Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Will the Real Bitch Please Stand Up
My reviews for Part 1
AND




Bitch Part 3, picks up with the birth of Precious & Supreme’s first born daughter Aaliyah. Deja sets the tone with new beginnings for the Mills family, tucked away in the heart of LA. Beverly Hills and Hollywood is the First Family of Hip Hop Royalty, new stomping grounds. Although the Mills are newly located on the opposite side of country, the same problems seem to find them.

The Bitch is Back, was definitely a slower read for me. Precious was no longer that fiery Charlie Baltimore (Last Kiss Goodnight) chick, she could still sell water to a whale, and make a believable story, however she just lost that “instinct”. Due to the circumstances and the unthinkable time they were going through I felt Supreme’s character was little washed out too. Part 3 was very predictable, I knew the key people as I was reading the story. I did turn the pages at the end like crazy, I wanted to just hurry up and get to the point of WHY Aaliyah was kidnapped, BUT…Deja fell short on delivering the “true” purpose behind all this riff raff. With all that being said, whew what a KILLER ending, and I’m soooo happy I have part 4 on my shelf!

Aside from the few disappointments, I did give Part Three, 3.5 solid stars and will begin part 4 today. I’m still a HUGE Deja fan, as well aa Precious!! I’m rooting for her ALL THE WAY….but will the REAL BITCH Please stand up…Good LAWD!

Wednesday, November 25, 2009



Just wanted to wish everyone a very happy Thanksgiving!
Gratitide unlocks the fullness of life, give thanks for all your blessings!


Friday, November 13, 2009


The Cartel 2 by Ashley & JaQuavis - 2 Stars

You can read my review for The Cartel 1 HERE

BAMBOOZLED!!

What I thought was a great read, turned out to be such a disappointment. I got pass the errors such as the songs that were mentioned that weren’t even out, or the fashion worn that wasn’t in style at that time period, etc. But when I got to the ending I felt totally hoodwinked. I deserve a refund.


I don’t want to give away or shed to much light on why I was so heavily disappointed for obvious reasons. However, on the flip side, we do learn in depth about the Murder Mama’s. We learn how they were created and the history behind Miramor’s cold blooded heart.

I am anxiously awaiting part three. Since none of our questions are answered in part 2, I guess I’ll sit here and twiddle my thumbs until next time.

A message to the dynamic duo…….. You have me MAD!  Therefore you get 2 stars from me. So Half assed! 

Part 3 is due out July 27th, 2010.

Monday, November 9, 2009

The Dopeman's Wife by JaQuavis Coleman - 3 Stars
The Dopeman's Wife. Really? Wow!

My first gripe about this novel is the title, it totally baffles me. Part two of this book, is named The Dopeman's Wife. So the book is titled The Dopeman's Wife, AND the last third (part 2) of the book? After all of that Nautica was never officially a "wife" in the entire book. Before you read my review, I want to add a disclaimer that this could be a spoiler for you. I had a tough time, trying to write a review for this novel it was just so average to me, and nothing really exciting to write about. BLAH!


   ***SPOILER ALERT***

This book was all over the place. It began pretty slowly for me. The first third of the book was written building up the characters Nautica her cousin and best friend Khia. They work together, live together and are pretty much inseparable. Chicken stop workers by day, strippers by night, and stick up girls when opportunity knocks. Nautica meets Zion, a local D Boy and quickly becomes his main. The Author leads us to believe that they're in love; however I never really felt the deep connection. Zion and his close friend Loon, who is described to be one scurrilous individual, will kill at the drop of dime, and together they run Flint. The once doting Zion is now a jealous freak causing sudden chaos. Nautica and Khia seek revenge, plan to rob him, move to NYC and never look back. Naturally the scheme doesn't pan out the way it was planned and Nautica is left to make it do for herself.

FAST FORWARD....

Nautica meets Tical, a wealthy young man running everything that moves in and out of B-more with investments in the TV show, The Wire. Once he sets his eyes on Nautica it's a wrap and together the two fall into pure bliss. Nautica's past is the rising action in this novel. Tical absolutely despises gold diggers, and ghetto rats with hood history. Natutica is petrified of Tical finding out her past and endures some obstacles in trying to suffice those issues.


So here's my second gripe. Why couldn't Nautica tell Tical what her past was like, it's not like she was a hooker selling her coochie, the only reason she was caught up in the situation with Zion was because he turned abusive, she wasn't the one who pulled the trigger. It's not like Tical was some honorable priest or something, he was trap star! He orchestrated hits and had his hands heavy in the game. I wanted to just SCREAM, ugh I hated what she went through to protect her not-so-scandalous past.

