Shamontiel's Bookshelf & Author Interviews
I am the author of two fiction novels, "Change for a Twenty" and "Round Trip," available on all major book outlets.
Scroll down to see what authors I've interviewed and what books I recommend. Additional book reviews I've written for the Chicago Tribune are here.
Scroll down to see what authors I've interviewed and what books I recommend. Additional book reviews I've written for the Chicago Tribune are here.
Karen Siplin
E. Lynn Harris
Sister Souljah
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Steve Harvey
Ekiuwa Aire"African history through the eyes of a child ~ How Ekiuwa Aire and ‘The 1619 Project’ educate all from childhood to adulthood" (Featured in Substack's "I Do See Color"
Dr. Natalie Wilson
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Christopher Herz
Kevin Alan Milne
Erin O. Patton
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LATEST BOOKSHELF UPDATE:
August 9, 2024 Note: The latest recommended read will be typed in maroon. Once a new book is recommended, that review will be deleted, and the next one will be posted. |
Recommended Purchase: Genuine Fred Magic Sprout, Mini-Mushroom Bookmarks
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FICTION
Bland, Eleanor Taylor "A Cold and Silent Dying: A Marti MacAlister Mystery"
Carter, Ernessa T. "32 Candles"
Cleage, Pearl "Some Things I Never Thought I'd Do"
Coleman, Andre "A Liar's Tale"
Coleman, Andre "Blackbirds: Volume I"
Curnyn, Lynda "Engaging Men"
Dickey, Eric Jerome "Chasing Destiny"
Dickey, Eric Jerome "Drive Me Crazy"
Dickey, Eric Jerome "Friends and Lovers"
Dickey, Eric Jerome "Tempted by Trouble"
Dickey, Eric Jerome "Thieves' Paradise"
Draper, Sharon "Tears of a Tiger"
Files, Lolita "Scenes from a Sistah"
Flake, Sharon G. "Begging for Change"
Flake, Sharon G. "Money Hungry"
Flake, Sharon G. "The Skin I'm In"
Flake, Sharon G. "Who Am I Without Him? Short Stories About Girls and Boys In Their Lives"
Going, K.L. "King of the Screwups"
Grant, Donna "Tryin' To Sleep in the Bed You Made"
Green, Carmen "Atlanta Live!"
Griffin, John Howard "Black Like Me"
Han, Jenny "The Summer I Turned Pretty"
Han, Jenny "To All the Boys I've Love Before"
Han, Jenny "P.S. I Still Love You"
Harmon, Byron "All the Women I've Loved"
Harris, E. Lynn "A Love of My Own" (R.I.P. "Memories of E. Lynn Harris")
Harris, E. Lynn "Gumbo: A Celebration of African American Writing" (R.I.P. "Memories of E. Lynn Harris")
Harris, E. Lynn "In My Father's House"
Hayes, Lee A. "Passion Marks"
Herz, Christopher "The Last Block in Harlem"
Hill, Ernest "A Life for a Life"
Hill, Ernest "Cry Me a River"
Hill, Ernest "It's All About the Moon When the Sun Ain't Shining"
Hughes, Langston "The Simple Omnibus"
Hughes, Langston "The Ways of White Folks"
Hunter, Travis "A One Woman Man"
Hunter, Travis "Something to Die For"
Hunter, Travis "Trouble Man"
Hyzy, Julie "Buffalo West Wing" (Part 4)
Hyzy, Julie "Eggsecutive Orders" (Part 3)
Hyzy, Julie "Hail to the Chef" (Part 2)
Hyzy, Julie "State of the Onion" (Part 1)
Johnson, Freddie Lee "Bittersweet"
Johnson, Dana "Break Any Woman Down"
Johnson, Mat "Hunting in Harlem"
Johnson, RM "Dating Games"
Johnson, RM "The Harris Family"
Johnson, RM "Love Frustration"
Johnson, RM "The Million Dollar Divorce"
Jones, Solomon "Pipe Dream"
Jones, Solomon "The Bridge"
Jones, Tayari "Leaving Atlanta"
Jones, Tayari "Silver Sparrow (Chicago Tribune review)" or "Silver Sparrow"
Martin, Ann M. (Every single "Babysitter's Club" book she's written was beneficial to me as a pre-teen, and I'd stand by them all. I had 81 of her books.)
