AALBC.com's
Best Selling Books for September and October 2007
Fiction | Nonfiction |
#1
Love
Is Never Painless: Three Novellas Zane, Eileen M. Johnson & V. Anthony Rivers Hardcover: 288 pages Truer words have never been spoken. This heart-wrenching collection of novellas brings that statement to life in three unique ways, penned by three of the generation's most prolific authors. In Eileen M. Johnson's "How the Other Half Lives," Jamellah and Fernecia have been friends since forever. Having escaped the poverty of their youth together, they both had made their mark in society. However, men problems threaten to make them literally fall apart. Fernecia is married to a man who was raised to think he is better than everyone -- even his own wife. Jamellah has always used men to get ahead but eventually everything catches up to her. The two friends must ultimately count on each other in a world of havoc and distrust. In V. Anthony Rivers' "Love Is 2 Blame," Malcolm is devastated after a two-year relationship with Shaylisa ends. He finds it difficult to function because he cannot comprehend why she would want to end such a perfect situation. He was everything she had asked for; he treated her with respect and showered her with love. Yet love was not enough. Trying to move on to someone new will not be as easy as it used to be, but will the lovely Zahara show Malcolm what true love is all about? In Zane's "Staring Evil in the Face," Robier has everything a man could ever wish for: a stable and rewarding career, two beautiful children, an elegant home, and the woman of his dreams. Having loved Tiphanie since college, he is determined to keep his marital vows until . . . Tiphanie is involved in a horrible car accident that changes the entire course of their lives. From nervous breakdowns to drug addiction, Love Is Never Painless explores the deeper side of love; the side rarely explored in romance novels. Zane, Johnson, and Rivers have penned a powerful collection of novellas that will not only have readers talking but also examining their own relationships with a new perspective. |
#1
Confessions
of a Video Vixen ISBN: 0060842423 Read an AALBC.com Interview with Steffans Glass vases filled with marbles crashed all around us as he began tossing linens from the bed. As the marbles scattered, we laughed in unison ... I remember the exact moment that I first laid on my back for him ... My legs were wrapped around his waist and just before his body was to merge with mine, I noticed his upper right chest. On it was a tattoo with the words "Pain is Love." Confessions of a Video Vixen is the widely anticipated memoir of Karrine Steffans, the once sought-after sexy siren who appeared in the music videos of multiplatinum hip-hop artists such as Jay-Z, R. Kelly, and LL Cool J. A top-paid video dancer, Karrine transitioned to film when acclaimed director F. Gary Gray picked her to costar in his film A Man Apart, starring Vin Diesel. But the movie and music video sets, swanky Miami and New York restaurants, and trysts with the celebrities featured in the pages of People and In Touch magazines only skims the surface of Karrine's life. This memoir -- part tell-all, part cautionary tale --
shows how Karrinne came to be the confidante of so many, why she kept their
secrets, and how she found herself in Hollywood after a life marked by
physical abuse, rape, and drugs -- all before she was twenty-six. By sharing
her emotionally charged story, she hopes to shed light on an otherwise
romanticized industry. �Excerpted from the Introduction |
#2
Forever
a Hustler's Wife: A Novel Paperback: 288 pages The high priestess of the hood, Nikki Turner, is back with
the novel fans have been feenin� for: the sequel to her #1 best-selling
novel, A Hustler's Wife. |
#2 The Vixen Diaries Click to order via Amazon
Hardcover: 288 pages This titillating expos� chronicles the personal and professional adventures of this tabloid-laden socialite, dispelling some rumors, while confirming others. Diaries unveils the heavily shrouded Hollywood backrooms and its coveted secrets. Offering her ardent fans answers to burning questions and presenting lessons learned, this book will surely not disappoint. Karrine Steffans continues to dish out juicy gossip and the much sought after details of her star studded lifestyle and the celebrity men that helped her get where she needed to be. Karrine draws you in to get an up-close and personal look at the Hollywood life of fast money and sex; all the things that make for a great movie. She discusses her interactions with people after the release of Confessions of a Video Vixen and how she copes with it all. |
#3
The
Sex Chronicles: Shattering the Myth Format: Paperback, 2nd ed., 304pp. After more than two years of entertaining tens of thousands of loyal readers on the Internet with her vivid imagination, a large collection of Zane's erotica is finally available in a published format. Zane has captivated the minds of both sexes and all races. She has completely shattered the myth that men are more sexual in nature than women and that African-American women in particular are inhibited compared to their female counterparts of other races. The erotica collection is divided into three sections: Wild, Wilder and Off Da Damn Hook. Her characters run the gamut from the sensual housewife that wants her husband to experiment more to the secret underground sorority of women that let it all hang out literally. |
#3
The Prisoner in the Third Cell
(Inspirational) Paperback: 94 pages Imprisoned by Herod, John the Baptist struggles to understand a Lord who did not meet his expectations--a dramatic account offering insight into the ways of God. |
#4
Getting
Buck Wild: Sex Chronicles 2, Vol. 2 Zane (Editor) ISBN: 0743457013 Zane is back with Gettin' Buck Wild: Sex Chronicles II,
more stories for the legion of readers that made The Sex Chronicles a
bestseller. |
#4
The
