20 Best Black Library Books (2023 Update)

A new edition of the classic new york times bestseller edited by toni morrison, offering an encyclopedic look at the black experience in america from 1619 through the 1940s with the original cover restored.“ i am so pleased the book is alive again. i still think there is no other work that tells and visualizes a story of such misery with seriousness, humor, grace and triumph.”—toni morrison seventeenth-century sketches of africans as they appeared to marauding european traders. nineteenth-century slave auction notices. twentieth-century sheet music for work songs and freedom chants. photographs of war heroes, regal in uniform. antebellum reward posters for capturing runaway slaves. an 1856 article titled “a visit to the slave mother who killed her child.” in 1974, middleton a. harris and toni morrison led a team of gifted, passionate collectors in compiling these images and nearly five hundred others into one sensational narrative of the black experience in america—the black book. now in a newly restored hardcover edition, the black book remains a breathtaking testament to the legendary wisdom, strength, and perseverance of black men and women intent on freedom. prominent collectors morris levitt, roger furman, and ernest smith joined harris and morrison (then a random house editor, ultimately a two-time pulitzer prize–winning nobel laureate) to spend months studying, laughing at, and crying over these materials—transcripts from fugitive slaves’ trials and proclamations by frederick douglass and celebrated abolitionists, as well as chilling images of cross burnings and lynchings, patents registered by black inventors throughout the early twentieth century, and vibrant posters from “black hollywood” films of the 1930s and 1940s. indeed, it was an article she found while researching this project that provided the inspiration for morrison’s masterpiece, beloved. a labor of love and a vital link to the richness and diversity of african american history and culture, the black book honors the past, reminding us where our nation has been, and gives flight to our hopes for what is yet to come. beautifully and faithfully presented and featuring a foreword and original poem by toni morrison, the black book remains a timeless landmark work.

One of the new york times book review's ten best books of the year – man booker prize finalist – “a gripping historical narrative exploring both the bounds of slavery and what it means to be truly free.” —vanity faireleven-year-old george washington black—or wash—a field slave on a barbados sugar plantation, is initially terrified when he is chosen as the manservant of his master’s brother. to his surprise, however, the eccentric christopher wilde turns out to be a naturalist, explorer, inventor, and abolitionist. soon wash is initiated into a world where a flying machine can carry a man across the sky, where even a boy born in chains may embrace a life of dignity and meaning, and where two people, separated by an impossible divide, can begin to see each other as human. but when a man is killed and a bounty is placed on wash’s head, they must abandon everything and flee together. over the course of their travels, what brings wash and christopher together will tear them apart, propelling wash ever farther across the globe in search of his true self. spanning the caribbean to the frozen far north, london to morocco, washington black is a story of self-invention and betrayal, of love and redemption, and of a world destroyed and made whole again.

Through a life of passion and struggle, malcolm x became one of the most influential figures of the 20th century. in this riveting account, he tells of his journey from a prison cell to mecca, describing his transition from hoodlum to muslim minister. here, the man who called himself "the angriest black man in america" relates how his conversion to true islam helped him confront his rage and recognize the brotherhood of all mankind. an established classic of modern america, "the autobiography of malcolm x" was hailed by the new york times as "extraordinary. a brilliant, painful, important book." still extraordinary, still important, this electrifying story has transformed malcom x's life into his legacy. the strength of his words, the power of his ideas continue to resonate more than a generation after they first appeared.

The story of the iliad homer's epic poem, the illiad, is one of the greatest adventure stories of all time. in it, the abduction of the legendary beauty, helen of troy, leads to a conflict in which even the gods and goddesses take sides and intervene. it is in the trojan war that the most valiant heroes of the ancient world are pitted against one another. here hectore, ajax, achilles, and odysseus meet their most formidable challenges and in some casas their tragic ends. rosemary sutcliff makes such extraordinary stories as those of those trojan horse, of aphrodite and the golden apple, and of the fearsome warrior women amazons, accessible to contemporary young people. this book has been selected as a common core state standards text exemplar (grades 6-8, stories) in appendix b. from the hardcover edition.

The black librarian in america: reflections, resistance, and reawakening is not only the first edition to be edited entirely by black women, but it is officially produced by bcala members in commemoration of the organization's 50th anniversary. dr. carla hayden (14th librarian of congress) and julius jefferson, jr. (president of the american library association for the 2020-2021 term) contribute moving foreword and afterword segments.

