The #1 New York Times bestselling author of While Justice Sleeps returns with another riveting and intricately plotted thriller, in which a blackmailed federal judge, a secret court and a brazen murder may lead to an unprecedented national crisis.

"A thoroughly compelling take on the machinations of Washington and those covetous of power." —New York Magazine

Supreme Court clerk Avery Keene is back, trying to get her feet on solid ground after unraveling an international conspiracy in While Justice Sleeps. But as the sparks of Congressional hearings and political skirmishes swirl around her, Avery is approached at a legal conference by Preston Davies, an unassuming young man and fellow law clerk to a federal judge in Idaho. Davies believes his boss, Judge Francesca Whitner, was being blackmailed in the days before she died. Desperate to understand what happened, he gives Avery a file, a burner phone, and a fearful warning that there are highly dangerous people involved. 

Another shocking murder leads Avery to a list of names – all federal judges – and, alarmingly, all judges on the FISA Court (the United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court), also known as America’s "secret court." It is this body which grants permission to the government to wiretap Americans or spy on corporations suspected of terrorism. As Avery digs deeper, she begins to see a frightening pattern – and she worries that something far more sinister may be unfolding inside the nation’s third branch of government. With lives at stake, Avery must race the clock and an unexpected enemy to find the answer.

Drawn from today’s headlines and woven with her unique insider perspective, Stacey Abrams combines twisting plotlines, wry wit, and clever puzzles to create another immensely entertaining suspense novel.

*ships in 7-10 business days*

The pioneering novel of physical disability, transatlantic travel, and black international politics. A vital document of black modernism and one of the earliest overtly queer fictions in the African American tradition. Published for the first time.

A Penguin Classic

Buried in the archive for almost ninety years, Claude McKay's Romance in Marseille traces the adventures of a rowdy troupe of dockworkers, prostitutes, and political organizers--collectively straight and queer, disabled and able-bodied, African, European, Caribbean, and American. Set largely in the culture-blending Vieux Port of Marseille at the height of the Jazz Age, the novel takes flight along with Lafala, an acutely disabled but abruptly wealthy West African sailor. While stowing away on a transatlantic freighter, Lafala is discovered and locked in a frigid closet. Badly frostbitten by the time the boat docks, the once-nimble dancer loses both of his lower legs, emerging from life-saving surgery as what he terms "an amputated man." Thanks to an improbably successful lawsuit against the shipping line, however, Lafala scores big in the litigious United States. Feeling flush after his legal payout, Lafala doubles back to Marseille and resumes his trans-African affair with Aslima, a Moroccan courtesan. With its scenes of black bodies fighting for pleasure and liberty even when stolen, shipped, and sold for parts, McKay's novel explores the heritage of slavery amid an unforgiving modern economy. This first-ever edition of Romance in Marseille includes an introduction by McKay scholars Gary Edward Holcomb and William J. Maxwell that places the novel within both the "stowaway era" of black cultural politics and McKay's challenging career as a star and skeptic of the Harlem Renaissance.

Romy Gill conjures magic on the plate yet again. A deliciously versatile book that transports me back to my own mother’s kitchen. Easy to follow, written with verve humour and warmth and always a surprise. Another masterclass…'  – Nikesh Shukla

'There’s a freshness and openness about Romy Gill’s books… and this love letter to India is more fresh air... an enticing mix of recipes and stories.'  – Sheila Dillon

'Romy’s Punjabi and Bengali roots come together in this book to create her most vivid, unique and delicious version of home.'  – Minnie Driver

'In addition to her lush design choices and gorgeous photographs, I am eternally grateful to Romy Gill for consistently fulfilling a crucial need: Recipes that impress my own Indian mother.' – Priyanka Mattoo

Step into the heart of India's vibrant culinary heritage with Romy Gill's India. Renowned chef Romy Gill takes you on a charming journey through her ancestral kitchens in the Bengal and Punjab region, where she discovered the true essence of home-cooked Indian cuisine.

