m a big kid, 31 going on 6, I swear. I try to do as much with my kidz as I possibly can because my daughter is going to middle school and sooner or later she will slowly press away from me to become her own woman, it’s my job as a parent to equip her and my son with ish that they will be able to use once the time arrives for them to handle they business on their own. One thing I am proud of my kids is that they are in love with reading. We literally are at the library every day. Granted they still are human and are enticed by technology so they will spend most of their time in the children’s computer room but they will also pick up a book and stow away in some corner to read. I like to humbly take credit for that. From the jump they have seen their mama reading a book. They’ve seen me writing because they know that is what mama loves to do, write. My daughter will stop in the middle of her day and write story after story reminding me of when I was younger making up stories and putting my words to paper. My son results to just following behind me and making up a story rather than write but I’ll take it in any form long as I know their brains are being useful in these hot azz months we call summer.

What disappoints me though is the lack of my mirror image there at the library. Or if they are there, they are too busy running around instead of running around picking up books. Or they are logging on the computers to go to their Facebook pages or YouTube to listen to music they know good well they should not be listening to. The employees at the library try to monitor what sites the kids can explore in the Children Services but you know how that goes, they have to go and tend to other kids, programs or restocking of materials.

(Let me pause here a minute. I’m not trying to down-grade my people. I love my people and I want them to exceed in everything, real ish.)

I go to Hanna Homestead park a few blocks down from my street and I see little kidz, three-five years old, cursing. The language is messed up. Half of them cannot conduct a legit sentence but could rap the hottest song on the radio word for word, and it’s the explicit version too! Fort Wayne has created a bigger and better main library with sources I still haven’t used yet and still we choose not to take our kidz there to take advantage of them. We even had a library built in the hood. Still no kind of movement.

Because of what I’ve seen in this short time since school let out I’ve become determined to start a campaign. Haven’t decided what I want to call it but my mission is that all kidz regardless of race, needs to have a library card and easy access to use that library card. When your baby is born, library card should fall right after getting your child’s social security card. I ain’t jokin’! Yall laughin’ but these babies are our future. I don’t wanna come off preachy but it is what it is. Get off your lazy azzez and take your kidz to get a book. Books can enhance their reading skillz, math skillz, communication skillz, you get my drift. Most of yall are concerned with going to the liquor store as soon as it opens or the clothing store or the grocery store, food stamp card in hand easy, but stutter and squirm when your kids mention the L word like it’s some type of holy water that will burn you. They have programs that would keep your kidz busy and interested. Every summer they have the reading program where kidz can receive prizes for how much they read. They have students come in once a week and read to the kidz and the kidz read to them. I mean a lot of ish, and it’s fun seriously, I’m not lying. Don’t be scared! What you think lightening will hit you if you step into the library?

Anyway, like I said I am on a mission to create this campaign for every child to have a library card. I’m going to contact some libraries to see if they want to come on board with it, which I would think they would; so stay tuned and as my plan unravels I will keep you informed. But in the meantime go to the library!

Oh, one more thing; the library is not a place for you teenagers to meet with your boo to chase him/her around. A real man/woman loves when a man/woman is capable and excited to pick up a book to better themselves mentally. It is cool to have a book in your hand and actually read it. A friend I ran into at the library actually said that no one told us that we can become writers or to really pick up a book other than what the school told us to read for a class. Well I’m going to be that person to tell you that you can. With all the urban lit being created I guarantee you lil fast girls and horny boys will even get into this movement.

Peace and Love

The Sleeping Dragon

Again what is it with me and Japanese writers lately but it is what it is, apparently we Americans are missing something in the writing world and we need to check a couple of these Japanese out and take some serious notes. The Sleeping Dragon, whew, where do I start? I’m glad that I’m not the only one who has a crazy mind that unleashes some crazy ish now and again. A typhoon floods the streets of Tokyo, we all know what a typhoon is so I don’t need to explain. A mediocre writer for some newspaper/magazine happens to be driving in the streets while the streets are getting pounded with torrential rains in a car that is similar to my old one (stops when it wants to cause it thinks it has it like that, LOL). Out of nowhere he almost runs over someone who is fixing their bike at the side of the road but manages to stop in time. That is where ish starts to go downhill. That is why I will never, ever, ever, pick up strangers off the street, I don’t give a damn if the person is covered in blood – that may not be that person’s blood but someone else’s and they are on the hunt again to kill someone else (me) for kicks!

The story is told in the view of Kosaka, the journalist who picks up the young boy by the name of Shinji. I kind of don’t like doing my own stories completely in this view because I feel like my readers would be missing something from the other characters that make the story but Miyuki did it perfectly in this one. It serves its purpose at the end after everything comes together and all of the questions are answered. But anywho, as they are driving they run over something. Kosaka stops and gets hit with the pounding rain as he tries to figure out what the hell he ran over. Come to find out it was a manhole someone opened up. This fool sitting here trying to close the thing before someone accidentally falls in it, if it was me I would keep it moving but it wasn’t me so as he is attempting poorly to close this drain up, another man comes out of nowhere asking him has he seen his son. Kosaka puts two and two together and realize that the boy most likely fell into the drain and drowned.

Lets fast forward a little bit and get into who this little boy he picked up really is. Just so happens that Shinji is a mind reader. He is able to touch people, things, whatever and get a vibe off of it. He touches Kosaka and tells him a few things about his deepest secrets. Kosaka doesn’t want to have anything more to do with this stranger especially since the boy told him who had opened up the manhole that leads the seven year old to fall to his death. Consciences come into play in all of the main characters as in real life and some freaky azz ish start to happen in this journalist’s life. Bet he never thought his life could become this interesting this quickly. Oh, and another mind reader similar to Shinji name Naoya comes in the middle of this whirlwind psychic mess. Mysterious callers that only answer by tapping on the phone, blank letters appearing at Kosaka’s place of employment; I’m telling you this is a good read for the summer. Check this author out!

Peace and Love

Friday, July 2, 2010

Second Sight by George D. Shuman

I have a serious knack for picking up good azz bookz which I have said many times. This time was no different. (Yes, every so often I'll get a bad apple, don't we all have one of those in every family?)

Sherry Moore has been blind for 32 years of her life. She also has a special talent that allows her the privilege to work with the police department. I know, it's starting to sound like the show Medium. Luv the show but this is not that. Ms. Sherry has the ability to touch dead bodies, (I see dead people! Come on now, you knew I was going to say that) and see the last moments of the person's life. Crazy ish ain't it? Now this story would not be a story if something off the chain didn't happen. Exposure to radioactive waves sends her to a vacationed stay at a hospital for treatment. Eventually a good friend and doctor evaluates her to see if she still has her gift. One hand later, her brain sends a contorted vision that jolts bad feelings in her as well as seeing, yes seeing. After 32 years Sherry Moore can see. She quickly learns that life was a hell of a lot better when she was blind.

The author successfully has woven all the characters playing in the book together to create a believable plot. Like how I like my movies, the action hits the ground running from the jump, that's how this novel is. He inserted parts when needed and intensified ish to make the reader (that would be me, duh) continue reading. A great psychic suspense, but don't take my word for it; ok take it a little bit. My point tho is to go and get it!

Peace and Love