New Book Recommendations, Reviews, Important Information, and More - 4/18/2020

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New York Public Library Kicks Off Immigrant Heritage Week 2020

“These titles brilliantly display that we all have our own New York City, one that is shaped from our experiences and histories, that is unique to us yet not unfamiliar to other New Yorkers who are also proud to call themselves immigrants. ” —Alfredo Gutierrez, Outreach Services Program Assistant, NYPL These memoirs are from New York City based immigrants, but their stories will inspire anyone who is different or feels like an outsider. These talented writers will also expose us to the nuances of different cultures and help us embrace diversity. More ▶

Recently Reviewed Books

Black Brother, Black Brother by Jewell Parker Rhodes Invisibility is all Donte wishes for after moving from New York to Massachusetts. The move places him in a war against people blinded by racism and colorism. How can he win such a battle especially when everything in his new town is binary? Fortunately for Donte, he finds the answer within himself! Born of a white father and a black mother, Donte is extremely darker than his light-skinned brother Trey, and faces substantial discrimination at Middlefield Prep. His schoolmates label him “black brother” and even with Trey’s support he is treated like an outcast. More ▶

Book of Letters by Mary J. Taylor Mary J. Taylor’s Book Of Letters is just that, a book of letters from the Old School of storytelling. The series of sepia cultural flashbacks moves through a wide range of emotions, historical tidbits, family memories, and societal observations. Every reader of this nonfictional scrapbook will delight in the warmth, empathy, and the lack of pretense of this griot, who wishes to share the experiences and insights from her years with the young. In her debut collection of letters, Taylor, knows the value of a good story, balancing an entertaining narrative with an informed view of an elder who was one of Black America’s “Greatest Generation,” settling in hostile territory during the Great Migration. The author has seen much and puts the readers into the joys and rigors of segregated rural southern life with every sentence of this book. This is a book of love and racial pride. It is not one of bitterness, anger, or scores to settle. More ▶

Recommended New Books

We maintain a list of recently published and soon to be published books that we recommend. Here are just a few we think you’ll enjoy.

It’s Not All Downhill from Here by Terry McMillan Loretha Curry’s life is full. A little crowded sometimes, but full indeed. On the eve of her sixty-eighth birthday, she has a booming beauty-supply empire, a gaggle of lifelong friends, and a husband whose moves still surprise. True, she’s carrying a few more pounds than she should be, but Loretha is not one of those women who think her best days are behind her—and she’s determined to prove wrong her mother, her twin sister, and everyone else with that outdated view of aging wrong. It’s not all downhill from here. But when an unexpected loss turns her world upside down, Loretha will have to summon all her strength, resourcefulness, and determination to keep on thriving, pursue joy, heal old wounds, and chart new paths. With a little help from her friends, of course.

Navigate Your Stars by Jesmyn Ward A revelatory, uplifting, and gorgeously illustrated meditation on dedication, hard work, and the power of perseverance from the beloved, New York Times bestselling, and two-time National Book Award-winning Jesmyn Ward. For Tulane University’s 2018 commencement, Jesmyn Ward delivered a stirring speech about the value of hard work and the importance of respect for oneself and others. Speaking about the challenges she and her family overcame, Ward inspired everyone in the audience with her meditation on tenacity in the face of hardship. Now, in book form, Ward’s moving words will inspire readers as they prepare for the next chapter in their lives, whether, like Ward, they are the first in their families to graduate from college or are preceded by generations, or whether they are embarking on a different kind of journey later in life.

