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.
This is the complete review as it appears at my blog dedicated to reading, writing (no 'rithmatic!), movies, & TV. Blog reviews often contain links which are not reproduced here, nor will updates or modifications to the blog review be replicated here. Graphic and children's reviews on the blog typically feature two or three images from the book's interior, which are not reproduced here.Note that I don't really do stars. To me a book is either worth reading or it isn't. I can't rate it three-fifths worth reading! The only reason I've relented and started putting stars up there is to credit the good ones, which were being unfairly uncredited. So, all you'll ever see from me is a five-star or a one-star (since no stars isn't a rating, unfortunately).This was an audio book from the library, and it was read amateurishly by Dominic Hoffman, Bahni Turpin, and Mirron Willis.Singer Yancey Harrington Braxton, aka Yancey B is in LA, her New York wedding to John "Basil" Henderson having been killed off at the last minute. Her first single "Any Way the Wind Blows" contains secrets about Basil, and Bart Dunbar might know what they are.That's the sad plot of this absurd and pathetic effort at drama. First person PoV is the worst voice choice for most stories, and it's made much worse when its multiplied by three. It's worst still when it's read by people who don't even remotely capture the characters they're reading for, and instead make them irritating to listen to instead of interesting.Yancey was one of the most boring and self-centered characters I've ever encountered. It was a actually a pleasure when someone else took over the narrative, but he was worse than Yancey. After listening to one disk of this audio book I had had more than enough. It was awful and I cannot recommend it. Twenty years ago, bisexuality might have been a big secret, but today you need more than that to be your novel's pivot point. Add unsafe sex proudly championed, and these characters are really nothing more than trash and not even recyclable trash.
What do You think about Any Way The Wind Blows (2002)?
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.
—Valerie Williams
3.5 I like a story of redemption for the rotten characters, lol. Secrets that people keep can weigh you down and allow other people to control you if they know you don't want them revealed. Ava was a rotten mother who only taught her daughter about revenge and survival. Basil had a loving father but was more focused on protecting what he perceived to be his father's reaction to his sexuality. Bart was a total mess dealing with abandonment and shame issues. Each of them had a loving support system in their lives that they had to tap into for their own personal redemption. Each had to learn that only through forgiving themselves, could they find the freedom and tranquility each denied they sought.
—Teaguem2005
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.
—La Tonya Jordan
