Thursday, September 30, 2010

Best Sellers - Hardcover Fiction - Nicholas Sparks

Nicholas Sparks does it again!  He is back on the top of the best sellers list with his latest book, Safe Haven.   On the top of the New York Times Best Sellers list in the hardcover fiction category this week are:

Hardcover Fiction

Top 5 at a Glance
1. SAFE HAVEN, by Nicholas Sparks
2. FREEDOM, by Jonathan Franzen
3. WICKED APPETITE, by Janet Evanovich
4. THE GIRL WHO KICKED THE HORNET’S NEST, by Stieg Larsson
5. THE HELP, by Kathryn Stockett

According to the publisher's synopsis, Safe Haven contains this delightful story: "During an idyllic summer abroad, Renee falls in love with a handsome Italian, but the affair comes to an end when she returns to North Carolina and marries her college boyfriend. Two decades later, Renee drops everything to be with her dying best friend, Audrey, unaware that she still has a few surprises up her sleeve."  Safe Haven is available at www.thequalitycorner.com in print and audio.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Oprah's Latest Book Club Pick

As a part of the last season premier week of the Oprah show, she announced her latest book club selection.  She has chosen Freedom by Jonathan Franzen.  Already on the New York Times Best Sellers list, it is sure to delight readers.

The publisher's synopsis contains this overview -  "From the National Book Award-winning author of The Corrections comes a darkly comedic novel about family. Franzen's intensely realized characters struggle to learn how to live in an ever-confusing world--one with the temptations and burdens of liberty, the thrills of teenage lust, the shaken compromises of middle age, the wages of suburban sprawl, and the heavy weight of empire."

Shortly after announcing the book, Oprah squashed a nasty rumor.  She will not end her book club.  Even though this is the last season of her talk show, the book club will continue.  Have no fear, readers!  Oprah will not leave us to fend for ourselves.  We can still count on her to recommend great books for our enjoyment.  I am looking forward to this one. 

Click here to purchase Freedom by Jonathan Franzen at The Quality Corner. 

Book Review - "The Little Black Book of Success" by Elaine Meryl Brown, Marsha Haygood, and Rhonda Joy McLean


Success is something that we all want in life.  However, it’s not always easy to attain the success that we strive for.  The Little Black Book of Success is designed to help Black women to achieve success in their careers.  This book is written by three successful Black female executives.  Elaine Meryl Brown is vice president, special markets and Cinemax Group, at HBO.  Marsha Haygood is the president and founder of SepWise Associates, a career and personal development consultancy.  Rhonda Joy McLean is deputy general counsel of Time Inc.  They were each chosen as one of The Network Journal’s “25 Influential Black Women in Business.”  These women are highly educated and have reached the top of their fields.  They have chosen to use their knowledge and experience to help Black women to become leaders. 

The Little Black Book of Success contains a very positive message – you can be successful.  Some people are born leaders, others are created.  You can learn to be a leader.  This book provides the laws of leadership.  The reader is told what she should do and the things she should avoid.  For example, refuse to give in to negative thinking.   The most critical aspect of being a leader is self-esteem.  Know your worth.  Be positive about yourself and others.  It is important to understand that no one owes us anything.  The value of hard work is stressed.  We have to look beyond our skin color.  Don’t assume that people are out to get us because we are Black or a woman.  If we work hard and smart, we can achieve our goals. 

Each chapter contains a section called “Cultural Code.”  This section addresses issues that are specific to Black women.  It discusses things that we do to sabotage ourselves and how to combat those issues.  Another feature of each chapter is the “MAMAisms” section.  MAMAisms are phrases that our mothers told us as we were growing up that still ring true today.  Everyone that reads this book will be able to relate to this section.  Black women have such a rich heritage.  We can and should use our heritage to achieve success in our careers.  The MAMAisms in this book will help us to recall the wisdom that our mothers, grandmothers and aunts taught us.

The advice in this book does not stop when you reach the top.  The last few chapters address what to do once you become a leader.  One of the best lessons to learn is how to give back to others.  The last chapter of the book provides this wisdom, “Occasionally we hear of a sister or brother who says, ‘No one helped me, so why should I help anybody else?’  Even if we couldn’t see the helpers, we must always remember that many people sacrificed a great deal so that we could have the opportunities we have now.  So, we owe it to ourselves and one another to help others whenever possible.” (pgs. 134-135)

Certainly, the authors of The Little Black Book of Success have taken their own advice.  They have used their knowledge to guide others so that we can all reach our leadership potential.  This book is full of helpful advice for Black women.  It is a valuable resource for anyone who wants to succeed in her career.  I learned many lessons that I plan to implement in my career.  I am very thankful for the wisdom found in this book.  I highly recommend this book to all women who strive to be the best they can be.

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Hardcover Fiction - Best Sellers

The top best sellers in the hardcover fiction category of the New York Times Best Sellers list this week are:

1. THE GIRL WHO KICKED THE HORNET’S NEST, by Stieg Larsson
2. THE POSTCARD KILLERS, by James Patterson and Liza Marklund
3. SPIDER BONES, by Kathy Reichs
4. THE HELP, by Kathryn Stockett
5. BEARERS OF THE BLACK STAFF (LEGENDS OF SHANNARA), by Terry Brooks

"Spider Bones" by Kathy Reichs is new to the top of the list.  Reichs is the author of the best seller, "206 Bones."  Her series is the inspiration for the TV show, Bones. 

A review from Publisher's Weekly states: "A perplexing death in Quebec occupies Dr. Temperance Brennan in Reichs's fine 13th novel featuring the forensic anthropologist (after 206 Bones). The fingerprints of a man who died during autoerotic asphyxiation indicate that the deceased is John Charles Lowery of North Carolina, but Lowery supposedly died in Vietnam in 1968. Unsurprisingly, Lowery's father is reluctant to allow Brennan to reopen old family wounds, but she's determined to find out who's buried in Lowery's grave if Lowery died in Quebec. Brennan heads to Hawaii to seek the help of an old friend at the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC), whose mission is to find the remains of American war dead and bring them home. But instead of clarifying matters, Brennan's investigation only raises more questions, including parallel inquiries into a series of shark attacks and escalating island gang violence. Reichs, who once again uses her own scientific knowledge to enhance a complex plot and continually developing characters, delivers a whopper of a final twist."  Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

All hardcover fiction books are on sale this week for 5% off with FREE shipping within the US at www.thequalitycorner.com.

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

BlackBookReview.com

I am pleased to announce that I have launched a new website!  BlackBookReview.com is a service designed to review books by African American authors and books that appeal to the African American community.  I love to read and I have enjoyed writing book reviews for years.  Now I have decided to advertise my service through this new website.

The primary goal of my book review service is to help authors succeed.  New books are released daily.  It's not easy to be a new author.  This service is an avenue for authors, publishers, publicists, or agents to market books to their fullest potential.  Books written by African Americans generate more revenue than any other minority group.

I began writing book reviews as a way to market my bookstore.  Then, I was contacted by several authors who read my reviews and they wanted me to write a review for their new book.  That experience made me aware of a need for book reviewers, especially in the area of African American books.

Clients will receive a review that is always original, honest and professional.  The review may also be sent as a press release, for an additional fee.  We partner with a very extensive press release service to all the African American media.

I look forward to working with new authors to promote great books.  For more information, visit www.blackbookreview.com.