Mason, J.D. "Don't Want No Sugar"
Mason, J.D. "One Day I Saw a Black King"
Massey, Brandon "The Other Brother"
McCarthy, Susan Carol "Lay That Trumpet In Our Hands"
Mckinney-Whetstone, Diane "Blues Dancing"
Meriwether, Louise "Daddy Was a Number Runner"
Merullo, Roland "American Savior"
Messina, Lynn "Fashionistas"
Messina, Lynn "Tallulahland"
Meyer, Stephenie "New Moon"
Meyer, Stephenie "The Short Second Life of Bree Turner"
Meyer, Stephenie "Twilight"
Miller, Mary "Biloxi"
Miller, Moses "The Barack in Me"
Milne, Kevin Alan "Sweet Misfortune: A Novel"
Monninger, Joseph "Whippoorwill"
Monroe, Mary "God Don't Like Ugly"
Moses, Shelia P. "I, Dred Scott"
Moses, Shelia P. "Joseph"
Mosley, Walter "Blonde Faith"
Mosley, Walter "The Last Days of Ptolemy Gray"
Mosley, Walter "The Man in My Basement"
Murphy, Richard "Confessions of a Contractor"
Myers, Edward "Far From Gringo Land"
Naylor, Gloria "The Men of Brewster Place"
Packer, ZZ "Drinking Coffee Elsewhere"
Perkins-Valdez, Dolen "Wench"
Picoult, Jodi "Change of Heart" (Page 1, Page 2)
Picoult, Jodi "Keeping Faith"
Picoult, Jodi "Leaving Time"
Picoult, Jodi "Nineteen Minutes review" or "Nineteen Minutes"
Picoult, Jodi "Salem Falls"
Picoult, Jodi "Small Great Things"
Picoult, Jodi "The Tenth Circle"
Ptah, Heru "A Hip Hop Story"
Rhodes, Jewell Park "Douglass' Women"
Rosenberg, Joel C. "The Auschwitz Escape"
Senate, Melissa "The Breakup Club"
Senate, Melissa "The Solomon Sisters Wise Up"
Senate, Melissa "Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?"
Shotz, Jennifer Li "American Dog: Poppy" (Click here for the "Black Girl In a Doggone World" review.)
Shotz, Jennifer Li "American Dog: Star" (Click here for the "Black Girl In a Doggone World" review.)
Sinclair, April "Coffee Will Make You Black"
Singer, Gammy L. "A Landlord's Tale"
Siplin, Karen "Such a Girl"
Siplin, Karen "Whiskey Road"
Souljah, Sister "The Coldest Winter Ever"
Sparks, Nicholas "Two by Two"
NEW! Stead, Rebecca "Goodbye Stranger"
Last month, I reminded my father about how he used to impersonate me as a kid when I'd say, "I'm bored." I'd poke my bottom lip out and slump my shoulders. He thought it was highly entertaining to mimic me on a quiet, peaceful day.
In my early 40s, I told him I cannot remember the last time I was bored. I can't even remember it in my 30s. That's why young adult fiction is so entertaining to me. I thought it was lame at the time, but I now see how precious those peaceful, drama-free days were. My biggest worries then were trigonometry and childhood crushes. Rebecca Stead's characters take me back to those days of this-is-nowhere-near-as-big-of-a-deal-as-you-think. Except her characters have a twist because they're coming up in the smartphone and social media era versus landlines and note passing. (Same difference.)
As far as the book "Goodbye Stranger," Tab is definitely more "I am woman, hear me roar" than I was as a child. I wasn't following the crowd like Emily (even mid-puberty). I don't quite relate to Bridge and those cat ears, and I never did understand why she was wearing them at all. It had zero to do with the car accident. Felt like she was trying to hold onto her youth as long as possible by dressing for Halloween every day.
Sherm Russo intrigued me because of how close he was with his grandfather. Me too! (Mine didn't dip, and my grandparents were married for 49 years until one passed away.) But his letters to his grandfather were what made me want to rush to his chapters. The "Now you know how it feels" letter made me yell "Ooof!" out loud.
I could take or leave the rest of the characters. Because of the real-life story of Darryl George, Adrienne and those blonde dreadlocks bugged me. Seemed like more of a fad for her than it was a statement. (Again, I'm grown, and the average non-POC child is not going to know what the CROWN Act is or care about her hair.)
