The Jubilee Reader Issue 7 - September/October 2023

The Jubilee Reader

Recent books by African American writers, writers from the African diaspora, and on related topics.

Issue 7 – September/October 2023

TheBuildUp

Fiction

All the Sinners

Bleed

by S. A. Cosby

The sheriff of a small Virginia community unearths the existence of a killer who has been preying on Black children.

Black Girls Must Have It All

by Jayne Allen

In the final installment in the BlackGirlsMust DieExhaustedtrilogy, a young woman juggles the demands of work, relationships, and a newborn baby.

The Blood Gift

by N. E. Davenport

In order to save their home from a racist, misogynistic enemy, an elite warrior and her rogue cohort must outrun bounty hunters, their former comrades, and a megalomaniacal demi-god.

by Tati Richardson

An architect on the rebound from a workplace romance gone wrong and her career-minded coworker contend with a mutual attraction when they're assigned to work on the same project.

Chain-GangAll-Stars

by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

Two top women gladiators fight for their freedom as part of a highly popular, highly controversial, and highly profitable program in a near-future private prison system.

Dances

by Nicole Cuffy

When she becomes the New York City Ballet's first Black ballerina, a young woman is faced with a choice that could derail her career.

DidYouHearAboutKittyKarr?

by Crystal Smith Paul

Secrets that tie two families together are exposed when a white movie star dies and bequeaths her multimillion dollar estate to three young Black women.

Double the Lies

by Patricia Raybon

In 1920s Denver, a theologian and amateur detective finds herself framed for murder, targeted by the ruthless Colorado Klan, and lured by the flirtations of the victim's twin brother.

Everything'sFine

by Cecilia Rabess

Friendship between a Black woman and her white, conservative coworker blossoms into romance a romance threatened by the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

Homebodies

by Tembe Denton-Hurst

A young writer's world is turned upside down when she loses her coveted media job and pens a searing manifesto about racism in the industry.

The Late Americans

by Brandon Taylor

In Iowa City, a loose circle of lovers and friends encounter, confront, and provoke one another during a volatile year of self-discovery.

Laws of Wrath

by Eriq La Salle

In the second installment in the MartyrMaker series, two NYPD detectives investigating a

series of ritualistic murders join forces with a Satanic cult leader in order to stop the killings.

MickeyChambersShakesItUp

by Charish Reid

A chronically ill college instructor takes a side gig as a bartender and finds herself falling for her boss, a widower who's mourning his wife.

TheNigerwife

by Vanessa Walters

When a woman living a supposedly perfect life in Nigeria disappears without a trace, her estranged auntie tasks herself with uncovering the truth behind what happened to her.

Not So Perfect Strangers

by L. S. Stratton

The lives of two women on the run from unhappy marriages become dangerously entangled when one proposes a plot to kill their spouses.

On a Woman's Madness

by Astrid Roemer

Originally published in 1982 and now translated into English for the first time, this is the story of a young Surinamese woman who flees her abusive marriage.

Pride

by Victoria Christopher Murray

When a successful businesswoman's hard-won success is threatened by a series of menacing texts, she is forced to seek help from a longago lover.

Queenie: Godmother of Harlem

by Elizabeth Colomba

The life and bloody times of legendary Harlem mobster Stephanie Saint-Clair are recounted in this graphic novel retelling of her life.

RogueJustice

by Stacey Abrams

Supreme Court law clerk Avery Keene uncovers a conspiracy involving the FBI, the NSA, and the U.S. Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court.

TheSecretDiariesofCharlesIgnatius Sancho

by Paterson Joseph

A retelling and reimagining of the life of Charles Ignatius Sancho, who escaped slavery and became a writer, composer, and abolitionist.

SingleDadsClub

by Therese Beharrie

When an introverted single father transplants his family to South Africa, he finds romance with a onetime heiress who takes it upon herself to help him adjust to fatherhood.

