Sula and Nel are born in a small town at the top of a hill. Sula is wild, and daring, while Nel is well-mannered, a mamma’s girl with a questioning heart. Growing up they forge a bond stronger than anything. Strong enough, it seems, to last a lifetime—until, decades later, as the girls become women, Sula’s anarchy leads to a betrayal that may be beyond forgiveness.
Masterful, richly textured, bittersweet, and vital, Sula is a modern masterpiece. Nobel Prize laureate Toni Morrison gives life to characters who struggle with what society tells them to be, and the love they long for and crave as Black women.
AALBC Bestselling Books May 2024
The spring 2024 edition of The Killens Review of Arts & Letters outsold all other titles this period. Fiction bestsellers also include Neighbors and Other Stories a new short story collection by Diane Oliver. Oliver, whose talent was already apparent, tragically passed away in 1966 at the age of 22. Her work was brought to light by Michael A. Gonzales in his article, “Shine On: The Writings of Diane Oliver.”
Joy-Ann Reid’s book, Medgar and Myrlie: Medgar Evers and the Love Story That Awakened America, which traces the extraordinary lives and legacy of civil rights icons, is the #1 nonfiction title this period.
Jelani’s Key by D. Amari Jackson, published by the African American Literature Book Club, leads a fine list of children’s books.
Alicia Keys makes her debut as an AALBC bestselling author in the poetry category with her collection of poems and lyrics, Tears for Water.
New Books
Ella: A Novel by Diane Richards
A magnificent work of “biographical fiction” that reimagines the turbulent and triumphant early years of Ella Fitzgerald, arguably the greatest singer of the twentieth century.
When fifteen-year-old Ella Fitzgerald’s mother dies at the height of the Depression in 1932, the teenager goes to work for the mob to support herself and her family. When the law finally catches up, the “ungovernable” adolescent is incarcerated in the New York Training School for Girls in upstate New York…
Corduroy Takes a Bow by Viola Davis
Celebrate 50 years of America’s favorite teddy bear with a brand-new, classically illustrated picture book by Academy Award winner Viola Davis. Based on the original characters from Don Freeman’s picture book Corduroy.
Control by Omar Tyree
New York Times and AALBC 4-time bestselling author Omar Tyree is back with his first new novel in nearly a decade!
Six talented but dangerously toxic personalities in the entertainment hotbed of Atlanta push their psychologist to her own vulnerable limits – and maybe beyond – in this enthralling, knife-edged thriller from NAACP Image Award-winning author.
Recently Reviewed Books
Walking with Our Ancestors: Contemplation and Activism by Barbara A. Holmes
On the face of it, contemplation is deep reflective thought or consideration. At a higher level, it hinges on a critical spiritual component that moves one to wise action. It is this degree of practice that Barbara A. Holmes expounds upon in Walking with Our Ancestors… Read Denolyn Carroll’s Full Review
Only for the Brave at Heart: Essays Rethinking Race, Crime, and Justice by Leon E. Pettiway
Divided in four parts, the essays within each section examine race, politics, and philosophy of White supremacy in its many affected dimensions. With a mindful eye, Pettiway, a professor and self-described Buddhist monk, invites the reader to consider everything they have experienced in conversations about race and to decontextualize the arguments from the inside out.