I could never get into Patrick because he knew who sent the photo, and Julie Hopper sounded like every boring, know-it-all popular girl in every teen read. Em started having less of a personality because of it, and I grew tired of her character for similar reasons.
And then there was the girl who cut class. I had zero interest in her altogether and wanted to skip past ALL her chapters. That is, until I found out toward the end of the book who that character was. Finding THAT out made me want to re-read every single section of the cutting-class kid (again). I don't know how I feel about THIS PERSON being the character. I love the mystery and there were clues when a certain "event" was skipped. I wish I would've been able to connect the parallels between this character's relationship with visible characters as much as WHY this person cut school. The reason for cutting class was melodramatic, and I imagined much worse had happened.
Overall, great book though. The whole book could've been about Sherm and I'd have been fine with that. Describing newfound interest as "like closing a book and opening another one" is a comparison that makes all bookworms' hearts flutter.
Gonna check out another book from this author and get lost in "bored but dramatic" youth.
Stovall, Taressa "Proverbs for the People"
Thomas, Angie "The Hate U Give"
Tyree, Omar "Flyy Girl"
Tyree, Omar "Single Mom"
Tyree, Omar "Sweet St. Louis"
Weber, Carl "A Dollar and a Dream"
Weber, Carl "Baby Momma Drama"
Weber, Carl "Married Men"
Weber, Carl "Player Haters"
Weber, Carl "The Preacher's Son"
Youngblood, Shay "Soul Kiss"
Carter, Ernessa T. "32 Candles"
Cleage, Pearl "Some Things I Never Thought I'd Do"
Coleman, Andre "A Liar's Tale"
Coleman, Andre "Blackbirds: Volume I"
Curnyn, Lynda "Engaging Men"
Dickey, Eric Jerome "Chasing Destiny"
Dickey, Eric Jerome "Drive Me Crazy"
Dickey, Eric Jerome "Friends and Lovers"
Dickey, Eric Jerome "Tempted by Trouble"
Dickey, Eric Jerome "Thieves' Paradise"
Draper, Sharon "Tears of a Tiger"
Files, Lolita "Scenes from a Sistah"
Flake, Sharon G. "Begging for Change"
Flake, Sharon G. "Money Hungry"
Flake, Sharon G. "The Skin I'm In"
Flake, Sharon G. "Who Am I Without Him? Short Stories About Girls and Boys In Their Lives"
Going, K.L. "King of the Screwups"
Grant, Donna "Tryin' To Sleep in the Bed You Made"
Green, Carmen "Atlanta Live!"
Griffin, John Howard "Black Like Me"
Han, Jenny "The Summer I Turned Pretty"
Han, Jenny "To All the Boys I've Love Before"
Han, Jenny "P.S. I Still Love You"
Harmon, Byron "All the Women I've Loved"
Harris, E. Lynn "A Love of My Own" (R.I.P. "Memories of E. Lynn Harris")
Harris, E. Lynn "Gumbo: A Celebration of African American Writing" (R.I.P. "Memories of E. Lynn Harris")
Harris, E. Lynn "In My Father's House"
Hayes, Lee A. "Passion Marks"
Herz, Christopher "The Last Block in Harlem"
Hill, Ernest "A Life for a Life"
Hill, Ernest "Cry Me a River"
Hill, Ernest "It's All About the Moon When the Sun Ain't Shining"
Hughes, Langston "The Simple Omnibus"
Hughes, Langston "The Ways of White Folks"
Hunter, Travis "A One Woman Man"
Hunter, Travis "Something to Die For"
Hunter, Travis "Trouble Man"
Hyzy, Julie "Buffalo West Wing" (Part 4)
Hyzy, Julie "Eggsecutive Orders" (Part 3)
Hyzy, Julie "Hail to the Chef" (Part 2)
Hyzy, Julie "State of the Onion" (Part 1)
Johnson, Freddie Lee "Bittersweet"
Johnson, Dana "Break Any Woman Down"
Johnson, Mat "Hunting in Harlem"
Johnson, RM "Dating Games"
Johnson, RM "The Harris Family"
Johnson, RM "Love Frustration"
Johnson, RM "The Million Dollar Divorce"
Jones, Solomon "Pipe Dream"
Jones, Solomon "The Bridge"
Jones, Tayari "Leaving Atlanta"
Jones, Tayari "Silver Sparrow (Chicago Tribune review)" or "Silver Sparrow"
Martin, Ann M. (Every single "Babysitter's Club" book she's written was beneficial to me as a pre-teen, and I'd stand by them all. I had 81 of her books.)
