The Romer Reviewʼs Superlative Movers & Shakers and Other Memorable Books of 2010

The Romer Review proudly presents a personal list of achieving wunderkinds that made a difference this past year. in the literary arena. In my opinion 2010 was an exceptional year for me in more ways than one pertaining to all things literary. I saw quite a few people grow and provide services and good reading material! Moreover, there were certain people that in my opinion stood out and further solidified their worth in this industry above and beyond status quo. Notwithstanding last year was the arrival of the iPad, the ensuing e-reader/e-book price wars and the late-breaking launch of Google Editions that stirred the publishing industry into ever higher levels of panic. Questions abounded relative to whether the written word survive, or would books and bookstores be things of the past? If the best books published this year are any indication, I would beg to differ with my answer being a resounding yes! There were quite a few gems that defined the true essence of penmanship for crating stories with imagery in fiction, and with truths ever so magnified in the non-fiction world. No matter what changes come to the industry certain things will remain status quo, and that cuddling up with a good book will be the exception that fuels the rule. Albeit, delivery methods, and the mediumi which you read books may change, but writing is as vital as ever, and readers still get excited over books and the authorsthat write them. The books of 2010 did good by me. I want to pay homage to them here.

There were virtual marketing entities, people who expanded their expertise in cyberspace in providing literary resources and services, as well as those that showed a knack for making themselves visible and viable. In this age of recessive ills and cutbacks in the literary world, business went on as usual, especially among those that persevered. There were a few publishing companies that made my list, as well as Publicists, Authors and Editors that need to be recognized. Iʼm talking about substance and substantive input that made a difference with an upside for even greater potential in the future. This correspondence is my personal views on the superlative movers and shakers that stood out and the books that either that was promoted by them, the acclaim given thereof, and the legitimate options that made surfing the net worthwhile! Several quality manuscripts came across my desk for editing, as well as aspiring authors exhibiting potential. Thereʼs no substitute for excellent writing skill as well as books that have the propensity to hold my attention long after I reluctantly relinquish them. Like any good book with qualitative insight, I invariably came back to them in various mindsets. Usually I donʼt cotton to superlative lists more often than not. Why? Because you simply cannot list them all at the risk of omitting some that are just as worthy, but fail to adhere to any criteria for inclusion. I read too many books across the board and can honestly say that well over half of them were not quality reads. As an ʻA Listʼ reviewer with several major publishers the number of books I get in a years time is exhaustive. Compiling lists of this magnitude can be fraught with angst and trepidation on most voracious readers. For argument sake though, and to refute those that insist that there should be a list nonetheless from me, I will appease them only because of the nature of literary comparison and the many fans that look forward to getting opinionated views from books read and reviewed by me.

About my lists: The people and entities that I name for any of the lists here therein are based purely on observations, industry contact information and personal evaluation of all interactive activity both online an offline. Of course, all trade publications and insider information I have has implication for merited success to be honored by me. As for the books, Iʼve read and reviewed every book on the lists (fiction and non-fiction) and stand by them. I read across the board and get books from many publishers, mainstream and/or self-published. I selected them randomly and gave credence to those that touched me the most. They are not in any numeric order, nor are they based in my positioning on what other best seller lists may comprised one way or the other. I judge authors on artistic merit and their ability to write competently to sway any of their audiences, and thereʼs no favor based on race. As such I have broken my lists down and categorized them accordingly:

Fiction

The Shack by William P. Young

Mackenzie Allen Philips' youngest daughter, Missy, has been abducted during a family vacation and evidence that she may have been brutally murdered is found in an abandoned shack deep in the Oregon wilderness. Four years later in the midst of his Great Sadness, Mack receives a suspicious note, apparently from God, inviting him back to that shack for a weekend. In a world where religion seems to grow increasingly irrelevant The Shack wrestles with the timeless question, Where is God in a world so filled with unspeakable pain? The answers Mack gets will astound you and perhaps transform you as much as it did him. You'll want everyone you know to read this book!

I, Alex Cross by James Patterson

You would have to know that ANY Alex Cross book written by this author would make my list! If you are a James Patterson reader then this latest offers nothing new on a theme he himself has already done to death in his 16th novel featuring detective Alex Cross (after Cross Country), in which Cross takes on yet another barbaric serial killer, this one known as Zeus. Word that an estranged 24-year-old niece, Caroline Cross, has been murdered disturbs Cross's birthday party. What makes all of his books great is how he intrically weaves stories that have you riveted without wanting to put the book down -- and this one doesnʼt disappoints.

