Publisher Synopsis:

ll the Sinners Bleed meets Erasure in this literary thriller from the award-winning author of The Reformatory following the grandson of a famous Black actress who returns to his grandmother’s cabin retreat in the California mountains only to encounter the legacy of her rage born in Old Hollywood.

When Johnny—a filmmaker and grandson of the famous Black actress Mazelle Washington—brings his family to Mazywood, the secluded California mountain lodge left behind by his grandmother, he expects a quiet retreat. Instead, he uncovers a legacy of rage, secrets, and terror that has haunted his family for generations.

Set primarily in the present day, with haunting flashbacks to Hollywood’s Golden Age, Mazywood explores three generations while following Johnny as he pieces together the true story of his grandmother. As a young Black actress whose career spanned from the 1920s to the 1940s, Mazelle brushed shoulders with giants like Lena Horne, Clark Gable, and Hattie McDaniel. But beneath her public appearance, she carried a secret she had kept and nurtured since she was a child, when a dark wish came true and changed the course of her life forever.

Now, fifty years after Mazelle’s death, Johnny finds himself confronting the truth she buried—and the consequences she left behind. For a monster lurks outside Mazywood, hidden for generations, and Johnny brought his family to its hunting grounds.

Author Info:

Tananarive Due is an American Book Award and NAACP Image Award­–winning author, who was an executive producer on Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror for Shudder and teaches Afrofuturism and Black Horror at UCLA. She and her husband, science fiction author Steven Barnes, cowrote the graphic novel The Keeper and an episode for Season 2 of The Twilight Zone for Paramount Plus and Monkeypaw Productions. Due is the author of several novels and two short story collections, Ghost Summer: Stories and The Wishing Pool and Other Stories. She is also coauthor of a civil rights memoir, Freedom in the Family: A Mother-Daughter Memoir of the Fight for Civil Rights (with her late mother, Patricia Stephens Due). Learn more at TananariveDue.com.

My Train Leaves at Three by Natalie Guerrero is an emotionally charged coming-of-age novel about grief, ambition, family, sexuality, and learning how to move forward without losing yourself.

The story follows Xiomara Sanchez, a 29-year-old Afro-Latina singer and actress from Washington Heights whose life has stalled after the sudden death of her sister, Nena. Struggling financially and emotionally, Xiomara works two low-paying jobs—including singing show tunes at Ellen’s Stardust Diner—while living with her deeply religious Puerto Rican mother. She is grieving, directionless, and increasingly disconnected from the Broadway dreams she once pursued.

Her circumstances change when Xiomara gets an opportunity to audition for Manny Santos, a highly sought-after Broadway director. Seeing the audition as a chance to reclaim her ambitions, she throws herself back into the theater world. At the same time, a new coworker named Santi begins to draw her out of her emotional isolation and offers the possibility of a healthier connection.

As Xiomara gets closer to her professional dreams, however, she encounters the exploitative and predatory side of the entertainment industry, particularly the power held by influential men. Her relationship with Manny becomes increasingly complicated, forcing her to confront how much she is willing to sacrifice for success.

Ultimately, the novel follows Xiomara's journey toward self-acceptance, healing, and reinvention. It asks whether moving forward requires leaving parts of your past behind—or whether true growth means finding a way to carry your history, culture, relationships, and grief with you.

A stunning, first-of-its-kind, wordless picture book in the medium of stained glass about a group of kids riding through NYC, capturing the joy of Black childhood and the freedom of exploring a city that feels like it belongs to you, from Caldecott Honoree Christopher Myers.

Setting out on a warm and glorious night, a group of kids grab their bikes to explore a city that for a moment in time feels like it belongs entirely to them. Riding from Harlem, through Central Park, to Chinatown, and over the Brooklyn Bridge, the iconic landmarks of New York City become mirrors that reflect their joy and freedom. Rooted in the quotidian and expanding into the fantastical, this wordless picture book by Caldecott Honoree Christopher Myers is illustrated entirely in stained glass, reminding us that Black childhood is beautiful, fragile, and holy.

A young man named Warrior moves through the streets of New York, carried by his family's love and the strength of his history, while forces both human and spiritual threaten to destroy him. Khary Lazarre-White's poetic debut novel explores race, policing, masculinity, and the search for belonging.