In this beautiful cookbook, Romy shares over 70 of her beloved family recipes, each a testament to the flavors that define her childhood. From the iconic Butter Chicken, a beloved staple in every Indian home, to the delicious simplicity of her Masala Omelette, Romy invites you to savor the authentic tastes of India without the fuss. As well as recipes, Romy imparts her culinary wisdom and invaluable tips to help you craft curries with confidence in your own kitchen. With easy-to-follow instructions and readily available ingredients, every dish is designed with the home cook in mind, ensuring that your journey into Indian cuisine is as delightful as it is delicious.

With recipes that caters to every palate, offering a diverse range of recipes, including vegetarian, vegan, and non-vegetarian options, Romy's warm and engaging narrative will guide you through the intricacies of Indian cuisine, allowing you to create mouthwatering meals that evoke the comforting flavors of home.

There are so many distracts keeping us away from ourselves, our goals, and living the lives that we've worked hard to create. Take a moment to get grounded with us. 

WORKSHOP DEETS

When: Sunday, October 6 @ 10 AM - 1 PM

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

How: Purchase tickets here!

ABOUT WORKSHOP 

Raveen Alexis will lead us through guided journaling and meditation. Be sure to bring yourself, a young mat or towel and a journal with a writing utensil.

Why is less than 1% of rural land in the U.S. owned by Black people? An acclaimed writer and activist explores the impact of land theft and violent displacement on racial wealth gaps, arguing that justice stems from the literal roots of the earth.

“With heartfelt prose and unyielding honesty, Baker explores the depths of her roots and invites readers to reflect on our own.”—Donovan X. Ramsey, author of the National Book Award for Nonfiction semi-finalist When Crack Was King

To understand the contemporary racial wealth gap, we must first unpack the historic attacks on Indigenous and Black land ownership. From the moment that colonizers set foot on Virginian soil, a centuries-long war was waged, resulting in an existential dilemma: Who owns what on stolen land? Who owns what with stolen labor? To answer these questions, we must confront one of this nation’s first sins: stealing, hoarding, and commodifying the land.

Research suggests that between 1910 and 1997, Black Americans lost about 90% of their farmland. Land theft widened the racial wealth gap, privatized natural resources, and created a permanent barrier to access that should be a birthright for Black and Indigenous communities. Rooted traces the experiences of Brea Baker’s family history of devastating land loss in Kentucky and North Carolina, identifying such violence as the root of persistent inequality in this country. Ultimately, her grandparents’ commitment to Black land ownership resulted in the Bakers Acres—a haven for the family where they are sustained by the land, surrounded by love, and wholly free.

A testament to the Black farmers who dreamed of feeding, housing, and tending to their communities, Rooted bears witness to their commitment to freedom and reciprocal care for the land. By returning equity to a dispossessed people, we can heal both the land and our nation’s soul.

A TODAY and LGBTQ Reads Most Anticipated Book of 2023 • A Goodreads Buzziest Debut Novel of the New Year • An Electric Lit Most Anticipated LGBTQ+ Book of Spring 2023 • A Bustle Most Anticipated Book of Spring & Summer 2023

A Nylon April 2023 Must-Read Book

For fans of Queenie and Such a Fun Age comes a deliciously gritty and strikingly bold debut novel about discovering love where it has always been.

Elsie is a sexy, funny, and fiercely independent woman in south London. But, at just 28, she is also tired. Though she spends her days writing tender poetry in her journal, her nights are spent working long hours for minimum wage at a neighborhood dive bar. Not even sleeping with her alluring coworker, Bea, can quell her existential dread. The difficulty of being estranged from her family, struggle of being continually rejected from jobs, and fear of never making money doing what she loves is too great. But Elsie is determined to keep the faith, for a little longer at least. Things will surely turn around. They have to.

