Review: Twelve Years a Slave

Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A lot of people are saying this book reads like a novel, but I couldn't disagree more. It reads like a man telling his life story, which is fascinating, giving what the man became for twelve years, but not as engrossing as some of the new journalism that came out in the 60s and 70s by people like Hunter S. Thompson and Norman Mailer. Call it a book of its time.

I actually saw the movie before I read the book, and there's an interesting difference. The movie is about the life of a slave, while the book is more about slave life. There's actually a huge difference between the two. While I could empathize more with Solomon in the movie, in the book, you actually get a sense that slave life wasn't as horrific as it truly was, given that Solomon presents a fair depiction of both a kindly slave owner and a tyrannical slave owner. There's also much more hope in the book, which is refreshing, but it makes the situation not feel as dire as it truly was. This is one instance where I think the movie is better than the book.

Give it a read to get probably the most accurate depiction of slave life ever put to page. Just don't expect it to read like a movie, because it doesn't.

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Review: The Golden Compass

The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I can understand why so many people love The Golden Compass, as it's dark, intelligent, and intriguing, but it's just not for me. I really dig the world that Philip Pullman presents here with the daemons and bears and what not, but so much of the book feels like wasted time. It's not until the staggering ending that I really got into it. The rest of the book felt so disjointed and slow that I'm actually not sure if I want to follow Lyra the rest of the way through to the end of the next two books. Maybe I just have to give it time. Anyway, The Golden Compass may be your cup of tea, but it's certainly not mine. I at least say to give this one a try to see if this universe fits you. It's good enough to at least give it that recommendation. Just don't see the movie, since it doesn't do this book justice.

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Review of Five Days of Darkness

Five Days of Darkness by J.J. Michael
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Five Days of Darkness was an interesting read, but it wasn't really up my alley. In a way, and I'm probably one of the only people who's even seen this movie, but it kind of reminded me of the "The Fury" with all the conspiracy stuff thrown in. While I get that the author was trying to make the story interesting over the course of five days by having different viewpoints, I think the novel would have been better suited if we only had one character's POV, like maybe Serenity. Or Jack. Even so, there is a lot to like here, and even though I gave it three stars, I'd still recommend it. The plot is interesting and the writing is good. Give it a read.

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Review of In The Beginning

In the Beginning by Abby L. Vandiver
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

"God Help Us." Those three words carry this interesting historical thriller to a fascinating conclusion that makes me want to read more from this debut author. In the beginning of "In the Beginning" (See what I did there?), I was all set for something akin to "The Da Vinci Code", which I didn't like. But Ms. Vandiver gives the reader something completely different, mixing in some sci-fi elements that really set it apart from most religious historical fiction novels. Sure, it's a bit too long, and some of the characters didn't interest me at all, but it all wraps up satisfyingly and I definitely recommend it to anybody who wants a good yarn. Give it a read.

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Interview With The National Eyes of an Urban Pariah Author, Delali Norvor

(Image taken from amazon.com)

One of the things I love about talking to writers is that each personality is different. So here for the first time on this blog is a poet, which couldn't be any more different from the novelists I've had featured on here in the past. Her name is Delali Norvor, and she's only 17 years old. Hello, Delali.

Hello.

Your poetry book is called The National Eyes of an Urban Pariah. Can you please explain the title?

Of course! I will be breaking the title into two parts to make it understandable. The coined term “urban pariah” means a “black outcast” and the coined term “national eyes” means the nation’s current events and social issues Urban Pariah is witnessing and documenting in this book.

It seems the Trayvon Martin trial and outcome greatly affected you. Can you elaborate on that?

Yes, the Trayvon Martin trial and its outcome greatly affected me because we are the same age (17 years old) and we are black; even though I’m not male, I was affected by it because he is a minor like me. He is someone’s sibling, he is someone’s child, he is someone’s friend, and he’s someone’s classmate like me. If Trayvon was a violent teenager, it would have been a whole different story but that isn’t the case. We don’t know the truth and we need to know the real story here. We need justice for Trayvon Martin, period.

On your tumblr page, you say that Kendrick Lamar influences the way you write poetry. In what sense do you mean?

What I mean is that if you are a fan of Kendrick, you are going to instantly notice his style of lyricism. If you think about it, poetry and lyricism are the same except with lyrics, you need music to accompany the words. Rap is vocal poetry, you know. His style was something new. By something new, he is able to tell vivid stories in lines and stanzas under 3 minutes. The stories he raps about are visually about the problems and issues of America. I was influenced by him to write this poetry book which addresses the problems America is facing through the national eyes of urban pariah in short, sweet and direct form which Kendrick taught me.

Why the decision to write a book of poetry and not a novel? Do you feel you connect more with poetry than prose?

I basically wanted to address the problems of Urban America directly. I just wanted to get my point across and deliver it in a short manner so poetry was the way to do just that.

It's interesting that you chose to release your book independently. Why did you make that decision?

I’m only 17. This is my very first book I have ever done; I did submit my work to both traditional and independent publishers but it was the independent publisher that I felt I could be comfortable working with and they taught me each step of the publishing world thoroughly and effortless. I’m grateful for that experience and I don’t regret it.

In what sense are you an "urban pariah"?

I’m an “urban pariah” because I’m a minority, I’m black, the young adults society considers me weird and I’m definitely an outcast in school but I don’t mind being one because being an urban pariah gave me the ability to sit back, witness, and poetically document the world in a different point of view and a fresh poetic perspective than the average 17 years old living in Urban America.

What do you want to get across with your poetry?

I want my preachment for the progress of societal betterment in America and especially Urban America to get across with my poetry.

Do you see a future for yourself as a writer? On your tumblr page, you make it clear that you don't see yourself as a writer at all? Will we see more from the "urban pariah"?

Yes, I don’t see myself as a writer at all; I have this automatic cinematographic imagination as I write. I really want to be a film maker so I can get these stories to a mainstream and broader audience. I feel like my writings are just poetic storyboards for the future when I become a film maker. Yes, you will be seeing more from “Urban Pariah.” I’m working on the sequel and can’t wait for you guys to read it.

Okay, sounds good. Thanks for participating!

Author Spotlight on another blog

You can find my author spotlight here. I think it went pretty well, don't you?

Review of Lucky Girl By Violet Ivy

Lucky Girl: How I Survived the Sex Industry is a book about sex, but it doesn't feel too dirty, which is good, because I'm not sure I could sit through an entire book about sexual exploits. It would get tiresome after awhile, just like porn itself. But luckily, Violet Ivy, who tells her tale from being a topless model, to a stripper, to a call girl, is charming. She speaks with an easy-going attitude that carries you throughout the story. Many times, I got swept away in her life and wanted to know more about how nasty or weird some of her clients were (One of them liked to pretend he was a bird when he had sex). It's really quite insightful, and it's interesting to hear how a call girl looks at not only the industry, but also at herself as well. Early on, you can tell she's uncomfortable with her body and is actually surprised that people would pay good money to see her naked. That takes emotional depth, and a more spiteful person might have ranted about how all men are pigs. But all throughout, you never get a sense that Violet Ivy is cynical, which is refreshing. This is a woman who truly loves her job.

That said, if I have a complaint about the book, it's that it's a bit too long. Some of the chapters could have been excluded and didn't need to be so detailed. Also, since I was reading it on my Kindle, I actually wish there were some images to break up the text. I'm not saying anything too racy, but for a book about sex, a few pictures could have gone a long way.

Still, I liked this book and highly recommend it. I'll be interviewing the author very soon, so stay tuned for that.

Four out of Five stars