Platinum
Aliya S. King has captured the seemingly endless bounty of hip-hop industry drama in her latest book, Platinum. The book delves into the lives of hip-hop wives and girlfriends, Beth, Kipenzi, Josephine and Alex as they seek their own niche in a glamorous, but ruthless world.
The protagonist, Alex Maxwell, is planning her wedding to struggling rapper Birdie while ghostwriting a video vixen’s memoir (think the infamous Karinne Steffans). Beth Saddlebrook, wife of aging rapper Z, lives a seemingly idyllic life with three sons, maids and a mansion in New Jersey. However, her husband is haunted by several evils, namely women and an unshakable drug habit. Josephine is married to a popular Jamaican singer and is launching her own successful clothing line, but money and fame can do little to help her conceive a child.
Final word: A fast-paced insider’s look into the ugly side of hip-hop.
In stores now.
Sins of the Mother
Celebrated Christian fiction author Victoria Christopher Murray brings protagonist Jasmine Larson Bush back in a new setting. Jasmine, who once lived a life filled with lies and betrayal, is now married with a daughter and stable life. But just as she feels settled in her new lifestyle, her vibrant daughter Jacquie is kidnapped at a local mall.
The terrifying incident brings ghosts from her past to life and Jasmine finds herself tempted by Brian Lewis, her daughter’s biological father, in a way that could threaten her marriage.
Final word: Christian fiction with a powerful kick.
In stores now.
Rooted in the Earth: Reclaiming the African American Environmental Heritage
Rooted in the Earth, a book by Dianne D. Glave, delves into a heritage many African Americans are unaware existed. Glave explores the highest and lowest points of African Americans’ relationship with nature, from their early encounters with slave ships and the vast ocean to sharecropping and cultivating southern landscapes.
Glave speaks about stereotypes regarding Blacks and nature, mostly the belief that “African Americans are physically and spiritually detached from the environment.” Through a series of vignettes, Glave show how and why some Black Americans fear nature and how that fear can be overcome.
Final word: An insightful look into a rarely discussed phenomenon.
In stores now.