But when Elsie is suddenly evicted from her social housing, her fragile foundations threaten to collapse entirely. With nowhere left to go, Elsie turns to her childhood friend, Juliet, for help.

Among Juliet’s mismatched cushions and shelves lined with trinkets, Elsie is able to breathe for the first time in years. But between their reruns of Drag Race and nights smoking on the balcony, something else soon begins to glimmer in Elsie’s heart . . . Sometimes what you’ve been searching for has been there all along. Can Elsie see it in time?

Featuring the incredible poetry of Kai-Isaiah Jamal, Rosewater is a story of intergenerational love, healing, and one woman’s journey home. A remarkable debut by an exciting new talent, readers are sure to be enchanted by Liv Little’s distinctive and captivating contemporary voice.

In stunning full color and accessible text, a graphic adaptation of the American Book Award winning history of the United States as told from the perspective of Indigenous peoples—perfect for readers of all ages

Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz’s influential New York Times bestseller exposed the brutality of this nation’s founding and its legacy of settler-colonialism and genocide. Through evocative full color artwork, renowned cartoonist Paul Peart-Smith brings this watershed book to life, centering the perspective of the peoples displaced by Europeans and their white descendants to trace Indigenous perseverance over four centuries against policies intended to obliterate them.

Recognized for his adaptation of W.E.B. DuBois’ The Souls of Black Folk and his extensive expertise in the comics industry, Peart-Smith collaborates with experienced graphic novel editor Paul Buhle to provide an accessible introduction to a complex history that will attract new generations of readers of all ages. This striking graphic adaptation will rekindle crucial conversations about the centuries-long genocidal program of the US settler-colonial regime that has largely been omitted from history.

A debut picture book about a curious student who finds herself in trouble for talking in class—even though she just wants to share all that she’s learned.

“Did you know that flamingos don’t have teeth?” Questions, facts, and dreams—Ruby René could talk for hours. Once she got going, it was hard for her to stop. It didn’t matter if it was history, science, or the lunch menu—Ruby René had so much to say! But when her teacher called home because she found her sharing distracting, Ruby vowed to keep quiet. Until . . . she finds the perfect outlet for her gift of gab.

With charming text by debut author/educator Ashley Iman and colorful illustrations by Gladys Jose, Ruby René Had So Much to Say is a celebration of owning your voice, honing your skills, and turning challenges into opportunities.

*Ships in 7-10 Business Days*

Angela Dalton’s warm text is perfectly paired with Jestenia Southerland’s beautiful art in this multigenerational picture book that taps into a rich African American tradition of family reunions, with food at the heart of the celebration.

Once a year, each of Ruby’s relatives prepares a special dish to share at their family reunion. Daddy calls it their “signature dish”—and Ruby wants one of her own. She wanders through the bustling kitchen looking for inspiration. As she watches Pop-Pop’s chicken sizzling in the skillet, Uncle G slicing onions, and Auntie Billie cooking corn on the hot grill, she wonders if she’s just too young to have a signature dish. That’s when she finds it—the perfect solution!

Run, Run, Run! is a fun, fun, fun board book for on-the-go toddlers!

It's time to run a race like no other! Finish line? Winning? None of that matters here. Exploring is the goal! In this colorful board book by bestselling author-illustrator Taro Gomi, follow the racer as he runs far past the finish line and through fields, a farm, a forest, and more. Toddlers will delight in turning the pages to find out where he will run, run, run to next!

Ideal for fans of Taro Gomi and his popular children's books, including the classic Everyone Poops, My Friends, Little Truck, and Little Chicks, this board book combines irresistibly expressive artwork and energetic text to create a read-along story parents and kids will not walk but run to read again and again.

PERFECT FOR ACTIVE TODDLERS: Not only do toddlers love to run—they love to run everywhere! This spirited board book gives little ones a glimpse of what it's like to run in cities, farms, forests, and more, letting them live out their dreams of running free with the whole world at their feet. It's the ultimate board book adventure!

