African American Literature Fiction

There's a saying that if you come from my part of town, you're from "around the way". Around the Way Girls 3 is a look at the life of some street-smart women who think they know it all but are about to get the lesson of their lives.

New York Times best-selling author Mary Monroe’s God Don’t Like Ugly hit audiences like a thunderbolt, appealing to multiple generations of readers. God Don’t Make No Mistakes concludes the saga begun in that groundbreaking novel. Here, Annette Goode Davis is attempting to reconcile with her estranged husband. However, her appetite for food - and other men - has her world spiraling dangerously out of control.

Blazing with scandal, deception, temptation, and revenge, this third installment in the Twisted series blurs the lines of infidelity and tests the true meaning of love.

Thrown into a web of lies, drugs, and deceit, Dysha has had money put on her head by the most powerful man in the city. Now, with the entire city gunning for her, she can trust only one man. Ashley and JaQuavis weave a sexy, suspenseful tale with an unpredictable ending that will have you in awe.

Bleu is addicted to the luxe life, and it has led her down a road of self-destruction. She knows what it feels like to be turned out by the game. With a crack addiction that she can't seem to escape, she's desperate for a savior. The problem is, she has two great loves who both want to come to her rescue. When her best friend, Noah, comes searching for her, Bleu is faced with a dilemma: Will she let him save her, or will she stick with kingpin Iman, who has loved her since their first encounter? Or will both men lose her?

At once a powerful evocation of his early life in Harlem and a disturbing examination of the consequences of racial injustice to both the individual and the body politic, James Baldwin galvanized the nation in the early days of the civil rights movement with this eloquent manifesto. The Fire Next Time stands as one of the essential works of our literature.

Essie Mae Richardson means the world to the residents of the Braxton Park subdivision. So when she dies, all the hard work she did to rebuild fraying relationships and bolster broken families begins coming undone. But there are some who won’t let her efforts go to waste, and they will fight to keep this angel’s legacy alive.

Michelle is back, and in this mind-blowing sequel to Baby Momma 2, she is by no means taking her losses lightly. She’s been broken down, restored, and at the hands of Honey, practically demolished. The woman that has emerged is hellbent on revenge, until an unexpected twist of destiny turns her world completely inside out.

Alana Kim is the definition of crazy, sexy, cool. Labeled a man eater by current and former lovers, this wild child lives life on her terms and couldn't care less what the world thinks of her. Seeking something she never experienced in her home growing up, Alana relishes the affection and attention she receives from the opposite sex. Men absolutely adore her but she's unable to return those feelings of adoration which causes problems to arise with a longtime lover.

A crippled economy changes Lola Jones' silver-spoon status to copper. Only one thing can save Lola's children from the claws of poverty, and that comes in the form of a million-dollar life insurance policy. It is, however, just a useless piece of paper unless she's dead. Lola vows to make the ultimate sacrifice for her children's well-being. There are two problems - she doesn't have the guts to kill herself, and her insurance doesn't pay out on suicides. Lola turns to Blase, a desensitized hit man with a "no turning back" policy, to execute her murder.

Donna and Kim Boon moved to Houston, Texas, with their Aunt Lisa when they were orphaned at 10 years old. Lisa raised the girls as her own, showering them with everything a young woman could want. The girls have grown up into beautiful and privileged Houstonites and are two of the most eligible bachelorettes in the city, with more suitors than they know how to handle. Life seems perfect, but when Aunt Lisa is gunned down in cold blood, the girls discover a family secret that will change their lives forever.

In "Got Me Twisted", New York diva Ebony Queen heads south after her mother's murder and tries to reinvent country bumpkin Reshunda - but it won't be easy! In "Arrested Development", Kelly joins the police force to get in the good graces of her love interest, Dante - but what happens when her brother gets out of prison and finds out her boyfriend is the same cop that brought him down? And in "Greed", Jackie and her parents escaped the projects and now live the high life - but what's going to happen to her if they get murdered?

What if you were raised to be a hooker and, worst of all, your father was your pimp? In "Keepin' It in the Family", this isn't just a nightmare for the Collins daughters, this is reality. Raised without the guidance of their mother, Diamond, Essence, and Chanel were forced onto the streets at a very young age. They were expected to make that money by any means necessary or face the wrath of their daddy, Dallas Collins. Can the girls band together to free themselves from Dallas?

With a string of successful novels, Sherryle Kiser Jackson has won a reputation as a fresh voice in Christian urban fiction. In Land of Promiscuity, her mother’s death prompts Rebi Lewis to return to her hometown after years away. It’s not long before all the insecurities of her youth begin to resurface and Rebi finds herself slipping back into her old pattern of promiscuity. But then she reconnects with her former friend Will, and together they discover a long-buried secret - one that will test their capacity for forgiveness.

Louis Armstrong, also known as “Satchmo” and “Pops”, became an American jazz legend in the 1920s. His voice and skill with instruments helped him become a popular musician in a time where America was racially divided. Watch as this skilled musician learns to play, buys his first instrument, and becomes one of the best music makers of the era.

Baxter’s name isn’t George. But it’s 1929, and Baxter is lucky enough, as a Black man, to have a job as a sleeping car porter on a train that crisscrosses the country. So when the passengers call him George, he has to just smile and nod and act invisible. What he really wants is to go to dentistry school, but he’ll have to save up a lot of nickel and dime tips to get there, so he puts up with “George.” On this particular trip out west, the passengers are more unruly than usual, especially when the train is stalled for two extra days.

Justin and Toni were friends. Besties, with a whole list of life rules developed over a friendship that started when they were kids. As long as they stuck to the rules, even when they blended a business relationship into the friendship, things went off without a hitch. But then one of them broke the rules - it was Justin. Justin broke the rules - and Toni has been mad about it ever since.

Belle Palmer is finally free! Separated from her father on the harrowing escape, Belle is lost and alone until she finds shelter with the Bests, the first free family she's ever known. For the first time in her 16 years, Belle can speak her mind - except for her feelings for a certain dark-eyed young man - The Beau. Educated and handsome, at 18, Daniel Best is engaged to the prettiest girl around. So when the bedraggled girl his parents take under their wing suddenly turns into a vibrant, lovely young woman, his attraction to her is a complete - and complicated - surprise.

Janelle Marshall's life is finally going according to plan. Her perfect, upscale career - and her perfect, successful boyfriend - will make her future as secure and predictable as her childhood never was. And with luck, Little Bill, the grandfather who raised her, will someday understand why she'd rather play it safe than be impulsive. But just when she should be happiest, she gets a distressing call: Little Bill has gone missing. Now Janelle must go to the one place she's long avoided - the tiny mountain town of Mammoth Falls, South Dakota.

Some of the best-known and most influential pieces of crime fiction have been from African American writers. Be it Walter Mosley's great Detective Easy Rawlins, or the mean streets of Harlem at the hands of Chester Himes, the stories and characters in this anthology have shaped the mystery genre with their own unique viewpoints and styles. Contributors to the collection include Robert Greer, Chester Himes, Walter Mosley, Cary Phillips, Frankie Bailey, and Richard Wright.