Mason, J.D. "Don't Want No Sugar"
Mason, J.D. "One Day I Saw a Black King"
Massey, Brandon "The Other Brother"
McCarthy, Susan Carol "Lay That Trumpet In Our Hands"
Mckinney-Whetstone, Diane "Blues Dancing"
Meriwether, Louise "Daddy Was a Number Runner"
Merullo, Roland "American Savior"
Messina, Lynn "Fashionistas"
Messina, Lynn "Tallulahland"
Meyer, Stephenie "New Moon"
Meyer, Stephenie "The Short Second Life of Bree Turner"
Meyer, Stephenie "Twilight"
Miller, Mary "Biloxi"
Miller, Moses "The Barack in Me"
Milne, Kevin Alan "Sweet Misfortune: A Novel"
Monninger, Joseph "Whippoorwill"
Monroe, Mary "God Don't Like Ugly"
Moses, Shelia P. "I, Dred Scott"
Moses, Shelia P. "Joseph"
Mosley, Walter "Blonde Faith"
Mosley, Walter "The Last Days of Ptolemy Gray"
Mosley, Walter "The Man in My Basement"
Murphy, Richard "Confessions of a Contractor"
Myers, Edward "Far From Gringo Land"
Naylor, Gloria "The Men of Brewster Place"
Packer, ZZ "Drinking Coffee Elsewhere"
Perkins-Valdez, Dolen "Wench"
Picoult, Jodi "Change of Heart" (Page 1, Page 2)
Picoult, Jodi "Keeping Faith"
Picoult, Jodi "Leaving Time"
Picoult, Jodi "Nineteen Minutes review" or "Nineteen Minutes"
Picoult, Jodi "Salem Falls"
Picoult, Jodi "Small Great Things"
Picoult, Jodi "The Tenth Circle"
Ptah, Heru "A Hip Hop Story"
Rhodes, Jewell Park "Douglass' Women"
Rosenberg, Joel C. "The Auschwitz Escape"
Senate, Melissa "The Breakup Club"
Senate, Melissa "The Solomon Sisters Wise Up"
Senate, Melissa "Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?"
Shotz, Jennifer Li "American Dog: Poppy" (Click here for the "Black Girl In a Doggone World" review.)
Shotz, Jennifer Li "American Dog: Star" (Click here for the "Black Girl In a Doggone World" review.)
Sinclair, April "Coffee Will Make You Black"
Singer, Gammy L. "A Landlord's Tale"
Siplin, Karen "Such a Girl"
Siplin, Karen "Whiskey Road"
Souljah, Sister "The Coldest Winter Ever"
Sparks, Nicholas "Two by Two"
NEW! Stead, Rebecca "Goodbye Stranger"
Last month, I reminded my father about how he used to impersonate me as a kid when I'd say, "I'm bored." I'd poke my bottom lip out and slump my shoulders. He thought it was highly entertaining to mimic me on a quiet, peaceful day.
In my early 40s, I told him I cannot remember the last time I was bored. I can't even remember it in my 30s. That's why young adult fiction is so entertaining to me. I thought it was lame at the time, but I now see how precious those peaceful, drama-free days were. My biggest worries then were trigonometry and childhood crushes. Rebecca Stead's characters take me back to those days of this-is-nowhere-near-as-big-of-a-deal-as-you-think. Except her characters have a twist because they're coming up in the smartphone and social media era versus landlines and note passing. (Same difference.)
As far as the book "Goodbye Stranger," Tab is definitely more "I am woman, hear me roar" than I was as a child. I wasn't following the crowd like Emily (even mid-puberty). I don't quite relate to Bridge and those cat ears, and I never did understand why she was wearing them at all. It had zero to do with the car accident. Felt like she was trying to hold onto her youth as long as possible by dressing for Halloween every day.
