Excess Baggage by Sean Gardner  (4 Stars)    Excess Baggage is a classic tale about two men, who had been friends since a young age.  Christian and Dorian shared, among other things, a common bond.  They both experienced tragedy at a young age, which created an unbreakable bond between them.  As children, they learned to cope with their heartaches and troubles by leaning on each other and trying to leave their pasts, in the past.  What they didn’t realize was how much running from their past, was hindering their future.  This book is about the journey of their friendship and the twists and turns their friendship takes as they are both forced to deal with their pasts head on.  Pasts that include pain that runs so deep, even the very friendship they have come to depend on, could be at stake.    When I first looked at the cover of the book, I figured it would be just another book about a female that couldn’t choose between two men.  As I started to read, I was happy that I was wrong.  This book was an excellent read that told about the pain and insecurities that these friends dealt with because of their pasts.  It showed a side of most men that women don’t see or hear about, the vulnerable side.  Once I got into the book, I couldn’t put it down.  The book was suspenseful, romantic, and unpredictable… the three things I love, in a book.   Good Job, Sean.  I look forward to reading the next book. Regina Lewis SistaGirl Book Club

Book Title: Sister’s Pact “A Plan For My Life” by Almalia Card (5 Stars)   This book kept my interest because of the selfish tricks and games Desmond’s sister and mother did. Even though they tried any and everything to keep Desmond to themselves by running everyone away from him, true love prevailed. Desmond the drummer who wanted to settle down and have a break from the road. Jackie a young widow with two young boys who needed to move back home to be closer to family and to find herself all over again. They both lived in the same area but never crossed paths. Then as fate would have it they both enrolled at the same school in the same class. Their friendship started off rocky like most early relationships before you know they will be relationships. As true love would have it they hit it off and even though Desmond’s family tried to keep them apart lies and deceit didn’t prevail but TRUE LOVE DID!!! This is a recommended read to those people who still believe in TRUE LOVE!!!    Franita Rollins SistaGirl Book Club

TIL DEATH BY MIASHA  (3 stars)   The characters in the book were not established and the story line just starts. When the book first starts it immediately starts with the drama. Normally the story line is set up and characters are set up so that you can identify the whose who. The book started and ended the same way. With that being said, the suspense and drama is definitely and attention getter and retainer. Definite page turner. There was always another plot unfolding with the introduction of another character. I feel that’s a good thing to keep readers interested. The ending didn’t really reveal that there would be a sequel or if that was it for the book. If there is a sequel please don’t make the reader feel as though this was a circle. I would recommend the book to others to and give it a thumbs up.

Uptown by Virginia Deberry and Donna Grant  (3 Stars)     I would recommend the book to others to read; the book did not jump around and stayed the course to unfold the plot.  The characters were well defined, but did not let you know exactly who was who until the plot started to unfold. The book was really good.   It started kind of slow, but quickly picked up the pace.  The main characters were well defined and you knew the who and what of the book.  The plot of the book wasn’t revealed until just pass mid way in the book.   Once the plot was unveiled and I knew what was going on and the reasons for the hatred, I couldn’t get to the next chapter fast enough.  Once I knew what was going on and the reasons behind it, it helped me understand the actions of the characters.  I felt as though this was a book about a family full of deception and lies, that destroyed the trust that was needed to make through some serious situations where family is suppose to stick together.   Hessie Gaye SistaGirl Book Club

Lost Hours by D.K. Gatson  (4 stars) Lost Hours is about a man by the name of Joseph Hooks investigating his fathers murder that happened 23 years ago. At the time of his fathers murder he was only twelve years old and was found standing over his fathers dead body. Joseph did not remember killing his father but for the last twenty three years he has had the impression that he was the killer. Throughout his investigation he has been haunted by memories of what happened years ago.  D.K. Gatson did an awesome job with this novel. Reading this book is like watching a a movie. He will keep you in suspense throughout the whole book.  Lisa Pugh SistaGirl Book Club

Cherub: The Human Race by Jacqueline Levermore  (4 stars)                                                 Illistrated by: Dex                                                 Cherub The Human Race is a great book for young readers because it teaches us about race. I also like it because of the bright colors. It was easy to understand and it was not a long story. I would recommend this book because it is very educational and it teaches young children we may be different in skin color but we can still get along.   Princiss Robinson 11yrs.old SistaGirl Book Club II