Spine creases wear to binding and pages from reading. may contain limited notes underlining or highlighting that does affect the text. possible ex library copy thatll have the markings and stickers associated from the library. accessories such as cd codes toys may not be included.

Winner of the pulitzer prize for biography – one of esquire’s best biographies of all time general alex dumas is a man almost unknown today, yet his story is strikingly familiar—because his son, the novelist alexandre dumas, used his larger-than-life feats as inspiration for such classics as the count of monte cristo and the three musketeers.but, hidden behind general dumas's swashbuckling adventures was an even more incredible secret: he was the son of a black slave—who rose higher in the white world than any man of his race would before our own time. born in saint-domingue (now haiti), alex dumas made his way to paris, where he rose to command armies at the height of the revolution—until he met an implacable enemy he could not defeat.the black count is simultaneously a riveting adventure story, a lushly textured evocation of 18th-century france, and a window into the modern world’s first multi-racial society. time magazine called the black count "one of those quintessentially human stories of strength and courage that sheds light on the historical moment that made it possible." but it is also a heartbreaking story of the enduring bonds of love between a father and son.

The newbery medal-winning second book in lloyd alexander's the chronicles of prydain series, the black cauldron—the inspiration for disney's 1985 cult animated film. in the land of prydain, evil is never far away. arawn, lord of the land of death, has been building an army of dark warriors to take over prydain, and the only way to stop him is to destroy the black cauldron he uses to create his dreaded soldiers.taran, assistant pig-keeper, and his loyal companions must journey deep into arawn's domain to destroy the black cauldron. for each of them, the quest has special meaning. for taran, it is a glorious opportunity to use his first sword in battle. but war requires a sacrifice greater than he'd ever imagined. . . . includes a new pronunciation guide. this title has common core connections.

"cardinal black is the latest installment in robert mccammon's unique series of historical thrillers featuring matthew corbett, professional problem solver, who has been called "the early american james bond." december 1703 finds berry grigsby living as mary lynn nash in a small english village, where she has fallen victim to professor fell's involuntary drug experiments. her mind is quickly deteriorating under the drug's influence, and the only way to save her is a potion book that was stolen in an attack on the village orchestrated by a mysterious madman going by the name cardinal black. matthew corbett has volunteered to travel with julian devane, a self-proclaimed "fool and bad man" in the employ of professor fell, to hunt down the potion book. they follow the trail to london, where the book will be sold at a secret auction. matthew and julian manage to secure a seat at the auction by masquerading as respected and feared underground operatives, but to prevail in their high-stakes mission, they will require help from a very unlikely source. even if they are successful, their race to save berry brigsby will leave a trail of destruction in its wake."–provided by publisher.

If you don't buy this book, you're a racist. have you ever been called "too black" or "not black enough"? have you ever befriended or worked with a black person? if you answered yes to any of these questions, this book is for you. raised by a pro-black, pan-afrikan single mother during the crack years of 1980s washington, dc, and educated at sidwell friends school and harvard university, baratunde thurston has over thirty years' experience being black. now, through stories of his politically inspired nigerian name, the heroics of his hippie mother, the murder of his drug-abusing father, and other revelatory black details, he shares with readers of all colors his wisdom and expertise in how to be black. beyond memoir, this guidebook offers practical advice on everything from "how to be the black friend" to "how to be the (next) black president" to "how to celebrate black history month." to provide additional perspective, baratunde assembled an award-winning black panel—three black women, three black men, and one white man (christian lander of stuff white people like)—and asked them such revealing questions as: "when did you first realize you were black?" "how black are you?" "can you swim?" the result is a humorous, intelligent, and audacious guide that challenges and satirizes the so-called experts, purists, and racists who purport to speak for all black people. with honest storytelling and biting wit, baratunde plots a path not just to blackness, but one open to anyone interested in simply "how to be."

An instant bestseller! by #1 new york times bestselling author holly black, the first book in a stunning new series about a mortal girl who finds herself caught in a web of royal faerie intrigue. of course i want to be like them. they're beautiful as blades forged in some divine fire. they will live forever. – and cardan is even more beautiful than the rest. i hate him more than all the others. i hate him so much that sometimes when i look at him, i can hardly breathe. – jude was seven years old when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous high court of faerie. ten years later, jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. but many of the fey despise humans. especially prince cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the high king. – to win a place at the court, she must defy him–and face the consequences. – in doing so, she becomes embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, discovering her own capacity for bloodshed. but as civil war threatens to drown the courts of faerie in violence, jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and faerie itself.

