Guest Author - Khara Aisha

In my effort to extract myself from my self-imposed fiction exile, I am reading a few nonfiction titles aimed at black women. First, Having it All? Black Women and Success, by Veronica Chambers. I remember when Chambers was a reporter and journalist for Newsweek. I was into journalism myself at the time, and I was inspired to see a black, female journalist making a name for herself. Look’s like she is still at it, too. Having it All was published in 2003, but I don’t think that this is the kind of book that gets “out of date.”

In that same vein, I plan to read The BAP Handbook : The Official Guide to the Black American Princess, by Kalyn Johnson. I actually don’t know anyone who has read it. But I read a lot of “guides” and “manuals” for indulgent women, and to the extent that I am actually indulgent, I enjoy them. But they come from a very white, often Jewish perspective. I hope this one is different.

Like most ambitious women, I am always scheming, trying to figure out how to get what I want. I have a plan A, B, and C, and typically the plans have internal alternate routes. (For instance, plan B is divided into versions 1 and 2. Can you tell that I am a bit anal?) So I think that I may really learn something from Having What Matters : The Black Woman's Guide to Creating the Life You Really Want, by Monique Greenwood. I'll take all the help that I can get.

Finally, I'm planning to read Life Lessons for My Sisters by Natasha Munson. The author is a motivational speaker and the book is about how to live a meaningful life. It looks like a easy to read and easy to follow collection of wisdom and affirmations. It’s a little more "self-help" than my usual choices, but after reading the publisher’s description, I was unusually intrigued. I'll let you know how it turns out.

If you have any “must reads” for 2006, especially of the non-fiction variety, feel free to send me an email at africanamericanlit@bellaonline.com