“Originally Published on AALBC.com (The African American Literature Book Club)”. 

Perfect Combination:
Seven Key Ingredients to Happily Living & Loving Together
by Jamillah and David Lamb
Between the Lines Productions
Paperback, $16.99
180 pages, Illustrated
ISBN: 978-0-9849250-0-1

“Jamillah and David Lamb are the dynamic couple behind the successful Off-Broadway play ‘Platanos Y Collard Greens’ which is enjoying its 9th year-running. For years, they have worked side by side, 24/7, to create and build their business. And, not only have they not killed each other, their love has grown stronger.

“Inspiration allows 30 exceptional people to tell their unique stories. Each of these women takes us on her life journey, describing the people, the teachings and the circumstances that shaped her.  We see the role that family, culture, community and mentorship play, as well as the influence of dreams, ambitions and ideas.
These women have achieved extraordinary success in the face of seemingly insurmountable circumstances. Even more important, each one has attributes of character--integrity, courage, energy, commitment, faith, drive--that illustrate how talent and character come together to create a rich and fulfilling life.
The results are astonishing… and I hope you enjoy and find inspiration in their stories.”
-- Excerpted from the Preface (pg. 6)

As a journalist, I’ve had the privilege of interviewing a number of the talented trailblazers profiled in this book. But while I might have done a decent job of capturing, say, Laila Ali’s dogged determination, Raven-Symone’s admirable maturity, or Soledad O’Brien’s sheer brilliance, those tete-a-tetes still seem to pale in comparison to the emotional depth of the material captured on the pages of Inspiration.

Lessons from Life Bible:
Personal Reflections with Jimmy Carter
Foreword by Jonathan Reckford
Zondervan
Hardcover, $39.99
1536 pages
ISBN: 978-0-310-95081-3
   
“Throughout the years of his public life, former President and Nobel Peace Prize-winner Jimmy Carter has lived out a conspicuous faith… [He] has been leading Sunday school classes ever since he was an 18 year-old ensign at the U.S. Naval Academy…
For over 6 decades, he has been examining the Scriptures and teaching classes to adults… [This] Study Bible is designed to… amplify the deeply held convictions of one of the most important and influential voices of our time.”
-- Excerpted from the inside book jacket

Tuskegee Love Letters
by Kim Russell
702 Entertainment
Paperback, $8.00
38 pages, Illustrated
ISBN: 978-0-615591544
    
Book Review by Kam Williams

“My father was a pilot with the all-Negro Tuskegee Airmen; my mother a steno-typist… Separated by war and duty, they shared the events of their lives through letters. They wrote about their joys, their dreams and their individual struggles.
Thankfully, each preserved their letters…. This collection is a glimpse of their lives between 1942 and 1956… These letters are my parents’ legacy. They tell about a difficult but wondrous journey filled with obstacles and opportunities… [and] remind us that all young Americans begin their lives with dreams.”
-- Excerpted from the Introduction (pg. 5)

If you saw the recent World War II film Red Tails, you were treated to a riveting reenactment of the heroic exploits of the Tuskegee Airmen over the skies of Europe. But a glaring omission from the movie was any mention of the African-American pilots’ pining for their loved ones back in the States.
In fact, the only romance featured in the film revolved around an ill-fated, interracial liaison between an airman and a local girl he met while stationed in Italy. For that reason, a book like Tuskegee Love Letters couldn’t have come along at a more timely moment.