SummeronSagHarbor

by Sunny Hostin

Mourning a series of betrayals and losses, a woman finds a new home, new relationships, and insight into her authentic identity when she moves to Sag Harbor.

TheThingAboutHome

by Rhonda McKnight

After being left at the altar and losing millions of followers after the release of an embarrassing viral video, an influencer rebuilds her life in the South Carolina Lowcountry.

The Three of Us

by Ore Agbaje-Williams

After a series of unexpected confessions are made, the already fraught relationship between a man, his wife, and her best friend is stretched to the breaking point.

VerityandtheForbiddenSuitor

by J. J. McAvoy

Scandalous romance blossoms between an heiress who lacks respect for the rules of polite society and the bastard son of an aristocrat.

WeAreaHaunting

by Tyriek White

In a family saga spanning four decades, a son is watched over by the spirit of his mother, a doula who learned to commune with the spirits when she was alive.

YouWereAlwaysMine

by Christine Pride

A Black woman's decision to take an abandoned white baby into her home threatens to unmake the life she has worked hard to construct for herself.

ZoraBooksHerHappyEverAfter

by Taj McCoy

The owner of a successful bookstore finds herself torn between the author she's long had a crush on and his snarky, yet soulful, friend.

Non - Fiction

Arts and Literature

Afrofuturism: A HistoryofBlack Futures

This companion book to a National Museum of African American History & Culture exhibition explores the power of Afrofuturism to reclaim the past and reimagine Black futures.

Ain'tIanAnthropologist:ZoraNeale HurstonBeyondtheLiteraryIcon

by Jennifer L. Freeman Marshall

An exploration of Hurston's elevation into the literary canon, and her concurrent marginalization in anthropology despite her significant contributions to the field.

Battleground:AfricanAmericanArt,19852015

by Celeste-Marie Bernier

An illustrated history of contemporary African American art that offers an in-depth examination of 25 Black artists.

BlkArt:TheAudaciousLegacyofBlack Artists and Models in Western Art

by Zaria Ware

A showcase of the dismissed and unseen Black artists and models who have been ignored by the mainstream art canon.

Crowned:MagicalFolkandFairyTales fromtheDiaspora

by Kahran Bethencourt

A collection of reimagined fairy tales and African and African American folktales that bring to life past, present, and future visions of Black culture.

InLivingColor:ACulturalHistory

by Bernadette Giacomazzo

An examination of the sketch show InLiving Color , which broke racial and cultural boundaries, launched the careers of stars such as Jamie Foxx, and helped shape 21st century comedy.

OrdinaryNotes

by Christina Elizabeth Sharpe

Told through a series of 248 notes, this book explores questions about loss and the shapes of Black life that emerge in the wake of it.

The Rise and Fall of Paramount Records: A GreatMigrationStory,1917-1932

by Scott Blackwood

The story of Paramount Records, a label notable for developing a legendary roster of blues, jazz, and folk artists that included Louis Armstrong, Jelly Roll Morton, and Skip James.

Biography

King:ALife

by Jonathan Eig

Drawing on recently declassified FBI files, this biography reveals the courageous and often emotionally troubled man who demanded peaceful protest but was rarely at peace with himself.

LeBron

by Jeff Benedict

A definitive biography that chronicles James' meteoric rise to fame, as well as his political activism and business empire.

Cooking

BreakBreadonaBudget:Ordinary Ingredients,ExtraordinaryMeals

by Lexy Rogers

Celebrity chef Rogers teaches cooks of all skill levels how to make simple, soulful, and budget-friendly meals.

CookingfortheCulture

by Toya Boudy

An intimate celebration of New Orleans food and its Black culture from a born-and-raised local chef.

SouthernCooking,GlobalFlavors

by Kenny Gilbert

A celebrated chef offers more than 100 recipes that reimagine the iconic dishes of the American South with international flavors.

