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  • "Christmas Eve"

    by Lo'Vonia Parks

    $33.99
    Pieces: 750 Puzzle Size: 20x27 in SKU: 750-PC-EVE WSP: $17 MSRP: $33.99
  • "Hey Little Man" Coloring/Activity Book
    $11.00
    Character Themed coloring/ activity book. This book is a one-stop item that is perfect to grab & go on that long road trip, flight, or just some fun in the sun. What's Included: -softcover 7x9 inch book -20 pages of fun-filled affirmation-themed pages -4 assorted crayons (colors may vary from the pic.) -1 pencil with an erase
  • "Hey Little Man" Wooden Jigsaw Puzzle
    $27.00

    "Hey Little Man" 72-piece wooden jigsaw puzzle is packaged in a character-themed box. The completed puzzle size is a width of 9 inches and a length of 11 inches.

    What Else Is Included: -2 wood stand pieces -puzzle pieces packaged in a cloth drawstring bag.

  • "Hey Pretty Girl" Coloring/Activity Book
    $11.00

    Character-themed coloring and activity book. This book is a one-stop shop item that is perfect for grabbing & going on that long road trip, flight, or just some fun in the sun

    What's Included: -softcover 7x9 inch book -20 pages of fun-filled affirmation-themed pages -4 assorted crayons (colors may vary from the pic.) -1 pencil with an eraser

  • "Hey Pretty Girl" Wooden Jigsaw Puzzle
    $27.00

    "Hey Pretty Girl" 76-piece wooden jigsaw puzzle is packaged in a character-themed box. The completed puzzle size is width-11 1/4 inches and length- 8 1/2 inches.

    What Else Is Included: -2 wood stand pieces -Puzzle pieces packaged in a cloth drawstring bag.

  • #SayHerName: Black Women’s Stories of State Violence and Public Silence

    by Kimberlé Crenshaw

    Sold out

    Fill the void. Lift your voice. Say Her Name.

    Black women, girls, and femmes as young as seven and as old as ninety-three have been killed by the police, though we rarely hear their names or learn their stories. Breonna Taylor, Alberta Spruill, Rekia Boyd, Shantel Davis, Shelly Frey, Kayla Moore, Kyam Livingston, Miriam Carey, Michelle Cusseaux, and Tanisha Anderson are among the many lives that should have been. 

    #SayHerName provides an analytical framework for understanding Black women's susceptibility to police brutality and state-sanctioned violence, and it explains how—through black feminist storytelling and ritual—we can effectively mobilize various communities and empower them to advocate for racial justice.

    Centering Black women’s experiences in police violence and gender violence discourses sends the powerful message that, in fact, all Black lives matter and that the police cannot kill without consequence.  This is a powerful story of Black feminist practice, community-building, enablement, and Black feminist reckoning.

  • 'Til the Well Runs Dry

    by Lauren Francis-Sharma

    $20.00

    *ships in 7 -10 business days*

    "As universally touching as it is original."—The New York Times's "Sunday Book Review"

    In a seaside village in the north of Trinidad, young Marcia Garcia, a gifted and smart-mouthed sixteen-year-old seamstress, lives alone, raising two small boys and guarding a family secret. When she meets Farouk Karam, an ambitious young policeman (so taken with Marcia that he elicits help from a tea-brewing obeah woman to guarantee her ardor), the rewards and risks in Marcia's life amplify forever.

    'Til the Well Runs Dry sees Marcia and Farouk from their sassy and passionate courtship through personal and historical events that threaten Marcia's secret, entangle the couple and their children in a tumultuous scandal, and put the future in doubt for all of them.

    With this deeply human novel, Lauren Francis-Sharma gives us an unforgettable story about a woman's love for a man, a mother's love for her children, and a people's love for an island rich with calypso and Carnival, cricket and salty air, sweet fruits and spicy stews—a story of grit, imperfection, steadfast love and of Trinidad that has never been told before.

