African-American Books

This book is filled with nostalgic black and white vintage photos of her family which will remind you of your own family back in the good 'ol days...don't miss out on the Pineapple Upside Down Cake baked in an iron black skillet, oh my!!!

Foolproof recipes with entertaining family stories. Every recipe I've tried has turned out perfectly (with the exception of the slow-cooked caramel icing) so this is my new Dessert Bible!

This book has alot going for it! Not only does it contain the author's charming vignettes of her family history, it also has the best recipes in the country! It's a great book on different levels -- fun to look at, fun to read, and fun to create delectable memories with our own families! A+++++

Patty Pinner's childhood comes to life through her stories & recipes, and her "womanly" advice adds charm to her cakes and pies. I have to admit, this is the only cookbook that has found it's place on my bedside table because of the great stories and old family photographs.

This is a great book. I made the strawberry cake that is on the cover for Thanksgiving and it was delicious! Everybody raved about it. I also love the stories that also go along with the recipes. A great buy!

In. My. Purse.

All. The. Time.

Seriously ---- This book is amazing. It has a permanent home in my purse... (it's not too small, not too big - just right) And I use it almost daily....or at least a few times per week. Sometimes I'm in a bad place and need a quick inspirational message, and sometimes I just feel like feeling better about something....Whatever the reason, you will LOVE THIS BOOK. I ordered 5 more after I got it to give to friends and family...that's how much I love it. I know when some open it they will think "ummm....ok..?" at first....but they end up thanking me later.

GET THIS BOOK you wont be sorry!

this book has been so helpful at valuable to me so many tough times like i'm going through now. the messages are short but powerful. this book will certainly help you restore your peace. like another poster said mine is getting worn out.

Each time my spirt is down, or I'm going through a situation, I turn to this book. I hold the book in my right hand by its spine, fan the pages with my left hand to stop at randum. The passages I've read, I have felt its deep spirtual feeling and I understand its meaning. Then I reflect on my situation and the passage fits. It helps me to understanding whats going on. It uplifts my spirit to deal with my situation. It give me insight to view my problem from a different angle. It also assures me that what I am currently going through will end. I will get through it. In my view, its a powerfull book. I have read several other books by Iyanla, even watched her talk show (sorry that went off the air), but like the bible, I keep Faith In The Valley near by.

This is my FAVORITE book by Iyanla Vanzant because of: It's size(small enough for your tiny purse), its lack of preach-i-ness and how the index is organized by subject. I feel its a synopsis of all the subjects covered in her other books. I also feel the book is applicable to women of ALL cultures. You can use it as a daily guide or you can use the index to find a subject for which you could use guidance.

I can not express how insightful and helpful this book is! It really makes you look deep into the reason(s) why you thought you needed a book of affirmations in the first place. This book is perfect for those "why me" and "I really can't take any more" moments when you feel like life, and everything in it, needs to give you a break. If you're a woman experiencing a lot of change in your life and it seems like you just can't handle another crisis (or is it a crisis afterall?), this is the book for you. I carry it in my purse!

I have all of her short story books and this one doesn't disappoint. I get so much energy and enthusiasm from reading about her downtrodden characters finding strength and purpose through loss and love (in that order). I know some are turned off by the poor ande desolate situations that many of her characters find themselves in...but keep reading, there is a lesson and triumph of the human spirit at the end of each story. I would pick up her other books as well. J California keep the short stories coming!

Truly, first impressions are lasting; from lust to disgust, they trigger a reaction, a judgement, a bias. But, if life teaches you anything sensible, it's that that first blush evaluation is more often skin deep, rather than the heart of the story.

My first encounter with J. California Cooper's writing--a title recommended by an acquaintance several years ago--was like a blind date with someone you swear's not your type. It was over practically at the beginning. All I recall of the book is that it didn't grab or impress me in those first ten pages, so I closed and dismissed it, and any thought of ever taking up this author again, from my mind.

So I try to be more expansive--go out of my way a little, be more patient, perceptive--as I grow older. THE FUTURE HAS A PAST was a selection of my local library's book club for adults. I balked at reading it--the reflex of a lasting impression!--at first, but then, because I wanted to be in on the discussion, decided, Why not? Why not give it a chance?