Vegan Barbecue: More Than

100Recipes forSmoky& Satisfying Plant-Based BBQ

by Terry Sargent

Georgia chef

Sargent provides 100 vegan recipes in this photo-filled guide to slow-smoking vegetables, fruits, vegan meats, and vegan cheeses.

Environment

BeforetheStreetlightsComeOn:Black America'sUrgentCallforClimate Solutions

by Heather McTeer Toney

Climate activist Toney explores how Black Americans are uniquely qualified to lead conversations about the perils of climate change.

Essays

In Search of a Beautiful Freedom: New and SelectedEssays

by Farah Jasmine Griffin

A collection of Griffin's essays on music, Black feminism, literature, the crises of Hurricane Katrina and COVID-19, and the Black artists she esteems.

QuietlyHostile

by Samantha Irby

In this collection of essays, Irby takes readers on a comic journey through her favorite Dave Matthews Band songs, QVC addiction, and more.

Gardening

Soil:TheStoryofaBlackMother'sGarden

by Camille T. Dungy

Dungy recounts the seven-year odyssey to diversify her garden in the predominately white community of Fort Collins, Colorado.

Health and Fitness

BadassVegan:FuelYourBody,Ph*ckthe System,andLiveYourLifeRight

by John Lewis

Health activist, wellness expert, and “badass vegan” Lewis discusses the health benefits of a plant-based lifestyle and showcases more than 75 recipes.

TheBodyLiberationProject:How UnderstandingRacismandDietCulture HelpsCultivateJoyandBuild Collective Freedom

by Chrissy King

A mix of memoir and inspiration, with messages about social and racial justice and how the world needs to move beyond body positivity to body liberation.

TheMetFlexDiet:BurnBetterFuel,Burn More Fat

by Ian K. Smith

Bestselling author Smith offers a plan to improve metabolic flexibility through exercise and a change in the types, quantities, and timing of food/beverages consumed.

Slow AF Run Club: The Ultimate Guide for AnyoneWhoWantstoRun

by Martinus Evans

A practical guide to running for runners of all sizes and athletic ability, from the founder of the Slow AF Run Club.

History

AgainstAllTides:TheUntoldStoryofthe USSKittyHawkRaceRiot

by Marv Truhe

A history of a Vietnam-era confrontation, in which Black sailors were charged with assaulting white sailors, while unprovoked assaults committed by white sailors and Marines were ignored by Navy officials.

AnAmerikanFamily:TheShakursandthe NationTheyCreated

by Santi Elijah Holley

A history of the impact of Black liberation groups in America, as seen through the Shakurs, one of the movement's most prominent and fiercely creative families.

BuiltfromtheFire:TheEpicStoryof Tulsa'sGreenwoodDistrict,America's Black Wall Street

by Victor Luckerson

Focusing on one family’s experiences, this history recounts the origins of Tulsa’s Greenwood district, the 1921 race massacre that destroyed the area, and its later gentrification.

A Madman's Will: John Randolph,400 Slaves,andtheMirageofFreedom

by Gregory May

Historian May tells the story of John Randolph's freeing of his 383 slaves, and how Northern prejudice deprived the freedmen of the land Randolph had promised them

You Have to be PreparedtoDie Before You Can BegintoLive

by Paul Kix

A behind-the-scenes account of the SCLC's pivotal 1963 campaign to end segregation in Birmingham.

Memoir

Dyscalculia:ALove StoryofEpic Miscalculation

by Camonghne Felix

Poet Felix examines a breakup and her healing through the prism of a childhood disorder that made it difficult to learn math.

HelpIsOntheWay:StayUpandLive Your Truth

by Kountry Wayne

Comedian Kountry shares his story and offers encouragement to celebrate your origins, ignore those who want to tear you down, and create a rich, fulfilling life.

Plums for Months: Memories of a WonderFilled,NeurodivergentChildhood

by Zaji Cox

Cox explores the challenges of growing up in Portland, Oregon, as a mixed-race, lowincome child with Asperger's.