Sherm Russo intrigued me because of how close he was with his grandfather. Me too! (Mine didn't dip, and my grandparents were married for 49 years until one passed away.) But his letters to his grandfather were what made me want to rush to his chapters. The "Now you know how it feels" letter made me yell "Ooof!" out loud.
I could take or leave the rest of the characters. Because of the real-life story of Darryl George, Adrienne and those blonde dreadlocks bugged me. Seemed like more of a fad for her than it was a statement. (Again, I'm grown, and the average non-POC child is not going to know what the CROWN Act is or care about her hair.)
I could never get into Patrick because he knew who sent the photo, and Julie Hopper sounded like every boring, know-it-all popular girl in every teen read. Em started having less of a personality because of it, and I grew tired of her character for similar reasons.
And then there was the girl who cut class. I had zero interest in her altogether and wanted to skip past ALL her chapters. That is, until I found out toward the end of the book who that character was. Finding THAT out made me want to re-read every single section of the cutting-class kid (again). I don't know how I feel about THIS PERSON being the character. I love the mystery and there were clues when a certain "event" was skipped. I wish I would've been able to connect the parallels between this character's relationship with visible characters as much as WHY this person cut school. The reason for cutting class was melodramatic, and I imagined much worse had happened.
Overall, great book though. The whole book could've been about Sherm and I'd have been fine with that. Describing newfound interest as "like closing a book and opening another one" is a comparison that makes all bookworms' hearts flutter.
Gonna check out another book from this author and get lost in "bored but dramatic" youth.
Stovall, Taressa "Proverbs for the People"
Thomas, Angie "The Hate U Give"
Tyree, Omar "Flyy Girl"
Tyree, Omar "Single Mom"
Tyree, Omar "Sweet St. Louis"
Weber, Carl "A Dollar and a Dream"
Weber, Carl "Baby Momma Drama"
Weber, Carl "Married Men"
Weber, Carl "Player Haters"
Weber, Carl "The Preacher's Son"
Youngblood, Shay "Soul Kiss"
NONFICTION
Altman, Susan "The Encyclopedia of African-American Heritage"
Anderson, Maggie "Our Black Year: One Family's Quest to Buy Black in America's Racially Divided Economy"
Ardis, Angela "Inside a Thug's Heart"
Asante, Molefi Kete "Erasing Racism: The Survival of the American Nation"
Bahr, Iris "Machu My Picchu: Searching for Sex, Sanity, and a Soul Mate in South America"
"Barack H. Obama: The 44th President of the United States" (Conde Nast Special Editions)
Bell, W. Kamau "The Awkward Thoughts of W. Kamau Bell: Tales of a 6' 4, African American, Heterosexual, Cisgender, Left-Leaning, Asthmatic, Black and Proud Blerd, Mama's Boy, Dad, and Stand-Up Comedian"
Biden, Jill "Where the Light Enters: Building a Family, Discovering Myself"
Bollinger, Michele and Dao X. Tran "101 Changemakers: Rebels and Radicals Who Changed US History"
Boyd, Herb "The Harlem Reader: A Celebration of New York's Most Famous Neighborhood, From the Renaissance Years to the Twenty-first Century"
Braxton, Toni and Michelle Burford "Unbreak My Heart: A Memoir"
Brian Smith and Robin Bronk "Art & Soul: Stars Unite to Celebrate and Support the Arts" (Chicago Tribune review) or "Art & Soul"
Brown, Bobby and Nick Chiles "Every Little Step: My Story"
Campidonica, Anthony C. "Outsmarting the System: Lower Your Taxes, Control Your Future, and Reach Financial Freedom"
Carlos, John Wesley and Dave Zirin "The John Carlos Story: The Sports Moment That Changed the World" (Chicago Tribune review) or "The John Carlos Story"
Cline, Elizabeth L. "Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion"
Crowder, David and Andrew Bailey "Creating Web Sites Bible" (2nd Edition)
Earl, Sari "Benjamin O. Davis Jr. : Air Force general & Tuskegee Airmen leader"
Ebong, Ima (edited) and A'Lelia Bundles (foreword) "Black Hair: Art, Style, and Culture"
Ellis, Shaun and Monty Sloan (photography) "Wolves: Capturing the Natural Spirit of these Incredible Animals"
Folan, Karyn Langhorne "Don't Bring Home a White Boy: And Other Notions That Keep Black Women From Dating Out"
Gibson, Tyrese and Rev Run "Manology: Secrets of Your Man's Mind Revealed"
Golden, Marita "It's All Love" (Chicago Defender review) and "It's All Love" (Kindle)
Gorman, Hogan "Hot Cripple" (Kindle)
Harper, Hill "The Conversation: How Men and Women Can Build Loving, Trusting Relationships"
Harper, Hill "The Wealth Cure" (Chicago Tribune book review) and "The Wealth Cure" (Kindle)
Harriot, Michael "Black AF History: The Un-Whitewashed Story of America" (Click here for the "I Do See Color" review.)