  • 100 Years of Lynchings

     by Ralph Ginzburg

    $14.95

    Paperback. Ginzburg compiles vivid newspaper accounts from 1886 to 1960 to provide insight and understanding of the history of racial violence.

  • 2024 Buzzed Adult Spelling Bee: Black History Month Edition - February 24 @ 7PM
    Sold out

    WE'RE BACK BABY!!!!!!!!!!!

    Join us for the 3rd Buzzed Adult Spelling Bee presented by Babe Events and Kindred Stories!

    EVENT DEETS

    When: Saturday, February 24 @ 7 PM (Doors open at 6 PM)

    Where: Kindred Stories (2304 Stuart Street, HTX, 77004)

    How: There are two different ticket options. If you would like to attend, purchase your ticket as an attendee. If you would like to contest for the cash prize, grab your ticket as a contestant. Both tickets come with two drinks. THIS EVENT IS FOR ADULTS (21+) ONLY! 

    Tickets are final sale. You will be allowed to transfer tickets to guests.

    ABOUT THE SPELLING BEE 

    Contestants will be asked to spell words that speak to the theme of Black History Month including slang and AAVE over the course of four rounds. If you misspell the word, you are out!  As the words get harder, you might be able to Phone a Friend or Battle to earn your place back into the competition. Fun and music-filled, this event is for folks looking for something BLACKITY BLACK to do on a Saturday night! 

    Be mindful that you don't have to participate in the Bee. We definitely need an audience! 

    Contact lanise.harris@gmail.com or chanecka@kindredstorieshtx.com for more details.

  • 2024 Set Boundaries, Find Peace Boxed Calendar: 365 Ways to Set Healthy Limits and Reclaim Yourself

    by Nedra Glover Tawwab

    Sold out

    Join the animals and follow the clues in this rollicking, rhyming, nature-inspired whodunit story full of fun collective nouns!

    Based on the New York Times bestselling book by licensed therapist and relationship expert Nedra Glover Tawwab, this new 2024 boxed calendar helps buyers set healthy boundaries, form strong relationships and connections, and speak up for what they need. Embrace your authentic self and experience the freedom of truly being you all year with relatable, inclusive, and inspiring content that gives you the tools to establish boundaries in every aspect of your life, identify your needs, and learn to experience and express your feelings freely.

  • 3 pc affirmation pens - be bold. be brave. be fearless.
    $20.00
    Take notes and stay uplifted with these beautiful ballpoint pens. This trio features brass hardware including a retractable ballpoint tip and clip. These pens are slim enough to tuck within your wallet or pocket, they’re perfect for everyday use. * Black ink. * Set of 3 pens * Retractable tip * Metal pen
  • 3 pc affirmation pens - dream it. believe it. manifest it.

    Be Rooted

    $20.00
    Take notes and stay uplifted with these beautiful ballpoint pens. This trio features brass hardware including a retractable ballpoint tip and clip. These pens are slim enough to tuck within your wallet or pocket, they’re perfect for everyday use. * Black ink. * Set of 3 pens * Retractable tip * Metal pen
  • 99 Bottles: A Black Sheep's Guide to Life-Changing Wines

    by André Mack

    Sold out
    *ships in 7-10 business days* 
    A vibrantly illustrated, highly opinionated account of every bottle of wine you need to know, from winemaker and sommelier André Mack
    A highly opinionated, vibrantly illustrated wine guide from one of the country’s most celebrated—and unorthodox—sommeliers and winemakers

    In this entertaining, informative, and thoroughly unconventional wine guide, award-winning sommelier, winemaker, and wine educator André Mack presents readers with the 99 bottles that have most impacted his life. Instead of just pairing wines with foods, Mack pairs practical information with personal stories, offering up recommendations alongside reflections on being one of the only African-Americans to ever work at the top level of the American wine industry. The 99 bottles range from highly accessible commercial wines to the most rarefied Bordeaux on the wine list at The French Laundry, and each bottle offers readers something to learn about wine. This window into Mack’s life combines a maverick’s perspective on the wine industry with an insider’s advice on navigating wine lists, purchasing wine, and drinking more diverse and interesting selections at home. 99 Bottles is a one-of-a-kind exploration of wine culture today from a true trailblazer.
  • A Banh Mi for Two

    by Trinity Nguyen

    $12.99

    In this sweet sapphic romance about two foodies in love, Vivi meets Lan while studying abroad in Vietnam and they spend the semester unraveling their families' histories―and eating all the street food in Sài Gòn.