Isis Papers: The Keys to the Colors Format: Paperback, 1st ed., 302pp. Preface: "We now are nearing the final decade of the 20th century. Recently, there has been an unraveling and an analysis of the core issue of the first global power sysem of mass oppression-- the power system of racism (white supremacy). One the collective victim (non-white population) understands this fundamental issue, the ultimate organizing of all of the appropriate behaviors necessary to neutralize the great injustice of the white supremacy power system will only be a matter of time. The length of time required to neutralize global white supremacy will be inversely proportional to 1) the level of understanding of the phenomenon; plus 2) the evolution of self- and group-respect, the will, determination and discipline to practice the appropriate counter-racist behaviors--on the part of the non-white victims of white supremacy." |
#5
True
to the Game II
Paperback: 304 pages This is the sequel to Teri's amazing first novel True to the Game. Fans have been awaiting this story for over five years. TRUE TO THE GAME II will pick up where True to the Game left off-- with one difference, Gena is now seeing a new guy named Jay. Little does Gena know that the man she has fallen in love with, so soon after Quadir's death, is his archrival, Jerrell Jackson. Unfortunately, Jerrell is determined to get his revenge against Quadir's crew and he'll start with Gena. |
#5
Dear
G-Spot: Straight Talk About Sex and Love ISBN: 0743457056 Dear G-Spot includes real letters from real people, both women and men, who have sought Zane's advice over the years -- the preacher's wife worrying about being judged, the virgin, the guy next door, the gay man next door, the woman with low self-esteem, and the other woman with a sex drive over the moon. In her own uniquely can-did and humorous way, Zane answers all your questions -- even questions you never thought to ask -- about making whoopee. |
#6
A
Hustler's Wife ISBN: 0970247257 The 5th best-selling book on AALBC.com for all of 2004 (more than 100,000 copies in print) Sweet innocent Yarni, from a well-to do family, by chance, meets Richmond's notorious drug kingpin, Des. Immediately they develop an astronomical love, which separates her from her family and friends. But when Des, is sentenced to life in prison, she will learn, being a hustler's wife isn't as easy, with her sole provider behind bars. Travel with Yarni, as she survives when the script if flipped. At times she plays the game, and at other times...the game plays her. Her journey is filled with laughter, tears, failures, triumphs and perseverance. Nikki's debut novel is a smorgasbord of manipulation, street-life, greed, betrayal, envy, money, power and revenge. |
#6
Black Indians: A Hidden Heritage Paperback: 208 pages Winner: CBC/NCSS Notable Children's Book in Social Studies
Grade 6 - Up Most Americans remain totally unaware of the
biological and cultural bonds which were established by African slaves and
American Indians. Using a variety of tertiary sources, Katz has attempted to
reconstruct a legacy among two peoples who, for a while, provided mutual
support and refuge from the unrelenting atrocities inflicted upon them by
greedy whites. Although aspects of the separate histories are provided, a
stronger emphasis is on black Indians whose swarthy complexion or curly hair
was apparentan [sic] obvious limitation of definition. Black Indians who are
more or less familiar (Crispus Attucks and Paul Cuffee) are identified, as
are the unfamiliar Zeferina, a woman commander of a black Indian settlement,
and O. S. Fox, editor of the Cherokee Afro-American Advocate . Katz makes it
clear that much of this history is extremely well hidden or entirely lost,
and numerous references are made to nameless black Indians. Because of the
lack of information, too many statements are less than definitive. Another
disturbing feature is Katz' practice of quoting without documenting his
sources. Although incomplete, this highly readable and sad chronology of a
hidden heritage is needed and welcomed. |
#7
Irresistible
You (The Graysons, Book 4)
Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
Pierce Grayson is a marked man: if his mother, Ruth, has her way, his carefree single days will soon be over. But Pierce isn�t going down without a fight. He's ready to take action against his mama's matchmaking�but what he's completely unprepared for is the feeling that hits him when he meets Broadway actress Sabra Raineau. She's in Santa Fe helping Ruth with a production at the University. With her luscious lips and long legs, Sabra is temptation personified�and Pierce isn�t in the habit of resisting temptation. With Hollywood calling and another play in the works, Sabra has no time for romance. And, after one heartbreak too many, she's happy to stay unattached. But Pierce has other ideas�the kind that can curl a girl's toes. Sabra's not above a little extracurricular activity, but she can�t afford to risk her heart on anything serious. Still, the closer she gets to Pierce, the harder it is to deny him�and to keep a secret that could tear them apart.... |
#7
Wouldn't Take Nothing
for My Journey Now Hardcover Maya Angelou, one of the best-loved authors of our time, shares the wisdom of a remarkable life in this best-selling spiritual classic. This is Maya Angelou talking from the heart, down to earth and real, but also inspiring. This is a book to treasured, a book about being in all ways a woman, about living well, about the power of the word, and about the power do spirituality to move and shape your life. Passionate, lively, and lyrical, Maya Angelou's latest unforgettable work offers a gem of truth on every page. |
#8
Life
Doesn't Frighten Me Maya Angelou, Jean-Michel Basquiat (Illustrator) ISBN: 1556702884 Presents Maya Angelou's poem illustrated by paintings and drawings of Jean-Michel Basquiat. Features biographies of both the author and artist.