So at the end of the book everyone dies with the exception of one character. I have no idea why there is going to be a part 2. Leave it alone. There is nothing to look forward to. JMO!

3 stars, it was okay.....enough to keep me reading, but very bland.

How do you feel about JaQuavis solo novel? Pass or fail?







Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Bitch Reloaded: Part 2 by Deja King - 5 Stars


Never trust a big butt & a smile, that girl is POISON!

The once known Precious Cummings from the projects is a thing of the past; we’re now acquainted with Precious Mills, wife of rap mega superstar Supreme. Precious is living the life of a true Boss Bitch, happily married with all the perks included when once again an abrupt tragedy makes her world turn cold. “Love for life”, is the motto that Supreme and Precious live by, an underlining slogan that defines the loyalty that they share for each other. Precious holds no bars when it comes to what she will go through to protect her Husband’s masters, and his legacy. Almost as if there was a target on her forehead and the motivation for all the drama that surrounds her, Precious fights her way through survival in attempt to uncover the truth of Nico Carter and her Love for Life.

In Part two of Deja’s Bitch series we are reintroduced to Precious’s child hood friend Jamal and his soon to be Wifey and ex-video chick Nina. The ultra slimy Mike is back at a vengeance with his true quest to win Precious’s heart.

Bitch Reloaded was pure fiyah and definitely a series to be added to the street lit classic collection. I give it a solid 5 stars, and am whole heartedly head over heals for Precious Mills. In Part 2, we see a softer more maternal side of Precious, yet she hasn’t lost that hood instinct and gutta edge. She handles her Bitch well and never leaves home without it. Great, fast paced read, had me turning the pages like a speed freak. Real talk.

Thursday, October 29, 2009


Bitch By Deja King - 4 Stars

Bitch, I might be!

So, I’m probably the last Street Lit fan to read Deja King’s Bitch Series but I’m probably glad I did so that I can read them all in order with out waiting months. So with that being said, I won’t get into too much depth about the details of the first installment, Bitch. I’m sure we all get the gist.

Bitch starts with the introduction to Precious Cummings, and the beginning years of her life. We learn that she’s a BK girl to the fullest and raised in the projects of the borough she reps. When handed an ultimatum at 15, Precious is compelled to mount up and make it happen for herself. Precious goes hard for her cash and her middle name should be Adonis. By using what she is blessed with, she begins to live a life that she never dreamed of. Built with a phlegmatic heart, she’s a stone cold killa and is unmoved by the slightest drop of blood at the account of her own hands.

Okay, Bitch is a total fiction book, the type of stuff that takes place is just never going to happen in real life but it made for a dope story! I read this book in less than 24 hours, at work, on my lunch, in bed, etc. I give Bitch 4 stars, and moving right along to part 2, Bitch Reloaded.

Have you read the Bitch Series? What book are you on? The 5th installment is due out on November 24th of this year. Let me know how you like it!

Tuesday, October 27, 2009


Stripping Asjiah by Sa'Rese - 3.5-4 Stars!

I read a lot, and street lit is my favorite. However, this novel was a different type of street lit/Urban tale. I’ve been pondering all day to put my words around how to describe this read. I’ve never heard of Sa’Rese or this novel in any of my book clubs, I happened to stumble on it via Good Reads. I am glad I did.

Stripping Asjiah is a story of a young girl’s life from age seven to eighteen; however the majority of the story takes place in Asjiah’s senior year in high school. As if your teen age years aren’t already an emotional roller coaster, add being raised by your Grandmother who absolutely despises you because you’re a female version of the man who killed her daughter. That’s life for Asjiah. The only person left in the world who loves her unconditionally is her brother Angel, the hoods Al Pacino.

Stripping Asjiah was a great read, very fast paced and easy to follow. Sa’rese’s writing style is very fresh, witty and filled with humor that this generation would understand. Very hip in her wording by using many slang related terms, made the story very fun to read. This novel had me literally laughing out loud when reading Asjiah’s journal passages and her train of thought, I loved it! I also liked the way she began and ended a situation very swiftly; she didn’t make it a long drawn out situation with pages and pages. She got to the point easily!

We are left with some unanswered questions, so I hope a part two will be out soon. I’m rooting for Money & Asjiah! I give Stripping Asjiah 3.5-4 stars. Great read, a little short but I’m anticipating a part 2.

Who is Sa'Rese? How do we contact her? Is this her only novel?

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Big Juicy Lips: Double Dippin' 2
3 - 3.5 Stars

You can find the review for Part 1 here



Two Can Play That Game

Big Juicy Lips picks up with the current life of Misty and Brick. The pair is in some type of weird delusional relationship that is so one-sided, you just want to stop and pray for Brick. Being inseparable since they were young, Misty and Brick go through crazy lengths to keep their current living conditions a float. Just as in Double Dippin’, callow Brick is ran and ruled by Misty, however it doesn’t stop him from going though insane extremes to make sure his little ornament is living well. Empty on the inside his only form of love comes from the same person that is oppressing him.

