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2004 begins AALBC.com's 8th full year of selling books on-line.  We sell book's directly and as an affiliate of Amazon and B&N.com.  This years best seller's list is based upon online sales of over 1,500 different titles (virtually all by African-American authors) purchased through Amazon.com.  Commissions generated through book sales help support the AALBC.com family of web sites.  We sincerely appreciate you business!

AALBC.com's Best Selling Books for 2004

Fiction Nonfiction
#1

Let that Be the Reason
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by Vickie M. Stringer

ISBN: 1886433852
Format: Paperback, 250pp
Pub. Date: June 2002
Publisher: A & B Distributors & Publishers Group

Let That Be the Reason is the first of a quasi-fiction trilogy based on the author's real-life experiences. Pamela Xavier is abandoned by her drug dealing infant son's father (Chino) with a stack of bills, no food in the 'fridge, and an impending eviction notice. With no job prospects, Pamela feels backed into a corner and decides to get her "hustle" on. As a female caught up in a male-dominated game, Pamela relies on her alter-ego, Carmen, to deal with the streets, playas, dealers, drug lords, and of course, the law.

In no time, Carmen is on top running a call-girl service, fencing operation, and drug cartel--and add to that, being a mom. With money on her mind and her mind on money, Carmen's hustle is taking the streets by storm but the ever-present danger brought on by the police and rival hustlers makes staying in the game perilous.

Carmen wants out the game but her powerful drug connect, Dragos, wants her in. If she stays in, the police will force her to implicate Dragos. Her love interest, Delano, a noble hustler, wants Carmen out the game at all costs. Her first love and father of her son, Chino, wants Carmen in the game so he can connect with Dragos. .

Carmen's made enough money and she wants out. But can she get out alive? And can she get out in time? Can Carmen, her infant son, and Delano live happily ever after? Vickie M. Stringer adroitly weaves fact and fiction and has written the most honest, provocative and compelling novel of the "Bad-Girl" genre.

#1

Quitting America: The Departure of a Black Man from His Native Land
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by Randall Robinson

ISBN: 0525947582
Format: Hardcover, 288pp
Pub. Date: January 2004
Publisher: Dutton Adult

Randall Robinson is quitting America, and this book charts his journey from the most powerful nation on earth to the tiny tropical island where his wife was born. His search for a more peaceful and hospitable place grew out of the disappointment and increasing sense of abandonment he felt in the land of his own birth-an America that has sapped the creative energies of his race and has "transfigured humanity."

#2

A Hustler's Wife
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by Turner, Nikki

ISBN: 0970247257
Format: Paperback, 259pp
Pub. Date: March 2003
Publisher: Triple Crown Publications

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.

#2

The Billion Dollar Bet: Robert Johnson and the inside Story of Black Entertainment Television
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by Brett Pulley

ISBN: 0471423637
Format: Hardcover, 240pp
Pub. Date: April 2004
Publisher: Wiley, John & Sons, Incorporated

The American dream is still alive, and if you don't believe it just take a close look at Robert L. Johnson, the founder of Black Entertainment Television (BET) and a man who has traveled the classic American journey from humble origins to unimaginable wealth. Born to a poor family in Mississippi, Johnson, the son of factory workers and the only one among his ten siblings to attend college, parlayed a $15,000 loan in 1979 into Black Entertainment Television, one of the cable industry's richest franchises.

Written by award-winning journalist Brett Pulley, The Billion Dollar BET is the first-ever in-depth look at one of the most enigmatic and important entrepreneurs of our time. This revealing book offers a colorful portrait of a brilliant and relentlessly focused businessman, whose life is a window into race, culture, and capitalism. From Johnson's rural Mississippi roots and early years in blue-collar Illinois, to his graduate life at Princeton University and career as a cable industry lobbyist on Capitol Hill, The Billion Dollar BET traces his inspired climb to the top and his often controversial tenure at the helm of one of the most influential media outlets in the country. You'll discover how Johnson won the support of media titans John Malone and Sumner Redstone, and watch as BET begins to take on far greater social significance than even Johnson could ever have imagined. You'll also learn how Johnson handled pivotal events in the company's history, such as the public attacks on BET's program content and the decision to sell the firm to media giant Viacom.

Much more than a corporate analysis of profits and losses, The Billion Dollar BET is a story about savvy, vision, timing, determination, failure, scandal, love, and sex -- all the things that occur behind the scenes as a company and its leader grow up. It reveals an ambition and fiery determination that burned so hot that friendships were shattered, family relationships destroyed, and hearts broken. Filled with revealing anecdotes and never-reported details of Johnson's life and business acumen, The Billion Dollar BET is a classic American business tale.