    In Sài Gòn, Lan is always trying to be the perfect daughter, dependable and willing to care for her widowed mother and their bánh mì stall. Her secret passion, however, is A Bánh Mì for Two, the food blog she started with her father, but has stopped updating since his passing.

    Meanwhile, Vietnamese American Vivi Huynh, has never been to Việt Nam. Her parents rarely even talk about the homeland that clearly haunts them. So Vivi secretly goes to Vietnam for a study abroad program her freshman year of college. She’s determined to figure out why her parents left, and to try everything she’s seen on her favorite food blog, A Bánh Mì for Two.

    When Vivi and Lan meet in Sài Gòn, they strike a deal. Lan will show Vivi around the city, helping her piece together her mother’s story through crumbling photographs and old memories. Vivi will help Lan start writing again so she can enter a food blogging contest. And slowly, as they explore the city and their pasts, Vivi and Lan fall in love.

  • A Billion Black Anthropocenes or None 

    by Kathryn Yusoff

    $10.00

    *Ships in 7-10 Business Days*

    This book was selected by the artists participating in Project Row Houses' Round 52: Gulf Coast Anthropocene, which is on view from July 31 to December 5.  To learn more about Project Row Houses and this exhibit, please visit https://projectrowhouses.org/.

    No geology is neutral, writes Kathryn Yusoff. Tracing the color line of the Anthropocene, A Billion Black Anthropocenes or None examines how the grammar of geology is foundational to establishing the extractive economies of subjective life and the earth under colonialism and slavery.

    Yusoff initiates a transdisciplinary conversation between feminist black theory, geography, and the earth sciences, addressing the politics of the Anthropocene within the context of race, materiality, deep time, and the afterlives of geology.

  • A Black Gaze

    by Tina M. Campt

    from $24.95

    *Ships in 7-10 Business Days*

    In A Black Gaze, Tina Campt examines Black contemporary artists who are shifting the very nature of our interactions with the visual through their creation and curation of a distinctively Black gaze. Their work—from Deana Lawson’s disarmingly intimate portraits to Arthur Jafa’s videos of the everyday beauty and grit of the Black experience, from Khalil Joseph’s films and Dawoud Bey’s photographs to the embodied and multimedia artistic practice of Okwui Okpakwasili, Simone Leigh, and Luke Willis Thompson—requires viewers to do more than simply look; it solicits visceral responses to the visualization of Black precarity.

  • A Black Women's History of the United States

    by Daina Ramey Berry and Kali Nicole Gross

    $28.95

    A vibrant and empowering history that emphasizes the perspectives and stories of African American women to show how they are—and have always been—instrumental in shaping our country.

    A Black Women’s History of the United States reaches far beyond a single narrative to showcase Black women’s lives in all their fraught complexities. Berry and Gross prioritize many voices: enslaved women, freedwomen, religious leaders, artists, queer women, activists, and women who lived outside the law. The result is a starting point for exploring Black women’s history and a testament to the beauty, richness, rhythm, tragedy, heartbreak, rage, and enduring love that abounds in the spirit of Black women in communities throughout the nation.

  • A Brief History of Seven Killings

    by Marlon James

    $18.00
    In A Brief History of Seven Killings, Marlon James combines masterful storytelling with his unrivaled skill at characterization and his meticulous eye for detail to forge a novel of dazzling ambition and scope.

