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Yancey Harrington Braxton #2
Any Way the Wind Blows: A Novel
One of the guilty pleasures of the reading world, E. Lynn Harris's novels are filled with gorgeous, glamorous, A-list African-Americans who will do whatever it takes to get their way. You don't want to know anyone in a Harris novel. The talented Yancey Braxton, who was left at the altar in the previous book in this series (Not a Day Goes By), moves from New York to L.A. with hopes of transforming her theatrical success into a bigtime musical career. And if her first pop single happens to expose her bisexual ex-fiancé Basil Henderson to ridicule, so much the better. Basil himself claims to be looking for the mother of his children--a good woman, in other words--while continuing his nonstop sexual conquests on both sides of the fence. He meets his match in Bart Dunbar, a hunky gay man with a mean streak the length of the Mississippi. When Basil dismisses Bart after a couple nights of steamy sex, Bart finds a way to make himself memorable. The best-written and most wicked of Harris's novels, Any Way the Wind Blows will keep you up all night turning pages and being grateful for a quiet life. --Regina Marler
Audible Audio
First published August 12, 1998
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About the author
E. Lynn Harris
47 books743 followersE. Lynn Harris was born in Flint, Michigan and raised, along with three sisters, in Little Rock, Arkansas. He attended the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville where he was the school's first black yearbook editor, the first black male Razorbacks cheerleader, and the president of his fraternity. He graduated with honors with a degree in journalism.
Harris sold computers for IBM, Hewlett-Packard, and AT&T for thirteen years while living in Dallas, Washington, D.C., and Atlanta. He finally quit his sales job to write his first novel, Invisible Life, and, failing to find a publisher, he published it himself in 1991 and sold it mostly at black-owned bookstores, beauty salons, and book clubs before he was "discovered" by Anchor Books. Anchor published Invisible Life as a trade paperback in 1994, and thus his career as an author officially began.
Invisible Life was followed by Just As I Am (1994), And This Too Shall Pass (1996), If This World Were Mine (1997), Abide with Me (1999), Not A Day Goes By (2000), Any Way the Wind Blows (2001), A Love of My Own (2002), I Say A Little Prayer (2006), Just Too Good To Be True (2008), Basketball Jones(2009), and Mama Dearest(2009),all published by Doubleday, and In My Father's House(2010), published by St. Martin's Press. Ten of Harris's novels hit the New York Times bestseller list, and his books have also appeared on the bestseller lists of the Wall Street Journal, Publishers Weekly, USA Today, Entertainment Weekly, Washington Post, and Los Angeles Times. In 2003, Harris published his first work of nonfiction, a memoir entitled What Becomes of the Brokenhearted, which was also a New York Times bestseller. Today, there are more than four million copies of his books in print.
Harris's writing also appeared in Essence, Washington Post Sunday Magazine, and Sports Illustrated, as well as in the award-winning anthology Brotherman: The Odyssey of Black Men in America, Go The Way Your Blood Beats. His novella, "Money Can't Buy Me Love" was published in Got To Be Real: Four Original Love Stories. Freedom in This Village, a collection of short stories edited by Harris, was released in the fall of 2004. His short fiction appeared in Gumbo: A Celebration of African American Writers (Harlem Moon), a 2002 collection he edited with writer Marita Golden.
Harris won numerous accolades and prizes for his work. Just As I Am was awarded the Novel of the Year Prize by the Blackboard African-American Bestsellers, Inc. If This World Were Mine was nominated for a NAACP Image Award and won the James Baldwin Award for Literary Excellence. Abide with Me was also nominated for a NAACP Image Award. His anthology Freedom in this Village won the Lambda Literary Award in 2005. In 1999, the University of Arkansas honored Harris with a Citation of Distinguished Alumni for outstanding professional achievement, and in October 2000 he was inducted into the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame. He was named to Ebony's "Most Intriguing Blacks" list, Out Magazine's "Out 100" list, New York Magazine's "Gay Power 101" list, and Savoy's "100 Leaders and Heroes in Black America" list. Other honors included the Sprague Todes Literary Award, the Harvey Milk Honorary Diploma, and The Silas Hunt Award for Outstanding Achievement from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville.
Harris was a member of the Board of Directors of the Hurston/Wright Foundation and the Evidence Dance Company. He was the founder of the E. Lynn Harris Better Days Foundation, a nonprofit company that provides support to aspiring writers and artists.
E. Lynn Harris passed away in 2009.
http://us.macmillan.com/inmyfathersho...