National bestsellerwinner of the booker prize "a must-read about modern britain and womanhood . . . an impressive, fierce novel about the lives of black british families, their struggles, pains, laughter, longings and loves . . . her style is passionate, razor-sharp, brimming with energy and humor. there is never a single moment of dullness in this book and the pace does not allow you to turn away from its momentum." –booker prize judges bernardine evaristo is the winner of the 2019 booker prize and the first black woman to receive this highest literary honor in the english language. girl, woman, other is a magnificent portrayal of the intersections of identity and a moving and hopeful story of an interconnected group of black british women that paints a vivid portrait of the state of contemporary britain and looks back to the legacy of britain's colonial history in africa and the caribbean. the twelve central characters of this multi-voiced novel lead vastly different lives: amma is a newly acclaimed playwright whose work often explores her black lesbian identity; her old friend shirley is a teacher, jaded after decades of work in london's funding-deprived schools; carole, one of shirley's former students, is a successful investment banker; carole's mother bummi works as a cleaner and worries about her daughter's lack of rootedness despite her obvious achievements. from a nonbinary social media influencer to a 93-year-old woman living on a farm in northern england, these unforgettable characters also intersect in shared aspects of their identities, from age to race to sexuality to class.

The #1 new york times bestselling worldwide phenomenon winner of the goodreads choice award for fiction | a good morning america book club pick | independent (london) ten best books of the year "a feel-good book guaranteed to lift your spirits."—the washington post the dazzling reader-favorite about the choices that go into a life well lived, from the acclaimed author of how to stop time and the comfort book. somewhere out beyond the edge of the universe there is a library that contains an infinite number of books, each one the story of another reality. one tells the story of your life as it is, along with another book for the other life you could have lived if you had made a different choice at any point in your life. would any of these other lives truly be better? in the midnight library, matt haig's enchanting blockbuster novel, nora seed finds herself faced with this decision. faced with the possibility of changing her life for a new one, following a different career, undoing old breakups, realizing her dreams of becoming a glaciologist; she must search within herself as she travels through the midnight library to decide what is truly fulfilling in life, and what makes it worth living in the first place.

Nominated for an naacp image award – an inspiring collection of essays by black women writers, curated by the founder of the popular book club well-read black girl, on the importance of recognizing ourselves in literature. “yes, well-read black girl is as good as it sounds. . . . [glory edim] gathers an all-star cast of contributors—among them lynn nottage, jesmyn ward, and gabourey sidibe.”—o: the oprah magazine remember that moment when you first encountered a character who seemed to be written just for you? that feeling of belonging remains with readers the rest of their lives—but not everyone regularly sees themselves in the pages of a book. they present literary encounters that may at times seem private and ordinary—hours spent in the children’s section of a public library or in a college classroom—but are no less monumental in their impact.”—the washington post “a wonderful collection of essays.”—essence

Usa today bestseller "investigations are launched, fingers are pointed, potentially dangerous liaisons unfold and i was turning those pages like there was cake at the finish line." –moira macdonald, seattle times must-read books for summer 2022 ned kelly award winning author sulari gentill sets this mystery-within-a-mystery in motion with a deceptively simple, dear hannah, what are you writing? pulling us into the ornate reading room at the boston public library. in every person's story, there is something to hide… the tranquility is shattered by a woman's terrified scream. security guards take charge immediately, instructing everyone inside to stay put until the threat is identified and contained. while they wait for the all-clear, four strangers, who'd happened to sit at the same table, pass the time in conversation and friendships are struck. each has his or her own reasons for being in the reading room that morning–it just happens that one is a murderer. sulari gentill delivers a sharply thrilling read with the woman in the library, an unexpectedly twisty literary adventure that examines the complicated nature of friendship and shows us that words can be the most treacherous weapons of all. what readers are saying about the woman in the library: "i loved this intelligent, high tension, addictive, unputdownable book so much!" "i absolutely loved it!" "this is a smart, well-written whodunit with an interesting cast of characters and a well-developed plot." "a murder mystery that starts off in a crowded library full of book lovers? sign me up!" "what an outstanding job and literary work in the crime-fiction genre!"