#3

Chocolate Flava: The Eroticanoir.com Anthology
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Zane (Editor)

ISBN: 0743482387
Format: Paperback, 352pp
Pub. Date: January 2004
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group

As a best-selling author and successful publisher of Strebor Books, Zane's name is synonymous with popular fiction -- especially erotica. Her website, Eroticanoir.com, gets over a million hits a year from around the world, and her fans look forward to every one of her publishing ventures with eager anticipation.

Chocolate Flava is the first in a series of collections of great erotic fiction edited by Zane, the reigning queen of erotica. Based on the Featured Erotica section of her website, Chocolate Flava gathers twenty-five sizzling tales from some of the most talented -- and dedicated -- writers of erotica working today.

This is a his-and-her collection. There are stories specifically written with female readers in mind, and others written expressly for men. Among the contributors are names already familiar to readers of erotica, such as Reginald Harris, Robert Edison Sandiford, Jonathan Luckett and, of course, Zane -- as well as emerging voices, such as Geneva Barnes and Robert Scott Adams. What they all have in common is that they are great at what they do, and have been handpicked by Zane -- an editor who knows a hot story when she sees it.

Zane wanted stories "that took risks, that explored unique situations, that were creative beyond compare." She wanted to show that men and women can equally express themselves through the medium of erotic fiction. She wanted stories that would turn her on. This collection of selected sexy short stories will turn you on, too.

#3

On the Down Low: A Journey Into the Lives of "Straight" Black Men Who Sleep With Men
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by James L. King, Foreword by E. Lynn Harris

ISBN: 0767913981
Format: Hardcover, 304pp
Pub. Date: May 11, 2004
Publisher: Broadway Books

Delivering the first frank and thorough investigation of life "on the down low," (the D.L.) J. L. King exposes a closeted culture of sex between black men who lead "straight" lives. The trend is proving to have skyrocketing health consequences for wives and girlfriends unwittingly caught in the double lives of their men: African American women represent 68 percent of new HIV cases, and an alarming one out of 160 black women carries the virus, compared to one in 3,000 white women.

Drawn from hundreds of interviews, statistics, and the author's firsthand knowledge of D.L. behavior, On the Down Low reveals the warning signs and protective measures every African American woman needs to know. Providing a long-overdue wake-up call, J. L. King bravely puts the spotlight on a topic that has until now remained dangerously taboo. Volatile yet vital, On the Down Low is sure to be one of the most talked-about books of the year.

#4

The Sex Chronicles: Shattering the Myth
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Zane

Format: Paperback, 2nd ed., 304pp.
ISBN: 0967460182
Publisher: Strebor Books International, LLC
Pub. Date: February  2001
Edition Desc: 2 ED

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.

#4

Donald Writes No More: A Biography of Donald Goines
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Amazon

ISBN: 087067949X
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Pub. Date: October 2001
Publisher: Holloway House Publishing Company


by Eddie Stone

Donald Goines was all of these things. He started as a kid, the product of a middle-class family. After high school he joined the Navy, and discovered the heroin that would rule the remainder of his life. On the streets, he turned to writing when he was straight enough to keep at it. He used the language of the streets and wrote of the streets and its people. His success was immediate and exciting, But eventually the streets claimed him. He was murdered as he sat writing a new book. Here for the first time is the completed story.

#5

A Project Chick
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by Turner, Nikki

ISBN: 0970247265
Format: Paperback, 353pp
Pub. Date: November 2003
Publisher: Triple Crown Publications

Tressa is a fly girl accustomed to the lavish lifestyle that her possessive, deranged, baby’s daddy, Lucky, has provider her with. In order to keep her high post standards of living, she has excused so many of his unforgivable actions. It is not until he pulls off the ultimate stunt that she realizes that no mink coat, car, house or any amount of money is worth her peace of mind.

Never blinking or thinking twice, Tressa leaves everything behind, with the exception of her street savvy, and sets out to make a life of her own, one that would be filled with hard times and even harder luck. Tressa soon finds herself making the transition from public figure to public assistance. Every day of her life seems like one drama-filled chapter after another. From the baby daddy drama, to the backstabbing friends, to the various unforgettable men she sorts through and disposes of.

There will be times she has to struggle and scramble just to make ends meet, and other times when she will stand tall and hold her own.

In this captivating tale, Tressa’s voyage will expose readers to a side of a struggling single mother that has yet to be revealed to them

Nikki Turner, the best selling author of A Hustler’s Wife, once again will take readers on a safari through the jungle of the fierce and stormy streets, leaving readers on the edge of their seats begging for an encore.