The worst thing you could say about the four longish-to-lengthy short stories here is that they come from an "old-fashioned" sensibility. Neither in tone, vision or perspective are any of these stories hinting at pragmatic, expedient or "moral relativist" values. No, sir and no, ma'am, Ms. Cooper offers no other than timeworn, tried-and-true life learned lessons.

The narrative tone she takes on is the front porch storyteller: a grandmotherly sort, or a real or "pretend" great-aunt, the kind who of an evening, gently rocking in a porch swing, might chitchat, or, better yet, regale you (if you were "grown" enough to appreciate it) with stories that edged on gossip, but were actually instructive, moral tales about how people, neighbors and friends even, handled their chances and choices. "Home truths" and downhome homilies gussied up as mini-biographies.

The literary landscape of these stories lies in the shadow of Zora Neale Hurston--the archetypal questions of how workingclass women empower or disable themselves, and just what do they settle or strive for--in territory between Alice Walker and Toni Morrison, between Toni Cade Bambara and Terry McMillan. By and about women, but not necessarily restricted to being for women.

There's the woman compelled to count her blessings when she compares her conventional life to the fettered and unfettered lives of her childhood friends. The young woman, enriched yet emotionally isolated by her mother, told she's ugly and unlovable so long and hard she believes it, who craves the opportunity to live and love. The hardworking single mother approaching middle age who's got to decide where her grown children's needs end and her own begin. The longsuffering comeuppance the young, single mother gives her "player" boyfriend, the would-be father of her children.

These are earnest, plainspoken stories--not without humor, and a tear or two of hard-earned pathos--that usually take a bit to get started, but are then mostly straightforward.

In a sense, this book provided conversation that engaged me. It also offered this man some sound advice about the real stuff of love and marriage, making a relationship right and workable. Stuff to think about, live by. It was worth that second look.

This was my first reading of CC. I loved this book. It is a woman's book but men would learn a lot about how women think and feel if they read this book. The stories are sometimes sad, very very real--like what life is really like... I think Ms. Cooper is going to end up being one of my all-time favorite authors. I am a white woman who enjoys black writers, especially female writers. They can explain real life better than anyone else I have read.

As with all of Coopers books, it is another page turner! Once you get started it is hard to put the book down. I have all of her books and in the process of reading Wake in The Wind. Each story in The Future Has a Past will have you on the edge of your seat waiting to turn the page! I would recommend any of her books to read! BRILLIANT!!!!

J. California Cooper has a gift for good writing! I really enjoyed all these short stories as much as her other ones. I can't say that I have a favorite because I enjoy them all equally! This one has more of a theme in all four stories. All the women were hard, hard-working women with children to raise and doing with it no-good men. However, they all were able to find love and it was true love. That is what I like about Ms. Coopers stories, they may be stories of strength and struggle, but love always conquers. I will always be a big fan of Ms. Coopers and I hope she has many more stories and novels to come.

I loved each and every story in this book. They are very enlightening and gives you a sense of how relationships are supposed to be and how to live a fulfilling life

I loved this book! It is absolutely wonderful..I can't put it down.Every short story is a page turner and I've learned so much through reading her books! I highly recommend this book!

This was a nice read, but not good for a book club discussion. The book includes some awesome stories that makes you feel good about love. The only thing we didn't like was that all of the stories were written in another (older) time period. It would have been good if the stories could have reflected modern times.

loved this and bascilly all of her books! Once I get started I read them till I am finished, nonstop.

Sometimes even your best friend hesitates to tell you when she/he knows you're playin' a fool, but in this book of rollicking stories, you may see yourself in a few, and Ms. Cooper will be your new best friend for pointing things out to you. Even after 20+ years of marriage, I could still find useful insights ("wake up, girl!") into life, love, and perseverance. You can sink real low, but nobody can KEEP you there but yourself. Ms. Cooper gives literary voice to a large number of African American women, and her writing is as meaningful (and maybe more so) to those who are not African American women.

This is a collection of thought-provoking poetry, lyrics, quotes and short stories that tell about life in all its many moments. Most are hope-filled and positive. Others deal with the hurt and loss that occur in our modern day world.