With Misty’s bright idea and a bread winning phallus at her mercy, she is able to strike big bank via internet prostitution. Only with a mind of a diluted pompous b!tch such as Misty’s, would anyone be able to allure men and women into unquestionable atrocious perverted sexual situations like the ones that take place in this book. Ever since the death of Shane, her one true love, she has been heavy on the hunt for a genuine replacement. Almost as if Shane's body was resurrected we meet Dane, a couple genetics short of being Shane’s twin. Head over heals after just one day of interaction, Misty has finally met her match made in hell. Two can play that game, and that’s exactly what happened to Misty.

I give BJL, a solid 3 – 3.5. Again, Allison delivers pages of erotica, simple shock value, and an average read in my opinion. I would say the best parts of the book were crammed into the last 50 pages. The biggest disappointment was no mention of previous characters such as Janelle and her pregnancy with twins, no mention of Kapri or the child that she and Shane shared. With Janelle being one of the main characters, I would have liked to read about her outcome. This book could have been a stand alone, and just like the first book we are still left with unanswered questions.

Have you read this series? What do you think of Allison's writing style? She has 11 novels, and these are the only two that I have read. Let me know what you think.

Tuesday, October 13, 2009



The Prada Plan by Ashley Antoinette - 5 Stars

The Devil Wears Prada
Although the name Ashley Antoinette may not ring a quick bell for some, if you throw JaQuavis in the mix, you will understand that the two have made up some of the best street lit fiction to hit the shelves. With Prada Plan we welcome Ashley’s solo debut.

At the tender age of 6 Disaya, better known as Yaya handily learns the quality of couture and the importance of having a plan in life, a Prada Plan. Disaster strikes Yaya’s world when both parents are eliminated, and is suddenly forced to forget an existence where she is the center jewel of their heart. Yaya is immediately defaulted to being a foster child, where she endures nightly molestation by her foster Mother’s son. Being raped of her innocence at 7, the only piece of hope and spirit she has left is the echoing of her Mother’s voice and her new companion, soon to be sister for life, Mona. Together they flee the house of misery and the story fast forwards to duos life at the age of 21. The pair is finally living some-what stable life a freedom, however Yaya has yet to attain her Prada Plan. While patience is a virtue, Yaya is not ashamed to admit that she’s merely a Rocawear chick and will go through great lengths to be recognized as a couture Mami. Following the same suit as her Mother and by being absolutely beautiful it’s no task for to Yaya to start selling herself to some of the most elite and highest paid individuals to receive top dollar. Once she is introduced to Leah, she begins engaging in same sex escapades and everything else in-between. A friendship/businesses relationship turns to into an obsession as Yaya attempts to put an end to Leah’s bizarre behavior and a life of hoeing after falling in love with Indie, the one person who can fulfill her plan. Leah’s addiction for Yaya if far from just physical its a dependency that is a psychological demon and she will go through any obstacle to hurt Yaya and everyone else in her life.

I gave Prada Plan 4 stars, while a couple situations in my opinion were unrealistic even in fiction form; the story and bombshell situations were enough to make me smile at the work of a mastermind in street lit. With pending answers, and the outcome of characters to be left unanswered I am desperately waiting for part 2. Pick of Prada Plan, you surely will not be disappointed.

Friday, October 9, 2009


It’s no myth who Donald Goines is, and what he represents to Black literature & street lit fiction. He’s a legend of this genre, a man who wrote 16 books in five years. He wasn’t about the bling and fairytale endings but offered the grim truth of life in the streets. Donald wasn’t your average author; he spoke from background and understanding. There are no camouflaged truths or disguised chronicles when we think about Donald Goines. Being an on again, off again heroin addict he experienced what he wrote, and he painted a heck of a picture!

If you haven't read any of novels maybe you've heard his name from some of the most prominent rappers known today.

