To celebrate the likes of Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Booker T. Washington and other influential African-American figures, the Boston Public Library suggests the following city-set reads as part of a larger compilation of novels for Black History Month.
“The Ex Chronicles: A Novel” by Carol Taylor
Four New York City friends bond to navigate the perils of single life as they search for Mr. Right, but too often settle for Mr. Right Now.
“Getting to Happy” by Terry McMillan
The four friends from McMillan’s first novel “Waiting to Exhale,” a tale about relying on each other to overcome a number of personal and professional crises, continue their lives 15 years later.
“The Girl Who Fell From the Sky: A Novel” by Heidi W. Durrow
After a family tragedy, the daughter of a Danish immigrant and a black G.I. attempts beginning a new life in this New York Times Bestseller.
“God Ain’t Through Yet” by Mary Monroe
A housewife’s suspicions are confirmed when her husband begins cheating again after he takes her back. She takes it hard and so does her daughter who seems hell-bent on keeping her mother on edge by hanging out with a wild new crowd.
“Heaven Forbid” by Lutishia Lovely
Members of the Gospel Truth Church must deal with the fallout of a scandalized pastor.
“If You Were My Man” by Francis Ray
A young widow and a hostage negotiator fall in love, but is their romance doomed by their own dark pasts?
“In My Father’s House” by E. Lynn Harris
After being disowned by his homophobic father, Bentley L. Dean III sets up a very successful modeling agency, which leads him to a world of A-listers and back-stabbers.
“Relapse: A Novel” by Nikki Turner
Protecting superstars from the paparazzi, getting VIPs out of legal problems and procuring drugs are just some of a concierge’s duties. Soon, her love obession turns into a selfish, high-stakes hustler who lures her into a dangerous web that takes even this seasoned enterpriser by surprise, and breaks her heart in the process.
“A Taste of Honey: Stories” by Jabari Asim
Stories of Midwestern family members during the time of the civil rights movement are woven together. With police brutality on the rise, the civil rights movement gaining momentum and wars raging at home and abroad, the family tackles individual struggles with love, child-rearing and adolescence that create a piercing portrait of humanity.
“Tempted by Trouble” by Eric Jerome Dickey
Dmytrk and Cora played by the rules, until the recession came along and drove them to bank robbery.
“Uptown” by Virginia DeBerry and Donna Grant
A prominent Harlem family, once divided by troubling past events, is strained to the breaking point as they are brought back together by a tragic accident.
“Damaged” by Kia DuPree
DuPree takes the reader into the life of a teenage prostitute on the streets of Washington, D.C.
“Darius Jones” by Mary B. Morrison
NBA star Darius Jones must deal with his comatose wife, a murderous groupie and the mother of his child.
