by Brenda Jackson
Eighteen books later, the Madaris family and their friends are still going strong. After working on an especially stressful and high-profile case, attorney De Angelo Di Meglio has decided to take some well deserved time off to devote to an equally important project: winning the heart of Peyton Mahoney. Because Peyton is his sister Samari's best friend, their paths have crossed quite often over the years and De Angelo is hoping to have her see him as more than just a brother figure and he hatches a plan.
Samari and Mackenzie, Peyton's friends and law partners, notice that she is a little abrasive and on edge lately. So they gift her with 2 weeks at a singles-only resort in the Bahamas. It is the perfect way for her to unwind as she approaches her milestone 30th birthday. What Peyton doesn't know is that De Angelo is part owner of the resort and she probably won't remain single for long.
Courting Justice is a great twist on the "friends becoming lovers" story.
The Art And Culture of The Hip-Hop DJ
by Mark Katz
I didn't grow up in New York City and my first introduction to the art form was through Rapper's Delight (unfortunately), but hip-hop is my favorite music genre. I use it to lift my spirits when I'm depressed, and to make me feel powerful when I need a boost of confidence. I've also been known to actually tear up when I hear a good sample used in a particularly masterful way or an intricate scratching routine. Seriously.
So I was excited to read this new book by music historian, Mark Katz. He specifically chose to focus on DJs that actually manipulate records, not the DJ/producers that are so popular today. Even though I've learned about the history from reading other books, it was still interesting to hear about who invented what scratch and how the technology has advanced and its effect on the industry. The inclusion of female DJs was nice, because they are so often overlooked, but I would have liked for that chapter to have been a little longer. This is a great addition to the growing canon of books about hip-hop.
