Top African Amercian Fiction Ebooks

The top 100 best selling African American Ebooks at Apple's iBookstore. The chart list of the top African American ebook fiction best seller downloads is updated daily.

Chart of the most popular African American fiction ebooks was last updated:

iBooks Top 100 African American Fiction Ebooks

1

The Personal Librarian - Marie Benedict & Victoria Christopher Murray Cover Art

The Personal Librarian

The Personal Librarian A GMA Book Club Pick (A Novel) by Marie Benedict & Victoria Christopher Murray

The Instant New York Times Bestseller! A Good Morning America * Book Club Pick! Named a Best Book of the Year by NPR! Named a Notable Book of the Year by the Washington Post ! “Historical fiction at its best!” *   A remarkable novel about J. P. Morgan’s personal librarian, Belle da Costa Greene, the Black American woman who was forced to hide her true identity and pass as white in order to leave a lasting legacy that enriched our nation, from New York Times bestselling authors Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray. In her twenties, Belle da Costa Greene is hired by J. P. Morgan to curate a collection of rare manuscripts, books, and artwork for his newly built Pierpont Morgan Library. Belle becomes a fixture in New York City society and one of the most powerful people in the art and book world, known for her impeccable taste and shrewd negotiating for critical works as she helps create a world-class collection. But Belle has a secret, one she must protect at all costs. She was born not Belle da Costa Greene but Belle Marion Greener. She is the daughter of Richard Greener, the first Black graduate of Harvard and a well-known advocate for equality. Belle’s complexion isn’t dark because of her alleged Portuguese heritage that lets her pass as white—her complexion is dark because she is African American. The Personal Librarian tells the story of an extraordinary woman, famous for her intellect, style, and wit, and shares the lengths she must go to—for the protection of her family and her legacy—to preserve her carefully crafted white identity in the racist world in which she lives.

2

Fixit - Joe Ide Cover Art

Fixit

Fixit An IQ Novel by Joe Ide

In the latest installment in Joe Ide's "superb" series ( Washington Post ), the relentless, hard-bitten PI, Isaiah Quintabe, is faced with a nightmarish scenario when the love of his life is kidnapped by a maniacal hitman who bears a grudge against him. Named one of the Best Mystery Books of the Year by The Wall Street Journal  • An International Thriller Award Nominee Danger has always followed IQ, a reality he’s keenly aware of as he’s laid up in a hospital bed, recovering from injuries sustained in his last case. Isaiah cannot help himself from being the hero, and any misery he’s suffered as a result—wounds from a knife fight, gnawing paranoia—he’s suffered alone. Yet as IQ recovers, five hundred miles from East Long Beach, he’s unaware that Grace has been abducted by his sworn enemy, the professional hitman Skip Hanson. Skip is savage and psychotic, determined to punish Isaiah for sending him to prison and destroying his life. Now, Isaiah and his sometimes partner, ex-hustler Juanell Dodson, must track scant clues through L.A.’s perilous landscape as Grace’s predicament grows more uncertain. A complication arises in the form of Winnie Hando, a homicide detective with something to prove. Stubborn and effective, Winnie sees Isaiah’s efforts as an obstruction to the investigation and a possible embarrassment: an unlicensed PI can’t be seen doing the department’s job better than the department. Winnie tries to stop Isaiah while pursuing the case herself, their struggles clashing and slowing their progress. As the desperate hunt winds on, Isaiah fears that even if he can bring Grace home alive, things between them will never be the same. This latest series installment is an explosive collision of drug dealers, thieves, maniacs, shotguns, vicious dogs, stampeding horses, and Ide’s signature energy, grit, and profundity

3

The First Ladies - Marie Benedict & Victoria Christopher Murray Cover Art

The First Ladies

The First Ladies
by Marie Benedict & Victoria Christopher Murray

The Instant  New York Times  Bestseller!  A novel about the extraordinary partnership between First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and civil rights activist Mary McLeod Bethune—an unlikely friendship that changed the world, from the New York Times bestselling authors of the Good Morning America Book Club pick The Personal Librarian . The daughter of formerly enslaved parents, Mary McLeod Bethune refuses to back down as white supremacists attempt to thwart her work. She marches on as an activist and an educator, and as her reputation grows she becomes a celebrity, revered by titans of business and recognized by U.S. Presidents. Eleanor Roosevelt herself is awestruck and eager to make her acquaintance. Initially drawn together because of their shared belief in women’s rights and the power of education, Mary and Eleanor become fast friends confiding their secrets, hopes and dreams—and holding each other’s hands through tragedy and triumph.   When Franklin Delano Roosevelt is elected president, the two women begin to collaborate more closely, particularly as Eleanor moves toward her own agenda separate from FDR, a consequence of the devastating discovery of her husband’s secret love affair. Eleanor becomes a controversial First Lady for her outspokenness, particularly on civil rights. And when she receives threats because of her strong ties to Mary, it only fuels the women’s desire to fight together for justice and equality.   This is the story of two different, yet equally formidable, passionate, and committed women, and the way in which their singular friendship helped form the foundation for the modern civil rights movement.

4

The Museum of Ordinary People - Mike Gayle Cover Art

The Museum of Ordinary People

The Museum of Ordinary People by Mike Gayle

In this “pure, unadulterated feel-good” and warmhearted novel, an old set of encyclopedias leads a young woman to a curious museum and one profoundly moving lesson: that every life is an extraordinary life ( Kirkus ).   BookRiot Most Anticipated Beach Reads of 2023 Shondaland Best Books of May Still reeling from the sudden death of her mother, Jess is about to do the hardest thing she's ever done: empty her childhood home so that it can be sold.  As she sorts through a lifetime of memories, everything comes to a halt when she comes across something she just can’t part with: an old set of encyclopedias.  To the world, the books are outdated and ready to be recycled.  To Jess, they represent love and the future that her mother always wanted her to have.  In the process of finding the books a new home, Jess discovers an unusual archive of letters, photographs, and curious housed in a warehouse and known as the Museum of Ordinary People.  Irresistibly drawn, she becomes the museum's unofficial custodian, along with the warehouse’s mysterious owner.  As they delve into the history of objects in their care, they not only unravel heart-stirring stories that span generations and continents, but also unearth long-buried secrets that lie closer to home. Inspired by an abandoned box of mementos, The Museum of Ordinary People is a poignant novel about memory and loss, the things we leave behind, and the future we create for ourselves.      

5

Every Man a King - Walter Mosley Cover Art

Every Man a King

Every Man a King A King Oliver Novel by Walter Mosley

In this highly anticipated sequel from Edgar Award-winning "master of craft and narrative," Walter Mosley, Joe King Oliver is entangled in a dangerous case when he's asked to investigate whether a white nationalist is being unjustly set up (National Book Foundation). When friend of the family and multi-billionaire Roger Ferris comes to Joe with an assignment, he’s got no choice but to accept, even if the case is a tough one to stomach. White nationalist Alfred Xavier Quiller has been accused of murder and the sale of sensitive information to the Russians. Ferris has reason to believe Quiller’s been set up and he needs King to see if the charges hold. This linear assignment becomes a winding quest to uncover the extent of Quiller’s dealings, to understand Ferris’ skin in the game, and to get to the bottom of who is working for whom. Even with the help of bodyguard and mercenary Oliya Ruez—no regular girl Friday—the machine King’s up against proves relentless and unsparing. As King gets closer to exposing the truth, he and his loved ones barrel towards grave danger. Mosley once again proves himself a "master of craft and narrative" (National Book Foundation) in this carefully plotted mystery that is at once a classic caper, a family saga and an examination of fealty, pride and how deep debt can go. A NYTBR Editors' Choice Selection 

6

Tears of a Hustler PT 2 - Silk White Cover Art

Tears of a Hustler PT 2

Tears of a Hustler PT 2
Tears of a Hustler, no. 2
by Silk White

Tears of a hustler 2 will pick up where Tears of a hustler left off. This action packed sequel will have you at the edge of your seat begging for more. G-money is back, but this time he's on a mission, not only is he running things all by himself now, but he still has unfinished business that needs to be settled, with Detective Nelson, Rell, and Big Mel. When a unstoppable force meets an unmovable object the outcome isn't pretty. Also find out what happens to Ali, Nancy, and the rest of the gang. Once again Silk White takes readers on a ride they won’t forget.

7

Tears of a Hustler - Silk White Cover Art

Tears of a Hustler

Tears of a Hustler Tears of a Hustler, no. 1 by Silk White

Ali is a drug dealer slash business man who tries to change the way the game is played by giving back to the community. But at the same time he has to keep a close eye on his childhood crime partner G-Money who has a strong hatred for the police. Ali’s life take a series turn when a local rival a crooked cop, his pregnant girlfriend and his little brother comes into the picture. Once again Silk White takes readers deep into an underworld and night life. A gritty street tale that everyone will enjoy. Now how it all begins!

8

Push - Sapphire Cover Art

Push

Push by Sapphire

A new 25th anniversary edition of the instant classic that inspired the major motion picture and Sundance Film Festival winner Precious: Based on the Novel by Sapphire, whose power and ferocity influenced a generation of writers. Precious Jones, an illiterate sixteen-year-old, has up until now been invisible to the father who rapes her and the mother who batters her and to the authorities who dismiss her as just one more of Harlem's casualties. But when Precious, pregnant with a second child by her father, meets a determined and radical teacher, we follow her on a journey of education and enlightenment as she learns not only how to write about her life, but how to make it truly her own for the first time.

9

Parable of the Sower - Octavia E. Butler Cover Art

Parable of the Sower

Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler

This acclaimed post-apocalyptic novel of hope and terror from an award-winning author "pairs well with 1984 or The Handmaid's Tale " and includes a foreword by N. K. Jemisin (John Green, New York Times ). When global climate change and economic crises lead to social chaos in the early 2020s, California becomes full of dangers, from pervasive water shortage to masses of vagabonds who will do anything to live to see another day. Fifteen-year-old Lauren Olamina lives inside a gated community with her preacher father, family, and neighbors, sheltered from the surrounding anarchy. In a society where any vulnerability is a risk, she suffers from hyperempathy, a debilitating sensitivity to others' emotions. Precocious and clear-eyed, Lauren must make her voice heard in order to protect her loved ones from the imminent disasters her small community stubbornly ignores. But what begins as a fight for survival soon leads to something much more: the birth of a new faith . . . and a startling vision of human destiny.

10

Black Girls Must Die Exhausted - Jayne Allen Cover Art

Black Girls Must Die Exhausted

Black Girls Must Die Exhausted
A Novel
by Jayne Allen

“It’s a good thing that this is only the first book of a trilogy, because after getting to know Tabitha, you won’t want to leave her at the end. . . . Written intimately as if you’re peering into the mind of a close friend, this book is a true testament to the stresses on women today and how great girlfriends (and grandmothers) are often the key to our sanity.”  — Good Morning America The first novel in a captivating three-book series about modern womanhood, in which a young Black woman must rely on courage, laughter, and love—and the support of her two longtime friends—to overcome an unexpected setback that threatens the most precious thing she’s ever wanted. Tabitha Walker is a black woman with a plan to “have it all.” At 33 years old, the checklist for the life of her dreams is well underway. Education? Check. Good job? Check. Down payment for a nice house? Check. Dating marriage material? Check, check, and check. With a coveted position as a local news reporter, a "paper-perfect" boyfriend, and even a standing Saturday morning appointment with a reliable hairstylist, everything seems to be falling into place. Then Tabby receives an unexpected diagnosis that brings her picture-perfect life crashing down, jeopardizing the keystone she took for granted: having children. With her dreams at risk of falling through the cracks of her checklist, suddenly she is faced with an impossible choice between her career, her dream home, and a family of her own.  With the help of her best friends, the irreverent and headstrong Laila and Alexis, the mom jeans-wearing former "Sexy Lexi," and the generational wisdom of her grandmother and the nonagenarian firebrand Ms. Gretchen, Tabby explores the reaches of modern medicine and tests the limits of her relationships, hoping to salvage the future she always dreamed of. But the fight is all consuming, demanding a steep price that forces an honest reckoning for nearly everyone in her life. As Tabby soon learns, her grandmother's age-old adage just might still be true: Black girls must die exhausted.

11

Symphony of Secrets - Brendan Slocumb Cover Art

Symphony of Secrets

Symphony of Secrets A novel by Brendan Slocumb

A gripping page-turner from the celebrated author of book club favorite The Violin Conspiracy : Music professor Bern Hendricks discovers a shocking secret about the most famous American composer of all time—his music may have been stolen from a Black Jazz Age prodigy named Josephine Reed. Determined to uncover the truth that a powerful organization wants to keep hidden, Bern will stop at nothing to right history's wrongs and give Josephine the recognition she deserves. “A maestro of musical mystery...Slocumb’s writing is invigorating, and the detail in his character work makes the main characters in both time periods easy to root for.... Thrilling.” — The New York Times "At once a celebration of music and also a cautionary tale about legacy, privilege, and creative genius." —Nita Prose, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Maid Bern Hendricks has just received the call of a lifetime. As one of the world’s preeminent experts on the famed twentieth-century composer Frederick Delaney, Bern knows everything there is to know about the man behind the music. When Mallory Roberts, a board member of the distinguished Delaney Foundation and direct descendant of the man himself, asks for Bern’s help authenticating a newly discovered piece, which may be his famous lost opera, RED , he jumps at the chance. With the help of his tech-savvy acquaintance Eboni, Bern soon discovers that the truth is far more complicated than history would have them believe. In 1920s Manhattan, Josephine Reed is living on the streets and frequenting jazz clubs when she meets the struggling musician Fred Delaney. But where young Delaney struggles, Josephine soars. She’s a natural prodigy who hears beautiful music in the sounds of the world around her. With Josephine as his silent partner, Delaney’s career takes off—but who is the real genius here? In the present day, Bern and Eboni begin to uncover more clues that indicate Delaney may have had help in composing his most successful work. Armed with more questions than answers and caught in the crosshairs of a powerful organization who will stop at nothing to keep their secret hidden, Bern and Eboni will move heaven and earth in their dogged quest to right history’s wrongs.