Crave by J.R. Ward

This is book 2 of the Fallen Angels series from this author, and if youʼre looking for an entertaining and thought-provoking storylines check this, and the previous one for size. Isaac Rothe is a black ops soldier with a dark past and a grim future. The target of an assassin, he finds himself behind bars, his fate in the hands of his gorgeous public defender Grier Childe. His hot attraction to her can only lead to trouble-and that's before Jim Heron tells him his soul is in danger. Caught up in a wicked game with the demon who shadows Jim, Isaac must decide whether the soldier in him can believe that true love is the ultimate weapon against evil. It offers a sumptuous mix of danger and romance.

Uptown by Virginia DeBerry & Donna Grant

In Uptown a prominent Harlem family is strained to the breaking point by the high-stakes world of the Manhattan real estate industry, and one woman searches for her identity and the will to forgive. But after twenty years away, Avery Lyons returns to New York when her mother and uncle suffer a serious car accident. The tragedy brings the family together, but Avery is not happy about the impromptu reunion. She no longer recognizes the Harlem of her childhood, but the same old family dynamics and secrets are all too familiar . . .Steamy, provocative, and sexy, Uptown is a turbulent and triumphant read.

Big Girls Do Cry by Carl Weber

This is truly a soap opera in da hood! Sibling rivalry can escalate to open hostility, especially if your sister has married your rich ex-fiancé. But somehow, Isis and Egypt manage to get along. In fact, together theyʼve founded a unique book club, The Big Girls Book Club, where members have to be at least a size 14. Egypt moves into Rashid and Isisʼ mansion, but the arrangement starts to go south when Egypt realizes her feelings for Rashid, with whom she was involved for 10 years, havenʼt completely died. This is yet, another offering from Carl with lifelike characters—flawed, confused, frustrated, and sometimes plus-sized.

The House by Anjuelle Floyd

There are a plethora of books with this title, but the similarity ends with this authorʼs depiction of a haunting story of death, redemption and guilt. Anjuelle Floyd is The Romer Reviewʼs Debut Author of the Year and one of several to watch in 2011. Fresh off the heels of her previous masterpiece, Keeper of Secrets, The House is riveting and poignant. What happens when the divorce is final and youʼre ready to start anew? On receiving the very thing you wanted more than anything—a divorce and the power to sell the house—over which youʼve fought the past year—Anna Manning learns that Edward, her soon-to-be ex-husband is dying from cancer...and the plot thickens!

Little Bee by Chris Cleave

This is a haunting novel with good implications about the tenuous friendship that blooms between two disparate strangers—one an illegal Nigerian refugee, the other a recent widow from suburban London. What happens on a particular beach is brutal, and that it braids the fates of a 16- year-old Nigerian orphan (who calls herself Little Bee) and a well-off British couple--journalists trying to repair their strained marriage with a free holiday--who should have stayed behind their resort's walls. The tide of that event carries Little Bee back to their world, which she claims she couldn't explain to the girls from her village because they'd have no context for its abundance and calm. What makes this book work is the amazing subliminal value of bridging the contrasts of race and culture.

The Help by Kathryn Stockette

In a page-turner that brings new resonance to the moral issues involved, the author spins a story of social awakening as seen from both sides of the American racial divide - a young southern white woman and two Black maids. Set during the civil rights movement in Jackson, Miss.,Eugenia Skeeter Phelan is just home from college in 1962, and, anxious to become a writer, is advised to hone her chops by writing about what disturbs you. The book Skeeter puts together based on their stories is scathing and shocking, bringing pride and hope to the black community, while giving Skeeter the courage to break down her personal boundaries and pursue her dreams.

Room by Emma Donnoghue

To five-year-old Jack, Room is the entire world. It is where he was born and grew up; it's where he lives with his Ma as they learn and read and eat and sleep and play. At night, his Ma shuts him safely in the wardrobe, where he is meant to be asleep when Old Nick visits. Room is home to Jack, but to Ma, it is the prison where Old Nick has held her captive for seven years. Through determination, ingenuity, and fierce motherly love, Ma has created a life for Jack. But she knows it's not enough...not for her or for him. She devises a bold escape plan, one that relies on her young son's bravery and a lot of luck. What she does not realize is just how unprepared she is for the plan to actually work.

