The Life Of A Hood Star

The Feds labeled her the Queen of Tax Fraud, and accused her of defrauding the United States government out of twenty-one million dollars. The streets called her the 1$t Lady. BET gave her the title TRAP QUEEN. Whatever the label, RASHIA WILSON wore it well because she was undisputedly a BO$$ CHICK and Tampa Bay's most well-known female HOOD STAR. Like many around the way girls, Rashia was born into a desultory struggle of which she saw no way out of but to hustle and grind. Along the way, she was used by man after man, and she was in and out of jail for an array of crimes and money schemes. But, when she crosses paths with a particular street entrepreneur, Rashia quickly goes from hood rat status and groupie to SUPASTAR. With her newfound celebrity and ill-gained wealth, Rashia is courted by many of your favorite rappers, entertainers and professional athletes, and she's giving up the tea in her steamy relationships with many of them. Unfortunately, with the fame comes a plethora of haters and the Feds, who are always watching. When Rashia's rock star life takes a drastic turn for the worst, will THE LIFE OF A HOOD STAR be worth the long prison sentence that awaited her?

In 2008, the United States Supreme Court ruled Californias prison system as unconstitutionally cruel and overcrowded. The decision mandated the downsizing of a prison system that had risen to become the largest in America. How did California become the king of imprisonment, and what prompted the mass incarceration of a generation of minority males? Memoirs of a Hoodstar is a real look at one mans life as he goes from a serious hustler to prison inmate. Jamal ends up behind bars after living a life of crime, and although he deserves some punishment, he soon begins to realize the huge number of African American males behind bars is more than punishment: its a political game and hes just one of the pawns paying a priceless price. Greedy men like Big Al make loads of dough on the California penal system, and nobodys stopping them. Jamal hopes that the madness will stop, but who will stand up for prison inmates? D.Durand Hall provides the uncut truth behind the barbaric imprisonment of Californias notorious department of Corrections but also reveals how ex-cons can turn their lives around.

In a place where drugs, domestic violence, Incarceration, H.I.V-Aids, and murders are found and encountered on a daily basis, America tends to omit the struggles of the ghetto.This is a book that will reveal the definition of the hood through three sentiments.Antoine is young, ambitious, stubborn, and fearless. Being the stepson of a pastor, at thirteen Antoine gets fully introduced to the street life. 70 percent of Antoine's outlook tells him to "get it how you live", while the other 30 percent says "never lose your integrity". In a world that's full of gunshots, sirens, and rap music, Antoine gets caught up - But regardless of the crime, a son's love for his mother will always be justified.Monique represents the female sentiments of the ghetto. Being from the projects, Monique and her home girls are only the typical clubbing click. Even though Monique would rather stay at home and cater to her man Lester, if Lester is never at the house himself, what else is there for her to do? While one of Monique's home girls lives the life of promiscuity, Monique only wants her man - But if Lester skeletons come out the closet, should she still want him?What's a hood without its glitter? Jersey Phat will represent the silver and gold glitter of South Side Baton Rouge. Jersey Phat theory is simple; get money, stay out of jail, and shine hard! While Jersey Phat is no doubt a trendsetter, he encounters the rich and famous, and will go down in history as another ghetto legend.

“[An] enchanting journey through Ann Hood’s early fascination with reading.… Book lovers will find Morningstar irresistible.”—Lynn Sharon Schwartz, author of Ruined by Reading Growing up in a mill town in Rhode Island, in a household that didn’t foster a love of reading, novelist Ann Hood discovered nonetheless the transformative power of literature. She learned to channel her imagination, ambitions, and curiosity by devouring ever-growing stacks of books. In Morningstar, Hood recollects with warmth and honesty how The Bell Jar, Marjorie Morningstar, The Harrad Experiment, and The Outsiders influenced her teen psyche and introduced her to topics that could not be discussed at home: desire, fear, sexuality, and madness. Later, Johnny Got His Gun and Grapes of Wrath dramatically influenced her political thinking while the Vietnam War and Kent State shootings became headline news, and classics such as Dr. Zhivago and Les Misérables stoked her ambitions to travel the world. With characteristic insight and charm, Hood showcases the ways in which books gave her life and can transform—even save—our own lives.

Some measure success by the heights reached, but Black evaluates his life by the obstacles that catapulted him to stand on higher ground. From the ghettos of Baltimore to the hallowed halls of Congress, this unlikely admiral reveals how God can bring deliverance to captives and let the oppressed go free.

From one of the bestselling memoirists of all time comes a stunning and heartbreaking novel about an intrepid girl who challenges the injustice of the adult world in a triumph of imagination and storytelling.

Prologue -- Ghetto child -- Coming of age in Mississippi -- Historically Black in college -- Stanford starman -- Epilogue.

An enthralling novel about love, loss, secrets, friendship, and the healing power of literature, by the bestselling author of The Knitting Circle. Ava’s twenty-five-year marriage has fallen apart, and her two grown children are pursuing their own lives outside of the country. Ava joins a book group, not only for her love of reading but also out of sheer desperation for companionship. The group’s goal throughout the year is for each member to present the book that matters most to them. Ava rediscovers a mysterious book from her childhood—one that helped her through the traumas of the untimely deaths of her sister and mother. Alternating with Ava’s story is that of her troubled daughter Maggie, who, living in Paris, descends into a destructive relationship with an older man. Ava’s mission to find that book and its enigmatic author takes her on a quest that unravels the secrets of her past and offers her and Maggie the chance to remake their lives.