12

When Love Hurts - Shaquanda Dalton Cover Art

When Love Hurts

When Love Hurts by Shaquanda Dalton

I've lost my grandmother to a heart attack, the house to foreclosure, and now I'm living in Chicago with a man I swear is cheating on me. I thought he was my soul mate but I was wrong, and now I feel…I just feel….  "I love this book…I couldn't put this book down!"  -honesty (reader/reviewer)  "This book was a good read that I did not want to end! This book had my heart racing!"  -Cecilia (reader/reviewer)  When that man put his hands on me I can't take living with him anymore. I deice to move in with my best friend Jaylen for a while. He's a business owner with bills and problems of his own I need him. I just can't go back to my apartment with that man who i thought loved me. One look at my bruises tells me that love was wrong.  "Omg this book was a pleasant surprise."  -reader/reviewer 

13

A Lesson Before Dying - Ernest J. Gaines Cover Art

A Lesson Before Dying

A Lesson Before Dying A Novel by Ernest J. Gaines

NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD WINNER • A deep and compassionate novel about a young man who returns to 1940s Cajun country to visit a Black youth on death row for a crime he didn't commit. Together they come to understand the heroism of resisting. "An instant classic." — Chicago Tribune A “majestic, moving novel...an instant classic, a book that will be read, discussed and taught beyond the rest of our lives" ( Chicago Tribune), from the critically acclaimed author of A Gathering of Old Men and The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman. " A Lesson Before Dying reconfirms Ernest J. Gaines's position as an important American writer. " —Boston Globe " Enormously moving.... Gaines unerringly evokes the place and time about which he writes ." —Los Angeles Times “A quietly moving novel [that] takes us back to a place we've been before to impart a lesson for living.” — San Francisco Chronicle

14

Black Cake - Charmaine Wilkerson Cover Art

Black Cake

Black Cake A Novel by Charmaine Wilkerson

NOW A HULU STREAMING SERIES • NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • READ WITH JENNA BOOK CLUB PICK AS FEATURED ON TODAY • Two estranged siblings delve into their mother’s hidden past—and how it all connects to her traditional Caribbean black cake—in this immersive family saga, “a character-driven, multigenerational story that’s meant to be savored” ( Time ).   “Wilkerson transports you across the decades and around the globe accompanied by complex, wonderfully drawn characters.”—Taylor Jenkins Reid, New York Times bestselling author of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Daisy Jones & The Six, and Malibu Rising ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: Oprah Daily, NPR, BuzzFeed, Glamour, PopSugar, Book Riot, She Reads We can’t choose what we inherit. But can we choose who we become? In present-day California, Eleanor Bennett’s death leaves behind a puzzling inheritance for her two children, Byron and Benny: a black cake, made from a family recipe with a long history, and a voice recording. In her message, Eleanor shares a tumultuous story about a headstrong young swimmer who escapes her island home under suspicion of murder. The heartbreaking tale Eleanor unfolds, the secrets she still holds back, and the mystery of a long-lost child challenge everything the siblings thought they knew about their lineage and themselves. Can Byron and Benny reclaim their once-close relationship, piece together Eleanor’s true history, and fulfill her final request to “share the black cake when the time is right”? Will their mother’s revelations bring them back together or leave them feeling more lost than ever? Charmaine Wilkerson’s debut novel is a story of how the inheritance of betrayals, secrets, memories, and even names can shape relationships and history. Deeply evocative and beautifully written, Black Cake is an extraordinary journey through the life of a family changed forever by the choices of its matriarch.

15

I Won't Cry - Shaquanda Dalton Cover Art

I Won't Cry

I Won't Cry by Shaquanda Dalton

From Best Selling Author of "When Love Hurts" comes part 2 of the dramatic love story. Jessica has survived her abusive relationship with Chris, but now she's pregnant with his child. After being thrown out of his apartment and being left homeless, Jessica is determined to keep her independence from him. Even if it means being temporarily dependent on her two best friends Jaylen and his brother Malcolm. But Jessica has another problem. When Jessica's baby is born Chris refuses to claim he's the father and Jessica now has to prove that he is. But what happens when the paternity test come back and it's not what anyone expected? Is it possible that she could be wrong about true father of her child? Turn the pages and join Jessica as she tries to keep her life from falling into shambles all over again.

16

Blood Grove - Walter Mosley Cover Art

Blood Grove

Blood Grove by Walter Mosley

"Master of craft and narrative" Walter Mosley returns with this crowning achievement in the Easy Rawlins saga, in which the iconic  detective's loyalties are tested on the sun-soaked streets of Southern California (National Book Foundation)  It is 1969, and flames can be seen on the horizon, protest wafts like smoke though the thick air, and Easy Rawlins, the Black private detective whose small agency finally has its own office, gets a visit from a white Vietnam veteran. The young man comes to Easy with a story that makes little sense. He and his lover, a beautiful young woman, were attacked in a citrus grove at the city’s outskirts. He may have killed a man, and the woman and his dog are now missing. Inclined to turn down what sounds like nothing but trouble, Easy takes the case when he realizes how damaged the young vet is from his war experiences—the bond between veterans superseding all other considerations.   The veteran is not Easy’s only unlooked-for trouble. Easy’s adopted daughter Feather’s white uncle shows up uninvited, raising questions and unsettling the life Easy has long forged for the now young woman. Where Feather sees a family reunion, Easy suspects something else, something that will break his heart.   Blood Grove is a crackling, moody, and thrilling race through a California of hippies and tycoons, radicals and sociopaths, cops and grifters, both men and women. Easy will need the help of his friends—from the genius Jackson Blue to the dangerous Mouse Alexander, Fearless Jones, and Christmas Black—to make sense of a case that reveals the darkest impulses humans harbor.    Blood Grove is a novel of vast scope and intimate insight, and a soulful call for justice by any means necessary.  

17

Addicted to A Dirty South Thug - Myss Shan Cover Art

Addicted to A Dirty South Thug

Addicted to A Dirty South Thug by Myss Shan

After being so In love with a thug named Rue, Cuba Lance ends up doing 3 years in prison after he places blame on her for one tragic night that took place. Now that she's home, she's ready to move on with her life. Her cousin Tangie has a job waiting for her and gives her a place to stay. Everything is more than what she could've asked for. But when loneliness sets in, she feels like she's missing something. She vowed after her last relationship that she was done with thugs and all things hood, but when she runs into the sexy, Khi with the cocky and dirty south swag, she realizes that it's something about a bad boy that she can't get enough of. She's convinced herself that there is no need to stop what seems meant to be. But will it be another mistake and this time will she get away with her life? Khian "Khi" Prince is just one of the Prince brothers that has the ladies going crazy. He's a certified boss with what seems to be the weight of the world on his shoulders. His job is to ensure that he and his brothers maintain their status in the streets along with caring for his 2 baby mamas and the kids he shares with them. After failing at love twice, Khi's not ready to give up on finding his queen just yet and when running into Cuba, he's for certain he has finally gotten it right. But when Cuba mends his heart to only be the cause of shattering it all over again, will Khi give up on love once and for all, or will he fight to keep the woman that he feels is everything he's been looking for? Daelan "Dae" Prince is the ultimate bad boy with pretty boy looks and a no nonsense type of attitude. He's feared by many men and lusted after by plenty of women, which he can't get enough of. With the love of his life Amber by his side and their 5-year old son, Daelan seems to have his happily ever after but things are never what they seem. Daelan can't seem to stop messing up. After one bad decision after the other, his loved ones are always there to pick up the shattered pieces he constantly leaves behind. But what happens when Daelan makes a decision that puts he and the lives of everyone around him in danger, will his brothers be there to save him once again? Amber has been with Daelan for five long years. Her high school sweetheart was once sweet and charming, but the streets had a way of changing and hardening a person and that's exactly what happened to Daelan at least that's what Amber believes. With all the lies, cheating, and beatings amongst other things, Amber has always stuck by Daelan's side. She was addicted to him and always forgave him no matter how hurt it left her in the end. But when Daelan does the unthinkable, will Amber be able to walk away from the only love she's ever known or will she once again forgive him? Kaedee Prince, not only is he known in the streets along with his brothers, but also in the courtroom as one not to be messed with. With his wife Deonna by his side, they run the most sought out law firm in the city. Kaedee knew that getting his degree in law would somehow come in handy for he and his brothers, but never once did he think his wife Deonna would ever need his services. Hit with money laundering charges from business she did with her ex, Tyrin Walker, a drug kingpin out of Florida, Deonna learns that your past doesn't always stay behind you. When Tyrin shows up in her husband's office, Deonna finds herself in love with two men at the same time. Straddling both sides of the fence has never been good for anyone and Deonna finds that out the hard way. She's forced to pick the one to have her heart, but when that decision lands someone in a grave, are the Prince brothers ready for a war? Welcome to the life of the Prince Brothers and feel what it's like to be Addicted to A Dirty South Thug.

18

Deacon King Kong (Oprah's Book Club) - James McBride Cover Art

Deacon King Kong (Oprah's Book Club)

Deacon King Kong (Oprah's Book Club) A Novel by James McBride

Winner of the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award for Fiction   Winner of the Gotham Book Prize One of Barack Obama's "Favorite Books of the Year" Oprah's Book Club Pick Named one of the Top Ten Books of the Year by the New York Times, Entertainment Weekly and TIME Magazine A Washington Post Notable Novel From the author of The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store , the National Book Award–winning The Good Lord Bird, and the bestselling modern classic The Color of Water , comes one of the most celebrated novels of the year. In September 1969, a fumbling, cranky old church deacon known as Sportcoat shuffles into the courtyard of the Cause Houses housing project in south Brooklyn, pulls a .38 from his pocket, and, in front of everybody, shoots the project’s drug dealer at point-blank range. The reasons for this desperate burst of violence and the consequences that spring from it lie at the heart of Deacon King Kong , James McBride’s funny, moving novel and his first since his National Book Award–winning The Good Lord Bird . In Deacon King Kong , McBride brings to vivid life the people affected by the shooting: the victim, the African-American and Latinx residents who witnessed it, the white neighbors, the local cops assigned to investigate, the members of the Five Ends Baptist Church where Sportcoat was deacon, the neighborhood’s Italian mobsters, and Sportcoat himself. As the story deepens, it becomes clear that the lives of the characters—caught in the tumultuous swirl of 1960s New York—overlap in unexpected ways. When the truth does emerge, McBride shows us that not all secrets are meant to be hidden, that the best way to grow is to face change without fear, and that the seeds of love lie in hope and compassion. Bringing to these pages both his masterly storytelling skills and his abiding faith in humanity, James McBride has written a novel every bit as involving as The Good Lord Bird and as emotionally honest as The Color of Water . Told with insight and wit, Deacon King Kong demonstrates that love and faith live in all of us.

19

Cashin' Out - Jai Nicole Cover Art

Cashin' Out

Cashin' Out by Jai Nicole

Chanelle is no stranger to being broke. Growing up in one of the worst projects in Raleigh, she came up with nothing while praying for a come up. When she hooks up with JaQuez, a dopeboy with deep pockets, she's finally able to leave the hood and live the life she always felt she deserved. However, when JaQuez does the unthinkable, Chanelle hatches a plan to ensure her financial security and escape her old life. Now in a new city, Chanelle hopes for a fresh start. Meeting a hustler by the name of Trap, she believes she's found a new come up. But when her heart starts to get involved, she begins second-guessing her initial plans for him. Still, Chanelle's not the only one with a trick up her sleeve and those that she s crossed are determined to bring her down. In this cautionary tale set in the dirty south, characters are Cashin' Out for every move made. No one can be trusted, love and lies are closely related, loyalty is a term used loosely, and secrets have the potential to destroy lives.

20

The Real Dopeboyz of Atlanta 2 - Myss Shan Cover Art

The Real Dopeboyz of Atlanta 2

The Real Dopeboyz of Atlanta 2 by Myss Shan

Poetic knew that when her family found out what she's been up to, things would not be easy, but what she never expected was for her twin sister Lyric to completely turn everyone against her.  Now being completely exiled, Poetic is pushed further into the arms of Ahmeen. The love between them only intensifies when Poe has no one else to turn to but Ahmeen. He treats her like non-other than the Queen she is. The bond she is has with him is more than she could've imagined, especially when The Shakur family takes in her with open arms. Things are blissful but when  Poe finds out that her big brother Maino is in trouble, she's unable to turn her back on him like he did her, ultimately putting her relationship and life at risk.  Ahmeen took four bullets all from his flesh and blood Moni. Moni never expected for Ahmeen to walk away but to his dismay, not only did he, but he's came out stronger and with a heart of vengeance. There isn't anywhere safe that Moni can go with Ahmeen on his trail...but witness protection.  Ahmeen tries his hardest to move on with his life and continue ringing bells in the streets. Now more richer, more respected, and more known than ever, Ahmeen is dealing with knowing that his product is becoming internationally known. With the love of his life by his side, and a me baby on the way, Ahmeen is living every man's dream. The only problem is, he still hasn't told Poe about Kiani. Scared that he will lose Poe, Ahmeen continues to keep his son secret, only digging himself deeper into the grave. Not only that, he still has Maino gunning for him and when the Mexican cartel approaches him will he accept the offer to rid of Maino for them?  Maino must now deal with decisions he's made when the head of Mexican Cartel come for answers about his daughter Eve.  

