Pharell: Places and Spaces I’ve Been by Pharrell Williams
From The Neptunes, to N.E.R.D, to fashion, Pharrell Williams has redefined cool. And he doesn’t disappoint in his first literary offering. Williams, through dynamic images and words, brings all of his “dopeness” to light as he shares how he became the man he is today. “I didn’t want to do a book that celebrated me; I wanted to do a book that celebrated my moments of enlightenment.” In addition to sharing his insights, he also invited others to share theirs. Jay-Z, Vogue maven Anna Wintour, and interior designer Masamichi Katayama are among contributors to Places and Spaces I’ve Been. If you’re in Miami, Florida on Saturday (Dec. 8), you can catch Pharrell at a book signing at BalHarbour Shops (from 6-8 p.m. at 9700 Collins Avenue). And if you miss that signing, here’s footage from a recent signing in Los Angeles.
The Darkest Child by Delores Phillips
In Delores Phillips’s debut novel The Darkest Childthrusts the reader into the world of Rozelle Quinn, a mother of 10 children by 10 different men. Living in the backwoods of rural Georgia in the 1950s, Rozelle has one child that is intellectually heads and shoulders above her siblings. But unlike her mother and nine other siblings, this child cannot pass for white. Tangy, not only has to deal with the ignorance and cruelty against blacks that plagued the south during this Jim Crow era, she also has to deal with worse in her own home. Delores Phillips delivers this story with grace. It is a page turner.
Grace, Gold and Glory by Gabrielle Douglas
In her young life and with her small frame (standing at 4’11), Douglas has broken major ground. She is the first black woman in Olympic history to win an individual gold medal in gymnastics. She also won a gold in the all-around team competition. Thrust into the spotlight and forced to deal with media scrutiny about her hair and allegedly racial slurs hurled at her by teammates, Douglas handled it all with the same grace she showed on the uneven bars or floor competition. This book serves as a reminder of what anyone, especially young, black females, can achieve despite the odds stacked against her.
Deadlocked by Charlaine Harris
Charlaine Harris has been writing prolifically for more than 30 years. In addition to the Sookie Stackhouse (Southern Vampire Series), she has the Aurora Teagarden Series, the Lily Bard (Shakespeare Series), and the Harper Connelly Series. With this type of resume, it’s easy to see why Harris has made the list of Hollywood’s 25 Most Powerful Writers, landing at No. 14 with more than 20 million books sold.
The Life of Pi by Yann Martel
Canadian-born Yann Martel is certainly well traveled, having grown up in Costa Rica, Mexico and France. He also lived in India for more than a year where he studied religious texts. And he has incorporated many of his experiences from these places, from the beauty to the smells to the texture of his nomadic youth into this bestselling novel. The Life Of Pi, winner of the Man Booker Prize (awarded every two years for excellence in an original work of fiction with a cash prize of 50,000 euros), was recently adapted to the big screen where all of the magistry that Martel captures in the book comes to life. If you have seen the movie and enjoyed it, you will be happy to know that Yann is the author of several other works including the critically acclaimed We Ate The Children Last and Beatrice and Virgil.
God Loves You: He Always Has, He Always Will by Dr David Jeremiah
David Jeremiah is the senior pastor of Shadow Mountain Community Church in El Cajun California. Where he took over for pastor Tim Lahaye, best known for his bestselling Left Behind Series (65 million copies sold). In God Loves You, Jeremiah explains that believers are so focused on trying to get it right and being burdened when they don’t, that they never learn the important dimensions of the love that God has for them. As a result, we never receive all that He has to offer in the life of a believer.
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
Before there was the CBS hit show, Survivor to serve as a microcosm of society, there was Lord Of The Flies written by Sir William Golding in 1954. The book examines humanity and argues individual preservation versus the common good. When a group of well-educated young men are marooned on a deserted island and forced to govern themselves, all hell breaks loose and it is not long before the most primitive of human instincts come into play. While Lord Of The Flies is Golding’s most successful work, he has also written the award-winning novel Rites Of Passagethe first book of the trilogy To The Ends Of The Earth.
Jean E Rhodes: Stand by me - The Risks and Rewards of Mentoring today’s youth.