    On December 3, 1976, just before the Jamaican general election and two days before Bob Marley was to play the Smile Jamaica Concert to ease political tensions in Kingston, seven unnamed gunmen stormed the singer’s house, machine guns blazing. The attack wounded Marley, his wife, and his manager, and injured several others. Little was officially released about the gunmen, but rumors abounded regarding the assassins’ fates. A Brief History of Seven Killings is James’s fictional exploration of that dangerous and unstable time in Jamaica’s history and beyond. Deftly spanning decades and continents and peopled with a wide range of characters—assassins, drug dealers, journalists, and even ghosts—James brings to life the people who walked the streets of 1970s Kingston, who dominated the crack houses of 1980s New York, and who reemerged into a radically altered Jamaica of the 1990s. Brilliantly inventive, A Brief History of Seven Killings is an “exhilarating” (The New York Times) epic that’s been called “a tour de force” (The Wall Street Journal).
  • A Child's Introduction to African American History: The Experiences, People, and Events That Shaped Our Country

    by Jabari Asim

    $19.99

    A comprehensive, entertaining look at heroes, heroines, and critical moments from African American history -- from the slave trade to the Black Lives Matter movement -- by award-winning author Jabari Asim.

    Jabari Asim goes beyond what's taught in the classroom to reveal a fact-filled history of African American history through politics, activism, sports, entertainment, music, and much more. You'll follow the road to freedom beginning with the slave trade and the middle passage through the abolitionist movement and the Civil War where many African Americans fought as soldiers. You'll learn how slave songs often contained hidden messages and how a 15-year-old Jamaican-born young man named Clive Campbell helped to create hip-hop in the early 1970's.

    You'll experience the passionate speeches, marches, and movements of the Civil Rights era along with and the sacrifices of Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, Medgar Evers, and many others. Along the way there are dozens of profiles of political trailblazers like Shirley Chisholm, the first black women elected to Congress in 1968; dominants athletes like Tiger Woods who, in 1995, was only the second African American to play in a Master's Golf Tournament which he went on to win in 1997; popular musicians like Miles Davis, one the most influential artists of the twentieth century; and inspiring writers like Toni Morrison, the first African American to win the Nobel Prize in literature.

    Filled with beautiful illustrations by Lynn Gaines that bring these figures and events to life, plus a removable historical timeline poster, A Child's Introduction to African American History is a fascinating and comprehensive guide to this often overlooked yet immensely important part of American history.

  • A Child's Introduction to Asian American and Pacific Islander History: The Heroes, the Stories, and the Cultures that Helped to Build America

    by Naomi Hirahara

    $21.99

    The perfect primer for kids ages 8-12, A Child's Introduction to Asian American and Pacific Islander History is packed with remarkable stories, groundbreaking events, and inspirational people, that have made a lasting impact on the history and culture of the United States.

    The latest entry in the award-winning Child’s Introduction series is an inspirational and essential look at the impact and influence that AAPI peoples have made to the culture of the United States. The book is packed with profiles of dozens of AAPI trailblazers from from all walks of life, including political activist Grace Lee Boggs, Vice President Kamala Harris, actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, and dozens of others who have made contributions to music, food, sciences, technology, and more. Kids will learn key terms like "Asian American" and "Pacific Islander," how to pronounce common Asian names,  and the discrimination members of the community have faced (and continue to face). They will be introduced to a wide variety of traditions, from Diwali to Lunar New Year and signature dishes, like poi and pho, all giving greater visibility to Asian Americans for young learners. 
     
    Featuring charming illustrations and a lively design, as well as a pull-out poster, A Child's Introduction to Asian American and Pacific Islander History is much-needed addition every home library and classroom.