21

Hold You Down - Tracy Brown Cover Art

Hold You Down

Hold You Down A Novel by Tracy Brown

Hold You Down is an edgy novel from rising star Tracy Brown about the perils of love and the ties that bind… New York City. Late 1980s to early 1990s. Mercy and Lenox Howard have always only had each other. Growing up on the mean streets of Harlem with an absentee mother meant that they had to have each other's backs. Now young, smart mothers they are determined to survive in New York City while raising their two sons, who have bright futures ahead of them. Mercy is the quiet, straight laced hospital administrator, struggling to make ends meet. At night and on weekends, she pours her heart into her cooking and her dream of owning her own restaurant. Lenox is the diva, the wild child, looking for excitement and her big come up in life and love. Their boys, Deon and Judah, have been raised more like brothers than cousins, forging a bond that is unbreakable. When Lenox heads down a path that she believes will bring success and power, it changes the entire course of her life and her family’s life forever. As a result of their mother’s choices, cousins Deon and Judah soon find themselves in uncharted territory.

22

The Prada Plan 4 - Ashley Antoinette Cover Art

The Prada Plan 4

The Prada Plan 4 Love & War by Ashley Antoinette

The feud between YaYa and Leah has ruined the lives of everyone around them. In The Prada Plan 4, the animosity is alive, and resentments run deeper than ever. Indie has watched YaYa's past destroy the woman he once knew, and his patience has run thin. After being left at the altar, he is heartbroken and confused. His quests to save YaYa from herself have failed, and he finally decides that it's time to let the love of his life go. Her thirst for blood is unquenchable, and like a black hole she sucks the life out of everything around her. If he doesn't cut his ties, he knows that YaYa will cripple him and destroy their family in the process. Then he receives a phone call stating that YaYa is in trouble, and his entire world crumbles at his feet. Who lives and who dies? Will YaYa's addiction to Leah stop her from living her happily ever after? Will the infamous bad girl Leah ever receive her karma? The final book of the Prada Plan series will leave readers breathless as they flip the pages trying to race to the finish. Ashley Antoinette is back and better than ever with this sexy street tale.

23

All We Were Promised - Ashton Lattimore Cover Art

All We Were Promised

All We Were Promised A Novel by Ashton Lattimore

A housemaid with a dangerous family secret conspires with a wealthy young abolitionist to help an enslaved girl escape, in volatile pre-Civil War Philadelphia. The rebel . . . the socialite . . . and the fugitive. Together, they will risk everything for one another in this “beguiling story of friendship, deception, and women crossing boundaries in the name of freedom” (Lisa Wingate, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Lost Friends ). Philadelphia, 1837 . After Charlotte escaped from the crumbling White Oaks plantation down South, she’d expected freedom to feel different from her former life as an enslaved housemaid. After all, Philadelphia is supposed to be the birthplace of American liberty. Instead, she’s locked away playing servant to her white-passing father, as they both attempt to hide their identities from slavecatchers who would destroy their new lives. Longing to break away, Charlotte befriends Nell, a budding abolitionist from one of Philadelphia’s wealthiest Black families. Just as Charlotte starts to envision a future, a familiar face from her past reappears: Evie, her friend from White Oaks, has been brought to the city by the plantation mistress, and she’s desperate to escape. But as Charlotte and Nell conspire to rescue her, in a city engulfed by race riots and attacks on abolitionists, they soon discover that fighting for Evie’s freedom may cost them their own.

24

The Street - Ann Petry Cover Art

The Street

The Street by Ann Petry

WITH A NEW INTRODUCTION FROM NEW YORK TIMES BEST-SELLING AUTHOR TAYARI JONES “How can a novel’s social criticism be so unflinching and clear, yet its plot moves like a house on fire? I am tempted to describe Petry as a magician for the many ways that The Street amazes, but this description cheapens her talent . . . Petry is a gifted artist.” — Tayari Jones, from the Introduction The Street follows the spirited Lutie Johnson, a newly single mother whose efforts to claim a share of the American Dream for herself and her young son meet frustration at every turn in 1940s Harlem. Opening a fresh perspective on the realities and challenges of black, female, working-class life, The Street became the first novel by an African American woman to sell more than a million copies.

25

It's a Thin Line - Kimberla Lawson Roby Cover Art

It's a Thin Line

It's a Thin Line by Kimberla Lawson Roby

In this captivating classic, New York Times bestselling author Kimberla Lawson Roby tells the powerful tale of three very different siblings who discover that family is the only thing that truly matters. Sydney, Gina, and Rick have always shared a special sibling bond, yet their lives are as different as can be. The eldest, Sydney, has a loving, handsome husband and an adorable daughter. But the demands of her writing career leave little time for family. Meanwhile, middle sister Gina is struggling to raise young twins—and trying to protect them…and herself . . . from their volatile father. Rick, the youngest, is living the high life—dodging commitment with his girlfriend—and wondering if the grass is greener elsewhere. When their beloved mother, Delores, suffers a stroke, all three suddenly find the tenuous threads of their individual lives at a breaking point. Worst, the burden of caring for a parent is tearing them apart. But as they struggle to overcome daunting obstacles, they will discover something that they've never let themselves believe: their most stable—and most cherished—relationships have always been with each other . . .

26

Silver Santa - Joi Jackson Cover Art

Silver Santa

Silver Santa by Joi Jackson

Happily divorced high school guidance counselor Noemie Saint has moved back to Kissing Springs to be closer to her mother after her father's death. She wouldn't say she's avoiding the ex that broke her heart twenty years ago, but she's certainly not going out of her way to run into him. Twenty years ago, he chose to do the right thing and let Noemie go. Now that she's moved back to town and they are both single, he's sure he can convince her they belong together. She wants one night, he wants forever. Can this second chance couple make some Christmas magic?

27

Ex-Player - Shaquanda Dalton Cover Art

Ex-Player

Ex-Player by Shaquanda Dalton

For ex-player, Malcolm, trying to become a good, one-woman man for his beautiful girlfriend Kayla is turning out to be harder than he ever expected. The thing is, the hoes keep coming whether he's single or not. The past is not easily forgotten and old habits are hard to break. When old flings come knocking at his door and new women introduce themselves, will he have enough willpower to resist temptation or will his player instincts kick in and end up turning his life back to where he started, alone and single? One thing's for sure. It's easy to say you're good, but it's hard as hell to stay that way. Ex-Player is a stunning novella based off the Jaylen and Jessica series that will take you through every emotion and leave you feeling excited, warm, and thankful for the people in your life. 

28

The Coldest Winter Ever - Sister Souljah Cover Art

The Coldest Winter Ever

The Coldest Winter Ever by Sister Souljah

A New York Times and USA TODAY Bestseller “50 Most Impactful Black Books of the Last 50 Years.” — Essence Nominated as one of America’s best-loved novels by PBS’s The Great American Read The instant classic from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Life After Death brings the streets of New York to life in a powerful and utterly unforgettable novel. I came busting into the world during one of New York’s worst snowstorms, so my mother named me Winter. Ghetto-born, Winter is the young, wealthy daughter of a prominent Brooklyn drug-dealing family. Quick-witted, sexy, and business-minded, she knows and loves the streets like the curves of her own body. But when a cold Winter wind blows her life in a direction she doesn’t want to go, her street smarts and seductive skills are put to the test of a lifetime. Unwilling to lose, this ghetto girl will do anything to stay on top. Twenty-five years and over one million copies later, The Coldest Winter Ever is a bestseller and a national treasure, a classic handed down from one reading generation to the next. Whether you are reading it for the first time or have cherished it for years , you will never forget this Winter’s tale.

29

Homegoing - Yaa Gyasi Cover Art

Homegoing

Homegoing A novel by Yaa Gyasi

INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER • WINNER OF THE NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE'S JOHN LEONARD PRIZE • WINNER OF THE PEN / HEMINGWAY AWARD FOR DEBUT FICTION • Ghana, eighteenth century: two half sisters are born into different villages, each unaware of the other. One will marry an Englishman and lead a life of comfort in the palatial rooms of the Cape Coast Castle. The other will be captured in a raid on her village, imprisoned in the very same castle, and sold into slavery. One of Oprah’s Best Books of the Year, Homegoing follows the parallel paths of these sisters and their descendants through eight generations: from the Gold Coast to the plantations of Mississippi, from the American Civil War to Jazz Age Harlem. Yaa Gyasi’s extraordinary novel illuminates slavery’s troubled legacy both for those who were taken and those who stayed—and shows how the memory of captivity has been inscribed on the soul of our nation.

30

Run - Ann Patchett Cover Art

Run

Run A Novel by Ann Patchett

"Engaging, surprising, provocative and moving...a thoroughly intelligent book, an intimate domestic drama that nonetheless deals with big issues touching us all: religion, race, class, politics and, above all else, family." -- Washington Post From New York Times bestselling author Ann Patchett comes an engrossing story of one family on one fateful night in Boston where secrets are unlocked and new bonds are formed. Since their mother's death, Tip and Teddy Doyle have been raised by their loving possessive and ambitions father. As the former mayor of Boston, Bernard Doyle wants to see is sons in politics, a dream the boys have never shared. But when an argument in a blinding New England snowstorm inadvertently causes an accident that involves a stranger and her child, all Bernard Doyle cares about is his ability to keep his children--all his children--safe. Set over a period of twenty-four hours, Run takes us from the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard to a home for retired Catholic Priests in downtown Boston. It shows us how worlds of privilege and poverty can coexist only blocks apart from each other, and how family can include people you've never even met. As an in her bestselling novel, Bel Canto, Ann Patchett illustrates the humanity that connects disparate lives, weaving several stories into one surprising and endlessly moving narrative. Suspenseful and stunningly executed, Run is ultimately a novel about secrets, duty, responsibility, and the lengths we will go to protect our children.

31

Maame - Jessica George Cover Art

Maame

Maame A Today Show Read With Jenna Book Club Pick by Jessica George

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER! • A Today Show #ReadWithJenna Book Club Pick • A February 2023 Indie Next Pick " Sparkling." — The New York Times "An utterly charming and deeply moving portrait of the joys — and the guilt — of trying to find your own way in life." — Celeste Ng, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Our Missing Hearts "Lively, funny, poignant . . . Prepare to fall in love with Maddie. I did!" — Bonnie Garmus, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Lessons in Chemistry Maame (ma-meh) has many meanings in Twi but in my case, it means woman. It’s fair to say that Maddie’s life in London is far from rewarding. With a mother who spends most of her time in Ghana (yet still somehow manages to be overbearing), Maddie is the primary caretaker for her father, who suffers from advanced stage Parkinson’s. At work, her boss is a nightmare and Maddie is tired of always being the only Black person in every meeting. So when her mum returns from her latest trip, Maddie seizes the chance to move out of the family home and finally start living. A self-acknowledged late bloomer, she’s ready to experience some important “firsts”: She finds a flat share, says yes to after-work drinks, pushes for more recognition in her career, and throws herself into the bewildering world of internet dating. But when tragedy strikes, Maddie is forced to face the true nature of her unconventional family, and the perils—and rewards—of putting her heart on the line. Smart, funny, and affecting, Jessica George's Maame deals with the themes of our time with humor and poignancy: from familial duty and racism, to female pleasure, the complexity of love, and the life-saving power of friendship. Most important, it explores what it feels like to be torn between two homes and cultures―and it celebrates finally being able to find where you belong. "Meeting Maame feels like falling in love for the first time: warm, awkward, joyous, a little bit heartbreaking and, most of all, unforgettable." — Xochitl Gonzalez, New York Times bestselling author of Olga Dies Dreaming

32

The Darkest Child - Delores Phillips & Tayari Jones Cover Art

The Darkest Child

The Darkest Child A Novel by Delores Phillips & Tayari Jones

A new edition of this award-winning modern classic, with an introduction by Tayari Jones ( An American Marriage ), an excerpt from the never before seen follow-up, and discussion guide.   Pakersfield, Georgia, 1958: Thirteen-year-old Tangy Mae Quinn is the sixth of ten fatherless siblings. She is the darkest-skinned among them and therefore the ugliest in her mother, Rozelle’s, estimation, but she’s also the brightest. Rozelle—beautiful, charismatic, and light-skinned—exercises a violent hold over her children. Fearing abandonment, she pulls them from school at the age of twelve and sends them to earn their keep for the household, whether in domestic service, in the fields, or at “the farmhouse” on the edge of town, where Rozelle beds local men for money.   But Tangy Mae has been selected to be part of the first integrated class at a nearby white high school. She has a chance to change her life, but can she break from Rozelle’s grasp without ruinous—even fatal—consequences?

