God Uses People.....

Me and Robert

On my second day in Trinidad for The Bocas Lit Fest, I got up early, had breakfast, and heard people mention the zoo and arboretum. With a few hours to kill before I headed over to the lit festival with Shannon, I decided to ask the concierge if the zoo and the arboretum was close. Well, you know how favor is always knocking me down, the zoo and the arboretum just happened to be next to the hotel.

I decided to skip the zoo and walk to the arboretum. The arboretum was not like the national arboretum in DC, but it served it purpose. It had trees and flowers and lots of land, and I couldn’t help but to decide to sit and thank God for the opportunity to be in Trinidad.

As I was sitting, a guy, Robert, passed by and pleasantly asked if I was enjoying the arboretum, and we went on to have a small conversation.

He went to sit on the ground and stretch, and he came back and asked if I wanted to see the Island from the top of a mountain.

Now, my readers, don’t think that I just go to other countries and trample all over the place with random people. I don’t, but I do believe in intuition, and I would never do anything that did not feel right with my soul. I really believe that when we commune with God regularly, he gives us signs when there is danger and when things are all right. I got the feeling that things were all right, and we hiked some huge hills for a great reward: a breathe taking view of Trinidad.

God used Robert!

I met Robert on Thursday, and on Saturday he sent me an email to ask if I wanted to see some sites. Now, let me tell you, I was tired from a full day of thoroughly enjoying the lit fest, and I had just laid down by the pool to take a nap. However, I thought to myself, "I am in Trinidad, someone is offering to take me to see some sites, and how could I possibly pass up this opportunity?" I sent Shannon a text to see if she wanted to go, and approximately twenty minutes later, Shannon, Robert, I were off to explore Trinidad; the beauty of Trinidad is indescribable.

After many adventures, we were all like old friends and ended the night sitting in a bar enjoying good conversations, cocktails, and the big Mayweather vs Pacquiao fight.

The next morning Robert was gracious enough to take us on a scenic drive before he dropped us off at the airport.

What a great ending to perfect trip!!!

I believe that when we are open, God uses people to take care of his children. My Dad use to say that God is not going to come down here to help us; he is going to use people, and I believe this statement with my whole heart.

I’ve been thinking a lot about the idea that whatever we put into the universe is exactly what we get back. If you show yourself to be friendly, I believe that the universe responses and returns that friendliness.

Not the best picture, but you get the point.

God Uses People.....

Somerset Grove by Dionne Peart

I started reading Somerset Grove on a plane flying to Trinidad, and I finished reading it while lying on Maracas Beach in Trinidad.....

Maracas Beach in Trinidad

This book has everything that it takes to make a great novel: great storyline, memorable characters, and ideal setting. However, by the end of this novel, I was skimming the pages instead of reading them, and I think that it was because Dionne was giving far to many details that did not add to the story. The ending just would not end....

Dionne tells the story of three characters Angelique, Ruby, and Carmen. I was loving the way that she was going from Ruby's story to her daughter’s, Angelique, story. She told their stories in a manner that kept me intrigued on a long flight. However, she introduces Angelique’s daughter, Carmen, and the books starts to go down hill.

Angelique’s character pretty much drives the second half of the novel, and Angelique was such a different character than she was at the beginning of the novel. The behaviors that she started to exhibit were unexpected and almost unrealistic based on the way that Dionne developed this character at the beginning of the novel.

The novel ends with none of the characters having any redemptive qualities, and I think that we all love to see some redemption or full circle growth from characters.

This is Dionne’s first novel, and I absolutely applaud her for having the courage to write a novel. I haven’t given up on her yet, and I believe that her best days as a writer are coming...

In the meantime, I will continue to enjoy Trinidad and the Bocas Lit Fest, and I am also going to start reading Toni Morrison’s much anticipated novel: God Help the Child.

I’m In Trinidad.......

I landed and hit the ground running for the Bocas Lit Fest....

I just happened to be staying in the host hotel for the authors, and they are EVERYWHERE!

