Armchair BEA: Best Books of 2012

Today's theme is share a few of our favorite books of 2012. My reading has been slack to put it mildly. But there are a few that I immensely enjoyed that made me go hmm.

1. Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones                  
This novel is captivating with its rich language and wittiness. It's a story about a bigamist and his two families, the secret family is unaware of the husband's other family and the other family knows about the secret family. A must read indeed. One of my top favorites of the year. And Ms. Tayari Jones is sweet and very personable, which helps when you actually like the author personally.

2. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
This book had me whewing. You know that feeling when you read something so remarkable and unbelievable that you sigh out loud with a whew. The story was told delicately, with honesty and integrity. And I felt Ms. Skloot told it from an objective viewpoint. Her interview about the book was great and she was quite inviting and funny.



3. The Family Business by Carl Weber
This book was really good considering it was out of my recent comfort zone of feel good book or books with lots of action and adventure such as dystopian and apocalyptic novels. This book is often labeled as urban literature. But back in my day, I read nearly every book he cranked out. The Family Business was a pleasing book that helped me get reacquainted with Mr. Weber's work.

HAPPY BEA WEEK!

What are some of your favorite books of 2012?

Don't forget to enter My Favorite Reads giveaway going on right now. Click My Favorite Reads to enter for a chance to win one $25 Amazon Gift Card or up to $25 in purchases from the Book Depository for international participants. Hope you take a moment to enter. Good Luck!

Carl Weber: The Family Business

I recently went to a book signing for Carl Weber and Eric Pete for their book collaboration, The Family Business. It was a great event. Carl Weber is an excellent speaker. He spoke about his journey to publication and the inspiration behind each book. Carl Weber said that his books derive from personal experience either directly or indirectly. Which I suspect is how most writers get their inspiration. It was a nice turnout considering it was Superbowl Sunday. Overall, it was a great event and I look forward to reading my copy of The Family Business.

By day, the Duncans are an upstanding family who run a thriving car dealership in Queens. By night, they live a dangerous secret life! Carl Weber and Eric Pete deliver a thrilling underworld drama in The Family Business.L.C. Duncan, patriarch of the family, is at the age when he’s starting to think about retirement in sunny Florida. But the recession is taking a bite out of the business and, worrying more, he has to decide which of his children should take over. When his workaholic son Orlando gets the nod, Orlando’s siblings—including the favorite son Vegas, conniving daughter London, glamorous party girl Paris and flamboyant nightclub owner Rio—are up in arms. But so are the Zunigas, a rival family whose fragile business alliance with the Duncans may explode at any moment.When Vegas suddenly breaks away from the family, London’s lawyer husband, Harris, makes a play for the company and all hell breaks loose. Selling cars, it turns out, is only a small part of the Duncans’ family business. Each member of the family has a secret expertise to reveal. And now, under siege from the Mafia, Mexican drug cartels and the Zunigas, the Duncans will have to stick together—or die separately!