#5

The Mis-EducationThe MIS-Education of the Negro
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Publisher:  Africa World Press
Date Published:  November 1990
Format:  Trade Paper

by Carter Godwin Woodson

Woodson's 205-page monograph, The Mis-education of tbe Negro, reflects his profound concern for setting the record straight. His thesis, as outlined in his Preface, could well apply today: "The so-called modern education, with all its defects, however, does others so much more good than it does the Negro, because it has been worked out in conformity to the needs of those who have enslaved and oppressed weaker people." He was concerned with the way African American identity had been warped by racist approaches to history and education; he foresaw the ways that such a warped history would be internalized by black students who would never know of the achievements of their forebears, only of their humiliations and sufferings.

In the book's eighteen chapters, Woodson presents a systematic critique of the education system and offers a plan for change that would create a system that informs black students about their own history and addresses their unique challenges. The current proliferation of African American studies programs, Afrocentric schools, and multicultural curricula all bear Woodson's stamp. Still, Mis-education remains a biting indictment of a public school system whose promise of education of the masses has still been left sadly unfulfilled.  �description from Sacred Fire

#6

The Sex Chronicles: Shattering the Myth
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Zane

Format: Paperback, 2nd ed., 304pp.
ISBN: 0967460182
Publisher: Strebor Books International, LLC
Pub. Date: February  2001
Edition Desc: 2 ED

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. 

#6

Countering the Conspiracy to Destroy Black Boys
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by Jawanza Kunjufu

ISBN: 0913543004
Format: Paperback, 77pp
Pub. Date: March 1987
Publisher: African American Images

Advice for parents, educators, community, and church members is provided in this guide for ensuring that African American boys grow up to be strong, committed, and responsible African American men. This book answers such questions as Why are there more black boys in remedial and special education classes than girls? Why are more girls on the honor roll? When do African American boys see a positive black male role model? Is the future of black boys in the hands of their mothers and white female teachers? and When does a boy become a man? The significance of rite of passage activities, including mentoring, male bonding, and spirituality, are all described.

#7

Every Thug Needs A Lady
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by Wahida Clark

ISBN: 0974805114
Format: Paperback
Pub. Date: December 2003
Publisher:
Lushena Books

About the Author
Born and raised in Trenton, New Jersey, "Every Thug Needs A Lady" is the second book from Wahida Clark. Currently incarcerated at a women’s federal camp in Lexington, KY, she is working on her third novel, "Don't Knock the Hustle".

About the Book
"Every Thug Needs A Lady" is the spellbinding sequel to Wahida Clark's "Thugs And The Women Who Love Them". After taking us through the rugged, thug-filled lives of Jaz, Kyra and Angel, Clark now takes us into the unique and unbelievable life of their best friend Roz. She's sexy, beautiful, and a slave for the love of Trae, her irresistable thuggish beau. Will Roz and Trae's love survive? The answers lie inside the pages of "Every Thug Needs A Lady"!

#7

Who's Gonna Take the Weight?: Manhood, Race, and Power in America
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by Kevin Powell

ISBN: 0609810448
Format: Paperback, 160pp
Pub. Date: August 2003
Publisher: Crown Publishing Group

 In three mind-jolting essays by one of the most passionate and eloquent voices of his generation, Who's Gonna Take the Weight? by Kevin Powell leads us to the heart of the searing issues facing us today, from manhood, violence, and gender oppression to celebrity culture and hip-hop. Using compelling personal stories as the connecting thread, he examines what this nation has become since the monumental upheavals of the 1960s and where it might be headed if we're not careful.

#8

Getting Buck Wild: Sex Chronicles 2, Vol. 2
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Amazon

Zane (Editor)

ISBN: 0743457013
Format: Hardcover, 304pp
Pub. Date: October 2002
Publisher: Atria Books

Zane is back with Gettin' Buck Wild: Sex Chronicles II, more stories for the legion of readers that made The Sex Chronicles a bestseller.

Zane's erotic short stories have captivated the minds of both sexes and all races. The Sex Chronicles: Shattering the Myth did exactly what its title implies -- exploded 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 cultures.

#8

African American Heritage Hymnal: 575 Hymns, Spirituals, and Gospel Songs
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ISBN: 1579991246
Format: Hardcover, 1210pp
Pub. Date: September 2001
Publisher: Gia Publications

Eight years of inspired work by a committee of more than 30 musicians and pastors, all leaders in African American worship and gospel music, have resulted in this compendium representing the common repertoire of African American churches across the United States. For the first time in an African American hymnal, traditional hymns and songs are notated to reflect performance practices found in the oral tradition of the black church in America. At a time when such traditions are falling victim to modern technology, this book strives to preserve this rich heritage for future generations. Presented are litanies for �Fifty-Two Sundays of Worshipful Celebration� outlining an African American church year, including such special days as Martin Luther King Sunday, Elders� Day, Mother’s Day, and Men’s Day. Also included are 52 responsive scripture readings from the Old and New Testaments and an extensive index that includes scriptural and thematic cross-references.