  • A Child's Introduction to Hip-Hop: The Beats, Rhymes, and Roots of a Musical Revolution

    by Jordannah Elizabeth

    $21.99

    In the 50 years since hip-hop was formally invented, the Bronx-based musical genre has evolved into a world-wide cultural phenomenon that has forever changed the shape of music. A Child’s Introduction to Hip-Hop will teach kids about the history of the genre, covering everyone from early heroes like The Sugar Hill Gang, Kurtis Blow, and Run D.M.C., to modern day titans like Kanye West, Cardi B, and Kendrick Lamar.

    In the 1970s, a musical and cultural movement was sparked in the Bronx neighborhood of New York City. Led by three DJs who performed at local block parties, DJ Kool Herc, Afrika Bambaataa, and Grandmaster Flash become known as the “Holy Trinity” of hip-hop and they helped establish the four main pillars of the genre: deejaying, mc'ing, break dancing, and graffiti art. 

    From these early days, acclaimed journalist and music critic Jordannah Elizabeth takes kids on a journey through the history of hip-hop, helping young readers understand how and why it was invented, and how it evolved into a powerful platform that gave (and still gives) a voice to the often-ignored Black community in America. From Tupac Shakur and Ms. Lauryn Hill to Drake and Tyler the Creator, kids will celebrate some of hip-hop’s biggest names while learning about the roots of their musical sounds, and the community that propelled them into stardom.

    Packed with modern, charming illustrations, including a pull-out poster for kids to color, A Child’s Introduction to Hip-Hop features age-appropriate descriptions of a musical genre that is changing the world and dominating the airwaves. This is the perfect book for young students who want to know more about the world of hip-hop and rap, as well as for parents who want to introduce their children to some of their favorite artists. 

  • A Child's Introduction to Jazz: The Musicians, Culture, and Roots of the World's Coolest Music

    by Jabari Asim & Jerrard K Polk

    Sold out

    Get ready to swing with A Child’s Introduction to Jazz, an interactive journey into one of the richest and most soulful music genres in the world. Listen while you learn with QR codes that will connect you to the instruments and musical flair of jazz. 

    Welcome to jazz! Feel the music and rhythms of all the different styles of jazz, from swing and Dixieland to the blues and bebop, with this interactive introduction to the world’s coolest music.

    Author Jabari Asim will take you on the journey through the history of jazz as you discover the most important musicians and singers while hearing some really cool sounds. You’ll learn all about the roots of jazz in Africa and New Orleans and how the music traveled to different parts of the United States and around the world. Along the way you’ll meet legendary trumpeter Louis Armstrong, who shaped a new form of jazz called improvisation; pianist and bandleader Duke Ellington, who helped create the big band sound of the swing era; and the singer Billie Holiday, whose songs such as “God Bless the Child,” “Don’t Explain,” and “Lady Sings the Blues” have become jazz standards.

    Listen along to the sounds of jazz by downloading music and hearing instruments such as trumpets, clarinets, trombones, and even singers scatting as they improvise melodies. With a pull-out poster showing the different instruments of jazz, A Child’s Introduction to Jazz hits the perfect beat and will have you bebopping and scatting in no time!

  • A Choice of Weapons

    by Gordon Parks

    $18.95

    *ship in 7-10 business days

    Gordon Parks (1912–2006)—the groundbreaking photographer, writer, composer, activist, and filmmaker—was only sixteen in 1928 when he moved from Kansas to St. Paul, Minnesota, after his mother's death. There, homeless and hungry, he began his fight to survive, to educate himself, and to fulfill his potential dream.

    This compelling autobiography, first published in 1966, now back in print by popular demand and with a new foreword by Wing Young Huie, tells how Parks managed to escape the poverty and bigotry around him and to launch his distinguished career by choosing the weapons given him by "a mother who placed love, dignity, and hard work over hatred." Parks, the first African American to work at Life magazine and the first to write, direct, and score a Hollywood film, told an interviewer in 1999, "I saw that the camera could be a weapon against poverty, against racism, against all sorts of social wrongs. I knew at that point I had to have a camera."