Chase Von has such a deep and meaningful poetic voice. Each poem has a flavor all its own. He uses emotions and images to capture the reader and draw him in to the very heart of the action.

Among my favorite poems were Pink, Blue and Green, A Poem, I Am The Future, and A Letter Home. Each of these touched me very much.

Pink, Blue and Green is a poem that talks about racial intolerance. It is very clever. Not even an albino is free of this bias.

In A Poem, Chase shares the moment when a couple breaks up. He works through the loss by creating a poem. What a fitting tribute to what they once had!

I Am The Future shares the joy and importance a child brings to a family. How they become the focus of the parents. They are their present AND their future.

A Letter Home discusses the heartache of never knowing your ancestors because of slavery tearing cultures apart. I am part American Indian, and it made me think of how my ancestors were devastated, too. This poem touched me the most.

The lyrics are about friendship and love. They stand well on the written page. But, when I've heard some of these performed, they are great!

My favorite is I'm Your Friend. It is a very heart-felt song. Read it when you are sad or lonely.

Chase Von's quotes are quite profound. They make you realize how special his talent is. He can encapsulate a deep thought in such a way that it becomes immortal. His one about the universe being big enough to hold your dreams should be tacked on the wall of every child.

The short stories are very diverse and interesting. My favorite is The Tree and the Butterfly. It talks how helping each other in this fleeting world is important.

In closing, this showcase of selections is only the tip of the iceberg of Chase Von's talent. Take your time and enjoy them. I'll eagerly await the next book!

Dawn Huffaker
Author of Flights of Fancy, Volume 1 (Second Edition)

This varied and earnest volume reveals the devotion Chase has for the power of words. "The Face Of," "Falling Stars" and "Will Be" are highlights, but there is something witty, wise or wisecracking to be found in virtually every poem.

Challenging, reflective and motivating, delivered with panache.

The Last Panther Speaks to us through poetry, lyrics and short stories that does much more than just touch your life.

"Don't live behind the walls that guilt built
The longer you stay incased in that tomb
The harder it becomes to break free
And write a new and different story
With the pen
That is your life"

Love it!

"True love is the bridge
That covers the gaps
Left by
Misunderstandings
And like wise
Understanding
Is the passage way
Through which
True love
Enters our lives"

"Your Chance To Hear The Last Panther Speak" is a huge asset to the literary world as well as anyone, from any background, who takes the time to read it. I specifically suggest it to young adults and teenagers on a path to figure themselves out and too unsure of how to surpass the labels instilled within their life through the ignorance of society.

One thing that impressed me most is that Chase Von does not only help people surpass their label but also leads by example. A tough feat for anyone, but especially someone who lived within the label of a strong, unemotional gangster.
No matter what I face in life I can always find a write that I can relate to. He has the ability to put what other people are thinking but can't always articulate, into words. Beyond that, his writing style is versatile (Which is a talent few writers have) but the content always remain powerful!
I was reluctant to pick up the book, reading the words 'Black Panther" within the title I made an incorrect assumption that the book was aimed towards an audience interested in reading the message of the group The Black Panthers.

"Don't judge this book by its cover"

The works are moving (sometimes to the point of tears) and will teach you life long lessons.

Audrey MichelleVanity? The Pieces of Audrey MichelleVanity? The Pieces of Audrey Michelle

From the first poem "my silence" posted on my page and through every stories and poems, it resonnated in my heart... this book will not leave you indifferent, it will challenge you for some, comfort you in your views for others, in a way or another, if it's by the beauty of the writting or by the meaning of his content,with certainty , i assure you that it will expand your heart and soul.

Thank you Chase for shining and being you.

"Where in today's world

Are those that truly carry on

The torch

That he so brilliantly lit our world with?"

You are one of them my friend.
Sincerely,
Flavia

John Elmore shares shocking and interesting facts, and personal war stories about our legal system. "Fighting for Your Life" provides 150 pages worth tools--from advice that can be a virtual "get-out-of-jail-free card,"--to knowledge that can SAVE YOUR LIFE. I recommend this book for everyone. As a law student getting ready to practice, I found this book to be an easy read, but not easy to forget.

