Waiting and Waiting is our monthly post spotlighting upcoming books based on a book meme based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. Now it’s hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings
This month, like every month, I use various sources to find 6 new releases to post here on this site. This month I noticed my “go to sites had just one (if that) book by a Black author. How is that possible? Some sites even seem to be missing any author of color. Now come on! Really! A whole month and not one book is being published by an author of color. Yeah Right! So this month I am posting 6 books by Black authors to add to your TBR list and shopping carts.
The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
Colson Whitehead brilliantly dramatizes another strand of American history through the story of two boys sentenced to a hellish reform school in Jim Crow-era Florida.
As the Civil Rights movement begins to reach the black enclave of Frenchtown in segregated Tallahassee, Elwood Curtis takes the words of Dr. Martin Luther King to heart: He is “as good as anyone.” Abandoned by his parents, but kept on the straight and narrow by his grandmother, Elwood is about to enroll in the local black college. But for a black boy in the Jim Crow South in the early 1960s, one innocent mistake is enough to destroy the future. Elwood is sentenced to a juvenile reformatory called The Nickel Academy, whose mission statement says it provides “physical, intellectual and moral training” so the delinquent boys in their charge can become “honorable and honest men.”
In reality, The Nickel Academy is a grotesque chamber of horrors, where the sadistic staff beats and sexually abuses the students, corrupt officials and locals steal food and supplies, and any boy who resists is likely to disappear “out back.” Stunned to find himself in such a vicious environment, Elwood tries to hold on to Dr. King’s ringing assertion “Throw us in jail and we will still love you.” His friend Turner thinks Elwood is worse than naive, that the world is crooked and the only way to survive is to scheme and avoid trouble.
The tension between Elwood’s ideals and Turner’s skepticism leads to a decision whose repercussions will echo down the decades. Formed in the crucible of the evils Jim Crow wrought, the boys’ fates will be determined by what they endured at The Nickel Academy.
Based on the real story of a reform school in Florida that operated for one hundred and eleven years and warped the lives of thousands of children, The Nickel Boys is a devastating, driven narrative.
(Release Date: July 16, 2019)
Dapper Dan: Made in Harlem by Daniel R. Day, Mikael Awake
The story of a legendary designer who pioneered high-end streetwear, from a storefront in Harlem to the red carpet in Hollywood, dressing everyone from Salt-N-Pepa and Eric B. & Rakim to Beyoncé and Jay-Z along the way.
With his now-legendary store on 125th Street in Harlem, Dapper Dan pioneered high-end streetwear in the early 1980s, remixing classic luxury-brand logos into his own flamboyant designs. But before reinventing fashion, he was a hungry boy with holes in his shoes, a teen who daringly gambled drug dealers out of their money, a young man in a prison cell who found nourishment in books, and, finally, a designer who broke barriers to outfit a whos-who of music, sport, and crime world celebrities in looks that went on to define an era.
By turns playful, poignant, and inspiring, and featuring two incredible eight-page color photo inserts, including the only existing, never-before-seen images of the notorious Mike Tyson-Mitch Green street fight, Dapper Dan’s memoir is a high-stakes coming-of-age story, spanning more than seventy years and set against the backdrop of an ever-evolving America. (Release Date: July 9, 2019)
The Wedding Party (The Wedding Date #3) by Jasmine Guillory
The new exhilarating romance from The New York Times bestselling author of The Proposal!
Maddie and Theo have two things in common:
1. Alexa is their best friend
2. They hate each other
After an “oops, we made a mistake” night together, neither one can stop thinking about the other. With Alexa’s wedding rapidly approaching, Maddie and Theo both share bridal party responsibilities that require more interaction with each other than they’re comfortable with. Underneath the sharp barbs, they toss at each other is a simmering attraction that won’t fade. It builds until they find themselves sneaking off together to release some tension when Alexa isn’t looking, agreeing they would end it once the wedding is over. When it’s suddenly pushed up and they only have a few months left of secret rendezvouses, they find themselves regretting that the end is near. Two people, this different can’t possibly have a connection other than the purely physical, right?
But as with any engagement with a nemesis, there are unspoken rules that must be abided by. First and foremost, don’t fall in love.
(Release Date: July 16, 2019)
Brian Banks, the major motion picture starring Aldis Hodge, Greg Kinnear, and Sherri Shepherd, winner of the audience award at the 2018 LA Film Festival, opens nationwide in 2019!
Discover the unforgettable and inspiring true story of Brian Banks—a young man who was wrongfully convicted as a teenager and imprisoned for more than five years, only to emerge with his spirit unbroken and determined to achieve his dream of playing in the NFL.
At age sixteen, Brian Banks was a nationally recruited All-American Football player, ranked eleventh in the nation as a linebacker. Before his seventeenth birthday, he was in jail, awaiting trial for a heinous crime he did not commit.
Although Brian was innocent, his attorney advised him that as a young black man accused of rape, he stood no chance of winning his case at trial. Especially since he would be tried as an adult. Facing a possible sentence of forty-one years to life, Brian agreed to take a plea deal—and a judge sentenced him to six years in prison.
At first, Brian was filled with fear, rage, and anger as he reflected on the direction his life had turned and the unjust system that had imprisoned him. Brian was surrounded in darkness until he had epiphany that would change his life forever. From that moment on, Brian made the choice to shed the bitterness and anger he felt, and focus only on the things he had the power to control. He approached his remaining years in prison with a newfound resolve, studying and applying spirituality, improving his social and writing skills, and taking giant leaps on his journey toward enlightenment.
When Brian emerged from prison with five years of parole still in front of him, he was determined to re-build his life and finally prove his innocence. Three months before his parole was set to expire, armed with a shocking recantation from his accuser and the help of the California Innocence Project, the truth about his unjust incarceration came out and he was exonerated. Finally free, Brian sought to recapture a dream once stripped away: to play for the NFL. And at age twenty-eight, he made that dream come true.
Perfect for fans of Just Mercy, I Beat the Odds, and Infinite Hope, this powerful memoir is a deep dive into the injustices of the American justice system, a soul-stirring celebration of the resilience of the human spirit, and an inspiring call to hold fast to our dreams.
(Release Date: July 2, 2019)
The Normal Within: I Want To Come Out by Sheila E. Kimbrough
In the Normal Within: I Want to Come Out Author Shelia Kimbrough reflects on ten years of loving and caring for her developmental disabled daughter Amonni. Sheila shares stories of raising a child with special needs by sharing the challenges and triumphs she has faced. Sheila calls to attention the importance of encouraging possibilities of our children and the tangible results of trusting in the power of God.
(Release Date: July 8, 2019)
Much more than a sports memoir, in Inseparable Shaquem and Shaquill Griffin share the previously untold details of the powerful and inspiring story behind the modern NFL’s first one-handed player, and his twin brother’s unrelenting devotion, sacrifice, and love. It’s the story of Shaquem’s understanding of God’s purpose for his life—to inspire others to stop being afraid and to stop making excuses—and his family’s unwavering support in spite of seemingly insurmountable obstacles. The Griffins’ unlikely underdog story has already captured the imagination of millions of football fans and physically challenged people around the world.
(Release Date: July 9, 2019)
Feel free to leave book info on a July release by a Black Author below.
Mocha Girl Alysia
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