Zora and Me by Victoria Bond and T.R. Simon

Any book for and about Zora Neale Hurston will whet my appetite and this one written to appeal to young adults didnʼt disappoint. Told in the immediate first- person voice of 10-year-old Carrie, Zora Neale Hurstonʼs best childhood friend, this first novel is both thrilling and heartbreaking. Each chapter is a story that evokes the famous African American writerʼs early years in turn-of-the-last- century Eatonville, Florida, and the sharp, wry vignettes build to a climax, as Carrie and Zora eavesdrop on adults and discover secrets. Carrie mourns for her dad, who went to Orlando for work and never came back; Zoraʼs father is home, but he rejects her for being educated and “acting white,” unlike her favored sister. Racism is part of the story, with occasional use of the n-word in the colloquial narrative. This novel of lies and revelations will reach a wide audience.

Moonshine by Alaya Johnson

This is one of the best paranormal novels I read in 2011. Itʼs a period piece written in the vampiric thematic mode blending a tempestuous romance with dramatic historical fiction, populated by a lively mythology inhabiting the gritty New York City streets. Check out Zephyr Hollis, who is an underfed, overzealous social activist who teaches night school to the underprivileged of the Lower East Side. Strapped for cash, Zephyr agrees to help a student, the mysterious Amir, who proposes she use her charity worker cover to bring down a notorious vampire mob boss. What he doesnʼt tell her is why. Soon enough sheʼs tutoring a child criminal with an angelic voice, dodging vampires high on a new blood-based street drug, and trying to determine the real reason behind Amirʼs request—not to mention attempting to resist (often unsuccessfully) his dark, inhuman charm.

Tempted By Trouble by Eric Jerome Dickey

Booklist calls Eric Jerome Dickeyʼs latest book A serendipitous mix of lust, longing, and murder, but in my opinion this is another outstanding read that this talented author has given his audience. This is a cautionary tale, featuring a criminal prone to panic attacks. It shows that crime does pay, but only for a little while with a flaming-hot stand- alone set in the world of conmen and thieves. Multi-talented Dmytryk Knight earns his college degree. In addition to English, heʼs fluent in five languages. He finds a well-paying, white-collar job at a Detroit automobile company. Seven years later, a recession hits, and heʼs demoted to the assembly line. Seven years after that, the economy tanks, and heʼs laid off. Whatʼs a guy to do? In Dmytrykʼs case, he looks for honest work, and struggles on unemployment for two years. Dmytrykʼs wife, Cora, isnʼt happy with their stressful, uncertainexistence, so she pushes her husband to work for Eddie Coyle. The problem is, Coyle is a crime lord, and the job requirements include killing whom he wants, when he wants.

Bachelor Unleashed by Brenda Jackson

This is book 2 in the Batchelor in Demand Series...They had a hot, fleeting affair Farrah Langley has never forgotten. Attorney-to-the-rich-and-famous Xavier Kane was tender, sexy, attentive—and ravished her body. Everything she ever wanted in a lover. Getting together with him again in New York is a fantasy come true. She certainly doesnʼt expect the footloose bachelor to change his ways. And the burned-by-love mediator isnʼt looking for forever. But Xavier is. Thereʼs something about Farrah, though...something that touches him deep in his soul...something that keeps him coming back. So when fate brings them together again, Xavierʼs ready to pick up where they left off. But this time around, he wants more. Can he convince the lean, leggy beauty that heʼs That he wants only one woman in his bed, heart?

Non- Fiction

21st Century Skills: Learning for Life in Our Times

by Bernie Trilling & Charles Fadel

Thereʼs no other book of late that Iʼve read that tackles problems and gives a blueprint for how to deal with, and teach our children new standards for 21th Century success. The world has undergone foundational shifts in recent decades—widespread advances in technology and communications, booming economic developments and increased competition, and the escalation of global challenges from financial meltdowns to global warming. How can we prepare students to meet the challenges of our century if our schools remain virtually unchanged? This essential resource introduces a framework for 21st century learning that maps out the skills needed to survive and thrive in a complex and connected world. A 21st century education includes knowledge of traditional core subjects such as reading, writing, and arithmetic—but also emphasizes contemporary themes such as global awareness and financial/economic, health, and environmental literacies.