This book is a must have/must read for anyone interested in studying, or participating in, the legal system. John Elmore's experience and insight are delivered in an easy to read way that makes the book an incredible resource for students or practitioners.

Fighting for your life is a resource guide for anyone and everyone no matter what their relationship to the law! Law Students, Practicing Attorneys, Criminal Defendants, or family members and loved ones of somebody who is either in jail, has been arrested, or is facing criminal prosecution can all benefit from owning this book. John V. Elmore offers each of us a practical, hands on, "If I'm in trouble, this is the book I need to read" guide to understanding your rights and making sure that they are not violated. Most importantly, the author has experience and knowledge of the law from every angle; He was a criminal defense attorney, former state trooper, and former prosecutor. In his book, he tells you exactly what to do and how to do it so that when you find yourself in a position where you are fighting for your life, with his book you have a fighting chance to win.

As a African-American prosecutor, I am often frustrated by the number of young African-American defendants who come into the courtroom completely unprepared and unaware of how the criminal justice system operates. John Elmore's book is a must read for anyone facing criminal charges.

Fighting For Your Life: The African America Criminal Survival Guide told by John V. Elmore, Esq. and Foreword by a friend of the literary community, Mr. Tony Rose is the most responsible book on the planet.There is something that rang a familiar air of discord as I glimpsed at the chained arms on the cover of Fighting For Your Life: The African America Criminal Survival Guide told by John V. Elmore, Esq. and Foreword by a friend of the literary community, Mr. Tony Rose.

I knew immediately that if I was not interested in fighting for my life, I would not open the book, and no matter how mysterious the picture on the cover with two fingerprints that look the same, but if you look carefully, do not match at all. My very own hands longed to free the cuffs of another black man whose time did not fit the crime, and by no means do I condone crime. I am speaking for my brother, father, sister, mother, grandparents and friends who lost love ones who wound up behind bars thanks to the unfair practices of the judicial system while their white counterparts got slaps on the wrists, but this is another story.

The truth is, as I read each page of one of the most "Think Before You Act" books ever written to help Black Americans stay safe in situations, or even avoid crime, the focus became clear that this book matches its title, and is indeed the first African American Justice Survival Guide ever to approach the answers to the questions Black African Americans have asked about avoiding the fatal flaws of the criminal justice system. It leaves out subjective opinions or views that could cause even the most innocent man to wind up dead. It happens everyday, and rather than for folks to remain ignorant of the fact that like criminals the criminal justice system does not discriminate between which blacks should suffer the injustices in situations, Fighting For Your Life: The African America Criminal Survival Guide is a wake up call for everyone.

It doesn't matter who you are, where you come from, what you are wearing, how much money you have, or how well you are adored by the community you live in. YOU too can be a victim of the criminal justice system, and not to take away anything from the hard working police officers who protect the community and sincerely care about the communities they protect and serve. We are talking about a universal code of conduct that once this book becomes a part of university law study curriculums, criminal justice undergraduate classes, required by youth in detention centers and those subject to light time in prison, and. or as a gift to perhaps your young son or child, the world will begin to play it safe when it comes to doing the job of being a civilian or an officer of the law.

Fear breeds in those who serve the justice system due to unpredictable deaths and murders of peers in the force that cause underlying tension, and retaliation. Racism still runs amuck. Ignorance still breeds within our own communities when we respond to situations with pride. I say, read Fighting For Your Life: The African America Criminal Survival Guide to WAKE UP and understand that nothing is more important than saving your life, and even if it means you have to fight for it. You will discover Defense Attorney, John V. Elmore's complete tour of the criminal justice system from the point where those who stand accused or violated can acquire a public defender or attorney for hire, the client's rights and crime report to what to do if you are a victim of brutality, wrongly accused, or required to attend preliminary hearings.

Readers will also, be given pointers on attire in court, making bail, and if not...the grand jury process and some top lawyers who can be contacted and will help the accused fight for one's rights. It doesn't get any better than this.

On a lighter note, I have to discard all reviews of books about the criminal justice system after reading this book which really presents the facts. I encourage all urban writers to read this book before attempting to write a single line about crime and outcomes in novels. If you need facts, this is a great tool for the urban writer as well.

