| Bestselling Books September to October 2014 Authors You Should Know Robin Walker, The Black History Man Robin Walker is a pioneering scholar, autho
| | Robin Walker is a pioneering scholar, author, and educator residing in London, England. His primary work focuses on African history and culture. Since 1991, Walker has taught university short courses, and chaired and presented conferences in African World Studies, Egyptology, and Black History. His seminal publication, When We Ruled (Black Classic Press, 2011) documents more than 90,000 years of African achievement. The 700+ page text surveys African civilization in the Nile Valley, analyzing the key historical phases of Ancient Egypt-but goes much further. More ? |
K’wan is not your typical urban fiction author. He is a talented and accomplished writer, who has published books under his own name, and pseudonymously, in multiple genres. He has won numerous awards, and his novel, Black Lotus (Infamous Books, May 27, 2014) was selected as one of the Library Journal’s Best Books of 2014. His latest book, Animal 3: Revelations was published November 4th by Cash Money Content. If you have been searching for book for a reluctant male reader, look no further.? More ? |
Bill Cosby’s enduring marriage has been tested by everything from extortion to infidelity, to the 1997 murder of son Ennis, to daughter Erinn’s drug addiction. All that and more is examined in intimate detail in Cosby: His Life and Times (Simon & Schuster, September 16, 2014), a revealing biography by Mark Whitaker. The author, the former managing editor of CNN, was afforded unusual access to Bill and scores of his colleagues and closest friends, including his Cosby Show spouse, Phylicia Rashad. Note: After publishing this book review: social media quickly informed me of Cosby numerous rape allegations…sheesh. So many accusations so little journalism hard to discern what is true. More ? |
Who We Be (St. Martin’s Press, October 21, 2014) is the work of a new sage thinker with his finger on the pulse. Don’t let yourself be dissuaded by the grammatically-incorrect title of his opus, or it’s Ebonics chapter headings like “I Am I Be” and “What You Got to Say?” for the actual text isn’t written in inscrutable slang as implied, but rather offers a very articulate analysis of the evolution of American culture from the March on Washington to the present. With the help of a dizzying mix of evocative essays, anecdotes, quotes, quips and eye-catching cartoons and photographs, he amply illustrates what he refers to as America’s post-racial paradox. For although the country might be awash in a sort of melting pot imagery suggested by popular movies, TV shows and rainbow coalition commercials, that superficial symbolism flies in the face of the undeniable reality of rising re-segregation in terms of housing and schooling. More ? |
Just Wanna Testify (One World, May 10, 2011) by the mega-talented author, Pearl Cleage was met with mixed reviews when it was first released. Many of my “book buddies” told me that I wouldn’t like it at all. Everyone knows that I don’t do paranormal. Ever-popular werewolf and vampire stories just don’t do it for me. So, for a long time this book sat on my book shelf. Well everybody was wrong. This novel was an incredible reading journey for me. I wish I had read it sooner. Being a lover of all books Pearl Cleage, I could not fathom a story about vampires. What was Pearl thinking, I thought. But then I thought but how could I go wrong with a story about one of my all-time favorite characters, Blue Hamilton? Fans of this author know very well her books set in Atlanta’s West End, a favorite setting of mine. Blue’s love for his wife, Regina Hamilton tugged at my heart from the very beginning. So how in the world do vampires fit into this scheme of things? More ? |
Modern technology has made a long-distance love affair more of a reality. The characters in this novel took the concept and made it happen. First time author, Sadeqa Johnson put it all together in a remarkably entertaining story that reminded me why I love books and the joy of reading. It is a great first effort by an author who can really write. Love in a Carry-On Bag (12th Street Press, March 20, 2012) is about two people who need to be together. Erica Shaw is a very polished and aggressive publicist for one of the top publishing companies in New York City. Warren Prince is a sexy musician who is more interested in making music than he is in making money. More ? |
Since 2001 there have been 35 African-American nominees for National Book Awards. AALBC.com is very proud to recognize these authors as they, along was so many others not recognized here, represent the best of American literature. The mission of the National Book Foundation and the National Book Awards is to celebrate the best of American literature, to expand its audience, and to enhance the cultural value of great writing in America. Since 1996, independent panels of five writers have chosen the National Book Award winners in four categories: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, and Young People’s Literature. Discover these African American nominees and learn who was the first one to win the award in 1953 ? |
The Book of Negroes is a the winner of the 2008 Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for Fiction and one of the greatest Canadian novels of the decade. In the United States, the novel was published under the title Someone Knows My Name. The Book of Negroes Illustrated Edition (W. W. Norton & Company, January 12, 2015) shares with readers the many photos, works of art and documents that inspired Lawrence Hill to create his award-winning work. Lawrence Hill’s award-winning novel will be a major television miniseries airing on BET Networks, in 2015. More ? |
2 Halves Make Me Whole (CreateSpace, March 26, 2014) is a charming look at the life of a little boy named Jackson, who chronicles his journey with parents who are effectively co-parenting nearly a thousand miles apart. Because being separated by land is no match for hearts forever connected by love. Brilliantly illustrated and beautifully told, this heart-warming tale is perfect for sharing. Buy Now ? |
In accepting the award for fiction for her novel We Need New Names, NoViolet Bulawayo said, “I accept the award in gratitude and celebration of the luminous works of Zora Neale Hurston and Richard Wright, both beacons of creativity.” The fiction finalists were Jamaica Kincaid for See Now Then and Mitchell Jackson for The Residue Years. In nonfiction the finalists were Jesmyn Ward National Book Award winner for Men We Reaped and critic Stanley Crouch for Kansas City Lightning: The Rise and Times of Charlie Parker. The poetry finalists were A. Van Jordan for The Cineaste and Yona Harvey for Hemming the Water. More ? |
The Cops ’N Kids Reading Center was founded in 1997 in Racine, Wisconsin. There are now over 70 Cops ’N Kids Reading Centers throughout the United States as well as Australia South Africa, Venezuela, and the Philippines. In 1997, then police officer, Julia Burney, responded to a burglary call that led her to a warehouse full of children’s books. Without hesitation, Julia realized these books should be in the hands, hearts and homes of the disadvantaged children she served every day. More ? |
Veritasium produces videos that I watch regularly, because I’m interested in science. This video was an unexpected surprise as it digressed from their usual subject matter, and provides compelling evidence that Facebook’s revenue is based on fake likes. This video fills in the gaps in what I’ve observed but could not come up with a satisfactory explanation. Over the years my Facebook fans has increased while engagement has gone down. I assumed this was simply a strategy by Facebook to encourage one to buy more ads, but it runs much deeper than that. If you run a Facebook fan page you should invest 9 minutes of your time, and watch this video. It will explain a lot. Watch the Video ? |
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Reader, please support African-American literature with a paid subscription to AALBC.com’s eNewsletter—less than 50 cents an issue. Our eNewsletter may be read on your Kindle ebook reader or any device by downloading a PDF version. You may enjoy our previous eNewsletters, which may be found in our eNewsletter archive which goes back almost 15 years. If you’ve read something in our eNewsletter that you have enjoyed or felt was important, please share it. Reader we are responsible for ensuring these stories are told, shared, and preserved. As the number of platforms promoting Black Literature continue to decrease, your active participation and support is needed and always appreciated. Peace,
Troy Johnson,
Founder and Webmaster |
AALBC.com eNewsletter — November 18, 2014 - Issue #220 |
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