The picture above was taken with Edward Baugh. “He is the Professor Emeritus of English, UWI, Mona. His scholarly and critical publications on West Indian literature include: Derek Walcott: Memory as Vision (Longman, 1978), Derek Walcott (Cambridge, 2006) and Frank Collymore: a Biography (Ian Randle, 2009). His three collections of poetry include, most recently, Black Sand: New and Selected Poems (Peepal Tree, 2013).” (BOCASLITFEST)

I am in a Reader’s Heaven! (SWOON!)

Bocas Lit Fest: A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon Jones

 

Five books completed, and it's time to pack for The Bocas Lit Fest......

Awhile back, I religiously went through a six month, intense training program to run in the Marine Corp Marathon. I thoroughly enjoyed the weekly workouts and the long runs on Saturdays. Because of the training, I enjoyed the marathon as much as person can expect to enjoy a marathon. However, after the marathon, I missed the journey to get to the marathon... Crazy Right? I normally love the journey more than the destination. Now, don't get me wrong, I typical love the destination, but the journey to get to the destination is where I get my energy. (I love working towards a goal.)

The journey of reading five books by five different authors who will be at The Bocas Lit Fest has been a great journey that has been completely exhilarating. I have enjoyed purposefully reading with an end result of meeting the authors who wrote the books that I read and so many other authors. I know that the journey of reading these five novels will enhance my experience at my first ever international lit fest.  

Now, I liked the first four books that I read for the lit fest a whole lot, but A Brief History of Seven Killings did not do it for me. I read about 400 of the over 600 pages, skimmed to the end to see if I could find some inspiration to keep reading, and after much deliberation, I decided to let this one go.

A Brief History of Seven Killings is a fictional account of an attempt to murder Bob Marley through the view point of about twenty different characters or more. Each person tells a different piece of this huge puzzle. 

In the beginning I was following the characters and enjoying the different voices. I really admire how Marlon had so many characters with totally unique voices in the same book. This is some quite sophisticated writing. However, after awhile, I could not follow the storyline anymore and was not quite sure what was going on. 

I totally respect Marlon because this had to be quite a difficult book to write. I hope that I run into him during the lit fest so that we can talk about his process of developing so many characters with unique voices.

For taking on this courageous project, I must give Marlon 'the thumbs up'.

If any of you, my dear readers, decide to give this book a try, reach out and let me know your thoughts.

Here are links to the four other books that I read to prepare for this festival:

The Galaxy Game by Karen Lord

The Children of Paradise by Fred D'Aguiar

Moving Forward Sideways Like a Crab by Shani Mootoo

Land of Love and Drowning by Tiphanie Yanique

Thursday morning, I will be on a plane heading to Trinidad for The Bocas Lit Fest. I'm super excited about all of the literary possibilities. If possible, I will blog while I am there. So, check back for updates.

To keep with the spirit of the Caribbean, I am going to start reading Somerset Grove by Dionne Peart, which is set in Jamaica.

Set some goals, My People.....

Bocas Lit Fest: Land of Love and Drowning by Tiphanie Yanique

 

Four books down, and one more to go before The Bocas Lit Fest....

Oftentimes when I write a review of a novel, I will put the cover of the book at the beginning of the post so that when a person is in a book store, she may remember the book cover, remember my review, and decide if she should give the book a try. However, with this book, I put the picture of Tiphanie at the beginning of this post, because Tiphanie is a truly, gifted storyteller who should be recognized all over the world.

This book is set in the Virgin Islands. I've never been to the Virgin Islands, but after reading this book, I am adding the Virgin Islands to my list of places that I should visit soon. 

The main characters are Eeona and Anette. However, there are many minor characters that Tiphanie carefully developed as much as she did the main characters, and their development added to the richness of this text.

This stories traces the history of the Virgin Islands and the lives of the sisters Eeona and Anette. I absolutely loved this story, and here are a few reasons why:

• Character Development: Tiphanie helped me to get to know these characters by telling their stories completely but not in a manner that was confusing. We get to know the characters quite well and you can't help but to love them, even those who aren't likeable, when we understand why they do what they do. 

• Narration:  Tiphanie uses four different narrators to tell this story: Eeona, Anette, Jacob, and a third person narrator. For each character who spoke, Tiphanie helped us to really hear their voice and understand their perspective. With Anette, she even used a Caribbean dialect that was quite fascinating. However, the narrator who tells most of this story is the third person narrator, and it felt like she was sitting in my house telling me this captivating story: the narrator would actually address the reader and include me in the story by using words such as 'we.' 