Rising:FromaMudHuttotheBoardroom andBackAgain:AMemoir

by Graci Harkema

An EDI expert traces her own path to finding her place in the world, revisiting her experience growing up as an adoptee from the Congo in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

TalkofChampions:StoriesofthePeople Who Made Me

by Kenny Smith

NBA champion and TV host Smith

interweaves stories about the extraordinary players who taught him valuable life lessons with personal material about his upbringing and family.

AnUnspeakableHope:Brutality, Forgiveness,andBuildingaBetterFuture forMySon

by Leon Ford

Ford, who was shot and paralyzed by police in a racially motivated case of mistaken identity, shares how his experience led him to social activism.

WhyFathersCryatNight:AMemoirin LovePoems,Letters,Recipes,and Remembrances

by Kwame Alexander

Newbery Medalist Alexander offers a memoiristic blend of poetry, letters, recipes, and other personal artifacts that provide an intimate look into his life.

Wildflower: A Memoir

by Aurora James James,

a leading social justice activist and the first Black American female designer to win a CFDA award, tells the story of her life.

TheWreck:ADaughter'sMemoirof BecomingaMother

by Cassandra Jackson

Jackson recounts her struggles with infertility and her investigation of a car crash that killed several members of her father's family and secretly shaped her own life.

TheYardsBetweenUs:AMemoirofLife, Love,and Football

by R. K. Russell

The first out active NFL player to identify as bisexual shares his story, showing the lifechanging power of embracing who you are and fighting to make space so others can do the same.

Personal Finance

The Black Girl's Guide to Financial Freedom

by Paris Woods

Harvard graduate Woods discusses how to build generational wealth, avoid common financial traps, earn degrees debt-free, and more

ItAllAddsUp:DesigningYourGamePlan for Financial Success

by Devon Kennard

Former NFL linebacker Kennard discusses practical tools to create investment opportunities.

So...ThisIsWhyI'mBroke:Money LessonsonFinancialLiteracy,Passive Income,andGenerationalWealth

by Melissa Jean-Baptiste

MillennialinDebtwebseries creator Melissa Jean-Baptiste provides financial tips and action steps to develop your financial literacy.

Poetry

Above Ground: Poems

by Clint Smith

A new collection of poetry that explores the emotional terrain of fatherhood.

Religion

DisruptiveThinking:ADaringStrategyto ChangeHowWeLive,Lead,andLove

by T. D. Jakes

In this ode to outside-the-box thought, Jakes uses a Christian lens to explore the concept and power of disruptive thinking.

Self-Help

Joie: A Parisian's Guide to Celebratingthe Good Life

by Ajiri Aki

In a guide to the good life as lived by Parisians, tastemaker Ajiri Aki encourages readers to seize and savor life's spontaneous moments.

Social Science

WhyYou'llNever Find the One: And WhyItDoesn't Matter

by Sarah Akinterinwa

An illustrated dating guide drawing on Akinterinwa's experiences as a millennial Black woman.

JustAction:HowtoChallengeSegregation Enacted Under the Color of Law

by Richard Rothstein

This follow-up to TheColorofLawdescribes activities readers can do in their communities to challenge residential segregation.

Real Friends Talk About Race

by Yseult P. Mukantabana

Podcast hosts Mukantabana and Summerhill provide guidance on navigating interracial conversations about race.

A Renaissance of Our Own: A Memoir & ManifestoonReimagining

by Rachel E. Cargle

A lauded voice in feminism and racial justice provides personal insight into the power of reimagining to dismantle oppressive frameworks.

Sports

MelaninBaseCamp:Real-Life Adventurers BuildingaMoreInclusiveOutdoors

by Danielle Williams

Photographs, in-depth interviews, and essays that explore the many different ways people of color experience the outdoors.

Technology

MoreThanaGlitch:ConfrontingRace, Gender,andAbilityBiasinTech

by Meredith Broussard

Data scientist Broussard investigates the myth of technological neutrality and advocates for the creation of accountable algorithms.

of TheJubilee