Any Way the Wind Blows

Rating:
Summary: Average
Review: I'm reading his books backwards cause "A Love of my Own" was the first book I paid attention to. I loved that book! I thought it was excellent. But this one was pretty average. First of all, his constant use of the word "b's" is so irritating. Who edits your books? Snoop Doggy Dogg would probably be shocked at how much he uses the word over and over again...People do not talk like "You are so beautiful and..." The word "and" in between descriptions of dialogue sounds so fake. I ordered another one of his books too. I'm hoping Ava isn't the villain in that one too. In "A love of my own", I thought Ava was a cool villain cause the story wasn't based around her. But after the second go-round, I was like "Her again?" It's cool to use the same characters if they work, but Ava is a little played out. I would've given this book three stars atleast but that whole Desmond part at the end was super fake!...Now for the good parts, overall every single chapter had me cracking up. E. Lynn Harris has a wonderful habit of slick lines and sarcastic jokes that make you shake your head. Basil was a great character to follow with during the story. Yancey was fun to read about too when she came back down to earth and did stuff like follow people on beaches. I thought overall, the plot was good but the commas, b's, and Desmond were a big distraction! And Ava should have been nonexistent in this one (or maybe the other one?) The same villain lacks spontaneity.

Rating:
Summary: THIS ONE'S NO DIVA...
Review: The best thing about this book is that someone lent it to me so I didn't have to shell out money for it or I'd be more outraged, if for no other reason than the apparently unedited and overused expressions like "diva," "stank" and "proudly." Who's editing this book anyway?!

Equally annoying was the fact that the author made no effort to loop new readers into why or how Basil has these incriminating tapes of Ava. Let's just toss in MORE confusion, shall we.

Obviously Harris can write, as evidenced by his ability to hook the reader and keep the plot churning. The question then becomes why write pulp? As a reader I feel insulted that this incredibly superficial, black Jackie Collins [like] book blathers on about three protagonists with no redeeming features whatsoever until--miraculously--they all undergo transformations in the last thirty pages. As if reversals that pat ever really work!

Rating:
Summary: Still E. Lynn Harris
Review: This book was a page turner. Just when you thought everything would blow up, you are given a new twist. As usual, Mr. Harris keeps you wanting more. I would recommend this book to all of my friends.

Rating:
Summary: Any Way the Wind Blows
Review: Great book! Could not put it down!

Rating:
Summary: AWESOME
Review: E. LYNN HARRIS..WAY TO GO!! THIS BOOK KEPT MY ATTENTION TO THE VERY END. BOOKS LIKE THIS SHOULD BE USED AS EDUCATIONAL MATERIAL FOR OUR TEENS TODAY. LIFE IS HARD, BUT WE CAN MAKE IT.

Rating:
Summary: Out of steam
Review: I must say that I have to agree with many like myself who feel that this plot/characters have been beaten to death. I have often thought about some of Harris' depictions of blacks, which only seem to have honey or brown sugar coated complexions, but
I guess if you wanted to refute that one could throw in Nicole. I have not finished reading this book. I'm 3/4 through it, but I just don't have the same zeal as before when reading previous material. I think it's true--there is way too much name dropping, etc. I have no emotional ties to any of the characters other than Raymond. Basil is an old has-been who in my eyes has not evolved one bit. Don't get me wrong, the portions of the book that I read, I completed in hours, but it's the substance. Invisible Life and Just As I Am are the benchmarks in my view, and this one doesn't even hit the mark
or come anywhere close. If you got some time to kill it's an ok book.

D+

Rating:
Summary: I couldn't put it down
Review: I loved this book! I had heard so much about it from other pople and just had to read it for myself. It's funy because I brought this book and Omar Tyree's Sweet St.Louis at the same time. I hadn't read any of E.Lyn Hairrs's books before, so I started reading Omar Tyree's book first, that didn't really capture my attention so I put it down and started to read Anyway the Wind Blows and was meomerized by the dialect and description of this book! It was great. I could see the characters as I read, and felt like I knew them all! I can't wait to get anther one of his books

Rating:
Summary: Yancy B. Is My Girl!
Review: I read A Love of My Own before reading Any Way The Wind Blows, so I came to this story with a moderate dislike for Yancy B. I understand that if I'd read Not A Day Goes By, I'd dispise her. But I like Yancy B.; she's just a sister trying to shoulder her way through, another "bag lady," who insists on holding on to yesterday's trash. It was good to see her lay down a bit of her burden.

I've never really cared for Basil--he screwed Bart, and I fully understood why Bart screwed him in return. My heart goes out to Bart because he reminds me of so many wonderful women who are so hungry for love that they readily share their own with unworthy men. Raymond is the standard bearer for Harris's recurring theme, be true to yourself, love yourself and you'll find love. A man like Raymond is an asset to any "team." straight, gay, or bi, not Basil.

I always appreciate the cultural, black is beautiful/intelligent/aware etc., messages that Harris sprinkles throughout his books. Having said that,I'm curious about his physical feature choices, especially the eyes. Harris doesn't depict many "regular" brown-eyed beauties, male or female. Most of the characters have light colored eyes that are more the exception than the norm in the black world. This isn't a criticism, just an observation. With respect to my own novel, a reader recently asked me why, "only the white man got what he wanted in the end." I don't agree with the reader, but his comment certainly gave me food for thought.

This is a good, quick read--I opened my book while boarding a flight in Philadelphia and read the last page at baggage claim in Houston. If you enjoy romance and dramatic twists and turns, you'll like Any Way the Wind Blows.

Rating:
Summary: MUST READ
Review: THIS IS A GOOD BOOK AND THAT'S NOT A SURPRISE SINCE YOU CAN'T HARDLY GO WRONG WITH E LYNN HARRIS. BUT E LYNN HARRIS NEEDS TO GIVE CHARACTERS LIKE RAYMOND AND BASIL A BREAK. HARRIS SEND THESE CHARACTERS ON A VACATION AND INTRODUCE US TO SOME NEW ONES.

Rating:
Summary: Outstanding!
Review: I finished this book in about 24 hours. I couldn't put it down. This author is amazing; I want to read everything he's written so far. There is so much exciting page-turning drama and the characters are outrageous but believable. Plot twists and secrets galore. I can't wait to read more! Thanks, Mr. Harris!