Career GPS: Strategies for Women Navigating the New Corporate Landscape

by Ella L.J. Edmondson Bell

The workplace is constantly in flux, and even now there are new opportunities open to women. But to take advantage of these possibilities, it's essential to know the current rules for corporate success.Women more than ever, and recent trends bear this out, are more saavy and tenacious in securing their own piece of the rock...and the work place is fertile ground for this new initiative. Author Ella L.J. Edmondson Bell puts a new spin on what it will take to solidify and continue to be major players in corporate America. She offers guidelines to help women forge their own pathways to professional ascent, providing tips for maximizing a review, networking in a relevant way, and much more.

Black Faces in White Places: 10 Game-Changing Strategies to Achieve Succes and Find Greatness by Randal Pinkett & Jeffrey Robinson

For generations, African-Americans have been told that to succeed, they need to work twice as hard as everyone else. But as millions of black Americans were reminded by Pinkett's experience, sometimes hard work is not enough. Black Faces in White Places is about "the game" that is, the competitive world in which we all live and work. The book of offers 10 revolutionary strategies for playing, mastering, and chang ing the game for the current generation, while under taking a whole sale redefinition of the rules for those who will follow. It is not only about shattering the old "glass ceiling," but also about examining the four dimensions of the contemporary black exper ience: identity, society, meritocracy, and opportunity. Ultimately, it is about changing the very concept of success itself. Based on the authors' considerable experiences in business, in the public eye, and in the minority, the book shows how African-American professionals can (and must) think and act both Entrepreneurially and "Intrapreneurially," combine their collective strengths with the wisdom of others, and plant the seeds of a positive and lasting legacy.

Through the Eyes of God by Shelia L. Jackson

Reading this book was a true epiphany for me because the author gave great analogies that aligned with a biblical foundation, which she used diligently for the general public to identify with. It exposes the people and places community, family, friends, and workplace-that are responsible for feelings of unworthiness and self-hatred, which can lead to an identity crisis. This problem is universal, crossing all socioeconomic backgrounds, races, classes and genders, because we all have struggled at some point in our lives with the need to be validated by others. This book solves the problem and brings healing to the whole person-mind, body, and spirit. It flows and give clarity to all of the above.

Fierce Angels: The Strong Black Women in American Life and Culture

by Sheri Parks

This is a MUST read for anyone interested in the evolution and manifestation of womenʼs continual legacy within her diaspora. Sheri Parksʼs authoritative yet deeply personal study exposes the overwhelming emotional costs—as well as the benefits—of the black femaleʼs roles as communal savior and martyr. traces the development of the “strong black woman,” from the oldest ongoing archetype to such modern-day inheritors of this legacy as Coretta Scott King, et al. Bringing it all home, Parks recalls the personal costs sheʼs paid for her own identity and captures those moments when she is expected to be all and know all. She challenges readers, mothers, and daughters alike to examine how damaging and rewarding this role can be and to take control of it in their lives. This book made me realize just how much I continue to respect women of color!

The Ministry of Motherhood by Cheryl Lacey Donovan

The Ministry of Motherhood is a triad of emotional value, attempting to explain what it truly means to be a responsible mother, what not to do to attain the epitome of the role, and a personal if not introspective look at how it affected her journey to now. The empowering refreshing messages will challenge mothers to look inside themselves for change. It will help them to identify the strongholds in their lives; public assistance, lack of education, abusive relationships, and tear them down with the help of the creator so that they can in turn take the steps necessary to build a better life for themselves and their children.

Master Your Debt: Slash Your Monthly Payments and Become Debt-Free

by Jordan E. Goodman w/Bill Westrom

In todayʼs economic crisis the ability to manage money, win at the mortgage game, clean up your credit report, and to learn the intricacies of negotiating new terms, now comes an in-depth blueprint with detailed advice on becoming free of debt. Master your debt contains many pioneering strategies as it lays out an innovative plan for achieving the elusive goals of financial success. Iʼm using it personally to help ME with my financial planning. I recommend it to you, too!

Generation EX-Christian: Why Young Adults are Leaving the Faith

...and How to Bring Them Back

by Drew Dyck

The widespread problematic issue of young folk leaving the church and compromising faith initiatives are topical for this book. The author gives in-depth analogies, research methodologies and applicable means to acentuate and bring tangible results for solutions. As a Deacon in my church and mentoring to young adults in general and teen boys in particular, this book touched me and has aided my progress relative to the title. Christians and lay folk alike would find this book compelling and poignant!