Maya Angelou's brave, defiant poem celebrates the courage
within each of us, young and old. From the scary thought of panthers in the
park to the unsettling scene of a new classroom, fearsome images are
summoned and dispelled by the power of faith in ourselves. |
#8
It's
No Secret: From Nas to Jay-Z, from Seduction to Scandal--a Hip-Hop Helen of
Troy Tells All by Carmen Bryan, Vanessa Satten ISBN: 1416532668 Carmen Bryan is no stranger to the rap world. Not only did she work at Def Jam and Capitol Records but she shares a daughter with hip-hop superstar Nas -- a relationship made extremely public through Nas's celebrity status, rap lyrics, and the ever-present media. Now, in It's No Secret, a strong, resilient Carmen bares all, telling her side of the story and leaving no detail unturned -- with the true candor and raw emotion of someone who has been there, done that, and survived. From a clandestine relationship with Nas's biggest rival, Jay-Z, that stirred up the biggest feud in hip-hop history, to seeing her reputation in tatters and a once loving relationship with Nas fall apart, Carmen depicts her trying journey to become the strong woman and mother she is today. After years of turmoil that included drugs, sex, greed, and violence -- and abandoning what she had always prized above all, her freedom -- Carmen took a stand, focusing on herself. After years of pursuit by the media, Carmen sets the record straight in It's No Secret -- and has no regrets. |
#9
The
Maintenance Man Format: Paperback, 320pp. Malcolm Tremell lives the life that most men can only fantasize about: exotic cars, designer clothes, and a steady stream of sexually available women. For the past twelve years, for a very generous fee, Malcolm has willingly played the role of temporary companion and lover. But the endless nights of meaningless sex and secret rendezvous with married women have begun to weigh on his conscience. Malcolm is suffering from job burnout. He soon discovers, however, that a life-style change won't come so easily, not with the allure of so many beautiful women and thousands of tax-free dollars. |
#9
Keeping
Black Boys out of Special Education ISBN: 0974900028 This critical analysis looks at the disproportionate number of African American males in special education. Arguing that the problem is race and gender driven, questions covered include Why does Europe send more females to special education? Why does America lead the world in giving children Ritalin? Is there a relationship between sugar, Ritalin, and cocaine? and Is there a relationship between special education and prison? More than 100 strategies to help teachers and parents keep black boys in the regular classroom, such as revising teacher expectations, increasing parental involvement, changing teaching styles from a left-brain abstract approach to a right brain hands-on approach, redoing the curriculum, understanding the impact of mass media, and fostering healthy eating habits. |
#10
The
Other Woman ISBN: 0525947248 Read an AALBC..com Review by Thumper Eric Jerome Dickey strides boldly over the minefield that is modern marriage. The central couple's biggest challenge is timing: He works days; she works nights. They're rapidly drifting apart, coexisting on phone calls from work, punctuated by occasional bedroom encounters that leave them both feeling even emptier and more alone. When she finds out about his affair -- and starts her own -- the delicate fabric of their marriage is torn irrevocably asunder. Or is it? What begins as a seemingly unforgivable betrayal segues into the sexy, searing story of a couple at a pivotal turning point in their relationship. Only time will tell whether they'll let go...or can hold on to the love that drew them together in the first place. Certain to resonate with readers of all marital persuasions, The Other Woman sparkles with humor, honesty, and compassion as a couple faces the challenges that test their trust, their faith, and their staying power. |
#10
The
Covenant with Black America
Tavis Smiley (Editor) ISBN: 0883782774 Read A Review The Covenant with Black America Six years' worth of symposiums come together in this rich collection of essays that plot a course for African Americans, explaining how individuals and households can make changes that will immediately improve their circumstances in areas ranging from health and education to crime reduction and financial well-being. Each chapter outlines one key issue and provides a list of resources, suggestions for action, and a checklist for what concerned citizens can do to keep their communities progressing socially, politically, and economically. Though the African American community faces devastating social disparities�in which more than 8 million people live in poverty�this celebration of possibility, hope, and strength will help leaders and citizens keep Black America moving forward. |
AALBC.com generates book sales directly, and through a number of affiliate programs. Our bestsellers list reflects sales generated via Amazon.com. This list ranks book sales from September 1st through October 20th 2007.
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