Harris, Kamala "The Truths We Hold: An American Journey"
Harrison, Sam "Idea Spotting: How to Find Your Next Great Idea"
Haygood, Wil "The Butler: A Witness to History"
Henson, Taraji P. "Around the Way Girl" (Kindle)
Hughes, Langston "Langston Hughes and the Chicago Defender" (Chicago Defender review)
Jean, Wyclef "An Immigrant's Story: Purpose" (Kindle)
Kerman, Piper "Orange Is the New Black: My Year In a Women's Prison"
Krensky, Stephen "Biography Barack Obama ~ A Photographic Story of a Life"
Livingston, M.D., Gordon "Too Soon Old: Too Late Smart, Thirty True Things You Need to Know"
Lyons, Dan "Disrupted: My Misadventure in the Start-Up Bubble"
Merritt, Jennifer and Roe D'Angelo "13 Things Rich People Won't Tell You: 325+ Tried and True Secrets to Building Your Fortune No Matter What Your Salary"
Morris, Monique W. "Black Stats"
Noah, Trevor "Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood" (Kindle)
NOLO "Represent Yourself in Court: Prepare & Try a Winning Civil Case" 11th Edition (Kindle)
Norwood, Mandi "Michelle Style: Celebrating the First Lady of Fashion"
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex "Spare" (Kindle)
Ro, Ronin "Have Gun will Travel: The Spectacular Rise and Violent Fall of Death Row Records"
Simmons, Rev Run and Justine "Take Back Your Family: A Challenge to America's Parents" Page 1, Page 2 (Chicago Defender review) and "Take Back Your Family: A Challenge to America's Parents" (Kindle)
Smith, Will and Mark Manson "Will" (Kindle)
Souza, Pete "Obama: An Intimate Portrait"
Stodghill, Ron "Where Everybody Looks Like Me: At the Crossroads of America's Black Colleges and Culture" (Kindle) (Note: The Higginbotham-Brooks part went on way too long. Skip those parts.)
Strauss, Neil "The Truth: An Uncomfortable Book About Relationships" (Kindle)
Tatum Ph.D., Beverly Daniel "Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?"
Timbaland and Veronica Chambers "The Emperor of Sound: A Memoir"
Toure "Who's Afraid of Post-Blackness?: What It Means to Be Black Now" (Kindle)
Turner, Tina and Kurt Loder "I, Tina: My Life Story"
Union, Gabrielle "We're Going to Need More Wine" (Kindle)
Union, Gabrielle "You Got Anything Stronger"
Wade, Dwyane "A Father First: How My Life Became Bigger Than Basketball" (Kindle)
Whitaker, Mark "Cosby: His Life and Times" (Kindle)
X, Malcolm "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" (Chicago Tribune op/ed piece) (Kindle)
Youssef, Bassem "Revolution for Dummies: Laughing Through the Arab Spring"
Anderson, Maggie "Our Black Year: One Family's Quest to Buy Black in America's Racially Divided Economy"
Ardis, Angela "Inside a Thug's Heart"
Asante, Molefi Kete "Erasing Racism: The Survival of the American Nation"
Bahr, Iris "Machu My Picchu: Searching for Sex, Sanity, and a Soul Mate in South America"
"Barack H. Obama: The 44th President of the United States" (Conde Nast Special Editions)
Bell, W. Kamau "The Awkward Thoughts of W. Kamau Bell: Tales of a 6' 4, African American, Heterosexual, Cisgender, Left-Leaning, Asthmatic, Black and Proud Blerd, Mama's Boy, Dad, and Stand-Up Comedian"
Biden, Jill "Where the Light Enters: Building a Family, Discovering Myself"
Bollinger, Michele and Dao X. Tran "101 Changemakers: Rebels and Radicals Who Changed US History"
Boyd, Herb "The Harlem Reader: A Celebration of New York's Most Famous Neighborhood, From the Renaissance Years to the Twenty-first Century"
