New Books, the Best Way to Enjoy Audiobooks, Events, and More! - 2/2/2021

[Daylian]

The creator of the internationally popular, multiple award-winning blog MsAfropolitan applies an Africa-centered feminist sensibility to issues of racism and sexism, challenging our illusions about oppression and liberation and daring women to embrace their power. Sensuous Knowledge: A Black Feminist Approach for Everyone by Minna Salami is now available in paperback, this thought provoking essay collection explores questions central to how we see ourselves, our history, and our world. More ▶

29th Annual African American Children’s Book Fair – Today!

The 29th Annual African American Children’s Book Fair will be held virtually on Saturday, February 6, 2021, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. EST. Hosted by the African American Children’s Book Project (AACBP), the book fair is one of the oldest and largest single-day events for children's books in the country. Register Now. Here is a preview of many of the books which will be available for sale this year and video from last year’s fair.

New Books Published This Week

Love Is a Revolution by Renée Watson In Love Is a Revolution, plus size girls are beautiful and get the attention of the hot guys… When Nala Robertson reluctantly agrees to attend an open mic night for her cousin-sister-friend Imani’s birthday, she finds herself falling in instant love with Tye Brown, the MC. He’s perfect, except … Tye is an activist and is spending the summer putting on events for the community when Nala would rather watch movies and try out the new seasonal flavors at the local creamery. In order to impress Tye, Nala tells a few tiny lies to have enough in common with him. As they spend more time together, sharing more of themselves, some of those lies get harder to keep up. As Nala falls deeper into keeping up her lies and into love, she’ll learn all the ways love is hard, and how self-love is revolutionary.

Prayer for the Living by Ben Okri Topical and timely, Booker Prize-winning author Ben Okri’s new collection of twenty-four short stories blurs parallel realities and walks the line between darkness and magic. Playful, frightening, shocking—these stories from a writer at the height of his power will make you think, or make you laugh. Sometimes they’ll make you want to look away, but they will always hold your gaze. These are stories set in London, in Byzantium, in the ghetto, in the Andes, and in a printer’s shop in Lagos. Characters include a murderer, a writer, a detective, a woman in a dream, a man in a mirror, a little girl, a prison door, and the author himself.

Four Hundred Souls: A Community History of African America, 1619-2019 by Ibram X. Kendi and Keisha N. Blain Four Hundred Souls is a unique one-volume “community” history of African Americans. The editors, Ibram X. Kendi and Keisha N. Blain, have assembled ninety brilliant writers, each of whom takes on a five-year period of that four-hundred-year span. The writers explore their periods through a variety of techniques: historical essays, short stories, personal vignettes, and fiery polemics. They approach history from various perspectives: through the eyes of towering historical icons or the untold stories of ordinary people; through places, laws, and objects. While themes of resistance and struggle, of hope and reinvention, course through the book, this collection of diverse pieces from ninety different minds, reflecting ninety different perspectives, fundamentally deconstructs the idea that Africans in America are a monolith—instead it unlocks the startling range of experiences and ideas that have always existed within the community of Blackness.

I Am the Rage by Martina McGowan I am The Rage is a poetry collection that explores racial injustice from the raw, unfiltered viewpoint of a Black woman in America. Dr. Martina McGowan is a retired MD, a mother, grandmother, and a poet. Her poetry provides insights that no think piece on racism can; putting readers in the uncomfortable position of feeling, reflecting, and facing what it means to be a Black American. This entire collection was created during 2020, many shortly after the deaths of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, to name but a few.

A Great Way to Enjoy Audiobooks and Support AALBC

Introduce your friends to Libro.fm, so they too can support AALBC with their audiobook purchases. As our thanks for spreading the word, you’ll receive a free audiobook when they start their membership! Now is the perfect time for your friends to make the #AudiobookSwitch to Libro.fm. When they start their membership and use the code SWITCH they’ll get two audiobooks for the price of one ($14.99). Unlike Audible, Libro.fm’s audiobooks are DRM-free, which means you own the audiobook — you can listen to them on any device, anywhere, anytime, through any app that will play them. Check out our continuously updated list of 100 New Audio Books You’ll Love ♥ and start enjoying audiobooks today!

Refer Friends to Libro!

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Dear Reader, Occasionally, I'll recommend a non-book related service, like Robinhood, in this newsletter. When I do that it is because it is a service I actually use and believe may benefit you. Paid sponsors are always disclosed at the end of the newsletter. I’m proud of all of our sponsors, but Amistad’s (an imprint of HarperCollins) books are just a pleasure to share with you! As always, you are why I’ve been able to make AALBC the premier platform for books by, or about, Black people. Your paid subscriptions, book purchases, suggestions, spreading the word, engagement (commenting and social sharing), and advertisements helps support the effort to celebrate Black books and authors. Peace and Love, Troy Johnson Founder & Webmaster, AALBC.com

This Newsletter is Sponsored by Amistad Consider sponsoring our eNewsletter or a dedicated mailing. ★ AALBC.com eNewsletter – February 2, 2021 - Issue #316