By the way, Tiphanie's narration reminds me of the writings of the late and great J. California Cooper. If you have not tried anything by J. California, You Must! A good story to start with by J. California Cooper is In Search of Satisfaction. I can guarantee that you will thoroughly enjoy it, or I refund you the money that you spend on the book. (Just Playing!)

  

• Atmosphere or Mood:  An author normally uses atmosphere or mood in order to affect the reader emotionally and psychologically and to provide a feeling for the narrative. And, Tiphanie did a superb job of doing just that. I could clearly envision every scene, and it felt like I was in the book. I was connected to this novel, and found myself pulled to the Virgin Islands over and over again: the characters, the place, the mysticism! Speaking of mysticism, the mysticism was used in this novel in a manner that made me believe that there is something to it. The supernatural was subtle but very present. As a matter of fact, I currently teach a study from St. Croix who stated that most people in the Virgin Islands do believe in the Supernatural, and he stated that almost every person has had at least one experience with the supernatural. Interesting right?

I've listed the three reasons why I absolutely loved this book; however, I could go and on and on about this book and its writer.

I believe that Tiphanie and her storytelling will definitely stand the test of time. I hope that Tiphanie writes, and writes, and writes and not die with one ounce of her talent still inside of her....

I got my fingers crossed for Tiphanie to still be in the lineup for The Bocas Lit Fest; It would be a great treat to meet her.

Get to know Tiphanie and her writings!

My last book to finish before The Bocas Lit Fest is A Brief History of Seven Killings:

 
So, I downloaded this book, and it is over six-hundred pages, and I thought, "What have I gotten myself into?" So, I read the reviews, and this book is highly acclaimed, and I can't wait to read every single word...

By the way, I just love this picture of Marlon James, the author of A Brief History of Seven Killings:

Marlon Jones

Purposeful reading feels good......

Happy Hump Day, My People!

Bocas Lit Fest: Moving Forward Sideways Like A Crab by Shani Mootoo

Three novels down, and two more to go before the Bocas Lit Fest.

Once I figured out what was going on in this novel, and it did not take me long, I absolutely fell in love with it...

I loosely read the description of this novel, so when the main character, Jonathan went to meet his parent who left him, I assumed that he was going to meet his dad who left he and his mother. When actually, Jonathan was going to find his other mother, he was being raised by a lesbian couple. And, when he finally finds his mother, she has undergone a sex change and was an elderly man. Yes, you read this right. Not what I was expecting at all, but I truly enjoyed putting the pieces together and falling in love with Jonathan and his mother/father Sidney, formerly known as Sid.

Jonathan finds Sydney living in Trinidad, and he visits this elderly, sickly man to try and get the answers to why did he leave him. Through many conversations and letters, Jonathan is able to put the pieces to Sidney's life together and those pieces helped him to lovingly understand why Sydney left him to never return.

Mootoo does a great job of helping the reader to get a feel for Trinidad and its sense of community and traditions. Reading this book, I felt like I was in Trinidad feeling that warm, sticky air taking a close look into the lives of these characters.

Moot would tell a story and tell more stories, leaving me wanting more.....

This is definitely one to add to your list if you want to get a feel for the Trinidadian culture and meet characters that you will remember for a long time.

When I see Mootoo in Trinidad at the Bocas Lit Fest, I will not ask a lot of questions; I just want to hear her speak. Based on this novel, I know that she has some interesting stories to tell.

Shani Mootoo

I am one novel closer to Trinidad......

My next novel in preparation for the Bocas Lit Fest is Land of Love and Drowning by Tiphanie Yanique.

I can’t wait to start this one!

My people, it feels good to be reading for a purpose.....

Bocas Lit Fest: Children of Paradise by Fred D'Aguiar

Two books down, three more to go before The Bocas Lit Fest.....

I absolutely love authors who takes a time period or an incident and tells fictional stories that can help the reader to better understand the time period or the incident.