CELEBRATES THE POWER OF IMAGINATION: It's a toddler's dream come true: running (and running) everywhere! The youngest readers will delight in exploring a variety of scenes and reveling in the little racer's ideal race.
 
A GREAT GIFT: This colorful, detail-rich board book is the perfect present for young ones just starting to walk and run. Not only will it inspire them, but it will help to redefine what winning means when experience is the goal! Great for baby shower, new baby, or child's birthday gift giving.

Perfect for:
* Fans of Taro Gomi and Everyone Poops
* Gift-givers seeking a sweet and engaging board book
* Parents, grandparents, caregivers, and storytime leaders who love sharing fun stories and vibrant art with babies and toddlers
* Runners and joggers who want to share their outdoor hobby with the kids in their lives

From John Hope Franklin, America's foremost African American historian, comes this groundbreaking analysis of slave resistance and escape. A sweeping panorama of plantation life before the Civil War, this book reveals that slaves frequently rebelled against their masters and ran away from their plantations whenever they could.

For generations, important aspects about slave life on the plantations of the American South have remained shrouded. Historians thought, for instance, that slaves were generally pliant and resigned to their roles as human chattel, and that racial violence on the plantation was an aberration. In this precedent setting book, John Hope Franklin and Loren Schweninger demonstrate that, contrary to popular belief, significant numbers of slaves did in fact frequently rebel against their masters and struggled to attain their freedom. By surveying a wealth of documents, such as planters' records, petitions to county courts and state legislatures, and local newspapers, this book shows how slaves resisted, when, where, and how they escaped, where they fled to, how long they remained in hiding, and how they survived away from the plantation. Of equal importance, it examines the reactions of the white slaveholding class, revealing how they marshaled considerable effort to prevent runaways,
meted out severe punishments, and established patrols to hunt down escaped slaves.

Reflecting a lifetime of thought by our leading authority in African American history, this book provides the key to truly understanding the relationship between slaveholders and the runaways who challenged the system--illuminating as never before the true nature of the South's "most peculiar institution."

A hilarious middle-grade from justin a. reynolds that asks: What happens when five unsupervised kids face the apocalypse under outrageously silly circumstances?

When twelve-year-old Eddie Gordon Holloway and his friends are left home from Beach Bash, aka the greatest party of the year, only to realize that everyone in town has disappeared without a trace, they do what any smart, responsible kids would do . . . have the best day ever!

No parental supervision sounds fun for a while, but forever is a long time. And soon the gang starts to notice strange things happening around town, and they’re only getting stranger. They have to figure out what happened to their families. It seems like getting to the beach will answer all their questions . . . but the only problem is that some mysterious force seems determined to prevent them from making it there.

Eddie knows that this is a clear sign -- obviously they should be focused on having as much fun as possible for as long as possible. But everyone deals with the fear differently, and soon the friendships begin to fracture. Can Eddie find a way to get all his friends on the same page? And will they ever make it to the beach?

Rupi Kaur's Writing Prompts Gratitude card deck is the ultimate guide for self-discovery and reflection.

Rupi Kaur shares her writing journey with a thoughtfully curated deck of 70 writing prompts that invoke curiosity and a deeper connection with the self. While focusing on the theme of gratitude, use this card deck as a part of your daily ritual to inspire appreciation and creativity. We hope it becomes a tool for you to continue to discover more about your inner and outer worlds, and a light to help navigate you through it all.

• What makes you a good friend?
• If you were to meet your teenage self today, what would you want to reassure them about?
• How is the 2:00 p.m. version of you different from the 2:00 a.m. version of you?
• What about you leaves you in awe?

In this gorgeous and inspiring book, the beloved artist behind Spoonful of Faith shows you how to overcome your fears and harness your own creative gifts as an act of worship.

