Month: March 2019

By Ally Bolender

Hello Readers!

I would like to recommend another blog that I think my Books for the Busy audience will find resourceful. I recently stumbled over Book Addiction, a WordPress based blog by a writer named Heather.

I am recommending this blog to my audience because the blog itself contains relatively short reviews. The author gets right to the point with her summary and recommendation. Heather writes to her audience in a very casual tone while being direct. She lets you know why you would like or not like the book without dancing around. In addition, It is refreshing to read an honest and distinct voice on a website not bombarded with paid advertising. Heather reviews books of all genres, from classics to self-help. And you can find archives of her recommendation dating back to 2008, so there are plenty of books to go through.

In addition, she reviews books that are new as well (located in the 2018 section or her home page), so you can keep up with the latest book trends and current popular reads. Because Heather’s blog has been building for such a long time, her audience is large, and they will often comments on posts to give their own opinions and debate among other readers. You can find yourself interested in books you may have not thought to give a try before.

But if you’re looking for something particular, you can choose to show results based off one of her categories: science fiction, women fiction, thriller, mystery, memoirs, young adult, and many more. I recommend giving Book Addiction a view if you want to find your next book quickly through trustful reviews from both an avid-reader, and everyday commenters.

Happy reading!

James Weldon Johnson

“Paris practices its sins as lightly as it does its religion, while London practices both very seriously.”

The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man is a fiction novel originally published in 1912. I know for some, older books are hard to read due to the language and writing style, but this one was beautifully and clearly written.

This novel tells the tale of a man who lived with the option of being a white man or a black man due to his light colored skin. The narrator, who is not named, experiences life from the eyes of a white and black man at different points in his life. He contemplates whether to represent his oppressed culture or to take the easy way out and live as a well-respected white man.

The novel describes the narrator’s pilgrimage through America’s color lines at the turn of the century — from a black college in Jacksonville to an elite New York nightclub, from the rural South to the white suburbs of the Northeast.

This is a powerful, unsentimental examination of race in America, a hymn to the anguish of forging an identity in a nation obsessed with color.

This novel played a major role in the Harlem Renaissance and the emergence of an African American culture. The central theme of double-consciousness was derived from Web Dubois himself. The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man novel shines a light on African American culture that not taught in your everyday history class. For example, the concept of “passing” for white that the narrator takes advantage of. In addition, the book details the culture of African Americans and how their creative works has spread across the globe, such as ragtime music and the cake walk.

I recommend this novel as a book for the busy because it is relatively short (my copy is only 98 pages) and every episode is crucial to the plot. Weldon doesn’t ramble, in fact, he often cuts scenes short to prevent himself from boring the reader. This extremely influential novel should be on anyone’s must-read list.

Purchase The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man, here.

Read more reviews, here.

Happy Reading!

By Ron Stallworth

A glimpse into a dark part of our history and one man who fought to change it.

In 1978, the community of Colorado Springs experienced a growth of Ku Klux Klan (KKK) membership. One brave man dared to challenge their effort: African American police detective, Ron Stallworth. 

Stallworth launched an undercover investigation into the Klan through two personas. He acted as the chapter’s leader over the phone, and as a cop and bodyguard of the Duke in person. In the process of the investigation, Stallworth battled internal departmental politics and dangerous close calls to successfully pull off this “sting”. Hero Ron Stallworth tells his ironic and true story of being an African American KKK member.

It can’t be denied that the KKK is still fully functioning, which is a scary reality. But the Black Klansman is very timely novel, all while providing a strong image of our history. 

As the story continues, it becomes less about racism and more about morality, or lack thereof, and why such hatred thrives in supposedly one of the most tolerant and free countries. Stallworth’s dedication to understanding and tolerance is extremely admirable as he communicates and works with the most intolerant people. It’s hard to imagine how Stallworth kept his cover through so many blood-boiling, on the edge-of-your-seat scenarios.

I am recommending Black Klansman as a book for the busy because of its short length and easy writing style. The chapters are relatively short, and the writing is consistent, clear, and concise. With that being said, I do think the author could’ve been a bit livelier with his writing. It’s an eccentric story and I think it deserves an eccentric voice to tell it. 

Regardless, the Black Klansman tells the remarkable story of a heroic man who took monumental risks to fight racism by infiltrating the Klan, and it will surely inspire and surprise you.

Purchase the Back Klansman, here.

Read more Black Klansman reviews, here.

Happy reading!