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Recommendations based on What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Dayby Pearl Cleage
* statistically, based on millions of data-points provided by fellow humans
The Women of Brewster Place
by Gloria Naylor
The interconnected lives of seven African American women living in a run-down housing project. A powerful portrayal of the struggles and triumphs of black women.
The women of Brewster Place are "hard-edged, soft-centered, brutally demanding, and easily pleased". Their names are Mattie Michael, Etta Mae Johnson, Lucielia "Ciel" Turner, Melanie "Kiswana" ... (Wikipedia)
The Coldest Winter Ever
by Sister Souljah
Coming of age story of a young girl's survival in a harsh, inner-city environment.
Renowned hip-hop artist, political activist, and bestselling author Sister Souljah brings the streets of New York to life in a powerful and utterly unforgettable first novel. I came busting into the ... (Goodreads)
Song of Solomon
by Toni Morrison
A tale of family, heritage, and identity, exploring the power of memory and its impact on the present.
Song of Solomon opens with the death of Robert Smith, an insurance agent and member of The Seven Days, an organization that kills white people in retaliation for the racial killing of black people. ... (Wikipedia)
Disappearing Acts
by Terry McMillan
A love story between two African American working-class individuals, exploring the complexities of relationships and personal growth.
He was tall, dark as bittersweet chocolate, and impossibly gorgeous, with a woman-melting smile. She was pretty and independent, petite and not too skinny, just his type. Franklin Swift was a ... (Goodreads)
Their Eyes Were Watching God
by Zora Neale Hurston
A woman's journey of self-discovery, liberation and empowerment.
Fair and long-legged, independent and articulate, Janie Crawford sets out to be her own person – no mean feat for a black woman in the '30s. Janie's quest for identity takes her through three ... (Goodreads)
Silver Sparrow
by Tayari Jones
Two teenage girls navigate their complicated relationship as sisters and daughters of a bigamist father in 1980s Atlanta.
Dana Lynn Yarboro's parents meet in Atlanta, Georgia when her father is buying an anniversary present for his wife. Her mother, a young divorcée named Gwen Yarboro, becomes James Witherspoon's ... (Wikipedia)
The Bluest Eye
by Toni Morrison
Coming of age story of a young Black girl dealing with prejudice and racism in 1940s Ohio.
In Lorain, Ohio , nine-year-old Claudia MacTeer and her 10-year-old sister Frieda live with their parents, a tenant named Mr. Henry, and Pecola Breedlove, a temporary foster child whose house was ... (Wikipedia)
Breath, Eyes, Memory
by Edwidge Danticat
A young girl's exploration of her family's history and her own identity in Haiti.
At the age of twelve, Sophie Caco is sent from her impoverished village of Croix-des-Rosets to New York, to be reunited with a mother she barely remembers. There she discovers secrets that no child ... (Goodreads)
Sula
by Toni Morrison
Story of two childhood friends, exploring social and racial issues in a small Ohio town.
The novel begins when the construction of a golf course is announced, the site being the destroyed remnants of what used to be the Bottom. The Bottom is a black neighborhood on the hill above the ... (Wikipedia)
Native Son
by Richard Wright
A young African American man's exploration of his identity, facing the harsh realities of systemic racism.
Right from the start, Bigger Thomas had been headed for jail. It could have been for assault or petty larceny; by chance, it was for murder and rape. Native Son tells the story of this young black ... (Goodreads)
Devil in a Blue Dress
by Walter Mosley
Set in 1940s Los Angeles, a black WWII veteran is hired to find a missing white woman, but uncovers corruption and danger.
Set in 1948, the story begins in the Watts area of Los Angeles, with Ezekiel "Easy" Rawlins, a Houstonian - from that city's Fifth Ward - who lost his job at an aviation defense plant in Los Angeles ... (Wikipedia)
Black and Blue
by Anna Quindlen
A woman's journey of self-discovery, as she escapes an abusive marriage and reclaims her life.
For eighteen years, Fran Benedetto kept her secret. And hid her bruises. And stayed with Bobby because she wanted her son to have a father. And because, in spite of everything, she loved him. Then ... (Wikipedia)
Where the Heart Is
by Billie Letts
A journey of resilience and courage, as a young woman faces her struggles with poverty and hardship.
This novel opens with Novalee and Willy Jack, her then boyfriend, traveling from Tennessee to California , where Willy Jack claims he was promised by his cousin, J. Paul, a job working at a train ... (Wikipedia)
The Pilot's Wife
by Anita Shreve
A woman's journey of overcoming personal tragedy to find strength and courage.
The novel is about Kathryn Lyons, whose husband, Jack Lyons, dies in a plane crash over the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Malin Head , Ireland. As she and her daughter Mattie try to cope with this ... (Wikipedia)
A Raisin in the Sun
by Lorraine Hansberry
A black family's struggle for a better life and the dreams that accompany their journey.
