Also noted

Ebony, March, 2005

In BABYLON SISTERS (One World/Ballantine Books, $23.95), by Pearl Cleage, the acclaimed author turns her well-honed wit and razor-sharp pen to a complicated paternity secret and its effect on the mother-daughter relationship. When the truth is revealed, its impact hits all of the characters in an unpredictable way.

IN THE POLITICAL ACTION HANDBOOK: A HOW TO GUIDE FOR THE HIP HOP GENERATION (H2G, $12.99), by Maya Rockeymoore, Ph.D., the author takes the post-Civil Rights-era activists to school with political resources and concrete and easy-to-follow steps for making change in a political context, The book features a foreword by Michael Eric Dyson: THE: PENNINGTON PLAN: 5 SIMPLE STEPS FOR ACHIEVING VIBRANT HEALTH, EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING, AND SPIRITUAL GROWTH (Avery/Penguin Group USA, $22.95), by Dr. Andrea Pennington is a clean path to wellness. The well-known medical expert outlines her five-step program for reclaiming wellness that has helped hundreds of her patients overcome physical disabilities, emotional problems and the stress associated with a hectic lifestyle. ACHIEVING CAREER SUCCESS ON YOUR TERMS: THE NIA GUIDE FOR BLACK WOMEN (Agate Publishing, $12.95), edited by Sheryl Huggins and Cheryl Mayberry McKissack, is a practical career guide for pursuing workplace success and effectiveness for today's Black working woman that includes a resource guide. It is the first book in a new series from the creators of NiaOnline.com. RUNNING ON ICE: THE OVERCOMING FAITH OF VONETTA FLOWERS (New Hope Publishers, $19.99), by 2002 Olympic Gold Medalist Vonetta Flowers with W. Terry Whalin, is a story of faith, hope and courage. It's Flowers story of how the Birmingham, Ala., native made Olympic history by becoming the first African-American to win a gold medal in the Winter Olympics. Seven months after her landmark win, she delivered twin boys, Jordan and Jayden, and is now in active training with her coach-husband, Johnny for the 2006 Olympic Games. In YOUR INNER EVE: DISCOVERING GOD'S WOMAN WITHIN (One World, $13.95), by the Rev. Dr. Susan Newman, the author encourages women to discover what she calls their "Inner Eve"--the "original woman" within that embodies the feminine expression of God's Spirit to overcome any obstacle--change their life and even change the world around them. SPACE BETWEEN THE STARS: MY JOURNEY TO AN OPEN HEART (One World/Ballantine Books, $24.95), by Deborah Santana, is an intensely personal memoir of one woman's emotional and spiritual awakening. Daughter of blues guitar pioneer, Saunders King, she had a brief explosive relationship with Sly Stone before meeting and marrying rock legend Carlos Santana 31 years ago. This book is an intimate look at her life, marriage and story as she "navigates through the waters of race, faith, sexuality, love, feminism, motherhood and artistic expression." It's said that nobody knows Black Hollywood like film historian Donald Bogle. His latest book, BRIGHT BOULEVARDS. BOLD DREAMS: THE STORY OF BLACK HOLLYWOOD (One World, $26.95) doesn't disappoint. It spans 60 years of Black Hollywood history told through interviews and personal recollections of Hollywood luminaries. OUT OF HELL & LIVING WELL: HEALING FROM THE INSIDE OUT (Xulon Press, $23.99) puts the "test" in testimony. Atop journalist and now an ordained minister Reynolds' personal resurrection story has enough plot twists to rival any major novel. It begins with abandonment by her mother, incest, job discrimination and a bad marriage that ended with the murder of the other women and ends with a complete Spiritual Makeover. "A fascinating journey into the metamorphosis of a soul," says the Rev. Dr. Michelle Balamani. I WISH I NEVER MET YOU: DATING THE SHIFTLESS, STUPID, AND UGLY (Touchstone Books/Simon & Schuster, $12.00) is a hilarious and sassy novel comprised of a series of vignettes from an unforgettable heroine who chronicles her dating calamities with men she calls Warren the So-Called Wonder, Marvin the Married Man-Boy and Igor the Ignoramus.