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:

Apple Books Top 100 African American Fiction Ebooks

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A Pair of Aces: Reese's Book Club - Marie Benedict & Victoria Christopher Murray Cover Art

A Pair of Aces: Reese's Book Club

A Pair of Aces: Reese's Book Club by Marie Benedict & Victoria Christopher Murray

REESE’S BOOK CLUB PICK • A gripping novel about two trailblazing women on opposite sides of the law—a prosecutor and a madam—who team up to bring down notorious Mob boss Lucky Luciano in 1930s New York, from the New York Times bestselling authors of the million-copy bestseller The Personal Librarian. Eunice Carter, assistant district attorney for the City of New York and Manhattan’s first Black female prosecutor, has her sights set on the one and only Lucky Luciano, head of New York City’s five largest organized crime families. Other prosectors have tried to bring down Lucky, but they’ve all focused on the crime syndicate’s traditional businesses—bootlegging, gambling, loan sharking, and drug dealing—or tax evasion. No one has thought to approach the mob through its role in prostitution. Until Eunice. But she can’t get Luciano alone. Polly Adler has worked long and hard to build up her high-class brothel business. Her client list is filled with well-known names, both the famous and the infamous, who all know her booze is top-notch, her music first-rate, her food exquisite, and her girls the best. But Lucky has gone too far, putting her girls in danger, and Polly finally sees the chance to end his reign once and for all. Together, Eunice and Polly fashion a case utilizing a network of women. Bridging the enormous divide between them and risking their own lives, they assemble evidence bit by bit, under the nose of the man they’re trying to convict. It is this very alliance—of two women from vastly different worlds—that launches the most sensational trial New York City has ever seen.

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The Revelation of Dionne Daphne - Mara Brock Akil Cover Art

The Revelation of Dionne Daphne

The Revelation of Dionne Daphne A Novel by Mara Brock Akil

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • Mara Brock Akil, the award-winning creator of Girlfriends, Being Mary Jane, Love Is, and Forever , pens an emotionally enthralling debut novel about enduring love, world-shattering secrets, and self-awakening. What happens when one knock at your door sends your entire world into chaos? When a stranger becomes a lifeline? When the reality you’ve meticulously curated seems to be a mirage? From the outside looking in, one might say that Dionne Daphne had it all: being the beauty editor at a prestigious New York magazine, a boyfriend who could have been plucked out of its model pages, the social life of the upper echelon, and a girlhood steeped in debutant balls. But that is from the outside. When the now ex-boyfriend arrives at her Brooklyn doorstep Dionne imagines reconciliation, going back to the good life brimming with the possibility of marriage; the life her mother always wanted for her. Instead, he delivers life-threatening news that creates a crack in her picture-perfect world. A crack that grows legs and runs her right into her past, unearthing a secret that she has hidden since childhood. In an effort to run toward the truth and away from a lie, Dionne sets out on a spur-of-the-moment road trip with an unlikely stranger to confront the long-buried darkness of her past and the family who made it so. As Dionne comes to a final reckoning, she begins to unravel new layers of herself and fresh possibilities for her life, her family, and even her love. The Revelation of Dionne Daphne is at once a deeply moving and provocatively gripping novel that shows when you dig deep enough into the shadows of your life, light can be revealed. It’s a novel of broken lovers, a fractured family, and distant friendships all making their way back to one another.

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The Personal Librarian: A GMA Book Club Pick - Marie Benedict & Victoria Christopher Murray Cover Art

The Personal Librarian: A GMA Book Club Pick

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

Over one million copies sold! 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.

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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.

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Life After Death - Sister Souljah Cover Art

Life After Death

Life After Death A Novel by Sister Souljah

INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER INSTANT USA TODAY BESTSELLER The long-anticipated sequel to Sister Souljah’s million-copy New York Times bestseller The Coldest Winter Ever , featuring unforgettable heroine Winter Santiaga . Winter Santiaga hit time served. Still stunning, still pretty, still bold, still loves her father more than any man in the world, still got her hustle and high fashion flow. She’s eager to pay back her enemies, rebuild her father’s empire, reset his crown, and ultimately to snatch Midnight back into her life no matter which bitch had him while she was locked up. But Winter is not the only one with revenge on her mind. Simone, Winter’s young business partner and friend, is locked and loaded and Winter is her target. Will she blow Winter’s head off? Can Winter dodge the bullets? Or will at least one bullet blast Winter into another world? Either way Winter is fearless. Hell is the same as any hood and certainly the Brooklyn hood she grew up in. That’s what Winter thinks. A heartwarming, heart-burning, passionate, sexual, comical, and completely original adventure is about to happen in real time—raw, shocking, soulful, and shameless. True fans won’t let Winter travel alone on this amazing journey.

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The Great Wherever - Shannon Sanders Cover Art

The Great Wherever

The Great Wherever A Novel by Shannon Sanders

Named a Most Anticipated Book of Summer 2026 by NPR, People , Oprah Daily , Harper's Bazaar, Town and Country , Esquire , The New York Post , The Boston Globe , WGBH, Real Simple, The Root, Our Culture , Woman's World , Publishers Weekly , Literary Hub, Modern Mrs. Darcy, BiblioLifestyle, and Bookpage A July 2026 Book of the Month Club Pick The dead are relentless gossips, or at least these dead are. An impulsive and heartbroken woman inherits her father’s share of a Tennessee farm that is rich in family secrets and occupied with busybody ghosts in this sweeping family portrait. At thirty-two, Aubrey Lamb is stumbling through adulthood. An underpaid gig worker in Washington, DC, she’s grieving the end of a serious relationship and the recent loss of her father. When Aubrey learns she has inherited his stake in a sizable Tennessee farm she sees an opportunity to get out of the city—and to erase a mounting pile of debt. Watching her arrival with great interest are four ghosts—Aubrey’s ancestors, who’ve staked their own claims to the farm and who never hesitate to pass judgment on the mistakes made by the living, whether romantic, financial, or sartorial. As Aubrey reconnects with her living family, another story unfolds in parallel: the history of the land, beginning with its purchase by Thomas, Aubrey’s great-grandfather and one of the first Black landowners in his community. Though Thomas hopes to give his children a homestead on which they could flourish, the land proves to be a burdensome inheritance. Over the years, it turns the Lambs against one another, culminating in a catastrophic tragedy that splinters the family and echoes through the decades. Now, as the clock ticks on a potential sale of the farm, the ghosts fear expulsion from the home they’ve made, and Aubrey must weigh the hopes and burdens of her forebears with the very real needs of her future. An expansive family saga told with a wry and distinctly modern voice, The Great Wherever is at once grand and intimate; it explores the ways we learn to define ourselves through and against our families, how we carry on after loss, and how the past lives on in all of us.

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Where the Wildflowers Grow - Terah Shelton Harris Cover Art

Where the Wildflowers Grow

Where the Wildflowers Grow A Novel by Terah Shelton Harris

NAMED A MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK OF THE YEAR BY Goodreads, Essence, Sunset Magazine, SheReads, BookBub, and more! From acclaimed author Terah Shelton Harris comes a poignant story of survival and redemption that questions what it means to stop existing and start living. Leigh is the last of the Wildes. She knows this because she watched them all die. Grief never truly fades and even as the tragedy haunts her, Leigh carries on, because survival is in her blood. So, when the transport bus taking her to prison careens off the road, killing everyone onboard except her, she does what’s in her nature. She survives.  While searching for a place to hide, Leigh stumbles upon an unexpected sanctuary: a flower farm in rural Alabama tucked away from the world. What Leigh doesn’t expect is the found family there who have built something from the wreckage of their own lives. Especially Jackson, the farm’s owner, who sees through Leigh’s defenses, offers her small moments of tenderness, encourages her to face her own tragedies. Slowly, Leigh finds peace with the hard pace and soft nature of the farm, taking comfort in the life blooming around her. Maybe she’s not beyond redemption, not too broken for something good. And maybe, just maybe, Leigh starts to heal. But the past isn't so easily buried. No matter how far she runs, the truth of who she is and the ghosts of the Wildes follow. And when those secrets catch up to her, threatening everything she’s come to love, Leigh will have to truly face what she can survive.

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Kindred - Octavia Butler Cover Art

Kindred

Kindred by Octavia Butler

NEW FOREWORD BY JANELLE MONÁE Experience the time travel science fiction classic from the New York Times bestselling author of Parable of the Sower and winner of the MacArthur “Genius” Grant, Nebula, and Hugo Awards. A modern Black woman is pulled through time to face the horrors of slavery in this “Great American Novel” about racism, sexism, and white supremacy—then and now ( The Atlantic ). “I lost an arm on my last trip home. My left arm.” Dana’s torment begins when she suddenly vanishes on her 26th birthday from California, 1976, and is dragged through time to antebellum Maryland to rescue a boy named Rufus, heir to a slaveowner’s plantation. She soon realizes the purpose of her summons to the past: protect Rufus to ensure his assault of her Black ancestor so that she may one day be born. As she endures the traumas of slavery and the soul-crushing normalization of savagery, Dana fights to keep her autonomy and return to the present. Blazing the trail for neo-slavery narratives like Colson Whitehead’s The Underground Railroad and Ta-Nehisi Coates’s The Water Dancer , Butler takes one of speculative fiction’s oldest tropes and infuses it with lasting depth and power. Dana not only experiences the cruelties of slavery on her skin but also grimly learns to accept it as a condition of her own existence in the present. “Where stories about American slavery are often gratuitous, reducing its horror to explicit violence and brutality, Kindred is controlled and precise” ( New York Times ). “Reading Octavia Butler taught me to dream big, and I think it’s absolutely necessary that everybody have that freedom and that willingness to dream.” —N. K. Jemisin

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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.

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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..

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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.

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The Violin Conspiracy: A GMA Book Club Pick - Brendan Slocumb Cover Art

The Violin Conspiracy: A GMA Book Club Pick

The Violin Conspiracy: A GMA Book Club Pick A Novel 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.

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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!

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Honey and Spice - Bolu Babalola Cover Art

Honey and Spice

Honey and Spice A Novel 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

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The Thread Collectors - Shaunna J. Edwards & Alyson Richman Cover Art

The Thread Collectors

The Thread Collectors A Novel by Shaunna J. Edwards & Alyson Richman

“An unforgettable story of female strength, hope and friendship. This collaborative work is magnificent—a true revelation!” —Pam Jenoff, New York Times bestselling author of The Woman with the Blue Star “A brilliant story brimming with unexpected friendships and family ties. Historically sound and beautifully stitched, The Thread Collectors will stay with you long after the last page is turned.” —Sadeqa Johnson, international bestselling author of Yellow Wife   1863: In a small Creole cottage in New Orleans, an ingenious young Black woman named Stella embroiders intricate maps on repurposed cloth to help enslaved men flee and join the Union Army. Bound to a man who would kill her if he knew of her clandestine activities, Stella has to hide not only her efforts but her love for William, a Black soldier and a brilliant musician. Meanwhile, in New York City, a Jewish woman stitches a quilt for her husband, who is stationed in Louisiana with the Union Army. Between abolitionist meetings, Lily rolls bandages and crafts quilts with her sewing circle for other soldiers, too, hoping for their safe return home. But when months go by without word from her husband, Lily resolves to make the perilous journey South to search for him. As these two women risk everything for love and freedom during the brutal Civil War, their paths converge in New Orleans, where an unexpected encounter leads them to discover that even the most delicate threads have the capacity to save us. Loosely inspired by the authors' family histories, this stunning novel will stay with readers for a long time.

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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.