33

Honey and Spice - Bolu Babalola Cover Art

Honey and Spice

Honey and Spice A Reese's Book Club Pick by Bolu Babalola

INSTANT NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A REESE'S BOOK CLUB PICK • A TIKTOK BOOK CLUB PICK "Sexy, messy and wry, Honey and Spice more than delivers." — New York Times Book Review "A vibrant debut novel . . . Babalola is incisively funny, capturing the kick and sweetness of her title with her words." — Entertainment Weekly Named a Best Book of the Year by Time • Esquire • Vanity Fair • Oprah Daily • Cosmopolitan • Elle • Harper's Bazaar • Southern Living • Buzzfeed • Women's Health Magazine • AudioFile • Popsugar • and more! Introducing internationally bestselling author Bolu Babalola’s dazzling debut novel, full of passion, humor, and heart, that centers on a young Black British woman who has no interest in love and unexpectedly finds herself caught up in a fake relationship with the man she warned her girls about Sweet like plantain, hot like pepper. They taste the best when together... Sharp-tongued (and secretly soft-hearted) Kiki Banjo has just made a huge mistake. As an expert in relationship-evasion and the host of the popular student radio show Brown Sugar, she’s made it her mission to make sure the women of the African-Caribbean Society at Whitewell University do not fall into the mess of “situationships”, players, and heartbreak. But when the Queen of the Unbothered kisses Malakai Korede, the guy she just publicly denounced as “The Wastemen of Whitewell,” in front of every Blackwellian on campus, she finds her show on the brink. They’re soon embroiled in a fake relationship to try and salvage their reputations and save their futures. Kiki has never surrendered her heart before, and a player like Malakai won’t be the one to change that, no matter how charming he is or how electric their connection feels. But surprisingly entertaining study sessions and intimate, late-night talks at old-fashioned diners force Kiki to look beyond her own presumptions. Is she ready to open herself up to something deeper? A gloriously funny and sparkling debut novel, Honey and Spice is full of delicious tension and romantic intrigue that will make you weak at the knees. "A smart, sexy summer read, which hits your brain and your romance buttons in one shot." — Los Angeles Times "The ultimate summer romance . . . It’s got all the juiciest, most satisfying romance tropes, but in Babalola’s capable hands, the story feels fresh and unique." — The Cut, New York magazine “Divine summer reading. Hilarious, hot, and heartfelt. ” — Meg Cabot, #1 New York Times bestselling author

34

This Other Eden: A Novel - Paul Harding Cover Art

This Other Eden: A Novel

This Other Eden: A Novel by Paul Harding

Shortlisted for the 2023 Booker Prize Finalist for the 2023 National Book Award for Fiction One of Barack Obama's 15 favorite books of 2023 • A New Yorker Best Books of 2023 • An NPR 2023 "Book We Love" Pick and Top 10 Book of 2023 • One of Time's 100 Must-Read Books of 2023 • One of the New York Times's 100 Notable Books of 2023 and Best Historical Fiction of 2023 • A Chicago Public Library Favorite Book of 2023 • A Fresh Air Top 10 Best Book of 2023 • A Publishers Weekly Best Fiction of 2023 "A testament of love." —Danez Smith, New York Times Book Review From the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Tinkers, a novel inspired by the true story of Malaga Island, an isolated island off the coast of Maine that became one of the first racially integrated towns in the Northeast. In 1792, formerly enslaved Benjamin Honey and his Irish wife, Patience, discover an island where they can make a life together. Over a century later, the Honeys’ descendants and a diverse group of neighbors are desperately poor, isolated, and often hungry, but nevertheless protected from the hostility awaiting them on the mainland. During the tumultuous summer of 1912, Matthew Diamond, a retired, idealistic but prejudiced schoolteacher-turned-missionary, disrupts the community’s fragile balance through his efforts to educate its children. His presence attracts the attention of authorities on the mainland who, under the influence of the eugenics-thinking popular among progressives of the day, decide to forcibly evacuate the island, institutionalize its residents, and develop the island as a vacation destination. Beginning with a hurricane flood reminiscent of the story of Noah’s Ark, the novel ends with yet another Ark. In prose of breathtaking beauty and power, Paul Harding brings to life an unforgettable cast of characters: Iris and Violet McDermott, sisters raising three orphaned Penobscot children; Theophilus and Candace Larks and their brood of vagabond children; the prophetic Zachary Hand to God Proverbs, a Civil War veteran who lives in a hollow tree; and more. A spellbinding story of resistance and survival, This Other Eden is an enduring testament to the struggle to preserve human dignity in the face of intolerance and injustice.

35

Parable of the Talents - Octavia E. Butler Cover Art

Parable of the Talents

Parable of the Talents by Octavia E. Butler

Originally published in 1998, this shockingly prescient novel's timely message of hope and resistance in the face of fanaticism is more relevant than ever. In 2032, Lauren Olamina has survived the destruction of her home and family, and realized her vision of a peaceful community in northern California based on her newly founded faith, Earthseed. The fledgling community provides refuge for outcasts facing persecution after the election of an ultra-conservative president who vows to "make America great again." In an increasingly divided and dangerous nation, Lauren's subversive colony--a minority religious faction led by a young black woman--becomes a target for President Jarret's reign of terror and oppression. Years later, Asha Vere reads the journals of a mother she never knew, Lauren Olamina. As she searches for answers about her own past, she also struggles to reconcile with the legacy of a mother caught between her duty to her chosen family and her calling to lead humankind into a better future.

36

We'll Make It Through - Shaquanda Dalton Cover Art

We'll Make It Through

We'll Make It Through by Shaquanda Dalton

From Best Selling Author of "When Love Hurts" and "I Won't Cry" comes part 3 of the dramatic love story. Jaylen He was able to convince his girlfriend Angela to forgive him after having a baby with his best friend Jessica. Now, not even one month later, he finds out she's cheating on him and that the baby she's carrying might not be his after all. Jessica She's finally gotten a grip on her life and tries her best to downplay her intense love for her best friend Jaylen. When James comes into the picture he's the perfect distraction. She can't find a thing wrong with him! But when they finally get intimate and she find out that the one thing he can't come to plate with is his sex game. After a few unsatisfying nights, Jess contemplates asking her friend Jaylen for a favor. But how important is sex in a relationship? Is it worth risking the relationship for a one time fling?  But when it's time to face the consequences of their actions Jaylen and Jessica's friendship will be put through the ultimate test. Will they make through and work thing out? Or will it crumble and result to nothing more than a memory?

37

When You Can't Let Go 2 - Mia Black Cover Art

When You Can't Let Go 2

When You Can't Let Go 2 by Mia Black

Marco knows what to say and what to do to get Jericka’s attention, but she’s not sure his intentions are real. She’s seen her fair share of guys who flash their money around like it means nothing to them. Life with Hov continues to spiral out of control. As things get worse at home, she questions her feelings about the man she’s loved for so long and the man who has piqued her curiosity. Maybe Marco is not as bad as she thought. Before she has time to absorb those thoughts, she learns that Hov has gotten himself in another situation. She does what she always does for him, but that kind gesture doesn’t protect her from what comes next. Find out what happens in part two of When You Can't Let Go!

38

Something On The Side - Carl Weber Cover Art

Something On The Side

Something On The Side by Carl Weber

Meet Tammy, Egypt, Isis, Nikki, Coco, and Tiny-the bodacious women of the Big Girls Book Club. There's only one rule to being a member. You must be at least a size 14. . . BGBC president Tammy loves everything about her life-especially taking care of business for her husband, Tim. This year, she intends to top all his past birthdays by having a threesome with her best friend, Egypt. Now, if only Egypt will agree . . . And then there's Coco, who has a habit of messing around with married men. But now that she's hooked up with a man who makes his living being every woman's fantasy, all she cares about is making sure he doesn't stray. As insatiable about books as they are about love, these friends are about to discover how tough it is to keep it real when they all have something on the side. "These babes find there's a consequence to every freaky action in or out of the bedroom." - Publishers Weekly "You'll fall in love with the members of the Big Girls Book Club." - Essence ®

39

God Don't Like Ugly - Mary Monroe Cover Art

God Don't Like Ugly

God Don't Like Ugly by Mary Monroe

The captivating first book in the acclaimed, award-winning and New York Times bestselling God series sweeps readers back to the streets, porches, and parlors of civil rights-era Ohio to bring to life the beginning of an enduring friendship between two girls from opposite sides of the track. "Reminiscent of Zora Neale Hurston." — Publishers Weekly Annette Goode is a shy, awkward, overweight child with a terrible secret. Frightened and ashamed, Annette withdraws into a world of books and food. But the summer she turns thirteen, something incredible happens: Rhoda Nelson chooses her as a friend. Dazzling, generous Rhoda, who is everything Annette is not—gorgeous, slim, and worldly—welcomes Annette into the heart of her eccentric family, which includes her handsome and dignified father; her lovely, fragile “Muh’Dear;” her brooding, dangerous brother Jock; and her colorful white relatives—half-crazy Uncle Johnny, sultry Aunt Lola, and scary, surly Granny Goose. With Rhoda’s help, Annette survives adolescence and blossoms as a woman. But when her beautiful best friend makes a stunning confession about a horrific childhood crime, Annette’s world will never be the same.

40

Rozalyn 4 - Myss Shan Cover Art

Rozalyn 4

Rozalyn 4 by Myss Shan

Picks up right where Rozalyn 3 left off!! Rozalyn and Tamar are back! After dealing with her mentally distraught boyfriend and damn near being paralyzed, Rozalyn is determined to make things work with her husband Tamar. She is willing to do whatever it takes to ensure that this time they make it without fault. Tamar on the other hand is knee deep in the game, further than ever before. With a set of new demands; he is forced to recruit a new team that pushes him to prove why he is and will always be the boss. Taron and Journey are deeply in love and looking forward to becoming one. They thought they had everything a couple could ever want until another woman-Latoya, shows the both of them exactly what they're missing. New couple Jamir and Erica will show you just how Justice is served. Will these couples overcome what's being thrown their way or will they let it destroy everything they've built? Find out in this drama-filled 4th installment of Rozalyn.

41

Did You Hear About Kitty Karr? - Crystal Smith Paul Cover Art

Did You Hear About Kitty Karr?

Did You Hear About Kitty Karr? A Novel by Crystal Smith Paul

REESE'S BOOK CLUB MAY 2023 PICK BOOK OF THE MONTH MAY 2023 PICK A multigenerational saga that traverses the glamour of old Hollywood and the seductive draw of modern-day showbiz When Kitty Karr Tate, a White icon of the silver screen, dies and bequeaths her multimillion-dollar estate to the St. John sisters, three young, wealthy Black women, it prompts questions. Lots of questions. A celebrity in her own right, Elise St. John would rather focus on sorting out Kitty’s affairs than deal with the press. But what she discovers in one of Kitty’s journals rocks her world harder than any other brewing scandal could—and between a cheating fiancé and the fallout from a controversial social media post, there are plenty. The truth behind Kitty's ascent to stardom from her beginnings in the segregated South threatens to expose a web of unexpected family ties, debts owed, and debatable crimes that could, with one pull, unravel the all-American fabric of the St. John sisters and those closest to them. As Elise digs deeper into Kitty's past, she must also turn the lens upon herself, confronting the gifts and burdens of her own choices and the power that the secrets of the dead hold over the living. Did You Hear About Kitty Karr? is a sprawling page-turner set against the backdrop of the Hollywood machine, an insightful and nuanced look at the inheritances of family, race, and gender—and the choices some women make to break free of them.

42

Secrets Of A Sugar Baby 11 - Mia Black Cover Art

Secrets Of A Sugar Baby 11

Secrets Of A Sugar Baby 11 by Mia Black

Jae thought the problems were behind them, but after a terrifying experience, she fears it’s only just begun. Wherever Gunna goes, trouble follows. And this time, it’s wreaking havoc on everyone else’s life. Everyone is on edge, but will their collective anger lead to disaster or will they find a way to make amends and move forward? Find out what happens next in Secrets of A Sugar Baby part 11!

43

The Plug Next Door 2 - Sol Cover Art

The Plug Next Door 2

The Plug Next Door 2 Summer's Story by Sol

Part II of The Plug Next Door reveals all the secrets that you've all been waiting for. God has a lot to lose after keeping his wife a secret from Reese all this time. He's in love with the beautiful, charismatic, highly educated doctor but once his skeletons jump out of the closet, he might just lose her forever. However, he's not willing to let her go so easily. But with someone out to destroy him and his empire, he might have no other choice but to surrender his love. Unbeknownst to Nas, he's in the middle of it all. The key to figuring out who's on a mission to take out the Taliban Gang is with him. From the moment he stepped foot onto New York soil, a domino effect of murders, lies, and deceit began. He finds out who his brothers are, but things only get worse from there. He also manages to get Vasii, the girl of his dreams, but what happens when he finds out she's the sister of an old fling? Will he be able to keep her? In the middle of the hailstorm, Young is determined to steal Alexa's heart. He's successful in making her fall in love, but there's just one issue... he isn't like most men. When he loves, he loves hard. Young honestly can't help his possessive ways, given the circumstances, but Alexa may not be ready for it. Then again, she's just as crazy about him as he is her. They're both keeping secrets in the meantime... secrets that could get somebody hurt. Who are the DeLeneau Brothers, really? And are the women they're in love with who they claim to be? Everyone will be shocked to realize they've been dating so close to home. But more importantly, love can blind you from snakes. Who's going to mow the grass and reveal all? Find out in The Plug Next Door II...

44

Summer on Sag Harbor - Sunny Hostin Cover Art

Summer on Sag Harbor

Summer on Sag Harbor A Novel by Sunny Hostin

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER The View cohost and three-time Emmy Award winner Sunny Hostin spirits readers away to the warm beaches of Sag Harbor in the second novel of her bestselling Summer series. Olivia Jones, hard-working and accomplished, has, against the odds, blazed an enviable career path in the finance world. But behind the veneer of her success, she is mourning several devastating losses and betrayals. Untethered from her life in New York City, Olivia moves to a summer home in The Hamptons. Here, Olivia finds a close-knit community of African American elites who escape New York City for the beautiful beaches of the Hamptons. Since the 1930s, very few have known about this Historically Black Beachfront Community, and the residents like it that way. That is, until real estate developers discover the hidden gem. And now, the residents must fight for the soul of this HBBC. As the summer stretches on, Olivia teams up with her new friends to protect their community and, in doing so, discovers who she really is. Though not without cost, Olivia’s search for her authentic identity and her fight to preserve her new Black utopia, will lead her to redefine the meaning of love, friendship, community, and family—and restore her faith in herself and her chosen path.

