House Divided by Kimberla Lawson Roby, May 2013
The next book in the Revered Curtis Black series from Kimberla Lawson Roby, A House Divided, follows the Black family as it deals with son Matthew becoming a father at age 18. As the family struggles to focus on new babies instead of college life, tensions arise within the Black family and with its future in-laws.
On These Courts: A Miracle Season that Changed a City, a Once-Future Star, and a Team Forever by Wayne B. Drash, May 2013
On These Courts is the story of former NBA star Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway, who grew up in Memphis, TN, and returned to the city after retiring from professional basketball. A chance to coach a middle school basketball team in the area where he grew up kept him in the game, and inspired this book, out in May. A portion of the proceeds from On These Courts will go to Penny’s FastBreak Courts, one way Hardaway is giving back to Memphis.
Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, May 2013
Nigeria-born author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has won several awards, including the Orange Prize for 2007’s Half the Yellow Sun and the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize and the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award for 2003’s Purple Hibiscus. Her latest novel, Americanah, follows the lives of two young lovers from Nigeria as they grow apart and come back together.
Little Green: An Easy Rawlins Mystery by Walter Mosley, May 2013
It’s been six years since Walter Mosley’s last Easy Rawlins mystery, 2007’s Blonde Faith, which saw the near death of Mosley’s hero. But Easy is back for the next book in the series, Little Green, which is set to come out in May. Follow as he investigates the dark hippie underbelly of Los Angeles in the 70s, while searching for a young man who disappeared while on an acid trip.
After the Dawn: A Family Affair Novel by Francis Ray, June 2013
Looking for a little romance this summer? Bestselling author Francis Ray has a new book out in June, After the Dawn, which follows Samantha Collins as she balances business with romance. Her grandfather gives her control of Collins Industries—as long as she works together with a man who wrecked her personal life years ago. But will their drama wreck the business?
Mo’ Meta Blues: The World According to Questlove by Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson and Ben Greenman, June 2013
Musician, producer, and music industry veteran Questlove shares his life story in his upcoming memoir, Mo’ Meta Blues. Joined by New Yorker editor Ben Greenman, Questlove tells of growing up as the son of a doo-wop singer and the story behind the success of the Roots.
Nine Years Under by Sheri Booker, June 2013
If you were a fan of Six Feet Under, perhaps you should check out Nine Years Under, the true story of Sheri Booker’s nine years, starting at age 15, working at a local African-American funeral home in Baltimore. Publishers Weekly praised the book, saying ” Details specific to African-American funerary preparations, including styling black women’s hair, give the reader an intimate understanding of the importance of funeral homes in the African-American community.”
Love Him Or Leave Him, But Don’t Get Stuck With the Tab: Hilarious Advice for Real Women by Loni Love, July 2013
Actress and comedienne Loni Love has some advice for women: Put yourself first and love will follow. In Love Him Or Leave Him, But Don’t Get Stuck With the Tab, Love offers romantic advice and shares her own life stories in a funny and fun summertime read.
How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America by Kiese Laymon, August 2013
Critically-acclaimed author Kiese Laymon follows up his debut novel Long Division (above) with an book of essays set to be published in August: How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America. Now an associate professor at Vassar College, Laymon received attention for the controversial titular essay that was released last year, and his book of essays is sure to be as interesting and intriguing.
Buck: A Memoir by MK Asante, August 2013
Writer, filmmaker, hip-hop artist, and professor of creative writing and film at Morgan State University, MK Asante has had an interesting life. And he shares it in his memoir Buck, out in August. Born in Zimbabwe, Asante ended up surviving alone in Philadelphia, his father gone, brother in jail, and mother in a mental hospital. But his uplifting story shows how education—in any form—can help lift up a person.
