You Know Better

• RC059732
  Tina McElroy Ansa
  Three generations of African American women relate encounters with spirits. Lily searches Mulberry, Georgia, for her missing granddaughter, eighteen-year-old hoochie-mama LaShawndra. LaShawndra’s mother, Sandra, is preoccupied with her realty business and pastor boyfriend. Ghostly visits provide epiphanies each woman needs. Some descriptions of sex and some strong language. 2002. 

A Test of Faith

• RC061170
  Maxine Billings
  After unexpectedly losing her husband, Clayton, thirty-five-year-old African American Andrea Hamilton faces yet more challenges. She must raise her five-year-old daughter alone--and she discovers she is pregnant. As her twin sister, Leah, prepares to marry Clayton’s brother, Andrea turns to family and faith in her journey through grief. 2005. 

Let the Church Say Amen

• RC062530
  ReShonda Tate Billingsley
  The Reverend Simon Jackson concentrates on his Houston congregation while his own family disintegrates. Eldest son David finds trouble with drugs and the law. Nineteen-year-old daughter Rachel struggles as a single mom. Recent college graduate Jonathan appears on track but hides a secret. Simon’s wife, Loretta, helps them reconnect. 2004.  

Second Sunday

• RC 61556     
  Michele Andrea Bowen
  St. Louis, 1975. Pastor Clydell Forbes dies just months before Gethsemane Baptist Church celebrates its centennial, leaving the congregation scrambling for a replacement. Since the search committee hasn’t located a suitable minister, party girl Sheba Cochran leads Gethsemane’s women on a search of their own. Some descriptions of sex. 

 Just My Luck

• RC061905
  Tajuana "TJ" Butler
  On the day of her college graduation, thirty-eight-year-old African American Lanita Powers gets a makeover at a Los Angeles salon, where she shares her story of struggle, sacrifice, and success. Lanita’s memories of youth and adulthood include becoming a stripper, finding love, and returning to school. Some strong language. 2005.  

72 Hour Hold

• RC 60518
  Bebe Moore Campbell
  African American divorced mom Keri struggles to help her bipolar daughter Trina, who’s heading to Brown University in the fall. After traditional treatments don’t benefit Trina, Keri turns to a radical group who eschews psychiatric methods and models itself after the Underground Railroad. Strong language, some explicit descriptions of sex, and some violence. 

Some People, Some Other Place

• RC061231
  J. California Cooper
  Multigenerational tale of residents of Dream Street in a town called Place. During the Depression, fifteen-year-old African American Eula heads for Chicago but after being raped is taken in by a brothel owner and brought to Dream Street. Some explicit descriptions of sex, some violence, and some strong language. 2004. 

Genevieve.

• RC 61691
  Eric Jerome Dickey  
  An unnamed African American medical research analyst and his wife, Genevieve Forbes, travel to Alabama for the funeral of Genevieve’s grandmother. There the husband begins a torrid affair with Kenya, his wife’s sister—or so he believes—that reveals shocking family truths. Explicit descriptions of sex and strong language.

Liar's Game 

• RC 50892     
  Eric Jerome Dickey
  An urban tale of “love and lies in L.A.” Both Dana and Vince fear a long-term commitment and jeopardize their relationship by hiding details about the past.

The Black Rose

• RC 51665
  Tananarive Due
  Sarah Breedlove overcomes her poverty-stricken childhood in 1860’s Louisiana by turning her kitchen into a beauty parlor, developing a line of hair care products, and becoming Madame C.J. Walker—America’s first black female millionaire. 

The Sistahood of Shopaholics

• RC059903
  Leslie Esdaile
  Tales of four women whose passion for shopping leads them to meeting the men of their dreams. One woman needs to produce a groom-to-be. Another meets a car salesman who tries to help her cure a shopping addiction. Some explicit descriptions of sex and some strong language. 2003. 