Braxton, Toni and Michelle Burford "Unbreak My Heart: A Memoir"
Brian Smith and Robin Bronk "Art & Soul: Stars Unite to Celebrate and Support the Arts" (Chicago Tribune review) or "Art & Soul"
Brown, Bobby and Nick Chiles "Every Little Step: My Story"
Campidonica, Anthony C. "Outsmarting the System: Lower Your Taxes, Control Your Future, and Reach Financial Freedom"
Carlos, John Wesley and Dave Zirin "The John Carlos Story: The Sports Moment That Changed the World" (Chicago Tribune review) or "The John Carlos Story"
Cline, Elizabeth L. "Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion"
Crowder, David and Andrew Bailey "Creating Web Sites Bible" (2nd Edition)
Earl, Sari "Benjamin O. Davis Jr. : Air Force general & Tuskegee Airmen leader"
Ebong, Ima (edited) and A'Lelia Bundles (foreword) "Black Hair: Art, Style, and Culture"
Ellis, Shaun and Monty Sloan (photography) "Wolves: Capturing the Natural Spirit of these Incredible Animals"
Folan, Karyn Langhorne "Don't Bring Home a White Boy: And Other Notions That Keep Black Women From Dating Out"
Gibson, Tyrese and Rev Run "Manology: Secrets of Your Man's Mind Revealed"
Golden, Marita "It's All Love" (Chicago Defender review) and "It's All Love" (Kindle)
Gorman, Hogan "Hot Cripple" (Kindle)
Harper, Hill "The Conversation: How Men and Women Can Build Loving, Trusting Relationships"
Harper, Hill "The Wealth Cure" (Chicago Tribune book review) and "The Wealth Cure" (Kindle)
Harriot, Michael "Black AF History: The Un-Whitewashed Story of America" (Click here for the "I Do See Color" review.)
Harris, Kamala "The Truths We Hold: An American Journey"
Harrison, Sam "Idea Spotting: How to Find Your Next Great Idea"
Haygood, Wil "The Butler: A Witness to History"
Henson, Taraji P. "Around the Way Girl" (Kindle)
Hughes, Langston "Langston Hughes and the Chicago Defender" (Chicago Defender review)
Jean, Wyclef "An Immigrant's Story: Purpose" (Kindle)
Kerman, Piper "Orange Is the New Black: My Year In a Women's Prison"
Krensky, Stephen "Biography Barack Obama ~ A Photographic Story of a Life"
Livingston, M.D., Gordon "Too Soon Old: Too Late Smart, Thirty True Things You Need to Know"
Lyons, Dan "Disrupted: My Misadventure in the Start-Up Bubble"
Merritt, Jennifer and Roe D'Angelo "13 Things Rich People Won't Tell You: 325+ Tried and True Secrets to Building Your Fortune No Matter What Your Salary"
Morris, Monique W. "Black Stats"
Noah, Trevor "Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood" (Kindle)
NOLO "Represent Yourself in Court: Prepare & Try a Winning Civil Case" 11th Edition (Kindle)
Norwood, Mandi "Michelle Style: Celebrating the First Lady of Fashion"
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex "Spare" (Kindle)
Ro, Ronin "Have Gun will Travel: The Spectacular Rise and Violent Fall of Death Row Records"
Simmons, Rev Run and Justine "Take Back Your Family: A Challenge to America's Parents" Page 1, Page 2 (Chicago Defender review) and "Take Back Your Family: A Challenge to America's Parents" (Kindle)
Smith, Will and Mark Manson "Will" (Kindle)
Souza, Pete "Obama: An Intimate Portrait"
Stodghill, Ron "Where Everybody Looks Like Me: At the Crossroads of America's Black Colleges and Culture" (Kindle) (Note: The Higginbotham-Brooks part went on way too long. Skip those parts.)
Strauss, Neil "The Truth: An Uncomfortable Book About Relationships" (Kindle)
Tatum Ph.D., Beverly Daniel "Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?"
