We have to believe them! They got more people!

Day/title 75

I knew it would happen.  Eventually the lottery would turn up a book from that polarizing genre:

That’s right, “Street Lit”

Blingy book cover font? Check!!! The word 'hustler' somewhere in the title? Check!!!

Bibliographic Information:

Heartbreak of a Hustler’s Wife: A Novel

Nikki Turner

One World/Ballantine, 2011

Summary (Amazon):

Yarni Taylor is a successful corporate attorney who wants nothing more than for her husband, Des, to renounce his hustlin’ ways and commit to his life as a pastor—especially after someone tries to kill him. But Des isn’t ready to abandon his old habits just yet. He has to find out who is behind the murder attempt, and he wonders if the brazen robbery that took place during one of his church services is related in any way. But before he or Yarni can regain their footing, a young woman shows up on their doorstep—Desember Day, the eighteen-year-old daughter Des never knew he had. And, unfortunately, she takes after her father, so trouble isn’t far behind.  With their lives on the line, Yarni must sacrifice everything and take it out of the office and back to the streets to save her husband and her family from their checkered but intricately connected pasts.

My reaction:

So ironic.  Today’s my birthday.  It’s like the book lottery fairy was like “Hey! You non-committal fence rider you! Take a stand on this issue! Happy birthday biyotch!!!!!!”  Ok.  So here’s how I feel.  Books are supposed to:

a) be more than 2 pages

b) have words and/or pictures in them

c) have an audience

d) some other stuff, but those are the main points

Street lit meets all those requirements yes?  Nevermind that some of those author’s bang out 12 of those books before Tayari Jones or Zadie Smith have finished pressing the flesh at one of their book signings.

Words? Those authors manage  to produce more than I ever could (Poor novel that lies in wait inside of me. Alas you may never be born.  NaNoWriMo! You’re fired!)

Audience? That genre has it in spades!

Conclusion, as much as I wanna play the book snob  I really can’t knock their hustle.  Hustlin’ makes the world go round…

My daughter’s Thoughtful 13. How sweet it was…

So my “tween” just crossed the threshold into teen-dumb I meant ‘dom’. Bad mommy! 😀  I made sure the birthday staples were covered: cake, pizza and goody bags, but I also wanted to make sure that she got a wealth of guidance (not just loot and gifts) at this milestone in her journey.  My family and friends are amazing, with insights that I may not be able to effectively impart.  At the birthday gathering I asked each of them to jot down some words of wisdom between mingling and noshing on fish tacos.  Some complied, some were too busy noshing—those were some damn good tacos.  Anyway I said they were amazing not obedient.

My plan is to do something with the advice notes. Something posterity worthy that will inspire her to keep them around.  No, I haven’t already decoupaged them, crafted them into an origami sculpture or blew them up poster sized and wall papered her room with them.  I’m not that kind of WordPresser—not yet anyway (Crafty McCraftensteins I AM joining your ranks one day! Look out!).  But I do hope that the gesture was not lost on her and my daughter knows that we expect her to be thoughtful, introspective and engage the world around her.  She really is a special gal…

I'm a softy of a parent but I'm not above crafting these notes into a medieval torture device---you know, for when the resident teen needs further elucidation.

Day/Title 71

Paris, Pee Wee, and Big Dog

Guy, Rosa

New York : Delacorte, 1984

My reaction:

How fitting that today’s book be one of my fav’s from when I was a teen!

Critics were hard on this book: "The potential for a story is here, but this one never quite happens as it plods laboriously along." School Library Journal