Harris sold computers for IBM, Hewlett-Packard, and AT&T for thirteen years while living in Dallas, Washington, D.C., and Atlanta. He finally quit his sales job to write his first novel, Invisible Life, and, failing to find a publisher, he published it himself in 1991 and sold it mostly at black-owned bookstores, beauty salons, and book clubs before he was "discovered" by Anchor Books. Anchor published Invisible Life as a trade paperback in 1994, and thus his career as an author officially began.
Invisible Life was followed by Just As I Am (1994), And This Too Shall Pass (1996), If This World Were Mine (1997), Abide with Me (1999), Not A Day Goes By (2000), Any Way the Wind Blows (2001), A Love of My Own (2002), I Say A Little Prayer (2006), Just Too Good To Be True (2008), Basketball Jones(2009), and Mama Dearest(2009),all published by Doubleday, and In My Father's House(2010), published by St. Martin's Press. Ten of Harris's novels hit the New York Times bestseller list, and his books have also appeared on the bestseller lists of the Wall Street Journal, Publishers Weekly, USA Today, Entertainment Weekly, Washington Post, and Los Angeles Times. In 2003, Harris published his first work of nonfiction, a memoir entitled What Becomes of the Brokenhearted, which was also a New York Times bestseller. Today, there are more than four million copies of his books in print.
Harris's writing also appeared in Essence, Washington Post Sunday Magazine, and Sports Illustrated, as well as in the award-winning anthology Brotherman: The Odyssey of Black Men in America, Go The Way Your Blood Beats. His novella, "Money Can't Buy Me Love" was published in Got To Be Real: Four Original Love Stories. Freedom in This Village, a collection of short stories edited by Harris, was released in the fall of 2004. His short fiction appeared in Gumbo: A Celebration of African American Writers (Harlem Moon), a 2002 collection he edited with writer Marita Golden.
Harris won numerous accolades and prizes for his work. Just As I Am was awarded the Novel of the Year Prize by the Blackboard African-American Bestsellers, Inc. If This World Were Mine was nominated for a NAACP Image Award and won the James Baldwin Award for Literary Excellence. Abide with Me was also nominated for a NAACP Image Award. His anthology Freedom in this Village won the Lambda Literary Award in 2005. In 1999, the University of Arkansas honored Harris with a Citation of Distinguished Alumni for outstanding professional achievement, and in October 2000 he was inducted into the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame. He was named to Ebony's "Most Intriguing Blacks" list, Out Magazine's "Out 100" list, New York Magazine's "Gay Power 101" list, and Savoy's "100 Leaders and Heroes in Black America" list. Other honors included the Sprague Todes Literary Award, the Harvey Milk Honorary Diploma, and The Silas Hunt Award for Outstanding Achievement from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville.
Harris was a member of the Board of Directors of the Hurston/Wright Foundation and the Evidence Dance Company. He was the founder of the E. Lynn Harris Better Days Foundation, a nonprofit company that provides support to aspiring writers and artists.
E. Lynn Harris passed away in 2009.
http://us.macmillan.com/inmyfathersho...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
July 7, 2012
This was my very first novel I actually read! I literally devoured this book in two days. I have yet to finish a fiction that quickly. Extremely juicy and funny. E Lynn was a drama king.
September 19, 2023
E Lynn Harris is truly timeless. Reading this in 2023, I still enjoyed it just as if it were a new release.
January 1, 2015
The author has an excellent writing style. The flow of the writing left the reader in the room with the characters. You could visualize the scenes and felt the taste of the room. Modern day language in conversation made it more appealing. “The latest vibe from the down under.”
The theme throughout this entire book was learning to love yourself. Yancey B., Basil, and Bart all had to learn this lesson through their personal tragedies. Love comes from within. Not in the camouflage on the outside. Keeping secrets only hurt you in the end. When secrets are brought to the light is only when your soul is set free. Therefore, it doesn’t matter the flow of the wind. The cool breeze can only pass thru you and not bow you down when your soul is set free.
Characters:
Yancy B. was the diva that had the secret of the child she gave up. And, the beatings she took from her grandmother.
Basil needed to admit he was a homosexual who was molested by his uncle.
Bart needed to learn to take responsibility for his action. Abandonment by his parents was not his fault. He is a person worth loving.
The theme throughout this entire book was learning to love yourself. Yancey B., Basil, and Bart all had to learn this lesson through their personal tragedies. Love comes from within. Not in the camouflage on the outside. Keeping secrets only hurt you in the end. When secrets are brought to the light is only when your soul is set free. Therefore, it doesn’t matter the flow of the wind. The cool breeze can only pass thru you and not bow you down when your soul is set free.
