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THESE GHOSTS ARE FAMILY by Maisy Card

February 28, 2020

LOVELY, HAUNTED NOVEL draws on the many histories and spiritualities of Jamaica to tell richly intertwined family stories. Stunning prose. A MINUS

THESE GHOSTS ARE FAMILY
Simon & Schuster
2020

Grade: A MINUS

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DAPPER DAN by Daniel R. Day

February 26, 2020

FASHION PIONEER “DAPPER DAN” Day tells his story, from a hard-times Harlem childhood to reinventing high-end style by bringing streetwear to couture runways around the world. Charming memoir full of great stories. B PLUS

DAPPER DAN
Random House
2019

Grade: B PLUS

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THE SCORE by H.J Golakai

February 24, 2020

MURDER AT A SOUTH AFRICAN RESORT sets an expat Liberian reporter on the track of corruption on a grand scale, and puts her own life at risk. High-energy thriller. B PLUS

THE SCORE: A VEE JOHNSON MYSTERY (VEE JOHNSON MYSTERIES)
CASSAVA REPUBLIC
2019

Grade: B PLUS

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RIOT BABY by Tochi Onyebuchi

February 21, 2020

POWERFUL, SURREAL PARABLE of Black anger in the face of social injustice: in a bleak near-future, a woman and her brother discover the supernatural might of her channeled rage. B PLUS

RIOT BABY
Tordotcom
2020

Grade: B PLUS

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THE DIVIDE by J. L. Brown

February 17, 2020

AN AMBITIOUS FBI AGENT takes on a mysterious assassin in the midst of a national political crisis. Sleek DC thriller with a strong Black woman protagonist. B PLUS

THE DIVIDE: A JADE HARRINGTON NOVEL (JADE HARRINGTON SERIES BOOK 3)
JAB Press
2019

Grade: B PLUS

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SPEAKING OF SUMMER by Kalisha Buckhanon

February 15, 2020

A HARLEM WOMAN HUNTS for her missing sister; smart, resonant, timely thriller takes a turn into something even more complex. Sleek, bold prose. B PLUS

SPEAKING OF SUMMER
Counterpoint
2019

Grade: B PLUS

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HOW WE FIGHT FOR OUR LIVES by Saeed Jones

February 13, 2020

ANGRY, ELEGANT, IMPASSIONED and compassionate memoir about growing up Black, gay, a poet, the child of an extraordinary single mother, and deeply insightful. A MINUS

HOW WE FIGHT FOR OUR LIVES
Simon & Schuster
2019

Grade: A MINUS

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THE NEGRO GRANDSONS OF VERCINGETORIX (GLOBAL AFRICAN VOICES) by Alain Mabanckou

February 10, 2020

SATIRE WITH A COMPASSIONATE HEART, set in the imaginary African nation of Vietongo, a microcosm of all the conflicts and coups that followed French colonialism. Sharp political insights and nuanced characterization. A MINUS

THE NEGRO GRANDSONS OF VERCINGETORIX (GLOBAL AFRICAN VOICES)
Indiana University Press
2019

Grade: A MINUS

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THE ROSEWATER REDEMPTION (THE WORMWOOD TRILOGY #3) by Tade Thompson

February 8, 2020

NONSTOP ACTION, HIGH STAKES and a fascinating near-future Africa: suspenseful conclusion to a brilliant science fiction trilogy pitting humans against aliens, and against each other. B PLUS

THE ROSEWATER REDEMPTION (THE WORMWOOD TRILOGY #3)
Orbit
2019

Grade: B PLUS

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OUT OF DARKNESS, SHINING LIGHT by Petina Gappah

February 6, 2020

A DAZZLING RETELLING OF LIVINGSTONE’S last journey, from the perspective of the Africans who brought his body to the coast. Thoughtful, poetic, beautifully researched historical novel. A MINUS

OUT OF DARKNESS, SHINING LIGHT
Scribner
2019

Grade: A MINUS

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