Walter and Ruth Younger, their son Travis, along with Walter's mother Lena (Mama) and Walter's sister Beneatha, live in poverty in a dilapidated two-bedroom apartment on Chicago's south side. Walter ... (Wikipedia)
For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enuf
by Ntozake Shange
A powerful collection of stories exploring the struggles and triumphs of African-American women.
In celebration of its highly anticipated Broadway revival, Ntozake Shange’s classic, award-winning play centering the wide-ranging experiences of Black women, now with introductions by two-time ... (Goodreads)
The Horse Whisperer
by Nicholas Evans
A young girl and her horse are traumatized in a riding accident, and a horse trainer helps them both heal.
A forty-ton truck hurtles out of control on a snowy country road, a teenage girl on horseback in its path. In a few terrible seconds the life of a family is shattered. And a mother's quest beings - ... (Goodreads)
River, Cross My Heart
by Breena Clarke
A young girl drowns in a river, and her family struggles to cope with the aftermath in 1920s Georgetown, Washington D.C.
The acclaimed bestseller – a selection of Oprah's Book Club -- that brings vividly to life the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, DC, circa 1925, and a community reeling from a young girl's ... (Goodreads)
The Broker
by John Grisham
A lawyer on the run from the FBI and CIA must use his expertise to help them uncover a powerful conspiracy.
Joel Backman is "the Broker," a considered to be one of the most powerful lobbyists in Washington, D.C. . However, Backman's life falls apart when a deal collapses involving a hacked spy satellite ... (Wikipedia)
Jewel
by Bret Lott
A young couple adopts a baby girl with Down syndrome, and their lives are forever changed as they learn to love and care for her.
(Oprah's Book Club) Jewel and her husband, Leston, have been blessed by a fifth child, a girl they name Brenda Kay. But Brenda Kay, who was born with Down's syndrome, is also a challenge. In this ... (Goodreads)
What We Keep
by Elizabeth Berg
A mother and daughter's relationship is explored through the discovery of a long-hidden family secret.
Do you ever really know your mother, your daughter, the people in your family? In this rich and rewarding new novel by the beloved bestselling author of Talk Before Sleep and The Pull of the Moon , a ... (Goodreads)
True Blue
by David Baldacci
A former cop turned private investigator is hired to solve a murder case, but soon realizes there's more to it than meets the eye.
A mysterious high-profile homicide in the nation's capital collides with the dark side of national security in David Baldacci's new, heart-stopping thriller:, TRUE BLUE,., Mason "Mace" Perry was a ... (Goodreads)
Friends and Lovers
by Eric Jerome Dickey
A romantic comedy of two couples navigating the ups and downs of relationships.
"Recommended....Dickey uses humor, poignancy and a fresh, creative writing style....The reader is hooked from the first sentence." —,USA Today, In this sexy, soulful tale of love, betrayal, and ... (Barnes & Noble)
The Kindness of Strangers
by Katrina Kittle
A woman's life is changed when she takes in a homeless teenager. A story of compassion, love, and the power of human connection.
A young widow raising two boys, Sarah Laden is struggling to keep her family together. But when a shocking revelation rips apart the family of her closest friend, Sarah finds herself welcoming yet ... (Goodreads)
An American Marriage
by Tayari Jones
A newlywed couple's lives are torn apart when the husband is wrongfully convicted of a crime. The novel explores love, loyalty, and injustice.
Roy, a sales representative for a textbook company, and Celestial, an artist specializing in custom made baby dolls, are newlyweds who live in Atlanta. After their first year of marriage they travel ... (Wikipedia)
Sea Swept
by Nora Roberts
A man's journey of self-discovery, learning to accept and love the family he never knew.
Cameron Quinn is a champion boat racer who travels the world and enjoys a lifestyle soaked in champagne and women. As a child, Cameron survived abuse before he was adopted by the Quinns after they ... (Wikipedia)
Possessing the Secret of Joy
by Alice Walker
Tashi, a woman from an African tribe, undergoes female genital mutilation and struggles to find her identity and place in the world.
It tells the story of Tashi, an African woman and a minor character in Walker's earlier novel, The Color Purple, . Now in the US she comes from Olinka, Alice Walker's fictional African nation where ... (Wikipedia)
The Post-Birthday World
by Lionel Shriver
A woman's choice between two men, and its consequences, explored in two parallel universes.
In this eagerly awaited new novel, Lionel Shriver, the Orange Prize-winning author of the international bestseller We Need to Talk About Kevin, delivers an imaginative and entertaining look at the ... (Goodreads)
Little Bee
by Chris Cleave
A Nigerian refugee's quest for survival and a British woman's search for redemption.
Using alternating first-person perspectives , the novel tells the stories of Little Bee, a Nigerian refugee, and Sarah O'Rourke (née Summers), a magazine editor from Surrey . After spending two years ... (Wikipedia)
Suspect
by Robert Crais
Private investigator must solve a murder case while uncovering a larger criminal conspiracy.
LAPD cop Scott James is not doing so well. Eight months ago, a shocking nighttime assault by unidentified men killed his partner Stephanie, nearly killed him, and left him enraged, ashamed, and ready ... (Goodreads)
