Some Things I Never Thought I'd Do

West End #1

by Pearl Cleage, Angela Forest (Narrator)

Book by Cleage, Pearl

Genres: Fiction, African American, Womens Fiction, Chick Lit, Adult, Novels, African American Literature

Audio CD

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Pearl Cleage is an African-American playwright, essayist, novelist, poet and political activist. She is currently the Playwright in Residence at the Alliance Theatre and at the Just Us Theater Company. Cleage is a political activist. She tackles issues at the crux of racism and sexism, and is known for her feminist views, particularly regarding her identity as an African-American woman. Her works are highly anthologized and have been the subject of many scholarly analyses. Many of her works across several genres have earned both popular and critical acclaim. Her novel What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day (1997) was a 1998 Oprah's Book Club selection.

Reviews

[Kimberly K · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the characters in this book and the friendships building between them along their journey. I especially liked Aunt Abbie who considers herself to be a visionary advisor.
My favorite quote:
"I don't hear voices," she sniffed. "I have visions. There's a difference, although you're still too full of estrogen to understand it." Aunt Abbie goes on the say "Estrogen is fine, but it definitely blocks a lot of female magic, especially the stuff having to do with being able to see the past and present and the future as all part of the same bolt of cloth. As long as you can have babies, you can't really focus on this stuff..."
I found myself feeling very hopeful after reading that passage, not that I want to have visions. :P
I guess I've placed a lot of value on child-bearing and child-rearing, and... Well? ...What comes next really? I think I need an Aunt Abbie! Do you think there is any truth to that estrogen philosophy?

[Malika · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was only "ok" for me. Didn't have the charm of the "what crazy looks like..." or the build up of the "love" story that "red dress" did. You never really got to know Blue, Doo Doo was just a shadow of a bad guy with only 1 or 2 lines of dialog. The story moved slowly and then about 50 pages from the end, it turned into a sprint. Enjoyable, but not her best.

[Lachelle René ~Reading: It does the body good!~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Pearl Cleage. I just do. Her books just make me smile, laugh, gasp, mmmm hmmmm, and I'm sure there are a lot more things I do out loud when I'm reading or listening to her books. For me, her books are relate-able . I can see the characters and feel what I think they are feeling. In this book, man... the main character could have been me. I related on so many levels. I felt so much (and not the feelings like, you wish the book was over type feelings). When I FEEL when reading a book, and I mean when something stirs inside me and I'm thinking, oh yeah...this is some good stuff, that's what makes it awesome.

Thanks so much for all the emotion and positive thought that was evoked from this book. Beautifully written.

If you want some good vibes, especially from some of the not so great life situations, read this.
We can all hold our head up after making some not so great choices.

LOVED IT!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks Pearl!

[Lynecia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book--Pearl Cleage has a wonderful knack for heartwarming love stories and then sneaking in a little politics (lol). All in all, she's weaved and wonderful love story--one that has traveled through time--literally!

[Shauna · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book touches me..i have read it over and over and always find soemthing new to take away from it...i love pearl cleage as an author and will rread anything she writes

[Atena Oyadi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was able to get pretty engaged with this story. I like the stories she has to tell - they are compelling. I think it's interesting that she starts the story talking about drug addiction as though it were merely a series of bad decisions, with few physical or psychological ramifications beyond the loss of cash and property. I think she treats the topic a little too lightly, and with a smidge of judgement.

I also take issue with the way she presents this "neighborhood cleansing," without much questioning of the morality of it. I know it's kind of a 'she's saying what we're all thinking' thing, but I don't think it's as simple as she presents it.

I guess that ultimately, I feel like if she made more of an effort, she could write great books of substance, as opposed to lightweight books that are really enjoyable. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

But still, I did enjoy it and kind of bonded with the characters. I'm reading Babylon Sisters now.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pearl Cleage is an amazing author. She writes what would be classified as African American fiction, but I really consider it more women's fiction. Her characters are believable and likable, even though they are truly flawed human beings - maybe because of it? But her women are strong, stronger than they realize, and they grow and deepen in character throughout her novels. This novel is no different, with the main character recently out of rehab and trying to put her life back together. I highly recommend any of Cleage's novels to any reader who likes depth to their beach reads.