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The Cartel Deluxe Edition - Ashley & JaQuavis Cover Art

The Cartel Deluxe Edition

The Cartel Deluxe Edition Books 1-3 by Ashley & JaQuavis

The port of Miami brings in millions of dollars’ worth of cocaine every year, and the Cartel controls eighty percent of it. The Diamond family is a force to be reckoned with, but all hell breaks loose when they lose their leader. The most ruthless gangster Miami has ever seen, Carter Diamond, leaves behind a wife, twin sons, a daughter, and a secret. The secret is his illegitimate son, Carter Jones. When young Carter learns of his father’s death, he comes to town and is introduced to the legacy of the Cartel Miamor is a woman who uses her beauty to enhance her skill as a contract killer. She is the leader of The Murder Mamas. When her crew is hired to take down the Cartel, they get caught slipping, and Miamor loses her sister in the process. She is determined to get revenge. Unknowingly, she meets the son of Carter Diamond, and he immediately catches her heart. She is sleeping with the enemy, and when she finds out, she is torn between love and revenge.  Thus begins the saga of the Cartel, the  New York Times  bestselling series by street lit superstars  Ashley & Jaquavis . Every book in the series is full of their trademark fast-paced drama, deceit, and plot twists that will leave you shocked. Now fans can relive the story of the Diamond family in this deluxe edition, with books one through three all under one cover.

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The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois - Honorée Fanonne Jeffers Cover Art

The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois

The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois A Novel by Honorée Fanonne Jeffers

A Kirkus "Best Book of the 21st Century" An instant New York Times, Washington Post and USA Today Bestseller • AN OPRAH BOOK CLUB SELECTION • ONE OF THE ATLANTIC'S "GREAT AMERICAN NOVELS" • BARACK OBAMA'S FAVORITE BOOKS OF 2021 • WINNER OF THE NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD FOR FICTION A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: New York Times • Time • Washington Post • Oprah Daily • People • Boston Globe • BookPage • Booklist • Kirkus • Atlanta Journal-Constitution • Chicago Public Library Finalist for the PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Novel • Longlisted for the National Book Award for Fiction • Finalist for the Kirkus Prize for Fiction • Nominee for the NAACP Image Award "Epic. . . . I was just enraptured by the lineage and the story of this modern African-American family. . . . I’ve never read anything quite like it. It just consumed me." —Oprah Winfrey The NAACP Image Award-winning poet makes her fiction debut with this magisterial epic of African American historical fiction—an intimate yet sweeping novel with all the luminescence and force of  Homegoing ;  Sing, Unburied, Sing ; and  The Water Dancer —that chronicles the journey of one American family, from the centuries of the colonial slave trade through the Civil War to our own tumultuous era.  The great scholar, W. E. B. Du Bois, once wrote about the Problem of race in America, and what he called "Double Consciousness," a sensitivity that every African American possesses in order to survive. Since childhood, Ailey Pearl Garfield has understood Du Bois’s words all too well. Bearing the names of two formidable Black Americans—the revered choreographer Alvin Ailey and her great grandmother Pearl, the descendant of enslaved Georgians and tenant farmers—Ailey carries Du Bois’s Problem on her shoulders. Ailey is reared in the north in the City but spends summers in the small Georgia town of Chicasetta, where her mother’s family has lived since their ancestors arrived from Africa in bondage. From an early age, Ailey fights a battle for belonging that’s made all the more difficult by a hovering trauma, as well as the whispers of women—her mother, Belle, her sister, Lydia, and a maternal line reaching back two centuries—that urge Ailey to succeed in their stead. In this powerful coming-of-age story, Ailey must learn to embrace her full heritage, a legacy of slavery and oppression, resistance, bondage and independence, cruelty and resilience that is the story—and the song—of America itself.

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Good Dirt - Charmaine Wilkerson Cover Art

Good Dirt

Good Dirt A Novel by Charmaine Wilkerson

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • The daughter of an affluent Black family pieces together the connection between a childhood tragedy and a beloved heirloom in this moving novel from the bestselling author of Black Cake, a Read with Jenna Book Club Pick “Engrossing . . . Wilkerson masterfully weaves these threads of love, loss and legacy [into] a thoroughly researched and beautifully imagined family saga.”— The New York Times LONGLISTED FOR THE ANDREW CARNEGIE MEDAL • A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: TIME , NPR, Marie Claire, People, Chicago Public Library, Christian Science Monitor, Denver Public Library When ten-year-old Ebby Freeman heard the gunshot, time stopped. And when she saw her brother, Baz, lying on the floor surrounded by the shattered pieces of a centuries-old jar, life as Ebby knew it shattered as well. The crime was never solved—and because the Freemans were one of the only Black families in a particularly well-to-do enclave of New England—the case has had an enduring, voyeuristic pull for the public. The last thing the Freemans want is another media frenzy splashing their family across the papers, but when Ebby's high profile romance falls apart without any explanation, that's exactly what they get. So Ebby flees to France, only for her past to follow her there. And as she tries to process what's happened, she begins to think about the other loss her family suffered on that day eighteen years ago—the stoneware jar that had been in their family for generations, brought North by an enslaved ancestor. But little does she know that the handcrafted piece of pottery held more than just her family's history—it might also hold the key to unlocking her own future. In this sweeping, evocative novel, Charmaine Wilkerson brings to life a multi-generational epic that examines how the past informs our present.

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Butterfly 2 - Ashley Antoinette Cover Art

Butterfly 2

Butterfly 2 by Ashley Antoinette

“One of the biggest names in Urban-fiction, Ashley Antoinette, is back … An intense start to this new series with characters that are real and genuine. It’s a story about love, trying to put the past behind and moving on with your life” - Red Carpet Crash on Butterfly Morgan Atkins is used to losing, but losing Messiah Williams was the most tragic of them all. Surely, after Messiah, no other man could compare. Settling with Sebastian Fredrick didn't seem like such an impossible task. He treated her well enough, he accepted her children, and he offered her entrance into a well-connected world. There was only one problem: he wanted to change her into someone else. The rules that went along with his lifestyle suffocated her and when Morgan reconnected with Messiah's crew, she no longer wanted to play by Bash’s rules. When she falls in love with Messiah's best friend, Ahmeek Harris, she knows she's headed for trouble. His presence heals her in a way that no man has ever been able to do before. Their love affair is electric. Morgan is uncertain about many thing but one thing she's sure of is that she can't let this feeling go. She goes out on a limb and risks it all just to be with Meek, but when Messiah reveals that he's still alive, the battle for one girl's heart just may lead to the demise of them all. She can only be queen to one man. Which one has the true key to her heart? Can Messiah make up for his mistakes or is it too late to save what they once had? Is Ahmeek a rebound or does he offer her something more? Does Bash even stand a chance? This second installment of the Butterfly series will leave you breathless.

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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.

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We Don't Talk About Carol - Kristen L. Berry Cover Art

We Don't Talk About Carol

We Don't Talk About Carol A Novel by Kristen L. Berry

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A dedicated journalist unearths a generations-old family secret—and a connection to a string of missing girls that hits way too close to home—in this “nail-biting debut” ( Booklist ). “A well-written, emotionally wrenching tale.”—Associated Press A PUBLISHERS WEEKLY BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR In the wake of her grandmother's passing, Sydney Singleton finds a hidden photograph of a little girl who looks more like Sydney than her own sister or mother. She soon discovers the mystery girl in the photograph is her aunt, Carol, who was one of six North Carolina Black girls to go missing in the 1960s. For the last several decades, not a soul has talked about Carol or what really happened to her. But now, with her grandmother gone and Sydney looking to start a family of her own, she is determined to unravel the truth behind her long-lost aunt’s disappearance, and the sinister silence that surrounds her. Unfortunately, this is familiar territory for Sydney: Years earlier, while she worked the crime beat as a journalist, her obsession with the case of another missing girl led to a psychotic break. And now, in the suffocating grip of fertility treatments and a marriage that's beginning to crumble, Sydney’s relentless pursuit for answers might just lead her down the same path of self-destruction. As she delves deeper into Carol's fate, her own troubled past reemerges, clawing its way to the surface with a vengeance. The web of secrets and lies entangling her family leaves Sydney questioning everything—her fixation on the missing girls, her future as a mom, and her trust in those she knows and loves. Delving into family, community, secrets, and motherhood, We Don’t Talk About Carol is a gripping and deeply emotional story about overcoming the rot at the roots of our family trees—and what we’ll do for those we love.

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A Dopegirl Needs Love Too 2 - Myss Shan Cover Art

A Dopegirl Needs Love Too 2

A Dopegirl Needs Love Too 2 by Myss Shan

They say it's better to have loved and to have lost than to not have loved at all… Mulani and Dox thought they were going to be the king and queen in the streets of Dallas, but what they didn't anticipate was their love story ending abruptly due to foolish mistakes on both ends. One year later and Lani hasn't let anything stop her grind. Losing Dox was a hard pill to swallow, but she never let it alter her steps. Having to step up and take over Dox's operation in his absence has garnered Lani more notoriety and has everyone trying to get a piece of her. Never in a million years did Lani think that she would be the head of a successful drug operation. She's truly in rare form.  The only thing that isn't rare is the downfalls that comes with the hustle. Lani is not only facing a threat from her past, but also has a problem with new enemies as well. Lani feels as if she has the streets behind her, her new secret lil boo —and with that, nothing will stop the reign she has on the streets. But with King Dox's return home, Lani soon finds out just how quickly he comes through and shakes up her whole life again.  Dox has done another bid in the FEDs all over false charges—and being dumbly in love. Now that he's home, Dox wants to own the game, do it right, and never make the same mistake for a third time. What he doesn't anticipate is that not only has things has changed, but he's forced to work side by side with his ex Lani again. While Dox is convinced that he's over Lani, it isn't long before he finds out that real love is hard to let go. When a secret is revealed, Dox realizes that the only throne Lani belongs on is his. He's now more determined than ever to have his Lil Baby back—even it means he has to go through Asim, Sephora—and Lani's new love interest. With all the losses Dox has taken, the stakes are ridiculously high to prove why he's King. With his brothers Skully and Los right by his side, a win is a must for him.  No one will take from him again--not his life, not his freedom, and definitely not his heart. No one is safe.  Samuel "Skully" McGuay, Dox's older brother has had his fair share of bad luck as well. Now that he has a new life with his brothers in Dallas, things have been looking up for him. He believes money, power, and respect above all else and then plenty of women to enjoy. Skully's current situation Rianna RiRi Taylor was in need of a saving at the time he met her making it hard for him to turn away from the mother of 3. Now that Skully feels RiRi is where she needs to be in life, he's ready to turn back to his doggish ways having multiple women at his beck and call. Skully never really believed in love considering he'd never experienced seeing a man before him love a woman. When he finally realizes that what he he'd been needing all his life as right by his side, will it be too late for him? Carlos "Los" McGuay, the youngest of the three is a sucka for a big butt and a slim waist which is why he ended up being in love with a stripper. Kenethia "Fire" Atkins is one of the biggest exotic dancers in Dallas always headlining and bringing in plenty of cash. Fire loves her baby daddy Los, but she loves the limelight better. Refusing to give up the life and her sometimes bad girl ways, Fire that easily pushes Los into the hands of another woman.  In this sequel of A Dopegirl Needs Love Too, love is proven to never be overrated when the heart of the streets is fighting for it.

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Nookie's Secret - Anieshea Dansby Cover Art

Nookie's Secret

Nookie's Secret by Anieshea Dansby

Joy has money but she finds herself in another dangerous situation that could cost her it all. She commits another ruthless act that gets her away unharmed or so she thinks. How long can she continue to regard people as pawns? How long before she has to face consequences of all the bad things she has done?  Follow Joy in the sequel to Nookie, as she leads you down a path of suspense, betrayal and murder.

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A Dopegirl Needs Love Too - Myss Shan Cover Art

A Dopegirl Needs Love Too

A Dopegirl Needs Love Too by Myss Shan

After witnessing the brutal murder of her mother by the hands of her father, Mulani Gibson is sent to live with her uncle and two cousins Tyson and Dondrae. Mulani's uncle taught everyone under his roof to get it how you live and by any means necessary. Mulani and her cousins took that to heart pouring their blood, sweat, and tears into the streets.        Along with her cousins, and best friend Asim Patrick, the game wasn't ready for what they had to offer. Especially not the beautiful, tomboyish, and deadly Mulani.  A force to be reckoned with while carrying a no nonsense type attitude, ran off every man that even tried to get close to Mulani, but it didn't matter, because all she ever wanted was Asim.  Asim is everything a boss should be. His street status is undeniable and at the young age of 21, he's well on his way to having everything a man his age could ever want. The Respect, the riches...but there was only one thing missing...Mulani.  When tragedy brings them together, giving Mulani what she's always wanted, she feels like the streets now has their king and queen and Asim couldn't help but feel the same. But one mistake is all it took for Asim to walk away from Mulani  and into the arms of another woman and even down the path of matrimony.         After the hurt that Asim has caused, Mulani goes harder than ever unwilling to love again. When a problem arises, Mulani's motivation and undeniable dedication to get it handled is what leads her to meet the sexy Maddox aka Dox from the Bronx. Dox is a boss in his own right and wants to give Mulani all the love that she deserves. The time and attention Dox puts in is enough to break down Mulani's walls. She's ready to give in and ready to move on finally, but someone isn't going to allow that to happen…Asim.  There can only be one king in the streets and in Mulani's heart, but who will it be? The fight to the crown will be nothing nice. Who will be the one Mulani choose to show her that love is Unselfish.  

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Wrecked - Joe Ide Cover Art

Wrecked

Wrecked by Joe Ide

In this outrageous novel from Joe Ide, the case of a young artist's missing mother sets IQ on a collision course with his own Moriarty. Isaiah Quintabe—IQ for short—has never been more successful, or felt more alone. A series of high-profile wins in his hometown of East Long Beach have made him so notorious that he can hardly go to the corner store without being recognized. Dodson, once his sidekick, is now his full-fledged partner, hell-bent on giving IQ's PI business some real legitimacy: a Facebook page, and IQ's promise to stop accepting Christmas sweaters and carpet cleanings in exchange for PI services. So when a young painter approaches IQ for help tracking down her missing mother, it's not just the case Isaiah's looking for, but the human connection. And when his new confidant turns out to be connected to a dangerous paramilitary operation, IQ falls victim to a threat even a genius can't see coming. Waiting for Isaiah around every corner is Seb, the Oxford-educated African gangster who was responsible for the death of his brother, Marcus. Only, this time, Isaiah's not alone. Joined by a new love interest and his familiar band of accomplices, IQ is back—and the adventures are better than ever. "The best thing to happen to mystery writing in a very long time." — New York Times

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Flexin & Sexin Volume 2 - Ashley Antoinette, Erick S. Gray, JaQuavis Coleman, Treasure Blue, Dashawn Taylor, J. Tremble & Nichelle Waller Cover Art

Flexin & Sexin Volume 2

Flexin & Sexin Volume 2 Sexy Street Tales by Ashley Antoinette, Erick S. Gray, JaQuavis Coleman, Treasure Blue, Dashawn Taylor, J. Tremble & Nichelle Waller

Flexin & Sexin is back with its second installment of urban erotic tales. This anthology is jammed packed with sexy street tales featuring some of today's hottest urban & erotic authors.

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The Dopefiend: - JaQuavis Coleman Cover Art

The Dopefiend:

The Dopefiend: Part 2 of the Dopeman's Trilogy by JaQuavis Coleman

Part 2 of the Dopeman's Trilogy, JaQuavis Coleman chillingly chronicles the life and crimes of Harlem resident Hazel Brown, as she rises to the highest highs and spirals into an inevitable, devastating downfall. Hazel has nothing and no one in her life; the only thing she "owns" is an insatiable addiction to heroin. Her addiction brings her to the slums, where she quickly learns the tricks of surviving—of hustling and getting her street smarts. She'll do anything to feed her habit, even if that means robbing and conning and selling her own body. Yet no matter how much heroin she does, the pain that's cut so deep within her never goes away in this story so intimate and compellingly written, you'll feel like you're walking in her shoes.

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His Dirty Secret 3: Kim's Story - Mia Black Cover Art

His Dirty Secret 3: Kim's Story

His Dirty Secret 3: Kim's Story by Mia Black

After many more passion-filled encounters with Lloyd, Kim is all in and can’t see herself with anyone but him. Yet things quickly changes when Lloyd suddenly goes ghost on her. With Kim not being able to get a hold of him and him not calling, this causes her to ponder how events have played out between the two. Did she scare him off? Or did Lloyd just reveal his true colors?  Find out what happens in part three of His Dirty Secret: Kim's Story!

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Pym: A Novel - Mat Johnson Cover Art

Pym: A Novel

Pym: A Novel by Mat Johnson

“THE SHARPEST AND MOST UNUSUAL STORY I READ LAST YEAR . . . [Mat] Johnson’s satirical vision roves as freely as Kurt Vonnegut’s and is colored with the same sort of passionate humanitarianism.”—Maud Newton, New York Times Magazine NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The Washington Post • Vanity Fair • Houston Chronicle • The Seattle Times • Salon • National Post • The A.V. Club   Recently canned professor of American literature Chris Jaynes has just made a startling discovery: the manuscript of a crude slave narrative that confirms the reality of Edgar Allan Poe’s strange and only novel, The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket . Determined to seek out Tsalal, the remote island of pure and utter blackness that Poe describes, Jaynes convenes an all-black crew of six to follow Pym’s trail to the South Pole, armed with little but the firsthand account from which Poe derived his seafaring tale, a bag of bones, and a stash of Little Debbie snack cakes. Thus begins an epic journey by an unlikely band of adventurers under the permafrost of Antarctica, beneath the surface of American history, and behind one of literature’s great mysteries.   “Outrageously entertaining, [ Pym ] brilliantly re-imagines and extends Edgar Allan Poe’s enigmatic and unsettling  Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket . . . . Part social satire, part meditation on race in America, part metafiction and, just as important, a rollicking fantasy adventure . . . reminiscent of Philip Roth in its seemingly effortless blend of the serious, comic and fantastic.”—Michael Dirda,  The Washington Post “Blisteringly funny.”—Laura Miller, Salon “Relentlessly entertaining.” —The New York Times Book Review “Imagine Kurt Vonnegut having a beer with Ralph Ellison and Jules Verne.”— Vanity Fair “Screamingly funny . . . Reading Pym is like opening a big can of whoop-ass and then marveling—gleefully—at all the mayhem that ensues.”— Houston Chronicle

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His Dirty Secret 4: Kim's Story - Mia Black Cover Art

His Dirty Secret 4: Kim's Story

His Dirty Secret 4: Kim's Story by Mia Black

Kim and Lloyd have finally reconnected and things keep getting better and better between them. Yet when Lloyds baby mama, Ariyah, decides that she is not going to let him go without a fight, everything is bound to change. Ariyah's sudden arrival presents a major problem for Lloyd and a more than uncomfortable moment for Kim. But what Ariyah has in her possession... could turn this encounter into a fatal one for all parties involved! Find out what happens in part four of His Dirty Secret: Kim’s Story!

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Strange Fruit - Lillian Smith Cover Art

Strange Fruit

Strange Fruit by Lillian Smith

The eighty-year anniversary edition of the once-banned, #1 New York Times –bestselling novel of interracial romance and discrimination in Georgia. Alice Walker said it best: "The South can hardly be said to recognize itself without this book." Igniting controversy upon its publication in 1944, Strange Fruit was banned in Boston and Detroit and the US Postal Service refused to send it through the mail until Eleanor Roosevelt intervened—all because of its portrayal of a town divided along racial lines and the forbidden love that dared to cross them . . . Despite having left Maxwell, Georgia, to attend college, Nonnie Anderson returned to her hometown to work for a prominent white family—and to rejoin the man she had always loved, Tracy Deen. Tracy, the directionless son of the town's doctor, has come back from war and is being pressured to finally get his life in order. Across the street, his high school sweetheart desperately waits for a marriage proposal. On the other side of town, Nonnie offers him a safe place to land, asking nothing in return. But now, she's pregnant. As a Christian revival inspires the locals to cease their sinful ways, a heady and dangerous mix of passion, religion, and racism takes hold. And when a white man is killed in a Black part of town, the event exposes the evil simmering just below the town's placid surface—an inferno waiting to erupt . . . "A very moving book and an extraordinary one." —Eleanor Roosevelt " Strange Fruit is so wide in its human understanding . . . [its] tragedy becomes the tragedy of anyone who lives in a world in which minorities suffer." — The Nation "An absorbing novel, of high literary merit, terrific and tender." — The Boston Globe

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Uncle Tom's Children - Richard Wright Cover Art

Uncle Tom's Children

Uncle Tom's Children Novellas by Richard Wright

"A formidable and lasting contribution to American literature." —Chicago Tribune Originally published in 1938, Uncle Tom's Children, a collection of novellas, was the first book from Richard Wright, who would go on to win international renown for his powerful and visceral depiction of the Black experience. The author of numerous works of fiction and nonfiction, most notably the acclaimed novel Native Son and his stunning autobiography, Black Boy, Wright stands today as one of the greatest American writers of the twentieth century. Set in the American Deep South, each of the powerful and devastating stories in Uncle Tom's Children concerns an aspect of the lives of Black people in the post-slavery era, exploring their resistance to white racism and oppression. The collection also includes a personal essay by Wright titled "The Ethics of Living Jim Crow."

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Death Before Dishonor - 50 Cent Cover Art

Death Before Dishonor

Death Before Dishonor by 50 Cent

From hip hop kingpin and #1 New York Times bestselling author 50 Cent comes a novel that dares to tell the truth about the Life—the lovers, the haters, the guns, the money, the highs, the lows—The Street, for real . Trill Johnson has five years of jail time under his belt, two women trying to get inside his pants, and one mission: Get the suckers who sold him out. And get ’em good. Sunni James will do anything for Trill. Lie, cheat, steal. Even risk losing her successful beauty salon to save him from the mean streets of Richmond. Precious Pay will do anything for Trill, too. She cribbed his kid while he did his time; now she wants Trill to pay for the leg she lost in a robbery gone wrong. But when love is a lie, who do you trust? When the deals turn dirty, who do you betray? And when the guns start blazing, who’s going down?

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With Love from Harlem - ReShonda Tate Cover Art

With Love from Harlem

With Love from Harlem A Novel of Hazel Scott by ReShonda Tate

USA TODAY BESTSELLER "Tate blends fact and fiction with elegance...A captivating, emotionally resonant portrait of a singular woman who refused to be diminished." — LIBRARY JOURNAL "Tate has a rare gift for storytelling that strikes straight to the heart." — SADEQA JOHNSON, New York Times bestselling author of Keeper of Lost Children From The Queen of Sugar Hill author ReShonda Tate—a new novel inspired by beloved Harlem jazz performer Hazel Scott and the equal parts exhilarating and tumultuous relationship that changed the course of her life. Harlem, 1943. At just twenty-three, Hazel Scott is a woman on fire. A jazz prodigy, a glamorous film star, and a fierce advocate for civil rights, she’s breaking barriers and refusing to play by the rules. Then Adam Clayton Powell Jr. walks into her life. Harlem’s most electrifying preacher-turned-politician, Adam is as bold and unyielding as Hazel—charismatic, powerful…and married. This kicks off a decades-long relationship that propels them into the center of a political and cultural revolution. As Hazel’s star rises, Adam takes the national stage in Congress and the couple becomes the toast of the country. But when their affair turns into a marriage, behind the glamorous façade is a battlefield of ego, ambition, and sacrifice. Forced to choose between her music and her family, Hazel must decide what she’s willing to lose—and what she refuses to give up. Set against the pulsing backdrop of twentieth-century Harlem and featuring icons like Billie Holiday, Langston Hughes, and James Baldwin, With Love from Harlem is a sweeping, emotionally charged romantic drama, rich with historical detail. ReShonda Tate delivers a powerful portrait of love, art, and the price of being unforgettable. "[A] vivid and compelling picture of the life of this singular woman." — MARIE BENEDICT, New York Times bestselling author of The Queens of Crime

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It Was the Way She Said It - Terry McMillan, Ishmael Reed & Kristine Bell Cover Art

It Was the Way She Said It

It Was the Way She Said It Short Stories, Essays, and Wisdom by Terry McMillan, Ishmael Reed & Kristine Bell

“This stunning collection from one of the great writers on Black culture covers the gamut: aging, love, poverty, trauma and plenty of lightness in between.”— People From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of How Stella Got Her Groove Back and Waiting to Exhale comes a remarkable, career-spanning collection of previously published short fiction and nonfiction pieces, as well as never-before-seen works. Before Terry McMillan found success as a novelist in the early 1990s, she published provocative, boundary-pushing short stories, capturing the struggles and triumphs of Black life in America with vitality and honesty, from the workaday factory man’s malaise in “The End” to the cast-aside lover’s resolve in “Touching” to the elderly woman’s wiles in “Ma’Dear.” McMillan’s inimitable voice bravely explores the dark corners of human relationships with compassion, humor, and nuance. This collection also features five unpublished stories that reveal how she wrestled with controversial topics rarely addressed in short fiction, from domestic abuse in “Mama, Take Another Step” to extreme poverty in “Can’t Close My Eyes to It.” Whether she’s revealing life lessons, pontificating about aging, recalling her sources of inspiration, or laying bare the beginnings of her life as a writer, McMillan approaches every piece with enduring candor, wit, and fearlessness. Devoted fans and new readers alike will be delighted to discover these treasures spanning McMillan’s long, groundbreaking career. Indeed, it wasn’t only what Terry McMillan has said that made her so beloved . . . it was the way she said it.

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Use Me or Lose Me - Maryann Reid Cover Art

Use Me or Lose Me

Use Me or Lose Me A Novel by Maryann Reid

The fabulously fine, Farah Washington first appeared in Sex and the Single Sister . A junior correspondent to NBC News, she has always taken the fast track to love and success. Now she's determined to climb to the top of the media ladder, and she's willing to use every weapon in her considerable arsenal to do so. Then Farah meets Lenox Whitworth, a powerful, oh-so-fine lawyer who steps in to negotiate the station's contracts. But what he sees in her is the kind of sophisticated woman he needs and wants on his arm, in his life and in his bed. And Farah, sensing a prime opportunity, allows this powerful, handsome brother, to truly introduce her to the wicked indulgences of the rich and glamorous as he influences her career behind the scenes. They both believe that they've got a handle on a good thing, but they're both about to realize that they've met their match in each other. Filled with love, sex, drama and glamour, Farah and Lenox take you on a wild ride.

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The Midwife of Bitter Creek - Myra L. Reynolds Cover Art

The Midwife of Bitter Creek

The Midwife of Bitter Creek A Depression-Era Appalachian Family Saga by Myra L. Reynolds

Bitter Creek, 1935: the hollow's midwife is accused of a death she didn't cause — and the truth she's kept buried for twenty-two years is about to cost her everything. Iva Combs has caught nearly every baby born in Copper Hollow for over two decades, armed with nothing but steady hands and a leather-bound ledger her own mother taught her to keep. But when the young wife of the county's wealthiest family dies hours after a difficult birth, the powerful Ashbrooks need someone to blame — and an unlicensed granny-midwife makes an easy target. As a rigged inquest closes in around her, Iva realizes the real danger was never her own care that night. It's a secret her own hands helped bury on a desperate evening in 1913: a birth recorded as a loss that wasn't, a child she placed with her own hands and never spoke of again. Now, with her daughter's future, a stranger's stolen identity, and her life's work all hanging in the balance, Iva must decide whether this county's respectable silence is worth protecting — or whether some truths are only worth telling if they cost you everything you have. Rich with the grit, faith, and quiet defiance of Depression-era Appalachia, The Midwife of Bitter Creek is a sweeping Southern family saga about the women who hold a community together when its powerful men would rather it stayed quiet. For readers of Kristin Hannah, Lisa Wingate, and Delia Owens — and anyone who loves a small-town family saga where the past refuses to stay buried. Scroll up and grab your copy of The Midwife of Bitter Creek today — and step into a hollow that never forgot how to fight for its own.

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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.

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Moth to a Flame - Ashley Antoinette Cover Art

Moth to a Flame

Moth to a Flame by Ashley Antoinette

In the little city of Flint, MI, the good die young and the people left standing are the grimiest of characters. With reign over the city's drug trade, Benjamin Atkins made sure that his precious daughter, Raven, was secluded from the grit that the city had to offer. But when Raven's young heart gets claimed by Mizan, a stick-up kid in search of a come-up, there's nothing Benjamin can do about losing her to the streets. She chooses love over loyalty and runs off with Mizan, but her new role as wifey soon proves to be more than she can handle. Puppy love always feels right, but things turn stale, and she soon finds that everyone she loves has disappeared. All she has is Mizan, but when hugs and kisses turn to bloody lips and black eyes, she realizes that Mizan is not who she thought he was. Raven becomes desperate for a way out, but this time, Daddy can't save her. Every time she finds the courage to leave, fear convinces her to stay. Like a moth to a flame, Raven is drawn to Mizan, even though she knows he'll be the death of her. When the hood life she chose becomes unbearable and the only way out is in a coffin, what will she do?

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Parable of the Sower - Octavia E. Butler Cover Art

Parable of the Sower

Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler

From a celebrated, award-winning author, a modern classic about a young girl fighting for survival in a post-apocalyptic world, perfect for fans of N.K. Jemisin and Margaret Atwood. Fifteen-year-old Lauren Olamina lives inside a gated community with her preacher father, family, and neighbors, sheltered from the surrounding social chaos and anarchy caused by climate change and economic crisis. 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. Includes a foreword by LeVar Burton and an afterword by N. K. Jemisin Lauren's story continues in The Parable of the Talents.  "In the ongoing contest over which dystopian classic is most applicable to our time, Octavia Butler's 'Parable' books may be unmatched."— The New Yorker  

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Addicted to a Dirty South Thug 3 - Myss Shan Cover Art

Addicted to a Dirty South Thug 3

Addicted to a Dirty South Thug 3 by Myss Shan

Cuba has been through it all, and even then, it seems like her love for Khi grows more and more with each day. After her fairytale proposal and saying yes to the man she loved, Cuba was hit with the bitter and jealous filled rage of Brianna. Cuba's first thought is to run, but Khi isn't going to let that happen. He does everything in his power to show Cuba that she is his queen and he her king and ensures nothing ever happens to her again. Showering Cuba with love, affection, and gifts send these two right down the aisle of matrimony, but what happens just as the two are united? Life and betrayal has sent Khi back to the man that he had so long tried to escape. After everything that happened to his Cuba, Khi becomes the ultimate gentleman at home, but more ruthless than ever in the streets. He and his brothers are determined to reign supreme in the streets and with the new deal that's been handed to them, they plan to take it all while suffering no losses. The money begins to roll in effortlessly and the Prince name is own its way to being a legacy, but while things seem to be going great for them, someone isn't with it, and they're coming for Khi with all they have. KaeDee and Detective Destiny Henson's love story was written before KaeDee had even known. After Deonna's past was revealed and finding out the sacrifices that Destiny has made for him, KaeDee has decided to take things easy and get away for a while. Knowing he's no good for his brothers right now, he and Destiny embark on a journey to see if there a such thing as true happiness. Cassidy tried his best to be a good man to Tangie but one simple mistake causes him to lose his relationship with her. Feeling resentful and as stubborn as ever, Cassidy refuses to beg for forgiveness again and puts his all into the Prince legacy. He no longer wants to love, but when Jourdin the mother of his child walks back into his life and shows him unconditional love and Tangie finally confesses that she no longer wants to live without him, Cassidy finds himself in love with two women unsure of which one deserves his heart the most. Dae awakes from his coma feeling colder than ever. A character you all know pushes Tamar to forgive Dae and his wrongdoings against Taylana for the sake of their child. And now that things seem to be back on the right path, Dae no longer wants what he is now able to have and seeks to win back the heart of the one woman that he cost the most pain to. He wants Amber back and to build the relationship that he coldly tore apart, but she won't make it easy for him and nor will Taylana. Now that Khian, Cassidy, and Daelan are all together, the Prince legacy is in the midst of being written. These brothers have a point to prove and will stop at nothing to do so. You've never seen them so ruthless before especially when the biggest blow to come their way yet involves the last piece to the Prince brother puzzle...Emon. The Prince brothers love hard this round, but gun harder showing you just why everyone is Addicted to A Dirty South Thug.

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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.

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Take My Hand - Dolen Perkins-Valdez Cover Art

Take My Hand

Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez

Winner of the 2023 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work - Fiction “Deeply empathetic yet unflinching in its gaze…an unforgettable exploration of responsibility and redemption.”—Celeste Ng Inspired by true events that rocked the nation, a searing and compassionate new novel about a Black nurse in post-segregation Alabama who blows the whistle on a terrible injustice done to her patients, from the New York Times bestselling author of Wench Montgomery, Alabama, 1973. Fresh out of nursing school, Civil Townsend intends to make a difference, especially in her African American community. At the Montgomery Family Planning Clinic, she hopes to help women shape their destinies, to make their own choices for their lives and bodies. But when her first week on the job takes her along a dusty country road to a worn-down one-room cabin, Civil is shocked to learn that her new patients, Erica and India, are children—just eleven and thirteen years old. Neither of the Williams sisters has even kissed a boy, but they are poor and Black, and for those handling the family’s welfare benefits, that’s reason enough to have the girls on birth control. As Civil grapples with her role, she takes India, Erica, and their family into her heart. Until one day she arrives at their door to learn the unthinkable has happened, and nothing will ever be the same for any of them. Decades later, with her daughter grown and a long career in her wake, Dr. Civil Townsend is ready to retire, to find her peace, and to leave the past behind. But there are people and stories that refuse to be forgotten. That must not be forgotten. Because history repeats what we don’t remember. Inspired by true events and brimming with hope, Take My Hand is a stirring exploration of accountability and redemption. “Highlights the horrific discrepancies in our healthcare system and illustrates their heartbreaking consequences.”—Essence

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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.

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All the Lonely People - Mike Gayle Cover Art

All the Lonely People

All the Lonely People by Mike Gayle

If you loved A Man Called Ove , then prepare to be delighted as Jamaican immigrant Hubert rediscovers the world he'd turned his back on this "warm, funny" novel ( Good Housekeeping ). In weekly phone calls to his daughter in Australia, widower Hubert Bird paints a picture of the perfect retirement, packed with fun, friendship, and fulfillment. But it's a lie. In reality, Hubert's days are all the same, dragging on without him seeing a single soul. Until he receives some good news—good news that in one way turns out to be the worst news ever, news that will force him out again, into a world he has long since turned his back on. The news that his daughter is coming for a visit. Now Hubert faces a seemingly impossible task: to make his real life resemble his fake life before the truth comes out. Along the way Hubert stumbles across a second chance at love, renews a cherished friendship, and finds himself roped into an audacious community scheme that seeks to end loneliness once and for all . . . Life is certainly beginning to happen to Hubert Bird. But with the origin of his earlier isolation always lurking in the shadows, will he ever get to live the life he's pretended to have for so long?

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Sweet Heat - Bolu Babalola Cover Art

Sweet Heat

Sweet Heat A Novel by Bolu Babalola

BOLU BABALOLA IS… “A queen of romantic comedy.” – Oprah Daily • “Incisively funny.” – Entertainment Weekly • “A really great romance writer.” – Quinta Brunson, Harper's Bazaar • “Keeping the hope for true love alive and enjoyable.” –Shondaland • “A rom-com expert.” – New York Times A Rolling Stone Most Anticipated Book of Fall Two exes. One summer wedding. Zero chance of escaping the heat. Prepare to laugh, swoon, and fall head over heels with this irresistible standalone romance from Bolu Babalola, the bestselling author of Honey and Spice, a Reese’s Book Club pick. Twenty-eight-year-old Kiki Banjo hosts the popular podcast The HeartBeat, solving romantic conundrums and dishing out life advice. But behind the mic, career setbacks and a devastating breakup have left her hanging on by a thread. As she’s preparing to be the Maid of Honor in her best friend’s wedding, everything starts to unravel, and Kiki is left wondering if she ever had the answers. Then Kiki finds herself face-to-face with the Best Man, her ex-boyfriend, Malakai—the smooth-talking, absurdly handsome, annoyingly perceptive man who stole her heart and then shattered it. While Kiki’s approaching rock bottom, Malakai’s been on the rise as a filmmaker, and now they have no choice but to play nice until the wedding is over. Both are hell-bent on ignoring the smoldering chemistry between them, but as they navigate the chaos of wedding plans, career ambitions, and Kiki’s growing fears about the future, they can’t ignore the spark that’s only getting hotter. They just have to get through the summer. So why does it feel like playing with fire? “Babalola’s sharp sense of humor, slick pop culture references, and keen sense of the zeitgeist . . . offer a refreshing portrait of what modern love really looks and feels like." — Time “Babalola expertly blends sex with societal discourse in ways that echo Jane Austen and Nora Ephron.” — Vanity Fair "Babalola soars in her rich depictions of intimacy and relationships, in all their grandeur." — The New York Times Book Review 

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Loved One - Aisha Muharrar Cover Art

Loved One

Loved One A Novel by Aisha Muharrar

Named a Best Book of 2025 by NPR and Newsweek “[A] funny, heartwrenching novel.” — People “A genuine pleasure to read.” —Vogue “Full of wildly astute, delectably thorny questions about love and loss and possession.” —Maggie Shipstead, New York Times bestselling author of Great Circle From an Emmy Award–winning writer comes a funny, wise, heartbreaking story about a woman journeying into the unknown in the wake of sudden loss When her first-love-turned-close-friend, Gabe, dies unexpectedly at twenty-nine, thirty-year-old Julia is launched into an intercontinental quest to recover his lost possessions. Her journey takes her from Los Angeles to London and into the murky realm of the past. It also sets Julia on a collision course with the last woman he loved, a guarded, self-possessed florist and restaurateur named Elizabeth, who insists on withholding Gabe’s beloved guitar—one of the departed indie rock musician’s dearest belongings—for reasons Julia can’t understand. Both women, it turns out, have something to hide, and soon find themselves engaged in a complex dance of withholding and revelation.   An emotional mystery spanning years, continents, and relationship statuses,  Loved One introduces Aisha Muharrar as a novelist intimately attuned to the intricacies of love, memory, and ambiguous loss. What happens when we admit that the deepest feelings never die? How do we reconcile various—and sometimes contradictory—truths about those closest to us? An engrossing and profoundly moving coming-of-age story with a powerful love at its heart,  Loved One is poised to become an instant classic.

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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.

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The Ways of White Folks - Langston Hughes Cover Art

The Ways of White Folks

The Ways of White Folks Stories by Langston Hughes

A collection of vibrant and incisive short stories depicting the sometimes humorous, but more often tragic interactions between Black people and white people in America in the 1920s and ‘30s. One of the most important writers to emerge from the Harlem Renaissance, Langston Hughes may be best known as a poet, but these stories showcase his talent as a lively storyteller. His work blends elements of blues and jazz, speech and song, into a triumphant and wholly original idiom. Stories included in this collection: "Cora Unashamed" "Slave on the Block" "Home" "Passing" "A Good Job Gone" "Rejuvenation Through Joy" "The Blues I'm Playing" "Red-Headed Baby" "Poor Little Black Fellow" "Little Dog" "Berry" "Mother and Child" "One Christmas Eve" "Father and Son"

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Payback Is A Mutha - Wahida Clark Cover Art

Payback Is A Mutha

Payback Is A Mutha by Wahida Clark

In this gritty urban drama by the New York Times bestselling author of Honor Thy Thug, a woman who has everything has everything to lose. Brianna and Shan couldn't be more different. Brianna believes that men were born to bankroll her lifestyle—from her $1,200 weave to her closet full of Gucci, Prada, and Chanel. Shan prefers Fubu to Jimmy Choo, and she prefers to buy it with her own money, even if it means working at a men's prison. Still, despite their differences, Shan and B are sisters where it counts. Or so they think . . . For B, lying is part of the hustle. She couldn't care less who gets hurt along the way, as long as it isn't her. But hustling tricks is one thing. Betraying the one person who really cares about you is quite another. When one of B's schemes goes too far, blood is spilled—and Shan is caught in the crossfire. Now, with friendship and lives on the line, Brianna's got one last chance to change her ways—or suffer the consequences . . .

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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!

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Hell of a Book: National Book Award Winner - Jason Mott Cover Art

Hell of a Book: National Book Award Winner

Hell of a Book: National Book Award Winner A Novel by Jason Mott

***2021 NATIONAL BOOK AWARD WINNER*** ***THE NATIONAL BESTSELLER*** Winner of the 2021 Sir Walter Raleigh Award for Fiction, Joyce Carol Oates Literary Prize Finalist, 2022 Chautauqua Prize Finalist, Willie Morris Award for Southern Writing Shortlist, 2021 Aspen Words Literary Prize Shortlist, 2022 Maya Angelou Book Award Shortlist, 2022 Carnegie Medal Longlist A Read With Jenna Today Show Book Club Pick! An Ebony Magazine Publishing Book Club Pick!  One of Washington Post 's 50 Notable Works of Fiction | One of Philadelphia Inquirer 's Best Books of 2021 | One of Shelf Awareness's Top Ten Fiction Titles of the Year | One of TIME Magazine’s 100 Must-Read Books | One of NPR.org's "Books We Love" | EW ’s "Guide to the Biggest and Buzziest Books of 2021" | One of the New York Public Library's Best Books for Adults | San Diego Union Tribune —My Favorite Things from 2021 | Writer's Bone's Best Books of 2021 | Atlanta Journal Constitution—Top 10 Southern Books of the Year | One of the Guardian 's (UK) Best Ten 21st Century Comic Novels | One of Entertainment Weekly 's 15 Books You Need to Read This June | On Entertainment Weekly 's "Must List" | One of the New York Post 's Best Summer Reading books | One of GMA's 27 Books for June | One of USA Today 's 5 Books Not to Miss | One of Fortune 's 21 Most Anticipated Books Coming Out in the Second Half of 2021 | One of The Root 's PageTurners: It’s Getting Hot in Here | One of Real Simple 's Best New Books to Read in 2021 An astounding work of fiction from New York Times bestselling author Jason Mott, always deeply honest, at times electrically funny, that goes to the heart of racism, police violence, and the hidden costs exacted upon Black Americans and America as a whole In Jason Mott’s Hell of a Book , a Black author sets out on a cross-country publicity tour to promote his bestselling novel. That storyline drives Hell of a Book and is the scaffolding of something much larger and more urgent: Mott’s novel also tells the story of Soot, a young Black boy living in a rural town in the recent past, and The Kid, a possibly imaginary child who appears to the author on his tour. As these characters’ stories build and converge, they astonish. For while this heartbreaking and magical book entertains and is at once about family, love of parents and children, art and money, it’s also about the nation’s reckoning with a tragic police shooting playing over and over again on the news. And with what it can mean to be Black in America. Who has been killed? Who is The Kid? Will the author finish his book tour, and what kind of world will he leave behind?  Unforgettably told, with characters who burn into your mind and an electrifying plot ideal for book club discussion, Hell of a Book is the novel Mott has been writing in his head for the last ten years. And in its final twists, it truly becomes its title.

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Junie: A GMA Book Club Pick - Erin Crosby Eckstine Cover Art

Junie: A GMA Book Club Pick

Junie: A GMA Book Club Pick A Novel by Erin Crosby Eckstine

GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK • As the Civil War looms, a young girl must face a life-altering decision after awakening her sister’s ghost in this “poignant story of love, family and friendship [that] celebrates the power of liberation” ( People ). “An enrapturing tale of survival . . . Eckstine has poured a ton of heart into her characters.”— The Atlanta Journal-Constitution “The richly textured prose quickly pulled me into [Junie’s] treacherous yet magical world.”—Charmaine Wilkerson, New York Times bestselling author of Black Cake Sixteen years old and enslaved since she was born, Junie has spent her life on Bellereine Plantation in Alabama, cooking and cleaning alongside her family, and tending to the white master’s daughter, Violet. Her daydreams are filled with poetry and faraway worlds, while she spends her nights secretly roaming through the forest, consumed with grief over the sudden death of her older sister, Minnie. When wealthy guests arrive from New Orleans, hinting at marriage for Violet and upending Junie’s life, she commits a desperate act—one that rouses Minnie’s spirit from the grave, tethered to this world unless Junie can free her. She enlists the aid of Caleb, the guests’ coachman, and their friendship soon becomes something more. Yet as long-held truths begin to crumble, she realizes Bellereine is harboring dark and horrifying secrets that can no longer be ignored. With time ticking down, Junie begins to push against the harsh current that has controlled her entire life. As she grapples with an increasingly unfamiliar world in which she has little control, she is forced to ask herself: When we choose love and liberation, what must we leave behind?

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Burn Down Master's House - Clay Cane Cover Art

Burn Down Master's House

Burn Down Master's House A Novel by Clay Cane

Inspired by true, long-buried stories of enslaved people who dared to fight back, a searing portrayal of resistance for readers of Colson Whitehead, Jesmyn Ward, and Percival Everett, from Clay Cane, award-winning journalist and  New York Times  bestselling author of  The Grift . INSTANT  NEW YORK TIMES  &  USA TODAY  BESTSELLER! As turmoil simmers within a divided nation, smoke from another blaze begins to rise. Sparked by individual acts of resistance among those enslaved across the American South, their seemingly disparate rebellions fuel a singular inferno of justice, connecting them in ways quiet at times, explosive at others. As these flames rise, so will they. Luke, quick-witted and literate, and Henri, a man with a strong and defiant spirit, forge an unbreakable bond at a Virginia plantation called Magnolia Row. Both seek escape from unimaginable cruelty. And sure as the fires of hell, Luke and Henri will leave their mark, sparking resistance among the lives they touch… One is Josephine, a young, sharp, and observant girl who wields silence as her greatest weapon. A witness to Luke and Henri’s resilience, she listens, watches, waits for the moment to make her move. Then there is Charity Butler, her husband a formerly enslaved man who proved his ferocity as a young boy standing alongside Josephine. At his encouragement, Charity fights for her freedom in court and wins – only to battle a deeply unjust system designed to destroy the life they’ve built. And finally, there is Nathaniel, who ruthlessly exploits other Black people and mirrors the cruelty of the white men who, like him, are enslavers. A perversion of the system of slavery, his fragile and contradictory rule will become a catalyst of its own. Inspired by the true stories of the profoundly courageous men and women who dared to fight back,  Burn Down Master’s House  is a singular tour de force of a novel—breathtaking in scope, compassion, and a timeliness that speaks powerfully to our present era.

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The Last Reservation - Amber Janae Cover Art

The Last Reservation

The Last Reservation by Amber Janae

Some promises aren't about certainty. They're about who you become while you wait to find out. At twenty-nine, Layla Foster and Julian Bennett spent one unplanned week together on the California coast and fell into something neither of them was prepared for. Two different coasts were already pulling them toward two different lives, so instead of making a plan, they made a promise: if they were both still searching at forty, they'd meet again. No numbers exchanged, no way to check in, just one place and one chance to find out if the story was ever meant to continue. Ten years pass. Layla builds a writing career, then a life of her own choosing, and relocates to California after years in New York, quietly aware of exactly where Julian ended up and never once reaching out. Julian builds a career under the mentorship of a woman who teaches him what it means to build and succeed without abandoning one's morals. Despite all of the success, he never finds what he's actually looking for. Every August, without fail, the promise finds him anyway. Full of unanswered questions and regrets. This series follows two people who spent a decade becoming whole on their own, and what it costs, and asks, when they finally choose each other on purpose. It's a story about timing versus readiness, about the difference between being alone and being unfinished, and about what happens when love stops being something you hope for and becomes something you decide. If you loved the slow-burn ache of One Day, the quiet devotion of The Idea of You, or a love story that trusts patience over urgency, this is your next read.

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Getting to Happy - Terry McMillan Cover Art

Getting to Happy

Getting to Happy by Terry McMillan

#1 New York Times bestselling author Terry McMillan's exuberant return to the four unforgettable heroines of  Waiting to Exhale . Waiting to Exhale  was more than just a bestselling novel—its publication was a watershed moment in literary history. McMillan's sassy and vibrant story about four black women struggling to find love and their place in the world touched a cultural nerve, inspired a blockbuster film, and generated a devoted audience. Now, McMillan revisits Savannah, Gloria, Bernadine, and Robin fifteen years later. Each is at her own midlife crossroads: Savannah has awakened to the fact that she's made too many concessions in her marriage, and decides to face life single again—at fifty-one. Bernadine has watched her megadivorce settlement dwindle, been swindled by her husband number two, and conned herself into thinking that a few pills will help distract her from her pain. Robin has an all-American case of shopaholism, while the big dream of her life—to wear a wedding dress—has gone unrealized. And for years, Gloria has taken happiness and security for granted. But being at the wrong place at the wrong time can change everything. All four are learning to heal past hurts and to reclaim their joy and their dreams; but they return to us full of spirit, sass, and faith in one another. They've exhaled: now they are learning to breathe.

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Love on the Low 4 - Mia Black Cover Art

Love on the Low 4

Love on the Low 4 by Mia Black

Now that Lacresha has thrown a wrench in his plan, Royce has to own up to his responsibilities, even if that means he has lose the woman he really loves. Mika can’t believe this is happening, but isn’t the type of woman to put her life on hold for a man. Royce made his choice and now he has to live with it. Lacresha got exactly what she wanted, but for how long? Find out what happens in part four of Love On The Low!

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Property - Valerie Martin Cover Art

Property

Property by Valerie Martin

WINNER OF THE ORANGE PRIZE • Set in 1828 on a Louisiana sugar plantation, this novel from the bestselling author of Mary Reilly presents a “fresh, unsentimental look at what slave-owning does to (and for) one's interior life.... The writing—so prised and clean limbed—is a marvel" (Toni Morrison, Nobel Prize-winning author of Beloved ). Manon Gaudet, pretty, bitterly intelligent, and monstrously self-absorbed, seethes under the dominion of her boorish husband. In particular his relationship with her slave Sarah, who is both his victim and his mistress. Exploring the permutations of Manon’s own obsession with Sarah against the backdrop of an impending slave rebellion, Property unfolds with the speed and menace of heat lightning, casting a startling light from the past upon the assumptions we still make about the powerful and powerful.

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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!

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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!

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Untethered - Angela Jackson-Brown Cover Art

Untethered

Untethered A Novel by Angela Jackson-Brown

Sometimes family is found in the most unlikely of places . . . In the small college town of Troy, Alabama, amidst the backdrop of 1967, Katia Daniels lives a life steeped in responsibility. At the Pike County Group Home for Negro Boys, she pours her heart into nurturing the young lives under her care, harboring a longing for children of her own. Katia's romantic entanglement with an older man brings comfort but also stirs questions about the path she's chosen. The weight of her family's history bears down on her; a twin brother is missing in action in the heart of the Vietnam War. Having lost her father to cancer, Katia took up the mantle of caretaker, ensuring her mother and brothers were looked after. Her sense of duty extends to the boys at the group home, creating a web of obligations that stretches her emotional bandwidth thin. Amidst a power struggle at work with the board, Katia finds solace in the pages of romance novels and the soothing melodies of Nina Simone. When Seth Taylor, a familiar face from her high school days, reenters Katia's life, he brings with him a breeze of nostalgia and a reminder of a time when her dreams felt less tethered. As their friendship rekindles, Katia grapples with the idea of making choices for herself, even as the realization that she can no longer have children weighs heavily on her. This novel is a poignant tale of a woman torn between the demands of her heart and the responsibilities she's shouldered for so long. Set against the backdrop of a changing South, this novel delves into the complexities of love, family, and self-discovery in a time of transformation and upheaval. "Jackson-Brown (THE LIGHT ALWAYS BREAKS) delivers a touching story of a middle-aged Black woman and the burdens she shoulders during the Vietnam War . . . Jackson-Brown ably captures Katia's indomitable spirit and devotion to her family. This is worth a look." --Publishers Weekly

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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

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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.  

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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?

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Kiss in the Wind - Danielle Stewart Cover Art

Kiss in the Wind

Kiss in the Wind by Danielle Stewart

Looking back can seem daunting. Moving forward can feel impossible. With an old friend back in her life, will Betty hold on to yesterday even if it tears her apart?  Betty's life takes an unexpected turn when a friend, long thought lost in the passages of time, re-enters her world. This reunion stirs up a whirlwind of memories, some heartwarming and others painful. As Betty reconnects with this important figure from her past, she is forced to confront questions she has long avoided. Can she embrace the future without letting go of everything that has shaped her? The past can’t be rewritten, but the world can be changed—especially if Betty and her family in Edenville have anything to do with it. Everyone she loves is now by her side. But will it be enough to confront the darkness that's threatening to take over. 

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Animal 2 - K'wan Cover Art

Animal 2

Animal 2 The Omen by K'wan

In this second, bloody installment in the Animal saga, secrets are revealed, sides are chosen , and bodies are dropped — it's on! The man ordered to take Animal from the world turns out to be the man who brought him into it. Animal finds himself torn between his hatred for the father who had abandoned him and the man who had taken everything from him. An uneasy truce is formed between father and son to take down a common enemy and finally grant Animal his freedom from the blood debt he's carried for so many years. But when the ghosts of Animal's past catch up with him, he learns that nothing is what it seems, and everything is subject to corruption—even his love for Gucci.

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The Secret She Kept - ReShonda Tate Billingsley Cover Art

The Secret She Kept

The Secret She Kept by ReShonda Tate Billingsley

From NAACP Image Award–winning author ReShonda Tate Billingsley comes a powerful novel about love, faith, mental illness, and the devastating cost of hidden truths. Her storytelling “scores a direct hit” ( Publishers Weekly ), delivering emotionally resonant, soul-searching situations with unforgettable characters. Lance Kingston has everything he’s worked for: a successful career as a Houston magazine executive and a beautiful new wife, high-powered attorney Tia Jiles. Their future seems bright—until Lance begins to realize that Tia has been keeping a dangerous secret for years. Since her teenage years, Tia has lived with a severe mental illness that can overtake her mind, transforming her into someone violent and unpredictable. Bipolar disorder. Schizophrenia. Or simply “crazy,” as Lance’s blunt grandmother warns him—reminding him that “crazy leaves clues.” As Tia’s condition worsens, her family struggles to cope in different ways: a mother who believes prayer alone will heal her, doctors whose advice goes unheeded, and a husband desperate to hold his marriage together. When Lance learns that Tia is pregnant, the stakes rise even higher. Determined to protect his wife and unborn child, Lance is forced to confront painful questions about trust, sacrifice, faith, and how far love can truly go before it breaks.

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Thugs and the Women Who Love Them - Wahida Clark Cover Art

Thugs and the Women Who Love Them

Thugs and the Women Who Love Them by Wahida Clark

New York Times best-selling author Wahida Clark is all too familiar with the terrifying truths of ghetto life. The first novel in her gritty, gripping Thug Series takes you into a world where a wrong choice can be the last choice a person ever makes. In a 'hood boiling over with sex, brutality, and crime, three friends are at a turning point. They can surrender to the streets and the murderous men who rule there, or walk a totally different path. But nothing is simple for women addicted to life on the edge. And everything has consequences. Angel, Jaz, and Kyra are all leading double lives, torn between working hard to leave the ghetto behind--and being dragged back in by the lying, pimping, drug-dealing men they can't seem to let go. From jealous rampages to bloody turf wars to rage-fueled vendettas, a tangled web of sex and violence binds these women to the very place that can destroy them. Get ready to enter a heart-pounding world of danger and eroticism mixed with a glimmer of hope.

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Kingpin Wifeys Part 6: A Starr is Born - K. Elliott Cover Art

Kingpin Wifeys Part 6: A Starr is Born

Kingpin Wifeys Part 6: A Starr is Born by K. Elliott

In Part 6 Starr confronts Trey about the package and all his indiscretions. She is ultimately faced with a choice, whether to stay with the man that keeps breaking her heart, or leave. And if she leaves, where would she go? What would she do without his financial support and most importantly who will love her? Mike brings the beef with Black to Black's doorstep and could cost him someone very dear to him. Can the invincible Black stand the pressure of Mike and his goons or will he cave? Shamari is running from the Feds and running out of time. His lawyer is urging him to turn himself in but he and Jada have better plans. Part 6 leaves you with a twist that will make you re-read the final chapter.

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Hanging and Burning - Walter Mosley Cover Art

Hanging and Burning

Hanging and Burning A King Oliver Novel by Walter Mosley

A dying gangster's plea sends Joe King Oliver on a quest for a missing woman across America's coasts—unraveling a dark and violent family history along the way. Joe King Oliver is the big man you call to solve the most delicate and dangerous of problems. Fresh off unraveling the mystery of his own parents’ fates, King finds himself accepting (again at his grandmother’s request) a case from Arman Babylon, a powerful Los Angeles gangster now dying from cancer. Babylon’s granddaughter, Twyla Mann, has been missing for years, and he’s desperate to find her before he passes. The search pulls King into the Babylons’ stained past and the cold case of Dalia Shorts, a torch singer who vanished without a trace and whom Arman was once suspected of killing. As King follows her trail from L.A. to New York and back, he’ll realize nothing is what it seems as he uncovers a pattern of violence that has targeted the women around Babylon for decades. How much will King be willing to risk to finally set things right?

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The Plug Next Door 3 - Sol Cover Art

The Plug Next Door 3

The Plug Next Door 3 by Sol

In The Plug Next Door 3 all the secrets are revealed. Last time God spoke to Reese, he ended up fainting at Sloan's house. It sounded like his girlfriend was going to tell him that his daughter had died, but there's no telling. One things for sure, if God loses his child, there will be hell to pay. That said, will he and Reese be able to weather the storm of his darkest hour? Alexa's stripping ways have finally caught up to her. Now that Young knows the truth, what's going to happen between them? Are the two going to be able to get past this or have too many lines been crossed? Nas and Vasii seem to be the only two who can get it right. They're a picture perfect couple until a mysterious voicemail pops up, threatening to shatter their happiness. What happens when you find out that the person you love isn't who you thought they were? Find out the answers to all of your questions in The Plug Next Door 3.

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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

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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

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Summer on the Bluffs - Sunny Hostin Cover Art

Summer on the Bluffs

Summer on the Bluffs A Novel by Sunny Hostin

New York Times Bestseller! The View cohost and New York Times bestselling author Sunny Hostin dazzles with this brilliant novel about a life-changing summer along the beaches of Martha’s Vineyard. Welcome to Oak Bluffs, the most exclusive Black beach community in the country. Known for its gingerbread Victorian-style houses and modern architectural marvels, this picturesque town hugging the sea is a mecca for the crème de la crème of Black society—where Michelle and Barack Obama vacation and Meghan Markle has shopped for a house for her mom—and the perfect setting for a compelling summer novel. Black people have lived in this pretty slip of the Vineyard since the 1600s and began buying property in the 1800s, making this posh town the embodiment of “old money.” Thirty years ago, Amelia Vaux Tanner and her husband built a house high on the bluffs, a cottage they named Chateau Laveau. For decades, “Ama” played host to American presidents, Wall Street titans, and cultural icons. But her favorite guests have always been her three “goddaughters:” Esperanza “Perry” Soto, a beautiful, talented Afro-Latina lawyer with Ama’s strong, yet guarded personality; Olivia Jones, a gifted Wall Street analyst with Ama’s brilliant, logical mind; and Billie Hayden, a gifted marine biologist and rule-breaker with Ama’s courageous free spirit. Growing up, these three goddaughters from different backgrounds came together each summer at Chateau Laveau. As adults, the cottage is a place this trio of successful yet very different women—a true found family—go to escape, to slow down from their hectic lives, share private time with Ama, and enjoy the gorgeous weather, cool water, and stunning views Oak Bluffs offers.  This summer on the Bluffs, however, will be different, setting the stage for an unforgettable beach read. An era is ending: Ama, now nearing seventy-one, is moving to the south of France to reunite with her college sweetheart. She has invited Perry, Olivia, and Billie to spend one last golden summer together with her the way they did when they were kids. And when fall comes, she is going to give the house to one of them. Each of the women wants the house desperately. Each is grappling with a secret she fears will hurt her and her chances in this compelling family saga. By the end of summer, old ties will fray, new bonds will be created, and these three found sisters will discover they aren’t the only ones with something to hide. Ama has a few secrets of her own. What she has to give them is far more than property. In a moving story of sisterhood perfect for fans of women's fiction, between Memorial Day and Labor Day, she will tell these surrogate daughters she fiercely loves and protects everything they never knew they needed to know.

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Love On The Low 7 - Mia Black Cover Art

Love On The Low 7

Love On The Low 7 by Mia Black

Mika and Royce have been through a lot more than either thought they could handle. Now that their wedding is off, it’s time for Mika to move on and heal her broken heart. She thinks Detroit is the perfect place to begin that journey. Her future looks brighter, but before she leaves, she meets someone new. The only problem is what looks like perfection may bring her life with Royce full-circle. Royce is consumed by rage. His sole focus is to get revenge for Keith’s murder, but he’s still pining over Mika and what they could have had together. He can’t get her out of his head and he’s not sure he’s completely ready to let her go – at least, not like this. The combination of revenge and heartache make him start to lose his grip and actively search for the man he blames for his losses.

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The Sweetness of Water (Oprah's Book Club) - Nathan Harris Cover Art

The Sweetness of Water (Oprah's Book Club)

The Sweetness of Water (Oprah's Book Club) A Novel by Nathan Harris

An Instant New York Times bestseller / An Oprah’s Book Club Pick In the spirit of The Known World and The Underground Railroad , an award-winning “miraculous debut” ( Washington Post ) about the unlikely bond between two freedmen who are brothers and the Georgia farmer whose alliance will alter their lives, and his, forever In the waning days of the Civil War, brothers Prentiss and Landry—freed by the Emancipation Proclamation—seek refuge on the homestead of George Walker and his wife, Isabelle. The Walkers, wracked by the loss of their only son to the war, hire the brothers to work their farm, hoping through an unexpected friendship to stanch their grief. Prentiss and Landry, meanwhile, plan to save money for the journey north and a chance to reunite with their mother, who was sold away when they were boys. Parallel to their story runs a forbidden romance between two Confederate soldiers. The young men, recently returned from the war to the town of Old Ox, hold their trysts in the woods. But when their secret is discovered, the resulting chaos, including a murder, unleashes convulsive repercussions on the entire community. In the aftermath of so much turmoil, it is Isabelle who emerges as an unlikely leader, proffering a healing vision for the land and for the newly free citizens of Old Ox. With candor and sympathy, debut novelist Nathan Harris creates an unforgettable cast of characters, depicting Georgia in the violent crucible of Reconstruction. Equal parts beauty and terror, as gripping as it is moving, The Sweetness of Water is an epic whose grandeur locates humanity and love amid the most harrowing circumstances. One of President Obama's Favorite Books of 2021 Winner of the Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence Winner of the Willie Morris Award for Southern Fiction Winner of the Writers’ League of Texas Book Award for Fiction Longlisted for the Man Booker Prize Shortlisted for the Dylan Thomas Prize Shortlisted for the VCU Cabell First Novelist Award Longlisted for the 2022 Carnegie Medal for Excellence Longlisted for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize Longlisted for the Crook’s Corner Book Prize A Best Book of the Year: Oprah Daily, NPR, Washington Post, Time, Boston Globe , Smithsonian, Chicago Public Library, BookBrowse, and the Oregonian A N ew York Times Book Review Editors' Choice A July 2021 Indie Next Pick

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Kingpin Wifeys 5: Lani's Dilemma - K. Elliott Cover Art

Kingpin Wifeys 5: Lani's Dilemma

Kingpin Wifeys 5: Lani's Dilemma by K. Elliott

In the long awaited Part 5, Lani mourns the loss of Chris. Questions arise about Black's involvement. Was he or wasn't he involved in Chris' death? And if he was, what is Lani going to do about it? Meanwhile Shamari's fighting a new case and Craig threatens to cut support from Jada. Trey has more unfinished business - he has to track down the girl that was arrested with Monte, to find out what exactly she's been telling the Feds. But he is pleasantly surprised by the beautiful woman he finds. Like the previous four stories, Part 5 is full of drama and intrigue that will have you turning the pages and gasping for air at the same time!

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The Great Mann - Kyra Davis Lurie Cover Art

The Great Mann

The Great Mann A Novel by Kyra Davis Lurie

In this poignant retelling of The Great Gatsby, set amongst L.A.’s Black elite, a young veteran finds his way post-war, pulled into a new world of tantalizing possibilities—and explosive tensions. AN ESQUIRE BEST BOOK OF SUMMER In 1945, Charlie Trammell steps off a cross-country train into the vibrant tapestry of Los Angeles. Lured by his cousin Marguerite’s invitation to the esteemed West Adams Heights, Charlie is immediately captivated by the Black opulence of L.A.’s newly rechristened “Sugar Hill.” Settling in at a local actress’s energetic boarding house, Charlie discovers a different way of life—one brimming with opportunity—from a promising career at a Black-owned insurance firm, the absence of Jim Crow, to the potential of an unforgettable romance. But nothing dazzles quite like James “Reaper” Mann. Reaper’s extravagant parties, attended by luminaries like Lena Horne and Hattie McDaniel, draw Charlie in, bringing the milieu of wealth and excess within his reach. But as Charlie’s unusual bond with Reaper deepens, so does the tension in the neighborhood as white neighbors, frustrated by their own dwindling fortunes, ignite a landmark court case that threatens the community’s well-being with promises of retribution. Told from the unique perspective of a young man who has just returned from a grueling, segregated war, The Great Mann weaves a compelling narrative of wealth and class, illuminating the complexities of Black identity and education in post-war America.

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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.

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Love On The Low 5 - Mia Black Cover Art

Love On The Low 5

Love On The Low 5 by Mia Black

This should be the happiest time of their lives, but Mika and Royce’s life is full of turmoil behind the scenes. While Mika blissfully plans their wedding, Royce keeps an eye on what’s happening in the streets. With the new arrival of Trill, a new enemy working so hard to make a name for himself in the drug game, a turf war has made it almost impossible for Royce to continue with his plans to step away. And Mika has no idea how bad things have gotten. As Trill ramps up his efforts, Royce knows it’s only a matter of time before someone gets hurt. He just hopes that no one he cares about will get caught in the crossfire.

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Spilling the Tea - Brenda Jackson Cover Art

Spilling the Tea

Spilling the Tea by Brenda Jackson

Ninetysomething Mama Laverne is determined to find all of her great-grandchildren their perfect match before going home to glory. So far, her success rate is 100 percent—and she intends to keep it that way. After sustaining injuries in Iraq, Chancellor Madaris was told he’d never walk again. Chance credits his great-grandmother Mama Laverne with giving him the will to heal and prove the doctors wrong. He has a healthy respect for her meddling ways and knows he’ll eventually end up next on her matchmaking list. When Zoey Pritchard was eight, she survived a car accident that took the lives of her mother and father, and was sent to live with her great-aunt who refused to speak about her parents. Zoey has no memory from before the crash, but she’s been having the same dream over and over… Searching for answers, Zoey travels to Houston, where she uncovers a scandal involving her parents and the wealthy and powerful Madaris family. Her trail leads her straight to Chance’s door. The dislike and intense attraction are instant and simultaneous. But to help Zoey restore her memory, he grudgingly introduces her to his great-grandmother… Was it chance, or Mama Laverne’s plan, that threw this pair together?

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LIVING ABOVE THE DEAD AND BELOW THE LIVING - E. Tahir Cover Art

LIVING ABOVE THE DEAD AND BELOW THE LIVING

LIVING ABOVE THE DEAD AND BELOW THE LIVING by E. Tahir

"Remembrance is the last form of resistance." Living Above the Dead and Below the Living A Novel of the Ethiopian Revolution In the ancient city of Gonder, beneath castle walls that have outlived emperors, a boy named Elias is coming of age in the early 1970s, in a world about to vanish. It is the twilight of Haile Selassie's empire — a moment when the old certainties still seem eternal, even as a generation begins to dream of remaking everything. Told through the unbreakable friendship between Elias and Solomon — two boys bound across faith, ethnicity, and everything the old order says should divide them — this is the story of the students who believed they could remake the world, and the revolution that devoured its own children. As the monarchy falls and the Red Terror descends, idealism curdles into betrayal, and the price of belief is counted in the friends who do not survive. A novelized memoir of rare tenderness and unflinching honesty, Living Above the Dead and Below the Living is a monument built of words — to the lost, to a family that endured, and to a city that taught one boy how to remember.

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Love On The Low 6 - Mia Black Cover Art

Love On The Low 6

Love On The Low 6 by Mia Black

Trill has ramped up his efforts to be the new go-to dealer in town. But as he grows his empire, he begins targeting his enemies. It just so happens, Royce and anyone he cares for will fall into that category. With a wedding in their near future, Mika worries that they’ll never get married, especially not with all that’s going on around them. The pressure is on for everyone. Royce and Mika have choices to make. In the meantime, Trill is ready to make a bold move – one that could be deadly.

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Recitatif - Toni Morrison & Zadie Smith Cover Art

Recitatif

Recitatif A Story by Toni Morrison & Zadie Smith

NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER • A beautiful, arresting story about race and the relationships that shape us through life by the legendary Nobel Prize winner. With an introduction by Zadie Smith “A puzzle of a story, then—a game.... When [Morrison] called Recitatif an ‘experiment’ she meant it. The subject of the experiment is the reader.” —Zadie Smith, award-winning, best-selling author of White Teeth In this 1983 short story—the only short story Morrison ever wrote—we meet Twyla and Roberta, who have known each other since they were eight years old and spent four months together as roommates in St. Bonaventure shelter. Inseparable then, they lose touch as they grow older, only later to find each other again at a diner, a grocery store, and again at a protest. Seemingly at opposite ends of every problem, and at each other's throats each time they meet, the two women still cannot deny the deep bond their shared experience has forged between them. Another work of genius by this masterly writer, Recitatif keeps Twyla's and Roberta's races ambiguous throughout the story. Morrison herself described Recitatif , a story which will keep readers thinking and discussing for years to come, as "an experiment in the removal of all racial codes from a narrative about two characters of different races for whom racial identity is crucial." We know that one is white and one is Black, but which is which? And who is right about the race of the woman the girls tormented at the orphanage? A remarkable look into what keeps us together and what keeps us apart, and how perceptions are made tangible by reality, Recitatif is a gift to readers in these changing times.

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Love On The Low 8 - Mia Black Cover Art

Love On The Low 8

Love On The Low 8 by Mia Black

Mika’s new relationship has just begun and already there’s a problem, but this problem could cost lives, including her own. Royce may not have been able to keep the girl, but he’s not about to let any man bring her harm. When he discovers who Mika’s new man is, he seeks her out to reveal what he knows, but Mika’s guard is up and she’s not sure he can be trusted. Will Mika heed Royce’s warnings or will their relationship history make her doubt him? Find out what happens in part eight of Love on the Low!

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Follow the Angels, Follow the Doves - Sidney Thompson Cover Art

Follow the Angels, Follow the Doves

Follow the Angels, Follow the Doves The Bass Reeves Trilogy, Book One by Sidney Thompson

Adapted for the Paramount+ miniseries Lawmen: Bass Reeves, directed by Taylor Sheridan and starring David Oyelowo 2022 National Indie Excellence Awards Finalist for Western Fiction 2021 Phillip H. McMath Post Publication Book Award Finalist for Prose 2021 International Afro-American Historical & Genealogical Society Book Award for Historical Fiction in Event/Era 2021 Oklahoma Book Award Finalist for Fiction from the Oklahoma Center for the Book 2021 Will Rogers Medallion Book Award Finalist for Western Fiction 2021 Spur Award Finalist for Historical Novel from the Western Writers of America 2021 Next Generation Indie Book Award Finalist for Historical Fiction (Pre 1900s) 2020 Arkansas Gem from the Arkansas Center for the Book 2021 Peacemaker Award Finalist for Best First Novel 2021 Indie Book Award Finalist for Historical Fiction Follow the Angels, Follow the Doves is an origin story in the true American tradition. Before Bass Reeves could stake his claim as the most successful nineteenth-century American lawman, arresting more outlaws than any other deputy during his thirty-two-year career as a deputy U.S. marshal in some of the most dangerous regions of the Wild West, he was a slave. After a childhood picking cotton, Reeves became an expert marksman under his master’s tutelage, winning shooting contests throughout the region. His skill had serious implications, however, as the Civil War broke out. Reeves was given to his master’s mercurial, sadistic, Moby-Dick -quoting son in the hopes that Reeves would keep him safe in battle. The ensuing humiliation, love, heroics, war, mind games, and fear solidified Reeves’s determination to gain his freedom and drew him one step further on his fated path to an illustrious career.   Follow the Angels, Follow the Doves is an important historical work that places Reeves in the pantheon of American heroes and a thrilling historical novel that narrates a great man’s exploits amid the near-mythic world of the nineteenth-century frontier.

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Love On The Low 9 - Mia Black Cover Art

Love On The Low 9

Love On The Low 9 by Mia Black

Mika’s troubles should be over now that Trill is gone, but unfortunately for her, his death has created more problems for her. The police want answers and are willing to go to extremes to get them, even if that means trying to intimidate Mika to get them. As Royce fights for his freedom, Mika fights to hold him down on the outside and lean on trusted friends to get them through the latest challenge. With so much strain on the psyches and strain on their relationship, can they hold things together and find their way out of this nightmare?

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Love On The Low 10 - Mia Black Cover Art

Love On The Low 10

Love On The Low 10 by Mia Black

Royce has vowed to get out of the game, but it’s harder than he thinks to leave it all alone and move away and start building a legitimate business.  As he and Mika reunite and try to forge a new path together, the lure of the streets and the fast-money life keeps pulling him back in. If he doesn’t reset and focus on what truly matters, he could lose everything including the woman who has remained by his side when things went bad.  Will he make the right choice and finally marry Mika and live the kind of life they both deserve?

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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!

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Taking What's Hers 2 - Mia Black Cover Art

Taking What's Hers 2

Taking What's Hers 2 by Mia Black

Kiyana has done the unthinkable. Now regretting the one move that will ultimately ruin her friendship, Kiyana has to keep her dirty little secret like her life depends on it. She vows to leave Zerek alone, but it’s easier said than done. Find out what happens in part two of Taking What's Hers!

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Falling for the Wrong One 3 - Mia Black Cover Art

Falling for the Wrong One 3

Falling for the Wrong One 3 by Mia Black

Charlise knew it was a bad idea, but their chemistry was too strong and her heart wouldn’t let her walk away. Now, a scandal is brewing. Her career and her relationship with her family will be tarnished if word gets out. Figuring out who is behind the vicious rumors is only half the problem. Figuring out how to reconcile her feelings for a married man is the other half. Darryl is suspicious. He knows someone close to him must be to blame, but there’s a difference between having suspicions and having irrefutable proof that someone he and Charlise trusted would go to such extremes to keep them apart. As things heat up, more deception, trickery, and blatant betrayal wreak havoc on their lives. Who is out to ruin him and Charlise?

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A Second Helping - Beverly Jenkins Cover Art

A Second Helping

A Second Helping A Blessings Novel by Beverly Jenkins

“A story done in a way that only Beverly Jenkins can do. Simply superb!” —New York Times bestselling author Brenda Jackson  “[A] heartwarming story of love, community, and family….Bring on the Blessings is a tasty reading confection that you’ll savor long after the story ends.” —Angela Benson, author of The Amen Sisters Beverly Jenkins, the bestselling author of Bring on the Blessings, returns readers to the enchanting Kansas town of Henry Adams for A Second Helping of love, laughter, and mayhem. Filling her poignant and wonderful tale with a cast of endearingly eccentric characters—and setting it against the rich historical backdrop that has become her trademark—Jenkins (“A superstar” —Detroit Free Press) delights from page one. Kimberla Lawson Roby fans take note: A Second Helping is supremely satisfying fare…and you’ll definitely be ready for thirds!

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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!

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Taking What's Hers 3 - Mia Black Cover Art

Taking What's Hers 3

Taking What's Hers 3 by Mia Black

The secret affair that Kiyana has indulged in has taken a life of its own, but the guilt of lying and betraying her best friend behind her back is eating at her conscious. Now Kiyana finds herself questioning her steamy relationship with Zerek, is it worth losing it all?

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Kingpin Wifeys Part 7: Who Do You Love? - K. Elliott Cover Art

Kingpin Wifeys Part 7: Who Do You Love?

Kingpin Wifeys Part 7: Who Do You Love? by K. Elliott

The action picks up right where we left off and many questions remain! The beef with Black and Mike continues and Black is on a mission to get it all back - his son and his money! Things could turn deadly and Mike will have to make a hard choice - family or money. Which will he choose? Shamari now has a completely new face and a mission to remain free. But he needs money and he needs it fast! At Jada's suggestion, Shamari gets another partner and his identity will surprise the hell out of you. While transporting a shitload of cocaine, Trey is pulled over by a State trooper. Is this the end for Trey? Will he panic? Will he talk his way out of this very volatile situation? Meanwhile, Lani is still in the middle of Mike and Black's beef. Will she let her history with Black cloud her judgement? Or will she break away once and for all? And Trey's brother Troy is still trying to push up on Starr. Will she give in to Troy's advances just to get back at Trey? Part 7 is the most explosive part yet. So buckle up and enjoy the rollercoaster ride.

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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. 

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I Am The Streets 2 - T.L. Joy Cover Art

I Am The Streets 2

I Am The Streets 2 by T.L. Joy

After the drastic event that leaves Na'Tiva permanently scarred, she is willing to do anything she can to get her revenge. Now that Buck is out of her way, Na'Tya is determined to build her empire. Yet everything is not as easy as it seems when the two face a new set of problems. Find out what happens in part two of I AM The Streets!

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Last Summer on State Street - Toya Wolfe Cover Art

Last Summer on State Street

Last Summer on State Street A Novel by Toya Wolfe

PEN Open Book Award finalist Chicago Writers Association Book of the Year Award winner Stephen Curry Underrated Literati Book Club Pick Named a Best Book of Summer by Good Housekeeping , Chicago Magazine , The St. Louis Post Dispatch , Chicago Tribune, Veranda , The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel , Publishers Weekly , and more! "[A] powerful novel.... Tragic, hopeful, brimming with love, Wolfe’s debut is a remarkable achievement."— New York Times Book Review For fans of Jacqueline Woodson and Brit Bennett, a striking coming-of-age debut about childhood friendship, community, and resilience, set in the housing projects of Chicago during one life-changing summer. Even when we lose it all, we find the strength to rebuild. Felicia "Fe Fe" Stevens is living with her vigilantly loving mother and older teenaged brother, whom she adores, in building 4950 of Chicago’s Robert Taylor Homes. It’s the summer of 1999, and her high-rise is next in line to be torn down by the Chicago Housing Authority. She, with the devout Precious Brown and Stacia Buchanan, daughter of a Gangster Disciple Queen-Pin, form a tentative trio and, for a brief moment, carve out for themselves a simple life of Double Dutch and innocence. But when Fe Fe welcomes a mysterious new friend, Tonya, into their fold, the dynamics shift, upending the lives of all four girls. As their beloved neighborhood falls down around them, so too do their friendships and the structures of the four girls’ families. Fe Fe must make the painful decision of whom she can trust and whom she must let go. Decades later, as she remembers that fateful summer—just before her home was demolished, her life uprooted, and community forever changed—Fe Fe tries to make sense of the grief and fraught bonds that still haunt her and attempts to reclaim the love that never left. Profound, reverent, and uplifting, this unforgettable work of urban fiction, Last Summer on State Street , explores the risk of connection against the backdrop of racist institutions, the restorative power of knowing and claiming one’s own past, and those defining relationships which form the heartbeat of our lives. Interweaving moments of reckoning and sustaining grace, debut author Toya Wolfe has crafted an era-defining story of finding a home—both in one’s history and in one’s self.  "Toya Wolfe is a storyteller of the highest order. Last Summer on State Street is a stunning debut."—Rebecca Makkai, New York Times bestselling author of The Great Believers

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Friday Black - Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah Cover Art

Friday Black

Friday Black by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER “An unbelievable debut, one that announces a new and necessary American voice.”— New York Times Book Review The acclaimed debut short story collection from the author of Chain Gang All Stars ; a piercingly raw and, at times, heartbreakingly satirical look at what it’s like to be young and Black in America. From the start of this extraordinary work of social satire, Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah’s writing will grab you, haunt you, enrage and invigorate you. By placing ordinary characters in extraordinary situations, Adjei-Brenyah reveals the violence, injustice, and painful absurdities that Black men and women contend with every day in this country. This collection of speculative stories tackles urgent instances of racism and cultural unrest, and explores the many ways we fight for humanity in an unforgiving world. In “The Finkelstein Five,” Adjei-Brenyah gives us an unforgettable reckoning of the brutal prejudice of our justice system.In “Zimmer Land,” we see a far-too-easy-to-believe imagining of racism as sport.“Friday Black” and “How to Sell a Jacket as Told by Ice King” show the horrors of consumerism and the toll it takes on us all. Entirely fresh in its style and perspective, and sure to appeal to fans of Colson Whitehead, Marlon James, and George Saunders, Friday Black confronts readers with a complicated, insistent, wrenching chorus of emotions, the final note of which, remarkably, is hope.