Characters:
Yancy B. was the diva that had the secret of the child she gave up. And, the beatings she took from her grandmother.
Basil needed to admit he was a homosexual who was molested by his uncle.
Bart needed to learn to take responsibility for his action. Abandonment by his parents was not his fault. He is a person worth loving.
November 10, 2007
I'll be the first to admit, I really enjoy reading E. Lynn Harris' works. I feel that they are both insightful as well as entertaining.After just finishing his latest book, "Any Way the Wind Blows," I would be doing you a great disservice if I didn't say how I felt about the book. So, having said all that, I'll get into what you really want to know;what did I think of the book.
In order to be able to read and fully enjoy this book, I feel that it's necessary to read Harris' last book, "Not a Day Goes By." I feel that if you don't read that book and then try to read this one, you'll find yourself confused about some of the references.Also, you should probably read some of his other books as well considering the fact that some of the characters from this book are from from other books.
The character development here is very good.As I was reading the book, I could sympathize with Yancey's broken heart,feel Basil's pain at having to keep secrets from family and friends,as well as seeing Bart's determination to get what he wants and Ava's scheming to make things go her way.After I read this book, I realized that these people represent each of us.In all of us, there is an element of these characters and also, I'm sure many of us encounter people like each of these characters on a daily basis.
While I did like the book very much, I was somewhat disappointed at the end of the book. It just seemed to me that Harris decided to take the easy was out and find any way to tie up all the loose ends.While some of the ways he ends each character seems possible, other seem down right unfair.When I say this, I mean that although someone has broken the law in the story, in the end, no one is even arrested which implies that the world in which Harris has created, a verbal warning is all one needs.
Overall, I did enjoy this book and am looking forward to his next one.In reference to characters however, I would probably like it more if he started with new people. Through doing this,the reader won't have to waste time finding out the background of each character and then a more pleasant experience can be had by all.
In order to be able to read and fully enjoy this book, I feel that it's necessary to read Harris' last book, "Not a Day Goes By." I feel that if you don't read that book and then try to read this one, you'll find yourself confused about some of the references.Also, you should probably read some of his other books as well considering the fact that some of the characters from this book are from from other books.
The character development here is very good.As I was reading the book, I could sympathize with Yancey's broken heart,feel Basil's pain at having to keep secrets from family and friends,as well as seeing Bart's determination to get what he wants and Ava's scheming to make things go her way.After I read this book, I realized that these people represent each of us.In all of us, there is an element of these characters and also, I'm sure many of us encounter people like each of these characters on a daily basis.
While I did like the book very much, I was somewhat disappointed at the end of the book. It just seemed to me that Harris decided to take the easy was out and find any way to tie up all the loose ends.While some of the ways he ends each character seems possible, other seem down right unfair.When I say this, I mean that although someone has broken the law in the story, in the end, no one is even arrested which implies that the world in which Harris has created, a verbal warning is all one needs.
Overall, I did enjoy this book and am looking forward to his next one.In reference to characters however, I would probably like it more if he started with new people. Through doing this,the reader won't have to waste time finding out the background of each character and then a more pleasant experience can be had by all.
June 7, 2015
Any way the wind blows
This was actually the second book I've read by E Lynn and it wasn't bad at all. There were so many secrets, lies and revenge lurking around. Yancey was on her way to the top and wasn't trying to let her past interfere. It amazed me how much she wanted to rid herself of the past but things beyond her control caused her to face it head on. Bart was doing way too much for me! He was playing a dangerous game with no regards to how his actions would hurt others. He was looking for love in all the wrong places. Ava was sickening and it was long overdue for her to start acting her age instead of playing with people's lives to have her way. She taught Bart a valuable lesson for sure. Basil was in denial and was too busy trying to keep people from learning the truth. There are always consequences to one's action but Basil was focused only on the moment. Rosa was wrong but I'm glad she set things straight. With so much happening sometimes you have to be true to yourself and stop holding on to things, whether they're under your control or not. Everyone had to learn to go with the flow especially when it comes to any way the wind blows.
This was actually the second book I've read by E Lynn and it wasn't bad at all. There were so many secrets, lies and revenge lurking around. Yancey was on her way to the top and wasn't trying to let her past interfere. It amazed me how much she wanted to rid herself of the past but things beyond her control caused her to face it head on. Bart was doing way too much for me! He was playing a dangerous game with no regards to how his actions would hurt others. He was looking for love in all the wrong places. Ava was sickening and it was long overdue for her to start acting her age instead of playing with people's lives to have her way. She taught Bart a valuable lesson for sure. Basil was in denial and was too busy trying to keep people from learning the truth. There are always consequences to one's action but Basil was focused only on the moment. Rosa was wrong but I'm glad she set things straight. With so much happening sometimes you have to be true to yourself and stop holding on to things, whether they're under your control or not. Everyone had to learn to go with the flow especially when it comes to any way the wind blows.