[Maria Noel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pearl Cleage does it again!

[De · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book.

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first time I've read this author and enjoy this book. I would most likely, read something else of hers. She has a relax style, fresh and mature style. Well done.

[Rebecca ''BUTTER'' Garrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

PEARL CLEAGE IS JUST AN EXTRAORDINARY AUTHOR...I LOVE HER STYLE :)

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good writing but the main character wasn’t believable to me as an addict and the story ended abruptly with many unanswered questions about her love interest.

[Magdelanye · Rating 4 out of 5]

You can't be the damsel in distress. You're the shero. If you can't be the star of your own story, what's the point? p12

The worst thing a believer can do is stick around once the bloom is off the rose. p50

Hot romance meets black lives matter in the twilight zone in this zinger of a mash-up told with a startling balance of fury and zest. Pearl Cleage has a way of succinctly putting things that resonates across the genres. She has cognitive dissonance nailed.

My brain wants to meditate and embrace the middle path, but my heart wants to sacrifice small animals to a vengeful god who spends his time keeping track of sins and meting out punishments. p65

I do not have a shelf for romance but PC has set a new bar, with community and ethics holding it up for consideration. Her authenticity overcomes my cynicism, to provide some serious insight into what she identifies as
A problem that runs so deeply to the heart of what is wrong with us that it takes more courage than most of us can muster to even consider it. p114

When humans drop their insane, territorial bullshit, they can work out almost anything. p75

[Lynne Townsend · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Think about it this way. If Dr. King is a living saint, a perfect being, it gets me off the hook. I know I can’t live up to all that, so I don’t even have to try. But if he was nothin’ but a man, with faults and flaws just like me, and he still did all those brave, unselfish things, then I can’t dismiss the challenge of his life. I still have to step up, with all my doubts and imperfections, and be a man, just like he did.”
What a timely message! We need to understand that we have important gifts the world sorely needs despite our shortcomings and imperfections.
This is not my favorite Pearl Cleage book, but I enjoyed it nonetheless, and the quote above made reading the whole book worth it.

[Jeanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Regina Burns, turns her life around, but is in danger of loosing her family's home. Her great aunt has a vision that she will travel, where she doesnt want to go, meet a mysterious blue eyed black man, and Regina will rescue a damsel in distress. As long as she can pay back her back mortgage in 60 days, Regina will do what ever she can.
I totally enjoyed this book, a lot of it situated in a neighborhood in Atlanta . I'm off to read more of the author.

[Darnez]

Can't to this after reading Cleage's memoir. A take of struggle, ambition and promises broken with a "long-time" twist that seems big enough to throw off the story but doesn't

[Tracy Darity · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some Things I Never Thought I’d Do by Pearl Cleage is somewhat of an urban fantasy romance. The story opens in Washington D.C. with Regina Burns having just returned home from rehab and is on the verge of losing the family home. With the guidance of her Aunt Abbie, she returns to Atlanta where all her problems began, the intention being to raise the required cash to appease the banker who half-heartedly wants to help her save the house that the aunt has mysteriously taken up residence in during her absence. The plot quickly shifts gears to Atlanta, Georgia where she meets Blue Hamilton, a savior of sorts from a past life. After a short courtship, the two fall madly in love and live happily ever-after. If only it could be that simple.

Pearl Cleage is one of my favorite storytellers; she has the gift of turning even the worst of situations into something poetic and beautiful. I truly love her love affair with black love. However, Some Things I Never Thought I’d Do forces even the most die-hard Cleage fan to stretch their imagination, to let go of some strong beliefs, and to simply accept what is given as something beautiful and graceful, and right—even when we know it’s all wrong.