As a reviewer, Fighting For Your Life: The African -American Criminal Justice Survival Guide is certainly on the top of my list for fact checking and research. IT is a thorough and accurate guide that is intelligent, sensible, and can be the cure-all of calling a truce between the criminal justice system and those accused. Yes, if you are guilty, there are penalties, but this book wants you to only do the time if it if fits the crime, and keep you living, because even the criminal has a family.

This is about humanity and cutting down the abuse and brutality of youth who are the product of the environments in which they live. The story is not finished, and we still owe another book to the survivors. I would have liked to read more about Hurricane Carter, Alfred Houston, Angela Davis, and even Mr. Tony Rose. This book will definitely welcome the trend of survivor stories. Def Jam's Bruce George is dedicating an anthology to The Bandana Republic, and Neshee Publication is acquiring stories for Fight To The Finish Line. All of these books are in demand

by our youth, young adults, local gang members, those serving time, those of the criminal justice who want to better understand their role as officers of the community, parents and people who care about the state of America on crime, and of course...address what we all need to know to survive. A new genre is born. All praise goes our to John Elmore, Esq., a criminal defense attorney, former state trooper, father of four boys, teacher and attorney general.

My older niece loves this book, all about a black girl who, as you expect, loves her hair.

She describes it in various poetic and imaginative terms - her hair can be like a globe, or be spun into a braid; it's curly like a vine winding into space; she likes to wear her hair in "ponytails like wings".

There are some unnecessarily didactic elements - kids at school teased her, so her teacher talked to them about having Pride in Your Heritage (a good concept, the whole book is about that, but that page wasn't so well-handled, I think), and her mother starts talking to her directly about how she's "lucky to have this head of hair" when she complains that haircombing *hurts* sometimes.

Also, some of the illustrations have odd perspective - I'm thinking specifically of one where she's going down the street with beads in her hair.

However, overall this is a really great book. And my nieces (aged five and 2.5) agree. They love reading this book.

My daughter loved this book as it has vivid illustrations and really helps to promote a love for African American hair!

IF YOU WERE THINKING OF BUYING THE BOOK "NAPPY HAIR", GET THIS ONE INSTEAD. ITS BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN.

This is an excellent book for building confidence in African-American girls about the natural beauty of their hair. The pictures are wonderfully done and contribute to the feeling of pride you get when reading this book. My daughter especially related to the part where the little girl makes music with the beads in her hair, and I try to remember to be as compassionate as the mom in the book when I comb her hair.

I purchased this book for my 3 year old daughter. She is only 1 of two black girls in her class of 16. This has been great for her. She asks me to read the book all the time. The book was also good for me too. It helped me to remind me to be proud of my hair and all of the wonderful styles and the great history of our hair. I just love it when my daughter says "I Love My Hair."

"A vivid account of how Jackie Robinson and Branch Rickey shattered baseball's age old color line. A must read for baseball fans everywhere. A wonderful book so ably pulled together by noted baseball historian and journalist Harvey Frommer."

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"Just a terrific book. It fills in so many of the blanks about the story of Jackie Robinson and Branch Rickey. It's like a history lesson. And the intro by Monte Irvin puts it over the top." - - -Billy Sample, MLB Radio
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The Story Of Rickey And Robinson
by Russ Cohen
BASEBALLOLOGY.COM

If you have never heard of Branch Rickey or Jackie Robinson, boy do I have a book for you, it's called Rickey and Robinson: The Men Who Broke Baseball's Color Barrier! Jackie Robinson was one of the greatest multi-sport athletes to ever walk the earth and Branch Rickey was the guy with the guts that gave Robinson his chance to shine, it's a truly amazing story.

Rickey was a lawyer with a rich history that will amaze you in this book. As always author Harvey Frommer goes into tremendous detail to shed even more light on a great story!

Robinson was a true American hero and this book talks to all the right people to give you a feel of how Jackie felt and was feeling during his playing career. The book also points out how he was a civil right's activist as well.

The book talks a lot about the Negro Leagues and mentions even more players that you may not have heard of that unfortunately never made it to the bigs. Anytime you can read about Josh Gibson, Roy Campanella and Satchel Paige you are in for a fun time.