A child at loose ends needs help, and someone steps in--a Big Brother, a Big Sister, a mentor from the growing ranks of volunteers offering their time and guidance to more than two million American adolescents. Does it help? How effective are mentoring programs, and how do they work? Are there pitfalls, and if so, what are they? Such questions, ever more pressing as youth mentoring initiatives expand their reach at a breakneck pace, have occupied Jean Rhodes for more than a decade. In this provocative, thoroughly researched, and lucidly written book, Rhodes offers readers the benefit of the latest findings in this burgeoning field, including those from her own extensive, groundbreaking studies.
A Jarrell Hayes: To Woman, From Man: Love Poems
This chapbook is a declaration of masculine love for the feminine. The collection focuses on four types of love: Romantic Love, Unrequited Love, Sexual Love, and Love for Family.
The poems reflect the innermost feelings of men when they are unable to find the right words of expression.
S Denice Newton: Two Continents One Hope
When S. Denice Newton made a trip to Zimbabwe, on the continent of Africa in 2011, she didn't know that it would profoundly impact her life and change her focus. For several weeks she was able to see up close and personal, the devastation of the AIDS/HIV pandemic that is destroying black people in Zimbabwe. Additionally, economic devastation and political turmoil is leaving the people little to hope for. After returning to the United States, Denice focused on the crime, violence, AIDS/HIV crisis, racial intolerance, and other ills that are destroying black people in America. Why is the black community in such dire straits? Why are black youth dying in inner city streets every day? Why are preventable diseases still claiming lives of black Americans? Why is racial profiling seemingly a part of the standard operating procedure in law enforcement? She has concluded that the long-lasting effects of the Transatlantic Slave Trade yet remain because the souls of black people were lost in the chilly, dark waters of the Atlantic Ocean en route to America. It is critical that a diving expedition is conducted to retrieve the souls of black people if the next generation is to have any chance of success or survival.
TD Jakes: Relationship Bible
When you lay your head down on the pillow at night, do you find these questions about your relationship with God running through your mind? How can I know God personally? Can I find peace and true contentment? What is the purpose of my life? How do I know how God wants me to live? What is prayer?
Throughout our lives, we all face a long list of questions on relationships that trouble our souls and require real answers based on real truth. How do I forgive someone who has hurt me badly? Can I mend this broken relationship? When my world seems to be falling apart around me, who can I trust and in whom dare I confide? How do I know whether a person is the right one to date? Will my marriage survive? How do I nourish my child’s heart? What do I do with my fears about expressing my love and care to a friend?
The good news is that in God’s Word we find the answers to life’s bewildering relationship quest ions.
Davis M Robinson, PhD: Discipline Your Motivation
Discipline comes from the Latin word “disciplinaire”, which means “to impart education” or “to teach”. Motivation comes from the Latin word “motivus”, which means “a moving cause.” Do you have a moving cause that is asking more of your attention? Do you have certain desires, goals, or things you would like to accomplish? If you are like most, the answer is yes. Also, if you are like most, your reason for your inability to accomplish these things is a lack of motivation; but it's not. It is a lack of discipline. I believe when you have a thought or speak the words associated with your desire, that is your motivation. But the reason you don't fulfill them or even begin the needed tasks is due to your lack of discipline. In order to accomplish those goals, fulfill your desires, you will need motivation and discipline. The purpose of this book is to help motivate you to do those things that are not second nature to you--those things that require motivation, focus, effort, and discipline to pull you through as you move toward your goal or goals. Do you have Disciplined Motivation?
Kimberla Lawson Roby: The Reverend’s Wife
From New York Times bestselling author Kimberla Lawson Roby comes the ninth installment in her award-winning Reverend Curtis Black series. It's been months since Reverend Curtis learned that his wife Charlotte had affairs with two different men, and for now, he continues to be cordial and respectful to her. But he's also made it clear that once their son Matthew graduates high school, he will be filing for divorce. Charlotte, on the other hand, continues to do everything possible to make amends in hopes of saving their marriage. Unfortunately, Curtis is ready to move on and is being propositioned by a woman who desperately wants to become the next Mrs. Curtis Black. When the situation heads down a path that is frighteningly shocking, could it be the final blow to this once blessed?
