The Family Room focuses on members of the APOOO online/cyberspace bookclub which was founded in June 2000 by Yasmin Coleman. In this section, you can view and read a brief profile about each of us in the section titled The Family as well as check out our All-Time Favorite Books , read along with us via the book of the week (BOW) as well as the book of the month (BOM). As you will soon discover, we are some bookreading sistas and on average we read about two books a week. Giving the volume of books we read, we're a wealth of information regarding what's hot (and not) in the African American book arena. Yes, we have lives outside of the cyberworld arena and even a book, however, you will probably rarely see any of us without a book in our hand and reading sometimes in some most unusual places.
Just a little background information regarding how the group was started as well as reason for being:
As mentioned previously, APOOO was formed in June 2002 by Yasmin Coleman. Yasmin was (and still is) an Amazon.com Reviewer and via that site she met other African American women who enjoyed reading, discussing and reviewing books especially those by and about the African American experience. At the suggestion of two other amazon.com buddies, Shaye Gray and Lisa Cobbs, who wanted to read books in a group setting with other avid readers, an online bookclub was formed. We wanted a community that we could call A Place of Our Own and escape to discuss books in a friendly forum, while broadening our literary scope beyond our favorite book/author favorites, as well as a place where we would feel comfortable enough to share information regarding our personal lives. We envisioned and strife to form a bookclub which was small and intimate, warm and friendly, compassionate and supportive where we could share our love of reading and bond to form a sisterhood with a group of women who truly cared about one another beyond the reading experience. Today we are a circle of friends of approximately 25 women who converse regularly with each other via online book discussions as well via e-mails, telephones and using various modes of transportation to physically travel to meet and visit each other.
In summary:
Group's Purpose: To come together to discuss African American Literature in
a warm and inviting setting with other women who have a strong passion for the
African American word and voice in books of yesterday, today and tomorrow.
Group's Mission: To share our reading passion with others and provide the 411 regarding classics, current and future releases to others.
Group's
Vision: To be viewed by others as a reputable source regarding books written
by and about African Americans.