Do plants think? Philosopher and scientist Paco Calvo, writing with Natalie Lawrence, makes the case that plants sense, learn, and respond to their world in ways that look a lot like intelligence. A mind-expanding read that will change how you see the green life around you.

The New Science of Plant Intelligence

Bronx native and MacArthur Fellow Majora Carter argues that low-status communities do not need to lose their talent to thrive. Drawing on her work in the South Bronx, she lays out how to build wealth, keep homegrown talent, and create neighborhoods people choose to stay in.

You Don’t Have to Move out of Your Neighborhood to Live in a Better One

Rewrite Your Rules: The Journey to Success in Less Time with More Freedom by Morgan DeBaun is a self-help and personal-development guide that challenges conventional ideas about success, productivity, and the “hustle” mentality. Drawing on her experiences as an entrepreneur and founder of Blavity Inc., DeBaun encourages readers to stop measuring success by society’s expectations and instead create a definition of success that reflects their own values and priorities.

The book is organized around a three-part framework:

• Master Yourself — identify your values, passions, goals, and potential.
• Master Your Method — create systems and habits that help you work more effectively rather than simply working more.
• Master Your Growth — learn to adapt to challenges and opportunities while continuing to develop personally and professionally.

DeBaun combines personal stories, practical exercises, and actionable advice to help readers rethink their careers, relationships, routines, and approach to achievement. Ultimately, the book argues that meaningful success doesn't require sacrificing personal fulfillment or well-being; instead, readers can pursue financial and professional success while creating a life with greater freedom, balance, authenticity, and purpose.

One hundred affirmations for people of African descent, each rooted in the wisdom of Adinkra symbols from the Akan people of Ghana. A beautiful daily companion for peace, self-love, knowledge, and faith.

Kofi, a first generation Ghanaian American boy in New York City, feels caught between two cultures until his grandfather helps him prepare a dish for a school potluck and shares the family's story of resilience. Written by chef Eric Adjepong and illustrated by Lala Watkins, it ends with a jollof rice recipe to cook together.

Anna Bain, a Londoner adrift after her marriage ends, discovers her late mother's diaries and learns that her father, a man she never knew, became the president of a West African nation. Chibundu Onuzo's warm, funny novel is about identity, family, and finding your way home.

A treasured collection of poems chosen by Langston Hughes himself, spanning his career as one of the brightest voices of the Harlem Renaissance. Music, struggle, joy, and Black life in America sing on every page.

A Classic Collection of Poems by a Master of American Verse

A late bloomer thought a visit to a sex club might jump start her love life, but instead makes an instant connection that turns her whole world upside down, in this adult debut from author Zakiya N. Jamal.

When Stella Renee Johnson's roommate invites her to a sex club party but bails at the last minute, Stella decides to use the opportunity to finally cash in her V-card. But just when things are heating up between Stella and a sexy stranger, they realize they don’t have protection and Stella, taking it as a sign this wasn't meant to be, flees.

Frustrated in more ways than one, Stella is shocked to learn that the digital media website where she works is partnering with an AI company. She's even more shocked when the alluring man from the previous night walks in. Max Williams is the CEO's brother and the creator of the AI program now threatening her job. 

Despite the conflict of interest, Stella and Max can't resist their magnetic attraction toward each other, and agree to keep their personal lives separate from what’s happening at work. But the more similarities they discover at home—both Black, book smart, and bisexual—the more they butt heads at work. Stella and Max must decide whether to think with their heads and walk away from their budding relationship, or follow their hearts and take a chance on love, no matter the cost.

For those who wish to decolonize their minds, particularly Black women, comes a thoughtful guide to ancestral veneration, with a focus on the importance of reclaiming African Spiritual practices as an act of liberation.

In today's world, there's a notable resurgence in spiritual exploration that diverges from the mainstream New Age culture. People are seeking clarity that aligns with their own ancestral lineage, and ancestral veneration has emerged as a powerful avenue to navigate life's complexities. For Black communities, this resurgence represents a reclamation of hope for the diaspora.

In this book, Ifa and Orisa priestess Ehime Ora shares the importance of connection to the ancestors, and to one’s spiritual roots. There’s a certain type of radical healing that takes place when we reconnect to our ancestral veneration and follow through with their wisdom.