Jackie died a young man at the age of fifty-three-years of age. This great man had to endure more stress, on and off the field, than most people could imagine. His funeral had 2,500 mourners and when you see the names you will see the type of respect that Robinson garnered.

The author does a great job of keeping the final chapter of Robinson's life as upbeat as possible. It was sad but there was so much good to reflect on and the book did that. The afterword was a nice little story and the boxscore of Robinson's first game along with Rickey's player and managerial record are priceless.

Buy this book now

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Professional athletes are probably no more ignorant of history than the rest of us, but there was something especially disturbing about the number of modern players who, in 1997, during the fiftieth anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking the baseball color line, revealed that they didn't know who he was. Pollsters probably didn't ask, but it's likely even fewer would have known who Branch Rickey was. That black players in particular, whose careers follow the path that these men blazed, do not comprehend and honor the debt is most troubling of all. Anyone wishing to remedy their own lack of knowledge, and even those who think they already know the whole story, will find Harvey Frommer's Rickey and Robinson an invaluable resource and a truly moving read.

Mr. Frommer had the novel idea of structuring the book as parallel biographies of the two men, their stories overlapping and lives knitting together for that remarkable period of years when they, almost by themselves, integrated major league baseball. Jackie Robinson's is the better known tale, from UCLA to the Army to the Negro Leagues to the Dodgers' minor leagues and then to Brooklyn, with a significant career in business and politics afterwards. And most baseball fans will be familiar with Branch Rickey's reputation as an innovator, his most lasting contributions, besides integration, to the game including the batting helmet and the organized minor league farm system. Met fans too will recall Ralph Kiner's stories about how tight-fisted and patronizing (in both the positive and negative senses) Rickey was with his players. But Mr. Frommer gives us a full picture of the man, of his religious background (which seems to have played no small part in his willingness to be a racial pioneer), his keen mind for the game and for business, and his endless maneuvering to improve his teams. Each man led a life full enough to support a biography of his own. Here we get both and they're fascinating.

But the event that defined their lives was the meeting on August 28, 1945, at Brooklyn Dodgers headquarters, between Rickey and Robinson. It's astonishing to realize that this first time the men ever met, Branch Rickey asked Jackie Robinson to take on the daunting task of being the first black man to play organized white baseball (at least since the color bar had been erected decades earlier). But Rickey had made a true project of the whole idea, had scouted the Negro Leagues and the personal backgrounds of the prospective players thoroughly, and he knew Robinson was uniquely well-suited-- by his ability, his intelligence, his education, his relatively middle-class California upbringing, and his temperament, desire, and will--to bear the burdens. And so "The Meeting" was not just a get acquainted session, but an opportunity for Rickey to probe and to prepare Robinson, even to the point of demonstrating the kind of taunts he should expect to hear, before offering him the bittersweet role of, as he put it: "carrying the reputation of a race on your shoulders."

The whole book is enjoyable but it is this chapter that really sings. The Meeting has been the subject of books, film, stageplay, and more, but it's never been told better than here, with high drama and a sense of history, but also with an immediacy that makes the reader feel like he's a fly on the wall in Rickey's office those sixty years ago. No one can understand what happened in baseball and in American society over those sixty years without knowing the story of Rickey and Robinson and, Mr. Frommer having given us such a rewarding and readable book about the men and their noble achievement, there's no excuse for not knowing it.
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Pinstripe Press
Rickey and Robinson
The Men Who Broke Baseball's Color Barrier
Blending exclusive interviews with Rachel Robinson, Mack Robinson (Jackie's brother), Hall of Famers Monte Irvin, Duke Snider, Pee Wee Reese, Roy Campanella, Ralph Kiner and others,
- The Pinstripe Press

Celebrated author Harvey Frommer evokes the lives of Brooklyn Dodgers General Manager Branch Rickey and heralded baseball player Jackie Robinson to describe how they worked together to shatter baseball's color line.
"This book clearly illustrates the elegance and class that BOTH men showed on the field and off. Frommer has provided a fresh perspective and a testament to overcoming adversity in the face of ignorance. Rickey and Robinson is a must read for hardcore baseball fans everywhere."

this wasnt the best BJ (Brenda Jackson) book but it was still good! And adds to the series of family love! She is my favorite author!!