The story is set in what I am assuming is a bad part of Atlanta, known as West End. I tried to picture this neighborhood, as I was recently in Atlanta and a morning walk to Publix led me past an apartment complex by that name. In the book, West End has been cleaned up and turned into a model area. Regina is inspired by the fact that women and children are no longer suffering at the hands of their male counterparts. She soon learns that the person responsible for this urban renewal is a “one-hit wonder” R & B singer by the name of Blue Hamilton. Blue, gets his name from his unusual eyes, which can go from the color of the ocean to sapphire to aqua, depending on his mood. I tried really hard to envision this fine dark-skinned brother with blue eyes but my mind kept going back some twenty years when I actually worked with a guy who fit Blues description except his were contacts and no one thought the look was sexy or cute.

I felt at times that Cleage made things too convenient and too much was handed to me on a silver platter. This is where her great storytelling abilities come into play because it makes the reader want to stay with the story no matter how unbelievable the plot. My true problem with the plot was the notion that black men are at the root of all that is wrong in black communities and if we ostracize the black man from the black woman and child then the world is somehow a better place. The rational part of me wanted to look back to when slavery tore the black family apart, and the slave owner decided which families stayed in tact and to what extent. But Some Things I Never Thought I’d Do told me I had to believe in the dream of crime-free streets wher children can play without fear, prosperous black-owned businesses, and a neighborhood where everyone knows your name and gardens together. In order to go along with the tranquility of the setting I had to believe in Blue and his good Godfather mentality, and everything he did, right or wrong, was for the women and children. So by falling for this fallacy I also had to believe that Regina was the luckiest woman in the world to have not only been chosen by him in a previous life but yet again in this one. So I decided to go with the flow and allowed myself to enjoy the story.

At the time I picked up Some Things I Never Thought I’d Do, I also grabbed another Cleage novel titled Baby Brother’s Blues, which happens to be the third in a series, so lookout for my review. For this one, I give Cleage 4 stars.

Much Love,


Tracy

Tracy L. Darity is the author of He Loves Me He Loves Me Not! and Love…Like Snow In Florida on a Hot Summer Day. Her third novel, The Red Bear Society will be released December 1, 2011. For more information visit www.TracyLDarity.com.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pearl Cleage is an excellent writer. She spins this web of a story so beautifully, you just fall in love with everyone in this book over and over.

The story is about Regina Burns, a once removed drug addict, who is working to restore her dignity, identity, and her family's house from the death grips of impending foreclosure from the bank. Back from rehab, Regina accepts a job offer she can't refuse; $40k to help out an old friend, who recently loss her only child and son.

Her Aunt Abbie has a vision that Regina will finally meet the man who has been looking for her across time. The only problem is that she must move to Atlanta, GA for both the job and this mysterious man. She will have a few hurdles to leap once she arrives, but if she does all according to plan, she will be greatly rewarded.

Regina will meet a lot of people during this time, and it will aid in her recovery process, growth, learning, and she will mature while she is there in Atlanta.

The only issue I have with this book is that her drug addiction is never fully addressed. There is not any realistic measures taken to talk about this addiction in the story. In real life, I would think giving a recently reformed crack addict $40,000 is quite fairytale"ish" to say the list. Regina does not have a sponsor, she doesn't go to meetings, and there are no relapses or thoughts she may have about turning back to drugs. It was as if the drugs were like a bad marriage that she got divorced from and never turned back. I know that this book is fiction, but I never understood why the drugs were never addressed, especially because it was the main catalyst as to why she lost the house and was in search of money in the first place.

This is my second time reading this novel. I thoroughly enjoyed the story. Although a fiction novel, it gave off some real fairytale"ish" moments that I didn't agree with.

Overall, I would rate this book a 4. I would recommend to everyone, especially other Pearl Cleage readers.

[Teaguem2005 · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. I really enjoyed this book. I was invested by the first chapter's end. I really had a visual of Blue and appreciated the man who appreciated, protected, and respected the women who both unwittingly as well as willingly sought his protection. Blue was a man's man and sought to guide and teach even though he only intended to deliver his lesson one time.

