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History and criticism books

Explore 21 verified History and criticism books in The Reading Room catalog and open any title for Book DNA, content awareness, and community discovery.

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The IntuitionistIt is a time of calamity in a major metropolitan city's Department of Elevator Inspectors, and Lila Mae Watson, the first black female eleva...LagoonAfter word gets out on the Internet that aliens have landed in the waters outside of the world’s fifth most populous city, Lagos, Nigeria, c...Little GreenWhen Walter Mosley burst onto the literary scene in 1990 with his first Easy Rawlins mystery, Devil in a Blue Dress—a combustible mixture of...ErasureThelonius "Monk" Ellison is an erudite, accomplished but seldom-read author who insists on writing obscure literary papers rather than the s...HoldingChildhood neighbors, enemies, best friends, lovers, enemies, Sires lineman Terrence Ford and his ex-wife, Krystle, have meant all these thin...John Henry DaysColson Whitehead’s triumphant novel is on one level a multifaceted retelling of the story of John Henry, the black steel-driver who died out...JazzIn the winter of 1926, when everybody everywhere sees nothing but good things ahead, Joe Trace, middle-aged door-to-door salesman of Cleopat...Real Life"A novel of rare emotional power that excavates the social intricacies of a late-summer weekend -- and a lifetime of buried pain. Almost eve...No DisrespectIn No Disrespect, Sister Souljah, America's most notorious hip-hop rebel, offers a stunningly candid book about how young black girls can gr...Paradise"Rumors had been whispered for more than a year. Outrages that had been accumulating all along took shape as evidence. A mother was knocked ...5 DatesA reluctant night out leads to an unexpected connection. He’s enamored. She’s apprehensive. Can five dates open her mind and heart to the po...BelovedToni Morrison--author of Song of Solomon and Tar Baby--is a writer of remarkable powers: her novels, brilliantly acclaimed for their passion...SurvivorThe Patternist books (Wild Seed, Mind of My Mind, Clay's Ark, and Patternmaster) comprise Butler's longest, most complex series, stretching ...Purple HibiscusFifteen-year-old Kambili and her older brother Jaja lead a privileged life in Enugu, Nigeria. They live in a beautiful house, with a caring ...Half of a Yellow SunWith effortless grace, celebrated author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie illuminates a seminal moment in modern African history: Biafra's impassion...Little ScarletFor the huge audience that has always thought they should read Walter Mosley, he delivers at last the novel they've been waiting for-one so ...The Color PurpleA powerful cultural touchstone of modern American literature, The Color Purple depicts the lives of African American women in early twentiet...Song of SolomonMilkman Dead was born shortly after a neighborhood eccentric hurled himself off a rooftop in a vain attempt at flight. For the rest of his l...James**A brilliant reimagining of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn—both harrowing and satirical—told from the enslaved Jim's point of view** Whe...White TeethAt the center of this invigorating novel are two unlikely friends, Archie Jones and Samad Iqbal. Hapless veterans of World War II, Archie an...Tar BabyJadine Childs is a Black fashion model with a white patron, a white boyfriend, and a coat made out of ninety perfect sealskins. Son is a Bla...