I fell in love with the Madaris Family after reading the first novel that was about Clayton and Syneda, that is still my favorite story but I started buying all of the Madaris family stories. I loved the Justin and Lorren story a lot as well. However as fascinating as the Dex and Caitlin story starts off it doesn't really keep my interest the same way towards the end. I was a little disappointed by the ending because I was expecting more drama or anything but it is still a book worth reading. So far it is my least favorite of the Madaris collection.

I will make this review short and sweet. The Madaris brothers. Need I say more. This story was passionate and at times torturous. I wanted this brother for myself. Breaking through his wall might have been a challenge, but well worth it. Excellet Brenda...excellent!

WoW i love this story great romance. she was way young but who cares KEEPER KEEPER.

I was just in high school when this book came out and I'm glad I bought it when I did, not realizing that this was going to become a series or anything. I thought I had written a review before but I guess not. This is the second book in BJ's Madaris family series. I read it a while ago but I decided to catch up on it since I've been getting more recent Madaris family books, I wanted to start from the beginning so I would know what was going on. This book is really good. I would recommend it. I recommend starting from the beginning so you would know what was going on instead of going off track.

The story of three very good friends who must check their baggage in order to maintain healthy and meaningful relationships. They all start out in not so good places and come full circle. Good book.

Baggage Check is the story of 3 male friends who grow up and outgrow their womanizing ways. The tale is well told and thought provoking. You will recognize some of the men who have pushed up on you in the past. If you're blessed, you are one of the women who these men finally recognized they needed. Read it - with a quickness!

Can't say much except Curtis Bunn is a future star. I can't believe Baggage Check is ihs FIRST novel, but I do see why it was No. 1 on the Essence best-seller list. I'm mad at myself that I just discovered this book.
Without giving away the story, it's a lot of life lessons and insight and humor and passion and emotion and fun in this book. Each character had a different voice and a different set of baggage, and the way Bunn crafted each person's growth was extremely smooth and realistic and moving for me. This is one of my favorite books. I highly recommend it ot anyone who loves great writing, great characters (and some strong women characters, too), great stories and learn something in the process, you should read this book.
Lana Rickett, New York, NY

I loved this book so much. When my book club chose this book, I wasn't looking forward to reading it because I don't like relationship books. But, this book isn't just about male/female relationships. It explores the bond between male friends. By the end of the book, I grew to like all the male characters, especially the bond shared among the three male characters. It was great that the author exposed this to the rest of the world. Also, the author came to my book club's meeting and we found him to be a great guy. You won't be disappointed with this book. It's a great read.

Julian, Greg and Larry have been best friends since their childhood in Washington D.C. All three have different career paths and place value on different things, however they all have two things in common, their love for each other, and their inability to maintain a monogamous relationship.

Julian, the professor, says he loves his girlfriend Joanne but ends up in the sack with her sister and soon after said tryst finds out that Joanne is pregnant. He plans on taking care of his child, but his commitment to Joanne is lukewarm. Greg, the penny pinching bookstore owner, made the "mistake" of telling his long time love that he plans to marry her. Now her constant haranguing about when the marriage will take place is getting to him. Finally there's Larry, the aspiring actor and "playa". He spreads himself around and sticks with no one long enough for the words commitment or relationship to pop up. No woman has been able to hold his attention in that way. In today's climate these three are really quite ordinary in terms of their behavior and value systems. What makes Julian, Greg and Larry special is that they all learn by means of one fairly extraordinary event that they all have "baggage", which needs to be checked. (read the book for explanation). Once their baggage has been checked they all learn to love more freely.

As a female reader I was skeptical about how a story about men, written by a man would speak to me and speak about women. However, Baggage Check was a pleasant surprise. All the elements of a good story are there, believable characters, a startling beginning, a middle that held the reader's interest and a happy ending. Parts of this story in fact were uproariously funny as well as touching. How women are portrayed really became background for the real story of personal growth that happened for each of the characters. Yes the women were there and aided in the growth but the men had to do the hard work on their own. Bunn enabled this reader to drop her skepticism by simply writing a good story.