Sapphire's Grave 

• RC059499
  Hilda Gurley-Highgate
  In 1749 a Sierra Leone woman is sent in slavery to America. There, she gives birth to a daughter, Sapphire, who passes on her mother’s defiance and survival instincts as a legacy to sustain generations of female descendants enduring poverty and oppression. Violence and some explicit descriptions of sex. 2000.  

I Say a Little Prayer

• RC 61729
  E. Lynn Harris 
  Former musician Chauncey Greer quit performing during his teenage years when his bisexuality was exposed. Now, almost forty, he returns to church and is inspired to revive his career. When a fundamentalist preacher plans to speak out against homosexuality, Chauncey takes a stand—and a special friend returns. Explicit descriptions of sex, strong language and some violence. 

Not a Day Goes By

• RC 50887
  E. Lynn Harris
  Former football star Basil Henderson calls off his wedding to actress Yancey Braxton. The story backtracks to describe their romance and the secrets that ultimately cause their breakup. 

Divas, Inc. 

• RC059065
  Donna Hill
  When Margaret Drew’s vacationing best friends Tiffany and Chantel choose her to house-sit, Margaret uses their Manhattan apartments, socialite boyfriends, and trendy wardrobes to make over her plain-Jane lifestyle. Despite mishaps, she elevates her image and discovers the secret of being a true diva. Some strong language. 2004. 

If He Hollers Let Him Go 

• RC058656
  Chester B Himes
  Los Angeles, 1940s. Shipyard worker Bob Jones, a black man, has become a foreman. Still he feels "scared, walled in, locked up" because of the racism he encounters daily. Accused of raping a white woman, he loses his job, his girlfriend, and his freedom. Some violence and some strong language. 1945. 

Trouble Man 

• RC059538
  Travis Hunter
  Twenty-nine-year-old African American drug dealer Jermaine Banks is thinking about changing his lifestyle. His girlfriend is expecting his second child and his best friend has been murdered. When Jermaine’s long-absent father appears, their meeting and ensuing personal crises transform everyone’s lives. Some descriptions of sex. 2003. 

The Hatwearer's Lesson 

• RC058495
  Yolanda Joe
  Grandma Ollie calls it a bad omen when her pen runs dry as she enters granddaughter Terri’s engagement into her Bible. Then Terri, a successful African American attorney, learns her fiancé Derek is cheating. Ollie helps Terri choose between Derek and new love-interest Lynnwood. Some explicit descriptions of sex. 2003.

Leaving Atlanta

• RC059362
  Tayari Jones
  An atmosphere of terror prevails among African Americans in 1979 Atlanta when children begin disappearing. Fifth graders Tasha, Rodney, and Octavia cope with danger and uncertainty as their classmates are among the missing and dead. Some strong language. Hurston/Wright Legacy. 2002. 

Bling 

• RC059146
  Erica Kennedy
  African American Lamont Jackson, head of the recording industry’s hottest hip-hop label, signs Mimi, a naive twenty-year-old singer, and transforms her into an R&B superstar. But in the decadent world of designer clothes and exclusive clubs, fame has its price. Strong language and some explicit descriptions of sex. 2004.            

A Day Late and a Dollar Short 

• RC 51558
  Terry McMillan
  Driven apart by infidelity and addiction, the Price family resolves to reunite through love and forgiveness. But problems arise as their basic philosophical differences emerge. 

The Interruption of Everything 

• RC 60512
  Terry McMillan 
  Bored African American forty-something Marilyn Grimes deals with a husband’s midlife crisis, kids in college, a live-in mother-in-law, and her own mother showing signs of dementia. Marilyn, with the help and support of her friends, faces decisions about her future, including a possible pregnancy. Some descriptions of sex and some strong language. 

Red Light Wives 

• RC061278
  Mary Monroe
  San Francisco. Six diverse women down on their luck feel they have no choice but to work for pimp Clyde Brooks. The women bond together despite their problems and help Clyde raise his handicapped daughter Keisha--until tragedy strikes. Strong language, some descriptions of sex, and some violence. 2004. 