45

IQ - Joe Ide Cover Art

IQ

IQ by Joe Ide

A resident of one of LA's toughest neighborhoods uses his blistering intellect to solve the crimes the LAPD ignores. East Long Beach. The LAPD is barely keeping up with the neighborhood's high crime rate. Murders go unsolved, lost children unrecovered. But someone from the neighborhood has taken it upon himself to help solve the cases the police can't or won't touch. They call him IQ. He's a loner and a high school dropout, his unassuming nature disguising a relentless determination and a fierce intelligence. He charges his clients whatever they can afford, which might be a set of tires or a homemade casserole. To get by, he's forced to take on clients that can pay. This time, it's a rap mogul whose life is in danger. As Isaiah investigates, he encounters a vengeful ex-wife, a crew of notorious cutthroats, a monstrous attack dog, and a hit man who even other hit men say is a lunatic. The deeper Isaiah digs, the more far reaching and dangerous the case becomes.

46

Love on the Low 2 - Mia Black Cover Art

Love on the Low 2

Love on the Low 2 by Mia Black

Mika knows making her feelings for Royce known will change everything. All she has to do is focus on her new job and creating a new life for herself, but that’s easier said than done when the man she loves is right in front of her face…with another woman. There’s no denying that Royce wants Mika, but his life is complicated, and now that he’s added Lacresha to it, it’s even more complicated than he could have imagined. If he gives into his desires, he fears what will happen. If he ignores his feelings, he fears what he’ll do without Mika. Find out what happens in part two of Love On The Low!

47

The Man Who Lived Underground - Richard Wright Cover Art

The Man Who Lived Underground

The Man Who Lived Underground A Novel by Richard Wright

New York Times Bestseller • One of the Best Books of the Year by Time magazine, the Chicago Tribune, the Boston Globe, and Esquire, and one of Oprah’s 15 Favorite Books of the Year From the legendary author of Native Son and Black Boy, the novel he was unable to publish during his lifetime—an explosive story of racism, injustice, brutality, and survival. "Not just Wright's masterwork, but also a milestone in African American literature . . . One of those indispensable works that reminds all its readers that, whether we are in the flow of life or somehow separated from it, above- or belowground, we are all human." (Gene Seymour, CNN.com) “The Man Who Lived Underground reminds us that any ‘greatest writers of the 20th century’ list that doesn’t start and end with Richard Wright is laughable. It might very well be Wright’s most brilliantly crafted, and ominously foretelling, book.”—Kiese Laymon Fred Daniels, a Black man, is picked up by the police after a brutal double murder and tortured until he confesses to a crime he did not commit. After signing a confession, he escapes from custody and flees into the city’s sewer system. This is the devastating premise of Richard Wright's scorching novel, The Man Who Lived Underground, written between his landmark books Native Son (1940) and Black Boy (1945), at the height of his creative powers. Now, for the first time, by special arrangement between the Library of America and the author’s estate, the full text of the work that meant more to Wright than any other (“I have never written anything in my life that stemmed more from sheer inspiration”) is published in the form that he intended, complete with his companion essay, “Memories of My Grandmother.” Malcolm Wright, the author’s grandson, contributes an afterword.

48

American Daughters - Piper Huguley Cover Art

American Daughters

American Daughters A Novel by Piper Huguley

In the vein of America’s First Daughter, Piper Huguley’s historical novel delves into the remarkable friendship of Portia Washington and Alice Roosevelt, the daughters of educator Booker T. Washington and President Teddy Roosevelt. At the turn of the twentieth century, in a time of great change, two women—separated by societal status and culture but bound by their expected roles as the daughters of famed statesmen—forged a lifelong friendship.  Portia Washington’s father Booker T. Washington was formerly enslaved and spent his life championing the empowerment of Black Americans through his school, known popularly as Tuskegee Institute, as well as his political connections. Dedicated to her father’s values, Portia contributed by teaching and performing spirituals and classical music. But a marriage to a controlling and jealous husband made fulfilling her dreams much more difficult.  When Theodore Roosevelt assumed the presidency, his eldest daughter Alice Roosevelt joined him in the White House. To try to win her father’s approval, she eagerly jumped in to help him succeed, but Alice’s political savvy and nonconformist behavior alienated as well as intrigued his opponents and allies. When she married a congressman, she carved out her own agendas and continued espousing women’s rights and progressive causes.  Brought together in the wake of their fathers’ friendship, these bright and fascinating women helped each other struggle through marriages, pregnancies, and political upheaval, supporting each other throughout their lives.   A provocative historical novel and revealing portrait, Piper Huguley’s American Daughters vividly brings to life two passionate and vital women who nurtured a friendship that transcended politics and race over a century ago. 

49

White Lines - Tracy Brown Cover Art

White Lines

White Lines by Tracy Brown

Essence bestselling author Tracy Brown's scorching new urban tale about falling in love and one girl's descent into the murky and unrelenting depths of drug addiction Jada left home at the age of sixteen, running from her own demons and the horrors of physical abuse inflicted by her mother's boyfriend. She partied hard, and life seemed good when she was with Born, the neighborhood kingpin whose name was synonymous with money, power, and respect. But all his love couldn't save her from a crack addiction. Jada goes from crack addict and prostitute to survivor and back again before she finds the strength to live for herself and come out on top. And her stormy romance with one of the fiercest hustlers on the streets makes White Lines one of the most unforgettable urban loves stories of the year.

50

Cuffed To A Savage 2 - Mia Black Cover Art

Cuffed To A Savage 2

Cuffed To A Savage 2 by Mia Black

Tae knew she shouldn’t have let it happen, but it did. Now, she has to somehow find a way to keep her relationship a secret, especially when Young is under investigation. As officers try to find enough evidence to send him away for a long time, Tae fears that her secret will be revealed. Not only will she lose her job, she’ll lose the man she can’t help but love. Will her bad decision lead to disaster?

51

The Perfect Find - Tia Williams Cover Art

The Perfect Find

The Perfect Find by Tia Williams

Soon to be a Netflix movie starring Gabrielle Union!  Will a forty-year-old woman with everything on the line – her high-stakes career, ticking biological clock, bank account – risk it all for a secret romance with the one person who could destroy her comeback, for good? Jenna Jones, former It-girl fashion editor, is forty, broke and desperate for a second chance. When she’s dumped by her longtime fiancé and fired from  Darling magazine, she begs for a job from her arch nemesis, Darcy Vale. Darcy, the beyond-bitchy publisher of StyleZine.com, agrees to hire her rival – only because her fashion site needs a jolt from Jenna’s old school cred. But Jenna soon realizes she’s in over her head.  Jenna’s working with digital-savvy millennials half her age, has never even “Twittered,” and pretends to still be a Fashion Somebody while living a style lie (she sold her designer wardrobe to afford her sketched-out studio, and now quietly wears Walmart’s finest). What’s worse is that the twenty-two-year-old videographer assigned to shoot her web series is driving her crazy. Wildly sexy with a smile Jenna feels in her thighs, Eric Combs is way off-limits – but almost too delicious to resist.

52

Luxe - Ashley Antoinette Cover Art

Luxe

Luxe A Novel by Ashley Antoinette

From the New York Times bestseller Ashley Antoinette, author of the Prada Plan series comes a boldly fierce and strikingly dramatic novel, Luxe. Bleu Montclair knew as a young girl that she would one day escape the hard, unrelenting streets of Flint, Michigan, and when her desperate prayers are answered in the form of a scholarship to UCLA, Bleu knows she's struck gold. But soon after arriving, all her beautiful, bright dreams begin to fall apart. Endless temptations abound in the form of cars, clothes, booze, drugs, and Bleu cannot keep up. When her roommate gives her the opportunity to make a lot of money fast, Bleu goes all in-and heads straight down a path of violence and addiction that only her newest protector, Iman, can save her from.

53

Heaven, My Home - Attica Locke Cover Art

Heaven, My Home

Heaven, My Home by Attica Locke

In this "captivating" crime novel ( People ), Texas Ranger Darren Mathews is on the hunt for a missing child -- but it's the boy's family of white supremacists who are his real target. 9-year-old Levi King knew he should have left for home sooner; now he's alone in the darkness of vast Caddo Lake, in a boat whose motor just died. A sudden noise distracts him - and all goes dark. Darren Mathews is trying to emerge from another kind of darkness; after the events of his previous investigation, his marriage is in a precarious state of re-building, and his career and reputation lie in the hands of his mother, who's never exactly had his best interests at heart. Now she holds the key to his freedom, and she's not above a little maternal blackmail to press her advantage. An unlikely possibility of rescue arrives in the form of a case down Highway 59, in a small lakeside town where the local economy thrives on nostalgia for ante-bellum Texas - and some of the era's racial attitudes still thrive as well. Levi's disappearance has links to Darren's last case, and to a wealthy businesswoman, the boy's grandmother, who seems more concerned about the fate of her business than that of her grandson. Darren has to battle centuries-old suspicions and prejudices, as well as threats that have been reignited in the current political climate, as he races to find the boy, and to save himself. A Best Book of the Year New York Times Houston Chronicle NPR Wall Street Journal Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel Book Page Financial Times Kirkus SheReads Sunday Times LitHub Guardian Book Riot South Florida Sun Sentinel Longlisted for the Orwell Political Fiction Book Prize

54

Cold Case Love - BlaQue Angel Cover Art

Cold Case Love

Cold Case Love by BlaQue Angel

Stuck in a dead-end relationship with her adulterous boyfriend Future, Tynara is desperate to make things work. With his betrayal, cheating with other women and street activity, Tynara finds love in the arms of another man. When the secrets of Future’s infidelities are unearthed, blood is shed and friends fight to the death over a love so cold that it's chilling to the bone for all involved in this twisted love triangle

55

His Dirty Secret 2: Kim's Story - Mia Black Cover Art

His Dirty Secret 2: Kim's Story

His Dirty Secret 2: Kim's Story by Mia Black

After reuniting with Lloyd, things are moving and moving fast. Kim's feelings for Lloyd are only getting deeper and deeper, and she can't wait to share the news with her friend Rochelle. But now that Rochelle knows, she might have some news of her own for Kim. Find out what happens in part two of His Dirty Secret: Kim’s Story!

56

Kingpin Wifeys Season 2: A Dollar Before Sunset - K. Elliott Cover Art

Kingpin Wifeys Season 2: A Dollar Before Sunset

Kingpin Wifeys Season 2: A Dollar Before Sunset by K. Elliott

Season 2 of Kingpin Wifeys is back with more twist than ever before! This Season has it all - new love, new drama and new characters who will test the loyalties of the Wifeys. Starr continues to mourn the loss of Trey, but will a new love interest lead to more heartbreak? Is she really ready to move on? Jada, too, finds herself alone as Shamari goes to jail but she is determined to get him out. Will she risk it all to set him free? Or is she willing to put him in the past and move on with her life? Meanwhile, the Wifeys have seen their share of drama but nothing compares to the unpredictable and powerful TeTe. Is she a friend or a foe? Like Season One, this second season will have you wanting more. So get comfy and prepare to take a wild ride with the Kingpin Wifeys!

57

The Prada Plan 5 - Ashley Antoinette Cover Art

The Prada Plan 5

The Prada Plan 5 by Ashley Antoinette

In this explosive addition to the New York Times bestselling series, Ashley Antoinette brings you pain, pleasure, love, hate, as YaYa struggles to hold it all together before life blows up in her face, in The Prada Plan 5 . Disaya finally has it all. The man she fought for is hers at last. Her name is Mrs. Indie Perkins and their daughter is safe. Leah is gone. Life is supposed to be good. So why isn’t she satisfied? Why does life suddenly seem so bitter? YaYa’s Prada Plan had worked but with the riches comes pain. She and Indie have grown apart, and with Parker now a permanent fixture in their lives, Indie is pressured to juggle it all. But YaYa’s patience is running thin. Indie is loving her wrong. Her life isn’t what she wants. Her Prada Plan has changed…and now, it’s time to pursue a plan B in order to get what she really wants…

58

God Still Don't Like Ugly - Mary Monroe Cover Art

God Still Don't Like Ugly

God Still Don't Like Ugly by Mary Monroe

New York Times bestselling author Mary Monroe's heart-stopping tale about a woman who's suffered too much to give up on herself, even if everyone else has. . . Growing up, Annette Goode thought all men were as low-down as the father who abandoned her, including the boarder who abused her for years and the men she slept with to earn the money she needed to run away from her life. Now, after decades of heartache and severing ties with her dangerously unstable friend Rhoda, Annette's real life has started to take shape. . . But her dark past won't let her go. When an old secret scares away her fiancé, Annette settles with Pee Wee Davis, her on-again, off-again sweetheart since childhood. Then her ex-friend Rhoda suddenly walks back into her life, forcing Annette to decide what she should believe--and what she can forgive--as she tries to salvage the one relationship she just can't seem to let go. . . Praise for Mary Monroe "Reminiscent of Zora Neale Hurston." -- Publishers Weekly "Watch out Toni Morrison, there is a new sister in town." -- Rapport

59

A Moment of Silence - Sister Souljah Cover Art

A Moment of Silence

A Moment of Silence Midnight III by Sister Souljah

In this electrifying novel, New York Times bestselling author and “an important voice in American literature” (Jada Pinkett Smith) Sister Souljah returns to the story of her beloved character, Midnight. Handsome, young, Muslim, and married to two women living in one house along with his mother, Umma, and sister, Naja: can Midnight manage all that he has on his plate? He is surrounded by Americans who don’t share or understand his faith or culture, and adults who are offended by his maturity, intelligence, and his natural ability to make his hard work turn into real money. He is calm, confident, and cool, Ninja-trained and powerful, but one moment of rage throws this Brooklyn youth into a dark world of dirty police, gangs, guns, drugs, prisons, and dangerous inmates. Everything he ever believed, every dollar he ever earned, and all of the women he ever loved—including his mother—are at risk. Will his manhood be taken, broken, or altered? Can he maintain his faith? Outnumbered, overruled, and deeply envied—how can he possibly survive? Will the streets convert him? What can he keep? What must he lose?