Providing healing through the written word, Ehime walks you though the reclamation of African Spiritual practices, discussing the spiritual renaissance occurring in the African community, and includes interviews with elders of the rich traditions. She also provides tangible spiritual tools so that you can incorporate ancestral veneration in your life: how to properly set up and work with an ancestral altar, the importance of spiritual hygiene, and bringing forth the concept of the ori, or the higher self.

Publisher Synopsis:

Returning to print after nearly 50 years, Survivor completes Octavia E. Butler’s thrilling Patternist series, including a short story from the Patternist saga and new historical essays from a major Butler scholar.

This deluxe edition includes:

• An incredible new cover and package

• Premium French flaps and newly designed, full color interior covers

• High-quality paper with elegant deckled-edges

The Patternist books (Wild Seed, Mind of My Mind, Clay's Ark, and Patternmaster) comprise Butler's longest, most complex series, stretching from late 17th century Africa to outer space in the far future, as rival factions of humanity develop incredible powers—only to use them to subjugate others. For nearly half a century, the fourth volume, Survivor, has been out of print at Octavia E. Butler's request.

It tells the story of Alanna, a colonist fleeing a plague-scarred Earth. But the planet she lands on is inhabited by the alien Kohn, whose battling tribes soon trap Alanna in their war. She must make alliances—while plotting betrayals. She must protect her heart—while putting it at risk. And she must decide if the best way to retain her humanity ... is to leave it behind.

Now, Survivor is put into its proper historical context thanks to contributions from scholar and Octavia E. Butler Fellow Alyssa Collins. This long-awaited volume also contains "A Necessary Being," the only short fiction set in the Patternist universe, to finally, fully bring together and complete the Patternist series for readers everywhere.

Author Info:

OCTAVIA E. BUTLER was a renowned writer who received a MacArthur "Genius" Grant and PEN West Lifetime Achievement Award for her body of work. She was the author of several award-winning novels including Parable of the Sower, which was a New York Times Notable Book of the Year, and was acclaimed for her lean prose, strong protagonists, and social observations in stories that range from the distant past to the far future. Sales of her books have increased enormously since her death as the issues she addressed in her Afrofuturistic, feminist novels and short fiction have only become more relevant. She passed away on February 24, 2006.

From New York Times bestselling author Tami Charles and her son, Chris Charles, comes a soaring and poetic celebration of the beautiful minds that make us all unique!

Some days it feels like my mind doesn't work right. Mom says otherwise. "That beautiful mind is what makes you unique."

This poetry-in-motion, sing-out-loud story follows the journey of one young boy as he navigates the challenges of his constantly running, brilliantly creative, and ever-so-busy brain. From basketball to baking with grandpa, to math class, and high-scoring video game conquests, readers will see that his one-of-a-kind mind is his greatest strength, and though challenges may come, he is all the stronger for it!

From bestselling author, Tami Charles, and her son, Christopher Charles, comes a rhythmic text that will speak to any child -- and every child -- who has needed an extra second or a second chance to harness the power of their own unique gifts and limitless potential. That Beautiful Mind celebrates the power and diversity of every child's beautiful mind, and the dynamic and prismatic way so many children think and learn.

A stunning exploration of the history of Black Americans by award-winning picture book team Traci N. Todd and Vashti Harrison.

The world is forever changed because you are here.

At once honest and empowering, That You Are Here Is No Small Thing is a story about resilience. In these stunning pages, young descendants of enslaved Africans are guided through the history that led them to exist and thrive today. Through their eyes, we see how Black Americans have relied on one another to fight against oppression and the ways in which the strength of their ancestors is always with them.

Sibert Honor winner Traci N. Todd and Caldecott Medalist Vashti Harrison have created an unforgettable exploration of culture and history that records the important survival story Black children carry and celebrates their hope for a radiant future.

Paulo Coelho's beloved fable follows Santiago, a young shepherd who travels from Spain to the Egyptian desert in search of treasure and discovers something far greater. A timeless story about listening to your heart and following your dreams.

A Fable About Following Your Dream

From ancient African kingdoms to Black Lives Matter, this illustrated DK guide explains the key people, ideas, and events of Black history around the world. Bold graphics and clear writing make it a great reference for the whole family. Foreword by David Olusoga.

Big Ideas Simply Explained

Jessica Nabongo, the first Black woman on record to travel to every country in the world, shares stories and photographs from 100 of her favorite destinations. A gorgeous, inspiring book for every traveler and dreamer.

One Woman's Journey to Every Country in the World