    Praise for A Choice of Weapons

    "A perceptive narrative of one man's struggle to realize the values (defined as democratic and especially American) he has been taught to respect." —New York Times Book Review

    "A lean, well-written memoir."—Time

  • A Christmas to Remember

    by Beverly Jenkins

    $18.99

    Ever since Bernadine Brown bought the town of Henry Adams, her relationship with diner owner Malachi “Mal” July has had its share of ups and downs. But now they’re finally ready to say “I do.” Or are they? As wedding preparations go into full swing, and families both local and extended begin to gather for the festivities, that long awaited walk down the aisle hits a speed bump that may derail everything. But Mal and Bernadine’s relationship isn’t the only one being tested. Preston Mays, aka Brain, loves his girlfriend as much as he does physics, but when she decides being a couple is no longer a good thing, his heart is broken. Will connecting with his bio dad’s family ease his pain? Reverend Paula Grant has been patiently waiting for God to send her someone to share her life. When the town’s charming new chef arrives in town, she wonders if he could be the one. And then there’s former mayor Riley Curry who throws a parade with his hog Cletus! There’s always a lot going on in Henry Adams, and this will be a Christmas to remember.

  • A Crown of Stories: The Life and Language of Beloved Writer Toni Morrison

    by Carole Boston Weatherford

    $19.99

    From award-winning author Carole Boston Weatherford comes a captivating picture book biography about the incredible life of esteemed author, editor, and activist Toni Morrison, featuring gorgeous illustrations by debut artist Khalif Tahir Thompson.

    How do you tell a story?

    Before Toni Morrison was a Pulitzer Prize winner and Nobel Prize–winning author, she was Chloe Ardelia Wofford, a little girl in Ohio who was both the only Black child in her first-grade classroom and the only student who was able to read.

    This is the true story of how that young girl learned from her upbringing, surrounded herself with stories, and made a tremendous impact on the world. Toni Morrison’s pen was her sword, and she grew to be a titan of the arts. Her legacy is one that still touches readers to this day.

    Expertly and evocatively told by award-winning author Carole Boston Weatherford, with beautiful painted illustrations by Khalif Tahir Thompson, this is a must-have picture book biography for any collection. It celebrates Toni Morrison’s legacy while inspiring readers to create art, believe in themselves, and strive for greatness.

  • A Crown So Cursed

    by L.L. McKinney

    $19.99

    Alice must save Wonderland from itself in the long-awaited third YA novel in L.L. McKinney's Nightmare-Verse series.

    Alice and her crew are doing their best to recover from the last boss battle, but some of them keep having these . . . dreams: visions of a dark past—and an even darker future. Sadly, the evil in Wonderland may not be as defeated as they’d hoped.

    Attacked by Nightmares unlike any they’ve ever seen, Alice will have to step between the coming darkness and the mortal world once more. But this time is different. This time, the monsters aren’t waiting for her on the other side of the Veil.

    They're in her own back yard.

  • A Crown that Lasts: You Are Not Your Label

    by Demi-Leigh Tebow

    $29.99

    In A Crown that Lasts, former Miss Universe and Miss South Africa Demi Tebow confesses the danger of tying our identities to our accomplishments. Discover the truth of who you were created to be and how to use your platform, no matter how big or small, for eternal impact.

    On this earth, a crown is what separates victors from the rest of the competitors, but the goal of creating a life worth living is not to gain a trophy, get a prize, or keep the crown. Our lives are not meant to be about being number one or making our own names known. While walking you through the journey of her evolving confidence—from basing her identity on temporary labels and her own efforts, to discovering the rock-solid security of anchoring her dreams in her Maker—Demi weaves her story together with the insights she's learned along the way.

    A Crown that Lasts will show you how to

    * Relate to the discomfort, confusion, and doubt that arises when you base your confidence on external things,
    * Discover God-confidence when your plans take unexpected detours,
    * Know what do when planted in unknown territory,
    * Use your story to grow an eternal impact, and
    * Stay grounded in the truth of who you are in Christ.