With thoughtful stories, powerful reflections, hand lettering, and beautiful original artwork, Jena Holliday invites you to discover how you uniquely reflect the heart of a creative God. Using the lessons she’s learned along the way and creative prompts throughout, Jena encourages readers to overcome the pressure to perform, face the fears of failure and imposter syndrome, believe in the gifts that God has given, step forward in creativity, and delight in the fruit that comes from freely creating as an act of worship.

Each section provides space to digest what you’ve read with thoughtful questions to respond to in words or drawings, an affirmation to encourage you, and a prayer to guide you. With suggested songs to listen to as well, Sacred Creativity is the ultimate invitation to offer your God-given gifts back to the Creator in joyful worship. To yield to the One who Created all, and allow your art, creativity, and life to be a love offering.

*Ships in 7-10 Business Days*

From the Pulitzer and NBCC finalist, Whiting Award-winning author of John Henry Days and The Intuitionist: a tender, hilarious, and supremely original novel about a young African American boy coming-of-age in the eighties.

Saint-Seducing Gold is the second book in Brittany N. Williams’s stunning YA historical fantasy trilogy—the Forge & Fracture Saga—that New York Times bestselling author Ayana Gray called “nothing short of spectacular”.
 
There’s danger in the court of James I. Magical metal-worker Joan Sands must reforge the Pact between humanity and the Fae to stop the looming war. As violence erupts across London and the murderous spymaster Robert Cecil closes in, the Fae queen Titanea coerces Joan into joining the royal court while holding her godfather prisoner in the infamous Tower of London. Now Joan will have to survive deadly machinations both magical and mortal all while balancing the magnetic pull of her two loves—Rose and Nick—before the world as she knows it is destroyed forever.

(The Forge & Fracture Saga, Book 2)

*ships in 7-10 business days*

Max and Jay depend on each other. Growing up in Minnesota with a physically abusive father, the two Bribri American brothers have learned to protect themselves and their mom by keeping their heads down.

But when they hear a classmate in trouble in the woods, instinct takes over and they break up a fight, harming their school's star soccer player in the process. This act of violence threatens the brothers' dreams for the future. As the true details of that fateful afternoon unfold, Max and Jay grapple with the weight of their actions. They'll have to reach back to their Bribri roots to find their way forward.

Told in alternating points of view, using vignettes and poems, debut author Ari Tison crafts an emotional, slow-burning drama that will take your breath away.

Michael Jordan's mother and sister team up for this heartwarming and inspirational picture book about faith and hope and how any family working together can help a child make his or her dreams come true.

Michael Jordan.

The mere mention of the name conjures up visions of basketball played at its absolute best. But as a child, Michael almost gave up on his hoop dreams, all because he feared he'd never grow tall enough to play the game that would one day make him famous.

ThatÕs when his mother and father stepped in and shared the invaluable lesson of what really goes into the making of a champion-- patience, determination, and hard work.

*ships in 7-10 business days*

From Printz honoree and National Book Award finalist Candice Iloh, a verse novel about Cerulean Gene, a nonbinary Black teenager searching for a new way to do more than survive in post-pandemic America.

Cerulean and their friends went into senior year—the first year of normal school after the pandemic—with a plan: keep their heads down in class, save money, and get the hell out of the Bronx once they graduate. If teachers are going to force them to read Huckleberry Finn, then they can't blame kids for "lighting out for the territory." Cerulean is convinced that there must be somewhere better than the Bronx and is focused on learning how to grow and make food so they can all be self-sufficient when they finally make their break.

Burned-out teachers and their father's badly timed workplace accident send Cerulean reeling off course, but Bronx babies are resiliant and resourceful, and Salt the Water is ultimately a radically hopeful vision of life beyond mere survival.

Written from both historical and cultural perspectives, Salvation takes an incisive look at the transformative power of love in the lives of African Americans. Whether talking about the legacy of slavery, relationships and marriage in Black life, the prose and poetry of Martin Luther King, Jr., James Baldwin, and Maya Angelou, the liberation movements of the 1950s, 60s, and 70s, or hip hop and gangsta rap culture, hooks lets us know what love’s got to do with it.