#9

Bad Girlz: A Novel
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by Shannon Holmes

ISBN: 074348620X
Format: Paperback, 224pp
Pub. Date: October 2003
Publisher: Atria Books

The best-selling author of B-More Careful, Shannon Holmes, delivers Bad Girlz, another wild adventure into the streets. The setting this time is the Badlands, one of the toughest and poorest communities in Philadelphia.

Bad Girlz takes you into the mysterious and often dangerous lives of young women who turn to the streets and strip clubs as a means of survival. These are girls who, along the way, suffer bad breaks and find themselves ripe for exploitation by men and women who pretend to be their saviors.

Tender and Goldie were taken under wing by Kat, a veteran stripper, who enjoyed the life and the risks she had to take to stay in the mix of the sex trade. Both of these young and beautiful girls had ended up in dire straits and in need of Kat's help in different ways, but ultimately for the same reasons: They lacked the love and support that most of us expect to get at home and in our communities. Where they live, illegal money is often the only money to be made, and the difference between the law and the outlaw is tough to discern.

#9

Spiritual Maturity: Preserving Congregational Health and Balance
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by Frank A. Thomas

Retail Price: $10.00
Format: paperback, 112 pages
ISBN: 0800630866
Publisher: Fortress Press

Like all human bodies, the body of Christ that we call "church" needs to attend to its health or it may become ill. Renowned pastor, preacher, and teacher Frank Thomas believes that many congregations exhibit a number of dysfunctional habits in conducting business that lead to rifts, divides, and even congregational splits. Often they are caused by leadership styles that are ineffective and controlling. Thomas examines how poor congregational leadership is often the result of personality conflicts among leaders and how many key leaders�both clergy and lay� participate in keeping unhealthy methods alive.

Thomas’s book will help lay and clergy leaders improve the health of their congregation by taking a close look at the styles of church leadership, methods of information flow, and levels of participation that exist within the body. Thomas offers a holistic solution based on a model of spiritual maturity for creating and preserving a healthy congregation.

#10

Tastes Like Chicken: A Novel
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Lolita Files

ISBN: 0743245253
Format: Hardcover, 288pp
Pub. Date: May 2004
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group

It's the return of the sistahs! Tastes Like Chicken is Lolita Files's much anticipated continuing story of the lives of Misty Fine and Reesy Snowden, the dynamic heroines of the best-selling novels Scenes from a Sistah and Getting to the Good Part. With steamy thrills and disastrous infidelities, Lolita's latest is a tale of two women who find themselves poised at life's crossroads with everything to lose but their friendship. What's a girl to do when she finds out her man's been feeding her lies? When readers last saw them, Misty had just married her dream man, Rick Hodges, and was off on a fabulous honeymoon. On an equally hopeful note, a pregnant and newly engaged Reesy was riding off into the sunset with her fiance -- reformed ladies' man Dandre Hilliard. But it isn't long before the men start misbehaving again, and in Tastes Like Chicken, they get what's coming to them.

#10

100 Amazing Facts about the Negro with Complete Proof
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ISBN: 0960229477
Format: Paperback, 71pp
Pub. Date: January 1989 (originally published in 1934)
Publisher: Helga Rogers
Edition Description: REVISED

Written in the 1940's and published in 1957.

BLACK FACT:
White American slave-holders used to induce white women to marry Negro slaves in order to hold the women slaves for life.

PROOF:
In Sept. 1664, Maryland passed a law that any white woman who married a 'Negro' should serve the master of such slave "for life." Slave-holders took advantage of this law to induce the white women, some of whom were recent arrivals, to marry the "Negroes." MacCormac says, "Instead of preventing such marriages this law enabled avaricious and unprincipled masters to convert many of their (white) servants into slaves." In 1681, the Legislature was forced to issue the following law: "Divers freeborn English or white women sometimes by the instigation, procurement, and connivance of their master.... and always to the satisfaction of their lascivious and lustful desires....do intermarry with 'Negroes' and other slaves, be it enacted that if any master....having any freeborn English or white woman servant in their possession or property, shall by any instigation, procurement, knowledge, permission or contrivance," cause her to marry a slave she should be free at once and the master should pay a fine of "10,000 lbs. of tobacco." (Archives of Maryland, Vol. I, pp. 433-34; and Vol. III, pp. 203-04, also Johns Hopkins University Studies in Hist. & Pol. Science, No. 3 & 4.) What is true of Maryland was true of other states.