I loved the fact that Aunt Abbie was old school whilst still open to accept her newly acquired gift. Thought it hilarious that she kept the door key handed to her 30 years prior and knew exactly the time to use it.

I also loved the fact that Beth dedicated her life to making her son the kind of man any mother would be proud of while simultaneously preventing him from being a man of his own choosing. Because she nicknamed him Son, everybody else called him that too. He was an accomplished manchild who could not ...strike that would not declare his independence for fear of his mother's manipulative feelings. It's almost like Baby Boy: The Master's Degree. Sometimes people surrender their truth for the sake of someone else's expectations. He surrendered being Theo so that Son could exist.

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

started: so far, i really like this narrator. i think i must have heard her before. and the story is realistic, with just enough of a touch of the magical to make it more interesting.
(30 seconds later) AH-HA! i knew it! i listened to Cleage's What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day about a decade ago, and it stuck with me as a great narrator and a great story.

end: great story, but not quite realistic. i don't think there is a guy as cool and collected and wonderful and thrice-divorced like Blue Hamilton. it's a nice idea, though. and i think leaving the bedroom door open to the reader when Blue and Gina get together (you know they do!) would have made for a steamy chapter ending that would not be amiss.

really enjoyed reading of the self-empowerment of the neighbors Gina met during her stay in atlanta, and would like to know if that has actually happened somewhere in atlanta (or anywhere!). taking back the streets isn't easy.

[Tru Royalty · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book!!! I enjoyed falling in love with Blue as Gina did, it felt so amazing to feel like there is still a MAN in the world and he protects women and puts "boys" in there place. Its nice to see black women be humble and although Gina and Beth may have not been friends they were helping to bring each other up even when they were doing wrong. I loved it would definitely recommend and as pool side summer read.

[Kim Outlaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pearl Cleague is one of those fiction writers who weaves so much historical and local history in her characters and environment that feel like the most outrageous of scenarios could really happen right when and where she says it did and does. I wish I’d been a student of hers. Her perspective is captivating and uplifting and optimistic and frank. This how I feel about all of her works that I’ve read to date.

[Sherrilyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun read

Sometimes, you just want to sit and cuddle up with a book that's simply a fun and easy read. One plus one doesn't always have to equal two, and all truths don't have to be facts. The story is easy, the characters are sometimes other-worldly, and the plot moves along quite seamlessly. It's just something to sit, read and enjoy. Plausibility and deep reflection need not enter the realm. Just enjoy!

[Dana Nucera · Rating 2 out of 5]

A great little novel with a 'happily ever after ending'. I am not giving anything away by saying that. You can see the ending coming but it is also a nice, fast read none the less. I enjoyed Cleage's other novel (What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day) so I gave this one a try. I was not disappointed.

[Purple6 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some Things, you must do...

This was my first experience reading work by Pearl Cleage and I absolutely loved it. So much so, I must find and read other books by her. I love a writer that makes me have that, I can't wait to see what happens next feel. And I recommend that what others must do is read this book. 😊

[cleva2day · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read it in a day, but there just was no development. The love story was rushed, the magical element just came off as an afterthought. It was still well written, her descriptions made you feel the energy of the communities she explored, but the storyline itself could have used more conviction.

[Jazzmen Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it. I was a feel-good light hearted read for me. I put it down a few times, but I always came back to it. I described it as a book to refresh my reading palate when I'm reading extreme genres.

[Brenda Blakely · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the African American cultural heritage here, perspectives I had previously no clue, offered with life, colour and music. This was such a fun, easy read. The characters are intriguing and grow with the plot. I love the scene changes and the vibrancy and memories in each location.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it: the writing, arc of the story, the characters! So many quotable lines:
" One of the problems black folks have is we're usually so busy making history that we don't take the time to record it." The story of pioneers everywhere.

[SunnyD · Rating 1 out of 5]

i'm a cleage fan...but this one disappointed me. i expect more of her.