2Pac:
Criminal ties for centuries, a legend in my own rhymes,
So niggaz whisper when they mention,
Machiavelli was my tutor, Donald Goines my father figure,
Moms sent me to go play with the drug dealers.
-from 'Tradin' War Stories' All Eyez On Me [1996]

Nas:
With so much drama in QBC,
Kinda hard being Escobaro,
Eldorado Red, sippin Dom out the bottle,
my life is life is like Donald Goines novel.
–from 'Escobar '97 Men in Black Soundtrack [1997]

Ghostface Killah:
Lines from Dolemite,
A few tips from Goines,
Birthday,
Gave her 2 fifty-cent coins.
-from 'Child's Play' "Supreme Clientele" [1998]

Memphis Bleek:
That credit you dead it, I know heads gettin' annoyed,
And knew all about a dope fiend before reading Donald Goines
-from 'Can I Live II' Reasonable Doubt (Jay-Z) [1999]

Ludacris:
So I picked up a couple books by Donald Goines,
About the business of this shit, how to flip a few coins.
-from 'Eyebrows Down' Chicken & Beer [2003]

Jadakiss:
The revolver or matty’s cool,
Knife game like Daddy Cool, since Bally shoes.
-from 'Mighty D-Block' "Walk Witt Me" (Sheek Louch) [2005]

Common:
I'm the act to follow, housing kids like Ronald
Mac like Donald Goines, flows I change like coins
-from 'Orange Pineapple Juice' "Resurrection" [1994]




Taking a break from 21st century urban fiction, I decided to rewind to 1971 and crack open Donald’s first novel, Dopefiend.

Dopefiend by Donald Goines - 5 stars!
Cookin' a slow death

“The white powder looked innocent lying there in the open, but this was the drug of the damned, the curse of the mankind: heroin, what some “smack,” others “junk,” “snow,” “stuff,” “poison,” “horse.” It had different names but the same effect. To all of its users- to all of the dopefiends in Detroit ghetto – it was a slow death. – Donald Goines.

Before reading Dopefiend I never knew the importance of an addict having their ‘morning do’ and unclogged works. I never imagined what it would be like to shoot dope in veins in places such as your neck, in your groin or between your toes or could even envision such sordid actions like sleeping with dogs for example. I never imagined what it would feel like having a monkey so heavy on my back that I routinely dug a bottomless pit of hell, or engaged in such acts that slowly took away my soul leaving only my shell.

Donald takes you through physiological minds from two perspectives, the drug dealer and the user. While the user is digging his exit with a slow death, the dealer believes he’s holding the winning hand in the game. Dopefiend is a very bleak description of drug usage that takes place in the 70’s in Detroit Michigan. It takes us through the transformation of several addicts and what begins and ends when you use heroin.

I enjoyed this novel from top to bottom; I liked how Donald would dedicate an entire chapter to a particular character giving us enough time to bond with what was happening during their downfall. His style of writing is excellent and very easy to follow. His vivid details made me feel like I was in the drug house helping Smokey find a vein, or running out of the local store with my floor model black and white TV screen. Should you pick up this street lit classic, you won’t be disappointed.

I give Dopefiend a solid 5 stars.

Tuesday, October 6, 2009


Whew! Okay after reading 3 average Urban Fiction books, The Cartel was exactly what I was yearning for! Ashley Antionette & JaQuavis Coleman delivered a true page turner with an impeccable story line, a hood tale that was flawless and incontrovertible to anyone who begs to differ.

This novel is a story about a very prestigious drug trade organization known as The Cartel; the notable leader of this lucrative alignment is Carter Diamond and is quickly executed in the beginning chapters. At the demise of Carter it leaves his wife and First Lady Taryn, children, & partners to hold up one of the most notable businesses in Miami. True to the fact that the more you rub a diamond, the more it shines; we are whisked into an action packed, jaw dropping adventure of a family that demonstrates death before dishonor. The Diamonds flaunt loyalty and an undying love for each other, while managing to protect what their father ultimately died for. The Cartel combines devotion, betrayal, deceit, greed & down right grimy behavior mixed with a true love story that will have you begging for more.

I whole heartedly give The Cartel 5 stars and absolutely cannot wait for part 2!

Part 2 is due to be released on October 27th, 2009. 

Monday, October 5, 2009


Double Dippin' by Allison Hobbs - 3.5 Stars

Double Twisted!
Don't let the cover fool you, this book has nothing to do with sexy women and ice cream. Double Dippin' is a straight up TRIP! The story picks up when a set of twins, Shane and Tariq are subjected to life as foster children, after witnessing the death of their Mother. While Shane is described as the handsome boorish twin I found both of them to be equally demented, along with everyone else introduced in this story. While the book is a good read, it lacked climax. The pages of this novel are filled with raunchy, obscene, sickening events that the twins put people through or in Tariq's case, were subjected to. While I enjoyed Allison's attempt to keep us all intrigued with the lewd events that made up Double Dippin' it was lacking 'something'. The ending was a total shock, and was for sure the best part of the book. This was a slow read for me, and I times I felt guilty for reading it..LOL I give this book a 3.5, and I will pick up part 2 by Allison Hobbs, Big Juicy Lips.



Have you read this book? Did you enjoy it? Have you read part 2? or plan on getting it?


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