For instance, Lawrence Hill, with The Book of Negroes, did an excellent job of helping me to better understand and visualize what may have happened during the time in history when humans were made into slaves. He gave those precious people names and identities, and that is exactly what Fred does with The Children of Paradise; he gives the people, who were involved in the Jonestown tragedy, names and identities and helped me to better understand why people would fanatically follow, Jim Jones, and take their own lives.

In the early 70s, Jim Jones, a religious leader, established a church called The People's Temple. He convinced over 900 people to move to Guyana and eventually convinced them to take their own lives by drinking poison. Read a Jamestown survivor's story here.

This happened in 1978, and I was only eight years old, and for some reason, I can vividly remember this incident.

With Children of Paradise, Fred takes us to Jonestown, and we are able to see how Jim Jones may have use beatings, torture, mind games, scare tactics, in order to convince people to be loyal to him and eventually take their own lives.

The main characters, Joyce and her children Trinia, Ryan, and Rose, are basically held captive by Jim Jones and were afraid to even think about leaving. Reading this story, I could feel their distress once they came to the realization that needed to get out, but there just seem to be no way out. I bonded with these characters and wanted them to get out, but I already knew how their story would end.

The story of Jonestown is one of many stories that need to be told over and over again. The people who died need to be given names and identities so that people will remember them as humans who were blindly taking a chance to live in a utopian society.

When I see Fred at The Bocas Lit Fest, I am going to thank him for honoring the people of the Jonestown tragedy by telling their stories.....

Read this incredible story and learn!

Guess what came in the mail?

So, I'll be reading Moving Forward Sideways Like A Crab next!

Only a few more weeks before the Lit Fest..... EXCITED!

Bocas Lit Fest: The Galaxy Game by Karen Lord

In my pursuit to get ready for the Bocas Lit Fest, I just finished my first of five books that I will read in preparation for the festival.

Before I even start to talk about this book, I must tell you that I totally admire science fiction writers such as Tananarive Due, Suzanne Collins, Stephen King, Octavia Butler, and Karen Lord. Science Fiction writers' mind are completely incredible, like really incredible. They think of ideas that are sooooo other worldish, then they write about these things, and convey them in a manner where people can understand their outlandish thoughts.

Galaxy Game has a Star Wars feel to it. It is definitely entertaining, and the writing style had me frantically reading to see what was going to happen to the main character, Rafi, who is psionically gifted. Now, because of the other-worldish things that goes on in this book, it is very difficult for me to really explain the plot so, I will let NPR do it for me here.

My people, after a little research, I found out that The Galaxy Game is the sequel to The Best of All Possible Worlds.....I guess I should have read The Best of All Possible Worlds first. But, I am fairly intelligent and was able to understand this book, I think, without reading The Best of All Possible Worlds first. (I will go back and read it someday.)

When I see Karen at the Bocas Lit Fest, some of the first things that I am going to ask her are "What was her inspiration for writing this book... Where in the world did she get this most fascinating idea from?" I just need to know what goes on inside of a science-fiction writer's brain.

If you get a moment, you may want to check this one out.

Ok, my people, the next book that is on my list to be read for the Bocas Lit Fest is Moving Forward Sideways Like a Crab, but it had to be ordered, and is not here yet. So, I will start reading Children of Paradise by Fred D'Aguiar.

Happy Easter Monday!

The Trinidad and Tobago Literary Festival - Bocas Lit Fest

Karen Lord, author of Galaxy Games, and she will be at the lit fest.

At the end of April, the beginning of May, I will be spending time in Trinidad for the Bocas Lit Fest.

Now, I had never thought about traveling to an international book festival, but my friend and fellow blogger, Shannon, from ReadingHasPurpose, stated that she was going, and I sort of invited myself.

Not sure what to expect from this festival, but I know that when you get writers, readers, books, and great location together, that usually creates something close to perfection.

So, to prepare for the lit fest, I am going to read five books, by five different authors who are going at be at the festival.

Below are links to the five books:

The Galaxy Game by Karen Lord

Moving Forward Sideways like a Crab by Shani Mootoo

Children of Paradise by Fred D'Aguiar

Land of Love and Drowning by Tiphanie Yanique

A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James

Ambitious goal right?

I'll see what I can do.....