When the 'Twilight' series hit with such a splash, it was good news for L.A. Banks.

The best-selling author of vampire thrillers, dark fantasies and paranormal romance fiction saw the buying frenzy of 'Twilight,' 'Eclipse,' 'New Moon' and 'Breaking Dawn' not as competition, but rather as an opportunity.

"Any time there is a rise in our genre that means that even more doors will open for me," said the Philly-bred writer of more than 15 best-selling books, including a 12-book series that kicked off in 2003 with 'Minion.' Her latest book, 'The Thirteenth,' which came out last month, hit the New York Times best-seller list.

Before Carter G. Woodson implemented his Negro History Week (which evolved into Black History Month), a small group of women in Atlanta were making history of their own. While most African Americans were still shaking off the yoke of slavery and the illiteracy that accompanied it, Lugenia Burns Hope, wife of Atlanta University President John Hope, a founding member of the NAACP, gathered 11 of her peers to meet monthly and discuss books, as well as social, political and other issues relevant to the black community. It was their haven. And it was a place to broaden their minds and have a voice.

On Feb. 15, the Inquirers Club celebrated its 100th year in existence, making it the oldest black book club in America.

+More Black Social Commentary On: The Black Snob Blog

Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice just signed a $2 million deal with Crown last week for a trio of memoirs -- the first about her years in the Bush administration; the second about her extraordinary life including growing up in Birmingham, Ala.; and the third geared to young adults.

As perhaps the closest person to former president George W. Bush, Rice knows where many of the skeletons of that administration are buried. She may be able to shed some light on numerous topics such as the real reason we went to war in Iraq. But will she? And another question: Will we care?

While she has had an illustrious career (provost of Stanford, concert pianist, Russian scholar) filled with many historic firsts (first black woman national security advisor and first black woman secretary of state), she hasn't held such a welcome position within the black community.

This week we put together a sort of survival guide. The stimulus package will take a while to kick in (if ever), but in the meantime here are some books that will help you eat right, think right and get your life right. There is also a book that will help you find a job. There is one, a children's book, that will help you cope with loss. And of course, as always, there is something to help you escape your problems (Kimberla Lawson Robeson's and John Grisham's new novels).

E. Lynn Harris started his journey as an author peddling his books out of the trunk of his car. He would go from city to city with his self-published tome Invisible Life. The former IBM computer salesman sold thousands of copies this way before landing an agent and getting a major publishing deal. That was 15 years ago.

At the beginning of the month, Harris's 10th book, Basketball Jones, was released, and for the 10th consecutive time, he made it onto the New York Times Best Seller's List (as well as the BV Hot Picks List), making him the most successful black author of all time.

We first got a glimpse of her talent as the scene-stealing crackhead in the HBO miniseries 'The Corner.' But Tasha Smith really carved out her space in the world of film, appearing in numerous Tyler Perry movies, including the smash hit 'Why Did I Get Married?' in which her sassy, over-the-top character again lit up the screen. Smith is set to appear in an upcoming Vince Vaughn movie, 'Couples Retreat,' which will also be the directorial debut of Peter Billingsly (Ralphie from 'A Christmas Story').

In addition to acting and appearing in films, Smith is also committed to giving back. She holds acting workshops and teaches acting to budding stars. But it is her commitment to her spirituality, she says, that is responsible for much of her success. The kinds of books she reads enhances and reinforces her values.

What are you currently reading?

"A lot of the books that I have been reading have been spiritually based. I like Kenneth Hagin's 'Mountain Moving Faith' and Creflo Dollar's '8 Steps to Create the Life You Want.' These are two books that I continue to go back to. And, of course, I read my bible, because I need to stay grounded in the word. That's my foundation.

Let's start the new year off right -- getting your mind, body and your finances correct. This week's list will help you reach some of your resolution goals. For those who have procrastinated for years about finishing that book, Walter Mosley's 'This Year You Write Your Novel,' will certainly come in handy.

No more excuses.

For those who have been saying they want to lose weight, there is a book that will help you do it without any extra effort on your part. And for those who need to get their money together, Suze Orman's to the rescue with an action plan. And Magic Johnson provides some inspiration with his story about how he made it in business.

Actor, comedian and radio-show host Steve Harvey was inspired to write his latest book, 'Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man: What Men Really Think About Love, Relationships, Intimacy, and Commitment' following an experience with his daughter's boyfriend.

Harvey and his father-in-law were in the kitchen making a sandwich when the older man cornered the suitor, who was waiting for Harvey's daughter. Harvey's father-in-law asked the boyfriend what his intentions were for his granddaughter, and the young man said that he didn't have any plans. He said that they were "just kicking it."

"When I heard that, I had to stop making my sandwich and that's when I got involved," said Harvey.

We first saw him on MTV's 'The Real World.' He was a cast member during the show's first season. Kevin Powell took his role seriously back then. He understood the power of the medium and how important it was for him to represent -- not just for himself but also for all black males.

Today, he is using the power of books to do the same. In his latest tome, 'The Black Male Handbook: A Blueprint for Life,' Powell, who recently ran for a congressional seat in Brooklyn (which he lost in a tough battle against 13-time incumbent Edolphus Towns), is not just empowering black males, he is also giving them hope and a prescription for living successfully by highlighting the stories and experiences of other black males who have made it.

"I've been carrying this book around in my head for several years," Powell said. "In my work with black males, I often get asked, 'What should we be reading?' and 'What music should we be listening to?' and 'How should we be preparing ourselves for job interviews?' I mean, I would get hit with all kinds of questions from pre-teens to men in their seventies. And I realized that there was this huge void for black males. This book is an attempt to fill that void."

There were actually more books attempting to discredit, defame and degrade Barack Obama than tout the legitimacy of his march to the White House. Obviously, none of those attempts were successful. They did, however, bolster the sales of a sagging publishing industry as millions went to grab all-things-Obama in his historic race for the presidency. There was a book claiming to make a case against Obama. There was one claiming to unmask him. There was even one that said he and Oprah were part of a cult (that one should be right up there with the sites calling him the anti-Christ).

What's for certain, though, is not since the Clintons (post-Lewinsky, that is), has a figure garnered more ire and praise, had so many enemies and so many supporters. The best of the Obama books was the one that came straight from him. The reprint of Dreams of My Father is where we first glimpsed the extraordinary figure that was to become the 44th President of the United States of America and it was where his dreams and the dreams of so many just like him were born.

Here are the best (and the worst) of Obama books. As we head toward the inauguration, now is a good time to learn as much as we can and celebrate the man.