60

Only For A Boss 4 - Mia Black Cover Art

Only For A Boss 4

Only For A Boss 4 by Mia Black

Nia knew falling in love with Jason wasn’t a good idea, but her heart had other plans. Now, she knows the truth about his past and is left feeling betrayed. Jason never wanted Nia to find out the truth, but it’s too late. She knows. But before he can work on healing their relationship, he must stop the people who are out to sabotage his business holdings and somehow find a way to keep Nia safe. Can he handle this situation before it’s too late? Find out what happens in part four of Only for a Boss!

61

Falling for the Wrong One 2 - Mia Black Cover Art

Falling for the Wrong One 2

Falling for the Wrong One 2 by Mia Black

Months have passed since Charlise and Darryl called off their affair, but Darryl can’t help but think about her from time to time. As he and his wife work to save their marriage, he hopes the time that the time that’s passed will help create distance in his heart too, but a surprise proposal and a devious game will bring all the feelings he’s resisted back to the forefront. Charlise and Darryl have already crossed the line between business and pleasure, but their one sinful decision will have many consequences. Find out what happens in part two of Falling For The Wrong One!

62

Honey Girl - Morgan Rogers Cover Art

Honey Girl

Honey Girl A Novel by Morgan Rogers

Named Most Anticipated of 2021 by Oprah Magazine * Marie Claire * Ms. Magazine * E! * Parade Magazine * Buzzfeed * Cosmo * The Rumpus * GoodReads * Autostraddle * Brit & Co * Refinery29 * Betches * BookRiot and others! A LibraryReads Pick   “HONEY GIRL is an emotional, heartfelt, charming debut, and I loved every moment of it.” — Jasmine Guillory, New York Times bestselling author of The Proposal When becoming an adult means learning to love yourself first. With her newly completed PhD in astronomy in hand, twenty-eight-year-old Grace Porter goes on a girls’ trip to Vegas to celebrate. She’s a straight A, work-through-the-summer certified high achiever. She is not the kind of person who goes to Vegas and gets drunkenly married to a woman whose name she doesn’t know…until she does exactly that. This one moment of departure from her stern ex-military father’s plans for her life has Grace wondering why she doesn’t feel more fulfilled from completing her degree. Staggering under the weight of her parent’s expectations, a struggling job market and feelings of burnout, Grace flees her home in Portland for a summer in New York with the wife she barely knows. In New York, she’s able to ignore all the constant questions about her future plans and falls hard for her creative and beautiful wife, Yuki Yamamoto. But when reality comes crashing in, Grace must face what she’s been running from all along—the fears that make us human, the family scars that need to heal and the longing for connection, especially when navigating the messiness of adulthood.

63

His Dirty Secret 10 - Mia Black Cover Art

His Dirty Secret 10

His Dirty Secret 10 by Mia Black

Damiah is out for blood. Revenge is the only thing on her mind and it doesn’t matter who tries to tell her otherwise. She is just waiting for a chance to put her plan into motion and finally get Jayla out of the picture for good. Jayla is enjoying life with Shane. He’s everything she could’ve ever wanted and more. Their life together is all that matters to them, but on what begins as ordinary day soon turns deadly. Damiah has found her way in and won’t be stopped until Jayla’s perfect life is over.

64

Hood Rat - K'wan Cover Art

Hood Rat

Hood Rat A Novel by K'wan

National bestselling author K’wan presents a story of four women fighting to survive in the urban jungle. Yoshi is young, fine, and larcenous. She lives her life playing on men’s hearts as well as their pockets. She learns the hard way that all that glitters isn’t gold. Billy , a former high school basketball star, has been looking for love. Then she meets someone new and her whole world is turned upside down and she will never be the same. Reese is an around-the-way chick, trying to keep up with the Joneses. There’s a revolving door on her bedroom as she tries to find the love she always felt was missing. Her promiscuity leaves her pregnant from a one-night stand and Reese is faced with the task of breaking an age-old cycle, passed down from mother to daughter in her family, and standing on her own. Rhonda is twenty-something with three kids, by three men, and riding the system all the way to the bank. To her, work is a dirty word; between the multiple checks she gets from the government, and the games she plays with men, she’s living the life of a ghetto superstar. The game soon turns ugly when one of her “sponsors” snaps and decides to get some payback. Harlem has never seen four friends as scandalous as these. The neighborhood will never be the same again.

65

The Naked Soul of Iceberg Slim - Iceberg Slim Cover Art

The Naked Soul of Iceberg Slim

The Naked Soul of Iceberg Slim Robert Beck's Real Story by Iceberg Slim

Iceberg Slim described himself as “ill…from America’s fake façade of justice and democracy,” an illness that may have been a detriment, but evolved into the tales that serve as a chilling reminder that we are all still inmates of one prison or another, and the time to break free has arrived. Iceberg Slim took the public into the raw, unseen, predatory reality of America with his first book, Pimp . This time around, he puts the emphasis on reality with his collection of personal essays. This is Iceberg, in California, broken down into a million pieces of anger, wisdom, but ready for a shift in his own consciousness. From the corrupt LAPD to a broken heart, Iceberg recounts woes that the average Joe can’t even fathom. Iceberg Slim takes us for a ride; this time not only through the harrowing world of a pimp, but through his brain, his soul, and his psyche. The racist, gut-wrenching universe Iceberg Slim inhabits throughout this novel and his struggle to endure is one that will be appreciated by all. The story’s arch of chaos to cleansing is startlingly honest. After all, one can’t help but root for the man who had the courage to rupture the bars of the cell society created for him, and the man who gave a voice to those too afraid to speak. In The Naked Soul of Iceberg Slim his voice reigns loud and clear, and ready for vengeance. Iceberg Slim’s story is now depicted in a major motion picture distributed worldwide. Iceberg Slim: Portrait of a Pimp shows Slim’s transformation from pimp to the author of seven classic books.

66

The Blacker the Berry: A Novel of Negro Life - Wallace Thurman Cover Art

The Blacker the Berry: A Novel of Negro Life

The Blacker the Berry: A Novel of Negro Life A Library of America eBook Classic by Wallace Thurman

Library of America presents a classic novel of the Harlem Renaissance: Wallace Thurman's anguished, provocative look at prejudice and exclusion in Jazz Age Harlem. The Blacker the Berry (1929), Wallace Thurman’s debut novel, broke new ground as an exploration of issues of “colorism,” intra-racial prejudice, and internalized racism in African American life. Its protagonist, the young Emma Lou Morgan, is simply “too dark” for a world in which every kind of advancement seems to require a light complexion. Seeking acceptance and opportunity, she moves––much like the dark-skinned young Thurman had, four years before the novel’s publication––from Idaho to California to New York. Harlem, the “city of surprises,” is in many ways the novel’s true subject, its low-down, licentious streets, glittering cabarets, and variegated cast of characters offering a rich backdrop for Emma Lou’s ambivalent, picaresque progress.

67

His Dirty Secret 7: Kim's Story - Mia Black Cover Art

His Dirty Secret 7: Kim's Story

His Dirty Secret 7: Kim's Story by Mia Black

Things have gone from bad to worse for Kim. Just as she’s decided that Santana is the man she wants, she has a new problem – one that she must keep secret from everyone. But that’s hard to do when the man she knew better than to waste her time with is following her every move. As things continue to heat up with Santana, life for Kim becomes more complicated. It’s only a matter of time before her secret is out, but first she has to figure out which man she’ll end up tied to for the next eighteen years. Find out what happens when steamy nights with Mr. Wrong and Mr. Might Be Right leads to them down a winding path. Someone’s life is about to change in a very big way. Find out what happens in His Dirty Secret: Kim’s Story!

68

Someday, Maybe - Onyi Nwabineli Cover Art

Someday, Maybe

Someday, Maybe A Good Morning America Book Club Pick by Onyi Nwabineli

A GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK • A BOOK OF THE MONTH CLUB PICK • A LIBRARYREADS PICK “If you are someone who gravitates toward emotional gut punch reads, allow me to introduce you to this spectacular debut…”—BuzzFeed Here are three things you should know about my husband: He was the great love of my life despite his penchant for going incommunicado.   He was, as far as I and everyone else could tell, perfectly happy. Which is significant because…   On New Year’s Eve, he died. And here is one thing you should know about me: I found him. Bonus fact: No. I am not okay. Someday, Maybe is a stunning, witty debut novel about a young woman’s emotional journey through unimaginable loss, pulled along by her tight-knit Nigerian family, a posse of friends, and the love and laughter she shared with her husband. “Incisive and witty. I couldn’t put it down.”—Lolá Ákínmádé Åkerström, internationally bestselling author of In Every Mirror She's Black “A masterfully woven exposition on love and loss. Nwabineli is magic with words.”—Bolu Babalola, internationally bestselling author of Honey and Spice Don't miss Onyi Nwabineli's next stunning page-turner, ALLOW ME TO INTRODUCE MYSELF, where a former kidfluencer must overcome her toxic family, reclaim her identity and, ultimately, find the freedom to be herself...

69

The Courtroom Coroner - Paul Austin Ardoin Cover Art

The Courtroom Coroner

The Courtroom Coroner by Paul Austin Ardoin

A dead defendant. A court in lockdown. And a murderer in the room. Coroner Fenway Stevenson is worried. Her father is on trial for murder. A huge conspiracy is wrecking the coastal town she calls home. And she's finally dating the sheriff after his divorce is finalized. But with two gunshots in a crowded courtroom, everything changes. Thirteen people and a dead body and the doors are locked. As the hours tick by, one thing becomes clear: the killer is still in there. With nothing but a fingerprint kit, an Ethernet cable, and her wits, can Fenway catch the killer before becoming a victim herself?

70

Wired Target - Toby Neal Cover Art

Wired Target

Wired Target by Toby Neal

If Lisbeth Salander and Jack Reacher had a Black/Thai love child, she'd be Sophie… What would you do if the crime you were hired to solve tugged at your heartstrings? Private investigator Sophie's latest case weighs heavy: someone has desecrated the nesting grounds of the majestic Laysan Albatross on Oahu, annihilating a generation of endangered birds—and the outrageous crime appears to be spreading to other islands. Sophie teams up with Sergeant Lei Texeira on Maui to search for killer whose brutal activities outrage the public. Meanwhile, killer grandma Pim Wat continues to threaten the fragile peace Sophie is building with her family. Will Sophie be able to find the answers she seeks in time? "Action. Adventure. Intrigue. Suspense. Sophie's story jumps off the pages and pulls the reader into a world that's hard to leave at the end of each book!"~Deb L., FB  

71

Trouble The Water - Rebecca Dwight Bruff Cover Art

Trouble The Water

Trouble The Water A NOVEL by Rebecca Dwight Bruff

“With this stunning debut novel, Rebecca Bruff establishes herself as an exciting new voice in historical fiction.” —Cassandra King Conroy, author of Moonrise, and Founding Honorary Chair of the Pat Conroy Literary Center "Before this decisive night, I’d not fully appreciated the subtle line between inspiration and insanity. But now, with all our lives at risk, I found myself navigating that most perilous edge . . . " Inspired by the life of an unsung American hero and slave, Trouble the Water navigates the rich tributaries of courage, betrayal, and redemption. In his inspiring journey, Robert Smalls witnesses great privilege and suffering alongside his owner’s daughter and the dangerous son of a firebrand secessionist. At the age of twelve, he’s sent to work in Charleston, where he loads ships and learns to pilot a cotton steamer. When the Civil War erupts and his cotton steamer becomes a confederate warship, Robert seizes the opportunity to pursue freedom for himself and the people he loves.

72

A Lady & Her Sire - Charmanie Saquea Cover Art

A Lady & Her Sire

A Lady & Her Sire A Royal Love Affair by Charmanie Saquea

After moving to Virginia to start her life over, the last thing Lady was looking for was love. Things changed when she was introduced to the rude, slick talking, smart mouthed, Sire. Feelings that she never thought she would experience again came rushing back and she knew she would never be able to shake him. Sire is known as one of Richmond's richest right along with his best friend, Toine. He was every hood girls' dream man and with a failing relationship on the line, it seemed as if Lady walked into his life right on time. Or did she? When skeletons from Lady's past come back to haunt her in the worst way possible, will Sire be her knight in hood armor? Or will the deceit be too much for him to handle?

73

What's Done In The Dark 4 - Solaé Dehvine Cover Art

What's Done In The Dark 4

What's Done In The Dark 4 by Solaé Dehvine

The Burnett family has been through many peaks and valleys. They seem to have aired all their dirty secrets, yet the past seems to continue to come back. Now that the family adjusts to their new reality, outside forces come to threaten any shot that the Burnett family has at normalcy. These new threats are like the Burnett's have ever seen. With the family slightly broken, will they be able to survive without one of the family Burnett losing their lives? Part 4 of 5 in the What's Done in the Dark Saga 

74

My First Love Was A Savage - Myss Shan Cover Art

My First Love Was A Savage

My First Love Was A Savage by Myss Shan

Cassiana "Cash" Lowes has been with her boyfriend A'Neeko "Neeko" Harley since middle school. They were inseparable and knew that their love story would go on forever. Well that was until Cash's back was against the wall causing her to commit a crime she never thought she would commit. Forced into the penal system, Cash can now only keep up with Neeko through the pages of the letters that she sends him every week. They say that when you're locked up, time seems to sit still while everyone in the outside is moving on without you. And that's exactly what Neeko did... Neeko is the youngest of 3 Harley boys. Although he loves his girlfriend Cash to the death of him, the streets and time changed him, forcing him into a lifestyle that he's sure was meant for him. The streets were never the same once the Harley boys marked their territory. Getting money hand over fist was nothing to them. Their only feat was the bad chicks and vexed ni**s that wouldn't stop coming for them. Neeko thought that he had the love of his life and had treated any woman he encountered as temporary, until Cash came home, but when he meets Blanco, feelings unexpectedly becomes involved. Blanco forces Cash to stay far in the back of Neeko's mind, with only the pages of her letters as remnants of her. Years later, Cash returns home only to see that Neeko has changed and moved on completely without her. Cash is now forced to catch up and move on with her life, as well. Although hurt, it doesn't take her long to meet someone willing to love every messed up part of her. But what happens when Neeko suddenly finds himself in the same position as Cash was earlier, will she ride for him or will her new love interest Giani already have her heart?