    The purpose of our lives is to love and serve God and others. Demi shows how you can be encouraged to focus not just on your aspirations, but on your greater purpose and leave behind a footprint of significance, not just success.

  • A Darker Wilderness: Black Nature Writing From Soil to Stars

    by Erin Sharkey

    $20.00

    A vibrant collection of personal and lyric essays in conversation with archival objects of Black history and memory.

    What are the politics of nature? Who owns it, where is it, what role does it play in our lives? Does it need to be tamed? Are we ourselves natural? In A Darker Wilderness, a constellation of luminary writers reflect on the significance of nature in their lived experience and on the role of nature in the lives of Black folks in the United States. Each of these essays engages with a single archival object, whether directly or obliquely, exploring stories spanning hundreds of years and thousands of miles, traveling from roots to space and finding rich Blackness everywhere.

    Erin Sharkey considers Benjamin Banneker’s 1795 almanac, as she follows the passing of seasons in an urban garden in Buffalo. Naima Penniman reflects on a statue of Haitian revolutionary François Makandal, within her own pursuit of environmental justice. Ama Codjoe meditates on rain, hair, protest, and freedom via a photo of a young woman during a civil rights demonstration in Alabama. And so on—with wide-ranging contributions from Carolyn Finney, Ronald Greer II, Alexis Pauline Gumbs, Sean Hill, Michael Kleber-Diggs, Glynn Pogue, Katie Robinson, and Lauret Savoy—unearthing evidence of the ways Black people’s relationship to the natural world has persevered through colonialism, slavery, state-sponsored violence, and structurally racist policies like Jim Crow and redlining.

    A scrapbook, a family chest, a quilt—and an astounding work of historical engagement and literary accomplishment—A Darker Wilderness is a collection brimming with abundan

  • A Family Meal: A Novel

    by Bryan Washington

    from $18.00

    From the bestselling, award-winning author of Memorial and Lot, an irresistible, intimate novel about two young men, once best friends, whose lives collide again after a loss.

    Cam is living in Los Angeles and falling apart after the love of his life has died. Kai's ghost won't leave Cam alone; his spectral visits wild, tender, and unexpected. When Cam returns to his hometown of Houston, he crashes back into the orbit of his former best friend, TJ, and TJ's family bakery. TJ's not sure how to navigate this changed Cam, impenetrably cool and self-destructing, or their charged estrangement. Can they find a way past all that has been said - and left unsaid - to save each other? Could they find a way back to being okay again, or maybe for the first time?

    When secrets and wounds become so insurmountable that they devour us from within, hope and sustenance and friendship can come from the most unlikely source. Spanning Los Angeles, Houston, and Osaka, Family Meal is a story about how the people who know us the longest can hurt us the most, but how they also set the standard for love. With his signature generosity and eye for food, sex, love, and the moments that make us the most human, Bryan Washington returns with a brilliant new novel.

  • A Family Prayer

    by Shay Youngblood

    $18.99

    Ships in 7-10 business days

    A beautifully illustrated children's book that celebrates all the family—biological and chosen alike—who keep us safe and teach us to dream

    In A Family Prayer, acclaimed novelist Shay Youngblood brings to life the prayer of a little brown girl who finds joy in asking God to keep her family safe. Young readers will celebrate every aunty, cousin, and grandmother in their life. But more than just her biological relatives, each family member is a maternal or paternal archetype, someone in her community who represents the title of mother, father, aunty, and the like.

    My sister is a blessing                             
    She keeps my secrets                              
    Braids my hair
    And helps me find my way
    Sisters are a blessing
    Keep them safe from harm

    My Aunty is a blessing                            
    She sings sweet songs                                                     
    Rocks me to sleep
    and whispers stories in the dark
    Aunties are a blessing
    Keep them safe from harm

    A Family Prayer champions the age-old wisdom that raising a family takes a village—and that the love of a community runs soul deep.