Wicked Enchantment: Selected Poems by Wanda Coleman A voice the world needs — the award-winning, groundbreaking, poet Wanda Coleman. Editor Terrance Hayes has selected more than 130 poems, spanning four decades, for this powerful gathering of Coleman’s work that bestselling author Mary Karr has called, “words to crack you open and heal you where it counts.” “As a poet, mother, Los Angeles native, black woman, essayist, and more, Wanda Coleman is a master of honesty. Her writing is an artifact of a life defined by brilliance, outspokenness, and survival.” —Courtney Taylor, SLICE

Here and Now by Kimberla Lawson Roby This powerful classic was published over 20 years ago by New York Times bestselling author Kimberla Lawson Roby. It tells the story of two sisters, as different as night and day, who must find the light in each other amid their darkest times … Because Kimberla was never comfortable with the idea of including profanity or detailed sex scenes in her books, she ultimately made the decision to remove it from the newly released paperback edition of Here and Now. The story-line itself, however, has remained the same. Enjoy the revised version which benefits from two decades of wisdom and the honing of craft.

Support Indie Book Stores and Websites

Loyalty Books Opened in 2019, Loyalty is an Independent Bookstore serving Petworth, DC and Silver Spring, MD. “We like books. We like you. And we’re ready to bring the best books and events to our community. We are aiming to be the Mid-Atlantic’s neighborhood spot for wonderful books and unique home goods, gifts, and programming. Our staff and our selection highlight the diverse voices and creatives that make our communities great. When we think about what to feature in our store we focus on how we live in our homes.”

Umoja Books and Products The website launched in 2017, “the inspiration of Umoja Books resulted from the need of having an African American owned bookstore in Lafayette, LA. It started with offering books written by African Americans, and it has now blossomed in offering other items created by African Americans such as t-shirts, herbal supplements, personal care products, Black fraternity and sorority items, bible covers, tote bags, and much more.”

Obscene Rhetoric by Frederick K. Foote, Jr.

Obscene Rhetoric by Frederick K. Foote, Jr. “Every national disaster or threat evokes a series of mantras, slogans, maxims, and adages from our leaders and would-be leaders. These statements are patently untrue. These axioms are meat to mislead, misguide, and hide the brutal realities of our situations. They are obscene propaganda in support of the status quo. Here are a few.” —Frederick K. Foote, Jr., April 4, 2020 We are all in the same boat We are not in the same damn boat. My boat suffers from hypertension, diabetes, kidney disease, breathing disabilities, and sails in rough seas with few ports … More ▶

Upcoming Bookseller Conversation 5 Tips to Improve Your Online Book Sales

We are planning another bookseller video conference in the next few weeks. The focus will be in strategies to improve online book sales. This conversation is for anyone interested in selling books on the web. We already have some ideas on what will be discussed, but if you have any specific questions email me and let me know what you'd like me to cover.

F@ck am*zon and Their “am*zon Original Stories”

am*zon has been selling books that no other bookseller can sell for sometime. Recently, I discovered a book that was published by one of the world’s most celebrated science fiction writers. It is a book that I can not obtain through normal distribution channels — am*zon is the only entity who can sell it! I stopped directing readers to am*zon, for book purchases, last summer and began fulfilling orders directly. It was scary, but fortunately readers stepped up and supported AALBC by buying books through the site, and we are much better off as a result. I have, however, continued to link to am*zon on behalf of paid advertisers. This is a practice I’m going to have to discontinue. Sure, it may cost AALBC much needed advertising revenue, but I can’t, in good conscious, support am*zon on any level. Indie booksellers, Black, white, online, brick and mortar — whatever, are going to have to unite against am*zon or be buried. am*zon is predator taking advantage of weaken competitors. Some bookstores, many perhaps, will not survive the combination of a global pandemic and am*zon’s business practices — not without your support Reader. Support your indie bookseller.

Dear Reader, April 8th was my birthday; please help me celebrate by sharing something from the AALBC’s website. Use a heart ♥ and tag me (@aalbc). I have a variety of books to give away and will select my favorite shares over the rest of the month. As always, consider supporting this newsletter by volunteering to pay for your subscription. If you have already paid for an annual subscription, thank you on behalf of AALBC and the writers whose work you are helping to celebrate. Peace and Love, Troy Johnson Founder & Webmaster, AALBC.com

Consider sponsoring our eNewsletter or a dedicated mailing. ★ AALBC.com eNewsletter – April 18, 2020 - Issue #289