75

Obsession - Treasure Hernandez Cover Art

Obsession

Obsession by Treasure Hernandez

Tiffany is trapped in a life she never wanted for herself. The man she fell in love with turned out to be a lazy, good-for-nothing womanizer. Night after night Tiffany comes home to Blake's physical, mental, and verbal abuse. She's tried leaving in the past, but somehow he always finds her. Each time, she comes back and convinces herself things will get better. Then one day Blake beats her for the last time. Tiffany decides death is the only way out—and she's not the one being buried. Her life takes a drastic turn as she attempts to live the life she's always wanted. Lucky and Quick are childhood friends trying to make a name for themselves. They have been working corners, proving their loyalty to the streets and waiting for their big break. When they finally get the chance to prove themselves, they quickly climb up the ladder and find themselves working for the top dogs. Everything happens so fast that they end up on opposite sides of the fence and become enemies. Quick and Tiffany meet under unfortunate circumstances, but they instantly connect and fall in love. Tiffany is pulled into Quick's street world full of lies and revenge. Lucky and Quick are constantly going against each other, and the friendship seems to be lost forever. When the opportunity comes along for both of them to be on the top spot, will they be able to rekindle the friendship?

76

Brokenhearted Girl 2 - Diamond Johnson Cover Art

Brokenhearted Girl 2

Brokenhearted Girl 2 When Your Heart Hurts by Diamond Johnson

Part one of the Broken-hearted series left the readers with their mouths hung open at what had just been revealed to Treasure. What exactly did William do to Miracle, and more importantly, how long has he been doing it? Treasure finally comes clean and reveals to her mother just who exactly Miracle really is to her and how she was conceived. Will Treasure’s mother believe her? Or will she choose her no good, lying boyfriend, William, over Treasure, like she’s done her whole life? This book is filled with so many secrets, and one secret may result in somebody being right around the corner from death. What if I told you that there’s a possibility that Camryn may not be Sticks daughter after all?

77

The New Naturals - Gabriel Bump Cover Art

The New Naturals

The New Naturals A Novel by Gabriel Bump

**A 2023  NEW YORK TIMES and WASHINGTON POST  Notable Book and a BOSTON GLOBE Best Book of the Year** From the Ernest J. Gaines Award-winning author of Everywhere You Don't Belong , a touching, timely novel—called "smart, witty" by the  New York Times Book Review , "fascinating" by the Boston Globe , and "wryly funny" by People —about an attempt to found an underground utopia and the interwoven stories of those drawn to it. **Included in Fall Preview & Most-Anticipated Lists: New York Times , Washington Post , TIME ,  The Boston Globe , Chicago Tribune , Vulture.com, Esquire.com, ELLE.com,  The Millions , and  Lit Hub**   An abandoned restaurant on a hill off the highway in Western Massachusetts doesn't look like much. But to Rio, a young Black woman bereft after the loss of her newborn child, this hill becomes more than a safe haven—it becomes a place to start over. She convinces her husband to help her construct a society underground, somewhere safe, somewhere everyone can feel loved, wanted, and accepted, where the children learn actual history, where everyone has an equal shot. She locates a Benefactor and soon their utopia begins to take shape. Two unhoused men hear about it and immediately begin their journey by bus from Chicago to get there. A young and disillusioned journalist stumbles upon it and wants in. And a former soccer player, having lost his footing in society, is persuaded to check it out too. But no matter how much these people all yearn for meaning and a sanctuary from the existential dread of life above the surface, what happens if this new society can't actually work? What then?  From one of the most exciting new literary voices out there, The New Naturals is fresh and deeply perceptive, capturing the absurdity of life in the 21st century, for readers of Paul Beatty’s The Sellout and Jennifer Egan’s The Candy House . In this remarkable feat of imagination, Bump shows us that, ultimately, it is our love for and connection to each other that will save us.  

78

Brokenhearted Girl - Diamond Johnson Cover Art

Brokenhearted Girl

Brokenhearted Girl When Your Heart Hurts by Diamond Johnson

Treasure Love. Funny how her last name is love, but that’s the one thing in life that she isn’t experiencing. Treasure suffered a lot of things at the hands of her mother’s boyfriend, William, but the biggest one would have to be the rapes that she took from him. At the age of sixteen, Treasure gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, but how was it possible to convince people that the same baby girl she gave birth to was her supposedly little sister? What happened to Treasure that turned her into this broken-hearted girl? Meet Malakai Black, aka Sticks. Sticks is the man to see, with his beautiful daughters Maya and Camryn, but his baby mamas give him hell. Sticks just knew that all of these women were the same and that they were only after him for his money, but what happens when he meets Ms. Treasure Love for the first time? Could she be the one to convince him that all women aren’t the same? Or could he be the one to fix Treasure’s broken heart?

79

Brooklyn - C. N. Phillips Cover Art

Brooklyn

Brooklyn by C. N. Phillips

After his father’s murder, Boogie is thrust into taking over the family business and hellbent on revenge, no matter the cost…   While most young people are just getting their footing in life, 24-year-old Bryshon "Boogie" Tolliver is already being groomed to be a boss by his father, Barry Tolliver. At first, he's not so sure he wants to take his father's place in the family business. He has dreams of being the most prominent chef in New York. However, things change when Barry is murdered in cold blood and everything he built is left at Boogie's feet. Gone are those chef dreams, replaced with a new resolve to prove himself worthy of upholding his father's legacy.   Boogie takes his rightful place at the table of the Five Families of New York and is quickly taken under the wing of Caesar, the head of the organization. Known as The Godfather's Godfather, Caesar shows Boogie what it takes to be a boss.   The deeper in Boogie gets, the more obsessed he becomes with finding his father's murderer. When all signs point to the person Boogie knows is untouchable, he'll do anything to even the score, even if it costs him his seat at the table.  

80

Guilty Of Love - Pat Simmons Cover Art

Guilty Of Love

Guilty Of Love by Pat Simmons

When do you know the most important decision of your life is the right one? Reaping the seeds from what she's sown; Cheney Reynolds moves into a historic neighborhood in Ferguson, Missouri, and becomes reclusive.  Her first neighbor, the incomparable Mrs. Beatrice Tilley Beacon aka Grandma BB, is an opinionated childless widow. Grandma BB is a self-proclaimed expert on topics Cheney isn’t seeking advice—everything from landscaping to hip-hop dancing to romance. Then there is Parke Kokumuo Jamison VI, a direct descendant of a royal African tribe. He learned his family ancestry, African history, and lineage preservation before he could count.  Unwittingly, they are drawn to each other, but it takes Christ to weave their lives into a spiritual bliss while He exonerates their past indiscretions.

81

Harlem - C. N. Phillips Cover Art

Harlem

Harlem by C. N. Phillips

Building on the success of the Kingpins series, Carl Weber’s Five Families series features some of Urban Books’ most popular authors writing about crime in the boroughs of New York City, this time in Harlem. Through the darkest tunnel comes the light, but for Caesar King, there is nothing but more darkness on the other side. After the failed attempt on his life, he is afraid that the Pact of the Five Families is no more. He can trust nobody. Whoever murdered Barry is now aiming for Caesar’s crown, and the only way to flush them out and figure out who’s responsible is to go to war…with everybody.  

82

Queens - C. N. Phillips Cover Art

Queens

Queens by C. N. Phillips

In this fourth installment of the Five Families Of New York, we will see just how far a person will go to keep things together when their life is crumbling. With death nipping at his neck like cold in the winter, Lorenzo “Zo” Alverez is faced with the inevitable fate of stepping into his late father’s shoes. With enemies coming at him from all sides, Zo doesn’t know who he can trust. But when the light at the end of the tunnel comes in the form of family, he discovers secrets about his father that he never knew. These secrets threaten to pull him away from the other powerful families in New York and people that would risk their lives for his. When the time comes to decide where his loyalty will lie, he is unaware that the price for that choice is the heads of the people he loves the most.

83

The Bronx - C. N. Phillips Cover Art

The Bronx

The Bronx by C. N. Phillips

C. N. Phillips returns with the next tale in the saga of five crime families that run the streets of New York’s five boroughs. The uneasy alliance they once shared has been compromised, and now no one is truly safe from retribution. Caesar knew the peace he started had an expiration date, but he never thought the end would be so explosive. With the Pact completely dissolved and the Chinese angered beyond measure at the loss of their leader, they want Boogie’s head bloody and served on a stick. Caesar is willing to protect him at all costs, even if it puts him at odds with the allies still on his side.     

84

Harlem Renaissance. Classic Collection. Illustrated - Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen, Claude McKay & Jean Toomer Cover Art

Harlem Renaissance. Classic Collection. Illustrated

Harlem Renaissance. Classic Collection. Illustrated The Weary Blues, Color, Harlem Shadows, Cane and others by Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen, Claude McKay & Jean Toomer

The Harlem Renaissance was an intellectual and cultural revival of African American music, dance, art, fashion, literature, theater, politics and scholarship centered in Harlem, Manhattan, New York City, spanning the 1920s and 1930s. Contents: Langston Hughes: The Weary Blues Countee Cullen: Color Copper Sun The Ballad Of The Brown Girl Claude McKay: Harlem Shadows Jean Toomer: Cane

85

Manhattan - C. N. Phillips Cover Art

Manhattan

Manhattan by C. N. Phillips

The gritty tales of New York’s five families returns for its fifth installment. Heavy is the head that wears the crown, and Caesar King feels weighted to the ground. The Five Families are in complete disarray, and Caesar realizes too late that stepping down was the wrong thing to do. It’s up to him to make the puzzle whole again. But when another war comes to their doorsteps and a past mistake comes back for blood, death rips through the boroughs like a tornado. In the end, there might not be any pieces left to put back together.

86

James McBride JK - The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store Cover Art

James McBride JK

James McBride JK by The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store

#1 New York Times Bestseller USA Today Bestseller The Globe and Mail Bestseller Publishers Weekly Bestseller AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER “A murder mystery locked inside a Great American Novel . . . Charming, smart, heart-blistering, and heart-healing.” —Danez Smith, The New York Times Book Review “We all need—we all deserve—this vibrant, love-affirming novel that bounds over any difference that claims to separate us.” —Ron Charles, The Washington Post From James McBride, author of the bestselling Oprah’s Book Club pick Deacon King Kong and the National Book Award–winning The Good Lord Bird, a novel about small-town secrets and the people who keep them In 1972, when workers in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, were digging the foundations for a new development, the last thing they expected to find was a skeleton at the bottom of a well. Who the skeleton was and how it got there were two of the long-held secrets kept by the residents of Chicken Hill, the dilapidated neighborhood where immigrant Jews and African Americans lived side by side and shared ambitions and sorrows. Chicken Hill was where Moshe and Chona Ludlow lived when Moshe integrated his theater and where Chona ran the Heaven & Earth Grocery Store. When the state came looking for a deaf boy to institutionalize him, it was Chona and Nate Timblin, the Black janitor at Moshe’s theater and the unofficial leader of the Black community on Chicken Hill, who worked together to keep the boy safe. As these characters’ stories overlap and deepen, it becomes clear how much the people who live on the margins of white, Christian America struggle and what they must do to survive. When the truth is finally revealed about what happened on Chicken Hill and the part the town’s white establishment played in it, McBride shows us that even in dark times, it is love and community—heaven and earth—that sustain us. Bringing his masterly storytelling skills and his deep faith in humanity to The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store, James McBride has written a novel as compassionate as Deacon King Kong and as inventive as The Good Lord Bird.

87

Home to Harlem - Claude McKay Cover Art

Home to Harlem

Home to Harlem by Claude McKay

Published in 1928, Claude McKay's novel Home to Harlem follows the story of the main character Jake Brown, a former soldier, as he attempts to rebuild his life in Harlem after his experience in World War I. Festus Claudius "Claude" McKay  (September 15, 1890 – May 22, 1948) was a Jamaican-American writer and poet. He was a central figure in the Harlem Renaissance .

88

The Autobiography of an Ex–Colored Man - James Weldon Johnson Cover Art

The Autobiography of an Ex–Colored Man

The Autobiography of an Ex–Colored Man by James Weldon Johnson

In this classic novel from the Harlem Renaissance, a biracial musician living in the Jim Crow era chooses to pass as white and deals with the consequences. First published in 1912, The Autobiography of an Ex–Colored Man is the story of an unnamed, light-skinned, biracial narrator born in a small Georgia town during the years following the Civil War. He knows nothing about race—until he and his Black mother move to Connecticut and an episode at his school forces her to explain things to him. As the narrator grows up, he pursues a higher education and begins traveling to cities like New York and Paris. He develops desires and ambitions, but everything changes when he returns to the South and witnesses the lynching of a Black man. The horror of the scene persuades him to live as white, but this decision comes at a cost . . . The Autobiography of an Ex–Colored Man covered issues and themes not usually seen in the literature of its day. It offered a critical examination of race in society—as well as a look into Black society most white readers were unfamiliar with at the time. Today, the novel is just as moving as when it was originally published, an excellent choice for readers of Charles W. Chesnutt’s The House Behind the Cedars and Nella Larsen’s Passing .