In My Prayers With My Legs Wide Open by Jatana A Williams                     (5 stars)                                                                                In this book I found myself praying, fussing, and cursing because it truly deals with your emotions. I enjoyed it because even though her struggles wasn't something that I've dealt with but I've dealt with some things that I had to search God inside of me to stop me from continuing my destructive path. This is a must read for the newfound christian who is still struggling to find their way completely to Christ. We all go through things but when you get through you come out shining like gold. I would recommend this book to anyone who don't mind being real. I would like to see a sequel of this book to see what happened to Jasmine and the rest of her future.   Franita Rollins        SistaGirl Book Club

Street Legends Vol 2 by Seth Ferranti (4 stars) Street lit, street fiction, urban fiction, or whatever people are calling today is taking over. Readers can't seem to consume enough of gritty the stories. Well, author Seth Ferranti takes readers behind the scenes in his second installment of "Street Legends." Volume 2 features `Black Caesar' Frank Matthews, who dominated the heroin market in New York in the 70s; Maurice `Peanut' King, one of the biggest street legends in Baltimore's history; Michael `Fray' Salters, known as the Ambassador of Chocolate City, he was feared, trusted and respected; The Boobie Boys, one of Miami's most savage drug gangs; The Short North Posse, a crew out of Columbus, Ohio that lived by the code of the streets and kept it old school; and The New World of Islam, a Muslim sect that advocated black superiority funded by armed robberies. This isn't fiction. This is real life. This is the stuff those stories are based on. Through their own words, words of those that were around at the time, the media and court records, Ferranti recounts the history of some of the most notorious. The section I found particularly interesting and also ironic involves a well-known street lit publisher and author that helped in the downfall of one crew by becoming a government witness, a clear contradiction of the genre, to reduce her own sentence. Real, raw and very easy to read, "Street Legends Vol 2" should be on your shelf.

Her Little Secret by T. Freeman Jr. (5 stars) I'm a survivor I'm not gonna give up, I'm not gon' stop, I'm gonna work harder, I'm a survivor, I'm gonna make it, I will survive, Keep on survivin'... Lerrez is a survivor. Born and raised in the Centerville section of Camden , New Jersey , to drug addicted parents, Lerrez's young eyes saw and experienced things no child should be subjected to. Her upbringing and the surrounding environment would shape, mold and form her young mind and heavily influence her choices in life - some good, some bad, some very bad. Many years and miles away, Lerrez has finally gotten it together and her life is on track, a positive track. But the past soon threatens all that she has worked for and her happiness. How far will Lerrez go to keep HER LITTLE SECRET? T. Freeman Jr.'s tale offers solid, drama-filled entertainment. His style was very easy to follow. His characters were flawed yet personable. HER LITTLE SECRET was well-written, realistic, properly paced and held my attention to the very end. It was unpredictable and exciting. With a fresh new voice that echoes the streets, T. Freeman Jr. easily captures readers with his raw and gritty tale of secrets untold. He is definitely an author to watch. The ending leaves questions of a continuation. I have been anti-sequel as of late, but my hope is that there will be one in this case.

All About Marilyn by Shawn James (4 stars) " All About Marilyn" is a brilliant screenplay written by Shawn James. I've never read a screenplay, but Shawn explains the terminology of show business so you are able to read the play with ease. In "All About Marilyn" we are introduced to Marilyn Marie, a star in the teen series All About Nikki. One bad decision Marilyn believes is going to advance her career ultimately ends it. When Marilyn's show is canceled, it just turns out to be the beginning of the end for Marilyn. The play then cuts to present day. Marilyn is struggling to stay a float. Hollywood is a town that worships youth, and there aren't many roles for women over thirty. And for an African American woman over thirty, roles are pretty much non-existent. To top it all off, the very role that made her a household name now is just a hindrance as Marilyn is typecast as Nikki. She's reduced to the occasional guest spot on television shows and extra work, all the while hoping to find a part that's going to resurrect her career. While on set of a movie, it's more of the same as Marilyn is cast as an extra. Marilyn's life takes an unforeseen tragic turn as she's assaulted on the movie set. While Marilyn is recovering, her whole perspective on life changes. She has a new lease on life, and with the help and encouragement of her supportive friends, Marilyn makes a fresh start. With the acting bug out of her system, Marilyn begins to live a life she could have never imagined. Shawn James gives readers unique insight on the harsh realities of the showbiz industry, with rich, multi-dimensional characters the readers share a connection with. Readers also feel the ups and downs and highs and lows Marilyn endures. You can expect big things from Shawn James in the future. All I can say is bravo; very well done. REVIEWERS OOSA Book Club - http://www.oosaonlinebookclub.com SistaGirl Book Club - http://www.sistagirlbookclub.com