June 23, 2018
Great story! As always with this series, twists and turns and turns that keep you reading excitedly and wanting more! Yancey finally shed a terrible layer....her mother! Basil found true love that is every part of him. I am not satisfied though....I hope more karma is in store for Ava and Bart!
July 26, 2008
I listen to this book on tape...not exactly high-brow but a fun listen
Read
December 5, 2008From all of E. Lynn Harris' books, I've learned that a 'whole, new' world exists in our society and sports and that we are more alike than different.
March 21, 2013
Greatbook. I had a little trouble keeping in order but once I got it together I enjoyed!
February 5, 2016
Captivating, Intriguing, Funny & Twisted! An Outstanding & Scandalous Read! I Loved It!
June 20, 2019
Thoroughly enjoyed this book!!! Definitely a compelling 2nd entry in the Basil/Yancy series
May 14, 2020
Not as good as the first book in the series but, definitely worth the time. What I liked most about this book is the juicy drama.
December 31, 2019
I just don't know. I loved the storyline. I feel like he left out details and everybody in the book looked alike. Rock hard abs, chocolate skin, pebble almond (or some other nut) eyes... Beautiful everyone was beautiful. I wasn't sure if it was real.... But the storyline Yes! Men on the DL, secrets, lies, living doubled lives, double crossing folk for money... I mean yea! Towards the middle I was reading fast... Buy it took me a while to get there..... Still I don't know. But I will read his other book on my shelf......
May 14, 2022
E. Lynn Harris is a champion story teller
This is one of the best reads ever about black love , and all the experiences that life can bring. Filled with drama , comedy and truth about life as a gay, bisexual man has opened my eyes to the importance of living the truth about one’s life.
This is one of the best reads ever about black love , and all the experiences that life can bring. Filled with drama , comedy and truth about life as a gay, bisexual man has opened my eyes to the importance of living the truth about one’s life.
May 14, 2018
Four stars for rich characters and a compelling story. But oh man, I pretty much hated all three of the narrators, and I wasn't entirely happy with the way the book wrapped up any of their storylines.
March 24, 2019
The first E. Lynn Harris novel I'd ever read. Truly a gifted story teller, who draws you into the story from the very beginning. Harris managed to address dramatic situations in such a sophisticated way.
September 7, 2020
This book was so much fun. Lots of dirt and gossip, "oohs" and "ahhs"! A great way to wrap up the Basil and Yancey story, and all three of our main characters grew, learned from their past, and have moved on with life!
February 20, 2025
Ava is at it again 🤦🏾 This diva clearly needs some serious help 😔. It seems like misery thrives on company because she's definitely looking to bring others into her whirlwind. Regardless, there's no denying that all of this makes for an intriguing story!
October 30, 2018
Interesting stories about modern Black sexuality.
September 21, 2020
On to the 3rd installment
December 5, 2020
Beautifully written. A story so beautifully told it feels like poetry when you are reading it.
January 13, 2022
3.5🌟
A fave from when i was like 16, definitely didn’t hit the same as an adult. Basil is soooooo terrible 🤦🏽♀️
A fave from when i was like 16, definitely didn’t hit the same as an adult. Basil is soooooo terrible 🤦🏽♀️
March 20, 2022
I liked this one better than first book. Overall, most of the characters are very self centered. At least in this second book, they seem to mature and learn, but still some are all about themselves.
July 24, 2022
biphobic
January 28, 2024
I just don't like the ending especially Basil. Like what happened with his job. It felt very unfinished.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 4, 2024
I don't like this
January 13, 2025
I forgot how messy this man was in his writing, I really enjoyed the book except for one thing.
May 8, 2025
Absolutely LOVED this book! I read it at 20 when newly married. I loved it so much I shared the book on tape with my husband on a road trip. It didn't disappoint!!
June 3, 2025
3.5 stars
March 7, 2021
2.2 stars
I'm sorry, it's just really wasnt for me. Or maybe the timing isn't just right. I have read one of probably the best books I've ever read and I decided to read something light, a breather. However, it resulted to me not appreciating this book.
I'm sorry, it's just really wasnt for me. Or maybe the timing isn't just right. I have read one of probably the best books I've ever read and I decided to read something light, a breather. However, it resulted to me not appreciating this book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews