Best of
African-American-Literature

2012

Animal


K'wan - 2012
    Animal follows the infamous fugitive from K’wan’s best-known Hood Rat Series on a revenge mission from the rugged streets of Puerto Rico to the scene of the original crime, Harlem, NY."One bullet changed everything." Three years after narrowly escaping a one-way trip to the gas chamber, the fugitive known only as Animal finds himself drawn back to the scene of the crime, Harlem, NY. Throughout his entire time in exile the only thing that kept Animal going was the thought that he would one day be reunited with his soulmate, Gucci, but one bullet changed everything. When his enemies tried to murder Gucci, they crossed the line—so he vows to cross them all. While Gucci teeters between life and death, Animal sets out on a bloody mission fueled by love and orchestrated by bullets—there would be no more innocents. Alliances are formed and secrets uncovered while Animal wages his personal war on the streets of Harlem with the end result revealing one great truth—he is only a small piece in a much greater puzzle.

Sinners & Saints


Victoria Christopher Murray - 2012
    Jasmine Larson Bush and Rachel Jackson Adams are not your typical first ladies. But they’ve overcome their scandalous and drama-filled pasts to stand firmly by their husbands’ sides. When a coveted position opens up—president of the American Baptist Coalition— both women think their husbands are perfect for the job. And winning the position may require both women to get down and dirty and revert to their old tricks. Just when Jasmine and Rachel think they’re going to have to fight to the finish, the current first lady of the coalition steps in . . . a woman bigger, badder, and more devious than either of them. Double the fun with a message of faith, Sinners & Saints will delight readers with two of their favorite characters from two of their favorite authors.

This Is Life


Shakara Cannon - 2012
    Sequel to This Can't Be Life

Moving Weight


Ashley Antoinette - 2012
    Now, with the entire city gunning for her, she can only trust one man. Ashley and JaQuavis weave a sexy, suspenseful tale that has an unpredictable ending that will have you in awe.

Shattered


Kia DuPree - 2012
    After running away with a friend, the two run straight into the arms of a pedophile in disguise, who lures the two girls into a life far too mature for their twelve-year-old minds. Held in captivity for months, the girls are finally set free when a neighbor exposes them. But what should have been a happy moment for Kiki actually sends her on a life path that quickly spirals out of control.

The Stalker Chronicles (Pilar and Xavier #2)


Electa Rome Parks - 2012
    Tall, dark, and handsome bestselling male author Xavier Preston thought his nightmare - in the form of Pilar, a fanatical stalker/fan - had finally ended. Little does he know it's only beginning. When Xavier met Pilar, he got much more than he bargained for. What started out as an erotic one-night stand quickly turned into a dangerous game of obsession and pain, with both parties playing to win. Then she simply disappeared. Stunning Pilar hasn't gone away, though. In fact, she has been very near, watching his every move and patiently waiting for him to realize they were meant to be together forever. She still believes they're soul mates, and the only option for her is "Until death do us part." If she can't have Xavier, then no one can. Now no one is safe--not his friends, and definitely not him. Revenge can be a real killer.

When You've Been Blessed (Feels Like Heaven)


Adrienne Thompson - 2012
    A Gospel singer's world is ripped apart by an unexpected revelation, leaving her wondering if anything is really as it seems, and sending her on a journey towards healing and an unlikely love.

Miss Nobody


Nicole Dunlap - 2012
    She embodies every young woman’s starry-eyed dreams and heads for Hollywood. On her rugged road to fame, Charlene’s using everything in her might to erase the past–even at the point of compromising her own love story. Charlene still can’t wipe away her deepest fear that shakes her very core… Raven.Raven Shaw grows up in her mother’s tiny Christian town Bellwood, North Carolina. She’s a feisty, confident young thing who won’t hesitate to use her fist when bullies mock her as a bastard. Overcoming teen depression, she finds love. A first love, a teenage romance to die for. Now, Raven can’t be fully committed to the man that has her heart until she learns shy she’s been neglected.When their path’s collide, Raven asks to questions–two family secrets–that can ruin their lives, leading mother and child on the road of feeling like a “Miss Nobody”

