Cauterizing the wound

So, in recent years there’s been an influx of truly atrocious books masquerading as “urban” fiction. Suddenly the shelves are full of titles like “Bitch” or “Whore” with cover art better suited to an adult movie than a book claiming to be a glimpse into inner city life. The only common denominators in this genre seem to be misogyny, lack of plot, and a complete inability to use spellcheck. For some time now my friends and I have derived great amusement at mocking these works while we wade through the Af-Am section looking for a good read. It’s turned into a fun little game for us especially when we can out do each other’s finds of stilted dialogue, unbelievably bad sex scenes, and out and out ridiculous plot lines. A sex scene involving the words “bounced on his dick with the speed of a slave picking fresh cotton” sparked a response today very different from our usual giggles. Look people, there are limits to how much I can take before I start screaming. I know I’m not alone in my reaction to these works. So, thewayoftheid and I have decided to take our own little game public and invite folks to recommend books that could stand to be burned at the stake, as well as books that are worth buying. We’ll read them, review them, and occasionally rip them to shreds. Please come join the fun.