89

Everywhere You Don't Belong - Gabriel Bump Cover Art

Everywhere You Don't Belong

Everywhere You Don't Belong by Gabriel Bump

A  New York Times Book Review  Notable Book of 2020 Winner of the Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence “A comically dark coming-of-age story about growing up on the South Side of Chicago, but it’s also social commentary at its finest, woven seamlessly into the work . . . Bump’s meditation on belonging and not belonging, where or with whom, how love is a way home no matter where you are, is handled so beautifully that you don’t know he’s hypnotized you until he’s done.” —Tommy Orange, The New York Times Book Review In this alternately witty and heartbreaking debut novel, Gabriel Bump gives us an unforgettable protagonist, Claude McKay Love. Claude isn’t dangerous or brilliant—he’s an average kid coping with abandonment, violence, riots, failed love, and societal pressures as he steers his way past the signposts of youth: childhood friendships, basketball tryouts, first love, first heartbreak, picking a college, moving away from home.    Claude just wants a place where he can fit. As a young black man born on the South Side of Chicago, he is raised by his civil rights–era grandmother, who tries to shape him into a principled actor for change; yet when riots consume his neighborhood, he hesitates to take sides, unwilling to let race define his life. He decides to escape Chicago for another place, to go to college, to find a new identity, to leave the pressure cooker of his hometown behind. But as he discovers, he cannot; there is no safe haven for a young black man in this time and place called America.    Percolating with fierceness and originality, attuned to the ironies inherent in our twenty-first-century landscape,  Everywhere You Don’t Belong marks the arrival of a brilliant young talent.

90

So Deep in My Feelings 2: A Hood Love Tale - Myss Shan Cover Art

So Deep in My Feelings 2: A Hood Love Tale

So Deep in My Feelings 2: A Hood Love Tale by Myss Shan

With the loss of her brother and then Self being killed right in front of her, Cioni is starting to feel like she might be the one under attack. With a new baby on the way, she is ready to spark things back up with Ledge, but the only problem is, things have changed drastically for him. He is deep in the game, and no one around him wants to see him make it to the top. But as long as the two of them have love, nothing or no one will stop them right?  Madden has moved on with her new boo and ready to start her new life. Things are perfect, but her old meddling ways eventually comes back to haunt her. She is no longer letting things slide and is out to get those whom she felt has gotten her. Soon, she realizes that she might be in over her head..

91

The Violin Conspiracy - Brendan Slocumb Cover Art

The Violin Conspiracy

The Violin Conspiracy A Novel (Good Morning America Book Club) by Brendan Slocumb

GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK! • Ray McMillian is a Black classical musician on the rise—undeterred by the pressure and prejudice of the classical music world — when a shocking theft sends him on a desperate quest to recover his great-great-grandfather’s heirloom violin on the eve of the most prestigious musical competition in the world. “I loved The Violin Conspiracy for exactly the same reasons I loved The Queen’s Gambit : a surprising, beautifully rendered underdog hero I cared about deeply and a fascinating, cutthroat world I knew nothing about—in this case, classical music.” —Chris Bohjalian, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Flight Attendant and Hour of the Witch Growing up Black in rural North Carolina, Ray McMillian’s life is already mapped out. But Ray has a gift and a dream—he’s determined to become a world-class professional violinist, and nothing will stand in his way. Not his mother, who wants him to stop making such a racket; not the fact that he can’t afford a violin suitable to his talents; not even the racism inherent in the world of classical music.    When he discovers that his beat-up, family fiddle is actually a priceless Stradivarius, all his dreams suddenly seem within reach, and together, Ray and his violin take the world by storm. But on the eve of the renowned and cutthroat Tchaikovsky Competition—the Olympics of classical music—the violin is stolen, a ransom note for five million dollars left in its place. Without it, Ray feels like he's lost a piece of himself. As the competition approaches, Ray must not only reclaim his precious violin, but prove to himself—and the world—that no matter the outcome, there has always been a truly great musician within him.

92

Addicted to a Dirty South Thug 2 - Myss Shan Cover Art

Addicted to a Dirty South Thug 2

Addicted to a Dirty South Thug 2 by Myss Shan

The drama continues in Addicted to A dirty South Thug 2 picking right up where you left off... Cuba was determined more than ever to stay away from the bad guys, but after being bit by the Prince bug, she realizes that she's sick and in love. "No fear and no more running," she tells herself, but with Khi's overwhelming baby mama drama and heat from the Prince brothers, she finds every excuse she can to run from her one true love. Khi is trying everything to get a hold on his life. After getting Dae out the way, the problems seem to continue to fall into his lap. With trying to figure out if Selena is really playing for the other team and keeping an eye on Briana, his love and attention for Cuba seems to fall in last place. With the threat of losing Cuba on his shoulders, will Khi make the right the decision and choose the woman that he's been waiting his whole life for? And what happens when decisions made causes brother to be against brother? They are in the middle of a war, how will they come out on top if they're beefing with each other? KaeDee is no longer able to keep the cool demeanor that he is known for having once he realizes that it's more to Deonna's suicide. Once a pretty Detective walks into his life and turns things upside down for him, KaeDee finds out the woman he married is only one of many. It all seems to break him down and forces him to be angry at the world, even his brothers. Mistakes are made and KaeDee is unable to keep it together and is quickly falling apart, but what happens when the one person he's never noticed is the one to piece him back together? In the midst of all the madness, will KaeDee see that his true soulmate had been hiding in the shadows all along. Dae's finally forced to face his problems now that he has nowhere to turn. Realizing that the only person that he could count on is the one to put him in his predicament, will Dae finally get his life together or will it be too late for him? The newest addition to the Prince brothers saga is home. The wild hair, funny looking eyes Cassidy has touched down and back to claim the only woman he's ever loved but things won't be so easy for him. His past issues was never resolved and the secret he's been holding onto has no choice but to be revealed. He works hard to fix all the issues he's caused. Once the smoke finally clears, will Cassidy have his woman, or will end up paying for more of his mistakes in the end? Things are just heating up in this installment of Addicted To a Dirty South Thug.

93

When You Can't Let Go 3 - Mia Black Cover Art

When You Can't Let Go 3

When You Can't Let Go 3 by Mia Black

Jericka cautiously pursues a relationship with Marco, but her relationship with Hov keeps hanging over her head. Hov’s not ready to let her go, but Marco can be very persuasive. He’s everything Jericka never knew she wanted, but does he care enough to keep her out of harm’s way? Hov is desperate to get his girl back. He resorts to questionable behavior to try to win her back. His efforts, though, could jeopardize her new relationship. Find out what happens in part three of When You Can't Let Go!

94

The Cartel 3: - Ashley & JaQuavis Cover Art

The Cartel 3:

The Cartel 3: The Last Chapter by Ashley & JaQuavis

The Cartel has come full circle with this fast-paced, groundbreaking novel, the finale to the hit series by New York Times bestsellers Ashley & JaQuavis. Miamor is fighting for her life in the belly of the beast. She's been kidnapped, and she's staring death in the eye. Is the reign over for the head of the Murda Mamas? Carter is in federal custody and leaves the Diamond Empire to Zyir and Mecca. When the past comes back to haunt Mecca and the truth finally comes to light, will The Cartel rise or fall? Breeze is in the clutches of the crazed Ma'tee, and she desperately searches for a way out. Will she escape, or die his love slave? The answers to these questions lie inside the pages of Cartel 3: The Final Chapter. Open it to discover the shocking truth, and prepare yourself for the unpredictable conclusion of one of the best street series of all time.

95

Butterfly 3 - Ashley Antoinette Cover Art

Butterfly 3

Butterfly 3 by Ashley Antoinette

“One of the biggest names in urban-fiction.” - Red Carpet Crash on Butterfly The hardest thing Morgan Atkins has ever done is let go of love. After losing Messiah, she never thought she’d find someone who understood her again. Until she reunited with Ahmeek Harris and their friendship quickly transformed into something deeper, but there was one problem... she was engaged to a man she didn’t love and he’s holding a deadly secret over her head. If that wasn’t enough, her long lost love Messiah returned to claim her as his own. Three men plus one woman equals inevitable heartbreak. Morgan wants to follow her heart and take the risk of a lifetime, but she risks destroying her family in the process. Will Morgan enter a loveless marriage? Or will Messiah and Ahmeek fix their brotherhood and work together to save the woman they both love?

96

The First Lady - Carl Weber Cover Art

The First Lady

The First Lady by Carl Weber

Charlene Wilson, First Lady of First Jamaica Ministries, has lived a good life with her beloved Bishop T.K. Wilson and their two beautiful children. But now that the Lord has seen fit to call her home, someone needs to take care of her man. . . That's why Charlene has planned to hang around in spirit--to make sure T.K. ends up with the right woman. First in line is Marlene, the mother of T.K.'s illegitimate daughter. Then there's Monique Johnson, the unapologetic First Lady of Plastic Surgery and Implants. Next is Savannah Dickens, the church's attractive new choir soloist. And last but not least is Charlene's good friend Sister Lisa Mae Johnson, widow of Pastor Lee Jones. With the help of her friend Alison, Charlene prepares a series of letters addressed to the lucky ladies. No one else knows about the letters, but rest assured, they will shake up a whole lot of people. Charlene may soon be gone, but her presence will be felt. . . "Weber's novels are always sizzlers. . ." -- The Cincinnati Enquirer "A front-row pew seat to all the action going down. . ." -- Essence ®

97

Leaving Atlanta - Tayari Jones Cover Art

Leaving Atlanta

Leaving Atlanta by Tayari Jones

From the author of the Oprah's Book Club Selection An American Marriage , here is a beautifully evocative novel that proves why Tayari Jones is "one of the most important voices of her generation" ( Essence ). It was the end of summer, a summer during the two-year nightmare in which Atlanta's African-American children were vanishing and twenty-nine would be found murdered by 1982. Here fifth-grade classmates Tasha Baxter, Rodney Green, and Octavia Harrison will discover back-to-school means facing everyday challenges in a new world of safety lessons, terrified parents, and constant fear. The moving story of their struggle to grow up-and survive- shimmers with the piercing, ineffable quality of childhood, as it captures all the hurts and little wins, the all-too-sudden changes, and the merciless, outside forces that can sweep the young into adulthood and forever shape their lives. PRAISE FOR TAYARI JONES "Tayari Jones is blessed with vision to see through to the surprising and devastating truths at the heart of ordinary lives, strength to wrest those truths free, and a gift of language to lay it all out, compelling and clear." -- Michael Chabon "Tayari Jones has emerged as one of the most important voices of her generation ." -- Essence "One of America's finest writers. " -- Nylon.com "Tayari Jones is a wonderful storyteller ." -- Ploughshares span

98

Summer on Highland Beach - Sunny Hostin Cover Art

Summer on Highland Beach

Summer on Highland Beach A Novel by Sunny Hostin

The View cohost and three-time Emmy Award winner Sunny Hostin transports readers to Highland Beach in the captivating third novel of her New York Times bestselling Summer Beach series. In this awakening, spirited novel, Sunny Hostin celebrates family, friendship, and community and reminds us of the importance of the legacies of our collective past and finding one’s way in the world. Founded in the late 1800s by the son of Frederick Douglass, Highland Beach along the Chesapeake Bay is the oldest Black resort community in America. Inside this proud and secluded beach community of about 100 private homes is Olivia Jones’s legacy. But Oliva’s legacy comes with thorns—intertwined are secrets of her aunt’s death; a controlling grandmother who is determined to crush anyone or anything that will interfere with her son’s political career; and a father who wants to rebuild the family he rejected decades ago. In the midst of tense family drama, Olivia must decide if she wants to return to the beautiful life she’s created in Sag Harbor—with the neighbors and wonderful man who’ve become central to her happiness—or finally achieve her dream of having a family and home to call her own in Highland Beach.

99

Perfect Peace - Daniel Black Cover Art

Perfect Peace

Perfect Peace A Novel by Daniel Black

As seen on TikTok, Daniel Black’s Perfect Peace is the heartbreaking portrait of a large, rural southern family’s attempt to grapple with their mother’s desperate decision to make her newborn son into the daughter she will never have—“a complex, imaginative story of one unforgettable black family in mid-twentieth century Arkansas” ( Atlanta Magazine ). When the seventh child of the Peace family, named Perfect, turns eight, her mother Emma Jean tells her bewildered daughter, “You was born a boy. I made you a girl. But that ain’t what you was supposed to be. So, from now on, you gon’ be a boy. It’ll be a little strange at first, but you’ll get used to it, and this’ll be over after while.” From this point forward, Perfect’s life becomes a bizarre kaleidoscope of events—while the rest of his family is forced to question everything they thought they knew about gender, sexuality, unconditional love, and fulfillment. “A morality tale of the consequences of letting our selfish needs trap the ones we love into roles they weren’t born to play. The characters here are as flawed, their sins numerous, as any living human being held under the lens, but the author brings a compassion and understanding to their plights.”—Mat Johnson, award-winning author of Invisible Things “Part cautionary tale, part folk tale, part fable, Daniel Black’s Perfect Peace is a complete triumph…In Emma Jean Peace, Dr. Black has created a character as complex, equivocal and unforgettable as Scarlett O'Hara.”—Larry Duplechan, Lambda Literary Award-winning author of Got ’Til It’s Gone

100

Rozalyn 8 - Myss Shan Cover Art

Rozalyn 8

Rozalyn 8 by Myss Shan

Rozalyn and Tamar are back.. Tamar is faced with issues continuing to surround his home. With his boys growing up, they're more than desperate to prove to their father that they are ready to enter the family business. However crucial mistakes put them in harm's way and has Tamar scouring to find out who is responsible. Rozalyn is finding that her new budding career as a lawyer is everything that it should be and more. Things are looking up for as a lawyer and in her home until blast from the past threatens to yet again ruin the union she has with Tamar.  Cuba is still back and forth between whether she wants to stay with Khi after the infidelity he displayed. Falling in love with Rozalyn's security had never been in the plans. She finds herself stuck between doing what's right and doing what feels right when her secrets are forcefully brought to the light.