The rollout of music’s new artist and High School Musical: The Musical: The Series star, Olivia Rodrigo, is finely crafted yet still feels organic. Yes, we’re talking about the “Driver’s License” singer, who’s next hit is probably going to be her third single (and “Deja Vu” is underrated, but that’s another write-up). This talented singer/songwriter/performer has been compared most notably to Taylor Swift (and Lorde) and understandably so, but … Read the rest
Review: Legacy and the Queen by Annie Matthew and creator Kobe Bryant
![Legacy Cover[2]](https://i0.wp.com/sobookingcool.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Legacy-Cover2.png?resize=1080%2C1620&ssl=1)
LEGACY AND THE QUEEN, Annie Matthew, Kobe Bryant. Granity Studios, $11.88 (208p) ISBN-13: 978-1949520033
Publication date: September 3, 2019
From Kobe Bryant’s Granity Studios, comes the unique and beautiful middle grade fantasy novel, Legacy and the Queen, penned by the talented Annie Matthew. Endearing as it is inspiring, the tale centers on Legacy, a selfless tween from the Republic of Nova, who, when she is not helping her … Read the rest
Review: Diamond Doris: The True Story of the World’s Most Notorious Jewel Thief by Doris Payne
DIAMOND DORIS: THE TRUE STORY OF THE WORLD’S MOST NOTORIOUS JEWEL THIEF, Doris Payne. Amistad, $25.99 (288p) ISBN-13: 9780062917997
Publication date: September 10, 2019
To say that it is amazing that Doris Payne generated a career as a global jewelry thief for six decades is an understatement. When reading about her life, one can’t help but marvel over the level of dedication and precision that she exerted into her unlawful … Read the rest
Review: More Than Enough by Elaine Welteroth
MORE THAN ENOUGH: CLAIMING SPACE FOR WHO YOU ARE (NO MATTER WHAT THEY SAY), Elaine Welteroth. Viking, $26.00 (336p) ISBN-13: 978-0525561583
Publication date: June 11, 2019
More Than Enough: Claiming Space for Who You Are (No Matter What They Say) is one of those books that reminds you of why you love reading them in the first place. It is the kind of book that prompts you to crack … Read the rest
Review: Dapper Dan Made in Harlem: A Memoir
DAPPER DAN MADE IN HARLEM: A MEMOIR, Daniel R. Day. Random House, $28.00 (277p) ISBN-13: 9780525510512
Publication date: July 9, 2019
He might have been born and raised in Harlem, but his impact as a fashion designer has been felt worldwide. Daniel Day, a.k.a. Dapper Dan, is a man of immense complexity. He was born in 1944, one of seven children, and was a Daddy’s boy, not a Momma’s … Read the rest
Review: The Anatomy of a Corporate Lynching by Charles Ford
THE ANATOMY OF A CORPORATE LYNCHING, Charles Ford. Charles Ford Publications, $14.99 (166p) ISBN-13: 978-1729262504
Publication date: Jan. 12, 2019
Hailing from Brooklyn, Mike Tyson would exclaim that he threw punches with bad intentions. Not to be out done and hailing from the Bronx is Charles Ford who throws punches with VERY bad intentions. In other words, “Charlie don’t play that!”
In a blistering, no holds barred, I’m keeping … Read the rest
Review: Off the Ropes: The Ron Lyle Story by Candace Toft
OFF THE ROPES: THE RON LYLE STORY, Candace Toft. Hamilcar Publications, $27.95 (214p) ISBN-13: 978-1949590012
Publication date: Oct. 31, 2018
What you learn from a book is what really dictates its value. What the book reveals. What the book confronts. What the book asserts. Off the Ropes: The Ron Lyle Story, is the definitive biography about one of boxing’s “the most known and unknown” (homage to Three Six … Read the rest
Review: GuRu by RuPaul
GURU, RuPaul. Dey Street Books, $25.99 (208p) ISBN: 9780062862990
Publication date: October 23, 2018
If there is anything RuPaul is more passionate about than being unapologetically fierce, it is probably helping others tap into their fierceness—unapologetically, of course. Now, let’s take it further. It’s great to be fierce and fabulous, but how do you treat others? How do you treat yourself? In his new book, GuRu, RuPaul … Read the rest
Review: Renaissance Man: The Lin Manuel Miranda Story, An Unauthorized Biography By Marc Shapiro
RENAISSANCE MAN: THE LIN MANUEL STORY, AN UNAUTHORIZED BIOGRAPHY, Marc Shapiro. Riverdale Avenue Books, $18.01 (200p) ISBN-13: 978-1626014480
Publication date: May 10, 2018
From the New York Times bestselling author and veteran entertainment journalist, Marc Shapiro, comes his newest biography of a high-profile talent: the self-made Lin Manuel Miranda’s story. Unlike some unauthorized biographies, Renaissance Man is anything but salacious and scandalous. Shapiro doesn’t go for the … Read the rest
Review: The Art & Science of Respect: A Memoir by James Prince
THE ART & SCIENCE OF RESPECT: A MEMOIR BY JAMES PRINCE, James Prince. N-The-Water Publishing, $29.99 (296p) ISBN-13: 978-0999837009
Publication date: July 6, 2018
Memoirs can be vain, exhausting, narcissistic treatises that tell you next to nothing about the subject (person); however, that is not the case for the James Prince Memoir, The Art & Science of Respect. If you read between the lines, Prince probably gives up … Read the rest