Quita's DayScare Center 2


Gina West - 2012
    When we last left Quita, the last person on earth Flex would suspect, Kim Carmichael, had kidnapped Cordon.Kimi, Cordon's biological mother, had her unreliable cousin Pooh hold Cordon, and his friend Miranda in a motel room until further instructions. But the kids have another agenda, and decide to slip away to face the dangerous streets, and save themselves.To top it all off, Quita must still run her illegal daycare center although most of her friends are being held captive by Flex, and his goons until Cordon is found. Time is of the essence and if Flex does not get Cordon back soon, bodies will continue to drop.Quita's Dayscare Center 2 is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat. Will this be the end of Quita's Dayscare Center or just the beginning?

See Me


Adrienne Thompson - 2012
    Can you handle her truth? "I loved him so much. I loved him and I hated him. I needed him and I needed to be free of him. He was everything to me and he'd taken everything away from me." Olivia Moy, widow of a beloved author, struggles to cope with the untimely death of her husband. Seeking solace with her only child, she soon befriends a neighbor and begins to reveal closely-held marital secrets. Can she find healing without destroying her late-husband's legacy?

Nemesis


Monique D. Mensah - 2012
    As she stands over her mother's dead body, Amara finally realizes who Nemesis is and why she's out for revenge.

For Colored Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Still Not Enough: Coming of Age, Coming Out, and Coming Home


Keith BoykinWade Davis - 2012
    The book would go on to inspire legions of women for decades and would later become the subject and title of a hugely popular movie in the fall of 2010. While the film was selling out movie theaters, young black gay men were literally committing suicide in the silence of their own communities.When a young Rutgers University student named Tyler Clementi took his own life after a roommate secretly videotaped him in an intimate setting with another young man, syndicated columnist and author Dan Savage created a YouTube video with his partner Terry to inspire young people facing harassment. Their message, It Gets Better, turned into a popular movement, inspiring thousands of user-created videos on the Internet. Savage's project targeted people of all races, backgrounds and colors, but Boykin has created something special "for colored boys."The new book, For Colored Boys, addresses longstanding issues of sexual abuse, suicide, HIV/AIDS, racism, and homophobia in the African American and Latino communities, and more specifically among young gay men of color. The book tells stories of real people coming of age, coming out, dealing with religion and spirituality, seeking love and relationships, finding their own identity in or out of the LGBT community, and creating their own sense of political empowerment. For Colored Boys is designed to educate and inspire those seeking to overcome their own obstacles in their own lives.

Rebel's Domain: Scarred For Life


Fabiola Joseph - 2012
    Trained by her father to steal, torture and kill, and ignored by her drug-addicted mother, this little girl isn’t made up of sugar and spice. At the age of 15, Scarlett gets her first taste of blood and is faced with a growing hunger for more as she struggles to live a normal life. When the consequences of a day at “work” with her father surface and kicks in her front door, Scarlett may lose the people she loves most. Faced with the possibility of being left alone to fend for herself, she knows that she must put all of her father’s training to use. She may not make it out alive, but nothing says love like a kill... or death! This machete-toting killer will be pushed to the limits as she fights to protect her family, and prevent things from spiraling out of control. Alliances are formed, and the thin line between friends and enemies become hazy as these rebels make their way through life. Scarlett finally meets her match when she makes a handsome stranger her prey, and fate deals one dirty hand after the other. Some will survive the mayhem, and some will fall, as bodies litter the streets of the D.M.V. Welcome to the Rebel’s Domain, where most will be scarred for life!

Oriental Faddah and Son


Lee A. Tonouchi - 2012
    As you read, you will journey with author Lee A. Tonouchi through childhood and adolescence into adulthood. You will laugh out loud, sometimes cry, and maybe even discover things about yourself along the way. Awardwinning author Tonouchi delivers a captivating, semi-autobiographical tale through his mastery of the Pidgin language. Tonouchi intricately weaves life's most basic human elements love and loss, birth and death with uncovering the identity of one's true self. In the Guerrilla's case, it's the essence of being an Okinawan in Hawai'i.