Cinnamon Kiss 

• RC 60638     
  Walter Mosley
  California, 1960s. To pay for his daughter’s expensive medical treatment, Easy Rawlins joins P.I. Saul Lynx in tracking down a missing wealthy lawyer and his lover Cinnamon. The investigation takes Easy to San Francisco, where he encounters the hippie movement and murder. Strong language and some violence. 

Fearless Jones

• RC 52362       
  Walter Mosley
  Watts, 1954.  African American bookstore owner Paris Minton calls on his friend, Fearless Jones, when he gets entangled in a case of stolen Swiss bonds.  

Fortunate Son

• RC062769
  Walter Mosley
  Los Angeles. Stepbrothers Tommy and Eric are separated when their makeshift family disintegrates. Sickly African American Tommy ends up on the streets dealing drugs while white doctor’s son Eric lives a prosperous but empty life. Years later, tragedy reunites them. Explicit descriptions of sex, strong language, and some violence. 2006. 

Freshwater Road

• RC062419
  Denise Nicholas
  Celeste Tyree, an African American middle-class college student from Detroit, travels to Mississippi in 1964 to help register voters. The naive teenager learns about oppression, activism, and family secrets during her time down South. Strong language, some explicit descriptions of sex, and some violence. ALA Black Caucus Award. 2005. 

The Time of Our Singing

• RC059851
  Richard Powers
  Jewish physicist David Strom and African American singer Delia Daley raised their three children, Jonah, Joseph, and Ruth, to love music and transcend race. Growing up during the 1950s-1960s civil-rights era, the mixed-heritage siblings strive for social harmony. Some explicit descriptions of sex, some violence, and some strong language. 2003. 

Any Rich Man Will Do

• RC062691
  Francis Ray
  Divorced and disgraced, Jana Franklin wanders into Olivia Sanders’s Dallas boutique. Olivia offers Jana a job and a home against her brother Tyler’s advice. Jana eventually wins Tyler’s trust--and love--by confronting past mistakes. Companion to Like the First Time (RC 62376). Some explicit descriptions of sex and some strong language. 2005.  

Bitter Water, Blessed Hearts

• RC062839
  Adrienne Ellis Reeves
  Educational consultant Jenny Cannon returns to her hometown in South Carolina and finds that the principal at her school is childhood neighbor Scott Phillips. Years ago a tragedy struck the two families. Now it takes Jenny’s newfound faith in God to overcome her guilt and to love Scott. 2006.  

The Strong, Silent Type

• RC061883
  C. Kelly Robinson
  African American ex-NFL star Deacon Davis--the son of a civil rights leader--loses his job with a political party because of his stutter. Davis seeks help from a speech clinic, where he falls for therapist Maria Oliver. Together they solve family issues. Strong language and some explicit descriptions of sex. 2005. 

Casting the First Stone

• RC 60028     
  Kimberla Lawson Roby
  Tanya has everything a husband, Curtis, who is pastor of a wealthy Chicago African American church, a job she loves, a beautiful home, and a daughter. But life becomes more turbulent as Curtis succumbs to the temptations of running a rich congregation. Some descriptions of sex.  

Boss Lady

• RC 61704     
  Omar Tyree
  California. Vanessa Smith from Philadelphia joins her screenwriter cousin Tracy Ellison. Vanessa attends college and learns the business of producing a movie as Tracy’s assistant. Strong language and some explicit descriptions of sex.  

The Preacher's Son

• RC 60106     
  Carl Weber
  Queens, New York. Family indiscretions threaten to derail African American bishop T.K. Wilson’s campaign for borough president. His son Dante finds love with a former stripper, while daughter Donna hides her affair with T.K.’s protégé. Strong language and some explicit descriptions of sex.