Up from slavery is one of the most influential biographies ever written. on one level it is the life story of booker t. washington and his rise from slavery to accomplished educator and activist. on another level it the story of how an entire race strove to better itself. washington makes it clear just how far race relations in america have come, and to some extent, just how much further they have to go. written with wit and clarity.

A new york times bestseller a read with jenna today show book club pick! longlisted for the center for fiction's first novel prize“askaripour closes the deal on the first page of this mesmerizing novel, executing a high wire act full of verve and dark, comic energy.”—colson whitehead, author of the nickel boys “a hilarious, gleaming satire as radiant as its author. askaripour has announced himself as a major talent of the school of ralph ellison, paul beatty, fran ross, and ishmael reed. full of quick pacing, frenetic energy, absurd—yet spot on—twists and turns, and some of the funniest similes i’ve ever read, this novel is both balm and bomb.” —nafissa thompson-spires, author of heads of the colored people for fans of sorry to bother you and the wolf of wall street—a crackling, satirical debut novel about a young man given a shot at stardom as the lone black salesman at a mysterious, cult-like, and wildly successful startup where nothing is as it seems.there’s nothing like a black salesman on a mission. an unambitious twenty-two-year-old, darren lives in a bed-stuy brownstone with his mother, who wants nothing more than to see him live up to his potential as the valedictorian of bronx science. but darren is content working at starbucks in the lobby of a midtown office building, hanging out with his girlfriend, soraya, and eating his mother’s home-cooked meals. all that changes when a chance encounter with rhett daniels, the silver-tongued ceo of sumwun, nyc’s hottest tech startup, results in an exclusive invitation for darren to join an elite sales team on the thirty-sixth floor. after enduring a “hell week” of training, darren, the only black person in the company, reimagines himself as “buck,” a ruthless salesman unrecognizable to his friends and family. but when things turn tragic at home and buck feels he’s hit rock bottom, he begins to hatch a plan to help young people of color infiltrate america’s sales force, setting off a chain of events that forever changes the game.black buck is a hilarious, razor-sharp skewering of america’s workforce; it is a propulsive, crackling debut that explores ambition and race, and makes way for a necessary new vision of the american dream.

A new york times bestseller a read with jenna today show book club pick! longlisted for the center for fiction's first novel prize“askaripour closes the deal on the first page of this mesmerizing novel, executing a high wire act full of verve and dark, comic energy.”—colson whitehead, author of the nickel boys “a hilarious, gleaming satire as radiant as its author. askaripour has announced himself as a major talent of the school of ralph ellison, paul beatty, fran ross, and ishmael reed. full of quick pacing, frenetic energy, absurd—yet spot on—twists and turns, and some of the funniest similes i’ve ever read, this novel is both balm and bomb.” —nafissa thompson-spires, author of heads of the colored people for fans of sorry to bother you and the wolf of wall street—a crackling, satirical debut novel about a young man given a shot at stardom as the lone black salesman at a mysterious, cult-like, and wildly successful startup where nothing is as it seems.there’s nothing like a black salesman on a mission. an unambitious twenty-two-year-old, darren lives in a bed-stuy brownstone with his mother, who wants nothing more than to see him live up to his potential as the valedictorian of bronx science. but darren is content working at starbucks in the lobby of a midtown office building, hanging out with his girlfriend, soraya, and eating his mother’s home-cooked meals. all that changes when a chance encounter with rhett daniels, the silver-tongued ceo of sumwun, nyc’s hottest tech startup, results in an exclusive invitation for darren to join an elite sales team on the thirty-sixth floor. after enduring a “hell week” of training, darren, the only black person in the company, reimagines himself as “buck,” a ruthless salesman unrecognizable to his friends and family. but when things turn tragic at home and buck feels he’s hit rock bottom, he begins to hatch a plan to help young people of color infiltrate america’s sales force, setting off a chain of events that forever changes the game.black buck is a hilarious, razor-sharp skewering of america’s workforce; it is a propulsive, crackling debut that explores ambition and race, and makes way for a necessary new vision of the american dream.

Six short stories from the warhammer, the absolution of swords, a trick of the light, bear eater, pantheon, the last of prospero, into exile.

Celebrate the fantastic fiction of black library with this selection of six action-packed tales from the worlds of warhammer 40,000, the horus heresy, warhammer age of sigmar, necromunda and warhammer horror.