  • A Few Rules for Predicting the Future: An Essay

    Octavia E. Butler

    $14.95

    The wise words of science fiction icon Octavia E. Butler live on in this beautiful and giftable little volume.

    “There’s no single answer that will solve all our future problems. There’s no magic bullet. Instead there are thousands of answers—at least. You can be one of them if you choose to be.”

    Originally published in Essence magazine in the year 2000, Octavia E. Butler’s essay “A Few Rules for Predicting the Future” offers an honest look into the inspiration behind her science fiction novels and the importance of studying history and taking responsibility for our actions if we are to move forward. 

    Organized into four main rules, this short essay reminds readers to learn from the past, respect the law of consequences, be aware of their perspectives, and count on the surprises. Citing the warning signs of fascism, the illusive effects of fear and wishful thinking, and the unpredictable nature of what is yet to come, Butler shares realistic but hopeful suggestions to shape our future into something good. An inspiring and motivational gift for students and recent graduates, fans of Butler's work, and anyone seeking a brighter day tomorrow, this exquisite gift book includes stunning Afrofuturist artwork by Manzel Bowman alongside the full text of the original essay.

    LITERARY ICON: Octavia E. Butler was a pioneering science fiction writer whose novels, written decades ago, remain eerily relevant, reflecting on themes of racial injustice, women’s rights, environmental collapse, and political corruption. In 1995, she became the first science fiction author to win a MacArthur Genius grant, and her books are taught in over 200 colleges and universities nationwide. This book shares Butler's timely but lesser-known essay and is a must-read for fans of her classic sci-fi works.
     
    CELEBRATE BLACK CREATORS: This book spotlights one of the greatest authors of Afrofuturism, a genre and philosophy that explores and reimagines Black culture, creativity, and liberation through fiction, art, music, film, and other media. Octavia E. Butler’s forward-thinking essay is paired with contemporary illustrations by Manzel Bowman, whose evocative images are also inspired by Afrofuturist visions.
     
    INSPIRING GIFT: A unique gift for students, recent graduates, and anyone celebrating life milestones or looking forward in life, this beautifully designed hardcover book is sure to inspire. Octavia E. Butler’s essay is also an important, evergreen reminder for writers, creatives, dreamers, and activists who want to envision and work toward a brighter future.

    Perfect for:
    * Fans of Octavia Butler and her novels, including Kindred and Parable of the Sower
    * People interested in nonfiction and essays by Black women writers
    * Afrofuturism lovers and social justice-minded sci-fi readers
    * Literary bibliophiles looking for a stunning new addition to their bookshelf
    * Gift-giving to graduating high school and college students
    * Activists and community leaders
    * Inspirational essay readers
    * Fans of Manzel Bowman and Afrofuturist art

  • A Fire in My Head: Poems for the Dawn

    by Ben Okri

    $21.99

    *Ships in 7-10 Business Days*

    From the renowned Booker Prize–winning author, a powerful collection of poems covering topics of the day, such as the refugee crisis, Black Lives Matter protests, and COVID-19.

    In our times of crisis
    The mind has its powers

     
    This book brings together many of Ben Okri’s most acclaimed and politically charged poems.
        “Grenfell Tower, June 2017” was published in the Financial Times less than ten days after the fire, and Okri’s reading of it was played more than six million times on Facebook.
        “Notre-Dame Is Telling Us Something” was first read on BBC Radio 4, in the aftermath of the cathedral’s near destruction. It speaks eloquently of the despair that was felt around the world.
        In “shaved head poem,” Okri writes of the confusion and anxiety felt as the world grappled with a health crisis unprecedented in our times.
        “Breathing the Light” is his response to the events of summer 2020, when a Black man died beneath the knee of a white policeman, a tragedy sparking a movement for change.
        These poems and others, including poems for Ken Saro-Wiwa, Barack Obama, Amnesty International, and more, make this a uniquely powerful collection that blends anger and tenderness with Okri’s inimitable vision.

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