Timbaland and Veronica Chambers "The Emperor of Sound: A Memoir"
Toure "Who's Afraid of Post-Blackness?: What It Means to Be Black Now" (Kindle)
Turner, Tina and Kurt Loder "I, Tina: My Life Story"
Union, Gabrielle "We're Going to Need More Wine" (Kindle)
Union, Gabrielle "You Got Anything Stronger"
Wade, Dwyane "A Father First: How My Life Became Bigger Than Basketball" (Kindle)
Whitaker, Mark "Cosby: His Life and Times" (Kindle)
X, Malcolm "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" (Chicago Tribune op/ed piece) (Kindle)
Youssef, Bassem "Revolution for Dummies: Laughing Through the Arab Spring"
HEALTHY FOOD/FITNESS
"101 Best Vegan Foods" (Flexibound)
Hudson, Jennifer "I Got This"
Leneman, Leah "The Tofu Cookbook" (Kindle)
Obama, Michelle "American Grown" (Kindle)
Parkes, Sally "The Yoga Healing Bible: Finding the best postures, meditations, relaxation techniques, and breathing exercises for complete physical and spiritual balance"
Shelf, Angela "The Ethnic Vegetarian"
Snyder C.N., Kimberly "The Beauty Detox Foods" (Kindle)
Straten, Michael van "The Omega 3 Cookbook"
Sussman, Vic "The Vegetarian Alternative: A Guide to a Healthful and Humane Diet"
Hudson, Jennifer "I Got This"
Leneman, Leah "The Tofu Cookbook" (Kindle)
Obama, Michelle "American Grown" (Kindle)
Parkes, Sally "The Yoga Healing Bible: Finding the best postures, meditations, relaxation techniques, and breathing exercises for complete physical and spiritual balance"
Shelf, Angela "The Ethnic Vegetarian"
Snyder C.N., Kimberly "The Beauty Detox Foods" (Kindle)
Straten, Michael van "The Omega 3 Cookbook"
Sussman, Vic "The Vegetarian Alternative: A Guide to a Healthful and Humane Diet"
COMEDY/COMEDIANS
DeGeneres, Ellen "The Funny Thing Is"
Goldberg, Whoopi "Is it just me? Or is it nuts out there?" (Chicago Tribune review) and "Is It Just Me? Or Is It Nuts Out There?"
Halpern, Justin "Sh*t My Dad Says"
Halpern, Justin "I Suck at Girls"
Hart, Kevin "I Can't Make This Up: Life Lessons"
Harvey, Steve "Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man: What Men Really Think About Love, Relationships, Intimacy, and Commitment"
Kaling, Mindy "Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns)"
Kaling, Mindy "Why Not Me?"
Lopez, George "Why You Crying? My Long, Hard Look at Life, Love and Laughter"
McGruder, Aaron "A Right to Be Hostile: The Boondocks Treasury"
McGruder, Aaron "Public Enemy 2: An All New Boondocks Collection"
Murphy, Charlie "The Making of a Stand-Up Guy"
Wolf, Josh "It Takes Balls: Dating Single Moms and Other Confessions"
Youssef, Bassem "Revolution for Dummies: Laughing Through the Arab Spring"
Goldberg, Whoopi "Is it just me? Or is it nuts out there?" (Chicago Tribune review) and "Is It Just Me? Or Is It Nuts Out There?"
Halpern, Justin "Sh*t My Dad Says"
Halpern, Justin "I Suck at Girls"
Hart, Kevin "I Can't Make This Up: Life Lessons"
Harvey, Steve "Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man: What Men Really Think About Love, Relationships, Intimacy, and Commitment"
Kaling, Mindy "Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns)"
Kaling, Mindy "Why Not Me?"
Lopez, George "Why You Crying? My Long, Hard Look at Life, Love and Laughter"
McGruder, Aaron "A Right to Be Hostile: The Boondocks Treasury"
McGruder, Aaron "Public Enemy 2: An All New Boondocks Collection"
Murphy, Charlie "The Making of a Stand-Up Guy"
Wolf, Josh "It Takes Balls: Dating Single Moms and Other Confessions"
Youssef, Bassem "Revolution for Dummies: Laughing Through the Arab Spring"