Daddyʼs Delight by Dr. Karia Bunting

Thereʼs no need to struggle with Godʼs design and destiny for His gift to mankind! Dr. Bunting gives great insight into how and what God took in fashioning woman to be the importance and value of each one and to relationships. So why do so many women struggle with God's design, wishing they could change just this or that one thing about themselves? Bunting challenges each reader to accept and embrace the fact that, in whatever season of life, she is God's masterpiece-not her own work of art. When God sees her, He sees His beautiful creation. A creation that yes, has some wrinkles needing to be smoothed out and yet, is one in whom is His delight to love to perfection.

Act Like A Lady,Think Like A Man

by Steve Harvey

Comedian and Celebrity Host Steve Harvey comes across in this book as the chivalrous and all-caring savior of women who he feels are not seeing the big picture of a manʼs world, and that they are all-knowing, regardless. Yet when it comes to relationships, he feels that they can't figure out what makes men tick. Why? According to Steve it's because they're asking other women for advice when no one but another man can tell them how to find and keep a man. In this book, Steve lets women inside the mindset of a man and sheds lights on many concepts and revelant questions that we all ask from time to time.

Honorable Mention

The Journey to Peace: A Womanʼs Guide to Finding Inner Peace by Carol Lynn Watson

Home Again: Stories of Restored Relationships by Wanda B. Campbell

I Shall Not Die by Kendra Norman-Bellamy

Industry-Level Superlatives

Mainstream Publisher of the Year -- Simon & Schuster

Simon & Schuster gets my nod because of the comprehensive program initiated by them that gave a wider audience to readers by expanding subsidiary and imprint options. The acquisition of Atria Books and Zaneʼs Strebor Books International a few years ago allowed them good vantage points with wider readership with their imprints. This is a prime example of teamwork and an innovative way of using timely acquisition in producing quality reads.

Independent Press of the Year -- Peace in the Storm Publishing

Industry-level Personnel that Made a Difference -- There are several in this category, but a few stood out.

• Marlive Harris - Year in and year out Ms Harris has exemplified dogged perseverance in aiding aspiring authors and the industry-at-large in providing services, information and promoting avenues for literary worth. Her G.R.I.T.S.com is a virtual marketing gem - an online book promotion service for authors, bookstores, and small Presses. She provided ample successes for the G.R.I.T.S. Online Reading Club, the G.R.I.T.S. Kidz Book Club, the G.R.I.T.S. Virtual Book Tours, and the On the Air with the G.R.I.T.S.com. In addition, Marlive is a virtual marketing Maven! You may want to visit this magnificent site: www.thegrits.com

• Ella Curry - EDC Literary Services is her bailiwick and what a difference she made to those wanting and needing a higher visibility. No one has made significant steps for improvement over such a short time than this young lady! Evidence of this harkens to her total makeover in the sites promoted under the various auspices of her expertise.

• Tyora Moody - ʻTyʼ as she is affectionally called started out as a Web Mistress and Designer, but the past year and a half she has sprouted wings and has soared by making her presence felt in the industry. If you were fortunate to have her design your website, blog or allowed her to give you a better presence online, her Tywebbin Creations (www.tywebbin.com) was the difference that made it happen! An aspiring writer and Blog enthusiast, her Christian entities online along with other signatures such as AAKulturezon.com (www.aakulturezone.com), Cookieaisle.com (www.cookieaisle.com) and Faithwebbin.net made her an outstanding choice for this study.

• Elissa Gabrielle - If sheʼs not yet a household name now, she will be soon! Ms Gabrielle has made strides as a distaff publisher. Not to be mistaken for other notable women in the field, she is doing it independently in a self-publishing mode that gives credence to beating the odds! Her claim to fame will be her PEACE IN THE STORM PUBLISHING company that is poised to introduce new authors with clout. Already she has published books of her own and a three volume set of anthologies should garner accolades. Her 'The Triumph Of My Soul' series is hot, with the third installment sometime in the near future.

Authors to Watch in 2011 -- Jacqueline Moore, LaConnie Taylor-Jones, Cheryl Lacey Donovan, Stephanie Casher, James W. Lewis, LaToya S. Watkins

This Superlaive Listing for 2010 was creatied and written under the auspices of The Romer Review by Alvin C. Romer (c) 1999-2011 All Rights Reserved