Combining the passionate politics of W.E.B. DuBois with fresh, contemporary insights, hooks brilliantly offers new visions that will heal our nation’s wounds from a culture of lovelessness. Her writings on love and its impact on race, class, family, history, and popular culture raise all the relevant issues. This is work that helps us heal. Salvation shows us how to create beloved American communities.

This ferociously fun read-aloud--perfect for bedtime or anytime--begins with a can't-settle-down boy who spends his naptime with wild animals that have leapt off the pages of his favorite book, and ends with a sleepy boy all played out!

Sam is not ready for naptime. Momma says he has ants in his pants and that he must calm down, but Sam says "NOOOOOO!" and flies off to his bedroom. He flips open his favorite book--African Wildlife--and out jumps a herd of gazelles...followed by a pride of lions...and then a zeal of zebras. And that's just the beginning! How can Sam ever be expected to take a nap?!

Amidst all the jumping and stalking and striding and prowling comes a sound louder than any other-- GRROOWWL! It's Sam's tummy, and it scares those ants right out of his pants. It must be time for a snack. But after such a wild day, how can Sam ever be expected to stay awake?!

*ships in 7-10 business days

A joyful picture book about a disabled girl with cerebral palsy who goes back-to-school shopping with her best friends, from #DisabledandCute creator and The Pretty One author Keah Brown.

Sam loves herself, learning, and making her family and friends laugh. She also loves comfortable seats, including a graceful couch named after Misty Copeland and Laney, the sassy backseat of Mom’s car.

After a busy morning of rest, Sam and her friends try on cute outfits at the mall and imagine what the new school year might bring. It’s not until Sam feels tired, and the new seat she meets isn’t so super, that she discovers what might be her best idea all day.

With hilarious, charming text by Keah Brown and exuberant illustrations by Sharee Miller, Sam’s Super Seats celebrates the beauty of self-love, the power of rest, and the necessity of accessible seating in public spaces. Includes narrative description of art for those with low/limited vision. 

Inspired by acclaimed chef Eric Adjepong’s own childhood, Sankofa is the powerful story of a young boy’s culinary journey 400 years into the past to reconnect with his African roots and find his own place in America.

What if home was a place you’ve never been? For Kofi, a first-generation Ghanaian American boy, home is a country called Ghana. But it’s a place he’s never been. When tasked to bring a dish that best represents his family’s culture to school for a potluck lunch, Kofi is torn. With the help of his Nanabarima (grandfather), Kofi learns the hardship and resilience his family has endured—and how food has always been an integral part their story and culture. Sankofa is a reminder that food can transport you to a place called home—even if you’ve never been.

Blank Inside. A7 size (5" x 7").

Printed on 110lb Pure White recycled, archival and acid-free paper.

Comes with kraft envelope and protective sleeve.

"With a little help from her family, community, and Santa himself, a little girl's faith in the magic of Christmas is restored"

Ntozake Shange's beloved Sassafrass, Cypress & Indigo is the story of three sisters and their mother from Charleston, South Carolina.

Ntozake Shange's beloved Sassafrass, Cypress & Indigo is the story of three sisters and their mother from Charleston, South Carolina. Sassafrass, the oldest, is a poet and a weaver like her mother before her. Having gone north to college, she is now living with other artists in Los Angeles and trying to weave a life out of her work, her man, her memories and dreams. Cypress, the dancer, leaves home to find new ways of moving in the world. Indigo, the youngest, is still a child of Charleston--"too much of the south in her"--who lives in poetry and has the supreme gift of seeing the obvious magic of the world. Shange's rich and wondrous story of womanhood, art, and passionately-lived lives is written "with such exquisite care and beauty that anybody can relate to her message" (The New York Times).