Crazy Love


Amir Abrams - 2012
    . . If you saw my boo Sincere, you'd totally understand why I've dropped everything--even my besties--to be with him 24/7. After all, what girl wouldn't do whatever it takes to show her first-ever boyfriend she's all he could ever want? I know I'm a prize, but relationships are tough enough when you're just a high school senior, so I've really had to up my game to keep a college freshman like Sincere interested. And if that means hacking his cell and following him everywhere, I'm down. Because I just know what we have is for always. And I'm going to prove it, no matter how far I have to go. . .With a style reminiscent of L. Divine and Ni-Ni Simone, Abrams' debut novel will keep readers on the edge of their seats as a young woman's first taste of love turns to obsession.

Lockwood Lions: Always Upbeat (Cheer Drama)


Stephanie Perry Moore - 2012
    The Lockwood High cheer squad has it all. And the ballers are hot, tough, and on point. But where there's cheer, there's drama...The girls story are part of Cheer Drama - Always Upbeat, Keep Jumping, Yell Out, Settle Down, and Shake It. The boys stories are Baller Swag - All That, No Hating, Do You, Be Real and Got Pride. Always Upbeat (Cheer Drama): Savvy Charli Black seems to have the perfect life. Pampered and confident, she has her junior year at Lockwood High all mapped out. Date the hottest baller in school, check. Become captain of the varsity cheerleading squad, check. Her crew rules the school. But just as everything falls into place, her world begins to spin with one betrayal after another.

We Wear the Mask


Paul Laurence Dunbar - 2012
    The famous poem "We Wear the Mask" by Paul Laurence Dunbar.

Son of a Preacherman


Marlene Banks - 2012
    Benny is the daughter of an oil rich family. Billy Ray is convinced that Benny is the woman God would have him settle down with. Benny, on the other hand, recently had her heart broken. She is not the least bit interested in getting involved anytime soon. As Billy’s pursuit of Benny intensifies, so does the political and social climate in the prosperous African American neighborhood known as the Greenwood District..  Racial tensions in Tulsa escalate when Dick Rowland, a black man, is accused by a local newspaper of raping Sarah Page, a white woman, on an elevator. Benny's brother Ethan and a radical white attorney by the name of Maynard Vaughn  despite continuous threats put their weight and energy behind helping Dick. Meanwhile, the White Glove Society, a racist group seeks to destroy not only Dick but all the African Americans in this successful black owned community. As tensions come to a head and violence breaks out, Billy and Benny are caught up in the heat of chaos. He vows to keep her safe but will Benny let him? And will faith in God be enough to sustain the people of the community as their lives are being changed forever by deadly acts of hatred?

Redefining Black Power: Reflections on the State of Black America


Joanne Griffith - 2012
    But how--if at all--has the first black presidency helped move things forward for people of color? Has it delivered the "change we can believe in" and "deepening of democracy" that communities of color organized around? How has the reality and image of a black First Family impacted American culture? What lessons from past struggles can be applied to this unique historical moment to advance multicultural democracy in the U.S.?Starting the exploration of these questions with the voices of past civil rights and black power activists held in the historic Pacifica Radio Archives, BBC journalist Joanne Griffith traveled the country to interview black intellectuals, leaders and activists.The result is a rich and wide-ranging exploration of the hot-button issues facing African Americans today, from religion, law amd media to education and the economy, to the ever-shifting meaning of Obama's contribution and impact. Both timely and rich in personal wisdom, Redefining Black Power connects the dots between past civil rights struggles and the future of black civic and cultural life in the United States.Featuring Van Jones, Michelle Alexander, Julianne Malveaux, Vincent Harding, Ramona Africa, Esther Armah and Linn Washington Jr.Foreword by Pacifica Radio Archives director Brian DeShazor.Praise for Joanne Griffith:"Joanne Griffith is a superb journalist! She writes, speaks, and interviews with great skill, sincerity, and sensitivity to those she covers. Joanne has made it in a tough journalism world -- one where the white males, working for wealthy news organizations, have the advantages. Her writings and insights are a lesson to all. She reflects President Obama's spirited call of 'fired up, ready to go!'"--Connie Lawn, Senior White House Correspondent (since 1968)

Inside the Music: The Life of Idris Muhammad


Idris Muhammad - 2012