Life on Mars

Life on Mars by Tracy K. Smith
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Anyone who can write about birth, life, and wondering about our small place in the universe the way that Smith can totally deserves 5 stars. And a Pulitzer Prize for Poetry. Wait - she's got both! And refers to Charlton Heston and David Bowie in her poetry. Breathing a contented sigh.

Highly recommended mostly for 30-something hipsters or 30-somethings who like hipsters. Also highly recommended for other poetry lovers.

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The Fire Next Time

The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book was fantastic & very thought-provoking - sadly for many of the same reasons as when it was published in the early 1960s. It makes me interested to know what Baldwin would write now if he wrote a follow-up. I like to think that some things have changed, but maybe not at that deep psychological or philosophical level. Highly recommended.

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Pox Party

The Pox Party by M.T. Anderson

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Very interesting concept. Makes one question the motivation behind the American Revolution - not a bad thing for young people to be encouraged toward critical thinking. Anderson is a great & very versatile writer too - the difference between Octavian Nothing and Feed is tremendous. Definitely worthwhile for anyone who enjoys the Revolutionary War time period or is interested in African American history in the US.



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Blind Man With a Pistol

Blind Man with a Pistol by Chester Himes

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Lots of action. Definitely in a hard-boiled style. Racial tension, several murders, various other crimes make for a tense read. The story moves back and forth in time a bit, but in general progresses chronologically. I especially like it because the disjointedness between the chapters imitates the chaos of events and the confusion of the police (both the African American detectives - the main characters - and the personality-less white cops & detectives & officials they work with). Very sophisticated as far as hard-boiled crime novels go. :) Recommended for anyone who likes hard-boiled crime novels or is interested in the mid-20th century race riots.



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Voodoo Dreams : A Novel of Marie Laveau

This novel by Jewell Parker Rhodes is another excellent snapshot of life in New Orleans. This book takes place before the Civil War and paints a vivid picture of the city at that time. Voodoo Dreams is a coming-of-age story wrapped up in spicy Creole Louisiana, slavery, and - of course - voodoo. It's also a self-awakening story as Marie tries to find out who she is and what her purpose in life is - which is something all of us can relate to.

I cannot stress enough what a gifted storyteller Jewell Parker Rhodes is! There is something for everyone in this book, but the story belongs to Marie. Rhodes draws a part of the soul into this story. Very well-written! I suspect that Voodoo Dreams will appeal more to women than to men, but men with an interest in voodoo, New Orleans history, or who have read Interview With the Vampire will probably enjoy this book also. Readers interested in African American authors, but who are tired of the usual romance/Drama fare will also find this refreshing.

Very highly recommended for all readers! Not overly violent or sexual, but this is not a "gentle" read.

Slaves in the Family

This book by Edward Ball took me a week or so to read. Though some parts are a little dry, the subject matter is very compelling. Growing up, Ball knew his family had at one time owned slaves, but the family did not encourage conversation on this topic. Needing to know more, he began researching and trying to find the descendants of the slaves his family had owned. Not all greeted him with open arms and some of his own family members were hostile. Through the process he found several people who are very likely related to him. The book discusses slavery on the rice plantations of South Carolina and larger issues of the slave trade, changing political climates, etc..., but the focus is on this man's family and the families they owned. The family stories he tells and the way he connects families through history - his own and those of others -draws the reader through a dark period of American history that still evokes strong emotions today.

Recommended - I am not aware of any other book quite like this. And for a fairly thorough portrait of what slaveholders and slaves thought about their lives, this provides a pretty good perspective that acknowledges bias, but tries very hard to overcome that bias. Does not turn a blind eye to outrages committed by whites (his own family included), but the message is one of family and of hope.

Voodoo Season

Voodoo Season is a mystery set in contemporary (pre-Katrina) New Orleans, Louisiana. The author, Jewell Parker Rhodes, uses her knowledge of the voodoo religion and surrounding history and culture as the backdrop for this unusual mystery. This was a very quick read for me and I really enjoyed the colorful setting and characters. I particularly enjoyed how Rhodes described Marie's visions throughout the text. I found Marie to be a very likeable, believable character and I hope Rhodes will continue her adventures in self-discovery through the course of future novels!

I liked this well enough that I plan to go back and read earlier books of short stories and novels set in the past, which also have to do with voodoo and Louisiana mystical culture.

Recommended!